February 7 - TF2 Update

[FadedOasis]

"Whoops, we didn't actually test out the Rift weapons, we just made them unbalanced and pushed them because we really don't care anymore."

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Updates to Team Fortress 2 have been released. The updates will be applied automatically when your Steam client is restarted. The major changes include:

Team Fortress 2
- Increased the base damage for the Scout's Sun-on-a-Stick, and changed it to always mini-crit against burning targets if the attack is not already critical
- Fixed burning deaths to always use the death notice icon for the weapon that started the burn
- Updated the RIFT pre-order items to be not-tradable until the RIFT pre-order period is over
- Updated the burn effect from the Pyro's Sharpened Volcano Fragment to only last for a limited time on enemies
- Updated the description of the Well Spun Hat claim code item

[xadera]

To be fair on some points, the death icon and tradable items were likely unforeseen consequences, and maybe the burn time as well. The fragment is the first melee weapon to cause burning, so when they put it in they probably didn't notice the support wasn't fully there (they have bleeding weapons and the like, so they probably didn't think otherwise), so when somebody died to burning damage, the fragment would come up first in the list as "the melee weapon did it", which then results in it checking what melee weapon you have equipped and posting that kill icon. The burn period might be related as well.

As for the tradable bit, it's because people figured out they could pre-order a game, get the promotional item, trade the promotional item to another account, and then cancel the pre-order without losing the weapons, thus getting the promo weapons for free. So they made the weapons untradable until the pre-order period is over, for now.

Though as for the Sun-on-a-Stick, they pretty much f'd up on that one. They probably thought it would be balanced, but without giving away the fact that they were using it by putting it in the Beta, they couldn't test it.

The fact they had this update just 4 days after the items were put in, however, is a pretty good sign they still care a bit At least they aren't like Treyarch who released an unplayable Black Ops and still haven't fixed some very serious bugs. Though that gives me another disappointing game!

[Doctor Wheeze]

Feb 7, 2011 18:18:34 GMT -5 FadedOasis said:

- Updated the burn effect from the Pyro's Sharpened Volcano Fragment to only last for a limited time on enemies

Does... does this mean what I think it does?

[xadera]

Feb 7, 2011 20:00:10 GMT -5 Doctor Wheeze said:

Feb 7, 2011 18:18:34 GMT -5 FadedOasis said:

- Updated the burn effect from the Pyro's Sharpened Volcano Fragment to only last for a limited time on enemies

Does... does this mean what I think it does?

If you're thinking what I'm thinking, yes, the burning from the Fragment never died, it was permanent until you died or until you pick up a med pack (even jumping in water didn't put it out).

[FadedOasis]

Oh, I was being facetious and exaggerating. I just think that this is one example of items they could have added to the TF2 Beta for a couple days (with old models and names like "Experimental Bat 01") to actually test this stuff. But they had a deadline of cross-promotion, and that pissed me off.