Valve: Weaponized Urine and other strangeness.

[Faulty]

Well, they're clearly not playing it right. A 1-on-1 Spy vs. Engineer fight is one of the simple joys of life.

But that's just taking candy from a baby.

[LurkerInPlayground]

And Dread: Sniper is completely unfun until you have the Huntsman and Jarate. I'd only played Sniper for an hour total since the game came out until I got the unlocks. Now I can't get enough of it.

Which more or less sums up my ambivalence to the update.

No matter what pub you join, three people are guaranteed to be Huntsmen snipers. If not more. It *is* fun, but that fun comes at an unfair expense to other players.

Huntsmen is a tad broken. It has very generous hit detection and a player of moderate skill can do much more damage with it then he would otherwise normally be able to. It's easy to headshot with and even easier to hit where a person was a second ago -- so in practice, it doesn't require as much leading as it seems.

Just spam the weapon in the general direction of your enemy and you get kills. If you're pointblank and your aim isn't terribad, then a headshot is all but guaranteed. If it's a crowd of enemies moving around, then you're almost guaranteed to hit somebody's "ghost" from a second ago. Snipers are the new pyro.

I do think a Huntsmen of some sort is needed, since the sniper isn't viable in maps where he has to sit in crowded and packed areas that's getting constantly strafed by weapon spam. But as it is, I feel the Huntsmen is too strong.

[Rigel Cyrosea]

Which more or less sums up my ambivalence to the update.

No matter what pub you join, three people are guaranteed to be Huntsmen snipers. If not more. It *is* fun, but that fun comes at an unfair expense to other players.

Huntsmen is a tad broken. It has very generous hit detection and a player of moderate skill can do much more damage with it then he would otherwise normally be able to. It's easy to headshot with and even easier to hit where a person was a second ago -- so in practice, it doesn't require as much leading as it seems.

Just spam the weapon in the general direction of your enemy and you get kills. If you're pointblank and your aim isn't terribad, then a headshot is all but guaranteed. If it's a crowd of enemies moving around, then you're almost guaranteed to hit somebody's "ghost" from a second ago. Snipers are the new pyro.

I do think a Huntsmen of some sort is needed, since the sniper isn't viable in maps where he has to sit in crowded and packed areas that's getting constantly strafed by weapon spam. But as it is, I feel the Huntsmen is too strong.

I haven't found the huntsman over-powered at all. Actually, I find it generally sub-par to the rifle. A good sniper using the rifle will almost always be more effective than a huntsman sniper. All the huntsman does is make bad snipers slightly more likely to get a hit. Before now, a bad sniper was basically the most useless thing you could imagine. Now, they're actually a minor threat. Yeah, it can get annoying if there are several of them and arrows are going all over the place, but the number of people doing that will go down with time.

[Arbitrarity]

Very true. I'm a rifle sniper, and I DESTROY your pathetic "huntsman". Non-hitscan is crippling in duels, and your bow spam is just annoying, and less effective than snap-headshots.

[Dispozition]

I find the huntsman to be the best unlock yet, along with the Kritz. I will regularly interchange between rifle and huntsman. If there seems to be an abundance of snipers of their team, I'll go rifle since I'm a better snap shot on slower target with it and the instant bullet movement suits my sniper play style from range more. However, if we're really pushing the offensive and I'm getting in the thick of it more, I'll go huntsman since I seem to be highly proficient with the close range snap shot, even mid range ones will hit more often than not. I also seem to be able to get more kills compared to the rifle, however, I get more points with the rifle since I get more headshots.

Really, it's the best interchangeable weapon so far.

[LurkerInPlayground]

Very true. I'm a rifle sniper, and I DESTROY your pathetic "huntsman". Non-hitscan is crippling in duels, and your bow spam is just annoying, and less effective than snap-headshots.

Doesn't matter. None of the supposed drawbacks of the Huntsmen really change the fact that the hitboxes are broken. A Huntsmen pointblanks you in the face, nullifying or killing most classes instantly. Why? Giant headshot hitbox. Congratulations, you're a massive threat to "combat classes" at close-ranges for reasons of utter cheese.

