Back then, I put in an absurd amount of hours hopping from server to server, playing the game constantly, obsessing about hats and accessories, etc.
Hmm, no, definitely not as active. I cannot play this game for hours a day, every day anymore, because of age and general interest. The game has changed but at the core it's the same thing, still got the same people, the same amount of people as well, and I'm not saying that in a bad way. That's good. It'll keep going and going.
When there's a case of boredom or something, TF2 is one of those games I can return to, for however long I need it. This community in particular is one of the reasons why TF2 is a game I can still play. I've been on so many 2fort servers hosted by communities that have dug themselves into the ground as years go by. If this wasn't here, I'd be inactive because the rest of the ones I've been a part of so far.. are kaput.