Team Fortress 2


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. RoboCrates 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!


Team Fortress 2 - Valve
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:


Source Engine Changes
  • Fixed server CPU spikes caused by compression of string tables and packets.
  • Added sv_netspike, sv_netspike_sendtime_ms, and sv_netspike_output convars for investigating server performance
  • net_compresspackets_minsize default value increased to 1024. This convar now also determines the threshold to determine when a "fragment" (logical game network message, before being broken up into network packets) is compressed.
  • Added vprof_vtrace and vprof_report_oninterval convars, and tweaked vprof_dump_spikes and vprof_dump_oninterval to reduce output

Team Fortress 2
  • Added the Robotic Boogaloo community update: http://www.teamfortress.com/roboticboogaloo/
  • Fixed a chat exploit that would cause other clients to timeout from dedicated servers
  • Updated the Mann Co. Store
    • Added RoboCrate Keys
    • Added A Random RoboKey Gift
    • Added Pile of RoboKey Gifts
    • Backpack Expanders on sale at 80% off
  • Updated the localization files
Team Fortress 2
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:
Source Engine Changes
  • Fixed server CPU spikes caused by compression of string tables and packets.
  • Added sv_netspike, sv_netspike_sendtime_ms, and sv_netspike_output convars for investigating server performance
  • net_compresspackets_minsize default value increased to 1024. This convar now also determines the threshold to determine when a "fragment" (logical game network message, before being broken up into network packets) is compressed.
  • Added vprof_vtrace and vprof_report_oninterval convars, and tweaked vprof_dump_spikes and vprof_dump_oninterval to reduce output
Team Fortress 2
  • Added the Robotic Boogaloo community update: http://www.teamfortress.com/roboticboogaloo/
  • Fixed a chat exploit that would cause other clients to timeout from dedicated servers
  • Updated the Mann Co. Store
    • Added RoboCrate Keys
    • Added A Random RoboKey Gift
    • Added Pile of RoboKey Gifts
    • Backpack Expanders on sale at 80% off
  • Updated the localization files
Half-Life 2
steam trading cards


If you don't have beta participation turned on in your Steam settings, go do that so you can start collecting trading cards, earning XP, and leveling up. Yup, Steam just got gamified.

The games participating in the Trading Cards beta are Don't Starve, Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Team Fortress 2, Portal 2, and Half-Life 2, and "up to half the card set" for each can be earned by playing them. The other half of each set is "earned through your collecting prowess," which presumably means trading with Steam users who got different drops.

Once you collect a complete set, you'll be able to craft a game badge which will appear on your profile and unlock "marketable items like emoticons, profile backgrounds, and coupons." Badges can be leveled up by collecting the required trading cards again, and all badges—including any you already have—now give you XP which contributes to your "Steam Level." Leveling up has its own benefits, awarding you "non-tradable items like profile showcases, extra friends list slots, and more."

Now that playing games on Steam is a game, are you bothered that someone out there is already beating you? If so, the PC Gamer Steam group may be a good place to start looking for trades.
Half-Life 2
steam trading cards


Join the Steam Trading Cards group on Steam to score a beta invite so you can start collecting trading cards, earning XP, and leveling up—yup, Steam just got gamified.

The games participating in the Trading Cards beta are Don't Starve, Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Team Fortress 2, Portal 2, and Half-Life 2, and up to half of the new virtual trading cards for each can be earned by playing them. The other half of each set is earned "through your collecting prowess," which presumably means trading with Steam users who got different drops.

Once you collect a complete set, you'll be able to craft a game badge which will appear on your profile and unlock "marketable items like emoticons, profile backgrounds, and coupons." Badges can be leveled up by collecting the required trading cards again, and all badges—including any you already have—now give you XP which contributes to your "Steam Level." Leveling up has its own benefits, awarding you "non-tradable items like profile showcases, extra friends list slots, and more."

Now that playing games on Steam is a game, are you bothered that someone out there is already beating you? If so, the PC Gamer Steam group may be a good place to start looking for trades.
Team Fortress 2 - Valve
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
Team Fortress 2
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
Team Fortress 2 - Valve
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
Team Fortress 2
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
Portal
rsz_tf2_medic


There may come a day when preparing for the next chapter of a Left 4 Dead game will include wiping down your sweaty palms and taking a deep, deep breath. If you don’t, the zombies will get faster.

In remarks during the 2013 NeuroGaming Conference and Expo (via VentureBeat), Valve’s in-house experimental psychologist—Wait, hold on. Did you know that Valve employs an experimental psychologist? I wonder if he has lunch sometimes with the economist.

Anyway, Valve’s in-house mad scientist, Mike Ambinder, discussed experiments where players’ overall nervousness and agitation were measured, in part by recording sweatiness. If players began to show signs of nervousness or fear, the game would speed up. This new control scheme—mouse, keyboard, sweat-measuring skin pads—added another way for the player to interact with the game. Shoot zombie, reload pistols, keep calm. Signal for rescue, throw molotov, keep calm.

Ambinder also described other experiments in game design and biofeedback—which Valve has been talking about for a few years—including a version of Portal 2 that was played via eye tracking. Exploring the next generation of possible gaming inputs shows once again that Valve continues to operate, and plan, on a whole different level.

So good for you, Mike Ambinder. Just stay away from the mega-baboon hearts and everything will work out just fine.
...