Imagine having non-human crewmen. Imagine being able to take them down to the planets you explore. Like taking warriors down to fight, or researchers to analyze better the new things in the planet or NPC's that like digging to help you dig, like you mark a rectangle and he just digs that up, or builders that work the same way, or a guy that goes around in a mecca, or a sniper that stays a long distance away but shoots enemies with very powerful shots? This would bring a lot more uses to the NPC's than just lab-work. When you select a planet to land on, you can take with you 1, 2 or 3 (or none) NPC's to help with exploration and battling. (inevitably thinking about mass effect right now)
Exactly the kind of suggestion I was searching for. The game has pets that players can take with them and when those pets die they return to the ship for healing. We need NPCs to be included as a pet/follower. In the announced info it also says there's infinite crew size, so why not me able to take two marines with you in the pet slot, or two marines and a scientist or researcher. All optional of course, you could bring one, two, three, or no NPCs.... I was about to suggest this myself. I still might.
very apropiate name and avatar . Yeah, i actually think about "what will those npcs do". This suggestion brings a lot more uses than them standing arround researching or selling stuff.