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The New Black
Team Fortress, in its most primitive form, had nothing to do with Half-Life, the Source engine or Valve itself. Originally, three Australians-Robin Walker, John Cook and Ian Caughley-came up with an idea for a TC mod (Total Conversion Modification: same source, new kind of game), particularly a class-based shooter. The idea eventually developed into Team Fortress Classic, a Half-Life mod, and then became an official project. The release of TF2 was delayed so long it was considered vaporware-a myth, much like the Loch Ness Monster, fan death and "Duke Nukem Forever."
Players are split between Team Blue and Team Red, and then choose one of nine classes-Scout, Soldier, Pyro, Heavy, Demoman, Engineer, Medic, Sniper and Spy. Each class offers a different range of weapons and abilities, and each team needs a balance of all classes to be truly effective. The game types are fairly limited as of this release, but more are in the works. Right now the choices range from a Capture-the-Flag-styled "Intelligence" match or a King-of-the-Hill "Bases" matchup.
The graphics are a far cry from the rest of the titles in The Orange Box. Valve opted for cartoony, even comical designs, but it works. It's not often characters in a multiplayer-only game have ... character. As with most multiplayer-only games, TF2 is a work in progress, but between the player-made content and Valve's upcoming additions, the options should only expand.
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