Red Faction Guerrilla is both a game that I have significant exposure to, having worked on the project, and a game that I greatly enjoy. Here’s a set of classes for a hypothetical multiplayer system using the Red Faction: Guerrilla engine and many of the mechanics within it.
Rigid System – “Progression Variants”
Players choose a class when they start the match, and are open to changing their class throughout the matches. We will use a leveling system to track the player’s overall progress, and have a separate level for each class the player plays. As the player progresses through the levels in each class, they’ll unlock new classes that modify the initial classes. Leveling the general level will unlock nonfunctional unlocks, and eventually unlock all variant classes. Even though the variant classes may share some of the same mechanics, they are not necessarily the same type of gameplay.
Example: The player is level 1, and chooses to play as the Recon. After reaching general level 2, he unlocks a new XP bonus event. When the player reaches Recon level 5, he unlocks the Tracker class. There are two classes that unlock off of each primary class.
Primary Classes
Recon
| Archetype: | 90% – 100% health, 110% speed |
| Equipment: | SMG, Thermal imaging scope |
| Description: | The recon is equipped with thermal imaging gear that allows him to locate enemies through walls and across the map. His thermal imager must be held in place of his weapon, and he is somewhat vulnerable while using the imager. |
| Unlocks: | Level 5: Tracker class Level 10: Comsat class Level 20: “Master Recon” badge |
Ordinance
| Archetype: | 150% health, 70% speed |
| Equipment: | Large weapon, pistol |
| Description: | The ordinance carries a large weapon with devastating power, but cannot fire the weapon while moving. |
| Unlocks: | Level 5: Sniper class Level 10: Destroyer class Level 20: “Master Ordinance” badge |
Grunt
| Archetype: | 120% health, 110% speed |
| Equipment: | Assault Rifle, shotgun, grenades, hammer |
| Description: | While the grunt seems to be the plainest of the classes, their strength lies in their versatility. A grunt spawns with a full complement of weapons, including a hammer for brutal melee kills or slow methodical destruction. |
| Unlocks: | Level 5: Brute class Level 10: Skirmisher class Level 20: “Master Grunt” badge |
Builder
| Archetype: | 100% Health, 100% speed |
| Equipment: | SMG, Repair Tool, Remote mines |
| Description: | The builder class is equipped with the valuable repair tool, capable of rebuilding walls and securing control points. He is also in possession of a few remote mines to destroy opposing points or to set traps. |
| Unlocks: | Level 5: Support class Level 10: Commander class Level 20: “Master Builder” badge |
Variant Classes
Each level 5 variant class unlocks its corresponding level 10 class at level 5. I know that sounds complicated, so take this example. If you get a Recon to level 5, you unlock Tracker. Recon level 10 unlocks Comsat, so Tracker level 5 unlocks Comsat as well. It just facilitates unlocking classes without having to play one of the primary classes all the time.
Tracker
| Archetype: | 100% health, 100% speed |
| Equipment: | Tracking Assault rifle, pistol |
| Description: | The tracker has a special assault rifle that lets him stalk enemies. When the tracker hits an enemy with a rifle round, it will place a marker over the enemy’s head. This marker stays over the enemy’s head and will always be visible to the tracker, through terrain and walls. Players friendly to the tracker will be able to see these players’ indicators through walls and terrain, but only at a short range. |
| Unlocks: | Level 5: Comsat class Level 20: “Master Tracker” Badge |
Comsat
| Archetype: | 80% health, 80% speed |
| Equipment: | Comsat pack, SMG |
| Description: | The comsat is a field support unit wearing a special satellite observation interface. This gives the comsat the general positions of all hostile movement on the battlefield (via a heatmap or intermittent radar blips on a minimap). In addition, all friendly characters within a short distance (10 feet or so) and line of sight of the comsat also receive this information. |
| Unlocks: | Level 20: “Master Comsat” badge |
Sniper
| Archetype: | 80% health, 100% speed |
| Equipment: | Sniper nanorifle, stealth pack, pistol |
| Description: | The sniper is a fragile class with the ability to cloak for very brief periods of time, and comes equipped with the powerful nanorifle. |
| Unlocks: | Level 5: Destroyer class Level 20: “Master Sniper” badge |
Destroyer
| Archetype: | 130% health, 80% speed |
| Equipment: | Thermobaric rocket, Remote charges, Assault Rifle |
| Description: | The destroyer class carries some of the most devastating weapons in the game. |
| Unlocks: | Level 20: “Master Destroyer” badge |
Brute
| Archetype: | 300% health, 50% speed |
| Equipment: | Huge hammer or other melee weapon |
| Description: | The brute is a melee-only class that is frustratingly difficult to kill. His melee attack carves large swaths of destruction through structures and scatters enemies like bowling pins. |
| Unlocks: | Level 5: Skirmisher class Level 20: “Master Brute” badge |
Skirmisher
| Archetype: | 70% health, 130% speed |
| Equipment: | Jetpack, enforcer (or other medium damage automatic weapon), grenades |
| Description: | The skirmisher’s main strength lies in his mobility. A high speed and jetpack ensure superior maneuvering, but his fragility makes him ill-suited for head-on combat. |
| Unlocks: | Level 20: “Master Skirmisher” badge |
Support
| Archetype: | 100% health, 100% speed |
| Equipment: | Assault rifle, shield pack, light repair tool |
| Description: | A less dedicated version of the builder, the support class has a inferior repair tool, but his shield pack provides a health bonus to allied in his immediate area. |
| Unlocks: | Level 5: Commander class Level 20: “Master Builder” badge |
Commander
| Archetype: | 100% health, 100% speed |
| Equipment: | Assault rifle, grenades |
| Description: | The commander inspires the allies around him, providing a small boost to nearby friendly units’ maximum health, damage and speed. Multiple bonuses from more than one commander do not stack. |
| Unlocks: | Level 20: “Master Commander” badge |
Leave a Reply