Disclaimer: Final stats, names, features are still subject to change. We are merely presenting our direction and goals, and they may evolve with time.
Under the old system, you had 5 pre-defined classes: Operator, Specialist, Breacher, Tech Engineer and Recon Scout. Although this was a solid system, we felt it really lacked variety in terms of team configurations.
5-Class System
Pros:
- Tight control over team composition to ensure availability of skills in all scenarios.
- Easier for players to jump into.
- Clear-cut roles for each class.
Cons:
- Clear cut roles for each class.
- Lack of depth in customization.
- Pigeonholing players into certain play styles in exchange for abilities.
In the end, we felt the cons outweighed the pros, so we went back to the drawing board. We kept all options on the table and flipped the system on its head.
The new system keeps the ease-of-entry of the old one by providing more "templates" for players to choose from. Now, we're up to 8 classes from 5. Each class covers a basic play style based on certain stats and the function. Classes are no longer a collection of abilities.
Main features of the New Class System:
- 8 Basic Classes to choose from. All are configurable to your taste, but get you started in a certain direction.
- More options for play styles within classes.
- Appearance of character changes with equipment/class.
- Wider selection of abilities (not locked to a class).
- More options in equipment selection (not locked to a class).
We feel these changes result in a a Class System more in line with the rest of the design goals of the game.
Let's look at some of the classes:
Classes are superficially grouped into two categories--Assault and Tactical classes. Your character appearance will change depending on which category you dive into.
Assault Classes are:
- Operator: Retains his role from the previous iteration- he is at the head of the pack, providing "Leadership", a stat that enhances team abilities.
- Support: Mid-long range class. Can reliably move about the battlefield to help where needed.
- Spec-Ops: Best short-range class. From weapon proficiencies to melee ability.
- EOD: Most similar to the old "Breacher" class. Adept at explosives and demolition.
Tactical Classes are:
- Scout: A stealth-based class. Can silently maneuver around the battlefield for a surprise attach.
- Marksman: A true long-range class. Excels at marksmanship.
- Engineer: The old Tech Engineer. An expert at electronics
- Recon: A hybrid with some of the stealthiness of the scout and some of the tech-expertise of the Engineer.
From there, you can further specialize your class with specializations and load outs.
Specializations replace the old class abilities and add more options; hacking, spotting, etc. are all there, and we've added some more unique abilities like Phalanx (Reduces suppression effects while under fire for anyone within proximity (requires at least 1 teammate to activate)), for example.
Certain ability/items were moved to the kit section like the old Specialist's Gas Mask.
Of course, we have a long way to go with this system, but we hope this preview will shed some light on where we're going with the game play.
-Ray!
I really like this system. It seems that gameplay will be more dynamic now as the classes could be completely different on 2 playthroughs of the same map. Which obviously means different tactics etc.
Hmmm... I wonder if theres a hybrid class.
with this system, you can also manually create a hybrid class. the base stats are a starting point, but you can rank up the other attributes through unlocks etc.
for example, you can start with an operator class for the enhanced ability with weapons and leadership skill sets, then also buff up his electronics and demolitions manually if you have the necessary unlockables to do so. although it wont be possible to make a true jack-of-all-trades character, you certainly should be able to at least eventually master a hybrid class that focuses on at least 2 main attribute paths of your choosing (hope that makes sense)