Team Fortress 2

Team Fortress 2

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How to Play Prophunt
By Arkive
In this guide I will explain the basics to what Prophunt is and how it works.
   
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Welcome to Prophunt
Prophunt is a modification of Team Fortress 2 by Darkimmortal that can be found on many servers. But what is it?

In short: The adult excuse to play Hide and Seek.

In still-short-but-slightly-longer: Prophunt is a game where the Red team of scouts is disguised as props from the map. They go and hide before the Blu team is released. The Blu team must try to find and kill all Red props before either time runs out or everyone on Blu dies. The low gravity lets players easily traverse the map to find the most creative hiding spots, as well as check every corner for hidden props.
Hiding as a Prop

One of the best things about Hide and Seek was the tension. Seeing your hunter looking about, waiting to see if they find you, and trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. The same thing happens here. If you get placed on team Red, you will be changed to the scout class and have your player changed to that of a prop. After the first countdown finishes, you will be released to try and hide. Doing so will require wits and a strategy. Should you hide in the open where people are likely to assume you have already been checked? Or do you find a hidden corner that no one will find? Whatever you choose, it is vital to know what is about to go down. After the setup period is over, the Blu team is released, and they will go hunting. To get an edge on them, here are a couple of easy things to remember.

  • You can left click to "proplock." When you engage the proplock, you can move your camera without rotating the prop you are disguised as. The proplock will automatically disengage if you move, and you can disengage it yourself if you left click. If you are the last player alive, you cannot reengage proplock if it has been disengaged (see "Last Prop Alive").
  • Right clicking will switch between first and third person views. This will come in handy if you want to look around when you are disguised as, let's say, a giant tree.
  • Your prop is randomly chosen at the beginning of the round, but you can change this by chatting "!propmenu".
  • Normal props don't burn or move, so if you are caught moving or are lit on fire, don't expect to be left alone.
  • No matter what size your prop is, you will still retain the proportions of the scout. This means that a giant tree will still need to be hit where the scout would be in order to take damage.
  • You cannot drown while a prop. If you find a pool deep enough to submerge in, you can prevent fire damage while trying to remain hidden!

Here is an example of how to know if you have been found.

Exhibit A: A totally inconspicuous pile of rocks.



Exhibit B: A totally conspicuous flaming pile of fake rocks.

As you can see, it is VERY easy to tell when you have been found. But fear not! There is still hope! Even after the round has begun, YOU CAN MOVE! Should you take damage, the map will ALWAYS have a control point at which you can heal to full health. This point bonus, though, needs to refresh before you can use it again. Most maps have pills and other assorted health items if you can't get the control point bonus. And, hey, if you are lucky, you can shake your hunters and find another hiding spot!
Seeking as Blu
Hiding as a prop is fun and all, but searching around for the hidden Red members can be just as exciting! All you need to do is locate and eliminate all Red team members. Be careful, though, as every shot you take, every swing you make, and every flame you create costs you not only the ammo for that weapon, but a little chunk of your health as well. Don't get too carried away checking everything, unless you wish to die by your own hands. But this is not all bad! The low gravity with the damage flinching lets pyros use their flamethrowers like a jetpack! Just make sure you can survive the landing. Here are some things to think about when on Blu.

  • Blu team members are not restricted to one class. Although most go as pyro, another class could do just as well for you. Just keep in mind that you cannot be a spy or a medic using the Solemn Vow.
  • The pyro's flamethrower can be used as a jetpack. At the cost of ammo and health, simply jump and use your flamethrower to get up to high places. Please note, however, that this will have no effect if you have little upward velocity or are travelling downward.
  • The control point bonus applies to Blu team members as well. Need some more health? Just take a quick trip to the control point.
  • Although they aren't necessary, Engineers are a feasible class to play as. Although they won't be killing props as much as pyros, their dispensers can prove invaluable to anyone in need of health and ammo. As much as you would like to, however, you cannot make a sentry gun.
  • Remember key signs to finding props. First off, try to remeber what is where in the map. If that bucket is never in that corner, that is a good time to check for Red props. Second, since normal props can't burn, bleed, or run, any prop engaging in these activities is most definately a Red member. Third, If the lighting seems off, or if the prop clips in an odd spot, then it is probably Red.
  • DO NOT SPAM FLAMETHROWER! The last thing you need is to see an obvious Red prop and have only 5 health left. However, do not let this deter you from checking props that seem normal, as a good Red prop can blend in to the point where nothing is amiss.
  • When you kill or assist in killing an enemy, you get your health refilled to full instantly.
  • Be wary when there is only one Red prop left. He can kill you. See "Last Prop Alive" for more details.
Last Prop Alive
Things can get very interesting in Prophunt. Especially when almost all Red team members have been killed. Once there is only one Red prop left, that last Red team member gets special equipment. That Red prop is the Last Prop Alive. When you become the last prop alive, you get your Scout loadout equipped and all enemies are automatically jarated. This means you cannot reengage proplock, as you will instead need that left click to fire your new weapon. Where the other props have fallen, you can now avenge them. As the last prop alive, you can kill Blu members. Obviously, this comes with a few choices. Do you want to gun them down while they are weak? Or do you hide and pick off the hunters who find you? One thing is for sure, though, either stall until time's up or kill all Blu members to win. Everything rests on you, son. No pressure.
Tips and Tricks
I might not be the ninja of props or the Hawkeye of seekers, but I can provide a little help to you. Just keep in mind that most of my tips are opinion and may not help and can even hinder you depending on how you play. Find the strategies and tips that work for you.

