Wingman and your ships

[Metternich70]

Interesting topic I found in Spectrum. 

https://robertsspaceindustries.com/spectrum/community/SC/forum/3/thread/npc-s-flying-your-ships-as-wing-men-not-set-in-sto

Will hired NPCs (or alt characters in other packages) be able to fly - as AI - as a wingman using your owned ships?

I recall that in the past CR said something about your alts (or hired NPC) could co-crew your ship, but did not remember if he said something about wingmen.

[Donut]

We can still hire escorts to fly our ships, or use our own NPC's but still have to pay them as employee's under contract. I don't think that will ever change. Keep in mind this: https://robertsspaceindustries.com/spectrum/community/SC/forum/3/thread/npc-crew-2

Also Chris specifically said he wants players to be able to hire escorts. (2014)

http://scqa.info/?show=10FTC&episode=10&qid=4

Quote

Well yeah, I would think if you're hauling a bunch of cargo and you've got well defended or well armored cargo ships, and perhaps you've hired some mercenaries or friends of yours to fly escort with you, you should be able to defend yourself against a raiding party of fighters.

I mean if you're flying completely unarmed cargo freighters and that's it, and there's fighters, then obviously you won't be able to, but we're designing most the ships to have weaponry. So the Freelancer is a pretty well armed cargo ship, maybe the Starfarer isn't as maneuverable as something like a Freelancer will be, but it's gonna have guns and turrets. If you're taking a Starfarer and taking some goods, you're probably gonna hire some people to fly escort for you.
So that's how you would have to approach that. You can hire NPCs, or you could have your friends help you, or hire other players.

So I'm hoping that will ensure reasonable balance of power. Then of course if you're trading in the safe areas, the regulated areas, there are significant penalties for people trying to attack you and raid you.
So you're likely to be fairly safe trading inside the core UEE worlds, but as you get further out, you'll be less safe.

From Tony (2016)

Quote

Tony Zurovec: So, there's a lot of the smaller ships to where you could potentially fit a small number of crates, 4,6,8, 20 crates. The amount of cargo you can haul is obviously going to affect what type of thing you might be looking to transport, in other words… I mentioned earlier, illegal liquors and stuff which you know a dozen crates of that could actually have a pretty hefty profit margins. When you're talking about hauling commodities, probably not so much. You're usually talking about… unless you're talking about some of the more valuable ones, you're usually talking about greater quantities, you need a larger ships… those ships in general tend to move slower therefore you may want a security escort and on and on and on.

http://scqa.info/?show=10FTC&episode=87&qid=9

[Metternich70]

What I cannot understand cleary is if I shall hire an NPC escort + ships (so the ship is "included" in the NPC when I hire him) OR I can use one of my alt AI chars (linked to the account) and - besides using them to crew my ship (that was confrimed) - also put them in one (let's say) Gladius that I own and use it as an IA escort for the ship I'm flying.

[pyro nl]

escort was also a thing they talked about years ago, with a limit of 2 or mayby max 4  but never been furter then yust talking about it, no promises where made afaik

[Scotterius]

Chris Roberts has walked back on his early NPC statements. In particular you will not be able to crew more than one ship with NPCs. I cant remember the source, but I remember he laughed at the question saying something like "I am building the best starship simulator not a fleet simulator".  Chris really likes the idea of multicrew. NPCs are in opposition to this in a way. If NPCs make great turret operators, why find friends to man turrets?  Because of this I expect NPCs to be initially limited in roles. I do think you can rent NPC wingmen though, sure. You will be able to let friends fly your ships though, so fleets are still possible. They are just not a solo venture. 

 I think NPCs will discourage PVP players, but perhaps not in the way most obvious. They increase the time to kill against players by being things to destroy or dodge before you can get to your target. They wont change the result I fear, but if another target is less protected the adversary may go after that first.

[Privateer]

Aw, that's a pity. So I can't leave an employee running a Prospector while I fly a off load of ore or whatever to sell?

