Do You want Non-Combat Roles for Multicrew?

Do You want Non-Combat Roles for Multicrew?

  • Yes

    Votes: 214 89.2%

  • No

    Votes: 9 3.8%

  • Other

    Votes: 9 3.8%

  • Undecided

    Votes: 8 3.3%
  • Total voters
    240
  • Poll closed .

Cosmo

Cosmo
Sandro said player roles are only Helm, Gunner and Fighter Con. I think this is too combat-focussed. We need non-combat roles like Engineer (power distribution, repairs) and Tactical (sensors, shields, countermeasures). The Navigator is important to check the galaxy map, scan unexplored systems, place waypoints and plot routes for the pilot. People in the Elite subreddit also want non-combat roles.


Edward Lewis said:
Hi everyone,

As mentioned in a previous news and updates post confirming the release date for beta, we've got a new Dev Update for you today from Lead Designer, Sandro Sammarco. Read on to find out more about what's coming in 2.3.

-------------------------------------------------------

Hello Commanders!
Now that the dust is settling on the interim update, I wanted to give you a more detailed heads up on what we’re currently working on next.

The first feature I want to discuss for 2.3 is Multicrew – the ability to join up with Commanders on the same ship and enjoy space adventures as a crew. In this post, I’ll summarise what you can expect from this exciting new update, in terms of structure and supporting features.
Please note that before now and release, some details may still change, as we’re currently in the thick of implementing this feature!

Setting up Multicrew
Fundamentally, Multicrew is about having fun with friends, so we want to make sure there are as few barriers to enjoying this feature as possible, starting with the crew formation process. We want to make it as easy as possible to start having fun on a multicrew ship.

As long as their ship has enough seats (different ships have different multicrew capabilities) a Commander can directly invite players, or can set their vessel to allow multicrew access. Commanders looking to play as crew can either accept direct invites, or activate a new “looking for ship” feature, which will automatically place them as crew on a suitable vessel with multicrew access allowed, making the process quick and painless.

When joining a crew, a Commander will log out of their current vessel and transfer to the multicrew vessel, regardless of distance. They can also leave at any time (or be evicted by the ship’s owner) at which point they can return to where their ship was last, making the whole affair a very friendly, drop in – drop out procedure.

Helm, Gunner and Fighter Con Roles
The ship’s owner always takes the role of helm, piloting the vessel and operating fixed and gimballed weaponry. They also control NPC fighter pilots. There can be up to two additional crewmembers, depending on the vessel, who can perform roles to enhance the ability of the ship. Players can also simply come along for the ride, with the pilot in a mentoring role. The helm also retains control over distribution of power, navigation, and synthesis.

The gunner role allows a crewmember to take control of all turreted weapons on the ship. They do not need to jump between turret views though. Using a third person interface, they control a reticule that all turrets within their arc will automatically follow; giving them improved spatial awareness and easy control of all turreted weapons. They also have access to two “quick slot” fire buttons, in addition to normal fire groups, that they can customize with modules, allowing them more options for activating weapons and scanners.

Furthermore, the gunner has access to advanced sensor systems, allowing them three hundred and sixty degree tracking arcs. This lets them activate advanced scanners (such as the kill warrant scanner) and missile launchers in any direction.

The fighter con role lets a crewmember launch and control a fighter, even if the helm has already launched a fighter using NPC crew. This allows multicrew ships to have two fighters active at a time. In addition, if the ship has enough fighters, both crewmembers can take on the fighter con role, meaning three human controlled ships can be flying at the same time.

Crewmembers can switch roles dynamically as they see fit. The ship owner is always the helmsman.

Additional Multicrew Benefits and Rules
Every crewmember also has access to a power distributor pip that they can assign dynamically. This is in addition to the standard pips that the helm controls. This extra power distribution allows the ship to operate more effectively, increasing its capabilities in combat.

Ship re-buy premiums are also reduced for each crewmember. Again, the purpose with this is to lower the bar to access and ease of use, especially when dealing with vessels that can cost a lot of credits.

All bounties and vouchers that the helmsman (ship owner) receives are duplicated for each crewmember, making multicrew a great way to have fun with friends without missing out on money-making opportunities.

However, as they share the benefits, so too do they share the punishments. Any crime that the ship suffers is applied to all crewmembers equally. But when a Commander leaves or ends a session, the crew will have the option of avoiding taking the crimes with them, but in doing so, will lose all credits earned. It will be their choice.

