Team Fortress 2 Message Board older than one year ago

An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:

• Added support for VR mode on OSX
  
• Fixed a bad material on the HDMI Patch
  
• Fixed a server crash on changelevel when the Replay system has been initialized but is not currently running
  
• Fixed the Soldier's grenades being hidden when equipping the Full Metal Drill Hat and the Soldier's Sparkplug
  
• Removed replay.cfg from depot and added replay_example.cfg to avoid clobbering users replay.cfg
  

So I bought a dedicated server for a personal event, and now I have just under a month of time left on it so I thought I'd post the link here in case any of you wanted to play. It's currently running TF2 and that will most likely be its default state, but I can switch it to Mann vs Machine, CounterStrike, CounterStrike: Source, Day of Defeat, Condition Zero and a few Source Mods for a bit if need be.

If you have any maps that you want added to the server, post the link in the comments and I'll see about getting them uploaded.

There are nearly as many Team Fortress 2 hats as there are snarky jokes about Team Fortress 2 hats. I see more hats in a day of browsing the Valvier parts of the Internet than I do in a year of going outside. But let’s face it: ours is a hatted man’s world, and so long as there are heads to be ogled and summarily shot, people will clamor for more carnivals of craftsmanship to cover them. You can probably see where I’m going with this. There’s a new Team Fortress 2 update, and it’s entirely player-created. Also, it’s mostly hats. These, however, are robot hats, and – as the wisest of all Benders taught us – that makes them exponentially more interesting. There’s also a video, comic, and all sorts of other post-update revelry. The break is not a robot, but it will do is best to emulate the experience.

(more…)

The first community-created updated for Team Fortress 2 has rolled out: 'Robotic Boogaloo.' Continuing the robot theme of previous Team Fortress 2 updates, Robotic Boogaloo adds 57 new artisanal hats, helmets, bonnets, turbans, crowns, toppers and other headgear - all created by the community.

Robotic Boogaloo isn't all hats but, naturally, it's mostly hats. Each new Team Fortress 2 item can be found within RoboCrates - rare drops after June 3 - that can be opened with a key from the Mann Co. store, each costing $2.50. The revenue from these items will then be shared amongst all creators responsible for Robotic Boogaloo content.

Check out the Robotic Boogaloo update on Team Fortress 2—it just launched, and it includes 57 new items. These items were all made by the community, which is awesome. The Team Fortress blog writes: This update is 100% created by the TF2 community. And when we say everything, we mean everything—the in-game content, the update hub website, the animated short, the comic, even the splash images in the Steam store. Even better, everything you created avoided the classic trap of using other companies’ intellectual property. (Those of you working on a Darth Vader Pyro mask, we've got some bad news for you.) Plus, in a first for the Team Fortress economy, all the creators of the Robotic Boogaloo Update have decided to share the revenue earned from the sale of RoboCrate Keys. That means that everyone involved will be profiting from this update, not just the people making hats. You can check out the newest comic here. A list of the artists and contributors can be found here. And in case you're wondering, this doesn't mark the end of Valve updates on Team Fortress.

When we first launched the Workshop back in 2011, we had no idea what the TF2 community was capable of. As the hats, beards, boots and hairdos started rolling in, we realized there was a huge well of creativity out there. But we didn’t appreciate just how deep those waters ran until the community-made updates started appearing. Now we've finally gotten to the point where we're able to shine a well-deserved spotlight on your efforts, starting with the Robotic Boogaloo Update, which includes 57 new items—the most community items we've ever shipped at once. Currently the items are only available in RoboCrates, which will become rare drops after June 3rd.
This update is 100% created by the TF2 community. And when we say everything, we mean everything—the in-game content, the update hub website, the animated short, the comic, even the splash images in the Steam store. Even better, everything you created avoided the classic trap of using other companies’ intellectual property. (Those of you working on a Darth Vader Pyro mask, we've got some bad news for you.) Plus, in a first for the Team Fortress economy, all the creators of the Robotic Boogaloo Update have decided to share the revenue earned from the sale of RoboCrate Keys. That means that everyone involved will be profiting from this update, not just the people making hats.
This doesn't mark the end of Valve-produced TF2 updates, by the way. As far as we’re concerned, there's plenty of room for both to happily co-exist. We're in uncharted territory here, and it's exciting to be exploring it with you. Amazing work, everyone!

