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Ships and the crew required


bastanold

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I'm very curious to know what the direction is for crewing ships in DU especially large ships. This will impact not only design and construction but also gaming experience. Will a single player be allowed to effectively manage a million tonne starship or will the construction of large ships result in a complexity that requires a requisite crew? I hope the physics of the game determines this rather than some sort of ad hoc rule that has been coded into the game.

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I think it will depend on what you want to do.

 

I am pretty sure you *could* pilot a massive ship alone. And it might be viable in friendly space.  But if something goes wrong having multiple crew will definitely make getting out of a pickle a bit easier.  For example manned weapons will perform better with actual players manning them rather than an automated system. Repairing damaged systems might also required at least some others.

 

If there is additional complexity from large ships, I don't think it has been announced yet.

 

Edit: Also boarding parties.  Watch out for those.

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I'm very curious to know what the direction is for crewing ships in DU especially large ships. This will impact not only design and construction but also gaming experience. Will a single player be allowed to effectively manage a million tonne starship or will the construction of large ships result in a complexity that requires a requisite crew? I hope the physics of the game determines this rather than some sort of ad hoc rule that has been coded into the game.

No. A million tonne starship is not a starfighter to have a pilot. 

 

A ship actually needs a driver, an Engineering Watch, an Operations Watch, Weapons Watch and a captain, yes, the captain is not on the wheel, the captain is there to coordinate the group.

 

A Driver is the person that operates the ship's navigation, AKA, a navigator. Self-explanatory.

 

An Engineering Watch is the person who keeps track of damages, fuel, and coordinates with the actual engineers, while also operating the ship's shields and / or other functions.

 

An Operations Watch, this is where it gets tricky. This person is the one that keeps track of the battlefield, the one who keeps an eye on the radar and the one that announces if a hit is connecting and if the enemy is doing something that needs to be brought up. Essentially, a second pair of eyes. Also, the "Scanner" if you will, the person who handles the D-Scan and Probe Scan for the entire ship.

 

A Weapons' Watch is also self explanatory, it's the person that keeps track of the weapons' systems, what battery if blown to bits or not and the person that operates missile launchers (because they don't actually need active tracking, missiles are guided).

 

A captain is the leader of this "party" on the bridge. They are the one to give the order for power to shields, or full power on the blasters or whatever it may be.

 

If you are asking if an EVE-style ship capsule ship can be made, I am afraid not. EVE's PvP is the equivalent of driving and texting and in DU, it's gonna end bad for you.

 

 

I do not doubt that a person, one day, will have all the skillpoints required to control all the different systems on their own, I do not doubt that one day, someone will rig a ship in a way that it CAN afford a One Person on the Helm approach.

 

But it won't elimiate the need for a crew, either engineers, marines (boarding is a thing) or even people to pilot the star-fighters, as we all know, battleships can't really fight off enemy star-fighters before they get crippled. Capital ships are good at fighting capital ships.

 

 

Now, EVEN if someone designs said One Man on the Helm ship, that needs NO crew, there's NOTHING that will save you, if someone was to go for the bridge of your ship and take you out with a surgical strike. Yes, this is not EVE, your bridge CAN be destroyed along with you.

 

 

So all in all, I would throw inan Executive Officer in that bridge, just in case the captain of the ship is in need to log-out in the middle of a fight, the Executive Commander being essentially the First Mate.

 

You can always go for a bomber, add some stealth cloak, have a gunner, a pilot and an engineer on board for, you know, just in case. But single-man ships won't be a thing - aside from star-fighters - at least, not without suffering MAJOR drawbacks in operational times, something no skill training will actually speed up.

 

Cheers.

 

 

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No. A million tonne starship is not a starfighter to have a pilot. 

 

A ship actually needs a driver, an Engineering Watch, an Operations Watch, Weapons Watch and a captain, yes, the captain is not on the wheel, the captain is there to coordinate the group.

