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Intabletop games and video games, acharacter class is an occupation,profession orrole assigned to agame character to highlight and differentiate theircapabilities andspecializations.[1]
Inrole-playing games (RPGs), character classes aggregate severalabilities andaptitudes, and may also detail aspects of background andsocial standing, or impose behavior restrictions.[2] Classes may be considered to representarchetypes,[3] or specific careers.[4] RPG systems that employ character classes often subdivide them into levels of accomplishment, to be attained by players during the course of the game.[3] It is common for a character to remain in the same class for its lifetime, with restrictedtech tree ofupgrades andpower-ups; although some games allow characters to change class or attain multiple classes, usually at the cost ofgame currency or special items.[3] Some systems eschew the use of classes and levels entirely;[2] others hybridize them with skill-based systems[5] or emulate them with character templates.[citation needed]
Inshooter games and othercooperative video games, classes are generally distinct roles with specific mission goals, weapons, or tactical aptitudes and special abilities, with only tangential relation to the RPG context. Their differences may range from simple equipment changes, such assharpshooter classes armed withsniper rifles, orheavy weapon classes with machine guns androcket launchers; to unique gameplay changes, such asmedic classes that are lightly armed but tasked with healing and reviving injured allied players.
Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), the first formalized roleplaying game, introduced the use of classes, which were inspired by the units inminiature wargames such asChainmail.[6] Many subsequent games adopted variations of the same idea. These games are sometimes referred to as 'class-based' systems. As well as tabletop games, character classes are found in manyrole-playing video games andlive action role-playing games. Many of the most popular role-playing games, such asD20 system and White Wolf games still use character classes in one way or another. Most games offer additional ways to systematically differentiate characters, such as race or species,skills, or affiliations.
In fantasy games,Fighter,Mage, andThief form a common archetypal trio of basic classes, each ones' abilities offsetting the other's weakness. TheFighter is strong and focuses on weapon-based combat, the Mage, renamedWizard in later editions ofDungeons & Dragons, is a ranged fighter equipped with a variety ofmagical abilities for combative and utilitarian purposes, and the Thief, renamedRogue in later editions, is not physically strong but focuses on speed or stealth. Thus, it is usual to find one or more classes that excel in combat, several classes (calledspell-casters) that are able to performmagic (often different kinds of magic), and one or more classes that deal with stealth.[2]
In its original releaseDungeons & Dragons included three classes: fighting man, magic user, andCleric (a class distinct from Mages or Wizards that channelsdivine power fromdeific sources to performthaumaturgy andmiracles rather thanarcane magic drawn fromcosmic sources to castspells), while supplemental rules added the Thief class.[7] In subsequent editions of the game, new classes were added individually, from spell-casting classes such as theSorcerer,Warlock andDruid, to more combat-centered classes such as theBarbarian,Ranger andMonk, along with variant subclasses.
In science fiction and other non-fantasy role-playing games, the role of magic user is often filled with a scientist or other intelligence-based class, while the Cleric becomes amedic or similarly supportive role, and the Rogue and/or Ranger with an explorer or assassin.[4] Some science fiction andsupernatural-themed RPGs also usepsychic powers as a stand in for magic.[8] There are also character classes that combine features of the classes listed above and are frequently calledhybrid classes.[3] Some examples include theBard (a cross between the Thief and Mage with an emphasis on interpersonal skills, mental and visual spells, and supportive magical abilities), or thePaladin (a cross between the Fighter and Cleric with slightly decreased combat skills relative to a fighter but various innate abilities that are used to heal or protect allies and repel and/or smite evil opponents).[citation needed]
Some RPGs feature another variation on the classes mechanic. For example, inWarhammer Fantasy Roleplay, players choose a career.[5] The career works like a class with abilities (known in WFRP as skills and talents) added to the character based on the chosen career.[9] However, as the player advances and gains more experience he or she may choose a new career according to a predefined career path or change to a completely different career.[9] WFRP is also notable in that characters are encouraged to roll to determine their starting career which is compensated for by free XP which can be spent on more skills.[10]
As an alternative to class-based systems,skill-based systems are designed to give the player a stronger sense of control over how their character develops.[11][12] In such systems, players can often choose the direction of their characters as they play, usually by assigning points to certain skills.[11] Classless games often provide templates for the player to work from, many of which are based on traditional character classes. Many classless games' settings or rules systems lend themselves to the creation of character following certain archetypal trends.[citation needed] For example, in therole-playing video gameFallout, common character archetypes include the "shooter", "survivalist", "scientist", "smooth talker" and "sneaker", unofficial terms representing various possible means of solving or avoiding conflicts and puzzles in the game.[13]GURPS, which inspired Fallout's system, also used a classless system.[14]
The originalPlayStation 2 release of therole-playing video gameFinal Fantasy XII included askill-based system in which as the player progressed, they would gain buffs and abilities (called licenses) via the game's License Board[15] (of which each party member shared).Final Fantasy XII's re-releaseFinal Fantasy XII International Zodiac Job System andhigh-definition remaster,Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age changed this system by adding a class (or job) system in which classes could be changed, and they each had separate License Boards.
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 theBattlefield series,Star Wars Battlefront II,Rising Storm 2: Vietnam, andInsurgency: Sandstorm.[16] All of these examples include a "heavy" or "support" class, a less-mobile class armed with some sort of machine gun that is focused aroundsuppressive fire and team support; they also include classes that are simply the standardrifleman class with additional unique equipment (such as "demolitions" classes, typically riflemen with additional explosive items).
One notable example is the 2007 team-based shooterTeam 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 arock 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 inhero shooters, where each hero has distinct abilities and weapons that often combine archetypical conventional classes or are unique on their own.
