Changes for crew handling!

[Vice]

After reading comments here, in the beta forum, and in e-mail, it would appear a simpler approach to this system would be preferred by many requesting the option to keep their crew even while they pilot ships that can't use them. Here is one possible approach:

The player can be allowed to retain their crew, even when they switch to a ship that can't use them, by continuing to pay them their fee at the level it was at when the ship swap was done. The fee will remain static as will their skill and loyalty levels in kind of a 'stand by' mode until they return to providing services to the player's ship.

Rather than force the player to return to the location where the ship swap took place, the player is allowed to keep their crew with them, just not in an active role as part of their ship. This is an important option for some players who want to be able to build a civilian ship at a new location and reactivate their crew, rather than having to go back to their point of origin for an old swap to an unwanted/distant ship just to get them back before returning. Otherwise, they will be prevented from utilizing their crew at certain locations where they can build a better civilian ship and/or be forced to go through a triple ship swap process and potential long trip sustaining significant financial and time loss just to get their crew back.

Within the game's fiction, 'stored' crew can simply remain in the crew or cargo compartment of a ship, but they can't offer any benefit if the ship doesn't have the capability to use them (ie crew slots).

Pay cycles will continue to be broadcasted and announced in the message log, but 'stored' crew won't appear as active on the crew console. They might simply appear as 'inactive'.

The option to dismiss crew might still be an option for 'stored' inactive crew members while docked, but this option hasn't yet been finalized.

[_-Caleb-_]

Hola.

Sounds good. I like the idea

Regards.

[Capt_Caveman]

same here, sounds good to me

[Busch]

Thirded!

[Marvin]

Within the game's fiction, 'stored' crew can simply remain in the crew or cargo compartment of a ship, but they can't offer any benefit if the ship doesn't have the capability to use them (ie crew slots).

I probably wouldn't use the term "stored" in-game. The crew already merits a place in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Evoverse without crowding them into the one cargo slot next to a TW.

[Vice]

Yes, I think the appropriate term will likely be 'inactive'

[Marvin]

Either that or "laid off" ... 'though that term might hit too close to home for some gamesters. (I'll ask my daughter ... so far, she's survived the RIF.)

[PaulB]

After reading comments here, in the beta forum, and in e-mail, it would appear a simpler approach to this system would be preferred by many requesting the option to keep their crew even while they pilot ships that can't use them. Here is one possible approach:

The player can be allowed to retain their crew, even when they switch to a ship that can't use them, by continuing to pay them their fee at the level it was at when the ship swap was done. The fee will remain static as will their skill and loyalty levels in kind of a 'stand by' mode until they return to providing services to the player's ship.

Rather than force the player to return to the location where the ship swap took place, the player is allowed to keep their crew with them, just not in an active role as part of their ship. This is an important option for some players who want to be able to build a civilian ship at a new location and reactivate their crew, rather than having to go back to their point of origin for an old swap to an unwanted/distant ship just to get them back before returning. Otherwise, they will be prevented from utilizing their crew at certain locations where they can build a better civilian ship and/or be forced to go through a triple ship swap process and potential long trip sustaining significant financial and time loss just to get their crew back.

Within the game's fiction, 'stored' crew can simply remain in the crew or cargo compartment of a ship, but they can't offer any benefit if the ship doesn't have the capability to use them (ie crew slots).

Pay cycles will continue to be broadcasted and announced in the message log, but 'stored' crew won't appear as active on the crew console. They might simply appear as 'inactive'.

The option to dismiss crew might still be an option for 'stored' inactive crew members while docked, but this option hasn't yet been finalized.

What happens if I want to swap (or buy) a ship which may have (for example) 2 crew member slots when my current ship (Mammoth) is configured with 4 crew member slots??
Perhaps one could be able to choose which 2 of the crew to remain active?
Or if a Station could at least be used to store them while configuring or reconfiguring a ship??
I don't know but those are some of the thing I would be concerned about. I would not much care to buy/swap to a 2 crew ship and not have a choice of which 2 crew I could retain as active.
If Crew were store in a Station, then as you usd the term "game fiction", then let there be a further game fiction that you could while in a station Hangar see what crew were stored (in any station anywhere as "Stored Crew") and as part of the game fiction you could chose which of them you wanted to be come active on the current ship and they would "Teleport" (game fiction) to the ship???
No Teleportation or anything has to be implemented - it jsut exit and that's how it's done - so to speak. That would solve the problem of them not being at the place you need them.
You are keeping track or what's stored at stations anyway.
This what the player would always have access to them no matter where they were originally stored.

P.S. But please don't make them stored (if you do) in anhy of the 5 Hangar storage slots. New Crew storage slots please.

LOL - that would even be useful for some equipment stored at a distant station hangar.


[Edited on 7-9-2014 by PaulB]

[Marvin]

No need to teleport. Have one of the crew pilot your civvy ship while you fly the military ship. Or, if you don't want your old civvy ship to be readily available at the nearest trade station or city, you can always have the crew follow you around in a space taxi ... admittedly, an expensive alternative but what the heck.

[-splosives-]

I would like it if you could "store" your crew members in military frames, civ frames with less crew capacity or at a station or carrier.
Maybe they could even be of use in a station, providing you with price information? just an idea.

[Marvin]

I would like it if you could "store" your crew members in military frames ....

I think that would be akin to reducing your crew to their DNA and then reconstituting them in a manner similar to what happened in the 1960's Batman movie.

[SeeJay]

I have no problems with that Vice. Go for it.

A suggestion tho, instead of "storing" the crew, they could
still be on your ship at all times.

MIL:
Since the cockpit only host a pilot, they are drinking
beer in the back of the ship. (up to 4 crew members)

CIV:
Same as MIL but you can chose to put
any of the crew active in the cockpit (1-4 depending
on ship size/setup).

[Vice]

Yes, agreed. As indicated, the crew will likely travel with the player per request from those asking for this option. PaulB brings up a good point though in that there will likely need to be a way to sort them around in the list so that the player can choose which pilots to apply for crew member slots in ships with less capacity. A 'Top' swap option in the crew console will likely be added to provide that option. For example, the play can hold the Alt key and the 'Dismiss' button changes to 'Top', allowing them to swap a selected crew member with the one in the top slot. They can then move them around further as needed to put the ones they want higher in the list.

[Onirim]

I would like it if you could "store" your crew members in military frames, civ frames with less crew capacity or at a station or carrier.
Maybe they could even be of use in a station, providing you with price information? just an idea.

I like this too. It brings more options to the game. Why not "storing" crew members in a station/planetary system while you fly with other crew members "stored" on your ship with you? Too expensive and pointless? Let the player decide this.

Too much coding time when there are other priorities? Mmm, good point...