[POLL] Commendations: hidden or not?

[Solarius Scorch]

A new element in the upcoming 1.0 release are commendations, granted to individual soldiers for performing actions, like killing enemies, participating in missions, or simply staying in the force long enough.

Those of you who play Piratez know the concept, but with the newest OXCE it is possible to make the commendations give certain bonuses to the soldiers' stats. It will be an important element in training your soldiers.

Here are some examples:









Still, I am torn between two choices: should these commendations (articles on them) be hidden until one of your soldiers manage to get them? Or should they be available from game start?

Please vote and share your thoughts.

[TheCurse]

totally awesome concept, love it 

whats that about the levels of ice cold killer? is next level 3 kills per turn? (never had more than 5 or so)
or just another 2 kills in one turn?
what about 2 kills with one auto shot?
(i hear a very happy minigun roaring somewhere in the far distance...)

is it possible to make the feats visible in battlescape?
e.g. i misclick or have some really crappy idea and loose a semi-rookie thats ok, but if it´d cost me some hyped up super soldier i´d like to know on the spot...


since that just happened, a nice idea for a commendation:
a shot in the dark
killing an enemy that was not visible to anyone
(maybe sight range +1, if thats not too powerful. obv has to be killed with a gun, not explosives...)

[HT]

That's a very nice feature! I wonder if Piratez's own commendations will be updated to alter stats as well.
As for X-Com Files, IMO there should be a special medal for those agents that participated in the final mission related to a main arc and survived to tell the tale (ie: The Destroyer of Dagon = Participated in the "Statue Hunt" final mission for Cult of Dagon).

[TheCurse]

yes, sounds good. 
oh i have another one...
Butcher
Killed 10 civilians
(probably more bravery.)

Die hard
killed x enemies while wounded
(is amor+ possible? or whatever else fits)

Talk to the hand
KO'd an enemy with bare hands
(prolly more melee/strength)

[Hadriex]

Love it.

Though +1 seems little, when soldiers are routinely gaining +3 or more, sometimes to multiple stats from an average mission.

Could be harder to get these and have them grant larger bonuses, but you can only get each commendation once? Like 'kill 5 enemies in one turn, +5 TU.' Or 'survive 10 night missions gain +5 night vision.' This would make commendations special, a really big deal, rather then a gradual bonus which is something the gyms already give us passively.

On the main question you asked, I'd keep them hidden until you've earned them.


-Also. Is it possible to have a tech that gives every single soldier a commendation? For example, you could lower the max hp and strength of all soldiers by 10 at the start of the game, and then when you take down the Red Dawn and get access to the stuff their enhancing their soldiers with you get a blanket bonus to all soldiers of +10 hp and strength, as now you're using the stuff.

[Arcalane]

I would hide them until they've been earned or researched, or possibly some combination of both; e.g. "common" commendations are always visible, but special ones like Hadriex' suggestion for soldier-boosts after doing Red Dawn stuff could be hidden until the relevant research is completed.

The story-arc commendations sound like a pretty neat idea too, and have a basis in reality to boot.

[X-Man]

It's awesome! I was wondering why didn't you include medals from Final Mod Pack, but this is more than I expected!

It's definitely should be the 3rd variant from voting. But I have a question... Will these perks add extra points within the limits of each stat or it could be possible to rise each stat above its limit? If it will be the first variant... well, I don't think this feature will have much sense, it would be better to add some medals, just for fun

[Solarius Scorch]

Thanks for the answers, guys. Some interesting ideas there, sadly most aren't possible at the moment. But feel free to go on, it's good feedback.
These bonuses do not count against the stat caps. But the caps will be lowered, and there will be other ways to boost them (like special treatments).
The bonuses are small, because there will be many of them. Otherwise I think it would railroad the game.

[TheCurse]

even lower? I don't get my guys over ~70 str/TU already... 
supposedly endgame they´re gonna be strong anyway.
are commendations each just once or repeated possible?
with lowered caps, is there any mechanic to compensate in early game?

awesome to have many commendations
can you tell us what is possible and what not, for more precise suggestions/feedback?

just for an idea, what about not lowering the caps, but increasing requirements / lowering acc for mid/lategame items?
e.g. you will hit just fine with an assault rifle. but that won't put a dent in a gazer and with plasma weapons you just need better aim/str.
then again, feels like that requires changing a lot of things, which usually means its the wrong way...
heh, makes me feel this´d be easier with fixed TU costs for stuff. there was a topic about it... but not gonna open that can again. 

[Solarius Scorch]

Commendations have 10 levels (increasingly hard to get), and each level grants some bonus (usually the same, but not always). Some special commendations only have one level (for example the one for having visited all regions).

Beyond what's already done, commendations can be assigned for:
- Killing or capturing specific enemies (like all aliens or just mutons)
- Using specific weapons (like all UAC weapons or just UAC Shotgun)
- Using specific damage types (like plasma)

The effects may include:
- Stat bonus
- Pool recovery bonus (like faster energy regeneration)
- night vision distance bonus

(That's off the top of my head, might have missed something.)

Sorry, I don't get your last paragraph... But it doesn't look directly related to commendations.

[TheCurse]

whoa, that gives a lot of opportunities...
hypothetical question: would it be possible to add another custom stat, that can be increased by commendations?
That way you could have "expert levels" at different weapons or weapon classes (if that stat is included in their bonus formula)

[X-Man]

Lowered caps... Well, I hope it WILL be compensated by bonuses, otherwise it will increase the difficulty on 'superhuman' even more than it is now. I can say that it will make planning of soldiers' promotion less predictable and this is not good at the highest difficulty. And I think that penalties from armours should be lowered too.

[Covenant]

Amazing idea, and you seem to already have the follow-through sensibly worked out (that the bonuses don't count against the stat-cap, for example).

Third option definitely seems best to me. Have most of the 'basic' ones' articles visible from the start - things like Night Owl, Stormtrooper, Ice Cold Killer, whatever you get for being shot at/hit a lot - and keep some of the higher end, or niche/surprising ones hidden until achieved. So the player already knows they'll get a reward of sorts for one guy killing two or three targets in one turn, but it's left for them to discover if there's a special reward for killing say, six in one turn. Or so they can come across things like 'Traitor'/'Turncoat' (I forget the name, the one where you accidentally kill a teammate) on their own. Which raises its own questions as to whether that would grant a bonus or a malus...

Anyway, great addition, I'm getting so impatient waiting for 1.0 now! The whole lower caps, more bonuses thing sounds like a great antidote to the grindiness that was previously a bit much in the early campaign, so yeah. Can't wait to play it!

[Dreams_Of_Cheese]

I think that commendations should be visible from the start of the game. Since they give stat bonuses, knowing what to do to get them from the start would let the player more effectively utilize them.

[Hadriex]

Random ideas:

Armsmaster: +1 ranged accuracy: Every 10 different ranged weapons you wield.
Armsmaster (melee): Same but for melee weapons.

Scars: Certain enemy attacks cause 'permanent' damage, bones that doesn't heal right, that sort of thing. Reducing stats. However, it is possible to heal these. (Possibly using refined humans, or by researching alien surgery.)

Hidden Talent: Awarded at random (maybe 1% chance per mission survived), each soldier can only have one hidden talent.

Death Seeker: Something in this soldier broke, they no longer feel fear, or at least, no longer react to it properly. (if you're able to alter fear so that the soldier attacks aggressively instead of the usual panic effects)

Adrenaline Junkie: Having low morale gives this soldier a boost to their stats.

First in Battle: Grants bonuses on the first turn. (such at starting with 10% extra time units beyond their max. But only on their first turn)