NPC Crew Suggestions

[Waterworld]

Hello,

I actually have two suggestions. Both of them would be huge improvements if it can be implemented.

1. Multiple Fighter Crews: For some of the bigger ships there are options for significantly bigger hangers that can hold 2-3 fighter bays. My suggestion is allow players to hire as many crew as there are fighter bays. This way if a federal corvette has three fighter slots available, they can use all three. This would add an incentive to have the bigger hanger and sacrifice the large bay. I believe this wouldn't change any major game mechanics.
2. Large ship Crews: This one would be a little of a mechanic change. But most players have multiple ships for different activities. What I am suggesting is to have the ability to hire a large ship AI pilot to run specific missions to make money while the player does not have that ship active. To incentivize players to do it themselves, there could be a reduced profit margin to pay for the pilots, a period of time the ship is unavailable, and risk factors that could lead the ship getting damaged. An example of how this work would be there are 4 general tasks a pilot can do. They could Transport cargo, Transport people, Mine, or Bounty hunt. When you hire a pilot, you hire them for one of the four of those missions. Players than could spec out their ships to increase profit and/or decrease the risk. They could then send them out and they would receive money per mission/per hour. If a player would want to use that ship they can recall it mid mission but there would be a fine and a wait time of X mins.

These are just some suggestions that I thought of that could take the game to the next level.

 

[aRJay]

1. Potentially unbalancing because of how much extra fire power available, also expensive those 3 NPCs would take 30% of all money made and if actually used in a fight each would take half the combat points for the fight off the commander. The maths doesn’t add up.

2. This is a form of automation and FDev are not keen on that at all.

 

[Dillon Fallon]

So I took my Cutter out last night and gave my novice SLF pilot a run and I have to agree that having another two buzzing about even with them at that level is going to be at the point of taking all the skill out of the game.

Personally, you use a class 5 bay because you're restricted by size, a class 6 as standard (since when one SLF dies, you immediately launch another) and a class 7 because you're running a full laser build and/or you chew through SLFs like they're biscuits.

Agree with what was said above about automation- the central point of this game is that you're the one controlling the ship, so running full crews isn't going to fit in here.

 

[Waterworld]

1. Potentially unbalancing because of how much extra fire power available, also expensive those 3 NPCs would take 30% of all money made and if actually used in a fight each would take half the combat points for the fight off the commander. The maths doesn’t add up.

2. This is a form of automation and FDev are not keen on that at all.

Yeah that’s fair. But to counter point, there is always balancing that can be done and is normally being done on the regular. So if that’s the case then why shouldn't someone who spends the large slot get a slightly larger boost to fire power?

My counter point to the automation how is that any diffrent then min maxing metas currently in the game? Having a concept like this would make it slightly more accessible for newer players which I keep seeing and hearing that are hard to get because of said meta in order to make sufficient money.

By the way I mean no malice when replying. I enjoy seeing and hearing other points of view so thank you for sharing your opinion.

 

[aRJay]

Yeah that’s fair. But to counter point, there is always balancing that can be done and is normally being done on the regular. So if that’s the case then why shouldn't someone who spends the large slot get a slightly larger boost to fire power?

Unless you nerf them adding two more SLFs is not going to be a slightly larger boost to fire power, the target will be under continuous attack from multiple directions. Even one SLF can do significant damage. Plus if they are in a wing also deploying multiple SLFs that is seriously OP.

My counter point to the automation how is that any diffrent then min maxing metas currently in the game? Having a concept like this would make it slightly more accessible for newer players which I keep seeing and hearing that are hard to get because of said meta in order to make sufficient money.

The point is if your crew are off flying your ships and earning for you, you aren’t playing.

Note my take on meta in the game is Most Extremely Tedious Aproach.

By the way I mean no malice when replying. I enjoy seeing and hearing other points of view so thank you for sharing your opinion.

Not at all.

 

[Waterworld]

The point is if your crew are off flying your ships and earning for you, you aren’t playing.

I kind of see where you are coming from with this. The point I am stuck on is that if someone wanted to actually do the missions, they still could. I also see how this could greatly expand the immersion though for me and possibly for others. Especially with settlements on the way, people could create a financial empire and that is a whole other subclass of people that might come to the game if they had that option. Not to mention i think it would be the coolest thing in the world if you send out a NPC on one of your ships and the game actually renders in the ship and ties it that NPC. So if you are on a public server and someone attack a ship that happens to be your NPC, then you lose that ship and its cargo. Now IDK how feasible that is but to me that not only sounds fair but really interesting as well because it would put a whole new spin on some of the NPC ships.

Unless you nerf them adding two more SLFs is not going to be a slightly larger boost to fire power, the target will be under continuous attack from multiple directions. Even one SLF can do significant damage. Plus if they are in a wing also deploying multiple SLFs that is seriously OP.

I mean I already have a a way to make it more balanced. and it is as easy as programing the SLF's so only one can attack the same enemy at a time. Not to mention the other nerf will come in cost because you would have to hire more crew. Other ways is having a dedicated AA gadget and or turret that can randomly spawn on ships. And that's just three options.

 

[aRJay]

I kind of see where you are coming from with this. The point I am stuck on is that if someone wanted to actually do the missions, they still could. I also see how this could greatly expand the immersion though for me and possibly for others. Especially with settlements on the way, people could create a financial empire and that is a whole other subclass of people that might come to the game if they had that option. Not to mention i think it would be the coolest thing in the world if you send out a NPC on one of your ships and the game actually renders in the ship and ties it that NPC. So if you are on a public server and someone attack a ship that happens to be your NPC, then you lose that ship and its cargo. Now IDK how feasible that is but to me that not only sounds fair but really interesting as well because it would put a whole new spin on some of the NPC ships.

This sounds like an interesting idea for a spin-off game based on but not part of ED and go down well with people that like empire building games.

I mean I already have a a way to make it more balanced. and it is as easy as programing the SLF's so only one can attack the same enemy at a time. Not to mention the other nerf will come in cost because you would have to hire more crew. Other ways is having a dedicated AA gadget and or turret that can randomly spawn on ships. And that's just three options.

I am not sure that SLFs attacking in sequence is going to be a lot better than a simultaneous attack but getting a flack turret appear on a ship magically could well work though it might be a bit hard to explain.

To summarise we disagree.

 

[lDanko]

How about instead of getting to the point they can make missions for you I'd prefer these crew NPCs be able to fly the ship to a destination, pretty much like the Apex pilots already do, I want my hired fighter pilot to do more, she's getting a lot of money for how little she does and risks.

And make the fighters remain flying while you land your ship on the surface.

 

[aRJay]

Apart from moan about how they are flying my ship what is left for me to do in this game about flying starships when my hired cannon fodder takes the controls?

 

[Koma Pahu]

I'd prefer these crew NPCs be able to fly the ship to a destination, pretty much like the Apex pilots already do, I want my hired fighter pilot to do more, she's getting a lot of money for how little she does and risks.

Hmm… having nearly lost my near indestructible Federal Corvette after leaving it on the hands of my pilot while trying out a new challenge in the fighter, there’s no way I’m trusting them to do anything!

 

[metatheurgist]

How about instead of getting to the point they can make missions for you I'd prefer these crew NPCs be able to fly the ship to a destination, pretty much like the Apex pilots already do, I want my hired fighter pilot to do more, she's getting a lot of money for how little she does and risks.

NPCs don't do anything more because Frontier keeps turning ED into an empire building 'cos some keep asking for that....