TF2 Newbs (Team Fortress 2) Blog

Look! Actual TF2 news…!

Oh, here’s a couple of tidbits before the actual Sneak Peek:

• Login to the TF2 Newbs’ Forums and let us know what you’re playing lately, or read up {N} Olse’s ongoing XCOM 2 narrative.
• This TF2Newbs Blog surpassed 300,000 lifetime hits earlier this year! Thanks for the scratches!
• If you’re a TF2 noob, read this popular FAQ about all the different TF2 items. This post alone has earned over 28,000 hits.

Valve has been making the rounds in the media, dropping hints on what they’re working on in TF2. You can read Game Revloution’s short piece here, but here are the highlights:

 

 

Pyro Rebalance

Valve is currently busy with rebalancing the Pyro. It’s not clear if there are any new weapons, but you can be sure that some existing weapons are being tweaked, and so Valve is testing how such changes could affect they Pyro’s role and the game environment as a whole.

 

Contract Campaigns Will Return

Feedback that Valve has received demands more player choice in what kind of contracts to complete during these campaigns, so Valve is learned toward a “Choose Your Own Adventure” style of contract selection and completion. So it’ll feel more like a mini-quest? A skill tree? A treasure hunt? Eh, we’ll see. Hopefully this means you won’t be playing anything but stock Sniper because you have a contract that demands headshot kills.

 

Elo is Coming

The Electric Light Orchestra? No, the Elo rating system.

What?

Valve has been working on an (assumably Valve-made) rating system improvement over the play-to-win Rank system in TF2′s Competitive Mode. Elo is shorthand for saying that your overall win-loss record and/or your recent record of play will define an estimate of your playing skill, but only for the use of ranking you against other players in order to find players of (hopefully) similar skill to play against. Plenty of other gaming communities use it.

You see, TF2 has long been home of the casual, tryhard-but-not-elite gamer that can usually find a server to enjoy the game without being constantly steamrolled by gaming elites. (Well, that has been the goal anyway.) Valve is trying to bridge those elites back into TF2 with a more familiar Competitive Mode, links to following other elite gamers, and ranking systems, while also giving us tryhards tools to be, you know, more competitive. Where before they were trying to cater to two different groups, they’ve realized that we’re one community with members of many different skill levels.

 

Welcome to the Jungle

As I’ve said previously, Valve has been working for months on jungle-themed terrain models in preparation for a new Valve-made map. Of course, community-designed cosmetics have been requested by Valve for some time now. Don’t forget to jump into the Steam Workshop and have some say in what virtual cosmetics you can buy in the near future.

Gee, wouldn’t a jungle theme fit in great with a Summer Sale?

 

Steam Greenlight to be Reworked as “Steam Direct”

Later in the same interview, Valve discussed the bottleneck of indie games trying to get published on Steam. Valve intends to greatly simplify the process by passing a simpler validation process, rather than having gamers bother to rank a few of the many games they would like to see supported by Steam. That includes improving the Discovery Queue to target the user with games they would like based on their preferences, browsing, and other gathered data.

 

Anyway, expect Valve to put up a blogpost announcing changes–it has promised to communicate much more and gather feedback, rather than simply posting the day before a major update. (Again, Valve Time, but we’ll see.)  Valve has said officially that there are five coders assigned to TF2, part of a team of sixteen Valve members currently involved.

More sources/reading material:

• Gaben and Valve’s Reddit AMA a month ago
• This 15-minute podcast that glosses over the Reddit AMA responses

 

[N] Obey

P.S. Don’t be surprised if TF2 updates to the Source 2 engine a couple of years from now. That’s the gaming software that Valve is trying to get their entire staff working with.

P.P.S. Valve is one company, made up of many employees. It’s singular, not plural. The journalistic community has changed their minds and started referring to companies and groups as a plural noun and not the correct, singular noun. Dudes, use the singular noun. If you make me say “Valve are” or “Valve have”, then I’MMA FIGHT YOU.  (This postscript has been approved by Saxton Hale.)

 

A few assorted things here….

1. Terraria’s desert-themed patch is now live
2. 2K Games offering free copies of its remastered Bioshock games to owners of original versions
3. TF2 patched

Terraria Patch 1.3.3 Is Now LIVE

In this major patch, deserts get some love and attention. Now every newly-created map will feature a pyramid, and there are new biomes for (hardmode) underground desert, underground corrupted desert, and underground hallowed desert. And a bunch more stuff; here is the patch notes.

 

Bioshock Games Have Been Remastered

Ahead of the official launch of the Bioshock Collection, 2K Games has made owners of the older versions of the games a free copy of the remastered games that they already own, whether on Steam or not!! The gaming news site Rock Paper Shotgun did a write-up about how to acquire the remastered versions.

 

Full Patch Notes: Sept 12, 2016

• Fixed an exploit related to not respawning in the spawn room at the beginning of Casual and Competitive matches
• Fixed Pyros griefing teammates by attacking them with the flamethrower
• Fixed Medics getting a permanent speed boost after healing a charging Demoman
• Fixed Medics getting the Demoman’s charging speed when using Mediguns other than The Quick-Fix
• Fixed the Strange Razorback double-counting the number Spies shocked
• Fixed a bug related to the Sniper‘s zoom and taunting
• Fixed players being able to pick-up the PASS Time jack while they are stunned
• Increased the matchmaking system’s preference for matching large pre-made parties against each other in Casual Mode. This should result in more balanced matches, but may cause a slight increase in queue times for larger parties.

