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One of the things that get me through the day is a purely conceptual team-based FPS/MOBA video game I thought up when I saw how simple the multiplayer mode for Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine was going to be. Input from three other Forums has dried up completely, so I decided to see if anyone here feels like helping out.
A team of six, playing as experienced veterans of a Space Marine Chapter, must aid several squads of regular Space Marines, controlled by the game server, in completing missions against a tremendous Ork WAAAGH!!! threatening to annihilate an entire Sector.
PLAYER CHARACTERS
STERNGUARD VETERAN: The long range specialist of the Player Characters, the Sternguard is equipped with Power Armor, a Combat Knife, a Bolt Pistol, A Scoped Bolter, and Frag Grenades. He also has the special ability to swap the regular ammo in his Scoped Bolter for Specialized Ammo, and can switch between them and the regular Ammo at anytime, although this does take a few seconds, so think it through. The Bolt Pistol cannot fire the special ammo, and has both a lower firing rate and shorter effective range then the Bolter, so usually you're only going to use it defensively. The Combat Knife, a three foot long blade with a mono-molecular edge, is far superior to any bladed weapon existing today. In the grim darkness of the far future, Space Marines carry them as a weapon of last resort and tend to only use them when really really desperate. Finally, the Frag Grenades. When detonated, an explosive charge propels hundreds of sharp bits of metal into the surrounding airspace at high velocities. Anything without any armor is shredded, and anything armored will be momentarily stunned by the concussive blast. Vehicles, machines, and Powered Armor-wearing enemies aren't affected at all though. With all this long-range weaponry, the Sternguard is consequently rather poor at close-range combat, generally staying behind the lines and sniping targets as they come.
VANGUARD VETERAN: The opposite of the Sternguard, the Vanguard is a highly mobile flanker specializing in melee combat. Utilizing a Jet Pack attached to his Power Armor, the Vanguard blasts into battle wielding a Chainsword, a Bolt Pistol, and Frag and Krak Grenades. The standard Space Marine melee weapon of choice, the whirring ceramite teeth of a chainsword rip through flesh and chew through basic body armor. Against the thick metal plates found on vehicles and Powered Armor though, it's less effective. Because of the Vanguard's preference for close-range fighting, players use the Bolt Pistol much more offensively then Sternguard players. Unlike the previously covered Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades produce an intense, highly-focused blast capable of ripping apart armor and vehicles. The downside is that the blast is so focused, it's radius of effect is only big enough for a single target. However, it's important to remember that the Vanguard is a Flanker, not a Tank. He can't take damage as well as he can dish it out, so a proper strategy is to use his speed to ambush targets and flank enemies already focused on someone else.
APOTHECARY: The last of the player characters wearing regular armor, the Apothecary is a support specialist equipped with a Chainsword, a Bolt Pistol, Frag Grenades, and a special device called a Narthecium. Using the Narthecium, the Apothecary can heal other players and AI units. He can also use it's alt-fire to revive slain Marines who would otherwise have to respawn back at the map's starting point. He isn't as well-outfitted for direct combat as other players though, so try to hang back when playing him.
TECHMARINE: The first of the three characters to wear Artificer Armor, the Techmarine gets a decent bonus to his ability to weather damage by wearing it. A supporter like the Apothecary, the Techmarine differs himself in that his style of support is more directly offensive. Apart from his Bolt Pistol, he carries a Power Axe, a Flamer, and has a Servo-Arm integrated into his backpack. The Power Axe surrounds it's mono-molecular-sharp blade with an energy field capable of disrupting the electromagnetic bonds that hold molecules together, making it an Axe that can cut through tanks and disintegrate your face. The Flamer produces a stream of fire, which as a weapon has the advantage of ignoring Armor and damaging Health directly, with the disadvantage of having a rather limited range. The Servo-Arm allows the Techmarine to repair Turrets and Teleportarium Beacons that he can place using his special ability, along with Rhinos and the Armor of his fellow Marines, making him very useful.
