V-Classes Public Beta v1.0

[Shmeckie]

Hey everyone! Been a long time, eh? Well I'm excited to finally bring this to you guys to try out! The first public beta of our new classes mod:

V-CLASSES
DOWNLOAD BETA V-1.2 HERE
w/ balance patch
Join the public Discord here!

Changelog:
Beta 2 changelog: https://pastebin.com/bBqDzYjS

Previous versions:
Beta 1

What makes this classes mod different than the others?
V-Classes brings a whole new mechanic to the table: Ultimates!



You'll notice the unique ammo meter to the right. That's your Ultimate ammo. As you land your attacks, the bar will fill based on the damage you do. You'll also receive some bonus ammo for scoring frags! When your Ultimate ammo is full, you can activate your class' Ultimate using the unique item each class spawns with, unleashing a devastating attack likely to utterly demolish your enemies! Some class' Ultimates are stronger than others, with stronger Ultimates requiring more ammo to fill the meter. Characters with weaker Ultimates are able to fill their meter more consistently, making their Ultimate a reliable part of their kit, while characters with more powerful Ultimates will have to work harder to get theirs. Since the Ultimate meter resets if you're killed, a player using a class with a more powerful Ultimate may not even get it at all if they're not skilled enough to score frags and stay alive!



Aside from the Ultimates, classes in this mod operate on a design philosophy that combines the ethos of CBM and Justified Classes. Keeping character abilities rooted in the actual games in which they appeared, while giving each class unique gameplay mechanics, gimmicks, and playstyles. While the moves that the characters use all come from actual games they appeared in, what those moves do is where the classes' diverse gameplay styles come in. Also, classes in VC derive their moveset from all of a characters' appearances in official media. Not just the game in which they debuted, but games like Power Battle/Fighters, the Gameboy Mega Man games, even Super Adventure Rockman and Mega Man's Soccer! If a character lacks enough moves in all their appearances to make for a complete moveset, elements from their stages were used, as well. We're also striving to balance each class so no class is completely useless in certain gameplay modes, or completely dominates all the others. They may not excel in EVERY map, but a skilled player can win matches with whatever class they enjoy using! We're also working on giving classes extra abilities in team-based game modes (i.e. an attack working one way in Deathmatch, while functioning in a more support-based role when used in Team Deathmatch).

This mod also makes use of User keys (i.e. User1), so the first time you play, you'll need to map the Thirdfire button in your control settings. Thirdfire abilities are generally movement-based, or an extra ability that is particularly unique compared to main and altfire.



What classes are available?
We've assembled a group of the classes we have that we feel are 100% done and ready for primetime (with the exception of Mega Man, who is about 90% finished, but has everything he needs for the beta and we wanted a copywep represented). With each update to the beta, at least one new class will be added to the public version. A full v1 will be released when we have all the characters in all the games covered in the core MM8BDM represented. Here's a brief overview of the classes included in the beta:

(click to show/hide)

MEGA MAN
A well-rounded copywep class, with a variety of abilities to use when a copywep is not equipped.
Mainfire: Mega Buster
Standard chargeable Mega Buster
Altfire: Mega Uppercut
Powerful melee uppercut, must charge fully to use
Thirdfire: Slide
Slides for a burst of momentum
ULTIMATE: Double Mega Buster
From Super Adventure Rockman. Turns both hands into a Mega Buster to unleash a large, deadly projectile.

ELEC MAN
Utilizing his Power Fighters moveset, Elec Man brings a diverse, high burst damage kit complimented by his fast movement speed.
Mainfire: Thunder Beam/Floor Sparks
Fires Thunder Beam forward and to the sides. Fully charged, Elec Man releases sparks all over the floor while charged with energy that does melee damage as well.
Altfire: Electric Barrier
Summons an electric barrier around Elec Man. If an enemy comes in contact with it, they're damaged and stunned in place. Press and hold alt again to fire and steer the barrier, dealing damage to anyone on top of it. When altfire is released, or the barrier collides with an obstacle, it explodes into a series of sparks
ULTIMATE: Pinpoint Lightning
Summon a powerful lightning bolt at the spot where the player is aiming.

ICE MAN
Excellent in enclosed spaces, and becomes deadlier as he takes damage.
Mainfire: Ice Slasher
Fires his signature Ice Slasher. RoF increases as Ice Man's health decreases. Becomes especially rapid when near-death.
Altfire: Icicle Drop
Drops an Icicle upon release of altfire that shatters on impact. The shards also deal damage to anyone nearby.
ULTIMATE: Power Snow
From Power Battle. Summons a group of clouds that spread outward and begin raining down a flurry of snow projectiles.

