Even if you just look at the quickplay game modes. It says 'for advanced players'. What does that actually mean? Apart from being a load of shit, how is a new player meant to know what that means and why?

I know hand-holding sucks, but Valve is the other extreme.

Just to elaborate a bit more on this, cause I still think it's something that we can definitely do. Here's the exact time in the VOD where they go over this:
https://www.twitch.tv/dreamhackheroes/v/64983221?t=42m50s
Could definitely do it in a TF2-style way where we could like explain "cp_badlands" and how it is a 5cp map where both 6 player teams are fighting for control over control points and what classes will be seen here and whatnot. I would think that these kind of informative videos and stuff would only be displayed during like the semi-finals or finals of a season and whatnot. Please continue the discussion.

HATS

A good start would be Valve posting a standalone version of this introductory video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vquSQD33dmc&feature=youtu.be&t=8m28s on their official blog or something. It's quick and easy intro to what 5CP 6s looks like.

Enjoyed that vid.

Hope competitive somehow takes off big.

I love 6s and it's mainyl what I play, but one of the problems is that nobody cares enough about all classes being viable. Valve and the community should to start creating and supporting attack/defense maps that compliment highlander classes while keeping it 6v6 or do something about the fact that some classes are left out.

You're right that they need to include better introductions to the game and how the gamemodes work, but all we can really do is continue to contribute to LANs, view streams, purchase mission passes and support leagues.

yep, maybe even adding an MM tutorial for new players with something similar to that video.

I hope they do something like they did for CS:GO with Arms Deal, with eSports cases and keys.

It would raise both money and awareness for the competitive scene.

It wouldn't be competitive players dropping lol (even then I guess you could technically claim axiomatic). I know a few people who stopped playing tf2 cause their favorite community server was ruined with hackers a few to many times. I wasn't trying to insuate tf2 would gain huge numbers for it, likely enough or maybe a little more to offset all the people who just got vac'd (not counting vac'd players returning on alts)

A good performance update would likely result in a much much larger net gain for tf2.

I think this is actually huge. Even if people can find their way there, ESEA is frankly one of the worst-designed, most opaque sites I've ever seen a business use. It's not intuitive to navigate, and the FAQ is incredibly lacking. (Q: How do you sign up for ESEA membership? A: You can use paypal. That's basically all the info we're giving you.) Of course, once people make it to the stage of joining and going through a season, they get used to it and don't really notice anymore, but when I was first transitioning there from UGC, it seemed totally inaccessible. Very few of the important questions I had about starting there could be easily answered just by browsing the site. Personally, I had friends to ask who had already played ESEA, but what about people who don't, who just want to get a first glimpse?

UGC does a bit better in that respect, but of course, when the most prestigious and viewed competitions in NA are those of ESEA Invite, where are most people gonna go look?

I'd like to see a possible series on the basics of comp tf2 and mechanics of it. It would probably make transitioning to proper 6s much easier, and allow people (pubbers) to understand 6s better.

I also think that low-level casts can be a really good thing. I watched Kip's stuff before I got involved in comp, sort of to satisfy my curiosity after seeing Top 10 Plays videos, and that gave me a frame of reference that I used getting started in lobbies, which can be so unfriendly and off-putting, especially for new folks.

People who already had played comp and watched Kip didn't really like her because her analysis wasn't at that high of a level, but that's kind of the point. It sort of trained my newb self to be able to spectate comp TF2 and have a basic understanding.

It's too late

then what are you still doing here

I dislike how a number of people make the assumption that all casual public players have some sort of hidden desire to be a competitive player. For most, this simply isn't the case.

There's loads of various gamers around the workplace or in friendship groups who I speak to and I can't say a single one of them has any desire to be scheduled to play computer games in a team, join leagues, enter tournaments or watch / get involved with eSports at all.

You have to remember that for the large majority of gamers... playing a computer game is exactly that; Playing a computer game. Nothing more. They may play a game with some friends for a laugh, they may play it solo, but they just want to play the game that is in front of them, in a chaotic, unorganized fashion and have fun doing so. TF2 is the ideal game for doing that.

Sure, there are some players who do make the transition from casually pubber to full time competitive gamer but it really isn't that many. It's far more likely that competitive gamers come to TF2 from playing a different game competitively which is either dead, dying or they are simply bored of it. The problem with TF2 is that these types of gamers have probably already tried and played TF2 for a little while within the last 8 years. It's not often that I think to myself... "I need a new game to play, I'll go check out the game titles released 8 years ago". It's more likely I'm looking at the new titles, looking at a developing eSports scene rather than trying to tag onto an existing one. If I'm competitive by nature and I want to be the best, it's far more difficult to try to become the best in a game where people have nearly a decade head start over me playing it. I'd look for a new game title and start at an even level.

It's not to say the game will not grow. It can certainly grow, but it's not going to pick up the kind of numbers needed to turn it into a major player in the eSports world, in the remaining lifetime of the game. A project like that would take years. One thing TF2 does have going for it though is it's art style. While realistic shooters can look really dated really quickly, TF2's cartoony style does not age half as fast as these realism shooters do.

The best thing that the TF2 community can hope for, is Valve to release a new Team Fortress game (TF3 for example). Similar gameplay, maybe a whole new set of classes that deviate from the traditional TF series. Updated engine / visuals. It can use the same TF2 finance model which is tried and tested, combined with the competitive aspects of CS:GO and TF2 matchmaking. Vanilla rules would be suitable for both competitive and public play, and class balancing would mean that class restrictions would never be required (not alienating public scene from competitive one). The passion of the existing TF2 community mitigates some of the risk of developing such a game as there will be a loyal fan base from the first day. The hype of a new, but familiar game title combined with the gameplay aspects of TF2, that's free to play, customisable and hilariously brilliant could easily be enough to become a top tier eSports title, and Valve would no doubt be very interested in investing in it from the first day.

It's not going to happen with TF2 though, but that doesn't mean the game isn't still worth sticking around for at its current, or slightly growing level. It's still a good, enjoyable game which is why people are still here.

valve pays coco puffs to add a free tf2 game disk for the xbox 360 with every purchase.

It won't be that important, ESEA thrive on a tiny percentage of CS players, a few flecks of froth on the foam of the seething mass, that are so dedicated they will accept the computing equivalent of a full rectal examination in return for a more effective anti cheat. Players who are at that level of fanatical dedication will find a way.

Nobody is making that assumption, this is hyperbole, another straw man for you to knock down.