Selling an NPCLess ship = ship going in auto-pilot?

[Browser_ice]

The other day I had landed on a yard and just walked out of the ship. I sold it and to my surprise the ship took off. There were no NPC in it, just me. I couldn't see if an NPC had magically appeard in it, I had my back turned.

So when you do sell an NPCless ship, does an NPC magically appears in it or does it takes off without one as if on auto-pilot (and go where???).

[Alan Phipps]

Yes, if you didn't leave a pilot then a new NPC pilot spawns (probably in the sold ship transporter) and gets in the chair to fly the ship away. You can see the new pilot race/faction and name in the ship crew info. Also you may see that ship flying across the sector for some time on its way to the new home dock where you sold it but now with its new race/faction ship designation. You might even see it again quite some time later and on a patrol job, but not necessarily with shields or weapons if you sold those off or didn't install any before selling the ship.

I don't know if you get more from selling a ship with pilot than one without though.

[radcapricorn]

IMHO, a lost opportunity here. If the ship's in space and not at dock, the game could've spawned a mission to pick up and deliver new NPC captain, or some other NPC ship could've delivered one, with final leg traveled via space suit or pod if need be. I guess just spawning a pilot is preferable to leaving ship empty, still, could've been more "believable". They already have random missions to deliver pilots to stations, this one could be a thing as well.

EDIT: or, perhaps, the buyer could ask if, before transferring ownership and finalizing transaction, player would be so kind as to deliver the ship to station X for a small extra fee or item.

[Browser_ice]

What if you had renamed the ship when it was yours?

Does it looses its new name once you sold it? I haven't noticed. It would cool seeing it later in the game because you recognized its name.

[Alan Phipps]

I *think* it reverts to 'Race/Faction Ship-type'. (I'm not sure though.)