Difference between revisions of "Community competitive play"

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[[Category:Competitive]]
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{{Update}}
[[Image:Badlands yard fight.png|right|thumb|400px|A yard fight on [[Badlands (competitive)|Badlands]] in standard competitive play.]]
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{{Other uses|for=the in-game competitive matchmaking|Competitive Mode}}
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[[File:Badlands yard fight.png|right|thumb|400px|A yard fight on [[Badlands (competitive)|Badlands]] in standard competitive play.]]
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{{Quotation|'''The Scout'''|Major League!|sound=Scout stunballhittingit05.wav}}
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'''Community competitive play''' in Team Fortress 2 refers to organized gaming done for the purpose of playing through skillful competition, practiced teamwork, and self-improvement, especially in a league setting. There are 3 main competitive formats in TF2 - [[Standard competitive lineup|6v6]] (commonly referred to as '6s'), [[Highlander (Competitive)|Highlander]] (commonly referred to as 'HL'), and [[Prolander]] (also known as 7v7). Other formats of competitive play include [[4v4]], [[Ultiduo]], and [[Basketball|Bball]], which are played in more casual competitions, rather than prized and more serious competitions.
 +
 
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== Team formats ==
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{{See also|Standard competitive format}}
 +
 
 +
All competitive games are based around the following principles:
 +
* Team members are chosen before the game starts.
 +
* Players use vocal communication to quickly relay information.
 +
* Both teams are of the same predetermined player count, 6 in 6v6, 9 in Highlander, 7 in Prolander, and 4 in 4v4.
 +
* Both teams are under the same basic restrictions, which include weapon whitelists and class limits.
 +
 
 +
Beyond these, there are many differences between various leagues, seasons, and communities. That said, most competitive TF2 games follow the standard competitive format, which has set class limits and certain gameplay settings that try to encourage fairness and reduce the impact of chance. All of the major TF2 leagues and [[w:Pick-up game|PUG]] communities follow the standard competitive format, though each has variations on specific rules. Many leagues contain a subdivision for both 6v6 and Highlander.
 +
 
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In 6v6, the focus is on [[List_of_game_modes#Symmetrical_Control_Point|5CP]] maps, such as [[Badlands (Control Point)|Badlands]], [[Process]] and [[Gullywash]], with [[King of the Hill]] (KOTH) maps such as [[Product (competitive)|Product]]. Highlander prefers [[List_of_game_modes#Attack/Defend|Attack/Defend]] based maps, such as [[Steel]] and Payload maps like [[Upward]]. They also have other formats such as KOTH and 5CP. Custom maps are used in both formats, and are usually completely custom maps (pl_swiftwater_ugc) or are pro versions of default maps, such as [[Viaduct]] or [[Granary]]. Other gamemodes, like [[Capture the Flag]] and [[Special Delivery (game mode)|Special Delivery]], are rarely seen in either format.
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== Gamemodes ==
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{{See also|Category:Competitive}}
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* [[6v6]] is the most popular of the competitive gamemodes where teams typically consist of 2 [[Scout]]s, 2 [[Soldiers]], 1 [[Demoman]] and 1 [[Medic]].
 +
* [[Highlander (Competitive)|Highlander]] (HL) is a 9v9 format with one of each the nine classes on each team.
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* [[4v4]] has teams typically consisting of 1 Scout, 1 Soldier, 1 Demoman and 1 Medic.
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* [[Prolander]] also known as 7v7 has 7 players per team with a class limit of 1 for each class, therefore encouraging adaptive offclassing. Its playstyle is most closely related to Highlander.
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* [[Ultiduo]] is a competitive gamemode with teams only having 1 Soldier and 1 Medic on each team.
 +
 
 +
== Dynamics ==
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{{Main|Competitive dynamics}}
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{{See also|Category:Competitive}}
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 +
Patterns and protocols have emerged from competitive play's unique format and setting, leading to a set of gameplay dynamics distinct from non-competitive play.
 +
 