 

*snip*

 

I agree on some points. What you're saying is absolutely true, but for real life. The US Navy does indeed put more than one person on board their battleships. However, within a game, a lot will be automated, or enhanced by having the properties that a video game has. Things like weapons firing can be automated. Put your bridge at the center of the ship, then go into 3rd person mode and you can see where and how far away the enemy is. This is many things all in one; this person can drive the ship, see other enemies and gauge their relative distance, see how much damage they have, and also they can see how much damage they themself are taking. Monitoring systems like fuel, energy, and ammo wouldn't be a huge problem if you take more than you need, although having someone regulate things where they need to go could certainly help.

 

Your thoughts are indeed valid for real-world applications, where loss means the literal loss of your life and the weakening of the forces fighting those trying to hurt what you have. There could, too, be a one-man battleship in the real world. But the risk associated with something like that, the cost of the loss, makes it not applicable. But within this game, which absolutely wishes to be in-depth, I still don't think it will always need to be necessary to have so much insurance at every possible post.

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*snip*

 

I agree on some points. What you're saying is absolutely true, but for real life. The US Navy does indeed put more than one person on board their battleships. However, within a game, a lot will be automated, or enhanced by having the properties that a video game has. Things like weapons firing can be automated. Put your bridge at the center of the ship, then go into 3rd person mode and you can see where and how far away the enemy is. This is many things all in one; this person can drive the ship, see other enemies and gauge their relative distance, see how much damage they have, and also they can see how much damage they themself are taking. Monitoring systems like fuel, energy, and ammo wouldn't be a huge problem if you take more than you need, although having someone regulate things where they need to go could certainly help.

 

Your thoughts are indeed valid for real-world applications, where loss means the literal loss of your life and the weakening of the forces fighting those trying to hurt what you have. There could, too, be a one-man battleship in the real world. But the risk associated with something like that, the cost of the loss, makes it not applicable. But within this game, which absolutely wishes to be in-depth, I still don't think it will always need to be necessary to have so much insurance at every possible post.

 

NQ already said that they want this game to be immersive and hard to master. So as already discussed several times:

- yes you can solo a battleship

- no it won't be as good as if you manned it with People. In fact, it sucks.

 

So for the sake of that Argument alone you want to man your ships.

All of your points are rendered useless as arguments if NQ just doesn't implement them or not as you said (no 3rd Person, Special skills for Navigation/targeting/Shooting/driving/Engineering,.......).

 

So yes, imho you really want to man your bigger ships. You CAN fly them alone if you need to, but you're fucked when pirates show up

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*snip*

 

I agree on some points. What you're saying is absolutely true, but for real life. The US Navy does indeed put more than one person on board their battleships. However, within a game, a lot will be automated, or enhanced by having the properties that a video game has. Things like weapons firing can be automated. Put your bridge at the center of the ship, then go into 3rd person mode and you can see where and how far away the enemy is. This is many things all in one; this person can drive the ship, see other enemies and gauge their relative distance, see how much damage they have, and also they can see how much damage they themself are taking. Monitoring systems like fuel, energy, and ammo wouldn't be a huge problem if you take more than you need, although having someone regulate things where they need to go could certainly help.

 

Your thoughts are indeed valid for real-world applications, where loss means the literal loss of your life and the weakening of the forces fighting those trying to hurt what you have. There could, too, be a one-man battleship in the real world. But the risk associated with something like that, the cost of the loss, makes it not applicable. But within this game, which absolutely wishes to be in-depth, I still don't think it will always need to be necessary to have so much insurance at every possible post.

I see your reasoning, but you missed the memo on "weaponry won't be automated", at least, not as efficiently operating automation as with a person calling the shots (skill training coming into play).

 

Point being, in a game like EVE (or any game with Mass PvP), you always have a guy calling the shots, a person checking the map and people who volunteer for Operation : Clog the Meatgrinder,

 

Also, you need to consider the main problem behind automation. E-War and EMP, or something much more common, battle damage. What happens when a shot cripples your ship's main power junction? Who's gonna repair that? You?  Do you have the proper gear on you for quicker / more efficient repairs? No, since you probably have combat gear on for better flight controls and / or targeting range / or locking speed. 

 

That's what you didn't consider, that the game is an RPG, with RPG gimmicks. A ship driver will need gear for doing their job better, so will an engineer or administration officer of any kind, with gear that gives bonuses to people they control in a group inside a ship. Or a captain, having Command Bonuses, for people to get shorter cooldowns on theri abilities.

