TF2: Give proyebat all ur hats

proyebat · September 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDYtyVNnOCY

Polycount Pack is out
READ THIS SPOILER!

Valve now incorporates new in-game TF2 store, dubbed "Mann Co. Store".
Official and community-made weapons and hats are being sold, where community members can earn monies from shit they make. Support them, Please.
EVEN THOUGH VALVE IS SELLING ITEMS NOW, YOU CAN STILL OBTAIN EVERYTHING THROUGH DROPS.

New weapons from Polycount Pack winners. They even get bonus effects for wearing everything together.

So much info, Valve made sure we knew what we got ourselves into :glee:

tofu encourages everyone to fill out this form so everyone can trade

Fill out this form

View the spreadsheet here

Remember to double check everyone's profiles with this website: http://www.tf2items.com

Hey You's awesome PA community map project

Like Mapping? Check out Valve's Art Pass Contest!
PMAvers compiled a small sample of artpass maps.

ETF2L's Highlander ladder + touney info (FREE BADGES)

Other info:

TF2 for mac?! Wuuuuutt!?
Write up from [URL="ttp://www.tf2pro.com/"]TF2Pro.com[/URL] via Hey You under spoiler:

After a long triumphant wait, the TF2 update on June 10th, 2010, allows Mac OS X users to play Team Fortress 2. As we put one more TF2 update under our belts, we can’t help but feel like the Engineer update is now closer than ever. New or confused about all this information? Well here’s everything you missed and more:

First off, Valve kicked off this Mac update with a Free Weekend and new blog post. All Mac users that log in this weekend and play, will receive a pretty white pair of Apple Earbuds in game. (Must log into a mac, launch TF2 and die on a server at least once to receive the ear buds.) If you don’t have the Earbuds yet and have access to a mac, make sure to do this soon, as the offer end Monday June 13th, 2010. Blog post also contained a new video, TF2 cartoon, and update information.

Next! Training is finally here. Team Fortress 2 players can now train their aim against cardboard cutouts and TF2 bots. Unfortunately it is only available for the Soldier currently, but there is speculation that more classes will come in the future.

Then, small but kind of important things! TF2 also received a menu makeover, a new crafting icon, and a new practice option, where users can test their skill on official Valve Koth maps and Dustbowl against bots. As part of the new menu system, TF2 characters show up in the upper right hand corner with player records. Players have reported that the Pyro shows up as a him and her on the main screen, which further questions the Pyro’s gender.

Also! If you haven’t seen the video yet or heard all the speculation, you have a lot of catching up to do. First off, the video has a windows comparison. Take a look at the screen below if you didn’t catch it. Engineer is also wielding a new shotgun with what appears to be a scope. Could it be a laser pointer, a scope, or something totally different. At the end of the video it says, “Think Bullets” which has been speculated to have something to do with the Engineer update.

Finally! One last bit. This showed up in the texture files in TF2 which can be easily viewed in hammer. Tobor is written in the middle which is Robot spelled backwards. Which further hardens speculations that the Engineer will be receiving a Robot as a new unlock (as hinted at in the recent Engineer Video.)

New to TF2?
Read the manual.

NEWEST CRAFTING INFO
Mad Milk = Jarate + Reclaimed Metal
Shortstop = Force-A-Nature + Reclaimed Metal
Holy Mackerel = Sandman + Reclaimed Metal
Black Box = Direct Hit + Reclaimed Metal
Battalion's Backup = Buff Banner + Reclaimed Metal
Degreaser = Backburner + Reclaimed Metal
Powerjack = Axtinguisher + Reclaimed Metal
Sidney Sleeper = Huntsman + Reclaimed Metal
Darwin's Danger Shield = Razorback + Reclaimed Metal
Bushwacka = Eyelander + Reclaimed Metal
L'Etranger = Dead Ringer + Reclaimed Metal
Eternal Reward = Cloak & Dagger + Reclaimed Metal

The rest can be found at http://tf2wiki.net/wiki/Crafting

So, you want to play competitive TF2?

This guide will set up you up with the basics on how to get in on some quick 6v6 competitive play without having to commit to a clan, schedule, practice, etc. This is purely for 6v6 and not Highlander (9v9 with a class limit of 1 for each class) because I do not believe highlander has their own pug gather system yet.

PUG stands for Pick Up Group, which is what it sounds like; A group of players interested in playing a tight 6v6 game. The 'gather' system is a system built into the #tf2.pug IRC channel that automatically assembles players who've opted in into teams and provides a server with league rules to play on.

This is done through 2 programs:

-Mumble, for voice chat
-IRC, for the gather system.

Personally, I love getting in a few 6v6 matches here and there, especially when the PA servers are empty. It's active at all times of the day, and you'll be set against players of a wide range of skill, ranging from merely interested folk like maybe yourself, to ESEA and CEVO level players.

As well, I think the gather system is a great way for people who knock 6v6 or have the wrong impressions about it to try it out for themselves and see what people like myself mean when we described it as just another level of play.

IRC

Open up your preferred IRC client it, be it something like mibbit.com or mIRC.

You need to connect to the irc.gamesurge.net server, and go into channel #tf2.pug

There is also a #tf2.pug.na channel, but its regulars are a bit more advanced, most coming from the top place teams, so #tf2.pug is much more entry level, which is what you'll want if you're looking to get into 6v6. Being immediately put up against slardel when you're a scout isn't going to do much good for your skills or your love of the game.

Mumble

Mumble is a third party voice chat software similar to Ventrilo and is used for communicating with your teammates during the match. Every team, clan, what have you uses a third party voice chat program instead of the in-game voice because it allows you to communicate when you are dead in-game.

Mumble is preferred over Ventrilo because of its ease of use and it provides several nifty features like an in-game overlay and pop-up messages telling you who's coming and going.

Download Mumble Here

Once installed it just needs some basic set up, and will ask you to create a certificate. Just enter in a name and an email, and then save it on your Desktop or any other place you keep misc. files.

Once you have Mumble set up, you will want to hit 'Add New' and enter in the relevant information. The tf2pug mumble server is:

Voice server IP : mumble.tf2pug.org:64738
Password : tf2pug

You'll want to keep the user-name you use in mumble and the server the same as the one you use in-game and in the tf2pug IRC channel so you can be easily identified. You will also want to stay in the 'Root' channel until you are assigned a game. Each of the respective channels (Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta) are server locations and each have a Red and Blue channel which you'll use during the matches

It may ask you if you want to run Mumble in compatibility mode when entering the server, just say yes to that.

First thing you'll want to do is make sure your Mumble is set to 'Push to Talk' instead of 'Voice Activity'. If you have it set to 'Voice Activity', your mic will turn on whenever you say anything without having to press a button, which can be annoying for your teammates.

Just go to Configure > Settings

and under Audio Input changed the Transmit drop down box to Push to Talk. Hit Apply.

Then go to Shortcuts along the left side, and hit add. It will add a new field into the white box. Double click on the 'Unassigned' and change it to Push to Talk, then double click the blank field under shortcut and select what button you want to use with the voice activation.

And that's it!

***

Getting into a match

So now that that is all set up, you're ready to look for a game.

Once you enter the #tf2.pug channel, the first thing you typically do is type !players

This will show you everyone who is queued up to play and what as. Because this is basic 6v6, the class layout that is supported in the pug channel is:
2 Scouts
2 Soldiers
1 Demo
1 Medic

Once there are enough of the above for two teams, the game will start. To add yourself to the queue, just type !add [yourclass]

I am now added to the match queue.

Now you simply wait. The queue will fill up with 12 players, and the following message will appear

It will then sort you into teams

You may sometimes get a message similar to this:

All you have to do is type !ready into the #tf2.pug channel and it will leave you in the match

Your final message will be:

This provides the ip and password of the server you will be playing on, but as well as the mumble room you will be using. In this instance, I will be using the Atlanta 1 room, under Red team. Connect to the ip, get on your assigned team, and wait for everyone else to get ready

The Game

So as we know, the standard class make up is as follows:
2 Scouts
2 Soldiers
1 Demo
1 Medic

Demo and medic are limited to 1 per team, and everything else is limited to 2, but you won't see much deviation from this. The most common change is one scout switching to sniper on maps like badlands, gravelpit, or well. Heavies and engies are rare but still appear when some last ditch defense is needed
on gravelpit or badlands, typically when you're down to your last point. Pyros and spies are sometimes used to try and kill the opposing team's medic quickly in a clutch play situation.

The maps you will be playing on mostly are:
cp_badlands
cp_granary
cp_follower
cp_well
cp_gravelpit
sometimes cp_yukon

These are the maps that have just been found to be the most balanced and enjoyable, offering some great back and forth play over the center and second to last points. cp_follower is a custom map that combines the spawn areas of granary with a middle area similar to badlands. It is very fun and worth having in your maps folder.

In terms of gameplay, no matter what class you are, conservation is the key. The only outright battles you'll be fighting are in the opening minutes on the middle point and in pushes (either uber, counter, or when opposing team's medic is down). With everything else, you should be holding back, building uber, sticking with teammates and trying to pick off a few members of the enemy team. Never try to engage alone unless you're a decent scout. Attempting to jump into a group of opposing players alone will only get you killed again and again.

Hit and run strategies are never frowned upon, and knowing when to fight and when to fall back is a key skill you'll need to learn quickly.

As well, the opening moments of the game, where each team are heading to the middle, are critical. You'll soon pick up on the paths each class takes for each map, but generally scouts and demos should arrive first, with soldiers and medic not far behind, with medic sitting at about 50-60% uber. As a soldier/demo, you really should only be walking the last few bits of the map towards the center, the rest should consist of rocket/sticky jumping. The medic will heal you as you go down.

The following are some general strategies and expectations from the standard classes:

Scout
-Typically, unless stated otherwise, the two scouts are supposed to act as 'roamers': They move away from the rest of the team and work in tandem to try and take out the enemy medic or pick off fleeing soldiers/demos.
-They also play a crucial role in the opening of the game, as they will, along with the demo, be the first people to get to the middle point, where they will engage the opposing scouts/demo for about ten to twenty seconds. Any kills or damage that can be done during this time is integral for your team's position post-mid-fight.
-Do not try to engage a combo (soldier + medic) alone
-Engage demo + medic combos, try to get into close and try to take out the medic or jump around him and peck off the medic if you can
-When all else fails, just kill the medic. You are expected to die much more than anyone else, but if you get this one job done, it is worth it in spades.

Soldier
-You and the other soldier are the blunt force of the team. You deal the damage, jump the jumps, and protect the medic.
-The soldiers are typically designated as pocket and roamer.
-Pocket soldier stays with the medic and protects him from everybody. He is not expected to go rocket jumping onto points or pushing the objective (unless the medic has an uber)
-The Roamer is exactly that, he has some leeway to rocket jump onto points and push without a medic, but typically, unless he wants to get screwed over, he will stay close to the pocket combo or the team demo
-Pockets should always use the normal rocket launcher and shotgun as it is the best to counter to scouts
-Roamers can use the DH if they're good but it's not expected.
-You should know how to rocket jump everywhere. This takes practice.
-Airshots are balla and will look nice in your frag videos

Demo
-You got to know the sticky jumps. For pretty much all the maps listed above, you must be able to sticky jump decently enough to get to the middle point at the same time the scouts would, or just behind them. This is particularly critical on badlands and granary, where a good few stickies set up at where the enemy team are coming out could decide who gets mid.
-You're a bigger damage dealer than the soldiers, and can fire more indirect. But you're all alone, so you dieing is kind of a big deal. Hang back and spam pipes into the middle point, and sticky up essential choke-points.
-This pretty much applies for both attack and defense.
-Stickying up choke-points is particularly essential when you're getting pushed back. A sticky trap on the gates on cp_well can practically turn the game to your favor.
-Personally not a big demo, so can't say much either way, but you have to be fairly competent in sticky usage and knowing when and where to fight, but also how to use your regular pipes to smack down scouts and soldiers

Medic
-You're the key to a lot of what goes on. Your uber and kritz are essential, and your death means your team is unsupported and will probably get pushed in on.
-That said, hang back. Stick with your pocket soldier at all times, don't try to advance ahead of him
-Scream ungodly sounds into the mic when being attacked
-Don't pull out your needlegun or saw unless you are completely and utterly alone and there is nowhere to run to. You will have people defending you, your job is to keep them up and to build the uber/kritz
-Jump a lot
-You can pop your uber if you're in trouble, no one will blame you, just stay alive.

That just about covers the basics of it.