[Mournblade]

I just want to be able to make NPCs fly the ship I'm already in. I'll be a happy spaceman when/if they implement that. If not NPCs, then an autopilot feature.

[Boildown]

We don't really know.  CR can walk what he said back and then forward again three more times each before the game takes on its initial form.  I expect that we'll see both extremes to get a taste of what's the best gameplay in CR's opinion, and then that'll be it, but until its actually in the alpha game, it could go any way.

[Pam Demonium]

So we spend a good deal of time wiping out AI ships, and you want to hire them, give them your stuff, and sent them out against AIs.

Saying that, I will be getting a multicrew bird someday, The AI will be doing the scanning, and I will be flying. Thats about as far as I'd trust them.

[Booster Terrik]

I don't know, I think getting NPC turret operators or AI turrets should prove very handy: not al lot of people want to sit in the turret of a cargo ship during a long transit. It gets boring if you have nothing to shoot at. Also what would you pay your friends for sitting in your turrets? At least with AI you don't need a HRM department for your shipping line in order to keep your online friends happy 

[Boildown]

7 hours ago, Booster Terrik said:

I don't know, I think getting NPC turret operators or AI turrets should prove very handy: not al lot of people want to sit in the turret of a cargo ship during a long transit. It gets boring if you have nothing to shoot at. Also what would you pay your friends for sitting in your turrets? At least with AI you don't need a HRM department for your shipping line in order to keep your online friends happy 

Good points.  Yeah, I know people say they'll be perfectly happy to be a gunner or engineer or what have you on multicrew ships instead of being the pilot or the captain, and I'm sure for a few of them its true.  But if there's truly competitive PvE or PvP in Star Citizen (and I'm not convinced there will be), the Orgs in the competition will be doing calculations on what results in the most power projection per player (I now hope 4P becomes a SC term) at their disposal.  If that means everyone gets in a Retaliator with 6 NPC gunners, then that will be the "meta" and that's what they'll do, and people who don't want to fly this way will be left out or relegated to non-competitive tasks.  I expect that you won't just "bring everyone regardless" ala old-school Everquest raids because of server and/or netcode limitations; the Org won't want half the raid split off into another instance of that space.

That said, I really hope that CIG balances it such that a player-manned-turret-ship is "worth it" in "4P" vs many ships manned by NPCs.  I just don't see how that's possible unless NPCs really, really suck.

[Scotterius]

12 hours ago, Boildown said:

  I just don't see how that's possible unless NPCs really, really suck.

I dont see that as unlikely or really undesirable. An NPC crew ( even a poorly skilled one) would be fine until you really want to try to hurt real players with it right?  The only catch is that there are also some ships now (like the hammerhead) which would be brutal with NPCs at current skill levels against large ships (Reclaimers, Orions, Hull D, Carrack, Polaris.).  The hammerhead is kind of the exception to the rule though, and a player would have to have what, 6 NPCs to just man the turrets?

Another option is to limit the amount of NPCs available for purchase at one time to a player (like what Chris did in Freelancer and Privateer). For example a starting player could hire 1 at start and unlock up to 4 through rep grinding with NPC faction (This number reseting at player permanent death). Then you would still need 2 or 3 players to fill out your hammerhead. So I would say that NPCs need to be weak they or need to be numerically regulated, or limited in another fashion. Otherwise it turns into Pay (grind) to Win, throws skill out the window...and will reduce the game appeal to skilled players and beginning players alike. 

It will always be important to consider the best way to apply yourself and your team through 4P.  Some players will be better in certain roles. I feel there is to much diversity in vessel capability and player skill that I doubt that there will be one meta for power for all player. Each player may have his ideal potential per his solo traits and it will be also shaped by how much community support he has, and the amount of teamwork he displays. In my opinion, there is no replacement for practice, or camaraderie (or kindness for that matter). Will a player with years of practice in a Sabre be better in that cockpit if you you can put him in a NPC gunship?  I dont know, but I strongly feel that he deserves to be valuable in the ship that his time and patience are invested in. 

 

[Boildown]

Well I hope you're right and I'm wrong on it that's for sure.