Kinda funny, I found TF2 kinda hard to get into originally as well, but mainly because of how slow the pacing felt compared to more traditional deathmatch FPSs like UT2k4. I stuck with it though because regulars from #ocremix were playing it. And then soon after I started the server because there was interest expressed in #ocremix in getting a server for the community, yet nobody was acting on it.
Never did I imagine it exploding the way it did with so many regulars though, or the server evolving the way it did. Originally I couldn't fathom the thought of a viable server for the community with alltalk on or even a hint of micspam accepted, and yet it happened and gameplay hasn't suffered too much for it I feel. Better yet, people enjoy being able to talk to everyone and it has fostered much interaction that you won't see on many other servers. The server has been moving away from my vision for it and more towards the community's vision, and in a way I'm relieved that it has done so. I'm perhaps too rigid of a person in some ways to implement policies of my devising that is amenable to most of the OCR TF2 community.
Also, Brushfire has been added to admins again!