Team Fortress 2 Update Available (1-6-10)

[Mooga]

Wow that is a big update!

Jason Wrote:A required update for Team Fortress 2 is now available. Please run hldsupdatetool to receive the update. The specific change include:

Server Browser (for TF2 and DoD:S)
- Added a client-side server blacklist:
- Supports blacklisting of specific servers, all servers on an IP, and all servers on a class C range.
- Saves the server list to a file, and has an Import button to allow easy sharing (cfg\server_blacklist.txt)

Balance changes:
- Reduced the health penalty on The Sandman.
- The Force-A-Nature knockback on target now:
- Only applies to hits that deal more than 30 damage and are in close range.
- Factors in the firer's angle of attack when determining the knockback direction.
- Has less of an effect on grounded targets.
- The Dead Ringer now:
- Reduces cloak to 40% when uncloaking early.
- Has a 35% cap on the amount of cloak it can gain from an ammo pack.
- Has a quieter de-cloak sound.

Changes / Fixes:
- Fixed a performance & stability issue with AMD processors.
- Improved the stability of the game server -> item backend connection.
- Fixed a rare server crash related to dispensers.
- Added min/max values to viewmodel_fov convar to match the settings in the slider.
- Reduced the number of moons in ctf_doublecross, sadly.
- Demo playback now ignores sv_pure settings, allowing demos to easily contain custom content.
- Fixed a crash related to sv_pure and the wireframe_dx6 shader.
- Players can no longer shoot while stunned.
- Fixed a bug that caused movement speed reductions to not work on stunned players.
- Soldier Rage bar no longer resets when touching a resupply cabinet.

Achievement fixes:
- Fixed the "Second Eye" Demoman achievement.
- Fixed a bug in the "Play Doctor" Medic achievement.
- Changed the requirements for the "Medals of Honor" Soldier achievement.
- Updated description for the "Blind Fire" Demoman achievement to better explain the requirements.
- Fixed an issue that affected several achievements requiring the use of the Equalizer.

Community requests:
- Added "skip_next_map" server ConCommand to skip the next map in the map cycle.
- Added "Play a hit sound whenever you injure an enemy" option to the Multiplayer->Advanced options menu.
- Added server "tf_use_fixedshotgunspreads" convar. When set, shotgun & scattergun pellet spreads will use a non-random distribution.
- Added a "show_htmlpage" command to allow server operators to display custom web pages to clients.

Changes to the TF Bots:
- In KOTH mode, Bots are now:
- More likely to roam around and hunt enemies if there is lots of time left.
- Become more likely to push for the point as time runs down, or their teammates start to capture it.
- Medic bots now:
- Opportunistically "overheal" nearby friends when they can.
- Prioritize healing of injured nearby friends more.
- Don't focus on Heavies quite so exclusively.
- Don't spam their Medigun continuously at round start.
- Won't choose cover far below their heal target so much (koth_nucleus).
- Fight back with their syringe-gun appropriately.
- Various improvements to combat behaviors.
- General bot improvements:
- They no longer stand still on the point when capturing or defending it.
- They choose more varied routes now.
- They choose better defensive spots around captured points.
- They fall back to another weapon when they entirely run out of ammo.
- They adjust their FOV when using zoomed in sniper scope.
- They treat in-range Sentries as the most dangerous threat.
- They fire their weapons is more realistic bursts.
- Engineers use their shotgun properly.
- Added a "virtual mousepad" concept to rework how bots track enemy players:
- They now periodically estimate the position and velocity of the enemy they are tracking, instead of "locking on".
- After rotating beyond a maximum angle, they will pause for a fraction of a second to re-center their "virtual mouse".
- Allows for over/undershoot "slop" in aiming. Looks more natural, and allows skilled players to dodge.
- Addresses the "180 spin around and fire", "Heavy bot is OP", "Sniper is OP", and "I can't fight a Heavy bot as a Scout" issues.
- Tuned Sniper spot finding algorithm to generate more diverse locations, partially addressing the "Predictable Sniper camping spots" issue.
- Soldier bots are more careful to not fire rockets that will explode on nearby geometry and kill them
- Fixed a bug where bots tried to heal from a Dispenser being carried by an Engineer.
- Tuned scoreboard logic to guard against malicious server operators spoofing bot pings to hide the "BOT" tag.
- Added more bot names as suggested by the TF community.

Jason

[Nisd]

That is really a lot.

[loopyman]

I see a few fixes that should make somebodies day

[realchamp]

Let me ask this... why is it that VALVe makes so damn many updates to Team Fortress 2 when Counter-Strike: Source, Day of Defeat: Source and L4D(2) need them more than TF2? I mean CSS is so bugged you wouldn't believe it, DoD:S needs alot more achievements and L4D needs more campaigns.

