TF And the PGL
Pro-gaming and the Professional Gamers League.
— .AT.Thrymm
Hi Thrymm here just would like to share my thoughts on this subject....
I'll keep this short and sweet :) Although TF has grown up a bit in the
past few months, I believe offering TF to the PGL is not a good idea.
There are a few reasons I feel that would possibly cause yet another rip
in this fragile community. First of all, we all know Zygote's Top 10 on
TF Clans keeps getting ripped week after week. Clans cry "why aren't we
Top 10?" or you have some jackass email Zygote calling him every name in
the book because that person feels a clan he likes should be in it. With
that said, how can the PGL choose what clans will join the league? The
last time I checked the PGL site a few months ago, in one DM division
there was only 6 clans(i may be wrong). So say they make 4 TF divisions,
thats 24 clans. I can see the harping now. "We deserve to be in that
league" Why? That brings me to another point. Money is involved now
along with prizes. Money will raise the level of competition, but at
what cost? Cheating accusations, friendships ending, constant bickering,
etc. Quite a few DM players were thrown out of the PGL for "cheating".
Some probably were, im also sure some might have been simply accused and
tossed from the league. DM is a simple game, while TF is more complex
and draws more emotion from players. I mean the IGL as an example is
probably the most competitive TF league right now, and they have their
share of problems, which im sure would be doubled if prizes and money
were offered. And lastly, how bout them egos that some players have now?
Just wait till PGL and a clan that wins, lets just start rubbing it in
everyone's face when a clan wins a championship title. I just think TF
in the PGL is going to cause more harm than good.
Thanks for your time,
.At.Thrymm out!
My Views Upon the Game
Is TF dying?
— [CUiH]Telastyn
Greetings. I disagree with those who say TF is not dying. As
Evangelion was kind enough to point out "funness" has left the simple
thing we all used to call a game. When I started playing Team Fortress I
can remember wondering about this mythical team called OSKI and wondering
how to rocket jump. This was just before OSKI actually started loosing and
ST, UN, and DoS became mainstream clans. Now there are just as many kick
ass clans, if not more, merely their names have changed and the players
were replaced with newer, younger ones.
The main difference between then and now are the other players.
Never in the history of Team Fortress have there been so many lamers. The
average skill level has dropped and the result is players resorting to
techniques unique to Team Fortress maps and classes. This I think is that
many of the old players were Doom vetrans or were at least DM or CTF
converts who knew how to kill people in a one on one basis. Before these
people were easily killed by the vetrans who had the skill enough to kill
one or two lamers easily, but now only one or two people on most public
servers are these ex-DM'ers.
The appitomy of the ideal Team Fortress I think was the old DoS
Southpark server or the QvT/QvA servers, which ran for most of the last
school year. This server was full every time of the day with excellent
players. The play there was enjoyable because the play was serious. The
lamers who are more previlant now aren't serious enough for an orginized
game, thus making for less "funness". Southpark was unique in that 75% of
the players on the server at a given time were shoe-ins for #1 on every
other public server.
For a while I contented myself by being other less potent classes,
such as a spy or medic, or just playing RandomPC on public servers, but
after a while (and quite a few #1 places later) I realized it wasn't
enjoyable because it was no challenge anymore because my enemies (and my
teammates for that matter) couldn't play well. They lacked the simple
ability to kill. I would die to overwhelming own-base-spam, spawn campers,
or the ever-present sniper shot from my teammate, instead of a drawn out
duel, or a well placed rocket I couldn't avoid.
Now people use scripts or other technology to try to replace pure,
unadulterated skill when spamming or camping won't do. Both these
practices remove the whole concept of sportsmanship from the game (yes the
key word there is "game"). Personnally my configuration is identical to
the Doom II controls. I use a mouse only for sniping and wouldn't be
caught dead using a script beyond the +gren's.
As far as maps are concerned, I have always been a favorite of
2fort5, especially for matches, but that is mainly because my clan is
rather offensive minded. Border1 is an EXCELLENT example of a fun,
innovative map design which was ruined by lamers. The main problem with
maps though is simply that everyone has 2fort5, everyone runs 2fort5, and
for those with little bandwidth, it's time consuming to download every map
known to god. I've always liked smaller simpler maps like Betamap3 or
Dragnfyre, and disliked the huge maps because they make the dreadful all
defense tactic all the more potent since it takes nearly 3 minutes to
spawn and get to the opposing flag.
