I thought about adding a passive skill system into Xenonauts 2. The scenario below is what I had in mind, might obviously not be the perfect iteration of the idea.
The idea here is to not make super soldiers, but have distinguishable traits in the form of passive skills per soldier making them more attuned for certain roles and creating unique individuals enhancing the roleplaying and player care for soldiers. Further more these passive skills can make a soldier with overall bad ability point distribution, useful in some other way.
Passive skills will be received every second rank over the 6 available ranks, assuming Private, Corporal, Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain and Major are the ranks. On both Corporal and Lieutenant ranks a randomly selected passive skill would be allocated. Once Major is reached it improves the effect of the 2 previously received passive abilities.
Some passive skills as examples, descriptions might not be the best:
- Iron Lungs, increases the amount of TU’s available, crouching doesn’t take TU’s once Major.
- Eagle Eyed, can see one tile further, and increased to two once Major.
- Supreme Awareness, wider view cone applied on top of armour limitations, ignores armour limitations once Major.
- Quick Reload, decreases the TU’s required to reload, immediate reload once Major but drops the previous clip.
- Pack Donkey, items stored on belt weighs less, belt items weigh nothing once Major.
- Steady Hands, increases accuracy by a set amount, moving doesn’t influence aim accuracy once Major.
- Low Rider, increased defence from cover, negates half cover’s aim reduction once Major.
- Double Tap, any single shot ability has a chance to be fired twice, always fire twice as Major.
- Catlike Reflexes, increased reflex stats by a set amount, guaranteed reaction fire once Major.
- Bleeders Bleed, loses less health from bleeding, bleeding stops after one turn as Major.
- Band of Brothers, healing uses less from med-kits, healing heals back to full health as Major.
- Fisticuffs, melee does more damage by a set amount, melee stuns once Major.
- The list goes on...
These passive skills could be displayed in the UI as two small little blocks with icons left of the weapon for example, with a description once hovered over and greyed out if no passives are unlocked yet.
