Do You want Non-Combat Roles for Multicrew?

[askavir]

Yes, multicrew should have had at least something for non-combat players. The fact that Frontier didn't do anything at all for non-combat commanders is disgusting IMHO.

Unfortunately, Frontier has spent so many point updates adding combat mechanics and giving combat players content that it is the only aspect of the game with enough actual frackin gameplay to allow multicrew to have anything to do with it. Exploration and trading just don't have enough mechanics or features to give crews anything to bloody do in the seats of the ships. That's not because exploration and trading couldn't have any use for multicrew (there are tons of possible ways both could utilize multicrew), it's simply because Frontier haven't bothered to DO anything with exploration and trading over the course of the past two years. They've stagnated to the point of not having any actual gameplay mechanics, whereas combat does.

True.

SLF's were another. Why only fighters? Why not also some shuttles which could land on planets, carry a bit of cargo (even the SRV can), dock at stations. It would expand general gameplay for everyone.

Engineers: just compare the kind of things you can do with combat related gear where you can change not only their stats but also their behaviour in lots of ways, with all the others non combat things. FSD is the only exception.

I like the fact combat is well developed and gets attention. But maybe it was high time FD remembers that not all who read the ads years ago and saw "1:1 replica of the milky way, 1:1 stars and planets, a galaxy to explore" immediately though ""wow pewpew!".

 

[Spacecat]

Actually, that's a cool idea. What if you could have fighters that were designed for mining, then you could launch them and they all mine and could take stuff back to the main ship. I would be a nice way to make mining less boring and a group activity.

 

[Iori]

Not necessarily not combat roles, but at least let those combat roles have things that are useful for things other than combat.

Like:
-Faster scoop/Better fuel efficiency on jumps.
-The co-pilot could have a scanner that detect stuff on the ground in a decent radius, so maybe eyeballing for Ancient ruins or other similar structures in the future is less horrible (and perhaps make POIs visually spawn from farther away too)
-Bonus cash on trading (two people can negotiate deals better than one)
-Plotting routes.
-Repairing modules.
-Venting the heat.
-Exclusive prospector limpets

 

[Robert Maynard]

This was the first thing I thought of too, there are proper multi roles in mining, with refineries to mind, prospectors to fire, a ship to steer etc.

I too would like something non-combat, anything for those of us who just don't do it because they don't enjoy it.

Mining laser turrets & "360°" targetting! No need to point at the 'roids!!

 

[Alien]

True.

SLF's were another. Why only fighters? Why not also some shuttles which could land on planets, carry a bit of cargo (even the SRV can), dock at stations. It would expand general gameplay for everyone.

Sandro (via Ed) has only given one dev update so far. I am hoping that we'll be able to dock our SRVs in other people's ships (or take their SRVs for a spin). This would open up a side of the game that would allow people to be taxi's

IN FACT ... that jogs my memory ... I want to be a taxi .... don't ask

 

[ErichZann]

I think a navigator kind of role for traveling and exploration would be awesome. plot routes etc while the other is piloting and fuel scooping, maybe scan planets from larger distances with a special scanner? something like this is really needed besides the combat part, and could make for example exploration a lot more fun.

 

[Lianachan]

It's irrelevant to me as I only play in solo, and FD seemingly have no interest in developing for that portion of their customers, but I voted yes, as it makes sense to expand this kind of functionality out to other play styles so it can make improvements for more than the the beloved combat orientated players.

 

[hunvagy]

I've played a couple of games that use players as crew, Pulsar and Artemis.
I'll tell you now that while it is fun, it's can be boring and might not suit a game like Elite Dangerous.
People, including me, take Elite Dangerous very seriously, and if a player is on someone's ship and doesn't make the right decisions quick enough, there could be some very harsh words and salty tears.

There is already a debate about whether allowing random people on your ship is a good idea, so I think that it's a hard thing for Frontier to get right, and we have to remember that these features are constantly being developed and tweaked. Who knows what Multi-crew will be like a year from now or two years from now.

