No one has mentioned it because the guy just wants to get in and have fun and not be totally useless. He doesn’t have to go to the fucking video game boot camp where it’s like AWW YEAH MOUNTAIN DEW AND CHEETOS, TIME TO TAKE VIDEO GAMES SO FUCKING SERIOUSLY THAT I MUST PLAY AT A HIGH LEVEL OR COMMIT SEPPUKU. I’m sure that makes him worthy of a gas chamber in your world, but some people play video games just to have fun.
Jeez, man. Just tellin’ him how the games flows so he knows what’s going on.
That probably was an overreaction.
I would consider what you said more advanced stuff - the sort of thing that organized players need to learn to beat other organized teams - but he’s new to it and has very little experience. I would recommend sticking with the stuff that’s easy which still at least is somewhat useful. You won’t be a great medic that wins games for your teams on day 1, but you can run around healing your teammates and contribute more than missing left and right with rockets. Or you could build a useful dispenser and teleporter combo as an engineer that could heavily influence the overall game.
You threw aside what are probably the three easiest classes to play to a guy who’s trying to ease into the game, on the basis that they aren’t suitable for optimal strategy.
Chill out the pair of youse before I threaten to join your games and ruin 'em with my utter craptasticness! All the info is good and I appreciate it.
Game purchased thanks to your encouragement and instructions. I may suck but I want to get the hang of this eventually, or at least have a good time despite my lameness. I successfully joined the SDMB group as choie; thanks for the instructions, SenorBeef.
BTW, not that it matters, but I’m not a ‘he/him’.
I haven’t played TF2 in probably over a year but I was thinking of reinstalling it to see the new stuff. Find me on the SDMB group sometime and I may be able to help somewhat - not that I’m great at the game, I haven’t played it that much.
Everything you described is true, but it’s about Command Point / Payload maps with fairly competitive players. Most public servers that normal players go to aren’t nearly as strictly defined. There’s not nearly enough coordination to constitute calling something a Big Ball Of Death, unless it happens by chance. I’d characterize public games as being more of a free-for-all with only a certain portion of the players actually giving a crap about the objectives and trying to maximize their chance of winning. In normal pub play, you’ll have snipers off in la-la land having cute little duels with each other, oblivious to the battle around them, and engineers building up a mini-city in a hard-to-take-down but non-crucial spot, as well as pyros roaming the wasteland looking for someone to charbroil from behind.
The core players will try to rally their teams to actually push or stand on the point, but that’s short-lived and people will be off doing their own thing by the next round.
Hey choie, if you want another clueless chick to run around like an idiot with you in TF2, just send me a message - I’m Cinnamon in the SDMB Steam group.
I’ve played a few times, and **Windwalker **is right - public servers with drop-in games are complete moshpits. It’s hard to do something so dumb anyone will notice (though I did shamequit that one time I got ubered and wasted it by running back toward my own bunker!).
I’m usually online around 8-10 pm Eastern time.
How do you guys feel about the new soldier/demoman update?
I love the whole “war” hyping up of it, and it was a great marketing ploy to actively count all the soldier and demoman kills against each other to determine who gets the fourth unlockable weapon. But the real stars of this go-around have to be the melee weapons. The Equalizer is essentially a flat-out upgrade to the Shovel; though it starts off only half as powerful at full health, you start dealing something like 150 HP per hit when you’re down to 25 HP or less. And you run at Scout speeds! Incredibly useful for retreating or doing kamikaze runs at the end of your life, which is a perfect fit for the batshit insane Soldier persona.
The Demoman’s unlockables Eyelander and Targe (sword and shield) basically turn him into another class, and it’s pure joy, in an angry berserker way. You’re kind of gimped at 0 heads (with a health penalty to boot), but once you’ve decapitated 1-2, you’re legitimately dangerous, and once you get to 3-4, you are a one-man wrecking crew. The resistance to explosion and fire damage (65%!) means you can tank right through enemy demos and soldiers and lop off their head while they hurt themselves more with their point blank rocket than you! I was defending on Dustbowl (stage 2) and I managed to sneak behind the attackers and decapitated them one after another, taking out essentially the whole team (it was something like 8 vs. 8). I also managed to stay alive and went after random attacking strays, snuck up on soldiers and demos spamming from balconies, etc., and ended up racking up my greatest kill total in one life: 13, all with decapitations. Hoo-ah!
