TF2 is probably my favorite multiplayer shooter ever, but I stopped playing it shortly after you could start unlocking new weapons. I've tried some googling, but I haven't been able to find any vanilla servers. I want to play the game as it was in 2007-2008, any idea where I should go?

I think there are a few pure vanilla servers around but I doubt too many. As fond as I am of the old TF2, with the exception of a few aggravating weapons, I think the game is much better balanced and more complete now. Have you actually extensively played the game recently with all the new stuff or are you just against them in theory?

Play on consoles?

Buy The Orange Box and play on the Xbox 360 (or PS3). It's about as close to vanilla TF2 that you can get.

Yeah the 360 version is probably the best bet.

@nime: I mean I played the game briefly with unlocks back when they first came out. It was a nice change of pace, but then there was the inventory system and a bunch of other stuff I didn't feel like micromanaging. I enjoy unlock progressions in most multiplayer shooters, but that's not what I went to TF2 for. I just want to build turrets on 2fort again man.

@thedeadcomedian : I've had similar feelings about TF2. After it went free to play they put out and endless stream of new weapons and it didn't work with me. I put 533 hours into team fortress 2 and I'd bet less than 8 came from post free to play.

A lot of people use stock weapons and do quite well in the game (I personally think that Scout's stock scattergun is the best one).
The only issue is with melee weapons, with many of the unlockable melee's being straight upgrades off of stock weaponry.

Now, if you want to talk about obnoxious cosmetics...

@thedeadcomedian: It sounds like you're mostly just being turned off by the idea of it. You can still play it and use nothing but stock weapons and do totally fine.

Play the PS3 version. Did that version even get patched at all?