Solar Devils ERT [PvE Marines]

[Steelpoint]

About the pull request

In marking the merger of the PvP and PvE servers under a single banner, this PR sets to celebrate that by the addition of the 'Solar Devils' battalion as a (currently admin only) Emergency Response Team. The Solar Devils are similarly well equipped and trained as they appear in PvE.

This PR also adds some content from the PvE server to enhance the appearance of the Solar Devils to better fit their appearance, such as a battalion patch sprite.

These squads will spawn with, depending on if they are a half or full squad, 4 Riflemen, 2 Smartgunners, 2 Team Leaders, 1 Platoon Corpsman and 1 Platoon Leader. The Platoon Leader will only spawn with the 'Full Squad' ERT.

The squad are all armed with M41A Mk1's.

---

In terms of function. This PR adds two distress calls for admins to use, a Half-Squad and Full Squad deployment of either 5 or 10, respectively, Solar Devil Marines. They spawn with some unique equipment, and they all possess increased skills.

Explain why it's good for the game

Show of comradeship, and a small easter egg of the PvE server in PvP.

Testing Photographs and Procedure

Changelog

🆑
add: In observance of the merger of the PvP and PvE servers of CM-SS13. The 'Solar Devils', the USCM battalion that appear in the PvE server, have been added as an admin only Emergency Response Team.
add: The Solar Devils are highly trained and well equipped by Marine standards, they will also spawn as part of their own squad.
imageadd: A 'Solar Devils' uniform patch accessory has been added.
/:cl:

[sunofang]

We're so back, PVE bros.

But in all seriousness, why is the distress call admin-only?

[Steelpoint]

We're so back, PVE bros.

But in all seriousness, why is the distress call admin-only?

Its easier to have something added if it does not affect the core-gameplay loop, furthermore this will not dilute the ERT pool further. If the power's that be judge this worthy of being in the main hijack loop I'll accede, even if I have to nerf their equipment.

[Merrgear]

Hi, gods gift to pve, literally the coolest gm ever here, you didnt give them spec buck and instead gave them the RA no one uses, marked for death

In all seriousness tho i think this is a cool little reference admins can throw, but id not be too in support of standardizing it for a couple reasons
1, It kind of adds to the illusion that the Sun Riders on the GArrow are better than the avg marine if they are in here rocking the improved skills and spawned on a regular basis, as if they were added to normal ERT. PVP refugees already struggle a bit with this cause they are used to the less lore accurate skillset
2, The RA being in gunny's hands, ESPECIALLY only him being trained to use it is something we have been trying to fight since it was introduced, it is not the gunny weapon, gunny is not for combat, gunny is supposed to issue it out, would make sense moreso as in a random rfm's hands than gunny. also wall piercing ammo would be much more accurate than the incind and normal mags, since thats the RA's gimmick (along with a stun but that wont transfer without code)
3, Smartgunners in pvp are so wimpy compared to PVE and rock different IFF, it would serve to further confuse players who come from pvp and go "well the ERT has it like that!!!!"

and the worst sin of all......its a platoon not a squad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! marked for death in pve discord await your judgement

[Steelpoint]

@Merrgear

It is worth taking into consideration I've somewhat moulded the squad within a balance framework of the PvP environment it is going to find itself playing in.

Whilst I appreciate that there are far more differences to a PvE versus PvP marine that this PR doesn't really touch, but I have neither the skills nor the time to make those differences far more pronounced than what is in the PR.

Nonetheless I will take your feedback in consideration and re-theme it that the Platoon Squad Leader won't spawn with a custom M4RA. At this stage I'll simply make all the Marines spawn with a M41A Mk1. I can not really buff the Smartgunner since that would require a lot of code work to implement the PvE SG mechanics for 1 role, same goes for the sentry guns the TL's spawn with.

[cm13-github]

This pull request has conflicts, please resolve those before we can evaluate the pull request.

[Kaga-404]

Fun celebratory easteregg ERT, I like it.

Only one correction comes to mind at a first glance, which stems from PVE building on outdated unit structure charts, the 'USCM 2nd Division, 3rd Battalion' mentions.

Keeping it short, the USCM is organized into four Combat Divisions, split between 3 Marine Space Forces in cooperation with the USASF. 1st and 2nd belong to Sol, 3rd is Eridani, and 4th is Herculis, which includes the Almayer.

It's fine if they're from the 2nd CD since that also explains why they're better equipped, but below the Combat Divisions are the Regiments, then the Battalions, then a somewhat fuzzy composition of flexible Companies, Platoons, Squads, and Fireteams that vary between individual battalions, ships, and units.

For reference, the Almayer normally would have 2 companies, each made up of 4 squads/platoons. I'll leave the specifics of how the Golden Arrow is arranged up to you, but at least the 'Division, Battalion' layout should be corrected. The easiest change would be just sticking a regiment number in there ('USCM 2nd Combat Division, Xth Regiment, 3rd Battalion') but if you want to go more detailed then by all means.

[cm13-github]

Conflicts have been resolved. A maintainer will review the pull request shortly.

[Steelpoint]

Denoted changes made to better bring lore in-line with PvE.

[Kaga-404]

Gave a grammar pass and fixed up the remaining unit stuff, should be good to go on the description and writing sides unless there's any questions

[Blundir]

find a replacement for the patch sprite, current one looks messy

[Steelpoint]

Replacement patch sprite added, thanks to @Blundir
Fixed up sentencing as noted as well.

[Blundir]

sprites look good

[Steelpoint]

I'd be interested in allowing a half-squad to spawn as a ERT distress call but I'll leave the PR as is, unless the power's that be decide otherwise.

[cm13-github]

This pull request has conflicts, please resolve those before we can evaluate the pull request.

[Steelpoint]

Issues attended to.

[cm13-github]

Conflicts have been resolved. A maintainer will review the pull request shortly.

[Steelpoint]

Removed leftover concepts.

addressed