XCOM Medic

In this new segment, I aim to introduce each TF2 class as an XCOM soldier, complete with ranked abilities. Today, we're looking at the Medic. Hey, XCOM players! If you have any opinions about the balance on these abilities, let me know in the comments section. Now, I know the Support is basically a field medic unit, so I'm trying not to replicate that skillset too much here. Ironically, that means subverting their role as pure healers a little.

Medics are support units dedicated to keeping units alive and kicking on the field.

Squaddie Rank Ability: Overheal
Adds an additional 2HP to the supported unit, +5% aim, +5% crit chance
 
Corporal Rank Ability 1: Medigun
Medikits can now reach an additional two tiles.


Corporal Rank Ability 2: Sangfroid
This Medic is not affected by the Fallen Comrades will penalty


Sergeant Rank Ability 1: Field Medic
Allows Medics to carry 3 medkits

Sergeant Rank Ability 2: Defensive
Confers +25% defense to this Medic

Lieutenant Ability 1: Kritzkrieg
Overheal now provides +3HP, +20% aim and +30% crit chance


Lieutenant Ability 2: Uberheal
Overheal now provides +4HP, +15% aim, +10% crit chance

Captain Rank Ability 1: Medical Expert 
Using a medikit  no longer ends the turn. Limit 1 medkit use per turn.

Captain Rank Ability 2: Covering Fire
Prevents reaction shots against dashing allies, deals 75% of the equipped weapon's base damage
 
Major Rank Ability: Reflecter
Overheal now has a 25% chance of reflecting an opponent's attack back on it

Colonel Rank Ability 1: Recovery
Medic recovers HP% while healing allies. HP is based on percentage healed + armor HP bonus.

Colonel Rank Ability 2: Zombify
 Medic can turn enemy corpse into melee-zombie with 4 HP. Process destroys corpse

History of a Weapon: The Ubersaw

With the adaptation of the Quick Fix and later the TF-1968 standard Medigun onto battlefields around the Gravel Sea, TF Industries began expanding the research and development of notdeadium-powered healing coils in the interest of reducing the company's insurance premiums. Bedwetting pacifists also suggested that the technology could be used to heal sick people and preserve lives tragically cut short in the endless and seemingly pointless skirmishes between upstanding legitimate businesses in the area, but nobody could see the profit in it.

Much of this effort was directed towards discovering ways to increase the frequency and duration of the high-emission charges which made the mediguns particularly devastating in combat situations. Although it was well-known that something was accumulating inside the healing reactors, what it was, exactly, could not be determined since opening unvented reactors tended to vaporize unwary scientists, wary scientists, unwary chimpanzees, and nosy criminal investigators.

Then, while an unknown scientist was sawing into a mercenary to retrieve a lost watch, he noticed that the patient's organs glowed faintly. Upon further investigation, he discovered that the TF-1966 receiver antenna (used to draw medibeams to the correct patient on the battlefield) also emitted high-charge particles into the patient's bloodstream, irradiating his vital fluids. When a healing beam was attached to the patient, these particles (along with a small amount of evaporating bodily fluid) would travel back up the beam, through the emitter and into the reactor, where they would accumulate.

Ventilation of accumulated irradiated fluid was totally impossible until the reactor hit peak capacity. Several synthetics were tried, but they all failed miserably. Ultimately it was found that only irradiated fluids from human subjects could be used to artificially "seed" the reactor. When it was determined by legal that mercenaries could not be persuaded to lower their weapons long enough for fluids to be harvested, alternate solutions had to be sought.

The only populations where the fluid-irradiation levels were high enough was amongst TF Industry mercenaries, so finally development of field tools for collecting fluids from enemy mercenaries became the obvious tactic, leading to the development of the TF-M1 Extraction Needle, which was basically a horrifyingly large venipuncture needle. The needle, while effective, was ultimately superseded by the introduction of the much more useful TF-M2 Combination Extraction Needle/Bonesaw, also known as the "Ubersaw". The TF-M2 had the added benefit of being a necessary component in an intralumbar spinal tap, a highly effective harvesting method.

