Custom Fortress

Custom Fortress
SDK Beta Branch	Live
Current Status	Active
Latest Version	3.0
Project Lead(s)	Alien31 main_thing
Socials	Discord
Download	(Dev Builds) Github (Releases) Steam

Custom Fortress, previously known as Better Fortress 2, is a Team Fortress 2 Sourcemod that started with the goal of making base Team Fortress 2 less hardcoded to give everyone from mappers, cosmetics creators, weapon makers, server hosts, and vscripters the ability to do anything they can possibly think of. The developers also hoped to get some of these changes implemented into the live SDK branch. The current scope of the mod aims to continue this objective of making Custom Fortress less hardcoded while also adding fully cut content, popular community creations that haven't been implemented in live Team Fortress 2, new gamemodes and ways to play existing gamemodes, and various quality of life changes.

Although the broader community claims that Better Fortress was "Only created to be the first released mod on Steam on the new SDK", This provably false due to Team Fortress 2: Reborn being the first publicly released mod on steam on the new SDK.

Gameplay

Custom Fortress 2 retains the core gameplay of Team Fortress 2 while introducing numerous enhancements and experimental features. The mod supports all standard Team Fortress 2 classes — Scout, Soldier, Pyro, Demoman, Heavy, Engineer, Medic, Sniper, and Spy — with additional customization options and restored cut content.

Gamemodes

The modification supports all standard Team Fortress 2 game modes with various improvements:

• Capture the Flag (CTF) - As seen in Team Fortress 2.
• Payload - As seen in Team Fortress 2.
• Control Point - As seen in Team Fortress 2.
• King of the Hill (KOTH) - As seen in Team Fortress 2.
• Attack/Defend - As seen in Team Fortress 2.
• Robot Destruction - As seen in Team Fortress 2. Features significant improvements including the ability to edit Blu/Red scores via input, removal of the 0 cap limit on flags allowing negative points, and customizable robot sounds (Death, Hurt, Collide, Idle). Robots can spawn with dispensers and feature OnPanicStart/OnPanicEnd outputs.
• Mann vs. Machine (MVM) - Includes restored MvM attributes and features.

The mod also includes tournament mode support and Highlander mode functionality, allowing for competitive gameplay configurations.

Maps

Custom Fortress 2 is compatible with all official Team Fortress 2 maps as well as custom community maps. The mod includes a development test map (cf_devtest) and features Steam Workshop integration, allowing players to automatically download and use Workshop content including maps, models, materials and particles.

Maps can utilize new customization features including:

• Custom map titles.
• External scene loader support (VCD files, Faceposer content).
• Enhanced navigation generation that reloads navigation without requiring a full map restart.

Weapons

The mod features an extensive arsenal that includes all standard Team Fortress 2 weapons plus numerous custom and restored weapons:

Standard Weapon Modifications:

• Reserve Shooter - Modified to be usable by Engineer and Heavy.
• The Winger and Pretty Boy's Pocket Pistol - Made available to the Engineer.
• Family Business - Made available to the Soldier, Pyro and Heavy.
• Various weapons feature new attributes including robot footsteps, voice sound set overrides, laser pointers for sniper rifles, and the ability for medic guns to heal buildings.

Custom Weapons:

• The Holy Marlin - A community-created melee weapon for the Demoman that knocks players back.
• The Hell's Beneath - A community-created secondary weapon for the Demoman that uses proximity mines.
• Junction Bolter - A community-created wrench for the Engineer that makes Sentry Gun's more resistant but slower.
• The Big Mean Mother Hubbard - A community-created primary for the Engineer that shoots high explosive scrap balls.
• Baleful Beacon - A community-created melee for the Pyro that lets the user do a ghostly dash.

Restored Cut Content: Many weapons are marked as "restored cut items," indicating they were originally developed by Valve but never released in the official game. These items are flagged with special attributes to identify them as restored content.

Weapon Customization: The mod includes a Workshop Weapon Tool that allows players to preview weapon models, create weapon replacements, and develop weapon mods. Players can browse MDL files, auto-rotate models, and export custom weapon configurations.

Features

Player Enhancements:

• GiveItem functionality via I/O and console commands
• Penetration kill sound toggle via console variable
• Voice spam controls with adjustable delay settings
• Custom character responses (including new Sniper responses)

NPC Modifications:

• Horseless Headless Horsemann now features a hammer keyvalue from the 2014 Halloween event

Technical Improvements:

• External scenes loader support (Mapbase functionality)
• Pyrovision support through keyvalue/netprop for tf_gamerules
• Enhanced navigation generation (nav_generate reloads navigation instead of entire map)
• Infinite ammo console variable support
• Addon items_game loader (Beta feature)