Teamwork Is An Illusion

Summary

This video script delves into the psychological aspects of teamwork in 'Team Fortress 2', a game where coordinated efforts often spontaneously arise without direct communication. It discusses how the game's design, including voice lines and mechanics like 'domination', subtly encourages players to work together for objectives, creating an 'illusion of teamwork'. The script reflects on the player's journey from frustration to acceptance of this dynamic, ultimately rediscovering enjoyment in the game's micro-moments rather than macro outcomes.

Takeaways

• 🎮 Team Fortress 2 (TF2) often involves players from around the world coming together to coordinate tactical moves for victory against an opposing team.
• 🕒 The urgency of a 'pub push' in TF2 is often triggered by the game's announcement that the mission ends in 60 seconds, prompting a last-minute team effort.
• 🤔 The script questions why players don't focus on teamwork and objectives consistently throughout the game, but only when faced with the possibility of losing.
• 🏆 Despite the game's title suggesting teamwork, the author suggests that intentional teamwork in casual mode is more of an illusion than a reality.
• 🔄 Stalemates in TF2 are seen as necessary for the game's enjoyment, providing a challenge that prevents matches from being over too quickly.
• 🛤️ The payload game mode in TF2 is highlighted as promoting roles and momentum, making it a popular choice for players.
• 🎖️ The author argues that the fun in TF2 comes from micro engagements rather than macro victories, setting it apart from other shooter games.
• 📹 Watching live TF2 gameplay can be less engaging than edited content, as the latter can distill the game's fun micro moments into a more entertaining package.
• 🎛️ Teamwork in TF2 is subtly encouraged through game design, such as automatic voice lines and the domination mechanic, which can lead to spontaneous team efforts.
• 🎲 The game's design tricks players into teamwork without them realizing it, creating an illusion of cooperation that enhances the overall experience.
• 💡 The script concludes that the enjoyment of TF2 comes from accepting the illusion of teamwork and embracing the game's micro moments rather than focusing solely on winning.

Q & A

What is the main theme discussed in the video script about Team Fortress 2?

The main theme discussed in the video script is the illusion of teamwork in Team Fortress 2 and how the game design encourages spontaneous cooperation among players without explicit communication.

How does the 'Mission ends in 60 seconds' voice line impact the gameplay in Team Fortress 2?

The 'Mission ends in 60 seconds' voice line acts as a catalyst for teamwork, prompting players who were previously focused on individual objectives to coordinate and make a final push towards victory.

What is the term used to describe the last-ditch effort made by a team in Team Fortress 2 when time is running out?

The term used to describe this phenomenon is 'pub push'.

Why do players in Team Fortress 2 often seem to disregard the objective until the last minute?

Players often disregard the objective due to the individualistic nature of the game, focusing on their own outcomes and fun until the urgency of losing prompts them to work together.

What role does the game design play in creating the illusion of teamwork in Team Fortress 2?

The game design plays a significant role by using psychological cues such as voice lines, respawn waves, and the domination mechanic to subtly encourage players to work together without the need for explicit communication.

What is the significance of the domination mechanic in promoting teamwork in Team Fortress 2?

The domination mechanic indirectly promotes teamwork by marking players who are on a killing spree, making them targets for focus fire from the entire team, even if the players are not consciously coordinating.

How does the script describe the difference between macro and micro moments in Team Fortress 2?

Macro moments refer to the overall objectives and outcomes of the game, while micro moments are the individual engagements and actions that players find enjoyable, such as 1v1 battles or upgrading a dispenser.

Why does the script suggest that watching a live stream of a Team Fortress 2 pub game might be less engaging than other types of games?

The script suggests that live streams of Team Fortress 2 pub games might be less engaging because they lack the story progression and stakes found in other game genres, making them feel more like background noise than an immersive experience.

What is the role of editing in making Team Fortress 2 content more engaging on platforms like YouTube?

