Agent Ranks

[Slaughter]

The agents have new ranks and I have not been able to interpret them fully.
So far it seems (ascending order):

Chief Agent - Commander
Commissar - Colonel
Captain - Captain
Sergeant - Sargeant < You are a human being with human rights here
Agent - Squaddie
Rookie - Rookie


Btw, I saw this once and I wonder if you plan on making this change: Changing Rookies and Squaddies to Lance Corporal and Corporal, respectively.

Aside: Always found it funny X-COM has no lieutenants and majors. Its straight from Sargeant to Captain then to Colonel.

[khade]

Corporal is a little bit up there, at least if you're using any of the military naming schemes I'm familiar with.  Recruit and Private would be more appropriate, though unless things are really bad, you don't want to take recruits into battle, as training is actually very important.

[Solarius Scorch]

Actually I'm trying to move away from military ranks when possible.

Any ideas on how to replace Captain?

[Slaughter]

Actually I'm trying to move away from military ranks when possible.

Any ideas on how to replace Captain?

Well it makes sense considering early X-COM is not a military force - even if Extraterrestrial Combat Investigative Bureau is a bit of a weird name.

You probably want to look at stuff like the FBI, maybe post-soviet agencies like FSB. A dash of SWAT possibly.

[Solarius Scorch]

Well it makes sense considering early X-COM is not a military force - even if Extraterrestrial Combat Investigative Bureau is a bit of a weird name.

You probably want to look at stuff like the FBI, maybe post-soviet agencies like FSB. A dash of SWAT possibly.

Yeah, the problem is that X-Com should be international, so I don't want to copy any existing naming convention. I'm looking for more generic stuff.

Perhaps just "Senior Agent" would be appropriate for Sergeant?

[yrizoud]

"Special Agent", one step up from Agent ? Unless it's too long to fit ?

I'm Agent Johnson, this is Special Agent Johnson. No relation

[Solarius Scorch]

"Special Agent", one step up from Agent ? Unless it's too long to fit ?

Sounds a bit awkward, but these things usually sound awkward in real life... So maybe it's a bullseye?

[Drasnighta]

Another thing is, in some cases, you'd have a Rank structure that would incorporate Junior Agent, Agent, Senior Agent and Special Agent, and the first three would all be addressed as "Agent".

It depends on wether the Rank is, for lack of a better term, addressable for Civilian Useage, or outside of the structure itself.


A person with the rank of  "Junior Agent, Second Grade"  would certainly address themselves to an outside as "Agent" then their name.  The full Rank IS applicable to the Group he is with, but essentially, no-one cares on the minutia.



Feel Free to add in Silly Names.  Ranks.  Grades, if you will...  "Gold Shouldered Fancypants" is something you could use, but they'd still call him "General' 

[Slaughter]

Which organizations are close to X-COM in the early game?


Classic X-COM is quite clear to be Spec Ops, with a backing of more "investigative" types in the background - which is probably where all these UFO Report charts and the odd "Alien Base Found in X" at end of the month comes from.

Here's FBI ranks, for comparison:
Field Agents
Probationary Agent
Special Agent
Senior Special Agent
Supervisory Special Agent
Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge (ASAC)
Special Agent-in-Charge (SAC)

There's the problem that this is all Agent Agent Agent Agent. Repetitive.

Looked at russian ranks for FSB and such, but they're pretty military.

I'm not really the best person to talk about this, because in Brazil, we have a military and a civilian police branch. The military one are the guys that do ostensive policing, while the civilian branch handles investigations. There's also the Federal police but these guys are more after big crime - big drug traffic, white collar crime, etc. They also have a special anti-terrorism unit, the COT. They would be the Brazilian FBI, so to say.

[Solarius Scorch]

Thanks.

I'll go with Senior Agent for serge; it's a squad leader rank after all.

[ivandogovich]

Chiming in late here on this one.

A rank above Sergeant in many police forces is Detective.  You might consider that as well.

[Solarius Scorch]

A rank above Sergeant in many police forces is Detective.  You might consider that as well.

But they're all detectives, even Rookies

[Nord]

How about ancient Rome?
Legionaire
Lictor
Procurator
Pretor
Propretor
Consul
Proconsul

[Solarius Scorch]

How about ancient Rome?
Legionaire
Lictor
Procurator
Pretor
Propretor
Consul
Proconsul

Hmmmm... Maybe for Men in Black? Not a bad idea.

[yrizoud]

These would rather fit a legion-like alien species, or neo-Roman-empire cultists.