---
key: mechanic/shooting-projectiles--t022
type: mechanic
id: shooting-projectiles--t022
lang: en
title: Third-person shooters and cover
summary: >-
  A camera behind the character exposes surrounding space, while cover changes
  firing angles and movement options.
updatedAt: '2026-10-22'
status: active
url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/shooting-projectiles--t022/'
jsonUrl: >-
  https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/shooting-projectiles--t022.json
markdownUrl: >-
  https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/shooting-projectiles--t022.md
aliases:
  - Third-person shooting and cover
tags:
  - Shooting and projectiles
  - Mechanics and variants
sourceIds:
  - source-8a492c292e237e0e
  - source-0fa300d02004d748
sources:
  - id: source-8a492c292e237e0e
    title: 'Godot: Ray-casting'
    url: 'https://docs.godotengine.org/en/stable/tutorials/physics/ray-casting.html'
    verifiedAt: null
  - id: source-0fa300d02004d748
    title: Tom Clancy’s The Division® 2
    url: 'https://store.steampowered.com/app/2221490/'
    verifiedAt: null
relations: []
placements:
  - catalogId: shooting-projectiles
    id: t022
    title: Shooting and projectiles
    url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/shooting-projectiles/#t022'
    categoryIds:
      - mechanics
supersededBy: []
attributes:
  preview:
    updatedAt: '2026-10-22'
    title: Third-person shooting and cover
    description: >-
      A camera behind the character exposes surrounding space, while cover
      changes firing angles and movement options.
    image:
      src: images/mechanics/priority-the-division2-09.webp
      width: 1440
      height: 810
      game: Tom Clancy’s The Division® 2
      sourceUrl: 'https://store.steampowered.com/app/2221490/'
      originalUrl: >-
        https://shared.akamai.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/2221490/e09d80f7831b7dcacd4a3b2334d9ca6589ef25ca/ss_e09d80f7831b7dcacd4a3b2334d9ca6589ef25ca.1920x1080.jpg?t=1791884938
      credit: Ubisoft
      rights: >-
        Game imagery © its respective rights holders. Publisher-distributed
        Steam screenshot; all rights reserved. Excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0.
      caption: An agent uses a van as cover
      alt: An agent uses a van as cover
      markers:
        - x: 35
          'y': 70
          label: Character at the cover edge
        - x: 26
          'y': 42
          label: The van blocks some firing directions
    tips:
      - Check firing lines and cover exits separately from camera position.
    examples:
      - title: Tom Clancy’s The Division® 2
        url: 'https://store.steampowered.com/app/2221490/'
endsAt: null
provenance: >-
  Original bilingual editorial overviews authored for gamemechanics.pro on
  2026-10-20 and reviewed on 2026-10-21. Scenarios are hypothetical design
  examples; prototype checks describe work to perform, not completed playtests.
  Primary sources support the stated techniques and implementation context, not
  every proposed variant.
license: CC-BY-4.0
codeLicense: MIT
attribution: gamemechanics.pro contributors
catalogKey: catalog/shooting-projectiles
---
# Third-person shooters and cover

id: shooting-projectiles--t022
type: mechanic
key: mechanic/shooting-projectiles--t022
lang: en
status: active
url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/shooting-projectiles--t022/

A camera behind the character exposes surrounding space, while cover changes firing angles and movement options.

## At a glance

![An agent uses a van as cover](https://gamemechanics.pro/images/mechanics/priority-the-division2-09.webp)

[Tom Clancy’s The Division® 2](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2221490/) · Game imagery © its respective rights holders. Publisher-distributed Steam screenshot; all rights reserved. Excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0.

1. Character at the cover edge
2. The van blocks some firing directions

- Check firing lines and cover exits separately from camera position.

- [Tom Clancy’s The Division® 2](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2221490/)

## How it works

A camera behind the character exposes surrounding space, while cover changes firing angles and movement options.

## Variants

### Mechanic variants

<a id="t022-variants"></a>

- Cover snapping: the character occupies a cover edge. <a id="t022-v1"></a>
- Peeking: firing temporarily exposes the body. <a id="t022-v2"></a>
- Shoulder swapping: the camera changes the visible angle. <a id="t022-v3"></a>
- Destruction: repeated hits remove cover protection. <a id="t022-v4"></a>

## Design example

A flanking route forces the player to leave cover while a partner suppresses the opponent.

Prototype check: Test both sides of an obstacle: seeing a target must not permit firing through geometry blocking the muzzle.

## Context and limits

Shooting connects position selection to the moment of firing. Distinguish view direction, weapon direction and the actual hit query: the camera may see a target while a wall blocks the muzzle. Traveling projectiles need readable trajectories and flight time; immediate hits need clear feedback and a consistent reticle. These overviews propose original rules and hypothetical scenarios. Godot's documentation explains ray intersection queries, not network lag compensation or a universal weapon model.

## Connected materials


## Sources and provenance

Original bilingual editorial overviews authored for gamemechanics.pro on 2026-10-20 and reviewed on 2026-10-21. Scenarios are hypothetical design examples; prototype checks describe work to perform, not completed playtests. Primary sources support the stated techniques and implementation context, not every proposed variant.

- [Godot: Ray-casting](https://docs.godotengine.org/en/stable/tutorials/physics/ray-casting.html) (id: source-8a492c292e237e0e)
- [Tom Clancy’s The Division® 2](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2221490/) (id: source-0fa300d02004d748)

CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors