How Do You Think The Update Changed The Game?

With almost 200 people voting on five different options, you would think that some sort of discernible consensus could be reached. Unfortunately, the finale of the last poll I initiated put me in a two month spot of writer's block.

You see, since I view myself as a responsible, organized site manager (with, like Valve, punctuality being at the bottom of my list of admirable qualities), I couldn't bring myself to just ignore the poll. Therefore, I had to mention it in a post.

Poll Results

• The game is worse. 47 votes (25%)
  
• The game is the same. 43 votes (22%)
• The game is better. 42 votes (22%)
  
• The game is much better. 29 votes (15%)
• The game is much worse. 27 votes (14%)
  

My readers, you will not be entirely blamed, because I also cannot decide how I feel about what happened. When I thought long ago about simple changes to the game, more options did not seem like they could hurt anyone. But look what happened!

Obviously, the ability to turn off Critical Hits and Random Damage Spread is a harmless option that greatly assisted fair competitive play but Class Limits screws everyone over once in a while!

For a detailed description of how to cope with class rushes, you can view my most-widely quoted article, but if you have already read it, just remember to avoid Engineer Rushes like the Black Plague.

The rushes I mentioned above are relatively harmless compared to the restrictive (and disturbingly common) trend among some hosts of blocking access to just one or two classes. As the self-proclaimed generator of the last patch, I feel it is my duty to both apologize, and, more constructively, suggest a solution.

As you know if you are reading this, the current build of Team Fortress 2 on the Xbox 360 allows hosts to toggle Critical Hits and Random Damage Spread, as well as set individual class limits on all class limits with the options 0,1,2,3,4,5, and Unlimited.

I think that a different set of options would be more suitable and more fair. If I could have had my way, Valve would have released a patch with the option to toggle Critical Hits (Random Damage Spread is toggled alongside this instead of two different options) and the ability to set individual class limits with the selection of 1,2,3, Unlimited, and Rush.


Here, have a picture so you don't get bored.

The revised options I suggest create an optimum balance between fun and fair, while also considering confused beginner hosts who have no idea what Random Damage Spread is because it doesn't present itself in GIANT GREEN LETTERS.

Next up, readers, I have to announce a momentous discovery I made a while back that I must thank you all for (because I think you had something to do with it.) But first, you must activate Google.

Is Google loaded? Good. Now, search "team fortress 2 xbox" or just "tf2 xbox." Are the resulsts in? Scroll down, scroll down. There!

That's right, ladies and gentlemen, pat yourselves on the back for coming to this website a load of times. Fun fact: type "Neal Kenneth" and autocomplete says "Neal Kenneth tf2" before "Neal Kenneth w md." Translation: I am more popular than a doctor in Virginia.

That's all about Team Fortress 2 for today! If you want to read something cool, check out this incomplete work I have written in anticipation of Left 4 Dead 2!

Join A Clan...TODAY!

Have you ever noticed that the word TEAM is in the name of Team Fortress 2? Undoubtably you have at one time or another. But have you ever thought about it?

Many modern day multiplayer first-person shooters, such as Halo 3 or Call of Duty 4 tote strong clan followings. When you get into the nitty-gritty of those games you realize that they are just as fun whether you go solo or with your friends.

But Team Fortress 2 is much different. As the name suggests, Valve created this game for teams. The more organized your team is, the more fun you have. Sure, griefing is cool for awhile, but eventually all players yearn for the white-knuckle action of two evenly matched teams duking it out.

And what better way to ensure you have these types of games than to join a clan?



For those of you who are already playing Team Fortress 2 a lot, this would barely entail a lifestyle change. For those of you that are new to the game or fear you suck too much to be on a clan, don't worry. Playing in the competitive scene is probably the best way to get good quick.

I have two websites for you to look at if you are considering this matter. The first of the two, TF2 Laddder, has been in my suggested links for a long time, and handles the 8v8 clans. The other is a more recent website, named TF2 360, which handles the 6v6 clans.

Now, you might be thinking, “Neal Kenneth, you aren’t even in a clan!” The truth is, there ARE reasons in the world not to be in a clan, though few and far-between. I cannot commit to a clan because of my erratic playing schedule. Sometimes I go for weeks without playing, than I am on LIVE for five days straight. Any clan willing to take in that kind of member probably isn’t worth joining.

Other than that, the only other legitimate excuse for not being in a clan would be that you aren’t willing to spend $10 on another crappy Microsoft headset.

Good gaming!

---------

By the way, the above photo is from Ubercharged.net's excellent competitive guide already in progress. Even if you are already in a clan, I suggest you take a look.

The 10/10 Project

I don't know what I was thinking when I made the last poll. I yawn everytime I read it, and it made me have writer's block for some time. The question was "Which of These Actions Do You Find Acceptable?"

Final Poll Results
82% (318 votes) Sapping Telepoter Entrances
30% (117 votes) Spawn Camping
27% (107 votes) Class Stacking
17% (68 votes) Using the Developer Console
10% (41 votes) None Are Acceptable Actions
3% (13 votes) Skywalking
2% (11 votes) Glitching Through Walls

It appears as though 82% of you disagree with me on the subject of Sapping Teleporter Entrances. I had even written a heated article about it for Ubercharged.net when I was a fledgling author. But you know what? Do you know why it doesn't matter? BECAUSE VALVE AGREES WITH ME.

In that article, with the assistance of Tim M and Wiser Guy, I came to the conclusion that Sappers should be removable from either end of a Teleporter. And if you look closely at the list of changes in the recent Classless Update, you'll see that VALVE AGREES WITH ME, B****ES!



Now onto other things.

When I wrote this poll, I thought that few (or none) of the readers would possibly decide that using the Developer Console was okay. To my suprise, 17% of you did. I wondered how this could possibly be until I found this thread, followed by this video.

Basically, a group of dedicated modders were working to bring the Payload Mode to Dustbowl. In my book, that makes them heroes. As far as I can tell, Microsoft is the thing that would stand in the way of this. I have a feeling Valve would tell us how to do this (and hold our hands on the way), such is their stance on free content.

But you guys who said Glitching Through Walls and Skywalking were acceptable are pulling my leg, right? I admit I put those two in as a joke.

Speaking of jokes, what the hell is this? Community gamer smellsam44 posted a thread about me ragequitting a Sniper-only match, which is entirely true. smellsam44 killed me with a crit Kukri and I rage quitted. Big deal, right?

Apparently not. smellsam44 proceeded to write a thread about it in the Steam User's Forums. No harm done, right? Just a little story, bro?

Apparently not. I have never seen a community get so defensive before about something so trivial. I couldn't care less if smellsam44 decided to post such a story. I find it funny, but the rest of you didn't. It went on for three pages, during which it was agreed upon that I was a terrible player and that smellsam44 was a terrible person.

I don't agree with either of these. smellsam44 had a tale to tell, and it was a fun one. On the other hand, smellsam44's insistance that I was a worse player than him leaves me no other option. smellsam44, if you are reading this, I challenge you to a 1v1 match on Well or Granary, in which it will be decided whom is the better player.

Anyway, what about updates for the Xbox 360 version of Team Fortress 2?



Furthermore, why doesn't Valve make a thread as cool as this one for Xbox users now?

That is where The 10/10 Project comes in. This is, by far, the most ambitious idea to come to Xbox 360 players since my very own petition.

As you know if you are reading this, the petition was somewhat successful. With the help of 625 signatures, I was able to coax Valve into releasing an update to us Xbox 360 gamers. But I am convinced that the 10/10 Project is even better. Instead of a long list of names and one e-mail, why not a long list of e-mails?

The plan is to have Valve give out information by October 10th, 2009, the second birthday of The Orange Box. Obviously, this requires a form letter, created by community leader Frymon, which I present to you now.

---------

Title of e-mail: You Choose one.

Dear Mr. Newell/Walker/Lombardi,

I am writing to you out of concern of Team Fortress 2's XBox360's port, I play this game [as much as I can/Often/Sometimes/Never because of the bugs] and I was wondering if you have any news about the update?

I am a member of the 10/10 Project. (http://forums.steampowered.com/forum...d.php?t=939754) This is a fast-growing XBox360 Only group that is dedicated to get information about the XBox360 Update.

