Class-based
gameplay seems to be the status quo in gaming. From Command
and Conquer to Call of Duty, it seems selecting a role is here to
stay. Speaking of being here to stay though, our Robotics
class in Global Agenda excels at doing just that. We are a
defensive force that excels at taking over an area with deployable
turrets and stations, and we excel at supporting an offensive with our
fire-and-forget Drones. Combining those roles makes us the
true support class of the game, and we'll give you the rundown on how
we earn our keep.
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Business as usual for the Robotics class.
The
Melee Weapon
The EnergyBurn Mace is pretty fancy in that getting the jump on someone
will enable you to drain 15 energy per hit to their back.
Assuming they're firing, or have just finished using their jet pack,
you can basically limit their offense to pulling out their weapon and
meleeing back,which you can block since you DO have
energy. It's better than the Medic's, but worse than the Recon
and Assault's melee weapons.
The Guns
Unfortunately the name of the game for us traditionally does not
involve us gunning down individuals save the rogue Recon that tries to
ruin our day. We have a standard rifle with zoom-enhanced
damage, a shotgun which can out-damage healers with good aim, and a
bouncing area of effect projectile weapon that serves as good fire
support, but renders us crippled in direct combat. Your goal
when using your weapons in PvP isn't always to kill, but to force a
retreat. It can be outright annoying to kill Recons, so the
sooner you send them packing, the more health your mechanical entourage
will survive with, allowing you to get it up and fully repaired
sooner. Most people opt for the level 4 rifle, but if you're
going for a more supportive role and want the enhanced off-hands, take
a low level Shotgun so you can still scatter harassers.
The Specialty Guns
See that giant mechanical arm on your shoulder? Unfortunately
you cannot use it to rip people's heads off in melee combat as a
finisher, but you can use it to power up your turrets so they perforate
people up to 20% faster. While under construction, giving it a
little juice from your arm-buddy will more than quadruple the build
speed of the item. Don't get complacent when doing this;
you're a sitting duck for snipers if you stand still! Juke
around and do a little voodoo dance to get your turret and other
deployables up ASAP. Increasing the level of your mechanical
arm increases the rate it can repair,
and increases the damage buff it gives to the target being
repaired. Leveling this is often useful if you plan on making
a little deployable farm and watching over it all game, as a level 4
turret with a level 4 arm and the
appropriate skills will annihilate people for 2-300 damage a shot on
the rapid fire turrets. They aren't surviving to get behind
cover!
The Jetpack
Rather small and ugly, which seems to be our theme. Leave the
cosmetics for someone else I suppose!
The Off-Hands, Or Utility
Items/Weapons
Choosing your turret isn't as easy as it sounds, since you can only
have one out at a time. You can sacrifice range for firing arc
to cover more area in small rooms with the Personal Turret, or you can
opt for big single hit damage and longer range in the Missile Turret,
or choose the quick firing, no overkill AutoCannon turret. The
decision largely rests on what you want to do. Area Denial
strategies typically call for the Auto Cannon since it's difficult to
out range except with heavy weapons and rifles. Pinning down
anyone who walks into a capture point room instantly makes the Personal
Turret your turret of choice for being able to cover multiple
doorways. Killing objective runners and dissuading people the
fastest falls under the Missile turret's role. When it comes
to protecting your turret, the Force field stops anything coming at you
or the turret, and anyone on your team can shoot or move through it
with no penalty! A quick force field and turret deploy can
distract and divert attackers to you, or they risk a much bigger threat
when that turret begins opening fire on them.
If you opt to go for a drone-based offense, the Eye is a staple for its
ability to instantly track and fire on cloaked enemies in a wide
radius. Anyone being shot by your eye can be targeted by your
turrets, so it makes for a wonderful companion. It will shoot
at anyone non-stealth as well for additional damage over the course of
a fight. Grizzlies are your anti-encampment weapons that do
massive damage to anything mechanical. They also serve as
decent targets due to their size, but don't expect them to hold up for
too long if you're ducked behind them. Harrier Drones are your
primary anti-personnel drone and shower people in machine gun
fire. Hornets are mobile rocket launchers and have a bonus
against mechanical targets, as well as an incredible range (200
ft!). Lockdown Drones will do decent damage to targets as well
as slow them down greatly, making them easy targets for you or your
mechanical cohorts.
Deployable Stations make up the remainder of your arsenal, and some
would say the most important part. Medical Stations will heal
everyone in a 20 foot pulse every second, and with appropriate skills
can heal 300+ per second. Power Stations can supply nearby
soldiers with infinite rockets and grenades as well as enhanced armor,
making offensives brutal, or supplying you with nearly infinite
ammo to lay fire down passages and scan for pesky Recons
looking to sabotage your operations. Sensors update your
mini-map to provide fully enemy locations in a wide radius as well as
sound a warning when a stealth enemy comes nearby. This can
save you, your friends, and your turrets. If that's not all,
it also provides a damage buff to everyone nearby. What's not
to like? Well, it can't really defend itself or help you
survive beyond that. We'll take what we can get!
The Boost
The Robotics Boost creates a force field dome around you when
deployed. It's a bit of an oddity when the other classes get
boosts that affect the whole team, but yours is not one to be
underestimated either. The dome will not crack unless under
heavy, heavy fire. Anyone inside can fire out of it just like
the standard force field. This makes the Robotics boost a
defensive desperation move, to save yourself or a turret under heavy
fire, or an extreme offensive move when capturing a
point. Creating a massive dome on the point often leads to
charges and chaotic melees. The carnage is beautiful!
Is it fun?
Playing Robotics is like playing any other support class for the most
part. Even if you are a tiny God on the battlefield, you need
teammates who can hold their own decently as well or your mechanical
partners will be dispatched with in short order. Get creative
with your turret placement, be vigilant over your deployed items, and
you'll give your team the support they need for an easy
victory. Just don't run and gun without all of your tools
down. If you're Rambo at heart, the Assault class is what you
should be creating instead!
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