Create squads, assign roles within and choose deployment formations
V
Voland
While in Firaxis XComs you tend to have few troops (even in WotC there is no reason to have more than 12 active troops), and so you can remember each one of them, in PP with 3+ squads flying around I feel like it's the squads, not the individual soldiers who have most "personality".
It would be nice if the player could organize the soldiers into squads and give them names. Even nicer if it would be possible to:
- assign some roles within the squad, such as squad leader and second in command, and give them some abilities (for example, prevent panic when WP goes below 0, or boost psychic defense) and penalties if they die.
- choose a deployment formation, so that it would be possible to have the tanks and scouts in front, the snipers and grenade launchers in the back, etc., instead of the current random deployment.
Mike
Squads (with squad leaders) were awesome in the Long War 2 mod for Firaxis' Xcom 2. I'd really welcome squad mechanics in PP.
The squad or its members could gain some sort of affinity or squad XP while on mission. Making it so that squads working together more often would be more efficient in specific areas, whereas larger squads with rotating members would still benefit, but wouldn't quite work as efficiently together. This could provide some incentive to rotate whole squads instead of single members, when people get hurt or fatigued. Add onto this the vulnerability of small tight knit squads versus larger groups and you could have people receive negative traits as a result of losing a "high cohesion" comrade.
This could provide some interesting decisions, tactics, tools and problems for the player. A similar system could be applied to some more persistent enemy force or elite enemies. But that is a whole other topic.
Vit Barta
Florin Adrian
XCOM Apocalypse had/has that. But that game had a pausable real-time option and much bigger teams.
So I disagree, there is not much need of that for so few soldiers and Turn-Based only.
Nords H
Love this concept. Moving away from the Firaxcom 'hero' soldier idea where the strength and attachment to each individual soldier tends to promote save-scumming and defensive play because the player can't stand to lose anyone; instead attaching it to a squad would be a novel take. The idea of a squad leader to tie bonuses to and a massive will (morale) loss if KIA would be great!
Lani
Priests can already prevent panic. Don’t know how many are aware of this but it’s a valuable trait. I know your statement was an example, and I agree. One thing I really miss in this game is the closeness you get with the soldiers in XCOM. It has so much personality in the game. In PP I never could get that. I think more ability to personalize each soldier would help. The customization is very much lacking. Getting the Modding community involved may save this game. I quit playing it for awhile, so much needed to balance it. Taking the dash away as it was hindered much in gameplay. When crabs can take out your men with two hits, and the last patch further hinders the player, I just quit. I agree with the rollback of the rage burst, not the 50% aim though. 30 would have been sufficient. Well didn’t mean to ramble. Lol