TF2 Updates: In Flagrante Delicto

*Editor’s Note. (Or, “TF2 Updates: In Flagrante Delicto, V1.1 Article Patch.”)

We goofed! As many have already pointed out, there are a few areas in the article that were reported incorrectly. See below for the updated info, and thanks for the feedback! Mostly, we blame the economy. And boats.

• Blutsauger contains the same rate of fire as the standard needle-gun.
• Natascha contains the same cyclic rate of fire as the standard mini-gun.
• Natascha contains the same amount of ammo as the standard mini-gun.
• The Razorback no longer slows the Sniper’s movement speed.
• Buff Banner, when activated, last for 10 total seconds, not 14.
• Axtinguisher hits result in half the normal damage of the standard Pyro axe if an opponent isn’t on fire.

An interesting thing happened to me this past month. For over a year I’ve been in Valve’s corner promoting their use of class updates to keep Team Fortress 2 (TF2) fresh. I commended them for their dedication to the community and a now older game. Despite a barrage of jokes and stabs at the new armaments, I yelled at my online colleagues for criticizing Valve on giving us more, free content, regardless of balance issues. But now my trust is shaken.

The most recent Demoman/Soldier update has caused me to question Valve’s method of upgrading my beloved game. They violated the main mechanic of TF2 quite severely, instilling feelings of both anger and sadness. Long considered my favorite multiplayer game due to its rich balance of class-based combat, unique art style, and more character than a Jim Carrey movie, I’ve noticed a waning interest in the shooter. The class updates were designed to fix this for gamers like me, offering new equipment, maps, and game types to keep things new and compelling. It is now painfully obvious where Valve, still my favorite game developer, has failed.

In a multiplayer game so heavily weighted towards teamwork, no single class should be a one-man army.

The progressive class updates should all have followed a succinct set a rules to help maintain the overall balance and integrity of the game. It should have looked something like this:

1) The equipment should not be upgraded in effectiveness, rather the gear should offer an alternate method of playing the class.
2) The equipment should be based exclusively on the designated role the class was designed for (Demoman for explosives, Sniper for long-range support, etc.).
3) The equipment should not alter the specific role of the class.
4) The equipment should not be designed to inhibit a specific class or group of classes.
5) There should always be noticeable disadvantages and advantages to using any select item  when compared to the other options available.

These hypothetical rules should be in place to strengthen the consistency of the game’s delicate balance that gamers initially fell in love with. Valve did a great job maintaining the overall balance between classes, but looking back, some serious errors were made that slowly but surely degraded the quality of the game. How exactly has the new equipment violated these rules? Let’s take a look at each defined class and explore the respective overarching effects of their corresponding armaments.

Note: All equipment discussed reflects the current effects granted as of the most recent patch.

Medic

Support class designed to boost the combat-effectiveness of teammates through buffed health and continuous HP flow.

Updated Gear

1) The Blutsauger – Alternate primary weapon that trades the Medic’s passive HP regeneration for HP-Leach attack. Results in a slower fire rate.
2) The Kritzkrieg – Alternate healing gun that grants 100% critical hits to target ally when fully charged and activated (omits invulnerability); faster charge-up to reach potential deployment.
3) The Ubersaw – Alternate melee weapon that grants 25% ubercharge upon hitting an enemy. Slower attack speed.

Verdict: The Medic update offers players an alternate way to tackle their class without changing the overall role. Players must still support their teammates to be effective, but are rewarded for efficient use of alternate weaponry, though at a greater risk to themselves. The Blutsauger trades damage for self-sustaining aid, and the Kritzkrieg offers a perfect alternative style of play. The Ubersaw is a little more troublesome, as its reduced attack rate does not hamper the overall improvements of the weapon, thus you would be hard-pressed finding a Medic who does not use the Ubersaw over the original Bonesaw. A more severe penalty should be present when choosing the former.

Pyro

Flexible class designed for close-quarters crowd control and hit-and-run tactics. Most effective when ambushing and patrolling set areas.

Updated Gear

1) The Backburner – Alternate primary weapon that deals critical hits when attacking from behind. Equipping it results in the loss of (new) air-blast ability.
2) Flare Gun – Alternate secondary weapon that offers a mid to long range attack; appropriately, it lights enemies on fire.
3) The Axtinguisher – Alternate melee weapon that grants critical hits when successful contact is made to immolated enemies.

This baby is perfect for snuffing out
the lives of burning enemies.

