Strategy Guide - Guide for Half-Life: Team Fortress Classic
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TEAM FORTRESS CLASSIC
(TFC)
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An in-depth multiplayer
guide
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Matt Beisser
[email protected]
Version 1.1
(1.9.00)
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This guide is for:
Half-Life: TFC (PC)
Half-Life: TFC (Mac)
Half-Life: Opposing Forces: TFC (PC)
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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1. Overview
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1. Introduction
2. Starting off
1. Computer requirements
2. Modem
3. Ping vs. Lag vs. Latency
4. Controls
3. The characters
1. Scout
2. Sniper
3. Soldier
4. Demonian
5. Medic
6. HW Guy
7. Pyro
8. Spy
9. Engineer
4. The maps
1. Two Fortresses
2. Canal Zone 2
3. The Well
4. The Rock
5. Hunted
6. Alpine
7. Blood Tube
8. Open Fire
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2. Legal Info
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1. Disclaimer
2. Copywrite
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[1.1] Introduction
Congratulations! If you are reading this FAQ then you probably have
bought Half-Life. =) Half-Life is one of the best games I have ever
played. It got several awards in 1998 including game of the year.
If you bought Half-Life because the plot of the single player sounded
interesting then this FAQ isn't for you. If you bought Half-Life and
decided that the single player sucks and you don't like getting fragged
every five seconds in a death match game then you're come to the right
place.
Team Fortress Classic. 2 teams (usually) going against one another
trying to get the most frags and accomplish a common goal. Unlike
single player you have other intelligent teammates to help you
(intelligent being the key word.) And unlike a death match game it
isn't a free for all, so you don't have to worry about getting killed
every 5 seconds.
In my opinion Team Fortress Classic, or TFC as it is commonly know as,
is the best online game that there is. It's a balance between skill,
teamwork, and luck.
[1.2] Starting off
All computer games require a computer to play them. (DUH!) For some of
the games out, especially the new ones, you have to make sure your
machine can handle it. That's one of the great parts about TFC you
don't need a speed machine to be able to play.
[1.2.1] Computer Requirements
For Half-Life:TFC you need a Pentium 133 or faster, Windows 95, 98 or NT
4.0, 24 MB RAM, 400 MB hard drive space, Windows-compatible sound card,
SVGA 256-color graphics, 2X CD-ROM, Online play requires 32-bit ISP
with 28.8+ modem or local area network. Supports 3Dfx 3D graphics cards.
For Half-Life: Opposing Forces: TFC you to have Half-Life installed. You
also need a Pentium 133 or faster, Windows 95, 98 or NT 4.0, 24 MB RAM,
200 MB hard drive space, Windows-compatible sound card, SVGA 256-color
graphics, 2X CD-ROM, Online play requires 32-bit ISP with 28.8+ modem
or local area network. Supports OpenGL or Direct3D graphics cards.
[1.2.2] Modem
While it says that you only need a 28.8 bps modem in reality the minimum
is more a 33.3 bps modem. That is the absolute minimum. If you have a
slower modem the game won't be very fun because you will move so slow
that almost anyone will be able to frag 'ya. Again if you have a 33.3
bps modem you can still play Half-Life:TFC but I would strongly
recommend getting a 56 bps modem. They're really not that expensive and
make the game a lot more enjoyable.
[1.2.3] Ping vs. Lag vs. Latency
This is a large controversy in Half-Life:TFC. Some people disagree with
others about what is what. Others use all three interchangeable. So to
set the record straight here are the differences:
Latency, measured in milliseconds, is based on the average number of
packets sent to the server.
Ping is based on two things. How long it takes for a _single_ packet to
be sent to the server and how long it takes for the server to redirect
that packet back to your computer. Basically, a high number is bad and
a low number is good. So you want to try and keep a low number if at
all possible.
Lag is bad. It slows your game down. It is produced from your computer
and the internet. So you don't want lag.
Basically the faster your computer the less lag you get, the lower the
latency and ping you will have.
Sometimes even if you have a real fast computer you will still have a
high latency. Well since two things, your computer and the internet,
create lag and you know it's not your computer then it is unfortunately
your isp.
Large isps like AOL, Prodigy, MSN, etc. are not good isps too have for
online gaming. These providers are meant to be used to surf the www,
chat with friends, etc. not to play online games. So get rid of em! No
one said that you have to use a large company to get onto the internet.
As a matter of fact the local providers in your area are almost always
faster, more reliable, and can guarantee a good service. Not to mention
they are usually a lot cheaper.
If getting rid of your current isp isn't an option then you do have
other options that will help your latency out. Close all programs except
Half-Life. Use a lower resolution setting. Don't download anything
while your playing. Be sure you're using the most recent version of
HL:TFC. Try downloading a program that helps reduce lag. There are a
couple out there (lowlag, lagkiller, and usethisifyoulagonhalflife,
etc.) You can also try turning off the sound (though I don't really
recommend it.)
[1.2.4] Controls
No matter how low your latency is you're still going to get fragged a
lot if you can't move quickly. There are good control setups and bad
control setups. A good control setup allows you to move quickly, have
an accurate aim, and be able to use all your special abilities without
moving your fingers all around.
