Surfing

Surfing preview

Surfing is a popular modification/mini-game for Team Fortress 2, and is also the term used for gliding into slanted walls or surf ramps. Maps are very diverse and the true objective is usually to travel through the slanted walls, usually for practice, and at other times to create a different type of combat. Most commonly though, the objective is to get to the end of the map by gliding on the surf ramps. The servers that host surf maps have altered physics to make surfing smoother. A basic walkthrough can be found here.

Map dynamics

• Surf ramps

Surf ramps are basically slanted walls you strafe into using the keys 'A' or 'D'. This is also how you get to the end of a map. Surf ramps can loop, curve, slant, etc. in almost any direction. Usually, the 'W' key is never used, because upon its trigger, it causes the player to instantly lose traction with the surf ramp, and thus slide downwards.

• Jail

A very notable part of any surf map is the jail. Whenever you stray away from the surf ramps or fall onto the map floor, you are then most likely to end up in jail. Jails can usually be operated in different spots, but most often situated where the opposing team may be able to kill victims, often in a remote place. Commonly, there is a kill button (that kills everyone instantly or over time) and a free button that opens an exit, allowing players to continue surfing on the regular map.

• End

Whenever you reach the specified end to the map, you can usually be teleported to a multitude of places. These places could be the top of jail, where one may be able to score frags, unique locations that contain specific reward triggers, or a variable of other places.

• Map secrets

Some maps can have a number of secrets, such as hidden rooms or doors, that can only be opened by a certain code or invisible switches, and contain special objects or entities that may be unique and exclusive to the map itself.

Map types

• Regular Surf

Regular Surf maps can have a variety of objectives from capturing the Intelligence from enemies, to capturing a control point, to just straight up killing, or to make it to the end of the surf. These maps generally contain a jail and a top.

• Arena Surf

Arena Surf maps are maps made for killing. Surfing is meager and is for getting around the map (usually one huge arena) quicker. You can think of these maps as one huge jail. Falling off the ramps will most likely teleport you into the middle of the map or where most of the action would take place.

• Skill Surf

Skill Surf maps are purely skill-based, hence the name, and are for the serious surfer. Most often, the objective is to reach the end where a control point would be, or some other reward. Some maps can range in difficulty from easy to near impossible. Other maps contain a jail, while some simply teleport you back to the spawn point. Weapons are occasionally disabled on more challenging surf servers to promote surfing over miscellaneous combat.

Note: Most maps are usually unique in nature .

Strategy

In case you want just to get to the end of the map, select the Soldier and equip the Rocket Jumper or the Gunboats and keep rocket-jumping on the ramps, this type of equipment may allow a player to gain more control over their environment. Alternatively, select the Scout, equip the Atomizer and try walk on the top of the ramps. If you fall, do the triple jump and try to reach the top again. This may be a slower approach however, as the distance between ramps may differ greatly.

Most players prefer to go to jail and kill the players of the other team. In such cases, any class would be suitable, however, in general surfing, any class will do, as the low friction surfaces compensate for differences in speed.