No reason to hire a second fighter pilot?

[TrollhunterX]

According to this discussion in Steam, a second pilot is useful to have, in case the first is killed, but in my experience, as the fighter is controlled by remote*, my pilot isn't killed when the fighter is destroyed. Maybe that used to be the case, and they changed it?

Unless they also made it possible to have two NPC pilots operating at the same time, and I've heard nothing that suggests that is so, then one pilot would be fine (and one bay, as you get six fighters per bay, which seems sufficient until you return to base).

Any reason to hire more than one NPC fighter pilot? :: Elite Dangerous General Discussions

You can hire up to three pilots for your fighter bay, but even if you've got one that's more than one fighter, you can only take one NPC with you. So, is there any reason to actually hire more than one fighter pilot? Are there circumstances where you could lose one and would need a replacement?

steamcommunity.com

*it's possible that the pilot isn't even on my ship, but back on a station far removed from the conflict, like a real drone operator?

 

[Bottom Hat]

It's only worth hiring more if you are lucky and find one with a hilarious name.

But they still just sit on your ship.

 

[here_it_comes]

No reason now that NPC permadeath is gone. Hire one and be done.

 

[TrollhunterX]

It looks like the permadeath issue got thrashed out in this training video from three years ago.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ld7_85HuL8w&list=PL7glm5rbPHKx8MWl-oKkxLvEcAmumMVtw&index=9


I guess they enlarged the escape pod.

However, I both rue and regret picking an expert to hire from the start, instead of 'nurturing' a noob, and saving on space cheddar.

 

[here_it_comes]

No need to despair. It's not like credits are an issue these days.

 

[scadh]

But they still just sit on your ship.

Only partially true. Don't forget that they ALSO take a cut of your profits!

In the home stretch of my grind toward the 5 billion credits I needed to purchase my carrier, I fired my fighter pilot and wished so, so badly that I hadn't paid him several hundred million credits over the course of his service.

 

[Bottom Hat]

Only partially true. Don't forget that they ALSO take a cut of your profits!

In the home stretch of my grind toward the 5 billion credits I needed to purchase my carrier, I fired my fighter pilot and wished so, so badly that I hadn't paid him several hundred million credits over the course of his service.

Good point. I actually have a guy that is still sat in the same bar I hired him from. Haven't put him in the ship yet, but he's well over 40m for drinking beer already.

I'm hoping to find a better funny name person though, and this guy will never have to fly with me - it's a self-damaging altruism at work...!

 

[here_it_comes]

Good point. I actually have a guy that is still sat in the same bar I hired him from. Haven't put him in the ship yet, but he's well over 40m for drinking beer already.

A true philanthropist!

 

[Bottom Hat]

A true philanthropist!

You know it!

 

[Agony_Aunt]

You don't need more than 1.

But when has not needing something ever stopped people?

 

[ocflyer]

According to this discussion in Steam, a second pilot is useful to have, in case the first is killed, but in my experience, as the fighter is controlled by remote*, my pilot isn't killed when the fighter is destroyed. Maybe that used to be the case, and they changed it?

Unless they also made it possible to have two NPC pilots operating at the same time, and I've heard nothing that suggests that is so, then one pilot would be fine (and one bay, as you get six fighters per bay, which seems sufficient until you return to base).

Any reason to hire more than one NPC fighter pilot? :: Elite Dangerous General Discussions

You can hire up to three pilots for your fighter bay, but even if you've got one that's more than one fighter, you can only take one NPC with you. So, is there any reason to actually hire more than one fighter pilot? Are there circumstances where you could lose one and would need a replacement?

steamcommunity.com

*it's possible that the pilot isn't even on my ship, but back on a station far removed from the conflict, like a real drone operator?

Only one fighter bay??? A 2nd bay is essential because it takes time to build another fighter, time which you may not have. I always get two bays so that I can keep the pressure on the enemies.

 

[EvoBeardy]

Yup, I have twin fighter bays on my ships that use the NPC Pilot, one beam, one plasma usually.

Not only does it enable you to launch your SLF rapidly after it being shot down, but you can switch SLF type depending on the situation.

I have 3 Pilots, mainly due to them having the rare skin condition of "not ugly as sin". I've gone to fire the other two many times, but I just can't bring myself to do so.

