What makes Team Fortress 2 so good?

[Prince Abu]

Well, I was recently discussing first person shooters with one of my friends, and we somehow came to a point where i was comparing team fortress 2 to Call of Duty 4. He argued that COD4 is a better game, but i said Tf2 was. I own both games, and prefer Tf2. But when it came down to arguing pure points of the games, COD4 won. Let me show you.

Graphics- Call of Duty 4
Single Player- COD4 and not Tf2
Skill level of the game- COD4
Weapons and customization- COD4
Reward System- COD4

Fun- Tf2?????

So my question to you is....

What makes Team Fortress 2 so good?
Not just compared to COD4, but other popular FPS's as well.

 

[Lafinass]

It's fast fluid gameplay with a very different playstyle for each class. I can't think of any other FPS where I can change class when I get bored and have an entirely different game.

 

[MrQ]

I have played alot of games and TF2 just looks cool and MAKES you use teamwork to accomplish goals. Thats whats cool. Kust a couple of changes like more grenades in the demomans arsenal and more shots in the shotgun.

 

[Ephyu]

Team Fortress 2.

Teamwork.

The game's designed around teamwork. No single class can do everything, one good player can make the difference but can't win it alone. If everyone goes "lone wolf" the team fails, though it's still a viable option for some people.

There's a different class for each playing style, and while some people can be good at everything, people who are good at certain things can find a groove to sink into and get comfortable. Crits (as much as some hate them) add a little random chance and excitement, keeping the best players humble and letting even the worst get the excitement of one-shotting someone. Anyone can pick up and play, regardless of skill level... because even dying on TF2 can be fun, especially because you aren't just out of the game 'til the next round. You get to respawn and run back into the fray. Which makes it a lot less boring--people are more willing to sacrifice themselves or take risks.

TF2's style and gameplay make it a not-so-serious game. Games that look more real or focus on realism end up attracting a bunch of whiny little kids who want to feel cool, or a bunch of SRS BSNS uber-gamers that want only to WIN WIN WIN and put everyone else down in the process. That kind of attitude gets quickly pushed away on TF2, as the average TF2 player tends to just want to have fun. The bonus to playing with eGO is that people with the former kind of attitude are often kicked or banned.

When I lose on TF2, I go "Oh, darn." and eagerly await the next game. Never has typing "gg" seemed more sincere than on TF2.

 

[OODA Loop]

whats the point of playing a game if its not fun?
Maybe i'd rather play mario or galiga over crysis, just because crysis is the latest and greatest doesnt mean its as fun

GALIGA FTW

 

[Ninja Chicken]

Simple Answer:

I DO

 

[Thatguy]

That just goes to show you that all of those pure points really don't matter. I don't play video games cause the graphics look sweet, I play them because they are fun. TF2 is just one of those games that has a weird fun factor to it. I guess it is just the cartoony and comic-like characters that make it what it is. Everything looks pretty, but it just has the texturing and modeling that has a child-like feel to it and it brings out the kid in you and I guess that's what makes it seem fun.

That's just how I feel about it. And like laffin said, all of the characters are so different from each other that if you get tired of playing one thing, you can always play something else and it freshens the game up.

COD4 is game to where when you get involved, you focus on yourself and how good your score is. In TF2 when you get involved, you focus on the team and focus on the team objective. Both involvements feel very different. When I get all wrapped up in my score playing games like COD4, it usually just frustrates me, whereas in TF2, it just takes a positive attitude to have some fun. Always feels like you accomplish something moreso when you have a team effort

 

[Flippy the Squirrel]

[quote1205874843=Prince Abu]
Graphics- Call of Duty 4
[/quote1205874843]

I'm not so sure that graphics are as important as one might think anymore. For example, while Sony and Microsoft poured all of their resources to souped-up PCs in a box for their console offerings, Nintendo quietly re-invented the home console, and for far less money than either of the other two. The end result is that Nintendo still can't keep the Wii on the shelf while Sony and Microsoft are dropping the prices on their consoles to spur sales.

