Warning: my English is not good and this article is long, so expect many errors, but still, I think its readable (I hope).
I am proposing another structure, this is sort of based on Honorverse universe (its heavily based on real NAVY) I highly recommended to read this series, you find lots of ides for this game.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HonorverseI made this system more complex that need, to show another ideas and directions.
This system can be more light weight.
Primary idea is having commanding structure more realistic, simpler to use and have greater depth, possibly experience system for crew.
All unit are still best in some areas, but can also do another jobs, but at lover efficiency. This can allow do more stuff with crew management, combat system and have more options when building ships.
Now we have this crew types:
1. Military – defending/assault/firecontrol
2. Pilots - piloting
3. Engineers – repairs, engineering, exhaust fires
4. Androids
5. And maybe officers/captain
6. Medics – healing, life-support
New system is more similar to FTL (racials and leveling), but little more complex.
First, all units can do everything, but have different level of efficiency.
This also allows add RPG/experience system to units in future.
Units are trained in these skills: piloting, fire control, engineering, repair, extinguish fires, combat, healing, leadership.
Piloting: this skill improves travel times; dodge in ship to ship combat, fuel consumption, detection range. Ship C - core can be set on autopilot, but FTL coordinates must be set manually by crew members (crew efficiency lovers travel time between systems)
Units efficiency: CO, officers, another types are not recommended, but in emergency situations can sort of take ship home in one piece.
If we have fighters, shuttles, only officers, CO can fly them in combat situations, on emergency situations (evac): noncoms (low skill) and marines (very low)
Fire control: now we have cannons and missiles, we also need point defense (short range anti-missile) and counter missile (medium range anti-missile).
All ship weapons can be fired directly from bridge, but system greatly increase in efficiency, if fire control or weapons are manned (rate of fire/hit)
Unit efficiency: CO, officers, noncoms, marines
Engineering: increase efficiency of systems like engines, life support, shields, hangars (launch times for fighters, rearming, refueling), manned stations have much lover percentage of failures.
Unit efficiency: CO, officers, noncoms, marines
Repairs: lower times for repairs.
dirty work for noncoms and marines (much lover efficiency than noncom), officers don’t like this job, but they can do it.
Extinguish fires: this skill decrease extinguish times, injuries and deaths from accidents. Noncoms and marines are very good at this job, but all crew members can do that at average skill.
Combat: skill + weapon + armor type
Marines are far superior to any one else in all areas (access to better weapons, armor and superior skill) and I hope we also get some armored suits for them.
Officers/CO carry sidearm, but overall efficiency is low. Noncoms need armory to use weapons, they have average skill and can defend ship in some situations (pirates)
Healing: all units slowly regenerate, if they have more than 80% hp, unit under this value is injured and need first aid (all unit can do it on another unit, take some time) to stabilize and not losing more hp. Under 30% hp, unit can’t make any action and loosing hp (1%/1sec), medic can stabilize it and move it to sickbay.
Leadership: skill for CO and officers, increase range and quality bonus for these units in command mode. This boost don’t apply do medics.
Unit types:
1. Captain (can be merged with officers group and only have some perk or something)
2. Officers
3. Noncoms
4. Medics
5. Marines
6. Androids
Space is dangerous place and crew must be trained to do all sorts of thing in emergency situations.
Captain/XO/ or simply CO: buff unit, add efficiency to whole ship, if unit is on the bridge. If bigger ship haven't CO, all crew loosing efficiency (officers negating 50% of this debus, if one is one bridge).
This is most important and expensive unit, more experienced captain, then ship is more efficient, at last in navigation and combat. CO career starts as officer, so he can do all thing he does and better, if situation is dire (at expense of losing his command buff, this stop players using captain as pilot)
Officers: primary job: piloting ship, fire control, engineering add efficiency to another nearby crew if they are in command mode (not doing another job)
Noncoms: primary job: repairs, extinguish fires, engineering (not good as officers), have some combat capabilities for defending on civilian ships.
Medics: primary job: healing, maybe buff to morale, if ship have this type of unit. This is specialized unit and efficiency in other areas are very limited.
Marines: primary job: combat secondary job: repairs, extinguish fires, engineering
This unit can only be used on military class vessels, Marines are also can help with maintenance if there is no enemy on LIDAR. Raise morale in combat to the nearby crew.
Androids: jack of all trades can be used in dangerous environments without proper equipment, have high resistances to fire and high health. Very expensive unit. Aliens don't like them.
Command structure:
CO on bridge commanding whole ship, have great impact on morale and efficiency.
If bigger ship doesn't have CO on bridge, all crew have debuf to morale and efficiency.
Officer in commanding mode on bridge can partially negate this effect.
Officer can further boost effectiveness of units if he is Command mode (stay idle) near this units
This boost don't apply to another officer, so combination of officer + noncoms in engineering is better (and cheaper), than using only officers for some job.
Example:
Single officer have eng 80% and noncom 70%
Officer in commanding mode have 0% eng(range of this buff can be 1/3 of small ship hull), but give bonus to nearby crew 20% so noncom have 90% efficiency in engineering.
Commanding mode don't boost another officers (except fire control and piloting, so this stays officer primary job)
Androids need officer in commanding mode one bridge to work efficiently.