TF2 Newbs (Team Fortress 2) Blog

Click back to the previous post for more information on how to win hats, keys, and more in the month of June for playing TF2Newbs’ 2Fort servers! Also, TF2 patched last night. As always, here’s the short version:

• A “Demo Support” feature has been added to auto-record matches with increased replay options
• Fixed energy weapons not reloading when auto-reloading is turned ON
• Some hats updated
  • Co-Pilot is now all-class
  • Added styles for Fear Monger, Big Elfin Deal, Bootie Time, Patriot’s Pouches, Tough Stuff Muffs, and Toowoomba Tunic
• TF2Newbs: |N| Octo is resetting HLStats for all of our servers today for the contest

2Fort Contest thru the Month of June

Contest is now live! Play on any of Newbs’ 2Fort servers, and HLStats will turn on when at least four players are active. You can earn rewards for being the first to reach point total thresholds, winning weekly stats contests, or having played more Newbs’ 2Fort than anyone else! You can also earn rewards for jumping in to server-starting events on #04 “Haley’s Octo-land” every day when they’re announced.

The first set of weekly stats contests begins Monday, June 6th. Try to earn the most backstabs, or reflected rocket kills, or buildings destroyed, or whatever stats will be announced for that week, over all of our 2Fort servers! You can access these stats, as well as our forums and check our current server population, via the TF2Newbs’ main page by clicking on the “Stats” link.

NOTE: Servers #11 and #27 no longer exist, so they aren’t part of the contest. Servers #01, #04, #05, #09, #11, and #21 are the six 24/7 2Fort servers for TF2Newbs.

 

TF2 Patch, May 31, 2016: Patch 1

• Added a new Demo Support feature to auto-record matches
  • Can be configured via the Adv. Options menu
  • Automatically records .dem files of your matches (or can be set to Manual) and puts them into the specified folder
  • Logs killstreaks and bookmarks to a master _events.txt file in the same folder as the recordings so the events can be easily reviewed
  • Logs killstreaks and bookmarks for each specific .dem file to .json file that has the same name as the .dem file (see the ds_mark command below)
  • Supports the following console commands:
    • ds_record: manually start a recording
    • ds_stop: manually stop recording
    • ds_mark [comment]: bookmark the current demo tick count for future reference. The [comment] is an optional descriptor you may include.
    • ds_status: report the current recording status
• Security fixes (thanks to Diodine for these reports)
• Fixed an exploit related to the Heavy‘s gloves and blocking the payload cart
• Fixed energy weapons not reloading when using cl_autoreload
• Fixed the team-win dialog not being displayed for SourceTV clients
• Updated several hats to fix the Sniper not removing the hats while taunting
• Added UGC tournament medals for Highlander Seasons 17 and 18, 6v6 Seasons 19 and 20, and 4v4 Seasons 6 and 7
• Updated models/materials for The Dead Head, The Scoped Spartan, The Patriot’s Pouches, The Sub Zero Suit, Fear Monger, Co-Pilot, Tough Stuff Muffs, The Toowoomba Tunic, Weight Room Warmer, The Bootie Time, and The Big Elfin Deal
• Updated The Federal Casemaker to hide the Scout‘s headphones
• Updated the localization files

Undocumented changes

• Updated the Weight Room Warmer to be equippable by Scout and Demoman.
• Updated the Toowoomba Tunic to be equippable by the Demoman.
• Updated the Co-Pilot to be equippable by all classes.
• Added styles to the Fear Monger, Big Elfin Deal, Bootie Time, Patriot’s Pouches, Tough Stuff Muffs, and Toowoomba Tunic.
• Updated the equip_region for the Scoped Spartan.

