Aug 19, 2010

Team Fortress 2

Aug 17, 2010

Portal

Gate Online, a South Korean online game Kotaku previously introduced, appears to take its cues from two Valve titles: Portal and Team Fortress 2.

Team Fortress 2 is a well-spring of sorts. Last summer, the game inspired another South Korean developed PC title, H.A.V.E. Online.

The influences for Gate Online are not as blatant as for H.A.V.E. Online, and the game's developers do seem like they are trying to incorporate those influences and push them forward in a somewhat engaging way.

Thanks Joshua for the tip!

Aug 17, 2010

Counter-Strike: Source, Team Fortress 2 and Day of Defeat: Source Updates Released

Counter-Strike: Source - Valve

Updates to Counter-Strike: Source, Team Fortress 2 and Day of Defeat: Source have been released. The updates will be applied automatically when your Steam client is restarted. The major changes include:

Source Engine Changes (CS:S, DoD:S, TF2)

The mat_hdr_level, r_rootlod, and r_waterforceexpensive settings are now saved in the user’s config file.
Fixed clients being able to connect to servers with spoofed SteamIDs.
Fixed a bug where some video configurations could get reset by restarting the engine.
Fixed materials compiled into a map not being loaded correctly if they're in the root materials folder.
Fixed a case of uneven performance on multicore machines.
Fixed point contents not respecting detail brushes. This fixes a bullet penetration bug in some community maps.
Fixed clients being able to spam servers using the ai_set_move_height_epsilon, mission_show, and sv_querycache_stats commands.
Audio fixes:
- Reduced overlap in the sound timing code.
- Fixed a case where audio could skip.
- Fixed voice communication getting corrupted while playing on a Mac.
sv_pure 2 now protects the game_sounds files in the scripts directory.

Counter-Strike Source

Fixed prediction errors that were causing greater weapon inaccuracy (bullet spread) on client than server.
Made the bomb the primary target of a +USE command. This fixes a problem with objects placed around the bombsite interrupting defuse attempts.
Fixed the ‘skating’ behavior that could occur when a bomb planting attempt was aborted. Also fixes the resulting out of sync hit boxes.
Fixed bug in which a player who crouched rapidly and repeatedly was seen as stationery by other players.
Fixed problem in which the sound of a reload that was occurring when a player was killed persisted into spectator mode, making it sound like a reload was taking place near the spectated player.
Gave chat interface priority over scoreboard to reduce conflict between the two.
Increased size of HUD icons.
Fixed bug with env_hudhint that caused problems when its value was greater than 255 characters.
Made the message of the day screen dismissible by hitting ENTER.
Fixed servers not being able to set sv_hudhint_sound.
Gun sounds now match up with the framerate dependent sound timing, and fixed the framerate dependent jittering bugs.
Stats:
- Fixed an issue that could cause loss of player stats if network connectivity was lost briefly, just after launching the game.
- Fixed an issue that caused the favorite weapon to display incorrectly on the stats summary page when a player achieves the most kills with a knife or grenade.
- Made newly-earned achievements and stats immediately update in the achievements and stats panels instead of showing stale data.
- Improved the font on the achievement toast.
Community Requests:
- Added cvar sv_enablebunnyhopping, defaulted to 0. ( A value of 1 autotags the server with "bunnyhop" )
- De_dust and De_dust2 updated.
  - Fixed several exploits.
  - Fixed collisions on crenellation and domes.
  - Fixed minor visual glitches.
  - Adjusted HDR settings.
  - Removed dust clouds.
Added console variable cl_hudhint_sound.

