Common Character Classes: Difference between revisions

Games that uses a [[Character Class System]] are likely to use classes that are at least somewhat familiar. This is for several reasons. One is that these classes fill useful roles in battle, so they keep reappearing in an example of convergent design. Another is the fact that designers generally want to make switching to their system easy, so more people will do it; when the classes are already somewhat recognizable, that lowers the barrier to entry for a new player trying to pick up the game for the first time.

 

 

May also be called "fighter", "soldier", or some other variation of the theme "guy who fights". Their job is to hit the frontlines and engage in direct combat with the enemy. They tend to be something of a [[Jack of All Stats]], though they usually lean toward [[Mighty Glacier]] as well, being a bit tougher and stronger than usual at the cost of being slightly slower than average. Though they usually specialize in melee combat, many variants can be quite good at ranged combat as well. The "default" option for many games, they're usually the simplest class to play.

 

Also "scout" or "thief", they emphasize speed and/or stealth above all else. This makes them ideal for [[Hit and Run Tactics]], given that they're good at both ambushing the enemy and avoiding fights they don't like. Typically a [[Fragile Speedster]], they're usually not sturdy or powerful enough to carry things on their own, but are none the less valuable for weakening and disrupting the enemy.

 

Also "archer", "gunner", or "sniper", they specialize in powerful long-range attacks. They're generally a [[Glass Cannon]], capable of dealing lots of damage to a single target from a safe distance, but aren't very good at defending themselves, especially in melee combat (assuming that they're even ''capable'' of melee combat in the first place). Best used to take out high-value or defense-heavy targets while being sure to keep their beefier teammates between them and the enemy.

 

Also "healer" or "buffer", they improve their allies' ability to fight without adding much on their own. They may aid teammates by [[The Medic|healing them]] to keep them alive longer, by offering bonuses to allies, or by inflicting penalties on enemies. Either way, as a variety of [[Squishy Wizard]], a support class by himself is [[Shoot the Medic First|generally easy prey]]. Requires more teamwork than most classes, which can be frustrating on both sides; bad support can bring down a good team, but a team that doesn't protect their support is equally annoying.

 

The class with the most different names and hardest to define, their singular uniting characteristic is the ability to mow down foes. Whether they're a mage casting fireballs or a weapons specialist with a heavy machine gun, they can cover lots of ground with area of effect attacks, rapid fire, or both. This makes them especially deadly against large numbers of individually weak enemies. They're usually either a [[Glass Cannon]] unable to take hits or a ponderously slow [[Mighty Glacier]]. In the right circumstances they can wipe out hordes of opponents, but if caught in a bad spot they'll go down like a pile of bricks.

 

 

{{examples}}

== FPS ==

* ''[[Left 4 Dead]]'''s team of human survivors are all mechanically identical, but the special zombies (playable in Versus mode) fall into this.

** Spitter: Nuker, who fires puddles of damaging [[Area of Effect]] acid.

** Jockey: Rogue/Support. Small and quick, but doesn't actually do much damage: his primary attack lets him control the target's movement.

** Warriors: Soldier (long range), Pyro (short range)

** Rogues: Scout (speed), Spy (stealth)

** Support: Medic (healer), Engineer (dispensers heal, teleporters move teammates quickly)

** Nuker: Heavy Weapons Guy (rapid fire), Demoman (area damage), Engineer (sentry gun defends fixed position)

* ''[[Mass Effect]]'' lets you specialize in combat (soldier), tech (support) and biotics (nuker). Each of the six classes is either purely one of those three (eg, Soldier is combat) or a mix of the two (eg, Vanguard is combat/biotics).

 

== [[Tabletop Games]] ==

** Warrior: barbarian, fighter, paladin, [two-weapon] ranger

** Rogue: monk, rogue (duh)

 

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