Henceforth, here is my request to you and your company, to answer the pleas of the XBox360 community, I am asking you to release information about the XBox360 Update in a blog post on www.teamfortress.com by The Orange Box's 2nd birthday, October 10th, 2009 (10/10/09) or sooner.

The community does not want much, but, we are VALVe customers and as such, I think we deserve at least a bit of news about our Update, not small things plugged into an update every 6 months.

Thank you for your time,
[Your Name Here]

---------

The plan is to send them all in on August 20th, 2009, but if you don't read this until after that date, send it in anyway. If you have any other questions, ask them here. Good luck to us all!

In the meantime, you can vote in the new poll or watch The 10/10 Project's official video.

Dealing With Class Rushes

In honor of the first title update to the Xbox version of The Orange Box since April 1st, 2008,I decided to throw together a small guide to help you all fight your way through a new trend that has emerged. That trend is Class Rushing.

This new Class Rushing isn't the one your Grandma used to play. This is a whole new beast that consumes an entire match and is completely unstoppable (except by the host.) While Valve "rushes" to fix this, there is only one thing to do: prepare yourself. So, without, further ado, I present to you a guide written to help you deal with Class Rushes.

The Scout Rush

This rush will haunt your dreams. The sound of pattering feet and "Doc, c'mon man!" will become a trigger of fear in your mind. Never again will you underestimate the power of a 2x capture speed multiplier.

But if you are a Scout who knows when to switch to Pistol, you may become a god. If you didn't even know you had a Pistol, immediately start dodging and don't stop. Your friends may wonder why you are hopping around in the Respawn Room, but you will be the better for never stopping the Dodge.

If an enemy Scout runs at you holding a Baseball Bat, take out yours as well and pray for a Critical Hit. If all else fails, hide and taunt until the match ends.

This Rush is best played on: Well and Granary, though it has its moments on Hydro.

The Soldier Rush

I am an excellent Soldier. I know all the best Rocket Jumps. I know when to switch to Shotgun; I know when to switch to Shovel. I crafted the Soldier into an art form through my controller, and yet...when you are in a Soldier Rush, your best bet is to jump/crouch everywhere and shoot at the ground near your enemies.

Sadly, this tactic is neither difficult or particularly inventive, but it works quite well. If you time your shots correctly, your screen will become filled with bloody body parts as your enemies explode. If not, your screen will be full of your own blood and guts.

This Rush is best played on:Gravel Pit and Granary because of excellent verticals.

The Pyro Rush

Take your Shotgun out and don't switch to Flamethrower unless your enemies can't see you. Why? Hit detection with the Flamethrower is bad, but a Shotgun blast from point blank can do 90 HP damage. Also, this is the only time in which a Pyro is guaranteed to not get a kill from afterburn damage.

No matter how ugly things become, do not attempt to W+M1 (or Forward+R1 on the Xbox.) The enemy Pyro will naturally backpedal and flame you in return. When moving forward, your flame is shorter. When moving backward, your enemy's flame is longer. So, yeah, you just died.

And always remember to taunt over your enemy when you kill them. Always.

This Rush is best played on:Dustbowl because the chokepoints keep it from becoming too chaotic.

The Demoman Rush

The grenade spam in this type of rush will bring you fond memories of Team Fortress Classic. But, in all honesty, this is the most fun you will have during a rush. The Demoman is so *cough*overpowered*cough* versatile that acting offensively and defensively as a team actually takes strategy.

It is possible that it will just degrade into spam, as aforementioned, but that is still visually entertaining. In fact, it reminds me a little of a screen from Meet the Demoman.

In this rush, the most important skill you can have is to know when to reload. If you completely waste your ammo (which happens more frequently than you might think), you better hope you aim your Bottle well.

This Rush is best played on: any map, even 2Fort and Hydro. It's that fun.

The Heavy Rush

WHIRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

When you play this rush, turn down your speakers or you might go deaf. The sound of Sasha spinning and shooting does not cease and if one person is calling a Medic, everyone else is too.

If you are unlucky enough to turn a corner and spot a few Heavies that are already spun up, the remainder of your life will look like you are entering Hyperspace.

Quite frankly, the number of bullets wizzing through the air during a Heavy rush is astounding. You will be taking damage continually, so be ready to run. But to dominate in a Heavy rush, you must know where to find ammo. Ammo is all you need to succeed (unless your aim is terrible.)

