[Multiplatform] FRONTLINES: FUEL OF WAR

For the game system (at least in the beta) you basically have two loadout choices to make. Weapon and Role.

The different weapon kits are assault, sniper, close quarters (shotgun), heavy assault (machinegun), Anti-tank (missile launcher), and spec ops (silenced SMG). This choice also affects what kind of throwable explosive you get. Most get grenades, but Anti-tank gets AT mines, Spec ops gets C4, and I forget but sniper might get claymores.

The roles each have 3 levels. You start with the first, and you unlock the other two in sequence by getting points. Generally, a server runs a map 5 times, after that, the skills reset and everyone is even again. I don't know if they plan to have a continuous stat tracker and character upgrade system like BF2 did.

Anyways, the roles with their 3 skills are:

Ground support: you get a welding torch (wrench from BF2 with more particle effects), and the two unlockable levels are both deployable turrets.

Air support: you start with a precision strike missile, and from there unlock cluster bombs and area effect attacks.

Drone Tech: You start with a recon drone, which displays enemy units on the radar when you look at them. It can also self destruct to blow up infantry. From there both sides wildly diverge. The Western army gets these tracked drones with mounted guns, first a machine gun, then a grenade launcher. The Red Star army gets a Tyco rebound with C4 strapped to it (enough to blow a tank in one hit), and then another RC helicopter, but this one shoots rockets.

ECM: starting skill is that you never appear on the enemies' minimap, unlockables are an EMP rocket launcher that disables vehicles, and then a EMP field device that disables all electronics in a radius. Also prevents air strikes.

This was all from PC beta so they could have totally changed it by now. Should at least give you an idea though.

But yes, this is basically Battlefield 2.1, as after EA hired the desert combat mod to help them develop BF2, but before EA developed 2142, EA did its usual and tried to acquire their studio. So, they all left EA and formed Kaos studio, which is now making Frontlines.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Shin

The tanks are pretty well balanced but the helicopters are way over-powered. They come with flares to distract missiles and there's no laser target thing to bring them down with like in Battlefield. With a concerted effort you can shoot them down but I can't see that level of teamwork happening at the demo stage sadly.

By "laser target thing" do you mean the way you could slightly guide rockets in BF2? 'cause that didn't really do much for shooting down helis anyway.

Frontlines AT rockets (at least in beta) would get a tracking lock on any enemy vehicle, including the helis, so it was like using a stinger emplacement in BF2. Actually, pretty much exactly like it. You just have to wait for them to drop flares, then fire a locked missile before their next flare reloads.

Oh, and I agree, using EMP rockets on helis is hilarious, especially if you run up and plant an EMP field generator right next to it after it lands.

There's nowhere I can't reach.