CHAPLAIN: Unlike the Vanguard, the Chaplain is a tank. His Artificer Armor, combined with his archaeotech Rosarius, allow him to take a great deal more punishment then the other players. While good at dealing damage, he isn't great at it, though. The energy field surrounding his holy Crozius Arcanum, the sacred symbol of his office, means that it's slightly better than a Power Axe in the "Things to Hit People With" department, and as established before the Bolt Pistol isn't anything special. While he does carry Frag Grenades, he doesn't have access to Krak Grenades as well, limiting his ability to damage vehicles and heavy armor. He does carry a Bolter as his final weapon, but unlike the tricked-out bolter of the Sternguard, this standard-issue bolter has neither a Scope for long-distance accuracy nor Specialized Ammo. To make up for his lackluster damage-dealing, the Chaplain possesses the special ability to Inspire nearby Marines, causing their 'Valor' meters to fill faster, letting them enter 'Valor Mode' more often. It's like the 'Fury' mode in Space Marine, plus if you right-click to use your gun's sights you enter Bullet Time.
LIBRARIAN: The final playable character. Protected by his Artificer Armor and armed with a Force Staff, a Bolt Pistol, a Bolter, and Frag Grenades, the Librarian can use his Psyker Powers to aid his allies and harm his enemies. The Librarian can imbue his Force Staff with his own psychic energy, increasing the damage it can do, and he can shield those near him from ranged fire by creating a Force Dome over his surroundings. With the power known as the Quickening, the Librarian can increase the speed at which he and those close to him move across the map. Finally, with the power Smite he can deal damage to far away enemies.
UNLOCKABLES
Apart from the standard load-out, there are three sets of unlockable weapons for each class. The catch is that they are all mutually exclusive, meaning that you can only have one active at a time, and unlike the all-purpose stock load-outs the unlockable ones are specialized, changing how a character plays so they become better in certain situations and worse in others. You don't have to take any of the unlockables if you don't want to though.
STERNGUARD:
1. Swap Scoped Bolter and Bolt Pistol for Heavy Bolter and Ammo Pack. The larger shell caliber and higher rate of fire make the Heavy Bolter more useful for taking out large groups of Orks then the regular Bolter. However, you give up the Specialized Ammo and become less able to take on vehicles and heavily armored enemies then before. Also, your effective range is less then it used to be, so you have to fight on the front lines now, making you more vulnerable. Still, if you know there's going to be large amounts of Ork Infantry where you're headed, you could do worse.
2. Swap Scoped Bolter for Lascannon The opposite to the Heavy Bolter, the Lascannon lets you sit at the back of the fight and punch holes in armored Orks and Vehicles like a hot knife through butter. But befitting the opposite of the Heavy Bolter, it has an extremely low rate of fire. Practically nonexistent really, you have to swap power packs between shots. And while your shots can pass through multiple unarmored targets before hitting an armored one, the narrow width of the beam means it's piss-poor at eliminating large groups of Orks, so you're now even more ill-equipped for close-range combat then you were before.
3. Swap Scoped Bolter for Missile Launcher A long-range weapon that deals high damage to armored targets, and has a large enough blast radius to be effective on infantry formations, it takes even longer to reload then the Lascannon and you have a rather small supply of missiles with you, so make them count. If anything gets too close, backpedal while firing with your Bolt Pistol and hope someone comes along to save you.
VANGUARD:
1. Swap Chainsword and Bolt Pistol for Powersword and Storm Shield Unlike the chainsword, the Powersword cuts through armor as quickly as it does flesh, sppeding up the evisceration of your enemies, and the Storm Shield lets you weather attacks more ably then before. Of course, without your Bolt Pistol, you're stuck using grenades for everything you can't get withing stabbing distance to.
2. Swap Krak Grenades for Melta Bombs Krak Grenades are great for tearing apart armor and machines, but their small blast radius makes them tricky to use. Melta Bombs, on the other hand, have a much larger blast radius, and do even more damage! Are there any downsides? Just a few. Melta Bombs are bigger and heavier than Krak Grenades, so you carry less and can't throw them as far.
3. Swap Chainsword and Bolt Pistol for Lightning Claws Like the Powersword and Storm Shield option, this increases your melee ability at the cost of your capacity for ranged damage. Unlike the previous option, you don't gain any defensive bonus, trading that in for even more DPS as you carve up enemy troops and vehicles with wrist mounted blades wreathed in molecular disrupting energy.
APOTHECARY
1. Swap Chainsword for Power Axe Increases your melee damage output.
2. Swap Chainsword and Bolt Pistol for Combat Knife and Bolter Increases your ability to shoot things while decreasing your ability to stab things.
3. Swap Bolt Pistol for Plasma Pistol Does far more damage to armored targets and vehicles, but you can't fire it too quickly or else it'll blow up and kill you, making it a poor defensive weapon.
TECHMARINE
1. Swap Flamer for Meltagun Instead of a flamethrower, it's a flamethrower that melts tanks. Unlike a flamethrower, you can't just hold the trigger down and spray flaming death all over the place, the mechanics of melta weaponry means that it fires in bursts.
2. Swap Power Axe for Thunder Hammer A power weapon shaped like a sledgehammer. Deals more damage then any other melee weapon, but it's heavy and can only be swung slowly.
3. Swap Flamer for Bolter No more armor-ignoring goodness, but you can shoot things that are farther away now.
CHAPLAIN
1. Jet Pack You get a jet pack. Still don't know what the downside should be... Any idea?
2. Swap Bolt Pistol for Plasma Pistol Hooray, you can shoot armored targets now! Try not to blow yourself up with it.
Swap Artificer Armor, Bolt Pistol, Bolter, and Grenades for Terminator Armor and Storm Bolter You're even more of a tank then before, and you get to use a double-barreled bolter too! You can't use anything else besides that and your Crozius though, and you're walking speed is so low that in order to get anywhere in time to actually help you need to have a Techmarine player setting up Teleport Beacons around the map. At least you're more inspiring now, what with the holy relic you're counting on to stop bullets.
LIBRARIAN
1. Swap Force Staff for Force Sword Better for killing things.
2.Swap Bolter for Flamer You can't shoot at far away things anymore, but you're more effective up close.
3. Swap Bolt Pistol for Plasma Pistol Better for shooting tough things, but can explode.
In case you couldn't tell, the unlockables are still a little rough around the edges. I consider it a personal failure of mine that I gave half of them Plasma Pistols as unlockables. I'm also not very happy with having so many of them carry Bolters by default, it makes them less specialized in my eyes, but maybe I've just been playing too much TF2, and now I have weird standards for these things.
ENEMY UNITS
The forces of the Ork WAAAGH!!! arrayed against you in Co-Op Mode. They aren't as durable as you, and they aren't as accurate as you, but there are more of them then there is of you and that is all they need to win. The different types of enemy are divided into different categories.
Grot Squads and Squig Bombs
While the maps will be balanced as far as the movement of Marines and Orks is considered, there will be multiple paths and tunnels too small for them to use cutting through the terrain. These small passages will circumvent player's defenses and allow two types of enemy unit unhindered opportunities to flank you. These units are Grot Squads and Squig Bombs.
Grot Squad: A large work-gang of Gretchin, they can slip behind your lines using the micro-passages and use their skills to dismantle your Turrets, Teleporter Beacons, and even your Rhinos. They'll also sometimes jump a lone Marine, but their individual attacks aren't all that effective. They also have no armor and are cowards, so as soon as someone starts fighting back they cut and run. It's still a good idea to wipe them out though, otherwise they'll eventually come back to finish the job.
Squig Bombs: A Squig that's had all the bombs the Orks couldn't make it eat first strapped to it and let loose, it'll hop behind your lines and get close to something before exploding with enough force to destroy a Beacon in one go. They aren't very quiet, however, and the fact that it's covered entirely in high explosives means a single bolter round will prematurely detonate it, so keep an ear out.
Ork Infantry
The majority of the Orks faced on the field of battle will be "organized" into large mobs, the only unifying element found therein being their weapon load-out. The least dangerous of the Orks (not that that's saying much) players will spend most of their time ignoring them in order to focus on bigger threats. Only rarely will the Bot Squads need you to step in and help them with these guys.
Slugga Boyz: The most common variety of Ork, the Slugga Boy gets his name from his ranged weapon, a crude pistol he fires in the enemy's general direction while running at them and screaming. His other weapon is a 'Choppa,' a crude hatchet or cleaver that he uses to hit enemies. While screaming. Because of it's small size and terrible accuracy, the Slugga deals little damage. However, there are usually dozens of Orks in a mob, so all those hits they occasionally land will start to add up. Likewise, the actual blow of a Choppa against a Space Marine's Powered Armor does very little, but Orks are much better at hitting then they are at shooting, and if one is hitting you there's probably several more of them also hitting you at the same time.