This Rush is best played on: Well because health and ammo packs litter the floor. In addition, capturing the final point feels epic.

The Engineer Rush

Prepare for stalemates. Do not attempt on Attack/Defend maps like Dustbowl and Gravel Pit.

Uh, that's all there is to say about Engineer rushes really.

This Rush is best played on: 2Fort becuase it nicely complements the general unplayability of the map.

The Sniper Rush

When you play in a match set to Sniper Rush, it will suddenly feel like Halo or Call of Duty.

The quest for team victory dissipates and is replaced with the search for individual glory. Snap shots are very possible as a headshot will kill anyone without a charge. Furthermore, the SMG feels like an Assault Rifle. If you didn't have to switch to your Kukri to melee, it would become just like those games.

As expected, this rush is a superb way of training to be a good Sniper. If you want to frequent servers like this, you should crank down your sensitivity. Doing so will have a major payoff.

Your best chance of starting a kill streak would be to snipe from unexpected places and to stay in motion. The less the enemy suspects, the better your chance of an easy shot. I could make a Weighted Companion Sniper joke, but this picture will suffice.

This Rush is best played on: 2Fort, obviously. But forget about capping the Intel. Think about blasting out the brains of the guy across the way instead.

The Medic Rush

This type is very odd. The Medic is the best support class, but when he can only support his own kind, things become quirky. You start to realize how powerful the Needle Gun is when you play this rush. At the same time, you wonder if the Ubercharge is really too useful.

With health everywhere, the commodity to watch is ammo, but that rarely becomes a problem. Even when depleted, the Bonesaw deals out a solid amount of damage. But no matter what you do to try to kill an enemy Medic, deaths will be rare. The Medigun heals too fast for long-term damage to be an option.

Therefore, to be effective, you must attack hard and fast. Chase the enemy to the edges of the map and remember to cut corners. It will take a bit, but eventually they will die.

This Rush is best played on: Well, Granary, or Hydro because playing it anywhere else creates bizarre balance issues.

The Spy Rush

Last, but certainly not least. The first thing to do is to forget your disguise. Your not fooling anyone.

Play a couple rounds of all-Spy and everyone will stop using their knifes. The Revolver is king.

When everyone decides to disguise, it is a mess. Chaos erupts because the Spy lacks a good Spychecking weapon. Everyone will want to be a Pyro, but they can't. Too bad.

If you ignore the loss of espionage, the game is still very fun, and it is teaching you to aim as well. I just wish we had The Ambassador.

This Rush is best played on: 2Fort. Carrying the Intel reveals which team you are on, creating an interesting side effect.

-------------

That's all for today! I hope you enjoyed the read!

Neat Tournament Ideas (With Posters)

By now (if you are someone serious enough about Team Fortress 2 Xbox 360 that you read a blog about it) you know that Valve has announced that a nice, simple title update/patch is coming to us very soon and has already been sent in for certification by Microsoft.

This update will include fixes to stop jackasses, excuse me, hackers, as well as a few hosting options that may have been inspired by one of my earlier articles. It is very exciting, mostly because I know it is true, and because it can no longer be slowed down by Valve.

These hosting options will bring the world of competitive Team Fortress 2 fully to our doorstep. We will be able to turn off random crits and damage spread, as well as set class limits. But now that these options are available, I would hate to see them wasted on just 6v6 matches.

So, to give the community a broader range of match/tournament ideas, I searched the internet, and here are two separate and awesome posters for tournaments that have happened over in the PC Team Fortress 2 community.

The first is for a Soldier and Medic only tournament. It is entirely 2v2 and with no critical hits or damage spread, it could become extremely intense and satisfying. Furthermore, it would make excellent use of the map Hydro, with quick rounds, but clear progression and defeat/victories.



The second is not based on a joke, believe it or not. Rather, it is a match style designed to introduce casual players to the competitive scene. It would be a 6v9 match where the casual team has one of each class and the other team is a clan. I think this would be a lot of fun and would be a great way for clans to practice.



Expect articles to come a bit more rapidly after this. I have been pretty busy lately, but things are clearing up. Also, any sign of movement from Valve rejuvenates my enthusiasm for Team Fortress 2.