Future request: Make repairs

[Mr.Killer]

I did not go through all 240 pages with the word repair, but I truely hope this will be realized.

Often I see stations repair itself, easily, but that's it for automation. Having marines on board - doing actually nothing - and service crew getting more and more experience all the time, but, why not letting them not only repair the coffee machine but also the hull - like the player can with repair laser.
The smaller ships have no repair drones, but they do have service crew, doing what? Nothing that I can think of, nothing that I can see, so why not put them at good use and start repairing the hull if it is damaged, that is what they are there for?

I really hope this will be build in the game, mabe we can give them orders to repair a satellite or lasertower outside.

[GCU Grey Area]

The smaller ships... have service crew, doing what?

Suspect the crew capacity of S ships is mostly intended for transporting passengers during taxi missions & carrying marines, so bailed ships can be claimed & flown elsewhere without the player having to do this personally.

[BitByte]

The smaller ships have no repair drones, but they do have service crew, doing what?

In M-size ships service crew fixes ship hull. Depending from captain skill level repair can be between 70-90% same way as in L & XL size ships.

[Mr.Killer]

The smaller ships have no repair drones, but they do have service crew, doing what?

In M-size ships service crew fixes ship hull. Depending from captain skill level repair can be between 70-90% same way as in L & XL size ships.

I still have to witness this, I've seen ships flying around and it is very noticable in maps overview when a white line above it marks the fact that it still is damaged. But I give you the benefit of the doubt, I'll go look very close at this.

[Mr.Killer]

In M-size ships service crew fixes ship hull. Depending from captain skill level repair can be between 70-90% same way as in L & XL size ships.

You are wrong:
Followed a M-class vanguard miner, with 4 service crew, one with 4 stars, two with 3.5 stars and one with 3 stars, the pilot has almost 2.5 stars in pilot, morale and almost 3 in management.
The ship stays at 80% and never changes the duration of 20 minutes I followed it, so I have to do it again, by myself.

So my OP is valid, they do actually NOTHING! and that is a shame, they maybe make good coffee, but repairing the livelyhood around them? That was aparently not in their job prescriction, a shame it is.

And even if they did some repair before I noticed and followed that ship, why not repair the last percentages? Is it this hard or incompetence?

I hope the devs will think about letting them do the full repair, for all I can tell, I need to go outside in a spacesuit, very vulnerable while they can do it in the rather safe confinement, also a difference I do not agree with.

[GCU Grey Area]

Followed a M-class vanguard miner, with 4 service crew, one with 4 stars, two with 3.5 stars and one with 3 stars, the pilot has almost 2.5 stars in pilot, morale and almost 3 in management.
The ship stays at 80% and never changes the duration of 20 minutes I followed it, so I have to do it again, by myself.

That's simply a case of the combined skill of captain & crew being incapable of repairing to higher than 80%. Frankly the captain & crew stats listed above are mediocre at best (ship does not even have a full crew) so their ability to repair their ship is always going to be comparatively poor. Recommend consulting the 'Crew Skills - Misc Repairs' section of the X4 In-Depth FAQ for further info.

[Mr.Killer]

Followed a M-class vanguard miner, with 4 service crew, one with 4 stars, two with 3.5 stars and one with 3 stars, the pilot has almost 2.5 stars in pilot, morale and almost 3 in management.
The ship stays at 80% and never changes the duration of 20 minutes I followed it, so I have to do it again, by myself.

That's simply a case of the combined skill of captain & crew being incapable of repairing to higher than 80%. Frankly the captain & crew stats listed above are mediocre at best (ship does not even have a full crew) so their ability to repair their ship is always going to be comparatively poor. Recommend consulting the 'Crew Skills - Misc Repairs' section of the X4 In-Depth FAQ for further info.

Nah, I need a whip! to get them to work, not a manual!

[BitByte]

Nah, I need a whip! to get them to work, not a manual!

Then move your own lazy butt to pilot seat and it may trigger their ability to fix ship more than that 80%.
Personally I don't care fixing ships in shipyard/wharf but let service crew do the work and that's it. If more is needed then I may fix it using repair laser.

Reason is that it's waste of time and resources as doesn't affect to ship operations (when speaking about hull damage). Equipment damage in L & XL ships is different thing as that can affect their operation / behaviour.