 

That's the main reason I made the "party" allegory above. And it doesn't limit itself to the bridge. Chief Engineers wil lbe the ones to give bonuses to engineers who repair sections of a ship. Gunnery Officers could give bonuses to a particular battery they oversee and the list goes on and on, down to the Fighter Squadrons having a Command Bonus for the leader of the squadron to give locking time acceleration to their teammates.

 

THAT is why a ship will need a proper crew. You COULD, theoretically, albeit an engineering nightmare, to have an EVE Capsule-Ship, but it won't have any of the aforementioned bonuses. You fly solo, you deal with it solo. You get disconneceted, tough luck, there's no magic autopilot taking over, you will stay there and be blown to bits, while a ship with a proper crew would not suffer by one person disconnecting on the bridge, as the captain could fill the role (as, you know, to be a captain you need to match some quotas) a no faction is gonna hand you a one million tonne battleship if you do not prove yourself, battleships are expensive toys), so a captain would be a person who actually HAS experience in gunnery, driving, operations and engineering, as it would make sense for them to have said skills trained in order to have access, via the skillpoints to the appropriate command bonuses in their bridge.

 

And that's something JC Baillie has actually spoken of many times, on "living the battle from within a battleship".

 

I for once, volunteered for the position of Chief Medical Officer. I like quoting Dr. Bones. 

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I was going to mention that another bonus to having multiple people on board a ship might be to have them able to make repairs on the spot, but I didn't mention it because I don't feel like a player would be able to replace critical system faster than they're being destroyed by an enemy, plus the player might themself be destroyed if they're near sensitive systems.

 

I apologize for getting across the message that I think an unmanned ship is a match for a manned ship of otherwise equal strength; I don't believe it will be. I was merely making a case for unmanned ships in and of themselves, and their effectiveness; and not just their effectiveness, but the reasons why one might decide to man one on their own in the first place.

 

NQ already said that they want this game to be immersive and hard to master. So as already discussed several times:

- yes you can solo a battleship

- no it won't be as good as if you manned it with People. In fact, it sucks.

 

So for the sake of that Argument alone you want to man your ships.

All of your points are rendered useless as arguments if NQ just doesn't implement them or not as you said (no 3rd Person, Special skills for Navigation/targeting/Shooting/driving/Engineering,.......).

 

So yes, imho you really want to man your bigger ships. You CAN fly them alone if you need to, but you're fucked when pirates show up

 

In the one ship building timelapsey video from NQ, at the end they showed what seemed to be the player driving the ship, in 3rd person view. That's all I was going off of for that. I suppose there's a well enough chance they won't put it in the actual game.

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I was going to mention that another bonus to having multiple people on board a ship might be to have them able to make repairs on the spot, but I didn't mention it because I don't feel like a player would be able to replace critical system faster than they're being destroyed by an enemy, plus the player might themself be destroyed if they're near sensitive systems.

 

I apologize for getting across the message that I think an unmanned ship is a match for a manned ship of otherwise equal strength; I don't believe it will be. I was merely making a case for unmanned ships in and of themselves, and their effectiveness; and not just their effectiveness, but the reasons why one might decide to man one on their own in the first place.

 

 

In the one ship building timelapsey video from NQ, at the end they showed what seemed to be the player driving the ship, in 3rd person view. That's all I was going off of for that. I suppose there's a well enough chance they won't put it in the actual game.

I think the Third Person view is the actual 3rd person recording the whole video where they built the cruiser :P I even made a joke on that video, saying it should be called "Three Guys, One Cruiser" :P

 

But regardless, repairs can work within a ship (if built with actual engineering in mind) and repairing wlll probably work by "repaiinting" erased voxels (if you have the mats) or restoring a 3D-mesh object (or Elements as the Devs call them) by wasting materials to patch them, with engineering skills reducing the material cost for repairs (something that makes sense, I know :P ). But doing it in combat? I don't think so. I would not feel comfy knowing I got to repair something while I am actively dodging enemy fire

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If repairs can't happen fast enough (and why should they since they don't in RL either) there is still the important task of damage control. Decks will need sealing off and systems may need to be shut down to avoid catastrophic detonation. Fires may be blazing from damaged equipment. People may be stuck in damaged compartments and need to be rescued. If computer systems go offline you're gonna need engineers to get it done manually until power/connectivity can be restored.

