digibutter.nerr

[Popple]

I'm sure most people here know by now that my love for TF2 knows no bounds. Although it does not get the love it deserves on 360, I'm probably going to buy the PC version soon, it is still one of the better multiplayer games on the system. That being said, I'd like to elaborate the on the game a bit, to convince those who have not yet come over to the orange side to give this game a try.

TF2 is the sequel to one of the best known team based PC shooters of all time. Nearly 10 years in the making, take that Duke Nukem Forever, it is a study in both balance and strategy. Although each map only has one game type, and there is yet to be a death match mode on 360, every thing is the way it is to ensure that no team or class is given an unfair advantage. Though newbies may be yelling about how Scouts are too good at taking territory and that turrets are unbalanced, no class is stronger than any other and there is a counter for everything. Let us begin by pinning down all the classes and dissecting them for bits of strategy you might not have thought of.

Scout: Fastest class, light armor, captures territories faster than any other class. What this class lacks in combat potential it makes up for in sure speed. The only class with a double jump, the Scout is adept at entering and leaving the enemy base a quickly as possible. Ideal for capturing flags and taking territories, no team is complete without one. Though some may protest a team of scouts can win any territory map unchallenged, if you have a few Heavies guarding that point I think they would say otherwise. I don't play this class a lot, but those who are good with it are extremely valuable. Team him up with a combat class for protection, and the enemy won't know what hit them.

Soldier: This is basically your master chief of the bunch. The standard FPS fair, the soldier was built for combat and little else. Equipped with a rocket launcher, he can tear though any defense with the splash damage of rockets. Though not essential, he can be very helpful when infiltrating enemy territory(: Quake Wars *shot*). Skilled soldiers will master the Rocket Jump to reach higher points to fire rocket from. This is done by jumping while shooting a rocket at your feet. You will take some damage, but it is a very helpful technique to learn.

Pyro: Billed as an offensive class, he serves a much better role as a defender. Able to set anyone, except other Pyros, on fire makes him a force to be reckoned with. Fire does damage over time, so when playing the Pyro, quantity is definitely better than quality. When facing a group of enemies, spray all of them with flames instead of focusing on one. You may kill multiple people or at the very least heavily damage them. Use this tactic at territoires where the enemy must stay in one place to capture a point. The Pyro is also the anti-spy. Spray your teammates often, as you may uncover one of the sneaky buggers amongst your ranks.

Demoman: Another wrong classification, he excels at offense. His sticky bombs are great for covering territories which must be protected, but both his stickies and grenades are perfect for tearing through the enemies. Arc bombs though windows or cover the enemies base with stickies for a surprise attack. Like the Soldier, he also has an explosive jump ability. It is a little harder to pull off, but still extremely helpful.

Heavy: All purpose man slaughter. Good for both offense and defense. He is very slow, but his offensive power is unmatched. There is a reason the heavy is the class most often paired with a medic, and that is because he is one of the hardest classes to take down. He has the highest health, and his minigun can tear through an enemy in seconds. Keep him at a critical point to tear down intruders, or send him to the front lines to punch through the enemy defense. He isn't very good for sneaking around due to his size and speed, but you won't have to when playing a Heavy.

Engineer: Tactics my friend, tactics. Too many an Engineer will set a turret near the flag and call it a day, but there is so much more he can do. Armed with the ability to create teleporters, supply stations, and automated turrets a good Engineer is required to play a strategic game. Put up a teleporter near the enemy spawn point to get sneak up from behind them, set up a supply station in the the opposing base to make a temporary base for your team, set up a turret near an enemy spawn point and be a douche. The Engineer is the most valuable defense your team has, and his influence on the battle field is a force to be feared.

Medic: MEDIIIIC!!! You will hear that one word a lot when playing this class. Your job is to heal, do it. Any good player knows to shot the MEDIC and not the HEAVY first. Why? BECAUSE HE CAN HEAL THE FREAKIN HEAVY! Ok, I'm done ranting. Besides healing you also have your Uber Charge. Heal to charge it up and unleash for you and your healie to become invincible for a short amount of time. Use this time to push into the enemy base or secure a flag. You are also armed with a syringe-gun and bone saw. They are actually really good weapons, and the bone saw is actually one of the best melee weapons. If your healie dies try to take out the killer, and then run back to your spawn point to secure a new host. In medic we trust.

Sniper: Another class of standard FPS fair, he does what his name says. He snipes, and that is all he is good at. He has other weapons, but they aren't especially good. Find a good point, stay there, snipe. A good Sniper needs to know the layout of every map and know where he can get the best view. Do not hide in plain sight, you will die. If the enemy can see you, you can be sure they will come after you. Not really essential on the battle field, a good Sniper can make a big impact through.

Spy: You got blood on my suit. The Spy is another class that requires some brains to play. He can cloak as well as disguise himself as the enemy. Use his knife to get a one-hit back stab or his pistol to escape. Keep the knife out unless you are running from the enemy, it does a lot more damage and you may get that one-hit kill if you are lucky. As a spy, you need to learn to act as the enemy. There are some class that are better to disguise as than others. For instance. DON'T BE A HEAVY, SCOUT, MEDIC, OR SPY. You can't go as slow as a Heavy, you can't heal, you can't go as fast as a scout, and a spy isn't going to be in his own base. Ok, n00b ranting time is over. The best disguises are Pyro and Engineer as they will usually stand around the base. Sniper is ok if you behave correctly, and Demoman and Soldier are ok but not recommended. You will have one of the enemy's names above your head, so you may be discovered and not always because you are an idiot and a bad spy. Try to memorize what classes the enemy is using so they won't start questioning you quickly. Try to cloak into the enemy territory while disguised and then emerge from the spawn point. From then on, act as you would if you were playing that class until you see a time to strike. You can destroy enemy machines with your sapper or back stab your "allies" to sabotage the enemy defense. Acting is your greatest defense, utilize it.

K, that's all for now. I'll write up the basics of play later and then move on to CoD4. K bai.

[Twytch]

Great summary, it covers the classes pretty well.

I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I'm an OK Pyro. At least, I can help keep my team's Engineer's stuff up. Nothing more satisfying than catching the same Spy in the 2Fort sewers 6 times in a row...

[Vbzobs]

I haven't played this game yet, but I want the Orange Box so bad!

[Popple]

[rawrskey]

Have it. It seriously gets boring after a while unless you REALLY like FPS games.

[Popple]

Well yeah...if you don't like FPSs you aren't going to like it...it's an FPS.

[Para]

[Paper_Waluigi]

I want it so badly. I was thinking of buying Halo 3 first when I get my 360, but you've convinced me otherwise.

[Vbzobs]