Here’s an observation I’ve made just recently. Based on what I’ve heard from other people and what I’ve noticed myself, taunting as sniper is such a common occurrence that it’s become cliche. On the other hand, taunting as spy puts the player at such an inconvenience that it’s rarely considered. A number of factors make it appear that this is actually completely intentional in gameplay. For whatever reason, sniper very much encourages taunting while spy highly discourages it.
spy
Why the CnD deserves some love
Howdy! First post on the SPUF blog here, and since I noticed a certain lack of Spy posts, here’s one about possibly the most unloved (and probably least mentioned!) weapon in TF2:
The Cloak ‘n’ Dagger.
At first, it seems like a straight upgrade, but when moving it actually drains cloak faster than you’d think, certainly faster than the Invis Watch, and it refuses to collect ammo. Most people just craft it off or let it be as a keepsake or a Spy weapon to collect, but it’s actually damn useful at times. Here’s why.
How to annoy Enemy Snipers.
Snipers. A lot of people don’t like them. Understandably so, considering that Sniper is the only class that can not only attack enemies at any range, but instakill them with said range as well. That being said this article isn’t about the Sniper himself, but how to make their lives miserable as payback for all the times you fell victim from afar to the Australian Assassin.
The Conniver’s Kunai: Sleeper Underpowered
This knife never gets the attention it deserves. In fact, most of the players I see consider it a perfect sidegrade. It has slipped by for some time now that this knife is quite possibly the second worst knife out there. I’ll outline why very briefly.
Creative Tactical Advantages you can gain with Sprays
Sprays are fun player-chosen pictures you can post in TF2. As it would suggest, the character “sprays” them on the wall like they’re graffiti, and to a lot of people they’re treated not much better. You can deactivate them in the TF2 Options menu, OR you can make them work for you! How?
Acting 101 for Spies: “Play the sniper a bit more effeminately, please.”
Nowadays, a lot of players say the disguise kit is useless, that it exists only for slipping past sentries. Poppycock, I say! These players could use a little class, I think. To use disguises effectively, one shouldn’t pop one on and hope that their foes won’t randomly shoot them, but they must act. Yes, friends, welcome to Acting 101 for spies.
How to think like a spy: The Art of War from behind the cloak and dagger
Note: This applies less to playing the spy in small-sided competitive games, as there are different mechanics in play all together, this is a piece on the spy in regular format TF2 play.
Battle is not a concrete, straightforward thing. Many people believe that winning games is all about numbers; kills, deaths. Victory is not merely a body count. In TF2 you can fight battles all day long, and slay hundreds of enemy combatants, and unless that’s your explicit goal (such as in arena mode), they will always return to fight that same battle over the same point or the same target in the next wave of attack. Stalemate. Surely you’ve seen it, where one team is holed up in a defensible position, and the same situation repeats itself, übers are pushed away, advances mowed down by sentry fire, and enemies hammered by critical explosives, all to no avail. This is where the game needs to be changed. This is where we find our friend, the Spy. He doesn’t take the most names, he takes the right ones.
This is not strategy guide on the Spy’s gear, or the finite points of aim or twitch reflexes, but rather a series of observations and treatise on the thinking side of the spy, much of which is done subconsciously while you’re playing, and not really thought over save for what makes sense or what seems to be the best idea at the time, regardless of big-picture strategic value. Let’s explore the mind of a cold blooded killer.