theres been a lot of talk about this subject. maybe we can reopen the discussion up rather than it being buried away in the other threads

If Splash Damage balances this game as well as I expect them to, I'm going to be switching bodies a lot, but I think I'll spend my most time in a medium body. I like the assault rifle, which is a medium weapon, and while I'll certainly enjoy the grenade launcher (I probably won't use bullet-hose heavy weapons) and the fifth ability pip in heavy when I play, I won't appreciate being slow and glued to the ground. I don't know if I'll ever be happy with weapon selection in a light body (the weapons we've been told that they can use are SMGs and sniper rifles), but I'll play light now and then for the flanking fun.

I'm probably going to go Medium because I like to be a balanced character with a good mix of skills but I might find out that I am dying to much so I could switch to Heavy, or I could find that I love to move so I switch to Light it isn't locked in yet but probably a Mid Engineer or Medic

Everyone will start as Medium... I will base my decision on my love of either the movement or the combat. If I find sneaking around the outside as a Light more enjoyable, then that. If I like the Heavy weapons and being a tank, then that. If both seem fun and neither really catches my interest, then I will stay Medium for the balance of both.

I figure ill be a medic for the most part, (unless i need to be something else to get things going), but i cant decide if i wanna be a fast and agile medic that can get anyone anywhere, a big brick wall medic that cant be taken down so easily, or the two halved and smashed together.. so i agree with Thief.

you guys are aware that you can create more than 1 character, right? My Heavy will focused around Medic and General skills. I will also make a Medium and Light character, and probably more.

I plan on focusing on Heavy. I never liked playing small characters, my style is more of shootout and be the last standing than sneaking behind someone.

i guess u werent much of a fan of the Metal Gear Solid games huh Ranger?....light or heavy ill be playin most my missions as an op

Nope, never liked them or Splinter Cell

ima go middle. just for the satisfaction of grenade launchers and assault rifles. plus i wanna play as an engineer most of the time so i want some speed so i can plant mines ahead of the enemy, and reasonable parkour so i can get to vantage points and choke off points and place my turrets so my enemies get a nice surprise. i might go heavy from time to time, but the lights look a little overrated and will be overplayed for a while. but then again, i need to get a feel from the game too - if i nee the extra manoeuvrability, i'll go light. if i need a lot more health, i'll go heavy.

Which will be your main/most used character. You cannot switch mid-game.

Heavy Soldier! Just look at that Heavy 'The Bomb' guy in the cinematic trailer. He friggin' owns with that Minigun and takes a friggin Rocket(or Grenade) point-blank and shrugs it off.

I'm glad so many voted Light, that means more people for me to obliterate with my Minigun/Rocket Launcher/Cowcatapult/Whatever.

my heavy guy will most likely be an operative just to prove a point that not only lights can be them. ill use that body size the most. my medium will be a medic because i can get there kinda fast and have more life while reviving them. my light will be a soldier but i wont use it very much

It seems like a lot of people are talking about characters in this game like traditional RPG characters, in the sense that they are permanent. "My Light will be a soldier, my heavy will be a medic, etc." granted, I will be using a Heavy guy who is spec'd with Medic and General skills, but he will be any class my team's need - he will not just be my Heavy Medic. I hope players don't get in the habit of building their character around a certain class, and feeling obligated to only play that class. The game encourages switching classes, according to what the team needs.

H0RSE's point about character builds leads me to wonder: will you be able to switch from character to character during a game? Will you be able to switch your body type easily during a game? Body type has a big enough impact on how you can play the game that it seems to me you should be able to switch between them at respawn just as easily as you'd select a class. Like, suppose your favorite role is Soldier, and you like to be heavy when you're a Soldier, but now your team needs a Medic, and you prefer the medium body type for that? Also, less gameplay-focused here: what if you like to wear The Bomb armor as an Engineer but you prefer a The Freak jacket as Operative? Will you be allowed to switch quickly between costumes on one character? Will you be allowed to use a different character entirely?

you cannot change characters or size during games. you can in between though. you can change class anytime you want through a command post. the classes are not chained to the seperate characters. they can be whatever they want

You won't be able to switch costumes on a charater mid game I'm guessing because the costumes really don't matter all that much to actual gameplay. I do understand where you are coming from with that point and also would like that to be implemented in the game. I do not know if you will be able to switch between all your characters in game. I hope you would be able to do that also.

Edit: Reptar says you can't so I would go with his answer.

they said you could only change body type at the beginning and end of a match, not during, and you can't just "swap" out body types, you would need to change to a whole new character.

yeah :thumbsup:

I'm going to play as Light. I will probably be a Soldier most of the time. Makes for an interesting set up.

thats another thing that bugs me. everyone thinks that soldiers are meant to be heavy and just soak up bullets for everyone else

Actually, one of Soldier's skills is going to be to "shield" a nearby teammate from damage, so this isn't totally unfounded. But with unlockable ability customisation, I'm sure you won't have to keep that ability.

i noticed that in the container city videos but i didnt know it was soldier only. it would help to be heavier but it can be done just as well as a light

I wonder how that shield ability will actually work. Surely you don't just stand there soaking up bullets so that your teammate may live. Perhaps they can set up temporary cover, or use an actual shield to defend their allies. I mean, anyone can stand in front of their allies and take hits for them right? It can't be that simple.

Well, it depends on whether the "shielded" damage is transferred to you or just negated completely, which I don't know. If you're taking damage for your teammates, it's better to have more health.