Team Fortress 2

Added server ConVar "sv_max_usercmd_future_ticks" which prevents clients from running usercmds too far in the future.
Added missing Mac intro movie for cp_coldfront.
Fixed "Hit '%disguiseteam%' to Toggle Team" string and code so they're not hard coded to 'e' and '-'.
Fixed servers trying to validate backpack positions in inventories.
Fixed clients validating inventories other than their own.
Fixed item selection HUD elements showing un-acknowledged items, which resulted in items in invalid backpack positions.
Fixed players not always getting "recent damager" credit for player suicides.
Fixed the weapon selection menu not displaying properly when using hud_fastswitch and lastinv at the same time.
Updated Engineer startup music.
Updated localization files.
Updated Pl_ThunderMountain
- Clipped off sticky outcrops for smoother movement
- Clipped various exploit ledges
- Increased environment ambient exterior light level
- Stage 1
  - Fixed hole in respawn room brushes in RED spawn
  - Shifted respawn times to favor BLU by two seconds
- Stage 3
  - Clipped rocks off by BLU's spawn exit that leads to building B (allowed Snipers to snipe the entire area)
  - Removed embedded displacement (building B interior roof)
  - Removed rogue clip brush from building A balcony
Updated Plr_Hightower
- Fixed players building in the RED spawn room.
- Fixed players building on the back window decks of the barns.
- Fixed players getting on the satellite dish platform.
- Fixed players building on the elevators.
- Reduced the ammo packs in the barns down to small ammo packs.
- Increased the hill speed modifier to 1.2 (up from .95)
- Fixed explosion particle effects playing in the skybox.
- Mine cart "window" collision fixed.
- Upped Scout-loop health to large.
Updated Pl_Upward
- Fixed respawnroom entities not reaching the floor of split-level spawns
- Fixed griefable fence facing BLU spawn near RED base
- Added BLU high flanking route at RED base
- Added health & ammo along BLU flanking route at RED base
- Sealed BLU base left exit with block bullets brushes
- Extended clip between C and BLU spawn to prevent sticky jump spawn camping
- Fixed non-clipped non-solid railing in RED base
- Fixed kill brush in middle spawn not extending to the ceiling
- Put a block bullets brush on grate below middle spawn
- Fixed some high micro-ledges accessible to sticky-jumpers
Community Request
- Added "item_pickup" game event for ammo/health packs.

Aug 17, 2010

Portal, Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode One and Half-Life 2: Episode Two Updates Released

Half-Life 2 - Valve

Updates to Portal, Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode One and Half-Life 2: Episode Two have been released. The updates will be applied automatically when your Steam client is restarted. The major changes include:

Fixed door getting stuck as metro-cop behind it opened it in d1_trainstation_01

Aug 15, 2010

Zoey Goes Ninja While The Engineer Does The Robot

Team Fortress 2

Using sparse backgrounds, 3DS Max and the power of C&C Music Factory, Lionhead animator James Benson has for the last month been taking some of Valve's best characters and breathing a little extra life into them.

In the clip above, Left 4 Dead's Zoey breaks free from the confines of a first-person perspective and figures out a way to bring down a Tank without wasting bullets, while in the clip below, Team Fortress 2's Engineer figures out a way to go left to right (groove) and work you all night, before finally letting the music take control.

Those two are just to get you started; to see the rest (the dance clips are part of a bigger project), head to Benson's YouTube page.

Aug 14, 2010

Team Fortress 2 Video: Meet The F-Bomber [Update]

Team Fortress 2

You thought Xbox Live was bad? "ChoZo" would like an F-word with you. Here's 10 minutes of hilarious rage that makes the Mel Gibson phone calls sound like Bob Ross on The Joy of Painting. Warning: Very strong, loud language.

The video, spied by eagle-eyed (and iron-eared) Kotaku reader Zaglis, helpfully features an F-word count - and given how long that is and how profligately he tosses around "fuck," the total is just mind-blowing. It is also jampacked with Kodak moments. So if you're thinking it doesn't get any better than "So what are you tryin' to say," and the violin at the one-minute mark, hang in there and keep going.

[Update] Reader Combat Cube says his friend, Tone-Pot, was the Medic providing most of the healing while ChoZo was fucking people the fuck up with his rape fucking banner. Two more videos from that player's perspective are beneath the poll.

Jesus Christ, ChoZo should go on a man-date with the Bitch Ass Ho Ass Bitch Ho Eat That Bitch Ho Ho Eat That Ass Bitch Guy from last week.

Seriously, are you still watching? Just how many times is this guy gonna say "fuck"? Keep in mind, the film "Scarface" used the word 207 times - over 170 minutes.

