I created an "all-around" character to use as an objective-oriented character. Last night I got the complete all missions on hard achievement with this guy, and he is now my second-highest level character at level 15.

By level 20 he will have:

UNIVERSAL (these are standard on all my characters)
Battle hardened
Supply max increase
Combat intuition
Sprinting reload
Resupply rate increase
Silent running

SOLDIER
Armor piercing ammo
Scavenge
Grenade mastery
Kevlar vest

MEDIC (all of my characters have these three abilities)
Increased supplies
Improved increased supplies
Self resurrection

ENGINEER
Extra kevlar
Light turret
Improved weapon buff
Medium turret

OPERATIVE
Sticky bomb
Caltrop grenades
Cortex bomb

The Op abilities were chosen so that the Op can best defend himself prior to and while hacking. If it could kill, it was chosen. The other choices seemed like a good mix of abilities that would enable them to reach, protect, and complete objectives.

It will sometimes be useful to have on the team the person who is able to switch to any class to support the attack on a particular objective. This is my version of such a character.
What does your "all-around" character look like?

If you want to be as effective as possible, I'd suggest dropping self-res and taking the improved health buff instead - an extra pip of health on yourself can prevent you from going down in the first place, and you've got a shorter cooldown on self-buff than self-res - it also means your teammates will survive longer in fights, making them more valuable to you as both allies and meatshields to take the hits while you duck behind them to evade fire... (Yeah, I'm a cowardly Medic - I patch up their wounds after the fight though, I'd just rather heal someone I gain XP for healing wherever possible)

I disagree
I prefeer something like this
Of course it depends on playstyle and what you like but the Green Abilitys are a must have in my opinion.

UNIVERSAL (these are standard on all my characters)
Battle hardened
Supply max increase
Combat intuition WASTE
Sprinting reload WASTE
Resupply rate increase
Silent running
Needs Downed Fire


SOLDIER
Needs Flash
Armor piercing ammo
Scavenge WASTE
Grenade mastery WASTE
Kevlar vest

MEDIC (all of my characters have these three abilities)
Increased supplies
Improved increased supplies
Self resurrection
Needs increased Health buff
Needs Lazarus
Needs Adrenaline

ENGINEER
Extra kevlar WASTE
Light turret WASTE
Improved weapon buff
Medium turret WASTE
Needs second mine
Needs Nerves of Steel

OPERATIVE
Sticky bomb WASTE
Caltrop grenades
Cortex bomb
Needs EMP

I appreciate those thoughts, particularly as none of my non-medic characters have yet acquired that 3rd ability. When you self-buff does it use the improved buff. Seems to me the description of the ability in the game suggests otherwise; however, evidence (particularly on the SP forums) suggests that the in-game descriptions are not always accurate -- for example, Brink Lead Designer says that the Soldier and Engineer kevlars stack.

I, too, am a cowardly medic (which is simply self defense because I am a poor shot). However, the alternative view is that sometimes I will self-rezz and then revive 2-3 people and suddenly the fight is still one where once there were just a pile of dead bodies.

But it is something to think about ... what is *really* the 3rd-best Medic ability to take.

Edit: I think I would currently rank Self Resurrection #3, Lazarus Grenade #4, and Improved Life Buff #5. I think these are the most-important-five, and I think the increased supplies abilities are the most-important-two. It could easily be a matter of debate to rank #3, #4, and #5.

Thanks for your thoughts!

The one that surprised me most is Nerves of Steel. I would rate this the single least-useful ability for the Engineer. Why do you think so highly of it?

And how do you use Downed Fire and Cortex Bomb together? I have this planned for another character, and would appreciate hearing your thoughts.

All I usually play is medic, and I was also thinking about what other things in different class spec trees would be helpful to me but it didn't seem like anything other than universal and medic trees helped me but, I guess that that's how it should work anyways :tongue:

My lvl 20 all around build looks like this:

Uni:
Supply Max Increase
Battle Hardened
Sprinting Reload
Sprinting Grenade (really only useful if you play soldier a lot)
Supply Rate Increase
Silent Running

Soldier:
Grenade Mastery
Extra Mags
+ explosion
+ radius

Medic:
Adrenaline
+supply
++suply
Self-res
Lazarus Grenade

Engineer:
Light Turret
Medium Turret
Improved Weapon Buff
+mines
Gatling Turret (can be switched out for nerves of steel)

(I really only use engineer on defence)

Operative:
None

(The few hack objectives and the relatively little effect the Ops abilities give aren't worth spending the points [to me]. If I was going to pick a few I'd only go for EMP and Comm's hack)

Actually no... this ability is also amazing on operative since all of his abilities bound to 3-5 keys are nades.