An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:

• Added a missing material for the UGC medals
• Added server convars related to investigating server network and CPU utilization:
  • sv_netspike
  • sv_netspike_sendtime_ms
  • sv_netspike_output

Notes missed from yesterday's update:

• Added player avatars to the votekick menu
• Added -insert_search_path command line argument
• Fixed deflected Cow Mangler 5000 projectiles doing full critical damage instead of minicrit damage like other deflected projectiles

An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:

• Added a missing material for the UGC medals
  
• Added server convars related to investigating server network and CPU utilization:
  • sv_netspike
    
  • sv_netspike_sendtime_ms
    
  • sv_netspike_output

Notes missed from yesterday's update:

• Added player avatars to the votekick menu
  
• Added -insert_search_path command line argument
  
• Fixed deflected Cow Mangler 5000 projectiles doing full critical damage instead of minicrit damage like other deflected projectiles
  

An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:

• Added UGC Highlander Season 9 and UGC 6vs6 Season 11 medals
• Fixed the Botkiller Sniper Rifle, Rocket Launcher and Spy Knife weapons using incorrect team materials for the arms
• Fixed a bug that allowed level 3 mini-sentries in Mann Vs. Machine mode
• Fixed a problem where underwater explosions would cause graphics corruption
• Fixed an issue with HDR rendering where auto-exposure would vary incorrectly in some areas
• Fixed an issue where objects underwater would not render properly
• Fixed incorrect ellipsizing of text in some cases for the Mac version
• Updated the Phlogistinator to reduce the rate for gaining MMMPH when attacking tanks and robots in Mann Vs. Machine mode
• Updated the Tuxxy tuxedo so it can be crafted
• Updated The Wilson Weave and The Ham Shank so they can be crafted, traded and gift-wrapped
• Updated the console so it can be accessed from the terminal that was used to run the game for the Linux and Mac versions
• Updated the Linux version
  • Fixed triggers never registering as "released" on certain game controllers
  • Fixed clipboard issues on some window managers, most notably KDE
  • Fixed a bug where the map list would be reversed
  • Made loading custom fonts for third party HUDs work on certain fonts

An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:

• Added UGC Highlander Season 9 and UGC 6vs6 Season 11 medals
  
• Fixed the Botkiller Sniper Rifle, Rocket Launcher and Spy Knife weapons using incorrect team materials for the arms
  
• Fixed a bug that allowed level 3 mini-sentries in Mann Vs. Machine mode
  
• Fixed a problem where underwater explosions would cause graphics corruption
  
• Fixed an issue with HDR rendering where auto-exposure would vary incorrectly in some areas
  
• Fixed an issue where objects underwater would not render properly
  
• Fixed incorrect ellipsizing of text in some cases for the Mac version
  
• Updated the Phlogistinator to reduce the rate for gaining MMMPH when attacking tanks and robots in Mann Vs. Machine mode
  
• Updated the Tuxxy tuxedo so it can be crafted
  
• Updated The Wilson Weave and The Ham Shank so they can be crafted, traded and gift-wrapped
  
• Updated the console so it can be accessed from the terminal that was used to run the game for the Linux and Mac versions
  
• Updated the Linux version
  • Fixed triggers never registering as "released" on certain game controllers
    
  • Fixed clipboard issues on some window managers, most notably KDE
    
  • Fixed a bug where the map list would be reversed
    
  • Made loading custom fonts for third party HUDs work on certain fonts

You can now buy a Balloonicorn Plushie straight from Valve's official Team Fortress 2 store. The cute pink union of a balloon and a unicorn is 14.5 inches from horntip to tail and comes with a code for a genuine Balloonicorn in-game item, for $24.99.

