NPC crew and AI Blades are tools for any player—solo, duo, or group—to manage large ships efficiently. They're not limited to solo play at all. Let’s be honest: the outrage over people soloing a Polaris is getting ridiculous. Players aren't doing it to break the game—they’re doing it because they bought the ship to be the captain, not to sit around waiting for 10 other people to log on and assemble at location for HOURS, and game crush/bug ruined all preperation. CIG intentionally built NPC crew and AI Blades so players can run large ships without needing an org meeting every time they want to fly. That’s not a loophole—it’s a feature. Bob, who just got off work and finally has two hours to play, doesn't have time to herd a dozen cats. He wants to sit in the chair, run some missions, and enjoy his damn spaceship. And he should be able to. And let’s not pretend it’s full power: soloing a Polaris already comes with heavy tradeoffs—no turret coverage, no torps, no parasite craft. It’s basically a stripped-down gunboat with a nice cockpit. And somehow, that’s still “too much” for some of you? If you think every multi-crew ship should be hard-locked to full human teams, you're not only ignoring how the game is designed—you’re gatekeeping fun in a sandbox that’s supposed to be about player choice. More realistic limits are coming soon: engineering gameplay, repair loops, operational costs—all of that will naturally challenge solo play. But until then? Let people enjoy the ships they paid for. Not everyone wants to be Crewman #6 on your RP bridge. Some of us are here to be the captain—and yes, we brought backup. They just happen to be synthetic. Multicrew doesn’t mean “only humans allowed”—it means managing a team to operate a ship beyond a single seat, and that team can absolutely include NPCs and AI Blades. Whether you’re coordinating gunners, engineers, or automated systems, you’re still making tactical decisions, managing resources, and filling roles—that’s multicrew. If your crew follows orders, covers turrets, balances shields, and maintains systems, it doesn't matter if they're flesh or firmware. The gameplay loop is the same: you're a captain, not a lone pilot. Flying solo with AI is still managing a crew—it just happens to be one that doesn’t complain on voice chat. multicrew≠multiplayer