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If repairs can't happen fast enough (and why should they since they don't in RL either) there is still the important task of damage control. Decks will need sealing off and systems may need to be shut down to avoid catastrophic detonation. Fires may be blazing from damaged equipment. People may be stuck in damaged compartments and need to be rescued. If computer systems go offline you're gonna need engineers to get it done manually until power/connectivity can be restored.

 

Repairs would still follow the rule of gear + skills. The way the devs speak of how the voxel grids work around the Core Units, the "repair" is ssimpyl restoring the voxels in the grid by "painting" them back into their position. However, the 3D-Mesh Objects - the Elements as the Devs call them - could follow a Fallout 3 approach on the repairing of the, i.e. the higher that the repairing skil is, the less materials are needed for the repair, less time on a repair cycle, etcetera. That can also be tied to the overheating mechanism, with proficient players also being able to use less "coolant" to cloo down a turret or capacitor or what have you. Also, fires would also require possible fire extinguishing crews, with fires possibly depleting oxygen out of a life support system, but that would require atmosphere and "pressure" within a ship, something the devs are not actually developing as far as of what I've read.

 

This is also why being an engineer in DU won't be like being a Healbot in other MMOs. It will come down to clever ship design as well as intuitive design, to make the engineers being able to navigate to a destroyed part of the ship. A properly designed ship will give maneuverability to its engineers and crew, as well as be designed with making boarding difficult (hatches, etcetera). Quite frankly, being an engineer may be more stressful than being a fighter pilot.

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Too much theory without facts at all.

We will know how good/bad/possible to do that only in alpha/beta. All the rest is just guessing, personal opinions and possible plans. Even "NQ said" does not mean it won't be changed in future.

 

BTW, crew is not that great thing. If somebody has important role, it can be failed and everything could be failed as result (reasons - internet, lag, somebody knocking the door, bad reaction or any other). If there are two similar shios with 2-3 members and with 20 members, it does not mean 20ppl ship has advantage.

 

Question about roles in game is open as well, till alpha/beta. There are too much dreams shown as truth. What about lock on system and what kind of control then? What about destruction model and what about repair then?

So yeah, it cool to discuss "How it could be", "How you see/think about that", but how it will be nobody knows, I'm sure, not even NQ.

 

P.S: I would agree with ATMLVE more, over complex structures will have possible negative effect (if it would be requirement). It must not be "Black or White", there must be balance. Possible, but not same. Advantage, but not critical (if speak about same level knowledge players with same other factors).

 

Thanks,

Archonious

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Too much theory without facts at all.

We will know how good/bad/possible to do that only in alpha/beta. All the rest is just guessing, personal opinions and possible plans. Even "NQ said" does not mean it won't be changed in future.

 

BTW, crew is not that great thing. If somebody has important role, it can be failed and everything could be failed as result (reasons - internet, lag, somebody knocking the door, bad reaction or any other). If there are two similar shios with 2-3 members and with 20 members, it does not mean 20ppl ship has advantage.

 

Question about roles in game is open as well, till alpha/beta. There are too much dreams shown as truth. What about lock on system and what kind of control then? What about destruction model and what about repair then?

So yeah, it cool to discuss "How it could be", "How you see/think about that", but how it will be nobody knows, I'm sure, not even NQ.

 

P.S: I would agree with ATMLVE more, over complex structures will have possible negative effect (if it would be requirement). It must not be "Black or White", there must be balance. Possible, but not same. Advantage, but not critical (if speak about same level knowledge players with same other factors).

 

Thanks,

Archonious

 

This is an idea subforum and such discussions are enforced by NQ - because they want players to get involved and think about the game.

 

If we would follow your mindset: why bother AT ALL with ideas/critical thinking about some statements from NQ - because they do what they want anyway. That would be the worst thing to do

 

The question in this specific topic was: I'm very curious to know what the direction is for crewing ships in DU especially large ships.

