Using NPC crew to add quality of life improvements.

h347h

h347h
So I have been thinking about how to add crew members to your ship with out making it a huge combat buff that would just make all ships stronger. Where perhaps that should be limited to CMDR multicrew.(Yeah I know some players will want that but no need to bring it up in this thread, this is mostly spit balling for NPC crew.) I ended up thinking that you could use NPC crew(other than the fighter pilots, but I have an idea for that later) should give quality of life improvements.

The first of which could be the co pilot. They could do VERY simple things mostly just spouting off information for you. When jumping into a new system they could alert you to the system state, tell you if there are factions at war(so you can get out of your T-9 and summon a Vulture...), and while exploring you could set a filter for a list of planet types you would like them to alert you do after you do a honk with the ADS.

Then there could be a repair crew. Hire (how ever many people the ship can fit) and have them work on repairing modules that get damaged and possibly allow them to reduce the chance of malfunctions the higher their AI gets(like fighter pilots or something) they could be slower than AMFU but work on modules while they are on line. Add a module for them to store repair materials in and have them run out after a while. They could come over the coms and tell you what they are repairing and about how long it could take and let you know when they are finished. They could also be the people who do the synthesis on board your ship.

Science vessel pilot. This would be a huge boon for explorers. Pilots who fly a ship launched fighter sized ship that could help scan planetary bodies for the player reducing the time to scan a whole system. Give them orders to go to a body and have them scan it, then direct them to another while you scan your own.

Trade master! A trade master could continually plot a circle route for the player A>B>A or A>B>C>A ect and auto target the specified docks in each system the player tells them to at the start of the route.



If you guys/gals have more ideas post them here.
 
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Codger

Codger
Some nice ideas there. I haven't thought about it much yet myself, but I do like the concept of more interaction with the NPC crew. I'm just a little cynical, and worried that they'd just spout the same thing over and over, like tasty cargo. :)
 

Brian of Ardagh

B
The OP covered quite a few scenarios so I'm not sure what I can add. I can imagine the NPC crewmate screaming at me to notice the message that the pirate wants our cargo or we die!
 
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Devari

D
All of those would be interesting options, but I think the problem that FD is going to have with multi-crew is that they are somehow balancing it for having another player being more effective than an NPC at a given task. In a sense having those types of tasks being done by an NPC would probably increase your efficiency and would also allow you to "delegate" very boring tasks to your NPC crew. It would be nice to have some of those QOL improvements handled through NPCs but in most cases players would also want those abilities even in small single-seat ships that wouldn't have room for NPCs which could limit the usefulness of smaller ships. Not really sure how FD is going to approach this but if the passenger missions are any indication they will probably make the minimum number of adjustments and just "modify" existing systems to allow player/NPC interactions instead of creating actual new gameplay features.
 
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Karlos Ploryman

Karlos Ploryman
Hello,

I agree fully and wholeheartedly... NPC crew and us being their COMMANDERs...

I do not know how far Frontier will be willing to go with this, but I can imagine NPCs doing all kinds of tasks on bigger ships:

Pilot, Navigator, Maintenance, Turret operator, Science officer, cook.... notice-board keeper, waiter (on passenger ships), psychologist (on explorer ships) ...


I do not agree with people, who think, that PLAYER must sit in the pilot seat all the time and without player piloting, the ship should be maximally able to stand still. PLAYER must command his ship, give orders to his crew and OPTIONALLY pilot himself (most likely in dangerous situations).

Don`t read me wrong, I really love flying ED ships and enjoy it - in normal space. Jumping between systems and long SC journeys are not so much appealing. These tedious tasks could be handled by NPC crew, player could do whatever he wishes on his ship...
Go to his cabin and spend time with that slave NPC girl he bought in Achenar...
Go to the science deck and study the properties of planets in current system - plan the trip, where to land, what to skip, what to do...
Go to the caffeteria and have a chat with NPC maintenance crew member...
Inspect fighter bay, inspect cargo (e.g. look closely on that blackboxe we scooped up and see what the story of the poor souls was...)


Karlos
 

[VR] Mad Mike

[VR] Mad Mike
Preaching to the choir I totally agree with op and as for ideas I know it is banging the same old drum but check out what FD have (had?) In mind for multicrew in the DDF it is all good stuff.