Shoota Boyz: The second most common variety of Ork, Shoota Boyz prefer to hang back and use their namesake, a clunky submachinegun created with the design priorities of being big, loud, and fast. You will note that 'accurate' was not one of those words. Like the Slugga Boyz, Shoota Boyz have very poor aim. Like the Slugga Boy, they make up for this by always appearing in large numbers, so that the law of averages can allow them to hit their target enough times to matter. They don't have the large Choppas of the Slugga Boyz, but their Shootas do more damage then the Slugga guns do, so they average out to around the same threat level.
'Ard Boyz: Orks who've survived combat long enough to save up enough Teef for a set of 'Eavy Armor,' also known as 'scrap metal plates riveted to a Squig-leather harness.' Unlike the completely unarmored Grot Squads, Squig Bombs, and Slugga and Shoota Boyz, 'Ard Boyz are immune to the damage done by Frag Grenades. They are, however, stunned by them, and they don't carry any weapons more dangerous then the ones Slugga Boyz do, so they aren't that much more dangerous.
Storm Boyz: Orks who decided it'd be a great idea to strap a rocket to their backs in order to get into fights more quickly. They don't have armor and they carry the same weapons as Slugga and 'Ard Boyz, so they're relying entirely on the element of surprise to win fights. A single shot to the rocket will detonate it, so unless they catch you napping feel free to treat them like large green skeet.
Nob: Leading every one of these squads is a Nob. A Nob is bigger, stronger, smarter, and more aggressive then regular Orks, and it's his inspiring presence/looming threat of a beating that keeps the blood-thirsty but stupid Orks in line. Regardless of the type of squad he's leading, the Nob will have 'Eavy Armor and be armed with a Big Choppa and a Shoota. On higher difficulty maps, he'll swap his Big Choppa for a 'Power Klaw,' which will enable him to one-shot Marines, and his Shoota for a "Big Shoota,' which is basically his old Shoota with a second barrel added to it.
Ork Specialists
These Orks operate in smaller squads then the regular Orks, and they don't have 'Eavy Armor or Nobs. To compensate, they are much, much more dangerous on their own.
Flash Gitz: Orks so addicted to gunfire that they've saved up for 'Snazzguns,' highly-customized large-caliber machinegun that hurt much more then regular Shootas. They're still not better shots though.
Burna Boyz: Orks with a predilection for pyromania. Using crude flamethrowers, they set fire to their enemies. Or to other Orks, they're not picky. A Marine's Armor protects him from damage, with an Armor rating at 100% ensuring no loss of Health from enemy weapons. Well, most enemy weapons. Flamethrowers ignore Armor and deal their damage directly to Health, so you very much want to avoid getting cooked. This extends to your AI Marines, who will cut and run to avoid being barbequed, causing unified firing lines to collapse as each Marine tries to dodge gouts of flame.
Tankbustaz: Orks who enjoy blowing up tanks. You don't have any tanks in this game, but you do have a few Rhinos, which as far as the Tankbustaz are concerned are close enough. Their "Rokkit Launchaz" can scatter a squad of Marines and take out Beacons and Turrets in a couple of hits, but the Rhinos are made of tougher stuff. The Tankbusta Bomb the Orks are carrying are strong enough, but the Orks have to get up right next to the Rhino to attach it, and they're so specialized for Tank hunting that they can't fight anything else all that well anymore.
Lootaz: Unlike Tankbustaz, Lootaz hang back and shoot at your Rhinos from long range. Their powerful Deffgunz can take a Marine out in a single hit, and only a few shots need to hit home for the Rhino to be totaled. But just like other Orks they're not terribly accurate, and they have to stand perfectly still to fire their weapons.
Ork Vehicles
Resistant to anti-personnel fire, these crude yet effective conveyances offer their operators great mobility. They do have some drawbacks, however...
Wartrakkz: These two-Ork vehicles can best be described as the front half of a motorcycle stuck to a track unit. While the Ork in front drives the Wartrakk towards the enemy, the Ork standing on the track unit fires the vehicle's weapons. Usually a Big Shoota, harder maps will replace it with a Burna. While fast, these crude conveyances are completely unarmored and offer no protection to the Orks operating them whatsoever.