Here's what I use:
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W - Move forward
E - Use
R - Reload
A - Strafe Left
S - Move backwards
D - Strafe right
F - Grenade type 2
C - Use special ability
V - Set detpack
Z - Call medic
X - Drop extra ammo
Shift - Drop flag
Ctrl - Crouch
Space - Jump
Left Click - Shoot
Right Click - Grenade type 1
Mouse Wheel Up - Next weapon
Mouse Wheel Down - Previous weapon
You don't have to use these exact controls just use whatever is
comfortable and allows you to play well. You absolutely, positively,
MUST use a mouse, however. I don't care how you play other games. If
you don't you'll never be able to hit any one, nor will you be able to
move quickly enough.
[1.3] The characters
Half-Life:TFC offers a variety of characters to choose from. Each has
there own skills. Try to use the best character for the job. A master
of TFC will know how to utilize each characters special skills and
attributes.
[1.3.1] Scout
Scout - The perfect flag capturer.
Weapons: 1 Crowbar
2 Shotgun
4 Nailgun
Grenades: Primary: Concussion
Secondary: Caltrop
Speed: Very fast
Armor: Low armor (maximum of 50 green armor)
Abilities: - Removes an enemy's Spy's disguise by touching him
- Disarms detpacks set by enemy Demomen when he comes in
contact with them
Special
Skill: Display flag status
Scouts are the best flag capturers, so they are utterly essential in any
map which involves a flag (maps with objectives like Capture the Flag or
Territorial Control). Scouts can be effective even without firing a
single shot, since their strength lies in their speed rather than in
their combat skills. If you like moving twice as fast as everyone else,
and screaming for an escort as you escape the enemy base with the Flag
and the entire enemy team pursuing you, then the Scout is your class.
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TACTICS
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Run. Don't fight.
Every single enemy you meet is a better fighting class than you are.
Remember, your goal is to get the Flag, not kill the enemy. Leave the
killing to your teammates who are playing fighting classes.
Don't run in straight lines.
Your enemies will be doing everything they can do to prevent you from
getting into their base. Use your "Move Left" and "Move Right" keys
to dodge incoming fire. Even if you can't see an enemy, keep dodging
as you run, because chances are good that there's a sniper aiming at
you.
Call for help.
If the enemy has a defensive position that you just can't get past,
or a sentrygun that keeps killing you, call for backup. Tell your
teammates where the enemy (or sentrygun) is, and let them take care
of him for you.
Concuss enemy defenders.
If there are a lot of enemy defenders in a room, use your Concussion
grenades to soften them. Hold down your "Throw Grenade Type 2" key
for a couple of seconds before releasing it. This will throw the
Concussion grenade a second or so before it goes off. Hopefully the
defenders won't have time to avoid it with only a second's warning.
After the grenade has exploded, run like the wind! Concussed
defenders find it hard to hit any target, let alone a Scout running
at full speed.
Slow down pursuers with caltrops.
Caltrops are small metal spikes that injure and slow down anyone who
walks over them. When you're being pursued, hit your "Throw Grenade
Type 1" key to drop a canister of caltrops. Try and drop the canister
just around a corner or in a narrow passage to ensure the enemy runs
over the caltrops. If you're lucky, this will slow them down long
enough for you to escape.
[1.3.2] Sniper
Sniper - The ultimate long-range fighter.
Weapons: 1 Crowbar
2 Sniper Rifle
3 Auto Rifle
4 Nailgun
Grenades: Primary: Hand Grenade
Secondary: None
Speed: Medium
Armor: Low armor (Maximum of 50 green armor)
Special
Skill: Zoom
The Sniper is the only class that can kill an enemy on the other side of
the map with almost no warning at all. Be careful though, for if the
enemy engages you at close range you're weaker than most of the other
classes. If you like settling down into a good sniper position and
methodically killing every enemy who exits his base with a single shot
to the head, then the Sniper is for you.
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TACTICS
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Become one with your sniper rifle.
The sniper rifle takes awhile to master. The trick to using it is to
learn to aim effectively. When you press your "Fire" button, you
begin to aim. Your rifle will raise slightly and a red laser sight
will appear where you're aiming. When you release the "Fire" button,
the rifle fires. The longer you hold down the "Fire" button, the more
damage the shot does. If you aim for a full 2 to 3 seconds before you
fire the shot, you'll kill almost any class in a single hit. If the
enemy is a fair distance away, use the zoom capability of the rifle
by pressing your "Use Special Skill" key (right mouse button by
default).
Use your sniper rifle like a rifle.
Always remember that the sniper rifle is a rifle, not a pistol or
shotgun. You can't just shoot from the hip. If you're running, you
won't be able to fire the sniper rifle until you slow down and take
aim. If you need to fire on the run, use your nailgun or auto rifle.
Aim for the head.
The sniper rifle does more damage if you hit your target in the head.
This damage adds to the damage created by the amount of time you
aimed before firing. You'll kill anyone if you aim for a couple of
seconds and hit them in the head. Another thing to note is that if
you shoot them in the legs, you'll slow them down.
Avoid letting enemies get close.
You're fairly weak when it comes to close combat, so don't let your
enemies reach you. Find a position where they can't get to you
easily. If they do get near you, don't try to kill them with the
sniper rifle. Change to your nailgun or auto rifle and gun them
down. You can try lobbing some grenades at them to keep them away
too.
Hide your laser sight.
It's a good idea to start aiming before you see your enemies so that
you can build up a bit of damage before you fire at them. Since your
laser sight is visible, learn to hide it in places where your enemies
can't see it.
Use your auto rifle to finish them off.