 +
* Certain dynamics have become a standard in competitive play. For instance, almost all competitive Team Fortress 2 revolves around [[ÜberCharge]]s. Medics on both teams have to track both their own ÜberCharge and that of the enemy Medic as best they can. This is because in an organized format, an isolated player attempting to take ground can be focused and dealt with. ÜberCharge allows a team to force their way into an area, giving them the ability to kill other players while invulnerable, at little risk of being killed themselves.
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* Roll-outs, which are not often found in casual games due to their advanced nature, are also seen often in competitive games. The basic idea of a roll-out is to get to the middle point (commonly referred to as "mid") quicker by [[Jumping#Soldier jumps|rocket]] and [[Jumping#Demoman jumps|sticky jumping]]. By sacrificing health, you can travel much faster than you would by walking, allowing you to reach the initial fight on the middle point (known as the "midfight") faster.
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* The team is split into two smaller groups, known as the [[Combo (competitive)|combo]] and the [[flank]]. The combo generally consists of the Medic, Pocket Soldier and Demoman, while the flank consists of a Roaming Soldier and two Scouts, one of who hovers between the flank and combo. In Highlander, the combo consists of the Medic, Demoman, [[Heavy]], and [[Pyro]], the latter of which sometimes can be found on the flank. The flank consists of the remaining classes such as Scout and Soldier, but the [[Sniper]], [[Engineer]], and [[Spy]] also have shifting roles, with the former two sometimes playing in the combo, and the latter employing a more lone-wolf style of play.
  
 +
== Configurations ==
 +
Competitive games do not use the standard server configuration, instead opting to use their own values for various settings in order to provide a more organized or competitive experience. While there are no universal specifics, and different leagues and groups use their own settings, there are a few general guidelines that many leagues and groups use for their matches.
  
{{Quotation|'''The Scout'''|Major League!|sound=Scout_stunballhittingit05.wav}}
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* [[Autobalance]] is almost universally turned off, preventing players from accidentally being forced onto the opposing team. While this rarely makes a difference during an actual game, in the pre-game when teams are joining the server, it allows players to join the correct team regardless of how many players are in each team.
  
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* Gameplay affected by luck, otherwise known as RNG (Random Number Generation), such as weapons affected by random bullet spread and [[random crits]], are also almost universally disabled, to prevent matches from being influenced by factors outside of a player's control.
  
'''Competitive play''' in Team Fortress 2 refers to organized gaming done for the purpose of having fun through skillful competition, practiced teamwork, and self-improvement, especially in a league setting. There are 2 main competitive formats in TF2 - [[Standard competitive lineup|6v6]] (commonly referred to as '6s') and [[Highlander (Competitive)|Highlander]] (commonly referred to as 'HL'). Other formats of competitive play are [[Ultiduo]] and [[Basketball|Bball]], which are both played in fun competitions, rather than prized and more serious competitions.
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* While leagues and groups rarely agree on what to ban, almost all of them have some weapons banned. Oftentimes, it's due to the weapon being considered overpowered, or having some bug attached to it that makes it undesirable to have in play. Some weapons are allowed in certain formats but are banned in others. This is usually due to balancing around other factors such as class limits. For example, the lower number of players in 6v6 able to spam the Engineer's Sentry Gun while "wrangled" means the [[wrangler]] is commonly regarded as overpowered (and therefore often banned) in 6v6, but not in Highlander, where there are more classes to do so. For a list of banned weapons per league, see [[Competitive item restrictions|competitive item restrictions]].
  
==Format==
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* Leagues or groups use custom map configs to adapt the game to better fit the meta of competitive play, but these configs tend to vary between leagues. With 5CP, the win condition is almost always some form of round victories, but the inclusion of half-times, what number of victories produces a win, and round timer length is often contested and changes from region to region.
:''See also: [[Standard competitive format]]''
 
  
All competitive games are based round the following principles:
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* Almost all leagues utilise class limits, most noticeably in Highlander and Prolander, though 6v6 also includes some class limits (such 1 Medic per team). This is to prevent team composition from disrupting competitive play, either through slowing down the game significantly, or using too many classes of a specific type in an attempt to jeer the opponent.
* Team members are chosen before the game starts.
 
* Players use vocal communication to quickly relay information.
 
* Both teams are of the same predetermined player count, usually either 6 or 9 players.
 