Brute Medic

Working on a concept idea for a kind of hulking Brute Medic unlock, wherein the Ubercharge turns the Medic into a temporary melee-class killing machine reminiscent of L4D's Tank or Bioshock 2's Brute Splicer.

Currently, I'm considering the following buffs for the Brute Medic:
AoE healing--the brute medic is still healing allies as long as his charge is in place
Barehands Melee Attack (+50% Damage)--the brute medic's method of attack replaces the Secondary Slot while the charge is active. Switching away from it allows you to interrupt the charge
Megajump--to allow the Brute Medic to get in and out of combat quickly and chase foes
Knockback Resistance--allows the Medic to tear up in combat mode, much like the Demoknight
Damage Resistance--also devoted to giving the medic some staying power in close combat

Obviously, this idea is left-field crazy, but it has its basis in a couple weapons/classes/characters in a few games. The Big Daddy suit for Bioshock 2's multiplayer, for example, and the Tank in L4D share qualities of fortitude and power in a limited sort of capacity. If you have some ideas for ways the Hulk could change, let me know on SPUF forums or here, on the blog!

SPUF Character Contest Runner Up: The Medic

 Dexter is in his mid-twenties. He's of unknown European heritage but he has become accustomed to the US. He is tall and fairly skinny, with blond hair and blue eyes. The attack from the RED Spy has left scars on his left arm and left cheek. His mercenary uniform comprises of a short-sleeved shirt, a grey tie and trousers with heavy military boots. He wears short, blue gloves and bands on his arms showing his mercenary class. Attached to Dexter's belt is an unusual machine, that creates a magnetic healing field. The machine is attached to his Medigun, which is worn on his back when he's not using it.

Dexter's weaponry consists of multiple scalpels that he wears on his belt, his Medigun, which is a heavily modified shotgun with two firing modes. The first mode fires a beam of healing plasma, controlled by a magnetic field. The second mode fires buckshot, which, when it hits a wall, releases a healing gas. Dexter also carries a revolver for when he needs to go on the defence.

Quotes:
When healing a team mate:
"Oh dear, silly you, getting yourself injured again..."
"If only friendships were this easy to fix..."
"You're all fixed up. Try not to do that again."

When killing an enemy:
"You'd think I'd be easy to kill, what with me only having a revolver..."

When injured:
"Might be a wise idea to pull back and heal up..."
"If only this device worked on me..."

When close to death:
"It's a good thing me and Dell invented the RESPAWN machine..."

Domination lines:
"Hah! You let yourself be killed by a doctor?"
"Pfft. You weren't even close!"
"Only one person got close to killing me, and you're not him... Okay, two people..."

Domination line against Spies:
"Seems like you've lost your touch!"
"C'mon! Last time we met, you nearly killed me!"

Domination line against Engineers:
"You traitor!"
"That will teach you to focus entirely on killing!"

Editor's Note: I liked the original nature of this character. It departs a bit from the very detached framework typical of TF2, creating a very specific character with a closely generated backstory. There's a bit of thought here, plus there's lots of voice lines, which I always like to see. Good work.  Check out The Medic's blog!

Slender Medic

So there I was, just minding my own business, looking at the SDK to see if there were any cool unused animations for Merasmus, when I found this and

AAH AHH AHH AHH if you can hear this please, they are right outside my door! No time to call for help

Viewer Workshop: Thunderchin

Thunderchin gets props for being the first person to comment on this blog. I've seen his work before on the SPUF forums, so there's extra props there. Check out his blog here. Anyway, as promised I plan to promote ideas I like from the comments section on Fridays, in a segment I call Viewer Workshop. I might even talk a bit about ideas, offer suggestions and such.



The Medic
Offensive/Support/Transportation is all in one Building. Think of it as a Dispenser that can overheal. As it heals, it builds up a meter of its own. Also as it heals, it doles out speed boosts to whoever it heals. When this meter gets full, it becomes a planted Buff Banner except with full crits instead of minicrits.

An all-in-one building that offers overhealing, speed buffs, and eventually full crits. I've dubbed it the "Comprehensive Coverage". It's a full support machine from a full-support class. I like it.