Deffkoptaz: Basically a motorcycle with helicopter blades instead of wheels, like the Wartrakks these things offer their pilots no protection, allowing a well-placed shot to kill the Ork or blow his machine's fuel tank up while he's sitting on it. The Orks crazy enough to fly these things put up with these design issues because the aerial nature of the Deffkoptas allow them to bypass your defenses and ambush you. Armed by default with two Big Shootas, they can have those replaced on harder maps with Rokkit Launchas or "Kustom Mega-Blastaz", Ork energy weapons with a slow rate of fire but tremendous damage output.
Wartrukkz: The primary mode of transportation for most Orks; unlike the Wartrakks and Deffcoptas an Ork Trukk has a complete chassis, protecting it's driver and passengers from enemy fire as they get in close, using the front-mounted Dozer Blade to smash through defensive measures and Marines who don't get out of the way. The Ork riding shotgun will not be wielding a shotgun, instead he will be firing the pintle-mounted Big Shoota attached for that purpose. While small-arms fire is useless against the scrap metal hull of a Trukk, the lack of reenforced armor means that a stronger weapon can successfully hit something vital if the shot is accurate.
Grot Tankz: A small tank built and manned by Gretchin who spend way too much time around Ork Mekboyz, this little thing could almost be considered cute, if not for the fact that it's being used to kill you. The most heavily armored Ork vehicle, on easier maps they are equipped with a simple Big Shoota. On harder maps, they can have Rokkit Launchas, Kustom Mega-Blastas, "Skorchaz" (Really really big Burnas), or the "Grotzooka," a sort of scrap metal cannon that really hurts.
Ork Heavy Support
What these machines lack in speed they make up for in firepower and armor.
Killa Kan: Bipedal robots with a Gretchin wired into the control systems, they always come in groups of three. Each one is armed with a robotic arm topped with a sharp claw for close in attacks, but each will have a different ranged weapon. One will have a Skorcha, another will have a Grotzooka, and the last one will have a Kustom Mega-Blasta. The good news is that they are the least well-armored of the Heavy Support, they don't move all that quickly, and since they're operated by Gretchin they'll sometimes forget that they're armored weapons platforms and try to run away.
Deff Dread: A robot walker with an actual Ork wired into it instead of a Grot, Deff Dreads are bigger, stronger, tougher, and more dangerous than Killa Kans. Equipped with four weapons instead of two, two of them will be razor-clawed arms while the other two will be some combination of Big Shoota, Kustom Mega-Blasta, Rokkit Launcha, and Skorcha. Their only redeeming feature is that they operate solo instead of in groups.
Looted Tank: A ruined Imperial tank that's been acquired by Orks, usually the Orks that wrecked it in the first place, and converted for their use. Two Big Shootas and a Skorcha mounted on the hull keep enemy infantry at bay while the large and loud Boomgun up in the turret deals damage at a distance.
Battlewagon: The longer a Looted Tank belongs to the Orks, the more 'modifications' and 'improvements' they make to it. Eventually, it stops being a tank altogether and becomes a Battlewagon instead. Battlewagons are the largest and most heavily armored vehicles available to the Orks (in this game.) A "Deff Rolla" mounted to the from of the Wagon allows it to run over Marines, and it will have several Big Shootas and Rokkit Launchas mounted on it. Most dangerous of all it's weapons is the massive "Killkannon," capable of obliterating Rhinos in one hit. They only show up on extremely hard maps though.
Ork Elites
The strongest of the Orks besides the leaders of their kind, Elite units are extremely dangerous opponents. Unlike the previously mentioned Specialists, Elites do have Nobs leading them, and he will have a Power Klaw.
Kommandoz: The chosen of Mork, the Ork God of Low Cunning, Kommandos are masters of stealth, subterfuge, and sabotage. Capable of turning invisible and sneaking past turrets and other defenses, they destroy machines and assassinate Marines using an arsenal of Choppas, Burnas, and Shootas, along with Ork Grenades referred to as 'Stikkbombz,' which most Orks don't get to use because they can't be counted on to remember which part is the part you throw after pulling the pin. These grenades can do considerable damage to Marines and Rhinos both, so watch out. They don't operate in large groups however, and apart from the Nob they don't wear 'Eavy Armor, trading defense for mobility. (The Nob gets away with it because he's big enough for the extra weight of the armor to be a non-issue.)