* Both teams are under the same basic restrictions, which include weapon whitelists and class limits. This is usually predetermined.
 
  
Beyond these, there are many differences between various leagues, seasons, and communities. That said, most competitive TF2 games follow the standard competitive format, which has class limits, 6 players per team, and certain gameplay settings that try to encourage fairness and reduce the impact of chance. All of the major TF2 leagues and [[w:Pick-up game|PUG]] communities follow the standard competitive format, though each has variations on specific rules. Many leagues also play a format known as [[Highlander (Competitive)|Highlander]], where one player of every class is used. The focus in Highlander is more on [[Payload]] maps, such as [[Upward]] or [[Badwater]], as well as [[King of the Hill]], with maps like [[Ashville]], [[Viaduct]] or [[Lakeside]].
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== Classes ==
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{{See also|Category:Classes (competitive)}}
  
The competitive scene favors 5-Control Point maps such as [[Badlands (Control Point)|Badlands]], [[Granary (Control Point)|Granary]] and [[Gullywash]]. Non-official maps are used as well, such as [[Snakewater]]. Other map formats such as Attack/Defense, [[King of the Hill]] and [[Capture the Flag]] are used occasionally; with maps such as [[Gravelpit]], [[Viaduct]] and [[Turbine]] being the most common.
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Classes in standard competitive play are utilized differently than in [[Casual]], due to the smaller team sizes and increased structure/coordination. The standard lineup in the 6v6 format, known as "cookie cutter" or "textbook", is two Soldiers, two Scouts, one Demoman, and one Medic. This lineup provides the highest ability to get kills or complete objectives, while also allowing for fast-paced gameplay and movement.
  
==Dynamics==
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As such, any other class is deemed utility, used to perform a specific role or objective and not for permanent use. This is known as "offclassing". Some of them, like Heavy and Engineer, are utilized to defend a point, usually the final one, in order to take advantage of their benefits in a situation where their weaknesses, primarily movement, are diminished. In occasions of a stalemate where neither team is in enough of an advantageous position to push, a player may change to a [[Pick|pick]] class, such as Sniper or Spy, in order to kill an important player on the other team, usually the Medic, and prompt the push. Some maps, like [[Product (competitive)|Product]], the map design of which potentially encourages permanent use of a utility class, may see teams break from the standard lineup completely to take advantage of that.
{{main|Competitive dynamics}}
 
:''See also: [[:Category:Competitive]]''
 
  
Patterns and protocols have emerged from competitive play's unique format and setting, leading to a set of gameplay dynamics distinct from non-competitive play.
+
In Highlander, since one of each class is always present, there is no offclassing. However, the class strategies do vary from their casual variants, just like in 6v6. As such there are individual pages on the competitive strategies for each class.
  
*Certain dynamics have become a standard in competitive play, one of the most noticeable is roll-outs, which are not generally used in public games, due to their advanced nature. The basic idea of a roll-out is to get to mid quicker by [[Jumping#Soldier_jumps|rocket]] and [[Jumping#Demoman_jumps|sticky jumping]]. By trading health you are trying to get there quicker to get a better position and lock the other team out of the point.
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In Prolander, due to it having 7 players per team but a class limit of 1, a large part of the strategy revolves around offclassing. However, some classes are almost always used, such as Demo, Medic, Solider and Scout due to their utility and mobility. The other classes are rotated depending on the situation and opposition's classes. For example a team might use an Engineer on Payload defence, and the attacking team might use a Spy to counter this.
*[[ÜberCharge]]s are what competitive Team Fortress 2 is all about. [[Medic]]s on both teams have to track both their ÜberCharge and the enemy Medics as best they can. This is because when a team doesn't have an ÜberCharge they are vulnerable to pushes against a team that does as they can't save any teammates who are at low health.
 
*The team is split into two smaller forces, the combo and the flanks. The combo generally consists of the Medic, [[Soldier]] and [[Demoman]], while the flanks consist of the [[Scout]]s and the roaming Soldier who hovers in between the flanks and the combo. In the case of Highlander, the combo mainly consists of the [[Medic]], [[Demoman]], [[Heavy]], and [[Pyro]] while the Flank classes include the [[Scout]] and [[Soldier]]. There is a third group called "pick" classes, which work relatively on their own, but coordinate with their teammates. These classes include the [[Spy]] and the [[Sniper]].
 
