Star Citizen - from ships crewed with NPCs to NPC fleets

Erillion

http://imperialnews.network/2015/10/10-designers-episode-06/

Looks like the SC designers look into the possibilities of allowing players to run some of their spare ships fully automatic - crewed only by NPC's ... including the captain.   While useful this may also be very dangerous if multiple ships are being engaged at the same time. The risk for losing part of the fleet is quite high. Here is the relevant part from the "10 for the Designers" vblog.

Keep in mind that none of this is written in stone yet. All these plans are subject to change based on testing feedback.

Have fun



PS:  Here is the transcript (Thank you INN)

"23:05 Skiffy Asks:

With many citizens owning multiple ships, I’m curious if it would be possible to staff ‘spare’ ships entirely by NPCs? For example, if I’d like my pilot my Carrack to go exploring, but send my research back to have NPCs on the Endeavor start crunching, plus send coordinates I discovered back to my Reclaimer who could start basic salvage operations. Or to a lesser extent, could I simply send coordinates to my ships’ NPCs who could get them staged for my arrival?

Wiborg1978 ask a similar question:

I have a similar question to that: If I run as a Player a Carrack with a NPC-Crew (all stations manned) can I hire additional NC”s to escort my Carrack with a starfarer and / or Vanguard? Or is the ship size for escorts limited so only little ships like the Herald, Hornet and so on can be used for escorts? Is it possible as a Solo-Player to play a Carrack with a NPC-Crew and put one NPC at my Endeavor, so I can transfer the founded stuff from the Carrack to my Endeavor or is it impossible for a solo player?"

"KT: there are all great questions and the happy answer is YES. We plan for the NPCs to completely man a ship that you own or multiple ships. They’ll work just like the contract system for a human player that is going to be flying your ship but they’ll simply be NPCs and so.

RV: How does that work with like, If I’m in one ship though and then the NPC Captain. Because of how the seats are broken down with everything.

KT: Well sure. When we get the NPCs to work, you’ll actually give them contracts and so you’re telling them what to do with the ship. So if the command is I’m transferring my cargo to this ship that is owned by me and I want you to take it to our hanger or base or wherever and sell it, that is something is planned to happen and so you don’t need to babysit all of the standard activities that a ship that you own can handle so long as your NPCs that can handle all the stations on that ship. So I think they will be a lot of fun because

RV: It’ll be risky though

KT: Sure, but you know with that, it lets you give responsibilities for the stuff that you need to get done but may not want to sit down on the ship itself, awaiting its function to go do, so if it’s a lesser task and I have a ship that can do that, why not let me do that?

RV:I’d love to have a fleet of ships but at the same time do I want to bring a whole fleet out? If I get attacked, I can only do so much, it’s a risk and reward.

KT: Right and that’s the decision you make and so I think that’s where the fun comes because you figure out what works best for you and what you want the NPC’s to handle, and with experience as time goes on I think people will figure out what works optimally for them.

RV: So let’s get like 10 hornets then and just have my one ship and I have 10  hornet escorts and a guy comes in and he’s not going to mess with me.

KT: Alright well I might wait for you outside your hanger and as soon as you seen your ship out and take everything you got, So that will be fun."