Allow us to command NPC ships via text chat.

[DemiserofD]

The NPCs can tell us things - "Drop 5 units of bauxite in 30 seconds!" - why can't we do the same?

Add a list of commands that can be activated via text chat. Keywords could be used to identify the specific query.

"Attack my target!" - allied ships attack your target.
"Help me!" - nearby good NPCs may come check you out and/or attack attackers.
"Leave this one to me." - Allied NPCs will stop attacking and focus on other things.
"Drop X units of <commodity name> immediately or be destroyed." - NPC either drops or flees, with prereqs changing based on hull integrity.
"I surrender!" - NPC police stop firing and give you a message allowing you to pay off your bounty.
"What are you doing?" - NPCs give a brief summary of their current actions. "I'm scouting for bounties." "I'm trading Bauxite to Hall Dock." "I'm on a love cruise with my mistress." etc.

I think this would add some nice depth to the universe, and would use an existing interface to do new things, which would be nice.

 

[Craith]

I'd prefer pre-configured commands, that you can choose from a list (only show options that apply to the target/situation, not more than 3 at a time, with a 4th option for "more" maybe). Similar to chosing a side in a CZ. If used on a player, there could be simple answers (comply, ignore, reject)

Pirate requests cargo -> "I comply!", "Eat lead!", broadcast "HELP!"
You want to pirate an NPC/player -> "Drop X cargo" (X is a certain amount, lets say 10-20% of its total, never more than your cargo hold, and you can choose the commodity if you did a manifest scan before
in a conflict zone -> "Requesting assistance", "I've got this" (will lower priority of the ship for nearby npcs, but if it is the only target they won't just sit idly)
"I surrender" should only work with stowed weapons, with no thrust and not while charging the FSD - changing that would make the NPC hostile again
"What are you doing?" or similar should only work on allied ships, and even then not always - I don't think a smuggler would tell a random guy what he's doing, or a trader giving up his money making route to anybody.

While using chat commands is nice, it has a few problems. "I surrender, oh holy police force!" and "I demand your surrender, you filthy pirate scum!" use the same keyword, and would need some rules behind it. Those rules would have to be adjusted to every language the game is translated to.

 

[JTFireblaze]

Yes. But not through that chat window. It's already a mess with all the stuff that's crammed in to it.

Instead add an option to hail a ship, with a new full screen UI that has a 3D holo of the ship's commander. Then add ways to engage in dialogue, adding the "Surrender cargo" or whatever.

You could also do this the other way with ships hailing you, and then you can react to their demands.

"Incoming hail CMDR, accept?" [Y/N]

<Pirate appears on screen and demands cargo>

Comply, barter, refuse options appear as dialogue to select

 

[Gorrister]

Great idea.
Also O7, should be a command for Ahoi. Telling the NPC to start small talk. Also, they could spread local rumors. Or maybe myths.
"O7 Cmdr, have you heard about about the pirate Red Rascal hiding in this system? He managed to grab the motherload out of the hands of some federal miners. Pure Opal, I tell you." Bountyhunter: "Interesting"

 

[Donaldi]

Adressing the bounty hunter who pulled you out of hyperspace.
"I just want you to know how sorry we are about how ed up things got between us and Mr. Wallace. When we entered into this thing, we only had the best intentions..."
incoming missile

Source: Scene in appartment https://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/pulp_fiction.html

 

[lemon407]

You have no idea, like no forseable understanding, how BAD i want this.

You have no idea how badly i want to be able to get a cruiser ship, or even a frigate and from the command chain, instead of using the hotas, i issue commands via a text window or via voice commands
Roll 25 degrees starboard
Pitch 10 degrees
Thrusts to half power.

or

align toward destination, engage super cruise.


Then to be able to undock from said ship and allow it to exist in space while you go out and mine, or fight or what ever.

 

[JTFireblaze]

You have no idea, like no forseable understanding, how BAD i want this.

You have no idea how badly i want to be able to get a cruiser ship, or even a frigate and from the command chain, instead of using the hotas, i issue commands via a text window or via voice commands
Roll 25 degrees starboard
Pitch 10 degrees
Thrusts to half power.

or

align toward destination, engage super cruise.


Then to be able to undock from said ship and allow it to exist in space while you go out and mine, or fight or what ever.

Voice attack is a thing...

Now sure you won't be able to capital command a cruiser, but it can get pretty close.

Something in game would be nice though

 

[EvoBeardy]

I've yearned for some sort of NPC interaction for ages.

Whenever I was at a RES, some poor Miner was getting pummelled, I'd head into their rescue, and I'd just be all like "You're welcome..." waves his hand "Bye bye then...."
Or that lonely System Security, be nice to say "Hey I'll back you up" and get a little extra forgiveness for friendly fire with the po-po, or let a Miner know I'll back them up, maybe they even offer to reward me for saving their lives and Cargo, or I can ask some other clean NPCs to protect me in the same manner.. Have a temporary wing/alliance type deal.
Even PC Pirates ganging with NPC Pirates etc.

Some interaction would be super cool, not asking for it to be like a Gal-Game but something would be cool.

 

[Screemonster]

"Drop X units of <commodity name> immediately or be destroyed." - NPC either drops or flees, with prereqs changing based on hull integrity.

Yanno, this should be a function of the manifest scanner. It already provides a list of stuff they're carrying in the UI, just make it selectable and communicate to the NPC (or player!) that you want them to drop it.

 

[HRDiagram]

Yanno, this should be a function of the manifest scanner. It already provides a list of stuff they're carrying in the UI, just make it selectable and communicate to the NPC (or player!) that you want them to drop it.

Working a bit like ship emotes!

Anaconda points at Biowaste.
Type-7 shakes metaphorical fist in anger at Anaconda.

 

[Screemonster]

Working a bit like ship emotes!

Anaconda points at Biowaste.
Type-7 shakes metaphorical fist in anger at Anaconda.

Ahahahaha, given that I used to pirate in a T7 when the hyades sector mining hotspot was still active, and ran into more than a couple of minercondas that didn't know how to jettison, this hits home pretty hard.