Global lifespan modifier & promotions

[Lightning (OP)]

I'd love to see a lifespan modifier. Have it affect commander health,retirement,death,promotion. Unless you storyline a commander, it seems impossible for them to earn much in the way of medals if you use realistic promotions. If they have a longer lifespan/career, they can spend longer per rank/assignment to earn those high level achievements.

To go with this, maybe a way to modify how many of a lower rank is required before a promotion is available. Instead of taking 10 ensigns before promoting one to Lt(jg), a way to change so its 15 ensigns before promoting one for example... not sure off the top of my head what the current ratio is & I know it's out there cause I've seen it, but I think you get the idea. Or maybe add a minimum promotion points required for each rank in addition to number of lower ranked officers to trigger a promotion.

That top level commander should have a full salad on his chest, right now, with realistic promotions, that just doesn't seem to happen unless you storyline & micromanage.

Another thing that feels off, shouldn't all commanders on a ship get the credit for discovering a star system for example, and not just the ship captain? Or at the very least, those assigned to relevant jobs in addition to the commander

[Borealis4x]

One thing that bothers me is how Aurora starts counting commanders when they are already mid rank (LT. Commander, Major, etc) but they spawn in at 21.

Unless Steve plans for Aurora to eventually model junior officers as well (which I hope he will), they should be spawning in their mid 30s or early 40s.

[Father Tim]

I'd love to see a lifespan modifier. Have it affect commander health,retirement,death,promotion. Unless you storyline a commander, it seems impossible for them to earn much in the way of medals if you use realistic promotions. If they have a longer lifespan/career, they can spend longer per rank/assignment to earn those high level achievements.

To go with this, maybe a way to modify how many of a lower rank is required before a promotion is available. Instead of taking 10 ensigns before promoting one to Lt(jg), a way to change so its 15 ensigns before promoting one for example... not sure off the top of my head what the current ratio is & I know it's out there cause I've seen it, but I think you get the idea. Or maybe add a minimum promotion points required for each rank in addition to number of lower ranked officers to trigger a promotion.

That top level commander should have a full salad on his chest, right now, with realistic promotions, that just doesn't seem to happen unless you storyline & micromanage.

Another thing that feels off, shouldn't all commanders on a ship get the credit for discovering a star system for example, and not just the ship captain? Or at the very least, those assigned to relevant jobs in addition to the commander

I, too, would love a global lifespan modifier.

The ratio is 3-to-1 at lower ranks, 2-to-1 for the upper ranks.

It feels off because the medals window doesn't make it obvious the criterion isn't "discovered a star system" but rather "commanded the ship that discovered a star system."  It would be nice if there was also "science officer on the ship that discovered a star system" and so on.

[Ri0Rdian]

Moving the starting age to 30+ should be pretty straightforward I think. And people would generally have no problem with that. Promotions are actually not that hard to get and I believe it even mimics RL. During peace it is obviously problematic but as soon as war hits and you have medals set they can start earning a LOT of points which should lead to them quickly jumping 2-3 ranks.

I am more worried about general health (plus way too early retirement). Let me repost what I once said:

I am more worried about all the disasters that happen, all too often. The practical impact might be not as severe as retirement, but there is no way around it at all and I am simply finding it way too unrealistic at the moment. The second most common event after commander experience is always commander health update, and it is not that far behind it! I must have the unluckiest ever officer corps with them getting mauled or dying from choking on fish bones or getting run over by too eager newbie pilots. One would think military accepts only the very healthiest of the population. If that is so, I dread to think what is the state of the rest of my population, quarter of it will most likely not live long enough to see their 40th birthday! 


Health problems are too abound. I would like to see the current rate start at about 50yrs and ramp up somehow. Too many people developing god knows what at 28. And I believe I already read something about lifespan extension. Dunno whether a new tech would be needed or tacking in onto existing Biology one might suffice, if yes something like +3yrs lifespan to Infantry research should be enough (9 yrs in total for 3 researches, not even very expensive and 9 is plausible).

[serger]

Promotions are actually not that hard to get and I believe it even mimics RL. During peace it is obviously problematic but as soon as war hits and you have medals set they can start earning a LOT of points which should lead to them quickly jumping 2-3 ranks.

The problem is (for me) that I like slow start, with smth about 50 to 100 years of Sol system exploration and colonization, and only after that - "unexpected" discovery of Jump Theory, and though interstellar exploration, navy buildup and interstellar wars. And all this time I have to click "no promotion" on every new officer, because if I do not do it - the most ambitious of them tended to get flag ranks in their middle twenties with any plausible rank system.

[Malorn]

Have to say, biology needs more techs until racial boosts work again. Some medical tech would be quite interesting.

[liveware]

+1 for allowing different racial life spans. I want me some elvses.