Aliens: Dark Descent: How To Remove Negative Traits

Aliens: Dark Descent is a squad-based tactical RTS from Tindalos Interactive and Focus Entertainment set within the iconic Aliens universe. Gameplay largely centers around the micromanagement of a squad of Colonial Marines as they try to quell an unexpected Xenomorph outbreak on the planet Lethe. In addition to combat and exploration in the game's semi-open world levels, players will also have the chance to customize their individual troops from the Barracks aboard the Otago.

Each Marine will have their own unique Class, Perks and Personality Traits. Unfortunately, all personality traits are negative, and even worse ones can befall Marines if they suffer increased Stress to the point of reach a Trauma Level. Each of these will provide a different debuff to the affected Marine, and can make them considerably less effective in combat if not addressed properly. Fortunately for players, there are several ways in which it is possible to cure Marines of these afflictions and optimize them for battling Xenomorphs.

Personality Traits

All Marines have their own Personality Traits which they acquire upon recruitment aboard the Otago. These traits can give penalties to the individual Marine or to the entire squad whenever they are deployed. The list of Traits is as follows:

Coward: The Marine's Bravery is reduced by 2 per Aggressiveness Level.
Clumsy: Alien Detection Time is reduced by 10%.
Gloomy: When the Marine reaches the Anxious Stress step and as long as the squad is undetected, each other Marine takes 0.1 Stress Damage every second.
Bad Attitude: All Marines in the squad start the deployment with 20% Stress.
Poor Health: The Marines Consumes 1 Medical Supply during Rest.
Kleptomaniac: When returning from a deployment, the Marine steals 20 Supplies from the Otago.
Tense: When firing, the Marine consumes 1 more Ammo per burst. Additional bullets always miss.
Undisciplined: The Marines start each deployment with the Disobedient stress effect. For every 2 Disobedient Marines in the squad, Command Points will be reduced by 1.
Rebel: The Marine is not effected by the Reprimand skill.
Heavy Heart: Trauma cannot be removed even by the Otago's Psychiatric Care Unit.
Stubborn: When the Marine levels up, attributes are randomly selected.
Bad Luck: The Marine earns 1 less XP on deployment to a minimum of 0XP.
Conspirator: The Stress relieved by each Marine during Rest is reduced by 10 Points.
Bully: Everyone in the squad with a lower level than the Marine will take 0.1 Stress Damage per second if the squad is undetected.
Rusty: The Marine always becomes Exhausted at the end of deployment.
Brawler: During Rest, another random Marine will suffer 1 Health Point damage. The damage is prevented if the Marine has the Medical Assisstant attribute.
Unfit: The Marine has 1 less Health Point (does not affect Armor Points).
Poor Sight: The marine's accuracy is reduced by 10%
Weak: Reduce the Marine's Ammo Clip capacity by 1.
Jinx: With each burst, the Marine's weapon has a 0.5% chance of jamming.

While none of these traits are desirable, some are certainly worse than others, but they can be removed when a Marine is promoted if the Redemption attribute is available. This will remove the negative trait from the Marine.

Trauma

Aliens Dark Descent Psychiatric Care Unit

Another element which is likely to affect the psychology and therefore performance of Marine's in the field is the accumulation of Stress, resulting in Trauma. There are three main stages to Stress build up in Aliens: Dark Descent, these are: Anxious, Panicked and Terrified. With each level, the affected Marine will develop one of the following Trauma debuffs:

Depressive: The Marine starts every mission with additional Stress Damage.
Pyrophobia: Each time the Incineration skill is used or an Oil Puddle is set on fire, the Marine takes Stress Damage.
Borderline: The Stress Relieved by the Marine when using Naproleve or resting is increased, but all Stress Damage is also increased.
Hypochondriac: If the squad has no Medical Supplies, the Marine will suffer Stress Damage every second.
Claustrophobia: When Resting in a Shelter, the Marine's Stress no longer decreases.
Paranoid: If the squad has more than 3 active Marines, the Marine takes Stress Damage.
Hematophobia: The Marine takes Stress Damage each second whenever a member of the squad suffers a Hemorrhage.
Anthrophobia: The Marine takes Stress Damage whenever they see a human enemy.
Obsessive: Increases the time required to Reload.
Robophobia: The Marine takes Stress Damage each second when seeing a Synthetic (ally or enemy).
Xenomorphobia: The Marine takes Stress Damage each second when seeing a Xenomorph.

To cure these, the Marine will have to spend time out of action in the Otago's Psychiatric Care Unit and assigned a personal doctor. Equally, whilst in the field, players can use Medical Supplies and Naproleve to temporarily combat Stress build up.