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Team Fortress Classic
Team Fortress Classic


Basics

If you've never played Team Fortress before, there are a few concepts you'll want to familiarize yourself with, and  in a hurry. A lot has been changed from basic Half-Life deathmatch and teamplay, and below are the most fundamental points you'll need to get a hold of.


Getting Started

For those of you unfamiliar with it, Team Fortress Classic is a new teamplay modification for Half-Life. It's basically an update of the original Team Fortress mod for Quake, which was (by far) one of the most popular modifications ever made for any game.

The mod pits two teams against each other, each with specific objectives to accomplish on each map. Some maps offer straightforward "Capture the Flag" gameplay, while others require teams to take control of a specifc area, or even assisinate/protect a specific player. The one constant to all modes of TFC gameplay, though, is the emphasis on teamwork. Unlike many CTF mods, where a single player loaded with powerups can sometimes dominate a match, it's incredibly hard for anyone to do the same in Team Fortress Classic.

Further emphasizing the teamplay aspect are the various "classes" in the game. Instead of all players sharing the same attributes, like speed, armor, and weapons, TFC allows you to play as one of nine characters, such as "Soldier", "Medic", or "Spy". Each of these classes has their own strengths and weaknesses, like varying speeds and armor, along with its own special set of weapons.


Classes

Altogether, there are nine classes in Team Fortress Classic: "Scout", "Sniper", "Soldier", "Demoman", "Medic", "Heavy Weapons Guy", "Spy", "Pyro" and "Engineer". Some, like the Scout, are extremely quick but easy to kill, while others, like the Heavy Weapons Guy, are walking tanks loaded with heavy artillery but move incredibly slow. Each has their own special attributes and, in some cases, can use weapons or perform tasks that no one else can.

As you get more familar with Team Fortress Classic, you'll learn more about all the classes, their different weapons, and the roles each play on your team. To be effective, teams will need a healthy balance of different classes.

For complete information on all the classes in the game, check out the classes section and the Team Fortress Classic manual.


Map objectives

There are six maps included with Team Fortress Classic, many of them updates from the original Team Fortress. Each has their own specific objectives, which will appear on the screen at the beginning of each map.

Two Fortresses   |    Capture The Flag
Based on the classic 2Fort map, your team must steal the enemy flag, bring it back to your base, and place it on your "capture point" to score. Your team gets 10 points for each capture.

Flag carriers drop the flag when they die, and dropped flags return to their base after 60 seconds. If you manage to kill a flag carrier, your defense will have to relocate to the flag to keep the enemy from reacquiring it.

Canalzone 2   |   Territorial Control
Loosely based on another classic Team Fortress map, CanalZone 2 requires teams to take control of five "Command Points" scattered around the map, by placing flags from your base on each. 

A map inside your team's control center will tell you which team controls each point, and each team scores 1 point for every 30 seconds they hold a Command Point. An additional bonus is awarded for holding all 5 points at once, but it won't be easy - flag carriers move at half-speed, meaning they'll need to be well-escorted to their destination.

The Well    |    Capture The Flag
Another CTF map, you'll once again need to steal the flag from a tower in the enemy base, and bring it back to yours to capture. The capture point for each team is located at the base of the tower that holds the flag. All other rules as in "Two Fortresses" apply.   

The Rock   |     Capture The Flag Variant
Set in two opposing prisons, this level requires you to steal a keycard from the enemy's "Warden's office" and bring it to the enemy's "gas chamber", on the other side of the enemy base. Once there, you can release poisonous gas that will kill everyone on the enemy team in 10 seconds, and earn your team 15 points.  (It's possible to survive the gas if you can find a protective suit, or get underwater.) 

Hunted    |    Assassination / Escort
Set on one of the Half-Life single player maps, one player - "The Hunted" - needs to make his way from one end of the map to the other without getting killed by a team of up to 5 "Assassins". A third team of "Bodyguards" is assigned to protect the Hunted.

If the Hunted dies, the Assassins get 25 points. If The Hunted reaches the truck,  he and the Bodyguards get 50 points. If either happens, all players are moved back to starting positions and a new round begins. Also known as "Cap the Prez".

Push     |   Football
If you've ever played the Kick mod for Quake II, you'll have no problem jumping into this one. There's a ball in the center of the field, and the object is to pick it up and bring it to the other team's goal - a raised square deep at the end of their base. Each time you score, your team gets ten points. You can play as any class except the Engineer or Spy - imagine how different sports would be if you could wear the other team's uniform (or set up a big sentry gun in front of your goal!).


Weapons and Ammo

One thing you'll quickly notice about Team Fortress Classic is that there are no weapons to pick up. Each class has its own particular set of firearms, which you're given as soon as you respawn.

You'll also notice a variety of new weapons in TFC, including a wide assortment of grenades. Almost all the weapons are new, and even the ones that appear to be holdovers from Half-Life act very differently. There's no secondary fire option in Team Fortress Classic, but a few classes have a "special skill" designed to work with a particular weapon. (You can bind your "special skill" and grenades keys from the TFC configuration menu). 

Ammunition is treated differently in Team Fortress Classic than it is in Half-Life. Instead of ammo being scattered around the levels haphazardly, you'll find ammo packs available throughout each base, usually in supply depots that cannot be opened by your enemies. Enemies may drop ammo packs when killed, and engineers have the capability to create ammo dispensers, which can come in handy when you need to defend areas far from your base. 

For complete details on all the weapons and ammo in Team Fortress Classic, and the classes that can use them, check out the weapons section.


Health and Armor

A major difference between Team Fortress Classic and Half-Life is that there are no health or HEV stations to charge up at (although it's possible they could turn up in future TFC maps). Health and armor are currently handled in a manner similar to Quake, where you pick up health and armor packs, usually located in each base.

Health in particular is very hard to come by in TFC. There are usually just a few health boxes in each base, which makes the medic a very useful player to have around. If you're running low on health, you can call for a medic (you'll need to choose a key for this when you set up your controls), and hopefully the doctor will answer your call. If you're at full health, it's also possible for the medic to give you an adrenaline boost.

As far as armor is concerned, you can pick it in the ammo/armor packs in each base. Red armor found in the supply rooms will immediately boost your armor to full, while green packs found outside the supply rooms will usually boost your armor by 50. All are helpful, so you'll want to stock up when you get the chance, but leave some for your teammates, especially flag carriers.


Teamplay and Communications

While each map has it's own particular goals and objectives, they all require that you work as a team to succeed. Teams that stick together, go out in squads, communicate with each other, and don't just run around looking for people to shoot, will always get the upper hand. 

By default, the "U" key is bound to the "messagemode2" command, which will allow you to chat with your teammates only. Use this to send status messages, plan attacks, or call for backup. The "say_team" command is also present, so if you're familiar with making config files, you can create a few macros allowing you to send messages to your team with the touch of a key. For more info on communicating with your teammates in TFC, check out the comms section.




Contents | Setup | Basics | Classes | Weapons | Maps | Comms



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