Team Fortress Basics

Who are you and why should I listen to you?

Many of you may know I'm not one of the regulars of the FS staff. But when it comes down to TF, there's no way I'd let these heretics do a review on MY game. I'm Nemisis, the resident Team Fortress fanatic here at the GX/FS office. I've been playing TF since the pre-Quakeworld days (TF version 2.13 I believe). I'm a founding member and co-leader of one of the oldest TF clans out there, Green Panthers. With my clan I've played in over 200 clan matches, not including public pickup games, or scrimmages. I've be exposed to more types of games than I can even count and played the best from many genres (thanks to working here!) and I still argue that playing TF is by far the most fun and addictive game I've ever played.

What is TFC?

TFC stands for "Team Fortress Classic." How can something be classic if it is the first modification (mod) for Half-Life? Well TFC is actually a direct port of the Quake (1) mod, Team Fortress. The Original Team Fortress was released over two and a half years ago, making TF one of the oldest mods out there. TF is also widely known as the most played Quake 1 mod ever (statistically). In the months right before the release of Quake 2, TF had about double the number of users as all the other Quake mods combined, including CTF. Even today TF still has a huge following with dozens of clans, hundreds of servers, and countless tournaments.

But what exactly is Team Fortress you ask? TF is a heavily team-based mod (no wonder they put that in the name!). Each map is a scenario in which you have to work with your teammates to complete a common goal. The draw of TF is that there are 9 completely different character classes to choose from. Each class has its own special abilities, weapons, health, armor, and speed. There's a good parallel between TF and chess. Like chess, TF depends on how well you can use the different abilities of each player (or piece) to work together. Not every piece can move or attack the same way, and you need to use each piece's strengths to attain your goal. But the big difference between chess and TF is that each piece has a person controlling it (that and they're armed with large weapons), so teamwork is crucial to victory.

In fact, TF is all about teamwork. Unlike Deathmatch, there can never be a single person that can carry a whole team. In my opinion this is why I still play TF after 2 years, on a dated game engine. There is no greater thrill than winning with a great team of friends you know and practice with - teammates with whom you must communicate and rehearse strategies with. It's the difference between playing 1 on 1 basketball and 5 on 5. 1 on 1 is fine and you can practice your individual skills, but winning with a team of 5 is a lot more fun. Unfortunately you can't high-five and chest bump over the net!