Assault, Engineer, Recon and Support detailed for BF3

DICE has updated the Battlefield Blog with details on the four classes players can choose from in Battlefield 3.

The classes, Assault, Engineer, Recon and Support have been changed around a bit, and you will notice there isn't a Medic class listed - something that has been mentioned before by the developers.

Instead, the Assault class, as previously noted, will have medkits and defibrillators on-hand to aid wounded or mostly-dead players.

Engineers, which have returned to the series, will be able to repair mechanical items such as vehicles as before, but the class is also "very adept at taking down vehicles as well." They will go about this by using RPGs to take down armored targets, and they can also build "facades that enemy combatants may be using to take cover." The class will also make use of Carbine weapons.

The Recon class, also known as the sniper class, will make use of the same abilities he used in Battlefield: Bad Company 2; however, those who choose to play Recon will make use of "several completely new teamplay oriented gadgets." This way, he will be more of a team player, instead of a lone-wolf shooting stuff from on high.

Finally, the Support class, which is also returning, and can use light machine guns as well as lay down heavy fire.

"Support has always been about heavy infantry firepower from his LMG,” said Alan Kertz, senior multiplayer designer at DICE. “It’s a role that we’ve wanted to feel different than Assault’s running and gunning.”

Two new features will also be included with the Support class: Bipods and Suppressive Fire. Bipods provide a "substantial increase in stability while laying down a base of fire," and can be deployed anywhere by zooming in with your LMG when "prone, or when standing/kneeling in front of suitable supports." This helps provide an accuracy boost as well as recoil reduction.

Suppressive Fire, an all-new, in-game mechanic, will show incoming fire as a "graphical blur effect" on the Support victim's screen to "stress him and let him know it’s not safe to pop out from behind cover." It also affects the character’s in-game firing accuracy, making him less of a threat by using "real world tactics," which will also net team play experience points.

“Supported shooting with Bipods and Suppressive Fire finally allows us to achieve an obvious difference between Assault and Support, since the heavy LMGs are not terribly mobile,” explained Kertz. “When deployed with a Bipod, they become an incredibly powerful force. Suppressive Fire forces the enemy to keep their head down and lets the Support gunner pin his enemies in place so teammates can flank.”

All of the classes detailed above can be customized according to how you want to play the game.

More on unlocks, persistence and customization will be detailed in a future Battleblog post, so keep and eye on the BFblog.

Battlefield 3 is out in October for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.