The auto rifle is a great weapon for finishing off targets who you
know are low on health. If you hit them with a well-aimed shot from
your sniper rifle, it's more than likely they'll be low on health, so
switch to your auto rifle and pump a few rounds into them. They'll
have a hard time dodging you
[1.3.3] Soldier
Soldier - The best all-around fighter.
Weapons: 1 Crowbar
2 Shotgun
3 Super Shotgun
5 Rocket Launcher
Grenades: Primary: Hand Grenade
Secondary: Nail Grenade
Speed: Slow
Armor: Heavily armored (Maximum of 200 red armor)
Special
Skill: Reload
The workhorse in any TFC team, soldiers perform well at any task and
specialize in none. If you like killing lots and lots of enemies in
straight man-to-man combat, this is the class for you. Soldiers are a
core class in any offensive or defensive squad.
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TACTICS
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Reload regularly.
Your rocket launcher only holds 4 rockets at a time. When it's empty,
you're vulnerable. You can reload at any time by hitting your "Use
Special Skill" (right mouse button by default) or "Reload" (R by
default) keys, so whenever you've got a moment throw a rocket or two
into your launcher. Smart enemies will be counting the number of
times you've fired, and they'll try and attack you when they think
you're empty. Reload before you run out, and you can give them a
nice surprise when they charge you.
Use your nail grenade to pin your enemies down.
When your throw a nail grenade, it rises into the air and then begins
to spit nails in all directions for a few seconds before exploding.
It's a great room clearer, and the perfect way to keep enemies pinned
down. If they're pursuing you, drop one behind you as you run. If
you're defending a room, you've been told enemies are incoming, and
you need health, drop one into the room before you run to the
Resupply Room.
Learn to rocket jump.
One of the unique things a soldier can do is rocket jump. It's a term
for a fairly brute force method of gaining some height. Aim your
rocket launcher straight down at your feet, and press your "Fire"
button and your "Jump" button at the same time. The rocket will hit
the ground at your feet, exploding and propelling you up into the
air. It'll hurt you a bit, but it's a great way to get into areas of
the map that are normally inaccessible. It takes a bit of practice,
but once you've got it you'll be the bane of snipers everywhere as
you rocket jump into their sniping positions from the ground below.
[1.3.4] Demonian
Demoman - A lethal close-range fighter.
Weapons: 1 Crowbar
2 Shotgun
4 Grenade Launcher
5 Pipebomb Launcher
Grenades: Primary: Hand Grenade
Secondary: MIRZ Grenade
Speed: Medium
Armor: Medium armor (Maximum of 100 yellow armor)
Special
Skill: Detonate Pipebombs
Set Detpack
Carrying more explosive weaponry than any other class, the Demoman
clears whole rooms in seconds. He's essential on maps where the use of
high explosives can destroy barriers, allowing access to more entrances
into the enemy base. His remotely-detonable bombs make him a vicious
defender in enclosed spaces. If you like watching the smoke clear and
seeing bodies everywhere, the Demoman's your class.
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TACTICS
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Use your launcher.
Your main weapon is your grenade/pipebomb launcher. It has two modes,
grenade and pipebomb. In grenade mode it lobs grenades that explode
on contact with enemies. If the grenades don't hit anything they
explode after a couple of seconds. In pipebomb mode, the launcher
lobs pipebombs. These are simply grenades that don't explode on
contact. Instead, you remotely detonate them at any time by hitting
your "Use Special Skill" key. These are great for setting traps!
Don't use too many pipebombs.
You can have too many pipebombs lying around at once. If you reach
your limit, your oldest pipebomb will automatically explode when you
lob another one. Pipebombs will explode after they've lain there for
a couple of minutes, but you'll rarely have to worry about this.
Also, your pipebombs are rigged to your heartbeat, so when you die,
all your pipebombs explode. It's not uncommon to see them blow up the
same guy who just killed you.
Reload regularly.
Your grenade/pipebomb launcher can only hold 6 grenades at a time, so
when it's empty, you're in trouble. You can reload at any time by
hitting your "Reload" key, so whenever you've got a moment, throw a
few grenades into your launcher. Smart enemies will be counting the
number of times you've fired, and they'll try and attack you when
they think you're empty. Reload before you run out, and you can give
them a nice surprise when they charge you.
Clear rooms with your grenades.
No other class carries as powerful grenades as you do, let alone as
many. Your MIRV grenades explode into smaller grenades which then
explode again, killing anyone and everyone near them. These are great
for clearing entire rooms. If you know there are enemies ahead, throw
a few grenades in and watch them come running out.
Get up close and personal.
All your weaponry is powerful at close range, but none of it is very
useful at long range. Avoid having fights with enemy classes that are
dangerous at long range, like the Sniper and Soldier. Either charge
them, dodging as you go, or retreat behind cover and hope they come
to you. Wherever possible, fight in enclosed areas where they can't
avoid getting hit by the explosions from your grenades.
Use your detpack to open new pathways.
Some TFC maps have specific obstructions that can only be destroyed
by a detpack. These will be identified in the map Briefing screen.
There are 3 different "Set Detpack" keys to allow you to set the
timer on the detpack. Place a detpack in front of the obstruction by
pressing your "Set 5 Second Detpack" (M by default) key. You must
hold down the "Set 5 second Detpack" key for 4 seconds to place the
detpack, during which time you'll be unable to move or shoot. If your
enemies are smart, they're going to try and kill you during this
time, so you might need to get a teammate to escort you. You can stop
setting the detpack at any time by releasing your "Set 5 second
Detpack" key, at which point you'll pick up the detpack and be able
to move again. You can only carry 1 detpack at a time.
