Ember learns to play Team Fortress 2

[Ember]

Where's the TF2 remedial class? ;_;

 

[The Mighty Gerbil]

Where's the TF2 remedial class? ;_;

No worries Ember I'm sure we can all pitch in and help you learn how to play a FPS and if you can't get the hang of it play the medic class that is what Tek does .

I suggest...

1. If you are having problems aiming and moving you can fiddle with your mouse sensitivity in the game options and it may help.

2. You may want to go through each class and have Tek give you a simple explanation of what each does. Then after a short try out of each focus on a single one to learn better. TF2, for casual play, is both easier and harder to learn than other FPS games. In most FPS games you will have to have fast reflexes and a killer aim. In TF2 the need for that is reduced somewhat but is replaced by the need for teamwork as each class fills different roles.

3. IMO on which classes are difficult to learn. Medic, Pyro, Engineer and Heavy (in that order) are easier to play effectively than the other classes as the need for a good aim is reduced. Of the remaining classes Scout and Spy are the hardest to learn with the others Soldier, Demo and Sniper falling somewhere in between. Even a bad medic is appreciated if a team has none (or at least should be thank you very much rude grievers XD). If you do play medic be prepared to die a lot as everyone on the enemy team will want to kill you. Much ado is made over the Pyro being effective with only pressing forward and the left mouse button, for beginners it's usually true though the class can be taken to higher levels of skill. In fact I've seen a video where a kid took all but the forward key off his keyboard and only pressed it and the left mouse button the entire game. He was a top scorer (of course the people he was killing were not the most skilled). Engineer has a bit of learning curve but once you get past that you can basically just sit on your stuff hitting it with your wrench (except for needing to kill spies). Heavy is just a bit easier to aim than most other classes.

 

[vibrokatana]

1. If you are having problems aiming and moving you can fiddle with your mouse sensitivity in the game options and it may help.

You can also try adjusting your field of view. I think it allows ranges between 55 and 90. Basically the FOV is the degree of arc of what you can see in your window. A large field of view means you don't have to pan around as much to get a decent situational awareness. However, [IMO] a lower FOV allows for a better aim, particularly at far away targets. Note that changing it can skewer your hand eye coordination a lot, so your probably better off setting it to what looks good and sticking with it.

Probably the biggest advice is to keep moving. Spies and snipers love stationary targets. If someone is lobbing explosives you can sometimes avoid damage by jumping, however this can work against you and allow them an easy shot as you fall.

Scout IMO is one of the easier classes. The main issue is that you are basically a walking piece of tissue paper. If you use the double jump effectively you can basically be flying around their heads, but that is very risky and more times then not you will get swatted like a fly.

If you're bored read Sun Tzu: The Art of War then you will have all kinds of strategies to apply to <<insert generic game here>>.

 

[Ember]

Thanks for the advice, guys. ^^

Moving around isn't so much my concern. Yeah, I need to get a lot better at it, but at least I've done it before. It's just a matter of practice. Tight corners are a bit of a problem sometimes, but other than that I'll be okay eventually. It'll also get a lot easier when I finally clean off my desk.... >.> Right now I just have my lappy on a TV tray, which doesn't leave a lot of room for my moose. I mean mouse.

Haha I don't think I'll be playing medic. Because I really hate being THAT targeted, and I really don't like dying. I know being targeted and dying is part of it (to varying degrees) for everyone, but. Yeh. I'll get over it. =P

Last night I just played with Tek. Mostly just getting used to moving and trying to learn a couple of maps. First I played Soldier on 2Fort. (This is going to be one of my biggest problems I think...after 20 minutes on 2Fort, I still couldn't find my way around that place to save my life. ;_; I am good at directions IRL, but apparently not in a game...bleh.)

Next I tried Heavy on...ohhhh one of the capture the point maps. Granary? That seemed sort of easier for me, but I don't know. It's not like we were actually playing. It was more like walkthrough, but Tek let me beat up on him once in a while just for fun and morale boost. *lol*

I don't know yet how much of a problem aiming will be for me. Probably a problem, but so far my biggest concern is finding my way around. -_-

As far as class goes...I think I want to try to learn the ones that are maybe a little less popular. That usually works best for me. I want to try Engineer for that reason at some point...but Tek thought that might not be the best starting out. Which is fine.

Good to know about adjusting the FOV. I didn't know about that. I think I'll leave it alone for now though. A wider FOV might help me not get lost, but I'm sure my aim would really suffer even more.