However, I will note that I am an awful shot with the Direct Hit. It seems like such a great upgrade to the Rocket Launcher on paper, but in the end, I think I rely far too much on splash damage for this to be worthwhile. Other, more skilled soldiers seem to be able to destroy people with this thing, but I guess I’m too used to bouncing people with splash as my primary fighting method. I know you’re supposed to lead your targets, but people keep changing directions…
As for the Boots (75% reduced rocket jump damage), it’s a pretty nice tool to have when you’re on offense, especially for Capture The Flag maps, where you’ll need to make lots of jumps to get to the paths of least resistance, both on the way in and the way out. Getting rid of the shotgun does hurt a lot, though, which renders it pretty useless in any situation where you expect/want to do a lot of fighting, especially if you’re on defense and there’s nowhere you need to go that badly that requires several jumps.
None of the demoman weapons are worth giving up the sticky launcher for and the new one is pretty bad since you can’t go on offense with it and if you’re going to turtle in, you might as well just use an SG which does a better job of defending.
The direct hit is the second unlock since the medic patch that is worth using since it is able to instagib the softer classes at close range, which is a huge help. That’s kind of odd though, given that Valve nerfed demoman pills a year ago so they couldn’t instagib those classes and pills are about a brazilian times harder to land. Oops! I’d expect that to get changed in a patch. Losing the splash damage hurts more than you’d expect it too. I agree with Windwalker that the splash on the normal RL is more useful in general, especially as people get better at dodging Quake-rockets.
The Equalizer is a straight up upgrade and there is no reason to ever use the shovel if you have it. The increase in speed is ridiculously good and the damage boost is gravy.
The Gumboats will be better if they change it to protect against all rocket jump damage and not just ground-based damage. The best rocket jumps are off of walls so you can send yourself flying forwards instead of up, which the boots don’t reduce at all. Even with that boost, the shotgun is probably better.
I haven’t seen much of the buff banner, but I think it’ll be pretty useful. The benefit of minicrits isn’t only in their damage boost (30%?) but that they also remove damage drop off.
The new map is awful. The sniper lines on it are absurd. Pretty need to run across a long bridge with no sniper cover and snipers can shoot from a dozen hidden positions. What?
Apparently two maps were added. Double Cross is the one I didn’t like. I haven’t played Gorge.
And crafting is pretty cool. It’s nice being able to turn all of the unlocks and hats I won’t use into stuff I might use. I converted the engineer hat and spy hat into the no-hat sniper hat, which I thought was pretty slick.
Well, the Sticky is probably the most powerful weapon in the entire game, so it makes sense that Valve would provide a pure sidegrade path for the demo (notwithstanding the Scottish Resistance, which seems marginally useful but very limited). The most important part of the Targe + Eyelander combo is not its relative weakness compared to the Stick Launcher, but that it’s incredibly fun! It gives a sense of leveling up, as well, as you collect Heads and absorb their essence or whatever.
It also gives the first class with a difference in defense (as opposed to health), which is nice. I wonder if they’ll incorporate defense bonuses and penalties in the next round of updates. A defense penalty could be a nice way to balance a powerful weapon.
Like perhaps a Mini-Gun with a narrower cone and no damage drop-off and the ability to destroy rockets and grenades… but every hit on you is a mini-crit.
COOL, that’s great, thank you, she of the awesome screenname. (I have no idea what your name means but it makes me smile whenever I see it.)
I have a feeling I too would totally shamequit (that’s really a thing? LOL!). I have an exaggerated sense of embarrassment.
Yet even while having that hide and seek game and getting my ass kicked in, I laughed the whole time. It was frustrating to discover just how bad I am against human foes, but I couldn’t help being amused at the game’s animations and my own ineptitude. That’s probably a good sign.
Relative n00b here, with some things I’ve learned while dying repeatedly in Team Fortress 2. Incoming tl;dr.
As a Pyro:
- Until you get used to the range and lethality of your flamethrower, stick to the main weapon first. You will be a burning teammate’s best friend, because using the airblast (defaults to M2) will extinguish the flames. Airblasts are also good for shooting enemies off a control point / cart and can cause fall damage in some maps, or for separating Ubered pairs.
