Frontlines: Fuel of War
The Nuances of Classes and RolesEffective communication is the key to winning matches, but the scale of the game (with support for up to 64 players in the final release) makes this a daunting task. There's a certain amount of fumbling around, particularly when the situation becomes dire and the frontline is closing in. The depth of the class/role system will likely favor teams who can invest many hours in practice sessions. Additionally, it takes time to become accustomed to the various vehicles and unmanned craft. Ultimately, the intricacies of classes and roles encourages specializing, but the game begs for well-rounded players who have no problem switch classes and roles on the fly. This is a strange conundrum, and one that will frustrate those who enjoy having a set identity in multiplayer games.
 ... and detonating the on-board C4 charge for the win Gameplay itself is straightforward: capture and hold objectives to advance the frontline. Since each class has only three weapons, mastering the role specialities is a must. On a map such as Gnaw, where unmanned drones are of greater importance, the Drone Tech and the countermeasure EMP Tech roles are crucial, as is turret-building ability of the Ground Support role. Both factions have the same role names, and though the abilities are different depending on faction, they are more or less analogous (the Western Coalition’s Air Support role can call in a cluster bomb assault, for instance, while an Air Support role on the Red Star Alliance can call in a targeted carpet bombing). Adding a layer of depth is are ranks: each role has three ranks, upgradeable in-match by securing objectives and killing the enemy. Rank upgrades - which improve the abilities of roles - apply only to the current match, which encourages sticking with a particular role for the length of a match. The mechanic is simple yet effective, though stubbornly sticking to one role can be a disservice to your team.
Where the Ground Support role's turrets are a powerful force on Gnaw (particularly when stationed near a spawn point), such devices are nearly useless on the Oil Field. There, vehicles reign supreme, and the wide-open spaces give the Assault and Anti-Vehicle classes room to shine. Unlike Gnaw, where combat is prolonged by the nuances of the Sniper, Special Ops and Close Combat classes, success on the Oil Field map is determined by vehicle combat. Effective use of the Air Support role to suppress the enemy while staging an assault with tanks and attack helicopters is the preferred route to victory. It's here, though, that the beta's biggest gameplay flaw - poor vehicle controls - is revealed. Steering and targeting duties are quirky and frustrating. With vehicle combat playing such a large role in multiplayer, it's imperative that the feel of the controls be improved before release.
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