Multi-crew is a blast, but obviously there is plenty wrong with implementation, and there are lots of ideas floating around about to make it better from the obvious (enable SRV multicrew) to the more creative (see various detailed ideas about engineer power distribution etc).
I think those ideas are great and should be implemented, but I believe we are still left with a fundamental issue - that in the interests of promoting awesome gameplay now, Elite Dangerous has seemingly shut off gameplay options for future expansions...
Why would we EVA around our ship to repair hull damage when we have repair limpets to do it for us? Why should an engineer use any form of gameplay to repair modules when an AFM can do it for us? How do you make multi-crew mining viable and enjoyable?
The answer, I believe is actually really simple, and provides rewarding and balanced gameplay:
**Allow crew members to perform the role of modules which the ship does not have.**
*Mining*
Mining Officer: No need for prospector/collector controllers, load up your hold with limpets, get a Mining crew member and have that crew member manually perform those roles.
*Combat*
Tactical Officer: Can use things like electronic counter measures and point defence turrets to manually shoot down projectiles. Manually operate repair limpets to find and repair gaping holes in the hull. Manually break the enemy's hatch with a hatch-breaker limpet.
*Scans*
Operations Officer: Open up the scanning aspect of the game. Allow multicrew members to take this role and perform different types of scans that would normally require a module. Like the others this would have to be challenging in some way, not just point and shoot. Make successful scans more interesting - let scans provide a wealth of information that the person can analyse for an advantage whether its another ship or a planet.
And just to repeat more obvious multicrew points again: please give us an engineer role with complicated control of power and synthesis, more diverse SLFs, SRV multicrew, enable subtargeting for the Gunner, and navigation to other crew members.
The idea is that adding crew members gives you lots more versatility. All of a sudden there are things which you couldn't do before, that a module might do better or with less effort, but a human can do for cheaper and do more other things as well.
The details aren't really important or very well thought out, I'm not suggesting those roles I suggested should be exactly as they are, or even a designated role like that, but what do people think about the general idea of getting multicrew to fill in for different modules?
I think those ideas are great and should be implemented, but I believe we are still left with a fundamental issue - that in the interests of promoting awesome gameplay now, Elite Dangerous has seemingly shut off gameplay options for future expansions...
Why would we EVA around our ship to repair hull damage when we have repair limpets to do it for us? Why should an engineer use any form of gameplay to repair modules when an AFM can do it for us? How do you make multi-crew mining viable and enjoyable?
The answer, I believe is actually really simple, and provides rewarding and balanced gameplay:
**Allow crew members to perform the role of modules which the ship does not have.**
*Mining*
Mining Officer: No need for prospector/collector controllers, load up your hold with limpets, get a Mining crew member and have that crew member manually perform those roles.
*Combat*
Tactical Officer: Can use things like electronic counter measures and point defence turrets to manually shoot down projectiles. Manually operate repair limpets to find and repair gaping holes in the hull. Manually break the enemy's hatch with a hatch-breaker limpet.
*Scans*
Operations Officer: Open up the scanning aspect of the game. Allow multicrew members to take this role and perform different types of scans that would normally require a module. Like the others this would have to be challenging in some way, not just point and shoot. Make successful scans more interesting - let scans provide a wealth of information that the person can analyse for an advantage whether its another ship or a planet.
And just to repeat more obvious multicrew points again: please give us an engineer role with complicated control of power and synthesis, more diverse SLFs, SRV multicrew, enable subtargeting for the Gunner, and navigation to other crew members.
The idea is that adding crew members gives you lots more versatility. All of a sudden there are things which you couldn't do before, that a module might do better or with less effort, but a human can do for cheaper and do more other things as well.
The details aren't really important or very well thought out, I'm not suggesting those roles I suggested should be exactly as they are, or even a designated role like that, but what do people think about the general idea of getting multicrew to fill in for different modules?
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