So for LARGE SHIPS you NEED crew and it's the ONLY WAY of dealing with a LARGE SHIP that has to be EFFECTIVE

 

DCs/RL can happen at all time so in your little example it means the ship with more crew wins. Because there are backup people there who can take over from a disconnected player

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

OFC you discuss IDEAS in a subforum like this - that's what it's meant for

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@Lethys

 

it cool to discuss "How it could be", "How you see/think about that", but how it will be nobody knows, I'm sure, not even NQ.

 

Nothing else to add. Simply, there are people who say like it would happen with 100% guarantee and create disinformation in the community.

 

If to speak about the crew. How big should it be in your vision? How many players need to be in "sub" to cover possible DC/RL (if to make heavy requirements to have a multi crew)? Finally how big should be a ship? Maybe I find 30m ship as huge, but you speak about 3km ship.

 

 

So for LARGE SHIPS you NEED crew and it's the ONLY WAY of dealing with a LARGE SHIP that has to be EFFECTIVE

Future. Automatic systems. Even nowadays crew become obsolete more and more. That if to speak about realism.

If to speak about game side, re-read ATMLVE messages, don't want to re-write his words.

 

Thanks,

Archonious

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@Lethys

 

Nothing else to add. Simply, there are people who say like it would happen with 100% guarantee and create disinformation in the community.

 

If to speak about the crew. How big should it be in your vision? How many players need to be in "sub" to cover possible DC/RL (if to make heavy requirements to have a multi crew)? Finally how big should be a ship? Maybe I find 30m ship as huge, but you speak about 3km ship.

 

 

Future. Automatic systems. Even nowadays crew become obsolete more and more. That if to speak about realism.

If to speak about game side, re-read ATMLVE messages, don't want to re-write his words.

 

Thanks,

Archonious

 

Well if people take information in an IDEA forum for granted - that's their problem

 

Depends on the ship - as you said, perhaps you only have a 30m ship. Depends also what will be in the game and how many positions can be manned.

 

Automatic systems will be possible (yes also stated by NQ - but that's no argument for you) but they will not work as good as a player (also said by NQ) - because that would diminish the MMO part

 

Thanks,

YourPersonalGriefer

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Well if people take information in an IDEA forum for granted - that's their problem

 

Depends on the ship - as you said, perhaps you only have a 30m ship. Depends also what will be in the game and how many positions can be manned.

 

Automatic systems will be possible (yes also stated by NQ - but that's no argument for you) but they will not work as good as a player (also said by NQ) - because that would diminish the MMO part

 

Thanks,

YourPersonalGriefer

Or not as bad as players. Players are different =) Anyway, as I said before, I would like to see a good balance between "Solo vs Crewed" ship with strengths and weaknesses for both types. Forcing players to do something is not a good way.

 

Great attitude - if you find information from others as truth is a problem of this member.

 

Thanks,

Archonious

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Or not as bad as players. Players are different =) Anyway, as I said before, I would like to see a good balance between "Solo vs Crewed" ship with strengths and weaknesses for both types. Forcing players to do something is not a good way.

 

Great attitude - if you find information from others as truth is a problem of this member.

 

Thanks,

Archonious

 

no one ever said anything about balance or that large ships should be better than small ones

 

Again: this is about LARGE ships. And for them you certainly need crew - that's just natural. You can automate it, yes, but an automated ship will ALWAYS be worse than the worst player - otherwise you never ever gonna need a team. And it would not make sense to advertise DU as multicrew ship and then don't implement any other stations for players to interact with.

 

Well it's not the OPs or the poster's problem when people misunderstand information or deliberately forget that this is an idea board - yup that's really not my problem

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@Lethys

 

Nothing else to add. Simply, there are people who say like it would happen with 100% guarantee and create disinformation in the community.

 

If to speak about the crew. How big should it be in your vision? How many players need to be in "sub" to cover possible DC/RL (if to make heavy requirements to have a multi crew)? Finally how big should be a ship? Maybe I find 30m ship as huge, but you speak about 3km ship.

 

 

Future. Automatic systems. Even nowadays crew become obsolete more and more. That if to speak about realism.

If to speak about game side, re-read ATMLVE messages, don't want to re-write his words.

 

Thanks,

Archonious

I guess this fella calls JC Baillie as spreading "disinformation". I guess Cringeworth over here is the one who knows better than the creative director behidn the game. Who knew.

