I don’t like completely multiplayer games. I can appreciate it when a game features some multiplayer content, but if that’s all there is then you can count me out. I like having a story, and I like having a sense of progression. I see no point in spending dozens of hours of my time accomplishing absolutely nothing. At least in a game like Metal Gear Solid I am getting to appreciate a story, with interesting characters, conflict and development. If I spend an equal amount of time playing a game like Counter Strike, then the only thing I get at the end is, hopefully, a decent K/D ratio, which just isn’t reward enough for someone of my tastes. This is primarily the reason that I have hated, yes hated, MMORPG’s. They are purposefully slow and force you to stay involved for an abhorrent amount of time, and in some cases money.
Yet, out of a sea of dislikes and annoyances arises one example to shatter all of my preconceptions, Team Fortress 2. To this day, it is the only, I repeat, it is the only multiplayer game that I consistently play. But what is it about Team Fortress 2 that keeps me coming back for more? The reasons are surprisingly plentiful, ranging from gameplay varieties to the community. To start, I love that there are 9 well balanced classes to choose from, each offering a very unique experience that requires a fair amount of investment to fully appreciate. Not only that, but it also demolishes the need for overwhelming personal skill, allowing for a close victory even if the other team has a killer Sniper. I can have fun even if I’m not that good, and fun, alongside of a sense of progression, is the most important aspect of a game for me. For what it’s worth, my personal favorites are Scout and Pyro, and my least favorite class in Engineer. I am also terrified to play as Spy, but the reasons for my specific gaming tastes aren’t necessarily in question in this post.
Anyhow, as I emphasized earlier, a sense of progression and development is very important to my experience. I don’t mean to say that TF2 has an intriguing plot that thoughtfully moves forward with each session of play. What I do mean to say is that Valve is ingeniously treating TF2 more as a service than as a game. There have been, to date, 4 hefty updates to the game, offering specialized achievements and unlockables for a specific class; thus far including Pryo, Medic, Heavy and Scout. By making these updates free to players and by distributing it easily through Steam, Valve is able to consistently inject new life into their product. Everybody loves unlocking achievements, or can at least understand the appeal, and the thrill of unlocking a cool new weapon is exhilarating and satisfying. In fact, it was because of the most recent Scout pack that I even started to use the Scout. Before the update, I had only played about 45 minutes with this class, but after the update came out and I unlocked everything that I wanted to, the clock now reads 8.5 hours. The updates are great because they give me something new to work for, but they also force me to start learning the basics and intricacies of each well designed class. I always have something to work for, and once I unlock everything from the most recent update, I know that Valve will release a new update eventually and then it’ll start all over again. Of course, what’s really great is that I hardly need 8 hours to unlock all the new weapons, which is reasonable enough to me. I don’t have to spend dozens upon dozens of hours grinding, I don’t have to pay a monthly fee and I still have literally oodles of fun.
Oh, and one more thing. I like the TF2 community much more than, say, the Counter Strike community. There have been very few dicks playing while I’m playing. In a game like Counter Strike, most everyone still playing is really good at the game, and should a newbie try and join in the fun, s/he will have to endure hours of being owned by skilled players, learning very slowly how they too may be as talented as their dominators. In a game like Left 4 Dead, if you aren’t good enough your teammates will votekick you so fast your head will be spinning. In TF2 you’re only likely to be kicked if you get off on mic-spamming. There’s no pressure to do well because it isn’t a game about individual skill, so even if you suck your team can still win.
In summation, I love TF2 because there is a lot to learn, a lot to unlock, no pressure to do well, no griefing, no need to dedicate days of your life and no monthly charge. Again, these are reasons that I like TF2, and the preceding statement may not be true of everybody, but it is for me. I downloaded the 3 week EVE Online trial yesterday and will probably get started sometime this week. Needless to say I am very apprehensive to starting. I have never looked fondly upon any MMO, and from everything we’ve heard in class, I am looking forward to a very difficult time in starting EVE. Perhaps I will find something to love, but for anything with a monthly charge it had damn well better be fantastic, more so than TF2 is without any monthly charges.
that was a good read.
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