Voice Lines and Their Animations

"Thanks" gives a thumbs up, "MEDIC!" cups your hand to your mouth, but what do the rest of the voice lines look like to other players?

Do you think you know what they all do?
It certainly wasn't what I expected!

Introduction

I couldn't find this information on the Internet when I searched, so after figuring it out, I thought I should share my results.

If you play TF2, you know that some of the voicemenu lines you can say are accompanied by the character doing some animated move. Everybody is familiar with the "Thanks" voice line giving a thumbs-up animation, but exactly what voice lines give exactly which animation isn't obvious, and the first person models we play in don't animate when we say it.

Voice lines are not always clear to the other players through all the battle noise, but animations are, and this is especially the case if they're on the other team.

So, I started a server, turned on sv_cheats, went into third person, and tried the different voice lines. I tried every voice line with every character. I didn't try it with every loadout, but I did notice some differences depending on the weapon choice. I didn't try the voice line "Pass to me!" (z9 and x9; voicemenu 0/1 8) on Passtime mode.
EDIT: as a few have pointed out, "cl_first_person_uses_world_model 1" lets you see the animations too (except the spy's thumb and point animations are out of view on my screen) and it doesn't require cheats!

Without further ado:

Voice Lines with No Animation

No class animates their hands with these voice lines.

• Yes (z7; voicemenu 0 6)
  
• No (z8; voicemenu 0 7)
  
• Spy! (x2; voicemenu 1 1)
  
• Teleporter Here (x4; voicemenu 1 3)
  
• Dispenser Here (x5; voicemenu 1 4)
  
• Sentry Here (x6; voicemenu 1 5)
  
• Activate ÜberCharge! (x7; voicemenu 1 6)
  
• Jeers (c4; voicemenu 2 3)
  
• Positive (c5; voicemenu 2 4)
  
• Negative (c6; voicemenu 2 5)

Voice Lines That Give a Thumbs Up

Most classes give a thumbs-up sign with their left hand.

• Thanks! (z2, voicemenu 0 1)
  
• MEDIC: ÜberCharge Ready (x8; voicemenu 1 7)
  
• Nice Shot (c7; voicemenu 2 6)
  
• Good Job (c8; voicemenu 2 7)

Exception: the engineer never gives a thumbs up (as of 12/25/2017). (see below)

Voice Lines That Point Ahead

Classes generally point their left index finger forward with their outstretched arm.

Pyro shakes the finger 3 times.

• Go Go Go! (z3; voicemenu 0 2)
  
• Move Up! (z4; voicemenu 0 3)
  
• Go Left (z5; voicemenu 0 4)
  
• Go Right (z6; voicemenu 0 5)
  
• Sentry Ahead! (x3; voicemenu 1 2)

Voice Lines That Shake a Fist in the Air

Classes generally shake their left fist upwards.

• Battle Cry (c2; voicemenu 2 1)
  
• Cheers (c3; voicemenu 2 2)

Voice Lines That Call Out

Classes generally cup their left hand to their mouth and shout.

• MEDIC! (z1; voicemenu 0 0; and shortcut: e)
  
• Incoming (x1; voicemenu 1 0)
  
• Help! (c1; voicemenu 2 0)

Variations

The Medic

When the medic is holding his medigun (secondary weapon), he does all of the animations with his right hand.

Of course, "ÜberCharge Ready" only works if you're a medic, but it's important to know that he gives a thumbs up with that. The medic automatically announces that when his charge bar is filled, and I assume he also gives a thumbs up at that time.

The Engineer

As I mentioned above, for some reason the engineer never gives thumbs up animations under any circumstances.
I'd guess somebody simply forgot to add the animation for that class to the system.

The Demoman

I just thought I should mention the thumbs-up and pointing animations look almost indistinguishable in this class... at least from above.

Loadouts and Theories

Some weapons have no voice animations.
While there seems to be some logic to this (like two handed items the Thermal Thruster and the Wrangler), others seem like an accident (like the Second Banana). All of these cases appear to be secondary weapons (but I did not bother to check everything).

Looking at the information above, my theory is this:

somebody decided it was important for the Medic to animate using his right hand while holding this secondary, the medigun. Consequently, all classes are set up with voice animations for the secondary weapons as an "add-on" by the developers.

They probably forgot to add them for some of the newest weapons, while others were purposefully left out because it made sense (e.g. it would look weird for the hand to come off the weapon from its special positioning) and/or it was too much trouble to do an alternate animation like the Medic's medigun.


My other theory is that I die to a lot of appreciative pyros.

[Psycho]

nice guide. thx

[Alexx ༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽つ]

Gee this is 5 years old. Help! Where did the time go!

[perci]

*while

[perci]

Also why holding a disguise kit, call out hand animations are sometimes replaced by thumbs up. I don't know why. Spy calls for a medic and gives a thumbs up.

[perci]

Spy can also use übercharge ready when disguised as a medic. From what teammates told me, on their screen it makes the spy do a thumbs up without saying anything.

[Negatory.wav]

erectin a dispenser

[𝅶 𝅶𝅶 𝅶𝅶 𝅶𝅶]

what?

[rotatcepS ⚙]

Featured in Maga's 3rd Hidden Mechanics of TF2 video!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_PoYnTeaww

[𝅶 𝅶𝅶 𝅶𝅶 𝅶𝅶]

How come it works sometimes and sometimes it doesnt? I want it on 24/7

[Aquidu]

Soldier points forward with his whole hand. With this, if you look up, then flick down quickly while doing a "point" voice line, you can make soldier do the "Boi" meme.