Oolite Bulletins

I tend to find that stationary targets are easy to hit, moving targets are harder to hit (proportional to speed) and twisting/turning/accelerating targets are nearly impossible to hit. Additionally, close targets are easier to hit than distant targets.

But my impression of the AI is that what my ship is doing doesn't seem to have any effect on their hit-rate. I've seen ships right in my face who are firing and missing most of their shots, and I've been pummeled while twisting and turning on afterburners half-way across the screen. I don't have statistics to back up this claim, but I don't feel a correlation between hit-rates and any other factors.

Is any such correlation being attempted? If not, then at least speed and distance should be easy to compute a factor for.

This has always been the same in all versions. I think it's to give a balance of intelligence over accuracy.

Ponder wrote:

I think it's to give a balance of intelligence over accuracy.

That would explain why I'm such a poor shot then.

Or why I am.....uh?

Does that mean that taking evasive action is pointless?

Not at all - but evasive action is best taken at long range, at short range your craft is the proverbial barn-door to anything with a similar manoeuvrability to you.

To clarify the process, on an attack run an NPC ship tries to turn to face into a notional sphere that encompasses your ship, once it is facing that sphere it opens fire hoping that the shot will hit your hull.

If you have a ship with a small cross-section in a particular aspect (for example a Griffin Two from ahead or behind), then presenting that aspect to the enemy will reduce its ability to hit you accurately.