So, I Think it's just about time to try out Team Fortress 2.
- Thread starter Javarock
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The best class to start with is Medic. You'll be able to be useful while sitting back and watching how other classes work before trying them, allowing you to become familiar with how things work. Also as Medic, regardless of whether you're FTP or not, people will love you simply because you are a Medic. Just be patient though, there are still some jerks who hate the "FTP newbs" so you might have to deal with some crap there.
Well every game comes with a learning curve of SOME sortJavarock said:
Once you get a feel for the flow of things it all just comes naturally. You don't have to necessarily be playing a class to learn about it. Observation is key in TF2.
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Start by playing some of the easier classes, Medic, Pyro, Soldier, Heavy and learn the maps as well as the way the different classes interact and their strengths and weaknesses. Then move on to the more difficult classes like spy and scout once you're comfortable with the different maps and have the hang of all the different class roles and how they play.
Remember, games are not won by a team where half of them are either snipers or spies. There needs to be a balance in the team in order to be effective, so if your team is lacking in some areas (not enough medics is a pretty common one), then bit the bullet and change to that class even if you don't like it that much. Remember, a bad medic is better than no medic.
Don't worry about all the different weapons everyone has that you don't. Most of the weapons in TF2 are side grades, not direct upgrades of the standard weapons, so the fact that you'll start with all vanilla classes won't work against you. As you refine your gameplay style you'll start to figure out which items will make you better, but remember, no item is directly better than what you start with.
Remember, games are not won by a team where half of them are either snipers or spies. There needs to be a balance in the team in order to be effective, so if your team is lacking in some areas (not enough medics is a pretty common one), then bit the bullet and change to that class even if you don't like it that much. Remember, a bad medic is better than no medic.
Don't worry about all the different weapons everyone has that you don't. Most of the weapons in TF2 are side grades, not direct upgrades of the standard weapons, so the fact that you'll start with all vanilla classes won't work against you. As you refine your gameplay style you'll start to figure out which items will make you better, but remember, no item is directly better than what you start with.
Spycheck EVERYONE. All the time.
Just run into them. If you pass right through them, they're a teammate. If you don't (meaning you awkwardly stare at them and you don't pass through), shoot that son of a *****.
When you're building your stuff as Engineer, when you place the building (while it's in blueprint mode), right click to rotate the building ninety degrees.
Most of the time, default loadouts are just as good (if not better).
Scattergun is better than the Shortstop, Soda Popper orFailForce-a-Nature
Always use the Default Minigun
Loch-n-Load is a fucking joke compared to the default Grenade Launcher.
Syringe Gun lets you heal faster than the Blutsauger, and it's tons more reliable than the Crossbow.
Revolver beats out all the other Spy Primaries due to its raw power. Enforcer is good, but it's a straight giveaway that you use the Dead Ringer.
Just run into them. If you pass right through them, they're a teammate. If you don't (meaning you awkwardly stare at them and you don't pass through), shoot that son of a *****.
When you're building your stuff as Engineer, when you place the building (while it's in blueprint mode), right click to rotate the building ninety degrees.
Most of the time, default loadouts are just as good (if not better).
Scattergun is better than the Shortstop, Soda Popper or
Always use the Default Minigun
Loch-n-Load is a fucking joke compared to the default Grenade Launcher.
Syringe Gun lets you heal faster than the Blutsauger, and it's tons more reliable than the Crossbow.
Revolver beats out all the other Spy Primaries due to its raw power. Enforcer is good, but it's a straight giveaway that you use the Dead Ringer.
Don't worry overmuch about the hordes of different weapons and hats you can acquire. 90% of the standard weapons are better than or as good as any variant thereof.
I was going to come in and recommend which class to start with but that is so based on preference and play style that it is really pointless. I, for example, have played the game for four years and am completely incapable of playing spy well. It's as if my mind refuses to think the way a spy needs to think.
The good news is there are a couple ways to ease you into the experience. First there's a training mission for some of the classes which are somewhat helpful. If you have played FPS games before they are only useful for giving you a vague idea of how each class is played (could be more in depth in my opinion.)