My biggest thing to get over...will be turning off that perfectionist nature of mine that surfaces itself even in a game. I guess for serious players, it's fine to be a perfectionist. But there is a learning curve, so I will just have to get over it. =P Team stuff...I just hate being the weakest link. ;_;

Anyway, sorry to go OT. I guess this is the $2.49 thread, not the "please help me, I'm tek's poor little newbie wife!" thread. =D
Edit: oooh nevermind about the OT. Tek kindly (kindly?) split the thread for me. =P

But really, thanks!

 

[The Mighty Gerbil]

Haha I don't think I'll be playing medic. Because I really hate being THAT targeted, and I really don't like dying. I know being targeted and dying is part of it (to varying degrees) for everyone, but. Yeh. I'll get over it. =P

Spy is the only class more universally chased but at least you can go invisible. I like being chased by the entire enemy team it makes me feel I've done my job well .

Last night I just played with Tek. Mostly just getting used to moving and trying to learn a couple of maps. First I played Soldier on 2Fort. (This is going to be one of my biggest problems I think...after 20 minutes on 2Fort, I still couldn't find my way around that place to save my life. ;_; I am good at directions IRL, but apparently not in a game...bleh.)

Next I tried Heavy on...ohhhh one of the capture the point maps. Granary? That seemed sort of easier for me, but I don't know. It's not like we were actually playing. It was more like walk through, but Tek let me beat up on him once in a while just for fun and morale boost. *lol*

I don't know yet how much of a problem aiming will be for me. Probably a problem, but so far my biggest concern is finding my way around. -_-

Granary is a simpler map than 2fort. Capture point (cp) and capture the flag (ctf) maps are divided into Red and Blu areas and you are pushing towards the enemy side from where you spawn. Most of the maps have an abundance of arrows to tell you which way to go so I usually don't bother learning a map as much as just following the arrows and pushing towards the enemy side until I just learn it by repetition. Payload (pl) maps are probably the easiest to pick up as all you have to do (for basic play) is follow the track to the cart and try not to get turned around the wrong way. Don't forget to look at the UI at the bottom of the screen it will point to the location of any dropped flags, what cp points are taken by whom, and the location of the cart along the track.

As far as class goes...I think I want to try to learn the ones that are maybe a little less popular. That usually works best for me. I want to try Engineer for that reason at some point...but Tek thought that might not be the best starting out. Which is fine.

Engineer has a bit of a learning curve as you actually have to know how to build stuff instead of just shoot things. It's not that hard to play it just plays different than the rest. If you are a perfectionist realize the engineers stuff will be destroyed frequently it's the nature of the class. Knowing when to leave your stuff, turtle down to defend it and being able to rebuild it quick is where the skill comes in. Being situation-ally aware (not to mention knowing where all the ammo packs are on a map) is probably what you need most as an engineer. If you don't know what all the classes are capable of hitting you with, the map layout or you have a tendency to not look behind you it's hard to play.

My biggest thing to get over...will be turning off that perfectionist nature of mine that surfaces itself even in a game. I guess for serious players, it's fine to be a perfectionist. But there is a learning curve, so I will just have to get over it. =P Team stuff...I just hate being the weakest link. ;_;

I feel your pain T_T .

Anyway, sorry to go OT. I guess this is the $2.49 thread, not the "please help me, I'm tek's poor little newbie wife!" thread. =D

But really, thanks!

Oh noes Tek will ban you know for being OT!

Final Tip: Getting another player, like your shining knight Tek, to follow you around as you explore will help you a lot in this game. Teamwork is where it is at in this game for most classes. You will much likey the dedicated medic on you or the Pyro who watches your back .

 

[Tek7]

No worries Ember I'm sure we can all pitch in and help you learn how to play a FPS and if you can't get the hang of it play the medic class that is what Tek does .

Exactly what are you trying to say here? -_-

3. IMO on which classes are difficult to learn. Medic, Pyro, Engineer and Heavy (in that order) are easier to play effectively than the other classes as the need for a good aim is reduced.

The problem with playing Medic as a starter class is that Medics are targeted far more often than other classes. Getting killed repeatedly would likely be demoralizing for someone new to first-person shooters.

Of the remaining classes Scout and Spy are the hardest to learn with the others Soldier, Demo and Sniper falling somewhere in between.

Agreed.

