Prepare for your examination!
December 2, 2010 - TF2 Team
As you've probably seen by now, we like to change things in Team Fortress 2. A lot. And while we're perfect most of the time, we occasionally get something wrong. One reason for this is we just don't get enough data from internal play testing, and another is that we spend too much time watching Tom Bui serenades on Youtube (Hint: Search for "Tom Bui" on Youtube) (Another Hint: Click here). So to help us change TF2 even more frequently, we're pleased to announce the Team Fortress 2 (public) Beta.
What sorts of things will we use the beta for, you ask?
- Testing and tuning various class, item, and weapon changes
- Testing map changes and variants
- Running higher level, game-wide experiments (like doubling player health)
- Testing new technologies without the risk of breaking the game
The beta is available to anyone that owns a copy of TF2. To install, launch Steam, open the Library and install "Team Fortress 2 Beta" from your games list.
What's in the initial release?
Three Natascha variants:
- -40% damage
- -25% damage, -25% health
- Spin-up/down time increased, slowdown-on-hit effect falls off over distance.
Map changes:
- cp_granary: new entrance added into the RED and BLU mid ramp room.
- cp_5gorge: 5 CP version of cp_gorge.
Misc balance changes:
- Players being healed by a medic are immune to movement-impairing effects generated by hit-scan weapons.
FAQ:
Are there items in the Beta?
- On signing into the beta, you'll be automatically granted all the achievement based unlockables. As we add new items for testing purposes, these will automatically be added to your backpack. Random items drop are turned off, and the store will not be available.
Will Beta items be changed or removed?
- In response to the feedback on them, items in the Beta may change, or be removed at any time. Don't get too attached to them.
Are there Beta servers? Can we host our own?
- We're running a set of official Valve Beta servers, and it'd be great if other server administrators want to chip in. Details are here. (Use "-game tf_beta" with HLDSUpdateTool to install the server files for the Beta).
How do we give feedback?
Also, while we're here, a couple more quick community notes:
- UGC is about to start their TF2 Highlander League, with signups opening up on the 5th of December.
- The Ozfortress chaps told us to check out Son of Dad's TF2 State of Origin Promo Video. State of Origin matches in Australia are competitions where each Australian state fields an official team. Not surprisingly, the Victorian team won. Here's a comprehensive Australian primer for you non-aussies: Australia has six states and two territories (things that wish they were states). Objectively speaking, Victoria is the best state. The end.
Let's try that again!
November 24, 2010 - TF2 Team
Our first attempt to play the ETF2L Highlander Exhibition match ran into some technical difficulties. This time around, we've been assured that the appropriate number of chickens have been sacrificed to the dark lord of the internet. You can find out all the details on how you can watch the match here. If you don't feel like firing up SourceTV, this time there are live streams as well.
While we're here, yesterday we forgot to link to the first productive use of TF2. Check it out!
Who wants some a this?
November 23, 2010 - TF2 Team
We're getting a little slack around here on the blog posting front. In our defense, we've just had our second day of snow in Seattle, and that means civilization has pretty much broken down entirely. We were about to eat our last intern when we realized we wouldn't have anyone who knew how to operate the blog posting tool/machine/software/doohickey. Luckily the intern, bless his little proactive (and tasty) heart, wrote a detailed description of how to use it on the company wiki. Around here, we call that a Career Limiting Move.
In other news, Poker Night at the Inventory is out. I know this because last night I was slaughtered by a Demoman sporting Dangeresque shades, a severed head, and an inhuman sense of aim. Clearly, scientific proof that these items make you better at the game.
And while we're here, have some community links:
- We're a little late linking to it, but we're not prepared to take the risk that you haven't seen TF2 LAN Trilogy (Part 1) by Boneyard Production's AndyBoneS14. It's so awesome that we thought we'd already linked to it, because it seemed inconceivable that we hadn't. Turns out we were wrong, which is slightly more conceivable.
- epic.LAN dropped us a line to let us know that they're kicking off their UK LAN TF2 Tournament. There's money on the table, boyos!
- TFPortal has put up Part 4 of their TF2 Fanstuff Special. They sent us a link when they put up Part 1, and then decided to shame us by seeing how many more parts they could release before we linked to them. On the bright side, Part 4 includes lots of neat community creations, so head over there and pretend that it's all part of this blog post.
TF2 Maintenance - November 9 - 1pm PST
November 5, 2010 - TF2 Team
This coming Tuesday November 9th, 2010 the TF2 item system will be down for maintenance starting at 1pm PST and ending at approximately 2:30PST. We are significantly increasing the amount of database horsepower behind TF2 to accommodate all the recent additions to the system. During this maintenance the following TF2 features will be unavailable:
- Backpacks
- Crafting
- Trading
- The MannCo store
- Loadouts
The game itself will continue to work. All players will have their default appearance and weapons.
To keep abreast of the status of this and future TF2 item maintenance, subscribe to this thread in the TF2 forum.
Note to developers using the TF2 Item Web API: As part of this maintenance all item IDs will change to eliminate negative IDs. We will be shifting all item IDs forward by 2100000. Depending on what data you store in your database, you may need to do the same.
Shh. Sascha is asleep.
November 3, 2010 - TF2 Team
Poker Night at the Inventory is now available for pre-order. If you move fast, not only will you save 10% off the already low price, but you'll also pick yourself up a sweet pre-order bonus of this spiffy Poker Visor for your favorite Heavy. Once the game is released, you'll also be able to unlock new TF2 items by beating The Heavy, Max, Tycho, or Strong Bad at high stakes games of poker.
This is pretty exciting to us - it's the first time a game made by someone other than us allows you to find TF2 items by playing it. If you'd asked us, as we slaved away on TF2 back in '63, whether one day you'd be able to get the Heavy's first minigun off him by playing poker, we'd think you were nuts. Then we'd have hired you, because you had a vision for the future.
If you're curious, here's the set of items that you'll be able to collect inside Poker Night at the Inventory:
- The Enthusiast's Timepiece - Tycho's favorite timepiece (equippable by the Spy)
- License to Maim - Max's Badge (equippable by all classes)
- The Lugermorph - A second chance at Max's personal armament (equippable by the Scout and the Engineer)
- The Iron Curtain - The Heavy's first love (equippable by the Heavy, obviously)
- Dangeresque, Too? - Strong Bad's styling glasses (equippable by the Demoman)
