A history of today's update - Games

...with a little rage on the side. I've been reading a lot of different threads on multiple aspects of the new update. I've compiled a "rage filled rant" over multiple people's ignorance and bigotry, and I can't pin it in on specific thread. So here's a new thread to contain it all. First things first: I was a "goody two shoes". I have even changed my name and avatar to suit. "Goody Two Bius", my Steam name. My avatar reads "I'm sorry (goody two shoes)". I mean to imply that I am sorry for idler's sudden losses, even though I myself have been labeled is "righteous". I did not use the idler. I have a Halo, and have it equipped. I wear it because it is my only hat. So why am I raging? Because of the ignorance and bigotry from both sides, and the unfair treatment of idlers from Valve, and thus, the community. I am especially outraged by the immediate split in the community and the fervor that both sides are taking against each other. It's hard to remain sane with all the insults and flaming and raging between both parties. And yet, I find myself sympathizing more with the idlers. Let's start with a little history. The Spy and Sniper update (aka "Spyper update") came out, along with the introduction of the random drop system. All new items (the new hats included) were only found through pure luck and chance. Within the next week, servers were cropping up all over the place. A small sanction where one could "play" TF2. achievement_idle was out only two days after the Spyper update. The idle servers were chock full of the first generation idlers, sitting around in a map, waiting for their items. Around one week after the update, Valve patched the game, allowing the new weapons to be obtained through achievements. The random drop system for both weapons and hats was kept. drunken_f00l soon created steamstats.exe, which is what became what we know as the idler. It told Steam you were playing TF2, and connected you to a legitimate server specifically for idling. Idle servers went down as the idler became more popular, with more people connecting to the idle servers provided with the idler. Moving into the Classless Update, we see the introduction of a staggering [i]eighteen brand spanking new hats[/i]. But without a rate change. You had the same chance of getting a hat, but three times the amount of hats to "choose" from. This effectively tripled the chances of getting a hat. This came to spawn [url]www.tf2items.com[/url], a service which would allow one to look at the backpacks of others. Valve silently released updates regarding the new item system, namely the variable weapons. Valve weapons were found in the hands of employees, each with drastically changed statistics. Community weapons came soon after (yesterday 09-01-09 mmddyy)- shiny new weapons given to the great people that have contributed greatly to the TF2 community. And today we find the latest update. Today's update. September 2nd. The purge came soon after many idlers noticed a drastic increase in the hat drop rate. A few new "items" called CheatDetectors were released, automatically added to one's backpack. They detected, in a currently unknown fashion, whether items were obtained through now "illegal" methods - the idler. If any such items were found, they were all deleted, much to the dismay of many idlers. A one-time message warned idlers of the deletion of their items, warning them to not do it again. However, if no such items were found, this item turned into the Cheater's Lament. A halo, or "faglo" as many call it now. The community has been separated, all by a single hat. This is where all my rage comes from. Let's start the majority of the rant with what [i]Valve[/i] did wrong. Here is the blog post as of 12:19AM GMT-8 on September 2nd 2009: [quote]Over the next few days we'll be removing all TF2 items that were earned using external idling applications. We're going to adopt a zero tolerance policy for external applications used to manipulate the persistent item system. Due to us not having a policy in place prior to today, this time we're only removing the items earned through cheating the system. Going forward, if we find users using external applications, we'll remove all of their items. If you're interested, only about 4.5% of the players in TF2's community will be affected by this cleansing process. Meanwhile, everyone who took the moral high road will soon be finding a new hat in their inventory. We've also significantly increased the chance of finding any of the existing hats. We realize there is a high level of demand for items, and we're still working on systems to allow you to find them in new ways (via Trading, and crafting duplicates into desired items). However, we need to draw the line at running external applications.[/quote] The first paragraph is Valve's first and biggest set of mistakes. They cannot be blamed for adopting a zero-tolerance policy against the idler. It could easily be considered an exploit and unfair. However, instead of any major warning, they immediately removed all player's weapons and hats achieved through the idler. Valve is known to care about it's community, so a warning would have been one of the best routes possible. However, despite this major fault, Valve has actually done something correct, from my understanding. A change in the EULA must be announced, and re-accepted by everyone. They have announced this, but there has been no sign that we are going to have to re-accept the new EULA to be able to continue using their products and services. If the sources I have are true, then I hope that Valve quickly sends out a notice of re-accepting the EULA, before someone stupidly files a lawsuit or the like. Another praise to Valve for explicitly warning players that a second offense will result in deletion of all items, achieved through idling or not. Thank you for the warning on behalf of the idlers, whether they're going to voice it themselves or not. The second, and probably worst mistake that Valve has made so far is thus: [quote]Meanwhile, everyone who took the [highlight]moral high road[/highlight] will soon be finding a new hat in their inventory. We've also significantly increased the chance of finding any of the existing hats.[/quote] As many have voiced, this is entirely unfair. While Valve might not realize this, or have intended for it to happen, this has created a major divide in the community. The "dirty, evil, cheating" idlers, and the "good, moral" non-idlers. And this can be quickly ascertained in game - through the Cheater's Lament. Already, you can see the non-idlers fighting the idlers tooth and nail over what has happened. Is it fair? Is it just? Was Valve in the right for doing this? And already it's rage inducing. Ignorant, uneducated, and more, many non-idlers are haggling on idlers for being those dirty, evil, cheating bastards with unfair advantages over those that do not idle. So we have two sides, both at each other's throats. The idlers are aggravated at the sudden loss of their items. The non-idlers are taunting the idlers with their halos. Both sides are flinging shit at each other. Valve is creating a double-standard. Ugh, while writing this up I calmed down... I forgot most of my arguments. They'll come back as the insanity continues, and then I shall post them. It all comes down to that everyone is blowing everything out or proportion, idler got what they deserved for various reason, but non-idlers are turning into flaming idiots relentlessly taunting and bashing the idlers for being "dirty cheating unfair bastards that didn't get enough". I hope this can serve some use as a history and discussion thread. One last word: Please get over yourselves. You're acting like children and dividing a great, helpful, fun community and turning it into shit-flinging, flaming, trolling, and hateful bashing. We all play the same game. We all have the same chances. Some people just took an opportunity that turned out for the worse. [b]Many, many thanks to Shugo for helping me with the history and just being a good guy.[/b]

