Captains - and how they could advance

[Kampfkrapfn]

so ... the captain is a rank, just like the other military ranks that we can hire. but it doesn't have any potential of becoming better. so here's my idea of a ranking system for captains:

 

Rank 1, freshly hired. The so-called captain just left the military academy. To advance in his rank, he has to watch an experienced captain (the player) at work.

Rank 2, in training. As he is not very experienced yet, the captain may only work as the player's temporary substitute and has much to learn. The only thing he is allowed to do is to dock to stations. This will feel like system-wide automated docking for the player.

Rank 3, fully educated. The captain may now get his own little ship in the player's fleet.

[Kamo]

That would be kinda strange. To train new captains for his fleet the player would make his main ship some sort of mobile academy, which would kinda act as a "true"(?) "flagship", needing to be defended at all costs to not lose the captains-in-training.

 

Right now the captain AI is kinda sucky but not as much as before, so it'd be kind of cool to see the two AIs in action, hence my alternative idea.

Rank 1, Cursed Trapisonda pilot: Old AI, very prone to crashing into things. The player might make him stay in his ship to advance his rank (which would be kind of the Rank 1 on Kampf's idea) rather than risking getting his new ships trashed. Also, may involuntarily go through gates when patrolling a sector (rescuing missions may be added in the future because of this behavior also happening with NPC factions, at least on the roleplay level).

Rank 2, Actually disciplined conductor: AI from now, much less prone to crashes, but slow by moments ("go faster than 150 m/s, geez~"). Functional, but unable to do advanced things like going to a system more than one gate away, or cargo runs (as they're not implemented yet).

Rank 3, Worthy captain: Future/updated AI, which'll be faster, even better at preventing crashes, able to go anywhere, trade away and use better orders.