Assignment 5 - Deconstruction and Analysis

My chosen game for this assignment is Team Fortress 2, released in 2007 by Valve Software. A sequel to the Quake 1 mod Team Fortress (1996) and the Half Life 1 mod Team Fortress Classic (1999), Team Fortress 2 was in development from 1998, and the game evolved in several directions and incarnations as it first changed from the Gold SRC engine to the Source engine, moving the game from a modern setting to a human vs. alien invasion setting before finally concluding with the game we know today, set in the late 1960's and inspired by early 20^th Century industrial artwork. My aim for this assignment is to explore how Team Fortress 2 uses both familiar and original game mechanics to create a game that encourages and rewards teamwork whilst also satisfying a player's competitive nature, and how it's distinctive art style helps the player identify other players and navigate the environment. 

1. Gameplay

Fundamentally, Team Fortress 2 is a multiplayer team based first person shooter, and in terms of basic gameplay a player can run, shoot, jump and crouch, actions that are common across all 9 available classes. Already discounting iron-sights or the ability to sprint or walk, the game further deviates from others in the genre by creating different play styles for every class, so how one would play as a Soldier differs from how one would play as the Scout. And it is these differences between the classes that actively encourages players to work together – each class can counter another class, and there is no advantage in players all choosing to play the same character class. Instead, the opposite is true with class stacking resulting in diminished results against a team of players working with different classes. And in that vein, the euphoria that a player can experience when a team is well balanced and cooperative as they fight for victory can be highly rewarding, further rewarded in being able to kill the losing team in a“humiliation mode”.

Rough example of how three classes counter the other

It is from these individual mechanics for each class that encourages and rewards players for working together as a team for a common goal. Like most multiplayer games, Team Fortress 2 includes a kill feed displaying which killed another player and the weapon used which adds to an individuals score, however it also brings a notion of assisted kills, with the last two players to kill an opponent being credited with a joint kill, with points being allocated to both the player that made a kill and the team mate that assisted. On top of receiving points for killing opponents and capturing points, those playing as classes that don't necessarily fight directly can also receive points for helping out their team, whether it be points for Medics healing injured players, points for the Pyro and Sniper extinguishing team mates that have been set on fire, or points for the Engineer for other players using a teleporter he has built.

Kill feed credit for a kill being allocated to two players. Also a credit for defending an objective.

  However, individual player points rarely mean anything if the team does not achieve it’s objective, and instead points are used as a way for the player to track their personal records – this is especially important when it comes to new players unfamiliar with the game. Death in general is approached in a light hearted manner, and as the inexperienced player improves, death will sometimes bring up a message informing them of having dealt more damage or healed more points than in previous lives, rewarding persistence and challenging the player to improve to beat their previous record. As mentioned above, these stats are more than most kills, and can involve the number of captures, number of teleports, amount of healing achieved and so on. The game further tracks these records, and uses them to encourage new players to beat their previous best rounds, and also challenges more experienced players to continue improving. 

A kill screenshot, with a message indicating that the player almost beat their previous record in assists

Another example of Team Fortress 2 using game mechanics to direct players towards working as a team rather than acting selfishly includes one of the most distinctive features of the game, the Uber Charge. Most other games that feature medic classes, for example the medics in Killing Floor (Tripwire, 2009), Brink (Splash Damage, 2011) or even the original Team Fortress Classic, requires the player to be in close proximity to an injured team mate in order to restore health... and as a result, players in these games generally play more selfishly by using the healing abilities to keep themselves alive whilst fighting with the rest of the team instead of helping those in need of health.

As a Medic heals injured team mates via a healing beam that visibly shows a team coloured effect when used, he will also slowly fill a bar at the bottom of his screen, which will flash once the player has filled the bar entirely. At this point, whilst continuing to heal a team mate, he can activate an Uber Charge, which is effectively 8 seconds of invincibility for the medic and their chosen patient. The Medic cannot attack and be invincible at the same time, and the team mate must be connected via the healing beam to receive the benefit. 8 Seconds of invincibility can make the difference between victory and defeat in the choke points located in every map, a way of breaking through the enemies defence to create a path for their team mates to continue. The Uber Charge is a reward for the Medic player's patience and hard work to heal and stay alive, and a reward to his team mate if the uber is used effectively to break through an enemies defence, both players stacking points in the process… furthermore, the praise players may receive from their team mates for successfully using an Uber Charge can create positive encouragement, especially during a final push that results in victory shortly afterwards.

A Medic deploying an Ubercharge with a Heavy, defending a control point.

 

2. Art

Another aspect of Team Fortress 2’s underlying design involves the art style and how it is utilised to enhance the gaming experience beyond cosmetic appeal. On face value, the game simply appears cartoon like and heavily stylised, and upon the game’s final appearance being unveiled the initial reaction from fans of the original were negative decrying a lack of realism and ‘kiddie’ graphics. Since release, Team Fortress 2 has instead received praise for it’s distinctive visuals, and like the rest of the game the graphics were a very deliberate choice in the game's design. Stylised, cartoon appearances help to emphasis the humour and fun that the game presents to the player, instantly making gameplay aspects like rocket jumping seem more feasible than if the graphics were set in a realistic environment.

Typically, games that have separate character classes make all player models appear identical in shape, and rarely provides the sort of visual information that allow team mates to easily identify which classes the others are playing. Looking at Killing Floor once again, any character model can be used regardless of the class chosen, and as a result it can be difficult to identify which classes the other players have chosen. One of the principle ideas behind Team Fortress 2 was to make it easy for players to easily identify their enemies visually, even when the player may see nothing but an outline, and with that philosophy in mind made each class bear a unique shape distinct from the others. Furthermore, the characters are designed with the most detail being allocated to the chest, to direct the player's eye towards the weapon being carried at the time. Together, even in silhouette, a lot of information is presented to the player in a clear and concise fashion without being intrusive or distracting the player with excessive information.

Demonstration on how each class is unique, even in silhouette

 Likewise, the art style of Team Fortress 2 is used in the design of the levels featured in the game, the colour palette being subdued and neutral with the suggestion of detail rather than than featuring elaborate textures. This in itself serves to look visually pleasing without distracting, and also further emphasises each team's base... which stand out with their team colours. Whilst maps are entirely asymmetrical, each team bears distinctive flairs to distinguish one side from the other, with the Red team appearing old and wooden and the Blue team appearing sleek and cold, adding to the cartoon and stylised appearance of the game by making the concept of two rival groups being situated opposite each other feasible by following a vintage spy theme, with secret bases hidden by innocent and bland buildings in the middle of nowhere. In terms of the actual game, it aids the player by making it clear where they are at any time and reduces the odds of a player getting confused and lost – the asymmetrical level design also serves to prevent one team from having an unfair advantage over the other.

Team logos and bases from CTF_2Fort

Although I have barely managed to scratch the surface of what makes Team Fortress 2 an ingeniously designed game, the aspects I have brushed upon hopefully serves to highlight the very basics in how the game conveys information visually to the player, and how the game uses game mechanics to encourage team work as well as to encourage individuals to continue playing and improve.