Editing allows content creators to cut out the downtime and focus on the interesting or funny micro moments, distilling the fun aspects of the game into a more engaging and contained viewing experience.

How does the script explain the appeal of Team Fortress 2 despite its age and the presence of other modern games?

The script explains that the appeal of Team Fortress 2 lies in its unique blend of objective-based gameplay and individual-focused micro moments, as well as its timeless game design that fosters an illusion of teamwork.

Outlines

00:00

🎮 The Dynamics of Teamwork in Team Fortress 2

This paragraph discusses the team dynamics in Team Fortress 2 (TF2), a popular multiplayer game. The speaker describes how players from around the world come together to execute strategic moves to achieve victory against an opposing team. The paragraph highlights the roles of different classes within the game and how they contribute to the team's success. It also touches on the spontaneous coordination, or 'pub push,' that occurs when the game's objective is about to fail, leading to a surge in teamwork. The speaker questions why this coordinated effort doesn't happen throughout the entire match, suggesting that the game's design might encourage individual play over team strategy.

05:00

🔄 The Role of Payload and Stalemates in TF2

The speaker delves into the concept of stalemates in TF2, particularly in relation to the payload game mode. They argue that while stalemates can be frustrating, they are an integral part of what makes TF2 enjoyable. The paragraph explains how the design of payload maps encourages team coordination and how the game mode's momentum can lead to quick victories. The speaker also discusses the psychological aspects of game design that make TF2 engaging, such as the focus on individual achievements and the micro moments of gameplay that provide satisfaction, rather than the macro outcomes of matches.

10:01

🎥 The Popularity of TF2 Content and Its Relation to Gameplay

This paragraph explores the popularity of Team Fortress 2 content, especially on YouTube, and contrasts it with the game's streaming presence on platforms like Twitch. The speaker suggests that the game's micro moments are more engaging than the macro events, which makes for compelling video content but less exciting live streams. They also touch on the game's design, which seems to prioritize individual play and spontaneous cooperation over structured teamwork. The paragraph concludes with a discussion of how TF2's design has influenced other games that seek to create an illusion of teamwork.

15:02

🤔 The Illusion of Teamwork and Its Impact on Player Behavior

The speaker reflects on the illusion of teamwork in TF2 and how it influences player behavior. They discuss various game mechanics, such as the administrator alert, respawn waves, and voice lines, that subtly encourage teamwork without requiring direct communication. The paragraph also covers the 'domination' mechanic, which can lead to spontaneous team efforts against a dominant player. The speaker appreciates the game's ability to create these moments of cooperation through psychological game design, which has been influential in the industry.

20:02

💭 Embracing the Illusion and Finding Enjoyment in TF2

In the final paragraph, the speaker shares a personal realization about the nature of teamwork in TF2. They discuss how their frustration with teammates' lack of focus on the game's objectives led to a change in perspective. The speaker came to understand that the illusion of teamwork is intentional and that the game's true enjoyment comes from the individual and micro moments, not the macro outcomes. They encourage players to embrace this aspect of the game and find fun in the spontaneous and unpredictable nature of TF2's gameplay.

Keywords

💡Team Fortress 2

Team Fortress 2 (TF2) is a team-based multiplayer first-person shooter video game developed by Valve Corporation. It is the central theme of the video, where the narrator discusses the game's mechanics, community, and the illusion of teamwork within its casual play environment. The game is characterized by its unique classes, each with their own roles and abilities, which are a focal point in the discussion of teamwork dynamics.

💡Teamwork

Teamwork in the context of the video refers to the coordinated efforts of players to achieve a common goal in the game. The narrator explores how TF2 encourages teamwork through subtle game design, even though players often prioritize individual actions. The term is used to contrast the game's title with the actual player behavior, highlighting the 'illusion of teamwork' that emerges in certain situations like the 'pub push'.

