An Appreciation of the Game

[Zhurgoul]

So I was playing TF2 today and going through the same rigamarole as always, enjoying myself, when a thought occurred to me. I really like this game.

We've all said it a thousand times in the two years the game's been out, we've all had the same thoughts, "It's funny, it's unique, the gameplay is both challenging and amusing; it's a hilarious and well-made game, etc. etc." But since those two years it seems to me that the humourous element of the game has been diminished, if only slightly. Why?

To me personally it is impossible to ever stop truly enjoying TF2. Every match is unique, every death is sillier than the last, every kill is more satisfying. But I think the problem is that inevitably people become so wrapped up in the competitive element of a multiplayer game like TF2 that they begin to infuse it with an unnecessary amount of serious thought, and become angry over stupid things or if they cannot be the best player on the field, etc.

So my question to Halflife2.net is, how many of you make a point of being a source of humour out on the battlefield? How many of you use the response menu not only to communicate without a mic, but to give life to your class and to the game world and to the situation, to make people laugh? How often do you taunt? Do you consigned yourself to death at times if only to produce a comedic effect?

Or do you get mad when someone airblasts you into a ravine or BONK!s you just as a spinning saw blade approaches?

Just taking a survey of opinions on the matter.

 

[barbarbarbarbar]

Soldier vs. Demo update ruined the game ... it just isn't as fun at it used to be ...

 

[Shakermaker]

I have played TFtoo since release and I only play it for shits 'n' giggles. The fun factor is still very high for me. I laugh out loud at least once every round.

Soldier vs. Demo update ruined the game ... it just isn't as fun at it used to be ...

Disagreed. At least teams are attacking again. Too many engies and snipers make the game dull.

 

[Shem]

At the outset of a match, whether the mode is Arena or Payload, I will continuously taunt until the round begins and make a scene in front of the gate. This behavior will usually attract other teammates to my position, and even they will start making fools of themselves, too! Enemies, as they rush out of their spawn to prepare to defend the cart (Payload mode), will approach the gates and also begin taunting at me, giving their fiercest battle cries, waiting for the battle to begin.

I believe there is still strong humor in the elements of Team Fortress 2, and I don't think it is ever going to go away.

 

[ríomhaire]

I usually taunt like hell before the round, and nearly always give an extra battlecry or two coming out the gate. I also thank my medics a good bit, while they're still healing me. What's great about TF2 though is that the classes use so many of their lines automatically. I especially like the get on the point lines they do when you shoot while near a point.

 

[pilot7893]

I spend most of my time nonsrsing. As in spamming voice commands, building 3 foot teleporter systems, having Heavy lunchbreaks, going Cloak and Dagger and haunting the other team, ect. Lotsa fun.

 

[Acepilotf14]

Soldier vs. Demo update ruined the game ... it just isn't as fun at it used to be ...

It's a whole lot funner now for some reason for me. I feel like eveything got.. balanced. Altogether, not just 'one class beating another', but that all the teams are now fit for fighting.

 

[CLIKKY]

I don't know about taunting when you kill someone when your not doing it for an achievement it just seems cocky to me not funny just rubbing it in, some people might however disagree.

Soldier vs. Demo update ruined the game ... it just isn't as fun at it used to be ...

What about the eyelander this bought more fun for me decapitating people and watching the amount of demos running around wildly chopping has bought hours of fun.

 

[Zhurgoul]

I'm glad to read this. I had a feeling this would be the response from this community.

 

[morgs]

I never really found the game that funny to begin with, because it is trying to be funny.

I found TFC to be funny, because it was supposed to be serious but you couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it.

 

[Darkside55]

TFC was supposed to be serious

What in god's name are you talking about.

 

[morgs]

What in god's name are you talking about.

Ok, I worded that wrong.

It wasn't SUPPOSED to be serious, but the character models all looked damn serious and it was hilarious hearing them calling for medics and being gibbed by sniper rifles.

in TF2 they design the characters to be humerus and it just doesn't do it for me.