And here are Tone-Pot's videos, for 200 percent more fuck:

Team Fortress 2 Video: Meet The F-Bomber [Update]

Aug 11, 2010

Team Fortress 2 Goes 19th Century

Team Fortress 2

The talented kids at video game art forum Polycount are again working their magic on Valve's Team Fortress 2, giving us a glimpse at what Red v Blue would have looked like in the age of steamships and cowboys.

Taking Valve's own recent Engineer comic as inspiration, they're modelling a range of the game's characters so they look toothier, hairier and altogether more likely to end a round with limbs needing to be sawn off by a man wearing spectacles.

There are no plans to release these as playable skins for the game (owing to the need for a great deal of work to get the models working), but when things look this good, you can always hope somebody will find a way, especially since it's got Valve's thumbs-up.

[Polycount, thanks Zac!] [Sprite art by ShwigityShwonShwei @ deviantART]

Aug 11, 2010

Team Fortress 2 Updates Soldier On With New Modes, New Weapons Next Month*

Team Fortress 2

Now that every Team Fortress 2 class has received his (or her) class-specific update, where does developer Valve go from here? Onward and upward, with at least one new substantial update, due soon(ish).

PC Gamer writes that Valve is planning an update to the venerable class-based shooter within the next month—*Valve Time notwithstanding. That new version will reportedly add "item trading, a brand new game mode, and around twenty new weapons and hats."

Yeah, item trading. Time to unload some of those Tough Guy's Toques and Backbiter's Billycocks taking up space in your TF2 inventory for highly coveted white earbuds (or whatever). The new weapons and hats come from the community, the winners of that Polycount competition that bore delicious, deadly fruit in the form of weapons like the Scout's Holy Mackerel and the Pyro's Degreaser.

Fancy hats like the Sniper's Ol' Snaggletooth and the Spy's Fez will make this one of the most fashionable updates yet!

Valve's Robin Walker promises more to come for Team Fortress 2, so watch your Steam feed.

Next TF2 update adds trading, new game mode [PC Gamer]

Aug 10, 2010

Sorry to pop in unannounced

Team Fortress 2 - SZ

The fine folks over at ETF2L have launched their <a href="http://etf2l.org/highlander/">Highlander Community Challenge</a>, and we're excited to be a part of it. We'll be giving out in-game medals to everyone who participates, so if you've got some friends who should stop wasting their gaming time and get to the work earning virtual goods (for you), now's the time.

<a href="http://etf2l.org/highlander/"><img src="http://www.teamfortress.com/images/posts/highlander.png" width="420" height="229" border="0"></a>

Ubercharged.net has put up their most recent <a href="http://www.ubercharged.net/2010/08/09/how-its-done-larolaro/">Interview with a Community Item Creator</a>, Larolaro. We love reading these, because it's often the case that we get the best feedback when the community talks to itself, instead of when it's talking to us.We ask for feedback on our tools all the time, and everyone's much too nice to tell us directly that they're like a "beautiful ornate chair with a spike carved into the seat". Also, Hackett mentioned to us that he's trying to get in contact with other Community Item creators, so if you've made something that we've shipped, and want to create more colorful analogies for describing our toolset, then contact him on the <a href="http://www.ubercharged.net/forum/index.php?topic=5028.0">UC forums</a>.

Aug 10, 2010

Sorry to pop in unannounced

Team Fortress 2 - SZ

The fine folks over at ETF2L have launched their Highlander Community Challenge, and we're excited to be a part of it. We'll be giving out in-game medals to everyone who participates, so if you've got some friends who should stop wasting their gaming time and get to the work earning virtual goods (for you), now's the time.

Ubercharged.net has put up their most recent Interview with a Community Item Creator, Larolaro. We love reading these, because it's often the case that we get the best feedback when the community talks to itself, instead of when it's talking to us.We ask for feedback on our tools all the time, and everyone's much too nice to tell us directly that they're like a "beautiful ornate chair with a spike carved into the seat". Also, Hackett mentioned to us that he's trying to get in contact with other Community Item creators, so if you've made something that we've shipped, and want to create more colorful analogies for describing our toolset, then contact him on the UC forums.