Deal w/ it people, listen to him.

look, essentially. Idling and cheating will continue throughout TF2. The unfortunate truth is that yet another one of valves games has/going to hit the C:SS shitter. IMO

[QUOTE=jjsullivan;17099202]look, essentially. Idling and cheating will continue throughout TF2. The unfortunate truth is that yet another one of valves games has hit the C:SS shitter. IMO[/QUOTE] I wouldn't go as far as comparing TF2 to CS:S. TF2 still has solid, balanced gameplay for everyone and not just l33t proz in the l33t3st clans. It's the nerdy folk who get into all this items business who make a fuss (like me).

[QUOTE=jjsullivan;17099202]look, essentially. Idling and cheating will continue throughout TF2. The unfortunate truth is that yet another one of valves games has/going to hit the C:SS shitter. IMO[/QUOTE] The biggest thing is is that until today, I do believe idling was not considered a cheat. An exploit, maybe, but that's like a map exploit. It should be fixed in a calmer fashion, dealt with accordingly. I think Valve has blown this a bit out of proportion and has thus also inadvertently made the community blow it out of proportion. I feel this whole situation could have been handled better.

Great thread for all the people who are gonna wake up tomorrow and see tonight's carnage. Rated useful

[QUOTE=Shugo;17099232]I wouldn't go as far as comparing TF2 to CS:S. TF2 still has solid, balanced gameplay for everyone and not just l33t proz in the l33t3st clans. It's the nerdy folk who get into all this items business who make a fuss (like me).[/QUOTE] No, I mean it's just that there's almost no technique or tactics left in TF2, people get achievements through farming them, and use of the MOUSE1+W approach is used almost all the time. That's why I say this.

I agree with OP, I did idle and lost all my dupes from idling, I did however also lose half my legitimate items. I don't get however why non-idlers say that idlers have an advantage over them. An advantage in TF2 would be having an item stronger than another, in TF2 all the drops are either weapons which almost everyone already has or they're hats, hats don't give you an advantage, they're just purely decorative and I never got a hat while idling or otherwise, but I did lose half my weapons that I got by playing.

[QUOTE=jjsullivan;17099202]look, essentially. Idling and cheating will continue throughout TF2. The unfortunate truth is that yet another one of valves games has/going to hit the C:SS shitter. IMO[/QUOTE] Now now, I don't know about THAT, but things are looking bad right now. Hopefully everybody will forget about it next Class Update.

[QUOTE=jjsullivan;17099261]No, I mean it's just that there's almost no technique or tactics left in TF2, people get achievements through farming them, and use of the MOUSE1+W approach is used almost all the time. That's why I say this.[/QUOTE] Maybe in the majority of pub servers, but there are still cases where you can find people still using strategies and playing classes closer to how they're supposed to be. Hell, I'm really, really trying to learn to play my top classes. Scout mainly.

[QUOTE=biodude94566;17099274]Maybe in the majority of pub servers, but there are still cases where you can find people still using strategies and playing classes closer to how they're supposed to be. Hell, I'm really, really trying to learn to play my top classes. Scout mainly.[/QUOTE] I saw it at the i37 lan replays [b][highlight]FUCKING I37! A FUCKING PRO DID IT![/highlight][/b]

Great. I joined a server without a halo and got banned with the reason "Cheater". Then I played Empiresmod because TF2 has sucked for a while now.

[QUOTE=jjsullivan;17099288]I saw it at the i37 lan replays [b][highlight]FUCKING I37! A FUCKING PRO DID IT![/highlight][/b][/QUOTE] Say what?

