official Team Fortress 2

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

Somebody e-mailed Robin Walker about how they shouldn't upload their videos to YouTube until after they've announced them, Robin e-mailed him back.

[jonhapimp]

Somebody e-mailed Robin Walker about how they shouldn't upload their videos to YouTube until after they've announced them, Robin e-mailed him back.

Then pyro love

[Nagisan]

Somebody e-mailed Robin Walker about how they shouldn't upload their videos to YouTube until after they've announced them, Robin e-mailed him back.

That is fake, someone else emailed Robin and he confirmed it was fake (technically either one of them could be fake though). So at best, that "email" is simply speculation.

Also, the soldier just got better at destroying sentries from afar. 80% faster + 25% more damage, assuming the same re-fire speeds as the default RL, that means the first shot will hit the sentry for 135 dmg (average of the normal RL dmg range * 1.25), the second rocket will hit 80% faster than the second rocket of the normal RL for the same damage. Lets say the normal RL hits a sentry that is (at rocket speed) 1.5 seconds away, then 0.8s attack interval, than 1.5 seconds for the second rocket to travel, 3.8 seconds total to do 217 dmg. With the Direct Hit, that is 0.3 seconds away, then 0.8s attack interval (assuming same as default), then 0.3 seconds travel time for the second rocket. 1.4s total time to fire 2 shots that do a total of 270 damage.

So the Direct Hit can do 53 more damage in 1.4s than the current RL can do in 3.8 seconds (assuming a default 1.5s travel time, which is pretty far for the normal rocket speed right now).

EDIT: This of course is ignoring distance damage falloff on rockets, but I assume it would affect both equally.

Edited December 16, 2009 by mwpeck

[Doli]

I want the Soldier to win but I think Demo Players are more motivated after seeing the "Direct Hit" vs. "The Eyelander" and "The Chargin? Targe". Damn I would go Soldier killing crazy if my favorite class got a shield and sword also. Guns Guns Guns!

[Nagisan]

I want the Soldier to win but I think Demo Players are more motivated after seeing the "Direct Hit" vs. "The Eyelander" and "The Chargin’ Targe". Damn I would go Soldier killing crazy if my favorite class got a shield and sword also. Guns Guns Guns!

Demo's still have another unlock to go, so give it time demo's. :p

Damage will ramp up to 153 while enemies are in mid-air, so scouts may want to either stay on their feet while fighting soldiers, or be very good at dodging close-range very fast missiles. Then again even a direct hit on a scout with the Direct Hit is going to likely kill him anyway, regardless as whether he is on the ground or not.

EDIT: It appears the soldier page 2nd unlock button is no longer lit, they probably accidently lit it up with the first, or plan a 2nd update later today to reveal it, or they are waiting to reveal them tomorrow (2 demo unlocks on day 1, 1 soldier unlock on day 2, 1 demo unlock and 2 soldier unlocks on day 3?).

Someone else pointed this out though, the crafting/saxton hale page has a condensation ring, possibly from a cold beer, along with a picture of the engy. The demo newspaper page has a boot footprint on the top right, apparently the only classes in the game with treads on their boots is the engy and pyro, and the engies are much more defined than the pyros. On the soldier newspaper page there seems to be some oil dripped on the page. So either this is a triple update and the engy is going to appear soon, or he is going to end the war but not get his update just yet.

Edited December 16, 2009 by mwpeck

[Minifig]

Someone else pointed this out though, the crafting/saxton hale page has a condensation ring, possibly from a cold beer, along with a picture of the engy. The demo newspaper page has a boot footprint on the top right, apparently the only classes in the game with treads on their boots is the engy and pyro, and the engies are much more defined than the pyros. On the soldier newspaper page there seems to be some oil dripped on the page. So either this is a triple update and the engy is going to appear soon, or he is going to end the war but not get his update just yet.

That seems a bit far fetched..

[Nagisan]

That seems a bit far fetched..

Look at the other ones though, especially the soldier one which is clearly oil spots. Like I have said before, it is all speculation but ya never know with Valve. I mean, that rocket launcher to the right of the default one you see on that image you posted? Well now its confirmed that is the new soldiers rocket launcher. Valve flaunted us with it days before releasing it and simply how powerful it seems in the hands of a good soldier was enough to make it a surprising new unlock.

[watchthisspace]

exciting times.

[LOC Veteran]

Even though I hate what they've done with TF2, I will play a Soldier when the update goes live. I always loved the Soldier and that new RL is nice stuff. Also depends on the other two unlocks and what that special unlock will do to the game.

Plus, I want the Engy update already omg!

[Yusuf M. Veteran]

Knowing Valve, they might end up doing a triple class update. Anyway, the Soldier's first unlock seems cool. I wonder why they only unveiled one unlock for the Soldier. It should have been two like the Demoman's unlocks.

[Nagisan]

Knowing Valve, they might end up doing a triple class update. Anyway, the Soldier's first unlock seems cool. I wonder why they only unveiled one unlock for the Soldier. It should have been two like the Demoman's unlocks.

Current speculation is they are fudging the war numbers (or at least, they are now), whatever class was "losing" to begin with got 2 item reveals while the winning class only got one. Now, as the demo is currently still losing, they are going to make today's update turn the tides, with the demo ahead and the soldier losing, meaning they can reveal 2 items for the now losing class (soldier) and only 1 for the now winning class (demo).