Learn to pipebomb jump.
Pipebomb jumping is a crude method of gaining access to areas you
can't get to normally. Throw a pipebomb out, then go and stand on it.
Press your "Jump" key and your "Use Special Skill" key at the same
time. This will cause you to jump and detonate the pipebomb
simultaneously. The pipebomb's explosion will do a fair amount of
damage to you, and propel you up into the air. It takes some
practice, but once you've got it, you'll be able to get to places you
couldn't before, like up into the middle of the enemy sniper
positions.
[1.3.5] Medic
Medic - The most indirectly lethal class in the game.
Weapons: 1 Medikit/BioWeapon
2 Shotgun
3 Super Shotgun
5 Super Nailgun
Grenades: Primary: Hand Grenade
Secondary: Concussion Grenade
Speed: Fast
Armor: Medium armor (Maximum of 100 yellow armor)
Abilities: Can heal his teammates with the medikit
Automatically heals himself
Special
Skill: Select Medikit
A solid close-to-medium range fighter, the Medic moves swiftly and
carries a gun that enables him to mow down any of the weaker classes
without too much trouble. His real strength lies in his ability to heal
himself and his teammates with his medikit. If you love seeing eternal
gratitude in the eyes of your teammates, or can't aim at all and still
want to be incredibly useful to your Team, go for the Medic class. You
might not kill a lot of enemies, but the teammates whose lives you've
saved sure will.
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TACTICS
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Heal your teammates.
When you look at your teammates (by pointing your crosshairs at
them), the status bar in the lower leftm corner of your screen will
show you their health and armor. If their health is less than 100%,
they need some healing. Select your medikit by hitting your "Use
Special Skill" key, run over to your teammate, aim your medikit at
them (just like you would a crowbar), and press your "Fire" button.
One "hit" and they'll be back to full health.
Cure your teammates.
Your medikit will heal everything. If you see that one of your
teammates is concussed, hallucinating, infected, crippled from a leg
shot or caltrop, or burning from a pyro's flamethrower, use your
medikit on them to cure them of their affliction. They'll be
eternally grateful.
Power up your teammates.
You can do even more than just heal and cure your teammates. If you
use your medikit on a teammate who's already at full health, you'll
inject him with adrenaline, increasing his health 5 points over his
maximum health level. The maximum you can adrenalize him up to is 50
over his normal maximum health. Adrenaline is short-lived, and the
player's health will slowly drop down until it's back at his normal
maximum health. This is an excellent way to give an attack squad a
boost before they enter the enemy base. The only drawback is that the
medikit needs some "ammunition" to do this. You can get more medikit
"ammunition" by picking up health packs in your Resupply Room. You'll
need medikit "ammunition" to heal yourself over time too.
Infect your enemies.
If you use your medikit on an enemy, you'll infect him with an
infectious virus. It'll drain his health slowly, until he either dies
or is healed by a Medic on his team. The virus is particularly lethal
because it's airborne. If the infected player gets near any of his
teammates, the virus will infect them as well.
Listen for "Medic!".
Other teammates might signal to you that they need healing by
shouting out "Medic!". You'll see a flashing red icon above the
player who is calling for assistance. Heal 'em!
[1.3.6] HW Guy
Heavy Weapons Guy - A walking tank.
Weapons: 1 Crowbar
2 Shotgun
3 Super Shotgun
5 Assault Cannon
Grenades: Primary: Hand Grenade
Secondary: MIRZ Grenade
Speed: Very slow
Armor: Extremely heavily armored (Maximum of 300 red armor)
Ability: Due to his size and armor, the HW Guy isn't fazed much
by injury, and rarely gets pushed around much by
explosions.
Special
Skill: Select Assault Cannon
The name says it all. A slow moving, heavily armored beast toting an
enormous assault cannon, the HW Guy can mow down any enemy in seconds.
Not a lot of finesse in this one, since the cannon spits out so much
fire you barely need to aim it. If you like picking a defensive position
in a map and saying "No-one, and I mean no-one, is getting past here",
then the HW Guy's the class you want.
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TACTICS
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Defend.
Don't go on Offense with this class until you're fairly experienced.
You're the slowest moving class in the, game, and you'll be picked
off by enemy snipers before you even get into the enemy base. You're
one of the strongest defensive classes in the game. Just keep firing
your assault cannon at anyone firing at you, and they'll be the ones
to die first.
Work in relatively open areas.
Your assault cannon takes a second to wind up before it begins
firing. This means that it's not a good idea to guard places where a
Scout can appear and get past you before you've begun firing.
Enclosed spaces are also bad for you because they allow the enemy to
jump out, lob rockets and grenades at you, and then duck back behind
cover before you can hit them. That said, large open spaces are also
dangerous for you due to your slow speed. Snipers and Soldiers can
pick you off from a distance, where the inaccurate fire of your
assault cannon renders it fairly ineffective. Luckily, enemy snipers
rarely make it into your base. An ideal defensive position for a HW
Guy is at one end of a long corridor that enemies have to move
through, allowing you to fire at them as they approach.
Stand in doorways.
