Awards Order of Precedence

[ETR3(SS)]

This kinda clicked in my mind after getting a BSM and then getting a Navy COM. So I looked into the awards.txt for some more insight into this behavior and found an error. I also believe the order in which you recieve awards can be improved upon as well.

Per this Navy website: http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/support/uniforms/uniformregulations/Pages/AwardsOrderofPrecedence.aspx
the correct order for the medals ingame should be...

Medal of Honor
Navy Cross
Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Silver Star
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal
Purple Heart
Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medal.

Also the BSM and COM should have the V device added as they are awarded for combat related actions. I'll post a recommended change here once I think I have something that will work.

[strykerpsg]

While I understand this may bug some purists....the reality of one getting that many medals during a cruise is already on the absurd...

In reality, it's probably much like Afghanistan 11 and other games replicating this feat. They are displayed in the order they are received, not in the correct order of precedence. It's really not a big deal, aside from making one feel like they are part of a bigger campaign, but to earn upwards of 7-10 medals per patrol.....a huge stretch of artistic licensing.

Just my veterans opinion, others may vary of course.

[acur1231]

It is possible that during a war medals may be awarded very quickly to a submarine captain, given the likely very high loss rate of such subs and the fact that their have the ability to cause way more damage to the enemy than any single tank or plane can do.

[strykerpsg]

While I don't disagree that a sub's Commander can accrue a few medals on a single cruise, it would not be on the scale you witness in the game. Also, there would be battle streamers and ribbons adorned to the hull and crew, that would make more sense, and be more realistic, to add then nitpicking about precedence, in my opinion.

[Shaftoe]

This is a part of the issue I was talking about previously. If a campaign was longer, and thus missions frequency was less intensive, then the game (maybe) will be looking more realistic.

[Julhelm]

Some of the medals are given for individual combat actions, while others like the COM are given for cumulative (ie career results).

[Barinthus74]

I like the idea of getting medals, think it stems back to the 80's and microprose simulations. I do hope that when new Campaigns are released that you can continue a career over multiple campagins and gaining medals and maybe even ribbons were acheived less frequently and it would make you feel that you actually earned them as opposed to the current format where by random medals are awarded every couple missions.

[ETR3(SS)]

Originally posted by strykerpsg:

While I understand this may bug some purists....the reality of one getting that many medals during a cruise is already on the absurd...

In reality, it's probably much like Afghanistan 11 and other games replicating this feat. They are displayed in the order they are received, not in the correct order of precedence. It's really not a big deal, aside from making one feel like they are part of a bigger campaign, but to earn upwards of 7-10 medals per patrol.....a huge stretch of artistic licensing.

Just my veterans opinion, others may vary of course.

It's a small matter that's for sure, but an easy fix too. At the end of the campaign in the summary screen they are shown in order of precedence but divided between the combat and career awards. The amount per patrol is kinda out there, but with the way the awards system is you are essentially unlocking the medals through tonnage.

[ETR3(SS)]

Originally posted by acur1231:

It is possible that during a war medals may be awarded very quickly to a submarine captain, given the likely very high loss rate of such subs and the fact that their have the ability to cause way more damage to the enemy than any single tank or plane can do.

Using WWII submarines and their Captains as a guide, the amount of medals recieved was a lot less and wasn't raw tonnage based like the game.

Originally posted by Shaftoe:

This is a part of the issue I was talking about previously. If a campaign was longer, and thus missions frequency was less intensive, then the game (maybe) will be looking more realistic.

That still gives you the oppotunity for sinking ships and racking up the tonnage, thus giving you more medals still. Except for the career awards, those have a dual requirement.

Originally posted by Julhelm:

Some of the medals are given for individual combat actions, while others like the COM are given for cumulative (ie career results).

I noticed that when I looked into the file then, it actually had me take a step back to rethink what would be a good balance between the two.

Originally posted by merlin20674:

I like the idea of getting medals, think it stems back to the 80's and microprose simulations. I do hope that when new Campaigns are released that you can continue a career over multiple campagins and gaining medals and maybe even ribbons were acheived less frequently and it would make you feel that you actually earned them as opposed to the current format where by random medals are awarded every couple missions.

There's a system for getting the awards, it's pretty simple really and better than the Silent Hunter series in my opinion.

Originally posted by strykerpsg:

While I don't disagree that a sub's Commander can accrue a few medals on a single cruise, it would not be on the scale you witness in the game. Also, there would be battle streamers and ribbons adorned to the hull and crew, that would make more sense, and be more realistic, to add then nitpicking about precedence, in my opinion.

Agreed. Would be nice to see unit awards more often instead of the constant individual awards, and that's for any game. But I'm just looking at what can be easily fixed at the moment.

[ETR3(SS)]

So looking into this I found that there is the Presidential Unit Citation already in game, just no award criteria or image for it. Setting award criteria was easy and the game awards it properly, butt I can't seem to get a working image for it. Thoughts anyone?

[ETR3(SS)]

My proposed replacements for the COM, LoM, and DSM.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1165156502
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1165156604
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1165156700

[Irving Mainway]

Unit Awards, I like it.

[Julhelm]

The original concept for this was a paper with the citation on it, and Reagan would show up and thus give it to you, like the citations in the old GNBNA. In the end we just used medals instead and Reagan ended up in the 1984 campaign intro.

[ETR3(SS)]

I noticed that with the PUC when I re-activated it and tried it out. Reagan gave me my PUC in 1968.

[gspectre]

Considering how many Medals and Ribbons the Navy has (or had during the time frame of this Sim), it is a shame that it only awards a small number of them and only Medals. It would be nice if the Dolphin pin could be awareded like maybe after completing 10 missions or something.

As someone above brought up, I too would love for this sim to include several campaigns to serve, each with their own campain medal. Also, if the campaigns could follow your career, it would be great to see time in service awards like the Navy Good Conduct Medal maybe for each year of service (if this sim tracks dates).

Also, a view of a shadowbox with all awards and ratings, in order would be great.

http://www.navygirl.org/misc/Navy%20Ribbons.jpg

Did not notice, is the Captain the only person awarded anything or can the many crewmen earn them as well. I think in silent Hunter, the Captain awarded medals to the crewmen if achievements were earned. I'd just prefer the game just award them to the crewmen as they earned them and just show an announcent as they earned them. Something like:
"The following crewmen earned their Dolphin pin" or what ever medal and a different notice for each award, not for each crewman.