Imo ships like the conda shoukd never have been flyable without crew .... indeed if you check out the lore they are not!.
Whilst awaiting fleshing out they could have had it like in the older games but that does not matter now. Now player multicrew....... other than ships launched fighters and turret gunner in combat zones or RES I just do not see how FD can make them compelling game play and imo they must not just add magic boosts for multicrew... imo the hook of player multicrew shoukd be fun, nothing more. Practicality wise imo it's important that npcs are just as effective for those who can't or don't want to use players.
 

TheSisko

TheSisko
Great ideas OP, Repped.

All I can add is that the trade master could keep you updated about CGs without requiring the player to dive into menus:

"Sir, the Morai Community Goal will be closing soon, Top 10% will be basking in credits."

I already suggested that NPC Crew could be used to transfer ships (with delay) in another thread.
 
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lysan

lysan
Flin said:
They will use the term 'commander' instead of 'captain' :)
Click to expand...

In the Navy the Commander are below the Captain, this is also how it works in the Air Force.

However you can be both at the same time, depends on the situation and what your assignment is.
 

Mephane

Mephane
Devari said:
All of those would be interesting options, but I think the problem that FD is going to have with multi-crew is that they are somehow balancing it for having another player being more effective than an NPC at a given task. In a sense having those types of tasks being done by an NPC would probably increase your efficiency and would also allow you to "delegate" very boring tasks to your NPC crew. It would be nice to have some of those QOL improvements handled through NPCs but in most cases players would also want those abilities even in small single-seat ships that wouldn't have room for NPCs which could limit the usefulness of smaller ships. Not really sure how FD is going to approach this but if the passenger missions are any indication they will probably make the minimum number of adjustments and just "modify" existing systems to allow player/NPC interactions instead of creating actual new gameplay features.
Click to expand...

I think this is a flawed approach to begin with, and hope FD have changed their minds on that. Imo, multiple players on a ship shouldn't directly increase its power other than by the pure utility of delegating tasks, but then I also think that the wing limit should only count ships, not multiple players on the same ship.
 

Andovar

Andovar
yes, Yes, YES, and YES!!!!!!! [up]

The fact that they've added this "crew lounge" thing to the UI makes me hopeful that they will add additional crew beyond just pilots.
 

Flin

F
Mephane said:
I think this is a flawed approach to begin with, and hope FD have changed their minds on that. Imo, multiple players on a ship shouldn't directly increase its power other than by the pure utility of delegating tasks, but then I also think that the wing limit should only count ships, not multiple players on the same ship.
Click to expand...

Agreed.

One of the realistic drawbacks of flying a large ship is the need for a crew to run them effectively. However it will be difficult to impose an efficiency loss, so FD will likely provide an efficiency gain instead.

QoL gains are softer mechanism to provide them instead of hard enhancements like Engineered Mods.

Perhaps paying a crew to get similar Stat enhancements to Engineer Mods might provide an alternative method of gain. Instead of hunting for materials, we'll be hunting for crews to hire or Imperial Slaves to keep.
 

Karlos Ploryman

Karlos Ploryman
Flin said:
Agreed.

One of the realistic drawbacks of flying a large ship is the need for a crew to run them effectively. However it will be difficult to impose an efficiency loss, so FD will likely provide an efficiency gain instead.

QoL gains are softer mechanism to provide them instead of hard enhancements like Engineered Mods.

Perhaps paying a crew to get similar Stat enhancements to Engineer Mods might provide an alternative method of gain. Instead of hunting for materials, we'll be hunting for crews to hire or Imperial Slaves to keep.
Click to expand...


Exactly! It is a opportunity to strengthen your relationship to the ship. The crew would die or use escape pods if the ship went kaboom.

Your carefully trained crew could become a very valuable asset
 

Karlos Ploryman

Karlos Ploryman
h347h said:
I could see mission chains to try and hire talented crew members.
Click to expand...

NPCs from escape pods, which you pick up in POIS on planets or USSes from space could turn out to be pilot aces ! They might work for you for free from gratitude, or they might want revenge - NPC: "Find the pirate who destroyed my ship and I will work for you for free for a year!"
 
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