I never got into FPS too much before this game (except Mech games), but I must say I've been playing this non-stop since November....
Fast-paced action with a good mix of strategy and teamwork. Generally, the Lieutenant is the easiest class/skill to play, as he generates ammo for himself and his team and calls in air strikes that do blanket damage over a spread area (only outdoors though). Each class is also restricted to which weapons they can use, Lieuts can use any small arm (mp40, tommy, sten), while Medics and Engineers default to their factions default weapon (tommy for Allies, mp40 for Axis). Also, you have a meter that determines how often you can use your "special skill"...the speed in which it regenerates can be set from server to server. You need a good mix of classes for every map, as Engineers are essential in any objective based map. They lose their importance in checkpoint/cap-flag style games though. Engs get more grenades than any other class (8)...which are very handy in certain maps...particularly if you know how to control them well (aiming as well as timing their explosions). They carry dynamite that is necessary to accomplish the objectives for objective based maps and also are necessary to defuse the dynamite to prevent the enemy from doing the same.
Lots of new players also opt for the soldiers with the big guns....ie. the Venom (chain-gun w/ 500 rounds), the flamethrower, and the Panzerfaust (rocket launcher). Before you guys start wincing about these weapons with images of L337 Q3 rocket spamming, each of them has their downside. Soldiers carrying these weapons move more slowly than other classes...the trick is to carry a grenade or your handgun and then quickly switch to your big'un when you need it. The Venom can only fire off so many rounds before it heats, and its first shot is delayed as the barrel of the chain gun spins up. There are ways to mitigate this, but regardless, it is less accurate than the small arms. The flamethrower burns fuel very quickly, and if you are ranged, any decent player will gun you down through the blaze (its easy to see the source of the flame). The Panzerfaust is an awesome weapon as it does a huge amount of damage and can spread as well. If you fire it too close to your target however, you'll wind up blowing yourself up as well. Also, you only get 4 rockets to start, and you can only fire with a full "special" meter. This can take up to 30 seconds or so on a server that has a slow recharge rate. It also takes a split second to actually launch, but again, there are ways to mitigate this. The key to the flamethrower and the Panzerfaust are that they can do a huge amount of damage when your enemies are in crowded quarters......the reason this is so important is because they can eliminate corpses. Medics can revive any fallen player whose corpse is still intact. Generally, only grenades, airstrikes, Panzers, flamers (if you burn em a little bit), and dynamite will finish off a corpse in the normal act of killing. With any bullet-based weapon you have to use valuable time (switching weapons/equip at the wrong time can be fatal ) and ammo to put a few extra slugs into em until they stop kicking and drop their weapon.
Thats where the medic comes in. They carry syringes that revive fallen players as well as health packs that give you health. They can also regenerate health over time. Problem is...they only start with 30 rounds to start, and you can burn through 30 rounds in about 5 seconds Medics are a virtual necessity to sustain any kind of offensive push, otherwise players revert to the spawn pool, which can take anywhere from 8 seconds to 30 seconds, not to mention the time it takes for them to reinforce the line they established. Considering you are pushing closer and closer to the enemies spawn points, chances are they will have respawned and entrenched themselves in tough defensive positions before you can return. Thats why its important to "finish off" corpses...no matter how good or how many medics you have, they can't revive hamburger meat
As for the sniper concerns...its really not as unbalanced as in CS. Snipers are only good in certain situations, often early on as stand-off units. Once the initial lines have been broken, you need your team to be mobile. The sniper doesn't do well here because of the terrain and the unbearably slow firing rate compared to other weapons. Its mayhem as you need to be aware of your flanks, and the sniper rifle is most effective zoomed. Also, the telescopic zoom is harder to control and has more recoil (shifts your sight further), the more you are zoomed in, making precise headshots on moving targets much more difficult. Sniper rifles can kill in one shot if the shooter has time/accuracy to aim for the jugular, otherwise it will do severe damage (take you down to 20-40 health).
I prefer the small-arms, as they have great firing rates and can be just as accurate as a sniper rifle in the right hands. The sten is silenced and overheats similar to the Venom. Its benefits are in stealth as it is difficult to tell where the enemy fire is coming from. They shoot slower and do more damage then the mp40 and tommy. mp40 shoots faster and does slightly less damage than the tommy. Good and bad to both. First shot with an mp40 will usually stun a tommy enough to kill him, but when its a crazy fire fight in close quarters, you'll burn your ammo faster, possibly giving the enemy a chance to kill you while you have to reload.
If you like FPS, you should get this game. If you like strategy, you should try this game. If you like team/role play, you should try this game. If you have a weak heart or bad hand-eye coordination, you should probably stay away This game is fast-paced controlled chaos with a purpose. Running around like Rambo will just get you killed and send you back to the spawn pool (unless you're me; then you mow down a squad and survive to tell about it ) Helps to have a nice system and broadband though, as there is definitely an advantage to low latency and high fps. If you're on...look me up...I go by DaChizow
Sorry for the essay, but there were a lot of questions on the game....and I felt it was necessary to elaborate as this game rocks
Chiz