Scouts hate you. You're their worst nightmare. The only thing on an
enemy Scout's mind when he sees a HW Guy on Defense is "How can I get
past him?". Do your part to make it harder for Scouts by standing in
doorways that they need to get through. Scouts will run up and
attempt to squeeze by you. Ignore them if they're shooting at you,
since they have about 1/5 of the armor you have. Wind up the assault
cannon and let 'em have it. If you're feeling particularly nasty in a
Capture The Flag map, go and stand right on top of your Flag. Watch
out for their concussion grenades though.
Work with a Medic or Engineer.
Try and get an Engineer or Medic to defend near you, so that you can
get them to heal you and repair your armor. Since you're so slow, it
takes you longer than any other class to get to the nearest Resupply
Room, stock up, and return to your position. If you've got a Medic
and/or Engineer nearby to save you the trouble, you can ensure your
position is never left undefended. Remember to use your "Call for
Medic!" key to signal that you need assistance from them.
[1.3.7] Pyro
Pyro - Set them on fire, and watch them burn.
Weapons: 1 Crowbar
2 Shotgun
4 Flamethrower
5 Incendiary Cannon
Grenades: Primary: Hand Grenade
Secondary: Napalm Grenade
Abilities: Wears flame retardant armor, making him impossible to
set on fire.
Special
Skill: Select Flamethrower
A great first line of defense, the Pyro can easily knock chunks out of
the enemy with his flamethrower. He doesn't have much in the way of
killing weaponry, but he can make sure no-one gets into the base without
being set on fire, and being burned alive tends to upset people. If you
like running into a room, firing wildly, and then watching enemies run
around screaming as they roast, then the Pyro is perfect for you.
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TACTICS
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Set them on fire.
The strength of a Pyro comes in his ability to set enemies on fire
with his flamethrower and incendiary cannon. The more you hit your
enemies with fire, the longer they'll burn and the more damage
they'll take. You're a great class for sowing confusion in the enemy
ranks, mainly because it's really hard to aim effectively when you're
burning to death. Keep in mind that your weaponry doesn't do a lot of
damage though, and it'll take quite a while to kill armored classes
like the Soldier and HW Guy. Get in close, set them on fire, and
retreat while they burn. Keep doing it until they die.
Use your incendiary cannon effectively.
The flamethrower is your main method of setting enemies on fire, but
the incendiary cannon has two advantages that make it essential in
some situations. First, and most obvious, is that it has a far
greater range and can ignite multiple targets at once. The rockets
travel fairly slowly, but have a larger blast radius than the
Soldier's rockets. They don't do much damage, and they don't set
everyone on fire, so they're great for lighting up the enemy Snipers
and providing the confusion your team needs to get a squad across the
open areas between bases. Secondly, and most importantly, they
ignite enemies through walls. The heat generated by the rockets
penetrates right through walls, floors and ceilings, setting any
enemies on the other side alight as well. If the enemy Snipers are
causing you trouble on 2fort, run under them and fire some shots into
the ceiling.
Be the first line of Defense.
One of the most useful things a Pyro can do is be the first line of
defense for a team. Guard the entrance to your base, and make it your
mission to set every single enemy who passes you on fire. Don't worry
too much about killing them, just make sure you ignite them a bit.
Once they're past you, warn the rest of the team's Defense that there
are incoming enemies. This early warning, combined with the fact that
no attackers reach the main Defense without being singed, can often
be the thing that prevents the enemy from breaking through.
Hold them off with your napalm grenades.
Napalm grenades set an area of ground on fire for a few seconds,
igniting any players who try to move through it. They're great for
blocking off an area, saving time and probably your life. Drop them
on the ground if you're being pursued, or throw one into rooms filled
with enemy defenders to force them to move away from their positions.
[1.3.8] Spy
Spy - The perfect infiltrator and terrorist, all in one.
Weapons: 1 Knife
2 Tranquilizer Gun
3 Super Shotgun
4 Nailgun
Grenades: Primary: Hand Grenade
Secondary: Hallucinogenic Grenade
Speed: Medium
Armor: Lightly armored (Maximum of 100 green armor)
Abilities: Removes an enemy Spy's disguise when he touches him
Can disguise himself to look like any class, team or
both
Can feign death
Special
Skill: Open Disguise Menu
A class who can disguise himself to look like anyone, the Spy can often
walk into the enemy base, right past the defenders. Able to kill an
enemy in a single hit with his knife, the Spy is someone you definitely
don't want to turn your back on. After a few of their members have been
knifed in the back, teams tend to get fairly paranoid. You know you're
winning when they start to shoot each other for fear they're Spies. If
you like matching your wits with the enemy instead of your reflexes,
then the Spy is your class.
_______
TACTICS
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Pretend to be one of them.
Your number one skill as a Spy is your ability to look like a member
of the enemy team. Wherever possible, avoid letting the enemy see you
as a Spy. Once they know you're playing a Spy they'll be much more
alert. Luckily, the paranoia induced in a Team from the knowledge
that there is an enemy Spy wandering around is worth playing a Spy
for in itself. It takes a couple of seconds to disguise yourself, so
try not to be discovered.
Think before you disguise.
The Spy is the thinker's class. You need to outwit your enemy. After
your first couple of infiltrations, it's fairly likely the enemy is
on the lookout for you. They'll be watching for anyone on their team
who's doing anything out of the ordinary. You need to watch the enemy
so you can become one of them. Pick your disguise carefully, and
change it whenever you're alone and the disguise is no longer
fitting. If the enemy has one Sniper, and he's defending the base
entrance, don't disguise yourself as a Sniper and walk into their
Flag room.
