"Razor's TFC Strategies Guide":

(11-4-1999)
(By: "Razor")
(Former [TiC] Clan Member)

Page's Table of Content

1. Introduction
2. Teamwork
3. General Strategies
4. Communication Strategies
5. Offense Strategies
6. Defense Strategies
   
   
   
   

1. Introduction

The content of these pages is entirely based upon my experience on the field and my theories. To begin somewhere, I believe the theoretically discussions of our strategies and even tactics, will become useful as we practice our assault, attack parties, our defense, our communication. With the theories we’ll become more prepared for the practice and also for an eventually match. I also believe or just say I know we have a lot of work to do both in practice (especially that part) and theory.

This will be a guide for us in the TiC clan to come closer to a tighter teamwork as we play TFC (or maybe any other mods). Maybe much of the content of these pages isn’t anything new for us, but it will be a start to build up a real good team. The guide will change as I get tips from other clan members and when we begin to work out some strategies together.

Personally I will say, everything I put in these pages are also things I have to learn and practice. What I’m saying here is not meant to say that I’m a full skilled teamplayer or strategist. It is one of my interests and I find it important to do this.


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2. Teamwork

As I was looking for a clan to join, I bumped into a clan with the tag [KYDR] in a TFC chat. The full name of the clan is Know Your Damned Role. I think that is very important when you are playing TFC or any other games built on teamwork. If playing TFC repeat it like a mantra: teamwork teamwork teamwork! And then dream about it, that with a good teamwork your team, the mighty TiC Clan scores and scores and scores, maybe not because you are running for the flag or any other objectives, just because you are a vital and important part of the team’s teamwork.

To begin with it is important to know the strength and weakness of the class you are playing. Second it is important that you know your role in the team's teamwork, below I have divided the team into 3 divisions. If you are defending the flag, you are supposed to do it with all your strength and skills. If you are attacking the opposing base, you stick to the assault plan. If you are playing as midfielder, you are supposed to be open for changes in a game/match, knowing where help is needed and where you should go.

Look around what other team members are doing; is he/she attacking someone from the opposing team, maybe it is not necessary that you also attack at the same time, though you should be ready to help to take the enemy defender out or eliminate the threat to our flag.

What is a real good teamwork? It is when all individuals in the team are cooperating and are like one solid unit, knowing what to do and where to be in certain situation, just knowing your role in the team. To get there is the difficult part and there are no shortcuts, it is through training and practice together. Some may not agree with me, as I’m saying that everyone can learn to be a good teamplayer (there are no natural born teanplayers). As getting together as a team, it is no good idea to only look at teamwork and forget about the individuals in the team; individuals who have different abilities and skills. Every individual are supposed to look toward the whole team and the strategies of the team and the team are supposed to look toward every individual in the team and knowing his/her abilities and skills.


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3. General Strategies and Tactics

All the examples are for an 8-member team, as that seems to be the most common setup for a match. Further most examples come from the 2fort map, if nothing else is told.

Divisions:

• Attacker
• Midfielder
• Defender

The divisions are taken from football/soccer and are meant to fit into a TFC game/match.

Attacker:

Significant classes for attackers are:

• Scout
• Soldier
• Spy
• Demoman
  

Other classes useful for an attack or assault:

• HWGuy
• Medic
• Pyro
  
  

Midfielder (Special):

Significant classes for the midfielders are:

• Pyro
• Demoman
• Sniper

Other classes which can be useful as midfielder:

• Soldier
• HWGuy
• (Engineer)
  
  

Defender:

Significant classes for defenders are:

 

• Engineer
• HWGuy
• Demoman
• Sniper
• Soldier
  
  
  

Default setup:

This default setup of players does not regard any specific map.

Attackers:

3 players: 1 Scout/medic, 1 Soldier, 1Demoman

Midfielder:

2 players: 1 Pyro, 1 Demoman/Sniper

Defender:

3 players: 1 Engineer, 1 HWGuy, and 1 Soldier/Demoman


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4. Communication Strategies and Tactics

As we use Roger Wilco we have advance to other teams who are not using any voice communication during a game. But with the voice communication it is not sure that we'll always be the better team.

To get out as much as possible of Roger Wilco in a game/match we have to work out protocols for what we will or shall say in certain situations. We have to practice this as much as we practice the teamwork, tactics or other things concerning gaming.

General protocols:

If you have the flag, say:

"<Name> have the flag!"

If you drop the flag, say:

"Flag dropped at <location>!"

If you see enemy defenders at the dropped flag, say:

"Enemy <class> defending it!" or "Enemy <class> defending dropped flag!"

If the opposition drop the flag, say:

"Our flag at <location>. <Name> defending it!" If you are supposed to defend it

Or if the situation is more complicated, say:

"Our flag at <location>. Need backup defending it!"

If you hear something like "I need backup at the upper lobby" and you might go there, say:

"Roger that! Assistance coming!"

If the attackers tell about incoming enemy and you are defending our base/flag answer by saying:

Roger that!" or something which tells that you heard it.

Do always answer on important messages that are concerning you and your role in the team. Don't ignore this!

If you encounter a Sentry Gun and die, say as you respawn:

"Enemy sentry at <location>!"

If you take out a known Sentry Gun, say:

"Enemy sentry at <location> down!"

If playing as defender and you take down a known enemy attacker, say:

"Threat eliminated!" or "Enemy <class> down!"

Further, if the defense is down:

"Threat eliminated, but defense down!"

Or, if the attacker succeed come through you and take you down, say:

"Defense down! Enemy still alive!" or "Defense down! Enemy still healthy!"

If you see an enemy with our flag, say:

"Our flag exiting at <location>!" or Enemy <class> exiting with our flag at <location>!"

More advanced general protocols:

For attackers:

When playing as an attacker and you get to a certain point in the enemy base, where you should be and clearing the area, say:

"<Name> in position. Area clear!" or "<Name> in position at <location>. Area clear!

If you encounter an enemy at your position, say:

"Area <location> hostile!" or "Area <location> hostile! Need backup!" And hope there will be backup available.

If you die at your position in the enemy base, say:

"Area <location> insecure! I'm down!"

For Defenders:

If defending and defense recover after an attack, say:

"Defense up at <location>!"

If defending a drooped flag, say:

"Defense up at dropped flag!" and maybe if it is necessary with the location.

If defense is under heavy fire and has problem, say:

"Defense under pressure! Need backup!"

Or:

"Our defense is pinned down. Need backup!"

Class specific protocols:

Scout:

The Scout purpose is to snap and carry the flag. The issue would then be the flag mostly, like:

"<Name> have the flag!"

"Flag dropped at <location>!" etc

Further, the scout could ask other attackers about the enemy base:

"Is area <location> clear!"

The Scout's communication will be most important in the Canalzone, as he is the fastest flag carrier. Look at Map specific protocols for this.

Sniper:

As I don't play Sniper often I do not know what would be important for the Sniper to say.

Soldier:

Tell where you are playing by saying:

"<Name> on the defense!"

"<Name> on the offense!"

"<Name> on the midfield!"

If you are leading an attack party, say:

"Forming an attack party at <location>!" If it is not at the default place, the main entrance.

Demoman:

Tell where you are playing by saying:

"<Name> on the defense!"

"<Name> on the offense!"

"<Name> on the midfield!"

Other protocols for the demoman:

"Clearing area <location>!"

"Defending area <location>!"

"Guarding (area) <location!"

Medic:

Tell where you are playing by saying:

"<Name> on the offense!"

"<Name> on the midfield!"

A defensive medic will only be useful, if we have problems with a hostile and offensive medic, which give our defense a lot of trouble. I would say he/she could be better placed on the midfield though and give attention to possible offensive medic from the enemy.

The medic should regular tell where he is (specially if he/she is playing an offensive medic), so the rest of the team now where you are by saying:

"<Name> positioned at <location>!"

HWGuy:

Tell where you are playing by saying:

"<Name> on the defense!"

"<Name> on the offense!"

"<Name> on the midfield!"

Pyro:

For me the pyro is typically midfielder, as he can do a lot of damage, disaster and havoc for the enemy attackers and defenders, and should play on the midfield.

Spy:

The protocols for a spy depends on his role wether he is taking sentry guns out or backstabbing snipers and essential defenders. But disguise and cover could be put in say scripts to inform the rest of the team what the disguise is at the moment.

Tell when a sentry gun is taken out:

"Enemy sentry at <location> down!"

Tell when a defender is backstabbed:

"Enemy (defender) at <location> down. Area clear!" Only use the word ‘defender’ if you are sure it is a defender.

Engineer:

As the engineer has 3 things to keep track to, his sentry gun, his dispenser and himself, he/she should always tell where his/her sentry gun and dispenser are:

"Sentry up at <location>!"

"Dispenser up at <location!"

Tell if you are playing on the midfield:

"<Name> on the midfield!" But his/her sentry should always be close to base and defend the flag.

Map specific protocols:

2Fort:

Location protocols:

• Upper Lobby
• Main entrance
• Water
• Bridge
• Lobby
• Basement
• Sniper Nest
• Spiral
• Flag Room
• Ramp Room
  
  

Well:

Location protocols:

• Upper Lobby
• Main entrance
• Water
• Bridge
• Enemy bridge
• Lobby
• Flag room basement
• Sniper Nest
• Middle bunker or inner lobby
• Flag Room
• Resuply ramp
• Outside corridor
  
  

The Canalzone:

Location protocols:

• Control Center
• Command Point 1
• Command Point 2
• Command Point 3
• Command Point 4
• Command Point 5
• Mid Water Way
• Enemy Base
  
  

The Rock:

Location protocols:

• Wardens Office
• Water
• Shower Room
• Library
• Court Yard
• Sniper Nest
• Court Yard Hole/Caves
• Gas Chamber
  
  
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5. Offense Tactics

Q: How to organize an effective attack party?

Q: How to communicate effective during an attack?

Some guidelines:

1. Have the enemy’s defense under constant pressure, without grenade spaming them.
2. Always tell where Sentry Guns are located.
3. Tell which way you are going to take, if that hasn’t been made up in advance in different tactical plans and pep talk.
4. Form and gather the attacking party at our base’s main entrance, if nothing else is told.
5. Make sure that everyone knows the primary plan on how to make the assault.
6. If encountering enemy attackers, tell the defense about it and leave the enemy attackers to the midfielders and the defenders.
   

An attacker's responsibility is to do the offense work. Taking enemy defenders out, keeping their defense insatiable and weak, snapping the flag and bring it to our capture point. An attacker is working in the base of the enemy, behind the enemy's defense-line. I believe an attack party have to be precise, balanced against the meeting defense, react fast on changes and have a exact timing; such an offense will make a lot of trouble to the opposing team. Whatever the attackers are doing, their main goal remains to capture the enemy flag.


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6. Defense Tactics

Q: How is the defense best organized? Probably depending on lot of things, such as map, opposing team, weather (hee hee!) etc.

Q: Should the defender build up the defense in the beginning of a game deep inside the base or at the main entrance? I think both so the enemy attackers cant walk into our base without any problems and then down the spiral and then knowing that now the sentry gun or defense will show up.

Some guidelines:

1. Meet the incoming enemies, as soon you know about it.
2. Don't leave your certain guarding point or area. If you are not told to do so.
3. Take out enemy sentry guns in or close to our base a.s.a.p.!
4. Always tell when an enemy gets through you, especially if he has the flag/key.
5. Don't hunt our flag too far from our base, if you are playing as defender. Remember an enemy attacker can wait for a next flag to respawn. Leave the work of defending the flag outside the base to the midfielder and hear what they need. Maybe you will be called to assist them.
   
   

I believe a team with lame defense will loose. One part of TFC game is to capture the flag and the other part is to defend our own. If the playing teams are not having any defense the match will more become a deathmatch than Team Fortress Classic, where the fastest team will win. There are many ways to become a hero not only through capturing the flag, also by defending the own flag. The goal of the defense is to keep the zero, not letting the opposing team get any cap, as it is for the attackers to get as many caps during a match. As well as good and precise attackers are needed, are good and stable defenders needed in any team. I have read many war reports of matches, where it seems to be the key to win is to have strong, stable defense.

Midfielder:

The midfielder is the player who should be able to be everywhere on a map, except deep inside the enemy base or deep in the home base. The midfielder takes care of the areas on a map, which is more or less a transport from the base to the other; such area is the bridge in the 2fort map. He/she can be a guard of the home base main entrance and defending it or can be the first one going in to the enemy base, but not too deep and then returning to for ex the bridge area. He/she can the be one who escort a flag carrier to the home base, clearing the bridge so the flag carrier can run home to the capture point.

A midfielder can be a key player for both the attack party and the defense. He/she shall be able to overlook all the happenings during a game/match. The Midfielder is some kind of a libero as in a football/soccer team.

I myself think that a midfielder can become very important in matches, where the opposite are very experienced and a tight team. The midfielder isn’t the player, who gets a lot of frags. He/she is a damagemaker, making disorder either for enemy attackers or defender.


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This page was originally created by [TiC]Razor 11-4-99 . Last updated 03/23/02.