Lecture Notes: Team Fortress 2 and The Horror of Server Blight

Introduction to Team Fortress 2 (TF2)

• Overview: TF2 is an extensively popular hero shooter, maintaining a dedicated fanbase over 18 years post-release.
• Popularity: Despite being considered a "dead game," TF2 continues to inspire new fan-made content and stories.
• Comparison with Other Games: Unlike others like Overwatch 2, TF2 retains cultural significance.

The Server Blight Phenomenon

• Concept: Refers to the infiltration of TF2 servers by a mysterious, malicious entity.
• Characteristics: The entity can manipulate the game environment and appears in empty TF2 servers, altering gameplay.
• Ongoing Fan Story: Highlights the dark, horror-themed narratives emerging from TF2's community.

Historical Development of TF2

• Origins as a Quake Mod: TF2 started as a mod for Quake, evolving into its own entity under Valve.
• Team Fortress Classic (TFC): TFC was a precursor to TF2, released to demonstrate the Half-Life development kit’s capabilities.
• Valve's Innovation: Valve’s development process is noted for its creativity, leading to the distinctive style of TF2.

Mechanics and Art Style

• Readability: Focused on class distinction using silhouette and color (red vs blue teams).
• Character Design: Designed so players can recognize classes at a glance by silhouette and movement.
• Game Evolution: TF2 transformed from a realistic aesthetic to its now-iconic cartoony style.

The Horror of Server Blight

• Creepypasta Influence: The story draws from internet horror like creepypastas, which leverage fear from familiar media.
• Narrative Structure: Echoes storytelling styles from machinimas and SCP entries, focusing on unsettling digital occurrences.
• Cultural Resonance: Reflects the blending of innocent, nostalgic games with horror tropes.

Analysis of the Server Blight Story

• Key Episodes:
  • "The Empty Server": Introduces the blight within an eerily empty TF2 match.
  • "The Migration": Illustrates the blight's ability to move between servers.
  • "Server Blight": Depicts a more engaged game setting and the blight’s evolving tactics.
  • "Puppet": Provides a first-person narrative perspective of being trapped by the blight.

Comparison to Other Horror Media

• The Thing: Similarities with John Carpenter’s "The Thing" in its approach to assimilation and imitation of life.
• NES Godzilla Creepypasta: Another media example where familiar games are transformed into horror narratives.
• SCP Foundation Influence: Shares thematic elements with SCP entries that explore anomalous phenomena.

Thematic Analysis and Theories

• Intelligence of Blight: Unlike "The Thing," the server blight lacks genuine emotion, functioning as a malevolent algorithm.
• Self-Preservation: Mimics life through assimilation of players, aiming to spread rather than actively destroy.
• Game Mechanics Dependency: The blight operates under TF2’s game mechanics, unlike the fully autonomous threat of "The Thing."

Conclusion: The Server Blight's Impact

• Cultural Critique: Reflects fears of technological contamination and loss of agency within digital spaces.
• Fan Engagement: Highlights the creative potential of the TF2 community in expanding its universe through horror.
• Ongoing Story: The server blight continues to develop, leaving the community anticipating new insights and conclusions.