Psi-op: leveling up, Fortress & Bastion questions

[frdnwsm]

OK, Fortress is a nice sounding perk; who wouldn't want immunity to fire, poison, explosion and acid? But there seems to be some confusion about it's upgrade, Bastion. I'm also a bit puzzled by their leveling up process.

1) It takes longer to level up a psi-op trooper. They need to go on combat missions to level up, and then have to spend time training their new abilities. I could easily live with that, but in addition, their more powerful abilities seem to be assigned at random. Is there a setting or mod that lets me choose these myself? A random crap shoot for abilities could easily have me wind up having invested a significant amount of time into a psionic trooper with relatively weak skills.

2) Do those soldiers under this protective "umbrella" gain the same immunity (fire, etc.) as the psi-op? Another reference seems to suggest that what their comrades get is in fact solace, and not those other immunities.

3) In either case, is there any setting or mod that will make this area of effect visible? Right now, it seems that there is no way to see which troopers are actually affected by this protection. Clicking on a soldier, even when immediately adjacent to the psi-op with that ability, reveals no hint of them being protected in any way.

4) If I am unhappy with a psi-op soldier's abilities, does the retraining option give him new psionic skills, or is this process just for physical ones?

[Sarger]

1) As always, good question and i go searching. https://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php/Psi_Operative_(LW2)
As we can see on the scheme in the bottom of the page there are skills that always available, upgrades and top ones that have prerequisites. So it is not a problem to get the build you want.
Fuse, Null lance and Void Rift are great damage dealers, I never saw domination myself though, but will try to get it.

2) They do. Excellent decoy for all sorts of AoE attackers, Mechs, rocketeers, grenadiers and andromedons with mutons. Just sit around PsiOp and laugh. Also bastion disable fire/acid effect on soldier if he come in protective area or PsiOp run closer to cover him and even if there is fire lake around PsiOp anyone can run around within are of effect hurtless.

3) Protection area border is visible, but barely. I'm able to see it though, it is border circle and all area inside of indigo color. it is 4 tiles radius. Not sure if it related to Bastion but also there are some indigo flashes on soldiers err... hard to express.

4) Never tried it myself, i also though it is random lol. But anyway just imagine how much time it will take taking into account that MSGT takes 32 days to retrain, and PsiOp need time to get perks back. It is easier to raise some rookies and start to shape him as you like. Any 20+ rookie will fit i think.

[frdnwsm]

Hmm, OK thanks. I'll try looking a bit more closely to see if I can spot that border. And it's good to know that the psi-operative's skills aren't totally random. I have bookmarked that page for future reference.

Yet ANOTHER damned chart to refer to! Grrr!