Dave 'dave' hopton continues his Series looking at the second reason why competitive gamers should consider playing TF2

Check out the first article in this Series here

This column is the sole opinion of the author and does not represent the opinion of Heaven Media Ltd or the opinion of any affiliates.

Just the other week, my colleague Richard Lewis wrote in a penultimate entry for his column on the CSS scene that the TF2 community is one that has “a fanatical devotion that borders on the psychotic”. He's not wrong.

For many people outside the TF2 world, it can be quite hard to see what's so great about a game that's been described as 'cartoons with guns', that appears chaotic and unplayable, and a far cry from the ultra-realistic graphical environments of games like Modern Warfare 2. Lying underneath all the flame and insults however, is an online multiplayer game that's a truly unique experience to play and watch, and a game thousands of people love playing.

The purpose of this series of articles is to try and convey some of the reasons why the TF2 community is so passionate about the game it plays, and give some insight into why we love it so much. I write this with the intention of dispelling some of the myths surrounding the game, and in the hope that people who had previously dismissed TF2 when it was first released will try it again, and get involved in the competitive scene - especially in the run up to i39.

Need for Speed

When the idea of writing this Series came to me, it became fairly obvious after planning out some of my thoughts that the logical place to start in order to ‘sell TF2 to the masses’ would be in exploring the game-play itself – after all, that’s what the TF2 community is so mad about, what keeps us coming back for more, and what I’m trying to convey. In case you missed it, I began last week by looking at three areas in particular: teamwork, tactics and game-sense, which are all built upon the 9 class structure that acts as the foundation for the entire game.

I must confess however, that I left a little out of that article. Partly because it would have resulted in an even larger piece that might have bored anyone except TF2 fanatics, partly because it gives me a neater writing timeline, but mainly because I believe that what I’m going to talk about now relies upon the understanding of the basic knowledge I (hopefully) imparted last week.

That’s why this second piece in the series will be exploring the speed of TF2 combat, a crucial part of the competitive format and a core element of the game.

An Ever Changing Pace

Is it a bird? A plane? NO! It's a Soldier, maggot!

I'm going to launch this sequel by making a second bold statement about TF2 game-play: I believe it offers the perfect balance between highly charged, awesomely quick and insanely skillful multiplayer combat, and slow, measured and intensely tactical decision making – features of many popular online FPS games, but something incredibly hard to get right. As I emphasised in the first article of this series, TF2 constantly throws up new challenges, by the way of tactical ingenuity and brilliant teamwork, resulting in a more exciting, enthralling and enjoyable game, and the speed of TF2 game-play is another element that adds to this experience.

So what exactly do I mean when I talk about speed and pace? Well, put simply, in the 9 class environment where nearly every class has it's own movement speed, ranging from the lean and athletic Scout to the slow and bulky Heavy, players and teams have the opportunity to both increase and decrease the speed of a game by tactically controlling how and when they attack or defend, and in their choice of their classes and weapons. Soldiers and Demomen can aggressively blast themselves around a map with the Rocket and Sticky Launchers, dishing out large amounts of damage and jumping to positions other classes can't reach, whilst Engineer's, Pyro's and Heavy's can set up monstrous defences that can bring even the best of teams to a sickening halt.

The resulting game-mode is one with an ever changing speed – in one moment a lighting-quick attack, in another a painfully slow defence, and all found within the plethora of battles that take place simultaneously in a single match.

The Fast and the Furious

Undoubtedly the best example of this is the battle for the Middle Control Point, where the speed of TF2 begins from right the Spawn Room. With winning the mid battle being so important, as it allows the victorious team to go on capturing the enemy points and hopefully secure a round, all players look to get to the central battle as quickly as possible in order to try and establish an advantageous position and surprise their opponents.

The Demoman rush to Middle – a series of tricky jumps designed to get there as fast as possible, and take control

Once there, each class has a role to play within the seemingly chaotic fight that ensues. The Demoman, who as seen in the video arrives first, needs to lay down Stickies that control territory and block the enemy team from accessing the point, whilst also attempting to do damage to his opposite number.

The Scouts, who arrive next, are charged with constantly tracking their speedy opponents to ensure they don't harass more vulnerable team members – the Demoman and Medic - but also need to try and serve as distractions and major nuisances for the enemy Soldiers, as well as clearing up any low players who fall away from the main team.

