TF2 Update Released

[UnCivil_Engineer]

[-]January 6, 2010 - Team Fortress 2 Update Released

Updates to Team Fortress 2 have been released. The updates will be applied automatically when your Steam client is restarted. The major changes 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

[Echo136]

Prioritize healing of injured nearby friends more

Interesting. Medic bots might actually be more preferred to the real thing. :P

[DWSR]

The sad part is how true that is.

[Whoami]

This made me LoL & Facepalm:

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

[Fivestar]

What up chico. Those losers nuked the 2 classes that kept me playing this game, especially my dead ringer. Guess I'll fully step away from the game for a while now till I get an urge to play again one day.

[Vargus13]

Well the Spy change is ok, I mean it did address some obvious issues with the Dead Ringer. If a smart spy knew were ammo boxes were, he could techically stay alive for near forever. But the lesser sound is neat.

But they didn't even touch the obviously overpowered Targe. Jesus Valve, way to suck on an update.

[zellthemedic]

This made me LoL & Facepalm:

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

I feel the same way...lol.

[Mister_Hell]

Well the Spy change is ok, I mean it did address some obvious issues with the Dead Ringer. If a smart spy knew were ammo boxes were, he could techically stay alive for near forever. But the lesser sound is neat.

But they didn't even touch the obviously overpowered Targe. Jesus Valve, way to suck on an update.

Targe is NOT overpowered. There are many ways to kill demo with this thing. If you can't kill him with 1 direct rocket, this doesn't mean it's OP.

[UnCivil_Engineer]

Mr Hell has been hitting the sauce or something. I have seen a demo take 3 crit rockets (normal launcher) and still live. OP imo. Don't hold your breath waiting for a change..... The huntsman hitbox with the 93,000,000 mile wide hitbox has never been changed and we all know that is wrong..... VALVE /facepalm

[Waffles And Syrup]

What up chico. Those losers nuked the 2 classes that kept me playing this game, especially my dead ringer. Guess I'll fully step away from the game for a while now till I get an urge to play again one day.

Nooooo!!! I'm less than 2 weeks away from playing again, and now you mean to tell me I won't be able to rage about or play alongside billy? What have you done, Valve? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?!?!??111?

[Vargus13]

Mr Hell has been hitting the sauce or something. I have seen a demo take 3 crit rockets (normal launcher) and still live. OP imo. Don't hold your breath waiting for a change..... The huntsman hitbox with the 93,000,000 mile wide hitbox has never been changed and we all know that is wrong..... VALVE /facepalm

Haha, I was gonna say something about that sauce. :P

A demo with a Targe can act as a mini uber in quite a few cases, where trying to kill him with a mix of demo/soldier/pyro becomes a bit tough. I know I can switch to shotgun to take him out, but the fact that this item is the only item in game that forces players to use a different weapon is ridiculous. The 1 second delay it takes to take out my shotgun, the demo can already have 3 grenades at my face. It is overpowered, but who knows if we'll see a nerf.

[Mister_Hell]

Every weapon is overpowered for you if you can't deal with it (even Natascha, omg it makes you slow) Demo with shield has no chance against shotgums, good scouts etc. And I'm also not sure anyone can survive 3 direct crit rockets.

[Vargus13]

I've seen the crit rocket survival. And Hell, it's not that every weapon is OP. It isn't. Each class has their own weaponry and niche (kinda), and until this damned shield, no class has had to actively change weapons mid fight to kill an enemy. Me having to go 1 on 1 with a faster and still firing demo, while i have to switch over to a secondary is seriously breaking the game.

[zl7man]

Prioritize healing of injured nearby friends more

Interesting. Medic bots might actually be more preferred to the real thing. :P

that would be sad but must likely true, besides that bots are actually really good players better than most LOL

[Mister_Hell]

that would be sad but must likely true, besides that bots are actually really good players better than most LOL

Are they better than you?