Team Fortress 2 Gets Massive Update

Steven Bogos

The Taco Man
Jan 17, 2013
9,354
0
0
Team Fortress 2 Gets Massive Update


One of the biggest updates in Team Fortress 2 history adds 60 new items, 2 new maps, and hundreds of balance changes.

Earlier this week [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/125714-Team-Fortress-2-Update-To-Fix-Community-Made-Exploits], Valve previewed a massive incoming update for Team Fortress 2, aimed at bringing in a large amount of "Gold Star" community-made items, fixing a large amount of exploits that new weapons have created in old maps, and balancing up some of the most and least used weapons. The update hit today, bringing with it 60 new items, 2 new maps, and hundreds of balances changes.

I won't post the full changelog [http://www.teamfortress.com/post.php?id=11070] here as it is absolutely massive, so I'll just give you the short and skinny of it:


60 new "Gold Star" community-made items (most of which are hats)
8 new flavours of "Summer Cooler" crates that contain the new items
Keys for these crates. Summer Cooler keys are now also randomized, so when you buy a key, you take a gamble as to whether it will actually open the crate you have... Edit: this is my mistake. You can buy specific color keys from the store. The "Random Key" is a gift item gifts a random key to a random person on a server
Added two new maps: cp_standin and cp_process
Fixed various map exploits
Rebalanced many underused items. Example: The Battalion Backup's rage is now generated from damage dealt instead of damage received
Item set bonuses are now purely cosmetic effects. The previous bonuses have been moved to other items in the set.


If you own the game (which everyone should, as it's free and awesome) the update should download the next time you start up Steam. The update is, as always, completely free. It's really nice to see Valve putting so much effort into such an old game, in particular going back and rebalancing all of those old, useless items that people barely use.

Source: Team Fortress [http://www.teamfortress.com/post.php?id=11070]


Permalink
 

Jandau

Smug Platypus
Dec 19, 2008
5,034
0
0
Ugh, random items are one of the most abusive microtransaction models I've seen. Yes, I know it's not the whole update, but I get a twitch in my lower eyelid whenever I see it. Paying money to have a CHANCE to get what you want is just wrong... And it's not just Valve that does it; it's pretty much the norm in Guild Wars 2 as well. At least there you sometimes get chest keys as random drops...
 

Serious Business

New member
Feb 11, 2013
8
0
0
In Terms of "Balance", that is one awsome Update. The whole Item-Set Bonus thing seems really cool, and the items that got buffed really seem cooler now.

Think i might use the winger pistol on my scout now. That extra Jump Bonus seems nice.

Great work from Valve there.
 

Mr. Omega

ANTI-LIFE JUSTIFIES MY HATE!
Jul 1, 2010
3,902
0
0
I hate the crates. And now that there are crates that require different keys. It's as if they're trying to find ways to make crates even stupider.

Still, I like the rest of the update. The Dead Ringer is finally getting a nerf. Some other items like the Winger or the Quick-Fix are no longer useless. And I like that they're undoing the set bonuses so that players who spend money on hats aren't getting a clear advantage over everyone else. And new maps are always nice.

So on that note: Good job, Valve, and fuck the Dead Ringer.
 

Airon

New member
Jan 8, 2012
107
0
0
You can buy specifically coloured summer cooler keys, at least in Europe. The Wiki pages aren't updated with the new items yet.

Already tried the Quickfix. Much more fun. Gotta try all the others as well in time.

cp_standin is actually a unique map. It's a Battlefield-type of map, where the opposing team can capture any of the points back. They don't need to be captured in sequence. cp_process is certainly one of the best new maps in recent months. It is being played quite a lot in the competitive leagues and look great too.

Not a fan of crates either since I'm not a big fan of gambling with money either.
 

Lovely Mixture

New member
Jul 12, 2011
1,474
0
0
Steven Bogos said:
60 new "Gold Star" community-made items (most of which are hats)
Stuff like this reminds me why I haven't really played the game past late 2011.


Jandau said:
Ugh, random items are one of the most abusive microtransaction models I've seen. Yes, I know it's not the whole update, but I get a twitch in my lower eyelid whenever I see it. Paying money to have a CHANCE to get what you want is just wrong... And it's not just Valve that does it; it's pretty much the norm in Guild Wars 2 as well. At least there you sometimes get chest keys as random drops...
Team Fortress 2 is free-to-play, that sort of justifies the whole thing. They aren't gauging you for money, you get a choice. I don't enjoy the model but I fail to see how it's abusive in any way, that's how it makes a profit now.
 