  
==Classes==
 
:''See also: [[Standard competitive lineup]] and [[:Category:Classes (competitive)]]''
 
  
Classes are used somewhat differently in standard competitive play than they are in public play. The smaller team sizes, increased coordination, class limits,negation of random critical hits, and refraining from turtle-prone maps result in classes being used at different times, for different reasons, and for different durations than one might expect in a typical public TF2 game. The usual, or standard setup for competitive teams in 6v6 (commonly referred to as the "Cookie Cutter" setup) is often two [[Soldier]]s, one [[Demoman]], two [[Scout]]s, and one [[Medic]].  Any other class is referred to as a utility class. When any other class is played, it is referred to as "Off-classing" and is usually done by Scouts or the roaming Soldier - usually in situations such as a last defense or a stalemate. The most commonly used offclass to defend last point is Heavy - as his very low mobility makes no difference when he is simply standing still on the point to stop a cap and deny and jumping Soldiers or Demomen. In a stalemate situation, such as when both Medics have Uber, an assassination class such as [[Sniper]] or [[Spy]] is often used to try and make the medic drop his Uber, or pop it early - ending the stalemate, and giving their team what is known as an Uber advantage. However, there are some maps, such as [[Gullywash]], on which it is viable to 'Off-class' for the entire game, as the map layout is friendly to certain non-standard classes. In [[Highlander (Competitive)|Highlander]] (9v9) there is one player playing each class. Due to the different style of game play, there is a competitive version of each class article:
 
 
{| align="center" style="text-align:center;"
 
{| align="center" style="text-align:center;"
 
| style="background:#FFFFFF" width=80| '''[[Scout (competitive)|Scout]]'''<br>{{Icon class|class=Scout|link=Scout (competitive)}}
 
| style="background:#FFFFFF" width=80| '''[[Scout (competitive)|Scout]]'''<br>{{Icon class|class=Scout|link=Scout (competitive)}}
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|}
 
|}
  
=== Weapon restrictions ===
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== Maps ==
Within some competitive leagues, restrictions on items allowed in matches are employed to ensure matches are balanced.  See [[Competitive item restrictions]] for a list of restricted items in certain leagues.
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{{See also|Category:Competitive maps}}
  
==Maps==
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The majority of competitive [[6v6]] play is done on 5CP and KOTH maps, and [[Highlander]] varies between [[Payload]] and KOTH. The most common maps in [[6v6]] play are [[Process (competitive)|Process]], [[Gullywash (competitive)|Gullywash]] and [[Snakewater (competitive)|Snakewater]]. Newer maps like [[Sunshine (competitive)|Sunshine]] and [[Metalworks (competitive)|Metalworks]] are also played regularly in matches. The only non 5CP gamemode actively played is KOTH, on maps like [[Product (competitive)|Product]] and [[Bagel]]. Highlander has a larger spread of different gamemodes, from Payload maps like [[Upward (competitive)|Upward]] to [[Control Point (game mode)|Attack/Defense]] maps such as [[Steel (competitive)|Steel]], and King Of The Hill maps like [[Product (competitive)|Product]] and [[Lakeside]].
  
The majority of competitive 6v6 play is done on 5-cp push maps, the most popular being [[Badlands (competitive)|Badlands]] and [[Granary (competitive)|Granary]], though exceptions sometimes exist (most notably [[Gravel_Pit (competitive)|Gravel Pit]], [[Turbine (competitive)|Turbine]], and [[Viaduct (competitive)|Viaduct]]). On these maps, the standard format and lineup have caused strategies and tactics to form unique to competitive TF2. You can read more about them in each map's competitive article:
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Maps like [[Badlands (competitive)|Badlands]] and [[Viaduct]] used to be featured more prominently in competitive, either being phased out of league play, like Badlands, or updated by community members to a "Pro" version of the map, with [[Viaduct]] becoming [[Product (competitive)|Product]]. Between all of the leagues and gamemodes, many maps have been tested in official matches, with only a handful being popular enough to see any level of active play. Similarly, in the first few seasons of competitive, maps like [[2Fort]] and [[Dustbowl]] received play, but have not been considered competitive maps for a long time, due to a number of skilled mapmakers in the competitive community willing to make maps specifically for competitive play.
* [[Badlands (competitive)]]
 
