Officer Commanding

[Nia]

Maybe I'm suggesting an unnecessary complication, but shouldn't each Military squad have an officer in charge?
(it wouldn't work in real life without one would it?)
Nia

[Chris]

I think the Squad definition implies some sort of Squad Leader participation. Perhaps, instead of requiring yet another action (or order entry) to assign/change the leadership of a Squad, I would suggest giving Squads an Experience level.

1. Green - involved in less than 5 combat/security missions (no adjustment to to Accuracy/Evade)
2. Veteran - involved in 5 - 15 Combat or Security missions (+5% to Accuracy/Evade)
3. Crack - involved in 16 - 25 Combat missions (+15% to Accuracy/Evade)
4. Elite - anything over 25 missions. (+25% to Accuracy/Evade)

Chris

[Rak Ash'ir]

I agree with Chris

[Eric Moreau]

Chris is right that the Squads automatically have a leader. Usually the most skilled soldier is assigned the job when the squad is formed.

The idea of squads having experience levels is very interesting. I might just have to add that to the game.

[High Council]

1. Green - involved in less than 5 combat/security missions (no adjustment to to Accuracy/Evade)
2. Veteran - involved in 5 - 15 Combat or Security missions (+5% to Accuracy/Evade)
3. Crack - involved in 16 - 25 Combat missions (+15% to Accuracy/Evade)
4. Elite - anything over 25 missions. (+25% to Accuracy/Evade)

would it be possible to put troops in to some form of training academy to enable them to improve their 'rating' or will it have to be combat etc? (and how do you determine if a squad has 'come out' un scathed from a battle? would they not have lost men replaced by new troops fresh from the factory to learn from the more experienced soldiers?
and what if they were at a battlebut never actually took part?? (my head hurts now!)

[Strangetides]

You can build one of these. It was made available to us just recently, you may not have seen the post if you are new to the site.

Advanced Training Center
Resources: Iron = 600, Titanium = 800, Carbon = 300, Copper = 100, Silicon = 50, Synthetic-3 = 50, Electronics = 200
Build Time: 3 Turns
Build Cost: 800,000cr
Student Capacity: 50
An advanced training center that can provide additional training for Officers, Soldiers and Spies.
===============================================
Each Advanced Training Academy will cost you 150,000cr a month even if you do not have students enrolled. Ths is the cost to keep the Academy open. Then it will cost you 100,000cr a month for every student in training. The Academy can train 50 students at a time and the students will be tied up and not available for other duties. So make sure you don't need your people before you send them to the Academy. Each type of personnel can gain levels which will improve their performace. You cannot jump ahead levels, you must train the first level before you can move on to the second.

To send personnel to be trained you give the following command:
Command: Advanced Train
Details: Planet1 = (05/04) Officer13

alternatively:
Command: Advanced Train
Details: Planet1 = (05/04) Squad1

alternatively:
Command: Advanced Train
Details: Planet1 = (05/04) 10 Spies

Officers:
When you train an Officer to a higher rank then every time he receives Respect for something the bonus is applied.
Levels:
- Experienced = 3 Turns to Train, Respect Bonus = 15%
- Adept = 4 Turns to Train, Respect Bonus = 30%
- Veteran = 4 Turns to Train, Respect Bonus = 50%
Soldiers:
There must be enough room for the whole squad on the planet's training centers.

- Skilled = 3 turns to train, +1 Evade, +10 Health, +1 Accuracy
- Experienced = 3 turns to train, +1 Evade, +10 to Health, +1 Accuracy
- Hardened = 4 Turns to train, +2 Evade, +15 Health, +2 Accuracy
- Veteran = 4 Turns to train, +2 Evade, +15 Health, +2 Accuracy
- Warrior = 5 Turns to train, +3 Evade, +20 Health, +3 Accuracy
Spies:
The bonuses acquired at each level do not stack, when you move to a new level the new level bonuses are used and the old ones are thrown away.
- Experienced = 4 Turns to train, +15% Escaping Detection, +10% Mission Success, +20% Hiding
- Adept = 4 Turns to train, +25% Escaping Detection, +15% Mission Success, +30% Hiding, +5% Combat
- Elite = 4 Turns to train, +35% Escaping Detection, +20% Mission Success, +40% Hiding, +10% Combat

Eventually I plan to add the ability to train Crew and Scientists but these require a little more work than I have time for right now.
=======================================================
Now seeing as soldiers can now be get advanced training, I'm going to add additional commands for handling Squads.
First we must note that when we disband a squad that has received advanced training the soldiers will be added to pools. These pools will be listed on the Military Reports. Now we need to have the Recruit command modified a bit if we want to recruit advanced soldiers:

Command: Recruit
Details: Planet1 = (02/04) 10 Squad Name using Adept

Notice the level name of the soldier to recruit from is listed. If you just want to recruit regular soldiers don't include the end part.