Powerlord

A warning to all admins with mirror access: I'm in the middle of copying the file mirror over to the new server. Files added after this point will not appear on the new server. Stats and bans won't be transferred quite yet, as we're going to transition databases as late as we possibly can.

Updates to Team Fortress 2 have been released. The updates will be applied automatically when your Steam client is restarted. The major changes include: - Fixed a client crash related to arrows - Fixed a server crash related to items - Fixed a server crash caused by the Demo taunt kill - Fixed a server crash caused by using the Equalizer - Fixed client ragdoll commands resulting in ragdolls standing around - Restored the missing point_teleport entity - Fixed stats and achievements being tracked while using sv_cheats - Fixed Spies being able to build dispensers - Fixed clients not fixing up inventory items in bad backpack positions - Added a new chat message when players craft an item - Fixed "Bloody Merry" and "Second Eye" achievements being achieved incorrectly - Updated the description of the "Bravehurt" achievement - Fixed Blutsauger attributes - Fixed the Direct Hit having an incorrect short range damage curve (now matches the normal Rocket Launcher curve) - Fixed the Spy's unlockables watches using the wrong consume/recharge rates RED (#2) has already been restarted.

We've temporarily removed ctf_doublecross from the mapcycle. It seems to crash more often than most maps.

Yes, you risk getting VAC banned for it. Yeesh, there are too many Spy bugs this update. The other major one is the Dead Ringer's time being nerfed. It depletes Cloak a lot faster than it's supposed it right now. It lasts between 3 and 5 seconds; it's supposed to last approximately 8 (still shorter than the normal cloaks which are 10).

I swear, I saw 20 people get Camera Beards when I was on. Some people multiple of them. GUESS WHO DIDN'T GET ONE! Also, the server (at least RED) is periodically crashing. I assume BLU is too. This may be SourceMod related, as a bunch of different Sourcemod stuff also isn't working. Popular opinion of the people I talked to seem to think ctf_doublecross is the better of the two new maps. I've played cp_gorge for a whole 30 seconds, so I haven't formed an opinion yet. Edit: One last thing; when the Steam servers go down, it will appear that people keep getting the items they received just before the server went down. So if you see this, don't be surprised. Also, when the Steam servers come back up, they tend to award items in batches.

I do think the Sandman nerf was a bad idea. It actually makes one of the Soldier's achievements all but impossible to get. I mean, there are exactly two stun affects in the game: Sandman and Sniper's taunt kill. And Soldier has to kill 5 stunned enemies for an achievement? Also: Both of the new maps are in both servers mapcycles twice. Hopefully you don't get tired of them too quickly. Those maps are cp_gorge and ctf_doublecross. P.S. We've shortened the time on cp_gorge, as it's a 2CP attack/defend map. As in 2CP total, not per stage like Dustbowl has.

A required update for Team Fortress 2 is now available. Please run hldsupdatetool to receive the update. The specific changes include: New Content - Added new control point map Gorge - Added new capture the flag map Double Cross - Added item crafting - Added work-in-progress TF Bots for beta testing in KOTH maps (blog post coming with more info) - Added headshot death animations - Added more backstab animations Soldier - Added 35 new Soldier achievements - Added 4 new Soldier items - Added new Soldier Domination lines Demoman - Added 35 new Demoman achievements - Added 3 new Demoman items - Added new Demoman Domination lines Spy - Now pretends to be carrying the weapons & wearables of the target he's disguised as - Moved the Spy's camera-beard to the Misc loadout slot so he can equip it with a hat Scout - The Sandman now only stuns on a max range hit (when you hear the cheering) - All shorter hits now force the enemy into the thirdperson fleeing state (also removed the damage reduction on them) Minor changes - Added new options to the Multiplayer->Advanced dialog: - Combat text, which displays damage amounts you do to enemies. - Medic auto caller, which automatically shows you nearby friends at low health. - Heal target marker, which better highlights the target your medigun is locked onto. - Alternative Spy disguise menu, which lets you choose disguises using just the 1-3 keys. - Fixed being able to affect friendly pipes with airblast (they would unstick) - Added recharge sound to abilities with a recharge bar - Fixed attachable wearables not staying on ragdolls - Players no longer see the wearables that are a part of a friendly spy's disguise, fixing various graphical glitches - Added jiggle bones for Pyro's chicken hat - Added 2 new game startup songs Community Mapmaker requests: - Implemented InputSetSetupTime() for team_round_timer (was in the .fgd but never implemented) - Added "SetDispenserLevel" input to cart dispenser (1, 2, or 3)

Inventory system is currently down, I see.

and here I figured the Soldier taunt would have a stun effect, due to one of his achievements involving the deaths of stunned players. However, that jives with the Spray of Defeat achievement (which is to kill another player with a grenade). It looks to me like most of the Demo achievements are pretty easy. The Soldier ones on the other hand... As for the server: Starting later tonight, we're going to password the RED server. The password will be "ocrtf2" I would password it now, but I'm pretty sure Valve won't update it until quite late tomorrow.

