New Map, New Weapons, New Update

[Doxt 1]

New Team Fortress 2 Content Scheduled for Mid-April; Includes Goldrush, New Weapons, Meet The Scout

by Nick Breckon and Chris Faylor Mar 26, 2008 4:04pm CST tags: Team Fortress 2
The next batch of free content for the PC edition of Team Fortress 2--including the new Goldrush map, unlockable weapons, and Meet the Scout video--is slated to arrive the week of April 20, developer Valve has informed Shacknews.

Outside of that general timeframe, a specific release date for the new content was not provided.

Goldrush will mark the first map in a new game mode called "Payload," which will task the Blue team with herding a mine cart full of explosives toward the Red base. The more players near the cart, the faster it will move, the Red team winning if it prevents Blue from reaching its goal. The map will also be the first to utilize the cinematic physics technology from Half-Life 2: Episode Two.

Though unlockable weapons will eventually spread to all classes, the Medic class will be the first to receive new armament. According to a recent IGN interview, a total of three new items will be available, unlocked by earning a set number of the new class-specific achievements.

While Valve had discussed an Overhealer gun that would double a target's health, the studio is currently testing a Medic gun that, once charged, will guarantee targets ten seconds of continuous critical hits.

Valve previously explained that the unlockable items would be equipped via a new loadout menu, suggesting that gamers will not be able to easily swap between the new tools in the midst of battle. 

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/51941

I like the double healing idea, It would make a heavy medic combo really powerful if used correctly

[Doxt 1]

~20 days left!

I want to see the meet the scout vid.

the studio is currently testing a Medic gun that, once charged, will guarantee targets ten seconds of continuous critical hits.

I'm not sure what I think of this, It would make an ubered demo who know what he's doing really dangerous to sentries, and a heavy with unlimited crits will mow down everyone in it's path.

[DarkClaw 0]

Meh, nothing for me in this except Goldrush.

[Doxt 1]

Everyone will be getting new weapons eventually, I'm really curious to see what other classes get.

Personally I hope the demo gets proximity stickies. They should blow up when shot however, so you have to put them in spots where they will surprise people.

[Camail 1]

For the crit uber they will have to make the charge longer and some how easier to prevent. Because if this happens and nothing else changes you can uber a demo and destroy an entire team in a single run. The crit sticky has a disgustingly high range, and I haven't tested how many crit sitckies it takes to destroy a sentry, but even if you get it wrong everything around the sentry is dead......god, imagine a crit pyro too. This update rapes class balance all night long......then again, my main class is medic, so its not hurting me.

[Nihility 0]

i think if they do it right, they'll balance out everyone with these new weapons. hopefully.

[Mana 3,867]

* Added new Escort gametype

* Added new Escort map Goldrush

* Added loadout system for Medic players (currently in beta)

* Added new achievements for Medic class

* Updated Dustbowl to fix exploit which allowed players to walk on the skybox

* Updated shadow calculation algorithm for more reliable shadow representation on thin surfaces

* Updated critical hit effects on projectile weapons

* Updated certain gunshot trace effects

* Updated spy's backstab animation (shortened)

* Updated default critical hit percentage for multiple classes

* Updated critical hit calculation algorithm for multiple classes

* Fixed issues with Spy's backstab

* Fixed several issues Sudden Death convars

* Fixed several issues with "Sudden Death" option turned on

* Fixed issues with Medigun particle effects

* Fixed sv_suddendeath exploit

* Fixed missing hitbox issues with some classes

* Fixed smoke and fire effects sometimes not disappearing from repaired, but previously damaged buildings

* Fixed deathcam shots when spectating people with weird characters in their name not saving

* Fixed unreliable collision detection for certain models

* Fixed a bug which could cause certain models to become invisible after a lag spike

Jason Ruymen to hlds, hlds_linux

show details 4:04 PM (2 hours ago)

Reply

We're planning on a required Team Fortress 2 update later today. No

specific details yet, but I'll send notice when it goes live.

Jason

Eric Smith to Half-Life, hlds_linux

show details 5:00 PM (1 hour ago)

Reply

It's not a joke.

-Eric

:S?

April Fools or? Real?

Either way I wouldn't be surprised if they released an update to Address the engine exploits allowing for people to build on the sky's of maps... If not all of the above.

[CaUse.[Drama] 0]

April fools. is wha i think

[Doxt 1]

we can only hope

[DarkClaw 0]

WOOT! APRIL FOOLS! NOTHING F***ING USEFUL HAPPENED! XD

[Mana 3,867]

Nah not April Fools. They just posted it too soon and took it away.

Valve's April Fools was Pink Usernames on their forum.

[DarkClaw 0]

XD, pink usernames?! That's good, XD.

[shpadoinkle 2]

Here be my 2?

The original Team Fortress (Quake) had some neat class-specific weapons. (Not sure if TFC had any of these-- didn't get into it. Just sharing these to waste time as this download completes.)

-- Scout had a jetpack and could fly for a short period of time.

-- Sniper could order an airstrike. It took ~10 seconds for the invisible planes to arrive, but it'd destroy the target w/ a small explosion.