💡Pub Push

A 'pub push' is a term used in TF2 to describe a last-ditch effort by a team to win the match when time is running out. The video script mentions this phenomenon to illustrate how an imminent loss can suddenly galvanize individual players into coordinated action, despite the lack of structured teamwork throughout the rest of the game.

💡Game Design

Game design in this video refers to the intentional creation of game mechanics and systems that influence player behavior. The narrator discusses how TF2's game design, including features like the 'mission ends in 60 seconds' alert, encourages players to work together without explicitly requiring them to do so, thus creating an illusion of teamwork.

💡Voice Line

Voice lines in TF2 are audio cues that characters use to communicate in-game actions or reactions. The video emphasizes their role in subtly promoting teamwork, as they can serve as implicit calls to action or acknowledgments of a player's contribution to the team, as seen when a character thanks another for using a teleporter or for healing them.

💡Domination

In TF2, a 'domination' occurs when a player kills the same enemy four times consecutively without dying or getting an assist. The video explains how this mechanic can inadvertently promote teamwork by marking out particularly strong players, encouraging the rest of the team to focus fire on them, even if the players are not consciously coordinating.

💡Micro Moments

Micro moments are the small, individual engagements or actions within the game that contribute to the overall enjoyment of playing TF2. The video contrasts these with 'macro' events, such as winning or losing a match, to argue that the game's fun comes from the individual experiences rather than the overall outcome.

💡Macro Events

Macro events refer to the larger, overarching occurrences in a game, such as winning or achieving the objective. The narrator uses this term to discuss how these events are less important to the enjoyment of TF2 compared to the micro moments, suggesting that the game's design prioritizes individual experiences over team outcomes.

💡Stalemate

A stalemate in the context of TF2 is a situation where neither team is making progress towards winning the match. The video mentions stalemates to discuss how certain maps or game modes can lead to drawn-out, unproductive gameplay, which can be frustrating but also contributes to the game's unique dynamics and the eventual 'pub push' phenomenon.

💡Payload

Payload is a game mode in TF2 where one team pushes a cart along a track while the other team tries to stop them. The video uses payload as an example of a game mode that encourages roles and momentum, contributing to the game's strategic depth and the satisfaction of a well-timed 'pub push'.

💡Focus Fire

Focus fire is a strategy where multiple players concentrate their attacks on a single target to eliminate them quickly. The video explains how the TF2's design can lead to spontaneous instances of focus fire as a form of emergent teamwork, even when players are primarily motivated by personal goals like revenge or individual satisfaction.

Highlights

Team Fortress 2 (TF2) gameplay involves players from around the world coordinating tactical moves to achieve victory.

A voice line alerting 'Mission ends in 60 seconds' creates a 'pub push' phenomenon, prompting players to coordinate at the last minute.

TF2's casual mode lacks intentional teamwork, with players often focusing on individual outcomes rather than the team objective.

The game design of TF2 encourages individual playstyles, which contrasts with the team-based title of the game.

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Stalemates in TF2 are often due to difficult choke points and limited flank options, leading to frustration but also contributing to the game's appeal.

Payload game mode in TF2 encourages roles and momentum, making it a popular choice for players.

The design of payload maps in TF2 creates a natural progression of difficulty, with the last point being the hardest to capture.

TF2's gameplay joy comes from micro engagements rather than macro victories, setting it apart from other shooter games.

TF2 content creators focus on micro moments and editing out downtime to create engaging videos.

The illusion of teamwork in TF2 is created through subtle game design choices that encourage players to work together without explicit communication.

Domination mechanic in TF2 subtly encourages focus fire from the entire team against a single powerful player.

TF2's voice lines and automatic responses serve as positive reinforcement for actions that help the team.

The game's design tricks players into contributing to the team effort, even when they are focused on individual actions.

The author reflects on their own realization that the enjoyment of TF2 comes from accepting the illusion of teamwork and focusing on individual play.

TF2's stalemates and focus on micro moments contribute to memorable gameplay experiences, despite the lack of consistent teamwork.