Verdict: In theory this update is flawless, offering ambushing Pyros a weapon that made them more effective at their style of play while lowering their effectiveness when attacking head-on. The flare gun is a perfect counter for Snipers and other long-range enemies, but because of its difficulty in use, it rewards only those willing to practice. The Axtinguisher and the newly added air-blast are the icing on the cake, increasing the Pyro’s supremacy as a close-quarters class. Unfortunately, the Backburner received rather negative criticism due to hit-box glitchiness similar to the Spy’s backstab, and the stigma that only “n00bs” use it. Still, the update offers players numerous styles of play without overpowering the class, and limiting his (or her?) overall effectiveness to up-close-and-personal combat. While not technically an alternate, the addition of the air-blast function completes the default flamethrower, making it one of the most versatile weapons in the game.

Heavy

Bullet-sponge tank class designed to lay down suppressive covering fire; buys teammates time while absorbing heavy damage, conserving your comrade’s hit points for both attacking and defending of key areas.

Updated Gear

1) Natascha – Alternate primary weapon that reduces damage dealt, but slows enemies upon projectile contact.
2) The Sandvich – Support tool that replaces secondary weapon. Heals 100% of hit points over a period of time. It’s damn noisy to eat, and it leaves the Heavy immobile while consuming. Can be dropped and picked up by other players for a 50% health gain.
3) The KGB – Alternate melee weapon that grants five seconds of criticals upon enemy death. Slower attack rate.

Not since Wolfenstein 3D has nutrition
been so important in gaming.

Verdict: This update marks the decline of Valve’s efforts. Natascha, in theory, is a good alternative to the faster, more potent Sasha, but it’s crippled by the severe reduction in damage per second and most importantly, the lack of an increase in total ammo. To be truly effective, Natascha should fire at the same cyclic rate as Sasha, if not faster. And, since it requires more bullets to kill an enemy, Natascha needs the total ammo increase. The Sandvich is far more effective now than it used to be, however it’s still a terribly ineffective alternate item to a class that should be utilized in the heat of battle instead of running out of the fray to replenish his own vitals. An example of a more successful  replacement would be a set of body armor that increases HP while lowering run speed. The KGB is another example of a good idea gone awry, as the Heavy has already lost the majority of his critical boost by the time he switches to and revs up his mini-gun. However, since Heavies rarely use their melee attack whatsoever, it remains a decent option.

Scout

Offensive class designed for speed and hit and run tactics at a distance; serves as an irritating distraction for the enemy to support the progress of his team.

Updated Gear

1) The Force-A-Nature – Alternate primary weapon that reduces the number of shots per clip, increases damage, and reduces effectiveness at mid to long range; knocks enemies backwards on successful hits (also launches the Scout backwards if fired while in the air).
2) Bonk! – Replaces secondary weapon. When chugged, it grants invulnerability for a short period of time, followed by a period of reduced speed immediately after.
3) The Sandman – Alternate melee weapon that launches a baseball, stunning enemies on successful hits; potential stun times are based on the distance the ball travels. The Sandman reduces the user’s total hit points by 15.

If only the product was as enjoyable as advertised.

Verdict: The Scout update marks the beginning of Valve’s attempts to improve the effectiveness of a class at the expense of its established role. The Force-A-Nature is actually a great alternate, offering players the ability to punch through an enemy line but forcing them to make their shots count, and also giving them an extra jump when used properly. The Bonk! energy drink comes out with a passing score as well, as it gives Scouts the ability to further support their teammates by distracting enemies, and players are forced to use the drink carefully as the ending effects leave you vulnerable. The Sandman is what ultimately ruined this update, and ultimately began the unraveling of overall balance among classes. While it has since been patched to be less powerful, the Sandman, besides frustrating enemies, does little to promote the given role of the Scout class (invading enemy territory and bothering enemies). A more useful and less troublesome alternate weapon could have been traps that the Scout drops (with a limited number) that slows enemies who pass over them.

Sniper

Long-range support class designed to eliminate priority threats to the team; uses scare tactics to intimidate enemies from entering into key areas.

Updated Gear

1) The Huntsman – Alternate primary weapon that trades long range precision for medium range effectiveness.
2) Jarate – Replaces secondary weapon with a throwable jar of urine; causes enemies under its effects to take additional damage when hit (mini-criticals). Reveals cloaked Spies and puts out burning teammates.
3) The Razorback – Replaces secondary weapon for a shield that covers the back of the user; blocks a single attempted backstab by an enemy Spy. User has reduced run speed while the Razorback is equipped.