* [[Bazillion (competitive)]]
 
* [[Coldfront (competitive)]]
 
* [[Croissant (competitive)]]
 
* [[Fastlane (competitive)]]
 
* [[Follower (competitive)]]
 
* [[Foundry (competitive)]]
 
* [[Freight (competitive)]]
 
* [[Granary (competitive)]]
 
* [[Gravel Pit (competitive)]]
 
* [[Gullywash (competitive)]]
 
* [[Lakeside (competitive)]]
 
* [[Obscure (competitive)]]
 
* [[Obscure_remake (competitive)]]
 
* [[Process (competitive)]]
 
* [[Prolane (competitive)]]
 
* [[Turbine (competitive)]]
 
* [[Turbine_pro (competitive)]]
 
* [[Snakewater (competitive)]]
 
* [[Viaduct_Pro (competitive)]]
 
* [[Warmfront (competitive)]]
 
* [[Waste (competitive)]]
 
* [[Well (competitive)]]
 
* [[Yukon (competitive)]]
 
  
The majority of [[Highlander (Competitive)|Highlander]] play is done on [[Payload]] maps such as [[Badwater]], or [[King of the Hill]], such as [[Viaduct]]. There are, however, exceptions - with other gametypes such as push 5-cp (such as [[Croissant]]), or Attack/Defense (such as [[Steel]] or [[Gravelpit]]).
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== Organizations and leagues ==
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Each of these leagues mainly run the [[standard competitive format]], however some host [[Highlander (Competitive)|Highlander]], [[Prolander]], [[4v4]], [[Ultiduo]] and [[Basketball|BBall]] competitions.
  
==Organizations==
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=== Global ===
===Global===
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* [https://www.ugcleague.com/ UGC]'s [https://www.ugcleague.com/home_tf26.cfm TF2 6v6 League], [https://www.ugcleague.com/home_tf24.cfm 4v4 League], [https://www.ugcleague.com/home_tf22.cfm Ultiduo League] and [https://www.ugcleague.com/home_tf2h.cfm Highlander League]
* [http://www.ugcleague.com/ UGC]'s [http://www.ugcleague.com/home_tf26.cfm TF2 6v6 League] and [http://www.ugcleague.com/home_tf2h.cfm Highlander League]
 
===North American===
 
* [http://play.esea.net/ ESEA]'s [http://play.esea.net/index.php?s=league&d=standings&division_id=1331 TF2 Invitational], [http://play.esea.net/index.php?s=league&d=standings&division_id=1885 TF2 Intermediate], and [http://play.esea.net/index.php?s=league&d=standings&division_id=1337 TF2 Open] Divisions
 
* [http://www.playigl.com IGL]'s [http://bit.ly/playigl-tf2-ladder TF2 Highlander Tier 1] Ladder
 
* [http://www.teamwarfare.com TWL]'s [http://www.teamwarfare.com/viewleague.asp?league=Team+Fortress+2%3A+NA+-+6v6+Season+5 TF2 League]
 
* [http://www.cevo.com/ CEVO]'s [http://www.cevo.com/index.php?page=event&id=186 TF2 6v6 league.]
 
===European===
 
* [http://etf2l.org/ ETF2L] (6v6 and Highlander leagues and cups)
 
* [http://tf2.wireplay.co.uk/ Wireplay] (6v6 and Highlander leagues and cups)
 
* [https://esagamer.com/ ESA Gamer] (6v6 cups)
 
===Asian===
 
* [http://asiafortress.com/ AsiaFortress]
 
===Oceanian===
 
* [http://www.ozfortress.com/ ozfortress]
 
* [http://www.nzfortress.co.nz/ NZFortress]
 
* [http://www.atf2l.org/ ATF2L]
 
===Country specific===
 
* [http://fbtf.teamfortress.com.br/ FBTF (Brazilian)]
 
* [http://www.tf2connexion.fr/ TF2Connexion (French)]
 