FIRE MAN
Specializes in heavy pressure, with big or homing projectiles that all leave fiery traps on the floor.
Mainfire: Fire Storm
Fires a blast of flame that leaves a trail of fires as it touches the floor.
Altfire: Tackle Fires
Summon three Tackle Fires that begin chasing nearby targets before dropping to the floor, and creating flame pillars.
ULTIMATE: Fire Wave
Releases a series of large, powerful waves of fire in multiple directions all around him.

WOOD MAN
While his Leaf Shield may make him appear defense-oriented at first, Wood Man sports a diverse moveset that makes him a threat at all ranges.
Mainfire: Leaf Shield
Use once to summon the shield, and again to fire it. Wood Man is completely invincible while the shield is up.
Altfire (shield up): Leaf Rain
Summons a rain of leaves in the area around Wood Man. Releases the shield when summoned.
Altfire (shield down): Wood Rush
Turns into a large rolling log to run over enemies.
ULTIMATE: Hot Dog
Summon a visage of the Hot Dog like a Stand to continuously breathe fire at enemies while Wood Man can attack as normal.

AIR MAN
A fast class with several area control options and a strong offense.
Mainfire: Air Shooter/Air Funnel
Uncharged, this launches a cluster of small tornadoes. Fully charged, this releases an enormous wind tunnel that can shred enemies caught in all the projectiles.
Altfire: Air Wall
Press once to summon a cluster of tornadoes. Press again to fire them off in the direction Air Man is facing.
ULTIMATE: Scrap Vaccuum
From Power Fighters. Summons a ring of junk that spins around Air Man and shreds enemies caught in it to bits.

CRASH MAN
Utilizing his Super Adventure Rockman moveset, Crash Man is a walking arsenal with a variety of weapons.
Mainfire: Crash Bomb
His signature attack. fires a bomb that detonates on contact, or clamps on surfaces and explodes over time.
Altfire: Crash Missile
His main projectile from SAR. A more straightforward bomb that deals splash damage.
Thirdfire: Shoulder Rockets/Megalo-Crash Bomb
Fires rockets from hidden shoulder cannons, which fill an ammo meter to the side when you successfully hit enemies with them. Using Thirdfire again when the meter is full unleashes a huge bomb from a hidden compartment in his back, dealing massive splash damage with a large explosion radius.
ULTIMATE: Power Mode
Derived from Power Battle, this mode replaces Crash Man's mainfire with a shotgun spread of three Crash Bombs, and his altfire with a toss of three Crash Bombs that linger on the ground for a long time, turning the surrounding area in a minefield.

QUICK MAN
High speed with a close-range moveset make Quick Man specialize in a hit-and-run playstyle that can make him hard to catch and hard to escape.
Mainfire: Quick Boomerang
Fires a spread of three boomerangs with somewhat short range.
Altfire: Quick Dash
A high-speed ramming attack.
ULTIMATE: Speed Up
His supercharged mode from Power Fighters. In this mode, his mainfire boomerangs become yellow homing boomerangs (similar to how they acted in MM2) while his dash attack becomes incredibly powerful, insanely fast, and covers a huge distance.

METAL MAN
A fast, high damage class that rewards players skillful enough to get the most out of his moveset with a deadly Ultimate.
Mainfire: Metal Blade
Tosses Metal Blades in bursts of 3
Altfire: Metal Gear
Uncharged, tosses a smaller gear from the Gameboy MM2. Fully charged, throws a large gear that Metal Man can jump on top of and ride. While riding the gear, Metal Man can spam mainfire with impunity, take less damage, and do big damage to anyone he runs over.
ULTIMATE: Golden Metal Blade
Metal Man inverts his infamous weakness from MM2 by making you die to Metal Blade in one hit, throwing golden instagib Metal Blades with no burst limit.

TOP MAN
A high-pressure class with a powerful Ultimate he can build relatively quickly. The threat of his Ultimate and altfire make getting near him incredibly risky.
Mainfire: Spinning Tops
Throws three tops that stop in mid air, before firing toward the nearest target.
Altfire: Top Spin
Charges up a forward spinning attack. The more its charged, the farther Top Man travels and the more damage he does.
ULTIMATE: Super Top Spin
The Top Spin from SAR, where Top Man appears as a giant spinning top. Can move freely in this state, and any opponent that touches Top Man will be tossed away, and likely won't survive.

