TF2 also owes a lot of its success to its release date and art style. Because the game was released in 2007, it was designed to run decently on the average computer at the time, which has meant that even today, people don't need to have a fancy rig just to play it. And the art style is extremely legendary, so much so that it's used in actual school curriculum for animation classes because of how well designed the characters are. And just to prove that they're well designed, take a look at any TF2 character and see how low poly they are. If it weren't for me pointing it out, It's highly likely you wouldn't realize it. And the incorporated art style helps make TF2 easy to understand at face value, since each side has their own very distinct colors, and each character has brighter colors than the ones used in the environment, meaning it's easier to distinguish players from the screen, as well as easily understanding their team affiliation. And then there's the use of rimlighting, which adds a section of light on the edges of a character to ensure you can't stay hidden in shadowy areas of the map without being seen. All these combine to make the TF2 experience user friendly for new players, unlike newer games that try to cater to the pros and not the larger player base. TF2 is a monument to perfect game design. Sorry if I went on a little rant. I just really love TF2 and the passion that went into creating such a perfect game.
@@lazymansload520 The baby has been slacking, honestly, and should have gotten fired a long time ago. The janitor was responsible for over 99% of the updates to the localization files within the last 3 years... I'm beginning to think the baby is just freeloading.
the janitor every day, coming in to clean the empty tf2 office, asking himself if maybe its time to shut down the computers and servers to save electricity.
It's just great that almost every year we get 'TF2 is immortal' vids, can't wait for the '100 years of TF2 because Valve can't count to 3' celebration.
It is 300 winters after The Fall. Humanity is extinct. Cockroaches have inherited the Earth. And they're still playing Team Fortress 2, waiting for the Heavy Update, and complaining about how Sniper is OP and random crits are bullshit.
This... explains a lot I mean what other fps has given it's entire community the same tools that the developer had to create it, I can only thank valve for making such an incredible game and hope that someday they come back to it to give us more to play/create with
@@HeyGrouch **Coughs in community servers** I mean, yeah, they're not quite the same as what you're talking about, but I'll never forget some of the fun I've had in Vs. Saxton Hale, Class Wars, Medic vs. Engineer zombies, and Zombie Escape. They're far from flawless, but damn is it fun.
@@HeyGrouch Custom game modes and maps with multiple game modes might become a reality, now that VScript support is coming to Team Fortress 2. Just search RU-vid for "TF2 VScript" and you'll see. Valve could make those new creations official.
Them: "THIS ISN'T FAIR! THEY SHUT DOWN OUR GAME AND DIDN'T SUPPORT IT!" Us: Heard of death? Good, because we can't die, even if we did, then we will always come back from the dead.
Tf2 is the perfect embodiment of "You don't need the latest graphics and engines to be hella fun". A good formula of gameplay and respect of the community and you pretty much secured your game fame for years to come.
In addition to that, the voice actors (except for Engie's original VA, Ashly Burch, JB Blanc and Rick May [RIP]) partake and have fun with the community by role playing the characters both in streams and in real life. Heck, they, in one time, even officially criticized Valve for neglecting the game and its playerbase for so long. It may not seem like much on the surface, but it actually contributes a lot to the effort of keeping the game afloat even to this very day.
Tf2 also has a big capacity to create and keep communities. Tf2 has a social aspect to it that keeps the game fresh. Whether that be through conga lines, trade servers, competitive games, sfm/Gmod animations, videos, cosmetics, conversations, etc. There are a lot of ways to express yourself. Coupled with good gameplay, fun maps, funny classes, and a classic art style, you have a game that keeps reinventing itself.
"There are a lot of ways to express yourself." Yes. This. I will make a whole video about that one topic. Like, unironically, hats are one of the best parts of TF2. And I don't say that lightly.
TF2 is probably my most played game of all time, Since middle of summer in 2008 I've put in 10,347 hours into that game. Today, I play more singel player games, mostly on my ps5 now or occationaly go back to my ps2 or ps3 to play some ol' goodies, but I always tend to come back to play TF2 for updates, events or if I miss it to much.
TF2 is for sure my favorite multiplayer game. I'll also go back and play some old Playstation classics like Spyro or Crash Bandicoot every now and again
This video is well-timed with the release of VScript Beta. A feature that Valve themselves didn't even have while developing TF2. It allows you to embed code directly into your map files. Meaning you don't need server plugins anymore to create unique gamemodes like VS Saxton Hale / Prop Hunt or literally anything else. And since they're just directly within the map file, they can be hosted and downloaded from the workshop.
They can also be added to the game officially by Valve 😀There's already at least one VScript map on the workshop. Just search "vscript" in the TF2 workshop. "If there is a programmable device, it will run Doom, or play Bad Apple. Or both." Yeah, literally anything, like you said😆
Conclusion: supporting community projects and keeping consistent to the theme can keep a game afloat for a long, long time and even survive with almost no official support.
The more I have played tf2 the more I realize just how much depth there is to the game. Despite having played for 6 years I still find out new map routes, weapon combos and fun ways to play the game. The skill ceiling is just so high and so vast, even if you spent 10,000 hours playing the game there would still be weapons and playstyles that would be fresh.
As someone who recently got a cosmetic into the game via the TF Workshop, I wish you had a small section showcasing the Workshop content! Some of the creators on there are crazy talented. When browsing the TF2 Wikipedia - select your favorite hat or weapon - chances are that it'll be community made. Even some of the really old stuff you would expect to be Valve-made. Nonetheless, great video! It made me really happy seeing someone attribute a big chunk of TF2's longevity to community creators.
@@HeyGrouch Whoops, I had a feeling my previous reply would be filtered out cause I included a workshop link to my item. Anyways, thanks! I made Beaten and Bruised from the recent Scream Fortress case.
@@Suggo Just checked it out, that's awesome! I love Heavy's style 3 and Spy's style 3. That's gotta be the cosmetic with the most different versions in the entire game right? I can't think of an all-class that has more than 3 styles.
Unless another game comes that has the same charm as TF2, this game will never die. And considering the current state of games, I highly doubt that's going to come anytime soon if ever.
@@JadeMythriil even if a game as charming as tf2 comes out, I don't think it would kill tf2, because it wouldn't erase the attachment that fans have to tf2. I think the most (and maybe only) effective way to kill Team Fortress 2 would be to make Team Fortress 3, and have it basically be tf2 but better in every way. And even then, that'd only be because it's still the same franchise.
Lovely video there! Truly points out that community helped raise TF2 to the heaven's above! While TF2 is fun on it's own merit my favorite part of it is the time and care put into developing the game to what it is today. Without TF2 I never would've discovered the importance of color pallet or silhouettes! Awe-inspiring to listen at the development commentary through all the Valve games.
I've heard bits and pieces of TF2's developer commentary but I really should sit down and listen to the whole thing! My first real experience working with color palettes & silhouettes came from making one of my mobile games "Boom Ball." Were you making fan art / SFMs for the game when you learned about those things? :)
@@HeyGrouch Credit for you learning that for your mobile games, it gives you a real edge in the competition! I haven't started much at all with SFM or fan art but do plan to apply those principles to my future art! TF2 with its nine mercenaries have so much variety in anatomical proportions yet containing a hint of an unrealistic style, it's best of both worlds in my opinion!
@@lemnyelow2260 That's interesting to hear coming from an artist. I'm not much of one so I never really noticed how the mercenaries have such different anatomy. Cool insight! :)
Most FPS games are like giving someone a fish. They’d be fed for a time, but soon they’d hunger for more. Valve basically handed the TF2 community the fishing rod and a box of bait and found the perfect position for the boat to drive straight in the ocean for the rest of time. But the players know how to catch their own fish.
It brings tears to my eyes to see this amazing content and more so that my beloved game is still alive. I've played since 2011 and my god is it more fun than ever :) i hope everyone gets a go at this fantastic game!
I couldn't agree more!! Seeing all these replies and enthusiasm for the game is a thing of beauty. Been playing since 2013ish and being able to provide some of that community love is just amazing :)
Having only been in the community for 2 months now I can safely say that I’ve been enjoying myself both watching and playing tf2 There’s just something about it that really draws me in and has implanted something in my brain that most tf2 players have, the “wtf just happened” and “stand still and observe the weirdness” thought process
Welcome to the community! My favorite part about TF2 is that 99.9% of the players care more about having fun than winning. Like you said, you can interact with members of the enemy team if something weird happens or just straight up choose not to fight and nobody will attack you. Great game :)
The voice actors also played a role in keeping this game alive. Every one of them except the Engineer’s voice actor love the tf2 community and love interacting with them to the point I would even consider they are just as much a part of the tf2 community as everyone else.
Even though i don't play this game much often as before but i still feel in love with this game and come back to play it from time to time. Great video man
While most of the gameplay clips are mine, that's a clip from a Muselk video :) Now that I think about it I probably should have added another caption to the clip giving him credit. Also what's MGR?
@@HeyGrouch Metal Gear Rising, you know, the funny "Standing here" meme, theres a scene where the protagonist Raiden runs down a tall building while a giant robot shoots missiles at him from below.
don't forget the importance of it being an easy game to get into - despite Valve's repeated failures at making effective tutorials and hints - entirely thanks to the active community of crreators
This game came out when I was 3 bruh. I played the living shit out of when I was in grade 5, then grade 7, and now in college, IM STILL PLAYING IT. I let my lil bro play it. He has access to all the latest and greatest $60 modern FPS games. HE GOT HOOKED AND BEGGED TO PLAY ON MY PC BRUH. This game is almost CONSTANTLY bringing in new players. its fucking insane. The fact that the MAXIMUM generous estimates of the bot population is 20k, while the game averages 100k active players, is fucking insane.
Wow. I was totally unaware that the TF2 videos were actually from Valve's literal, actual Service Development Kit. I also did not know they had a level editor, let alone (again) the full Service Development Kit.
Yeah, Valve apparently liked at the time to give out _all_ the tools needed to creat stuff yourself. Even if Hammer Editor is considered an _archaic hellscape_ it's still a lot of power given to the community.
3:43 "Source Filmmaker also known as SFM was used to make thousands of original creative short movies that would spread all over the internet. From comedies to dramas to music videos..." And porn! Don't forget the porn!
If it ever does die, I don't think it will stay dead. Some mad scientist programmer out there will revive it like Frankenstein. Just look at TF2 Classic and other similar mods :)
Considering TF2 is getting a VScript update soon, this will further immortalise it because you can pretty much do almost anything with the game now without server plugins and it can be added to official matchmaking
And anyone can download the maps from the workshop, just like any other map. Search "vscript" on the TF2 workshop, and "TF2 Vscript" on RU-vid. Someone already got Bad Apple into TF2 xD
There are so many more reasons why the game is so timeless: - Unique, incredibly polished, charming cartoony visuals that can be run even on old machines. - Rich on personality fun characters that, despite being built of silly stereotypes, are still unique and untypical comparing to most games (basically, the entire cast is made of pretty awful villains when you think of it but they're still really charming people). - Insane customisation possibilities and absolutely no pay2win whatsoever. - Amazing deep gameplay where you can try so many different playstyles and keep perfecting them further and further. - A lot of ways to socialize in the game through the taunts and stuff. - Literally PERFECT casual vibe. That's what multiplayer games lack especially hard nowadays - just the opportunity to relax and have fun while deciding for yourself how tryhardy you're feeling today. No hard result recordings, no prizes for the victory, no class limits, no forced team play, no penalties for leaving a match or doing silly stuff, no harsh behaviour rules (except for the most basic ones) - that all gives each TF2 player the magical feeling of freedom to do whatever you want and have fun. By the way, 12 players per team is just a nearly perfect number - when there are so many players, each individual player still matters and their contribution to the victory is notable but at the same time, 1-2 players being newbies or just fooling around doesn't hurt team too much and they still can perform pretty well.
You critical hit the nail on the HEAD. Especially the casual part - 12v12 is always gonna be more fun to me than a 5v5. TF2 encourages teamplay by making it fun, other games encourage teamplay by making you lose if you don't communicate. The FREEDOM is so real too. I have like 400hrs on soldier and just recently started using the Air Strike and it feels like I discovered the class all over again. LOVE THIS GAME 🔥🔥🔥
The fantastic voice acting is another reason why it was so fun to splice and edit them for contents. Demoman's charge/death scream and spy's death scream will never fail to make me laugh to this day
Such a great video! Really well written and edited and perfectly detailed some of what has kept this amazing game alive for so long and how special it is :)
WOW I didn't know Valve created SFM and gave it away for free after creating TF2 stuff with it. As a programmer and a gamer, I got much more respect for Valve knowing this. Thanks for the cool video!
