B4nny visits Valve, tweets about upcoming update

sooshey

:3c
aa
Jan 7, 2015
514
410
As simple as Valve checking reports and manually banning players
Eh, not really. I'm sure there are way more reports than staff that can feasibly check them. I think what the VAC system needs is just definition updates because too many cheaters still get past the system. Although they can use reports to help identify these cheats.
 

Vel0city

func_fish
aa
Dec 6, 2014
1,947
1,589
I want to see actual statistics of this - what % of TF2 players regularly play Mann Up mode? How much money does it make compared to everything else?
Well, ever since the botkiller weapons hit the Steam market the player rates have come down. Instead of totally relying on luck on what weapon you'll get you can now get the botkiller weapon of your choice for a few bucks. You'll still have people playing it because it's fun and all, but most people play it for the rewards. When the rewards become easy to pick from a market place you'll have less people playing the game.

But hey, at least you actually get weapons which at least are of strange quality. It is (among the things I said earlier) why I skipped both Gun Mettle and Tough Break. I'm not replacing my strange weapons for a totally random non-strange one worth absolutely nothing that oh by the way is also really not good-looking (which is putting it mildly).
 

Toomai

L3: Member
Apr 14, 2011
129
144
As a casual player I continuously dread any major balance changes that are supposed to benefit competitive play. The Half-Zatoichi was fun decision-wise because it could never be put away. Floating around with the BASE Jumper while on fire was a riot. The "get 3 kills in one jump with the Air Strike" achivement suddenly became significantly more frustrating. The Powerjack was fun because it healed you a lot on kill, but now it's purely a speed weapon with nothing to replace the old functionality. The Axtinguisher, Phlogistinator, Ullapool Caber, Tide Turner, and Claidheamh Mòr are absolute trash now, and while probably overpowered to start with at least did their stated jobs successfully. I main Engineer explicitly because he plays slow and solid, and Gun Mettle brought in a ton of "make Engineer weaker and faster" changes.

I realize that I'm in neither of the two target audiences of "new players" and "competitive players". But still, it would be nice if balance changes were limited to minor number tweaks rather than "let's change everything because we can".
 

sooshey

:3c
aa
Jan 7, 2015
514
410
As a casual player I continuously dread any major balance changes that are supposed to benefit competitive play. The Half-Zatoichi was fun decision-wise because it could never be put away. Floating around with the BASE Jumper while on fire was a riot. The "get 3 kills in one jump with the Air Strike" achivement suddenly became significantly more frustrating. The Powerjack was fun because it healed you a lot on kill, but now it's purely a speed weapon with nothing to replace the old functionality. The Axtinguisher, Phlogistinator, Ullapool Caber, Tide Turner, and Claidheamh Mòr are absolute trash now, and while probably overpowered to start with at least did their stated jobs successfully. I main Engineer explicitly because he plays slow and solid, and Gun Mettle brought in a ton of "make Engineer weaker and faster" changes.

I realize that I'm in neither of the two target audiences of "new players" and "competitive players". But still, it would be nice if balance changes were limited to minor number tweaks rather than "let's change everything because we can".
Yeah, some things were not broken but were adjusted anyway. I think it's because competitive players whine and complain about a strategy or weapon being OP and it gets nerfed accordingly, instead of them coming up with actual counter-strategies to these weapons. For example, now that airblast-extinguishing teammates heals you as a pyro, then enemy pyros' afterburn turns from an inconvenience into free health kits. All to encourage newbie pub players to put people out.
 

Woozlez

L3: Member
Jul 28, 2010
129
287
Some solutions include:

1. Unique ticket exclusive to the new tours. - Only two ticket items to worry about, not too much of a hassle, and occurs at point of sale.
2. Another contract pass, no messing with ticket sales - This was the confirmed method they put in the game code back in December, that we still haven't seen any changes from.

For reference here are the MVM code excerpts that still exist in the game:

Code said:
enum EMvMChallengeDifficulty
{
MVM_D_NORMAL = 1,
MVM_D_INTERMEDIATE = 2,
MVM_D_ADVANCED = 3,
MVM_D_EXPERT = 4,
MVM_D_HAUNTED = 5,

MVM_D_INVALID = -1,
};


EMvMChallengeDifficulty GetMvMChallengeDifficultyByInternalName(const char *name)
{
if (V_stricmp(name, "normal") == 0) return MVM_D_NORMAL;
if (V_stricmp(name, "intermediate") == 0) return MVM_D_INTERMEDIATE;
if (V_stricmp(name, "advanced") == 0) return MVM_D_ADVANCED;
if (V_stricmp(name, "expert") == 0) return MVM_D_EXPERT;
if (V_stricmp(name, "nightmare") == 0) return MVM_D_NIGHTMARE;

return MVM_D_INVALID;
}

EMvMChallengeDifficulty GetMvMChallengeDifficultyLocName(EMvMChallengeDifficulty difficulty)
{
switch (difficulty) {

default:
case MVM_D_NORMAL:
return "#TF_MvM_Normal";
// tf_english.txt: "Normal"

case MVM_D_INTERMEDIATE:
return "#TF_MvM_Intermediate";
// tf_english.txt: "Intermediate"

