I'm getting more and more convinced that we're not really the community that FD wants for this game.
News 2.3 Dev Update
- Thread starter Edward Lewis
- Start date
I'm getting more and more convinced that we're not really the community that FD wants for this game.
For me Its not so much haveing än npc crew for multi play I dont care för it, it was more about expanding on the npc crew we already have. One of the things I loved about frontiers was haveing a crew even if bk then all they where was lines of text on a pop up screen.
NPC will require :
A profile : to select with bonuses.
navigator quicker surface scan, or longer distract scan capability, or bonus while a plot route or reducing risk of interception.
An engineer could bring either fastest repairing, or better shield restoration.
Gunner : could give a better DPS following is rank, or capability to target sub system, or better arc/distance shoot.
And so on.
You will have to train your crew and select among many some specific capabilities.
This is a fun way to add NPC Multicrew and depth. Without matchmaking...
Quite a lot of it were done correctly.
Frankly....I think it was blatantly obvious FD would implement multicrew in this manner.
I also think it is a lazy way to do so...with many ramifications for gameplay and balance...such as the Pay to Win scenarios people have mentioned.
In short....this is a good idea but a bad system. It adds artificial buffs...it takes control away from the player....the C&P forgiveness scheme is poor...it doesn't provide players with enough to do....and more.
As for NPC multicrew....they could, if implemented properly, add a lot of gameplay.
Hiring and firing....dressing them and their cabins....training and management...skill development.....interaction...bonuses and extra gameplay.
There's a lot than can be done with NPCs.
Imagine you need a gunner. You select from a list of NPCs.
He takes up a cabin in your ship. He has stats and skills.
You can assign him duties. You can manage his training to improve his stats and skills. If you assign him to a new role he can learn and develop new skills.
Skills provide bonuses.
A trademaster gives you a 5% bonus on sales
A cargomaster gives you a free cargo boost
A PR rep gives you extra Rep gain
And so on. You can customise his look and his cabin.
And so on. For the player interested in aspects like this, NPCs can provide days of gameplay.
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Maybe, but I doubt it. I think that at this point, FD have launched so many "work in progress" updates that the work outstanding is really becoming overbearing.
This is interesting.. If you're in an (exploration) Anaconda, with no turrets or fighters, can you still invite other crew onboard, and what will they actually be able to see?
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I have NO issues with instant connection, instant control, instant party-up. What i DO have issue with are game features that break and invalidate other game features.
As realistic this game is, it is still a sci-fi fantasy with aliens and advanced technology. Is it really that hard to just work around the blatantly obvious player teleportation in a game where travelling from point A to point B is one third of the damn game?
Here, FDev let me help you.
"Telepresence distance range has increased exponentially due to recent discovery of alien data-bank ruins, reverse engineering their tech we can now control things other side of the galaxy in an instant but only remotely."
or
"The new state of the art holograms will make you feel like your friend is sitting right next to you. Ever wanted Cortana at your side? Now you can! Buy your holographic avatar from any Li-Yong-Rui controlled station in the galaxy today!"
or worst case scenario
"Have you ever wanted to be close with your significant other, but the lightyears between you get in the way? Buy yourself a clone! This meatsac-o-matic device will recreate your partner in stunning detail, real enough to touch and... play backgammon with, but not real enough to worry about jettisoning its remains when their mental cortex link with their real counterpart has deteriorated after 24h of fabrication and you are left with nothing more than 80kg of fertilizer or animal food"
You claim to be passionate about sci-fi fantasy but you cant come up with an imaginary tech that would shut up most of your angry playerbase? What the actual flip FDev?
As realistic this game is, it is still a sci-fi fantasy with aliens and advanced technology. Is it really that hard to just work around the blatantly obvious player teleportation in a game where travelling from point A to point B is one third of the damn game?
Here, FDev let me help you.
"Telepresence distance range has increased exponentially due to recent discovery of alien data-bank ruins, reverse engineering their tech we can now control things other side of the galaxy in an instant but only remotely."
or
"The new state of the art holograms will make you feel like your friend is sitting right next to you. Ever wanted Cortana at your side? Now you can! Buy your holographic avatar from any Li-Yong-Rui controlled station in the galaxy today!"
or worst case scenario
"Have you ever wanted to be close with your significant other, but the lightyears between you get in the way? Buy yourself a clone! This meatsac-o-matic device will recreate your partner in stunning detail, real enough to touch and... play backgammon with, but not real enough to worry about jettisoning its remains when their mental cortex link with their real counterpart has deteriorated after 24h of fabrication and you are left with nothing more than 80kg of fertilizer or animal food"
You claim to be passionate about sci-fi fantasy but you cant come up with an imaginary tech that would shut up most of your angry playerbase? What the actual flip FDev?
Ohhh Yess!
And a third one:
Escape pods / Stasis pods: If your ship is destroyed and you're picked up by a fellow commander the pair get double bounty (from the insurance company) from shooting down the Perpetrator together!
And on the Immersion note. It's a game - lets keep it fun. Some things are more fun when you need to make an effort. This is allmost never the case when trying to make the game more social.
I like a lot of the features of ths new update, and the telepresence will be handy for viewing the sights if you have friends far out in the void, but my main concern (as with others who have posted) is no AI options, aka npc crew.
This so far looks like lone players who like to play without friends are going to be punished by the superior multi-crew ships, and maybe forced into solo or pve groups just to level the playing field.
This so far looks like lone players who like to play without friends are going to be punished by the superior multi-crew ships, and maybe forced into solo or pve groups just to level the playing field.
Hello Edandro Samarwis! 