The most fun I think I've ever had playing Team Fortress was in a
computer lab with 3 other clanmates playing under a different clan alias
as all spies on one team. The pure humor in watching 4 spies end up
1,2,3,4 every single time without even disguising and the blatant horror
expressed by different messages shot our direction had us laughing about
it for a whole week. Unfortunately the "Spy Rush" tactic was voted down
for the next match...
Though this will more than likely go for naught since anyone who
would actually read a TF news editorial isn't a lamer.
[CUiH]Telastyn
telastyn@erols.com
The Same Old Maps
The same maps are played because they're the best.
— [te]Machinehead
Please note firstly that this peice is written with clan matches in
mind, not public games as
such.
Ok, how many times do we see on public boards bitches about TF becoming
boring?
There are various reasons for this, however one main reason is that
people are just
playing the same old maps over and over. Now, there is nothing wrong
with sticking to
2fort5 or well6 et al. They are great maps and should , if you really
have a decent clan,
never tire.
Recently, the Aussie clan that I am in, ... yes I eat kangaroos, and
wank instead of
masturbate, ummm, well not while I am eating the Roos, well maybee when
I am looking
at sheep, but that is more a New Zealand triat, let us not stray from
the topic too far
please :)
As I was saying, the clan that I am in (Insert shameless plug here) TE/
Third Eye, (Insert
second shameless plug here) which sported the likes of those TFS legends
(I am not
crawling now am I ;p ... ) Jojie and Bro (until they moved to the USA),
recently took the
initiative to try and introduce the Aussie TF Clan scene to some rather
underrated maps.
We have started to play Oppose1 and Canalzone. These maps have proven
great to play
in a clan match setting. Oppose1 is similar in style to 2fort5, but sort
of upside down. Its
only failing point is that the middle may get a bit congested at times.
Now, the main reason why I write this, is to try and get more of you US
TF clans to play
Canalzone.
When I first encountered this map I took one look at it and ran. I used
to think of myself
as a pure lover of CTF style TF maps (For those who are TF illiterate
CTF= Capture the
Flag style maps, like 2fort5 well6 et al). I saw Canalzone as being too
big, too messy etc.
I conjured up every excuse to try and not learn this map.
Finally, I watched a game being played by my clan. It was great. I
proceeded to learn the
map, and guess what, it only took about 30 mins for me to grab the
essence of it and
learn the points ordering.
The map has the obligatory two bases. In order to score on this map (Not
score as in
pick up a woman) your team has to grab a key from your base and place it
on one of the
command points. A team would consist of the usual attackers and
defencers. The
attackers would grab a key and try and capture a certain point. A point
is captured when
a key is placed on the pad. Then when your team has that control point,
you must try and
defend it from the opposing team. It is not a hard map to play.
Basically you assign certain
players to defend certain spots, and the others are the attackers as
such.
Please, I implore you to go and give this map a try, it is well worth
it. It really is up there
with 2fort5 etc as far as a clan map goes. Some of you may even like it
better (God
forbid).
It is a very fast map and thoroughly enjoyable. Do youreselves a favour
and go try it. If
you are a decent clan that can think a little, it will not take you long
to prepare yourselves
for play on this map.
Goto http://members.xoom.com/Alusair/ for great tutorials for this map,
and charts which
will help you make your way around the Canals.
I would also like to thank, and please do not kill me if I get this
wrong, Buzzlitebeer, for
giving Bundy info on this map for me a few months back.
Anyway, to "Spice up your TF life" go try these maps.
Thanks
[te]Machinehead (Australia)
Team Fortress Players
Multiplayer makes the world go round.
— Jason
Recently (actually a while) I’ve been seeing editorials about cheaters and lamers and how they ruin the game and how people should have gaming morals I started thinking.
I’ve been playing Quake And TeamFortress for almost a year now and constantly I've been made fun of by my sister and her friends saying how gay the game is and how it all Quake type games are the same. By now your wondering "What the hell does this have to do with anything" but let me explain.