* [http://rtf2l.tf2world.ru/ RTF2L (Russian)]
 
===Recently Inactive===
 
* [http://www.esl.eu/eu/tf2/ ESL] (The ESL closed down all TF2 sections)
 
  
Each of these leagues mainly run the [[standard competitive format]], however some host Highlander, 7v7 and 1v1 competitions.
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=== North American ===
[http://teamfortress.tv/ TeamFortress.TV] and [http://vanillatf2.org/ VanillaTF2] are fairly well-known portals that post current events for the competitive TF2 scenes in North America and Europe respectively.
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* [https://rgl.gg/ RGL]'s [https://rgl.gg/?r=40 6v6 League], [https://rgl.gg/?r=24 Highlander League], and [https://rgl.gg/?r=1 Prolander]
  
==Additional Reading==
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=== European ===
* If you're interested in the competitive league and you don't know where to start, take a look at one of the guides by [http://www.cadred.org/News/Article/157101/ Admirable] or [http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2610054 speedygeek]. You could also look on [http://steamcommunity.com/app/440/guides/?searchText=competitive+tf2&browsefilter=toprated&browsesort=creationorder#scrollTop=650 Steam Guides].
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* [https://etf2l.org/ ETF2L] (6v6 and Highlander leagues and cups)
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* Classic MGE Cup
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* CLTF2
  
{{Competitive nav}}
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=== Asian ===
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* [https://asiafortress.com/ AsiaFortress] (6v6)
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 +
=== Oceania ===
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* [https://ozfortress.com ozfortress] (6v6 & Highlander)
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 +
=== Streaming/casting organizations ===
 +
* [https://teamfortress.tv/ teamfortress.tv], [https://www.kritzkast.com Kritzkast], [https://cappingtv.com CappingTV] and [https://rgl.gg RGL.gg] are the active organizations that provide casts for the competitive TF2 scenes worldwide. Teamfortress.tv primarily covers ETF2L and ESEA 6v6, Kritzkast covers EU Highlander and Prolander, CappingTV covers APAC 6v6, and RGL.gg covers NA 6v6 and Highlander. Previous coverage of EU and NA Highlander has been provided by [https://www.youtube.com/user/BlackOutCasting/ BlackOut TV] and [https://evlgaming.tv/ EVL TV] respectively, and previous coverage of Prolander by [https://www.youtube.com/user/CommFT eXtelevsion].
 +
 
 +
== Resources ==
 +
* [https://comp.tf/ Comp.tf] is a community-driven wiki which focuses entirely on competitive TF2.
 +
 
 +
{{Competitive Nav}}
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 +
[[Category:Competitive]]

Latest revision as of 03:00, 14 October 2023

For the in-game competitive matchmaking, see Competitive Mode.
A yard fight on Badlands in standard competitive play.
Major League!
The Scout

Community competitive play in Team Fortress 2 refers to organized gaming done for the purpose of playing through skillful competition, practiced teamwork, and self-improvement, especially in a league setting. There are 3 main competitive formats in TF2 - 6v6 (commonly referred to as '6s'), Highlander (commonly referred to as 'HL'), and Prolander (also known as 7v7). Other formats of competitive play include 4v4, Ultiduo, and Bball, which are played in more casual competitions, rather than prized and more serious competitions.

Team formats

See also: Standard competitive format

All competitive games are based around the following principles:

  • Team members are chosen before the game starts.
  • Players use vocal communication to quickly relay information.
  • Both teams are of the same predetermined player count, 6 in 6v6, 9 in Highlander, 7 in Prolander, and 4 in 4v4.
  • Both teams are under the same basic restrictions, which include weapon whitelists and class limits.

Beyond these, there are many differences between various leagues, seasons, and communities. That said, most competitive TF2 games follow the standard competitive format, which has set class limits and certain gameplay settings that try to encourage fairness and reduce the impact of chance. All of the major TF2 leagues and PUG communities follow the standard competitive format, though each has variations on specific rules. Many leagues contain a subdivision for both 6v6 and Highlander.

