Tangent Time - Team Fortress 2

Welcome to my new weekly (hopefully) column ‘Tangent Time’. I have found that often a fair amount of time can go by without anything of significant note happening in wow. This column will help to round out this blog with regular posts. When there is lots of interesting wow news, say for example the Wrath Launch, then expect ‘Tangent Time’ to be temporarily forgotten.


So onto this weeks topic, Team Fortress 2 (TF2). TF2 is an online multiplayer FPS which started it’s life as a player made Half Life mod. With the release of the latest Half Life (are we up to three now?) Valve redeveloped TF, gave it a graphic overhaul, made new maps and added some new game play types. TF2 is a class based game; there are nine classes, three offensive, three defensive and three support. Each class is quite unique both in terms of play mechanics, has obvious strengths and weaknesses and a distinctive character. My personal favorite is the Pyro an offensive class which uses a flamethrower. Pyros are a fast, low hit point class who at close rage (especially from behind) deal large amounts of damage. If you can pop out of a corridor behind a few enemy players you can easily wipe them all out but you wont last in a frontal assault (conditions apply).

There are two reasons that I have been really enjoying this game recently. Firstly is that it is fast paced and fun, you can power through a game or two in ten or fifteen minutes. Secondly is achievements; the achievements are really addictive and they are worse than wow achievements in that completing TF2 achievements will unlock extra weapons for your characters. Who wouldn’t want an axe wrapped in barbed wire!

TF2 can be purchased as part of the Orange Box or individually in stores and via steam. It’s a fun game and hopefully will soon become part of our regular LAN rotation.

In closing I provide a link to a fantastic Machninma Ignis Solus.

Images from in game and The Orange Box official website.