Even a bad medic is appreciated if a team has none (or at least should be thank you very much rude grievers XD).

Griefers don't get healed.

People who abandon their Medics without warning don't get healed.

Scouts who skipped their Ritalin dose don't get healed.

Any more and I'm going to de-rail the topic even further. Maybe I should start a "A Medic's Point of View" thread on the ToJ TF2 chapter forums.

In fact I've seen a video where a kid took all but the forward key off his keyboard and only pressed it and the left mouse button the entire game. He was a top scorer (of course the people he was killing were not the most skilled).

You have got to send me the link to that video.

Engineer has a bit of learning curve but once you get past that you can basically just sit on your stuff hitting it with your wrench (except for needing to kill spies).

Playing Engineer as a starter class can also be demoralizing as players tend to focus on destroying your buildings. Having to rebuild over and over and over again gets frustrating, even for more seasoned players. One's experience as Engineer will depend largely on the skill and coordination of the enemy team as well as the assistance of your team. (I know the same could be said of any class, but the dependence is amplified in the case of the Engineer.)

Heavy is just a bit easier to aim than most other classes.

Agreed. I recommended Soldier and Heavy as starter classes for Ember.

You can also try adjusting your field of view. I think it allows ranges between 55 and 90.

This is something I thought after introducing Ember to the game last night but before reading this thread. I think I'm going to bump the FOV on her client to 70 or so.

Probably the biggest advice is to keep moving.

This is great for any first-person shooter (especially Quake Live).

Scout IMO is one of the easier classes.

For people who have played other first-person shooters, yes. For someone new to FPS games, the Scout's movement speed can make it difficult to navigate maps.

If you're bored read Sun Tzu: The Art of War then you will have all kinds of strategies to apply to <<insert generic game here>>.

Agreed. I have a copy of The Art of War, but I think I'll be waiting a while until Ember gets a better handle on the basics before recommending she read it.

Side note: The Art of War is a great read, whether you're a gamer or not.

Payload (pl) maps are probably the easiest to pick up as all you have to do (for basic play) is follow the track to the cart and try not to get turned around the wrong way. Don't forget to look at the UI at the bottom of the screen it will point to the location of any dropped flags, what cp points are taken by whom, and the location of the cart along the track.

I'll probably try teaching her a payload map next.

Knowing when to leave your stuff, turtle down to defend it and being able to rebuild it quick is where the skill comes in. Being situation-ally aware (not to mention knowing where all the ammo packs are on a map) is probably what you need most as an engineer.

Which is why it's rough as a starter class.

Even as a seasoned TF2 player, I sometimes forget where ammo packs are located. That knowledge is key to an Engineer's effectiveness. The main reason I don't play Engineer, though, is that I don't like spending 2-3 minutes building up an outpost only to have it torn down by an ubered pyro in under 10 seconds.

I have, on rare occasions, had a great time playing Engineer on pub servers. It depends largely (like I said earlier) on how well my team is performing in relation to the enemy team. Of course, if my team is steamrolling, there's not much use for an Engineer in the first place.

Oh noes Tek will ban you know for being OT!

If I banned forum users for going off-topic, the forums would be pretty bare.

Final Tip: Getting another player, like your shining knight Tek, to follow you around as you explore will help you a lot in this game. Teamwork is where it is at in this game for most classes. You will much likey the dedicated medic on you or the Pyro who watches your back .

QFT.

And I am willing to play Medic for my wife. I welcome any opportunity to help people how to learn to play alongside Medic.

Haha I don't think I'll be playing medic. Because I really hate being THAT targeted, and I really don't like dying.

Tell me about it. That's why I don't play Medic that often on pub servers unless someone who knows how to play alongside a Medic is on my team.

Last night I just played with Tek.

Let's hear it for dedicated LAN servers, w00t!

(This is going to be one of my biggest problems I think...after 20 minutes on 2Fort, I still couldn't find my way around that place to save my life. ;_; I am good at directions IRL, but apparently not in a game...bleh.)

In retrospect, that might have exacerbated by using the default field of view value.

Next I tried Heavy on...ohhhh one of the capture the point maps. Granary? That seemed sort of easier for me, but I don't know. It's not like we were actually playing. It was more like walkthrough, but Tek let me beat up on him once in a while just for fun and morale boost. *lol*

No, I will not let other people beat me up for a morale boost. For that silly Gibus hat, maybe, but not just for grins and giggles.

