official Team Fortress 2

[Chasethebase Veteran]

So, I decided to run an FPS boosting config. Dxlevel 81 seems to feel better. Maybe it's the lack of paInt on hats. :p

But I finally got myself a Team Spirited Vintage Trophy Belt. Had a regular one and traded with a friend who was happy to do that.

Also awesome beta update.

Gameplay:

Bots:

o Bots now work on Payload maps

+ Added payload to Offline practice

o Spy bots!

Medic:

The Quick-Fix:

o Megaheal (the uber) effect now also applies to the medic

Pyro:

The Detonator:

o Detonation particle effect increased to better match the radius

Soldier:

Reduced rage generation rate with Battalion?s Backup by 50%

Spy:

Fixed a bug that prevented domination lines from being played with the Eternal Reward

Maps:

Added koth_badlands

General:

Added Replay system that allows you to edit and publish movies of your play experiences (full Mac support in the next few days)

Added in-game Coaching system

Added in-game Voting system

Added training for the Demoman, Spy and Engineer

Temporarily enabled crafting and trading

Synced with changes from the official releases

o http://store.steampowered.com/news/5008/

o http://store.steampowered.com/news/5035/

o http://store.steampowered.com/news/5050/

o http://store.steampowered.com/news/5068/

o http://store.steampowered.com/news/5077/

o http://store.steampowered.com/news/5091/

Complete beta update history available here.

[Chasethebase Veteran]

Also this is the truth.

Also this just got posted. http://www.teamfortress.com/shogunpack/

Cower, peasants! Flee, terrified ronin! Crap in your ancient Japanese bamboo underpants, feudal warlords! For something approaches unlike anything you have ever seen! The Shogun Pack -- a collaboration between Team Fortress 2, the TF community, and Total War: Shogun 2 -- descends upon you like a rising sun! (But in reverse.)

That's right, Japan fans! Unlike other updates, The Shogun Pack represents a three-way partnership of feudal clans to depose a crooked emperor (the emperor being played in this case by "a lack of updates" for this metaphor to work). The awe-inspiring result? Eight all-new, Shogun-themed items for your head-wearing and/or neck-cleaving pleasure. And, in keeping with the three-way theme, you've got three ways to get your hands on them:

1. Pre-order Total War: Shogun 2 from Steam and get all eight items free. (You: "THAT'S INCREDIBLE!")

2. Buy all eight items in Team Fortress 2's Mann Co. Store. (You: "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! I WON'T BELIEVE IT!")

3. Collect all eight items through in-game item drops or crafting. (You: "SOMEONE CALL AN AMBULANCE! I'M HAVING A HEART ATTACK! FROM JOY!")

Pick any one of the three to get your items! Heck, pick ALL three! (Don't actually do this. -Legal Dept.) Whatever your choice, be sure to check out The Shogun Pack!

[Pajter]

So, I decided to run an FPS boosting config. Dxlevel 81 seems to feel better. Maybe it's the lack of paInt on hats. :p

How do you do other configs? Also, did you get a big increase in FPS? And does the game still look good? :p

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

No, the game ends up looking like crap since like 90% of the lighting tech is disabled.

[SoapyHamHocks Member]

Will the items ever stop? I can't enjoy this game anymore, which is really sad because it was one of my favorites.

[Chasethebase Veteran]

How do you do other configs? Also, did you get a big increase in FPS? And does the game still look good? :p

No, the game ends up looking like crap since like 90% of the lighting tech is disabled.

True, the game doesn't look particularly pretty, since everything gains a matte appearance, but my average FPS went up to 100ish from 60.

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

What's the vsync of your monitor though? No point getting 100fps if your monitor can only do 60.

[Athernar]

What's the vsync of your monitor though? No point getting 100fps if your monitor can only do 60.

Don't forget the 66 tick hard-limit that Source has either.

34 of those frames will be repeats.

[Nagisan]

Don't forget the 66 tick hard-limit that Source has either.

34 of those frames will be repeats.

I thought the 66-tick limit was updates from the server per second, which has little to do with what is drawn in a frame. Even with the 66-tick limit, those other 34 frames can be interpolation and prediction between the 66-tick limit, which would not be repeats.

[Athernar]

I thought the 66-tick limit was updates from the server per second, which has little to do with what is drawn in a frame. Even with the 66-tick limit, those other 34 frames can be interpolation and prediction between the 66-tick limit, which would not be repeats.

The tickrate is the number of times the gameworld iterates per second, if the world has not iterated then the render result will be the same.

[Nagisan]

The tickrate is the number of times the gameworld iterates per second, if the world has not iterated then the render result will be the same.

I may be wrong with the following, but your are honestly the first person I have ever seen claim that TF2 in particular is limited to 66 game-world iterations per second (or FPS, for a simpler term, since anything over 66 is wasted according to you).

Everything I have ever heard about tickrate relates to Source engine networking and has little to do with client-side FPS. From what I understand of Source, all tickrate does, is set the rate that the server and client will communicate updates. Which means the server will only send updates to the client 66 times per second, but it does not mean the client will only draw 66 different frames per second, it only means that the other frames it does draw per second will be interpolation + prediction between updates/ticks.

Also, didn't they update the orange box engine awhile ago (which includes TF2 and what not) to support up to 100 tickrate, not a max of 66?

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

I've honestly never thought about how often Source "thinks", reading up on the tickrate (from the VDC) claims that the tickrate defines how often the server thinks, but on the client defines how often it monitors input state.

Edit: And of course the reading input stage of part of the engine "thinking", meaning that between the ticks nothing can actually happen. Then again it also claims L4D1/1 only think 30 times a second, but that seems wrong.