SPARK MAN
Synergizes his main and altfire, with his easily accessible Ultimate capping off his kit.
Mainfire: Spark Shock
Fires an electric projectile based on how much ammo you've charged up with altfire, ranging from small sparks to electric beams to his giant Spark Shock.
Altfire: Spark Charge
Charges ammo while held down, releases sparks in all directions when released.
ULTIMATE: Lightning Strike
Taken from SAR, Spark man raises one arm and summons a rain of lightning bolts where the player aims.

NEEDLE MAN
A machine gunner class with excellent movement options to control his momentum and prevent enemies from escaping.
Mainfire: Needle Cannon
Rapid fire Needle Cannon with minimal spread. Slows Needle Man's fall when used in the air.
Altfire: Head Needle
Launches the needles on his head on a tether. Works as a grappling hook when it hits a surface, pulling Needle Man toward it. When used on an opponent, Needle Man pulls them in, Mortal Kombat style, and stuns them.
ULTIMATE: Supercharge
Enters a powered up state that turns his mainfire into the Needle Missiles from SAR. Also while in this state Needle Pokers from his stage continuously spawn at his feet.

BRIGHT MAN
Specializing in disruptive offense, Bright Man also can deal contact damage with his jump. Normally this only does one point of damage. When paired with his Ultimate, however...
Mainfire: Bright Buster
Standard Buster weapon
Altfire: Watton Grenade/Bright Fireworks
Ungarged, this tosses a grenade that fires a ring of projectiles if it hits the floor. Fully charged, Bright Man releases three sets of fireworks that do AoE damage and blind opponents.
ULTIMATE: Flash Stopper
Damages, freezes, and blinds enemies in a large AoE. Frozen enemies take increased damage from his buster, and extreme damage from his jumping hitbox.

CRYSTAL MAN
A master of indoor combat with a variety of tools at his disposal.
Mainfire: Crystal Shot/Joe Crystal
Fires a standard energy shot when uncharged. Fully charged it summons a Crystal Joe's crystal that acts as a shield until fired.
Altfire: Crystal Eye
Releases 4 bouncing crystals. Can be resummoned as soon as the initial 4 are gone.
ULTIMATE: Crystal Rain
Summons a relentless rain of large crystals that covers a wide area.

NAPALM MAN
Much like Crash Man, he's a walking arsenal of explosives. Unlike Crash Man, he trades greater utility for straightforward power and mobility.
Mainfire: Napalm Bomb
Tosses two bombs in an arc
Altfire (standing still): Shoulder Missiles
Fires a spray of low-damage missiles
Altfire (moving): Napalm Missile
Fires the large missile from his head. Very strong, and allows Napalm Man to rocket jump
Thirdfire: Napalm Dash
Fires up his thrusters for a brief boost of speed
ULTIMATE:  The Smell of Napalm in the Morning
Initially fires three extra-powerful Napalm Missiles that stop-and-track like in Power Fighters. Then unleashes a brutal barrage of stronger shoulder cannons.

STAR MAN
Packs a diverse moveset that rewards skilled players with a devastating Ultimate
Mainfire: Star Crash
Summons a star barrier that deals melee damage while up. Will also protect Star Man from large AoE attacks, but not conventional weapons. Pressing mainfire shoots it as a fast projectile, while pressing altfire shoots it as a slow-moving ripper.
Altfire: Dachone Laser
Fires the laser beam from the Dachone miniboss. Can be charged to fire three lasers in succession
ULTIMATE: Meteor Shower
Leaps into the air and summons an onslaught of the meteors from the beginning of his stage. Can move while floating downward, moving the AoE of the meteors with him.

FLAME MAN
Packs a powerful moveset which all leave hazards on the floor. Similar to Fire Man, but faster and more mobile, while requiring more accuracy. Has a more powerful Ultimate than Fire Man, but it's much easier to dodge and harder to get.
Mainfire: Flame Blast
Shoots a fireball that leaves flame pillars if they hit the ground
Altfire (ground): Flame Wave
Fires a wave of flame pillars that continue travelling as long as altfire is held down
Altfire (air): Flame Drop
Uses the ability of the Fire Tellies from his stage, shooting a fire shot downward that leaves behind a small ground flame. Bounces Flame Man in the air when used, allowing him to travel long distances aerially while raining down flames.
ULTIMATE: Flame Field
Performs a dramatic leap before slamming his buster to the ground, creating a large pool of instakill oil flames.