  • Try to get to know the map. If you are a prop, go ahead and hide. If you are a seeker, feel free to roam and get a feel for what is where. Knowing the map helps no matter which side you are on.
  • Props can enter the Blu spawn. Whether they can in setup depends on the map, but once the Blu team has been released, it is a viable place to hide, if you can get in undetected.
  • Props can enter the Blu spawn. If you are seeking, it could be worth it to go back every once in a while to check.
  • Remember, props, you can double jump! Use this to get to hard-to-reach areas and to evade anyone on your tail.
  • It is better to escape unscathed and be sought after than to be burned before running. Of course, just when to move is a matter of opinion, as moving when an enemy does not suspect you only ruins the disguise.
  • Check your hiding spot by proplocking and going into third person view. Your prop won't rotate and you can check your angle and if you are clipping.
  • Some props are really tiny. Some props are rediculously huge. Figure out what you are and hide according to it.
  • If a prop is on a map, there is probably a place where is blends in. You won't find a tree indoors, and a pile of wood probably isn't blocking the doorway.
  • Sometimes the best place to hide is plain sight. Although many more will see you, the sheer number of enemies in your proximity could stop them from checking you, assuming you to have already been checked.
  • Running is a valid tactic. You are a scout, so trying to evade flamethrowers and shotgun blasts can work just as well as hiding in a corner.
  • If you are found, DO NOT PANIC! Just use your evasive maneuvers and try to shake them. If you successfully do so, you could potentially find another hiding spot.
  • Spectating others once you are dead can provide insight to some fancy hiding places, as well as successful techniques you might not have ever suspected.
  • Many props have invisible bottoms due to never being seen from the underside. These props, such as scattered hay piles and control points, can be hidden if viewed from the bottom.
  • DO NOT HIDE NEAR ANOTHER PROP! I just mean in close proximity to another. If another prop is across the medium sized room, this should be fine. The problem is when props are too close together. If such a thing occurs, one prop being found could result in the other being found, either from close proximity or due to taking damage accidentally from the pyro trying to hit the other prop. STAY AWAY FROM OTHER PROPS, and try to be out of areas where props are hiding if you are found.
  • When you are seeking, ALWAYS CHECK YOUR HEALTH. Do not run out of it, because that would result in death, and since no one can respawn that really has no advantage.
  • Check everywhere for props. I prefer to check props indiscriminately, regardless of if the groups of props is always there or not.
  • REMEMBER YOUR JETPACK! This can get you to normally unreachable areas.
  • Just because you see a prop running doesn't mean you need to chase it. If others are already hunting the prop down, you can rest assured that it will most likely die. Unless it is the last prop. Always attack the last prop.
  • THE LAST PROP HAS A GUN! Whether you are hiding and become the last prop or are seeking and are trying to find them, this is a fact you should remember.
One Last Note
First off, thank you for reading my guide. I hope I helped you learn about what Prophunt is and how it works! Go ahead and rate if you so wish to and please comment! Tell me what I got wrong, what I could add, what grammatical errors I have, or even just to say "Great job!" or "Terrible piece of crap!" I appreciate every comment and hope to make this guide accessible to anyone new to the gamemode. Special thanks to the DISK-FF.com server at 74.91.113.50:27016 for happening to be the server I randomly decided to play on and take screenshots from. So, again, rate, comment, and thank you for reading my guide.