What if Team Fortress 2 Beta returns?

Mystic Monkey

L5: Dapper Member
Jan 24, 2011
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Awhile back I made this thread on Steam, I got some mixed results, I think some didn't quite understand where I was getting at.
Since my idea for Team Fortress 2 Beta concerns map makers and custom creators I would like to know your oppinion.

Team Fortress 2 Beta was a separate beta version of the game. Released on December 2, 2010 and removed on June 7th 2013. Was used for testing and tuning the game Team Fortress 2 such as it's weapons, maps and gameplay.

I was thinking, what if it returned but with various options and benefits to help those who want to make and test content and maps for Team Fortress 2? Since it will technically be mostly a tool than a game, could be for download in Steam TOOLS.

Think of it like GMod a bit but with Team Fortress 2 gamemode instead of Half-Life 2. Maps subscribed in the Team Fortress 2 Workshop can be downloaded and playtested just like GMods workshop, Hammed Editor will playtest your map on TF2B instead of TF2 and perhaps various errors and faults in map testing will have in-game icons and help to make recognising problems faster while you're playing.

For example if there is a leak and your sky is doing that horrid distortion effect, maybe TF2B will subsitute your broken sky for a 2D skybox (that isn't pink/black squares) that clarifies the fault and allows you to be able to navigate your map without distortion to root out more problems. Specific icons can appear around the map to point out the source of errors and can be interactible to tell you the cause of the faults, so that when you return to Hammer Editor you'll be able to fix the problem quicker.
If props, brushes or structures are gone, maybe a sort of note will appear in the area explaining why it's gone. If there is definately a leak or map breaking problem, the icon showing it can be highlighted and seen through the map to make locating it easier.

As for those making custom weapons or playtesting workshop weapons, they can have stock weapon defaults but options to edit there stats and effects or add particles without the need of third-party programs.

It's just a thought of mine since originally VALVe used Team Fortress 2 Beta to playtest things and figured if re-released for the community it would be a great tool to help in development of maps and items.
Or if mapping and content making just isn't your thing and just a Team Fortress 2 player, can still be used to playtest workshop maps and content which is useful to help more feedback on maps and items.

Sure there will be some who will perhaps have TF2B servers for fun, such as crazy gamemodes, silly servers or "all weapons base damage 9000+" modes and such. Some may just have fun with it than use it for community development.
 

MoonFox

L10: Glamorous Member
Mar 17, 2015
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Treat it like regular TF2 for design aspects, but convert it when your transferring, getting a thorough feel on the game you are mapping for is the only way to make a good map. Like how you wouldn't have a HL2 styled map for TF2 ctf.
 

Mystic Monkey

L5: Dapper Member
Jan 24, 2011
224
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Well yeah, if you're making a Half Life 2 like map, then you're better off testing it on Garry's Mod. GMod is usually used though for Half Life 2 and original maps though. But GMod isn't used as a tool.
I don't think a PhysGun and Tool Gun would be needed in TF2B given Hammer would still be used to edit and adjust the map, but I did consider, maybe "Hammer Vision" during map testing for making invisible brushes and triggers appear visable. This way hard to find leaks, even with a notice icon over them, can be seen more clearly. Or if the map is definately sealed but a leak is persistant, shows exactly where the problem is and why it's leaking. (I have this very problem with my current map. If I can't sort it, will ask for help.)

You can run TF2 Maps on GMod (I find useful for taking screencaps of my maps) but they would be just as broken as they would if you run them on TF2. If anything certain triggers won't respond and textures don't allign properly as they would in TF2. Plus GMod is still a game even if it's a sandbox program.

I'm just thinking a Team Fortress 2 Beta with developers menus and features to help with map and item development and if VALVe ever agreed to such an idea, put it under Tools than Games. Sure there will be those who will simply play with it, but TF2B can be a development tool for testing and fixing.

I think maybe Weapon and Cosmetic developers would find more use in a convert or transfering option, honestly I dunno what goes into making a weapon or cosmetic but I suspect 3D program followed by other third party programs and so on. It be nice if TF2B would make it easier for developers with less hassle and third party programs. Both for item, weapon and map makers.
 

MoonFox

L10: Glamorous Member
Mar 17, 2015
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I don't think that's what I meant, I meant was: get a feel on how the game plays out, and then build around it.
also, I have made maps for gmod, it does not work for hl2, as some hl2 textures do not spawn into gmod
 

Mystic Monkey

L5: Dapper Member
Jan 24, 2011
224
12
While I know GMod uses Source just as TF2 and HL2 does, I thought GMod was based after HL2 programming? Thus being a "mod".
I would like to make fun adventure maps for GMod someday, but for now would like to learn how to make maps for TF2. But I figured Garry's Mod coding is mostly based on Half Life 2 that it be impractical for it to be used for Team Fortress 2 testing.
Not to say GMod isn't entirely useless for TF2 map testing, just not ideal. It's useful for when you want to playtest a map from a neutral perspective outside of gamemode than one of the mercenaries, especially useful with noclip and taking needed screenshots. (Unless there are some TF2 map making tricks with GMod I am not aware of.) However I notice some textures are not align properly and some doors won't open for you. But other than that ideal to explore TF2 maps outside of gamemode.
 

MoonFox

L10: Glamorous Member
Mar 17, 2015
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sorry, hl2 ep2, I forget that the episodes don't work right.
 

Vel0city

func_fish
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Dec 6, 2014
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Use it to test TF2 on Source 2.
 

henke37

aa
Sep 23, 2011
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These features doesn't need a special version of the game. They can either always be enabled or be configured with cvars. That is, if the game is able to detect the problems at all. Many kinds of data corruption are impossible to automatically detect.