I'd love to have NPC crews! And I'm not just talking about pilots for ship launched fighters. I mean, an Anaconda is the same size as a rebel blockade runner in Star Wars and that has a crew of 165, why do I have to be the only one on board an Anaconda? Let me have weapons crews, science officers, navigators, loadmasters, etc. You could hire new crews at stations and they could die depending on your hull damage. Maybe they can slightly boost my stats or maybe they're just there for looks as they sit in the extra chairs on the bridge, either way, it would make it a lot less lonely out in the black.
NPC Crews
- Thread starter AhhhBees
- Start date
as berpol said this would likely be added with space legs, The anaconda is fairly massive and seeing exposed sections of its hull indicates it has anywhere between 15-18 decks. You can also see various doors that look like quarters when these sections of the hull are exposed.
It would be nice to have a sizable crew to interact with on these massive vessels.
However heres the thing about the ships in elite:
All of them are built around a standard flight model like all cars are built around a standard driving model and therefore can be piloted solo.
All ships in the game have basic self-repair functionality and are fully capable of making on the fly desicions about their module functions as to remove the need for a sizable crew.
Alot of the ships functions are controlled by the ship AI so theres not necessarily a need for a sizable crew in any ship in the game, even the capital ships (in theory) can be piloted by a single pilot.
But that doesnt mean we wont see rich and packed environments on our ships when they implement space legs.
Perhaps you can hire crew or buy them.
No crew (standard): everything is fully automated.
Robot crew (automatic with passenger rooms): only visual effects, robots cleaning, carrying drinks for the passengers.
Service crew: same, just with humans.
Combat crew: manning a bridge, combat stations, engineering for a small bonus.
Without crew I fear the ships will feel very empty, especially a over 200m long Cutter.Robot crew (automatic with passenger rooms): only visual effects, robots cleaning, carrying drinks for the passengers.
Service crew: same, just with humans.
Combat crew: manning a bridge, combat stations, engineering for a small bonus.
nice find, thanks for this tidbit of info
For most of the things a crew could do, automated systems already do that. I mean, what would be the difference between a turret set to fire at will and an NPC gunner firing at will?
For defense management, would you really like to give away those things to an NPC? Which could then be the reason why your ship got destroyed, while you'd have done much better when having those things under your own control?
I really see no reason to have functional NPCs in this game. It just doesn't fit the style. I mean, in the end there'd be only two options:
The first would be mostly worthless, the second just another step in a completely wrong direction. Why not then just have a combat computer, you target an enemy and press the "compute fight" button, then it goes into time warp mode and a few seconds later you are awarded the credits for your glorious victory?
For defense management, would you really like to give away those things to an NPC? Which could then be the reason why your ship got destroyed, while you'd have done much better when having those things under your own control?
I really see no reason to have functional NPCs in this game. It just doesn't fit the style. I mean, in the end there'd be only two options:
- NPCs come with no advantages. Then they serve no other purpose than to be seen and take some money for being visible.
- NPCs come with some advantages. Then they loose all advantages above, and rather will be yet another stat-stick and new mechanic for power creep.
The first would be mostly worthless, the second just another step in a completely wrong direction. Why not then just have a combat computer, you target an enemy and press the "compute fight" button, then it goes into time warp mode and a few seconds later you are awarded the credits for your glorious victory?
I'd love some nice chatty NPC crew to sit in those empty chairs and keep me company.
I'd also love NPC pilots that could fly some of my fleet in a wing with me.
I also really wish they'd made NPC crew a necessity to fly the bigger ships in the game, like in FE2. Don't have the required crew? ... can't fly the ship.
I'd also love NPC pilots that could fly some of my fleet in a wing with me.
I also really wish they'd made NPC crew a necessity to fly the bigger ships in the game, like in FE2. Don't have the required crew? ... can't fly the ship.
No thanks. I mean, I’ll take crew if they actually add some functionality to my ship, but otherwise I’m perfectly fine with being a solo pilot. I don’t want them just as an aesthetic perk.
And, y’know, the Anaconda may be large, but as I understand it, most of that space is used for modules. I assume that when Space Legs comes around we’ll see some interior areas meant purely for use by the pilot (and/or other human passengers), but it still probably won’t be enough to support a large crew, or even enough to require one. I mean, what do we really need a crew for? Automation allows us to control everything from the command chair.
I guess I’d take some crew members if I could place them in giant hamster wheels and have them generate power to get my shields back up faster.