In 6v6, the focus is on 5CP maps, such as Badlands, Process and Gullywash, with King of the Hill (KOTH) maps such as Product. Highlander prefers Attack/Defend based maps, such as Steel and Payload maps like Upward. They also have other formats such as KOTH and 5CP. Custom maps are used in both formats, and are usually completely custom maps (pl_swiftwater_ugc) or are pro versions of default maps, such as Viaduct or Granary. Other gamemodes, like Capture the Flag and Special Delivery, are rarely seen in either format.

Gamemodes

See also: Category:Competitive
  • 6v6 is the most popular of the competitive gamemodes where teams typically consist of 2 Scouts, 2 Soldiers, 1 Demoman and 1 Medic.
  • Highlander (HL) is a 9v9 format with one of each the nine classes on each team.
  • 4v4 has teams typically consisting of 1 Scout, 1 Soldier, 1 Demoman and 1 Medic.
  • Prolander also known as 7v7 has 7 players per team with a class limit of 1 for each class, therefore encouraging adaptive offclassing. Its playstyle is most closely related to Highlander.
  • Ultiduo is a competitive gamemode with teams only having 1 Soldier and 1 Medic on each team.

Dynamics

Main article: Competitive dynamics
See also: Category:Competitive

Patterns and protocols have emerged from competitive play's unique format and setting, leading to a set of gameplay dynamics distinct from non-competitive play.

  • Certain dynamics have become a standard in competitive play. For instance, almost all competitive Team Fortress 2 revolves around ÜberCharges. Medics on both teams have to track both their own ÜberCharge and that of the enemy Medic as best they can. This is because in an organized format, an isolated player attempting to take ground can be focused and dealt with. ÜberCharge allows a team to force their way into an area, giving them the ability to kill other players while invulnerable, at little risk of being killed themselves.
  • Roll-outs, which are not often found in casual games due to their advanced nature, are also seen often in competitive games. The basic idea of a roll-out is to get to the middle point (commonly referred to as "mid") quicker by rocket and sticky jumping. By sacrificing health, you can travel much faster than you would by walking, allowing you to reach the initial fight on the middle point (known as the "midfight") faster.
  • The team is split into two smaller groups, known as the combo and the flank. The combo generally consists of the Medic, Pocket Soldier and Demoman, while the flank consists of a Roaming Soldier and two Scouts, one of who hovers between the flank and combo. In Highlander, the combo consists of the Medic, Demoman, Heavy, and Pyro, the latter of which sometimes can be found on the flank. The flank consists of the remaining classes such as Scout and Soldier, but the Sniper, Engineer, and Spy also have shifting roles, with the former two sometimes playing in the combo, and the latter employing a more lone-wolf style of play.

Configurations

Competitive games do not use the standard server configuration, instead opting to use their own values for various settings in order to provide a more organized or competitive experience. While there are no universal specifics, and different leagues and groups use their own settings, there are a few general guidelines that many leagues and groups use for their matches.

  • Autobalance is almost universally turned off, preventing players from accidentally being forced onto the opposing team. While this rarely makes a difference during an actual game, in the pre-game when teams are joining the server, it allows players to join the correct team regardless of how many players are in each team.
  • Gameplay affected by luck, otherwise known as RNG (Random Number Generation), such as weapons affected by random bullet spread and random crits, are also almost universally disabled, to prevent matches from being influenced by factors outside of a player's control.
  • While leagues and groups rarely agree on what to ban, almost all of them have some weapons banned. Oftentimes, it's due to the weapon being considered overpowered, or having some bug attached to it that makes it undesirable to have in play. Some weapons are allowed in certain formats but are banned in others. This is usually due to balancing around other factors such as class limits. For example, the lower number of players in 6v6 able to spam the Engineer's Sentry Gun while "wrangled" means the wrangler is commonly regarded as overpowered (and therefore often banned) in 6v6, but not in Highlander, where there are more classes to do so. For a list of banned weapons per league, see competitive item restrictions.
  • Leagues or groups use custom map configs to adapt the game to better fit the meta of competitive play, but these configs tend to vary between leagues. With 5CP, the win condition is almost always some form of round victories, but the inclusion of half-times, what number of victories produces a win, and round timer length is often contested and changes from region to region.
  • Almost all leagues utilise class limits, most noticeably in Highlander and Prolander, though 6v6 also includes some class limits (such 1 Medic per team). This is to prevent team composition from disrupting competitive play, either through slowing down the game significantly, or using too many classes of a specific type in an attempt to jeer the opponent.

