Just a humble suggestion. Suggestion What are your thoughts on some AI-controlled opponents for ESF pilots in VR/Koltyr? These could provide practice without gain of experience points. It's one thing practicing on a stationary, ground object, but practicing alone against anything is still going to throw the player directly into the deep end when it comes to the real thing - at least unless that anything can fire back and move. TLDR Learning to fly an ESF in PlanetSide is perhaps the hardest feat any player can try, I'm sure you'll agree. They'll be constantly met with superior fighters, some who really only ever fly, and I have to say that as a learning player, it's both daunting and deterrent. I know you can say "if you really want to do it, don't let better players deter you," but it's not like ground combat. There aren't hundreds of pilots. If you fly, you tend to routinely see the same names at particular times of day, and when they know you're new, they single you out as opposed to fighting everyone with equal hostility. In fact, I've seen mention of (and witnessed firsthand) great pilots intentionally avoiding combat with each other. It's concealed under some obscure notion of honor or etiquette. It means that good pilots end up preying more exclusively on new players. Through that logic, new players then have to contend not only with each other, but good pilots that have a mutual understanding to not attack each other, as well. This is bad sportsmanship, surely? I won't include full anecdotes of the level of salt on specific servers, geared toward newbies when they finally land a killing shot on a skilled pilot, at least beyond telling you this. But I will say to any newer players perhaps learning to fly that they should really consider turning on auto-ignore tells. At least on Cobalt and Miller, you WILL be sent ragetells - some rather sickening. I know we now have Koltyr to pull aircraft with friends for free and practice that way, but what about the players who don't have friends about to do that? Thoughts? And apologies if this is a repeat suggestion. I'm aware it's not original and not easy to implement.
AI has been suggested numerous times for vr, this option would be immensely helpful though. Right now the only way is as you said to have a friend to teach one how to fly, don't think it should be like that but it is what it is.
