TF2 General Chat and Speculation Station: Whiteboard Blues - Games

So do you guys think the pyro update will be as big as 3-4 damn major updates like the latest ones we've had before? I don't think so, personally.

Someone made a video of highlights of Tyler's mental breakdown on his stream the other day: [video=youtube;poWy-XUO5BM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poWy-XUO5BM[/video]

You wanna know whats better than 1 hacking heavy on a "vac-protected" server? 2 hacking heavies on a "vac-protected" server! Get your fucking shit together, valve, this is a joke.

So...Any hopes on the update actually coming out this month?

[QUOTE=lateguy;52758344]So...Any hopes on the update actually coming out this month?[/QUOTE] Pointless to be asking that; People stopped hoping long ago. If you look outside of Facepunch, a lot of people are putting their hopes into next week due to the anniversary, including me. There are other factors such as the TF Team delaying a medal update for seemingly no reason whatsoever or the "Pre-announcement Halloween" blogpost coming soon, but who cares about that.

A comprehensive list of why Casual mode is a complete failure and spits on the grave of classic TF2: - No autobalance feature exists, so you have to wait for matchmaking to put in replacement players which sometimes never happens and the server slowly dies. Meanwhile the objective is still being fought over, giving the team with the most players a significant advantage and causing a snowball effect. - The "balance" feature that does exist is completely voluntary, but rarely effective and rarely used. Most players don't want to switch to the other team by choice unless it's to stack the teams or play against their friends, and the compensation EXP is completely meaningless. - Even if you wanted to change teams, you can't unless that dialog box happens to randomly appear for you. The other team can be down 5 players, but you can't do anything about it until the game arbitrarily decides to let you. - You can't spectate the other team or spectate your own buildings anymore. - Matches last 3 rounds at best (KOTH, 5CP), 2 rounds (Payload, A/D), or 1 round at worst (CTF). This is in contrast to CS:GO casual where matches can last up to [b]fifteen rounds[/b] before a map change; sadly such is not the case here. To give even more perspective, Quickplay lasted 45 minutes per map or more if you extended the timelimit through a vote. - Short matches lead to (you guessed it) loading screen hell. There are loading screens to find a server, loading screens to join a server, loading screens after every match and even loading screens to [b]play the same map that's already loaded[/b]. Reloading the same map constantly is completely inexcusable, and should only happen after 10 or so matches to prevent server bugs. - Map voting is not gamemode restricted, pulling players into stupid modes they may have never signed up for like Mannpower. Usually a mass exodus of players happens shortly after and the server dies, especially if it's one of the "Alternative" modes (which have no players since it's unchecked by default). If you're playing a defusal map in CS:GO, it doesn't offer choices of hostage maps at the end. [b]Players should disconnect and pick a different mode, not impose mob rule on everyone to play wacky powerups.[/b] - There is no reason [b]not[/b] to disconnect if your team is losing. The complete lack of team scrambling basically means if you're losing you're most likely gonna keep losing, and you're gonna get even more loading screens if it's a steamroll. Teams stay the same even after a map change, so you might as well requeue until you find something mildly enjoyable. EXP is worthless and you get to preserve your K:DR, so why not? Most players acquainted with Casual mode already do this, leading to heavily lopsided teams after a loss (see problem #1). Want to vote for a scramble? Too bad, that's removed. - Rank balancing/skill matching is completely fucked or non-existent. A full team of purples and blues vs. a full team of silvers and a couple reds is considered "balanced" in this system. Just guessing, but the GC probably assigns each team a skill number based on the average rank of all players on that team, which is deeply flawed for TF2. If you're red rank, the game basically expects you to always carry or have a party of friends. You actually get punished for having more EXP and/or solo-queuing. - Can't join friends' games unless you set up an inconvenient "party" system beforehand. If your friend is in a match already, tough luck. Also thanks to map voting, parties get destroyed so easily now. There's no way to tell if someone left during the map change and you usually need to remake the party whenever you want to play something else. - Speaking of parties/lobbies, there is no group lobby or nearby lobby system like CS:GO has. No voice chat either, just a tiny chat box. No convenient way to check out people's profiles or inventories, assign colors, share invite links, etc. Basically, parties suck and have never been improved since the release of MvM in 2012. They especially don't work with this auto-rematch system Casual has. - No way to reliably pick Casual servers I want. Instead, I have no choice but to be force fed into the matchmaking meat grinder that takes way longer than it should. Seriously, if you just gave me a list of Casual servers I could find a better server than your algorithm ever could in a fraction of the time. Quickplay was so much quicker (get it) than Casual in this regard. I'm level 150 in Casual and I have EXP in the hundreds of thousands (around 700,000), so don't say I haven't given this a chance. I've played this game for over 6 years and Casual is objectively worse than what we had. Whatever argument you have for Casual possibly being good pales in comparison to its multitude of extreme flaws. Remember when people said this would be good for community servers and that the Quickplay people were just whiny babies? Yeah, look how that turned out.