The Spy
Offensive: Decoy Generator
Generates holographic decoys of the friendly team to help draw fire.
Support/Transportation: Team Invisibility

I'm a known proponent of team invisibility in general, so of course the team invisibility machine gets earmarked as a good idea. Of course, it's one I think is so valuable it could even be extended into the multiplayer arena, so that would be interesting to see.

Medic Buildings

A continuation of the MVM buildings project, buildings for the Medic. Further concept art is forthcoming. As always, suggest your own! I am by no means even a halfway competent developer and I have a one track mind. Get creative and submit stuff to my comments! Good comments and ideas will get posted--with credit--on Fridays.

Offense:
The Zombie Turret
On kill in AOE, generates a zombie minisentry
Minisentries can be controlled by dead allies



  
This is a double modification of a couple of older ideas I had. The Zombie Turret doesn't actually do any killing on its own. However, when there's a kill nearby, it converts the victim's robot corpse into a Zombie Node, a tiny minisentry that deals a small amount of damage. However, there's another special perk to this: zombie miniturrets can be operated by the spirit of dead comrades waiting for a respawn. Medics can opt to eject unhelpful allies by shooting a possessed zombie turret.

Support:
The Blood Bath
Collects all non-medic healing in range and converts it into a canteen charge. Every time a nearby ally collects healing from a medkit, eats a sandvich, lands a hit with the Black Box or Blutsauger, or heals themselves in any way, they generate charge. As an added bonus, a canteen charge ALSO fills a medic's uber bar by 50%.

Transportation:
A standard teleporter. I got nothing.

The Injury Update!

Now for a fake update about being wounded!

The Scout

The Big Hurt

Level ouch scattergun

Painslayers

Level 1 Painkillers (secondary)

While in use, heals the scout for 30HP and kills ramp-up on incoming damage for ten seconds.

While worn, the scout cannot be overhealed.

Tiny Tim

Level 1 Crutch (melee)

Improves returns from health kits by 15%.

-50% Damage

Hat: The Baseball Bill's Sports Shiner (a black eye)

The Soldier

The Tenderfoot

Level 5 Leg Casts

Deals damage to anyone within ~40HVU upon landing a rocket jump (groundpound)

+10% self-damage

Hat: The Spirit of 76 /The Hedwound

A stylish head-bandage recalling a famous painting by the same name

The Pyro

Another Burn Ward

Level 10 Flamethrower

Wearer shares any healing his victim gets until the fire is extinguished.

The Mental Exercise

Level 10 Imaginary Axe

party blowers and confetti on kill

Hat: The Invisible Person

A well-bandaged head in two styles!

The Demoman

The Hurt Launcher

Level 2 Grenade Launcher

The Company Health Plan

Tier 3 Scotch

Self-damage heals over time

+10% bullet vulnerability

Hat: The Double Eyepatch

Vision is for menn who don't rely on skill

The Heavy

The Medkit

Sandvich reskin

The Reverse Heimlich Maneuver

On kill: allows you to throw enemy ragdoll at opponents

-25% attack speed

Hat: The Sour Tooth

A toothache wrap

The Engineer

Sorry, Engineer fans!

The Medic

The Blood Drive

Level 10 Syringe Gun

Allows the medic to earn ubercharge for nearby non-medigun healing

-25% damage

The Suppository

Level Cough Bonesaw

Crits from behind

-50% base damage

this is a joke

Hat: Surgeon's cap

The Sniper

The Lobotomy

Level 5 Sniper Rifle

Pierces targets

+.5s charge time

Sample Seven

Level 2 Urine Joke

Splashed allies earn temporary health regen

Hat: The Reminder

Bandage over cheek-scar, numerous additional bandages on face

The Spy

Insurance Fraud

Level 5 Sapper Replacement

"Sapped" enemies share 10% of their healing with you

Surgical-Grade

Level 2 Scalpel

Hat: The Sympathy Solicitor

A neck brace

The Engineer:

Unlike Valve, I was kidding before.

The Workplace Accident

Level 3 Nailgun

Minicrits on headshots

-25% Damage

-50% Clip

The Quarpal Tunneler

Level 2 Right-hand cast

Allows engineers to walk through their buildings

-25% swing speed

Hat: The Clumsy Carpenter

A cracked version of the standard hardhat with nails in it