The simple fact is that the weapon has made the Sniper class as popular as it is, is pretty suggestive. I for one am getting sick of the non-dedicated wannabe support classes clogging up the team roster. The Huntsmen Sniper is a very egregious example of this.

[Surrealistik]

Hi, my name is oversized bounding box, otherwise known as auto-aim light. I make hitting ez.

That said, yes, the sniper rifle is definitely better in skilled hands due to the possibility of aforementioned snap headshots. The best snipers don't even need the charge save for the most hardened targets.

Basically, the problem with the Huntsman is that the weapon is too forgiving to the point where you don't have to be precise so much as simply close, and the skill floor is too high as a result. I wouldn't call the weapon OPed or broken (it really isn't), but it is certainly flawed for that reason. I wouldn't mind giving it a damage and/or projectile/attack speed buff in exchange for reducing the size of the arrow bounding boxes.

[Dread Cthulhu]

Changed my mind. Sniping is fun. Screw the Huntsman, though.

[Joran]

I find the huntsman to be the best unlock yet, along with the Kritz. I will regularly interchange between rifle and huntsman. If there seems to be an abundance of snipers of their team, I'll go rifle since I'm a better snap shot on slower target with it and the instant bullet movement suits my sniper play style from range more. However, if we're really pushing the offensive and I'm getting in the thick of it more, I'll go huntsman since I seem to be highly proficient with the close range snap shot, even mid range ones will hit more often than not. I also seem to be able to get more kills compared to the rifle, however, I get more points with the rifle since I get more headshots.

Really, it's the best interchangeable weapon so far.

I find the Force-A-Nature to be my most used unlock. Sadly, it seems to have made me a better scout than before, which might indicate the gun is a little too powerful at the moment. In the games I've played, scout spam seems more of a pain than sniper spam. Actually, my most used unlock has to be the new syringe gun, with FaN a close second.

BTW, I keep seeing "hitscan" and searching for it in the TF2 wiki didn't result in anything. So, what exactly is hitscan?

Edit: Okay, I've used some google-fu and hitscan is apparently an infinite speed bullet so you don't have to lead the target. I assume pistols/shotguns/sniper rifle all use hitscan?

[Oregano]

:O Left 4 Dead 2 might be on the PS3 as well!!!! EA has it listed on their site but Valve have said nothing about it. I wonder if Sony has started flashing the cash a bit!

[Surrealistik]

I find the Force-A-Nature to be my most used unlock. Sadly, it seems to have made me a better scout than before, which might indicate the gun is a little too powerful at the moment. In the games I've played, scout spam seems more of a pain than sniper spam.

I can't stand the FAN personally. Interferes with my dodging/double jumping/aerial shots, and makes timely killing sprees impossible. Tougher enemies who can tank the first two hits are also much more risky and dangerous to engage since it typically takes substantially longer to kill them.

Edit: Okay, I've used some google-fu and hitscan is apparently an infinite speed bullet so you don't have to lead the target. I assume pistols/shotguns/sniper rifle all use hitscan?

That's correct. As a rule of thumb, anything that fires a bullet (as opposed to a projectile) uses hitscan.

[KBF]

Alright, someone mentioned this on the d20 Chaotic server and now I'm curious.

How is Scattergun better than FaN? It's 10% less damage, but.. FaN.


EDIT: Oh wow. Ninja-answered. I have to read thread before asking questions. I have been shown who is the boss.

...But I don't understand why I would go head-to-head with anyone anyway. Hit and run is how I live with only 125 health.

[The Linker]

I prefer the regular scattergun for two directly related reasons:

a) I can attack people in mid-air without being totally screwed up and slowed down, and then falling in a predictable trajectory. I can't even double-jump out because I usually have the Sandman.

b) My enemy flies off, and my aim is screwed up. Again. Of course, this is something that can easily be corrected by practice, but still.

I'm just more COMFORTABLE with doing what I've done for the FIRST 100 hours of my Scout career, you know? I like to strafe around a static heavy, jumping around as he fires his weapon. With the FaN, my jumping is screwed up, AND I push him away so he's out of my strafecircle of doom.

