Editing Character class (section)

== In shooter games ==

Many multiplayer shooter games use class systems to provide different tactics and styles of play and promote teamwork and cooperation. These classes may only have differences through equipment, or they may feature notable gameplay differences. Most games do not allow players to use elements of multiple classes at the same time, though they typically allow players to switch classes before or during a match through a menu. Some games have progression systems for each individual class with class-specific unlockable items.

Examples of shooter games with classes include the [[Battlefield (video game series)|''Battlefield'' series]], ''[[Star Wars Battlefront II (2017 video game)|Star Wars Battlefront II]]'', ''[[Rising Storm 2: Vietnam]],'' and ''[[Insurgency: Sandstorm]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.alteredgamer.com/battlefield-bad-company-2/3425-bf2-battlefield-2-a-guide-to-soldier-classes/|title=PC Games Guide: Battlefield 2 - A Guide To Soldier Classes in this First-Person Shooter|website=Altered Gamer|date=30 July 2008|language=en|access-date=2019-06-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/star-wars-battlefront-2-tips-which-class-is-best-f/1100-6454982/|title=Star Wars Battlefront 2 Tips: Which Class Is Best For You?|date=2017-11-22|website=GameSpot|language=en-US|access-date=2019-06-12}}</ref> All of these examples include a "heavy" or "support" class, a less-mobile class armed with some sort of [[machine gun]] that is focused around [[suppressive fire]] and team support; they also include classes that are simply the standard [[rifleman]] class with additional unique equipment (such as "demolitions" classes, typically riflemen with additional explosive items).

One notable example is the 2007 team-based shooter ''[[Team Fortress 2]]'', which features nine distinct classes divided into three categories: Offense, Defense, and Support. Offense classes (Scout, Soldier, Pyro) specialize in assaulting and overwhelming enemies to complete objectives; Defense classes (Demoman, Heavy, Engineer) specialize in defending positions and hindering enemy advances; and Support classes (Medic, Sniper, Spy) specialize in assisting their team in different ways. Each of these classes feature notable gameplay differences that are meant to suit their categories, yet do not limit them from being used for both offense and defense playstyles to varying degrees of effectiveness. They also all have strengths and weaknesses in a [[rock paper scissors]]-esque style; for example, the Spy is strong against slow or sedentary classes such as the Heavy and Sniper, with equipment that specifically counters the Engineer's constructions, but his stealth abilities are nullified by the Pyro's fire, and he is impractical against more mobile classes such as the Scout. Each class is also treated as its own character, with unique personalities, backstories, and interactions with other classes.

A derivative of these types of classes are seen in [[hero shooter]]s, where each hero has distinct abilities and weapons that often combine archetypical conventional classes or are unique on their own.