There's also an offline mode where you can kill bots to your hearts content, although only on a limited number of maps. That is probably the best way to get used to some of the classes without suffering the embarrassment of appearing to be a newbie.
Finally there is now a coaching system where you can press a button and request that a coach be assigned to you. The coach can then follow you around in-game and give you pointers. I have never tried to be a student, but I can imagine there's some less than helpful coaches out there. Luckily you can easily kick them and request another coach.
Anyways, hope you enjoy it as much as I do. At the end of the day I love how TF2 has embraced the absurdity of its game play. Any game that allows you to shoot a rocket launcher at your feet as a means of transportation should not take itself too seriously.
I was going to come in and recommend which class to start with but that is so based on preference and play style that it is really pointless. I, for example, have played the game for four years and am completely incapable of playing spy well. It's as if my mind refuses to think the way a spy needs to think.
The good news is there are a couple ways to ease you into the experience. First there's a training mission for some of the classes which are somewhat helpful. If you have played FPS games before they are only useful for giving you a vague idea of how each class is played (could be more in depth in my opinion.)
There's also an offline mode where you can kill bots to your hearts content, although only on a limited number of maps. That is probably the best way to get used to some of the classes without suffering the embarrassment of appearing to be a newbie.
Finally there is now a coaching system where you can press a button and request that a coach be assigned to you. The coach can then follow you around in-game and give you pointers. I have never tried to be a student, but I can imagine there's some less than helpful coaches out there. Luckily you can easily kick them and request another coach.
Anyways, hope you enjoy it as much as I do. At the end of the day I love how TF2 has embraced the absurdity of its game play. Any game that allows you to shoot a rocket launcher at your feet as a means of transportation should not take itself too seriously.
Unless you have friends to help you do not concern yourself with the trade or craft systems until you have some experience under your belt. I ended up turning a lot of early weapons into scrap metal, and then using this to craft other weapons, and now that I'm more familiar with the TF2 economy I realize I wasted a lot of stuff in those early days.
TF2 has a lot of cool weapons that you can get but almost all of these are more specialized than the defaults. I suggest keeping to the defaults (especially for primary weapons) until you're comfortable with the class. Once you have a good handle of using a class as a generalist you'll be able to handle specialized weapons.
Most of my class loadouts don't use the default primaries, but most I only take out for specialized situations. For example I really only use the soldier or spy if I need to take out enemy sentries, and so both are kitted out in an assortment of anti-sentry weapons.
TF2 has a lot of cool weapons that you can get but almost all of these are more specialized than the defaults. I suggest keeping to the defaults (especially for primary weapons) until you're comfortable with the class. Once you have a good handle of using a class as a generalist you'll be able to handle specialized weapons.
Most of my class loadouts don't use the default primaries, but most I only take out for specialized situations. For example I really only use the soldier or spy if I need to take out enemy sentries, and so both are kitted out in an assortment of anti-sentry weapons.
Start out as medic. You can't go wrong with being Medic. You're useful to the team (you heal stuff and with luck, hand out übercharges), and as you follow your teammates around you get to know the maps, how the other classes play, and what the common tactics are. Well, providing you don't join a server full of idiots.
Ok I am going to go back on my first post and recommend Medic as well.
Long-ish post on the basics of Medic play here (scroll down a couple posts.) [http://www.teamplayergaming.com/team-fortress-2/96164-gimmie-tips-tricks.html]
Medic is nice because its one of the more unique play styles not just in TF2 but in FPSs generally.
It is true that the gameplay skill of a medic is pretty low, 95% of the time he doesn't really need to aim. This leaves medics free to develop situational awareness and get a sense for where enemies are going to come from and where enemies bunch up (since a medic's uber is best deployed against bunches of enemies.)
The one caveat here is that medics can be largely dependent on their teammates for support. If your team doesn't seem to care if you live or die it can be frustrating.
