● Not everyone will necessarily buy the Orange Box to get these games. Instead, threads for games included in the Orange Box will be linked to each other. This takes into account single purchases made by Steam users and reduces the chances that the discussion becomes convoluted. If you create a thread for another Orange Box game, please link to this one.
There were no class based multiplayer team FPS's before Team Fortress.
This is the sequel, finally here after 9 years. 
WIRED Magazine's Vaporware Awards
●
2001: Empty Promises (4.Team Fortress 2)
●
2002: Tech up in Smoke? (3.Team Fortress 2)
●
2003: Nuke 'Em if Ya Got 'Em (4.Team Fortress 2)
●
2004: Phantom Haunts Us All (7.Team Fortress 2)
●
2005: Better Late Than Never (7.Team Fortress 2)
Release Date for PC & 360 (PS3 will release a few weeks later)
● October 10TH, 2007 - United States Retail (Unlocks Worldwide on Steam at 12:01AM PST -8GMT)
● October 12TH, 2007 - Retail Europe
● BETA starts September 17th (PC)
All history text from
Halflife2.net
Valve Software is a relatively young development house compared to some. It was all started in 1996 and over the last ten years we've seen a lot of history. Probably the most interesting history, however, is that of the development of the Team Fortress series. Contrary to popular belief the game dates back to before Half-Life was even released. Team Fortress as most of you know is a modification to Half-Life, however, the original was released in August 1996 as a modification to Quake. Developed by Robin Walker, John Cook and Ian Caughley, later known as the aptly named Team Fortress Software, 'Quake Team Fortress' very quickly became a popular game.
Later on in 1996, Team Fortress was released for QuakeWorld, a specially optimised version of Quake for online play only. The mod expanded and its player base grew week by week, leading to game distributors contacting the team about creating a commercial project. They soon began work on what they called Team Fortress 2 as a commercial expansion to the Quake II engine. This was when the team was contacted by Valve Software to see if they'd make Team Fortress 2 as an add on for the Half-Life engine. They were incredibly impressed by the Half-Life engine and what Valve had done and so their decision was made; Team Fortress 2 would be an add-on for Half-Life but would become Team Fortress Classic.
Soon after, Valve made the guys an offer to merge with them, quickly developing Team Fortress 2 from an add-on to a standalone project. In 1999 this project became known as Team Fortress 2: Brotherhood of Arms. This new game would change Team Fortress into a gritty realistic warfare game with a number of new innovations such as networked voice communications and a commander with a birds eye view of the battlefield.
TF2: Brotherhood of Arms looked promising until 2000 when all media just stopped aside from the occasional developer chat and rehashed previews going over year-old information. Valve refused to comment on the progress of the title and nobody knew what was going to happen with it. Had it been canned? Was it still in development? Nobody knew, all except Valve of course.
Nothing was heard for over three years until those magical early days back in 2003 where we finally heard about Half-Life 2 and the Source engine. It was finally clear why we hadn't heard anything. The game was definitely still in development but it had been made quiet to keep it secret about them developing it on a brand new engine and to keep the secret about HL2.
Another three years go by and again nothing until Summer 2006. It was at the EA Summer Showcase the new Team Fortress 2 was unveiled by Valve, a bright cartoon styled affair going back to the old Team Fortress Classic gameplay. A new release date was also announced - Summer 2007. Having been waiting for the last ten years for the actual release of Team Fortress 2 it still remains to be seen if it will ever be played by us fans.
What took us so long? Robin Walker explains (Video)
Reliable Excavation Demolition VS Builder's League United (RED VS BLU)
●
1) Demoman
Primary Weapon: Sticky Bomb Launcher
Secondary Weapon: Grenade Launcher
Melee Weapon: Bottle
Valve says: A versatile combat class packing an absurd amount of high explosives, the Demoman is great at holding a map's choke points. Whether he's shutting down an enemy route by laying sticky bombs along it, shelling an area with long distance grenade fire, or simply blowing up anything that blocks the team's way, the Demoman is the class of choice for anyone interested in making a lot of noise.
●
2) Engineer
Primary Weapon: Shotgun
Secondary Weapon: Pistol
Melee Weapon: Wrench
Other Weapon: Construction PDA
Valve says: The defensive backbone of any team, the Engineer builds useful devices such as sentry guns, health & ammo dispensers, and personal teleporters. Tactical placement of these devices and the ability to maintain them under fire are the keys to being a successful Engineer. If you're better at planning and thinking than fighting, you're a natural born Engineer.
●
3) Heavy
Primary Weapon: Minigun
Secondary Weapon: Shotgun
Melee Weapon: Fists
Valve says: The slowest, most powerful class, the Heavy carries a massive minigun capable of clearing roomfuls of enemies. He's vital on defense to deal with Scouts, who can easily avoid Soldiers and Demomen. If you're a player who wants to be in the thick of the action, but your aim is a little rusty, the Heavy is the perfect class for you.