The Balloonicorn serves as the "Municipal Ombudsman" of Pyroland, which is the cute and creepy world as seen through the Pyro's eyes. Like the best things in life, it's adorable yet horrifying.

Stop us if you've seen this one before. YouTuber MisterMulluc took the song from "Hell is Other Robots," the ninth episode ever of Futurama, and gave it a Source Filmmaker twist. Mr. MisterMulluc has some serious skills, even one week after the video was posted.

There's good news and bad news. The good news is that the next time you launch Team Fortress 2, you'll automatically start upgrading to "Steampipe," a new content delivery system which "improves the way content is downloaded, updated and stored" according to Valve. It means faster downloads, quicker boot times and map loads, and better installation and management of mods. The bad news is that Valve predicts the download will take a while—even if you have a fast hard drive. "It might look like it's hung. But it's not. Don't interrupt it, just please be patient and let it think," Valve wrote in a recent blog post. According to the SteamPipe FAQ, if you have custom game files—like those for custom HUDs, hitsounds, skins and such—will need to move files to a different folder: Previously, each user had a folder that contained several game files. For example, [steam installation directory]/steamapps/[username]/team fortress 2/. When the game is converted to SteamPipe, the installation directory is shared between users. The directory will probably be something like [steam installation directory]/steamapps/common/Team Fortress 2/. NOTE: In this article, we will use folder names particular to Team Fortress 2 in the examples. The same principles apply to all of the games being converted, so just replace "tf" with "dod", "cstrike", or "hl2mp" You can read more technical details over at the FAQ.

Hey, folks. The next time you launch TF2, Steam is going to perform a one-time conversion process to upgrade to SteamPipe, a new content delivery system that improves the way content is downloaded, updated and stored. (If you've already upgraded, don't worry, it's done.)
The conversion process will only happen once, and then things are gonna get a lot better. But be patient: The conversion probably will take some time. Even on a machine with a fast hard drive, it could take up to 20-30 minutes, during which time it might look like it's hung. But it's not. Don't interrupt it, just please be patient and let it think.
We're sorry to any of you who are getting subjected to a longer-than-expected conversion time. But ultimately, the benefits will be worth a little inconvenience. You'll get faster uninterrupted downloads, quicker boot times and map loads, and easier distribution, installation and management of mods. Read the FAQ for more info, and thanks again for your patience.

In memory of Futurama, which last week was killed off for a second time, here's a Team Fortress 2 video that recreates the show's classic Robot Hell song & dance routine. I like to think that, in developing and releasing the Source Filmmaker tools, Valve had this exact thing in mind. GentleBot Hell [SFM] [YouTube, thanks Dystopiq!]

An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:

• Added "Only allow map files" to the possible selections in the download filter option for clients
• Fixed a client crash related to the material system
• Fixed Diamond/Carbonado Botkiller weapons using incorrect team materials for the arms
• Fixed a vphysics regression where some items would travel farther than they should
• Improved performance and stability for the Linux version
• Removed range restrictions from viewmodel_fov_demo
• Updated the Ap-Sap so it can be gift-wrapped and have custom names/descriptions applied to it

An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:

• Added "Only allow map files" to the possible selections in the download filter option for clients
  
• Fixed a client crash related to the material system
  
• Fixed Diamond/Carbonado Botkiller weapons using incorrect team materials for the arms
  
• Fixed a vphysics regression where some items would travel farther than they should
  
• Improved performance and stability for the Linux version
  
• Removed range restrictions from viewmodel_fov_demo
  
• Updated the Ap-Sap so it can be gift-wrapped and have custom names/descriptions applied to it
  

I am increasingly anxious about of the pointlessness of videos of virtual reality. Nevertheless, you can sort of imagine what’s going on in this Oculus Rift plus Virtuix Omni (a multi-direction treadmill platform for moving about in VR) as a chap plays Team Fortress 2, below.

I am not sure if it would make me feel a bit giddy.(more…)

In order to demonstrate the functionality of its "Omni" prototype treadmill, which the company calls a "natural motion interface for virtual reality applications," technology start-up Virtuix has released the above video of the contraption being used in conjunction with an Oculus Rift and Team Fortress 2.