Infernal Lawyer

New member
Jan 28, 2013
611
0
0
Mr. Omega said:
I hate the crates. And now that there are crates that require different keys. It's as if they're trying to find ways to make crates even stupider.

Still, I like the rest of the update. The Dead Ringer is finally getting a nerf. Some other items like the Winger or the Quick-Fix are no longer useless. And I like that they're undoing the set bonuses so that players who spend money on hats aren't getting a clear advantage over everyone else. And new maps are always nice.

So on that not: Good job, Valve, and fuck the Dead Ringer.
I spent an hour playing TF2 before work today, and decided to use the quick-fix (I normally use it on maps where I know I can't count on reliably building up an uber, e.g. attack/defend CP maps), and was pleasantly surprised by the sudden buff. Suddenly, I didn't have my entire team screaming at me to change medigun.
Secondly, while I see the dead ringer as a viable choice for the most part, it was simply ridiculous that you were impossible to kill while cloaked, even when set on fire and with the entire enemy team shooting at you. At least this way, cunning players will still be able to utilize it while bad players won't simply use it as a crutch/get-out-of-jail-free-card for their own incompetence.
That said, I'm not sure what the point of changing the Liberty Launcher was. I don't use it, but I thought it was used to get a burst of reliable shots in with reduced effectiveness in longer battles.
Oh, and those summer crates... I've never bought any keys and I've sold most of my crates on the market, but I really don't like the idea of randomizing keys, especially limited edition ones (if I'm not wrong). I don't really want to count on having the time to trade a key that I can't use before it goes poof. Guess Valve realized it hasn't done anything stupid and anti-consumer like everyone else in the market yet XD
 

Aeshi

New member
Dec 22, 2009
2,640
0
0
They changed the Beggars Bazooka's misfire mechanic? does that mean RocketKnighting no longer works?

'cause if so, well that sucks.
 

Phrozenflame500

New member
Dec 26, 2012
1,080
0
0
Meh seems like a pretty standard "buy our hats" upda-

Steven Bogos said:
Added two new maps: cp_standin and cp_process

Rebalanced many underused items. Example: The Battalion Backup's rage is now generated from damage dealt instead of damage received

Item set bonuses are now purely cosmetic effects. The previous bonuses have been moved to other items in the set.
Well, I guess I'll be playing TF2 today.
 

Steven Bogos

The Taco Man
Jan 17, 2013
9,354
0
0
Daystar Clarion said:
They nerfed the Saharan Spy set and the Escape Plan.

I...

I...

[HEADING=1]All the angry![/HEADING]
I'm glad, and I use both of these. Anyone could tell they were stupidly overpowered. The Escape Plan especially was a no-brainer for any solider, even after they already nerfed it once (by splitting it into two items)
 
Dec 14, 2009
15,526
0
0
Steven Bogos said:
Daystar Clarion said:
They nerfed the Saharan Spy set and the Escape Plan.

I...

I...

[HEADING=1]All the angry![/HEADING]
I'm glad, and I use both of these. Anyone could tell they were stupidly overpowered. The Escape Plan especially was a no-brainer for any solider, even after they already nerfed it once (by splitting it into two items)
But there was no need to nerf the Escape Plan. It's only effective when a soldier is close to death anyway, adding the Mark of Death is taking the piss. It makes sense for the Heavy's GRU, because you get the speed boost at any health level.
 

Alcom1

New member
Jun 19, 2013
209
0
0
Daystar Clarion said:
But there was no need to nerf the Escape Plan. It's only effective when a soldier is close to death anyway, adding the Mark of Death is taking the piss. It makes sense for the Heavy's GRU, because you get the speed boost at any health level.
It was a direct upgrade (medic not healing doesn't count) off the shovel, having the same damage and attack interval. Now it isn't. Then again, Mark of Death seems to be too extreme. They couldn't simply reduce the damage like the Atomizer?
 

weirdee

Swamp Weather Balloon Gas
Apr 11, 2011
2,634
0
0
btw, i'd wait until they patch out the quickfix exploit

the one that makes players invincible for entire matches
 

Quiet Stranger

New member
Feb 4, 2006
4,409
0
0
But are they going to give all the items back to the players who had their inventories wiped clean because of a glitch in the system? Until then, fuck you Valve.... or whoever runs this game.
 

Shadow-Phoenix

New member
Mar 22, 2010
2,289
0
0
Well guess I'm playing TF2 again today and thank the maker the dead ringer got the nerf because I hated playing Pyro vs a Spy when the spy won't even burn and can still backstab me at the speed of light.