Civilian

Civilian
Basic Information
Icon:	N/A
Type:	N/A
Health:	50
Speed:	100%

“

Stop the courier! Click to listen — The Administrator

”

Information

The Civilian is a 'hidden' unused class in Team Fortress 2. He was originally able to be selected by typing join_class civilian into the console upon joining a game. A later patch removed the 'join_class civilian' command, rendering players unable to join the class.

By default, he used the Scout's model, most likely as a placeholder, though this could be changed to other class models. He possessed very low health (the lowest of any class, and the same as the Team Fortress Classic civilian), had no weapons or form of attack, lacked both voice commands and taunts and used generic speech files when he was wounded or killed. Civilians possessed no animations except the ragdoll/gibbing effect upon dying and so appeared to glide along the ground in a reference pose when moving.

The existence of the civilian class seems to indicate that Valve either had planned an updated version of the VIP escort maps from the original Team Fortress, or plans to add this type of map into the game in future patches. Alternatively, the class may have been included in the game files so that independent map makers and modders could add this feature. Additionally, the Administrator possesses a sound file in the GCF in which she commands the team to "Stop the courier." suggesting an official hunted game-mode was in the works at some point.

Strategy

• As a civilian you are weak, slow and almost entirely useless. Your strange movement and vulnerability make you a target far out of proportion to your threat. As such, try and take the less used routes and stay at as far a distance from your foes as possible. If you are careful and use hiding spots well, you may actually reach a capture point or the intelligence. Try to covertly make your way to the next capture point as your team is capturing the last so you can capture before the enemy sets up a defense and finds you.

• One way you can benefit your team as a civilian is by acting as a human shield. If you should see bullets, rockets, grenades or any kind of general lethal object heading towards a vital friendly player, such as a healing Medic or Engineer repairing a Sentry Gun which is under attack, heroically throw yourself in the way of danger and your sacrifice may buy them the scant seconds they need to survive. You will become a hero to all.

• Similar to the above, you can use your status as a target few can resist to distract your opponents from killing vital team members. Many players are willing to chase a civilian across the entire map just to get a shot at you.

• Like a Spy, you must make strong use of hiding spots, but without the benefit of Cloak to get from place to place. Lie in wait and ambush your opponent when they least expect it. Their shock at your ambushing skills combined with your bizarre animation cycles will give you the surprise advantage. With any luck, a nearby teammate will take advantage of this event.

• Another way you can benefit your team is by blocking choke points with your body, buying seconds for your defense to respond to the threat.

• Allow yourself to be riddled with Sentry Gun bullets while your team destroys it.

Weapons

None. Not even fists.

Trivia

A caricature of the classic Civilian (right), seen in Meet the Sniper

• There were several glitches which reportedly allowed the player to become a 'civilian'. However, these did not actually cause the player to join the civilian class but instead placed the character in the default reference pose, giving them a similar appearance to the original placeholder civilian model. All of these (except for the 10th and 11th glitch) have since been patched:
  • For classes that have single clip weapons, using up all the ammo and changing weapons, then choosing the same class.
  • By spinning the Minigun and quickly choosing Heavy in the class selection screen.
  • Using the "equip" command (used for equipping unlockable weapons).
  • Equipping The Razorback while holding Jarate or the SMG. This was patched as it could cause servers to crash.
  • Disguising and holding the Electro Sapper then walking into a Resupply locker as a Spy would cause the disguise model to go into the reference pose to any enemy players. This was because the other classes do not possess a "build" animation except for the Spy and Engineer.
  • Equipping a different Minigun and then taunting after resupplying at a locker.
  • Ticking the box in Advanced Multiplayer options called "Remember Active Weapon Between Lives", then dying while holding your secondary or melee weapon.
  • Drawing the Huntsman when the Humiliation animations start.
  • Emptying all Minigun ammo and holding the empty gun out when Humiliation starts.
  • Equipping the Buff Banner, filling your rage meter, then pressing M and equipping the Gunboats. The player then activates the banner and touches a resupply locker before the bugle has finished sounding.
  • As a Demoman, Soldier or Sniper, tick the box in Advanced Multiplayer options called "Remember Active Weapon Between Lives", equip a secondary that is non passive and have it out, then press M and equip the Targe, Gunboats or Razorback (Don't go to a Resupply locker), kill yourself.
• While sv_cheats is set to 1, using "addcond 0" will force the player into the reference pose.
• The Sniper keeps a bobble-head of the original Team Fortress Classic civilian in his RV.
• The original (Scout) civilian possesses completely unique death screams. These sounds can still be found in the game files, under crit_death1-5.wav in the player folder. These were also all the death sounds for all classes before they were all given unique voice acting. One Two Three Four Five

See also

• The Hunted (Community Mod)
• Glitches

External links

• Team Roomba's First Griefing video, featuring the unofficial 'Meet the Civilian'
• SWar production's 'How to play the civilian'