Remember your teammates.
Remember that your teammates will also see your disguise. So if
you're disguised as an enemy Sniper, your teammates will probably
think you're an enemy Sniper too. If they're smart, they'll read your
ID in their status bar and know you're a Spy, but usually, they'll
pump a few rounds into you. You can help prevent this by sticking to
a simple rule: Never change your Team disguise inside your own Team's
base.
Think before you shoot.
As a spy, attacking anyone is not a decision to be made lightly. This
is because when you attack, you lose your disguise. That's right.
You're back to looking like a Spy, and you can be sure that any
enemies who see you won't be amused that you've been pretending to be
their buddy for the past 2 minutes. The only exception to this rule
is grenade throwing, which means that you can throw a grenade and
still maintain your disguise. Unfortunately, any enemy who sees you
throwing grenades around is probably going to get a little
suspicious.
Avoid enemy Spies and Scouts.
Enemy Spies and Scouts will remove your disguise if they touch you,
so avoid them if you're disguised. Try not to look like you're
avoiding them though.
Be careful when picking up Flags.
Some maps have objects that remove your disguise. For example, in
Capture The Flag maps, if you grab the enemy Flag while you're
disguised, your disguise will be lost, and you won't be able to re-
disguise while carrying it.
Lie in wait for them.
Use your ability to feign death a lot. Spys are very effective at
killing specific individuals on the enemy team, so they are
particularly lethal on maps where 1 or 2 classes are important. For
example, in CanalZone 2, Scouts are essential because they're needed
to carry Flags from their base out to points on the map. Find places
where the Scouts will be moving past, and lie in wait for them. Be
careful not to look around while you're "dead", because the enemy
will be able to see your "corpse" moving. Wait until they pass you,
then stand up and knife them in the back. Another useful thing to
know is that you can disguise yourself while you're feigning death,
which is often the safest way of disguising yourself.
Knife them in the back.
When used right, your knife is the most lethal weapon you carry. If
you stab an enemy in the back with it, it'll kill him in one hit.
Even if your stab isn't perfect, it'll still inflict severe damage
upon him. Bear in mind that as a result you'll lose your disguise,
and you can be sure that if there are enemies around to notice this,
they won't be amused.
Provide intelligence.
If you're in the enemy base, waiting for the perfect opportunity to
grab their Flag while no-one's looking, or to knife a particular
Defender in the back as your Team's attack squad comes in, make
yourself useful. Report back information to your teammates. Tell
your Team where the enemy Defenders are located, what classes they
are playing, where their sentryguns are, and so on.
Take out their sentryguns.
Sentryguns are dumb. They won't fire at you if you're disguised as a
teammate of the Engineer who built them. They won't even fire at you
when you throw grenades at them. This makes you the ultimate anti-
sentrygun weapon. If your team's Scouts are getting mowed down by
enemy sentryguns, walk on into the enemy base and put some grenades
on the sentrygun when no-one's looking.
[1.3.9] Engineer
Engineer - The perfect remote defender.
Weapons: 1 Wrench
2 RailGun
3 Super Shotgun
Grenades: Primary: Hand Grenade
Secondary: EMP Grenade
Speed: Medium
Armor: Lightly armored (Maximum of 50 yellow armor)
Abilities: Can build automatic sentryguns
Can build ammunition & armor dispensers
Can repair his teammates' armor
Can create ammunition
Special
Skill: Open Build Menu
When your base needs some heavy defense, the Engineer comes to the
rescue, building automatic sentry guns that track enemies and kill them.
Able to repair his teammates' armor and build machines to dispense
ammunition, the Engineer is often the core player in large defensive
squads. If you need to defend your base against all those hardcore
players out there with much better aim, the Engineer's the perfect
class.
_______
TACTICS
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Get Metal.
All your abilities as an Engineer rely upon you having enough metal.
To get metal, grab armor from your Resupply Room. Any armor you can't
wear is automatically converted to metal. To see how much metal
you've got, select your Wrench and looking at the "ammo" count in the
bottom right corner of your screen. 200 metal is the most you can
carry. You need 130 metal to make or upgrade a sentrygun, and 100 to
make a dispenser.
Build a Sentrygun.
Your most useful contribution to the Team is your sentrygun. You can
only have one of these built at a time, so positioning it well is
important, although you can always dismantle it and build another.
Don't worry if it quickly gets destroyed the first few times you
build it. Just look for a new place to put it where the enemy will
have a harder time killing it. Keep an eye out for other Engineers,
and see where they're placing their sentryguns. Once you've picked a
place to build yours, hit your "Use Special Skill" key to bring up
the Disguise menu. If there's no option 2 to build a sentrygun, that
means you don't have enough metal, so go get some more from the
nearest Resupply Room. It takes 4 seconds to build your sentrygun,
during which time you won't be able to move or shoot, so if you're
building outside your base you might need someone to guard you.
Upgrade your Sentrygun.
Once you've got your sentrygun built, you'll want to upgrade it
quickly. Sentryguns have 3 levels, and at each increasing level they
have more health, fire faster, and hold more ammo than at the
previous level. Level 3 sentryguns fire rockets as well as their
gattling guns, making them particularly vicious. To upgrade your
sentrygun, make sure you've got at least 130 metal, and then hit your
sentrygun with your wrench. The maintenance menu will come up. If
there's no option 2 to Upgrade the sentrygun, you don't have enough
metal, so go get some more from the nearest Resupply Room. Note that
once your sentrygun is level 3, you won't be able to upgrade it any
further.
