What Good Does Hiring Officers Do?

[oldalchemist]

But the Enslave, Take All, and Destroy buttons are so big and shiny after combat...


I usually let everyone go except for Pirates. They get scuttled. Really, if someone is flying a pirate flag, they ought to be fair game.

Also, Officers seem to be very cheap if you're broke. I think my mechanical officer ran about $40 because I was pretty skint when she signed on.

[brent]

The problem is that my main character was pretty high level and wealthy before officers were added to the game.

I started a new character at Difficult that had the First Mate on board on turn one for no cost at all.

I love the game and have enjoyed all of the great updates and tweaks, so I'm not too upset. Sorry my suggestion about version numbers caused so many problems Cory. But perhaps there should be some kind of balance to this.

If I hire an officer and pay a 1,000,000 "hiring bonus", which is really what it is since they also get a salary based on profit sharing, then shouldn't that million dollar officer give me more of a boost than one that only gets a grand to sign on?

Or perhaps just a flat rate for the officers. It would be something to save up for. Incentive to go out and do things to make some money in the early game.

I think an officer should cost more than a basic ship upgrade, but less than a capital ship. When you consider you will probably hire three of them, that's a fleet of ships worth of money.

[ehkamp]

Thanks Cory. Good to know.

I shall envour decrease the mass genocide of Independents.

Especially since now that I know to only send a Expedition Team or Harvesting Party that is 2/3 the size of the cargo space availible. ("Party Size Scales Find: take 30 Crew, find 15*3 items maximum")

[Cory Trese]

this is an estimate only: find 15*3 items maximum

There is a scalar value for richness, danger and Crew % full that impacts it as well.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

When you have a million dollars, you have high level stats (I bet you do at least.)

When you have a Warrior, his bonus (currently) is equal to your warrior skill when you hire him.

Same with the other recruits -- the bonus they give is equal to one of your Captain's computed behind-the-scenes statistics. Right now the Officer's level = the Captain's level. When we have RPG type officers implemented, that will be able to vary.

Then, recruit cost will be similar to ships -- if they are a low grade officer (or ship) they cost less (and are all scaled by faction rank, rep, score, sub-score, rep flags, sub-rep, rumor, faction, faction-conflict and economic era)

[brent]

That makes a bit more sense. I'm paying for the best officers in the galaxy since, of course, I am the best ship captain in the galaxy now.

Now if I could only find the Alien home world...

[mikeronin]

Jan 27, 2011 12:14:01 GMT -5 brent said:

I paid a huge amount for my officers also.

After putting up with him for way longer than I could stand, I fired my First Officer.

He kept telling me to buy fuel and water when I had what I needed. I know where I am going and how much I need. I also obtain water en-route from the ships that cross my path.

I also got tired of him telling me MY crew had spent enough time in the Spice Hall after only one round. If I want to buy my crew rounds until the hall is out of spice, I will.

He would even tell me to leave the Spice Hall when the crew needed a moral boost, which was one of his job duties. He should have been encouraging the Spice Hall visits. I kill thousands of people in space, but I keep my crew happy. The are nearly always 10/10.

He also had the gall to tell me the crew did not like fighting Independents. Oh really? They seem pretty happy to me.

Any member of my crew that has a problem with who we fight, or how I command, are free to come to me, one on one, and we can discuss it next to the airlock door.

The best thing an enemy crew could wish for is to meet me in space after a prolonged exploration of a planet. They will be welcomed aboard, as long as room permits, right before I destroy their ship.

I concur completely... ...and utterly...

oh captain my captain!

[darkmonk]

Jan 27, 2011 13:50:28 GMT -5 wormholewillie said:

I would love to be able to have a First Officer other than old turdlip.

Can the First Officer's canonical name be Old Turdlip or some variation thereof? That's the kind of name that forges dynasties. Perhaps a spinoff game...?

[lonewolf6668]

Before the update my political officer would give me a toast when entering the exchange now with the 3.1.2 update she has a button when there is a trade ban. But I got a lazy one I lost some rep trading on a planet that had a trade ban where she did not warn me about I even went to the syndicates other planet and still no political officer warning. are all political officers the same or should I dismiss and find a new one.

[Cory Trese]

I am moving the officer feedback to the buttons.

If you prefer I can re-enable ban warnings as toasts and put up an option to turn it off.

Thoughts?

[lonewolf6668]

Yes I liked the toasts. And if we can turn each officers toasts off individually that would be great. Cause I like the political toast for trade embargos and hate getting first mate toast when crew moral is 10/10 but they dislike working against independants

[Cory Trese]

Muting the first mate is in today's update =)

[oldalchemist]

I don't think I'd mind the first mate's report if he told me what the morale level actually was instead of telling me to stop buying drinks.

[Cory Trese]

essentially the same thing, he's telling you the chance to increase the crew's morale by buying more stuff is too low.

the first mate is a hard, profit driven man =)

he has no time for the last 20% of the spice hall -- besides, it's like a 1 in 4 that it really takes them from 7 to 8 or beyond ... he says "get them happy enough, and get them back to work!"

this is always been evident in the toasts -- the next is very slightly different (i think that's enough I guess, hahaha.) bad UX designer =)

thank goodness for that 1st mate, he knows his stuff

[oldalchemist]

I just picked up an $8 political officer.

Is it a good idea to fire officers and hire new ones as you advance in levels? i.e. Do they improve with the captain or are they static?

[Zaereth]

I got the Impression they are static for now but that city wants to eventually make them have levels too...but I'd love to hear the official answer to that as well.