Patch 2

• Fixed pink error textures appearing on heavy^(sic) fist weapons

[N] Obey

Lots going on now! The short version:

1. TF2Newbs’ 2Fort Contest runs the entire month of June
   • Player with most active playtime for June wins an unusual hat
   • First player to first reach 30,000 and 50,000 points will win 10 keys each
   • Two server-starting players on #04 eligible to win metal or hats each day
   • Three server-starting players on #04 also eligible to win a key each week.
2. HLStats reset June 1st
3. LMAOBOX hack users successfully banned by VAC
4. Plenty of Newbs are playing the Overwatch beta
5. Terraria patch 1.3.1 is now live
6. Steam Summer Sale 2016 runs from June 23rd to July 4th

1. TF2Newbs’ 2Fort Contest Starts June 1st

TF2Newbs’ six 24/7 2Fort servers (#01, #04, #05, #09, #19, #21) are hosting a series of contests during the month of June, with monthly, weekly, and daily prizes! See the forum post for questions and more information.

 

Monthly Points Race

TF2Newbs’ six 24/7 2Fort servers (#01, #04, #05, #09, #19, #21) will host a month-long points contest!

The first player to reach a total of 30,000 points will win 10 keys!

The first player to reach a total of 50,000 points will also win 10 keys! (The player who wins the 30k prize is ineligible for the 50k prize.)

Note: These rewards are measured by HLStats’ points system, not the TF2 client points. Follow this link to see how points are awarded.

Longest Playtime Award

The player who has been actively playing for the most time on TF2Newbs’ 24/7 2Fort servers while HLStats is enabled (that is, a minimum of 4 players) for the entire month of June will win an unusual hat! The hat to be won will be announced at a later date.

 

Weekly Achievement Contests

Each week, three additional stats contests will be announced for achievements, such as Headshot Kills, Amputator Kills, or Buildings Destroyed. A little bit like a week-long Contract, the person with the highest number of points scored for that goal during the week will win. One Mann Co. Key will be awarded to each other the three winners (maximum one key per player, per week).

Note that this contest counts all credit across all five TF2Newbs servers for the entire week. “Weeks” in this case start from Mondays at midnight PDT through the next Monday at midnight PDT.

 

#04 Server Starter Awards

Server #04 will feature daily prizes awarded to random players who jump in to the server whenever an “server starting” announcement is made.

Once the server start announcement is made, the next time the server maintains at least 8 vs. 8 players for several minutes (not counting spectators), then admin {N} Wife will note a list of players credit with helping that day. Anyone in Spectate at the time the list is generated will be disqualified from the list of eligible players for this award that day.

From that list, two random winners will be chosen. The prizes on weekdays are one refined metal, and the prizes on Saturdays on Sundays are a random hat!

Also each week, the three players who earn the most server starting credits for that week will earn a prize of one Mann Co. Key each.

Admins may give away other prizes at their sole discretion. |N| Koans has said that he may give away Steam games to those who start #05 on their own initiative.

 

Eligible Servers for the Contests

Copy-and-paste these commands into your TF2 console to jump straight to the server. Don’t forget to favorite them for later!

connect s1.tf2newbs.com 
connect s4.tf2newbs.com
connect s5.tf2newbs.com
connect s9.tf2newbs.com
connect s19.tf2newbs.com
connect s21.tf2newbs.com

 

2. Stats Reset June 1st

The HLStatsX software, which counts server-side points and ranks users, will be reset on all servers on June 1st. Everyone will be reset to the base 1,000 points. This coincides with the latest TF2Newbs contest.

 

3. LMAOBOX Hack Users Banned By VAC

We’re all tired of having servers quickly empty when some jerk enters with an obvious hack: a whirlwindy-stormy audio, headshotting, shooting through walls, and running around indestructibly. The admins of TF2Newbs ban these hackers, a thankless, sometimes time-consuming task. And now, we can rejoice, as one of the worst scourges of the virtual world (especially Valve servers!) is now effectively blocked by Valve’s VAC system.

PC Gamer reports that the LMAOBOX cheat is now detectable by VAC, Valve’s Anti-Cheat system, causing current and recent users to be permanently VAC-banned (meaning they can’t play on any Valve-owned server of any Valve game on that account). Such users are typically unwelcome on TF2Newbs’ servers also. Heck, the cheat has been so pervasive that spamming chat about the use of such a cheat is a bannable offense on Newbs’ servers, Skial, and other TF2 communities.