Maintain your Sentrygun.
Once the sentrygun's up and running and killing some enemies, you'll
need to maintain it. If you look in the bottom left of your screen,
you'll see your sentrygun's health and ammunition. If it's low on
health, you'll need to repair it. Hit it with your wrench and select
the "Repair" option from the menu. Keep doing this until it's fully
repaired or you run out of metal (you can see the amount of metal
you've got in the ammo count in the bottom right corner of your
screen). If your sentrygun is low on ammunition, you need to restock
it. Grab some shells from your Resupply Room, hit your sentrygun with
the wrench and then select the "Put ammo in sentrygun" option. If
it's a level 3 sentrygun, make sure you grab some rockets and put
them in it. Keep doing this until it's fully stocked with ammunition.
Finally, make sure your sentrygun's facing the right way. Sentryguns
track better if they're facing the direction the enemies' are coming
from, and they'll sometimes swing around and end up facing the wrong
way after they've shot down an enemy. Hit the sentrygun with your
wrench and select the "Rotate Sentrygun" option. Keep rotating it
until you're happy with the direction it's facing.
Build a Dispenser.
The next thing that your team would be eternally grateful for is an
ammunition & armor dispenser. This is a small machine that creates
ammunition and armor inside itself every 10 seconds, and lets anyone
get some from it. It's like a mini Resupply Room. If you've got a
group of Defenders in a place where they can't get to a Resupply Room
quickly enough, a dispenser's the perfect thing to allow them to
resupply without leaving their posts. Dispensers are also great if
they're hidden somewhere near the enemy base to allow your attack
squads to resupply right before they go into the enemy base. Like
sentryguns, you can only have one dispenser built at a time, so place
it wisely. They have little health, so keep your dispenser fully
repaired if you can. Hit it with your wrench to bring up the
Maintenance menu, just as you do for the sentrygun.
Repair your teammates' armor.
Another important and often overlooked trait of the Engineer is his
ability to repair his teammates' armor. Simply hit your teammates
with your wrench. You'll need a bit of metal to repair them, but not
much. Keep hitting them until their armor's fully repaired, or until
you've run out of metal. Note that your teammates will probably use
the "Call for a Medic!" command to ask you to repair their armor, so
if you hear them yell for help, look around. The player who called
for help will have a floating red cross above his head.
Make ammunition for your teammates.
The other useful thing an Engineer can do is make ammunition. This is
great for swiftly delivering ammunition to Defenders, like HW Guys,
who don't have time to get to the Resupply Room and back to their
posts before the enemy attacks. Making ammunition is easy. Simply hit
your "Drop Unused Ammunition" key (X by default). Unlike every other
class, who only drop the ammunition they're carrying that they can't
use, Engineers always drop some ammunition of each type, using their
metal supply to fabricate ammunition that they don't have. If you
don't have much metal, you won't be able to make much, but its
probably still a better idea than sending that HW Guy back to the
Resupply Room.
Protect your Sentrygun with EMP grenades.
Your EMP grenades are tricky. They explode like any grenade, but
instead of doing any damage themselves, they detonate anything
explosive around them and rely on that to do damage instead. This
means players with explosive ammunition, like rockets and shells,
will explode like firecrackers. Detpacks will go boom. Pipebombs will
detonate. Ammo packs will go up in smoke. Roughly speaking, the more
ammunition lying around, the more dangerous the EMP blast is going to
be, and some classes, like the Soldier and HW Guy, are carrying a
heckuvva lotta ammunition. The only downside is that some classes,
like the Scout, are carrying almost no explosive ammunition at all,
and can simply walk right through an EMP blast. Use your EMP
grenades, combined with your hand grenades, to destroy enemies who
are trying to destroy your sentrygun. Your sentrygun is far more
dangerous to them than you are, so if you're lucky, you'll be able to
throw a grenade at their feet while they're otherwise occupied.
[1.4.1] Maps
There are always new maps being made but here are the official maps
along with some other common TFC maps.
[1.4.1] Two Fortresses
Two Fortresses - Capture The Flag.
Two fortresses, separated by a small bridge. Break through the enemy
defenses and steal their Flag from the basement. Bring it back to the
Capture Point in your battlements to score. Watch out for enemies
coming through the underwater entrances.
Objective: Assault the enemy Base, and steal the enemy Flag from
their basement. Bring it back to the Capture Point in
your battlements to capture it. Defend your Flag to
prevent the enemy from stealing it.
Scoring: 10 points per Flag Capture.
Notes: If a player carrying a Flag is killed, the Flag will fall
to the ground. It will remain there for 60 seconds and
then return to its starting position. If it's your Flag,
you need to defend it, wherever it is. Don't let the
enemy touch it, because they'll pick it up, and even if
you kill them the 60 second time starts all over again.
Players: 4 to 24.
[1.4.2] Canalzone 2
Canalzone 2 - Territorial Control.
Two Teams vie for control of a group of buildings divided up by
canals. Capture strategic points on the map, and hold them to score
points. Use the light, fast classes like the Scout to capture points,
and back them up with heavier classes to hold the points once
captured.
Objective: Capture and hold as much territory as you can by placing
Flags on the Command Points throughout the map.
Scoring: 1 point for every 30 seconds you hold a Command Point.
25 bonus points for gaining control of all 5 Command
Points.
