Team Fortress 2
From Combine OverWiki, the English Half-Life Wikia
Team Fortress 2 is an online multiplayer team-based first-person shooter developed by Valve Software and is one of the games included in Valve's Orange Box which was released on October 10th. Team Fortress 2 can be played on the PC, Xbox 360 or the Playstation 3.
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[edit] History
Team Fortress was originally conceived as a Quake modification, created by Robin Walker, John Cook and Ian Caughley in 1996. Cook and Walker subsequently worked with Valve to create an adapted version of the game using the Half-Life Goldsource engine. This was called Team Fortress Classic, and was released later that year. Both versions proved massively popular.
Plans to create a sequel ran as far back as 1998, however the project became infamous for false starts and backdating. Cook and Caughley originally intended on releasing Team Fortress 2 as a commercial mod for Quake II, however this never materialised; Similarly, Valve promised a release of its own version in 1999 which was pushed back repeatedly before being shelved.
On 14th July 2006, Gabe Newell announced that Team Fortress 2 would be released with Episode Two and Portal in the then-named Black Box. The game was showcased a week later. Although responses to the games' new, cel-shaded design and cartoony feel were mixed, since its release the game has received near unanimous praise. The review aggregator site Metacritic gives Team Fortress an overall score of 92% (with the Orange Box as a whole receiving 96%), with critics singling out its balance, design and humour for praise.
[edit] Gameplay
Like its predecessors, Team Fortress 2 is built around two opposing but equal teams competing for an objective. These two teams each represent a construction company: Reliable Excavation & Demolition (RED) and Builders League United (BLU). Players can choose to play as one of nine classes in these teams, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Although the abilities of a number of classes has changed from earlier Team Fortress incarnations, the basic elements of each class have remained.
The objective of the game is defined by the game mode in use. In capture the flag maps, the objective for both teams is to obtain a briefcase of intelligence from the enemy team's base and return it to their own base while preventing the opposing team from doing the same. Control point modes are more varied in their objectives, but share the common aim of capturing a particular point on the map. In some maps, the objective for both teams is to secure all the points on the map. On other maps, one team already holds all the points and must defend them from the other for a set amount of time. A third variation, introduced with the map Hydro, is based on territory: each team must capture the other team's single control point to secure the section of the map. Once all sections have been captured by one team, they are then able to attack the other team's base directly.
Team Fortress 2 is the first of Valve's multiplayer games to incorporate detailed statistics for players. These statistics include the time spent playing as each class, average point score, the most captures, objectives achieved in a single round, and more. Persistent statistics tell the player how they are improving in relation to these statistics, such as if a player comes close to their record for the damage inflicted in a round. Team Fortress 2 also features numerous "achievements" for carrying out certain tasks, such as scoring a certain number of kills or completing a round within a certain time. Both achievements and statistics are displayed on the player's Steam Community profile page.
[edit] Team Fortress 2 Standalone Package
Team Fortress 2 was realeased on a standalone package on April 9, 2008.
[edit] Classes
Team Fortress 2 features nine classes available for use.
- Scout
- The fastest class in the game, the scout's role is to capture objectives once enemy defences have been disabled. Scout represents two players when capturing points. They are able to double jump, giving extra height to a leap and allowing a change of direction in mid-air, and when combined with his natural speed this makes the scout a difficult target to hit. They are armed with a scattergun, pistol, and a bat.
- Soldier
- The Soldier is a slow moving class, but has a high damage tolerance and can boost himself to higher platforms by rocket jumping, though rocket jumping still causes damage accordingly. Used for spearheading offensives through firepower, the soldier is well suited to long range combat as his rockets have infinite range and cause area damage on impact. He is armed with a rocket launcher, shotgun, and a shovel.
- Pyro
- The Pyro is equipped with a flame-thrower, a shotgun and a fire axe. Unlike its counterparts in previous Team Fortress incarnations, the pyro's primary weapon, the flame-thrower, is one of the most powerful short range weapons in the game, able to set enemies on fire to cause damage over an extended period of time. Other pyros cannot be set alight, but will still take damage from the initial attack. Due to the short range of the flame-thrower, the pyro relies on ambushing enemies to achieve the full effect of his weapon.
- Demoman
- The Demoman is a defensive class with average damage tolerance. Armed with a grenade launcher, sticky bombs and a bottle, the demoman can unleash heavy but static amounts of damage. The demoman moves slightly slower than most other classes. The grenade launcher launches a time fused grenade while a sticky bomb launcher can be detonated by using your secondary fire.