GotFrag has a great page that goes a little more in depth not just into general strategy, but particular strategies for specific maps and such

Click here for GotFrag's Tips & Tricks section

Of particular interest should be Jaeger's general tips and tricks videos. There's only 5 so far, but they look at some specifics that are definitely worth knowing if you're looking to pursue this type of game-play a bit further

Tips & Tricks Volume 1 - Scout Energy Drink
- A few points about the Bonk, although the recent Valve fix made the first-person tip impossible

Tips & Tricks Volume 2 - Soldier Jumps on cp_gravelpit, point C
- Examples of how to quickly get up the C tower on cp_gravelpit out the left and ride side of spawn.
Tips & Tricks Volume 3 - Spamming Through Doors on cp_freight
- This is technically a glitch, and is not allowed by ESEA.
Tips & Tricks Volume 4 - Pre-firing Rockets
- Some safety tips for soldiers about spamming around corners.
Tips & Tricks Volume 5 - Medic Healing
- A little love for our healers as guest star creepin outlines the basic healing order, and why.

Now it's time for....

!!!PRO VIDEOS!!!

Post with any questions for clarifications.

Hey You & Quaz and Wally's
TF2PRO.COM / TEAM ZISSOU SERVER Donate!
Come test custom PA made maps and mods for the PAMTU (Contact an admin to join).
Server IP: 208.167.242.188:27015
Password: wang

Job's
Hyperbolic Drama Chamber Donate!
Normal server with SourceMod.
Server IP: 216.155.146.69:27015
Password: wang

JonXP's
JonXP's server Donate!
Regular vanilla server. No plugins whatsoever.
Server IP: tf2.finalmeasure.com
Password: wang

PMAvers'
House of Non-Conformity Donate!
Custom map server.
Server IP: 208.167.243.68:27015
Stats page
Download the Map Pack. 412 MB download.
Contents of the map pack (updated: July 1st-ish):

cp_coldfront_rc1
cp_indulge
cp_generator_b4b
cp_mainline_rc5
ctf_cloudburst_b3
ctf_landfall_a9
ctf_mercy_b5
koth_garbage_day
koth_lighthouse_rc5
koth_moonshine_rc
koth_persia_b4
koth_switcheroo_b3
koth_trainwreck_b1
pl_cashworks_rc2
pl_swiftwater_frc3a1

Extract to: Steam\steamapps\<your account>\team fortress 2\tf\maps
Password: wang

SICK OF 32 INSTASPAWN PUBS?
Try the Blacklist Updater
Follow the info in the link and it'll provide you with all the info you need to create a customized blacklist.

Want to chat about TF2 or other inane bullshit? Join the IRC channel!
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SuMa.Lustre · September 2010

new thread smell

delicious

also i'm glad to see snappy playing again tonight

but she never posts

Roland_tHTG · September 2010

That's better than people that posts but never play. Lookin at you Loostray

Buttcleft · September 2010

HEY ROLAND WHY DOES TIME MOVE LEFT

undeinPirat · September 2010

i am the master of posting

and of gunslinging

guar · September 2010

I could still go for a little pub romping.

Romping the pubs. Pomping the rubs. Romping phe tubs.

TyrantCow · September 2010

i just played but no one else was.

nealcm · September 2010

undeinPirat wrote: »

i am the master of posting

and of gunslinging

undeinpirat_gets_tauntkilled_by_mitchell_when_he_chargin_targes.jpeg

Zen Vulgarity · September 2010

Shut up already with that mitchell jeez

totes gay son

Roland_tHTG · September 2010

Buttcleft wrote: »

HEY ROLAND WHY DOES TIME MOVE LEFT

NO BUTTCLEFT STOP BEING... fuck you ...yea

my hands can't feel what they touch and my drink drips down my orifice

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kho_1XK59rI

Duke Phillips · September 2010

So playing with you guys is good times.....

also work and school suck.

UEAKCrash · September 2010

Man I wish I was there when Mandalore was flipping his shit. Sounds like fun.

TehSpectre · September 2010

I see Snappy playing all the time in the Reddit servers.

The Anonymous · September 2010

Goddamnit, I was halfway through making a new TF2 thread. I hate you so much.

Not really.

nealcm · September 2010

Zen Vulgarity wrote: »

Shut up already with that mitchell jeez

totes gay son

it was one of two of the greatest things i've ever done

second being

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApXxIm7f4s4

Mandalorian Rooster · September 2010

Oh god. Why do I try to sing when I'm drunk? I can't sing when I'm sober, but thats just painful.

tofu · September 2010

This game sucks

Hey You · September 2010

I wish I could see some matches of a full 24 person server, of people that know the paproject.

