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Wake up, sleeper; it’s time to pick your starting class.
Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector is the follow-on to the outstanding dice-based indie from 2022, which places you in the shoes of yet another rogue sleeper on the run, and as the case was before, a roll of a die could determine whether you earn your freedom, or end up on the scrap line.
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One key factor that will determine how well you clear skill checks in this game is your starting class, as each sleeper class has skills that help you in certain scenarios and, equally, make you all but useless in others.
So, to help you make an informed decision, here is a breakdown of the three classes you can choose at the start of the game.
Skill Values
Engineer - 0
Interface - X
Endure - +
Intuit - XX
Engage - 0
Rally: Accrue STRESS to BOOST your CREW DICE
Rally Config: +1 Stress // +2 TO LOWEST DICE
If you’re someone who opts for a brawn-over-brains approach in RPGs, then the Extractor class is going to be the one you vibe with most. In Citizen Sleeper, being able to endure hardship is half the battle, and the Extractor is hands-down the best at this.
This higher level of endurance with reference to how this game plays out means that this character will excel at tasks that require Endure, which usually means you’ll be able to take on intensive labor tasks and gain more positive outcomes, which usually means more Chits and less energy expended.
However, the trade-off for this is that this character archetype is poor in moments when Intuition is required, which can make them a liability during certain exchanges with NPCs, and in moments when reading the room is vital for survival.
As for their rally, the Extractor is an excellent class if you’re keen to work every contract possible across the Starward Vector, as they have a unique skill that will allow you to buff the lowest dice values of your crew, which can make all the difference in those time-critical environments.
Engineer - +
Interface - 0
Endure - X
Intuit - 0
Engage - XX
Rally: Accrue STRESS to FOCUS an ACTION DICE
Rally Config: +1 STRESS // +2 AND FOCUS LOWEST DICE
Next, we have the Machinist, which is a highly skilled and functional class, but one that can make influencing others and winning friends a really tough task.
The strength of the Machinist class is that they are a whizz when it comes to mending, breaking, and just about anything that requires a specific tool to accomplish. And seeing as this game is a space-based epic, you’ll probably have gathered just how useful it can be to be able to turn your hand to just about anything mechanical.
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However, the trade-off for all those brains is that this class isn’t particularly durable, meaning they won’t be all that useful when you need some elbow grease to get a job done. Plus, they are far from a savant when it comes to conversation, and this can lead to exchanges with NPCs that go awry.
Then, as far as push skills go, the Machinist has a real risk-and-reward sort of ability. The benefit is that you’re able to take any dice and up the value of this dice by two points, but if you do, you’ll also accrue a stress point, which can be an issue the longer it’s left untreated.
Engineer - X
Interface - +
Endure - XX
Rally: Accrue STRESS to REROLL your ACTION DICE
Rally Config: +1 STRESS // REROLL LOWEST DICE
Then, lastly, we have the Operator class, which is a class that is a stone’s throw away from the typical cyberpunk netrunner. This Sleeper is at their best when they have a screen or some data in front of them, allowing them to hack a security system, get an item needed for a contract without damaging the product, or navigate a new space station with ease.
Plus, due to this ability to understand complex systems and patterns, they are also rather handy in social situations, whether that’s using their intuition to find the best course of action in a crunch situation, or using their engage skill to keep up with a conversation.
However, they are by far the least physically able sleepers of the trio and will be next to no help if you need to do a hard day’s labor or rush a job to get it done in double time.
Then, as for their Push skill, you basically have a more volatile version of the Machinist’s skill, where you’re able to add a stress point in order to reroll dice. Only in this case, you can reroll your lowest dice and get a random value. Which could mean turning a one into a six, or the inverse of that. High risk, but potentially big rewards.
Which Class Is Best?
As with any CRPG such as this, provided you lean into your strengths with any class, you’ll do just fine. But, if you’re looking to get through the most encounters with a positive outcome, and complete contracts with ease, then some choices are better than others.
In my personal opinion, I think that the Operator class is the strongest of the lot, as this class has the ability to read situations and get through conversational skill checks with more success on average, and in a world dominated by tech and data, having the ability to inherently understand and use this tech to your advantage is a huge boon.
Conversely, if you want to always have a lot of money, energy, and be able to blast through contracts in record time, you should go with the Extractor, as while they aren’t all that tech savvy, sometimes the rip and tear approach can be immensely successful.
The Machinist feels like an awkward middle ground between the two. That usually means that you’re going to find yourself struggling in any situation that doesn’t involve tinkering with machinery, so my advice would be to lean into brawn or brains if you want to excel.
Remember, when out on contracts, you’ll have a crew with you that will be able to cover for your shortcomings in various skills, so if you want to blast through contracts, always take a full crew, and ensure you take NPC’s that can do what you can’t.
Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector
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