This is a page listing the various roles and Xenomorph castes in Colonial Marines. Note that due to the nature of the game, there are no recurring NPCs; thus, this page will only cover the gameplay of the various Marine roles and Xenomorph castes, as well as the in-story factions.
United States Colonial Marines
Crew of the USS Almayer
In 2178, the Almayer was contracted by the Company to patrol and secure its outer-rim colonies — many of which have been destroyed...
Commander
The Commander (CO) is the top coordinator of the Marines' operations, responsible for briefing and debriefing them on missions and organizing their efforts to accomplish it. They are the highest ranking authority aboard the ship, answering only to High Command.
Due to its importance, the Commander is a whitelisted job and must be applied for.
Executive Officer
The Executive Officer (XO) is the second-in-command on the Almayer, serving as acting Commander if none is present and otherwise aiding the Commander in coordinating the mission by overseeing and directing the Staff Officers.
Staff Officer
The Staff Officers (SO) are in charge of supporting the Marine squads using the Overwatch consoles, relaying key information and orders between the Marines and the Almayer staff. They are also responsible for launching supply airdrops and orbital strikes based on the beacons deployed by the Squad Leaders. There is one Staff Officer for each squad.
Pilot Officer
The Pilot Officers (PO) operate the two dropships, the Alamo and the Normandy, onboard the Almayer. They are responsible for transporting Marines to and from the planet and provide Close Air Support (CAS) when requested. Two Pilot Officers are staffed on the Almayer, one for each dropship.
Tank Crewman
The Tank Crewmen (TC) are responsible for manning the largest weapon in the Marines' arsenal: the M3A42 Longstreet Light Tank. They are expected to coordinate and support the Marines in the assault on the Hive using a variety of modular armaments, capable of doing heavy damage to the Xenomorphs — but also to their allies. Only two Tank Crewmen are staffed on the Almayer, a driver and a gunner.
Chief MP
The Chief Military Police (CMP), also known as the Warrant Officer (WO), is responsible for the command and coordination of the Military Police, ensuring they keep to procedure. He, alongside the Commander or acting Commander, are responsible for authorizing the Military Police to use lethal force in given situations.
Military Police
The standard Military Police uphold the law on the orders of the Chief MP and command staff, generally being the ones responsible for the actual detainment of criminals and rogue Marines and the defense of the ship.
Squad Leader
The Squad Leader (SL) commands and coordinates his Marines in battle, focusing more on strategic planning than combat proper — though they are still more than capable of holding their own in a fight. The Squad Leader is also responsible for relaying groundside information to Command, as well as designating points for supply drops, orbital strikes and close air support.
Squad Specialist
The Squad Specialist operates the Marines' heavy-duty weaponry, supporting their squad with their immense firepower. Specialists have a variety of different loadout kits to select containing different weapons and equipment, ranging from sniper rifles to rocket launchers. Each squad has only one specialist, however.
Squad Medic
The Squad Medic is responsible for providing first aid and triage to injured Marines to keep them in the fight. They are also responsible for stabilizing more severely wounded Marines for medevac to the Almayer, where they can receive advanced treatment.
Squad Engineer
The Squad Engineer is responsible for securing the Marines' Forward Operating Base (FOB), fixing the power and setting up fortifications and defensive equipment to repel Xenomorph attacks. They are the ones who keep the Marines' supply lines intact as they advance, repairing prosthetic limbs and moving barricades up with their squad to stand against the enemies' retaliation.
Squad Smartgunner
The Squad Smartgunner, like the Specialist, uses heavy weaponry to support his squad; in this case, the M56 Smartgun. The Smartgunner uses their highly-advanced machinegun to provide suppressive fire support, tearing holes in the enemy offensive while completely avoiding their squadmates with the M56's special targeting system. Like the Specialist, each squad has a single Smartgunner.
Squad Marine
The standard Squad Marine is the backbone of the USCM's forces, and their job is simple: follow the Squad Leader's orders and shoot the enemy until it dies. Though not having any special weaponry or equipment like their squadmates, standard marines still have a veritable armory at their disposal that can make them a force to be reckoned with in their own right.
Chief Engineer
The Chief Engineer (CE) is the head of the engineering department, responsible for directing and supervising the work of the Maintenance Technicians beneath him. He may also oversee the construction of the Forward Operating Base planetside alongside his Technicians at the Commander's request.
Maintenance Technician
The Maintenance Technician (MT) does most of the engineering work under the delegation of the Chief Engineer, being trained in all types of engineering jobs. It is their job to keep the S-52 Fusion Reactors stable and the power running, as well as repair and upgrade the equipment on the Almayer, its dropships, and the M3A42 Light Tank.
Chief Medical Officer
The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) directs and oversees the work of the doctors and researchers, authorizing what medications are distributed and how much and advising Command on health issues. As the CMO holds jurisdiction over all medical procedures, he also has limited authority over the operations of the Squad Medics.
Doctor
The Medical Doctors (MD) retrieve and treat severely wounded Marines that the Squad Medics are incapable of treating, performing surgery, producing medication and managing triage as required. They fall under the jurisdiction of the Chief Medical Officer and supply the Squad Medics with various equipment and medication.
Researcher
The Researcher has a unique job among the rest of the Almayer's crew, being responsible for the study and development of new technology for the Marines, the analysis of xenobiological organisms, and the production of chemicals. They are capable of making powerful chemical grenades for the Marines and potent drugs for medical staff.
Note: Research is currently undergoing a significant rework, with the Researcher's job and equipment at current being extremely barebones. As such, it is very roleplay-heavy, particularly compared to other jobs.
Requisitions Officer
The Requisitions Officer (RO) manages the Cargo Bay, being responsible for issuing attachments to Marines, ordering supplies for their operations and organizing their supply lines and drops. They hold authority over the Cargo Technicians.
Cargo Technician
The Cargo Technicians (CT) aid the Requisitions Officer in their work, handing out and transporting supplies at their command. Cargo Techs can even potentially be sent groundside by Command to oversee the proper organization and retrieval of supplies.
Synthetic
The lone Synthetic aboard the Almayer is stronger, faster and more durable than the human personnel; however, it is mechanically restricted from using ranged weapons, and can only fight in self-defense. As such, the Synthetic works as a general-purpose support for the Marines and Almayer staff, having thorough knowledge of and the capability to perform any task.
Due to their strength and capabilities, Synthetics are a whitelisted role and require an application to play.
Corporate Liaison
The Corporate Liaison (CL) is not actually hired by the USCM, instead being the representative of the Company that contracted the Almayer. Their job is to represent and promote the interests of the corporation within the Marines' operations, influencing them and Command towards what the Company wants.
Xenomorph Hive Alpha
The Queen is the leader of the Hive, being the central mind that the rest of the Aliens extend from; should she die, the Hivemind will fall into disorder until a new Queen arises. As such, the Queen prefers to remain out of battle, staying attached to her ovipositor to lay eggs, coordinate the Hive and support it with powerful pheromones — though she's still one of the deadliest forces on the battlefield should she choose to detach, having a powerful screech that stuns enemies in the vicinity.