Probably because Valve idiotically made it so config_arena.cfg can't be overridden like server.cfg can, so the two servers share an arena config file. It should change back on the following map change. Edit: Now that I googled it, apparently config_arena.cfg is run after the normal server config, so commenting out the hostname line in there should fix the name change issue.

This coming weekend is a TF2 Free Weekend! Also, I noticed that the area on the bottom where they list the Archives of War updates on the WAR update page only has room for two more updates before wrapping to the next line. Coincidence? Nevermind, the update is supposed to hit on Thursday, with the free weekend starting as soon as the update hits. Is RED going to be locked down to OCR members only?

Why? Pipes are really hard to dodge at close range, and unlike stickies, they don't damage you (iirc).

It's heavily implied that you'll have your melee weapon out when charging:

Nothing can beat the PC version of [thread=17376]Team Fortress 2[/thread] for free DLC... particularly when you consider it goes on sale fairly frequently (it was $2.49 during the Halloween weekend) and is normally sold along with Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode One, Half-Life 2: Episode Two, and Portal as The Orange Box for $30. TF2 has its 8th free DLC pack coming out late this week or next week. It'll probably have a free weekend this weekend as well. (P.S. OCR runs two 24-player TF2 servers as blu.ocrtf2.com and red.ocrtf2.com ) (Side note: TF2 currently has 250 achievements, and will gain at least an additional 74 with this update.)

For obvious reasons, I'm not going to post it until after Valve closes the entries. Actually, if you were on RED earlier, you might have seen me spray it.

Oh yeah, it's kinda lame, but I actually did submit an image for Valve's propoganda contest.

I did see Sco Res in the comic, but I assumed Sco would be Scottish.

That's 5 million in 1960s money, too! I wonder what that'd be now, adjusted for inflation.

This seems counter to the whole Demolitions Man thing if you ask me. I noticed they didn't reveal his third weapon yet, which may or may not be a replacement for his bouncy bomb launcher.

Did Valve forget this was a weekday or something? I was kinda hoping to see an update BEFORE I went to bed, rather than after I wake up in the morning.

I'm all for axing 2fort. I'd love it if you'd ax dustbowl, too. Also, updating ctf_premuda on the mirror and server (it's b1a on both, not b1b)... done. Both are now on b1b.

Turbine isn't more open than 2fort, it's less open. 2fort has two/three routes through the center area between the bases; Turbine doesn't. If one team can lock down the center room in Turbine, it becomes extremely hard for the other team to do anything without resorting to building ubers and hoping you destroy all the sentries. IMO, Turbine would be a much better map if the center box areas were nobuild. In 2fort, you'd have to lock down the bridge, above the bridge, and below the bridge. 2fort also has alternative routes into the other team's base. There's not really just a single chokepoint like Turbine has, because Demos, Soldiers, and Scouts have alternative means of reaching the second floor. It isn't any more, see the mapcycle on the previous page. I changed that before, people hated it, it got changed back.

I doubt it. Valve has said that the random levels on weapons were a bug; I doubt they'll be rewarding people who kept them. Did anyone else notice that the random weapon drop rate went up a few weeks ago? Now we know why. Edit: So, I'm thinking it's high time we actually change our map cycle around instead of just talking about doing it. Right now, it's: koth_viaduct cp_granary cp_dustbowl pl_badwater cp_well ctf_2fort cp_yukon_final cp_gravelpit pl_goldrush cp_badlands cp_steel ctf_turbine cp_fastlane I've seen quite a few people complain about ctf_2fort. And before you say I'm the one complaining, I like 2fort... it's dustbowl and turbine I don't like. The current maplist is also heavy on 5-point CP maps. We could swap one of those out for something else... maybe another koth map? I know some people have been requesting custom maps, and I personally wouldn't be opposed to those, as long as we limit the number of them. Any maps added to the mapcycle will also be added to the rtv and nominate lists. Edit 2: I've changed the order that the maps are in. I've been meaning to move dustbowl and goldrush apart for some time and hadn't done it until now. In the process, I've also moved some additional maps in between the 5 point CP maps.

They outright say that some blueprints will be provided (ones for other unlockable weapons I assume) and some you'll have to experiment for (I'm assuming hats here). Luckily, guides will appear on the Internet quickly enough. Also, if it's always 3 items to combine, that would be handy.

So, teamfortress.com just did the ultra-rare weekend update. It introduces the new crafting system, among other things. The worst part is that they only give you some blueprints, leaving you to figure out the rest.