Thread: get the...

Originally Posted by Watsyurdeal?

Does that mean CSS sucks? :P


Jk, CSS scares me though

Maybe I should clarify. I didn't mean too much in the sense of having thousands of hours played. I meant too much in the sense of almost everyone loved the class updates. True, some of them sucked, but for the most part they were updated, corrected, whatever. Not everything, but at least most to a tolerable level. Valve seemed to think that if some new items were good then a bazillion must be FUCKING AMAZING, right? WRONG. The overindulgence has helped to kill the love of the game for many.

Originally Posted by CivilWars

Maybe I should clarify. I didn't mean too much in the sense of having thousands of hours played. I meant too much in the sense of almost everyone loved the class updates. True, some of them sucked, but for the most part they were updated, corrected, whatever. Not everything, but at least most to a tolerable level. Valve seemed to think that if some new items were good then a bazillion must be FUCKING AMAZING, right? WRONG. The overindulgence has helped to kill the love of the game for many.

True


Hopefully after the Engi Polycount Set comes they'll focus on maps, balancing, and bug fixing for a while before introducing any more items.

Originally Posted by Oozish

I think Valve really did more to kill this game then they know,especially with the micro-economy; no matter how great an experiment and successful this was, it changed what tf2 was supposed to be about and this has really turned off the majority of old schoolers; who practiced and practiced to increase their skills, only to be presented about a game with imba classes and dozens of goofy weapons as well as a giant portion of useless cosmetic fluffery.

Wow! Amazing!

I want to disagree here. I think TF2 is doing fine, more specifically I think the brand of TF2 I prefer, the more "serious" 6v6 game is alive and well thanks to the fact that the TF2 gameplay mechanic (namely the medic) is unique amongst FPS's.

Case in point...

own3D - tf2tv

This is the first of 2 maps for the 2011 finals of a European LAN. One of the things I like about this video is that you can hear in the background the LAN attendants cheering the competitors on (not synced with the video sadly b/c the video had to be delayed for fairness concerns.) What I also love about this game is that you get to see some of the best players in the world go at it. 1000 people followed this game when it was live, not to mention all those people who were at the LAN and all the people who have watched it in VOD form.

Anyways, I have been hearing a lot of negativity about TF2, but I do not see it. I strongly encourage most of the TPG players to branch out into the realm of TF2lobby and pick up games on irc. I love TF2 in the pub format, but I think its even better to switch between the pub version and the 6v6 version so you get to experience both sides. Moreover I think the 6v6 scene allows you to hone your skills better than can be done in the pub format.

I think the game overall is doing fine. This is not to say that I have been entirely happy with the way things have been going. I will say that I like to see a company not take itself too seriously, and while I am somewhat annoyed by the art style with the hats, that frankly does not impact the real game.

Edit: And for you connoisseurs that want a very close game...here is a koth_viaduct game from North America that I watched live. Was an amazing game, and painful for me to watch because there was utter carnage amongst my medic brothers.

CommunityFortress - eXtv: THPS vs Dynamic - ESEA-I S8-W2 - Viaduct

This is a American game, so of course the players are better than those snooty Europeans.

Originally Posted by CivilWars

Maybe I should clarify. I didn't mean too much in the sense of having thousands of hours played. I meant too much in the sense of almost everyone loved the class updates. True, some of them sucked, but for the most part they were updated, corrected, whatever. Not everything, but at least most to a tolerable level. Valve seemed to think that if some new items were good then a bazillion must be FUCKING AMAZING, right? WRONG. The overindulgence has helped to kill the love of the game for many.

This is exactly what happened with me. I think the most fun I had with TF2 was actually during the Classless Update, as it rebalanced a lot of things and eased the game into a more enjoyable position. Then it started to spiral downward more and more, with the Soldier/Demo update being the first instance I saw that made me really think people did not care about balance at all anymore--When the Equalizer had no downside and was a direct upgrade from the Shovel that also negated one of the Soldier's critical imperfections intended to balance the class.

Without bringing any other specifics into it, I'm simply having a very hard time taking the game seriously anymore. Even the setting has broken down--Remember when hats actually sort of had something to do with their classes? The game is still being updated at roughly the same rate as before, best I can tell, but while earlier updates seemed to be more about balance and adjustment, now it's just loads of more imbalanced content.

Plenty of people still enjoy that, so I don't think TF2 as a game is dying at all, but it has completely discouraged me from playing it again, and I get the impression that plenty of other people feel the same way.

Originally Posted by Cprice

I probably wouldn't be so disgusted with the new influx of weapons to the point where I quit, if they were actually play tested and weren't horrifically un-fun to play against. And I'm sure the majority of the people that aren't playing anymore would say the same. Hats and misc stuff are obnoxious, but it's the stupid weapons that are broken that made me stop playing. It isn't the fact that they are "op" but they just aren't fun to play with or against, and that makes them broken.

Eh, the Scout's Short Stop was fun for a while. But, like most everyone else, I reverted back to the original Scattergun, so I see your point.

Now the Soldier's Black Box, I really enjoy using that for the 15+ HP boost per hit. It has revived my interest and playtime in that class, at least whenever I take a break from playing Medic. For the BB and other certain weapons, I wouldn't say they're all broken, just different.

I'm with Hap, though. The mechanics of the Medic class are what keeps me coming back.

I think WaterDumple is the perfect example of someone that would enjoy the 6v6 scene. While I hate to use the word serious when referring to video games, I confess that any game I play, I play with the intention of being good at it. Table tennis, darts, TF2, it doesn't matter. I think the lobby system is a great way to enjoy a more "serious" version of TF2. I switch back and forth between them so they both stay fresh.

With the pub game you get to have fun in the sheer chaos that is TF2. It might be more chaotic now then originally, but chaos has always been a central theme of TF2 battles since the beginning. With the 6v6 scene (or highlander if you prefer that) the game is simplified and yet more challenging because the skill of the players is on average higher than it is in your normal pub (even a TPG pub which has fairly high skill and good communication.)

If you pride yourself on being a skilled TF2 player I think you owe it to yourself to try out the lobby system. For those that are looking to improve their game I think lobbies are the best bet.

I dislike unlocks. I liked TF2 because it was plain and simple. There wasn't an mmo quirk too it, and the game went beyond "picking the right weapon" to "play the game correctly". Hats are obnoxius. 6v6 TF2 was a lot of fun and still is. poor TF2 :/

I try to prime the server here and there when I can. Like when I see a bunch of people on Steam playing TF2, but not in TPG. I'll start sending invites and post an announcement in the TPG TF2 Steam Group. I think it would also be a good idea to add new regulars to Steam and invite them to join the TPG TF2 Steam Group as well. Seems to have pretty good success, so far.