- Heavy
- Armed with a minigun, a shotgun and his fists, the Heavy is the toughest and also slowest class in the game. He can be used for both offensive and defensive purposes. The minigun itself has a short wind-up time and its low accuracy limits it to medium to short range combat. The combination of high health, a large body and a powerful weapon commonly allows medics to take cover behind heavies.
- Engineer
- Engineers are used to defend bases and passageways, as well as to supply and transport the team. The engineer is able to build various structures through "metal" points to support the team: a sentry gun that can be upgraded through three stages of effectiveness to help kill enemies, a teleporter matrix consisting of an entry and exit facility, and a dispenser that gives team-mates ammunition and health. While its ammunition supplies are infinite, the dispenser requires time to regenerate metal supplies. Metal is collected from resupply points, dispensers, the weapons of fallen players, and even the debris of destroyed structures. He is armed with a shotgun, a pistol and a wrench.
- Medic
- Medics are tasked with keeping other players alive and are equipped accordingly. Armed with a healing gun, the medic is able to quickly and continuously regenerate a team-mate's health up to a temporary 150% of their initial health. The medic can also use the healing gun to "Übercharge" other players after using the device for a certain amount of time. Übercharge renders the medic and the targeted team-mate invulnerable for up to ten seconds. Medics are able to slowly regenerate their own health passively, have average protection and are second in speed only to the scout. Medics also carry a syringe gun, a bonesaw, the blutsauger, and an ubersaw.
- Sniper
- Snipers are a support class. Carrying a bolt-action sniper rifle, the sniper is able to kill all classes instantly with a shot to the head, although he must "charge" his rifle in order for the shot to be fatal against tougher targets, such as the heavy and soldier. Charging occurs while aiming with the scope, and a percentage bar on the right side of the crosshair indicates the amount that the rifle has been charged. However, the rifle leaves a visible, team-coloured laser dot where it is aimed which can reveal the location of the sniper to enemy players. Snipers also carry a submachine gun and a kukri.
- Spy
- The spy is lightly armoured and is used for infiltrating, assassinating and sabotaging the enemy team and is capable of both disguising himself as any class of the opposite team, and cloaking himself temporarily. Spies also carry electronic sappers that are placed on enemy structures, disabling them and slowly damaging them to destruction unless an engineer repairs their sabotaged equipment. Armed with a revolver and a butterfly knife, a stab to the back or side from the latter results in an instant kill.
[edit] Class Updates
During January 2008 Valve announced plans to give each class alternative weaponry to their standard arsenal, unlocked through accomplishing new sets of achievements. This was aimed at adding more depth to the game, and fostering new interest in underplayed classes. Accordingly, the first class to receive an update was the Medic, the least popular class, on 20th April; his new weapons were the Blutsauger, the Critzkrieg and the Ubersaw, alternatives to the Syringe Gun, the Medigun and the Bonesaw respectively.
The second class to receive new weaponry was the Pyro on the 19th June. Considered by both the game community and by Valve to be the most underpowered class, the Pyro also received a universal buff. His alternatives were the Flare Gun, the Backburner and the Axtinguisher, for the Shotgun, the Flamethrower and the Fire Axe respectively.
The next class to receive updates will be the Heavy.[1]
[edit] Meet the Classes
The Meet the Class videos are a series of computer-animated interviews with the various classes of Team Fortress 2. These short features display the characters' distinct personalities, as well as their abilities and assorted quirks. After the first short was released, Meet the Heavy, viewers praised both the quality of the animation and the humour of the script, likening it to productions by professional animation studios such as Pixar. Due to this highly positive reception, Valve has announced plans to release a Meet the Class video for each individual class in the game over the coming months. The most recent class to have a video is the Sniper.
[edit] Classes Presented
[edit] Maps
[edit] Dustbowl
Dustbowl is an attack(BLU)/defend(RED) map that has six control points. The map has three gated areas. At the beginning of the game there is a 60 second wait in which the attacking team is locked into their spawning area, giving time for the defending team to set themselves up. All control points are owned by the defenders until the attackers capture them. Once the attacking team controls a point, the defending team cannot take it back and 4 minutes and 30 seconds is added to the timer. The attackers must control the first point before capturing the next. If the attackers take both points a new game starts and a new area opens.