The video concludes with the author's personal journey of accepting the game's design and finding enjoyment in the micro moments of TF2.

Transcripts

dispenser going

[Music]

up well I guess that'll do when I play

Team Fortress 2 it always goes like this

me and 11 other people from around the

world ban together and coordinate a

tactical move in order to achieve

Victory against the opposing team

soldiers bomb the enemy Medics the Spy

saps the entry just as our Uber heavy

rounds the corner to mow down the

defensive hold Engineers move their

teleporters forward to keep that

pressure up and the Scout reeks havoc on

the back lines in order to give his team

the opportunity to Edge that cart just a

little further forward until finally at

the very last possible moment the card

is tipped over the edge and the bomb

explodes queuing up the victory music

once again while everyone types GG in

the chat

like that's ever going to happen L it

okay yeah there is something very

important about this scenario that I I

did leave out sorry uh the entire reason

why this incredible sequence of teamwork

happened is because less than a minute

earlier this simple little voice line

rang out across the map for everyone to

hear Mission ends in 60 seconds you know

when Ellen mlan recorded that almost 20

years ago I doubt she knew just how

impactful it would be on the outcome of

literally every single Team Fortress

match because before that voice line

played the atmosphere of this server was

completely different nobody was

coordinating uh nobody was thinking

about the path of Victory nobody was

focused on the objective at all the

soldier was trying to market guarden the

engineer dominating him uh the Spy was

going for a stair stab for the fifth

time in a row the engineer was AFK and

the Scout well he was still back there

messing with the backline but it wasn't

for the team I can tell you that it's

he's just doing that cuz it's funny this

is TF2 you know this is what it is this

is the entire point of this game to most

people really uh everyone is in their

own little world trying to achieve their

own individual outcomes but when this

lady gets on the loudspeaker and lets

everyone know that there's only one

minute left suddenly then the entire

point of Team Fortress 2 stops being

individual and becomes a team effort

there's a name people give this

phenomenon you may already know it's

called a pub push and it's basically

just that last Terra that the team gives

when the difference between their loss

and a continuation of the match or total

Victory is less than 60 seconds it could

be a complete shut out for 10 minutes

straight but when the time for a pub

push comes it's often the Silver Bullet

but why is that like why don't people

just do this all the time the objective

doesn't suddenly appear at the minute

markets there for the entirety of the

match like why does nobody seem to care

about winning unless the prospect of

losing is suddenly presented to them I

don't have the definitive answer to why

Pub pushes happen so consistently I'm

not a psychologist but I do have an

interest in game design psychology so I

do have some theories uh the main one

being that despite the word team being

in the title of this game intentional

and formulated teamwork in Team Fortress

to Casual mode is by design an illusion

it simply does not exist real quick

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video so the first thing I want to talk