- Spycheck by sending a small burst of flame towards every teammate you come across. True allies won’t be hurt by this, but disguised Spies will go up like a candle. As you play you’ll get a feel for usual Spy routes and hiding spots, so a few blasts of flame in those places can sometimes root out Spies using the Cloak and Dagger. Beware of spies using the Dead Ringer–when their cloaks go off, there’ll be a very distinctive noise. A properly paranoid Pyro is a credit to the team.
- Yes, you can W+M1 to your heart’s content as a Pyro and not get punished too badly for it, but you should also learn to strafe (A and D) and backpedal (S). A good tactic as any class is to dart in, shoot off some bullets, and then run out while still firing–if you have support from your teammates, you can even lead overenthusiastic enemies (like myself ashamed) into traps.
- If you’re under heavy fire, run to a safe spot before calling for a Medic. They are not at your beck and call, and nothing irritates a Medic more than getting killed while trying to save a suicidal teammate. Be sure to use your voice commands or your microphone to thank said Medic afterward. (This is true for other classes as well.)
- Learn to time your airblasts to reflect incoming rockets, stickies, and arrows. You can do this in TRC_Walkway using bots if you can’t find players that are willing to let you practice on them. (Some servers are more n00b-friendly than others.)
- Apparently Pyro’s can rocket-jump with the airblast–I don’t know the timing myself, unfortunately. Consult Youtube for demonstration videos.
As an Engineer:
- Learn from other Engineers (allied or enemy) as to what the best construction spots are. Then try other spots–you should be able to take the enemy by surprise and score a few easy kills before someone catches on and destroys your build.
- Use the right mouse button to rotate your builds–that way, you can set sentries to fire around corners while you yourself are safe® behind the wall, and can point teleport exits in a direction that doesn’t face a corner.
- Engineers are not just for defense–on Control Point and Payload maps, they’re invaluable for helping the attacking side move up faster. The first thing you should be doing on those maps is dropping a teleport entrance at the Spawn, and then finding a good spot for exits down the field.
- Ultimately, it’ll be your call as to what you upgrade first, depending on the situation. When I’m on Defense during the Setup phase of Payload, I tend to upgrade my sentry to at least level 2 first, then upgrade my Teleporters all the way once the battle starts (as my teammates will be dying left and right and will want to get back into the action ASAP), and then Dispensers get upgraded last once I get my Sentry to level 3.
- Keep an eye on your Heads-Up Display at all times if you have to leave your Build to get more metal, and always have at least 25 - 50 metal in reserve to repair any damage. (I still forget to do this sometimes. blushes)
- Be paranoid. Spy-check everyone who comes anywhere near you–opposite-colored spies will flicker if you attack them. If your build gets sapped, give the sapper at least 1 whack to buy time, then fight off the Spy if they stuck around. Don’t forget to help other Engineers on your team if you have them. Snipers are a danger as well, though if you are crouched (CTRL) behind a Level 3 Sentry, you’re more or less safe from them.
As a Medic:
- Depending on how high you’ve charged your Medigun, your life may be more important than your teammates’. Don’t go running in healing everybody who spams the Medic call button–use your judgment.
- Learn how to use the needlegun and the bonesaw. Those are your only recourse for fighting back if you run into the enemy. The needles especially travel on an arc, so it’ll take a while to get used to.
- Take cues from your medic-buddies on when to pop an Uber or a Kritz. You will still get blowback from rockets and airblasts while Ubered, so stick close to your target.
- Watch out for Snipers as well as Spies–as a Medic, you are a priority target. Your Medigun has a range to it, so it’d do you well to hide behind a wall or a corner if you’re under a lot of fire.
As a Scout:
- Learn to strafe–my own inability to do this has gotten me killed prematurely more times than I can count. Never, ever stop moving as a Scout. You’re one of the most fragile classes, especially with the Sandman equipped.
- With the double jump, you can access hard to reach places. Use that to your advantage, but watch out for Soldiers and Demomen.
- As the fastest class, you’ll be running into the enemy before your teammates do. Report back what you find ASAP.
- Once you get your unlocks, practice using them to get a feel for how they work. (This holds true for any class, naturally.) The kickback from the Force of Nature especially can add extra distance to your jumps if timed well.
As a Spy:
- Your cloak doesn’t last forever, not even the Cloak and Dagger–you’re still just barely visible unless you stop to recharge. You still need to hide in corners.
- Don’t bump into the enemy while cloaked or disguised, that’ll give you away and get you killed.
