TF2 News

Some of you will have notice that in the latest update for TF2 some very mysterious additions, including a 50-slot "backpack" to store items, and a new slot for headgear. This set off a speculation frenzy as to how far is Valve going with these World of Warcraft-esque changes.

For the time being, it seems these are only cosmetic, but are likely to be more functional in the future. Valve have said "they are interested in exploring more radical, RPG-style mechanics, the plan is to slowly introduce these new elements in order to "measure the effect of each change, both on the game and on the community."



The plan is for the head-slot items to be out before the Sniper pack is, but if they don't get them done in time they'll just be bundled into the Sniper pack. The items won't just appear on the ground after an enemy is killed for you to pick up, as this can lead to all sort of cheating on servers and for now will only be cosmetic, so skins for your character and weapons really.

Valve are planning for items to play a more impact on gameplay, but as we all know they like to take their time on these things and monitor the changes and response they get. Valve has strongly indicated that players will be able to trade items, but this feature will be added some time after the main "item update"

Some users were concerned that you can now permanently delete hard-won items from your backpack after the last update. Valve had put in some strong wording in the update to discourage people from doing it for right now. As soon as the next update comes out people will be able to find any item, including ones they've deleted in the past.



The reason why they shipped it in the last update, even though there was no real reason at all to use it, was to get some real world testing. So the the 270 people who went ahead and deleted items, gave Valve's support team some practice in handling this system.

Valve also said this week, that they are not finish yet in release for "Meet the Team" videos. Quote "Nope, we're not done yet. There's still the Pyro, Medic, and Spy to go. We've saved the best for last!" So make your conclusions on that one!

And they are keeping very tight lipped about the much rumoured TF2 comics and have not indicated if they going to be entirely web-based, free, story-driven or short strips.

Is TF2 being turn from a FPS to FPsMMORPG? After the last update which included a 50-slot "backpack" to store items, and a new slot for headgear and the discovery of latent, item-related lines of game code that spawned many RPG-related jokes--developer Valve has gotten in on the joke with the most recent TF2 patch. Some eagle eye gamers/coders have discover few extra lines of amusing code hidden in the game's GFC files.

The code in question are:

//TF2 MMO
"TF_MMO_LFG" "Looking For Group"
"TF_MMO_Quest1" "You must kill %s1 %s2 to complete this quest."
"TF_MMO_Monster1" "Boars"
"TF_MMO_Monster2" "Rats"
"TF_MMO_Monster3" "Bats"
"TF_MMO_Monster4" "Wolves"
"TF_MMO_Monster5" "Spiders"

I'll let you make your own TF2/Wow jokes from this. Best I can do is:

LVL 15 HEAVY LFG W/MEDIC
WILL PAY IN SANDVICHES.

A new post has appeared the official TF2 blog, which has shed some light on Valve's upcoming Sniper update. It seems they want to get the Sniper closer to the action, when he is using his new weapons.

The blog reads, "In an effort to reduce some of the aggravation that other players feel towards the Sniper, we chose the goal of designing an unlockable that encouraged the Sniper to get a little closer to his target," (well that the Jarate" preview we all saw on April 1st)

Continues, "We want him to give up some of his primary advantage in return for something else, so that enemies he kills feel like they were engaged with them, and feel like they could have survived if they'd just managed to fight a little better....."

No news yet on when the update will go live, though it's widely expected to launch sometime after the head-slot/item update, (read above posts)

A big thank you to our friend from southern Norway. Nex(90) has just found this on the TF2 website. It seems Valve are releasing more info in the following days about the new Sniper update, which looks it going to be release by next week.

Also included will be the new head-slot items for each class and more maps.

Valve also notes that another free weekend for the game is "coming soon."

Update:
Valve has clarified the Huntsman's attack, reiterating that it has no stun effect. Arrows merely pin players to the wall following death.

Well it would seem Lewis was right, we have a new payload game mode called "Payload Race", (and it looks like one of the ,maps is called "Pipeline", plus two new arena maps called "Sawmill" and "Nucleus" We are also treated in the info release to a postcard from Sniper, who likes to keep his parents updated on his exciting, legal, not-at-all-a-crazed-gunman job.

Next update maybe demo! I noticed it while first looking the stamp features a demo on gravel pit. To me it looks like he's firing a new weapon but tell me what you think! Demo Next?

Well the Sniper is the getting a Razorback, (no not a gaming mouse!) according to the latests info release.

Macgta's right as the demoman is my treasured and most played class i still think it is going to be the spy update, He is underpowerd, And by looking at the sniper shield, Things are just going to make his life harder

Well Jack and Lewis I think they heard your comments, cos they've announce The Spy Update!

This has been rumoured on the Tf2 forums for a while so after this double update will it be the Demo update? Apparently so!

I have reason to believe the combination Spy/Sniper update will be release on Thursday 21st May.

Day 6 in the Big Brother house, (sorry wrong thing there), of the Sniper/Spy and look at Day 5 for the Spy achievements, it seems Valve have awarded themselves an unique achievement in the update. Also in that update is the official "Meet the Spy" video, if somehow by now you haven't seen it yet.

We know that this new update is bigger than the Heavy/Payload & Goldrush update, making it the biggest for the game yet. Be prepare for a long download, especially if thousands of people are downloading at the same time! So just a recap of what we know will be in the Sniper/Spy update:

Sniper new weapons
The Huntmans
The Razorback
Jarate

Spy new weapons
The "Dead Ring" Spy watch
The "Cloak and Dagger" Spy watch
The Ambassador

Achievement set for both characters
34 Achievements for the Spy
35 Achievements for the Sniper

Game mode and Maps
New Game Mode Called "Payload Race"
At least one new map for this game mode called "Pipeline"
2 new Arena Maps called "Sawmill" and "Nucleus"

Meet the Spy video was to celebrate this update, but we all know what happen there!