about stalemates you failed stalemate

seems like the major frustration aimed

at certain Maps usually boils down to

the phrase uh it's too stal typically

these maps have extremely difficult to

push choke points limited flank options

perfect Sentry spots oppressive sniper

sight lines or easily spammable areas

that just prevent teams from maintaining

a foothold long enough to coordinate an

offensive maneuver this can be very

frustrating but I believe that without

these stalemates Team Fortress 2 would

not be the game that it is and honestly

I don't think it would be very fun I

know that I can't be alone in this when

I say that my least favorite matches of

TF2 are rolls when one team just blows

through the other without much

resistance and the game is just over in

less than 5 minutes you can blame team

imbalance for this sure you can blame

valve's flawed matchmaking system or you

can blame the team stacking Discord

goons all of these completely valid

reasons but I think an underrated reason

for rolls is actually just payload the

game mode especially on my own servers

payload is an extremely popular game

type and for a good reason I think it's

as close to a perfect Pub environment

that you can get but the truth of the

matter is payload is essentially

designed in a way where it encourages

roles the secret to winning payload is

simple momentum if you consistently get

four or five people on the cart at once

you can capture four out of five points

in just a few minutes easily if you get

some people who know how to spawn Camp

effectively and prevent Engineers from

setting up on forward points you will be

pushing to last in no time at all and so

then there's the last Point think of any

payload Maps last Point how many hours

of your life have you spent pushing just

that particular Point payload is

designed in a way where the first point

is supposed to be the easiest for blue

to capture and the last point is

supposed to be the easiest for red to

defend you could think of the payload

experience as a ramp and while there are

many games I've played where I can't

leave badwater first spawn room because

I get blasted by 12 players as soon as I

stick my pinky toe out of the door I

always feel like the diagnosis in that

situation is just an unlucky

distribution of players but even in the

games where teams feel evenly matched

and everyone is pulling their own weight

nine times out of 10 all the blue team

really needs is a little bit of momentum

and we're all all back to pushing last

again and despite what may sound like

criticism for the design philosophy of

payload I still maintain that it is the

perfect Pub game mode and most of my

favorite maps in TF2 are payload Maps

because yes the stalemate that you run

into at last is not only baked into the

design of the maps themselves I believe

it's baked into what makes TF2 worth

playing in the first

place's go I don't want to Stomp the

other team in 5 minutes I don't want to

get stomped I want to have an excuse to

run around and shoot people for 20

minutes to have enough time to sit in a

choke and get into scraps to dodge spam

and to dodge back you know play Team

Fortress 2 this is getting into what I

think the most important definitive

element of TF2 is from a gameplay

standpoint compared to other games in

the shooter genre the joy that is

extracted from playing this game does

not come from the macro it comes from

the micro for example in a br shooter

like fortnite you are the happiest when

you get a victory number one Royale that

is a macro event right the micro events

are the tiny engagements with players

but overall you're going for that dub

even in something like OverWatch which

leans much more towards a MOA style of

teamwork the micro events of 1v1

engagements are often overshadowed by

the importance of macro events in team

fights where everyone presses Q at the

same time Team Fortress 2 because of the

contradictory focus on making the

individual the main dictator of his or

her gameplay experience the best parts

of this game are in the singular

engagements the 1V one deathmatches even

for Support classes like Medic or

engineer a lot of the time the most

effective way to play those classes

comes down to a focus on self-

sustainment and focusing on an

individual task such as upgrading your

dispenser to level three or building

your Uber to 100% without dying but if

you ever needed any proof that Team

Fortress 2 is designed to cater towards

the micro instead of the macro just look

at TF2 content compare the views that

Team Fortress 2 videos get in comparison

to the average concurrent view count on

live streams this game is extremely

popular especially considering its age

and yet TF2 twitch streams hardly ever

break three-digit numbers on concurrent

viewers while TF2 YouTube videos are

