The Latest from Robin Walker

[Scotland Tom]

A user named MaxC over on the Steam TF2 forums posted some questions he emailed to Robin Walker along with some responses. You can check that thread or my blog (see my sig) to read them. Or you can simply read the rest of this post because I've conveniently quoted it all here.

How many people are/will be involved with the development of new content for TF2?
There are 12 of us working on TF2 right now. This is actually a couple more folks than we’ve had on the previous TF2 class packs.

Are they working full-time with that, or do they have other things to do aswell, like helping out other development teams and such (I guess L4D has taken alot of the staffs time)?
We’ve been off on L4D for a while now, with only a couple of that 12 being left on TF2. For the past few weeks it’s only been the programmers left back on L4D, and with L4D shipping in a few days, we’re all moving back to TF2. Our hope was to move back earlier, but that’s how game development goes.

What feature has been the most fun in creating for the game?
It’s hard to say, we’ve had a lot of fun with so much in TF2. The most fun one recently would be the Heavy’s Sandvich. We’ve never worked on another game where we had a design discussion that could not only justify putting a sandwich into our game at a thematic level, but show that it also made a ton of sense from a game design perspective. The first playtest where we saw Heavies taking cover to have a quick bite was definitely a memorable one.

I figure a lot of things has been dismissed in the development process. Are there any ideas you personally think would fit in that were rejected for some reason?
We generally agree on almost all features that go in, so off the top of my head, I can’t think of any I thought we were wrong for not including. The game is such an evolving one that a feature we leave on the table now could always go in sometime in the future.

Earlier the updates came pretty often - in a 2 month cycle - but has now been pushed back by L4D (and possibly other reasons). Once back on track, could we expect updates to come as regularly as before again?
Yep, we’ll be trying to get back to producing them as fast as we can. On top of that, we’re working on some other big features that aren’t class related. More about them soon.

Some interesting stuff there. Especially that last bit about big features that aren't class related. I wonder what those might be....?

 

[Hawk]

I can only guess the non-class-related features would be new gameplay modes or something. I guess, welcome back TF2 team! Please don't make us wait too long!

 

[YM]

This should dispell all that BS about the cereal box....

I hope its new maps, the best thing they can do is new maps. (as long as they dont rush them like badwater they'll be fine)
but I do wish they'd fix up hydro and add in the second routes for the diagonal stages like they should have done before release...

Things I want from the TF2 guys in the order I want most:

• New maps for TC, CTF, PL and gravelpit stlye in the desert spytech theme
• Developement of the alpine theme to bring it inline with the spytech theme (which means new maps in the alpine theme)
• More community maps released
• Balancing and exploit tweaking
  
  Now we're at I'd enjoy but I dont want them to spend time on it:
• New gamemodes
• More class updates (weapons +achieves)
• New classes
  
  And stuff I don't want:
• Purchasable stuff (you know, with real world money)
• Worldwide player stats showing everyone how leet that dick over there is....
• etc...

 

[Psy]

Things I want most in the new update;

• Fixed backstabs

 

[laghlagh]

A new A/D or Gravelpit-style cp map, preferrably in the alpine theme and with spytech elements.

 

[drp]

New gametype being escort with the 10th character being the civilian
If not, having a plant the flag gametype would be awesome.

 

[ryodoan]

And stuff I don't want:

• Purchasable stuff (you know, with real world money)
• Worldwide player stats showing everyone how leet that dick over there is....
• etc...

I agree with you on the Purchasable stuff, but I have to say that I really, really like persistent worldwide stats. For me at least, I am a stat whore, the more stats I can get the better, I think great example of this is how BF2 handles stats:
http://www.bf2stats.nl/player/96098868/

I feel that its not so much so that "Everyone can see how 1337 I am" but more so that I can play against myself. Like, in BF2 one of my little gameplay goals was to finish a round with a greater than 1:1 KDR or to revive x number of players that round, or as a sniper to hit as many shots as possible to up my accuracy.