[N] Obey

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

The two-week-long Steam Summer Sale starts tomorrow! If you’re getting bored of what you’re playing, get ready to get broke buying more games!!

Oh, and there will be another major TF2 patch… possibly soon! Some ambiguous internal system changes were made to prepare TF2 for this patch. Who knows, it could happen during the sale! We’ll see….

 

NOTE: Valve’s TF2 servers changed configurations this afternoon. Some servers are now “Matchmaking” servers; some are “Maintenance” servers. Some servers now have an increased, 32-player limit, while others still have the usual 24-player limit.

[Update: As of 6:30pm today, TF2Newbs servers "updated" to the wrong maps, mostly MvM Boot Camp maps, probably due to Valve's changing things around. We're letting the Head Octopus know....]

[Update: About an hour later, all servers except #23 were fixed. Just some bamboozling that Valve did with the servers.]

[N] Obey

News Bits

• The Gun Mettle Campaign Pass has been removed from the Mann Co. Store. The Gun Mettle Season ends September 30th.
• Have you read TF2 Comics #5 yet? Published on Aug 31, it follows Miss Pauling as she continues to recruit the nine mercenaries, following the orders of the Administrator in its typical nonsensical fashion.
• I neglected to mention earlier that The Saxxy Awards are coming. Submission rules are here.

TF2 Item Prices

Metal

 1 ref = US$0.13

Keys

Market: $2.35 to $2.45 (was $2.40 to $2.50)

Backpack: 16 ref

Keys had been trading for around 19 ref until the Gun Mettle update launched in mid-July. Since then, the price dropped and has been slowly rebounding.

Buds

Market: $8 to $9 (was $9 to $10)

Backpack: 3.5 keys and falling (was 4 keys)

With the rise of the Steam Market to facilitate currency trading, perhaps fewer users bother to trade for buds, although plenty of users still desire the accessory. Be aware of this, if you’ve have a standing sell price for an unusual valued in buds.

Gun Mettle Keys

Market: $2.75 and up (was $2.50)

Backpack: 1.1 keys or 1 key + 2 ref

With each patch, the price will spike into the $2.90 ranged on the Market, then slowly fall back toward $2.50 once more. Users without Steam Funds generally trading with a key plus some metal. Also, Powerhouse cases are trading for about $0.15, and Concealed Killer cases for $0.06.

Gun Mettle Cosmetic Cases

Market: $0.80 steady

Backpack: 4 ref

 

Gun Mettle Weps

Battle-Tested

Factory New*  or Well-Worn*

any G1 Civilian wpn:                             $0.15 – $0.25   $0.05 – $0.07

 

Shot in the Dark G2 sniper rifle:           $1.40 – $1.80  $0.15 – $0.20

Country Crusher G2 scattergun:            $0.70 – $1      $0.10 – $0.15

other Grade 2 Freelance wpn:              $0.40 -$0.65  $0.08 – $0.10

 

Bogtrotter G3 sniper rifle:                           $2.50             $0.40

Night Owl G3 sniper rifle:                             $4                 $0.25

Homemade Heater G3 pistol                        $4                $0.25

Barn Burner G3 flame thrower                    $3                $0.20

other Grade 3 Mercenary wpns: $0.50 – $1.50; $0.12 – $0.15

 Strange Grade 3 wpns                           $0.75 and up

 

War Room G4 minigun                                $12             $0.80

Bovine Blazemaker G4 flame thrower      $11             $0.90

Lumber F D U G4 rocket launcher            $9                  $1

Night Terror G4 scattergun                         $6              $0.65

Tartan Torpedo G4 scattergun                  $11                 $1

other Grade 4 Commando wpns    $2.00 – $4.50   $0.40 – $0.50

Strange Grade 4 wpns                                 $3 and up

 

Sudden Flurry G5 stickybomb launcher       $6.50          $2

Pink Elephant G5 stickybomb launcher      $8.50           $1.80

Psychedelic Slugger G5 revolver                      $10              $2

Current Event G5 scattergun                           $20             $3.50

Purple Range G5 sniper rifle                           $21           $2.75 rising

Shell Shocker G5 rocket launcher                  $25                $2

 

Liquid Asset G6 stickybomb launcher          $23             $3.50

Red Rock Roscoe G6 pistol                             $26                $4

Sand Cannon G6 rocket launcher                  $50               $6

Thunderbolt G6 sniper rifle                            $55              $7.50

*Average Market sale price in the last two weeks 

As I observed before: Factory New is worth five to ten times as much as other grades, and is what collectors are keeping.

Since Gun Mettle ends September 30th, these weapons will be Limited and no longer obtainable afterward. It is not known whether the cases can be opened, or if the weapons can still Traded Up afterward. Trade Ups have removed a lot of weapons from the Market; few Grade 5 or Grade 6 weps are even for sale on the Market.

 

P.S. Previous TF2 Prices Blogpost: Aug 8

[N] Obey