POLL: Should ED have AI Co-Pilots when AI crew are introduced?

Should ED have AI Co-Pilots when AI crew are introduced?

  • YES

    Votes: 206 78.0%

  • NO

    Votes: 58 22.0%
  • Total voters
    264
  • Poll closed .
Status
Thread Closed: Not open for further replies.

lysan

lysan
Jex =TE= said:
Yep I'll ber grabbing this AP and using myself too. People already are using it as it goes so it's all a little moot I suppose since we already have it.
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From the DDF, I'd repost because it an excellent idea the DEVS had.

Basic Ship Crew Functionality

Crew are either human or mechanical

Mechanical crew are not sentient – they are basically specialised robots capable of carrying out specific activities

Crew have a service contract
The service contract describes the remuneration package
Remuneration is defined as a credit salary (which may be zero based on circumstance) per time period

In the case of mechanical crew the remuneration package describes the maintenance schedule which must be paid for and carried out when docked

Crew can be acquired at docks or through missions and events
Once obtained, a remuneration package is automatically deducted from the commander’s credit account at the beginning of each time period; pay is in advance
At any time crew service contracts can be terminated
Terminated crew will disembark at the next habitable dock; the commander is reimbursed for any time not served

Mechanical crew that are terminated will become cargo canisters
If no cargo space is available they will be dismantled (the commander will be warned)
Mechanical crew in cargo-form do not require maintenance, and can be activated (re-hired) at any time

Failure to follow the maintenance schedule for mechanical crew increases the chance of malfunction

Crew have a type that determines how they may be used:
Gunner: rated to operate turret weaponry
Engineer: rated to repair internal modules
Pilot: rated to pilot vessels
Marine: rated to repel boarders (requires ship internals update)

Each ship has a maximum number of crew slots for each type
When crew slots are filled the commander has access to a number of benefits based on crew type:
Gunner: turret weapons are more accurate and can switch targets to make opportune attacks; the more gunners available, the more turret weapons can gain these benefits at the same time
Engineer: damaged modules will be repaired; the more engineers available the more modules can be repaired at the same time.
Pilot: the commander can initiate defensive manoeuvres, chase target and travel to location orders
Marine: marines will automatically engage ship invaders (requires ship internals update)
Crew have an ability level; this determines the effectiveness of their actions:
Gunner: ability determines the accuracy increase
Engineer: ability determines the speed of repair
Pilot: ability determines the quality of flying
Marine: ability determines combat effectiveness (requires ship internals update)
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Jex =TE=

Banned
J
picommander said:
Your example provides a fact behind the facts. Ask yourself "why do you want AP for long travels"?
And then look at docking. It's kinda repetitive but still is one of the Nr.1 highlights of the game cause it requires some skill.
That's why the DC never will be as popular as manual docking, simply because docking is FUN, at least for a majority of us.
Initiating a hyperjump is a completely different case. Even more repetitive but zero skill involved.

Automatizing a boring game element would just shift the problem away from the true issue: Make it more interesting, skill based!
If we would have a (flawless!) AP I'm pretty sure it wouldn't take long until a vast majority would use it.
You would end up in a situation similar to the quick dock key introduced with the first 16-bit versions of Elite:
Though I still could dock manually it suddenly made me feel like manual docking is completely pointless now, so why bother?
It was the time when I stopped playing cause it made a mockery of one of the best parts of the game to me at that time.

As ELITE was originally a single player your argument of "doesn't take away from other players" is just formally correct at best.

Don't get me wrong, I voted YES for AI co-pilots but surely not with autopilots in mind that could travel 20Kly on their own.
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This is a good post so TY :)

We already have a DC remember and landing, imo is only every going to be fun in FA off mode. Docking with FA on is a piece of cake and it's not really fun at all tbh. I can compare it to any flight sim where landing is an art and is actually fun. ED is just so basic in it's landing it takes all the fun away - for me. I don't have a DC because it would probably take longer to land though I know other people find flying harder so maybe landing for them is fun and a challenge.

