Brink is a First Person Shooter (FPS) developed by Splash Damage (published by Bethesda Softworks) that utilises a heavily modified id Tech 4 engine (last seen in ET: Quake Wars). The game takes place within a floating city, called The Ark, with two rival factions fighting for control (Resistance and Security). The developers have introduced several innovative new features, while retaining the core class/objective gameplay FPS gamers know and love.

Character customization

I love the character personalisation options in Brink. Initially, I considered playing some meta-games with my opponents, by wearing pink pants and selecting a green beard. Upon reflection however, I decided that having a character covered in bright skins was the equivalent to running around with a giant luminous bullseye painted across my body. So, I decided a combination of clothing and tattoos that best blended into the Brink environment and made for effective camouflage was a more sensible approach.

Console commands & miscellaneous tweaks

To my surprise, many of the console commands that worked in ET: Quake Wars have been disabled in Brink. This helps level the competitive playing field, but restricts players who would like to fine-tune their setup. Only a handful of commands are available, besides turning the main options down, that will have any significant impact on the picture quality/frames per second. Players with low end hardware should definitely play on a 640x480 resolution to secure a reasonable FPS gain. The id Tech 4 engine might be 7 years old, but having been heavily modified it does still require a decent PC to run smoothly. As always, make sure you have the latest video card drivers if you want to get the best out of Brink.

• Console can be reached with CTRL+ALT+CONSOLE BUTTON, use com_allowconsole “1” for faster access
• The config files are located at C:\ProgramFiles\Steam\userdata\YOURSTEAMID\22350\local\base and to include all the binds in the file use “writeconfig autoexec” in console
• Disabling the intro videos can be done in Brink’s steam launch options: add the line +set com_bootLogo “0”
• Windowed mode can be achieved by com_useFastVidRestart “1”
• ui_fov “102”, I recommend using a fov between 87 and 103
• r_displayrefresh “” to set your monitor refresh rate
• ui_showgun “0” to remove gun model, this is only favourable when playing with a low spread weapon like the SMG’s because the iron-sight vanishes
• g_friendlyTextColor "0 1 0 1" (RGB) changes teammates health bar colour, the green I am using is much more eye-catching

• seta s_volumeSpeech_db "-60" removes ambient noises
• seta g_decals "0" removes bullet holes etc
• seta g_enemyColor "1 0 0 1" highlights opponents on minimap
• seta g_enemyTextColor "1 0 0 1" highlights opponents on minimap
• seta image_anisotropy “0”
• seta image_filter "GL_LINEAR_MIPMAP_NEAREST"
• seta r_offsetfactor "999"
• seta r_offsetunits "2000"
• seta r_shadows "0"
• seta vt_lodbias "4" This command will reset to “2” every time you start Brink
• seta com_machinespec “0”

Body types

There are three main body types in Brink with differing hit point counts, light (120), medium (140) and heavy (180). Given the extra speed, the light body is much more popular at the moment (especially in 5 on 5 competitive matches) and the only real motivation for a medium body is being able to carry the Gerund AR - a true beast over long range! Once Splash Damage balances the submachine guns (SMGs), I would expect to see the medium body having a bigger role in team games. Personally, I would also love to see the heavy body brought into the equation, because of its potential to add another key tactical consideration into the mix.

Running fast with a heavy body

If you want to run quickly with a heavy body, follow a light body and press the use key to buff his health, as you get close to him stop the buff action (see video).
http://youtu.be/n6c-R1lrBX0?hd=1

Weapons

The CARB-9 is the most powerful SMG in Brink and the perfect weapon for any competitive game. By aiming down its iron-sight however it does feel as if you lose a little accuracy, so I suggest firing from the hip.

Suggested customisation: Dual-Vent Muzzle Break, Adjusted Iron-sights, Front Grip and a High-Capacity magazine.



The 2nd most popular weapon is the Belgo MP (similar stats to the Hockler MP), but you’ll have to deal with plenty of recoil!

Suggested customisation: Up-Vent Muzzle Break, Adjusted Iron-sights, Speed Holster and a High-Capacity magazine.



The Ritchie Revolver is a very hard weapon to master, primarily due to its huge kick! A buffed Ritchie does however kill a light or medium body in just two shots. To shoot accurately with this pistol you have to stop strafing for a second to take the shot. Another downside is its zoom-sensitivity is different to when you are shooting from the hip. This might be a blessing in disguise however, otherwise everyone would be running around ‘rail-gunning’ people in the face.





Grenades

The flash bang grenade is a vital attacking aid, especially on those maps that favour the defensive team. If you place it correctly, it is capable of blinding people from anywhere between 2 to 5 seconds. The Molotov grenade is also useful and can be held in hand without priming it. You can even throw it at your enemies’ feet to trip them up!

Game modes

Brink runs in either a Stopwatch or Objective mode. The maps are huge and can feel a little overwhelming to begin with, but once you make use of the built-in objective wheel button to mark your next objective it becomes a lot easier to navigate around. A lot of people have told me that once you learn your own way around the various maps Brink really comes to life.

Abilities

Abilities you should pick when playing as a medic.




Links to detailed weapon data (created by DenKirson):

http://imageshack.us/m/88/7906/weapons2.png

http://denkirson.xanga.com/738334226/brink/