I'd like to create an opportunity for the community to weigh in on multi-crew (and its less than stellar performance) but also consider what I think is necessary for getting multi-crew to its full potential: NPC crew members for all roles. I know NPC crew can be a rather passionate topic - Elite SLF pilots are impressive to say the least - but I also want to lay out a case for why Elite Dangerous needs more NPC crew functionality before it does any further work on multi-crew.
Why NPCs First?
The short answer is three points:
The SLF role is spot on and, aside from bugs and glitches, is a fairly obvious role for a multiplayer feature based from the same ship. It's important to remember that the biggest question multi-crew has to answer is "why fly on your ship when I have my own?". The SLF answers this easily: because launching a fighter and 'defending' a mothership is an experience flying your 'own ship' doesn't give. When an SLF is destroyed, the pilot has several 'lives' to continue enjoying the feature. Destruction as an attendant eagle mk II or vulture, not so much. So we can see the SLF role is really quite well designed and an obvious benefit to both NPC and Multiplayer crew.
The Gunner role is...lacking. This is partially due to the fact most ships in the game capable of a gunner lack the hardpoints or outright slots to make much use of the role. As such, the role is essentially abandoned at this time. NPC development of the role, though, could see it find utility - or be totally scrapped when none is found. This is the best example of why features like multi-crew should really be built as NPC features first before deploying to multiplayer. The problem of the gunner role is less about its bugginess and more about its utility. The role simply isn't useful. Aside from an extra pip to work with, even a NPC gunner seems less than needed. That could change, if viewed from an NPC perspective first where boredom and player satisfaction isn't an issue.
Many more roles could potentially exist for NPCs, but unlike past games where NPC crew features are simple and 'boring' we know that Elite is seeking roles that are dynamic and enjoyable...because we want these roles to be for multi-crew, a multiplayer feature. The foundation for a dynamic and exciting role starts with its utility and balance. These elements are best tested and formed in the controlled environment of a NPC crew, available to all, then transitioned over to multiplayer usage. A role that is good for a NPC may be redundant and useful, but not multi-crew worthy. By first identifying the utility of the role, we can then begin to brainstorm how that utility can be expanded into a more exciting role suitable for a player, rather than try and work backwards.
Developing crew roles for mining, exploration, trade and passengers is best approached from a utility - NPC - standpoint first, rather than try and figure out 'how do we make this exciting?'. Excitement is pointless if the role has no utility. Even if the turrets worked well for the gunner role (and sometimes they do), most ships are more gimped with a gunner than when the pilot has total control! This speaks to the fundamental process for developing a crew feature, NPC or multiplayer, that must first address utility, then balance, and then excitement/satisfaction for a human controller.
So what exactly are you suggesting?
I think the community should shift its discussions and suggestions around multi-crew from focusing on what is multi-crew - a buggy multiplayer feature that is 50% useful - to what could be multi-crew from an NPC experience. This would require the following (none of which is easy to develop):
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS...
1) Why do you or do you not use multi-crew? Be specific. What keeps you in (or out) of that co-pilot seat?
2) What do you think multi-crew offers that winging up does not? Keep your answer in the context of the current build, not what it 'could be' in the future. (That question is later)
3) What do you think winging up offers that multi-crew does not? Keep your answer "..."
4) Do you think developing NPC crew for multiple roles (including the existing two roles) could help develop multi-crew?
5) A crucial component to crew is that it has utility and balance. While balancing players against NPC is difficult, do you think a 'crew' feature (multi-crew or NPC crew) is unfair to ships not capable of a crew (such as the Type-7, Dolphin, or Vulture)? Put another way, do you think Elite benefits from the addition of 'crews' for non-capital ships?
6) Following on #5, should a multi-crewed or NPC crewed ship have an advantage over a non-crew ship? EX: An Alliance Crusader (crewed fully with SLF) faces off against an Alliance Chieftain (no crew). Both are well built and engineered. Should the crew provide a strong advantage for the Crusader?
7) Multiplayer features thrive on choices and actions. Some features of Elite, like combat, lend themselves to this better than others, like exploration. Do you think all features of Elite should somehow benefit or include multi-crew? Or do you think multi-crew should only be part of some features?
8) Leading off #7, a hallmark of Elite is that nearly all ships can be built for nearly all features with decent success. Exploring in a FDS isn't ideal, but doable, and fighting in a Type-6 is brave but not wise. Most medium and nearly all large ships are multi-crew capable, too. Should crew roles be less structured and customizable, like the ships, or should the crew roles be fixed in ships based on their 'expected' use (much like military slots are more prevalent on combat-oriented ships).
9) Currently, the SLF role can be filled by NPC crew for a cost of credits based on a commission. Do you use this crew member? Why or why not?
10) Following off #9, if other NPC crew were developed and cost similarly to the existing SLF pilot (potentially seeing a commission cut of your earnings nearing 30%), would you use them? Why or why not?
You can answer them all, some, or none! Just food for thought. I'm curious to what the community thinks of NPC crew as a means to not only create a feature for all commanders, but also as a path towards a better and more intelligent multiplayer experience in multi-crew! Thanks for your input!
If you think NPC Crew (or Crew in general) are an awful idea, say so but also please explain why?
And particularly, if you support multi-crew but not NPC crew, explain why you support one but not the other.
Why NPCs First?