 

 

Thanks.

 

Reasonious, Lord of Facts.

 

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no one ever said anything about balance or that large ships should be better than small ones

 

Again: this is about LARGE ships. And for them you certainly need crew - that's just natural. You can automate it, yes, but an automated ship will ALWAYS be worse than the worst player - otherwise you never ever gonna need a team. And it would not make sense to advertise DU as multicrew ship and then don't implement any other stations for players to interact with.

 

Well it's not the OPs or the poster's problem when people misunderstand information or deliberately forget that this is an idea board - yup that's really not my problem

I'm not speaking about small or big ship balance. Question is how big difference would be between "automatic" and "multicrew" ship.

And meaning "Large Ship", as is very vague.

 

And one more question, what need to be controlled by multi-crew?

-Weapons have lock-on system, as I remember. It is still a question how exactly it will work. So players need to controll every turret? Good luck =)

-Ship control. I can't even imagine that 2+ players will control ship very well

-Repair. Maybe, but I didn't see how exactly damage will work? Will it be helth bar or ship will lose chunks of blocks?

 

I would be happy to get some real info, not just "I think it should be...". I respect your opinion, but interested not in theoretical text. Wanna details, examples. Then it would be easier to discuss =)

 

Thanks,

Archonious

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I'm not speaking about small or big ship balance. Question is how big difference would be between "automatic" and "multicrew" ship.

And meaning "Large Ship", as is very vague.

 

And one more question, what need to be controlled by multi-crew?

-Weapons have lock-on system, as I remember. It is still a question how exactly it will work. So players need to controll every turret? Good luck =)

-Ship control. I can't even imagine that 2+ players will control ship very well

-Repair. Maybe, but I didn't see how exactly damage will work? Will it be helth bar or ship will lose chunks of blocks?

 

I would be happy to get some real info, not just "I think it should be...". I respect your opinion, but interested not in theoretical text. Wanna details, examples. Then it would be easier to discuss =)

 

Thanks,

 

They said that automatic turrets will do like 80% worse (can't recall the exact number)

 

You could man:

 

Navigation

Engineering

Weapons

Driving

Shields

Armor

Power management

Communication

Fleet command

Etc

 

Giving bonus to ship or other crew members, seeing a tactical map (as nav officer), managing power to shields, weapons etc

 

If you want facts then wait for alpha and don't participate in a complete theoretical thread in the idea subforum

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They said that automatic turrets will do like 80% worse (can't recall the exact number)

You could man:

Navigation

Engineering

Weapons

Driving

Shields

Armor

Power management

Communication

Fleet command

Etc

Giving bonus to ship or other crew members, seeing a tactical map (as nav officer), managing power to shields, weapons etc

If you want facts then wait for alpha and don't participate in a complete theoretical thread in the idea subforum

I want examples and fact from your imagination and theory, not just overall words.

You say, engineering role, damn what is it? What player need to do? Or shields? Power management, damn are you from medival, special role for that? Communication? What you mean at all?

 

That what I mean! You list just a empty words (everyone understand it as imagination allows), but 0 samples how it can works even in theory (by special crew member role).

 

Don't take me wrong, I don't saying everything must be 1 players easy controlable. But I want understand what is "crew-control" in your imagination, what and how players need to do.

 

Personally, I'm for multi-crew, but not as requirement. If player great in multitasking, game must allow control even huge ship by one player. It must be hard, it must be stressful, but it must be possible. If player can't control everything by him/her-self, then multi-crew is an answer.

 

Thanks,

Archonious

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Thinks are getting tense here, but I think everyone's arguing on the same side. We all agree that a manned and crewed capital ship is superior to the same capital ship manned by a single person. Archonius is merely stating that he wants hard facts, numbers, and details on these things, which there really aren't at this time. No one's convincing anyone of anything more at this point.

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I want examples and fact from your imagination and theory, not just overall words.

You say, engineering role, damn what is it? What player need to do? Or shields? Power management, damn are you from medival, special role for that? Communication? What you mean at all?

 

That what I mean! You list just a empty words (everyone understand it as imagination allows), but 0 samples how it can works even in theory (by special crew member role).

