Official Team Fortress 2 Game Nights (PC)

I have to say that I agree with that sentiment though. New maps are good for a little variety, but if it doesn't have the chops it shouldn't be kept around just for the sake of keeping it around.

I agree with Jakeleg. I have been getting my New/Novelty map fix from visiting the Zoo-like atmosphere of the Control Point server, but I would prefer to keep Stan's Lounge as pure as possible when it comes to quality maps. I can go anywhere to play someones beta map.

I definitely appreciate jakeleg's insistence on map quality control.

I also agree that nothing that I've played yet is a true "keeper". But keepers will emerge. And when they do, might I offer the suggestion of keeping 1 slot in that 9-10 map rotation set aside as a "wild card" slot for continually trying new maps? Not for gimmick maps, but so that we can keep putting new maps through the paces as the "keeper" list becomes established. I like that we're playing with some new maps now, and I hope we can keep at least 1 slot around for experimenting. A new weekly (bi-weekly, whatever) map would be a nice little event I'd keep coming back for.

'eh, I wasn't really suggesting any maps, I agree with him that custom maps should be as good as possible, and I haven't seen anything else that has high enough quality to recommend it for the server. So far, of the custom maps, Smooth is my favorite, though like all the custom maps, I don't think there has been a good round on the server yet (too many people dropping out to download it, along with basic unfamiliarity).

Anyway, caught this cool image tonight, Dueling Pyros. A strong Samurai film pose here, two opponents facing opposite ways after a sudden rush, one untouched, the other mortally wounded.
IMAGE(http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/6523/misterscoundrelnx9.jpg)

How did this happen?
IMAGE(http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/859/cpgravelpit0002ds8.jpg)

Because Boogle got to the top of B:
IMAGE(http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/9430/cpgravelpit0001gl9.jpg)

No anger here Boogle I just want everybody to understand that I will make some judgment calls as to what maps go on the server. These are really my own personal preferences, but they come after long experience running game servers. I think Legion has a good idea - I will definitely leave some spots open to try out promising maps. If maps get boring we can retire them or take them out of the rotation for a time. Hopefully the community will start producing some great stuff soon. Once Mani mod gets updated, I can add some map voting functionality. That would allow me to load more maps up and us vote on what map to play.

boogle wrote:

Ok, after a hard day of pubbing, I have some NEW MAP SUGGESTIONS!
cp_shock
ctf_quarry
and for kicks and giggles
melee_ringking

Aside from agreeing with Jakeleg's ideas about putting up new maps, I fervently object to more CTF selections.

Thank you Jakeleg. Hold your course. I'll take quality over quantity for maps anyday.
I'm still getting the hang of the new maps. My apologies again to my teammates last Monday when I played Impact for the first time. I got lost a few times and felt a little ineffective for most of it.
Thanks for the video preview Tannhauser. Without at least that I would have been completely useless. I probably would not have figured out the glass was breakable either.
Just remember folks, download the map BEFORE joining the server. We lost well over 50% of the players at the map change.
(Oh, and watch the video first if you haven't already.)

I had fun times last night, only thing is that no one had the darn maps? I will compile a list of links and PM certis or if someone has it please, this way the first post can be updated. We got maybe 6 people in each new map. I'm waiting for a full load smooth to see how it plays.

Here are some pic's
IMAGE(http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/1139/mybrainhzislookinggoodnj8.jpg)
MybrainHz living up to his name

IMAGE(http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/2425/drawkwardislookinggoodhp9.jpg)
Dr_Awkward cant believe he just survived our entire team running out for a capture.

Psst...You can get the map links from the thread linked in my signature.

Jake you need to get back on the server again. who needs work when you got a full server of people to frag!

Pharacon wrote:

Jake you need to get back on the server again. who needs work when you got a full server of people to frag!

So very true! Fortunately, there is a light at the end of the tunnel and I am wrapping up the project I am on today (hopefully). I will try and jump in tonight.

Ok then we need to all pull together and get on the server tonight so we can welcome Jake back to playing with Open arms, and open butterfly knives

Hey Jake, re: the maploading problem, I heard theres a way to have the server redirect the client computer to another site to download the map so the server doesnt have to spend the bandwidth to serve it up. Maybe it would help with the people dropping out.

Of course, everybody should be religiously reading this thread for all the latest info and links

oops sorry duplicate

sorry again!

I plan to be on tonight around 8:00 Central or so.

JOOIINNNN USSSSSS JAAAAAKE

indy wrote:

Hey Jake, re: the maploading problem, I heard theres a way to have the server redirect the client computer to another site to download the map so the server doesnt have to spend the bandwidth to serve it up. Maybe it would help with the people dropping out.

