Promotions?

[Jorma]

In campaigns, sometimes there is something in the cutscenes saying that by winning the upcoming battle I may improve my chances for a promotion. After 27 wins and 3 draws, I had not received a single promotion.

How do I become a colonel in the game? Or gain any type of new rank for my HQ leader? I would like to start a new campaign in which my only goal would be to gain the highest possible rank. Any advice?

[Mobhack]

Special battles come up now and then.

You get better VP from them, if you win, or the ratio for a decisive battle is lower. You don't get any chance to repair or refit any units though beforehand.

It is an extra battle, over the 20 or 40 or whatever you assigned at the campaign start.

I just decline these special battles, even if the core isnt too badly bent.

The A0 does not get especially promoted - maybe SSI originally planned to do this for the SP DOS games (they had fields in there for "reputation" IIRC, not used by anything and we probably have used the bytes for something else.) The game does silently promote the rank of leader (0) units, e.g. a sniper sergeant may end up as a captain, but the rank itself is not really reflective of much other than that he is a veteran, as is more clearly shown by his experience status badge.

About the only way to do what you propose would likely be have the A0 changed to a tank unit and get him stuck into the general combat and rack up the kills without ever dying (since dead A0 is end of campaign).

[DRG]

There IS code in there to "// CALCULATE LEADER PROGRESS TOWARDS PROMOTION" but the last actual full campaign I played was about 1997 so IDK if the current code uses it.....

EDIT........... did find a string that mentions "LEADER PROMOTED\n" in the code but we can investigate this winter

IN THE MEANTIME ...... I know there are players who mainly play campaigns so if they have seen the "LEADER PROMOTED" message let us know

[whdonnelly]

Never had a leader promoted, I honestly only care about the experience stats.

[DRG]

Originally Posted by whdonnelly

Never had a leader promoted, I honestly only care about the experience stats.

And AFAIK that is the only thing that affects gameplay. A Captain does not get added benefits over a Lieutenant just because he's a Captain

[Mobhack]

EXP is the main thing that effects the game and you already get a notice at the end of a campaign game if a unit levels up to average, veteran etc.

(Units gain morale and rally stats as they progress along a campaign as well, and sometiimes a "promotion in rank" if a leader (0 unit) say from sgt to lt. - but that rank is just another string, and it has no outward effect. Just means he has survived a while!. But all that is done silently bar the level ups in EXP. You would need to examine each and every unit's stats page and keep your own paper records if that was your "thing".

A special battle gives you one more battle in the series, played at the last batloc - so your units can gain a bit more exp as the campaign has now added 1 more battle to do so in. Special battles may hand out the "cookies" less stingily as well (i.e. you get a %age more EXP earned). Been twenty years since I ever played one, and likely as long since I looked at the SSI code (if ever).

But I do not like to play with a damaged force, so I avoid. If there is a choice then I skip it, if it is mandatory then I go to the next game point at which I can exit and then reload the save I took at last battle's end.

[Jorma]

Originally Posted by DRG

..

EDIT........... did find a string that mentions "LEADER PROMOTED\n" in the code but we can investigate this winter

Thank you, DRG, I would like to know if there is a conclusive and definite answer.

[DRG]

I would say at this time the conclusive and definite answer is there is code that deals with promotion but it was never pursued beyond that and never activly made it to the game. In other words, it's dead-end code.

There is only one message that mentions it and that is a full copy of the one in SP2 and has now been re-written to mention what can happen.........gaining experience, rather than what does not ( units promoted )

Your force has been ordered to stop an enemy counter attack. Use every means
available to keep the objective areas. Your commanders will be unable to
supply much support or allow you time to rebuild your force. Victory in a
battle like this will improve your chance to increase your leaders experience rating.

You are the first and only person to point out that inconsistency in the 20+ years we've been doing this

[Jorma]

What if I just use the editor to make myself a colonel in a campaign. Would that be considered cheating?

[Mobhack]

No,since it affects nothing other than the title your unit gets.