●
4) Medic
Primary Weapon: Syringe Launcher
Secondary Weapon: Medi-Gun
Melee Weapon: Bonesaw
Valve says: The core support class, the Medic is invaluable on both offense and defense. When attached to an offensive squad, he's critical to keeping it alive inside the enemy base (while also boosting its offensive capability.) On defense, his ability to keep defenders healthy means they won't have to leave their posts. If you want to be loved by your entire team, or to indirectly kill a horde of enemies without firing a shot, then the Medic is just what the doctor ordered.
●
5) Pyro
Primary Weapon: Flamethrower
Secondary Weapon: Shotgun
Melee Weapon: Fire Axe
Valve says: The nastiest class to run into when turning a corner. The flamethrower produces a massive amount of damage over a short range, making the Pyro the most lethal close-quarter class there is. Pyros are often seen playing a defensive role near the front line, ambushing enemies as they enter tight spaces. On offense, they're terrific at harassing the enemy's defense, since it's hard to maintain a solid defensive line when you're on fire.
●
6) Spy
Primary Weapon: Revolver
Secondary Weapon: Disguise Kit
Melee Weapon: Butterfly Knife
Other Weapon: Sapper
Valve says: The Spy excels at the black arts of infiltration and assassination. With the ability to disguise himself to look like an enemy, or even become fully invisible on command, the Spy creates havoc behind enemy lines. He's an enemy's worst nightmare -- a dangerous foe indistinguishable from a friend. If you prefer guile to brute force, the Spy is what you're looking for.
●
7) Sniper
Primary Weapon: Sniper Rifle
Secondary Weapon: Submachine Gun
Melee Weapon: Machete
Valve says: Nobody beats the Sniper at long-range combat. With a little time to find a perch and dig in, he can significantly slow an enemy advance. If knocking the helmet off a Soldier at 400 paces sounds fun, then the Sniper is the class for you.
●
8) Soldier
Primary Weapon: Rocket Launcher
Secondary Weapon: Shotgun
Melee Weapon: Shovel
Valve says: The core of any offensive push, the Soldier comes armed with a devastating rocket launcher. Faster and slightly more fragile than the Heavy, the Soldier's a true all-arounder. From taking out Engineer sentry guns to using his rockets to launch himself into the air, the Soldier is useful in a wide variety of situations. If you're an old school deathmatcher, or just quick on your feet in the middle of combat, the Soldier's your man.
●
9) Scout
Primary Weapon: Scattergun
Secondary Weapon: Pistol
Melee Weapon: Aluminum Baseball Bat
Valve says: The fastest and lightest of all the classes, the Scout uses his speed to punch through enemy lines before opposing defenders can react. What he lacks in health and weaponry, he makes up for with his incredible speed and aerial maneuverability. If you'd like to sprint gracefully through enemy fire, look into the Scout.
●
Dustbowl - Control Point (Video)
●
Granary - Control Point (Video)
●
2Fort - Capture The Flag (Video)
●
Well - Control Point (Video)
●
Hydro - Territorial Control (Video) (New Dynamic map system)
Dynamic maps explained by Robin Walker (Video)
●
Gravel Pit - Control Point (Video)
As Engineer, upgrade your sentry by hitting it with your wrench. Keep your eye out for spies, as they can destroy your sentry with a electro-sapper!
.
.
●
One - Meet The Heavy Weapons Guy HD or
Non-HD Live screening (Crowd reaction: Laughter)
●
Two - Meet The Soldier HD
●
Three - Meet The Engineer HD
In game
● You can't be invulnerable when you have the flag. (Medic Ubercharge)
● Scout captures points twice as fast as other classes.
● Sticky bombs stick to walls and ceilings. (Let me show you my sticky bombs. My sticky bombs, let me show you them)
● Sniper has damage meter that only appears when the sniper is zoomed in. The low damage both while un-zoomed and at the initial zoom ensures that Snipers can't kill opponents with snap fire. Zoom to fill up your power meter and deal lethal damage. (Anti-no scope)
● The medic heals to 150% of player health.
● Medic arrows on screen tell where people who need medical attention are.
● Picking up fallen weapons refills ammo.
● Each class has different health amounts. (Heavy has the most health, Scout has the least)
● Persistent stats tell you how you're improving, creates goals for veterans to aim for and beat (Improve).
● As a spy you can call for enemy medics.
● In CTF, (Or CTD for Capture The Documents) flags take 30 seconds to return to base after being touched.
● Engineers can remove electro-sappers with wrench.
● Spectation available
● Freeze cam shows you your killer after death (Sort of like COD2 MP)
● Dispensers generate metal instead of having you put metal into it.
● Critical-hit shots are chosen based on a player's momentum on the scoreboard. The shot is critical, not the hit. You can miss.
● Spawn rooms have equipment lockers to restock ammo and items. Ammo and item bags are history.
● Engineers can pick up enemy weaons to fill metal count.
PC & 360 Achievements
● Sentry Gunner - Accumulate 10 sentry gun kills with a single sentry
● Nemesis - Get five revenge kills
● Hard to Kill - Get five kills in a row without dying
● Master of Disguise - Trick an opposing medic into healing you.
● Grey Matter - Get 25 headshots as a Sniper.
● With Friends Like these... - Play in a game with 7 or more players from your friends list.
● Dynasty - Win 20 games.
● Hardcore - Accumulate 1000 total kills.
● Powerhouse Offense - Win 2Fort with a shutout.
● Lightning Offense - Win Well in 5 minutes or less.
● Relentless Offense - Win Hydro without giving up a capture.
● Impenetrable Defense - Successfully defend Dustbowl without giving up a capture.
● Impossible Defense - Successfully defend Gravel Pit without giving up a capture.
● Head of the Class - Play a complete round with every class.
● World Traveler - Play a complete game on every map.
● Team Doctor - Accumulate 25000 heal points as a Medic.
● Flamethrower - Set five enemies on fire in 30 seconds.
Stats
Example:
● Games usually approach stats by comparing a player to everyone else in the world. This is only really of interest to those who are near the top. With Team Fortress 2, we decided that a better approach might be to compare the stats to the players previous successes, turning them from a world-wide comparitive system into a personalized motivational one. The beginning player gets encouragement and acknowledgement, that while they are not highly skilled yet, they are getting better all the time. The veterans get to see when they have managed to come close to their previous record, which encourages them to beat that record. The personal stat system also acts as a validation system. When a player feels like they have had a really good run, the stat system pops up and essenstially says "You're right, that was a good run". - Kerry Davis
Previews
●
IGN - Team Fortress 2 (1999)
●
IGN - Team Fortress 2 Teaser Impressions (July 14, 2006)
●
IGN - Team Fortress 2 Explosive New Teaser (August 24, 2006)
●
IGN - Team Fortress 2 Class Warfare (Class Summaries, 2007)
●
Team Fortress 2 Hands-on Preview (Xbox 360)
●
Illustrative Rendering Featurette
Teasers
●
Team Fortress 2 Teaser (First Teaser)
Trailers
●
GC 2006 Trailer HD
Interviews
●
GameInformer - The Team Fortress 2 Interview: The Evolution (Interview with Robin Walker, Charlie Brown)
●
Gametrailers - GC 2007 Gabe Newell Interview (Orange Box)
●
RockPaperShotgun - Gabe Newell - Future Of The PC
●
1UP Show - Inside Valve Software
●
1UP Show - Half-Life 2: Orange Box (Team Fortress 2 & Half-Life 2 Episode Two)
●
1UP Show - Team Fortress 2 Exclusive Look (Shawn was ill like a science lesson)
●
Gamedaily - Team Fortress 2 Trailers: Like Pixar with Violence
●
Gamespot - On The Spot With Doug Lombardi
●
Brightcove - Leipzig Developer Interview 1
●
Brightcove - Leipzig Developer Interview 2
●
Brightcove - Leipzig Developer Interview 3
●
GameInformer - Opening The Valve: The Gabe Newell Interview
Reviews
● PCGamer (US November Issue) - 94%
●
Eurogamer 9/10
Gameplay
●
Attack/Defend Engineer
●
Attack/Defend Spy
●
Attack/Defend Setup
●
Attack/Defend Sniper
●
Leipzig 2007 - Pyro & Soldier - Granary
●
GC 2007 - Engineers at work
●
GC 2007 - Scout, Heavy, Demoman gameplay
●
Gamestar Magazine - Gameplay/Preview (German Language)
●
Stage6 - PCGames Reporter - Gameplay Video (Music - Bongo Run - Autumn Thunder)
Minimum System
Processor: Intel Pentium 4 1700 MHz
Display Card: DirectX 8 compatible graphics card
Memory: 512MB
Free Disk Space: 5GB
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 2000/XP/Vista
Recommended System
Processor: Intel Pentium 4 3000 MHz
Display Card: DirectX 9 compatible graphics card
Memory: 1024MB
Free Disk Space: 5GB
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 2000/XP/Vista
●
NeoGAF Steam Community Thread
●
Steam Storefront
●
Get Steam Now
●
The Official NeoGAF SteamCommunity Group
●
Team Fortress 2 SteamCommunity Group (The Largest)
●
Team Fortress 2 - Steam User Forums
●
The Orange Box - Official Website
●
Peggle Extreme
●
Teamspeak
●
Ventrilo
● Don't like Team Fortress 2? Go play
Fortress-Forever or
Team Fortress Classic
●
J.C. Leyendecker - The Studies (1874 - 1951) (Leyendecker influenced some of TF2's art direction)
TEAM FORTRESS 2: RUN, COWARDS!
Originally Posted by Quellex