racking up hundreds of thousands of

views a day why is there such a massive

disparity well there are probably many

reasons but in my opinion a big reason

is because watching someone Pub in TF2

in real time is honestly kind of boring

it can be like a chill experience for

sure like it's good background noise to

study or relax to but it's not really

engaging because at the end of the day

when you're playing TF2 you're not

creating a story and live streams in

particular are the most engaging when

there's a story being told one with a

beginning middle and end that has some

level of stakes behind it all this is

why Battle Royale games and mobas are so

incredibly popular on Twitch you tune in

and you are compelled to stay and watch

because you want to know will the funny

streamer win the funny game or will he

lose and make a funny face compare that

experience to tuning into a live stream

of a Team Fortress 2 Pub in which there

are really no Stakes at all will the

streamer win the pub like who cares

winning in TF2 doesn't really matter

it's all brownie points it's unimportant

by Design even when it comes to the

entirely cosmetic casual mode badge the

outcome of the match doesn't affect how

many experience points you even get

there isn't really much of a story being

told when you play TF2 casually which is

why the main sub community that sees the

most relative success in tf2's twitch

scene are the competitive players who

are consistently playing and organized

pickup games scrims and matches and as

far as I know the only TF2 streamer who

has been able to consistently make a

living from streaming TF2 is Banny and

it's because he has two hooks to engage

sticking around and watch him play one

being that he's just really really good

at the game which is fun to watch in a

pub environment and two he consistently

plays competitive lobbies which by their

very nature create stories that you want

to tune into and see to the very end

everyone else who makes a living

creating TF2 content including myself we

cut out the downtime that would normally

be important context for the outcome of

a match aka the macro and instead we

only focus on including the interesting

or funny moments the micro and overall

the most popular TF2 videos are video

essays like this one mainly just talking

about TF2 and never really showcasing

the raw gameplay for more than just a

few minutes at a time hell even quote

unquote TF2 live commentaries benefit

from cutting out parts that aren't

particularly interesting or more funny

and as a result TF2 content is very very

popular on YouTube still to this day

because the power of editing makes it

easy to distill what makes the game fun

to play in a contained experience I mean

like really good example here soundsmith

keeps his studio lights on because Team

Fortress 2 is a hot bed for consistently

unique micro moments that most of the

time have absolutely nothing to do with

the game State the win loss condition

the teamwork anything like that no one

cares like the most amount of teamwork

you'll ever see in a meatloaf video is

the coordination that involves hitting

the same poor soul with a rap assassin

Bobble from across the map like it's no

coincidence that every soundsmith video

takes place on either two for or double

cross these maps are the definition of

an infinite stalemate there's

practically unlimited time at your

disposal on these maps to have dozens of

entertaining moments independent of what

your teammates are doing and it's not

just a good place to farm your funny

moments clips compilation two4 n CTF as

a whole is by far the most popular way

to play this game casually so at the end

of the day Team Fortress 2 is just an

objective focused FPS that is secretly

Just A full-on Team Deathmatch Arena and

it's been this way for almost two

decades now so how on Earth does anyone

categorize this game as a team based

shooter when teamwork is hardly on the

mind of the average person who's booting

it up well it's not that teamwork in TF2

doesn't exist wholesale players do

occasionally communicate in voice chat

and lobbied groups are definitely more

likely to coordinate with each other and

obviously there are competitive leagues

where people play the game with the soul

intention of coordinating with their

team in order to win I do believe

however that teamwork in a casual

setting is merely simulated subtly

encouraged uh procedurally generated I

don't really know exactly how to

describe it but it often feels like

nobody is really working together at all

and yet we're able to spontaneously come

together every once in a while to make

something happen without an actual

Catalyst nobody is ever in voice chat

leading the troops into battle and TF2

voice chat is usually reserved for

things like this

[Music]