A wooden shield that only blocks knives?
Actually that sounds about right…

Verdict: All things considered, the Sniper update is one of the best. The Huntsman offers Snipers who’re tired of sitting yards away from the frontlines the ability to be effective at a medium range, while maintaining the key element that embodies the Sniper: precision-based potential damage. Some argue that the Huntsman requires little skill, however, only the most effective players will top the leader board while using it. The Jarate jar, while criticized for its profane origins (it’s a jar of urine), is actually a brilliant addition for the Sniper. It allows him to further support his team in an alternate method to killing enemies; it helps teammates deal additional damage, it reveals enemy Spies and even douses the flames of charred compatriot. The Razorback is also a fine addition with the exception of a single dynamic: it’s designed with the sole purpose of countering one specific class (the Spy). It’s tempting to let this one slide, as the Razorback indirectly forces Spies into the open instead of attacking as far from behind as possible (where Snipers tend to be located), however, the fact remains that the item serves no other purpose. No spies on the map? Yeah, it’s useless. I’d be more satisfied if the shield actually blocked bullets and absorbed explosive damage, eventually breaking when a certain amount of damage is accrued.

Spy

Stealth class designed to infiltrate enemy territory, survey enemy positions, and neutralize enemy Engineer equipment and take out strong enemy forces.

Updated Gear

1) The Ambassador – Alternate primary weapon that offers pin-point accuracy on first shot; capable of critical headshots, followed by a period of reduced handling (cooldown). It employs a slightly reduced fire rate.
2) The Dead Ringer – Alternate cloaking device that, when activated, cloaks the user immediately upon taking damage, leaving a decoy body behind to fool opponents into believing you’re dead.
3) The Cloak and Dagger – Alternate cloaking device that only loses power (a necessary element required to remain invisible) when the user is moving.

The Ambassador isn’t just about looks!
It’s got great personality too.

Verdict: Like that of the Pyro, the Spy’s new arsenal is as close to flawless as an update can get. In conjunction with the back-stab, the Ambassador offers players a lucrative alternative means of attack via the headshot, which deals massive damage at the cost of reduced accuracy following the initial blast. This promotes shooting from less compromising positions – maintaining the Spy’s overall ineffectiveness when attacking head-on. Valve smartly chose to focus the other two pieces of equipment on the Spy’s methods of cloaking himself, each offering a different style of play. The Dead Ringer allows Spies to feign their own death, giving them a chance to slip behind their enemy, convinced of their demise, with more than enough time to position himself for a backstab. This is a ploy that promotes the creativity of the user, who may choose to activate the device before entering the battle, or after receiving some damage to further enhance the effect. The Cloak and Dagger allows for deeper penetration of enemy territory, permitting Spies to camp key chokepoints while simultaneously lowering the learning curve for newcomers. It greatly reduces the mobility of the user, however, as each step saps precious cloaking energy.

Soldier

Offensive blitz class designed for aggressive and mobile front-line combat; deals and absorbs heavy damage.

Updated Gear

1) The Direct Hit – Alternate primary weapon that fires a faster rocket projectile; removes more of target adversary’s health upon contact, but with greatly reduced splash damage. Deals mini-crits when tagging enemies in the air.
2) The Buff Banner – Replaces secondary weapon with a horn that charges up as the player damages opponents. When fully charged, the horn can be sounded to grant nearby teammates 14 seconds of mini-crits.
3) The Equalizer – Alternate melee weapon that scales movement speed and damage based off the user’s hit points, at an inversely proportional rate, i.e., the less health the soldier has, the more devastating his mobility and swings.

Brilliant weapon? Or overpowered insta-kill
for 1/3 of the classes?

