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Two blog posts in two days? Your eyes don't deceive you. We're blog-writing machines this week, and there's plenty of gas in the tank.
Today's update includes both of the Art Pass Contest Winners' maps: Mountain Lab by Valentin "3Dnj" Levillain, and Mann's Manor by Tim "YM" Johnson and Alex Kreeger.
Also included in this update: You being scared! [sound of bat wings] That's right, it's the Second Annual Team Fortress Halloween Special. Will there be ghosts? Quite possibly. Will there be exploding pumpkins? You never know. Will you wet your pants in terror? If you're anything like us, emphatically yes.
And what more perfect holiday than Halloween to add the scariest feature yet to the Mann Co. Store: Gift wrapping! If someone decides to trick or treat on your server, wrap up that spare bottle of Jarate and give them the gift a thousand words could never describe, and a thousand therapist appointments will never undo.
Also added to the store: new community items themed for Halloween and a few scary hats of our own dark design. Some of these new holiday items are only available to purchase during the holiday, but will remain wearable all year round, so grab 'em while they're grabbable.
We've been fairly busy around the office this week after it was mandated that browsing International Stately Hats of Nationals was not a good use of time and there was work to be done on the next update.
Are you prepared to make your mother proud? We've joined up with Kritzkast to determine what the Demoman really said during his diatribe in Meet the Demoman. Our sensitive ears are incapable of determining exactly what was said so it's best left to the experts. The funniest clean entry, funniest not so clean entry, and most accurate will all receive prizes. Recording your brother being dominated in Dustbowl is not a valid entry.
When you're done yelling into your microphone, check out this fine Sticky Bomb Plush now available in the Valve Store! Available in Red and Blue these are identical to the in-game variety except they're cloth, have fewer spikes, won't stick to surfaces, and can't detonate.
While we're here, we thought we should also mention that My Gaming Edge has continued working on their training mod designed around 1v1 play. The first player to 20 points wins the duel, and while changing classes might give you an upper hand it will award your opponent a point. The mod also features several arenas each with different class restrictions, and an ELO rating system to track player statistics. Awesome stuff.
Last of all, the fine gentleman behind the original interactive video, "A Heavy's 2fort Adventure" has released a new video with an even longer title, "A Granary Adventure: The Underdog Story" . Watching the Pyro flee brings smiles all around as it reminds us of all the times we've chased down a fleeing Eric Smith in our internal playtests.
After days of deliberation, a moderate amount of yelling, and an M&M inexplicably up Drew Wolf's nose again, we're happy to announce the winners of the art pass contest. That's right, winners. Multiple. There were so many good-looking and fun maps that it was incredibly tough to narrow them all down to a single entry. So much so that we didn't bother.
Congratulations to Valentin "3DNJ" Levillain and Timothy "YM" Johnson. TF2Maps.net has a page up where you can view the winners of the contest, along with many of the other fantastic entries.
Created by 3DNJ
Created by YM
We've gotten to play a lot of maps these last few days, and every one offered exciting, fresh experiences. One of the most notable entries was by Acegikmo, who built a final cap room that epitomizes everything we love: plants, television monitors, pipes, and the color red. Another notable entry was Gooba's, which contained a breathtaking skybox of ominous dark clouds casting a shadow in the distance. The Harvest theme made a few appearances -- but only two men, honeymustard and TerabyteST, were able to tame it into entries that made us all miss the Midwest.
Created by Acegikmo
Created by Gooba
Created by honeymustard
Created by TerabyteST
We're a little late but while you're here check out this highlight reel from ESEA S6.
Hello there, Team Fortress people. Now that I got your attention, the name's Whitaker, from Left 4 Dead 2. Nice little setup y'all got here. Now, I'm told y'all are hired killers. Also, I wanna make it clear that this is ALL I've been told. Ol' Whitaker don't pass judgment, and he don't take sides. RED, BLU -- your money's all green here.
Now, to business. I have once again been asked to try and clarify the essence of some sales paraphernalia.
While my words alone should have been enough to sway you to purchase one of these fine games, the good people at Valve have decided to throw in a little something extra for those of you who currently own or who purchase the game Left 4 Dead 2 by this Thursday at 4pm Pacific Standard Time. This is what those to the east of me in nawlins might call a Lagniappe.
So what are these items you may ask? Before we go into the finer details of said offer, let me tell you a little story. Many years ago before my gun selling ways, I sold house wares door-to-door. I truly must admit, I struggled in those early days. I simply did not have what those people wanted.
During a long walk down a dusty stretch of road, I met a boy. Now, this won't no ordinary boy, he had a sparkle about him, a gleam. You could tell he was gonna be somethin'. So in my desperation, looking to expand my product line into those items that people genuinely wished to purchase, I asked the boy what is the greatest gift a man could give?
Without hesitation that young boy said, a skillet to fry your bacon and hat to act as a mobile roof above your head sir. By god if that boy wasn't right. I added both to my product line that day and soon was the number three seller of cast iron skillets in the great state of Georgia. And for that boy? That boy grew up to be president.
So now you can see I am familiar with the merchandise I speak of. While I do not understand the machinations of this skillet and hat scheme, I do know that if you purchase the said game Left 4 Dead 2, it will reward you with a free hat from my friend Ellis and a handy skillet to fry yours or more importantly your enemy's bacon. These items all manifest themselves in some infernal game called TeamFortress2 which I have no understandin' of but my good friends what I do know is these items know no class, color, weight or gender. They work for all peoples.
Now if I could get a hat and a skillet for $6.80 — I would own a new hat and skillet. At that price, I implore of you, if you see a hatless or skilletless friend, buy them one.
If I was not bound by certain contracts and gentlemen agreements, I would be buyin' every hat and skillet I could afford. I would be leveraging myself to the gills to purchase enough hats and skillets so that I could corner the ever present, ever important, ever expanding hat and skillet market.
People, this is no time to be savin', this is a time to be procurin'!
With that, I thank you kindly for your time and your purchases.
*Current L4D2 owners will see the items appear over the next few days.
We've been getting some emails asking a lot of the same questions answered on the Mann-Conomy F.A.Q., so we thought we'd go ahead and send the link around again for those who missed it.