instead so what the heck is going on how

are people coordinating largely on

accident so often in this game if you

thought the answer this whole time was

that Team Fortress 2 is a Timeless

Masterpiece you're

right it all comes down to the game

design and not the yellow paint kind of

game design the psychological kind of

game design you know the kind that gets

in your head and tricks you into doing

things without you knowing why you

didn't them the most obvious one is the

inclusion of that administrator alert

that I was talking about earlier because

that is a literal call to action that

has a very clear cause and effect so

much that it's become a meme within the

community that pubs do not push until

the lady in the megaphone says Mission

ends in 60 seconds but I'm much more

interested in the ways in which teamwork

exists in the background of this wannabe

Deathmatch strange weapon farm that has

become so integrated into our

subconscious that we don't even notice

them anymore how have we all become like

Pavlov's mercenary reacting without a

thought to sounds visuals and choices

that the game developers made all the

way back at the beginning of the century

that hold up so well to this day that

TF2 remains one of the most easily

accessible games on the PC market as

long as you you know ignore all the Bots

and cheaters and racists obviously there

are so many tiny little things that

contribute to the illusion of teamwork

in TF2 such as the concept of respawn

waves the game always tries to respawn

players in chunks so that when you leave

spawn you'll often leave with at least

one other person by your side or even

take these team outlines when leaving

spawn actually like that is there so you

can quickly see where your team is

gathered at without having to purely

rely on sound but on the subject of

sound voice lines are definitely where a

lot of subtle teamwork encouragement

comes from for sure I mean the voice

lines that you can do your sell from the

menu as more of a direct form of

communication obviously you can often

wordlessly let your pocket know that

you're about to Uber recharge them by

pressing Z and then

three but there are voice lines that

consistently automatically play when

something happens in the game like when

the cart stops getting pushed little men

steal our C or the automatic thank you

response that your character will say

after taking a teleporter much oblig

wait why is the engineer thanking

himself for building his own teleporter

or the automatic thank you voice line

that plays after a meta heals you

appreciate it DOC these voice lines

after you hear them enough can often

blend into the background sometimes but

I really do think that especially for

new players hearing literal positive

reinforcement being directed towards you

for doing something that ultimately

helps your team that really helps get it

into a player's head whether they

recognize it or not that what they did

was a good thing and they should

continue doing it they think I should

keep building teleporters because the

funny Russian man says was good trip

after he takes it oh I should Uber the

soldier because when I do he does that

funny scream I should Air Blast the

burning Scout because he's running

around shouting fire fire this is a

fantastic example of the game

recognizing that encouraging actions

that contribute to the macro such as

doing something for the good of your

teammates instead of yourself should be

achieved by creating these fun micro

moments driven entirely by the TF2 casts

iconic and expressive personalities

another thing that I think contributes a

great deal to this teamwork illusion is

the domination mechanic Believe It or

Not uh if you're like me and have never

been dominated in your whole life um

I'll explain what dominations are after

you get killed four times in a row by a

player without getting a kill or assist

on them they are essentially given a

little badge above their head that only

you can see that lets you know that they

are owning you right now so either get

revenge or rage quit now this mechanic I

feel may be a little controversial in

today's gaming landscape like I bet you

like 20 bugs that if TF2 came out today

dominations would have been removed in

play testing due to it making players

feel bad for dying too much and hurting

their egos but I actually really love

this mechanic because it contributes

that much more to the idea of subtly

encourag ing teamwork see TF2 is a neat

game in that individual players given

that they put in the hours and practice

can get very very good at this game

there's a high skill ceiling it's a very

fundamentally and mechanically demanding

game and I mean it's generally accepted

that you don't really truly reach the

beginning of your potential ntf2 unless

you've sunk at least a few thousand

hours into it which is insane if you

really think about it so it's by design

that there will always be at least one

or two players on the enemy team who are

just absolutely on on everyone

who are just a complete Menace and who

are just inexplicably allowed to roam

free and get every kill with ease with a

domination mechanic you'd think that

these players are getting rewarded I

mean they have this cool little badge

next to their name that displays how

many noobs they've pounded into the

ground and how many years they've stayed

up practicing their Rocket jumps and air

shots but in reality they're being

slightly and suddenly nerfed they're

being given a small imperceptible debuff

that they are likely not even aware of

the more dominations that they rack up

the more that they are at risk of being

the victim of the teamwork illusion you

see the answer always to a rampaging

carry player on the enemy team with a

Godlike killstreak and the medic latched

onto them with a critz is simple Focus

