Team Fortress: Follow the name; Team Fortress is meant for teams to work together in order to complete the goal of whatever map you are playing on, using the classes designated by the map's code. Moreso, Team Fortress is a grounds for social interaction (think back to when you saw someone you knew, and started jumping up and down in quake, as that is the universal identifier in the game) and leadership-building, with the occasional frag in between. Try to help newbies with your own knowledge, and if need be, refer them to this guide. Try to stick with a buddy system on maps; your friends will thank you. On to the maps... Many times the goal of a map capturing the flag, but original maps such as Rock2, Canalzon, Tater, and almost countless others(not emphasized to an extent that they should be on servers because of 2fortx zombies) have alternative goals, such as taking a key to the enemy's gas chamber. Always read the readme that comes with a map's .zip file. While many of us in the community are eager to share our knowledge with you on a server, we would much rather spend our time playing WITH YOU than teaching (unless we are sucking at that given time :b). Many maps have special items within the game that are unique to their map, and the readme includes documentation on their use and location. By helping yourself to knowledge about maps, you're helping your team when you hop on a server. Also, some goals of maps are to 'protect.' Whether it be hunted (which I have not seen for almost half a year now) or Border1, obey the rules of teams. If you are a Bodyguard (or MIB) do not attack the President (or immigrants). Likewise, if you are being protected, do not axe your protectors, they really do love you. I have been president (because other people were sick of dying), and with enough coaxing I could get people to do it correctly. If you are in a game where the prez is getting spanked, try to avert the attention of the 'special' bodyguards so he/she can go about his/her business. If there's one thing I hate, it's respawn camping. Although it is accepted by a few clans (*cough cough [M] cough*), I and many other players hold it is a cheap and pansy way to get frags. Using this foul technique is a display of your dishonorable and weak nature; think of it as killing a newborn baby, beacuse that's pretty much what it is. I do find it is ok to stop by briefly to toss a grenade or two, but by no means is it a good idea to set up camp(that's why in 2forts you can toss a grenade up the hole to the sniper respawn, but you can't rocket jump to it). MM1 and MM2: We all like to talk in the midst of a game, an occasional 'hello' or 'wow!', but there are some times when it's just plain inappropriate to say certain things. One thing to say that is always unacceptable is 'lag.' We all have our ping problems (unless you're one of those damned lpb's :b), and everyone else doesn't care about your constant 350 ping with 30% packet loss. Lord knows my ping and PL are worse than yours. It is ok to say 'lag' or 'disconnect' if you are suddenly with a phone jack, or your ping goes about 200 higher than what it was; the main point behind that is to let people know you are lagged out, and if they are smart enough they won't shoot a still, defenseless target. It's much more fun to hunt something that fights back. Other annoying messages are of the bound sort. Unless you are telling your team something (touched upon a few lines down), don't use bound messages. Your team is proud of you if you killed that level 3 sentry gun or lpb sniper all by yourself, they really are, but the last thing they want to hear is "yA BiTcH YoURe OwnED by FaG[M]" (not necessarily a [M] member but of the same substandard intelligence). Something else of that genre is a lag meter or frag meter, etc. We don't care, and neither should you. Just play the frickin' game. Cussing (and I used to have a problem with this) every time you die is not necessary. Say it out loud if you must, but don't fill the airwaves with dung text. Maybe you could try saying 'nice shot' or 'ow' instead. I know I have found myself using the latter :) It's much more gratifying for you when you kill the other person, too, because I have been in situations where they would start saying 'ow', too :) Calling yourself God and cussing other people out when you kill them is a no-no, too. Once again, use your best judgement and you should be fine. Thanks to GoldenDragon and Weeze for their input on this subject! Ammo: Ammo is your friend; without it you are a big, burly guy with a wimpy axe, spanner, or bioweapon. Try to hold onto it unless you are a class spoken about later who is good as a "dispenser." There are two commands EVERY player should have bound in his config: discard and dropammo. The former tosses out what ammo you can't use (why the hell should you hog something you have no use for unless you're a traitor? The only thing you're doing by keeping it is providing a quick resupply for enemies when you die), and the latter brings up a menu for you to choose on what type of ammo units you wish to drop (or make, if you are an engineer). Remember, you are constantly picking up backpacks that dead people dropped, so why not help out your friends? Armor: Armor is a godsend; make good use of it. Your entire team should have enough armor if you use it correctly. Please note that once you pick up an armor suit, you do not need to pick up any more; leave it for your friends. Instead, head on over to your local engineer and use the saveme command. If he is a veteran (or has read this page), he should pull out his spanner and whack you a couple times with it, repairing your armor to more of an extent than the armor pickup can do. Don't be afraid of friendlies with odd-colored axes (unless they are dressed as spies or look strangely suspicious), they're going to fix your armor or heal you. Guns: TF is a great game because you start out with whatever arsenal you need; all you have to do is pick up ammo. One thing that can get pesky is what gun you're using! Your guns will often have the same effects on teammates as they do on enemies without actually injuring them, so be careful where you shoot. Your guns will also damage your friends' armor, regardless of whether it has an adverse effect or not. Remember, a simple apology saves people from constant bickering on many occasions. Grenades: Grenades are a lot like your guns: they mess up armor, they can have strange effects on friends, and you start out with a few. Please try to refrain from throwing grenades in your base, especially spam. Some exceptions are rooms similar to the flag hall and ramp area in 2fortX. While you should keep it down, feel free to use a slice of spam on enemies in these areas. NEVER spam your upper lobby or sniper deck, though, it's just plain stupid. Use your grenades on offense wisely; refer to the classes section for an explanation. Your Brain: I can't think of everything in here, so you're going to have to think for yourself every once in a while. Just try to focus on two things when making a decision: Will it help my team, and will it keep me safe? Everybody has common sense, it's just a little less common with others. |