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Giving the player purpose (Jun 7, 2006)

I've been playing more TFC lately, and whilst it may not have the bells and whistles of DoD:S or CS:S, it's still remarkable fun. What surprises me is how despite being the first true multiplayer class-based game, and how despite lots of games and mods trying to copy it, none have ever succeeded in being more entertaining.

A fun aspect of TFC is the choice of classes and approaches that the player has - it's such a dynamic gameplay environment (given that everyone else can choose a class too) that it's not a game where everyone settles on "the best gun" and go for it. If being a Scout isn't working, change to something else and you'll have more luck.

It makes level design more fun too. Look at any good TFC map and you'll see there are opportunities for every class to shine - there are points ideal for snipers, points desperate for a few pipebombs, and annoying corners perfect for sentry guns. Some are intentionally placed and engineered-for by the map design, others simply exist as player tactics have evolved. The important aspect is that every class has some advantage or purpose in each map.

That's one of the parts I enjoy the most about level design - putting in specific features which most people will just ignore, but a few will spot as the ideal place to try something out. When you see someone actually do as you predicted, it's all the more rewarding, and then you look forward to seeing if the measures you put in to counter-act them also works, and so on and so forth.

Secondly, it also makes the game more fun for the player. There is always something they can do, no matter what they are or what weapon they have. Once patterns emerge, you give them the chance to try something else to counteract an enemy that has learnt from their previous mistakes. I've said this before, but it really is an important aspect when giving a multiplayer map more depth than just a place to target practice.

The difficult bit is fitting it into the theme of the map. Sometimes it's fairly easy to add a specific location for a very specific purpose (see the sniper tower of Cobble or in Avanti), but if it looks out of place then it looks forced, like a big sign saying "Look at this convenient window! Be a sniper and come here because you won't think of doing it yourself!". It is a bit condescending, really.

Same principle works with DM maps - if you're going to place a big weapon pickup somewhere, give the player an ideal place to use it. If there's a sniper rifle or crossbow, let them use it immediately by giving them a good view to pick people off from. If you give them mines, give them a few thin corridors and bottlenecks nearby to mine. No player should ever feel like their choice of weapon has made them useless or disadvantaged - leave that to the people they're playing against.

It's tricky to do without it looking obvious, but it's great to see the process work in-game, in your own map, right in front of your eyes. Especially when you're the one caught out by it!

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user comments

reaper47 at 17:24 on Jun 8, 2006

There is only one mod I remember that has the same or probably even a better sense of teamplay and gameplay variety: Science & Industry ( www.planethalflife.com/si ). It also has - and that's probably the reason I mention - some of the best designed maps I've ever played. Much cleaner than any of your maps, Dave, or the TFC ones in general but just as good. It's one of the few games where you are actually awareded for helping your team. Every single corner has a purpose and allows different strategies. I hope SI2 works out as planned.

Blitzkrieg at 20:00 on Jun 8, 2006

I've never played TFC so I didn't know it was a class-based team game. I figured it was something like CS. Perhaps I will try it, since you say it is so entertaining.

The sniper tower in Cobble never really stood out for me, but I haev used it. Now that I think about it, it's very subtle. On the other hand, the loft type-thing in Inferno stands out. I don't really know quite what it is, actually. It's effective but now that I think about it, it doesn't fit in that sense.

I have something new to consider for the next map now.

Chuck at 23:39 on Jun 8, 2006

I think a really good example of this is the map Gasworks. When you play it you get the rocket launcher in the big building on the surface and you can look out and fire and guide, the crossbow on the stacks up top even higher for sniping goodness, and finally the trip mines in the under ground bending turns, good write up Dave.

Stewart P at 08:25 on Jun 9, 2006

The idea of putting in areas where only a few players will use that feaature is very rewarding I agree. In a recent map I made there was a sentry gun (HL2 Knock over style) behind a fence, nearby were the first grenade pickups of the game. Usually the player would ignore the idea of knocking over the turrets from the other side of the fence with the grenades, and have to deal with the turrets later, but when one of my friends saw the opportunity to knock the turret over with the blast through the fence I was overjoyed.

Mark Simpson at 16:49 on Jun 9, 2006

TFC will ride again (hopefully), but with more bells and whistles. We've been working on FF for quite some time now, and with any luck we'll have a beta out soon*

http://fortress-forever.com

Anyway, I always enjoy reading your articles, especially the post-mortems. Tally ho!

*soon can mean mere months or countless moon cycles.

Tristian at 07:48 on Jun 10, 2006

Heh. I spent *way* too many hours playing TF for quake1 :) Demoman forever!

I think both Enemy Territory and Battlefield manage to create decent class based games. But yeah the classes simply aren't as varied as those of TF were.

I think it probably has something to do with the FPS community's love of realistic games. It's hard to create a realistic game, and still make each of the classes varied and unique. MMO's, without the realism constraints, manage to create quite different and yet complementary classes.

uNsaiN at 15:33 on Jun 12, 2006

W000!! Shemalecocks!!