Tuesday 15 January, 2008

SUMMARY
The game I played for this gamelog entry was Team Fortress 2. Team Fortress 2 or TF2 is the long awaited sequel to the original half-life modification, Team Fortress Classic. The game is a team based first person shooter which emphasizes a class based structure of play. There are nine character classes to choose from which balance out each other quite well. The game is usually a classic capture the flag format and played exclusively online, being as there is no first player mode.

GAMEPLAY
I thought the gameplay overall was very smooth. I will admit at first I was a bit apprehensive about the new "cartoon" based modeling. Yet the more I played the game the more I started to appreciate the art aspect of the game. I also noticed that the gameplay did not suffer from this dramatic art change. Yet it actually is an improvement on the first Team Fortress. My favorite part of the game of was finding a character best suited for my favorite style of play. The spy was the obvious choice and I must say I get more kills as a spy than any other class because it fits the style of gameplay I am good at. With this innovative class based shooter style TF2 offers multiple gameplay styles within one battle. This allows the player to choose his or her favorite way to succeed in the game.
TF2 also shines as a multi player team based shooter. One important feature that makes TF2 a fun multi player game is the in game chat. This program allows anyone with a microphone to easily communicate, in real time, with hes or her team who could be anywhere in the world. This game is extremely difficult without the use of teamwork. This encourages positive social play because if everyone works well together than the entire team will benefit. Mostly in the form of personal stats, server stats and most importantly, bragging rights.
GAMEPLAY
MY second round of gameplay was a little more fun than the first round because by now I knew which class I could do some real damage with. This means the game has good replay value, being as gamers want to master their favorite class then eventually move on to all of the classes. I did a lot better as I learned that teamwork is not only important but essential to have fun and succeed in this game.
Once I learned more about the game I could understand commands given and even give out some commands of my own to help the team complete a common goal. In this way the game forms bonds and even a gaming community. From these connections friendships, clans and even entire gaming communities form in a ripple effect.
DESIGN
What makes TF2 a good game is many things. First of all its innovative use of a class structure creates a complex game that is simple and balanced. The game also has an impressive art style which does not take away from the gameplay but actually adds to it. The game also utilizes the Half Life 2 engine which recreates lifelike physics even in a cartoon based animated world.
The reward structure in the game is very well done. At the end of every round the losing team must literally run and hide, their weapons rendered useless, while the winning team hunts them down effortlessly for extra points. This means you are playing not just for points but for also your pride.
The game also does a great job of logging all of your stats and showing them to you during the games loading screens. This logging system lets you easily compare your stats and keep record and how well you have done. In this way the game is encouraging repeat play to always improve stats.

A nice, in-depth look at TF2. In addition to good points, it was enjoyable reading your own immersion into the game in the gameplay section and how your understanding improved with additional play. Next time, write each session in its own log, and space each paragraph. Also, there were a few grammatical errors, so proofreading would be good as well.


- David Seagal (Grader)