Classes

See also: Category:Classes (competitive)

Classes in standard competitive play are utilized differently than in Casual, due to the smaller team sizes and increased structure/coordination. The standard lineup in the 6v6 format, known as "cookie cutter" or "textbook", is two Soldiers, two Scouts, one Demoman, and one Medic. This lineup provides the highest ability to get kills or complete objectives, while also allowing for fast-paced gameplay and movement.

As such, any other class is deemed utility, used to perform a specific role or objective and not for permanent use. This is known as "offclassing". Some of them, like Heavy and Engineer, are utilized to defend a point, usually the final one, in order to take advantage of their benefits in a situation where their weaknesses, primarily movement, are diminished. In occasions of a stalemate where neither team is in enough of an advantageous position to push, a player may change to a pick class, such as Sniper or Spy, in order to kill an important player on the other team, usually the Medic, and prompt the push. Some maps, like Product, the map design of which potentially encourages permanent use of a utility class, may see teams break from the standard lineup completely to take advantage of that.

In Highlander, since one of each class is always present, there is no offclassing. However, the class strategies do vary from their casual variants, just like in 6v6. As such there are individual pages on the competitive strategies for each class.

In Prolander, due to it having 7 players per team but a class limit of 1, a large part of the strategy revolves around offclassing. However, some classes are almost always used, such as Demo, Medic, Solider and Scout due to their utility and mobility. The other classes are rotated depending on the situation and opposition's classes. For example a team might use an Engineer on Payload defence, and the attacking team might use a Spy to counter this.


Scout
Leaderboard class scout.png
Soldier
Leaderboard class soldier.png
Pyro
Leaderboard class pyro.png
Demoman
Leaderboard class demoman.png
Heavy
Leaderboard class heavy.png
Engineer
Leaderboard class engineer.png
Medic
Leaderboard class medic.png
Sniper
Leaderboard class sniper.png
Spy
Leaderboard class spy.png

Maps

See also: Category:Competitive maps

The majority of competitive 6v6 play is done on 5CP and KOTH maps, and Highlander varies between Payload and KOTH. The most common maps in 6v6 play are Process, Gullywash and Snakewater. Newer maps like Sunshine and Metalworks are also played regularly in matches. The only non 5CP gamemode actively played is KOTH, on maps like Product and Bagel. Highlander has a larger spread of different gamemodes, from Payload maps like Upward to Attack/Defense maps such as Steel, and King Of The Hill maps like Product and Lakeside.

Maps like Badlands and Viaduct used to be featured more prominently in competitive, either being phased out of league play, like Badlands, or updated by community members to a "Pro" version of the map, with Viaduct becoming Product. Between all of the leagues and gamemodes, many maps have been tested in official matches, with only a handful being popular enough to see any level of active play. Similarly, in the first few seasons of competitive, maps like 2Fort and Dustbowl received play, but have not been considered competitive maps for a long time, due to a number of skilled mapmakers in the competitive community willing to make maps specifically for competitive play.

Organizations and leagues

Each of these leagues mainly run the standard competitive format, however some host Highlander, Prolander, 4v4, Ultiduo and BBall competitions.

Global

North American

European

  • ETF2L (6v6 and Highlander leagues and cups)
  • Classic MGE Cup
  • CLTF2

Asian

Oceania

Streaming/casting organizations

  • teamfortress.tv, Kritzkast, CappingTV and RGL.gg are the active organizations that provide casts for the competitive TF2 scenes worldwide. Teamfortress.tv primarily covers ETF2L and ESEA 6v6, Kritzkast covers EU Highlander and Prolander, CappingTV covers APAC 6v6, and RGL.gg covers NA 6v6 and Highlander. Previous coverage of EU and NA Highlander has been provided by BlackOut TV and EVL TV respectively, and previous coverage of Prolander by eXtelevsion.

Resources

  • Comp.tf is a community-driven wiki which focuses entirely on competitive TF2.