Hello and welcome to my guide. I am your host, MR SLIN. This is designed to be both an update and expansion to the first portion of Alex "Waar" Godunov's famous "A Beginner's Guide to TF2", which was written in January of 2009. Many of you are familiar with the Competitive TF2 Wiki. However, my guide is designed to expand upon these topics for a player that is already familiar with TF2. This guide will help players to set up their game with a competitive focus, and ensures that they have all of the necessary tools needed to begin playing Team Fortress 2 competitively. Now, being from North America myself, I am aware that this will have a North American bent to it. However, I hope that some of these tips will be applicable to players in other parts of the world, who are trying to get their start in competitive TF2.

 

I'm hope you enjoy reading my guide, and I look forward to seeing you in game!

If you have any feedback to give me, please feel free to contact me and let me know about any comments, questions, or concerns.

Please see my other guide, The Scout Essentials, if you want to read more about the scout class in particular.

Good luck!

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About Me:

I am a competitive TF2 player from Los Angeles, California, USA. I have been playing the game since September 2009, beginning as a scout. This is the first game that I have played competitively, although I enjoy playing other games and genres of games. I am currently the Head of the CommFT Mentor Program, and I most recently played on the team Mediocre at Best in ESEA-Intermediate Season 8.

You can contact me in the following ways:

MR SLIN
http://steamcommunity.com/id/slin
IRC: Mr-Slin in #tf2mentors on GameSurge
or send me a private message through the CommFT forums.

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Part 1: Getting the Right Setup

by MR SLIN

Hello! This is the first of a three part series about getting started in competitive TF2. To read the introduction or find the other parts of the guide, click here.

Getting the right setup in TF2 can be complicated, but I’m going to try to boil it down for you. While playing TF2, you must realize that everyone has a multitude of setups for both their hardware and their software. I understand that many players are limited by money or other situations that they cannot control. However, you need to make the best of what you have, and there are things that you can do with your setup in order to get an advantage. In the end, it is all up to preference and how you prefer your game to look and feel. However, there are optimal setups for players looking to go competitive. While it may not be pretty, I am going to show you how to make your game be all about function and less about aesthetics.

This first part of the series will be broken up into three parts:

1. Hardware
2. Software
3. TF2 Settings

1. Hardware

Competitive players need to have good, functioning hardware that can play the game properly. If you don’t have the right equipment, you can’t expect to be able to compete with the best. You want to be comfortable with your hardware setup and feel comfortable using it. The best way to explain it is that you want everything to feel as if it is an extension of your body. The important things to have are:

-A good monitor
-Some form of gaming mouse
-A good surface for your mouse
-A keyboard with no ghosting
-A microphone
-A headset or pair of headphones

Monitors

If you’re just beginning to start competitive TF2, you don’t really need to consider this at all. For most players, this is what you worry the least about, and at lower levels of play, this won’t really affect you very much. However at higher levels of play, you may be limited by your monitor. What you want to check is the refresh rate of your monitor because that is one of the factors that controls your frames per second (FPS). Most people use 60 hz monitors, which means that they are limited to 120 FPS. At the invite level, most players are using 120 hz monitors or better, allowing them to reach 240 FPS and above. The more frames that you can see, the better you’ll play. If you can afford it, you’ll want a 120 hz monitor, and I suggest you do some research when trying to buy one.

Gaming Mice

Mice are a really important factor when it comes to gaming. You don’t need to buy a “gaming mouse” per say, however you do need one with some functionality. It doesn’t have to have fancy things like dpi switchers and removable weights, but you need to be able to compete. For example, if anyone out there is still using a ball mouse (such as this one), then it’s time to get a new mouse. In terms of functionality, the best mouse that you can have is a laser mouse with a few buttons on the side that you can bind to things like voice chat. Past that, you’re really looking for comfort and aesthetics. If you’re able to, go to your local electronics store and try out a few mice. What you’re looking for is how the mouse feels in your hand; see which ones you like and don’t like.