Finally, the Soldiers, escorting the Medic, arrive fashionably late to the party, by which point a battle can be already decided (if both the Demoman and Scouts are quickly killed), but have to focus on doing as much damage as possible, timing aggressive jumps down to the split-second, depending on when and where the enemy are low, and taking strategic positions around the point.

This is where the intense teamwork, communication and tactics that I described last week come into play. With just seconds to act before enemies arrive and launch themselves across the map towards you, it's imperative that every shot counts, and that a player makes the right decision, based on their health, the status of the team, and the position of the enemy, whether to push forward or retreat to a slightly safer position. Strats that have been practised for hours and hours before an official game can either work perfectly, or fall flat on their face, but the true skill of a team is determined by how well they can collectively respond to the multiple events that unfold before them.

Team Broder: A frag movie that highlights some of the incredibly fast game-play around all areas of the map – and especially the mid point

And here's the best part of it all – whilst all of this high-intensity game-play requires lightning fast reaction times, it takes place often for nearly 30-40 seconds as players pick up health and prepare to attack a different section of the enemy team. Just when a team thinks they've finally got the point under control, a Scout who disappeared near the start of the combat reappears from their flank, and attempts to take out a vulnerable Medic, whilst a Demoman who has just regained enough health flies in to try and block the capture and assist his Scout team-mate.

Until you play it, it's hard to appreciate how much fun this is, and how challenging and exciting it makes the game. And this isn't confined to the mid point – a successful push into any area of a map requires a fine balance of teamwork, aggression and coordination of the multiple fights going on around the map. Jay Atkins, the well known eSports commentator, summed it up pretty perfectly:

Dave 'dave' hopton continues his Series looking at the second reason why competitive gamers should consider playing TF2

Check out the first article in this Series here

This column is the sole opinion of the author and does not represent the opinion of Heaven Media Ltd or the opinion of any affiliates.

Slow down, sonny!

Not everything in TF2 is ferociously fast though. There are times where teams need to try and slow the game down, lay traps and patiently wait for the right moment to strike, and it's this balance between speed and precision that contributes to the success of TF2's game-play.

One particular area where the need for cautious teamwork proves more important than speed is defence. On the back foot, defending the final control point and facing an advancing enemy, there's no room for error – it's imperative that a team always has someone guarding the point because it can be captured in a split-second – and it's therefore common to see teams utilising the defensive prowess of Engineer's and Heavy's; slower classes, but one's who make life difficult for the offensive team.

It's also absolutely vital that both sides build up their Ubercharge, as it allows the offensive team a means of access into the final point, whilst for the defenders, the ability to try and hold off the oncoming threat. Whilst the Uber is being charged, there is time for players from both sides to try and get a sneaky pick and give their side an advantage, and consequently during this slow period, Sniper's, Spy's and Scout's come into their own.

German star of TCM-Gaming 'zerox' gives us a great example of how lethal a patient Sniper can be when defending the final point. Picking up 3 kills on unsuspecting victims, he goes on to force the Ubercharge of his opponents, but with only three players around to attack, they have little option but to fall back.

So what does it all mean?

I hope it should be fairly clear by now that the speed of TF2's game-play makes it incredibly exciting to play, and builds upon the core requirements for a good team that I outlined last week – solid teamwork, clever tactics and a good grasp of game-sense. At any moment, the entire balance of a match can be tipped with a single kill, forcing teams to retreat or take advantage of weak opponents and push as quickly as possible, and the skill of becoming a great TF2 player is knowing when there's an opportune moment to make one of these frags, and when to expect the enemy to try. Considering that no game is ever the same, everyone on the server needs to be ready to expect the unexpected, and it's this edge that makes competitive TF2 one of the most exciting games out.

Learning from a Master

Considering how vital a good understanding of the pace of TF2 game-play is, I decided to speak to a man who's years of experience playing both Demoman and Soldier at the top level of European TF2 make him the perfect person to give some answers - Ahmad 'Byte' Fansa.

What do you think are some of the key reasons for the pace and speed of TF2 making it so enjoyable to play?

The actual pace of Team Fortress 2 is quite slow compared to it's older brother TFC, but the fundamental difference that gives TF2 the edge is it's 'dynamics'. So what do I mean by 'dynamics'?

