One of the key tasks of a Star Traders is maintaining sufficient crew to operate the ship. Finding well trained and skillful crew will make the Captain's life much easier. Generally, at the beginning of a game you are going to recruit as needed without too much concern for quality but as the game progresses and you are replacing more seasoned losses, the source of your recruits may be more important.
Sources of Recruits[ | ]
There are three main ways to bring in new crew: recruiting generic junior crew from spice halls, specialized crew from contacts and pressing crew into service after ship combat victory. Minor crew additions include story or event recruits, but those can't be relied upon as a constant stream of fresh bodies.
Spice Hall Recruits[ | ]
Basic early game recruiting is done mostly in spice halls. Certain Rumors as well as Talents can vastly improve recruited crew level and quality, among other Factors.
| Crew Dog | Gundeck Boss | Gunner | Pilot | Mechanic | E-Tech | Navigator | Wing Commando | Wing Bomber | Wing Leader | Wing Tech | Soldier | Pistoleer | Swordsman |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starport > 0 | Military > 6 | Military > 4 | Starport > 4 | Starport > 7 | Economy > 3, LuxPop, Orbital or High Tech Industrial Zone | Spice > 5 | Military > 8 | Military > 6, Starport > 8 | Military > 6, Starport > 8 | Starport > 5, LuxPop or High Tech Industrial Zone | Military > 3 | Military > 5 | Military > 6 |
Contact Recruits[ | ]
Depending on the Contact Type and Contact Traits, a Contact may offer specialized Officer and Crew recruits. Available level will scale with contact's influence and accrued favor, while Military and Edict ranks will provide level bonus to crew types specific to them.
Pressed Enemy Crew[ | ]
If the enemy ship is not destroyed in combat, the victory screen will allow the option to press any surviving crew of the defeated ship into service as per ancient Star Trader law. Recruits obtained this way will have an Attributes spread which is lower on average than other recruit sources. They also gain a negative trait and take a sizable hit to morale. Some Talents, like Quartermaster's Welcoming Conscription, can negate the negative trait and morale drawbacks. Press ganging defeated crew members in this way gives a source of high level recruits, as high as 3 levels above your captains level, depending on the Difficulty.
| Icon | Name | Job | Required Rank | Type | Description | Cooldown
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CONSCRIPT
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Compelling Conscription | Diplomat | 11 | CONSCRIPT | When conscripting enemy to serve in your crew after a ship victory, new crew member starts with higher Morale and does not gain new negative Traits | 3 weeks Cooldown
|
CONSCRIPT
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Welcoming Conscription | Quartermaster | 8 | CONSCRIPT | When conscripting enemy to serve in your crew after a ship victory, new crew member starts with higher Morale and does not gain new negative Traits | 3 weeks Cooldown
|
Operations Recruits[ | ]
Some orbital operations may grant a recruit as part of the results on a reward card, if there is an empty bunk available on your ship.
Story & Event Recruits[ | ]
Some story missions & events, such as Calagan Faen's quest line, will grant temporary or permanent crew members. These crew may have attribute or skill bonuses which are superior to those you can get from other sources. These characters typically require a spare bunk or cabin on your ship to add them to your crew. Known story & event recruits and their corresponding quest lines follow (this list may be incomplete):
Permanent (may require certain conditions to be met):
- Elsa Nariman - De Rivesh Legacy questline. Must have available officer bunk and complete quest within a certain time period or she will leave. Starts as Explorer 3 + Exo Hunter 1
- Nikolai Raimus - Stranded Merchant quest line (Prince Thule's bounty.) Starts as Merchant 3 + Mechanic 1.
- Edge Almaen - Comes aboard as part of an event when making planetfall in an urban area during any era. Starts as Smuggler 3 + ?.
- Vylvatas Gledraitis - Call of the Strong quest line. Starts as Soldier 3 + Wing Commando 1
Temporary (will leave at some point on their own):
- Valencia Faen - Faen Duel of Assassins main story questline.
- Kober Volpane - Estelle Brokstrom's Coalition Founding quest line, Cadar Prince: Aiden Caavnaugh.
Types of Recruits[ | ]
Basic Recruits[ | ]
Crew can be obtained from planets, pressing, and contacts. They can be promoted into officers for a small fee if there is an open officer cabin. Crew can also be recruited directly from Contacts for a fee. Crew recruited via Contacts gain a boost to Attributes.
Officer Recruits[ | ]
Officers can be recruited directly from Contacts for slightly more money than normal crew members if there is an open officer cabin. Those officers recruited from a Contact gain a significant boost to Attributes (even higher than the boost to normal crew member attributes). Similar to promotion, only the first rank of their job remains, with the rest able to be spent as desired.
