npc activity when controlled

[foggy sand]

I know about the bug when a character wakes and decides to do whatever they want instead of what the player directs.

I am having difficulty with crew too, and I think it's the same fundamental problem, that when taking control of a crewmember you don't actually take control.

I think whatever is going on in the code needs looking at, basically when a player takes control of any char, they should have control unless the player clicks the auto-task option. I have had such a poor experience trying to manage a crewmember recently that I think this is an essential bug to fix now.

[oak belfry]

Sorry for the unruly crew!

Our goal for the game is that you are the captain, and you can force the captain to do anything without protest. They will risk death without question, because you are role-playing them. The only thing the captain can't do is defy physics.

The crew, on the other hand, are hired help. They will do most things you order them to, and you can even "micromanage" their every move, but they have limits. Beyond those limits, the crew will ignore their captain (and are supposed to tell you why they are upset).

There are also a few exceptions to the above, where crew might intend to do a thing, but something is preventing them. E.g. their work schedule, lack of tools, unable to path, etc.

One of the things we are adding soon (scheduled for this week's patch) is a tooltip on each crew member to help us see what they are thinking, and why they do what they do (or don't do).

We're hoping that with the tooltip, this can help players tell us which situations are causing the frustration more specifically, and then we can hopefully fix them.

[foggy sand]

I understand, but that becomes a problem when you can directly control the crew member. I know nothing is perfect and you have to control crew to stop them suffocating, etc, but if you do that then it breaks the player experience that they're used to when controlling the captain.

I guess the answer is not to allow direct control but then to issue orders, but that is going to be difficult to implement (eg take your helmet off and refill your o2, stupid!)

Maybe a system of "let me help" where you take control for a limited period would help make the distinction between player and crew, or be able to 'control' the crew but everything you do becomes a task and the crew will perform them by themselves after you 'let go' of the crew character.

Something along those lines.

Incidentally... when I had crew I noticed a goal had been added to the gig list: explicitly naming her to go and see the commercial district clerk. I took control and sent her over and the clerk didn't want to know. Surely I shouldn't have tasks for her, in her name, if I'm supposed to only really control the captain!

[timid oak]

where you take control for a limited period
Dungeon Keeper possession spell

this week's patch
I hope the patch will address the partial inability to really interact with your crewmember. Having them talk to eachother is extremely finicky, as you keep having to alternate between both of them and manually select responses, canceling their waiting, etc.. all while the crew member also wants to go idle task despite being on work shift.. which happens a lot sometimes for unknown reasons (no missing tools or battery charge, full EVA suit, all needs met, no task bug). Mine especially likes to go sit on a chair across the map.

Then there's, well, them trying to do things that they have no need to do (eat/drink while full (especially CANDY), eat/drink with helmet on, defecate with no need, defecate with suit on, sleep with helmet on).

Also I could never get combat to work with a crew member. Calling them in to help just made them stand where they were and repeatedly do the accept dialogue (spams their log) while my captain was actively fighting.

[foggy sand]

I think we should be careful to distinguish between buggy behaviour, and the control/interaction mechanism. But ultimately this is going to be a major part of the game so needs to be obvious, intuitive, and bug-fixed.

[kind phoenix]

I've had this happen with the captain as well. If I set free-time for them they will sometimes wrest control from me and try to do random things.

It is incredibly frustrating to have to constantly fight the AI like this.

[foggy sand]

There is a known bug when they stop sleeping and do their own thing, frustrating as hell. You change the roster for the current hour, just toggle it to work (even if it's already work) and it seems to calm them back under control

[vocal radish]

basically when a player takes control of any char, they should have control unless the player clicks the auto-task option.
Crew is a bit less suicidal now than in 0.12, but I also had a lot of issues where crew would ignore auto or orders. Admittedly half those issues are less issues and more 'not informed player why can't/won't do something'

If I set free-time for them they will sometimes wrest control from me and try to do random things.
Schedule really needs a remake. I have to change it every couple hours. Ex: crew needs to catch sleep when on a station or during a long transit instead of doing nothing... May be big crew can afford shifts, but 2-3 people apparently can't.

[kind phoenix]

Yeah but if it's on work and I swap it to free, they immediately start doing random things. That just shouldn't happen when you are in the driver's seat. I would much rather they just refuse an order with a message, like when you try to manually make them do work during free time, than have them wander off to do something on their own, while I am piloting them.

I can mostly solve the issue by swapping the schedule to work temporarily, but that brings its own annoyance of constantly fiddling with the schedule manager. I understand that you are only playing as the Captain and not the crew, but it doesn't really matter. If you're putting me in the driver's seat, I should be the driver, especially when it's so easily bypassed.