Hey NF2 Captains! I originally posted this in General Discussion, but I'm moving it over here!
As of current we know that the majority of the information in the game we need to find out for ourselves, so I'm hoping to clarify a couple of points here in this post, mainly based around what crews are needed in your ships.
This is assuming a couple of things, including: the the expansion slots work exactly like normal slots as well, You are using your captain for one or two similair shiplines, shown in the guide, the captain level cap will allow for a max captain level of around 120 to unlock two slots on two crew types. I'm presenting this information from what I've found in this game, and general ideas and concepts that were true in NF1. I am not sure positive on the workings and hard ability changes / Hard and soft caps for skills and abilties, but as soon as they are posted I will update this guide. Of course, since there is not yet 'hard' data on modifier amounts for crew members, I present this guide with the best of my knowledge, and follow it with my on personal ships for my crewmembers and captains. Thank you very much for taking a look, feel free to comment if you have any helpful information! :)
The most recent information I have on how Captains and Officer abilities affect your ship was discovered by CrankyCorvid*. He discovered that Captain skill points directly add onto the skills of your crew depending on where you put the points. The catagory that the points go in creates an additional skill point in each of the three skills in each catagory. For example: If your captain has 45 points in 'Support' Then 'Engine', 'Denfense', and Repair' will also be increased by 45 points each. It doesn't show on any particular officer, but it adds onto the skill bar graphs seen on the bottom left of the battlestation directly.
Additionally, Officer skill points will increase your ships functions by a soft percentage, seemingly 0.10% per point for Support skills, and .05% for Offensive skills. meaning that every ten points in your support skills will increase your ability by 1%. So with our same crew of 100 skill in engine + 45 captain skill points in support. That 145 'points' for engine, meaning a 14.5% increase in overheat duration!
This is currently only speculation, if you can confirm values, let me know!
The new system is a little confusing, but I will do my best to present my guide in this format.
Now when you begin a new captain, you will only have one officer slot and two expansion slots unlocked, so your battlestation will only be able to hold three Officers. Once your Captain hits level 21, you will able to unlock your second Weapon slot, or at 16, unlock your second support or special slot. I'm going to write this guide assuming that you can only get your captain to around level 120. This means two weapon slot unlocks and two support slot unlocks for reference.
Each slot represents an officer with skill points filled with the skill type shown.
SLOT TYPE: (1st Officer) / (2nd Officer) / (3rd Officer) + "Expansion Slot Officers" (4th Officer) / (5th Officer)
OFFENSE: (Reloading) / (Accuracy) / (Reloading) + "Expansion Slot Officers" (Reloading) / (Accuracy)
This shows that your first officer will be purely Reloading, once you unlock the second, He will be pure accuracy. You won't get the third one for a while, but your expansion slot officers are available from level one, so buy them when you start your new captain! (50 credits each for newbies!) and make the first reloading and the second guy accuracy.
Remember that all Officers should only be purely one skill. This makes them easy to be transferred around from crew to crew if you hybridize your ship trees and for making them for sale if that ever beecomes possible.
Captain skill point recommended unlock order = CAPTAIN: 1st unlock / 2nd unlock / 3rd Unlock / 4th Unlock (If possible.)
What this means is how you should unlock your battlestation slots with your Captain as you level up. For example;
OFFENCE / SUPPORT / OFFENSE / SUPPORT This means at level 21, unlock your first offense slot, then at 36, your Support slot. at 76 your next Offense slot, and at 116 your next Support slot. Anything left over can be put into Command assuming 120 is cap like NF1. ( <-- Total Assumption, Captain cap is currently unknown.)
BB/CA
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OFFENSE: Accuracy/Accuracy/Accuracy + Reload/ Accuracy (Though a CA may want to replace one ACC w/ RLD.)
SUPPORT: Engine / Maintenence / Repair + Reapir / Repair ( CA may need 1 more ENG rather than RPR )
SPECIAL: Everyone is Occupation
AVIATION: Everyone is Evasion
CAPTAIN: Weapon / Support / Weapon / Support
DD/CL + APA
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OFFENSE:Reload / Accuracy/Torpedo + Reload / Accuracy or Torpedo
SUPPORT: Engine / Repair + Repair / Repair or Engine
SPECIAL: Sonar / Occupation + Occupation / Occupation or Sonar
AVIATION: Everyone is Evasion.
CAPTAIN: Weapon / Support / Special / Weapon
CV
(There are much more in depth guides about CV driving, but, if you must know!)
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OFFENSE: Reload + Reload / Accuracy
SUPPORT: Engine / Engine / Repair + Repair / Repair or Defense
SPECIAL: Occupation for everyone.
AVIATION: Aviation skills are different than all of the other skills. Per a GM announcment made on the new year,
Captains should unlock Aviation / Aviation / Support / Support (Then maybe meapon if the captain isn't capped)
It is very important to note that Officer / pilots are actually individual, per pilot basis. Where the skills you place on the first pilot affect ONLY the squaron they affect. The affected squadron matches up to the slot they are placed in. For example. your first pilot = your first quadron or F1. On my pilots. I would reccomend that for air superiority, you use your four expansion slots for your fighters, and if you can afford it, use premium sailors as your fighters, since this is a pilot per pilot basis, you will hit your intercept ability cap much sooner, and you can get to putting points in evasion quicker. I would then use slots 1, 2, and 3 as your Bomber pilots, maxing thier skills out before putting points in evasion.Also, feel free to change in more bomber for interception, this example is a more fighter oriented build.
Though, For more detailed Ideas on how to build, operate, and crew you CV, I reccomend checking out the CV guides in the Tips and Tricks section.
SS
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OFFENSE: Torpedo / Torpedo + Torpedo / Torpedo
SUPPORT: Engine / Repair / Engine + Engine / Engine ( Engine = More dive time as well for SS in NF2 )
SPECIAL: Dive / Sonar + Dive / Sonar
AVIATION: Everyone is Evasion. ( Doesn't matter much here, unless final tier IJN, in which you want bombing)
CAPTAIN: Support / Weapon / Special / Support
APA
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OFFENSE:Reload + Reload / Accuracy
SUPPORT: Engine / Engine / Repair + Defense / Engine
SPECIAL: Occupation / Occupation / Occupation + Occupation / Occupation
AVIATION: Everyone is Evasion ( Again, Doesn't matter here. )
Captain: Special / Special / Support / Support
Not sure of my people that run captains solely for APA, but it's here for good measure.
DD and CL build works very well for APA too.
I'll update this with information soon with prevalent goods :) Please forgive any spelling :P
Taking all of this in as it is released, using my experience from my years of NF1.
Updates:
12/26/14: Added Captain skill / slot information.
12/27/14: Reworked Format, added guide example, Added CrankyCorvid's Data*, moved from general to TnT.
*http://www.navyfield2.com/Forum/View.aspx?num=542&bt=B03&st=1&sw=&rc=20&ot=1
1/1/14 Updated information to reflect confirmed Non-Pooled Pilot Theory, confirmed by a GM.
1/3/14 Updated suggested Support classes for most Ship trees.