Hard lesson learned - will no longer level up a NPC crew

Tri Velo

T
I just learned a hard lesson last night and something I should have known would have happened eventually. I lost my Elite NPC crew due to a game bug. My ship was instantly destroyed when I dropped out of super cruise in an asteroid field. No time to react since as soon as I exited normal space I went boom. I'm not here to talk about the ship destruction or bug as I already opened a ticket.

I'm not upset about the 22+ million re-buy. I'm more upset that I lost my NPC crew member through no fault of my own. I even avoided landing at planetary settlements because of the "skimmer" bug. I lost my crew due to another damn bug. I'm not mad that I lost the 14+ millions he earned. I'm mad at the waste of time I spent leveling him to Elite status from Harmless.

I knew it might happen someday. So I am taking the advice I read a long time ago regarding NPC crew members. I will now only hire an expert crew member temporarily. But before I cash in on anything (bounties, bonds, exploration data, trade, etc), I will fire that NPC crew member so they do not take any profit. I will then hire a new one. The $150K hire fee is peanuts compared to the amount they make based on their take-home percentage. This seems the most reasonable and realistic tactic for using NPC crews. They are expendable and makes no sense leveling one up to Elite (and eating your profits) if they can just "vanish" due to a bug.
 
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sb413197

S
NPC crew need escape pods and should not be paid when not in use. It is rather baffling how this has not been changed. If we did a poll I would bet 90 percent plus of players would like to see this.

And yes, like you, I hire the expert crew and fire it for that very reason. Actually now I generally hire multi crew players since it's fun and they fly two fighters instead of one.
 
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h347h

h347h
Here is an easy lesson to learn. Don't get attached to pixels.

Also good news there is going to be another pixel in the sea for you!

sb413197 said:
NPC crew need escape pods and should not be paid when not in use. It is rather baffling how this has not been changed. If we did a poll I would bet 90 percent plus of players would like to see this.

And yes, like you, I hire the expert crew and fire it for that very reason. Actually now I generally hire multi crew players since it's fun and they fly two fighters instead of one.
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Not baffling at all there are plenty of players who like that they can lose people permanently. There was strong counter protest about changing it.
 

DNA-Decay

DNA-Decay
I employed this guy, on the grounds that uh "Diplomatic Corps employs Diamond Frogs to do Alliance Dirty Work" is a funny headline. But he disappeared.
Don't know how. Don't know why. Had him for a day, went to ask him to do something. Gone.

Now I'm counting the spoons.

32017x2085.jpg

Is it the Diamond Frogs or is it the Employment Agency?
 

Tri Velo

T
Here is an easy lesson to learn. Don't get attached to pixels.

Also good news there is going to be another pixel in the sea for you!

LOL. I like your attitude. More mad about the waste of time leveling that pixel to Elite. Now I will just use and abuse the pixels.
 
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wrmiller

W
I'm thinking it's about time to dump my elite SLF pilot? He's already made almost 200M hanging around with me, and right now (I'm out of the bubble in a Asp) he's sucking exploring credits and isn't even with me!

Time to dump the leach... :mad::p
 

Tri Velo

T
Morbad said:
If the loss was legitimately due to a bug, then support will restore your crew member.
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I hope so. Didn't know they can restore NPC crew. I already submitted a ticket last night and waiting for their response. I checked my journal log. First line I'm in super cruise exit. The next "Died". No explanation, attacks, etc. If it is normal to blow up dropping out of super cruise when entering an asteroid field at proper speed and distance, then I won't ever drop into a ring or field again...haha...not worth the hassle to keep bugging support about it. Also not worth keeping an NPC crew either if this can happen again..not worth it.

Here's the journal entry:
{ "timestamp":"2017-07-12T03:18:30Z", "event":"SupercruiseExit", "StarSystem":"Coeus", "Body":"Foster Terminal", "BodyType":"Station" }
{ "timestamp":"2017-07-12T03:18:33Z", "event":"Died" }
{ "timestamp":"2017-07-12T03:18:33Z", "event":"ShieldState", "ShieldsUp":false }
{ "timestamp":"2017-07-12T03:19:53Z", "event":"Resurrect", "Option":"rebuy", "Cost":22419053, "Bankrupt":false }
 

Whiplash 1983

Whiplash 1983
I guess I don't understand how you can "Loose" an NPC crew member as they are "Telepresent" when I crew them. And mine is only Deadly and has been paid over 55 million in credits so far. I've lost plenty of ships and she's still there ready to crew up.
 