 

[FISHY CRACKERS]

Sometimes, I'll use the cloak and dagger to slip stealthily into the enemy base, finding some hard-to-access vantage point or standing right in a high traffic area but placed at the perfect angle so that no one will bump into me, and I'll watch.

I won't move. I won't sap. I won't attack. I'll just watch.

For the entire round.

I don't know how i remembered this. I felt it fits. Silly enough for ya?

 

[Lucid]

I'd love the game more if VALVe would optimize the damn engine.

L4D1 & 2 both run far better on medium/high settings than TF2 does for me and they have much shorter load times.

But, my thoughts on this will probably change once I actually upgrade my PC.
As it stands though, I can't even enjoy the game because it takes me about 2 to 3 minutes to load a map and then when there's more than 5 people on the screen my FPS drops considerably.

 

[Shem]

I don't know how i remembered this. I felt it fits. Silly enough for ya?

That's not funny, though. That's just hardcore.

 

[StarBob]

TF2 is a hell of a game. Easily my most consistently played of the genre. The updates and achievements made it replayable for me. I wonder though, since the only class that hasn't had a real update is the Engineer and the only Meet The Team classes are medic and pyro, when will they stop updating? Will that bring on a sequel? How do you get a sequel to something so simple? The engine looks fine (though it does need optimizing) especially since it's designed to be comically cartoonish and the gameplay is fundamental. Maybe they'll add some classes?

 

[Darkside55]

We know that even after the last class update there are going to be more updates; spy still has his fireproof suit, the heavy has the Gloves of Running Urgently. So some classes, if not all the classes, are still going to receive new unlocks even after they've all been completed. I'm still hoping that the spy will eventually receive the tranq gun as another update like I bitched about before, since there's actually a model for it (he's holding it in the first TF2 trailer).

As for new classes, the game's already got balance issues with its current lineup; adding in other classes is just going to throw it all out of whack. For that matter, what classes could you add? What skills would they have that couldn't be achieved by giving another class an unlock? You know, there was going to be a officer class in TF2: Brotherhood of Arms whose main ability was to boost his teammates' morale--whoever was in close proximity to him got accuracy boosts. Instead of adding in a whole new class, Valve just gave the soldier a bugle that does the same thing with mini-crits. Extra class made obsolete by a single unlock. So you'd really have to find a niche that hasn't been covered if you want to talk new classes, and it has to be a niche that can't be fixed by the addition of an unlock or two. Frankly I can't even think of anything.

I don't know how i remembered this. I felt it fits.

Ze enemy is just so amusing to watch. Look at zem scurry around like busy leetle ants, unaware that I could, at any moment, drive my knife between zheir shoulder blades.

But I won't, because it is fun to watch zem.

*Drags on a cigarette*

 

[Sheepo]

I still think it has a very strong and unique sense of humor.

 

[Adabiviak]

What the game offers, in addition to all the funny things, is that teamwork works. That's hard to maintain in a game, especially with class updates and the like, and TF2 does it quite well. If your team is working together, you're almost unstoppable (unless the other team is also working together), and it's a very satisfying unstoppable. On Dustbowl, third stage, first point, we only had one engineer who set up his sentry at the bottom of the stairway covering the point (typically an easy kill and subsequent capture for the Blu team). A pyro, however, stayed with him for the sole purpose of defending that sentry (and if the opposing team got close, I'd stay on them both with the medigun, including two ubers of the engineer). That sentry lasted the entire match despite spies, demomen, enemy ubers, etc., and we won. It was more satisfying than the wins you sometimes get on that level where you stomp the Blu team into their spawn and hold them there until the timer runs out (as occasionally happens on that level). Those moments are as rare as teamwork on the random public servers where I play, but they're so rewarding.

