I
’ve broken back into
old habits. One
particularly old habit,
to be exact. Going into
the new year, it’s not
been Overwatch rounds that fill the
time between shifts. I’m not
chasing my usual high scores in
Nuclear Throne or sailing through
No Man’s Sky’s stars. I’m not proud,
but for the last two months, my go
to game has been Team Fortress 2.
I’m knee deep in the hats. Lets Plays
and live commentaries dominate my
YouTube feed, and I’ve cracked open
the old Source mapping tools for the
first time in years. It’s time to party
like it’s 2009—I’m going to find the
fortress time forgot.
That first night begins with the
basics. A lot has changed in the
half-decade since I played this game
regularly. These days, you can check
off some boxes—maps, game modes,
casual, or ranked—and jump straight
into a matchmade game. But that’s
not the game I remember. Diving into
the murky depths of the server
browser is as much a skill as nailing
the perfect rocket jump.
We start on a classic. It’s 32-player
2fort, and it’s madness. Balconies
bristle with the constant beeping of
sentry guns. It’s a war of attrition, a
Sisyphean struggle to move a
briefcase from one side of a river to
the other. It’s Team Fortress 2 at its
purest, but it’s too much right now.
Or perhaps it’s not enough,
because the next few games don’t just
crank things up to 11—they tear the
knob right off and blast it into space.
Some servers run a little thing called
‘x10’, which multiplies weapon stats
by 10. This one runs ‘x100’, and it
shows. Soldiers fly across the map,
shooting a firework display of
rockets. Demomen sneeze a thousand
grenades. Heavies can kill with a
look... after a five-minute minigun
windup. But then, I find it. Nestled in“All I need is a rocket launcher and
a shovel, and I’m good to go”
the game browser, simply titled “Yet
another TF2 server”, I find nirvana.
It’s the regular server, the digital
chill-out spot that made Team
Fortress 2 phenomenal. It’s
Hightower. It’s deathmatch, baby!
This is the time machine. Players
come and go, but there’s a playful air.
A new player is ecstatic after killing
me, his murder an act of uprising
against the “pay-to-players” (my
purchase of The Orange Box
apparently a status symbol).SENSE OF BELONGING
It’s not all roses—teen voices shout
homophobic slurs through cheap
microphones in a bit of nostalgia
that’s a little less welcome.
Thankfully, they don’t hang around
long, but it sours the mood a little.
Otherwise, this is what I was
looking for. It’s why every night this
month has been spent in this server,
or servers like it—the sense of
belonging that comes from a digital
playground without expectations.
I came to Team Fortress 2 this year
because I began to bounce hard off
games like Overwatch. Games that
expect you to be on all the time. Right
now, I don’t need to be on. All I need
is a rocket launcher and a shovel, and
I’m good to go.NATALIE CL AY TON
THIS MONTH
Shamelessly wallowing in
nostalgia.ALSO PLAYED
Apex Legends, Jet Set RadioTrying to chase the past in TEAM FORTRESS 2.
A LOT HAS CHANGED IN THE
HALF-DECADE SINCE I PLAYED
THIS GAME REGULARLYTHE GAMES WE LOVE RIGHT NOW
NOW PLAYING
Run out of maps?
Make your own!Fireworks night is on a
budget this year.