TF2 Newbs (Team Fortress 2) Blog

As usual, the patch notes are at the bottom of this post, covering patches from Aug 14th, 16th, and 19th. Highlights include:

• The Pyro side won the Pyro vs. Heavy contest
• Updated cp_metalworks for collision issues and other bugs
• Comp Mode: Adjusted amount of rank points earned in some situations
• (EDIT 8/24): Additional Comp Mode changes Valve is working on

Comp Mode Changes

If you are in the first tier of ranks in Comp Mode (rank 1-6 out of a possible 25), you will now lose substantially fewer rank points when you lose a match. Three reasons for this:

1. A series of bad matches will be less likely to cause you to lose a rank. The goal of the ranking system is to be able to stratify users of similar skill, and being able to lose ranks due to latency issues or bad luck goes against this purpose.
2. Having earned a rank is therefore weighted more heavily than your most recent match outcomes. If you’re Rank 4 out of a possible 25, you will have to play considerably worse over a period of time to fall all the way back to a 2 or a 1.
3. This creates an even greater difference in the penalty between those who ragequit and those who merely lose a match. Ragequitters will continue to be pushed toward the bottom ranks.

If it weren’t for the method above, Valve would have to have users start at a middling rank to differentiate novice players from ragequitters, and that would not improve the quality of comp matches at that level. The novice player must still patiently win matches amongst the bottom ranks, separating him/herself from the dregs.

Fortunately, now there’s this: Players who post a high win/loss ratio in their recent matches will now gain bonus rank points (i.e. gain ranks faster), regardless of their current rank. This will both reward a player for effective a[djustments to strategic play, as well as hurry a skilled player toward a more suitable rank.

For example: If you're a Gold-level player on a given competitive circuit, you may start at Rank 1 like everyone else, but posting an 8-1 win-loss ratio will help you more quickly reach the Rank where you'll meet users of the same skill.

Comp Mode Changes Coming Soon

[Added Aug 24]

Valve is currently working on a better, Elo-style ranking system to improve on the current one, something that will better compare a player’s actual skill to his/her peers, rather than a ranking system highly dependent on playing time and other questionable factors.

Also, Valve intends to add the ability to quickly start another game with your current group, as well as to instantly jump back into the Comp queue once more.

Team Fortress 2, circa 2007

Some enterprising individuals have create a free standalone mod, using the 2013 Source engine, to recreate a vanilla Team Fortress 2 exactly as it was released in 2007. How vanilla? Stock weapons only, just like the initial release; the Pyro’s flamethrower didn’t yet have an airblast function. No items to unlock or drop; no item qualities or separate loadouts. Heavy gets a minigun, a shotgun, and his fists, and that’s it!

Only the original maps are available as well, such as Well and Dustbowl. The only difference is that the game is modded to use the newer 2013 Source engine. There aren’t many servers up yet, as the community is just getting off the ground (TF2Newbs isn’t involved at all). Just create your own and play.

Lambda Fortress

In the same mod, you can instead choose to launch Lambda Fortress, which is the game Half-Life 2 modded to substitute the 2007 TF2 characters in Half-Life 2! Want to wrestle up a teleporter and a sentry for yourself and the rest of your multiplayer team? Feel like rocket jumping around the map with a pocket medic? Now you can!

It’s a mod, so it’s free. You don’t need Garry’s Mod either, as it is “Team Fortress 2 with Half-Life 2 assets”. Have fun storming the castle…!

Full Patch Notes: Aug 19, 2016

• Fixed a common server crash that primarily occurred during Mann vs. Machine matches
• Fixed a memory leak for OS X and Linux clients

Undocumented changes

• Updated the localization files
• Updated the description of the Festive variant of Bonk! Atomic Punch

Full Patch Notes: Aug 16, 2016

• Competitive Mode
  • Players in the first tier of ranks (1-6) now lose substantially fewer rank points on match loss
  • Players with high win/loss ratios in recent matches now earn bonus rank points in order to accelerate their progress toward a more appropriate rank
• Added report player context menu on scoreboard
  • Requires mouse input mode on the scoreboard (see Adv. Options)
• Fixed a potential security issue (thanks to Justin G., aka sigsegv, and Linus S., aka PistonMiner, for this report)
• Fixed an issue with The Righteous Bison and Pomson 5000^(sic) hit detection where projectiles were being removed when colliding with invisible entities
• Fixed a display issue with combat text damage numbers against Engineer buildings sometimes being incorrect (such as with weapons that do reduced damage against buildings)
• Removed the damage effects and pain sounds when using the Rocket Jumper and Sticky Jumper
• Updated PASS Time view model positions to support using FOV 70
• Updated the animations for the Sharp Dresser to fix a clipping problem
• Updated the localization files
• Updated cp_sunshine to fix some clipping issues
• Updated cp_metalworks
  • Adjusted the height of the ceiling in the room behind the second control point
  • Added some slight visual detail to various concrete rooms throughout (team color stripe)
  • Adjusted the height and width of various doors throughout the level. Mostly focused on primary paths into combat areas, with an eye towards standardizing door sizes where possible.
  • Fixed an angled playerclip brush above 2nd control point that players could surf on (thanks Photon)
  • Adjusted height of ‘tank’ in L room behind 2nd control point
  • Moved two tall spotlights back into a clipping brush at mid to avoid very small collision issue (thanks Bilbert)
  • Adjusted some clipping issues by turning rooftop brushes into displacements/func_brushes throughout the map and disabling collision (thanks Bilbert)
  • Clipped off some glass windows at 2nd
  • Added crate to cargo containers at mid, allowing scouts^(sic) to get onto the highest cargo container
  • Added props to the clipping ramp around the final control point to indicate collision
  • Replaced brush fence on the platform in alley with a metal prop to solve an asymmetrical shadow bug (thanks Bilbert)

Full Patch Notes: Aug 14, 2016

• Updated menu content for upcoming end of the Heavy vs. Pyro war

Undocumented changes

• Updated the localization files.

[N] Obey