Some things to consider:
· Dots-per-Inch (DPI) – Are you able to adjust the mouse's DPI?
· Feel of the mouse – Does it fit your hand? What kind of grip do you use?
· Number of buttons – You probably don’t need more than five (left click, right click, middle click/scroll wheel, and two side buttons for VOIP and in-game voice respectively)
· Does your mouse have a flawless sensor? – Flawless refers to whether or not the mouse has prediction or acceleration that is not removable, as well as other errors.

The price range can be anywhere from $20 to $80, so choose wisely, and pay attention to customer reviews.

Some nice mice links:

Mice Using Flawless Sensors by wata
Overall Mouse User Comparison Ratings Spreadsheet by Systemtech

Mouse Surfaces / Mousepads

Many people think about having a good mouse, but equally important is the surface that you use it on. I highly suggest buying a large mouse pad (preferably one designed for gaming). If you’re looking to purchase a new one, I once again recommend trying it out before you buy it, if that is an option. Otherwise, check user reviews.

Things to consider:
· How big is the mousepad?
· Is the pad made out of cloth or is it a hard surface such as aluminum or plastic?
· Does the surface have a lot of friction or is it really slick?

I would like to remind you that there is no such thing as a mouse pad that is too large, but it is very annoying to have a mouse pad that is too small. Remember: you don’t want to be limited by your equipment, and if you want to perform at your best, you need to have a mouse pad of adequate size. As for the material that the pad is made out of, it is your own preference. Many players prefer cloth pads because you can roll them up and take them on the go, but others like the hard surface because it is easier to clean. The surface friction of the pad is your preference as well, as there are good players who use both ends of the spectrum.

Keyboard

This is self explanatory, but you really don’t need a fancy keyboard with backlit keys, 20 macro buttons, and/or a LED display. All you need is a keyboard that allows you to hit multiple buttons at once without error. If you hit certain combinations of keys and the keyboard doesn’t register those button presses, then you have an issue with ghosting. This is a common issue for players using laptop keyboards. For more information on keyboard ghosting, please see this link: http://www.microsoft.com/appliedsciences/AntiGhostingExplained.mspx.

Sound Gear

It is absolutely essential that you use a microphone when playing competitive TF2! A large part of TEAM Fortress 2 is that you need to work as a team, and communication is a big part of teamwork. Make sure that your microphone functions properly and is a quality product; you want your teammates to be able to understand you. If you don’t own a microphone, I strongly recommend the Zalman clip on mic which gets good reviews and is very cheap.

Another important thing to use is a headset or pair of headphones. Speakers are unacceptable when it comes to competitive play, as you don’t get the same level of immersion. Wearing headphones with a good soundstage allows you to properly hear where things are coming from and helps you to play better.

2. Software

Finally the interesting part! Hopefully you are using an adequate hardware setup that allows you to play the game properly and lets the game feel like an extension of yourself. Now let’s get into the nitty gritty, and make sure that you are set up with everything that you need in order to play competitive TF2. For North American players, I recommend downloading the following programs:

· Team Fortress 2 on Steam for PC – the game
· Mumble – a VOIP program that lets you talk to your teammates
· mIRC or other IRC client – Internet Relay Chat, a terribly archaic way to communicate

Allow me break down the latter two pieces:

Mumble

Mumble is the standard VOIP program used by competitive TF2 players in North America. It is a third party program that allows players to use voice chat to talk to each other, and it is comparable to programs such as Ventrilo or Teamspeak. An important thing to note is that is has an in-game overlay that you can use to see who is speaking at any time; just make sure you start mumble before you start TF2 in order to see it. It is preferable to set Mumble up so that you use the hands free, “Voice Activity” mode, which turns your chat on and off depending on whether or not it picks up your voice. This way there is one less button for you to remember to press. However, if your teammates start complaining about excess noise you may want to just use “Push to Talk”.

Internet Relay Chat (IRC) Client

Competitive TF2 players around the world use IRC for their text-based communication needs. I recommend using mIRC which is a free IRC client (ignore it when it asks you to register). Different communities use different networks, however. North American TF2 operates on the Gamesurge network, while Europeans prefer to use Quakenet.