I saw someone else post the other day, that it'd be nice to actually have multiple SLF out at a time. Not a bad idea for the more defenceless Ships like T9 etc.
Hopefully FDev make NPC/Player interaction a little better, you can offer your services to protect NPC Miners/Transports etc or tell Police you'll assist them, allow you to tell your NPC Pilot to guard others and the likes.

 

[Vetinari]

a second pilot is useful to have, in case the first is killed,

Maybe that used to be the case, and they changed it?

SLF has always been telepresence so destroying the SLF never killed the NPC Pilot, but destruction of the Mother ship did kill the NPC Pilot and they were lost for ever, even Elite ones. But that was too hard a consequence for players and created too much salt so they made it much easier and now the NPC gets rescued as well and is immortal. Cant remember if there's an option to kill them on the rebuy screen or not or whether that was just a suggestion.

*it's possible that the pilot isn't even on my ship, but back on a station far removed from the conflict, like a real drone operator?

Its far worse than that

The Truth About NPC Crew Pilots

WE ARE bEInG RiPPEd OFF! Having investigated the NPC Crew debacle at length a few conclusions come to mind. 1. They are on Full Pay 100% of the time, even when not on Active Duty.... 2. They never ever appear in the cockpit.... 3. SLF is Telepresence, the pilot is not in the SLF either... 4...

forums.frontier.co.uk

 

[Xious]

Yep, one is useless enough.

 

[Nick S]

I think they get 'incapacitated' on ship destruction in Odyssey. Not sure if you can bring them back. Anyone know?

 

[FLa2hL1ke]

According to this discussion in Steam, a second pilot is useful to have, in case the first is killed, but in my experience, as the fighter is controlled by remote*, my pilot isn't killed when the fighter is destroyed. Maybe that used to be the case, and they changed it?

Unless they also made it possible to have two NPC pilots operating at the same time, and I've heard nothing that suggests that is so, then one pilot would be fine (and one bay, as you get six fighters per bay, which seems sufficient until you return to base).

Any reason to hire more than one NPC fighter pilot? :: Elite Dangerous General Discussions

You can hire up to three pilots for your fighter bay, but even if you've got one that's more than one fighter, you can only take one NPC with you. So, is there any reason to actually hire more than one fighter pilot? Are there circumstances where you could lose one and would need a replacement?

steamcommunity.com

*it's possible that the pilot isn't even on my ship, but back on a station far removed from the conflict, like a real drone operator?

If they bring something like huge ships, their would be a reason for them. I tried to explain my thoughts there.

The Huge Class: Please Fdev. Make it real!

I would be fine with a collection of 4 or 5 more large ships offered as side grades to the existing large class. I'm not sure I like the idea of players cruising around with 1500 tons of cargo or class 9 shields though. That sounds a bit over the top. Putting aside the fact that a Panther...

forums.frontier.co.uk

 

[Stumpii]

Another FD incomplete game feature. One crew mate is basically useless and yet we can have three. Hey can I hire you to come on my ship and keep the seat warm? See that turret gun - don't touch that. See that KWS - don't touch that. Fly the ship - no way you're only Elite rank. I was so bummed when I eventually bought a ship that could have a crew and found out how little they could do.

 

[Lone_star]

Man I really wish this worked better.... one of my favorite things in X3 is flying around in a frigate with a small fighter wing and unleashing them. I can even join them if I want and the AI does a good enough job of controlling whatever I'm not in.

 

[TrollhunterX]

Have to say, when I finally got around to buying a second fighter bay, and getting it sent to my carrier's store, it wouldn't let me equip it. Only swap it with the fighter bay already equipped.

I'm sure I'm doing something wrong...

 

[TrollhunterX]

Man I really wish this worked better.... one of my favorite things in X3 is flying around in a frigate with a small fighter wing and unleashing them. I can even join them if I want and the AI does a good enough job of controlling whatever I'm not in.

Of the many ways in which the X series differed from Elite, a significant one was that you could not only store goods, and even weapons, on other ships, but you could then send those ships off to pick up stuff and return it to you, or anywhere else.

All down to the game being offline, but I miss it, even though once you built a commercial empire to get the Hub, there was little else to do but kill stuff.