Introducing: N7 Frontline Operations
Essentially a 4-man Co-op version of the Campaign, FO provides proper, linear missions complete with dialogue, cutscenes, and storylines.
It stands to reason that Shep and Co. weren't the only N7 group going out there and having adventures. Other groups may have had equally important adventures too! How many of you actually wanted to touch down on Palaven, or fight in the desolate wreckage of Khar'shan?
On the multiplayer menu, the current MP we have now is renamed Galaxy at War, or something like that. Below it, is Frontline Ops. When selected, you get a screen similar to GaW (Privacy, Difficulty, Maps etc). Only differences are that the map selection is replaced with mission selection, and the enemy-selection option is removed entirely.
When in the lobby, each person picks a class as usual - the same ones used for the standard Horde mode. Each class subtype will have a different personality, and will react differently to situations (imagine Krogan/Batarian arguments, or Asari/Fury banter).
Missions
The FO missions take players to areas not seen in the campaign, fighting on frontiers not seen by Shepard. Their plots could range from a team of Humans and N7s fighting their way out of Berlin shortly after the invasion, or an assault on a Cerberus Base.
Each mission will have a predetermined enemy via the plot. For instance, you won't be fighting Geth on Earth, or Reapers on a Cerberus Station.
They'll operate in a linear fashion, like Priority: Sur'Kesh, for instance. Players fight down the path, or work together to complete puzzles. Pseudo-objectives, such as covering one player as they hack a door open, will also be present, and will vary in length, intensity, and numbers based on the difficulty level.
Checkpoints are present, and will activate when the whole team passes through one. If the squad wipes, the team is sent back to the last checkpoint. If the host disconnects, the remainder is also sent back.
Race Restrictions, Credits/XP and XP Multipliers
Some missions, like the aforementioned FO: Berlin could have race-restrictions to adhere to the plot. Quite simply, the mission will state that it's "Human/N7 only", or "Asari and Turians only". No races outside them may be selected, but freedom to pick classes is still retained. So you won't have a Reaper-Code Enhanced Geth Engineer on Earth at the time of the initial invasion.
The XP system will function as it does in the campaign, albiet pooled so that everyone gets an equal amount of XP, and everyone contributes. Completing objectives, killing enemies, talking to characters, all that jazz.
The system that gets the biggest overhaul is the Credits System, which becomes a hybrid of the campaign and MP systems. Credits are dotted around the missions as Salvage, which can be found and collected. Salvage locations are randomized at the beginning of a mission, so you can't predict where they'll be. Overall credits for each mission will average at around 17-20k, with slight variance due to the RNG.
In addition, a Difficulty reward will be added. Each difficulty gets a static extra amount of credits added to the Salvage Total. Rewards are as follows:
Bronze: N/A - Salvage only
Silver: + 20,000
Gold: + 65,000
Platinum: + 120,000
For each mission, an XP Multiplier will be added for a certain race(s), depending on the setting. This gets naturally higher alongside difficulties. For instance, Ex-Cerberus Adepts and Vanguards will recieve bonus XP on a mission to a Cerberus Base, Batarians will get a bonus on Khar'shan, Drell on Kahje, and so on, so forth.
Difficulty
The difficulties will be largely the same, albiet drawing more parallels to the campaign's difficulties. Platinum will not spawn other faction members. A rough comparison is as follows.
Bronze = Normal
Silver = slightly toned-down Hardcore
Gold = Insanity
Platinum = Onyx (think 2x Insanity, and an extra helping of Hardcore to boot)
Boss spawn levels will be altered by the difficulties, as will numbers, damage output etc.
In addition, Gold and Platinum need to be unlocked in order to let people have a taste before biting off more than they can chew. One mission will unlock Gold. A Gold mission will unlock Platinum. Alternatively, having the "Insanity completed" achievement will automatically unlock Gold and Platinum. Bronze and Silver are available by default.
Settings
So, with the general mechanics layed down, have a gander at some potential missions!
FO: Berlin: A team of N7 recruits and veterans are caught in the sleek city of Berlin when the Reapers strike. Now, they must fight their way from the city to the neighbouring spaceport for evac. Enemy: Reapers
Race Restriction: Human/N7; Bonus XP: Human/N7 (Serves as the tutorial mission)
FO: Khar'shan: Weeks after the crippling blow to the heart of the Hegemony, a crack team of N7 Recruits is sent to a laboratory in the smouldering city of Rhur'Yol to recover crucial information researched from the Leviathan of Dis. Enemy: Reapers
Bonus XP: Batarians
FO: Minuteman: The Alliance has sent a team of N7 Black Ops to infiltrate and secure the Cerberus Minuteman Station in the Horsehead Nebula so members of the Second Fleet can capture the station for the benefit of the Alliance. Enemy: Cerberus
Bonus: Ex Cerberus (Minuteman is the station from which the Normandy SR-2 is launched in ME2. The launch bay serves as the entry point for the group)
FO: Dekuuna: After the Elcor homeworld is invaded by the Reapers, Commander Shepard dispatches a team of N7 Commandos to assist in civilian evacuation. Fight alongside the 14th Elcor "Walking Tanks" Division as the once peaceful planet turns to ruin. Enemy: Reapers
FO: Mineral Extractor: Fight your way into a Heretic Mineral Mining Station in orbit of Rannoch to purge the few remaining Heretic programs. Flashlights are provided. Enemy: Geth
Race Restriction: At least one Quarian; Bonus XP: Geth/Quarians
FO: Palaven: Touch down on the burning Ortega Plateau to help the 12th League and a ragtag Krogan platoon fend off a brutal attack on a civilian compound. Enemy: Reapers
Race Restriction: At least one Turian; Bonus XP: Turians/Krogan (Characters include a female Turian with a speaking role!)
Any thoughts/ideas/potential missions/peanut butter/criticism?
Modifié par Epsilon330, 22 septembre 2012 - 08:23 .
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