North Americans

· Use the Gamesurge Network
· High level Pick Up Games (PUGs) happen in #tf2.pug.na on Gamesurge.
· To find a scrim, go to #tf2scrim
· To talk to the admins of the CommFT Mentor Program, go to #tf2mentors

Europeans

· Use the Quakenet Network
· The general hangout for the European scene is #etf2l
· To find a Pick Up Game (PUG or mix), go to #pixeltf2.pickup on Quakenet.
· To find a scrim, go to #tf.wars
· Cannot talk to the CommFT Mentor Program admins using the Quakenet Network

It is important to note that you can set up mIRC to access multiple networks at the same time, so you do not have to commit to one or the other.

Helpful links:

How to Auth on Gamesurge
IRC for Beginners

3. Game Options

I want people to have the correct settings when they begin to play competitive TF2. You may be set in your ways when it comes to your game settings, but I really want to try to convert you to my way of thinking when it comes to these settings (if you aren’t on my side already). You may disagree with me on certain things, but try to keep an open mind, consider each option, and try to see the benefit of using each of these things before disregarding it. Remember that these are performance-increasing settings, meaning they’re there to increase functionality and not necessarily to make your game look pretty. If you’re a competitive player, you’ll want to have these settings in order to perform in the best way possible. I will pretend that you’re working off of a fresh install of TF2.

Installing an FPS Config

First, you absolutely need to use an FPS config. You need to be getting the maximum FPS possible, sacrificing the way your game looks if need be. Most players report a 20-40 FPS increase when using a config. The most popular FPS config is Chris’ TF2 Config, and it is the one I will be teaching you how to install. Other popular ones include m0re’s FPS config and Quantum’s Little Config.

You’ll see that Chris has five different configs to choose from. They’re all very similar in nature, but check the screenshots and see which one applies the best to you. A great way to check is to pick the one with the highest settings and see if you’re getting maximum FPS while playing. If you’re not consistently staying at max FPS, move down to a lower setting. You’ll also notice that he has a config called Dx9Frames. That is because all of his configs are designed for DX8. It is a cleaner, simpler look that most competitive players prefer. I’m going to pick the “HighFrames” config. Copy this config text, and place it in the autoexec.cfg file. This is most likely located in C://Program Files/Steam/steamapps/username/team fortress 2/tf/cfg. If you do not have an autoexec.cfg file, right click in the cfg folder and create a new text document. Paste the FPS config in there and save it as autoexec.cfg.

Now that the scripts portion of the fps config is installed, you’ll want to go through and change a few settings. If you’re using the high frames config like I am, just cheat and overwrite the FPS config you have with the one that I am providing for you here (http://pastie.org/1822200). Then, follow step #1, set your launch options, and you’re done. Otherwise, follow the instructions below:

1. Check the FPS cap. Take whatever refresh rate your monitor has (60 hz for most people), double it, and add 1. My monitor is 60 hz, so my fps_max should be set to 121.

2. Check the Net Settings. Delete the section called “// Net settings for moderate or bad internet connections -- UNCOMMENT THIS SECTION IF YOU WANT THESE SETTINGS” and then remove the // from each command in the good net settings section.

3. We’re going to continue editing each of the sections in the customization section of his FPS config. For each section, just delete the commands for the setting that you DON’T want. The settings you WANT to have are:

· Net Settings for Good Connections
· Enable sprays
· Enable shadows
· Disable facial features
· Disable ragdolls
· Disable gibs

Explanation: You want to remove the things that will distract you, and keep the things that will help you play the game. Facial features, ragdolls, and gibs all create extra action on your screen that will only distract you and make your aim worse. Sprays are the exception to the rule as they don’t have much of an effect on your FPS and aren’t a moving distraction. As for your internet, I am assuming you do not play on a dial up connection.

The last thing you need to do to finish this installation is edit your launch options. Open your Steam Library, right click on TF2, and click on “Properties”. Click on “Set Launch Options” and paste the line of text found at the top of Chris’ Config (the FPS config you put into your autoexec.cfg). Use the appropriate line of text depending on whether you use Full Screen or Windowed mode. Then, change the HEIGHT and WIDTH to your desktop resolution. If you’re having FPS issues and aren’t consistently staying at max FPS, I suggest using full screen mode. You won’t be able to alt-tab out of your game, but you’ll get much better FPS and performance.