And, y’know, the Anaconda may be large, but as I understand it, most of that space is used for modules. I assume that when Space Legs comes around we’ll see some interior areas meant purely for use by the pilot (and/or other human passengers), but it still probably won’t be enough to support a large crew, or even enough to require one. I mean, what do we really need a crew for? Automation allows us to control everything from the command chair.
I guess I’d take some crew members if I could place them in giant hamster wheels and have them generate power to get my shields back up faster.
I think the most important thing with NPC crew would be balancing making them useful, but not a necessity. if they were introduced at launch that would be one thing but you cant add them 5 years down the line and make them mandatory for large ships... That would be sure to get backlash. Instead I think they should be an optional money-sink. If a player wants to pay to keep a crew they should get a small gameplay/quality of life bonus in return for the profit share or salary or whatever.
As an example, I would absolutely sacrifice a small percentage of my profits if i could hire an NPC gunner that added a permanent pip to weapons (like multicrew gunners do) and made your turreted weapons immune to chaff. If you choose not to hire a gunner you're not losing out on anything, the computer would work the turrets just like it does now, but a "human" gunner theoretically wouldn't be tricked by hot sparkling space dust.
Im sure they could come up with several roles with appropriate effects (slow automatic module/hull repair if you hire an engineer? etc.) that could also serve as much needed, but optional, money sinks. Again not forcing anything on players, just giving them more customization options if they want them.
As an example, I would absolutely sacrifice a small percentage of my profits if i could hire an NPC gunner that added a permanent pip to weapons (like multicrew gunners do) and made your turreted weapons immune to chaff. If you choose not to hire a gunner you're not losing out on anything, the computer would work the turrets just like it does now, but a "human" gunner theoretically wouldn't be tricked by hot sparkling space dust.
Im sure they could come up with several roles with appropriate effects (slow automatic module/hull repair if you hire an engineer? etc.) that could also serve as much needed, but optional, money sinks. Again not forcing anything on players, just giving them more customization options if they want them.
I wouldn't mind having someone with the personality of Nick Valentine as a co pilot
Great idea, but are you going to pay them all too?
I think the main characteristic developers should focus on if they choose to develop NPC crew, is frequently updated dialogue and evolving personalities.
There's not a whole lot you'd want your NPC crew to do on the bridge, except maybe have a navigator/co-pilot who accepts commands like Plot a course to [System Name]/[Station Name] or [Bookmark Name], or "Nearest System/Station", to save you opening the Galaxy and System maps, particularly in tense situations, or to take the place of a docking computer just for the novelty of it, except that the co-pilot would also do the docking request. You might also be able to hire and train an NPC gunner like you do an SLF pilot, so that they can use gimballed weapons to varying degrees of efficacy, while you just focus on manoeuvring, but that would be seen by some as the dreaded "easy mode", or "lazy mode" *sigh*. Other NPC crew would just need to look like they're doing something useful, like the mechanic in the engine room tinkering with things, or the security staff keeping your imperial slaves in check.
But aside from some basic functions, I think that mostly the NPCs should be interesting company, whether that means being annoying or pleasant, panicking during a crisis, reassuring you or reminding you of things, telling stories, giving their opinion on the current news, asking for a pay rise, constantly complaining, clashing with other NPCs or forming friendships with them, threatening to quit, etc. I'd prefer if for the most part they'd make it about bringing some life and character into the game, for those who want it.
There's not a whole lot you'd want your NPC crew to do on the bridge, except maybe have a navigator/co-pilot who accepts commands like Plot a course to [System Name]/[Station Name] or [Bookmark Name], or "Nearest System/Station", to save you opening the Galaxy and System maps, particularly in tense situations, or to take the place of a docking computer just for the novelty of it, except that the co-pilot would also do the docking request. You might also be able to hire and train an NPC gunner like you do an SLF pilot, so that they can use gimballed weapons to varying degrees of efficacy, while you just focus on manoeuvring, but that would be seen by some as the dreaded "easy mode", or "lazy mode" *sigh*. Other NPC crew would just need to look like they're doing something useful, like the mechanic in the engine room tinkering with things, or the security staff keeping your imperial slaves in check.
But aside from some basic functions, I think that mostly the NPCs should be interesting company, whether that means being annoying or pleasant, panicking during a crisis, reassuring you or reminding you of things, telling stories, giving their opinion on the current news, asking for a pay rise, constantly complaining, clashing with other NPCs or forming friendships with them, threatening to quit, etc. I'd prefer if for the most part they'd make it about bringing some life and character into the game, for those who want it.