 

[Shem]

What the game offers, in addition to all the funny things, is that teamwork works. That's hard to maintain in a game, especially with class updates and the like, and TF2 does it quite well. If your team is working together, you're almost unstoppable (unless the other team is also working together), and it's a very satisfying unstoppable. On Dustbowl, third stage, first point, we only had one engineer who set up his sentry at the bottom of the stairway covering the point (typically an easy kill and subsequent capture for the Blu team). A pyro, however, stayed with him for the sole purpose of defending that sentry (and if the opposing team got close, I'd stay on them both with the medigun, including two ubers of the engineer). That sentry lasted the entire match despite spies, demomen, enemy ubers, etc., and we won. It was more satisfying than the wins you sometimes get on that level where you stomp the Blu team into their spawn and hold them there until the timer runs out (as occasionally happens on that level). Those moments are as rare as teamwork on the random public servers where I play, but they're so rewarding.

Now that's true teamwork. And yes, it's pretty rare, as I've only had a few encounters with that type of teamwork myself. I can't really think of any of those moments off the top of my head, but it just brings a smile to your face when you see your entire team coordinating with each other to complete the objective instead of camping an area and not contributing at all to your team. Snipers are usually blamed for this, but actually, I disagree. Snipers can easily take out key targets that might affect the outcome of the battle, like Heavy/Medic pairs. Heavy/Medic pairs can do a substantial amount of damage in one life, but the Sniper can take both down with only two bullets, perhaps three if necessary. But, as I was saying and to support your point, teamwork really works!

If there is no teamwork, there is no victory.

Usually.

 

[Zhurgoul]

Ze enemy is just so amusing to watch. Look at zem scurry around like busy leetle ants, unaware that I could, at any moment, drive my knife between zheir shoulder blades.

But I won't, because it is fun to watch zem.

*Drags on a cigarette*

I occasionally will do the same thing in spectator mode. It's actually really fun to watch battles unfold in third person. It's almost like being the Administrator...

At any rate, this actually brightened my day. One of the most entertaining things for me in the game is hunting a spy who actually acts like a spy. And someone who plays a good spy is difficult to kill.

It's like actually searching for a backstabbing rogue, instead of an idiot.

 

[Viperidae]

All TF2 stories that start with 'on Dustbowl...'

Spoiler

are baby.

 

[Darkside55]

It's true. Toiletbowl has been the worst map since 2002.

 

[Zhurgoul]

It's true. Toiletbowl has been the worst map since 2002.

Oh ppsshaawww, it's not SO bad. I love all the Valve maps. Although I will admit Dustbowl is my least favourite.

Which actually brings me to another subject; for the life of me I can't find any instant-respawn Hydro, Granary or Well maps anymore. Anyone have a server to suggest?

 

[Acepilotf14]

I love Dustbowl. Screw you guys.

 

[Sheepo]

I like dustbowl alright. I like pl_dustbowl a lot.

 

[pilot7893]

Hydro is my favorite map. I just love the atmosphere.

 

[Darkedge34]

TF2 was funw hen it first came out, but all the ****ing updates ruined it for me.

 

[Danimal]

zomg I appreciate this game so much I have 211 hours on Scout and 100+ on Spy

 

[Xaxor]

The game was clearly meant to be humorous when the second trailer appeared. Syncronized rocket jumping? That doesn't keep it from being srs business, but I doubt anyone will never crack a smile in a round from the antics of the characters, whether on purpose or random. I think the humor has been improving in a way, with Valve getting a better feel for what works and what doesn't. The characters have grown, if that's the right term, from 'simple' descriptions to part of a wild world. Just look at the 'Meet the...' videos. The Heavy's was by no means bad, but the attention to detail and action have increased in each one, with Meet the Spy being epic. The attention to detail in the updates has grown at a crazy pace as well. "Oh hey, we made a new gameplay mode and introduced stuff for the Medic" ..... "DEMO VS SOLDIER: ULTIMATE SHOWDOWN OF ULTIMATE DESTINY!!!!"

Valve has a real winner in TF2, and they clearly know it.

Oh, as for Dustbowl and its sibling 2Fort... they only 'suck' because they're two of the oldest maps. Everyone has played them to death, but they're still there. It would be wrong to remove them all the same.