[Athernar]

I may be wrong with the following, but your are honestly the first person I have ever seen claim that TF2 in particular is limited to 66 game-world iterations per second (or FPS, for a simpler term, since anything over 66 is wasted according to you).

Everything I have ever heard about tickrate relates to Source engine networking and has little to do with client-side FPS. From what I understand of Source, all tickrate does, is set the rate that the server and client will communicate updates. Which means the server will only send updates to the client 66 times per second, but it does not mean the client will only draw 66 different frames per second, it only means that the other frames it does draw per second will be interpolation + prediction between updates/ticks.

Also, didn't they update the orange box engine awhile ago (which includes TF2 and what not) to support up to 100 tickrate, not a max of 66?

Every game engine has a tickrate, both on the client and server. What you're thinking about is the _updaterate, _cmdrate and rate convars, which set the number of requests, submissions and allocated bandwidth to use used when communicating with a remote server.

By my understanding, without a tickrate we would encounter issues such as with running DOS games via emulation, where the gameworld runs at superspeed and requires CPU throttling.

And no, the current trunk of Source aka Source 15/"Orange Box engine" confers the 66-tick limitation (This wasn't present pre-OB), this caused some angsty teen drama over at the CS:S Beta forums. But in the end, locking to 66-tick allowed for the beta devteam to tweak and optimise small issues like inconsistant rate of fire.

[Chasethebase Veteran]

I usually have VSync off for increased performance.

Anyway I went back to Dx9.

[Elliot B.]

I usually have VSync off for increased performance.

Anyway I went back to Dx9.

Any game I've played in the last 5-7 years that runs at around 60 FPS or more on my system shows terrible screen tearing unless I enable vertical synchronization. I've turned it on in every game I've played for many years, 60 FPS or not. I've never had any issues from doing this.

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

...

By my understanding, without a tickrate we would encounter issues such as with running DOS games via emulation, where the gameworld runs at superspeed and requires CPU throttling.

...

Half-Life 1 does this to an extent (it has a limit, of 300fps, so while it's capped it still thinks far too often)

There's also the opposite end of the spectrum, where the game thinks too slowly, leaving it feeling sluggish or jittery (S.T.A.L.K.E.R. did this, while GTA4 avoided it pretty well)

[sundayx Veteran]

Anyone willing to trade me their earbuds? I'll trade anything (if I have it).

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

Half-Life 1 does this to an extent (it has a limit, of 300fps, so while it's capped it still thinks far too often)

...

I'll adjust this slightly, all Valve games using Source (or GldSrc) have an internal engine limit of 300fps (Which I found out with my new computer, which is capable of hitting 300fps in any of the Source games I tried)

[Yusuf M. Veteran]

Will the items ever stop? I can't enjoy this game anymore, which is really sad because it was one of my favorites.

I doubt they will but I don't let that bother me anymore. If I want to play Team Fortress 2, I'll play it for what it is: a fun team-based game. I don't care if people have different weapons and items as long as they aren't insanely more powerful than anything I have.

[Chasethebase Veteran]

Well now I have 1 Vintage hat for each class, the objective I was attempting to achieve. Most of them are ones I like too :D

Olde Baker Boy, Tyrant's Helm, Rubber Glove, Tricorne, Toque, Engineer's Cap, Gatsby, Trophy Belt (TS'd), Fedora + Camera Beard.

:D

[Athernar]

I'll adjust this slightly, all Valve games using Source (or GldSrc) have an internal engine limit of 300fps (Which I found out with my new computer, which is capable of hitting 300fps in any of the Source games I tried)

That can be changed if you set fps_max as a launch parameter IIRC.

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

Yeah, I got Garry's Mod up to 450fps (while starting at a wall :laugh: )

[inferniac]

Next Team Fortress 2 video will meet the Medic

The next TF2 video will star the Medic, according to a fan who recently visited Valve?s offices. While wandering around Valve HQ the visitor got to see a preview version of the next TF2 short film and reported back to fans on the Steam forums, saying that the video is almost finished, it?s coming out soon, and it?s going to be one of the best TF2 videos yet.

You can read forumite Political Gamer?s report in full on the Steam Forums. While he was there he met Valve CEO Gabe Newell, saw Dota 2 in action and watched an unfinished version of the new TF2 video, Meet the Medic.

He says ?I have seen it and its 100% real. It?s about 80-90% done. Its one of the best ?Meet the? videos yet? and adds that ?it will be released ?soon.?

Source

Yay :yes:

[Chasethebase Veteran]

Also there was an update today for both the beta and the full game.

Team Fortress 2

• Updated honor-bound weapons so they can be holstered within a second of touching a supply cabinet
  
• Updated the Blighted Beak with creator submitted fixes
  
• Fixed a clipping problem
  
• Made it paintable
  
• Updated the Hero's Hachimaki to be tradeable
  

Undocumented changes

• Removed team colours from the Blighted Beak
  

Team Fortress 2 Beta

Gameplay

• Scout
  
• Sun-on-a-Stick base damage lowered slightly but guarantees crits against burning players instead of minicrits
  
• Fan o' War
  
• Marking someone for death now lasts 15 seconds (from 10 seconds)
  
• Soldier
  
• Concheror damage-to-health conversion increased to 35% (from 20%)
  
• General
  
• Added missing Shogun Pack models
  
• Fixed client crash caused by missing Shogun Pack models
  
• Added missing strings for class-specific duels
  
• Updated the Blighted Beak with creator submitted fixes
  
• Fixed a clipping problem
  
• Made it paintable
  
• Replay:
  
• Added "replay_printsessioninfo <full path>" command for server admins to monitor session files, aid in debugging problems
  

[giantpotato]

People have been saying Meet The Medic has been finished and would be release 'soon' for months now. http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1707444

I wonder what's taking so long.