The short answer is three points:
- Everyone can benefit from NPC crew, which means a much larger population can test and stress the game design of them and their roles
- Where wings are obviously a multiplayer feature (multiple ships), multi-crew is a multiplayer feature built for a traditionally NPC feature (one ship, one player)
- NPC features like a 'crew' are fleshed out based on utility and balance, both of which help flesh out how a multiplayer feature of similar design would work
The SLF role is spot on and, aside from bugs and glitches, is a fairly obvious role for a multiplayer feature based from the same ship. It's important to remember that the biggest question multi-crew has to answer is "why fly on your ship when I have my own?". The SLF answers this easily: because launching a fighter and 'defending' a mothership is an experience flying your 'own ship' doesn't give. When an SLF is destroyed, the pilot has several 'lives' to continue enjoying the feature. Destruction as an attendant eagle mk II or vulture, not so much. So we can see the SLF role is really quite well designed and an obvious benefit to both NPC and Multiplayer crew.
The Gunner role is...lacking. This is partially due to the fact most ships in the game capable of a gunner lack the hardpoints or outright slots to make much use of the role. As such, the role is essentially abandoned at this time. NPC development of the role, though, could see it find utility - or be totally scrapped when none is found. This is the best example of why features like multi-crew should really be built as NPC features first before deploying to multiplayer. The problem of the gunner role is less about its bugginess and more about its utility. The role simply isn't useful. Aside from an extra pip to work with, even a NPC gunner seems less than needed. That could change, if viewed from an NPC perspective first where boredom and player satisfaction isn't an issue.
Many more roles could potentially exist for NPCs, but unlike past games where NPC crew features are simple and 'boring' we know that Elite is seeking roles that are dynamic and enjoyable...because we want these roles to be for multi-crew, a multiplayer feature. The foundation for a dynamic and exciting role starts with its utility and balance. These elements are best tested and formed in the controlled environment of a NPC crew, available to all, then transitioned over to multiplayer usage. A role that is good for a NPC may be redundant and useful, but not multi-crew worthy. By first identifying the utility of the role, we can then begin to brainstorm how that utility can be expanded into a more exciting role suitable for a player, rather than try and work backwards.
Developing crew roles for mining, exploration, trade and passengers is best approached from a utility - NPC - standpoint first, rather than try and figure out 'how do we make this exciting?'. Excitement is pointless if the role has no utility. Even if the turrets worked well for the gunner role (and sometimes they do), most ships are more gimped with a gunner than when the pilot has total control! This speaks to the fundamental process for developing a crew feature, NPC or multiplayer, that must first address utility, then balance, and then excitement/satisfaction for a human controller.
So what exactly are you suggesting?
I think the community should shift its discussions and suggestions around multi-crew from focusing on what is multi-crew - a buggy multiplayer feature that is 50% useful - to what could be multi-crew from an NPC experience. This would require the following (none of which is easy to develop):
- The creation of NPC crew for the Gunner Role (allowing it to be tested, balanced, and possibly removed or split into other roles)
- The creation of NPC crew for other roles with other features of Elite in mind beyond combat
- Developer led discussion of what the community wants to see in crew utility and interaction (Payment, Satisfaction, Missions, Commands, Termination/Loss, Ranking/Upgrading/Specializing) from an NPC perspective. These discussions help fill out the wider question of "Why would a player want to take this role/allow a player to take this role over an NPC".
- Community led discussion on multiplayer interactions within the ship (multi-crew) as opposed to outside the ship (wings/PvP/PvE). As it stands, not a lot of thought has been put into that all important question from earlier: Why would I fly on your ship instead of mine? What does multi-crew offer me (Credits/Rank/Experience/Utility/Bonding) that my own ship does not in a wing? And Vice Versa, what does my own ship offer me that multi-crew doesn't. How do these two sets of answers compare to one another?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS...
1) Why do you or do you not use multi-crew? Be specific. What keeps you in (or out) of that co-pilot seat?
2) What do you think multi-crew offers that winging up does not? Keep your answer in the context of the current build, not what it 'could be' in the future. (That question is later)
3) What do you think winging up offers that multi-crew does not? Keep your answer "..."
4) Do you think developing NPC crew for multiple roles (including the existing two roles) could help develop multi-crew?
5) A crucial component to crew is that it has utility and balance. While balancing players against NPC is difficult, do you think a 'crew' feature (multi-crew or NPC crew) is unfair to ships not capable of a crew (such as the Type-7, Dolphin, or Vulture)? Put another way, do you think Elite benefits from the addition of 'crews' for non-capital ships?
6) Following on #5, should a multi-crewed or NPC crewed ship have an advantage over a non-crew ship? EX: An Alliance Crusader (crewed fully with SLF) faces off against an Alliance Chieftain (no crew). Both are well built and engineered. Should the crew provide a strong advantage for the Crusader?
7) Multiplayer features thrive on choices and actions. Some features of Elite, like combat, lend themselves to this better than others, like exploration. Do you think all features of Elite should somehow benefit or include multi-crew? Or do you think multi-crew should only be part of some features?
8) Leading off #7, a hallmark of Elite is that nearly all ships can be built for nearly all features with decent success. Exploring in a FDS isn't ideal, but doable, and fighting in a Type-6 is brave but not wise. Most medium and nearly all large ships are multi-crew capable, too. Should crew roles be less structured and customizable, like the ships, or should the crew roles be fixed in ships based on their 'expected' use (much like military slots are more prevalent on combat-oriented ships).
9) Currently, the SLF role can be filled by NPC crew for a cost of credits based on a commission. Do you use this crew member? Why or why not?
10) Following off #9, if other NPC crew were developed and cost similarly to the existing SLF pilot (potentially seeing a commission cut of your earnings nearing 30%), would you use them? Why or why not?
You can answer them all, some, or none! Just food for thought. I'm curious to what the community thinks of NPC crew as a means to not only create a feature for all commanders, but also as a path towards a better and more intelligent multiplayer experience in multi-crew! Thanks for your input!
If you think NPC Crew (or Crew in general) are an awful idea, say so but also please explain why?
And particularly, if you support multi-crew but not NPC crew, explain why you support one but not the other.