Commander Creator

And supporting multicrew in 2.3 is the Commander Creator. Commanders will be able to create a unique avatar using a wide variety of options, finally putting a face and character to their name. And with a new, fully-fledged camera system, they’ll be able to view themselves and their crew in real time as they adventure across the galaxy.

-------------------------------------------------------
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:

Radocs

R
If there were non-combat roles that were fun then sure. As it stands combat is the only aspect of the game that strikes me as being rewarding for multiple players.
 

SuwinTzi

S
Only thing I could think of is navigation.

Navigator sees realtime position of bodies in system, and can place waypoints for pilot to navigate around the planet's mass shadow, or help plan out detail scan order in an "unexplored" system.
 

Morbad

Morbad
Not sure why you think tactical is a non-combat role, but yes, I'd like some more non-combat utility in multi-crew.
 

SuwinTzi

S
Engineering. Both combat and non-combat related.

Has to manage divert power to lateral thrusters, main thrusters, or balance between.

While out of combat, preparing for jump, a minigame sort of deal that increases charge up sequence speed; useful if mass-locked.

Supercruise's max speed is higher regardless of presence of planet's mass shadow while a engineer is on station. Therefore getting around a system faster, but more likely to overshoot without a Navigator plotting waypoints.
 

Mengy

Mengy
Yes, multicrew should have had at least something for non-combat players. The fact that Frontier didn't do anything at all for non-combat commanders is disgusting IMHO.

Unfortunately, Frontier has spent so many point updates adding combat mechanics and giving combat players content that it is the only aspect of the game with enough actual frackin gameplay to allow multicrew to have anything to do with it. Exploration and trading just don't have enough mechanics or features to give crews anything to bloody do in the seats of the ships. That's not because exploration and trading couldn't have any use for multicrew (there are tons of possible ways both could utilize multicrew), it's simply because Frontier haven't bothered to DO anything with exploration and trading over the course of the past two years. They've stagnated to the point of not having any actual gameplay mechanics, whereas combat does.
 
Last edited:

Gryphorim

G
I think Multicrew should allow for a total of up to 4 players per ship (dependant on ship type), with the crew ALL being able to switch between the following roles:

-Turrets, as per FDevs description.
-Fighters, as per FDevs description.
-Flight Engineer, lots of opinions on this, but useful in and out of combat is a must. Deep level power/cooling management. Possibly engine power balancing, directional shielding, etc.
-Science Officer, pure non-combat role counterpart to turrets, perhaps using a telescopic viewmode. Used to scout for alien stuff and POI's, mining, exploring.

--Navigation. Not necessarily a role in itself, probably tied into Flt Eng or Sci Off roles, but allows plotting jumps while pilot flies, perhaps requesting docking clearance, and plotting microjumps (which appear to have code in-game, look at Thargoid hyperdictions)

Essentially, outside of the 2 roles FDev have included, as stated in the dev update, additional crew should have roles that grant deeper level access to features found in left and right hand MFD displays.
 

rajziel

R
Should be an option for a crew member to send out multiple limpets for mining

navigation officer to plot jumps and waypoints and maybe mark out areas too

trader terminal to check current prices and stock at a certain station
 

vrseven

V
Smh why would anyone vote "No" lol Oh nm I get it....

[video=youtube;zO8_1cqSFrM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO8_1cqSFrM[/video]
 

babelfisch

babelfisch
Mining could also work well with Multicrew.

I don't care as long as they introduce more roles and NPCs on a later date, but if they don't I'll be a ranting fanboy.
 

Alien

Alien
I've played a couple of games that use players as crew, Pulsar and Artemis.
I'll tell you now that while it is fun, it's can be boring and might not suit a game like Elite Dangerous.
People, including me, take Elite Dangerous very seriously, and if a player is on someone's ship and doesn't make the right decisions quick enough, there could be some very harsh words and salty tears.

There is already a debate about whether allowing random people on your ship is a good idea, so I think that it's a hard thing for Frontier to get right, and we have to remember that these features are constantly being developed and tweaked. Who knows what Multi-crew will be like a year from now or two years from now.
 
Last edited:

Yaffle

Volunteer Moderator
Yaffle
babelfisch said:
Mining could also work well with Multicrew.
Click to expand...

This was the first thing I thought of too, there are proper multi roles in mining, with refineries to mind, prospectors to fire, a ship to steer etc.

I too would like something non-combat, anything for those of us who just don't do it because they don't enjoy it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom