The history of the Team Fortress format can be traced back to its original inception as a mod for QuakeWorld. Team Fortress has since survived through the years, to become one of the most popular game styles in the world. This time around, Team Fortress 2 debuts with some astonishing graphics and new mechanics on the Source engine, but also brings back some of the unique features that made this game popular to begin with. In this article, we'll outline and describe each of the classes in the game, cover the different gametypes and help you understand the game so that you're ready to go out and start playing online.

Assault Classes

Name: Scout

Melee Weapon: Bat

Primary Weapon: Scatter Gun

Secondary Weapon: Pistol

Starting Health: 125

Being the quickest and most agile class in the game, the Scout is ideal for capturing the enemy Intelligence or Capture Points. Combined with its lightning quick speed, the Scout also has the Double Jump ability. The Double Jump can be most effectively performed by jumping, and then at the highest point, press the jump key again. Now combine those skilled moves with some mildly powerful firearms, and you've got the potential to do some decent damage in battle. Considered to be an overpowered class, the Scout is really a fragging class, despite its low health amount.

While playing this character, a good tip would be to use misdirection and try not to be predictable as you make your way through the map. In Capture The Flag, try to hang around other stronger classes as you make your way in and out of bases. Escorts are your friend; use them wisely. The Scout is perfect for capturing points, as they have the ability to capture twice as fast as the other classes. The Scout is a great class for any player looking to get in the enemy's face while helping out the greater good by capturing the Flag or Control Points.

Name: Soldier

Melee Weapon: Shovel

Primary Weapon: Rocket Launcher

Seconday Weapon: Shotgun

Starting Health: 200

Armed with a moderate amount of health and a Rocket Launcher, the Soldier is battle-ready and just begging for action. This class is definitely for the player that wants to get down and dirty in the heat of battle. Also equipped with a Shotgun, the Soldier is perfectly suited for mid-distance attacks on any type of enemy. His decent speed and "Rocket Jump" ability make him an all-around good class to play in any type of game. Ready to either grab the flag, defend a Scout, capture a Control Point, or take on enemy Heavys, the Soldier is a very versatile class and good for the "in-your-face" type of player.

This class really should be the foundation of your team. Seeing as this class will be doing the majority of the fighting in the game, you want to make sure that this class will get some major help from the Medic, if not all of it in the absence of a Heavy. Another helpful tip when using the Rocket Launcher is to always try and get a shot where there will be plenty of splash damage, in case of a miss when trying to hit them directly. Whether it's shooting at your enemy from a higher elevation, where you can hit the nearby ground, or if you're shooting them where there's a wall nearby. Getting better with the rockets will come after playing with them over time, but until you're hitting 100% direct rockets, never underestimate how much splash damage can help in a fight.

Name: Pyro

Melee Weapon: Axe

Primary Weapon: Flamethrower

Secondary Weapon: Shotgun

Starting Health: 175

Do you think fire is "pretty"? Were you always the one getting in trouble with matches as a little kid? Do you like running into a crowd of the other team and engulfing them in flames until there's nothing left except a pile of dust and some teeth? Then you've chosen the right class. In close-quarters battles, the Pyro can be quite useful, but as any class in this game, you have to be smart about how you use him. When you are in battle you want to immediately target whatever enemy Medics are in the area. Not only is it important under normal conditions, but especially so since the Medic is the only class that can extinguish someone who is on fire. That said, the Pyro is an extremely useful class in the fight and will provide hours of laughter, watching your enemies panic while they're on fire. All in all, the pyro is a great class to have in matches and learning to use this class well can be very valuable come game time.