Now as to making travelling more fun - I don't think anyone is against that. We'd all like more to do but that's not going to come anytime soon or even ever. Given the AP has already been made and is obviously very easy to code into the game it's not going to take away dev time that could be spent on brilliant things like CQC.... ;)
 

BigBANGtheory [VR]

BigBANGtheory [VR]
Robert Maynard said:
Not really, in my opinion - an autopilot would be a module that would be installed on the ship whereas an NPC co-pilot would be recruited and developed and, and this is the crux for me, cost the CMDR a share of their profits, just like NPC Fighter pilots.
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I think I'd rather see a QoL feature offset by a more skill based challenge than a financial one but I suppose that does fit with the ship transfer system. You are effectively paying for an NPC to deliver your ship(s) and then waiting for them to arrive so if that same NPC was then in your crew a similar levy has a certain logic to it. You could have a high one-off recruitment payment to lock out new players and then develop the NPC starting from simple navigation correction. I certainly like the concept of NPC crew development.
 

Fosdyke

Fosdyke
Definitely yes. Crews will be really nice for filling those additional seats ;) Crew management seems a good way to add more gameplay mechanics and immersion. With Fighter pilots introduced in 2.2, it perfectly make sense for 2.3 to go this way.
 

LKx

L
btw, the three slots we have in 2.2 for fighter pilots, are certainly not a random numbers.
You+3, that means 4, which is the wing limit, which will also apply for multiplayer multicrew roles in 2.3.
That means that sooner or later those 3 slots, which now you can activate only one at time for the fighter/helm pilot, will be filled with your npc crew!
 

VR Murgle

VR Murgle
I need someone to occupy the empty seats so that would be a yes even if all they do is sit 'n be pretty...
 
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Kerrash

Kerrash
Lysander lysan said:
You see that is opinion based, not a state of fact, you like the (to me) tedious pressing J every time you jump to the next star, I don't, it's my opinion against your opinion!
However here is the trick, it doesn't effect you if some people had this feature, not one bit, it will not make them richer than you, nor will it make them more skilled than you.

Same goes with the docking computer right? Did you watch Scott Manley travel to the core of the galaxy? he almost lost his sanity LOL, and I understand why.
I like the scale of the galaxy, I'm not asking for a jump gate so that I can scoot around in 4 min.

No just as when I play FSX or DCS or Prepar3D I just use a Autopilot because it make sense. Actually its already here, we just ask FD to spend the minimum time to make it into the game.
As crewmen or a module same to me.

- - - - - Additional Content Posted / Auto Merge - - - - -



Because i could do something meaningful, like study commodity prices, look for stuff to trade and so on. Meaningful that is a keyword here.
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My core concern with automating such a fundamental part of the game would be the exploitation via botting. Not to mention the potential sharp rise in customer support requests when commanders leave their ship unattended and come back to the re-buy screen.

On the subject of long voyages, I see them as an optional test of endurance. Nobody made Scott Manley do that trip other than Scott Manley.

The point of my comment was one that, until there are meaningful activities to perform in ship outside of piloting; automation serves little purpose.
 

Falcon_D

Falcon_D
Hello,
Well if we are going to have crew that can fly the ship (Auto pilot) then I for one would really like to have a Gunner, (aimbot) and a trader (trade bot.) I would really like to do other things in my ship then shooting NPCs in a CNB again and again for credits, after awhile it does get boring. And also for those constant intradictions. Also, for those boring A->B->A multi-million cr trade routes, man I could have killed for a "trader" when I was trying to get my Elite trade rank. The Gunner coupled with the Trader would really be awesome.

I found out that these are available, so it should not be a big problem for the devs to implement them. Hope the Gunner and trader come out in 2.3. Really looking forward to it.
 
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lysan

lysan
Kerrash said:
My core concern with automating such a fundamental part of the game would be the exploitation via botting. Not to mention the potential sharp rise in customer support requests when commanders leave their ship unattended and come back to the re-buy screen.

On the subject of long voyages, I see them as an optional test of endurance. Nobody made Scott Manley do that trip other than Scott Manley.

The point of my comment was one that, until there are meaningful activities to perform in ship outside of piloting; automation serves little purpose.
Click to expand...

:) that is simply not a argument, DO NOT DRY YOUR CAT IN THE MICRO OWNE :D you can't forbid stupidity, if anyone do that its their own fault. If FD deal with people who crashed while they were using the DC, then it's because they want to be nice.

Sure no one actually make you do anything in the game, you can just sit in the station and stair at the screen :)

Botting exploitation is already here, so that is not new.
 
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