That is true, but I don't have access to an open web server with enough bandwidth to allow for map downloads. One of the cool things that UT2k4 had was a central repository for just about every community made map that you could point to for client downloads. Alas, TF2 (nor any other game) has this type of setup.

indy wrote:

Hey Jake, re: the maploading problem, I heard theres a way to have the server redirect the client computer to another site to download the map so the server doesnt have to spend the bandwidth to serve it up. Maybe it would help with the people dropping out.

Of course, everybody should be religiously reading this thread for all the latest info and links :)

Did you hear about that trick from the Control Point podcast? That is where I heard about it, although since I do not run a server I sort of half listened to the method so I can't remember how it works :).

AACK!

Jake, they updated TF2 again... The server needs to be updated.

Interesting...

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

Team Fortress 2

Sudden Death mode is now a server option (a convar) and defaults to OFF
Sapped buildings now take slightly less damage from the Spy who sapped them
The Medic's Medigun now charges at an increased rate during Setup time, to remove the need for self-damage grinding

...

Dustbowl
Now waits until either team wins fully before changing to another map on server timelimit expiring
Teams now score a point per captured control point, rather than per sub round
...
Fixed gaps in stage gates that allowed snipers to kill defenders during setup
Fixed several model and brush perch exploits in stage three
Added stair access to the upper area in stage three after the first cap
Limited line-of-sight at the first control point in stage 3 to remove a griefable sniper spot

Server will be updated shortly.

I like the increased medi-gun charge. That makes it plain as day: Valve never considered it an exploit.

Now... To play around in dustbowl for a while...

Thanks jakeleg.

Fixed critical bullet tracers not being visible to players other than the firer

Interesting, a bit more visual feedback on game-wide critical rates. I wonder if there will be a noticeable increase as one team wins the map and the critical values skew towards their favor.

Added effects to players when they earn an achievement, visible to other players nearby

Anyone have an easy achievement left? I'm mildly curious to see this in action.

The Medic's Medigun now charges at an increased rate during Setup time, to remove the need for self-damage grinding

Interesting that not only did they recognize this as a valid strategy, but actually accommodate it. There are other development studios that I can think of that would remove the ability all together, simply because they didn't plan for it.

Sapped buildings now take slightly less damage from the Spy who sapped them

Another interesting change, I didn't think the sapping damage needed any tweaking. I wonder how it will play out.

Post Game Edit: Well, Dustbowl is now incredibly broken. Because Valve changed the point scheme to awarding a team point every capture point captured (one submap of Dustbowl successfully won gives two points, instead of one point for winning all three submaps like before), that means the three point limit on Stan's has the map rotate after less than two submaps. Jakeleg looked into it, but map point limits in Team Fortress 2 are server global, so if he upped it to eighteen points (what it would take to get through three complete rounds of Dustbowl) all maps would play until one team or the other scored eighteen points.

An incomprehensible error by Valve, you couldn't go through a single game of Dustbowl and not notice how broken their new system is.

Dustbowl
Teams now score a point per captured control point, rather than per sub round

I wonder what drugs they were on when implementing this. It completely breaks Dustbowl.

Good games tonight, except for the Patch problems and that soldier who kept blowing himself up rather than die like a man from my righteous flames. That was poor sportsmanship.

GG's tonight. Good to see Jakeleg back on the server tonight. Some epic battles on Gravelpit.

Gameraotaku wrote:

that soldier who kept blowing himself up rather than die like a man from my righteous flames.

If the soldier in question only did it on 2fort, it was me trying to take you out with me and having bad aim rather than me trying to avoid dying by your holy flames. I had a streak going where I kept hitting railings and beams right next to me.

Great games tonight, after you all left, Nyles and I had a melee duel and played catch with the Winter Companion Cubes in SnoFort.

Thanks to some sleuthing by Tannhauser on the Valve forums, I was able to get a map specific config working for Dustbowl. I set the winlimit to 12 to allow for a best 2 out of 3 for the full map cycle. Now I can now also add some map specific settings to other maps such as time limits and different win settings. Maybe shorten Hydro some?

Stengah wrote:

Great games tonight, after you all left, Nyles and I had a melee duel and played catch with the Winter Companion Cubes in SnoFort.

Turns out if you hit them just right, they fly up pretty high in the air.

Stengah wrote:
Gameraotaku wrote:

that soldier who kept blowing himself up rather than die like a man from my righteous flames.

If the soldier in question only did it on 2fort, it was me trying to take you out with me and having bad aim rather than me trying to avoid dying by your holy flames. I had a streak going where I kept hitting railings and beams right next to me.

It wasn't you Stengah. We had some good fights down in the Intelligence room tonight :). It was on Hydro. Some soldier kept running back into the tunnels when I would set him on fire. I let him run while I looked for another target and he would suicide a few seconds later. Could have been an accident, could have been on purpose. I have noticed a trend on some pub servers I have played on where soldiers and demomen suicide when they burn down to like 15 health so the Pyro doesn't get a point when they die.