What may also be in the update
Pick up items for the backpack update from a few weeks ago. Hats & skins and we seen one of the new sniper hats in the "Meet the Spy" vid, so I'm certain it will release with the update.
I would be prepare for some balance changes and maps tweaks.
I would also expect some game and engine fixes.

EDIT
As expected, Day 7 info release tells us Jarate is confirmed with some detail info about it and the Sniper will have 35 achievement to work towards.

As you all know the new sniper/spy update came out yesterday or rather this morning and a new system of how to get the weapons for the sniper and the spy. this new system is explained in this webpage but if you cant' be bothered here is my explanation.

When they first created the achievements pack they designed to get players to feel like there were progressing in skill as the more achievements they achieved a new weapon would be granted. However as people have taken to farming and that the medic update wasn't as successful as they hoped they have changed the system so that items are being picked up as a result of the number of hours played on tf2. so people who play the game more often will get more items but because you may now trade items like the weapons previously achieved for other classes these items are being picked up instead of the new weapons which is causing a degree of annoyance. So if you're looking for a way to get items then the answer is simple PLAY TF2 MORE!!!.

Team Fortress 2 lead Robin Walker says that Valve is not entirely happy with its new method of random weapon drops, and could eliminate the unlock system entirely. (Valve not happy or the people who play it!?)

"I think we've learned that the random drop system is only good for some types of things, like the rare cosmetic hats," (Oh really, I've never got one hat, since the update came out, but thanks you for the 5 Huntsmans! Yeah, really useful)

"It's good for delivering items to newer players over time, so they're not swamped with choices when they're starting out, and they're not required to grind achievements to get them once they reach the point where they want to start making strategic choices," he said. "For competitive players, it's obviously a bad way to deliver items."

The solution may be to simply skip the fuss and hand over the weapons nice and quick.

"At the very least, future packs will allow you to use achievements to get the new items, but we might move to a mode where we just give them to you," he added. "As part of our goal of supporting tournaments more, I think we'll probably add better tools for them to control exactly what players can and can't use within matches."

Walker also said that his team is not happy with the trend of competitive players flocking to smaller maps that public players typically do not prefer.

"We've got a map where we're trying out areas that modify themselves based on the number of players in the game, in the hopes that both public and competitive players can use it," he added.

Valve has started a Team Fortress 2 closed beta test, with the goal of balancing the game for competitive matches, according to TF2 developer Robin Walker. "The TF2 Beta is something we've just started running. It's aimed at filling a hole in TF2's iterative development model."

European and American competitive TF2 clans are being recruited for the beta, which will incorporate changes to the game ahead of an update's release to provide Valve with valuable balancing data.

"To iterate effectively, we need to be able to measure the impact of our changes," he said. "Up until now we've been successful at measuring that impact on the non-competitive TF2 community, because we have good internal proxies for it - the TF2 team itself, plus other internal and external playtesters. Our proxies for the high end competitive play aren't as good, and that's lead to us making some design decisions that have hurt it."

Walker pointed out that the beta does not represent a shift in Valve's approach to the casual community.

"This doesn't reflect any change of our attitude towards non-competitive TF2 play, it's just going to give us more data," he added. "We'll continue to talk and listen to the non-competitive TF2 players, as we have done in the two years since we shipped. The more data we have, the more effective we'll be as we continue striving for design choices that work for all TF2 players."

European TF2 clan FokkelBrigade says that a small group of top European and American teams have been selected for the beta, and that the first stage is focusing on tweaking the Sandman bat-and-ball unlockable, a weapon routinely banned from competitive TF2 play. Rumors of a fire-repellent suit for the Spy are also circulating.



Walker has previously expressed a desire to "get more insight" into what Valve can do for the competitive TF2 community.

"I'd like to build some more bridges to organizers within the competitive community, which is something we've tried to do but still continue to have trouble with," he said in a recent CommunityFortress interview.

Hooray for more hats which I'll never get! Thanks Valve, I always wanted pictures of TF2 characters with hats, which I starting to fell I will never obtain.

One of those hidden Olde Time looking brochures seems to imply that when you can kill someone with a hat, you can take it, or a copy of it from them for yourself.

And the bloody random weapon system needs to be dropped at once and I couldn't care less for the trading system. Just give us more of an opportunity to get the hats.

I no its abit retarded how everyone else seems to have a hat of some sort whyle im still here "on my 10th! flare gun" and im also playing the game 60 hours a week just to hope of getting something!! But atleast with the release of more hats finding them will hopefully.. be easier than before... Lastly i think the spies hat looks pretty much the same as his old one so hats up on creativity valve...

Team Fortress 2 players that made use of external programs to earn random item drops in the game are now being punished for their ways, according to a new Valve blog post.

"Over the next few days we'll be removing all TF2 items that were earned using external idling applications," said Valve's Erik Johnson, who noted that 4.5% of TF2 players will be affected by the measure.

In the future, users caught using external programs to idle in Team Fortress 2 servers will have all of their items wiped.

"Meanwhile, everyone who took the moral high road will soon be finding a new hat in their inventory," Johnson added. "We've also significantly increased the chance of finding any of the existing hats."

Valve is currently working on new systems to enhance the item system, including trading mechanics, and a combination system that would allow two duplicate items to be melded into a desired reward.
http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/60303

Bad move by Valve, which I think could backfire on them. Valve created this mess with the random dropping weapons and hat system. And really the idling applications being used, (from what I hear), has had mixed results at best.

In my opinion they should of given people a reprieve for past offensives and only punish people who now used or continue used such things to get weapons and hats.

Maybe we all should stop worrying about hats and just play the game.