Team Fortress 2 Level Analysis

Team Fortress 2 is a class-based, team-based online shooter. The game is centered around the competition between two opposing teams, red and blu. Players from either team choose to play as one of nine classes. Each class plays a different role in the game and players must use the strengths of their chosen class to benefit the team. Some classes play an offensive role, such as the Scout, Soldier and Pyro. Meanwhile, the Demoman, Heavy and Engineer play more defensive roles. The Medic, Sniper and Spy serve a support role to the other classes and help in tipping the balance of the encounters during the match. In this way, Team Fortress 2 is a game that values collaboration with team mates more than individual skill. There are a variety of game modes in Team Fortress 2, including arena, control point, king of the hill, payload, payload race, territorial control, and capture the flag.

For my analysis, I played a capture the flag map called ctf_turbine. The setting for this map isn't incredibly distinct, but it's essentially some form of secret spy building with a large generator room in the center taking place at some time during the 1960's. The level is visually very simple, with signs and arrows scattered about to guide the player and a very minimal amount of props, such as old fashioned computers, fire extinguishers, and alarms to give a sense of what the space is. The color scheme of either side of the map matches the corresponding team color with the central area taking on a neutral color palette. The lighting is rather high key, giving the level a fairly light-hearted mood, which goes pretty well with all of the crazy cartoon violence in the game.

Here's a diagram of the layout of the map:

 The object of the capture the flag game mode is to reach the opposing side of the level and capture the opposing team's intelligence and return it to your team's side. Due to the way this game mode works, all of the players end up passing through the large generator room in the center, making it one of the primary areas where the fighting occurs. This generator room features some turbines in the center, as well as two large shipping containers. These objects serve as cover for the players, and the shipping containers also act as a platform that certain classes can jump on to and take advantage of the higher ground. On either side of the room, there are also walkways that can serve as good vantage points for snipers. The walkways are very exposed though, so you need to be careful of staying up there for too long. The walkways also have a small covered area in the center that players can use as cover. One more thing about the walkways is that they are just high enough to give the player a little bit of falling damage if they jump off the side, which forces the player to decide if they want to jump off and take damage, or run to the stairs instead. The generator room also has a small room on either side that contains a health pack. These rooms are another good source of cover.

The generator room is where both teams meet as they advance to the opposing side.

Another important area in the map is the room where the intelligence is stored.

This is the intelligence room. The intelligence floats over a large pad and is marked by an arrow on the wall.

 There are a couple of aspects to the room that help to make it challenging to enter. For one thing, the primary entrance to the room consists of two circular doors. These doors are placed in such a way to make it very hard to see what's on the other side, which allows the opposing team to have an easier time defending. Usually engineers will place sentry turrets behind the wall that the player typically wont see until they enter the room and immediately become a target for the sentry.

These doorways only allow a small glimpse into the room

 The other entrance is through a stair case. Again the way the staircase is angled makes it difficult to see the entire room when you are about to enter it. The third entrance to this room is through a ventilation shaft. While the ventilation shaft offers opportunities for surprise attacks, it also puts players in a very vulnerable position after jumping through.

This is the vent entrance. The little legs poking out are from an enemy scout that tried to steal the intelligence.

 Here's a short video where I was healing a Heavy and we jumped through the vent to go after the intelligence.

Another important area in the map is the hallway leading up to the intelligence room. One very unique aspect about this section is that there is a small un-enterable room with glass windows. These windows give players a glimpse of what's going on beyond the corner in the hallway and is useful for both defenders and attackers.

I can see where the enemy is by looking through these windows

 The hallway also features a raised platform section that players of certain classes can reach to get a height advantage. This tends to be another area where engineers will place sentries, but it's much more difficult to build them in this area due to the exposure.

So overall, ctf_turbine has quite a few interesting design aspects that helps to create many fun confrontations for the two teams. The varying heights in the space offer unique opportunities for certain classes, the different approaches to the intelligence room allow for players to form different strategies, and the changes in visibility offered in the level makes capturing the intelligence more challenging and, as a result, more rewarding.