 

[Shem]

I still play 2fort because it's just a simple map and I know all the routes and exits. The problem is, when you play a certain map all of the time and then decide to try out a different one, you might not be so good at it. You just get so accustomed to that one map you've been playing that it's hard for you to understand another one. I'm not trying to make a generalization and say that everyone feels that way, but I believe I have that type of problem of playing so much on one map and not doing so good on another. I have to mix it up a bit and play different maps every so often so I'll be average on all of them.

 

[Viperidae]

Oh, as for Dustbowl and its sibling 2Fort... they only 'suck' because they're two of the oldest maps. Everyone has played them to death, but they're still there. It would be wrong to remove them all the same.

Mirror spamfest quality has nothing to do with being old. It has to do with being suck.

 

[Letters]

I was just thinking the other day about how good this game really is...

Still makes me laugh, and it's still getting better! I've never been a demoman player before, but, with this most recent update, he is now one of my favorite classes to play.

 

[Darkside55]

2Fort sucks

 

[Xaxor]

Sheesh. Don't the little quote marks mean anything anymore? I have no strong opinion on either of them, but most people seem to. I have seen plenty of people leave a server when 2Fort comes up.

 

[Shem]

Heavy is not amused.

 

[MFL]

If you're spamming on 2fort, you're not on top of the killcharts, and you're certainly not capping any intel. Once you can make it across the bridge without taking any damage by instinct the map gets a whole lot more fun. It's easy to suck on 2fort. It's not easy to dodge sniperfire and spam, take down the inevitable sentry placements, not to mention the enemy team, get their intel, AND get back out through it. But it can be done. Once you've got that down though, it really stops being of primary importance, and the focus switches to just rampaging around the map killing everyone who gets in your way. 2Fort is a special map because it's so balanced. There ARE differences between the sides, but they aren't enough to really unbalance anything, just make it a bit more interesting for people on either team. Play More 2Fort, Spew Less QQ.

Otherwise, yes, this game is still absolutely hilarious, and it only gets MORE hilarious as time goes on. If you're not bitching about the aesthetic ideologies of the new weapons. I've seen every update as only improving on the game, and as of right now, I think it's better than it has ever been before, because the updates have broadened the field of battle to such an amazing extent. When I think back to original TF2, yeah, it was pretty nice, but I still didn't think that it had all the bases covered. With this most recent update, I believe that the attack/defend dichotomy of the game has really gotten much more interesting, because of the variety of ways you CAN go about doing things. Hell, they even have a melee tank class out now (weak to bullets and melee, however XD). The gameplay has only improved with time.

But so has the funny. There wasn't much of a backstory there at the beginning. RED VS BLU. Yeah it was there, you had to search for it, but that adventure seed definitely got planted in the plot hole. Slowly but surely they have been adding more and more to the world of TF2, and I've been loving every single cracked out sentence of it. Saxton Hale? Zepeniah Mann? Administrator of puuuurrreee evivviviivillllll.... I want to kill her so much. God damn it they need to make a TF2 movie.

Anyways. Yeah. TF2 Rocks. Unfortunately I can't play it anymore because my laptop got stolen in August. So shoot well, maggots, cause I can't for right now. And the lack of twitch is getting to me.

p.s. Yes, 2fort has some problems, but I'm not getting into that unless you all really want me to go into detail. Don't push it.

 

[xcellerate]

2fort worked in TFC because of grenades, dispensers that did NOT refill automatically, and the elevator shaft (that's now gone). I don't play 2fort anymore but the few times I have it's always been a sentry turtle fest in the catwalk room, in TFC a few people would spam MIRV grenades and be done with it, but now it's a huge ****ing process:

1.) find a medic
2.) wait 40 seconds for an ubercharge
3.) both of you survive the trek to the enemy sentry guns
4.) receive 10 seconds to destroy sentry guns, unless:
...a.) a pyro air blasts you
...b.) a scout stuns you
...c.) demo/soldier juggles you
...d.) another uber blocks you
...e.) there are enough sentry guns to hold you back