Your final launch options should look something like this (I use 1680x1050 desktop resolution):
-dxlevel 81 -full -w 1680 -h 1050 -console -nojoy -noipx -novid -useforcedmparms -noforcemaccel –noforcemspd

More Scripts

You’ll want to use scripts to make your crosshairs weapon-specific. This means that I can have one crosshair on my rocketlauncher and have a different one for my shotgun. An easy way to do this is to use Aron’s Crosshair Switcher, which sets these scripts up for you. Note: when you first install the crosshair switcher, it will erase your old cfg folder and replace it with a new one. Remember to save your old one that has the FPS config that we created as well as any other scripts that you made!

How do you know what crosshair to use? It depends on your preferences. I do, however, have some rules that you need to follow:
· DO NOT use viewmodels or bullet tracers on hitscan weapons (guns). The viewmodel of the gun will cover a significant portion of the screen and prevent you from seeing important things. The bullet tracers are also a distraction and don’t provide you any additional information. The specific commands for disabling viewmodels and bullet tracers are r_drawviewmodel 0 and viewmodel_fov 0 respectively.
· DO use viewmodels on your melee weapons. It will help you with the timing of your swing. You’ll also want to reset your viewmodel field of view. The commands to use are r_drawviewmodel 1 and viewmodel_fov 90 respectively.
· As for viewmodels on projectile weapons, it is your preference. Many players like it because it gives them a frame of reference for their shots. Others remove it because they feel like they know where the rocket/pipe/sticky is coming out, so they want to see more of the screen. It’s completely up to you. Either way, definitely use viewmodel_fov 90 to see your projectile.
· DO use different crosshairs for your primary and secondary weapons. Be consistent. Use one type of crosshair for hitscan weapons across all classes. For example, use one type of crosshair for shotguns, another for pistol/smg, another for sniper/spy pistol, and another for melee.
· DO use a good crosshair. You decide for yourself what is good, but make sure you can see it. Popular colors to use are yellow, green, and white. Yellow is good because the crosshair always shows up when you place it on a player of any color. Green is good because it will never blend into a texture in TF2. White is good because it is not intrusive. Popular custom crosshairs to use for hitscan weapons are the default crosshair and the cross.

Note that you will need to add these commands for EACH WEAPON that you use. That means going into each of your class configs (found in your cfg folder) and editing each of these options for each of these guns. It may be a hassle now, but it is worth it in the long run.

(ADVANCED): Another option for crosshairs that players have is to use a HUD crosshair. In TF2 you are limited to using eight different crosshairs (the default + 7 custom crosshairs that they give you). However, you can edit your custom made HUD to have a crosshair made within it. The great part about doing this is that it allows you to create crosshairs that aren’t part of the original eight. The downside is that you cannot get rid of it or change it across classes/weapons. For more information on HUD crosshairs, please visit http://ozfortress.com/showthread.php?t=39640.

Custom HUDs

Custom HUDs allow you to edit your HUD to have improved functionality, a more streamlined look, and/or a custom crosshair. I highly recommend that you use one, as the default HUD is pretty bad in comparison. The one that I recommend using is Oxide HUD (http://ben.clnsky.com/tf2hud/), but there are a number of other HUDs out there for you to choose from. Other popular HUDs include PVHud, Garm3n HUD, and m0re’s HUD. They’re all pretty similar, but check out the one that you like the most. Installation instructions for each HUD is usually included in the readme, but it involves editing your resource and scripts folders with new files that each HUD designer provides for you.

List of Custom HUDs

Damage Numbers and Hit Sounds

The last important things that you need to have are damage numbers and a hit sound. Many HUDs come with pre-edited damage numbers, but the important thing is to not use the default ones. The red is bad because it easily blends into backgrounds, and many times the numbers are too small. I highly recommend using bright green. You can also edit the amount of time the numbers take to disappear, font, size, and numerous other effects.

