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Commander - this is the supreme leader of X-COM forces - there is
only one Commander. If there are at least 30 soldiers the best
available Colonel will be promoted.
It does not automatically follow that the higher the rank the better the
soldier, although this will tend to be the case.
3.2.4.1 The Effect of Rank
When officers accompany a mission then the morale of all the soldiers
will be boosted and they will be less susceptible to panic. The higher
the rank of the officer, the better the effect on the soldier’s morale.
Note: If an officer is killed during a mission it will have a worse effect on morale
than if a rookie had been killed.
3.2.4.2 Mission Experience
When soldiers return from a mission then their abilities may be
increased. For a skill to benefit from experience it must be used during
combat as much as possible. For example, if a soldier uses a rifle many
times then accuracy is likely to improve. Reactions, accuracy, Time
Units, throwing accuracy, psionic skill, health, strength, fitness and
bravery all benefit from mission experience.
3.2.4.3 Morale
At the start of each mission each soldier's morale starts at 100%. This
will decrease when a soldier is wounded or if fellow soldiers are killed. It
will recover if a soldier successfully kills aliens. The decline in morale is
reduced by a soldier's
Bravery rating - the more brave a soldier is, the
less likely he/she is to panic.
3.2.4.4 Panic
When morale falls the likelihood of panic increases. When a soldier
panics one of three things can happen:
A. The soldier freezes, and can do nothing for the current turn (i.e.
he/she will have no Time Units).
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UFO Manual E3 for PDF 2/21/97 6:44 PM Page 94