Aside from that, however, TF2 is gorgeous. It's more subtle than the photo-realistic approach of games like Call of Duty or Crysis, but don't discount the brilliance of the design, simply because it's toon-style. I constantly marvel at just how good TF2 looks, and that's on a computer that is slowly becoming obsolete.

[quote1205874843=Prince Abu]
Single Player- COD4 and not Tf2
[/quote1205874843]

There are games that are engineered to be single-player experiences, and those that are multiplayer. Deus Ex, for instance, was a superior single-player game, but the bolted on multiplayer modes (added after a major patch), was a joke.

For multiplayer, I'd submit that TF2 is one of the best around. It doesn't cater to the individual star, but those are the kinds of people that you don't want to play around after a while. Much like other team-based games (CS:S, DOD, Enemy Territory), TF2 has a solid understanding of team dynamics, and uses that to great effect.

Call of Duty may has a fun multiplayer experience, and a great single-player experience, but (taking the example of StarCraft), the thing that will keep a game allive is the multiplayer experience and the community. In that arena, I think TF2 will prevail as superior.

[quote1205874843=Prince Abu]
Skill level of the game- COD4
[/quote1205874843]

I don't think there's much basis for comparison here. There is more to skill than having more buttons to mash, and the subtleties of TF2 have demonstrated again and again that, like the ancient game of Go, the initial simplicity belies a surprising complexity.

[quote1205874843=Prince Abu]
Weapons and customization- COD4
[/quote1205874843]

Perhaps, but I find that (in most games), I settle down to a weapon or two and rely on that after a while. For this game, again, simplicity is king.

[quote1205874843=Prince Abu]
Reward System- COD4
[/quote1205874843]

The reward system may be rich, but once you've completed all of that, what's left? A solid game doesn't depend on these things, but uses them to enrich the overall experience. I don't know if TF2 suffers from a less rich system, but I'd like to see what Valve has up their sleeve for that.

[quote1205874843=Prince Abu]
Fun- Tf2?????
[/quote1205874843]

Duh.

 

[Fenix v2]

It's Fun. You NEED teamwork pretty much to win. Something you will never get bored of(hence classes)

 

[Freeflow]

imo its not as realistic as many shooters have been these past few years which makes it.

Not the best example but, remember the hype for doom 3? that was absolutely insane.. then when it got released it was kind of a downer, they went from fun chainsawing cacodemons to an almost pitch black, realistic, storytelling shooter

now if you look at recent fps's like crysis, cod4, conflict, turok, etc. they all try to act realistic in their own manner.. tf2 strays away from the flock and does its own thing which makes it fun.. even more if you played the previous games, cause you can see the best parts of the old games added on, i.e the rocket jumping.
You can even give that to games like serious sam, which also was quite an achievement.

honestly in terms of teamplay ive seen cod4 accomplish that well, and in alot of other tf2 servers pretty much everyone does their own thing. So its really down to which server you connect to.

 

[Mental Buga]

I have played other fsp games, its always been the genre of game that I have preferred, however aside from all the geeky talk ( no offence intended) its very simplistic in many ways, you don't have to be extremely skilled to play it.. often I have started playing in fps games and gotten completely destroyed so much so, that you never really have a chance to enjoy the game because your picking yourself up off the floor way too often, you get disheartened quickly and lose interest in it.

TF2 is pleasing to the eye, but more over than that, its the amazing team play that has me addicted more than a squirrel to his nuts (excuse the pun flippy ;p). An not just any old team the community here at edge gamers is so welcoming and warm, its like a massive extended family and I really do feel that we have the best of the best in our clan. If it ever came to this clan fighting against another clan we would win hands down, because of the exemplary dedication behaviour and support of our clan first and primarily.
So for me, its not so much the aesthetics of the game, while of course I don't take any points away from the importance of this, but its the team spirit firstly and formerly and with the added versatility of the characters that you can play during the game that makes it, for me the best.

