what is the proper way to dual-spec?

(LastGun) #1

im trying to go for a soldier/medic kind of guy but i dont know if i should save mypoints untill i gain access to the higher level abilities or if i should just try and give each class a medium of the low level abilities. any help?

(dommafia) #2

well if you are going to duel-spec you have no choice but to give each class a medium of the low level abilities. You can also just go for the ones that help out the class the most instead of all of them.

For example for the engi class I’d go for the improved weapon buff and mines. Ignore the turrets.

(TheMonk) #3

wait a sec, is there a max on the amount of skills you can unlock?

I was hoping to lvl up and unlock all of them

(LastGun) #4

anybody else wanna throw in their 2 cents? this is probably one of the few “complaining” topics at the moment.

(TheMonk) #5

nah that’s a question with a statement below… no complaints… unless you aren’t talking to me.

Although I don’t see anybody else around here.

That is also a statement.

So is that… etc.

(theguybro) #6

Just as Dom said. You can’t exactly play 2 different classes at once, so you just had to pick out the best abilities a medic has to offer, and the best abilities a soldier has to offer that will benefit you, and the team. This is considering you’re going to go medic for part of the game, and soldier for the other part, or just switching every now and then for certain parts of the map.

(Al_Kamone) #7

isn’t it possible to sell all your ability points and redistribute them?

(PillowTalk) #8

The way that suits you best is the best way to do it.

(weeschwee) #9

this is my biggest gripe with the game. you should be able to switch between your characters during matches. of course then you could put all 20 points into one class, but then the points should be lessened. it’s just…it doesn’t sit right with me. it makes very little sense to do it the way splash damage did it. grrrrrr :slight_smile:

(Steinernein) #10

Not in standard mode, that would ruin balance. Of course it would be fine if they added in a different mode where you could switch anything at any time . Call it experimental mode.

As for the op - pick the best out of medic then the best out of any other class. Medic should be a standard secondary or primary for everyone =p

(weeschwee) #11

[QUOTE=Steinernein;309402]Not in standard mode, that would ruin balance. Of course it would be fine if they added in a different mode where you could switch anything at any time . Call it experimental mode.

As for the op - pick the best out of medic then the best out of any other class. Medic should be a standard secondary or primary for everyone =p[/QUOTE]

it works flawlessly in tf2, bfbc2, and any other game that allows it. the key is that splash damage would have to do some reworking. i’m sure i we can all deal with the way it is now, but i believe it is just an inferior method of character customization. it really discourages me from wanting to create other characters. the only reason to do so is to make a different looking and sounding character. it’s unfortunate really.

(Steinernein) #12

In this case because of the scale I’ll disagree as I see it as removing part of the metagame which can turn out to be quite rich . It works in TF2/BC2 for different reasons case by case. Each game has different variables so it’s probably better to wait it out and see how the game develops first before adding a feature that allows you to switch bodies in mid game.

(Shadowcat) #13

Most of the nessicary skills are in universal. Battle Hardened, +supply, Sprinting reload, and combat intuition should be on ever character. +Resupply Rate and Silent Running aren’t far behind. So that’s 6 skill points that I think every character should have.

In order to dual spec, you just need to pick a purpose for the classes you are choosing. For example, as a medic, you can easily drop metabolism, adrenaline, transfer, and speed if you are just planning on healing. Really, the only 3 abilities for medic that are mandatory are +supply, ++supply, and improved buff.

For Op, the only skills you NEED to have to be competitive in my eyes are comms hack, homing beacon, EMP nade, and maybe sticky nade.

For an objective oriented engi, Nerves of Steel, kevlar, and improved buff are nessicary. Beyond those 3, there are plenty that you could take to be a better engi. 2x mines is nice, and maybe a light turret for distraction purposes.

Soldier is a bit harder to put into a box. AP ammo and +magazine are necessary. But there’s not much reason to be a soldier unless you want to throw nades everywhere. I think the 3 frag skills are a good idea.

I’ve listed 23 abilities here (including the optional ones) Drop any 3 and you could be competitive with all 4 classes.

If I were to make a jack of all trades, i would probably drop silent running, light turret, and sticky nade. Get rid of any one class and you can easily take all of the core abilities.

(weeschwee) #14

the problem is that you are supposed to play the character that is most needed. you are supposed to switch to operative for that single objective. if you spec for 3 of four classes, you are relying on everyone else to be that other class. you are not chipping in the way the game wants. in an organized game this may not be a problem because people can communicate ahead of time and volunteer to be specced towards one class. but in a public game, everyone shares the responsibility. i’m still willing to see how it plays out in the future. but overall, this leads to people choosing the same bland build for every character. certain skills will hardly be used because that point is needed for another class. my argument needs more time put in it to really make sense, but i think you can get the gist of it.

(H3LLS1) #15

I think it’s a great idea that you CANT switch characters. Makes people make decisions before and IN the game because of your character choice. Pick your engineer class guy, join match, team has 5 other engineers and no medics. Switch to medic class where your character has almost no abilities? Stay engineer and hope someone else changes?

Or…like OP…build a character that’s not GREAT at any class….but pretty good at several.

(Decayed) #16

the game encourages teamplay, and yeah if you’re constantly soloing and have no group of friends then it can get frustrating, but then you can do something like shadowcat recommended. the thing is, aside from op, it’s pretty common to find someone playing each class. usually there is a large number of medics and soldiers. the thing is, to complete the objective you don’t need the extra abilities. like as an operative, none of the abilities actually make you better at completing the objective. You might have more fun or help the team out more, but if your sole goal is to complete the hack, then you’re just gonna be sitting there for the majority of the time anyway…

[QUOTE=dommafia;306174]well if you are going to duel-spec you have no choice but to give each class a medium of the low level abilities. You can also just go for the ones that help out the class the most instead of all of them.

For example for the engi class I’d go for the improved weapon buff and mines. Ignore the turrets.[/QUOTE]
The part on “low level abilities” isn’t true. You can make a character with all the high level abilities of each class if you want, the only exception being engineer since it has the prerequisite of the two lower turrets. Just wanted to point that out… I don’t think any of the other abilities have any type of requirement.