You know what REALLY grinds my bloody gears?
Right here goes my rant: I wait until the update finishes downloading, and I eagerly awaited the new unlock system that would give me weapons in no time at all. I play and play – for 8 hours straight and unlocked some great achievements.
During those 8 hours of game play, I only got 1 weapon out of it. Another f****** Sandman that I had ‘hacked’ months ago! At this point, I threw my keyboard into the wall beside me. God damn it, I was hoping for a random system, but this is too random. I don’t want to grind, I don’t want another Sandman or Flaregun. On top of this, AFK people in spawn got weapons, people spectating got weapons and people who died copiously got weapons. I just want all them too!
The last system worked perfectly, but it was flawed because it supposedly had ‘too much grinding involved’. I loved it – because I had fun unlocking them; trying to get taunt kills and do other odd things with my lovable Heavy, Pyro, Medic and Scout. I now have to grind even more – what’s the logic in that? What makes me even more angry that this is like teasing a child with a lollypop.
Valve: If you are reading this, just dish all of the unlockables out on release. Problem solved.
EDIT: Update’s broken.
Stumble it!
ExAstris responded on 23 May 2009 at 10:12 am #
I agree/endorse/support this product/service/statement.
I can’t imagine why Valve decided to do this. It was boneheaded, disgusting, and cheap. It caters to newbies who will play the game for only a few hours and never pick it up again. It changes the fundamental way TF2 is played, and says “We care about getting lots of people to pay $20 for a piece of sh*t,” not “we care about our players and keeping them paying and playing our sh*t.”
I am appalled.
Jokerine responded on 23 May 2009 at 10:20 am #
I agree. I understand Valve dislike the idea of achievement farming, but man, they might as well release an update that includes all the unlockables and call it a day. Where’s the challenge in that? I just hope they are just testing things…
The One Free man responded on 23 May 2009 at 10:28 am #
“enjoy the update…” … Riiiiiight.(Dr. Evil)
I reset stats just before first game after update, 5 hours, over 20 achievements, and all I got 3 additional ubersaws, that I had ‘hacked’ months ago, as you said, and additional gloves…
WHAT DA FUCK?!?!not to mention that game was able to count “Stealing ID” at my 5th steal…
Saxton Hale responded on 23 May 2009 at 10:37 am #
I’ve played around 10 hours since the update, and haven’t found a single thing. Not even a sandman or an ubersaw. Absolutely nothing.
The One Free man responded on 23 May 2009 at 10:49 am #
They updated blog, andit seems like Valve are (I haven`t imagined that I`m ever going to say that…) morrons.
http://www.teamfortress.com/
k00pa responded on 23 May 2009 at 10:55 am #
I dont know but I got 2 spy wpns in first 2hours.
Ambrassador and cloak & dagger.
And after that on about 4h, I got one natasha and 2 more cloak & daggers :p
Waffle responded on 23 May 2009 at 11:07 am #
When i bought Team Fortress I wanted a first person shooter, not a role playing game. This update takes away from the first person shooter feeling. I’ve lost the thrill of the hunt.
Doctor Decapitation responded on 23 May 2009 at 11:35 am #
All I got was another flare gun after being the most valuable player several times, it took alot of games to get that.
xeno responded on 23 May 2009 at 11:37 am #
I have all the sniper unlocks, and I never enjoyed sniper until I got the huntsman so yeah.. I’m not complaining to be honest. Sorry.
Himmelstoss responded on 23 May 2009 at 11:57 am #
I was hoping this pack would be better than the scout pack.
I’m disappointed. Give us the f*cking weapons, already.
HelisPoe responded on 23 May 2009 at 12:35 pm #
As a 110+ hours Spy player I can attest to how frustrating it is not being able to use the “Hand Cannpn” (Which I will affectionately call Annabell if Valve permits me to FREAKING GET IT), the C&D, and at least try out the semi-useless Dead Ringer.
I could care less about the Sniper unlocks, not being a Sniper player myself, I just want my Ambassador.
Really Valve. It’s not that hard to create a randomization code/script/tech thing. RPG’s have had it for years. While I don’t condone the use of RPG elements, the least Valve could do is get the randomization right on the first try.