FREEZE MAN
A powerful area control class that rewards skillful use of his multi-purpose altfire.
Mainfire: Freeze Cracker
Fires his signature weapon.
Altfire (ground): Icicle Rain
Fires freezing energy upward to summon a rain of icicles which shatter into weaker projectiles when striking the ground. Charging the attack increases the duration of the icicle summon.
Altfire (air): Freeze Over
Throw freezing energy downward to create a damaging shockwave of cold energy that freezes the enemies' feet to the ground briefly.
ULTIMATE: Deep Freeze
Freeze Man poses, and unleashes a supercharged version of his altfire. On the ground, this summons a storm of icicles that freeze enemies on contact and deal more damage. In the air this unleashes a devastating shockwave that encases surviving enemies in ice for an extended period of time. In team modes, frozen enemies are instantly fragged by fire-based attacks from Freeze Man's teammates.

PLUG MAN
Specializes in floor-hugging attacks. Can easily make enclosed spaces especially hazardous.
Mainfire: Plug Ball
Tosses a floor-hugging electric ball
Altfire: Smaplar
Tosses the Smaplar enemy from his stage. This is his answer to ranged combat and flying opponents, as the Smaplar is thrown much farther than the Plug Ball. Otherwise acts as a slower, stronger Plug Ball when it hits the ground
ULTIMATE: Shadow Plug Men
Summons a crowd of electronic shadow clones which all begin wandering aimlessly and deal contact damage. When summoning the clones, Plug Man himself adopts their black color scheme for a brief period of time.

MARS
A straightforward heavy assault class.
Mainfire: Mars41 Vulcan
Fires the machine guns on Mars' hands. High RoF but low damage.
Altfire: Photon Missile
Launches his head-mounded missile. Large splash damage.
Thirdfire: Minefield Dash
Dashes forward, placing three landmines during the dash.
ULTIMATE: God of War
Enters a supercharged mode. During this, Mars' Photon Missiles can be rapid-fired, and his mainfire becomes a hitscan.

Why the name V-Classes?
It's wordplay. The V stands for "variation," while resembling the greek letter "nu". Making this a New (nu) Variation of classes mods.

Special thanks to the V-Classes team for all their hard work!

(click to show/hide)

Project Lead:
Shmeckie

Programmers:
Fr3ak
Binary
Bull Gator
MGO
Ehibika

Custom Sprites:
Redflash
Zoroark
Rotlich
Bonglorio
Re Zobotico
Rage Burner
Flame-ful Justice
FTX6004
Brash Buster

And special thanks to JaxOf7 for help in developing the Ultimate system

[TheDoc]

Yes, it HAS been awhile.

The thought of ultimates for classes has definitely crossed my mind numerous times, so this isn't that much of a surprise, but I am glad to see that CBM isn't completely monopolizing the classes market (haven't actually tried Grand Classes yet <__<). I look forward to trying this out, and good to see you again, Shmeckie

[Zapper514]

I am hyped to play this when I get my PC back! It looks super fun already.

[Shmeckie]

I should point out the statement about Mega Man being 90% done is no longer true. After getting some feedback on him, Mega Man is getting a massive overhaul.

I think you'll like what we have planned.

[Binary_Newer]

...I just now noticed that Crash Man still has the bot AI I coded for him a while ago. I thought that would've been removed and added back in later.

[Binary_Newer]

Since I'm a developer for this mod, I'll just announce this for now:

V-Classes Public Beta 2 is now public!
https://static.allfearthesentinel.net/wads/vclasses-v1a-publicbeta2.pk3

Changelog: https://pastebin.com/bBqDzYjS

Please note that Mega Man's Power Gear is in a VERY WIP state. Only the following weapons were edited:

(click to show/hide)

-Rolling Cutter
-Fire Storm
-Hyper Bomb
-Ice Slasher
-Time Slow
-Metal Blade
-Crash Bomb
-Air Shooter
-Shadow Blade
-Hard Knuckle
-Skull Barrier
-Centaur Flash

[Shmeckie]

Will be adding a hotfix patch, there was an issue with Gyro Man that fell between the cracks during testing. We thought we fixed it, turns out we didn't, so we're taking care of that now.

[Shmeckie]

We've uploaded a second balance patch to address some recent issues rather than waiting for the next release. This current release featured a lot of characters, and this being a public beta and all, we'd like to get more info on the new roster as a whole, which we feel won't be possible if everyone just picks a couple broken characters over and over again. So this should temper things and help us see how the rest of the new and updated characters fare before the next full version.

Thanks again to everyone for helping us out! There's some things you're only going to discover when the public at large gets their hands on a mod, which is why we went with public betas in the first place.