As far as class goes...I think I want to try to learn the ones that are maybe a little less popular. That usually works best for me. I want to try Engineer for that reason at some point...but Tek thought that might not be the best starting out. Which is fine.

Good to know about adjusting the FOV. I didn't know about that. I think I'll leave it alone for now though. A wider FOV might help me not get lost, but I'm sure my aim would really suffer even more.

Not necessarily. I have my FOV in Quake Live set to 120 and I do well enough.

My biggest thing to get over...will be turning off that perfectionist nature of mine that surfaces itself even in a game.

QFT. <3

Team stuff...I just hate being the weakest link. ;_;

Don't worry about that. I wouldn't subject you to public servers other than the ToJ and Christian Crew TF2 servers. Most regulars on those servers have no problem with helping people learn the game as long as they're willing to help. Besides, I can ban anyone who hassles you on the ToJ TF2 server.

Anyway, sorry to go OT. I guess this is the $2.49 thread, not the "please help me, I'm tek's poor little newbie wife!" thread. =D

That sounds like a great title for new split thread.

 

[Corpfox]

You could also watch, TF2: How to play "Classes" youtubes.

Thats what I did since I'm new as well.

So far, I haven't seen, How to play Demoman.

But still, I like the Scout.

Though, it would be nice if I had the new weapons for the SCOUT!

Since I just got Heavies and Medics new weapons...

 

[blackgravity]

This game sounds complicated. I just wanna burn stuff.

so bad

 

[Abba San]

This thread is helpful. I picked up a copy of the $2.49 game for myself and one for my son. I have never played before. Actually I couldn't even download it onto my laptop - there wasn't enough space. The rascal is 6.5 gigs to download.

Getting out WinDirStat this evening to see where I can gain the space. Looking forward to trying it out.

Do you have to play TF2 through Steam?

 

[Elader Arkon]

If Tek and Ember are within speaking distance while on their machines, the heavy/medic combo is crazy fun, especially on pub servers. I have a couple friends who started out doing that, and they got really, really good at it.

 

[Ember]

We should definitely have a newb night then. It could be fun in its own way. (I'd still be more newbie than pretty much anyone else, but I'm coming to terms with that...haha.)

 

[Whon]

Biggest point of advise Ember... If I snipe, make sure you're on my team. I'll watch your back as best as I can.

 

[Corpfox]

Do you have to play TF2 through Steam?

Unfortunately, yes.

You can, however, play "Off-line mode" but it will not count with your stats "On-line".

 

[The Mighty Gerbil]

Exactly what are you trying to say here? -_-

Me no know <bats eyes innocently> .

You have got to send me the link to that video.

Cussy warning applies...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B170dwf7Z7I&feature=player_embedded#
It's not that impressive becuase the kid fails to show his scores and all the gameplay without interruptions and drama. Basically he shows getting kills on...

1. Spies which is going to happen when you flame everything like a proper spy checking Pyro should.
2. Unaware classes. If you manage to get close to an enemy without them seeing you the backburner is hard to run away from.
3. He has at least got engineer support and at one point a medic. With the sg's covering you can do a lot more silly stuff without worry.
4. I did not see a single heavy or soldier kill.
5. I did not see him taking down a sg.
6. Note: At one point he switches to the shotgun. We will just say he just bumped another key hmmm.

Anyway the Pyro is a good beginner class as anyone can spycheck or make a few kills with it. There is a reason they aren't played competitively much though. Once people stop running toward the flames like moths and learn to kill them at range they become less effective.

Biggest point of advise Ember... If I snipe, make sure you're on my team. I'll watch your back as best as I can.

I don't think anyone will want to play on a team against Ember we would suffer Tek's wrath if we shot her to much >.< . I sees it now...

Weepy Ember: I can't do it the bad Gerbil keeps backstabing me a poor newbie, sob, sob.
Manly Tek: It's alright Honey darlen' I'll get that evil Gerbil. Pulls out insta-ban-level-gazillon-secret-anti-spy-device, does 23 and a quarter somersault and pwns Gerbil into next dimension.
Ember and Tek ride off into sunset leaving Gerbil's body twitching on the ground T_T.

As Corp Fox mentioned There are a few good "TF2 how to play" youtube videos for beginners. You may want to look around for them. There is an old tip thread in this forum as well but it doesn't really cover the basics http://www.cgalliance.org/forums/showthread.php?t=23669 .