- Watch the other classes so you can properly imitate their behavior, or you’ll get Spychecked to death in short order.
- If you use the Dead Ringer, your cloak gives off an audible noise when it wears off. Most servers have players that will keep an ear out for that even while under heavy fire. Pull back, hide somewhere, and approach from a different direction.
- Don’t just keep mashing B to use your last disguise if you get killed. Keep an eye open for the way the other team is stacked to see if there are certain classes that would have a lower chance of getting you caught. Pyro is always a good bet since they’re expected to approach Engineer builds in order to Spy check, but you can get good mileage out of any disguise depending on the situation.
As a Sniper:
- The enemy can see your targeting dot against walls and direct their teammates to avoid you or take you out; hide it somewhere until you’re ready to shoot.
- The Sniper’s height isn’t just for aesthetics - there aren’t a lot of places you can crouch behind while waiting for your shot to charge. That said, crouching does present a smaller profile to be shot at, so do it between shots often.
- Don’t be staring down your scope all the time, especially not in small maps. As a Pyro I’ve roasted so many clueless enemy Snipers it’s not even funny–sometimes they don’t even react to the fact that they’re on fire and just stand there and burn to death!
- Get a sense for your reaction speed and time your shots accordingly. Learn to anticipate enemy movement–distracted players (like me! blushes) tend to run in a straight line more often than ones on the lookout for enemy fire.
- A team shouldn’t have more than three Snipers (some servers even impose limits); hell, two of them are more than enough if at least one of them is consistently head-shotting people. If someone else is already a Sniper, switch to a different class.
- Be in places people don’t expect to see Snipers. They usually won’t react fast enough to not get shot (me again blushes). Play Spy and/or Pyro a few times to get a feel for the alternate routes they tend to take.
- The Huntsman flies in an arc, and loses effectiveness if you hold the arrow out too long. Press M2 to relax your grip while keeping an arrow ready.
As a Heavy:
- You are the slowest class, even slower with your minigun spinning. Said minigun also has a delay between you taking it out and firing it, and has a bit of a blind spot to your left hand side.
- With 300 HP, you can obviously soak up quite a bit of damage, but even you aren’t invincible. Don’t blindly charge headfirst into heavy fire even if backed up by a Medic–that’s a one-way ticket into getting said Medic, and then you, riddled with fatal bullets.
- Speaking of Medics, don’t monopolize them, either. Plenty of other classes make for good Medic-buddies, and of course everyone needs healing. It goes without saying that you should be keeping an eye out for Spies, too, because not even a Heavy can survive a knife in the back.
As a Soldier/Demoman:
- Learn how to rocket jump. (I’m not one of those people who know how, sorry.)
- Learn how to juggle–explode an enemy into the air, and then kill them while they’re helplessly falling back to earth. This is easier as a Soldier with the default Rocket Launcher and Shotgun setup, but I’ve seen it being done by good Demomen and even Pyros as well.
- Develop good aim–your explosions have splash damage, but it’s still good to learn to hit your targets head on. This is especially true now with the update.
- The Equalizer, the new Soldier unlockable, blocks healing when used.
Great advice, dotchan!
To add to your Scout bit, I think the key to success fighting with this guy is flanking. Always try to ambush your opponents while they’re engaged with another enemy. Sneak up right behind them and unload some scattergun shots point blank into the back of their head. Most classes will go down in two shots (if they’ve taken a little damage). If you find yourself going toe-to-toe with a decent Soldier, Pyro, or Heavy, get out of there! Round the corner and attack from another flank, or just go and harass someone else. My favorite move as an attacking Scout is to just run near some enemies, fire a couple token shots, and get the hell out. This tends to break up groups, distract some key players, and in general makes them easier for your team to pick on. And of course, during such manuevers, you have to be strafing, double-jumping, and changing directions like a deranged jackrabbit. I sometimes forget (or suck at) doing this and am just laid flat by a sniper or a soldier leading a rocket. But it’s worth it when you manage to get behind enemy lines and assassinate their snipers, kill off a medic going to the front, and cause their leading front to have to turn around and fight you, only to find you’re already way back in their base harassing a respawn of someone you just killed.
My Achilles heel when playing as a Scout is, of course, other Scouts. I am absolutely dreadful at Scout-fighting and usually lose duels, and the worst part is that I can’t even run away easily. If the other team has more than 2, I usually leave the class alone.