Beyond Series: UNfocused Feedback - Multicrew

[Gryphorim]

Hi FDev, I've been using multicrew a lot of late, as the idea of working as a team to operate a ship is just damn cool.
However, some smaller details have really marred the experience for me and my squadron-to-be.

When using turrets, the tendency of targeting to select the ship under the crosshair as the active target is causing stray rounds to fall on allied police/military ships, and effectively bypassing the "turrets do not cause you to incur fines if untargeted" safety feature. If we could disable this crosshair auto-targeting function, that would be ideal.

Having to select between wing and crew is proving universally divisive amongst our squadron as well, as generally we'd like the option to blend the two as the same group, even if we had the caveat of group size not exceeding 4 total.
Having 2 ships each with 2 crew or a 3-crew and an additional 1 crew would be preferable.

Not having the option to fly as first officer when in idle is also restrictive, and would be a welcome inclusion, even if restricted to direct crew invites only, as it would allow for captain to focus on flying while first officer navigates, manages modules, and operates sensors. Naturally the captain of the ship would have to allow such behavior on a case-by-case basis.

Finally, as difficult as it may seem to create quality content for the role, I really think we need a flight engineer role that can supplant the additional pip mechanic. A crew member that is able to enact per-module shutdown-repairs, manage per-module heat and power allotment (like a deeper-level sys-eng-wep allotment) to push that extra 20% out of essential systems when they are needed the most. Additionally, such a role could allow for directional bias on shielding, scans that allow weapons to ignore or mitigate target resistances (by dialling in the shield frequencies, or whatever) or a range of non-combat functions, such as in-supercruise cargo/KWS scans, or potentially a range of non-combat functions.

 

[Gryphorim]

Following up on the first post with some idle thoughts regarding the proposed flight engineer role:
The interface could use a transparent 3d hologram of the ship with the inner modules blocked out and visible through the model. power and coolant level read-outs could be presented in circular gauge format, similar to interdiction minigame red/blue bars.
Similarly, adjusting levels could be via stylised circular holographic dials. This could be your hook to incorporate VR hand controllers into the game, as well.
Engine performance could be adjusted, with power modulated between main thrust and reaction jets. Potentially allowing for maximised straight line speed at expense of all agility, or hard turning and high-g response at expense of overall speed.
Weapons could be over-driven for boosted output, lasers tuned for defeating shields or certain hull types, and missiles tuned similar to engines. Also, fire sequencing could be adjusted from this station.
Shield bias could be represented as separate arcs front and rear, or in quadrants, or quadrants with smaller halos above and below the hologram, depending on the granularity of the system desired.

Scanning external targets could work like turret operation, but with a lock on a target pulling camera to the target and "peeling" the target (and realistic representation of space) away to reveal holographic representation of internals. (this could work in tandem with gunner, and provide a means of gunner subsystem targeting, but why not just allow the gunner to do this themselves)
Once locked onto a target, targeting subsystems and successfully scanning them (via interdiction-like minigame?) could allow e-war gameplay, potentially hacking systems for effects such as cargo jettison, shield booster reset, FSD reset, Shield resistance mitigation, weapons jams, anything that is a force multiplier, but not so severe as to "stun-lock" a target or leave them totally defenceless.
Naturally, an engineer can counter this form of attack, but aggressive maneuvering or use of ECM utility would be just as effective, if slower, and tying up other resources.

I picture an effective engineer in a combat situation, multi-tasking between what is happening internally within their own ship, and what is happening on their target. Internally balancing over-driven systems and coolant flow, ad-hoc repairs on damaged systems, defensive action against external e-war efforts and shield angling for maximum effect. Externally trying to hack into the target's systems and find their weaknesses.

In a non-combat situation, the multi-tasking remains, but at a more measured pace, balancing the ship's systems for sustained high performance, boosting sensors when exploring, and locking USS's and determining what lay within from a distance, and without requiring captain to deviate course.
Alternatively, power could be diverted to FSD for better supercruise response, greatly shortening travel time.
When mining, asteroids could be scanned for mineral content without the use of prospecting limpets, but at a chance of engineer misreading information (similar to SRV wave scanner) and mining lasers tuned to boost specific mineral output (at the cost of reduced output of all other materials, and again requiring engineer to know their stuff) as well as having someone running the refinery perhaps.
Finally when having passengers aboard, cabin climate and felt g-loading could be managed by this station, allowing for some adjustments or compensations to be made for passenger comfort.

The engineer role could be a deep and diverse role that pulls back the layers of automation onboard our ships, allowing for some manual control over this deeper functionality. It could be crewed at all times, if the ship is fully crewed, or accessed on demand, to adjust specific settings, if time is of no consequence, and systems can be left relatively automated, with a few adjustments.

I just really want this role to be available in Elite. I personally love playing this character in any teamwork/crew game that allows it, and I feel that it would be so much better than an additional pip magically being available because a friend is onboard.

 

[bicarbon8]

please first fix the existing bugs in Multicrew... I have to keep moving between idle and gunner roles because the fire groups keep locking me out and on approach to a surface port the other night I suddenly moved into the active gunner position while weapons were still stowed. When I tried to move back the weapons deployed so I had to retract them (which returned me to the active gunner position outside the ship) while we docked.

It also doesn't make sense that I can't see the commander's HUD and that I don't have any visibility into what his targeting is or the ship's speed when I'm set to Idle or non-active Gunner. In a Cobra you can look over at the dashboard in front of the commander so I should be able to, at least, see their HUD (though it would be better if this information was displayed on my own HUD as well). Also, why can I target and scan ships when in a non-active (inside the ship with weapons stowed) gunner role, but not see the ship details on the HUD (can only see the rectangle on the radar, but not the shipname / commander name unless I look in the Contacts menu)