As one of the most anticipated games for the last 8 or so years, Team Fortress 2 has become infamous and probably has a lot of gamers wondering what the fuss is all about. Being the successor to hardcore multiplayer games like TFC, QWTF, and Q3F might makes a lot of gamers think that Team Fortress 2 won't be newbie friendly. Fortunately, Valve has streamlined the gameplay for TF2 and made a much more accessible, yet still deep experience. Granted, players with any experience playing TFC will have a leg up on newcomers, but that's where we come in. We've been playing the beta whenever we get a chance and have compiled some basic strategies that should help all players. Read on for some quick and simple tips that will have you at the top of the leaderboards on day one when The Orange Box ships in a couple of weeks.

The Basics

• Know the map! This can't be stressed enough. If you don't know where to go or what the objectives are, you're useless to the team. Spend some time playing in a server by yourself to learn where to go, or play against the game's bots before you go online. You'll also get direction when you first join a server in the form of a movie that will give you the breakdown of your objectives, so pay attention to it if you're playing on an unfamiliar map.

• Choose the right class. Several things factor into what class you should play, including whether you're attacking or defending, what your teammates are playing as, and what you have the most fun playing. Though there are certain situations where a different class might be more appropriate, remember that at the end of the day you're in it to have a good time.

• Communicate. Team Fortress 2 is a team game - it's in the title! You'll have to coordinate and work together if you want to succeed, especially since so many classes work well in pairs. Even if it's not coordinating with the entire team, find someone to work with. You'll be a lot more effective. A good headset with a mic is probably a worthy investment if you intend to play a lot of TF2.

Offense

Scout

Scouts are the fastest class in the game and tend to work solo. Because of their speed, Scouts can dodge through the enemy's defenses before they can react. Their weakness is that they have extremely low health.

• Utilize your speed to attack the objectives. The Scout isn't great in battle due to his minimal health - you're a runner not a fighter.

• Work with another scout to disorient the other team. Charge the objective together then split up. They'll have a harder time trying to swat two flies than just one.

• If you get in a shootout, take advantage of the shotgun's high rate of fire to inflict damage quickly. It has a slow reload time, so if you empty the clip and the enemy's still there, dive out of the room so you're not a sitting duck.

• Double jump to get across open areas quickly. Some maps in TF2 were designed with raised areas that only the scout can leapfrog across. Use these areas to traverse the battlefield and avoid confrontations that slow you down and potentially kill you.

Soldier

Soldiers do the grunt work in TF2, usually clearing the way for faster classes to complete objectives. They're effective against turrets and Heavy Weapons Guys, mostly because their slow moving rockets tend to miss anything faster. Their ability to rocket-jump gives them unique mobility.

• Soldiers like to attack from above. Rocket-jump (shoot a rocket at your feet) to get to otherwise inaccessible areas of the battlefield and rain death from above.

• Aim your rockets at your enemy's feet. Direct hits are rare with a rocket launcher, so you'll want to take advantage of splash damage. Shoot rockets at the ground where the enemy is standing (lead the target a bit) to make sure that your salvo doesn't go to waste. If the enemy is standing near a wall you can aim at the wall next to them for splash damage as well.

• Don't use your rocket launcher in tight confines - you'll probably end up killing yourself by mistake.