ALPHA Crew and NPC Mod
The incredibly in-depth crew system. Complete with the return of ScuttleBot and the NPC bot.
This includes a simplified skill and buff system for both player and crew!
Settings are available to toggle features in the mod, with options like the last versions of the game that had Crew.
Crew now move using the same system the player uses, and in addition the player can fly with ScuttleBot again too!
They now aim realistically, so it’s easier to hit them then they can hit you.
Expect them to react when attacked from afar, or act in self-preservation.
Unlike the player they can also:
+ Be afflicted with status effects
+ Get launched by combo attacks and explosions
— Flames stack damage over time
— EMP stuns crew
— Explosives make crew lose stable footing and launch them
— Plasma phases through clusters of crew, damaging clusters of them!
+ Only have one life (in some difficulty settings)
They do not require upkeep, just make sure to treat them fairly.
With the all-new Grappling Hook, boarding is now easier than ever!
However, you are all alone with your pal ScuttleBot.
In addition all ship-mounted weapons can find and track crew (and you!) with perfect accuracy when off-board – so don’t swim up to the enemy to capture without your own boarding craft!
Your nation can only hire through an alliance with a faction with land buildings, or through captured POW re-doctrination. – this is pending a change
There will be a boarding NPC spawner too, it’s beginning development
You will need to recruit more crew if you want to board harder designs!
As no more designs have simple NPC robots on them anymore, the mod opts for a new approach:
Instead they are crewed by their respective faction’s sentient crew, ready to put up a fight!
Some of them may return even after losing to take revenge in the next fight.
In return, they may even attempt to capture your vessels to use them against you!
The heartstone mechanic has been removed entirely for Munitions.
The Munitions system recharges your avatar ammo after 3 seconds of not firing.
This makes boarding possible, but much more challenging.
You must think before using your weapons and tools!
Crew also abide by this as a rule.
+ New Tool: Command Radio – Command crew!
+ New Tool: Grappling Hook – Board with style
+ New Weapon: Missile Launcher – The new long-ranged option, albeit weak
+ New Weapon: Plasma Blaster – Great for crew crowd control
+ New Weapon: Flamethrower – Good for weakening crew for capture and burning down doors
There’s a "Radio" in the character sheet that acts as a selection tool to control crew.
You may want to become accustomed to using it as you will need to coordinate boarding teams since soloing capturing is no longer possible with enemy crew.
If at any time the mod isn’t fun, you can adjust the settings in the Options menu, inside the respectively named tab.
The crew system is fully compatible with VRM_Loader_Reborn so you can import your own VRMs to use as crew!
In addition, this mod features a system compatible with construct decorations, the new Decoform system.
It allows you to decorate your crew with various models much like how you would deco vessels.
If you ever wanted to make your humanoid decoration creations move on the deck, this makes that possible.
There is also a converter which can convert mannequin poses to the dancer and back, with some loss.
ISSUES:
– There are frequent reports of crashes in the campaign mode, for those experimenting who can’t tolerate bugs, please stay in the designer until most of the errors are fixed.
– The Crew deco system only works with the UI menu sliders. The drag controls are completely broken atm!
– The version number of the mod needs to be bumped
– The pathing is very stiff. Still needs more polish.
– Crew use grappling hooks but just aren’t good enough at aiming them yet
– They somewhat struggle to enter…buildings
– The "ctrl" hotkey for the Crew Control toggle while in map view doesn’t work properly, or at all. (It was working earlier, but it was activating in build mode so I messed up the settings)
– The NPC Spawner model is invisible … because the model is not made yet
– Crew stats do not affect much other than vessel stability, as the construct interface hooks aren’t anywhere near finished yet.
– Models for most of the mod content uses decoping (the game’s own Decoration system). They may or may not get actual models based on the current decope reception.
– The UI menus are being improved, many of them are stacked windows… which is really bad
[MISC]
+ Compatible with the vanilla avatar system. This means you need a cosmetic DLC to use most of the aesthetic additions.
+ Compatible with VRM_Loader_Reborn so you can import your own VRMs to use as crew!
– Character Tool: C4 Demolition Kit planned
Crew shouldn’t be made a part of the base-game – because it upsets the meta greatly as vessels with crew quarters have advantages!