fire but how unfortunate Focus fire is a

team effort you have to coordinate that

you have to somehow let everyone know

that this particular player needs to be

shot at by the entire team

simultaneously but you're too shy to

press your push to talk button or you

don't want to wake up your grandma so

that's where the domination mechanic

comes in the more people who are being

dominated by this guy the more likely it

is that they will all see this

problematic gamer with a big blinking

sign over their head that says get

revenge on me your ego demands it and

focus this guy down and the best part is

none of them even realize that it was a

team effort when this happens in reality

the motivation to shoot him on site was

to get their own personal revenge and

then taunt afterwards but what they

really did was contribute to a

spontaneous moment of focus fire at best

and at least take out the other team's

carry and allow the rest of the team

some respit for 20 seconds getting that

satisfying Revenge was a micro moment

that can snowball into a macro event and

the most impressive part about all this

in my opinion is that the illusion of

teamwork is not a trick if you think

about it it's an answer to a problem

that anyone designing a team-based

objective Focus game has to answer how

do we get these antisocial beta Gamers

to occasionally work together without

requiring that they get into voice chat

to explicitly explain what they were

about to do while also maintaining that

fun element of micro moments that make

up the majority of the entire game's

experience see this is why I am not a

game designer I'm not smart enough to

come up with Solutions like this but I

can definitely appreciate them

especially when you consider that TF2

was designed so long ago you could

certainly say that they were ahead of

their time because nowadays pretty much

every game where the illusion of

teamwork exists TF2 has been a jumping

off point which has been expanded upon

in various ways many ways in which I

would love to have seen added a tf2 at

some point but uh yeah anyway the point

I wanted to make just boils down to this

really uh Team Fortress 2 is great but

what makes it great is that the teamwork

part is an illusion whether you win or

lose the match ultimately can come down

to a coin flip but whether you have fun

or not is pretty much just up to what

you choose to spend doing during that

15minute stalemate before the inevitable

pump push and after you've been

hoodwinked into helping your fellow

mercenaries in a microscopic way I felt

like talking about this because

relatively recently I personally reached

a point with this game where I had to

sort of uh I don't know face the truth

in a way uh for a long time especially

in the last couple years I'd always felt

frustrated with how UNS seriously my

teammates seem to take the role that

their class choices bestow upon them I

found myself getting upset even angry at

my team for not taking advantage of

opportunities or not dedicating

themselves to the objective a goal that

I believed had to have been shared

between myself and everyone else in the

entire server but the truth of the

matter is the lack of sameness in

mindset contributes a great deal to what

makes Team Fortress too memorable in the

long run I think back to my favorite

moments while playing this game and

hardly any of them have anything to do

with winning or losing practically none

of my true enjoyment has come from the

macro moments and sure those moments are

satisfying it feels great to come

together with a group of strangers and

make something happen and I love those

moments but that's just a piece of a

greater hole of this game and I was

unnecessarily making my own gameplay

experience worse by allowing only that

piece to dictate my enjoyment of playing

it like I'm not kidding when I say I

used to get genuinely mad at my team

when they let me down like I would get

angry at a video game it was only when I

realized that I was getting upset for

literally no good reason at all and

decided to consider why my experiences

were consistently like this that I came

to realize that I had felt entitled to a

phantom a thing that does not exist on

purpose a random event in a greater

Arena of organized unpredictability I

had to let go I had to accept that

teamwork is and always has been an

illusion and what do you know I started

having fun again when I started thinking

like this does this mean that I don't

get frustrated with this game anymore

absolutely not uh does this mean that

I've changed my mind about random crits

uh hell no but I hope you enjoyed

listening to me rant and Rave about TF2

for a while I appreciate yall coming

back and watching my videos there's more

to come soon so I will talk to you

nieces and nephews next time oh also if

you uh enjoyed this uh more more casual

uh Style video of me kind of chatting

over gameplay uh then you should check

out me playing games with my friends on

the maximum damage Channel we played uh

balers Gate 3 we played Plants versus

Zombies a classic uh We've uh we coming

out with more uh of these kind of I

don't know I guess you would just call

them Let's Plays or uh like a game

grumps only plays style of uh commentary

yeah if you're interested in seeing me

play other games besides TF2 uh go and

check that out here's a clip from the

plants versus zombies one sounds like

rain hitting a tin roof and all yeah but

look look how many nuts I have I dude I

love that sound specifically you get

that sound when you hit the bucket guys

oh yeah the yeah I love that super

satisfying this is honestly like this

game is so well made feels like there's

rats in my ears or something right now

sound design is so good I love the rats

in my

ears the evil I love evil rats I'm

loving the rats in my ears right now