You're kidding, right? You have to be. Sprinting Reload and Battle Hardened are two of the ONLY skills I could never bear to part with, Sprinting Reload allows you to SLIDE WHILST RELOADING, you can also reload in the middle of a frantic firefight whilst retreating to safety, there are plenty of times before I bought the skill when I know if I wasn't ambling about reloading whilst walking I wouldn't have died. Combat Intuition has also saved my ass PLENTY of times, it's not a "waste" per-se, though there are more deserving skills. Personally I only bother with Downed Fire if A ) I'm not a Medic, or B ) I'm not a Light.

EDIT: My fav lvl 20 build revolves around playing offensively & getting the buffs out, primarily as a Medic, but I've also invested into Soldier and Engineer so I can happily change at any time if the objective requires.

Universal:
- Battle Hardened
- Supply Max Increase
- Sprinting Reload
- Combat Intuition
- Sense of Perspective
- Silent Running
- Resupply Rate Increase
- Downed Fire

Soldier:
- Extra Magazines
- Kevlar Vest
- Satchel Charges (haven't had the chance to try out yet)

Medic:
- Increase Supplies
- Improved Increased Supplies
- Improved Health Buff
- Lazarus Grenade

Engineer:
- Nerves of Steel
- Command Post Buff
- Improved Weapon Buff
- Extra Landmine

I don't remember where the other one went.

I can't take anyone seriously when they say any of these.

Combat intuition is CRITICAL against ANYONE who relies on Silent Running and a Silenced weapon.
Sprinting Reload CANNOT be passed up if you want to be ANYTHING but a Heavy.
Downed Fire makes you SIGNIFICANTLY more vulnerable to being finished off, even before you get to start shooting again.
Scavenge should NEVER be passed on as a Soldier - if you want to effectively use your Frags and Molotovs (ESPECIALLY if you're taking flashbangs as well), you NEED to be able to resupply faster.
Grenade Mastery is also a big deal - faster reloading Frags can never hurt (especially if you have the underslung GL attachment on an AR).
And Sticky Bombs are one of the most powerful ways to cause chaos and damage to the enemy, even when they don't go off.

I dont wanted to say these abilitys svck.Maybe Waste was the Wrong word.
Since this is about a All Around Character ,i trade these Abilitys off for other more usefull abilitys from the classes pool.


Combat intuition isnt as good as i first thought it is, most of the time when someone aims at you and triggers CI you are Dead anyway if the person has decent Aim, if not you dont need CI anyway. Yes it can safe your life in some situations but i rather take Downed fire as example in trade for it.

Downed Fire I dont like this ability but it can be davasting. A not finished off enemy on the ground can shred multiple enemys and Delay an Objective Completion of defend one. You just cant allways finish off enemy when they down, and in that case downed people are a pain, and its a Strong perk then.

Sprinting Reload very Handy but i take rather a EMP, Lazarus Grenade or even Nerves of steel for my All around character.

Scavange Yea its very usefull, but the downside is it takes to loong to scavange enemys. But i agree It is worth thinking about buying it.

Grenade Mastery Since i dont use Buffed grenades (bigger radius and more Damage) its not worth . Grenades to weak if not buffed, to justify buying this. I rather throw Molotovs-

Sticky Boms Nice tools.They fun and they can be of good use. But not as Usefull as many other Perks ,


Nerves of Steel lets you De-hack and De-Fuse Faster- What can be better for an Engy as to buff its Main Anti Objective Use.

This truly is pointless..... All round build. I have 4 when im done they'll all have maxed universal and class skills, Builds fail on this game .. don't try get all complicated just make an engi max him move on...then a medic blaw blaw so on . With this method 9/10 i'll finish best overall/most kills and best engi/medic/etc.
Until they re-do the skills to be cross class then builds are pointless.

Its not Pointless.
If you have a 4 man team, where everyone hase his fixed class then you max out your char.Like you said.-
If you play Public just for fun you whant to swap classes as much as needed.
Also Doul Builds not bad either Like Operative / Engy.
I have allready all classes Maxed . I now working on a Allaround built. After that, ill get propably another allaround and then 3 dual builds.
For fun ill mostliklely play one of the Allarounds, or a max engy if i feel like.

While saying its Pointless you fail at contributing to the Threads topic.

I've played many rpg's, understand builds and skills. this game has a terrible skills set up. i would not recommend weakening your char just to conquer the "all-round" idea. Maybe after they fix the terrible AI, and issues of balance they can make the skills worthwhile, then i might think about builds, right now they are crap, no effort or thought went into them, hence the supplies give out on a medic