New TF2 Update

[mks2005]

Updates to Team Fortress 2 have been released. The updates will be applied automatically when your Steam client is restarted. The specific changes include:

Added "Custom" tab to the server browser


Servers can now specify metatags describing the custom rules they've adopted

Players can use tag filtering to find servers running the custom rules they want to play

Added options for servers who want to become custom games: Disable critical hits (tf_weapon_criticals), eliminate respawn times (mp_disable_respawn_times), and raise maxplayers above 24



Initial release of Tournament mode (mp_tournament)


UI for handling team naming, ready mode, and win results

Disables team player limits, autobalancing, and intermission



Class balancing


Reduced Soldier's maximum rocket reserve ammo from 36 to 16

Reduced Demoman's maximum sticky bomb reserve ammo from 30 to 16

Reduced Demoman's maximum grenade launcher reserve ammo from 40 to 24



General


Added protection against voice command spamming. Dramatic reduction in teleporters needed

Fixed mp_timelimit ending the map during the middle of a round on maps like Dustbowl and GravelPit

Fixed "lastdisguise" command not remembering if you were disguised as your own team

Added "Toggle Disguise Team" binding in Options->Keyboard to toggle the disguise team for the Spy's PDA

Changed PDA menus to accept keys bound to "slot1", "slot2", etc., and "slot10" cancels

Fixed Spectator targetID not using team colors

Changed team autobalance code to not balance the teams when the active round timer shows less than 60 seconds

Fixed "-maxplayers" on the command line not correctly setting the maxplayers value for the server

Fixed Badlands never having Sudden Death triggered

Fixed Engineer being able to detonate buildings that are being sapped

Changed Engineer buildings to detonate when a player disconnects instead of blinking out

Fixed potential client crash for players being healed by a Medic or dispenser

Made several improvements to server-side stat reporting (not related to individual player stats)

Personally, I welcome it and support the changes.

The Steam forums are full of whiners complaining that the Soldier and Demo "nerfs" have "ruined the game".

I don't think there'll be that much struggle for ammo. Primarily, it will reduce Demo/rocket spam, which I am fine with. I play Demo a lot and felt it was somewhat overpowered. Same applies to Soldier really.

I like how it actually makes dispensers even more important. There's now much more incentive for engineers to build dispensers in forward-thinking locations. People complaining its hard on the defense, but seriously, how often is there no dispeners around?

Besides, the amount of ammo you can get from weapon drops anyway means I don't think you're going to be struggling for ammo all the time at all. It just means you cant sit in one place and keep spamming a zone with bombs/rockets.

What are your thoughts, TF2 players?

 

[mks2005]

The new changes also make the dispenser more relevant. Assaulting a base now means that the engineer can move up with the soldiers and demo men and plonk down a dispenser in a good location. Dunno if it will work that way in most pubs though.

Exactly. People seem to completely forget that they aren't just playing on their own.

I haven't actually played since the change but I stil can't see people running out of ammo that much. People are dying almost constantly, their weapons dropping, giving ammo.

If the attack moves up to a choke point and people are starting to run low on ammo, this creates the need for TEAMWORK, i.e. requires an engineer to strategically place a dispenser to help out.

I can't believe the extent to which people are whining on the TF2 forum, especially since before people were constantly screaming "NERF SOLDIER". I think this is an excellent change.

Oh and don't forget there's a shotgun too. It's not useless.

 

[mks2005]

You cane believe the extend of which people are whining? hello? lol

The people whining about nerfing soldiers are happy now. Its now the demos and soldiers whining and theres a lot of them! thats why theres whining.





As for TEAMWORK as you put it... well its only going to hurt public server play where there is no teamwork 99% of the time.

People will continue to play whatever class they want regardless of what their team needs. You might be lucky and get a team with the right balance of classes or you might dip out and get a team full of Snipers and Spies!




They already nerfed how much ammo you get from dropped weapons :\ Dont think this nerf was needed tbh

You're probably right about it being a different demographic that's kicking up a fuss now but you can't help but feel sorry Valve trying to please the collective.

I can't agree with you about "no teamwork 99% of the time". Perhaps my view on this is distorted seeing as I frequent a particular server all the time, which has quite a wide base of regular players, who by now know each other to some extent and play together very well.

I have played on different servers from time to time and there certainly is less teamwork with complete strangers, but its certainly not absent completely. I'm talking complex strategy, but the basics of teamwork come into practice regularily. There are many players which enjoy helping the team perform well. A lot of engineer players seem to enjoy their support role, I have noticed. Obviously not all of them are on directly helping the team, but certainly not none at all.

Although I haven't played yet (and still can't - waiting for my new ISP) I'm still struggling to see how demos and soldiers are going to be at any significant disadvantage. I just feel that, with the exception of perhaps 2fort, ammo and dispensers seem to be too commonplace.

 

[mks2005]

TF2 wasn't focused on serious competitive games, but as a fun general public game. When will people realise this.

This.