Nob Squadz: Unlike most Nobs these guys prefer to fight in their own groups instead of leading other Orks into battle. Incredibly dangerous, these Orks all wear 'Eavy Armor and carry Stikkbombz. Half of them will have a Power Klaw and a Slugga, while the other half will have a Big Choppa, but those Nobs make up for it by getting to carry Shootas instead. Finally, there's the Nob Squad Nob. Yes, even a squad of Nobs has to have a Nob leading them. Bigger and tougher then all the other Nobs, he gets to have both a Power Klaw and a Big Shoota, at the same time! He also has a 'Boss Pole', a stick strapped to his back topped with an Ork Glyph, that inspires any nearby Orks to fight harder. They do, however, have a single weakness. Instead of marching about on foot, Nob Squads prefer to be chauffeured everywhere they go in a Trukk, so by taking out all the Trukks you find you can limit their mobility.
Mega-Armored Nobz: The only thing worse then a squad of Nobs is a squad of Nobs wearing Powered Armor. Stronger then Space Marine armor and even the armor of their heavy support, Ork Mega-Armor makes it's users as close to invulnerable as you can get in this game. Unlike regular Nob squads, every Mega-Armored Nob has a Power Klaw and Big Shoota, with a few of them swapping the second barrel for a different weapon, namely a Skorcha or one-shot Rokkit Launcha. The even bigger Nob leading them will also have a Boss Pole, increasing the damage and resilience of his squad and any Orks close by. There are only two bright sides to all of this. The first is that, unlike the regular Nob Squads, they don't carry Stikkbombs. They are also really, really slow. There's little difference between a Mega-Armored Nob on the move and a Mega-Armored Nob standing still, speed wise. In order to get anywhere they have to use a mode of transportation. Take out their transportation, and their threat value goes way the heck down. Unfortunately, the only vehicle big enough to haul their Powered Armor-plated asses anywhere is the previously covered Battlewagon. You know how I said ther were two bright sides? I kinda misspoke. It's more like one-and-a-half bright sides.
Ork Commanders
The leaders of Ork-kind, they are the strongest and most skilled of their numbers. Never more then one a map, the are single-handedly the most dangerous enemies you will face in this game.
Mad Dok: Orks with a rudimentary grasp of physiology and healing, they'd much prefer to experiment on patients instead of fix them. Armed with only a Big Choppa and a Slugga, their main purpose on the field of battle is to restore the Health of other Orks and to administer "FIghtin' Juice", a chemical cocktail that drives Orks into a frenzy. They don't get any armor, but their sheer size means they can take a few extra hits anyway.
Weirdboy: An Ork with the ability to tap into the latent psychic energy generated by everything Ork, known as the WAAAGH!!! He can use it to teleport himself and other Orks around the map, he can vomit a green stream of it at an opponent, and he can flatten a group of enemies with "The Foot of Gork." He can't count on his abilities to work properly all the time though, and like the Mad Dok he doesn't get any armor.
Big Mek: The leader of an Ork Klan's 'Mek Boyz', Orks with an instinctual understanding of technology. Capable of dropping Gretchin-operated Turrets and repairing Ork Armor and Vehicles, they don't have a Techmarine's ability to drop beacons for teleportation. Instead, they get a 'Kustom Force-Field Generator,' a backpack mounted device that surrounds the Big Mek and those near him in a bullet-repelling energy field, necessitating you getting close in to deal with him. This is unfortunate for you because he is also carrying an Armor-ignoring Burna. Speaking of Armor, he has both 'Eavy Armor and Cybork Body Parts, granting him lots of Health and Armor for you to work through!
Warboss: The unquestioned leader of the Ork forces assailing the sector, he rules his kin through sheer brutality. His centuries of warfare have left him with several Cybork Body Part replacements, which combined with his highly personalized body armor and sheer bulk give him more Health and Armor then any other unit. His Power Klaw can swat Marines away like flies, unless he instead uses it to crush them into pulp, and his heavily customized "Kombi-Big Shoota" gives him both bullets and rokkits to spare. Followed everywhere by his personal Nob bodyguards, the massive "WAAAGH!!! BANNA" strapped to his back gives an even greater bonus to his forces then a Boss Pole. He is, without any hint of doubt or contention, the Final Boss of the game.