[edit] Granary
Granary is a linear Control Point map; both teams battle for control of five points. The first team who captures them all wins. Each team begins controlling two points.
[edit] Gravelpit
Gravelpit is an Attack/Defense map. The attacking team must control all three points (marked A, B and C) to win, whilst the defending team must run down the clock before this happens. At the beginning of the game there is a 60 second wait in which the attacking team is locked into their spawning area, giving time for the defending team to set themselves up. The attackers are free to assault either A or B; taking either will add 4 minutes and 30 seconds to the timer. The attackers must control both A and B before they can capture C, directly in front of the defenders' spawning point.
[edit] Well
Well is a Capture Point map; it has also been released as a Capture the Flag map. In the Capture Point version, both teams battle for control of five points. The first team who captures them all wins. Each team begins controlling two points. There is a 30 second wait at the beginning of the level before either team is allowed into the central train depot (They may still damage each other by shooting over and around the carriages on either side). In the Capture the Flag version, both teams attempt to steal the others' intelligence, located where their final Capture Point is otherwise found, and returning it to their own base. If the intel carrier dies en route, the intel will be dropped where they died, and then in a short period of time be returned to the base. Successfully capturing the intelligence three times wins the game.
[edit] 2Fort
2Fort is a multi-leveled Capture the Flag map. The opposites team's "intel" serves as the flag. It's your team's objective to snatch the opposing team's intel and return it to your base. If the carrier dies en route to your Intel Room, the intel will drop and return to its owner's Intel Room after a countdown completes. The intel cannot be pickup up by its owner to return into their Intel Room.
[edit] Hydro
Hydro is a Territory map. Unlike the other maps, Hydro's terrain is not fixed; with the exception of the teams' bases, the terrain of each territory is randomly generated from a number of different set pieces at the beginning of each round.
The first team to capture all six territories wins the game. The game starts with half the map owned by BLU and the other half owned by RED; each round two bordering territories are chosen to be contested. Either team can take possession of the others' territory by securing their opponents' single capture point. When one team has only one territory left, the game switches to an Attack/Defend type of map; the defending team must prevent the attacking team from taking their single capture point for six minutes to take a territory back. If they fail to do this, the attacking team wins the game.
[edit] Badlands
Badlands is a Capture Point map, created and added by Valve as of 16 February 2008. Similarly to the older Control Point maps, both teams must control all 5 Capture Points to win the game. It is more compact, more three dimensional and less linear than either Well or Granary however.
[edit] Gold Rush
Gold Rush is the first map to be based around the new "Payload" objective. It is to be released in the week of 20th April. In the Payload game, BLU must work together to guide a rail mounted bomb into RED's base, who must prevent this at all costs.
As with Dustbowl, the map is divided into three areas, with checkpoints for the attacking side in each. A victory for BLU unlocks consecutive areas. At the start of the game, BLU are locked into their spawning area for a minute, giving RED time to set themselves up. BLU players must stand next to the bomb to make it move; the more players standing next to it, the faster it will move. As with capture points, Scouts count as two people and RED may block movement by standing next to the bomb themselves. The bomb also acts as a Dispenser for nearby BLU players. If no BLU player is standing next to the bomb it will stop, and after 30 seconds start to go backwards. Final victory for BLU can be achieved by pushing the bomb into RED's final base, at which point it will explode, taking out the base (and nearby players of either team) with it.
[edit] Turbine
Turbine is a fan made map which was "officialised" by Valve during the Pyro update. Turbine is a Capture the Flag map with a simple design, based around a large central space in an industrial complex.
[edit] Fastlane
Fastlane is a fan made map which was "officialised" by Valve during the Pyro update. Fastlane is a Control Point with a flat but complex design, similar in feel to Badlands.
[edit] Hardware
[edit] PC Minimum
- 1.7 GHz CPU
- 512 MB RAM
- DirectX 8 video card
- Windows 2000/XP/Vista
- 5 GB free disk space
- Mouse
- Keyboard
- Internet-connection
- CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive
[edit] Recommended
- 3 GHz CPU
- 1024 MB RAM
- DirectX 9 video card
- Windows 2000/XP/Vista
- 5 GB free disk space
- Mouse
- Keyboard
- Internet-connection
- CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive
[edit] External links
- Team Fortress 2 Wiki
- Team Fortress 2 pageat the official site of The Orange Box.
- Valve Software official site.
