From the Piratez forum, there is a similar request for a Soldier sorting option in the base via geoscape. (Screen shot1)
Are you and the forum ID the same person? If you are, if I may add my input into it.
From my own play through of various mods, let use Piratez for example. Perhaps we can have sorting done via in this format, please see screenshot prototype.
Notice the new "sort by" button above the column where Ranks used to be, we can have various sorting options like experience, ranks, commendation and etc..
Above the craft column, we can add another "sort by" button. This button would allow the grouping of various soldiers via the craft they are assigned to, not assign to and etc.
If a base has multiple crafts, perhaps the grouping in that column can be made collapsible to sub-columns.
Craft not selected by the player with its roster of soldiers hidden or the sub-column with the soldiers collaspsed.
Craft selected by the player would be expanded out and visible.
This allows better organization and visibility of soldiers, if there are a lot of soldiers hired for the base, while you are editing the craft of which soldiers are to assign for it.
This said, can we also add a new feature, like "Squads" as to a soldier type is assign to? Squads will have Craft like behavior or attribute, with items and armours assigned to it.
-Squad sorting can be done in the column assign to craft, can be switched in between "Craft" and "Squads"
Sample Coding example 1
soldiers:
- type: STR_SOLDIER
numberPerSquadMax: 12
soldierMaxperSubGrouping: 4
numberSubgrouping: 3
- type: STR_SOLDIER_S
numberPerSquadMax: 15
soldierMaxperSubGrouping: 5
numberSubgrouping: 3
numberPerSquadMax, is the maximum number of soldiers can be assign to a squad.
soldierMaxperSubGrouping, is the maximum number of soldiers can be assign to a sub-group in a Squad.
numberSubgrouping, maximum subgroups a squad can have.
Or can be coded this way.
Squads:
- type: STR_PHALANX_SQUAD #<--- SQUAD TEMPLATE
customSprite: 5
customSpriteList: [STR_SPARTANLOGO.PNG, STR_COMPANION.SPK]
numberPerSquadMax: 12
soldierMaxperSubGrouping: 4
numberSubgrouping: 3
allowSoldierType: [STR_SOLDIER]
allowUnitType: [STR_DOGS, STR_CATS]
squadBonusAbillity: XXXXX
maxNumberItem: 90
costCreate: 100000
costMaintenance: 3000 #(Per Month)
- type: STR_LEGION_SQUAD #<--- SQUAD TEMPLATE
customSprite: 2
customSpriteList: [STR_LEGIO1.PNG, STR_HISPANIA.SPK]
numberPerSquadMax: 15
soldierMaxperSubGrouping: 5
numberSubgrouping: 2
allowSoldierType: [STR_SOLDIER]
allowUnitType: [STR_DOGS, STR_CATS]
squadBonusAbillity: XXXXX
maxNumberItem: 50
costCreate: 200000
costMaintenance: 3000 #(Per Month)
- type: STR_BLOODANGELSQUAD #<--- SQUAD TEMPLATE
customSprite: 5
customSpriteList: [STR_SPACEMARINE.PNG, STR_CENTURION.SPK]
numberPerSquadMax: 15
soldierMaxperSubGrouping: 5
numberSubgrouping: 2
allowSoldierType: [STR_SOLDIER_S]
squadBonusAbillity: XXXXX
maxNumberItem: 30
costCreate: 300000
costMaintenance: 3000 #(Per Month)
customSprite, number of custom Sprite logos available to choose from, when a Squad is created from this particular Squad Template.
customSpriteList, self-explainatory, a list of logos/art/sprites from extrasprites.rul referenced to the list.
numberPerSquadMax, from above
squadBonusAbillity, from above
maxNumberItem, from above
allowSoldierType: soldier type allowed for the Squad
allowUnitType: Unit type allowed for the Squad, eg, drones, tanks.
squadBonusAbillity: what kind of bonus the Squad gives to all its soldiers after certain achivement is reach.
maxNumberItem: total maximum of items and equipment assigned to the squad.
Squads has to be created from Squad Template above. For example all STR_PHALANX_SQUAD type allows for only 12 Soldiers and Units like Drones assigned to it, with maximum 90 items.
Where STR_LEGION_SQUAD type allows for 12 Soldiers and Units like Drones assigned to it, with 50 items and equipment allowed.
Squads can be created just like in the manner of a Craft is created. From a Menu button at where the old sort by button is?
The button drop down the list in numbers of Squad template available to select from.
Squad can be create and the later disband, if all its member are wipeout,lost or for some other reason
-A Craft can have multiple Squads assigned to it. Equipment assigned to the Squad will only be visible to its Squad, even if there are equipments from multiple Squads pooled together in the craft.
-A Squad must be assigned to a craft that can carry it, not spilled or split into different crafts.
-Similar to Craft, Squad with the group of soldier assigned to can be made collapsable or hidden, until it is selected and expanded.
-The column for Squads/Craft can allows for multiple collapsable group of soldiers, pending of the Squad/Craft selected or expanded.
-Like Soldiers assigned to a Craft, soldiers assigned to a Squad can be mass transfer together to another base with the Equipment assigned to a Squad. OR both (or all the Squads in the craft) are transfered together.
-Bonuses/Special Abillties/Skills can be given to a squad, just like commendation to a soldier, base on Squad's total kill history or pool experience, totalled from all the Soldier in the Squad? The
Bonuses / Special Abillties/ Skills effect would affect all soldiers within the Squad. These Bonuses / Special Abillties/ Skills can be stats boost to soldier special skills, from Memmaker's vigilo confido
mod?
-Lastly, in battlescape, soldiers assigned to a Squad can be group selected or move together in a group, for better battlefield management. If a craft has 20+ soldiers.
How does this affect gameplay?
1) Better soldier management in the base screen.
2) Enhanced Squad Combat/Tactical experience. Each Squad has its own Charecteristic, History and Identity, base on achievements, missions and kills. Allow the creation of Elite Squads and Green Squads.
3) If group selection via squad is available in Battlescape missions, Squad can be better manage for different battlefield tasks. One Squad for battlefield Scout/explore, another for UFO intrusion and etc.
A sub-mod with this feature for 40k will be epic.