Well, Valve very cleverly - and it was long overdue - finally released classes that can all make an impact to the game, the key word here being "TEAM" Fortress 2. Each class has a niche art and skill that can be acquired on a certain part of the playing field of ANY map. Each class varies in speed, each class can kill from a particular distance, each class has a different gun to aim for depending on where the enemy stands. While all of this is going on, for you and your four other compadres to deal the deeds and commit mass murder, you have the essential bridge of the Medic class. The key for all of you staying alive, which is also the key for covering up your mistakes or lack of skill.

For the reasons mentioned above it is this cohesiveness and conjoined TEAM effort that makes the pace feel slightly faster, and because it's a team sport, faith, confidence, belief and momentum ALL play a key part in this game.

At a typical mid-battle, what is going through your mind? Aside from getting your jumps right to get there as quickly as possible, what signs are you looking for to tell you that you should push, or fall back?

Good question Sir Dave. The key thing for me in my view is taking down two enemies within 10 seconds of being present on capture point 3. Strategies play a big role on the start of a round, depending on where the enemy is attacking from, but I personally try and make sure that...

a) I stay alive... it's imperative as the strongest class in the game.
b) I territorially apply damage to where my TEAM have called a weak player(s).

The main thing that sticks out in my head is when someone on my team has applied some serious damage and they are all weak, BUT not dead. For me it's key I apply the "last bullet" to finish off the enemie(s).

What would you say are the main reasons that a team will win the fight at mid? Is it purely speed and aggression, or is it tactical supremacy?

These questions just keep getting better and better Dave, HOW DO YOU DO IT?! The answer lies within the question, I'm afraid to say. It's all 3 combined. There's no point in you or your team being early if you can't apply any aggression, and usually you can't apply any aggression without having a tactic. A tactic is the foundation of how you approach your speed and aggression.

So you could say that without a strategic game plan you will have no speed or aggression. Sure, you can go and be aggressive but the risk is a lot higher and it would make your team seem like 'headless chickens', compared to when you have cohesively decided what to do with your team.

At the end of the day though, even if you/your team have got all of these three fundamentals correct, there's one thing they can not cover up for and that's deathmatch ability. If you have a plan and it involves aggression and you have arrived their early what is the use if you or some of your team members cannot aim? The ability to deathmatch is purely individual. The player(s) have to take time out and practice their aim.

Byte, left, at the i38 TF2 Grand Final

Do you think good movement skills, ie being able to sticky jump quickly to middle, are vital to be a top player, or do you think a good aim and/or game-sense can compensate?

Without a shadow of a doubt for a Demoman he has to be there early to gain a territorial advantage and help his two minion scouts, in the damage they have applied. However as previously mentioned, just because you have arrived early to the battlefield doesn't mean you have the advantage. Strategies and game-sense have to play a major part as to how much damage you do and where it's dealt. For Soldiers/Scouts/Snipers and even a Heavy on the battlefield, they require decent aim to flourish and make a mark on the sacred ground.

In your experience, how much is a team's ability to use speed and movement a vital part of their success?

I won't lie - it's absolutely crucial and essential. Either be on time, or before or prepare to die. PERIOD!

Will a side with better team-work that slowly moves into positions eventually be able to overcome a team that can launch itself aggressively into the enemy and force them back, at the cost of losing one or two players?

90% of the time I'd say simply yes, it's better to be slow and steady. For you to gain an area advantage with lesser players is a HUGE ask on those four alive (for example). It also adds a gambling risk depending on what you and your Medic are thinking. The reason I've said 90% as opposed to 100% is that sometimes there could be a genuine reason for a team holding back, maybe the Medic has a Kritzkreig waiting?

This dynamic niche skill that the Medic has can affect and dictate the entire middle point, so don't be fooled by the fact that you have, for example, a two player advantage over a team - none of that will matter when 8 stickies rain down on you and you have no Ubercharge ready to protect you, as well as the power of 4 rockets aimed at your feet (or soon to be exploded torso!).

Personally though, I'd say in my experience it's better to play cautiously and then attack when you're ready, rather than blindly go aggressive and then have to defend. If all players have a good knowledge of the game and can implement this, then your team can have a HUGE advantage.

Get playing!

I hope the speed and excitement of TF2 will motivate the Cadred community to give it a go, or if you've started to play, to watch some examples of top players to see how it's done. Next week I'm looking at a completely different side to Team Fortress 2, but in the meanwhile, get playing!