The setup essentially works like this: The Oculus Rift handles head tracking and display duties, while a Kinect tracks how the player walks/runs on the the Omni, and then converts that input into in-game commands. The Kinect is an in-development solution, however, and Virtuix says the Omni will include its own sensor when/if it ships to consumers.

The company plans to launch a Kickstarter campaign in May, with final production units costing somewhere between $400 and $600, sans shipping. A second example video, this time showing a better look at a prototype of the device while in use, has been tucked away beyond the veil.

An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:

• Added a new ConVar cl_first_person_uses_world_model to allow this mode to be used outside of VR mode
• Disabled plug-ins that would allow users to connect to secure game servers even when -insecure is specified on the command line
  • Continued use of such plug-ins will risk your Steam account getting VAC banned
• Added support for unloading the displayed URL when the user closes the info panel
  • Added ConVar sv_motd_unload_on_dismissal to allow server ops to control the default behavior of their MOTD
• Fixed a client crash related to doing a changelevel while firing the Minigun
• Fixed a bug where you could come out of a teleporter facing the wrong way in VR mode
• Fixed a bug with custom fonts not loading for third party HUDs on Linux.
• Improved performance and stability for the Linux version

An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:

• Added a new ConVar cl_first_person_uses_world_model to allow this mode to be used outside of VR mode
  
• Disabled plug-ins that would allow users to connect to secure game servers even when -insecure is specified on the command line
  • Continued use of such plug-ins will risk your Steam account getting VAC banned
• Added support for unloading the displayed URL when the user closes the info panel
  • Added ConVar sv_motd_unload_on_dismissal to allow server ops to control the default behavior of their MOTD
• Fixed a client crash related to doing a changelevel while firing the Minigun
  
• Fixed a bug where you could come out of a teleporter facing the wrong way in VR mode
  
• Fixed a bug with custom fonts not loading for third party HUDs on Linux.
  
• Improved performance and stability for the Linux version
  

ETF2L have opened the gates to sign up for their 15th 6v6 Season! New players are encouraged to visit their new player guide for some pointers on navigating the world of competitive play. As an added bonus, there's a trailer available to help promote the new season.

Double Fine's heavy metal adventure RTS, Brütal Legend, made its way to Steam earlier this year, and those who pre-ordered it were able to grab a few special items for use in Team Fortress 2. Those pieces are no longer exclusive: You can now purchase the Brütal Bouffant headgear (sideburns and mullets included) and the Shred Alert taunt from Double Fine's Steam Workshop stall.

Only the pre-order bonuses are of "Genuine" quality, however, so those who participated during the promotional period still have a way to distinguish themselves in Double Fine fandom.

The team at Tested got a chance play around with Team Fortress 2 using the upcoming Oculus Rift headset, and they recorded half an hour of gameplay for us to virtually enjoy. Not "virtually" as in we'll "almost" enjoy it, but "virtually" as in "virtual reality"-based enjoyment. Just watch the video.

Kickstarter backers should receive their Oculus Rift dev kits by mid-April, with pre-orders hitting a little later in the month. For those expecting a kit, check out Valve's list of handy tricks for setting up VR in TF2.

An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:

• Prevent game servers from opening the MOTD panel more than once if the player connected through matchmaking or quickplay
• Added new promo items
• Fixed a bug where dispensers sapped by a Red-Tape Recorder would continue to heal players
• Fixed buildings destroyed by the Red-Tape Recorder not always displaying a death notice
• Fixed a bug in Mann Vs. Machine related to carrying buildings and using the "Upgrade Buildings" canteen
• Fixed the guitar sound not always playing when taunting with the Neon Annihilator
• Fixed missing cloak effect for the Wanga Prick
• Fixed the Bat Outta Hell using the Red team arms skin while on the Blue team
• Fixed custom cursors in VR mode
• Fixed Hydra input in VR mode
• Improved performance of Linux dedicated server binaries

An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:

