Last year, we introduced the Specializations mechanic to the game, and it raised questions on where we were going to take this new feature and how it would affect the game in the long term. As a result, we came up with a roadmap outlining all the essential changes we were to add. Right now, we’re almost at the end of this roadmap with only a few tweaks left to add. That means it’s time to take a fresh look at Specializations and how you use them on the battlefield. Let’s get rolling!
SPECS
The main idea behind adding specializations was to make gameplay more diverse, tactical, and less chaotic. We were trying to get rid of the standard "grab a shotgun, run up to the enemy, shoot, get eliminated" meta. On top of that, our internal research showed that only a very small margin of players used all 4 weapons during battle, while the vast majority switched only between 2 guns.
There are a total of 4 specializations in the game, each one corresponding to a certain type of gameplay, a certain role in battle. We’ve chosen the most popular weapon combos in the game to form the four specs: Assault, Sniper, Support, and Recon. We’ve also added special perks for each specialization to make your final loadouts more individual and reflective of your personal playstyle.
That’s the raw breakdown of the specs we have in the game. You can get more gameplay depth in each of them by combining different perks, guns, and equipment; but an article covering all the possible loadout combos would be so big, the internet would break down from the amount of info. Stay tuned for more in-depth articles and keep an eye on our Facebook page for additional info!
LOADOUTS
Loadouts are sets of weapons and equipment for a certain specialization. You can have up to 5 loadouts in your arsenal. You can make numerous loadouts for a single specialization or you can make a single loadout for each specialization. The main rule to keep in mind is this: all equipment items and weapons must be unique to the loadout. So, simply put, you can’t use the same weapon or the same helmet/vest/pants in two different loadouts at the same time. There are a few reasons for the restrictions on guns and equipment:
1. We eliminate the chance of overpowered combos appearing in the game
2. The meta changes, because there's no guaranteed winning strategy. Every spec has its pros and cons, and the outcome of each fight is defined by team play rather than by the weapons players have on hand.
Now, let’s take a look at each spec and what’s it good for.
ASSAULT
This is the most simple and basic specialization thanks to the Assault Rifle + Shotgun weapon combo. All players are familiar with these guns from the very beginning. Assault players usually form the frontline, defining the fight on any given map. There’s no location in the game where this spec would be at a disadvantage. The perks available to this spec are balanced as well: you have a choice of boosting your shotgun, your assault rifle, consumables, and even your melee weapon. So, a good choice on almost any map for players of every skill level.
ASSAULT GAMEPLAY
While being a generally powerful spec, Assault has trouble at longer distances. Some assault rifles have a greater range than others, but if you’re up against a sniper in an open space, you’d better find some cover quick. That’s the only downside to this choice, and that speaks volumes about the flexibility and usability of Assault.
SNIPER
The name speaks for itself. Snipers carry a Sniper Rifle and an Assault Rifle. Most of the perks are centered around using your sniper rifle to maximum efficiency, while others boost your melee and pistol damage. Playing with a scoped rifle is much more challenging than using an assault rifle because you need to keep track of the enemies on the map, mind your distance to targets for maximum damage, and grow a pair of eyes on the back of your head not to get caught while looking down the scope. Snipers are a great choice for players who’ve got the hang of non-scoped weapons and want to take their aiming skills to the next level.
SNIPER GAMEPLAY
Now, it’s pretty obvious that a sniper is best at long ranges and in open spaces, where there are multiple opportunities to take aim and land a perfect shot. However, if you get flanked by an Assault or Recon player, you’re probably in trouble. There are some weapon combos which are more useful than others in close quarters, but in most cases, you want to keep your distance. Sure, your trusty knife and pistol can help, but very often you’ll find that shotguns seal the deal when it comes to face-to-face fights. Stay alert!
SUPPORT
This specialization offers you a Machine Gun and an Assault Rifle, which is good both for mid and long-range. However, it does require a lot of skill. First of all, if you want to play Support, you need to learn your positioning and how to play with your teammates. Running headfirst into a fight and hoping to mow down everyone isn’t gonna work (we checked), so try to stay just a little behind the frontlines (or on the sides), providing covering fire for fellow gunslingers. Perks in this spec are aimed at making you tougher and stronger when it comes to taking damage. It’s pretty logical, considering your movement speed won’t be too high with a machine gun in your hands.
SUPPORT GAMEPLAY
The upside is that you can assemble a real tank in this spec: hard to take down, and constantly dealing damage all around. The downside is that you need a solid team to do this. Support players get the best results when they’re coordinated with their teammates and the whole team works as a single unit. Keep this in mind when you’re choosing which spec to assemble.
RECON
The last addition to the spec family, Recon has a Sniper Rifle and a Shotgun. You can read about it in detail right here. As you've noticed there’s no mid-range weapon in this setup. This makes Recon one of the trickiest specializations out there. The perks you get are also aimed at improving your sneaky plays, not at increasing your long-range effectiveness — that’s for the Sniper.
RECON GAMEPLAY
Playing with this spec requires some skill, and most importantly good knowledge of how your weapons behave at different ranges. The upside is that you can flank enemy Snipers (and other specs) and do huge amounts of damage from behind. It’s tactical, it’s demanding of your map knowledge, but at the same time, it’s extremely rewarding when you make a Triple Elimination just by going behind enemy lines completely unnoticed.
