People tell me that Valve see Team Fortress 2 as an economic testbed rather than a competitive first-person shooter. Why can't it be both? Six years after the game's release its success in a competitive format is greater than ever. Leagues are flourishing in popularity, stream viewer numbers are steadily rising, and last week the community raised $35,000 for charity. Meanwhile rival games consistently fail: Brink and Natural Selection 2 came and went, Shootmania Storm will be next; all unable to match the balance, depth and sheer fun of Team Fortress 2. The only competitive first-person shooter likely to supplant TF2 is TF3.

These options would be fantastic:

1. FPS optimization with the optional removal of cosmetics and particle effects.

2. FOV up to 120 – makes the game more comfortable to play at the expense of accurate aiming.

3. Transparent viewmodels – know which weapon you're using without it obscuring your view.

I know these are all possible because members of the community have worked very hard to make them happen. The latter two could be achieved until recently at the risk of a VAC ban – and yet many took that risk, not because they wanted to cheat, but because they love the game so much.

Valve, please help us out. We love you! :)