It doesnt matter how good a game looks, you can have the best technology in the world, but without simple game play and the character versatility and a great community to play it, its going to suck big time

Here we have the best of everything and TF2 is da bomb !!


You all rock !

 

[Captain Mental]

What is there to add really?

The people that plays TF2 makes it the great game that it is. Play with morons and jerks, and you'll be sad you payed money for your game. Play with the good people, it will give you alot more fun than money can buy.

 

[bLackout {RD}]

Team Fortress 2

 

[Prince Abu]

After much contemplation of your comments and meditation on top of icy mountains in snowstorms i have been englightened with the answer to this dilemma.

Although Call of Duty 4 excels in nearly every aspect, it pales in comparison to team fortress 2 in one thing.

Team Fortress 2 has......... PERSONALITY.

Yes, the dilemma has been solved.
The cartoonish, relaxing, lighthearted, hilarious world of team fortress 2 coupled with the outstanding teamwork involved and people to play with are what truly make Tf2 so great.
Crysis, Doom3, COD4, big deal, ill play it and forget it.
But TF2, i cant wait to get back in there and play more.

Case Closed.

 

[Bobac]

I like the surreal look and feel to the game. Also there is alot more mature players in this game then the other FPS I play.

 

[EyelessHunter]

BALANCE!

 

[The Red Comet]

I actually prefer TF2's graphics. CoD4's graphics are very nice looking and realistic, but it's not very unique. It looks a lot like many other shooters on the market. TF2 has a very unique, beautiful art style that stands out from the rest; it provides an experience that most other games cannot match. Plus I like actually being able to see my enemies.

I also prefer TF2 because it seems a bit more casual. There is less precision aiming with the weapons, and there is more emphasis on placement and strategy than being the fastest or most accurate. Yes those are still important skills, but they aren't predominant, unlike in a game such as CoD4.

The reward and experience element is nice, and gives a great incentive to play. The problem is that eventually you get too tied up in just gaining points and not dying; caught up in stats rather than fun. It takes you away from the real purpose of games. For me I find that once I've unlocked everything, it flips a switch in my mind that says the game is "done," and I suddenly don't feel like playing it any more. TF2 doesn't have anything to flip that switch off, and yet has the fun factor to keep me coming back.

The teamwork aspect of TF2 is definitely a huge advantage as well. It's a beautiful thing when a team works together perfectly, though sometimes you do get idiots who don't play right.

I like how the classes are so differentiated. All the weapons play completely differently. It's not like in other FPSes where you get different guns, but they basically play similarly save for some damage or ammo count differences. Here, none of the primary weapons are similar at all, really. At the same time, they all have a purpose and role.

Finally, TF2 has great comedic value. I get a much higher number of hilarious or awesome moments in the game than most other FPSes. These are moments that make me enjoy FPSes the most.

 

[MrQ]

You guys got it right. I have played Day of Defeat Source for long time but I never felt like I was working with a team. You were a loner...rack up the most kills and you can call yourself the king of pwn. With TF2 it is so different. I can relax. If we don't win its not important, but when we do it is so cool. In essence if you don't work together you will hardly ever win. When you do you will decimate the opposition.

Besides I like the change away from hardcore graphics. The cartooney acts and looks make it fun, not to mention the best moments when the heavy holds his gun close and says "Kiss me" after a big win. Absolutely hilarious!! Its almost like watching cartoons all over again.

Team Fortress 2 FOR THE WIN!!

 

[InvalidLitDepot]

wait wait wait
graphics in COD4 better than TF2????
COD4 is the what? 1000000000th realistic war style game? TF2 has one of the most refreshing and original graphic styles in years.

anyway that aside, TF2 is just fun. I dunno why, maybe it's the simplicty, maybe it;s the goofy violence, either way it's just a blast to play. It's just more fun than any other shooter I've ever played.

Just my two cents

 

[Mjr.Degen]

What's more important than how fun a game is? I would rather play a 2-d game where I kill monsters than a 3-d epic graphic'd thumb wrestling platform