Have a look at your Module Tab in your ship.....and the bulk of the UI is already there. Just add an extra option for "Run Diagnostic".......and the time it takes for the diagnostic to run would depend on the module type & the class of module (lower class modules would be quicker, but would be less likely to deliver a potential for benefit). Once the diagnostic is completed, you'd get a pop up telling you what buff you could apply-& how long it will last-as well as any material/power cost to get the buff in place (kind of like synthesis), though there would be a small chance that you could accidentally break the module instead, so there would be a risk/reward mechanic in place.
Engineers could use a similar system for repairing damaged modules, & for shifting power between systems to get boosts as the Captain/pilot required.
In a one-person ship, these kinds of task could be conducted by the pilot during particularly long Super-cruise trips.
Yeah, I find that a really worthless game. YMMV, but I don't think anyone would want to play that. Would YOU?
This is, of course, a far cry from the massively OP "flat pip increase" that you mention.
But that is entirely what it is. Either this is necessary to do as the lone pilot or it "magically" restores bits and pieces of modules or creates a false buff, you even said that specifically. It's an on-the-fly engineering mechanic, so it's somewhat in gameplay, but it doesn't require an engineer, which is unbalancing. And it's definitely not worth playing as an engineer, you could just do without that and do it yourself, the buff lasts some time and can't be done immediately on combat.
But this time, at the very least, you didn't back off with "Oh, I'm just the ideas guy", which indicates the diatribe you spouted were merely projections of your own issues, you actually came up with something.
Now, anyone up for playing this engineer in Elite?
I vote no. Marc? Yes or no, or would you not do that game voluntarily, but love to get someone else to buff your ship? This is the problem Star Citizen faces with multiple players as crew (and in this case, it looks like it'll be necessary to have players to run this role for some ships), where everyone loves the idea, but nobody wants to get out of the pilots' seat.
And that may be what turned up in Alpha. Or even just at the design stage.
If you made up this idea before, and I never saw it, did anyone think to vote for it?
- - - Updated - - -
Why is there still no word on NPC crew? All I want want is just to look over to my co polit seat and see someone sitting there, and I don't want to have to always rely on my friends being online or not. Is it really so hard for Frontier to just put a dummy in those seats?
Also, are there no new ships? LAME! Give us the Hunter already!
Funnily enough, though almost everyone will be happy with that, many want the same perks with fake PC crews as real PC crews do too. And this may be why they're not doing it. Even if they're just manikins sitting there, it will seem a little less empty. But if putting them in makes the uproar for making them "DO something" which requires more dev programming, balancing and debugging, they may be shying off doing even the dead copilot dummy idea to save aggrivation.
- - - Updated - - -
Same reason there is still no word on hired NPCs using the 'Wings' feature. Even though this would have let the team focus on fixing/creating other features, instead of having to model, animate and code the SLF stuff.
NPC wings would have to do something. They can't just follow. About the only ones it would be useful for, though, are paid cannon fodder to allow you to escape when you're kitted out for pure trading. And instead they made the escape easier. Not to mention that NPC pilots have to face the full purchase price, they're not part of the Pilots' Federation.
who know Thardoids attack the mankind haha
