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Adding in the points awarded to our recent Propaganda Contest winners—60,000 frags added to the Killed Demomen score and 25,000 added to the Killed Soldier score—the war currently stands neck-and-neck at 5,727,928 Killed Soldiers to 5,742,720 Killed Demos. We need to stress to you that we have not gamed these numbers in any way: After a solid week of gut-grinding combat and an astonishing 11,470,648 total kills, the Demomen and Soldiers are separated by a mere 14,792 points.
When we first hashed out the idea of a Soldier/Demo War, some of us were worried about the very real possibility of an embarrassing one-sided blowout. The fact that we're now just one day away from the war's end and it's still anybody's game is genuinely cool.
In Update news, how about some weapon reveals? Don't spend too much time discussing them in the forums, though. This war is ALMOST OVER, and your class needs you.
Back when we launched the Propaganda contest, we originally figured it'd be a cakewalk to judge. You might not know this, as it's a well-kept industry secret, but normally with giveaway tie-in contests for video games, you get about 10 entries. Seven of these are virulently racist. The other two are pornography. The last one, regardless of its quality, wins by default.
However, the recession must be a lot worse than we thought, because apparently all of you are unemployed and have nothing better to do than spend real hours drawing incredibly time-consuming art for virtual prizes. No joke: as of contest's end last night, we have in excess of 11,000 entries—and almost every one of them deserves to be framed on the wall of one of Gabe Newell's castles.
In fact, while we've managed to wade through your mountain of entries carefully enough to select a first, second and third place winner below, we're nowhere near through categorizing our many favorites, and we've got plenty more prizes to give away. So just because you don't see your entry below, don't assume you haven't won anything. (Still, with 11,000 entries, don't bet against it, either.)
FIRST PRIZE
Customized In-Game Item
50,000 War Points to Soldier
"GIVE 'EM THE BOOT" by J.Axer's Dapper Topper
With some entries, we loved the art but didn't care for the slogan. Others had an awesome look, but didn't capture the spirit of a propaganda poster. Still others had a killer propaganda slogan, but not a heck of a lot else. "Give 'Em the Boot Right in the Fruit," on the other hand, is a triple threat: It's funny, it looks great, and it makes us want to kick a Demoman in an extremely precise area (that the bean counters won't let us mention because they're all such huge extremely precise areas).
SECOND PRIZE
Slightly Less Impressive Customized In-Game Item
25,000 War Points to Demoman
"THAT BLUE DEVIL" by Amber's Rad As All Hell Item
We liked this one because it looked like art and made us feel smarter every time we saw it. It says something profound about evil. It exists, and it's bad. Hold on, we need some back-up here. Let's get Jeremy Bennett in here to explain why we like it: "I appreciate the strong composition, coupled with the limited Prussian blue palette, accented by the spot red. It's reserved, yet sophisticated—a first-rate homage to period propaganda." We agree.
THIRD PRIZE
Less-Impressive-Than-the-First-Two Customized In-Game Item
10,000 War Points to Soldier
"DO THE RIGHT THING" by John Freeman
The majority of the entries we received were pretty lighthearted, and that's what we liked about them. This one we liked for the opposite reason: it isn't funny. It's just legitimately bad-ass. We don't need any artists to tell us what's great about this one. Look at that guy—he just killed twelve dudes. With a shovel. We didn't think there was any way to make that not funny, but John Freeman somehow did it, and for that he gets third prize.
The in-game prizes these lucky winners will receive are being custom-designed for them as we type. We'll be sure to release images of them soon. And don't forget—there'll be more winners (and more prizes) after the update.
Soldiers continue to hold the lead in the war—but like an M&M lodged up their collective noses, the Demoman refuses to melt away quietly. In other M&M-Stuck-Up-Drew-Wolf's-Nose metaphor news, the Soldier's lead remains thin as a candy coating. In fact, judging from our most recent numbers (4923531 Soldiers killed to 5056134 Demomen killed), the Demo actually seems to be closing the gap as the War hurtles to a close.
For all you conscientious objectors to the war, you can still make some postwar memories to tell your grandchildren, because Team Fortress 2 is having another free weekend starting Thursday night as soon as the update goes live (though you can start preloading now).
As for all you soldiers fighting the good fight in the trenches, only to find the Demo-controlled media back home painting you as incompetent monsters, this update's for you.
If there is a tragedy in war (besides all the killing), it is that there must be a loser. Currently, we all know who that loser is.
Drew Wolf, who still has a red Peanut M&M lodged so deeply up his nose that hospital doctors were unable to extract it. "It will probably melt after a while," they told me. (I had to drive him to the hospital.) "Maybe put his head under a heat lamp for a bit."
The other loser, of course, is the Demoman, who JUST SLIGHTLY trails the Soldier in overall kills. So tonight is the Demoman's update: no Soldier information whatsoever. New weapons? Read all about 'em. New comic? No Soldier to be seen.
Go get 'em, lads. This war ain't over yet.
The Soldier/Demo war has generated more email than any event in Team Fortress history. The number one question I'm being asked is "are you going to publish any new information over the weekend?" Absolutely we are. In fact, here's some news right now: As of THIS MOMENT, there is still an M&M lodged up TF artist Drew Wolf's nose. Drew's in the hospital, and the entire team's thoughts and prayers go out to that brave little peanut M&M. Well, have a great weekend everyone!
Oh, also: Casualty update, crafting, and a Saxton Hale comic about the war from 1962.
