Can't get captain on existing ship?

[Dirk-Jan]

Is it only possible to get real captains (not reassigned marines) when buying a ship? Or should it be possible to "buy" only a captain at a wharf/shipyard?

[nemhook]

Is it only possible to get real captains (not reassigned marines) when buying a ship? Or should it be possible to "buy" only a captain at a wharf/shipyard?

If your ship currently has no captain, you can click a worker and tell him/her to be a captain on the docked ship, but if you already have a captain, the option will not show.

I've never came across anybody that has pilot in there stats on a station

[Socratatus]

From what I have seen, you can make good captains by leaving them to fly a ship of yours for while. I have a 3 star captain on one of my freighters, but it took a while for him to get that good and he saw a few skirmishes too.

The other way is to buy a ship with a good loadout and you can get a 3 star Captain waiting for you in the cockpit.

I have never seen a pilot of any kind of skill anywhere else which is really weird. there should be some kind of pilot`s job board where you can pick a high skilled captain (if you can afford him). Although highly skilled caps should be rare and expensive with the highest level only earned through experience imho.

Also if you have a noob for a captain at 0 experience, as a relief captain, don`t just have him sit in the back. Let him fly sometimes, or he`ll never grow in skill.

[BrasatoAlBarolo]

This is what I do to change captains:
1) I dock the ship I'm flying (ship A) and the one I want a new cap assigned to (ship B) at the same station.
2) I go and talk to the captain of ship B, telling to work on ship A as a marine (I always need marines).
3) I go to ship A - where I have the "new cap" - and tell him to work on ship B as a captain.
3a) This may work too by searching for the new captain in the list of your crewmember on your "owned properties" dialog.

[Dirk-Jan]

ok, I see that none of you can buy a fresh captain either.

[Socratatus]

ok, I see that none of you can buy a fresh captain either.

Well you can. He`ll be just 0 experience. Employ anyone put them on a ship, then promote him to captain.

[vahadar]

Here is the trick,

Buy the cheapest ship at any wharf (like an Elite for argon), in select loadout dropmenu select high preset, untick all preset modules to basic ones, untick all software exept basic mandatory, untick all crew exept captain, and you generally get good captains (3-4 stars) piloting it.

When the ship is built, issue communication with the captain, and ask him to work somewhere else.

If you want him on another ship, first move that ship in the same wharf, leave one crew spot free, told the captain of that ship to work on your old ship (as captain if you already moved your actual captain for your old ship, or as another role and remember his/her name, then promoting him/her to captain if you have a captain already).

Then resell the cheap ship you just bought for this (on map click the ship that has now zero crew, right click wharf and click sell ship), you will loose generally half money invested (can be 70k), but worth it for a 4 stars pilot (with 4 morale sometime).