 

Don't take me wrong, I don't saying everything must be 1 players easy controlable. But I want understand what is "crew-control" in your imagination, what and how players need to do.

 

Personally, I'm for multi-crew, but not as requirement. If player great in multitasking, game must allow control even huge ship by one player. It must be hard, it must be stressful, but it must be possible. If player can't control everything by him/her-self, then multi-crew is an answer.

 

Thanks,

Archonious

You want facts from his "imagination" and "theory"? How about being in a large organisation which demands you to fulfill certain tasks in mass PvP, like scanning a system for enemy locations and having people doing logistical work (that being repairs). It's in every MMO out there, try and socialise in one, you will see there are people with certain tasks to help in PvP. An engineering crew is not different that a healer, but I guess you are the main problem in any MMO, the guy who calls healers as "Healbots".

 

You can fly solo a ship if a person builds it like that, but you won't be operating it as fast as with a proper crew, why? Because you can't be at multiple places at the same time.

 

Deal with it.

 

 

Also, "facts" are in the DevBlogs, you know, the things you do not bother reading while calling people's based-in-reality comments as "imagination".

 

 

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Thinks are getting tense here, but I think everyone's arguing on the same side. We all agree that a manned and crewed capital ship is superior to the same capital ship manned by a single person. Archonius is merely stating that he wants hard facts, numbers, and details on these things, which there really aren't at this time. No one's convincing anyone of anything more at this point.

If he wanted hard facts, he would have read the DevBlogs by now, and since he has not bothered, I guess he's actively triggering people.

 

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Everything that follows are examples. You need roles on a Battleship Archonius because otherwise it gets pretty boring for others in this MASSIVE MULTIPLAYER online game. It has nothing to do with me being from medieval times. If you need more ideas, just use your brain to make some more roles up

 

Navigation

-bonus to velocity

-bonus to turning speed

-bonus to travel time with FTL

 

Engineering

-bonus on travel time with FTL

-bonus on power/wattage of the DPU (you can fit more on your ship)

-bonus to engines (more hp)

 

Weapons

-bonus to target time

-bonus to weapon range

-bonus to ROF

-bonus to damage

 

Driving

-bonus to overall maneuverability

-faster recovery from impacts

-less fuel consumption (FTL/atmospheric/space)

 

Shields

-bonus to hp

-faster recharge

-faster shifting of certain attributes (make it stronger against EM damage for example but less against thermal)

 

Armor


-bonus to hp

-faster repair (when someone actively repairs it)

-faster shifting of certain attributes (make it stronger against EM damage for example but less against thermal)

 


Power management

-turrets/antennas/engines/whatever element needs less wattage from DPU

-rerouting of power possible ("overload" shield/weapons/whatever to get more hp/more dmg/faster recharge/whatever)

 

Communication

-bonus to scanner range

-bonus to target information (velocity/players on board/weapons/whatever)

-bonus to target more ships at once and track them

 

Fleet command

-bonus to whole fleet of whatever (more hp/dmg/faster/whatever)-

-sensor linking of the fleet (like in World of Tanks - scout sees someone but you are too far away -> you see him because of link)

-special maneuvers for the fleet that give a special bonus

 

Those are only a few possibilities you have with manning a ship. For each of those mentioned you could have skills -> players have to specialize -> enforces teamplay -> no one is a one man army -> more fun for everyone -> newbros have an actual goal and purpose and are not rendered useless because they lack overall skillpoints (they only need to be a specialist in ONE discipline!)

 

in fact: EMERGENT GAMEPLAY

 

ninjaedit:

 

oh and for the actual gameplay: I'm sure you're intelligent enough so you can come up with your own ideas how these roles can be played on a ship.

Make interfaces (scripted with lua) so

the engineer can repair stuff from his console

the driver perhaps has a 3rd person view (non zoomable/rotateable) to fly with ease

the navigator has a 3rd person vied (zoom/rotateable) so he can see whats going on on the battlefield)

the captain has screens where all infos run together

the shield guy has a console where he can shift the shields

the communication officer has a ship-wide ingame voice to command the people on the ship as the captain says

the fleet communicator has an uplink to the fleet and sees the whole stuff as a tactical map and communicates with the fleet

....

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