Hello Everyone,

Me and @Steg_DarkhorseSteg_Darkhorse have been thinking about allowing certain rank-lowering items for the PSNK and NO TRACES categories. This thread will serve as both a poll and discussion topic. This discussion came up in part due to how the board currently has runs that conflict with the listed rules (i.e.: PSNK does not allow the use of anything rank restricting, but bombardments have been used in runs and do not break the PSNK bonus. The Parasite Suit is listed as banned for NO TRACES because of rank restrictions, but the mist parasites does not lower your rank and has been used in NO TRACES runs).

In order to clear up what is and isn't allowed while also keeping to the community wishes, we'd like to invite runners to give their opinions on some of these potential changes and clarifications. Please note that depending on how this discussion goes, SOME RUNS MAY BE REMOVED FROM THE IL LEADERBOARD. Please keep that in mind.

Here's a list of all rank-lowering items:

Uniforms:
- SV-Sneaking Suit (Grade 6), or greater;
- Sneaking Suit (Grade 6), or greater;
- Battle Dress (Grade 6), or greater;
- Sneaking Suit (NS) (Grade 6), or greater;

(every uniform increases it's defense by "1" every Grade from the 6th. Battle Dress increases it's defense by "1" every Grade from the 3rd.)

Items:
- Stealth Camo.PP (Grade 3), or greater;
- Stealth Camo (Grade 6);
- Parasite (Camouflage) (Grade 4), or greater;
- Flare Grenade (Grade 3), or greater; (throwing a Flare Grenade will break NO TRACES.)

Helicopter:
- Air Support; (can, and probably will, kill soldiers breaking both PSNK and NO TRACES.)

Fire Support:
- Bombardment; (if used against vehicles it will not count as a kill, meaning you can attain the PSNK bonus with (for example) the Episode 41 Any% strat.)
- Smoke;
- Sleeping Gas;
- Chaff;
- Weather Modification; (Weather Modifications such as Sandstorms will prevent you from attaining S-Rank, but you are still able to achieve the PSNK bonus with them; note that, if a "natural" Sandstorm happens during a mission it will not break NO TRACES nor restrict your rank; note also that, the Parasite Mist item achieves a similar effect as sandstorm - without the noise covering - but it does not restricts your rank to a A-Rank; note also that, Rain has the ability to temporarily stun Skulls and Quiet. both versions of the Metallic Archaea and Code Talker missions only allow for weather modifications in-mission, but both versions of Quiet's fight allows for pre-mission weather modifications.)

(all types of Bombardments breaks NO TRACES.)

Buddy Equipment:
- F-Ballista (Grade 5), or greater; (using the fulton ballista breaks NO TRACES.)

The polls where separated by item type and category. Meaning you could vote for certain items being allowed for PSNK and, at the same time, banned for the NO TRACES category. (The Items mentioned in this list are the same mentioned on the list above.)

Uniforms:
- allow all Uniforms for PSNK;
- allow only the Battle Dress for PSNK;
- allow only the Sneaking Suits for PSNK;
- allow only +3 defense Sneaking Suits for PSNK;
- ban all Uniforms for PSNK; (as is)

- allow all Uniforms for NO TRACES;
- allow only the Battle Dress for NO TRACES;
- allow only the Sneaking Suits for NO TRACES;
- allow only +3 defense Sneaking Suits for NO TRACES;
- ban all Uniforms for NO TRACES; (as is)

Items:
- allow all Items for PSNK;
- ban all Items but the Flare Grenade for PSNK;
- ban all Items for PSNK; (as is)

- allow all Items but the Flare Grenade for NO TRACES;
- ban all Items for NO TRACES; (as is)

Air Support:
- allow Air Support for PSNK;
- ban Air Support for PSNK; (as is)

- allow Air Support for NO TRACES;
- ban Air Support for NO TRACES; (as is)

Fire Support:
- allow all types of Fire Support for PSNK;
- allow some types of Fire Support for PSNK; (please elaborate)
- ban all types of Fire Support for PSNK; (as is)

Buddy Equipment:
- allow the F-Ballista for PSNK;
- ban the F-Ballista for PSNK; (as is)

Vote here! https://strawpoll.gg/poll_set/my-poll-set-102

We appreciate your time and contributions! If any clarification is needed just leave a comment.

Definitely allow all uniforms for PSNK. not all for NO TRACES, given how you would just be able to tank Extreme Sally and Skulls with the highest grade uniforms, so only the +3 defense ones.

Can't say I'm a fan of allowing the downright broken stealth camos, so that's a no no. But I think it would be fun messing around with the flares for PSNK.

Air Support is kinda dumb, simply calling Pequod to and LZ has the same affect and doesn't break the PSNK or NO TRACES bonuses. So for me Air Support is a no for both.

In regards to allowing certain Bombardments for PSNK. I think that regular bombardments will just be too op for certain missions. Can't see why Smokes, Sleeping Gas or Chaff should be banned. Still unsure about allowing Weather Modification, might change my stance on it.

Fulton Ballista for PSNK? why not.

I'm voting for keeping all as is, while it would be cool to see some runs with fulton ballista and all that, it makes some of the missions significantly easier which (in my opinion) destroys the point of perfect stealth or/and no traces

After more than a month, and the small interaction with the post, we decided to lock the thread.

No major changes will be made to the rules. But we specified that "Parasite (Camouflage)" is not allowed instead of "Parasite Suit", hopefully that will avoid confusion.