Whoa! How does the medal system work?

[Javito1986 14]

I just received my first ever medal in OFF. And it's a big one..

 

 

 

How did the game decide I deserved -this-?!?! That's like the biggest medal the USA can give you! I would've thought maybe a Distinguished Service Cross or something but a CMH?????

[Olham 164]

Maybe they knew OFF's tough realism, and thought, better we give that guy the medal now - he will probably not last much longer anyway?

[Ratatat 0]

Oooh! Olham is right. That is a bad omen. I believe most of those were awarded posthumously. Your pilot should think of asking for some leave as soon as possible!

Edited November 15, 2010 by Ratatat

[Olham 164]

Naw - keep up the good work, and don't get nervous, Javito!

[Ratatat 0]

I was only kidding of course Javito! I forgot to add my smiley. Here it is!

 

By the way, since we're on the subject of medals, I received a second Iron Cross 2nd class last night. That's odd as well isn't it? Wouldn't the second medal received be the Iron Cross 1st class?

 

I guess uncleal covered this question already in his post. But historically speaking am I correct or no?

[RAF_Louvert 101]

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As I was the Clerk of Commendations for the old RB3D 209 virtual squadron for over four years I am rather a fan of the WWI medals and awards. However, as Uncleal has indicated, the current system in OFF is less than ideal, but it is being updated by Paarma and others on the dev team. That being said, your first US award would likely have been the Distinguished Service Cross, possibly with a bar or two, after which you may have been awarded the CMOH, (though very, very unlikely). Truth be told you would be lucky to have been awarded the first one along with a Croix de Guerre from the French and, if you were serving with Belgian forces, a Croix de Guerre from them as well. It's also possible the Brits may have handed you a Military Cross, (or Military Medal if you were an NCO), had you served with them, but that would likely be the extent of your awards as a flying doughboy on the Western Front.

 

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[Olham 164]

You wouldn't have got two times an "Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse", that's right, Ratatat.

But I have read here some time ago, that the Military Orders and Medals will be completely re-done for P4,

and from what I've seen, it will be phantastic, and hopefuly correct.

[Hasse Wind 46]

"A man will fight long and hard for a piece of coloured ribbon."

- Napoleon I

 

Yes, there will be a completely new and historically much more correct award system in P4. We'll just have to wait and see. For me it's not the most important improvement, but it certainly won't hurt immersion either.

 

One big difference between the British and German awards system is the concept of classes. A German couldn't receive the same decoration several times - he would receive a higher class of the same order, or a completely different award. But British awards, at least some of them, can be given multiple times, hence those bars added to a decoration. Another important difference for Imperial Germany was the political composition of the Reich. Germany was unified in 1871, but all the various states that joined together with Prussia (some eagerly, others not so) didn't cease to exist completely - they kept their royal dynasties, flags, coats of arms and also decorations. So during WW1 there was a system in place where a pilot could receive awards from various states of the German Reich. PLM was originally a Prussian order, and it became the most prestigious award in the Reich thanks to Prussia's great influence (without Prussia there wouldn't have been any Reich). But it certainly wasn't the only one, and I imagine some pilots may have given even more value to the highest award of their home state, if they were not from Prussia. An Oak Leaf (Eichenlaub) could be added to the PLM as recognition for truly extraordinary deeds, but this was extremely rare. Otto von Bismarck got one, and some of the best German generals.

[RAF_Louvert 101]

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Just as a point of interest for those newcomers who might not know this: You can go in and create your own corrected medal images if you like and swap them at the approprotate times in your pilot's dossier file. Here is Leutnant Ritter von Blum's current pilot log:

 

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

Lou

 

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[Dej 17]

I'd really love to see an update from Paarma on this matter. He posted some WiP a goodly while ago and it looked stunning then... any chance Devs?

 

Hmm? Please. Pretty please - with sugar on.