My current first contact besides precursors is peaceful, believe it or not.
Might be related to me not having found their home yet.
I did the same stalk them geo/grav surveys gig as well, lost them though.
Was hoping they'd lead me to new jumppoints or their base.
Anyhow, chasing precursor corvettes with mine now.
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How do you guys use medals?
I've found my upper echelon is full of survey geeks and teachers.
(peacetime got only the scientists and trainers gaining experience, also inferior craft killed most my fightingmen in a failed precursor action)
I'm now creating medals based on campaigns, such as the Kunming Star (25PPt) for participation in the precursor cleanup in Kunming system. Not sure if the support ships should get the ribbon too... maybe just the ships that have seen action.
I was planning on X personal kills medals, but it is hard to keep track which ship in a taskforce fired which shot... so that is unlikely to work. get xp for hitting stuff anyhow.
A medal for delivering the final hit that kills a spacebug queen would be cool.
(Need to paint a bug medal!)
Got a Survivors Cross (10PPt) for surviving ship destruction....maybe should be -10ppt to represent 'bad luck' stigma.
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edit: bastard precurses! Had a fleet of previously unseen big ships lurking, is decimating my cruiserflottilla with salvos of missiles and staying just outside my missile range. (Not to mention torpedo range) Caught me mid system and while reloading ammo as well.
Not happy with these guys. I'm gonna need increasing the value of the campaign ribbon. :/