RHINO:
The Rhino APC is a crucial element of the Space Marine fluff, a mainstay of the actual game, and pretty damn important in this game as well. On every map there is at least one Rhino idling at the Player Spawn Point. The actual number would vary based on map difficulty and total number of AI Marine Squads. Returning to the Rhino during play would allow you to recover Health and Armor, as well as restock your Weapon's Ammo. Without a Techmarine or an Apothecary on the field, this would be the only way to do so. Also, Players and replacement AI Squadmates respawn at the Rhinos, and have to make their way to the front line on foot. With the Beacons dropped by the Techmarine, ammo crates can respawn closer to the combat and dead people get back into the fight faster. The Rhino is equipped with an automated Storm Bolter turret for self-defense, but it has limited pivoting and can't cover every angle. Depending on map type, the Rhinos may move around on the map if certain conditions are met.
AI Units:
Controlled by the Server, these Marine Squads make up the bulk of your team. Keep them alive, 'cause without them you literally cannot win the game.
Scout Squad: Very mobile and very fragile. Can turn invisible and sneak behind enemy lines, and can identify enemy units and relay that info back to the Players' HUDs, letting you keep track of the total amount of enemies on the map. If the game is going well, they can be upgraded with Sniper Rifles to take out high-priority targets, though that disables the cloak, revealing them to the enemy, so you'd better hope whatever it is they shoot can't shoot back.
Devastator Squad: Full Power Armor, lots of Heavy Weapons. Great at throwing lots of hurt at the enemies from range, they suck at close-up fighting and aren't very mobile.
Assault Squad: Mobile and highly armed, they use Jump Packs to get in close. Without fire support they tend to go down however.
Tactical Squad: A bit above average in everything. One guy has a Missile Launcher, one guy has a Meltagun, and the rest have Bolters.
Special AI Units:
If the game's going well, you'll be able to bring some special AI units to add some extra punch to your forces.
Terminator Squad: Best damn armor in the game, can't walk anywhere in time for it to matter unless you have a Techmarine player placing Teleportarium Beacons around the map. They've all got Storm Bolters and Power Fists, except for three of them. One has an Assault Cannon instead of a Storm Bolter, one has a Heavy Flamer instead of a Storm Bolter, and a third guy has a rack of missiles stuck to his back along with the Storm Bolter and Power Fist. Oh, and the Sergeant leading the squad has a Power Sword instead of a Power Fist.
Terminator Assault Squad: Half of these guys have Thunder Hammers and Storm Shields, the other half have Lightning Claws. The Sergeant's armed just like the other one.
Dreadnought: Really big guy, lots of Armor and Health. To bad he's a bigger target, making him easier to hit. Dishes out lots of damage, can't handle being surrounded by multiple attackers very well, so remember to watch his ass for him. One arm ends in a claw with a Heavy Flamer attached to the 'wrist', the other arm's been replace entirely with a Duel-Heavy Bolter. Alternatively, the Flamer can be replaced with a Storm Bolter and the Heavy Bolter replaced with a Multi-Melta, or a Twin-Linked Lascannon with the arm replaced completely by a Missile Launcher. You can chose one of these three load-outs when you bring him in, but you can't change it afterwards so think carefully. Oh, and while faster then Terminators he's slower then regular Marines and can't use the Beacons to Teleport around the map.
Map Types:
OFFENSIVE: Attack an Ork position. As you progress through the map, Ork Spawn Points close. You win when all Spawn Points are closed and all Orks already spawned are dead.
DEFENSIVE: Hold a Position against an Ork attack. Ork Spawn Points can't be closed, but there's a pre-set number of them in the attack, so you win by holding the line, which you do by killing all the Orks attacking you.
AMBUSH: En route to your mission, an Ork Horde jumps you. You have to make it from one side of the map to the other while fending off Orks coming in from all sides. The pace of your escape is set by the speed at which the Rhinos move along the path to the end of the map. Respawn is disabled for this map type, so no stupid heroics.
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