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TF2 training script 2017-02-11

Dec 28, 2014
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TF2 training script - A script based on the improved training scenero I came up with for TF2

A few weeks ago I designed what I consider a new, improved training mode for TF2 on Facepunch.

The training mode I came up with:
You start in an elevator that opens to a battle damaged hallway. You need to get to the end of the hallway and it's a simple tutorial area that trains you on basic movement as well as using jump, crouch, and crouch jump to get by some of the debris. I wouldn’t suggest making this too long since most players are probably familiar with basic PC FPS controls and the only new concept for most players is probably the crouch jump gives you a higher jump then a regular one. This area has on screen text telling you what buttons to press (and maybe voice lines from the administrator telling you to hurry up and get to the end of the hallway).

When you get through the end of the hallway a door opens to a large area with Miss Pauline. She apologizes for the administrator and maybe we get some banter between them. If you try and shoot Miss Pauline it turns out she's just a hologram created by the engineer because she's had to put down too many mercenaries in the past who though it would be funny to attack her. You may want to have the real Miss Pauline somewhere in this area behind glass in a control room. You can use her dialog to explain she’s safely behind glass, teaching players they can’t shoot through glass.

The training area is a large room and has the objectives in TF2, like a payload cart, a control point and the intel briefcase. Miss Pauline explains you'll be hired either defend or attack these objectives.

At this point you can change class and decide which class you want to do the training for. When you choose a class (maybe have a popup after changing class asking if you want to start the training, then if they want to change class again another popup asking if you’re sure you want to stop training). Miss Pauline goes over the basics of that class and has some funny banter with them (for example she might ask the Scout how he can double jump and he says something like "Well...um...it's an ancient Boston secret" and she's convinced the demo man's drunk and he denies it at first before finally agreeing that he's had some drinks. Maybe throw in some banter with the administrator at this part as well, with the administrator saying the player may not be good enough to hire, then when they finish the training she admits that you might be good enough to hire).

Each training would go over basic and more advanced concepts for each class. For example Pyro tutorial would go over air blasting friendlies on fire to put them out, airblasting projectiles to reflect them and airblasting enemies to push them back. Each training would also bring up bots that the players use to test their weapons as well as being used for training on how to use things like airblasting and ubers. This room could have a platform that’s too high to jump up but you can reach the top with a double jump or a rocket/sticky jump for the Scout, Solider, and Demo training. You could also have some optional higher platforms for people who want to practice doing higher jumps (put full health packs on each platform so people can practice jumping without dying). Maybe also include a chasm with a platform on the other side so people can also practice horizontal rocket/sticky jumps.

The tutorial area would also have an optional combat room you could use. Outside you would be able to use your melee weapon to hit some screens to choose the difficulty and number of bots you fight. You could also choose to have the bots not fight back so people could just easily test different weapons.
Once you finish the training for a class you get a contract for that class to complete on a Valve casual server. You can leave the tutorial anytime and it will keep track of your progress, so you could do the scout and solider training and then go play as them and do the contracts, then come back and continue with the other classes. Miss Pauline lets you know you get rewards for completing the contract, and a special reward for completing all the contracts. When you complete the training for all 9 classes (not the contracts) you get an all class graduation cap item.

The contracts you get for each class would give you points for doing the basic actions of the class to reinforce the training. The medic would give you points for healing and kill assists, with advanced points for deploying an uber charge. The pyro may give you normal points for killing enemies or airblasting them and advanced points for extinguishing team mates or airblasting an enemy uber. The engie gives you points for sentry kills, dispenser healing and teleports and maybe advanced points for having all 4 buildings up at once.

When the player finishes a contract and turns it in they get an untradable reskin weapon for that class. The skin could either be a low tier Gun Mettle/Tough Break reskin or some new ones if you can have your artists whip some new ones up. Once all the contracts are complete you get some voice lines on the main menu from Miss Pauline congratulating you on completing all the contracts and asking you what your favorite class is. A pop up window comes up and lets you choose your favorite class. You then get the special reward that Miss Pauline mentioned during the training, an untradable bundle of items including a random cosmetic from the class you selected as your favorite, a backpack extender, a name tag, a description tag and a random paint. The contracts and the untradable items received from them would help new players understand how those systems work for future updates, as well as hopefully get them interested in weapon skins, cosmetics and the economy.


For the 72 hour contest I'm working on a script for the training mode mode. So far I've done the intro, the Scout, Soldier, Pyro, Demo and Heavy. I didn't do every bit a dialog (for example I didn't talk about the melee weapons for every class).

I'm hoping to finish some more of the training and maybe do some polishing of the document before the end of the contest.
 

Egan

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Feb 14, 2010
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I think that if I was wanting to get a quick tutorial on basic game functions I wouldn't have the patience to listen to a 4 minute cutscene (/glares at Helldivers). Especially for tutorial instructions on how resupply cabinets and health and ammo pickups work - might be obvious enough already.

Maybe alternatively some brief optional lore available - maybe even a fan-comic, I'm not sure.

I think it's a unique idea, and that it could work well in a way, but that it might be a bit of work to implement regardless.

The hidden coach server slots is a neat idea.

Maybe the 'class suggestions idea' would be annoying?