What are these new npcs killing ships on station dock in 0.7 caldari space? Guristas destroyers or something, groups of them warping to and from stations in 0.7 caldari space attacking anyone outside a hi-sec station. They have enough dps to bring down large ships, including Orcas.
Why are these npcs here killing random players outside stations? They’re not like normal NPCS, which show up in red. These npcs show up in white.
Raise a support request? Sounds like the new NPC’s that will hunt you if you have bad standing with them, but I’d expect them to at least show up as enemy combatants so you have a clue they are there.
Those will be from the pirate forward operating bases that were added with lifeblood 
Working as intended:
These guys are one of the next generation NPCs CCP has been working on to bring the universe to life. They behave much more like players and have behaviours and capabilities we are just learning about, including initiating attacks on players and podding them. Like the other NPCs that have been mining away in belts for over a year now, they show up as white not as a red cross.
Still, they don’t seem to tackle players, so can easily be avoided by just not being completely AFK and warping away (or just docking up if you are on a station). But please, if you have any information on how they work, please share it as not much is known yet.
Now that’s interesting (you can tell I haven’t been in hisec that much for a while…). Still not sure they should show up as white, what with them being nasty pirates and all. Anybody know the supplier of mops to CCP? I think I’d like to invest in their company before the flood of tears…
Well they do go all yellow and red box-y on you when they start targeting and shooting you like anyone else.
Yeah, it’s hard to say how much havoc these guys are causing yet. I think many of their ‘victims’ aren’t the sort to have the API linked to zKillboard, like the OP who doesn’t seem to have his linked so someone must have posted the kill mail manually. Further, I think the NPCs share names with the ones in the Resources Wars sites which are indeed killing a lot of players, but generally ones actively playing the game rather than loitering on a gate/station or in a belt. Still, perhaps some of these kills are from these new roaming NPCs:
Kudos to CCP for having the courage to implement these guys to highsec and setting themselves up for the obvious response from a subset of their highsec players. It feels like it has been a very long time since I have seen something truly new and mysterious happening in New Eden.
Edit: Actually maybe the NPC that killed the OP is unique to the roaming NPCs:
Iv seen the Kestrel before on grid when i trigger the bots on the low sec sotiyo grid
Are the NPCs killable, Ive bad standings with all the pirate factions but I live in a WH, however If i choose to do a freighter run somewhere i will obviously be pi**ed if it gets killed, especially by a lone kestrel.
How can you avoid them?
are they overpowered?
Do i have to repair pirate faction standings on my freighter pilots?
What do these npc’s take as bad standings and choose to attack? Any - or less or -2.0 similar to agents not working with you?
You’re asking the wrong question.
The question is not “Why did I lose my 3B ISK orca to an NPC?” The question is “Why did I not join a corp years ago with other players who can come to help when I’m about to lose my 3B ISK orca to an NPC?”
No one knows. These guys are a big mystery.
Perhaps the OP can share some information on his standings with Guristas and whether the NPCs tried to point him or not. The kill mail does confirm he was on the undock, so I don’t know why he just didn’t dock up (or warp away) unless he was AFK, but maybe they web and/or pointed him. A frigate, or even bunch of frigates must take an awfully long time to chew through a tanked Orca.
A previous report suggest they don’t tackle you but that needs to be confirmed.
My guess is right now is that they don’t and you will be safe as long as you pay attention and warp away when they show up. But more information is needed.
Naturally, eventually CCP wanted to get in on the griefing of high sec players. Why leave all the fun to their null sec buddies. I find it very telling that we don’t have any NPC’s attacking null sec ships parked outside stations or structures.
That would make sense if these are a measure to curtail some AFK practices. If there’s no tackle you should still escape their clutches in most cases.
Nobody’s griefing HiSec players. HiSec players and the HiSec playstyle are not victims here, nor are they in any serious jeopardy. What is in jeopardy, and rightfully so, is the solo playstyle. Social interaction is the Lifeblood of the game (pun intended). Solo players aren’t contributing to what makes the game great and special, dynamic and lively. CCP wants to do everything possible to encourage people to join or form corps and play together. No capsuleer an island. And I’m happy their finally making a serious effort to make it happen.
There I have to disagree, all playstyles should be viable. Solo shouldn’t be as rewarding (in ISK terms) as being part of a group, but it should still be viable if you take the correct precautions.
Guess you have not been following the declining sub rate over the past few years and current events. CCP is down to one franchise that supposedly makes money. And guess what, solo players STILL make up a large segment of that paying sub base.
Contrary to your fantasies, that people who play solo will not decide to join a co-operative group. They will quit the game. CCP has made a concerted effort to destroy the economic viability of the solo playstyle, which has resulted in the dropping sub rate. Now, CCP decision-makers, who share your insane ideology, are doubling down on the moves that drove away so much of their customer base.
Not surprising though, given the track record of all the big moves CCP management has made in the last 5 or 6 years.
I’m content to disagree with you about whether the solo playstyle should be viable. EVE is by conception, design and intent a social game. The community is healthiest, and liveliest when players don’t isolate from each other. It’s important to encourage players to join or form corps because it’s the only way to ensure the long-term viability of the game we love.
I think you’re correct that the social playstyle is and should be more profitable. However, with the new NPCs, CCP is correcting an important oversight, which has been that while social play is (generally) more profitable, solo play has been relatively risk-free. Social play should not only be more profitable, but also less risky. There should be safety in numbers, so to speak. The OP, if they were in a corp, would have had corp-mates to call on. That’s key. CCP is making solo play more dangerous relative to social play, a laudable goal.
Agreed. If the new npcs and their behavior is such that player bots and afk players are most at risk with the emergent gameplay, I am all for it. Perhaps it will be used in some fashion to make a dent in the current glut of bots, although they will need to be introduced into null to have the most effect. As long as a player is aware, at the keyboard, and has taken reasonable precautions such as proper fit and techniques, these npcs should have limited success. If CCP has added pointing or some other ability that even the well fitted/technique solid solo player cannot overcome, then CCP has gone a step too far.
Do we have data for player retention for those who join a corp versus those who remain isolated? It’s a very solid bet that the source of unsubs is twofold. On one hand, you have natural attrition. Nobody keeps playing forever. The second, worrisome source is solo players who, for whatever reason, never joined a corp, got bored, disengaged, and stopped playing. There are some, and I presume you’re among them, who are content to bang away at asteroid belts in HiSec for all eternity. That’s lovely. You do you. However, I’m perfectly happy with you carrying a bit more risk so that the upside of joining a corp is more clear and more pressing for new players, who are vastly more likely to stay subscribed if they engage with a corp.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA 