Team Fortress 2

[Dr. McKay]

For some reason, Team Fortress 2 was free to download on Steam.
I took the opportunity to get to know the game and see what all the hype was about.
Unfortunately, I don't like it all that much. And to be honest, I don't really like Half Life 2 either. Same with Portal : boring, boring, boring.

Only Left4Dead 2 is a game I'd like to play again.

For me, Valve's games don't live up to the hype.
Anyone else feel that Valve's games are overhyped ?

 

[BlindSoul]

For some reason, Team Fortress 2 was free to download on Steam.
I took the opportunity to get to know the game and see what all the hype was about.
Unfortunately, I don't like it all that much. And to be honest, I don't really like Half Life 2 either. Same with Portal : boring, boring, boring.

Only Left4Dead 2 is a game I'd like to play again.

For me, Valve's games don't live up to the hype.
Anyone else feel that Valve's games are overhyped ?

I agree, I think Valve's games are quite weird and like a crazy weirdo made them. I just finished downloading Team Fortress 2 and I will see how the game is later when I have the time.
I hate Half Life 2 too cause it's really boring and I don't get the part of killing monsters... And I never tried Portal cause I know it's almost the same thing.

 

[Yumunum]

I agree, I think Valve's games are quite weird and like a crazy weirdo made them. I just finished downloading Team Fortress 2 and I will see how the game is later when I have the time.
I hate Half Life 2 too cause it's really boring and I don't get the part of killing monsters... And I never tried Portal cause I know it's almost the same thing.

I respect others' opinions, so I'm not saying you're wrong. But obviously the games just weren't meant for you. Tons of people LOVE most of Valve's games (I'd be one of those people) and I've found Half-Life 2 to be a very amazing game. Portal is also insanely fun and addictive to me.

 

[BlindSoul]

I respect others' opinions, so I'm not saying you're wrong. But obviously the games just weren't meant for you. Tons of people LOVE most of Valve's games (I'd be one of those people) and I've found Half-Life 2 to be a very amazing game. Portal is also insanely fun and addictive to me.

I respect your opinion either. Everyone and his kind of games he likes.
I'm more into Simulation and Realistic games.

 

[AAPLaday]

Are you guys playing it TF2 online? Offline is no fun

 

[Dr. McKay]

I'm not saying they're bad games, I just don't think they're the best in their respective categories.
I really like FPS-games, but Half life and Team Fortress aren't the best out there. Portal is a strange animal and I just don't like it. Others will love it, though.

It's stating the obvious, I know. If we all liked the same things, the world would be a boring place.
In any case, it's the fact that I'm disappointed in the game that made me post this thread. And seeing as so many people love and play TF2, for a millionth of a second there, I was starting to think I wasn't normal...

 

[0098386]

Really?! I always thought Valve were great like that-

Highly challenging First Person Puzzle - Portal 1+2
Class-based Team Shooter - Team Fortress 2
High quality single player shooter - Half Life series
Co-op based Action Shooter - Left 4 Dead series

I always figured there was something for everyone as each of their series is so different to the rest. Personally I think the HL series is their weakest because of how unfinished it all is. They began a single story arc in 1998 and it's still going. But I love the great attention to detail and how it flows, there's nothing else quite like it out there.

But no. I love their games. Very high quality games, no greased up homoerotic character models, no over the top cliches unless deliberately done so (and then hammered home, such as the L4D1 film stylings). Nothing but highly refined, tuned and frequently updated well-designed perfection. And TF2 is the crown of that, IMO.
It's 4 years old and due to Valves continuous updating it's still fresh and has never dipped below the top 4 most played games on Steam (now it's the most played). It's quite insane!

OP - if those games aren't the best in their subgenres, then what games do you consider are the best?

 

[Dr. McKay]

I wasn't talking about subgenres, but genres in general, FPS in this case.

It's not really a comparison, but my thee favorite fps games (not necessarily in that order) :
- Bioshock
- Quake 2
- Return to Castle Wolfenstein

I tried Portal, didn't like it. I tried TF, didn't like it. I think the problem with strongly hyped games is that you tend to raise your expectations too much. I expected to be blown away, and I wasn't.
But that's me.

 

[Consultant]

I'm not saying they're bad games, I just don't think they're the best in their respective categories.
I really like FPS-games, but Half life and Team Fortress aren't the best out there. Portal is a strange animal and I just don't like it. Others will love it, though.

It's stating the obvious, I know. If we all liked the same things, the world would be a boring place.
In any case, it's the fact that I'm disappointed in the game that made me post this thread. And seeing as so many people love and play TF2, for a millionth of a second there, I was starting to think I wasn't normal...

Team Fortress 2 is a TEAM BASED online game.

It's about skills AND communications.

I suspect you didn't like it because you got killed while trying to rambo it. Read up on basics and play on a good server and it's a lot of fun.

 

[Dr. McKay]

Don't like the game. I've been gaming for 20 years now and I've learnt that, if I don't like the first 15 minutes of a game, I'm not gonna like it.
It's the same with movies. I tried to prove myself wrong a couple of times and forced myself to watch until the end, but not once did I change my mind in the end.

The only games that I really play continuously are WC3 and Wow. Maybe it's the Warcraft universe that attracts me, I don't know.

Same with consoles : Final fantasy games are hyped to the max every time, and still, I find they're just plain boring. But I guess I'm weird...

 

[Liquorpuki]

I wasn't talking about subgenres, but genres in general, FPS in this case.

It's not really a comparison, but my thee favorite fps games (not necessarily in that order) :
- Bioshock
- Quake 2
- Return to Castle Wolfenstein

I tried Portal, didn't like it. I tried TF, didn't like it. I think the problem with strongly hyped games is that you tend to raise your expectations too much. I expected to be blown away, and I wasn't.
But that's me.

I hope you were playing online. TF is more like Counterstrike than any of those games you mentioned. The whole fun of the game comes from racking up kills at the expense of other players and doing stuff like rocket jumping, putting sentry guns in blind spots, and using your scout to kill people with a crowbar

 

[Dr. McKay]

I hope you were playing online.

I WAS playing online.

The whole fun of the game comes from racking up kills at the expense of other players and doing stuff like rocket jumping, putting sentry guns in blind spots, and using your scout to kill people with a crowbar

Well, that's just the thing. I don't find that particularly fun...

 

[AAPLaday]

Maybe you just prefer story driven single player FPS games?

 

[mac2x]

TF2 is definitely a cool game, but it's an acquired taste for me. My beef with it is the cartoony style; not my favorite.

My main game right now is BFBC2...I think it should be obvious why TF2 is an acquired taste. ;D

 

[Damers]

IMHO valve games are great. For my money, a good round of DoD or CS is all I could ask for. The original HL was groundbreaking and in my mind helped create online FPS. Remember the days of long jump/tau jump across the entire Boot Camp map while bazooka'ing people in mid air. Blew my mind!! It's also most likely the cause for my rapid decline in marks during high school

 

[0098386]

Don't like the game. I've been gaming for 20 years now and I've learnt that, if I don't like the first 15 minutes of a game, I'm not gonna like it.

That's really not a good system to run off, especially for games with thousands of hours worth of gameplay like TF2, WoW and the like.
My first hour was spent as a spy on TF2, running around a small server. I thought it was boring.

I tried different classes, different maps, different tactics, different server rules and now my ingame clock is at 800 hours. 600 of those spent on the same map (Dustbowl).

Maybe it's just me but I think basing your opinion on a game after 15 minutes is just silly, especially one with as much variety, longevity and refinement as TF2.

 

[deadwulfe]

I suspect you didn't like it because you got killed while trying to rambo it.

I suspect he didn't like it, because it's not designed for the player to Rambo it in an arena.

I am aso surprised the OP doesn't like any of Valve's games. Like Dagless said, their catalog has a little something for everyone. I loved the Half-Life games, thought TF2 was some good multi-player fun for a while, and thought Portal was a neat little project, but I can't, for the life of me, figure out how anyone could think those games are crap.

I also want to say that Valve isn't the source of the hype, it's the player base, so I'm not sure how their games can be over-hyped. They made some fun games and watched it take off. They're also trying to bring games to the Mac, which is reason enough for me not to want to bash them with a "all their games are boring" thread.

Dr. McKay, do you work for GFWL???

 

[Alaerian]

There's a reason that TF2 is consistently the most populated game on Steam. And not just consistently - ALWAYS. If I recall, the only time it was ever dethroned was for a very brief period after the release of Left 4 Dead 2.

I'm a huge fan of Half Life 2. The story is well done and I feel very connected to it. Plus, if you add on the cinematic mod (google "cinematic mod fakefactory"), the game is stunningly gorgeous.

If the Valve games aren't your cup of tea, well ... so be it. However, I really do wish you would give them another shot, especially Portal 1 and 2 and Half Life 2. Methinks that you really would enjoy them if you like the genre.

Also, on a semi-related note, please please please play Mass Effect 1 and 2. Absolutely brilliant gameplay and stories. Commander Shepard fo' lyfe!

 

[Daveoc64]

There's a reason that TF2 is consistently the most populated game on Steam.

I question whether that reason is:

a) That TF2 has been extensively bundled with other more popular Valve games (i.e. Half-Life 2) and now has been made free

b) There aren't that many good multiplayer games on Steam

c) The game's continual trickle of updates encourages replay

d) The game is genuinely good

IMO TF2 is very overrated. I play it every now and then, but it doesn't captivate me like most of the other games I play do.