Hi Edandro
Thanks for the update. A few questions (may have already been asked but I don't have time to read >1000 posts to check):
Cheers
Hi Edandro
Thanks for the update. A few questions (may have already been asked but I don't have time to read >1000 posts to check):
- Can players use the same computer for multicrew? Using split-screen or multi-screen? This would be good for playing on a console in front of the TV with friends
- Will Steam's family-sharing feature be enabled for multicrew? This could be a separate launch option like Arena is.
- What's to stop a player who is about to die in their own ship, switching to multicrew in another ship as a "permitted" combat-log?
- Can we have 2 player crew and 1 NPC, so 3 in total? Please tell us the maximum number of crew seats (inc NPC) for each ship in the game.
- If a ship has multiple players in the crew and an NPC, can the pilot still launch a fighter and leave an NPC in charge of the helm? So there could be a player gunner, 2 players in fighters and an NPC at the helm?
- If there's no NPC can the pilot launch a fighter and give temporary helm control to another player? Or let the basic AI fly the ship so that two players can fly SLFs at the same time?
- So the gunner essentially has 4 fire buttons? 2 normal and 2 "quick-slot"? What's the difference? What does "customize with modules" mean? Does this just mean allocate weapons/scanners to the fire groups for those buttons, like normal?
- Who decides which weapons/scanners are mapped to the gunners fire buttons? The pilot or the gunner? Or are all turreted weapons automatically assigned to the gunner? What's to stop the pilot mapping turreted weapons to their 1 and 2 fire buttons?
- Who controls defensive utility mounts like ECM, heat sinks and chaff? Do these remain in control of the pilot? Can both the pilot and gunner operate them?
- Can the gunner also use discovery and detailed surface scanners, or is that still limited to the pilot only using them straight ahead?
- Can a single player switch to the gunner role and leave an NPC or basic AI in charge of the helm?
- Can NPC crew be the gunner? And use the quick-slot fire buttons?
- Does the extra pip increase available power from the powerplant, or does it just allow more control over distribution? Can NPC crew use this?
- Please explain how ship re-buy premiums are affected? You mean the overall re-buy premium is reduced for each player crewmember that is present? Or that player crewmembers have to pay a reduced premium? Why would a player crew member have to pay a premium at all?
Cheers
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Totally agree
This is what I think is happening. I'm a xbox player and I'm sorry but I don't want to play a casual and simple space arcade game. Look. like wings you can join a wing far away from your friend but if your not in the instance you don't get and benefits. Multi crew should be the same. Meet up to crew up. Don't break the game with instant teleport. Or your need to make wings the same instant teleport to your friend.
This is what I think is happening. I'm a xbox player and I'm sorry but I don't want to play a casual and simple space arcade game. Look. like wings you can join a wing far away from your friend but if your not in the instance you don't get and benefits. Multi crew should be the same. Meet up to crew up. Don't break the game with instant teleport. Or your need to make wings the same instant teleport to your friend.
I wouldnt mind being along for the ride cheking the galaxy map for scoopable stars.
Some people have pointed out it seems weid to just zip aboard an explorer ship on the other side of the universe to see the sights. I kind of agree in this case. Maybe you can require both players to be docked when initiating teleprescensce. Explorers could be required to buy a telepresence module if you want to invite copilots to join you across the void?
Just an idea
What's wrong Cmdr 2fly4yosista, having regrets? Just kidding.
Damn it.....I've repped too many people today. Have some virtual rep from me for that hilarious post
.
Thought things were generally okay until I re-read and saw this:
Are you guys F-(expletive) insane?
Like seriously, who decided that giving ships extra pips (worst idea you've had by a long shot as it is) instantly available from other CMDRs just magicking into a ship was a good idea? Were their pants on the correct way? Enough coffee? Out the right side of bed?
I usually tell doomsayers to shut up but we're one season in and ED combat is about as balanced as a panda on a pogo stick.
*facepalm*
Are you guys F-(expletive) insane?
Like seriously, who decided that giving ships extra pips (worst idea you've had by a long shot as it is) instantly available from other CMDRs just magicking into a ship was a good idea? Were their pants on the correct way? Enough coffee? Out the right side of bed?
I usually tell doomsayers to shut up but we're one season in and ED combat is about as balanced as a panda on a pogo stick.
*facepalm*
I have issues with the Owner being the only one who can pilot the Helm.
I think the owner should be allowed to have the authority to relinquish it if they please while accepting the responsibilities that come with it.
Made a forum post with a poll here:
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...-allow-owner-to-switch-from-the-helm-position
I think the owner should be allowed to have the authority to relinquish it if they please while accepting the responsibilities that come with it.
Made a forum post with a poll here:
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...-allow-owner-to-switch-from-the-helm-position
I too thought about this.
I don't think this will happen. That would be silly. If I were designing this, I'd make sure that exploration data stays with the ship - that's the case at the moment. So if the ship can't get back and sell the data, then this doesn't become an issue.
Mind you there's potential for bugs to show up so I'm sure there's some drama to come, potentially here
My only real concerns with the "tele-presence" thing, at the moment, is that it sounds like a person can leave their ship floating in space & instantly transfer to a friend's ship-even if its over 60,000Ly away. So, though I'm not as wedded to "immersion" here as a was for Ship & Module transfers, I do think that the scenario I've painted above, though, is a step too far. At the very least, activating tele-presence, or removing a crew member, should require the participants to initially be in an outpost, settlement or station-& there should be some reasonable range limit......say around 1000-2000ly. Of those two "restrictions", the first is the most important to me.
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Yeah, this bothers me too. I have no problem with the very large crewed ships being slightly more fast & agile than their un-crewed versions, but whole extra pips seems like too much to me!
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Yeah, this bothers me too. I have no problem with the very large crewed ships being slightly more fast & agile than their un-crewed versions, but whole extra pips seems like too much to me!