It's like the eye of a hurricane, except... it's not calm whatsoever.

[Rutskarn]

Epic post in spoiler.

Spoiler

Show

So, I recently acquired admin status on the excellent and highly-recommended Twenty Sided servers. Being an admin is just a goddamn laugh-a-minute romp of pain at times, but to one such as I (who is preoccupied with petty justices), it can also be rewarding.

Case in point: one Atticus Finch.

There was a match going on in...damn it, forget the map. That one with the control points. And the RED and BLU bases. Anyway. I was cruising along, minding my own business, (occasionally) blasting fools and (frequently) being blasted in kind, when a message from the BLU base caught my attention.

"There's a spray of a penis on the floor of the base."

...

Come again?

"There's a spray of a penis on the floor of the base."

Oh, okay, this is probably a misunderstanding. I'll just clop over there as scout and see what it

oh god

Yes. Yes, that is a rather arresting photograph of the male genitalia.

Now, Twenty Sided is a family-friendly server. Plus, technically, non-adults are playing the game, and showing pornography to a minor is not just against the rules, it's illegal. I'm sure there's about a thousand legal loopholes there, but still. Something had to be done.

Problem was: who sprayed it?

Well, we didn't really know. So a couple BLUs covered it up and then we forgot about it.

Until later...

"It's been moved."

It was moved? Then someone must have moved it. Was someone in the area? Did someone see it? Who could it have been? Answers were needed!

I made inquiries, and eventually, I heard:

"I think it was Atticus."

Atticus Finch?

"Yeah. He was there at the time...like, the only one there? I think?"

"Yeah, I think it could be him too."

Very well. Atticus, anything to say on your behalf?

There was no answer.

Any denial?

No answer. I waited a full minute.

Finally, not knowing what else to do, I banned him, and the spray did not recur. Still I wondered: had I banned the right person? Did I injustly banish an innocent man? That would be ironic, given the nombre of the gent I had banned (not to mention the fact that he pointedly refused to defend himself before the judge and witnesses).

Troubled, I investigated the matter. I tracked down the Atticus Finch I had banned, viewing his Steam ID page.

As it turns out, he was a member of a quaint little group by the name of International House of Pr0n.

I could be wrong, but I think I may have done the right thing.

Another player, who shall go unnamed, had an issue with gimmick rounds. Basically, these were where a bunch of people wanted to play a special round, like all Spies, all Scouts, etc. This offended the sensibilities of our hero, who boldly defied the assertions of every player on the server to assure us, in no uncertain terms, that we were morons and jacktards.

He would say thinks like:

Snob McMonkeysmell: this is unbalanced on blu

When we replied, "Oh, it's unbalanced, but it's hilarious," he informed us:

Cheeser Carpetbag: you guys need to get out more

...indeed. Our enjoyment of a game without regard for the pointless details of who wins and loses means that we, not him, are the ones with no perspective.

Later, we agreed on all medics. This was, I should point out, a goddamn agreement. As in, a bunch of people said so, and no arguments against.

Now, I had already kicked him out for refusing to abide by the rules, so he was a bit bitter. He had rejoined anyway, possibly out of a selfless and righteous desire to set straight our warped sensibilities. Upon the next round, he decided he could no longer let the injustice of us not playing his way go unnoticed. What follows is direct quotations, with no editing or oh-but-I-want-him-to-sound-dumber-or-me-cleverer modifications.

Neckbeard O'Hamcans: this server is run like the ussr

Rutskarn (voice): Yes. It is for the people.

Arbiter of Fun: lol. no, not in theory, in practice.

Hero Admin Rutskarn (voice): Well, people seem to be enjoying it. It is a vote, guy.

Comp 'n Sating: cognitive dissonance

Brave Leader Rutskarn (voice): I don't think that means what you think it means.

Skid Brownpants: no, you don't

The Rutskarn of Justice (voice): Okay, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. So, do you know a word that means, "shut up and enjoy the goddamn match or find another server?"

