I've noticed that when dealing with elite NPCs, you lock in when you are guaranteed a drop (i.e. you can't be bumped off the list by people dealing more damage than you). But the lock in is in the wrong point. Take this for example:

Lazuli Factory Complex:
Hull: 8000
Rewards top 3 damagers.

So the game currently calculates this as:
100% divided by 3 = 33.33333333333333333333333333333333333%
So once you reach 2667 damage, you're locked in guaranteed a drop.

But, it's actually 2000 damage which secures you a spot (i.e. over 25%)

This is because:
Three other people need to damage it more than you to take you off the list.
You: 2000
Player A: 2001 (just more than you) so you're 2nd
Player B: 2001 (now you're third)

Someone else needs to hit it more than you to completely take you off the list.
8000 - 2000 (you) - 2001 (Player A) - 2001 (Player B) = 1998

1998 is less than 2000 - you can't be taken off the list.

The current lock in calculation is 100/x = lock in %
Where x is drop spots.
It should be 100/(x+1).

I know this is nothing major, but it REALLY annoys me for some reason.

OCD?

Lol, this calculation is true, but it doesn't matter at all to the game and NPC killing

The other thing is at my rank, with a lot of NPCs it takes a LOT of energy to hit even 10% - I only realised this morning that I was hitting 8% more than I needed to, which equates to around 50 energy and 2 repairs for me (more of a hacker build). Rank 70, I have 205 energy.

Just saying the damage lock can be misleading right now (and I've been bumped off a list too often to take chances for the rare drops).

Research Energy, I put 2 Engineers per rank and 3 decks.I have Dark Energy Reactors, and without relays I have 1000 Energy to spare

I can fully lock 3-4 bosses in one day, given the chance. I deal 1-2% per hit, equating to around 20 hits - or 100 energy which is fine because I have 500 energy on most bosses. Pretty much every boss I have seen recently I could take out myself - as with most people.

Nice, I only have 4 Singularity Cannons and 1 Plating sigh, But I had to kill 2 NPC Elites (Lazuli Factory Complex, Yahnosh Sha'din Hacker) By myself because no one in the legion was a low enough level to see them :/ and i had time to lock on a few other npc's

Note: Based on the elite being sabotaged... unless it's the crimson one in which case it's so easy I don't need to sab it.

I'm doing planet +5 researches now, so I've slowed down a lot, then I'm back to energy.
Plus I'm 30-60 ranks below you two.

Are you expecting others to do the other 8% you didn't do or you just want to come back later. If it's the former, you are not a good legion mate, if it is the latter, yes, you only need to hit 26% to "lock in", (assuming a 3 person npc). You can do your 26 percent, wait for you shields to restore, do some more damage and so on.

Yes, it's the 2nd one - I die easily against them (I'm only just starting to actually find them), and I'm always short on time (for repairs, hardly get TMs) and energy. On some occasions, I hit for around 15%, have to go away for an hour or so, then come back and I'm off the list and the NPC is dead.

When I see an elite, I always unload everything I have against it.

The point I was trying to make was I've found myself "wasting" restorers, TMs and Nanodrones to reach 33%, when I only had to blitz to 26% then wait for the natural cooldowns.

Fair enough. Make sure you use nanite swarms, grid consoles and shield amplifiers. They will help you stay alive longer and make your repairs more worthwhile.

I do.

Anyway, back on topic, is what I've said true? The lock-in system can be a little misleading at times. Maybe something to change soon, but not as a priority?

It would be nice to have fixed.

Although I doubt it's very high on the priority list.

I don't think it's misleading per say. It is just an interpretation of how it works. If we went by what you suggest, we would have people hit their lock and not come back leaving it at 92% and having it fail (or letting other people do your portion).

I think it is part of the learning curve of the game. You now know that you can hit 26% and be locked in. You learn more as you play. I think changing it would be more detrimental to new players than leaving it as it is.

For a 3-player-reward NPC the lock should be no earlier than 33.3%, because to actually beat the NPC you must get it 100%, not 3x 25%. Locking in @ 25% means you rely on a 4th person do do you a favour and spend energy that your legion mate will never see a reward for.

Besides, the actual lock is cosmetic anyhow. Once you hit 25% no one can knock you off your reward-perch. Once you hit 33% (your fair contribution share) you are told (by means of the lock symbol) you have done the right thing.

I think somebody else suggested this before, but I can't remember who, but it could have an open lock for the soft lock and keep the current lock as it is.