Verdict: Overall, the Soldier update proves successful. However, it suffers from offering items that are almost too effective. The Direct Hit is theoretically a great alternate, rewarding highly accurate soldiers with increased damage, but like the Scout’s Force-A-Nature, forcing them to make their shots count. The problem with the Direct Hit is twofold. One, at certain ranges the difference in skill required to hit a target is greatly reduced. A Soldier using the Direct Hit at close-mid range won’t have too much difficulty hitting his target. He’ll also have little worry of injuring himself, since there’s a negligible area of explosive effect.  And at any range, the weapon is an absolute nightmare for Heavies. The mini-criticals are also questionable considering the weapon is already far more powerful than the default rocket launcher. Inappropriately, even moderately skilled Soldiers are scary when equipped with the Direct Hit,  as it carries the destructive potential to instantly kill four of the the nine classes  with a single blast (Scout, Sniper, Engineer and Spy). To balance this weapon the firing rate as well as the damage should be greatly reduced, further emphasizing the need for precision. I’d also remove the mini-criticals when shooting opponents from the the air, but Soldier’s everywhere will argue against me to their last dying breath. The Buff Banner is an interesting addition that gives Soldiers a more team-oriented purpose, and due to the player’s need to constantly inflict pain, using the item is well balanced. The Equalizer is another weapon that questionably allows the player a huge advantage at close range when he’s low on health. The problem is it offers no real disadvantage for usage over the default shovel. But Valve seems comfortable with this idea for all their updated melee weapons. Overall, the Soldier’s assault role remains intact, and with a few minor tweaks the update could shine.

Demoman

Defensive class designed to inflict enormous amounts of suffering, most effectively used in tighter quarters where he can dish out splash damage and set up explosive traps. Very talented at destroying enemy Engineer’s structures.

Updated Gear

1) Scottish Resistance – Alternate sticky-bomb weapon that allows for the placement of additional explosive charges that can be detonated in groups; sticky-bombs are assigned a longer arming time as a disadvantage.
2) The Chargin’ Targe – Replaces the sticky-bomb launcher with a shield that grants resistance to explosions and fire; bestows an ability to charge forward at light-speed, dealing gargantuan damage upon contact with enemies. When coupled with the Eyelander, grants criticals upon charging.
3) The Eyelander – Alternate melee weapon that initially reduces the users max hit points; deals criticals when coupled with the Chargin’ Targe (upon charging); increases health and damage dealt with each progressive kill (has a cap limit).

Verdict: The bane of the class updates, the Demoman’s attempted refurbishing is painfully implemented. By itself, the Scottish Resistance is a great alternate to the default sticky-bomb launcher, allowing players to choose to take a more defensive role and lay more traps. Players are forced to face the bombs in order to detonate them, making camping much more difficult. The Chargin’ Targe, however, is horribly designed, and when combined with the Eyelander, absolutely mutilates the Demoman’s general role on the team. Neither weapon has anything to do with demolitions, short of granting the player fire and explosive damage resistance. The Chargin’ Targe and Eyelander instead morph the Demo into a close-quarters combat class, a role prior reserved for the Pyro. Neither weapon satisfies a need that the Demo class  lacked. In fact, the updated equipment eliminates any specific role for the class while the items are equipped. Worse, the pairing of the weapons creates a close-quarters class that is arguably more effective than the Pyro. A number of preferred alternates can be thought of, for example a satchel of tossed grenades that encompass a slow rate of fire and delayed detonation time, but enjoy massive splash damage. This hypothetical weapon would be useful for displacing enemies holding an area or control point.

Last time I checked, demolitions involve explosions, not dragon slaying equipment.

Conclusion

At this point in time, the Engineer is the only remaining class that hasn’t been officially updated, and one wonders what direction Valve will take when developing his new equipment. Valve has started an unfortunate trend of designing items around the fictional narrative of the characters themselves, instead of focusing on the role the classes play on the team. For the most part, each class has received updates that have been balanced (through field-testing and minor ongoing tweaks) quite well. But sadly, it only takes a few unbalanced items to ruin the once-perfect flow of the game. Each update has rendered the Heavy even more useless than before, and his now ancient updated equipment fails to help him serve the role he was designed for in the first place.

What lies in store for the game after the final class update is released? Obviously, the addition of aesthetic items like hats, the new crafting system, and the recently announced community-made custom items (approved first by Valve to be placed in the random drop system) are all welcome additions. Ironically, the feature I most crave from is a “vanilla mode” that would remove all class updates and revert the game back to its perfectly balanced glory days before the Spy defiled the purity of the Scout’s mother, and Saxton Hale had yet to reveal his manliness to the world. Unfortunately, a vanilla mode has not been announced, nor do I think Valve is seriously considering offering a game mode that negates the years of hard work they’ve put into their updates.

Think Valve’s hats are goofy? Wait until the inclusion of community-made items.

While a lot of this is wishful thinking, I nonetheless ask that Valve reconsider some of the updates, and in fact replace or greatly modify a number of the items now available in the game.