In my last devlog, I discussed non-combat support personnel that you could recruit for your cause. This devlog will focus on combat companions/party members. These are allies you can recruit to join you on missions if you choose, or you can opt to go it alone. There might be some people that want to murder hobo everyone in the game, including potential companions. Yes, there's even room for serial killers in Sector Unknown.
Companions in your party contribute their skills to relevant checks. For instance, if your Computers skill is 20 and you have a companion with a Computers skill of 30, their higher skill will be used instead. This allows for more in-depth party customization and planning. I am currently experimenting with the system to ensure it functions well, and so far, it seems promising.
Party members also bring their own dialogue and stories, some more detailed than others. Additionally, not all party members are guaranteed to be recruitable. Some may be hidden well and may not be recruitable unless you choose the right dialogue options or meet a particular skill level (more on skills in a future update). Companions can come from the most unlikely places. For example, you might encounter a hostile Star Frontier guard whom you'd typically consider a threat, but there could be an opportunity to recruit them later in the story.
I'm also considering whether to implement a reputation system for each companion, similar to the dynamics in the old Baldur's Gate games, where companions could leave if you pissed them off. It wouldn't be difficult to implement and might add an interesting layer to the game. I'm open to any thoughts on this.
More updates to come!