In the video, the creator modifies a stolen Polaris capital ship in Star Citizen by equipping it with fully ballistic weapons manned by NPC gunners, discovering that while these ballistic guns do not damage NPC ships, they are highly effective against player-controlled vessels. Despite some technical issues, the experiment highlights the impressive accuracy of NPC gunners and suggests the ballistic Polaris could be valuable for player bounty hunting.
In this video, the creator begins by showcasing a previously stolen NPC Polaris capital ship in Star Citizen, which he plans to modify for a fun experiment. After repairing the ship, he replaces all the Polaris’s original weapons with ballistic guns, creating a fully ballistic-armed Polaris. He equips the main turrets with AD4B Bliss a gallon guns and the side turrets with Shrider bler repeaters, ensuring all turrets are manned by NPC gunners to test their performance. He also mentions the new control setup for torpedoes in this patch, allowing easier firing from a dedicated seat.
Once the modifications are complete, the creator tests the ship in combat scenarios. The NPC gunners actively operate the turrets, firing at enemy ships and station turrets. Despite the impressive aiming and rapid firing from the NPCs, the ballistic weapons appear to cause no damage to NPC ships, which remain unaffected by the gunfire. The only weapons causing damage to NPC ships are the ship’s Point Defense Cannons (PDCs). This leads to the conclusion that NPC gunners’ ballistic damage might be disabled or ineffective against NPC targets in the current patch.
During the tests, the creator experiences a few setbacks, including missile strikes that destroy the cockpit and an audio bug that affects gameplay immersion. Despite these issues, the video highlights the impressive accuracy and behavior of the NPC gunners, who act almost like aimbots, hitting targets consistently. The creator also notes some visual and audio glitches but remains focused on testing the ship’s combat capabilities with the new ballistic loadout.
In further testing, the creator engages in a bounty hunting mission against NPC criminals, observing that the ballistic guns continue to have no effect on NPC ships, which remain unharmed despite sustained fire. This reinforces the idea that ballistic weapons operated by NPCs do not currently deal damage to NPC vessels. However, the ship’s PDCs still function normally and can inflict damage, making them the only effective automated defense system against NPC threats in this setup.
Finally, the creator tests the ballistic Polaris against a player-controlled ship, flown by a friend named Luke Skywalker. In this scenario, the ballistic weapons perform effectively, dealing significant damage and quickly disabling the player’s ship. This suggests that while ballistic weapons may not harm NPC ships, they are still very effective against player ships. The video concludes on an optimistic note, proposing that the fully ballistic NPC Polaris could be useful for engaging player bounties in the game.