The complete guide to Team Fortress 2

Posted at: Tuesday 9th October 2007 by Josh Blodwell

Team Fortress 2 is Valve's latest FPS and it's set to be just as fiercly competetive as Counter Strike. Don't go into the game unarmed - check out our full guide to TF2's gameplay and character classes, courtesy of Josh Blodwell

Team Fortress 2 is the latest multiplayer FPS to come from Valve, and can be bought as part of the Half-Life 2: Episode Two Orange Box. As you’d expect from the people who brought you Counter-Strike: Source and Day of Defeat: Source, the action is swiftly paced and furiously competitive.

We took a first look at the game yesterday, but in this article we're going to be taking an in-depth look at how to get the most out of the game: how to stay alive, and just as importantly, how to keep your team alive. The game is called Team Fortress 2 for a reason and working well with your team is the best way to win the game, as well as accrue points for your own nefarious ends.

Which side am I on?

Each game of TF2 pits two sides against one another. The two teams are identical aside from their colour schemes. Discerning the colour of your team, and thus deciding who to shoot can be confusing at first, but it’s actually very simple. Your HUD is painted in the colour of your team so keep that in mind.

What character class should I pick?

While TF2’s sides don’t differ from each other, each player can select from one of nine different types of character. These nine classes are designed to fulfil a basic purpose, either functioning as swift attackers, stalwart defenders, or as support units for the other players.

Each class excels in at least one area, at the expense of one major weakness. The most obvious examples of this are the Scout and Heavy. The Scout has incredible speed, but his weapons are tricky and he has a low amount of health. The Heavy is well armed and armoured, but inaccurate and slow moving. A successful team requires a good mix of classes and players who can work together to amplify their strengths and offset each other’s weaknesses. Countering an enemy rush takes a different mix of classes than it does to disable enemy defences and gain ground, for example.

When you select your class, the screen will tell you how many of each class are already playing on your team. Use this information to pick your class to work well with both the mix of other classes, and the role your team has on the map.

We've gone into detail about each of the classes below.

Types of game

There are two types of TF2 game: one in which the sides battle for control of the map, via control points, and a 'Capture the Flag' mode, where victory is grasped by taking the 'Intelligence Briefcase' from the enemy's base.