I do agree with many of your points, but I don't want the most straightforward solution first there has to be a much better lobby system, integrated in all areas of the game, if you're in a party, that party doesn't end and you can't play anything other than what the lobby leader does until you leave the party yourself for the millionth time, BRING BACK STOPWATCH if a match is a roll, it will end fast, once it does, scramble the team while preserving lobbies, allow lobbies to spread across teams if they want to if a server has less than 12 players, kick them back into the queue it may work with those changes without the need for scrambling or autobalance in the middle of a game, it was a shit feature that worked, no one liked it and it's possible to balance matches without bringing that hell back

I've got a dream that when the darkness is over we'll be lyin' in the rays of the sun. But it's only a dream, and tonight is for real, you never know what it means, but you know how it feels. It's gonna be over before you know it's begun.

Had a dream last night that Pyro Update came out but It was taking hours to download. Then I woke up :(

I wish they could just get rid of the fucking casual part of match making altogether or at least fix some of the problems listed above.

[QUOTE=Nebrassy;52758593]I do agree with many of your points, but I don't want the most straightforward solution first there has to be a much better lobby system, integrated in all areas of the game, if you're in a party, that party doesn't end and you can't play anything other than what the lobby leader does until you leave the party yourself for the millionth time, BRING BACK STOPWATCH if a match is a roll, it will end fast, once it does, scramble the team while preserving lobbies, allow lobbies to spread across teams if they want to if a server has less than 12 players, kick them back into the queue it may work with those changes without the need for scrambling or autobalance in the middle of a game, it was a shit feature that worked, no one liked it and it's possible to balance matches without bringing that hell back[/QUOTE] Stopwatch was so good, it made the casual more "competitive" and actually made people want to win. It gave people a sense of urgency to play the objective, this allowed teams to comp up with small strategies to push or defend. I mean can we atleast have an option in the casual screen, or a vote to enable stopwatch?

[QUOTE=Fluury;52758463]Pointless to be asking that; People stopped hoping long ago. If you look outside of Facepunch, a lot of people are putting their hopes into next week due to the anniversary, including me. There are other factors such as the TF Team delaying a medal update for seemingly no reason whatsoever or the "Pre-announcement Halloween" blogpost coming soon, but who cares about that.[/QUOTE] Yeah i'm one of those who have lost hope. It's just that i wanted to see if there even are hopeful people left. Still think they don't care about anniversary.

This update has taken a toll on me. In the last year, I've: -Graduated a grade and moved into the next -Started that grade -Made this account -played and beat the entire Half-Life series -Gone through multiple musical phases (Punk, Rock, i'm at Weezer now) -dreamed of the update -Moderated a server -Stopped moderating said server for the time being because 0 incentive to play TF2 -Learned how to and created my own scripts -Entered and exited multiple relationships -Played and beat Portal/Portal 2/Portal:Still Alive (Thanks, VNN & CO) -Picked up Guitar -began to collect Records This sucks. I feel like I've wasted so much time waiting, but i don't want to give up on it just yet. I'm in a Zenomite-esque situation: I want to give up the game, but I'm too emotionally attached to it. Valve, please, PLEASE release the update.

