B4nny visits Valve, tweets about upcoming update

[CommodoreKong]

B4nny visited Valve today and has made a few tweets about a big upcoming update (probably the summer update):

Can't share everything, but expect tons of rebalances and an update that is much bigger than just the competitive mode release.

Step by step TF2 will start looking more like the modern competitive title we all know it deserves to be


The casual and community aspects of TF2 are also heavily emphasized in the next big update. Everyone wins!


It sounds like the next big update is going to be pretty great.

 

[YM]

inb4 people saying Valve are panicking because of Overwatch

 

[dryerlint]

It's happening bois

 

[nickybakes]

That's a pretty good job.

 

[Lain]

inb4 people denying Valve are panicking because of Overwatch

 

[CommodoreKong]

inb4 people saying Valve are panicking because of Overwatch

inb4 people denying Valve are panicking because of Overwatch

I don't think it's as simple as Valve panicking or not panicking about Overwatch, but I do honestly believe Overwatch was one of the things that kicked the TF2 team in the ass and got them to realize they couldn't keep taking TF2 for granted anymore (along with the End of the Line/Snowplow fiasco and the general negativity in the community about how Valve was handling TF2 at the time). It's also possible we have a very different TF2 team right now then in 2013 and 2014.

Honestly right now it feels like the TF2 team cares about the game as much as they did during the first few years of major updates, and they are communicating with the community way more now then then they have before. Ever since Gun Mettle I've been extremely optimistic about the future of TF2 in a way I hadn't honestly felt for a very long time before that and it really does seem like Valve continues to make the right moves. I hope they keep it up.

 

[Lain]

I don't think it's as simple as Valve panicking or not panicking about Overwatch, but I do honestly believe Overwatch was one of the things that kicked the TF2 team in the ass and got them to realize they couldn't keep taking TF2 for granted anymore (along with the End of the Line/Snowplow fiasco and the general negativity in the community about how Valve was handling TF2 at the time). It's also possible we have a very different TF2 team right now then in 2013 and 2014.

Honestly right now it feels like the TF2 team cares about the game as much as they did during the first few years of major updates, and they are communicating with the community way more now then then they have before. Ever since Gun Mettle I've been extremely optimistic about the future of TF2 in a way I hadn't honestly felt for a very long time before that and it really does seem like Valve continues to make the right moves. I hope they keep it up.

While yes it is a storm of things, a large part was the competition coming from other games. People are sick of Tf2's shit, people have been complaining about the same problems for ages and they are only now being fixed. They are listening and improving the game, but only after all this shit had to happen.
Thinking that it has nothing to do with Overwatch is delusional. Many people in this community don't even like TF2, they just like mapping for it. That says something about the game. I don't know what right now, but it does.

 

[Habeebit]

pls be asteroid

 

[Vel0city]

No contracts.
Please no contracts.

Also, weapon balance changes need to happen more than twice a year. More like twice a month.

 

[Cartfridge]

To be honest, these tweets are so vague they don't actually hold any value. (At least imo.)

 

[Freyja]

pls contracts
it's the only decent way to monetize maps valve has come up with in years

 

[Habeebit]

I actually really like contracts, but I'd prefer if you could choose which ones you want instead of being assigned random class ones

 

[theatreTECHIE]

No contracts.
Please no contracts.

Also, weapon balance changes need to happen more than twice a year. More like twice a month.

Twice a month might be a bit much. I think max once every two months, preferably 3.
Otherwise weapon balances may not have enough time to be properly tested out, and imagine the rage from the comp community if every 2-3 weeks weapon stats are changed.

 

[Vel0city]

As a moneymaking way, sure. But the actual contracts themselves? Oh man. If I could count the amount of times people just ran off to their death because their contract wanted them to get taunt kills with the Huntsman or force them get x amount of Market Gardener kills only to have them die to Sentry Guns every time I would have to be a math wizard. I'm not.

The contracts so far have mostly discouraged people from playing as a team and have people not focus on control points/payloads/flags. If you call them out for that they'll say something along the lines of "screw you I need this contract". Usually with the little *dead* icon in front of their names in chat. The weapon skins are equally not worth it. The chance of getting anything worth more than $0.03 is basically less than 1, at most 2 percent.

 

[Muddy]

If map stamps did more than just give players one shitty all-class hat I think more people would buy them

 

[nickybakes]

I'm okay with having more contracts, but they just need to be better. During TB, I got a "crusader crossbow" contract, at which I had to stand on a cliff in viaduct shooting low health teammates from far away. I was the most useless person, and I came out as a worse player, but I needed to do that to get the contract done. I think the contracts need to be thought out more.

Also, if I'm paying 6 dollars for the pass to get contracts and earn skins, I'd like to actually get skins, and more than one skin, that isn't crap. I counted after I did my last contract, and half of what I got from the contracts were cases (13 cases to be exact), and if I already gave valve money, why should I have to pay more to get what I deserve from the contracts. Cases are fine, but they need to be dropped a lot less. Also out of the 13 skins I did get from the contracts, I got 2 sets of like 3 duplicates, and they were all super low quality, gentleman brown skins; which look like guns with poop stains on them.

I love paying money to help support this community, but at the same time, I don't have infinite dollars to hand out, and if I'm purchasing a pass to get these skins/contracts, I'd like to get what I paid for. I barely liked TB because of all of this, and they want to do more contracts, I'd like if they improved upon them.

 

[Joshenkstone]

But the big question is... WHEN?! #^$^@¥;$

 

[Cartfridge]

I personally prefer the way it's done in CS:GO.
At the end of each round you're given XP based on your performance in the match, and after you level up (for the first time that week) you gain one of the new skins, the new crates are still dropped at the same rate and don't interfere with your contracts.

It let's the players decide how they want to play the game and you're guaranteed a skin drop, the crates are more or less just an added bonus.

 

[CommodoreKong]

But the big question is... WHEN?! #^$^@¥;$

Well considering in the last 4 or 5 years the big summer update has come out a little while before or a little while after the Steam summer sale and usually the Steam summer sale starts around mid to late June I would say mid June to early July would be a pretty reasonable guess. As far as I know the start date for this year Steam summer sale hasn't leaked yet, though it probably will leak sometime this month.

 

[Vel0city]

Im the only one waiting for a Cactus Canyon update?
pls valve

Nope, you're not alone.

Asteroid too pls