Hi, I hired an NPC Crewperson at Expert level a few weeks ago, now leveled to dangerous. Like the idea of having her in my SLFs, largely to act as decoy/distractions for bounty hunting NPC pirate wings in HazRez sites. Now I'm all into Thargoid hunting, have my awesome Krait decked out with all the good Guardian stuff, hull reinforcements and so on. When I go solo, I still like to pop in that fighter bay, get my pilot on board and let her distract swarms or scouts or whatever is bothering me. Good stuff, but: how much does it actually cost to have a pilot on staff? I know that they take about 10% of credit pay out - no matter if they are idle or active. But what about combat rank XP? I 'feel' that I am ranking slower than my real life wing people who I fly with. I 'heard' that the NPCs take 50% of rank XP when they are actually on duty and fly with you. BUT: How much combat rank do they take from your own progression when they are still under contract, but not flying an active mission?? So far no clear answer.. Hoping to find it here. Thanks!
NPC crew members: how much combat rank XP do they take from me?
They don't affect your XP if they aren't being used.
Not so sure about this.... same thing like your npc is not in your ship but still eats a peace off your earned credits.
If they're on your ship they steal XP. It's known that they always take pay. That is the known wisdom, but if you have a spare account or ranks left to gain we would always welcome more data. 
Your combat rank depends only on your personal kill count. Crewmembers don't are affect this count.
But your comabt rank is calculated upon wich Rank you already have and what combat-rank your opponent had. The lower the less you will earn for your rank-progression.
Regarding Credits:
Yes...Crewmembers will take a percentage of your hard earned credits, because you hired them, no matter if you use them or not. They have a family to feed too and if you don't keep them busy, it's your responsability to pay their bills. After all they are not your slaves.
But your comabt rank is calculated upon wich Rank you already have and what combat-rank your opponent had. The lower the less you will earn for your rank-progression.
Regarding Credits:
Yes...Crewmembers will take a percentage of your hard earned credits, because you hired them, no matter if you use them or not. They have a family to feed too and if you don't keep them busy, it's your responsability to pay their bills. After all they are not your slaves.
God, if they stole XP while not in my ship, would be amazing... I keep forgetting to make them active on my ship in order to level them.If they're on your ship they steal XP. It's known that they always take pay. That is the known wisdom, but if you have a spare account or ranks left to gain we would always welcome more data.
They have to be outside your ship during combat to take half your combat xp.
To clarify: If they are not on duty, at a station, they do not take your combat rank, only your credits. If they are out with you, in the cockpit, with the fighter in its bay, they do not take your xp, only your credits. If they are outside the ship, in the fighter, shooting at enemies and either of you gets a kill, they get half the xp for that kill. And your credits.
To clarify: If they are not on duty, at a station, they do not take your combat rank, only your credits. If they are out with you, in the cockpit, with the fighter in its bay, they do not take your xp, only your credits. If they are outside the ship, in the fighter, shooting at enemies and either of you gets a kill, they get half the xp for that kill. And your credits.
I've gone right off my crew. Actually, they already got fired. Money grabbing, XP nabbing finkos. I wondered why I didn't seem to be ranking up all that fast these days...
I might even go and bomb the Pilots Federation. More creeps and bureaucrats.
Grrr
kicks cockpit cat, heads to med-bay to staunch bleeding from lacerated lower leg...
I hired my crewmember as a Novice (its cheaper that way), I was ranked 5% Dangerous. I am now 92% Dangerous and my crew has surpassed me to 50% Deadly. My crew will reach Elite before me...go figure...
They definitely also gain their own XP when active on board, but not deployed. Easy to check with a harmless NPC and some scouts.
Whether these XP are taken from your own I'm not sure but I guess they are....
I never really got the idea that NPC crew member actually reduces syour XP gains. Asking logical explanation is futile but I have to ask - how I'm suddenly learning less from the encounter? Is it sheer NPC presence? That NPC doesn't have to even do anything, by just sitting I'm unable to fully grasp ofwhat I'm doing. I'm still piloting my ship, still making decisions, still switching PIPs and still shooting my weapons. But by the fact that I have a copilot it suddenly takes twice the time to learn from it.
No wonder school takes decades to finish since teacher's XP is divided into so many students.
But, answering my own question - I guess it's the fabled "balance" issue. NPC contributes toward your performance so this gain must be countered with some cost. But why does those balance are always skewed against us? Not only we pay co-pilots (balance already, kill faster and easier but for lower income) but they also have to suck half of overall XP. Suddenly whole bargain doesn't sound that interesting, more lose than win since profit from having a pilot is outmatched by costs of having one.
Probabaly the reason I didn't consider hiring NPCs. I seek means that provide advantage to me, not a hindrance that limit my performance.
No wonder school takes decades to finish since teacher's XP is divided into so many students.
But, answering my own question - I guess it's the fabled "balance" issue. NPC contributes toward your performance so this gain must be countered with some cost. But why does those balance are always skewed against us? Not only we pay co-pilots (balance already, kill faster and easier but for lower income) but they also have to suck half of overall XP. Suddenly whole bargain doesn't sound that interesting, more lose than win since profit from having a pilot is outmatched by costs of having one.
Probabaly the reason I didn't consider hiring NPCs. I seek means that provide advantage to me, not a hindrance that limit my performance.
I hired mine as harmless (or whatever the lowest rank is they start at). At the time, I was Deadly and about 20% of the way to Elite. Now my crewmember is leveled all the way to Elite and I'm only at 86%.
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If this is the case, it snuck in in some patch. It certainly was not the case in the past. I'll test again, thanks for the fact check, I'll confirm.
I can confirm that if you leave your crew in the station, you make combat xp much faster.
Actually for you the pay a percentage of profit is the better deal.!
If you earn nothing, you pay nothing. :/
There's some very big businesses use this as a means of paying less tax.
Just get the accountants to calculate you made no profit and you pay no tax.