I'm a relative newcomer to the game (brief stint in 2016, full-time since 2020) but I feel like TF2 is an old friend, and it's hard not to feel nostalgic for it.
That's really interesting. I've been playing since I was like 12 but I don't really feel nostalgic for it most of the time. Every time I play it's like the first time 🥲
TF2: Community servers, Dedicated servers for players to host, Plugins and custom code for servers which allow for indepth modification the gameplay and mechanics. Customizeable game files to alter sounds and models ingame, No emphasis on competition, Game assets to make animated movies/games, Map editor. Overwatch 2, which, at the time of writing is "the latest hotness". No community servers, unless you count "custom game" servers which I dont. No dedicated servers, all servers owned by blizzard. Workshop feature that is not active at release but is way more bare bones then Sourcemod. Although it is admitedly, a really intuitive and well made tool that is only bad because it's limited. No altering of game sounds, models, ui or anything of the sorts. Game's entire core principle is on competitive matches which makes winning the only reward out of an entire game instead of playing for fun. Blizzard is attempting to encode the character models to prevent porn, indirectly harming any hopes for movies and animated features with the characters. One year after Overwatch 1 was released, there was talks of a map editor. There's still no map editor on the sequel.
I stayed because way back when I started playing. Fresh faced, no experience, and eager to learn. I was pocketed by an older player. We went on to pub stomp for years. When he stopped coming online. Now I stay to pocket new players like how he did for me. Maybe my time has come as well.
tf2 is like that old pub that still gains traction as people go there for authentic interaction whereas these other games are like those new pubs that just offer glamor and instant gratification.
Good video. I would also add that the game has incredible social features. It’s a social game and always has been. It’s extremely easy to interact with other players simply with voice commands. That makes it a living, breathing entity which people keep coming back to.
Credits to janitor and the plant who kept updating the game! xD *"We are going to live forever!"* Soldier was telling us the truth, he was ahead of the time
At first I thought "If at least half of this video won't be about GMod, SFM and user-created content, I'll poke dislike button". Okay, it won't happened, and you absolutely properly pointed, first - huge third-party content role in TF2's promotion, and second - powerful tools from developer that are freely used. Good one!
the original TFC was iconic, it was at a time when HL2 was dominating and mods like DOD, TFC, Counter Strike were just brilliant for those of us on 56k dial up. CS\TFC were one of the first team based massively popular online games - literally people were buying or building PC's just to play these games back when it was a PlayStation generation. they pioneered and pushed the start of online pc gaming to the next level. UKTFCL (online TFC tournament\league's) were hugely popular and players kept the TFC\CS community going for at least 5-7 years. a lot of those players jumped onboard when TFC2 came out as well and kept the band wagon rolling. This isn't just that TFC2 is iconic but that it also captured an audience who were the first generation of players to really get that online game buzz, it was like an underground movement at the time and to be part of it was intoxicating. i would imagine many of the TFC2 players playing it even now are still that generation who played TFC1\counter strike and remember that nostalgic feeling of that time in our lives when you knew it was the start of something really special and you were privileged to be a part of that
I played Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare for like 5 years because it had custom modded servers. That was the most fun I ever had in COD games. Since then, they have never added modding tools to COD games.
I absolutely love the community and the gameplay. Here is a theory of what I think they planned when developing the game: The community keeps the older/ brings in newer players while keeping them interested and having fun. The gameplay is just meant to be the base for the community allowing the community themselves to build onto the game. This allows people to express and add new content to the game without adding constant huge updates that destroy storage. I think the game was originally meant to be just for the community to do whatever they want (that doesn’t break any laws). Now I noticed that TF2 has the same gameplay, settings, and loading as Garry’s Mod. Maybe tf2 was supposed to be like Garry’s Mod (it kinda is) but with characters for people to expand on.
I’ve never once played this game. Only known it from it’s gmod and YTP fame. I think Valve hit the jackpot with this title. There is this iconic simplicity to it. The art style and whimsical humor keep things light and easy on the eyes.
i thought i meant fps as in frames per sec. with the large number behind heavy in the thumbnail, and i just thought the heavy meant that this imortal frames per sec was in a tf2 server that kept growing (hence the chart) none the wiser i was impressed by the video and it does sum up how tf2 is still alive
Bring on the pain! 💪💪💪 I wanted to talk about it in the video but Overwatch actually HELPED TF2's players because it got new people into class based arena shooters lol