Recruiting Factors[ | ]
Recruiting Talents[ | ]
The base attributes of recruits will be higher (average of 10) if you have a recruiting talent on hand when you perform the hiring. These talents will also reveal one trait immediately, which can be helpful.
| Icon | Name | Job | Required Rank | Type | Description | Cooldown
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
RECRUIT
|
Welcoming Rites | Blade Dancer | 8 | RECRUIT | When Recruiting, new crew member gains improved Attributes and you discover one of their hidden Traits. | 3 weeks Cooldown
|
RECRUIT
|
Discerning Glance | Commander | 1 | RECRUIT | When Recruiting, new crew member gains improved Attributes and you discover one of their hidden Traits. | 3 weeks Cooldown
|
RECRUIT
|
Recruiter's Eye | Military Officer | 5 | RECRUIT | When Recruiting, new crew member gains improved Attributes and you discover one of their hidden Traits. | 3 weeks Cooldown
|
RECRUIT
|
Cull the Chaff | Wing Commando | 8 | RECRUIT | When Recruiting the trained eye of a soldier spots the best, new crew member gains improved Attributes and you discover one of their hidden Traits | 3 weeks Cooldown
|
RECRUIT
|
Soul Piercer | Xeno Hunter | 8 | RECRUIT | When Recruiting, new crew member gains improved Attributes and you discover one of their hidden Traits. | 3 weeks Cooldown
|
Recruiting Level[ | ]
The level at which recruits join your crew will dictate additional bonus attributes points in their attribute point total:
| Recruit Level | Attribute Bonus Tier |
|---|---|
| 1 | No bonus |
| 2-4 | Tiny bonus |
| 5-7 | Minor bonus |
| 8-11 | Small bonus |
| 12-17 | Moderate bonus |
| 18-21 | Large bonus |
| 22-25 | Giant bonus |
| 26+ | Massive bonus |
Recruiting Zone[ | ]
The statistics of the zone on which a recruit was born and raised are some of the most impactful numbers when determining Traits, Attributes and Skill Bonuses. Scores like Military Rating, Economic Rating, Spice Rating, Government Rating and the zone type all impact the recruit's potential.
Higher values are always better, so hiring crew from backwater worlds with mediocre statistics is likely to net recruits with mediocre statistics.
Some random observations for finding fine crew combat recruits:
- Device Freak trait is more frequent to be seen from a zone type=High Tech Industrial and from Spy main Captain profession.
- The base line recruitment from an average rating zone (6-7 to be more precise) without using recruitment talents it's nice for non combat-crew or if one is in dire need of combat crew.
- Planet Sizes should have an impact on recruit attributes. Higher Gravity higher Strength Fortitude(as planet Density is not available to calculate the mass we assume the larger the planet the greater the gravity).
- Same logic can be applied to Planet Atmosphere and Planet Danger (harsh dangerous planet better traits for recruits).
- We'll define a bonus multiplier along with Planet Danger, Planet Atmosphere, Planet Type => Bonus Multiplier = Planet Size*Type*Atmo*Danger (look at this as a desirability rating/metric that doesn't exist in the game but can signal to the player "You might want to recruit from those planets" => it influences traits for hardened crew combat recruits)
- The Random Number Generator (RNG) plays a factor in attribute spread but averages stay the same between certain limits depending on these confirmed factors; these Zone Ratings weight a lot more in determining recruit attributes than the bonus multiplier
- Recruitment talents boost stats a lot between +(2-4) on every attribute on average from base line (if recruitment is done in almost optimal conditions).
- Hiring crew from contacts with influence and using Recruitment talents boost stats even further (4-6) on every attribute on average from base line (if recruitment is done in almost optimal conditions and your personal reputation and influence with the Contact are high).
- There are 2 max bonus skills that can show up on every recruit with a 0-6 skill range. Evasion, Doctor, Blades, Rifles, Pistols, Tactics bonus skill points can influence the potential of a new crew combat recruit.
Captain's Job[ | ]
The captain's job affects which traits starting crew members have. For instance Spy is known to cause more device freak crew members when starting.
- Merchant: Rigidly Lawful
- Spy: Sly
- Xeno hunter: discreet
Recruit Type[ | ]
Conscripted crew generate attributes differently from recruits and will typically be lower than recruits obtained other ways.
Recruiting Faction[ | ]
The faction in which a recruit was born and raised is perhaps the most powerful factor within their life before taking to the stars. Members of factions are more likely to have certain Traits and recruits from specific factions may be the only characters to start with certain traits.
The following lists are some of the Traits that are associated with each of the Factions, but not all Traits are listed.
| Alta Mesa
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Javat
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Moklumnue
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Steel Song
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Thulun
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Zenrin
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| De Valtos
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Cadar
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Rychart
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Independents
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Faction Rank, Permits and Edicts[ | ]
Rumors[ | ]
Mercenaries[ | ]
During a Mercenaries Rumor, there are plenty of fighting men and women available for recruiting in the spice hall. Swordsman, Pistoleers and Soldiers are always available.
All recruits from the spice hall or from Contacts gain +2 Levels during this Rumor.
Academy Graduation[ | ]
During this rumor, all recruited crew members, whether from the spice hall or from contacts, will have +1 level.
Tariffs[ | ]
All recruits from the spice hall or from Contacts gain +1 Levels during this Rumor, as trained gravs are looking to leave the bad economic climate.
Starport Booming[ | ]
During a Starport Boom Rumor, Engineers will be available in the spicehall for recruitment
Spice Festival[ | ]
During a Spice Festival Rumor, Smugglers are available to be recruited directly from the spice hall as crew.
All recruits from the spice hall or from Contacts gain +1 Levels during this Rumor