Team Fortress 2 Classic
Team Fortress 2 Classic is a free mod of the 2007 game Team Fortress 2, developed by Eminoma and utilizing the Source engine.[1] It was created in response to the substantial changes the game underwent from its release to the present day. The mod re-imagines the game using its 2008-2009 incarnation, also known as the "Classic Era", before new features began to be added. Building on a 2008 leak of the game's source code, the mod features not just community-made content, but also reworked content that was cut from the original game's development, and content based on Team Fortress Classic. This includes new weapons, gamemodes, and two new teams (GRN and YLW) used in some game modes in addition to the base game's RED and BLU teams. Additions to the mod also notably include the Civilian, a scrapped character from Team Fortress 2.[2][3]
| Team Fortress 2 Classic | |
|---|---|
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| Developer(s) | Eminoma |
| Engine | Source |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, Linux |
| Release | July 4, 2020 |
| Genre(s) | First-person shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Development
Team Fortress 2 Classic was originally envisioned as an attempt to bring back and rebalance various cut weapons from early development of Team Fortress 2, such as the Nail Gun and the various cut grenades. After a change in both development teams and direction, the project became a reimagining of the initial release of Team Fortress 2, and an attempt to bring the gameplay and roles of Team Fortress 2 back to its roots. The focus of re-adding and balancing early cut content took a backseat to new ideas including new gamemodes like Deathmatch, VIP, Espionage and 4 Team. The development team has stated that there will never be hats or cosmetics in Team Fortress 2 Classic in order to keep the core principles of Team Fortress 2 intact.[4]
Development was started in December of 2014 by danielmm8888[5] and 404UNF, with the initial code upload in January of 2015[6].
In addition to overhauling the gameplay, the mod also jettisons all lore following the "Meet the Team" animated shorts.[7]
After danielmm8888 left the project, it was taken over by the current development team, Eminoma. The project underwent major changes in its overall direction after this, and a "2.0" version of the mod was announced, with all available downloads of the original version of the mod being taken down. The removal of downloads of the original version of Team Fortress 2 Classic was done to set a clean slate for the 2.0 version and to help minimize any misrepresentation of what would or would not be in the 2.0 version. The 2.0 version took 4 years to complete, and was fully released as the "Death and Taxes" update on July 4, 2020. This update's added content included new weapons, gameplay content and achievements, certain cosmetics, and curated maps, including VIP maps that centered around the Civilian. The Deathmatch portion of the game was split from Team Fortress 2 Classic and is now in a separate game called Team Deathmatch Classic, which is being developed by a different team, Compucolor Pictures.[8][9]
Team Fortress 2 Classic, along with Open Fortress, were temporarily removed for download on September 10, 2021, citing an arrangement with Valve.[10]
Reception
Jonathan Bolding of PC Gamer called the mod "remarkably well-produced", calling its four-team maps the most exciting addition.[11]
References
- "Team Fortress 2 Classic is available to download now". VG247. 2020-07-05. Retrieved 2020-07-24.
- "Team Fortress 2 Classic Mod Is Available In Full Now". GameSpot. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
- "Team Fortress 2 Fans Are Making A Whole New Version Of The Game". Kotaku. Retrieved 2020-07-24.
- "TF2 Classic - Official Blog". tf2classic.com. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
- https://github.com/danielmm8888/TF2Classic
- https://github.com/danielmm8888/TF2Classic/commit/9615010a117f0ac81a1c7c1914b15f4a5458a571
- O'Connor, Alice (2020-07-06). "Team Fortress 2 Classic mod calls back to ye olde days with VIP and four-team modes". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 2020-07-24.
- Kent, Emma (2020-07-06). "Team Fortress 2 Classic finally gets full release". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2020-07-24.
- "Death and Taxes Update".
- Zack, Zwiezen (2021-12-09). "Two Popular Team Fortress 2 Mods Temporarily Removed Due To 'Arrangements' With Valve". Kotaku. Retrieved 2021-09-13.
- Bolding, Jonathan (2020-07-04). "The Team Fortress 2 Classic mod is a skillful homage to '08-era TF2". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2020-07-24.