Long-ish post on the basics of Medic play here (scroll down a couple posts.) [http://www.teamplayergaming.com/team-fortress-2/96164-gimmie-tips-tricks.html]
Medic is nice because its one of the more unique play styles not just in TF2 but in FPSs generally.
It is true that the gameplay skill of a medic is pretty low, 95% of the time he doesn't really need to aim. This leaves medics free to develop situational awareness and get a sense for where enemies are going to come from and where enemies bunch up (since a medic's uber is best deployed against bunches of enemies.)
The one caveat here is that medics can be largely dependent on their teammates for support. If your team doesn't seem to care if you live or die it can be frustrating.
I would if that big oaf wasn't in the way.Irridium said:
OT: I'd definitively recommend trying out classes like the Heavy, Pyro, and Medic first. Those three are pretty easy to play as.
Also find some newbie friendly servers. That way you won't get absolutely destroyed by the more experienced players.
Finally, work with your team. As the game's name implies, it focuses heavily on teamwork. As a medic, heal anyone who isn't overhealed. As a Heavy, give your ailing medic your sandvich with right click. As a Pyro, check around for spies and help the engineers protect their buildings. ESPECIALLY the sentries. Also use the Pyro's air blast to extinguish any teammates who are on fire. These are just some examples of what you can do with your team. Don't try to be a glory hog and try to get a bunch of kills. Unless you can ambush the enemy, this usually doesn't end well.
First of all, don't become obsessed with obtaining all the items. Learn to become familiar with the basic loadouts of each class, as it will give you a better idea of the role that class plays. Besides, the new weapons are (mostly) sidegrades, not upgrades. A skilled player with a vanilla loadout will beat an unskilled player that's using unlockables nearly every time. As for hats, they serve no practical purpose whatsoever (except for the four Polycount hats that provide minor stat bonuses with certain loadouts, but the user feedback was so caustic that Valve stated they would never do something like that again).
Ever since the game went F2P, there's been an increase in hackers. They still aren't very common (I run into one approximately once every two months or so), but there's definitely more of them out there. If you run across a hacker, just leave the server and find another one. You can take solace that VAC will ban them eventually.
Try to find a few good populated servers and stick with them. I myself prefer ones with 24 player slots and stock map rotations. I despise servers that have tons of custom skins/models/sounds, 32 player slots (way too chaotic and spammy), instant respawns, single map servers, and special bonuses for donators. When in doubt, try letting the matchmaking system find a game for you via the "Play Now" button. It will usually take you to an official Valve server.
Finally, try to keep any possible trading restricted to trading servers. Few things irk me more than players who go to normal servers to spam trade requests, stand in spawn, and generally be a waste of a player slot. Just make sure not to frequent trading servers too often. Dealing with chronic traders can be a frightening experience, what with their obsession with placing arbitrary "prices" on everything. Just get in, make your trade, and get the hell out.
Sound advice. I'd also suggest playing Soldier, as he's fairly straightforward and accessible to newcomers. Just make sure to "lead" your targets a bit with your rockets and aim for their feet.Lilani said:
Ever since the game went F2P, there's been an increase in hackers. They still aren't very common (I run into one approximately once every two months or so), but there's definitely more of them out there. If you run across a hacker, just leave the server and find another one. You can take solace that VAC will ban them eventually.
Try to find a few good populated servers and stick with them. I myself prefer ones with 24 player slots and stock map rotations. I despise servers that have tons of custom skins/models/sounds, 32 player slots (way too chaotic and spammy), instant respawns, single map servers, and special bonuses for donators. When in doubt, try letting the matchmaking system find a game for you via the "Play Now" button. It will usually take you to an official Valve server.
Finally, try to keep any possible trading restricted to trading servers. Few things irk me more than players who go to normal servers to spam trade requests, stand in spawn, and generally be a waste of a player slot. Just make sure not to frequent trading servers too often. Dealing with chronic traders can be a frightening experience, what with their obsession with placing arbitrary "prices" on everything. Just get in, make your trade, and get the hell out.