For your hitsound, you'll want to pick out a sound that suites you. For a whole list of sounds that you can use, go here: http://tf2dingalings.com/ and follow the installation instructions. You’ll also want to add these commands to your autoexec.cfg:

//music dingaling
cl_hud_minmode 1
play quake3.wav
tf_dingalingaling "1"
tf_dingaling_pitchmaxdmg "80"
tf_dingaling_pitchmindmg "130"
tf_dingaling_volume "2"
tf_dingaling_wav_override "quake3.wav"

I’m not 100% sure if these commands are all needed and working, but you’ll probably want to add them all anyway to be safe. The name of the hitsound file that I use is called “quake3.wav” so you’ll want to replace that name with the name of your hitsound file in the two places found in the commands (2nd line and 7th line). These commands change the pitch of your hitsound depending on how much damage you have done. It will be in a lower pitch if you do a lot of damage, and it be in a high pitch if you don’t do much damage.

Here is an example video of my HUD/damage numbers/hitsound in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kGhoYMa0oU
I use Oxide HUD, green damage numbers, and the Quake 3 hitsound.
(Pretend that my viewmodels are off and I don’t use bullet tracers – sorry, the clip is from my 1st season of TF2 and I’m too lazy to make a new example clip).

Sensitivity and Other Mouse Setup

What I want to do now is make sure you have a good sensitivity and mouse setup. Like I said before, everything needs to feel very natural. As long as that is the case, your sensitivity is probably fine. However, here are some things to ask yourself when considering your sensitivity:

· Do you feel out of control? Do you feel like you’re able to accurately put your crosshair on your target? If not, you may consider lowering your sensitivity. This is especially useful for many scouts.
· Do you feel that you cannot turn quick enough? Do you feel like you’re dragging when trying to turn quickly? If so, you may consider raising your sensitivity. This is especially helpful for soldiers and medics.
· Are you able to turn 180 degrees in one movement? If you need to lift your mouse up in order to see what's behind you, you may want to consider using a higher sensitivity.

If you are for some reason brand new to TF2 and are setting your sensitivity for the first time, here is a great way to find a starting sensitivity to work with. Hop in a server and turn your sensitivity as low as possible. Then, slowly raise it up until you’re able to turn 180 degrees in one movement. Once you have this sensitivity, play with it a little more and adjust accordingly.

One thing I must say is that you need to stay consistent with your sensitivity. Don't keep switching it around or you won't build muscle memory. which takes time and practice to build up. Many scouts find that they play better with a lower sensitivity, but there are plenty of players who can effectively use a high sensitivity. I have found that most scouts use 8-14 inches per 360. On the other side of the spectrum, many soldiers and medics find that they play better with a higher sensitivity, but there are plenty of players who can effectively use a low sensitivity. I have found that most soldiers use 4-10 inches per 360. No matter what sensitivity you use, I recommend using it across all classes. If you use a different sensitivity for each class or a different sensitivity for each weapon, you are likely to throw yourself off and you won’t build that muscle memory that I was talking about earlier.

The last thing that I want to mention about your mouse is mouse acceleration. I am talking about it last as it is the most complicated. There is a lot of debate regarding mouse acceleration, but the general consensus is that you do not want to use it. Mouse acceleration means that your sensitivity changes depending on how quickly you move your mouse. Thus the rules of inches per 360 no longer really apply as the speed of your mouse is a factor as well. Basically, if you didn’t use mouse acceleration before, don’t use it now. Many experienced gamers have had a lot of experience with mouse acceleration and can use it properly because they have built up that muscle memory. However, most other players need to turn it off.

To fully get rid of mouse acceleration / mouse prediction, you need to start by using a flawless mouse (I mentioned this earlier in the hardware section of this guide). If you do not have a flawless mouse, there is no guarantee that you can fully remove mouse acceleration / mouse prediction. Regardless of what mouse you have, follow this link:

Removing Mouse Acceleration by RonBurgundy

If you do not want to use the Saitek/MadCatz method, you can remove mouse acceleration from your registry manually using the following link:

Removing Mouse Acceleration From Windows Registry:

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Now you’re all done! You’re ready to take on the world of competitive TF2, and you’re fully equipped to do so!

Thanks again for reading my guide.

MR SLIN