If you really look at Quake And TeamFortress or the FPS genre in general they are all the same, the only thing that makes us want to buy them is Multiplayer support. Try to find games that have lasted for as long as quake and don’t have multiplayer support, You cant. Cause the one thing that sets Multiplayer and Single Player apart is Replay Value. Don’t get me wrong lots of great single player games have come about but the real action is in MultiPlayer mode, I mean you can play a single-player game for only so long without getting bored (imagine Quake w/o Multiplay mode, Scary huh?).
But now back to My original topic about cheaters and lamers. Imagine a Quake being perfect, I mean a Place where every player on every server didn’t cheat, never blocked doors and always says "good shot". I mean that would be great but just think of it, if Quake can get boring online imagine how boring it would be if it was perfect. Now look at the Quake world now, When your playing and get that awesome gib people call you a cheater and when your trying to leave that respawn room someone has built a sentry at the exit. Now that’s what I consider the replay value of MultiPlayer Quake.
If it weren’t for those lamers and cheaters quake would be boring , I mean think about it when your playing and that lamer says your cheating, isn’t just really fun to go out and gib him?? Or when that sniper keeps on killing you and saying "I own joo" isn’t fun to just be a soldier and sneak in and rip his bunghole and say "forget your head"?? I mean I don’t mind if a person says nice shot, but just imagine them always saying it?? I Mean I gotta hear them screaming "CHEATER!!!" and then Kickin there asses. (well that’s just me :)
But don’t get me wrong, I don’t like lamers and I will never be one but next time your in a server and some guy says "YOUR A CHEATER!!!" just imagine him saying "Great Shot"
The Etiquette Rule
There are people who find joy in the art of disrupting good games with incessant name calling.
— ToadKiller[TkN]
Here are my thoughts on this topic. In general -GeMiNi[BM] (he/she)
has a point, that there are people who find joy in the art of disrupting
good games with incessant name calling, spamming (insert your own definition
here), friendly fire attacks and general mayhem. But as in life, these are
the exception and not the rule. Hell if you had a large group of these
people together then everyone would leave the server, right? Hey there's an
idea, we can ban these deviants to a server that only allows their type.
J/K"
But everyone must remember, it is a public game and with that you will get
unsavory play, at times. Hell, should we ban people because they play no
defense, or use abstract strategies1, camping on respawns, and other punky
arse play? No, its part of the public game spirit, and that makes it
interesting. Now in no way am I saying that a person whose conduct is so
utterly revolting and disruptive to game play should not be kicked with a
corrective message warning. What I am saying is opinions vary as to what is
repugnant activity and what is not.
What I also have found is that I, as well as my teammates, tend to stray
from those servers and return again and again to the same group of servers
where the level of play and the comradery is high. I revel in the mystery of
why certain servers are like this, but haven't come to any solid conclusion.
However I have a theory I am working on relating to that thought. From past
experiences, I have found that "worthy and honorable" clans produce these
type of servers. I think that the deviants tend to avoid these honorable
servers, since they usually get their respective arses kicked, usually in
more ways than just one, and that "good" congregate to challenge their
skills and seek out others attempting to do the same.
Etiquette by definition is "the conduct or procedure required by good
breeding or prescribed by authority to be observed in social or official
life." Now I do not think it is required that all people follow the same
set of rules, that's what makes us unique. I also haven't found anywhere
that specifically states it is the authority on TF official life and state
this is how all good boys and girls play together. It's an unusual
circumstance that places all in the mode of having to make conduct opinions
and people's play.
Etiquette should be predicated on how we, as humans (utoh this may be deep)
treat one another in real life, not just "cyber space". In an earlier letter
I sent to Mwhahaha and SailorScout, I outlined these same points. People
should think about what they are doing and how it impacts those around them.
Once that happens maybe they can become the etiquittely correct TF'ers that
we all want them to be.
ToadKiller[TkN]
"In no way do my opinions represent those of my clan. They are solely my
own."
1Hell I once saw 4 sentry guns in the ramp room of a 2fort5 map. Now it was
hell on scouts, but the soldiers merely RJ'd through the grate and sauntered
down to the flag and returned. But it was funny as hell to see some person
try to get through the RR.
Think the author was right on target or completely off the deep end? Let us know -- mail us or post in the forums!
|
RSS Feeds