[Nisd]

(01-07-2010, 10:21 PM)realchamp Wrote:  Let me ask this... why is it that VALVe makes so damn many updates to Team Fortress 2 when Counter-Strike: Source, Day of Defeat: Source and L4D(2) need them more than TF2? I mean CSS is so bugged you wouldn't believe it, DoD:S needs alot more achievements and L4D needs more campaigns.

No kidding. CS:S could really use some work.

[realchamp]

(01-07-2010, 10:25 PM)Nisd Wrote:  

(01-07-2010, 10:21 PM)realchamp Wrote:  Let me ask this... why is it that VALVe makes so damn many updates to Team Fortress 2 when Counter-Strike: Source, Day of Defeat: Source and L4D(2) need them more than TF2? I mean CSS is so bugged you wouldn't believe it, DoD:S needs alot more achievements and L4D needs more campaigns.

No kidding. CS:S could really use some work.

True. It's so damn buggy and guess what, VALVe knows it but doesn't fix it. They just hope that people who makes plugins(like zblock) fixes it!

[Nisd]

Problem is that ppl actually do try and fix it.

What they should do it make a new CS
And keep making patches for it, instead of just leaving it half done.

[realchamp]

(01-08-2010, 12:15 AM)Nisd Wrote:  Problem is that ppl actually do try and fix it.

What they should do it make a new CS
And keep making patches for it, instead of just leaving it half done.

If there should be a new one, they should just port it to the OrangeBox Engine. Else just fix all bugs!

[loopyman]

(01-07-2010, 10:21 PM)realchamp Wrote:  Let me ask this... why is it that VALVe makes so damn many updates to Team Fortress 2 when Counter-Strike: Source, Day of Defeat: Source and L4D(2) need them more than TF2? I mean CSS is so bugged you wouldn't believe it, DoD:S needs alot more achievements and L4D needs more campaigns.

I have noticed that valve only cares about sales and their latest games...
TF2, and L4D2 are being worked on the most to please their new customers and all their latest sales because of them.

CS:S is old, and DoD:S isn't as popular as Tf2...

[realchamp]

(01-08-2010, 01:38 AM)loopyman Wrote:  

(01-07-2010, 10:21 PM)realchamp Wrote:  Let me ask this... why is it that VALVe makes so damn many updates to Team Fortress 2 when Counter-Strike: Source, Day of Defeat: Source and L4D(2) need them more than TF2? I mean CSS is so bugged you wouldn't believe it, DoD:S needs alot more achievements and L4D needs more campaigns.

I have noticed that valve only cares about sales and their latest games...
TF2, and L4D2 are being worked on the most to please their new customers and all their latest sales because of them.

CS:S is old, and DoD:S isn't as popular as Tf2...

Yes funny enough is CS:S old, but only due to the slack of updates. First of all, CS is what VAVLe grew up from.(aswell as hl1).

The second part is that, even though a game isn't populair as many others, it deserves to get updated and added new content. I like Day of Defeat: Source. I play it due to the achievements and I like the server I am on. It's unfortunately so easy to manipulate with a Source Engine server(probably OrangeBox too). Example would be to crash it with a single command!

[Mooga]

First off, Valve didn't make CS. It was a 3rd party mod they bought out.
Second, DoD:S does get minor fixes with the OrangeBox engine.
Third, the reason that CS:S wont be updated is because people don't WANT CS:S updated. The main change would be moving to OrangeBox. When DoD:S went up to orange box, TONS of people got pissed off... and it's not even that popular. People complained about the FPS drop and slowdown on older hardware. CS:S would die out if valve did anything... so they don't.

[loopyman]

(01-08-2010, 03:53 AM)Mooga Wrote:  First off, Valve didn't make CS. It was a 3rd party mod they bought out.
Second, DoD:S does get minor fixes with the OrangeBox engine.
Third, the reason that CS:S wont be updated is because people don't WANT CS:S updated. The main change would be moving to OrangeBox. When DoD:S went up to orange box, TONS of people got pissed off... and it's not even that popular. People complained about the FPS drop and slowdown on older hardware. CS:S would die out if valve did anything... so they don't.

Thats why they need to release a new CS, like they did with Goldsource to Source...

[Mooga]

Then people will get mad that they need to buy a new game and that it's different.
Valve is best not touching CS any more

[realchamp]

(01-08-2010, 07:14 AM)Mooga Wrote:  Then people will get mad that they need to buy a new game and that it's different.
Valve is best not touching CS any more

They are better of fixing all the bugs and then leave it alone, intill it's unremovable due to masive amounts of dust on top of it.

I know VALVe didn't directly make CS, but still it's their responsiblity as owner to continuely fix and improve the game under most cursicumstanses.

I won't get mad if I had to buy Counter-Strike: Source 2 rather I would be excited and purcase it as soon as possible. And hypothetically VALVe's current politics indicates that L4D3 will come next christmas.

[loopyman]

Meh, if they made a sequel I wouldn't be mad about buying it... That is if its significantly changed in graphics, and quality.

However, l4d to l4d2... No comment.