[QUOTE=FHamster;17099309]Great. I joined a server without a halo and got banned with the reason "Cheater". Then I played Empiresmod because TF2 has sucked for a while now.[/QUOTE] Are you fucking serious? This is getting out of hand. On the other hand, the FPSB Rabid Wombat server now has a mandatory download (boots you if downloads are off) that changes all halos into the "FAG" sign. :v:

[QUOTE=biodude94566;17099315]Say what?[/QUOTE] Yeah, I saw a video circulating through YT of one of the replays of someone doing W+MOUSE1 with the pyro.

Oh yeah, that. :/

[QUOTE=Shugo;17099317]Are you fucking serious? This is getting out of hand. On the other hand, the FPSB Rabid Wombat server now has a mandatory download (boots you if downloads are off) that changes all halos into the "FAG" sign. :v:[/QUOTE] Amen to that!

[QUOTE=Shugo;17099317]Are you fucking serious? This is getting out of hand. On the other hand, the FPSB Rabid Wombat server now has a mandatory download (boots you if downloads are off) that changes all halos into the "FAG" sign. :v:[/QUOTE] That's not really all that funny to me. In fact, that sounds like it sucks. getting your first hat, only to have some butthurt idiots turn it into a "FAG" sign? :|

[QUOTE=Simplemac3;17099329]That's not really all that funny to me. In fact, that sounds like it sucks. getting your first hat, only to have some butthurt idiots turn it into a "FAG" sign? :|[/QUOTE] The other half of the situation isn't funny to me. Suddenly losing nearly every item I have plus two hats only to have some butthurt idiots ban me from their server? :|

[QUOTE=Simplemac3;17099329]That's not really all that funny to me. In fact, that sounds like it sucks. getting your first hat, only to have some butthurt idiots turn it into a "FAG" sign? :|[/QUOTE] It doesn't count as a hat unless you randomly get it from drops. says valve

[QUOTE=FHamster;17099309]Great. I joined a server without a halo and got banned with the reason "Cheater". Then I played Empiresmod because TF2 has sucked for a while now.[/QUOTE] Sounds like something that F7 clan leader would do. This is of course the same douche that decided he should gather any Steam IDs that connected to a fake achievement server he made, and then ban those IDs from all F7 servers across all games. After the Idler was released he decided he needed to acquire all Steam IDs who idled and then, again, ban them across the board. Seems Valve has now done his work for him.

The only problem is that not everyone that has a halo probably has it equipped. I could easily go into a server with my halo unequipped and be banned. The most accurate way to get that info right now would be to use tf2items.com And according to Shugo (damn you keep popping up to help me), Valve is working with drunken_f00l to better the system or something like that.

[QUOTE=Shugo;17099339]The other half of the situation isn't funny to me. Suddenly losing nearly every item I have plus two hats only to have some butthurt idiots ban me from their server? :|[/QUOTE] I've stated in one of the various other topics that "Both Sides are going too far. Anti-Idlers are provoking the idlers, and that Auto-Ban? That's going too far. But the Idlers are simply complaining too much, and starting to actually "Fight Back" Against the Anti-Idlers, by using reskins, and other restrictions related to the "Faglo"." (NOTE: I didn't say exactly that. I pretty much said that "Both Sides are Going too far" And that's the only thing that remained the same.)

i want the soldiers full set, possiblyby a WORTHY unlocking system, valve fucks this up however and we am punished

I idled for one day with steamstats, and realized who gives a shit. I got flagged and lost two dupes. I think it's fucking retarded that valve's taking your legit items, I didn't lose any though. Even if i got the halo I wouldn't use it because idlers may have exploited the system but I don't think anyone wants to sit around and play until you get tons of hats.

Who gives a shit about any of this

[QUOTE=stepat201;17099413]Who gives a shit about any of this[/QUOTE] Apparently, quite a few people.

[QUOTE=biodude94566;17099170]Valve is known to care about it's community, so a warning would have been one of the best routes possible. [/QUOTE] [url=http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/2013/gabe.png]Deal with it.[/url] Also, the Steam EULA never changed. The idler has always been against the rules. It wasn't a question of if Valve would do something about it, it was a question of when. The only people you have to blame here are the people who cheated using a program that emulated steam functions, and the people who propagated the idea that it was okay to idle. It never was. Drunken F00l, the maker of the Idler didn't even know if it was "alright" to be using it. It might have helped if he read the EULA before he released it, or even got to work on it.

[QUOTE=1/4 Life;17099435][url=http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/2013/gabe.png]Deal with it.[/url] The only people you have to blame here are the people who cheated, using a program that emulated steam functions, and the people who propagated the idea that it was okay to idle. It never was.[/QUOTE] Completely and undeniably the quote of the year, however those who choose to ban one another due to merely not having a halo is completely out of line as well.Forgiveness is the first step towards the moral high road, but in the end I always ask myself ..... [b]WWJD?[/b]

I don't mind losing anything, was trivial shit anyway. The point that should be made is that none of this had to happen. Valve released retarded updates to TF2 and now they're trying to make a bad idea work. To be honest it's easy to be put off TF2 due to all the updates because they were made to be stupid, all this level shit, unlocks, etc. Why not just give people everything and treat them as a regular thing in the game. Valve should have known changing what was a regular, simple online game you could just play carefree into some item/achievement banging mess was stupid.