The Squadrons seem to just be decoration

[Solitary]

I've been trying for a number of hours to get an S-Class Freighter. During that time I've had numerous fights with pirates obviously.

I've commented frequently in the past that NPC ships only seem to take damage from the player's ship. Well this is more of an issue now that pirates are non-trivial.

Every single attempt on this freighter I have had to personally kill all eight pirates.

At one point as a test I left a single pirate with the thinnest slice of his ship's health and stayed back to watch. That pirate flew directly into the fray with fire coming at him from all sides from NPC ships, freighters, AND my four squadron members. What I saw was his shields charge to full and him take zero damage from uncountable hits from many directions.

So it appears at this time to me that squadrons are just so much eye candy.

Any thoughts or observations?

[Gaxel]

As I wrote, one of mine delivered one last shot that blow up an enemy ship, so they do a little damage. They do nothing to shields maybe because they recharge faster then the Master Chief ones....

[Kirshak]

Nguyên văn bởi lordoftheapes79:

Not gonna say they add a whole lot of damage, but I've definitely seen them do some damage or do just enough damage to prevent enemy ships" shields from recharging. Remember, you're still the one playing a game.

That's the Grey area that bother some (me in this case), because it's "technically correct" they do damage, they are only good at giving the last blow, but you pretty much have to do all the work, shooting and shooting until the shield is down, then shooting again until the target have something like 1% HP left. What's the point to have a Squadron (up to 4 ships) if I the player, have to do 99% of the work ?

I can't even do it myself anymore because the ship manoeuvrability was already slow before the update, and I feel like it got turned down even further more after the last update, just for the Squadron to be in the screen to look cool. And the fix for this is an auto pilot that move my ship for me.

Using the excuse "you are the chosen one" should not justify the lack of depth some features have, in this case, Squadron dealing extremely low damage. Even after upgrading the pilots to S-class. I am playing the game, that Squadron is owned by me, the player.

[AnzenGenki]

It would be awesome to see waves of NPC's take each other out. It adds depth to sandbox/action games. Yes you are the player but to see the universe settle it's own issues without your input drives home the fact that you're one small cog in the vast machinery. It's also adds a ton of random Holy Crap moments.

Lil off topic but I was playing Elite. Took off from the local station and waited in the queue to exit. Dolphin class cruise liner was also in queue ahead of me (there was a lot of in and out traffic) when the station turrets turned toward it and blew it to dust. Just like the player if you don't leave fast enough for any reason you will die. Didn't matter if it was just you or a thousand cruise passengers. Didn't seem like a bug to me, just really showed off the Zero Tolerance policy they had o.o

[Gaxel]

Nguyên văn bởi Kirshak:

Nguyên văn bởi lordoftheapes79:

Not gonna say they add a whole lot of damage, but I've definitely seen them do some damage or do just enough damage to prevent enemy ships" shields from recharging. Remember, you're still the one playing a game.

That's the Grey area that bother some (me in this case), because it's "technically correct" they do damage, they are only good at giving the last blow, but you pretty much have to do all the work, shooting and shooting until the shield is down, then shooting again until the target have something like 1% HP left. What's the point to have a Squadron (up to 4 ships) if I the player, have to do 99% of the work ?

I can't even do it myself anymore because the ship manoeuvrability was already slow before the update, and I feel like it got turned down even further more after the last update, just for the Squadron to be in the screen to look cool. And the fix for this is an auto pilot that move my ship for me.

Using the excuse "you are the chosen one" should not justify the lack of depth some features have, in this case, Squadron dealing extremely low damage. Even after upgrading the pilots to S-class. I am playing the game, that Squadron is owned by me, the player.

From Update Notes:

- Players with a freighter may now recruit NPC ships to their own personal squadron.
- Your squadron is managed from the Manage Fleet terminal on the bridge of your capital ship.
- Players may unlock up to four slots for their squadron.
- Your squadron is automatically summoned during space combat, and may be summoned or dismissed at any other time from the Quick Menu.
- Your squadron will assist in space combat, taking your lead in attacking hostile targets.
- Squadron pilots and their ships can be upgraded using nanites.

I think it was never meant to be able to get rid of enemy by it self, the squadron.... don't know what happen with four S class pilots.

I'd like a squadron that, like Minotaur, can take care of 1-2-3 pirates by itself for sure though

[TachyonTraveller]

Game design ethic, I think. The Player ends fights, not NPCs. But the squadron are still worth having around - they don't deal much damage but they act as extra targets for enemies to chase. They're shields, not weapons, but shields are still useful.

They always use a special hidden equipment grid for Wing Equipment, which gives them indestructible shields. Useful for charging your shields up from wing shields with leeching. You can however give your Wing custom ships, but you need to sell a ship to an NPC and then hire that NPC to your Wing. Be quick - they'll take off if you hang about.

Using this trick you can get an all-Exotic or all Bioship Wing, and since Wing behaviours seem based off core stats then that might give weapons more punch.

Not sure on your Wing dealing *no* damage on a fleet battle. My guess is that is a bug - NPC damage isn't allowed to harm pirates in fleet battles (otherwise it would be a free win from NPC turrets) and your squadron don't have an exception.

I'm not sure, but I think the Wing were balanced around keeping up with the Player and tracing four weaker weapons so support fire on your target. The trouble is that a competent player will have a fast ship with high damage, I suspect these are supposed to make more difference to low-mid-range players that need them. Which is stupid because they are a lot more expensive in Nanites for what they can do.

[Lima]

i have noticed the same. the squadron doesnt do anything, except mabe distract the enemy a little. given how much nanites and units i invested into them thats i find that really frustrating.

