Another thing to think about. Wasnt there a code change to increase the evasive skill of the NPC pilots? Part of the "jumping" on the NPC part is their ability to now use reverse thrust. In addition to this even a small hit on the CPU usage in large numbers will produce lag. Take into account the number you see at your location and then add the NPC vs NPC encounters and then add the PC vs NPC encounters in all the other sectors. Part of the lag problem may not be from just a single source but fr…