I published my review of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 a couple of days ago and I’m happy with the result. I stand by every word, but I left out a very personal complaint… so much so that I decided not to include it in any of the sections of the article.
The reason for this decision is very simple: it is not a bad mechanic, nor is it a bad idea on Saber Interactive’s part. The studio established that a squad cannot repeat classes during Operations, which is the video game’s PVE cooperative mode. This is not new. Other games such as Overwatch and League of Legends have been using this system for many years.
More of a problem with the player than with the video game
Here’s how it works. Operations pit three players against one of six classes: Tactician, Assault, Vanguard, Bastion, Sniper, and Heavy. Each has its own abilities, arsenal selection, and both strengths and weaknesses. They’re designed to be role-playing, though not in as strong a way as in OverwatchWorld of Warcraft, New World and the like.
On paper, it’s a great idea, and I’ll admit that I’m glad Saber Interactive has gone with this. However, in practice, it’s often much more complicated. Many players have had problems when selecting a class, even during Early Access.
If you just go by the numbers, the odds of two players matching by choosing a class is somewhere between 40-50%. I wasn’t the best at maths in school, so don’t beat me up for not being more accurate. In my experience and that of several acquaintances, I’ve matched more than half the times I’ve matchmade with strangers.
It turns out that several classes have become favorites for different reasons. Vanguard, Bastion, and Sniper are the most sought after due to their mobility, durability, and firepower, respectively. Assault is a good choice, although you will encounter other players a few times. The Tactician is not used much due to its utility, and the Heavy is too vulnerable due to not having melee weapons.
I don’t think the classes are unbalanced in Operations (yes, in PVP), but it’s obvious that several classes are positioned as favorites. This is good because it means that the game mode is enjoyable, but at the same time it creates the inherent problem of this character selection system: people.
What happens when two people focus or specialize in the same class? The same thing that has been happening for years in games like League of Legends: abandonments, anger and resentment among team members. I have not encountered such extreme cases in Warhammer 40.000: Space Marine 2but I have certainly seen players who have argued for refusing to give in the slightest.
The truth is that few people are going to give up their character to a stranger, especially when there is no communication of any kind. And they are within their rights! The solution during early access was to find another game, but now that the game has been released it is no longer so simple.
Giving ground to the edge
My intention was to level up and specialize as a Bastion (Space Marine equipped with sword, shield and pistol), but I soon realized that it was a favorite. I moved to the Vanguard class because it has incredible mobility thanks to a grappling hook that latches onto enemies. It has gained a lot of popularity in PVP and consequently in Operations mode.
After several games and a few clashes, I decided to abandon the Bastion and Vanguard classes to focus on the outcast of Operations mode: Heavy. An article should be published in the next few days in which I tell how my learning process is going. I have not had any more problems when it comes to matchmaking with strangers.
I have found a “solution” to the problem, but at the cost of giving up much more than other players have. And I don’t think it’s fair to be relegated to playing only one class so as not to have friction with other players who absolutely refuse to not play. And I repeat: they have the right to play with whatever they want.
So is it a bad system? No. Is it a bad idea on Saber Interactive’s part? Not really. However, I wonder: is Space Marine 2 Operations the right mode for such a restrictive version of this character selection system? Well, maybe it’s not the best one and needs a version with less restrictions, perhaps a maximum of one repetition per squad.
Oliver Hollis-Leick, creative director of Warhammer 40.000: Space Marine 2has made it clear in several responses that “class assignment is definitely something we’re going to address.” I don’t think they’re even considering removing this system (nor do I think they should), but I do think they should give it a makeover to make it less restrictive. That or make matchmaking pair you with players who don’t have that class selected at base of operations to begin with. They need to do something because this can create unrest and scare away many players.
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