• Prevent game servers from opening the MOTD panel more than once if the player connected through matchmaking or quickplay
  
• Added new promo items
  
• Fixed a bug where dispensers sapped by a Red-Tape Recorder would continue to heal players
  
• Fixed buildings destroyed by the Red-Tape Recorder not always displaying a death notice
  
• Fixed a bug in Mann Vs. Machine related to carrying buildings and using the "Upgrade Buildings" canteen
  
• Fixed the guitar sound not always playing when taunting with the Neon Annihilator
  
• Fixed missing cloak effect for the Wanga Prick
  
• Fixed the Bat Outta Hell using the Red team arms skin while on the Blue team
  
• Fixed custom cursors in VR mode
  
• Fixed Hydra input in VR mode
  
• Improved performance of Linux dedicated server binaries
  

We don't normally post TF2 cosplay on the blog, for two reasons: 1) We'd quickly turn into a TF2 cosplay site; and 2) Our hearts are shriveled little prunes of hate. But this amazing group of Team Fortress 2 cosplayers at Sakura-Con managed to win even us (and our prune-hearts) over. Any TF2 cosplayer group that can check off Jarate, Ol' Snaggletooth, Pyroland, Scout's Mom, Pink as Hell Paint, The Huntsman, The Eyelander, Merasmus, The Bombinomicon and even Lieutenant Bites has obviously been doing their homework. Awesome work, guys. More pictures here.

You may have heard that Reddit bought Team Fortress 2 today. We can officially confirm that this is in fact the case. So if any Reddit staffers are reading this: Hi, boss! We're working pretty hard over here. Well, back to work.
Okay, the Reddit guys've probably stopped reading by now, so we can be square with you: Reddit only thinks it bought us, because that's what we told them when we met them over the weekend to sign all the legal documents. What they don't know is that when a bird flew into a window during the signing and everybody on the TF2 team got scared and some of us started crying, that was a little something we in the business world call a distraction.
The "bird" that "flew" into the window? Not a bird at all. It was a squirrel launched from a t-shirt cannon by one of our guys across the street. The part where we got "scared"? Daniel Day Lewis-level method acting by the TF2 team. The part where some of us started "crying"? That was because the sound of the squirrel hitting the glass was a lot louder than we thought it would be and was legitimately scary. So technically real, but still under the umbrella of our overall deception.
Once the Reddit guys were thoroughly distracted, we took advantage of them awkwardly trying to avoid eye contact with us and switched the legal documents for new documents. Documents that said we actually secretly bought them. Business.
In celebration of our Reddit purchase, we're going to add some new Reddit-themed items to the game. There's also plenty of neat stuff we're working on and would love to tease. But realistically, because today is the International Day of Foolishness, anything we told you guys would just be met with suspicion. And when have we ever trolled our community? Never, that's when. Okay, maybe that one time.

This Saturday the French community will gather once again at the Futuroscope, in Poitiers, for the 2013 edition of the Gamers Assembly.

Will the team Punchline finally be able to overcome Webone, which appears to be their nemesis, or will a new champion rise?

12 teams… there can be only one winner. The rest will cry some more!

Click here for more info.

An update to Team Fortress 2 has been released. The update will be applied automatically when you restart Team Fortress 2. The major changes include:

• Fixed a bug that caused invisible players in the world
• Fixed Engineer bots in Mann Vs. Machine building disposable sentries that upgrade into tiny, red, level 3 sentries
• Added the Ready Steady Pan tournament medal for Season 2
• Fixed the Festive Axtinguisher, The Disciplinary Action, The Wanga Prick, and The Wrap Assassin sometimes floating in the world after death
• Removed the promotion restrictions from Croft's Crest, The Fortune Hunter, and The Tomb Wrapper
• Updated Mvm_Bigrock to fix a hole in the terrain
• Community requests:
  • Added new inputs for the tf_logic_koth entity: SetRedTimer, SetBlueTimer, AddRedTimer, AddBlueTimer
  • Added a "team" field to the teamplay_flag_event game event to identify which flag the event is for