I've been personally having trouble with game mastering and providing players with initiative. Thus I've looked to traditional TTRPG's, how the GMing is done, primarily DnD. I'm going to try something new out: no GMPC will have any say in the direction of the plot beyond general strategic goals, like "Find out what happened to these colonists," or "Destroy that cruiser." Everything else will be up to the player characters, when they want to execute, how, and even if. Of course, every decision should have consequences.
Classes are also consideration. Classes are nice, because they naturally fulfill our subconscious need to feel important and special; you're going to feel a lot better if you're either the only person or best person who can use a sniper rifle in the party, for example. Of course, it falls on the GM to provide all these specialized classes stuff to do during a mission. Here's a few that I've come up with so far. Depending on the plot, these roles can be combined or omitted altogether.
Captain: The captain is the leader of the party. He has the final decision on strategic choices, but otherwise a generalist who depends on other members of the party for tactical execution.
Pilot: The pilot is tied to the ship. It is their right hand. They know the party’s vessel more than anyone else (except for the engineer), and thus become the lynchpin in any space combat environment.
Engineer: Ship maintenance and repairs, improvised mechanical solutions, the engineer is there to make them happen. With more mechanical and electrical know-how than anyone else in the party, the engineer is vital in any high-tech environment.
Hacker: While the engineer takes charge in physical reality, the hacker takes point in cyberspace. Comm jamming, information gathering, controlling systems, these jobs all fall onto the hacker.
Gunner: The gunner is the hand-to-hand combat, firearms specialist of the team. Problems sometimes need to be solved intimately. The gunner knows how to get their hands dirty, and isn’t afraid to do it.
Diplomat: Sometimes problems cannot be solved with violence. While the diplomat isn’t necessarily repulsed by it, they know how to avoid it through persuasion, intimidation, and deception, and can navigate the party through difficult situations where rhetoric the only solution.
Scientist: A highly situational and specialized role depending on the subject that needs expert knowledge for. This can be fulfilled by either the engineer or the hacker, but will often require a GMPC to fulfill, mainly to spout exposition.
Classes are also consideration. Classes are nice, because they naturally fulfill our subconscious need to feel important and special; you're going to feel a lot better if you're either the only person or best person who can use a sniper rifle in the party, for example. Of course, it falls on the GM to provide all these specialized classes stuff to do during a mission. Here's a few that I've come up with so far. Depending on the plot, these roles can be combined or omitted altogether.
Captain: The captain is the leader of the party. He has the final decision on strategic choices, but otherwise a generalist who depends on other members of the party for tactical execution.
Pilot: The pilot is tied to the ship. It is their right hand. They know the party’s vessel more than anyone else (except for the engineer), and thus become the lynchpin in any space combat environment.
Engineer: Ship maintenance and repairs, improvised mechanical solutions, the engineer is there to make them happen. With more mechanical and electrical know-how than anyone else in the party, the engineer is vital in any high-tech environment.
Hacker: While the engineer takes charge in physical reality, the hacker takes point in cyberspace. Comm jamming, information gathering, controlling systems, these jobs all fall onto the hacker.
Gunner: The gunner is the hand-to-hand combat, firearms specialist of the team. Problems sometimes need to be solved intimately. The gunner knows how to get their hands dirty, and isn’t afraid to do it.
Diplomat: Sometimes problems cannot be solved with violence. While the diplomat isn’t necessarily repulsed by it, they know how to avoid it through persuasion, intimidation, and deception, and can navigate the party through difficult situations where rhetoric the only solution.
Scientist: A highly situational and specialized role depending on the subject that needs expert knowledge for. This can be fulfilled by either the engineer or the hacker, but will often require a GMPC to fulfill, mainly to spout exposition.