[SkiRich]

Hmm, I seem to have a different experience with my squad. They actually help.
I was very careful during recruiting to only take pilots with good to great stats and that only flew fighters with good to great stats. I then upgraded all of them to S class. I see them knock out pirates all the time. I see them weaken pirates so I can finish them. I see them finishing pirates I almost killed but they flew out of my bullseye. I see them swoop in to all the debris to pick up the loot so I can move on to the next target.
I get the feeling even at S class they are a fraction of my starships power due to my upgrades, but they are far from eyecandy thats for sure. I have four in my squad. YMMV. Choose wisely and do the upgrades.

[Unlucky]

Pets/Companions are also pretty much just eye candy, other than being able to ride some of them.
They also use the same sort of 'slots' system that Squads do, require about the same amount of nanites to unlock, can be summoned in roughly the same way, have 'stats' that mostly don't really do much, and etc.
....Pretty much Squadrons are just 'pets' for your spaceship.

Like 99% of the stuff in this game is just "eye candy"... I mean look at planets, minerals, fauna, etc.... One planet is really not that much different than another, and that's pretty much the whole game. It's all in how you perceive it and create your own story. That's just the way it is. That's how it has always been.

People have ALWAYS had this issue with NMS, since its release... Expecting the game to be what they WANT it to be, or think it should be, rather than just simply being what it is. None of the updates have ever changed this fact and none ever will.

So just stop expecting the game to be something that it's not and ya'll won't be disappointed anymore. Problem solved!

[Bob]

Nguyên văn bởi Unlucky:

Pets/Companions are also pretty much just eye candy, other than being able to ride some of them.
They also use the same sort of 'slots' system that Squads do, require about the same amount of nanites to unlock, can be summoned in roughly the same way, have 'stats' that mostly don't really do much, and etc.
....Pretty much Squadrons are just 'pets' for your spaceship.

Like 99% of the stuff in this game is just "eye candy"... I mean look at planets, minerals, fauna, etc.... One planet is really not that much different than another, and that's pretty much the whole game. It's all in how you perceive it and create your own story. That's just the way it is. That's how it has always been.

People have ALWAYS had this issue with NMS, since its release... Expecting the game to be what they WANT it to be, or think it should be, rather than just simply being what it is. None of the updates have ever changed this fact and none ever will.

So just stop expecting the game to be something that it's not and ya'll won't be disappointed anymore. Problem solved!

To be fair, their advertising along many years ago leading up to the game's release (which people can still see to this day) is what set the tone for people's expectations. Their actions have consequences.


With that said, the main issue isn't that the squadron does virtually nothing, but that the game is braindead easy, especially in space combat. There is no end game to challenge your S class ship with upgrades; no grand encounter to test yourself on. This very thing is true in all aspects of the game. Derelict freighters (the game's 'dungeon' run) are nothing more than a walk through some dark halls and light combat... combat easier than sentinal fights, which are already quite easy even in the early game.

Going back to your statements Unlucky, I think it is also fair to assume that players expected something to challenge their long, ongoing progression of stats. So much grind for little reason other than "just because". Normally I am ok with sandbox designs, but the grind can be so immense in this one, that is funny to me that they never focused on offering harder content to even remotely match the power of our characters.

[Gaxel]

Just play, the game is about exploration and building, some managemet (freighters and settlements) not about combat (that you can always avoid in some way).

I will never understand why people are so obsessed with combat... I always play stealth and avoid combat everytime I can in any game, I love minotaur now that can take out sentinels by itself.

Do you want a challenge? Play without hud...
It's almost impossibile in NMS, and I'd like they made it possible instead, as I usually play without hud games like Assassin's Creed and Far Cry or Dishonored, but it will be a challenge for sure.

[wkitty42]

Nguyên văn bởi Lima:

i have noticed the same. the squadron doesnt do anything, except mabe distract the enemy a little. given how much nanites and units i invested into them thats i find that really frustrating.

i found the cost a little disconcerting, too... until i found numerous methods of getting nanites... now the cost of my squadron is a mere pittance of what my nanite wallet contains... you can/will (eventually) reach a/the point where nanites and credits don't mean a thing because you have so many and can buy anything you want...

[wkitty42]

Nguyên văn bởi Bob:

There is no end game to challenge your S class ship with upgrades; no grand encounter to test yourself on.

FWIW: there's no "end game" at all... that's the wonderful thing about good sandbox games like NMS... you do what you want and make your own adventures as you go... this is why i have 2000+ hours in NMS... i always have something to do in any/each of my 12 saves i currently have going

[Gaxel]

Nguyên văn bởi wkitty42:

Nguyên văn bởi Lima:

i have noticed the same. the squadron doesnt do anything, except mabe distract the enemy a little. given how much nanites and units i invested into them thats i find that really frustrating.

i found the cost a little disconcerting, too... until i found numerous methods of getting nanites... now the cost of my squadron is a mere pittance of what my nanite wallet contains... you can/will (eventually) reach a/the point where nanites and credits don't mean a thing because you have so many and can buy anything you want...

And that's why I usually play without purchasing anything, with nanites too, if I can find it, craft it, refine it, farm it or get it via freighter missions/settlements.

Also most important tech can now (since the wonderful waypoint update) find on the wild, on crashed ships, on multitool gifted, etc... S class upgrades can be found on damaged pod or X class upgrades from random merchant (these are the only one I actually purchase, since are random) or by defeating pirates, etc. All recipes can be found on production center ...

I usually unlock only some tech make thing easier (like the portable refiner or some exocraft modules) at the Anomaly .

In this way you are forced to explore, play, have fun and it makes random encounters always interesting.