We are trying to collect material to convince the mods that people are interested in a TF2 Facepunch Community Server. [URL="https://goo.gl/forms/qKskRGAntd2LINWQ2"]Please fill out this form![/URL]

Almost agree, just a few nitpicks: The game doesn't actually put the maps to vote randomly; it takes a look at the maps chosen by people and puts the ones the most people in the server have checked before queuing. I don't want Quickplay infinite rounds back; I always felt the lack of winning, and sometimes when I played TF2 it felt pointless for me to do the objective. However, this would be the best compromise: CS:GO's 15 rounds for most maps, no XP when quitting.

Everyone has really different and conflicting opinions about Casual. For example, I don't want spectate mode and ability to join other teams back. I would be okay with stopwatch mode though. What I'd really love to have in current Casual system is more maps. Bring back ctf_sawmill pls, thnx.

[QUOTE=qubestf2;52758619]Had a dream last night that Pyro Update came out but It was taking hours to download. Then I woke up :([/QUOTE] If you are starting to dream of a virtual update... Than that’s not usually normal.

the 820 healing is supposed to be from the sandvich right?Also do the mittens count as backstabs because i ended up one with most backstabs being 8 as a heavy for some reason.

i really hope they bring back stopwatch and revamp the community server list. Stopwatch on casual would serve its purpose, and then community servers would have a more unique offer to help fill them up better. I think overall community servers need a purpose that casual quick play doesnt offer in order to see a revive.

It's been said that you wake up from dreams because your brain can't figure out what comes next.

[QUOTE=Classical.;52758914]If you are starting to dream of a virtual update... Than that’s not usually normal.[/QUOTE] I don't see what's so not normal about dreaming about video games, especially the one I've spent 4000 hours of my life to.

[QUOTE=hahagoni_r;52759023]I hope that when the update eventually releases they will not only have revamped the way ranks are distributed, but actually measure the player statistics better. Remember that screenshot of one Pyro 'last hitting' where he got plenty of kills but only about 300 damage? I've noticed unusual statistics on my end too, the most outstanding being this... [t]https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/856103450388058212/614927F37CF13D17213AEA6E604B513150101731/[/t] ...from about a month ago when I was messing around with the KGB Without legit stats you can't exactly measure player perfomance all that well.[/QUOTE] The damage stat usually resets when a new round begins. As far as I know it's the only stat that works this way, and it likely isn't intended to.

[QUOTE=Snowshoe;52758568] - Rank balancing/skill matching is completely fucked or non-existent. A full team of purples and blues vs. a full team of silvers and a couple reds is considered "balanced" in this system. Just guessing, but the GC probably assigns each team a skill number based on the average rank of all players on that team, which is deeply flawed for TF2. If you're red rank, the game basically expects you to always carry or have a party of friends. You actually get punished for having more EXP and/or solo-queuing. [/QUOTE] [T]https://puu.sh/xT8Mg/27b497ff6c.png[/T] Nearing 2 million xp, but I've been feeling the "put him on a team full of newer players" before Winter of 2016. It hasn't been [I]too[/I] bad as of late... It was roughly every game about 4 months or so ago that I'd get a horrible match up. The ease up on horrible matches may have something to do with the ol'regulars leaving TF2, or leaving Casual.

for years every october debuted with a blogpost about the upcoming halloween. imagine being 450 days late without a clue about anything AND having no halloween post

[QUOTE=Hell-met;52759333]for years every october debuted with a blogpost about the upcoming halloween. imagine being 450 days late without a clue about anything AND having no halloween post[/QUOTE] i want to die

And people said that nobody plays mannpower. [video=youtube;STOFB8oJcHU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STOFB8oJcHU[/video]

[QUOTE=Hell-met;52759333]for years every october debuted with a blogpost about the upcoming halloween. imagine being 450 days late without a clue about anything AND having no halloween post[/QUOTE] The last Halloween Blog Post made its appearance on the 11th October - we have the 8th. Chances are we'll see it next week

[QUOTE=Hell-met;52759333]for years every october debuted with a blogpost about the upcoming halloween. imagine being 450 days late without a clue about anything AND having no halloween post[/QUOTE] This has been a year of firsts.

[QUOTE=grif;52759299]The ease up on horrible matches may have something to do with the ol'regulars leaving TF2, or leaving Casual.[/QUOTE] school started

[QUOTE=RetroMike;52759450]This has been a year of firsts.[/QUOTE] It could be worse. Eventually there will be a year that is "the first year since TF2 died."