I still feel people are learning the map and its never a full server, so I'm not seeing where the major trouble areas are. Hopefully the polycount will come and get people playing again.

Peewi · September 2010

That teleporter camping video is pretty funny.

guar · September 2010

Does anyone see a problem with this picture?

Peewi · September 2010

Yeah, you're playing on a server that runs a single map 24/7 and has fast respawn.

Also, you've edited so we can't see your score, kills, deaths or backstabs. For all we know, you could have 31 points or 400.

SuMa.Lustre · September 2010

i'm the sex commander

guar · September 2010

Peewi wrote: »

Yeah, you're playing on a server that runs a single map 24/7 and has fast respawn.

Also, you've edited so we can't see your score, kills, deaths or backstabs. For all we know, you could have 31 points or 400.

It's a pub, the score is irrelevant.

Also, it has nothing to do with it being a 24/7 5-second respawn server. That attributes it to being an awful server, but not why I'm posting this.

Peewi · September 2010

The names and lack of avatars on the red team makes me think bots, but the pings make me think human players.

guar · September 2010

No, they're bots. It was 10 people vs. 3 + 7 bots.

There was no autobalancing.

savooipeerd · September 2010

I post more than I play nowadays but that's just because you guys are butts that only play during butt-favourable times like 3 A.M.

TrippyJing · September 2010

Dammit, Buttcleft.

Don't invite me to play Sunday night.

I have class in the morning and it's a two-hour commute.

Hey You · September 2010

So invite you early monday morning... I'll tell him.

LittleBoots · September 2010

savooipeerd wrote: »

I post more than I play nowadays but that's just because you guys are butts that only play during butt-favourable times like 3 A.M.

davincie · September 2010

savooipeerd wrote: »

I post more than I play nowadays but that's just because you guys are butts that only play during butt-favourable times like 3 A.M.

buttes.

Buttcleft · September 2010

TrippyJing wrote: »

Dammit, Buttcleft.

Don't invite me to play Sunday night.

I have class in the morning and it's a two-hour commute.

You can not resist the allure of the butts siren call

That_Guy · September 2010

That punching heavy video in the OP never fails to make me laugh. Camping teleporters will never get old.

PMAvers · September 2010

Okay, just got done uploading the first batch of artpass maps. They should show up in voting when there's at least 12 people in the server.

so, basically, never...

Anyway, tossed together a quick map-pack of the ones that are up. Download link.

UEAKCrash · September 2010

If mine isn't there I'm going to be maaaadd.

Also I forgot to build cube maps! Haha!

xzzy · September 2010

UEAKCrash wrote: »

If mine isn't there I'm going to be maaaadd.

Also I forgot to build cube maps! Haha!

Purple checkerboards could happen in the real world!

PMAvers · September 2010

Might've missed it in the submission thread, did you ever finish it?

UEAKCrash · September 2010

It was on the first page of submissions. I didn't finish it 100% but I submitted it as it was. Got sort of tired of working on a map that no one was going to play.

edit: oh, just opened the pack, I thought you were making a huge pack with a ton of maps, not just a select few of actual good maps. I don't blame you for passing mine by.

PMAvers · September 2010

Yeah, I was mostly skimming for ones that looked complete. Might've just skipped it when I saw someone say "it's not complete".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=er0cyyL4VaQ

There's a few more that I'm probably toss up in a second pack once they get fixed. (Apparently Pakrat's been shitting bricks and missing actually packing in content correctly lately, or double/triple packing content for some reason.)

undeinPirat · September 2010

thing about the artpass map is i don't know if a really nice coat of paint will save the shitty shack underneath

i mean, the map just flowed so weird when we were dicking around on it for a while

but eh

it might be good, who knows

xzzy · September 2010

PMAvers wrote: »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=er0cyyL4VaQ

Words can't describe how much I hate this.. the detailing is so over the top, it doesn't even look like TF2 anymore. It looks like a Disney game.

Pick any Valve map and you'll find more atmosphere than this guy's efforts. Granted Valve's established theme is "mining community", but they do more with less.. conveying the mood of a scene without saturating the map with props.

deveric · September 2010

I'm going to try to schedule something for maybe Thursday, maybe sunday...what are the next maps?

Penny Arcade

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