It makes sense as it would allow them to reveal more for the losing class to motivate them, then simply reverse it in the end so they can show 2 items for the class that only has one revealed the following day. But that is assume Valve is faking the numbers. I am sorry but I just do not see the Demo's catching up by over 100k kills in a day.

Also, Gabe will be awarding points to "whichever poster he likes best" in the propaganda contest, chances are he will pick one from whichever class is losing, then make the scores dead even, meaning both classes get the 4th weapon.

[Mathachew Veteran]

I was thinking of that as well, both classes getting the fourth weapon.

A part of me is thinking triple class update as well since they've incorporated the engy, but I'm less than 50% certain that that will happen.

[Minifig]

Also, Gabe will be awarding points to "whichever poster he likes best" in the propaganda contest, chances are he will pick one from whichever class is losing, then make the scores dead even, meaning both classes get the 4th weapon.

I had a really great idea for "Team Spy".. but I'm horrible with photoshop. :(

[Nagisan]

I had a really great idea for "Team Spy".. but I'm horrible with photoshop. :(

I too had a few ideas and I am not that bad with photoshop (at the same time not that good), but I was too lazy to even try it. :p

And I was way off on my earlier numbers about comparing DH to normal RL for distant sentries. The travel speed only makes a difference in DPS if it is greater than the re-fire rate (0.8s). So at a travel speed of 1.5s (normal RL), firing 3 rockets, thats fire -> 0.8s -> fire2 -> 0.7s first rocket hits -> 0.1s fire 3 -> 0.6s second rocket hits -> 0.8s third rocket hits. Total time = 3 seconds. With the DH, that is fire -> first rocket hits @ 0.3s -> 0.5s -> fire2 -> 2nd hits @ 0.3s -> 0.5s -> fire3 -> 3rd hits @ 0.3s. Total time = 1.9s.

So 25% more damage in roughly 2/3rds the normal time it would take as long as you hit your target and not the ground/terrain around them.

EDIT: Also, to add more fuel to the fire of the kill counter conspiracy. On Friday and Monday (saturday was an exception as it was a weekend) we had two kill counter updates on both days. Then suddenly, when the demo closed his game by over 100k kills, we only got one update on the kill counter, and this was when the soldier update went live. Now, why would they not continue the two updates a day? Because they are planning for either the demo to overtake the soldier today or tomorrow, or planning for him to overtake the soldier today then even them out tomorrow.

Think about it, two days left before the final reveal (tuesday and today with the final reveal being tomorrow), they had to even the numbers, so tuesday, the demo "caught up" by like 100k kills. Today he is either going to get closer, or pass the soldier in kills, and tomorrow its probably somehow going to become dead even.

EDIT: Fresh off the Steam forums, someone calculated all the stats for the new RL.

Base Damage: 112.5

Point Blank: 131-140

Medium Range: 62.5-112.5

Long Range: 56.25-75

Mini-Crit: 152.5

Critical Hit: 337.5

Movement Speed: 1980 Hammer Units per second/90~ mph (for reference, UNCHARGED Huntsman Arrow is 1875 and Scout's Baseball is 1940)

Yes you are reading that correctly; The Direct Hit rockets move faster than the Huntsman Arrow and Baseball, and a Mini-Crit or Point Blank rocket will kill any 125 health class.

EDIT: 1875 is the speed of the uncharged Huntsman Arrow. A fully charged arrow moves at 2343.75 hammer units per second, making the Direct Hit rocket the SECOND fastest projectile in the game.

So, its faster than a scouts baseball, only thing faster is a fully charged arrow (or at least a mostly charged arrow, assuming speed increases with charge).

Things just got very difficult for airblast pyros, baseballs are hard enough to reflect and rely on lots of luck along with great timing.

Edited December 16, 2009 by mwpeck

[Minifig]

:blink: :o

[spy beef]

Let the whining begin!

Nerf the soldier! Nerf the soldier! Nerf the soldier! Nerf the soldier! Nerf the soldier!

[Sir Topham Hatt]

Is there a Neowin server yet?

[Yusuf M. Veteran]

You bring up good points, mwpeck. A 4th unlock for both the Demoman and Soldier might throw things out of balance. Ever class update so far has either had 2 or 3 unlocks. None had 4, and to make two classes get extra unlocks is unfair. I hope they stick to the original idea: giving the 4th unlock to the class that wins.

Anyway, add me on Steam friends: http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197977538646

[Minifig]

Is there a Neowin server yet?

My friend and I are working on a website, all neowin people are more than welcome to join the website's tf2 server if we get it going. :)

[Mathachew Veteran]

There was one, but the interest in it dropped so it was dropped. Don't know if it was an official server or one run by a Neowin member.

[Hurmoth]

There was one, but the interest in it dropped so it was dropped. Don't know if it was an official server or one run by a Neowin member.

Yup. I never could get many people in it. We'd get it full for a little while, but it never would stay full, even close to full. Eventually there was no one, so I closed up shop on it.

[ViZioN]

Yup. I never could get many people in it. We'd get it full for a little while, but it never would stay full, even close to full. Eventually there was no one, so I closed up shop on it.

Timezones won't help I suppose. We're all quite spread about, and then there's the ping issue for people playing from overseas.

[Nagisan]

Propaganda Contest winners announced (first 3 places, at least)

First Place:

[Mathachew Veteran]

Hah, that's really good!

[Blackhearted]

Oh boy, propaganda contest winner. Now how bout they post something i actually give half a **** to see about. Such as more of the update.