 

[deadwulfe]

I question whether that reason is:
a) That TF2 has been extensively bundled with other more popular Valve games (i.e. Half-Life 2) and now has been made free

You've already established that having access to a game and playing it does not correlate to having a game means everyone that owns it will play it.

b) There aren't that many good multiplayer games on Steam

If you've browsed the available games, you'ld see that not many games aren't on that list of titles on sale. Call of Duty, Battlefield, Street Fighter, Unreal, Quake, Rainbow 6, and a plethora of other games with online multi-player can be found on sale.

c) The game's continual trickle of updates encourages replay

One could argue that this would be a subset of D), since continuous updates most likely contributes to a game being "good" as an opinion of the people who think so.

d) The game is genuinely good

Probably, but you feel the need to publicly denounce that opinion. So far, you've had two people support your opinion and they both think killing monsters falls behind the joy of killing realistic looking people.


EDIT: I appologize. I realize I'm stirring the pot, so don't feel like I'm trying to flame you.

 

[PowerGamerX]

I love TF2. But believe me, it takes a lot of practice to get in to. People that go into TF2 and only play it for an hour then say that it's terrible just haven't given it the time that's needed to really enjoy it.

To some people that time and effort is better spent elsewhere though and I can respect that.

 

[Dr. McKay]

Maybe it's just me but I think basing your opinion on a game after 15 minutes is just silly, especially one with as much variety, longevity and refinement as TF2.

It's a "system" that's always worked for me and that has proven me right every time. One exception : Half Life 2, I started playing it and during those 15 minutes, I liked it. So I continued. It was only much later that I started to lose interest...

... but I can't, for the life of me, figure out how anyone could think those games are crap.

I never said Valve's games were crap, just that they don't live up to the hype (regardless of who creates the hype) or to my expectations.

I also want to say that Valve isn't the source of the hype, it's the player base, so I'm not sure how their games can be over-hyped. They made some fun games and watched it take off. They're also trying to bring games to the Mac, which is reason enough for me not to want to bash them with a "all their games are boring" thread.

Game developers are never responsible for the hype : it is, as you say the player base AND/OR the press. I applaud game ports to the mac, the more the better.
But speaking of hype : remember the weeks leading up to the release of Valve's games on Mac ? Almost every Mac site featured one or more articles on the subject. Forums were buzzing with excitement for what was thought to be the biggest game release ever for the mac. I was excited too, and went along with the hype. Unfortunately, HL2 (just like the original HL I played in my PC days) wasn't able to convince me.

Dr. McKay, do you work for GFWL???

Nope


Maybe, like all true Mac users, I really am the proverbial square peg in a round hole. It's bizarre, because I really like FPS-games, but for some reason I don't like Portal, Half life and TF. And I'm not really into online gaming either, except that I just love Wow.
Maybe I was just feeling lonely and wanted to start a conversation with all of you guys

 

[VPrime]

I'm like you, except I give games more than 15 minutes (usually)...I don't like TF2 that much, just not my type of gameplay. LOVE the artistic style, the humor and the overall atmosphere.. I just don't like that type of shooter.
Portal I disagree with.. But Honestly if you were expecting an FPS you got the wrong game and were mislead. Portal is a puzzle game. If you don't like puzzles then you won't like portal and will just find it boring.
I also disagree with Half life, I found the games story amazing and just pulled me in to continue playing.

Try Counter strike source, it is a more 'realistic' (loosely) shooter. You play as terrorists or counter terrorists in 2 different game modes.
As a terrorist you have to plant a bomb, and defend hostages (2 different game modes)
As a counter terrorist you diffuse bombs/ defend bomb locations. In the hostage game mode you rescue the hostages.
It is pretty fun, especially when you get on a server with people that don't suck .

 

[0098386]

b) There aren't that many good multiplayer games on Steam

Really?

Street Fighter 4 and Super SF4, Counter Strike, a mod that adds online co-op to HL2, Garry's Mod, CoD and Battlefield, Crysis Wars, Jamestown, Beat Hazard, Terraria, Killing Floor, free MMOs...
Or (and without trying to sound insulting) did you not mean "multiplayer" but something else instead?

But speaking of hype : remember the weeks leading up to the release of Valve's games on Mac ? Almost every Mac site featured one or more articles on the subject. Forums were buzzing with excitement for what was thought to be the biggest game release ever for the mac. I was excited too, and went along with the hype. Unfortunately, HL2 (just like the original HL I played in my PC days) wasn't able to convince me.

That's because a lot of people really, really enjoy Valve titles and were excited to have them appear on more systems.

There's actually a solid reason why they're good too.
You've got 2 camps of game developers - indie and commercial. Indie games are made with love because it's their own creativity unhindered, but lack financial resources. Commercial have all the money in the world but are slaves to publishers, distributors etc.
Valve are in the unique position of being independent and having lots of moolah because of the Steam service. They take a 30% cut of every sale made. They literally have all the time and money in the world to do whatever they want. That's why their games get delayed, why they're generally released to adoring crowds of hunger players.

 

[Dr. McKay]

That's why their games get delayed, why they're generally released to adoring crowds of hunger players.

I can see that, I'm just not really hungry for them...