- WHAT. Add to hired NPCs the ability to generate side quests related to their past. The quest would be of the same type available in space stations but related to personal reasons of our crew. Something like the followings.
- I haven't seen my family in years – fly with the crew to station X
- I received a message for help from my brother! – fly with the crew to signal:
- to defend a ship under attack
- to rescue the survivors of a destroyed ship
- to repair a damaged ship with limpets
- Seek vengeance – kill pirate X
- HOW. The first mission should be available after flying X hours with the crew and subsequent missions generated with fixed delay. A simple local chat message with the accept/reject buttons should be enough. The mission reward could be money, materials, rare commodities, + crew exp.
- WHY. I believe this would provide a reason not to immediately fire the pilot and would also encourage the birth of an emotional bond.
- To me an NPC crew is a contract mercenary, I hire and fire them all the time with no emotional involvement. This feature would give me a reason to travel together for a long time and maybe get attached to them.
- I have read of commanders who already never separate from their crew and consider them fellow travelers. This could be a way to them to feel more involved with their companion.