That shocked his sense of propriety so long that it took him a while to respond. I don't even remember what he said next. I think he hibernated for a while, popping out only to helpfully inform me that some joke I'd made sucked. What I said next was, "I'll say this much, guy. You won't be missed."

Ban. And the peasants rejoice.

Of course, I've felt regrets ever since that moment. With him gone, who will tell us how to enjoy ourselves? Who will be the all-knowing keeper of the the fun and the funny? Who will be the benevolent hand, the guider of lost sheep? All I know is this...I won't be able to sleep at night, for fear that I might do it wrong and he won't be there to help me.

EDIT: Oh, now I remember. The player spoke for the last time when I mentioned the penis anecdote to a few regulars, and he informed us that we were "immature" for not wanting a picture of a man's fruit and veg in the spawn area.

[chiasaur11]

There there Ruts.

I'm sure someone will be enough of a visionary to tell you you're doing it wrong.

[Rutskarn]

There there Ruts.

I'm sure someone will be enough of a visionary to tell you you're doing it wrong.

Relevantly: I've never found a good place to put this, but Chocolate Hammer's official motto is:

Illegitimi non Carborundum

[Phase]

Okay, Rutskarn can ban...

Um...

Hold your great power wisely, chum, and remember what a loyal, unbannable servant I've been...

[Rutskarn]

Okay, Rutskarn can ban...

Um...

Hold your great power wisely, chum, and remember what a loyal, unbannable servant I've been...

You're spared.

For now.

[Phase]

Oh, wait, recall, Rutskarn, that the screenshot contest is due to be judged? In my time-zone you are past deadline by two hours. I will require a payment in blood, preferably turtle-blood.

[Rutskarn]

Oh, wait, recall, Rutskarn, that the screenshot contest is due to be judged? In my time-zone you are past deadline by two hours. I will require a payment in blood, preferably turtle-blood.

I think you've find that the deadline for submissions was today.

The actual judging takes place midway through this week, as a special bonus post.

[Phase]

I think you've find that the deadline for submissions was today.

The actual judging takes place midway through this week, as a special bonus post.

Fine then, snake-blood. Not as high-caliber, but I need payment for a mistake that was entirely my own fault.

[Rutskarn]

Fine then, snake-blood. Not as high-caliber, but I need payment for a mistake that was entirely my own fault.

Don't have any lying around. You take mayonnaise?

...okay, it's a long shot.

[chiasaur11]

Fine then, snake-blood. Not as high-caliber, but I need payment for a mistake that was entirely my own fault.

For that, the official legal payment, as listed in my handy evil bureaucratic handbook (found on the corpses of evil elite shock troopers everywhere!) the official payment is...

Hmm. Your own blood. Harsh deal.

[Phase]

For that, the official legal payment, as listed in my handy evil bureaucratic handbook (found on the corpses of evil elite shock troopers everywhere!) the official payment is...

Hmm. Your own blood. Harsh deal.

Wait, would that be my blood, or Rutskarn's blood? The structure of the sentence is unclear...

[Dispozition]

I need to play on these servers that you speak of these holidays...Even if it means I get a ping like no other :P

[BRC]

Hrm. So I just recently started playing Half-Life 2
HL2 and Episode 1 ran great on my machine. But Episode 2 is running like your standard slug. Anybody have any theories why?

[Rutskarn]

Hrm. So I just recently started playing Half-Life 2
HL2 and Episode 1 ran great on my machine. But Episode 2 is running like your standard slug. Anybody have any theories why?

Huh. No, no idea.

Have you tried tweaking the new shadows and lighting settings?

[chiasaur11]

Wait, would that be my blood, or Rutskarn's blood? The structure of the sentence is unclear...

I dunno.

The relevant page in the index is missing.

Assume yours. The guy in charge not needing to pay anything is a reoccurring theme in the work.

[kjones]

Hey, I was on your team for that round, Rutskarn! I play as Friedlemar.

EDIT: The penis spray wasn't mine...

[Rutskarn]

Hey, I was on your team for that round, Rutskarn! I play as Friedlemar.

EDIT: The penis spray wasn't mine...

I'll take your word for it. You filthy, filthy pervert.