You should never use this hack, especially since the recently publicized source code has been found to be riddled with malware. Friends don’t let friends use LMAOBOX.

 

4. Got Overwatch?

It comes out Tuesday, May 24th, and it may just be the next coming of Team Fortress 2. We’re discussing it on the forums.

What is Overwatch? It’s a first-person shooter with character classes and short-term objectives, much like Team Fortress 2. Overwatch is by Blizzard, the creators the Diablo, StarCraft, and WarCraft franchises. Overwatch isn’t available on Steam, and is exclusive to Battle.Net, which is Blizzard’s proprietary gaming service. Nor is it free-to-play; the standard retail price of the game is US$59.99.

Overwatch is also a creative license, with digital comics and animated shorts–gee, also like TF2! Here’s a YouTube demo of some of the classes.

 

5. Terraria Patch 1.3.1 is Now Live!

Click here for the full patch notes. Gamepedia is very buggy, so here’s a summary of the PC version update:

• Lots of upgrades to the wiring system, including wiring gates (AND, NOR, XAND, etc.), actuators, tools that can remotely and wirelessly trip actuators, and more.
• Lots of new statues added, including many of the mobs/monsters in the game, that can be attached to wires to spawn their respective mobs.
• Controller support for PC version.

Terraria, the 2D Minecraft-like digging and crafting game that just hit its 5th birthday, got its first patch since its mega-patch last August. Since modders continue to experiment with Terraria’s limits, developer ReDigit continues to apply patches that help with specific objectives. In this case, a logic system has been implemented in the wiring system to allow, for instance, a door to open only if two switches are both opened, for traps to be affixed to walls and ceilings, and to have remote controls and projectile-triggered buttons to trip your wired masterpieces. Geeky stuff to be sure, kind of like those mana farmers in the Minecraft modding community.

Terraria is an action game for US$9.99 with cute visuals and a robust crafting system, worth the price even when it’s not on sale…

 

6. Steam Summer Sale 2016 is Soon!

Speaking of sales, numerous reports link a source that seems to confirm that the twice-a-year Steam sale will occur at the end of June [June 23rd to July 4th, to be specific]. This is a good time to buy games, as most games sold by Steam go on sale at some point during the bonanza, often from 33% to 75% off. Terraria for $2.49 (75% off) is common, and any game that is at least a year old is often found for 50% off. Flash sales of perhaps twelve-hour duration feature the best sales, so users check in frequently for the favorite games.

Hail Gaben! (Please note that this is a different video from the old one.)

 

[N] Obey

A small TF2 patch released today, with a new cosmetic case full of community-designed items. Here’s the short version:

• Small TF2 patch today
  • Added the Mayflower Cosmetic Case and matching Key
  • The Salty Dog hat is now all-class, and added a Smoky style (puts a pipe in character’s mouth)
  • The Well-Rounded Rifleman, Federal Casemaker, and Universal Translator are also now all-class
  • You’ll notice in 2fort and Hydro that the water is rendered differently now, due to a bugfix
• Teaser: Official TF2 Newbs Event coming June 1st
• Shameless Plug: Final Fantasy X/X-2 Remastered is now on Steam

Mayflower Cosmetic Case (aka Crate #102)

The contents of Crate #102 are all Graded Cosmetics, so some are rarer than others, as seen below:

• 7%: Courtly Cuirass, Mercenary Grade
• 7%: Demo’s Dustcatcher, Mercenary Grade
• 7%: Surgical Survivalist, Mercenary Grade
• 7%: Squire’s Sabatons, Mercenary Grade
• 7%: Airdog, Mercenary Grade for the Scout
• 7%: Scoped Spartan, Mercenary Grade for the Sniper
• 6%: Herald’s Helm, Commando Grade
• 6%: Gauzed Gaze, Commando Grade for the Medic
• 6%: Lurking Legionaire, Commando Grade for the Spy
• 6%: Patriot’s Pouches, Commando Grade
• 5%: Dad’s Duds, Assassin Grade for the Engineer
• 5%: Dayjogger, Assassin Grade for the Demoman
• 4%: Skullcap, Elite Grade for the Spy
• 4%: Bedouin Bandana, Elite Grade for all classes
• 1%: an Unusual hat from the above set of items only. I’m not yet sure which series of Unusual Effects are available.
• The above items have a chance (maybe 35%??) of also being Strange.

