Why Soldier is objectively the easiest class to main

[punk]

Now I'm not saying that Soldier is over-powered, although there is an argument to be made there. I'm saying that Soldier is the easiest class to main and get good at.

If you are unfamiliar with the concept of hard-counters in TF2, it is a class that has a significant advantage against another class in most situations. There are two basic hard-counter "loops" in TF2 (-> means counters):

Scout -> Demo -> Engie -> Scout...

Sniper -> Heavy -> Pyro -> Spy -> Sniper...

Soldier and Medic do not have hard counters meaning that they are viable regardless of the enemy team's class composition. Medic is basically countered by everything, but then counters everything back with Uber.

Soldier's only weaknesses are movement speed and slow projectile speed. Movement speed can be improved with rocket jumping.

Soldier is viable in basically every situation, so he ends up being a lot of people's most played class.

[jimmypage]

Publicado originalmente por eggs d:

Publicado originalmente por Schuhbeck:

Soldier isn't countered by any class in total (no class is ever countered in total, but under ideal scenarios there are certainly heavily favored matchups like Engineer and Scout) but is countered in scenarios more commonly than other classes as a result. For instance, Demo outspams Soldiers but Soldiers can bomb Demos, while Scout almost always will beat a Demo one on one. TF2 is not a counter-centered game in the first place, as Sniper, a class that counters at least half of the classes, and Demoman, which counters two, are both incredibly high value classes, despite that they are wildly different in terms of countering single targets. There is a ton of skill involved in matchups which also differs TF2 from a game like Overwatch, where there are clear counters between classes where the countered class is out of luck against the countering class. Trying to create these "counter loops" is then, rather arbitrary since they aren't inherent to TF2's design and place unnecessary constraints in how you should view how countering works in TF2 (TF2 countering is only partly based upon class matchups, it is based moreso on the scenario of the engagement).
If countering is reimagined like this, it would make sense that Soldier has no class counters because TF2 countering is much more complex than class matchups. Soldier is a case where he is situationally countered more often than other classes but also counters other classes in other situations. In the case of Demoman, for example, he has multiple scenarios where he will always beat Engineer, hence it is thought that he wins the class matchup, but has more scenarios where he loses against Scout, hence he loses that matchup. In total, Soldier wins and loses about as many scenarios as other viable classes and therefore isn't overpowered.

tl;dr use spacing

Basically, TF2 is sufficiently complex so that class vs. class matchups is only a convenient expression of the average state of balance. In order to determine the state of Soldier's balance, it is better to say that Soldier has approximately balanced (relative to other viable classes) scenario matchups, thus conserving the state of TF2 simplified class matchup balance as well as conserving Soldier's place as a balance class (as he is undeniably not the best class in the game).

[Anyar]

Publicado originalmente por Schuhbeck:

Publicado originalmente por eggs d:

tl;dr use spacing

Basically, TF2 is sufficiently complex so that class vs. class matchups is only a convenient expression of the average state of balance. In order to determine the state of Soldier's balance, it is better to say that Soldier has approximately balanced (relative to other viable classes) scenario matchups, thus conserving the state of TF2 simplified class matchup balance as well as conserving Soldier's place as a balance class (as he is undeniably not the best class in the game).

Uh...
I think he's telling you to use spacing in your comments.

Like this.

See the spaces?

Makes the text easier to read.

[jimmypage]

Publicado originalmente por Anyar FRC | trade.tf:

Publicado originalmente por Schuhbeck:

Basically, TF2 is sufficiently complex so that class vs. class matchups is only a convenient expression of the average state of balance. In order to determine the state of Soldier's balance, it is better to say that Soldier has approximately balanced (relative to other viable classes) scenario matchups, thus conserving the state of TF2 simplified class matchup balance as well as conserving Soldier's place as a balance class (as he is undeniably not the best class in the game).

Uh...
I think he's telling you to use spacing in your comments.

Like this.

See the spaces?

Makes the text easier to read.

Yes, but note the tl;dr. It is much easier to knock off the detail than place spacing.

[supadog]

yet another funny joke
Man i hate love this place.

[Cee]

Publicado originalmente por Supadog:

yet another funny joke
Man i hate love this place.

make love, not war, soldier boy.

[supadog]

Publicado originalmente por eggs d:

Publicado originalmente por Supadog:

yet another funny joke
Man i hate love this place.

make love, not war, soldier boy.

That's all I do.
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[tiberiansun371alexw]

Publicado originalmente por Hippie PhD:

Now I'm not saying that Soldier is over-powered, although there is an argument to be made there. I'm saying that Soldier is the easiest class to main and get good at.

Soldier is viable in basically every situation, so he ends up being a lot of people's most played class.

Eh... no. Good soldiers who can rocket jump are viable is every situation.

"Meh" soldiers who can aim and know basic team coordination but can't rocket jump are only useful in niche sitautions or when there isn't already a soldier on the team.

Rocket jumping is key to the soldier. This means he is harder to learn than sniper, medic (medic may be frustrating in pubs, but he's not hard per say), or heavy.

[Cee]

Publicado originalmente por Supadog:

Publicado originalmente por eggs d:

make love, not war, soldier boy.

That's all I do.
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Scout's mom is a candidate you would like to shoot.

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[supadog]

Publicado originalmente por tiberiansun371alexw:

Publicado originalmente por Hippie PhD:

Now I'm not saying that Soldier is over-powered, although there is an argument to be made there. I'm saying that Soldier is the easiest class to main and get good at.

Soldier is viable in basically every situation, so he ends up being a lot of people's most played class.

Eh... no. Good soldiers who can rocket jump are viable is every situation.

"Meh" soldiers who can aim and know basic team coordination but can't rocket jump are only useful in niche sitautions or when there isn't already a soldier on the team.

Rocket jumping is key to the soldier. This means he is harder to learn than sniper, medic (medic may be frustrating in pubs, but he's not hard per say), or heavy.

Uh, no dude. The sniper has the highest skill ceiling in the game. That is fact.

[supadog]

Publicado originalmente por eggs d:

Publicado originalmente por Supadog:

That's all I do.
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Scout's mom is a candidate you would like to shoot.

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Nah.
mspaulingmasterrace

[Cee]

Publicado originalmente por Supadog:

Publicado originalmente por tiberiansun371alexw:

Eh... no. Good soldiers who can rocket jump are viable is every situation.

"Meh" soldiers who can aim and know basic team coordination but can't rocket jump are only useful in niche sitautions or when there isn't already a soldier on the team.

Rocket jumping is key to the soldier. This means he is harder to learn than sniper, medic (medic may be frustrating in pubs, but he's not hard per say), or heavy.

Uh, no dude. The sniper has the highest skill ceiling in the game. That is fact.

inb4 someone falls

[Cee]

Publicado originalmente por Supadog:

Publicado originalmente por eggs d:

Scout's mom is a candidate you would like to shoot.

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Nah.
mspaulingmasterrace

what if ms. pauling IS scouts mom?

[supadog]

Publicado originalmente por eggs d:

Publicado originalmente por Supadog:

Nah.
mspaulingmasterrace

what if ms. pauling IS scouts mom?

Or even better: what if they both participate in my "war"?

[Cee]

Publicado originalmente por Supadog:

Publicado originalmente por eggs d:

what if ms. pauling IS scouts mom?

Or even better: what if they both participate in my "war"?

spitroast, switched edition

[supadog]

Publicado originalmente por eggs d:

Publicado originalmente por Supadog:

Or even better: what if they both participate in my "war"?

spitroast, switched edition

( ͡• ͜ʖ ͡• )