CMDR Percivus Keenblade

CMDR Percivus Keenblade
Tri Velo said:
I hope so. Didn't know they can restore NPC crew. I already submitted a ticket last night and waiting for their response. I checked my journal log. First line I'm in super cruise exit. The next "Died". No explanation, attacks, etc. If it is normal to blow up dropping out of super cruise when entering an asteroid field at proper speed and distance, then I won't ever drop into a ring or field again...haha...not worth the hassle to keep bugging support about it. Also not worth keeping an NPC crew either if this can happen again..not worth it.

Here's the journal entry:
{ "timestamp":"2017-07-12T03:18:30Z", "event":"SupercruiseExit", "StarSystem":"Coeus", "Body":"Foster Terminal", "BodyType":"Station" }
{ "timestamp":"2017-07-12T03:18:33Z", "event":"Died" }
{ "timestamp":"2017-07-12T03:18:33Z", "event":"ShieldState", "ShieldsUp":false }
{ "timestamp":"2017-07-12T03:19:53Z", "event":"Resurrect", "Option":"rebuy", "Cost":22419053, "Bankrupt":false }
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Your elite crewmember had enough and tampered with the FSD which caused a catastrophic failure when you dropped off the cruise. At the expense of his own life? Or he just faked his death to get a chance to get away from this business and now living in a luxury villa under a new identity :p
 

TomP

TomP
Whiplash 1983 said:
I guess I don't understand how you can "Loose" an NPC crew member as they are "Telepresent" when I crew them. And mine is only Deadly and has been paid over 55 million in credits so far. I've lost plenty of ships and she's still there ready to crew up.
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Eh?

If the crew member is active on your ship when a fighter bay is equipped and your ship is destroyed, then the crew member dies. They are a telepresence in the fighter, not on your ship.

Why can't we see them on the bridge?

*waves hands around* Look, look, here are some kittens...
 

Tri Velo

T
Whiplash 1983 said:
I guess I don't understand how you can "Loose" an NPC crew member as they are "Telepresent" when I crew them. And mine is only Deadly and has been paid over 55 million in credits so far. I've lost plenty of ships and she's still there ready to crew up.
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You mean that your active NPC crew survives your mothership's (not SLF) destruction? They are only telepresent on the SLF. But if your ship is destroyed when they are "active", they die (or vanish or find other work or whatever lore Frontier uses to explain it). If they are inactive, they are drinking at some pub when your ship goes boom and still around.
 

Nagual

Nagual
TomP said:
Eh?

If the crew member is active on your ship when a fighter bay is equipped and your ship is destroyed, then the crew member dies. They are a telepresence in the fighter, not on your ship.

Why can't we see them on the bridge?

*waves hands around* Look, look, here are some kittens...
Click to expand...
I shouldn't laugh...but I did.. :D


Position Available!

Must enjoy exciting probable / near death combat in the depths of space!
Will pay a token amount on hiring and a pretty low % on every transaction if you're active or not!

Apply today!






​Escape pods not included.
 

Mephane

Mephane
We have escape pods to always survive ship destruction. We can also telepresent onto another ship on the other side of the galaxy with no time delay. Heck, even our NPC crew does not physically sit in the fighter, but telepresents into it, too!

Yet when it comes to ship destruction, none of all of that applies. They have no escape pod, and they are not simply telepresenting from the safety of a starport, either.

[Also, if you are the captain of a vessel and take the only escape pod for yourself, you're a bad captain...]
 

TheSisko

TheSisko
I've suggested this before, but I'd like a Escape Pod Module to be available. That will give us the option of saving our crew, at the expense of losing a module slot and some power draw.

Save your crew or save a slot? Your choice. Maybe even have the crew's performance increase a small amount if you don't have a pod - they'll be extra motivated to earn their pay in battle, knowing if they don't then there's a good chance of being out of a job and well, life.
 

Sardu

S
1) NPC Crew should not get % if not active.
2) NPC crew should not die but if they "die" you have to pick them up at the station of origin.
3) Lower the % NPC crew gets by half.
 

sb413197

S
h347h said:
Here is an easy lesson to learn. Don't get attached to pixels.

Also good news there is going to be another pixel in the sea for you!



Not baffling at all there are plenty of players who like that they can lose people permanently. There was strong counter protest about changing it.
Click to expand...

Lots of players use self enforced ironman modes - isonona wont rebuy his ships, some go even further and wipe their characters on death. That is cool and I respect it, I do the same in many games.

This game however is not one of them. If people want their crew to "die", fine. Even make it a game option or something. But I don't want my crew to die.
 
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