In Team Fortress, all that remained of the original CTF model was the goal of capturing the opposing team's flag before they reached yours. Eight different classes were born, each with its own array of strengths and weaknesses that advocated strategy and skill. For the fleet of foot, the speedy Scout was perfect for zipping around defenses, darting into the base, and scampering off with the flag, though his weak weapons and low health didn't allow him to survive most encounters. Those with an affinity for splash damage were advised to step into the boots of the Soldier, a well-balanced everyman class whose shotgun and rocket launcher enabled him to lead the charge toward the flag -- or defend it.


Designed to beat down overzealous soldiers was the Heavy, a hefty chaingun-carrying madman whose broad frame could withstand a pummeling from the Soldier, though his head was as vulnerable to a well-placed Sniper bullet as everyone else's. Being doused by the Pyro's flamethrower mandated a dip in any nearby pool of water lest your health drain quickly, and running headfirst into the enemy's flag room was ill-advised when engineers and their powerful turrets were in play.

The class-based warfare resulted in the trio of TF developers receiving jobs at Valve Software. Shortly after accepting their new positions, Walker, Cook and Caughley set to work on Team Fortress Classic, an update to their original mod for Quake. Team Fortress 2 followed many years thereafter, and has been regarded by many gamers as the definitive FPS strategy game.

TFC and TF2's pastures are greener, but many still see the charm in Team Fortress, the mod that set the stage for Sasha and Sandvich. The origin of the arguably finest class-based competitive game in existence has aged gracefully, and is well worth experiencing.