Get their heads out of their arses at HQ!

[Stygian]

3 of my last 4 rookies I got from headquarters had 10 Bravery! I sacked them all immediatedly! What gives? Each recruit's screening sheet from basic training clearly has this information available, yet some clown at headquarters continuously sends me low-bravery units. I do not command a social-service agency. I do not hold classes and touchy-feely grope-fests to help units get over their parent's divorce, overcome a fainting spell at the sight of blood, stop the nightmares of their squadmate's painful dismemberment, or shut out the sound of the sergent's screaming death.

 

My money doesn't grow on trees! I can keep them and use UGE to hack them up to--say 30 Bravery, but I think this is cheating. Still, if my goal is to not have any unit go out on the field with less than 30 Bravery, and I'm not hacking FA, TU, STR, or RE, would the purist consider this to be a horrible infraction? I'm just trying to save some money. (The first time I played this game 10 years ago or so I ruined the gaming experience by using UGE to hack my money to the point where I didn't have to practice economics; it made it unchallenging very quickly; I don't want to do the same)

[Zombie]

Well, you could say the same thing about other soldier stats too. Why do initial recruits have such a large range (31) for Stamina, Reactions, FA and TA? Why do some soldiers have 0 for Psi Strength when that stat goes all the way up to 100? The point here is that the game randomizes stats to make each soldier an individual and not some nameless, faceless, or mindless drone/clone. How interesting would it be if everyone was the same? It also adds another strategic element to the mix of soldier management. Soldiers cost money to hire and keep as you found out. You have to pay the price if you want a better one: hire another soldier.

 

Rarely do I ever dump a recruit due to low bravery. Once I get armor later in the game, bravery becomes a non-issue since soldiers can't panic if soldiers don't die. Also, protection against alien psionic panic attacks is best achieved through psionic training and not high bravery scores. Up until I get these abilities or items, I just take what I get.

 

- Zombie

[BladeFireLight]

My bet is the HR person at HQ is probably pocketing the signing bonus and seding you bums off the street and kids who graduated from hight school only because the teachers didnt want to ruin there self-asteam.

 

Either that or the funding nations are just beeing stingy and keeping the best for them selves.

 

I agree with zombe play the hand your delt. Just dont send all the wimps on the same skyranger.

 

-Blade FireLight

[Bomb Bloke]

In Apocalypse, this matter was addressed by allowing you to hand pick your crew from a small selection of soldiers. UFO just wasn't that complex.

 

Bravery is one of the stats I care least about. Given that panic attacks are the main cause of panicking, a high spi strength is much more valuable to me. And given that there's no way of knowing that prior to screening a trooper in your base, I quite happily accept any soldiers that I hire.

 

Every soldier has his use, as a decoy if nothing else.

[NKF]

I'm the same as the others. Use what you've got. The results may astonish you. Bravery is only 1 of many skills that make up your soldiers. With the exception of psi strength, think of your soldiers as a whole - not as a stat. Once you know their ability to defend against psionics, then decide to sack - or reassign them to a less interesting occupation.

 

Keep your soldiers alive, and if you do lose any, defeat a few aliens to balance your morale. Keep your high ranking commanders well away from the action so that they can reduce overall morale loss. If you are being attacked with panic attacks, a high morale only gives you a few extra chances before your morale is broken. Even with max bravery, once your morale broken, you're not going to get back up again too easily unless you defeat a lot of enemies or defeat the enemy psi user

 

- NKF

[Hobbes]

Just dont send all the wimps on the same skyranger.

 

Please don't call them that.....it really hurts their self-esteem.

 

 

And remember.....courage handicapped soldiers are as human as the other ones: they can improve ourselves if we give them the right conditions and encouragement ("the enemy is that way: here's a stun rod")

[uriaheep]

When this happens to me it seems to be at the satellite bases rather than the HQ (i.e. first base).

 

Just as if the HQ gets the best men. I quite like it though, it gives the troops a more realistic feel.