Notes: Capturing a Command point is done by taking a Flag from
your Command Center and placing it on a Command Point.
You can see which Team holds a Command Point by the Flag
and colored light around the Point. If the enemy holds a
Command Point, you need to recapture it with a Flag.
Players move at half-speed while carrying a Flag.
Players: 8 to 32.
[1.4.3] The Well
The Well - Capture The Flag.
2 large fortresses separated by a large no-mans-lan, where Snipers
reign supreme. This map uses the same scoring system as 2fort, but
it's bigger and caters to larger teams. Use Demomen to destroy the
underwater grates and open more entrances into the enemy base.
Objective: Assault the enemy Base, and steal the enemy Flag from
their tower. Bring it back to the Capture Point in the
base of your tower to capture it. Defend your Flag to
prevent the enemy from stealing it.
Scoring: 10 points per Flag Capture.
Notes: If a player carrying a Flag is killed, the Flag will fall
to the ground. It will remain there for 60 seconds, and
then return to its starting position. If it's your Flag,
you need to defend it, wherever it is. Don't let the
enemy touch it, because they'll pick it up, and even if
you kill them the 60 second time starts all over again.
Players: 8 to 32.
[1.4.4] The Rock
The Rock - Capture The Flag Variant.
Set in two opposing prison-like bases, Rock plays similar to a
Capture The Flag map, but with slightly altered rules. Teams break
into the enemy Warden's office, steal the keycard within, and carry
it across to the enemy Gas Chamber, where they use the keycard to
release the Gas and kill the entire enemy team.
Objective: Assault the enemy Base, and steal the Keycard from
their Warden's Office. Take it across to the other side
of the enemy Base, where you can gain access to their Gas
Chamber and release the Nerve Gas. Defend your Keycard to
prevent the enemy from using it to release the Nerve Gas
in your Base.
Scoring: 15 points each time your team releases the Gas.
Notes: If a player carrying the Keycard is killed, the Keycard
will fall to the ground. It will remain there for 60
seconds, and then return to its starting position. If
it's your Keycard, you need to defend it, wherever it is.
Don't let the enemy touch it, because they'll pick it up,
and even if you kill them the 60 second time starts all
over again.
When the Nerve Gas is released, you have 10 seconds
before the Gas will kill you. To survive, you need to
either get a hazard suit (located behind the
appropriately marked doors) or get underwater.
Players: 8 to 32.
[1.4.5] Hunted
Hunted - Assassination / Escort.
The most heavily teamwork-oriented map in TFC, this map has 3 teams
who each have strong roles. The first is The Hunted, a single player
with no weapons or armor, whose only objective is to make it to the
waiting truck at the end of the map. The Second Team consists of
Bodyguards, whose only objective is to ensure The Hunted player makes
it to his objective. The Third Team is the group of Assassins, and
their objective is to simply kill The Hunted.
Objective: The Hunted: Make it to the white truck waiting for you
behind the doors at the edge of the Helipad.
The Bodyguards: Prevent the Assassins from killing The
Hunted before he gets to the truck.
The Assassins: Kill The Hunted.
Scoring: The Hunted: 50 points each time he makes it to the truck.
The Bodyguards: 50 points each time The Hunted makes it
to the truck.
The Assassins: 25 points each time The Hunted is killed.
Notes: There is a limit of 5 players on the Assassin team, and
Assassins may only choose the Sniper class.
Bodyguard team has no player limit, but Bodyguards may
only choose the Soldier, Heavy Weapons Guy, and Medic
classes.
Whenever The Hunted is killed or makes it to the truck,
every player in the game is respawned back at their
starting positions.
The truck is parked behind the doors at the edge of the
Helipad. The doors can be opened by pressing a button in
either of the towers next to the doors. The doors don't
stay open for long, so The Hunted needs to move fast.
Players: 4 to 24.
[1.4.6] Alpine
Alpine - Assault
Objective: Blue must penetrate the Red mountain base, retrieve the
flag, and bring it back to their cave outpost. If Blue
can find a way to seal off the Flag Turret, they will
gain easy entree. Falls from a height can be deadly.
Scoring: 25 points if Blue captures.
10 points per minute that Red keeps their flag.
Notes: Flag carriers drop the Flag when they die. Dropped flags
return to their Base after 30 seconds.
[1.4.7] The Blood Tube
The Blood Tube - Capture The Flag
Objective: Enter the enemy Base and make your way to the back of the
lower level where their flag resides. Grab it and bring it
back to the capture point on your roof. Place it on the
raised square to capture it.
Scoring: 10 points per Capture. 10 frags to the player who captures
it.
Notes: Flag carriers drop the Flag when they die. Dropped flags
return to their Base after 60 seconds.
[1.4.8] Open Fire
Open Fire - Capture The Flag
Objective: Enter the enemy Base and deactivate the lasers which guard
access to their Flag. Grab the flag and bring it back to
your Base. Place it on the glass square to Capture it.
Scoring: 10 points per Capture.
Notes: Flag carriers drop the Flag when they die. Dropped flags
return to their Base after 60 seconds. Lasers stay
deactivated for only 30 seconds.
[2.1] Disclaimer
Half-Life, Half-Life: Opposing Forces is the registered trademarks of
Sierra. All other trademarks are the copywrite of their respective
owners.
[2.2] Copywrite
This FAQ is the copyright (c) of Matt Beisser. It may not be reproduced
in partial or full without the consent of the author.