 

[TheDarkerSideofYourShadow]

Restoring the versatility that made TFC so great in TF2. What if I wanted to make an old fashion ctf map where your flag must be returned to capture the enemy flag, but then make it so that my flag returns when I touch it. Thats just an example of something you could do in TFC you can't do in TF2.

 

[Galago]

One feature not class related (among others posted above) is the ability to reset stats and achievements. I feel guilty for achievement farming (it was only a couple )

 

[Artesia]

I haven't achievement farmed, but I did test my map forgetting to turn on sv_cheats 1... meaning I have 9 captures as scout, even tho I never play scout in actual games... and now my longest life is as soldier at an hour and a half after alt-tabbing to work in hammer... I'd like to reset those stats to better reflect gameplay not testing... also I'd like them to make it so achievements are only tracked if enough people are on the server (say 4 or 6+). And also a way to prevent achievement maps would be a plus for the game. achievements give me something to work towards, and makes me try different ways of playing, I don't understand why people would cheat...

 

[Void]

August-theme.

Like... oranges, yellows, dying things, but still green grasses and bright colors. I just really want an August Skybox, some more tree models that aren't desert-oriented/dead, etc, etc.

 

[ryodoan]

achievements give me something to work towards, and makes me try different ways of playing, I don't understand why people would cheat...

The thing is, they tied achievements to getting the new items. At first I swore I was not going to achievement farm... but then I got tired of getting killed because I did not have the new stuff, so a few of my friends got together and we farmed just enough achievements to unlock the weapons we wanted.

Also, the records are bugged anyway, at least for Engineers (my favorite class) I have gotten upward of 17+ sentry kills with a sentry gun before and it only lists 12 as my max, and I have had so many people take my tele-porters that they have flipped back to 0 (it happens somewhere after 20)

 

[laghlagh]

August-theme.

Like... oranges, yellows, dying things, but still green grasses and bright colors. I just really want an August Skybox, some more tree models that aren't desert-oriented/dead, etc, etc.

You mean autumn, right?

 

[Randdalf]

Heh, big things that aren't related to class are either new game modes or a new gameplay feature which totally changes the game.

 

[Blindfate]

I'd like to see more maps that combine gameplay types, and from what I've heard that's not always very plausible with the current system. If anyone wants more specifics, they can pm me

 

[Hawk]

A new A/D or Gravelpit-style cp map, preferrably in the alpine theme and with spytech elements.

Ooh, yes! I'd love something Dustbowl-like in the alpine theme.

Something tells me we're for sure getting a new level in the alpine theme, though. Hopefully soon.

 

[YM]

Ooh, yes! I'd love something Dustbowl-like in the alpine theme.
Something tells me we're for sure getting a new level in the alpine theme, though. Hopefully soon.

Seconded and they did say that because everyone liked the alpine theme so much they'd be building on it in the 'future'

 

[Scotland Tom]

I have a feeling that everyone loves the alpine theme for the simple reason that it's the first non-desert environment we've seen in TF2. They could have created an arctic theme, a mid-western plains theme or an underground coal mine theme and people probably still would have loved it because it would have been different.

In all honesty though I do think Valve has done a fantastic job with the alpine theme and I hope they spend some time expanding on it with one or two other maps before they move on and introduce us to another great environment.

 

[grazr]

Alpine seemed like the next logical step for VALVe to take to me, considering some of the flickr photo's people have found that must have been referenced by VALVe's development team..

It's exactly where the thematic style seems to originate from, rather than those others you suggested. Some of which can be created using the standard rocky textures in the first place.

I'm not entirely sure what the next environment would even be, and by the time they make one there will probably be plenty of custom textures for snow.. etc.

But who knows. VALVe work in mysterious ways; mysteriously slow ways.. but mysterious all the same.

 

[YM]

But who knows. VALVe work in mysterious ways; mysteriously slow ways.. but mysterious all the same.

I think you've got valve mixed up with God.....