Of course, the Key costs the usual US$2.49 at the Mann Co. Store. Here are links to the Keys and Cases on the Steam Market.

 

TF2Newbs Event Coming June 1st

There is an event coming to the Newbs servers on June 1st. More details coming soon. I’m told that lots of hats and keys will be given away to participants….

 

Final Fantasy X/X-2 Remastered Bundle Now Available on Steam

Pardon me as I plug one of my favorite games of all time that isn’t Team Fortress 2. Released on Steam today, this US$30 bundle (currently on sale for $23.99) includes both games with a slew of updates and additional content, including:

• International Version content (see below)
• Now supports HD and 4k quality, with adjustable resolution and graphics settings
• Choose between original soundtracks and remastered/rearranged soundtracks
• Game boosters, like changing the encounter rate, increased speed, auto-battle, and max Overdrive meters at the start of each battle
• One-time Parameter Switches to grant maximum Gil, 99 of each items, or unlock all skills for all characters

What is “International Content”? US and Far East users, up until these newest releases, have not had access to the “international content” available in the EU version of the game.

For Final Fantasy X, this refers to optional Dark Aeons and the megaboss Penance to fight. You have to max out the stats of your characters just to have even a prayer of a chance to defeat Penance. (Want a guide to fighting Penance? Go here.) There is also an alternate or “Expert” Sphere Grid, which makes it easier for characters to choose their roles than the original grid, but has fewer nodes overall, making for somewhat weaker characters lategame.

Yes, there is a Steam Achievement for defeating Penance… If you like turn-based RPGs, Final Fantasy X is one of the best I’ve ever played.

In Final Fantasy X-2, there is an additional Last Mission mode, a new Dresssphere class, a bonus dungeon, a Fiend Arena, and a “Creature Creator”. Both games are sold together in the bundle; I don’t think they are available separately at this time.

 

Full TF2 Patch Notes: May 13, 2016

• Added the Mayflower Cosmetic Case and Mayflower Cosmetic Key
  • New community cosmetics case with 14 items^[1]
• Fixed weapons not playing idle animations when cl_autoreload was set to 1
• Fixed team Spectator using the wrong name in tournament mode
• Fixed occasionally getting the wrong output for the nextmap command
• Fixed a regression with the explosive-headshot upgrade sound in Mann vs. Machine
• Fixed the SMG firing tracers for every bullet while Focus is activated
• Fixed The Sheriff’s Stetson and The Patriot Peak not using the correct Blue team material
• Updated models/materials for The Well-Rounded Rifleman, The Federal Casemaker, The Sub Zero Suit, The Salty Dog, and Universal Translator
• Players can no longer change teams in Mannpower Mode
• Updated tc_hydro and ctf_2fort to fix a problem with cubemaps [having to do with rendering certain reflective/mirror-like surfaces]

Undocumented changes

• Updated the Salty Dog, Well-Rounded Rifleman, Federal Casemaker and Universal Translator so they can be equipped by all classes.
• Updated the Sub-Zero Suit so it can be equipped by the Demoman.
• Added Styles to the Salty Dog.
• Updated the localization files.

[N] Obey

Been pretty busy in the Newbs Community lately! Here’s what’s going on:

• Nathan Vetterlein (AKA the voice actor for the Scout) has been streaming on Newbs’ #14 lately!
• TF2Newbs is hosting an Event on Saturday, May 7th!
• {N} Olse is looking for players for his online, Saturday night D&D games.
• Minor TF2 Patch (full patch notes below); mostly updated models and Comp beta features.
• Added: a new “Alternative” Quickplay option for game modes: Territoral Control (Hydro),  Special Delivery (Doomsday), Medieval (Degroot Keep), and Player Destruction.TF2 streamer
• I’ve updated the FAQ “A TF2 Newbs’ Guide to More and Better Items”
  • Added sections describing Graded weapons
  • Added info on how to earn even more hats

[Updated Apr 26: Another minor TF2 patch. Added Medieval mode to the Alternative Quickplay.]

