Ahoy captains,
Many of you have already encountered a few NPC characters in Ships At Sea with the major update v0.8.1, and today we’re excited to share more about how we’re expanding the NPC system — especially when it comes to NPC crew.
We’re making steady progress behind the scenes. You can already hire and assign crew members to your boats, and soon you’ll be able to delegate specific tasks to them. This includes core operational actions such as hauling in gear, baiting and setting longlines, or helping with cargo operations — tasks that players typically perform themselves.
Please have an mind the UI is not finale and will be improved:
Our goal is to ensure that the NPC crew can also take over everything a player can do on board, whether you're playing solo or in multiplayer. There’s always room for an extra pair of hands at sea — and your crew will be ready to step in.
We’re building the NPC system to be flexible and future-proof, so you’ll be able to assign more roles, which also depend on the vessel type, plan workflows, and run your vessel efficiently, even with a reduced human crew. Whether you're gutting fish, managing crane operations, running an onboard kiosk, ferry operations, or cleaning up a deck, the NPCS will be right there with you, ready to work.
Stay tuned for more updates on task assignment, pathing, and how crew management could be tied into resource systems. The first iteration of the NPC system is currently planned for release in the upcoming v0.8.2 update.
More details will follow soon, and as always, thank you for sailing with us!
- Team Misc Games