Quake 3 Fortress is the third installment of the
Team Fortress modification. The original was for
QuakeWorld and was the most popular mod for Quake 1's multiplayer community. The second was for
Half-Life and was called
Team Fortress Classic, which was also very popular (I thought it was a bit weak when compared to QWTF).
If you were a QWTF player, Q3F may take a bit of getting used to. The physics are quite a bit different (better, in my opinion). There are nine classes, each with different abilities. They are (the original names that were in QWTF are in parenthesis):
- Recon (Scout)
- Sniper
- Soldier
- Grenadier (Demoman)
- Paramedic (Medic)
- Minigunner (Heavy Weapons Guy)
- Flame Trooper (Pyromaniac)
- Agent (Spy)
- Engineer
As you can see, some of the names of the classes are different than they were in QWTF. Here's a basic breakdown of what each class does; it doesn't list everything each class can do, just the basics:
Recon: The fastest capper in the west! This class relies on its speed and concussion grenade jumping to successfully nab the enemy flag and return it to base for a capture. This is one of the hardest classes to play, as your very limited health and armor make you an easy target; concussion jumping is your best survival strategy.
Sniper: Equiped with the most powerful weapon (non-specialized) in the game (your rifle), you can do some serious damage. Used primarily for base entrance defense. Moderatly difficult to play; easy to pick off other classes at a distance but that can quickly change if the other team has a skilled sniper.
Soldier: One of the most versatile classes, great for defense or offense. With your nail grenades, you'll have the best chance of destroying enemy auto-sentries. Easy to play, but also very easy to get killed if you're dueling a Q3F veteran.
Grenadier: This class is made for one thing: blowing shit up. Remotely detonated pipe-bombs are your main weapon. Great on offense, very useful for defense with your pipe-bombs when your flag is sitting in a vulnerable spot. Medium difficulty to play, takes some practice to get the hang of it.
Paramedic: Another very versatile class, good for both offense and defense. With your syringe, you can heal your teamates and infect enemies with a damage-over-time disease which will kill them eventually if they aren't healed by one of their own Paramedics. Medium difficulty to play, if well trained you'll make a formidable opponent to any class.
Minigunner: The slowest and toughest (armor-wise) class in the game. You pack around the mini-gun which lays down a wall of bullets that will mow down a Recon in less than a second; if you're accurate. Easiest class to play in the game.
Flame Trooper: Fire good! Your most powerful weapon is your flame thrower, keep a continuous burst on your target long enough and you'll have a crispy treat. Medium difficulty to play, must get very close for your flame thrower to hit.
Agent: Sneaky bastard! You have the ability to change your team color and class appearance so you can infiltrate the enemy base and do some damage. Be careful, though, once you shoot your gun your disguise is kaputt. Moderatly difficult to play, better be able to mimick other classes well.
Engineer: The number one defensive class. You have the ability to build stuff! Your main weapon is your auto-sentry, which has three levels; you build it at level one and upgrade it from there to level three. Must be able to maintain it well by repairing it and refilling it with ammo to be effective. Second is your dispenser, has a dual-use; first, it gives players ammo and armor when they use it, and secondly, it can be a huge bomb. Detonate it at the right time and the enemy player will become a stain on the wall.
I highly recommend getting Q3F if you play Q3. In my opinion, it's the best Team Fortress MOD yet (Beta1h, not Beta2). Visit www.q3f.com for more information.