Yeah, in Pulsar the science officer doesn't have much to do save a few scans and sometimes pressing a button for antivirus or special programs. Most of the time our science officer hands around the tactical taking over the other turrets. Same the engineer usually just "monkey presses the button" for FTL charge, except when fires break out on the ship. But I wouldn't mind some other improvements other then outlined by the first post. Mostly things like sharing payouts from missions. If I take three people along for a sightseeing tour and bore them to death with flying around, they should be paid. I mean even my AI fighter pilot gets 10% cut from everything I do, players should too. And someone mentioned mining, it would be cool if instead of just the SLF, one crewmember could take over the collector limpets and be more efficient then the automated ones.

 

[sensai25]

Multicrew in its actual form is a cheap choice to put this stuff in the game.

4 combat roles planned. Only 3 given, with a drone role moreover...

If the functionality is not yet ready FD should postponed it.

We need real roles for mining, exploring, trading.
We need NPC crew.

Here it is a poor CQC port to the main game with matchmaking... Very disappointed.

 

[JosiahD]

An emphatic yes from me. I find it astounding that when we finally get multicrew we get something that will be virtually of no benefit unless one is principally engaging in combat......or at least so it appears to me. A badly missed opportunity to really revamp things with navigation, engineering (as in a Ship's Engineer, not those other wackers.....) and Science.....here's hoping we're only getting the tip of the iceberg with 2.3 but if we have to wait another 2 years for the rest of the iceberg......

 

[kpmop]

Other. Didn't want to say No - maybe there's a interesting non-combat role they could come up with, but so far I've not seen anything suggested.

It's also kind of funny that the NPCs for mulit-crew speculation (which I was in favour of) is now irrelevant.

It's almost like FD know what they're doing ...

 

[loki12345]

I would love to see more non-combat roles for multicrew. The main problem i see is about people flying solo and how those new mechanics would work for them. There are some cool ideas here but i don't know if this would also work when flying solo.
But i voted yes because it would make a lot of fun to be in a multicrew ship on a exploring mission, scanning planets or other interesting space stuff, cartographing and so on.

 

[Tataboj]

Yes please! I hope they will keep adding ways to do multicrew in future updates.

 

[zimms]

All these polls are completely pointless.

"Do you want additional features and content? Yes/no"

I wonder what the result will be...

 

[DustyArne]

this is only the start of Multi crew, we dont know what else they have planned.

They release Multi crew in about 2 months, but that doesn't mean they are ready with adding features regarding Multi crew.

What not is now, may still come in the future.

 

[MadDogMurdock]

this is only the start of Multi crew, we dont know what else they have planned.

They release Multi crew in about 2 months, but that doesn't mean they are ready with adding features regarding Multi crew.

What not is now, may still come in the future.

Isn't that what gets said about the headline feature of every release.
What's the track record of improving them?

 

[DustyArne]

Isn't that what gets said about the headline feature of every release.
What's the track record of improving them?

They are adding micro features almost every time.

What pops up in my mind right now are the filters in the Galaxy map, cargo, systhesis, and navigation panel.. But im sure there are much more micro features added i am not aware off, or just forgot...


Edit:

ow, FSD overcharge.. is another..

 

[MadDogMurdock]

They are adding micro features almost every time.

What pops up in my mind right now are the filters in the Galaxy map, cargo, systhesis, and navigation panel.. But im sure there are much more micro features added i am not aware off, or just forgot...


Edit:

ow, FSD overcharge.. is another..

Headline features.
Just from Season 1 we have CGs, Wings, Powerplay, and CQC.
None of these have been significantly improved since release if at all.

 

[Poseidal]

Does this include 'companion'?

 

[Drelthar]

Yes, it would be great.

Unfortunately, it would require an amount of work that is way outside of the amount of work FD put into their "major" updates.

This is adding a UI to things we already do, and that's it. There is no new gameplay, and the none combat roles would require entirely new gameplay to make them worthwhile, gameplay that currently does not exist in any way.

Also, if you did that, and didn't also add in all the required AI to have NPC crew, and allow solo players to play as crew on their own ship, while an NPC controls the ship, with you being able to give them commands, then Solo players would be annoyed (I wouldn't give a hoot though)

So.... unlikely, ever.

- - - Updated - - -

Headline features.
Just from Season 1 we have CGs, Wings, Powerplay, and CQC.
None of these have been significantly improved since release if at all.

My point exactly.