case MVM_D_ADVANCED:
return "#TF_MvM_Advanced";
// tf_english.txt: "Advanced"

case MVM_D_EXPERT:
return "#TF_MvM_Expert";
// tf_english.txt: "Expert"

case MVM_D_HAUNTED:
return "#TF_MvM_Haunted";
// tf_english.txt: "Nightmare"
}
}


static const char *const s_pszMvMBadgeContractLevelAttributes[] = {
nullptr,
"mvm contract level intermediate",
"mvm contract level advanced",
"mvm contract level expert",
nullptr,
};

const char *CTFItemSchema::GetMvMBadgeContractLevelAttributeName(EMvMChallengeDifficulty difficulty)
{
if (difficulty == MVM_D_INVALID) {
return nullptr;
}

return s_pszMvMBadgeContractLevelAttributes[difficulty - 1];
}


static const char *const s_pszMvMBadgeContractPointsAttributes[] = {
nullptr,
"mvm contract points intermediate",
"mvm contract points advanced",
"mvm contract points expert",
nullptr,
};

const char *CTFItemSchema::GetMvMBadgeContractPointsAttributeName(EMvMChallengeDifficulty difficulty)
{
if (difficulty == MVM_D_INVALID) {
return nullptr;
}

return s_pszMvMBadgeContractPointsAttributes[difficulty - 1];
}
 

Zed

Certified Most Crunk™
aa
Aug 7, 2014
1,241
1,025
I'd prefer to see more map-specific contracts released in greater numbers and more frequently than class or weapon specific contracts.

Please no. Map contract bonuses are infinitely more frustrating to complete than the vast majority of the class specific or weapon contracts.

All I really want to be changed for the next campaign is for crates to be removed from the contract rewards pool. They show up in random drops, ffs. It's literally a waste of my time to get a case for completing a contract, and regular non-case collection skins are worth more than most of the unboxed ones as a result, because they're so much rarer to find.
 

theatreTECHIE

Yet another Techie for the net...
aa
Jun 19, 2015
447
458
What could be good is a set of contracts that can only be completed on the campaign rotation of maps, i.e. win a round on one of the campaign maps, score 10 or more points in a life on one of the campaign maps, etc.

One type of contract that could be interesting is if you challenged a friend to a "score the most points" or "get the most kills" contract, and the winner got the weapon/cosmetic. Sort of like a duel, but with other objectives and actual rewards for each challenge.

Also each time you rank up your campaign coin, it could give you an item of corresponding quality. It doesn't have to be the highest quality for leveling up your coin all the way, but a high enough quality to make it more worth buying the coin and completing the contracts.

Just my two cents anyway.
 

nickybakes

You should've played Rumbleverse
aa
Jul 28, 2015
911
1,739
One type of contract that could be interesting is if you challenged a friend to a "score the most points" or "get the most kills" contract, and the winner got the weapon/cosmetic. Sort of like a duel, but with other objectives and actual rewards for each challenge.
But wut if you don't have any friends :(.

Also each time you rank up your campaign coin, it could give you an item of corresponding quality. It doesn't have to be the highest quality for leveling up your coin all the way, but a high enough quality to make it more worth buying the coin and completing the contracts.
I'd love to see this also, as it gives more incentive to do the bonuses of the contracts. Right now the bonuses are just a waist of time. They don't affect what drop you earn from the contract, am they don't do anything but make your coin (or whatever object) look a better color.
 
Dec 28, 2014
330
307
One little thing I would like to see Valve change is make it so the needle gun has 160 reserve ammo instead of 150. I always found it stupid you basically have 3 3/4 reserve clips of ammo as medic instead of a full 4 reserve clips.
 

Yrr

An Actual Deer
aa
Sep 20, 2015
1,308
2,743
what if map stamps could be used to create map specific contracts for higher chances of good loot :eek:
 

Joshenkstone

L5: Dapper Member
Oct 24, 2015
208
184
what if map stamps could be used to create map specific contracts for higher chances of good loot :eek:
Now that reminds me of those duck upgrade coin thingy's from eotl. :/
 

Lain

lobotomy success story
aa
Jan 8, 2015
724
757
As a casual player I continuously dread any major balance changes that are supposed to benefit competitive play. The Half-Zatoichi was fun decision-wise because it could never be put away. Floating around with the BASE Jumper while on fire was a riot. The "get 3 kills in one jump with the Air Strike" achivement suddenly became significantly more frustrating. The Powerjack was fun because it healed you a lot on kill, but now it's purely a speed weapon with nothing to replace the old functionality. The Axtinguisher, Phlogistinator, Ullapool Caber, Tide Turner, and Claidheamh Mòr are absolute trash now, and while probably overpowered to start with at least did their stated jobs successfully. I main Engineer explicitly because he plays slow and solid, and Gun Mettle brought in a ton of "make Engineer weaker and faster" changes.

I realize that I'm in neither of the two target audiences of "new players" and "competitive players". But still, it would be nice if balance changes were limited to minor number tweaks rather than "let's change everything because we can".

So you basically like playing with OP / Dumb weapons and don't care about balance. Got it.