72 replies to this topic

[Ki-tat Chung]

i have a mix of all except for bomberman. and ML, rookies have so litle TU that if i put a heavy plas on him, he can only walk 5 paces!

[NKF]

But, according to the data files, the heavy plasma is just as heavy as the standard X-Com rifle. Your rookies shouldn't be encumbered at all.

- NKF

[Ki-tat Chung]

u sure?

[NKF]

I'm positive.

The rifle and the heavy plasma are also the same weight as the laser rifle, the heavy and incendiary rocket and even the psi-amp.  

- NKF

[bevan]

well i strap a high explosive or 2 to the crappy rookies chest and give them a laser pistol and make em run at the enemy while the vets stay in the ship mind controlling and the better rookies play sniper

[Rattler]

I weed out the weak. Those that suck at aiming or panic easily or get MCed easily(not sure if panic and MCed fall under the same thing) are cut. End of story.

But if they make it, and if I start liking them then they're one of the guys.
My main squad is tipically made up of the best of the best. All are Captians and up. All have fantastic aim and almost all are have very high psy strength/skill. Every other squad is of lower ranks with 2 people that were just barly cut from the main squad(mainly due to room in skyranger/avenger) lead the squad to make sure everything goes according to plan.

[NKF]

Panicking easily is a function of your bravery stat. The better bravery you have, the less morale drain you have whenever something bad happens to one of your troops. Poor bravery does not mean the soldier has poor psi-strength. If the soldier panicks, the soldier gets a chance to boost the bravery stat by 10 points by the end of the mission. But if the soldier has poor psi-strength, high bravery isn't going to help you against the psionic panic attacks.

As for seiving soldiers: I always say to myself -- poor stats can be trained. Psi strength cannot.  Besides, if your soldier cannot perform something very well, then the soldier may be more suited to a slightly different combat role.

- NKF

[BreakMage]

So, I could technically get a Psi-Amp and panic my own units to boost their bravery stat?

[NKF]

If you could target your own non-mind-controlled units with the psi-amps, then I guess it's theoretically possible. Otherwise it isn't. You could disarm an ethereal or a sectoid leader/commander and stick it in a room with a few unarmed soldiers and leave them alone for a while. But if their psionic skill just cannot match your psi-strength -- well, your soldier's too good to panic.

But then again -- if you play well, low bravery stats becomes less of a problem. High ranking officers also help reduce morale loss.

- NKF

[Hankosha]

simple: rookies get lots of grenades. and only grenades.(walking bomb.)

[The Demi-Godly One]

How humaine.

[NKF]

Heh, I usually do the same, but I call them grenadiers, and arm them with a pistol or laser pistol. While the veterans can shoot a pinhead from across the map accurately, my rookies can turn a farm building inside out.

- NKF

[The Demi-Godly One]

You can just feel the love.  :inlove:

[Bomb Bloke]

I treat rookies as one of the crowd. I've played to many games to not know what an NPC is, but I don't sacrifce a troop, as they might be useful later on. Even a weak psi troop is dead useful on an Etheral mission.

[ignore my tentacles]

I'm a strong advocate of the trial by combat approach myself. In the absence of pain sticks, the troops have got to prove their worth through actual battle-craft. I use 'em as Snipers, Medics, Grenadiers and assault troops. All have Personal Armour to begin with, otherwise that would be just plain mean. Promotion to squaddie nets you a Power suit. Sergeant and above wins you the 'Magic Floating Armoured Tank-top'.

Depending on the total no. of troops I'm commiting to an operation, I send 4-6 Rookies, all wearing a white bandanna and sipping from small porcelain  cups of sake. As they leave the landing craft they turn to the C.O. and say "We, who are about to die in a cynical and callous attempt to draw that final sectoid from his lair, salute you." If 75% of the rookies die horribly, but the rest level up- it's worth it in my book.

[bevan]

kamikaze troops work, give em a stun rod and a few grenades and send em hunting

[The Demi-Godly One]

Is it really worth it to do that? I mean that's a pretty expensive way to get rid of enemies.

[bevan]

my snipers pick off the rest of the aliens to save the kamikaze. An alien corpse and the artefacts can buy a soldier and the equipment he needs and still save some money

[The Demi-Godly One]

What if the soldier gets shot before he reaches the enemy? Then he won't be able to do a kamikaze. I I don't think the kamikaze would work well against mutons, they are just too tough.

[bevan]

yeah, but the fireworks are a lot better than if you just fire them