-- Demoman could plant timed detonation devices. Was useful for opening up the yard in Rock2. He also had proximity mines (or pipe bombs?).

-- An enemy Medic could give you a social disease. Would slowly kill you and spread to teammates you kissed or rubbed up against.

-- HWGuy could (on some servers) point at the ground, shoot his gun, and fly across the map (like a rocket jump). Would cause a ruckus.

-- Pyro could shoot a napalm rocket.

-- The spy could use his grappling hook to Macaulay Culkin from one deck to the other in 2Fort. You could also grapple onto a teammate and get carried around like a backpack. Spy could also feign his own death. He even carried a tranquilizer gun that would slow your movement.

-- Engineer and Soldier could throw a nail spinner thing into a room. It would spin around throwing nails into the enemy's eyes. And the Engineer carried a bomb that would sizzle a Demoman's pipe bombs (stickies).

-- All classes could drop ammo packs (useful to engineers).

That's enough reminiscing for one day...

The classes seem pretty fair already. Hopefully this new update doesn't FUBAR the balance.

[Rambler 0]

Here be my 2?

The original Team Fortress (Quake) had some neat class-specific weapons.  (Not sure if TFC had any of these-- didn't get into it.  Just sharing these to waste time as this download completes.) 

-- Scout had a jetpack and could fly for a short period of time.

-- Sniper could order an airstrike. It took ~10 seconds for the invisible planes to arrive, but it'd destroy the target w/ a small explosion.

-- Demoman could plant timed detonation devices. Was useful for opening up the yard in Rock2.  He also had proximity mines (or pipe bombs?).

-- An enemy Medic could give you a social disease. Would slowly kill you and spread to teammates you kissed or rubbed up against.

-- HWGuy could (on some servers) point at the ground, shoot his gun, and fly across the map (like a rocket jump).  Would cause a ruckus.

-- Pyro could shoot a napalm rocket.

-- The spy could use his grappling hook to Macaulay Culkin from one deck to the other in 2Fort. You could also grapple onto a teammate and get carried around like a backpack.    Spy could also feign his own death.  He even carried a tranquilizer gun that would slow your movement.

-- Engineer and Soldier could throw a nail spinner thing into a room. It would spin around throwing nails into the enemy's eyes.  And the Engineer carried a bomb that would sizzle a Demoman's pipe bombs (stickies).

-- All classes could drop ammo packs (useful to engineers).

That's enough reminiscing for one day...

The classes seem pretty fair already.  Hopefully this new update doesn't FUBAR the balance.

4577[/snapback]

I remember a lot of that from TFC, I think anyway. I believe the feign death was in TFC anyway, and it was fucking incredible. I believe that's why I enjoyed it so much (god I hope I'm right and not making this up... although that was almost 10 years ago now).

I was actually surprised at first with the medics and their guns. I thought the syringe gun gave diseases like TFC did. That was a bit disappointing really.

All in all though, with new class guns becoming unlockable and new content being added in, Valve is proving once again how amazing they are and how great companies can be in regards to providing new content / add-ons, for no cost. Kudos. I'm still eagerly awaiting a VIP map though, they were always my favourite from CS and TFC. Nothing like trying to escort a big plump VIP who's only weapon is a stupid crowbar. God I loved hiding and sniping him while he was scurrying across the tarmac with the cranes (iirc).

I loaded up TFC a while ago and tried to play. I forgot how badly they had butchered the class models and the game itself. That was a bit disappointing. Sort of like what they did to CS with the 1.4 patch. I hope they don't do that with this game.

[Rambler 0]

A great article on the changes.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=185321

[Doxt 1]

A great article on the changes.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=185321

4687[/snapback]

great interview. but the update at the bottom, no overhealer?

[Camail 1]

God damn....10 million points healed......better be an insta uber gun..........

[Mana 3,867]

God damn....10 million points healed......better be an insta uber gun..........

4708[/snapback]

Maybe I should do what Voogru did:

http://steamcommunity.com/id/voogru/stats/TF2

Hah, 10 mil = easy.

[DarkClaw 0]

ok... wtf? I'm guessing those numbers are the limits of the stats, because there's no number higher than those on those stats... how did he get them? Obviously he didn't use normal gaming to do this... unless he's the best TF2 players ever.

[coda 1]

must've hacked his profile page... wow

[Mana 3,867]

ok... wtf? I'm guessing those numbers are the limits of the stats, because there's no number higher than those on those stats... how did he get them? Obviously he didn't use normal gaming to do this... unless he's the best TF2 players ever.

4715[/snapback]

The server sends stats to the Valve's server. You change those stats and you "win" heh. No hacks involved. Just a server plugin .

[DarkClaw 0]

Who says hacked his profile page hmmm? Steam profile stats are derived from TF2 stats, so it could be there that it came from somehow.

[Mana 3,867]

Who says hacked his profile page hmmm? Steam profile stats are derived from TF2 stats, so it could be there that it came from somehow.

4723[/snapback]

I already explained how it happened >_>.