Meet the REAL Scout!

TF2 streamer Nathan Vetterlein, the voice actor of the Scout in TF2, has been bumping over to #14 to play the Badwater Basin map! Naturally, users following the streamer quickly fill the server, and we’re okay with that! He is also known for his group of sketch comedians.

Click here for his Twitch channel and other profile links.

Click here if you want to get involved with Newbs’ server starting, becoming a member, or joining one of our many sub-groups.

 

Are Ya Ready for Some Football Soccer XFL Dodgeball PASS Time?

We’re going something different for an event on Saturday, May 7th:  A soccer-like game mode, PASS Time, will be played by Newblets!

Special Rule: No primary weapons! Secondaries/melee weapons only. You’re going to be busy chasing the ball carrier anyway.

Click this link to learn everything you need to know, and to sign up.  An unusual hat will be awarded!!

 

Full Patch Notes: Apr 26, 2016

• Fixed client crash related to custom HUDs
• Fixed the Powdered Practitioner not using the correct Blue team material
• Fixed seeing the Competitive Mode doors at the beginning of the round for Mann vs. Machine
• Updated the Patriot Peak with a second style that will hide the Scout’s headphones
• Updated the Quickplay category for Alternative game modes to include Medieval maps

Full Patch Notes: April 25, 2016

• Updated content and features for the TF2 Competitive Mode beta
  • For more information on how you can participate in testing, please visit https://steamcommunity.com/groups/tfcompetitive
  • Added a ten second countdown to the beginning of each round after the firs
  • Added cp_gorge to the map rotation to test attack/defense format (using stopwatch mode)
• Fixed a potential security issue (thanks to Justin G., aka sigsegv, for this report)
• Fixed ragdolls not drawing the head properly when a Spy feigns death
• Fixed the Festive Backburner missing the pilot light
• Fixed The Classic leaving laser particles in the world
• Fixed a problem with the Mann Co. Catalog images being drawn off-screen
• Updated models/materials for The Hot Dogger, Brim-Full Of Bullets, The One-Man Army, Your Worst Nightmare, The Patriot Peak, The Diplomat, The Bruiser’s Bandanna, The Eliminators Safeguard, and Storm Stompers
• Added tournament medals for AsiaFortress Cup Season 9, ozfortress Season 15, and ozfortress Summer Cup 2016, ETF2L 6v6 Season 22 and Season 23, and ETF2L Highlander Season 9 and Season 10
• Added the class viewmodel animation files to the list of files allowed on servers using sv_pure 1
• Updated the equip_region settings for The Tools of the Trade and Captain Space Mann
• Updated the localization files
• Added a new Quickplay category for Alternative game modes
  • Moved Territorial Control, Special Delivery, and Player Destruction maps to this new category

Undocumented changes

• Updated the models/materials for the Powdered Practitioner.
• Updated the Powdered Practitioner to be equippable by Soldier and Spy.
• Updated the Hot Dogger and Patriot Peak to be equippable by all classes.
• Added styles to the Eliminators Safeguard, Bruiser’s Bandanna, One-Man Army, Your Worst Nightmare and Powdered Practitioner.
• Updated the backpack icons for the Hot Dogger, Powdered Practitioner, Patriot Peak, Diplomat, One-Man Army and Your Worst Nightmare.

[N] Obey

See this thread post for more info:

http://www.tf2newbs.com/forum/index.php/topic,14036.msg184889.html#msg184889

 

Has Someone Won the Unusual Yet:

   YES

What kind of hat? It’s an Unusual Combustible Kabuto [scorching flames]!

That piece of digital headgear is worth almost 300 keys… and it can be yours, if you win the contest. Click the link at the top!

Congratulations {N} Haley (aka Danger Zone)!!

[N] Obey