[Mr.Killer]

Nah, I need a whip! to get them to work, not a manual!

Then move your own lazy butt to pilot seat and it may trigger their ability to fix ship more than that 80%.
Personally I don't care fixing ships in shipyard/wharf but let service crew do the work and that's it. If more is needed then I may fix it using repair laser.

Reason is that it's waste of time and resources as doesn't affect to ship operations (when speaking about hull damage). Equipment damage in L & XL ships is different thing as that can affect their operation / behaviour.

L and XL is true, but I do not want to nit pick, if I have less hull integrity that can be a tipping point in an attack raid. I often tend to the repair in ships myself, because... you know. Had one time a fight and one of my ships only had 1% hull left, if the hull was lower to begin with, the ship would likely have been destroyed, but not doing that, like you do, it is your right, I know what you prefer, and you know mine.

Have fun Pilot.

[Scoob]

There was a mod for X3, where you could launch Marines at a target and they'd use their repair lasers to patch it up. I liked that.

What I would like to see in X4 is the ability to use my Repair Laser when NOT in Space Suit. I.e. my ship (S or M-Class) has landed on a dock in front of me and I can repair it from there. That'd be nice. Also, on player owned docks - be they on a station or a ship - I'd like to see crew doing basic hull repairs. I.e. I land my beaten up Fighter at my Frigate and the Frigate's service crew slowly patch it up over time.

We see those guys wandering around and spraying our ships with something that looks like a fire extinguisher, why not some dudes with a welder or repair laser? It'd be cool.

Also, with Service Crew, it'd be GREAT to have some UI feedback on the service crew. I.e. give us an indication of if they're actively repairing at all, how much they're repairing per minute and their maximum repair capacity.

I've suggested in the past that we need options for one ship to repair another, without the need for docking. Many a time I've had a totally disabled (engines blown) L or XL Ship I've obtained via boarding. However, it cannot dock until it repairs its engines... Allow us to use TUGS perhaps to tow such vessels to be repaired, that'd be dead cool. Also, sending a group of crew over to another ship in their Spacesuits to patch it up is so sci-fi and needs to be in the game.

[Mr.Killer]

There was a mod for X3, where you could launch Marines at a target and they'd use their repair lasers to patch it up. I liked that.

What I would like to see in X4 is the ability to use my Repair Laser when NOT in Space Suit. I.e. my ship (S or M-Class) has landed on a dock in front of me and I can repair it from there. That'd be nice. Also, on player owned docks - be they on a station or a ship - I'd like to see crew doing basic hull repairs. I.e. I land my beaten up Fighter at my Frigate and the Frigate's service crew slowly patch it up over time.

We see those guys wandering around and spraying our ships with something that looks like a fire extinguisher, why not some dudes with a welder or repair laser? It'd be cool.

Also, with Service Crew, it'd be GREAT to have some UI feedback on the service crew. I.e. give us an indication of if they're actively repairing at all, how much they're repairing per minute and their maximum repair capacity.

I've suggested in the past that we need options for one ship to repair another, without the need for docking. Many a time I've had a totally disabled (engines blown) L or XL Ship I've obtained via boarding. However, it cannot dock until it repairs its engines... Allow us to use TUGS perhaps to tow such vessels to be repaired, that'd be dead cool. Also, sending a group of crew over to another ship in their Spacesuits to patch it up is so sci-fi and needs to be in the game.

All valid questions and options, and I would suggest, take this apart in several [Feature requests] and hope they will fall for it (for the better ofcourse)
I see also a need for friendly parties to assist in harrassing/attacking factions, little I see about that, while it is said that they "might" help you, while I and maybe other players like to assist attacked friendly factions, just for positive upping the levels.
Repair laser on ships is also a wish, with an extra slot aboard that could be filled, making a fighter also able to repair any acompanied vessel, like the nomad does ( on the top of my head, a monitor) that also can have these little ships that repair friendlies in need.
I also like to see dropping not one laser/satellite/mine etc. at the time but just like in X3, a bulk, presets by 10 or something...

There is so much we want, but we do not always get the things we want, most things are crushed down, and that is a pity, because it makes the game so much more fun beside micromanage pilots who clearly error all the time and take weird moves we still don't understand (I don't in almost every case)

So, make multiple posts, and keep your fingers crossed (not while you are piloting )