IT’S. NOT. THAT. HARD.
HelisPoe responded on 23 May 2009 at 12:36 pm #
Edit, “Hand Cannon”
Lack of edit button.
gelugon2105 responded on 23 May 2009 at 12:47 pm #
ExAstris said:
“I can’t imagine why Valve decided to do this. It was boneheaded, disgusting, and cheap. It caters to newbies who will play the game for only a few hours and never pick it up again. It changes the fundamental way TF2 is played, and says “We care about getting lots of people to pay $20 for a piece of sh*t,” not “we care about our players and keeping them paying and playing our sh*t.””
I thought winning unlocks is influenced by performance. But after having read about AFK people getting unlocks for doing nothing, I am beginning to have doubts over whether Valve truly intended this new system to enhance gameplay. Coupled with the four-day offer, I believe that Valve is simply trying to entice sales!
Now, Valve, being a commercial company after all, is entitled to sales gimmicks, but one such as the new unlock earning that seems to be purely luck driven is very cheap. I am hoping they fix this system after the four-day offer and also frankly announce that the initial system was a troll to increase sales and that Valve is a greedy company after all. Being honest about not giving a shit to long-time players – for a while – is a virtue.
gelugon2105 responded on 23 May 2009 at 12:55 pm #
Anyways, MANY of the new updates are very Spy-friendly. Spies disguised as enemy spies now have masks too, and this I find rather effective for as a Medic, I tend to heal friendly Spies with masks right away. I realized my mistake last night when the Spy I was healing attacked me with his Revolver. Of course, he got killed by my Ubersaugh, for he was a rookie Spy that can barely aim a finesse-required weapon like the Revolver. Heh.
The other Spy improvement that shocked me was the fact that Spies now have correct Disguised Health. Previously, I instinctively healed anyone with lower than 50% health. I realize my mistake again last night when I passed a Spy, healed him, and after a while, turned around (as I regularly do to check for Spies) to find that Demoman following me in a suspicious manner. Pokes with the Blutsaugher confirmed my doubts and another rookie Spy gets his blood pumped out.
Another important caveat: Pyro’s air-blast now puts out fires too! Pyro veterans ought to notice this as this update is only stated at around the end of the update log like a post-script note!
gelugon2105 responded on 23 May 2009 at 1:00 pm #
Sniper’s Sniper Rifle now fires through team-mates in FF-disabled games! Yeah! This is an improvement, really. The Spy improvements I mentioned are long over-due too, such as the fact that disguised Spies can clearly wield unlockables now. For quite a long time players used these discrepancies to filter for Spies, now all these artificial conditions have been removed, rampant Spy-checking can now begin in earnest!
Now the only thing Valve has to fix is that ridiculous purely luck unlockable earning system. This is total piss and shit.
Gerkuman responded on 23 May 2009 at 1:02 pm #
Oh great. Now the epic disaster that is the steam forums might slowly begin to seep into UC.
Not saying anything’s wrong with the OP’s opinions, he’s certainly entitled to them. I’m just concerned that a lot of fans have a ludicrous sense of entitlement. Some of them actually believe that Valve released a ’sucky update’ on purpose. (which is stupid).
Sarda responded on 23 May 2009 at 2:51 pm #
Guess what? We knew that the update was bugged many hours before this article was released. Completely unnecessary to let this one through with such a bad attitude, you at least could have edited it.
Anon responded on 23 May 2009 at 2:56 pm #
6 hours and freakin’ nothing. I hope they fix this.
On another note, I’ve never had as much fun playing Pyro as the past couple days.
Kibbles responded on 23 May 2009 at 3:33 pm #
Keep in mind they did this because YOU farmed your achievements.
Sinister Minister responded on 23 May 2009 at 3:33 pm #
I’m laughing my ass off so much right now. Wow, people. There’s just no end to the complaining you guys do. It’s been confirmed that there is an issue. Be patient. Oh, sorry, I forgot that isn’t possible with you guys.
@Gerkuman: That’s the thing. They have this sense that if one thing isn’t exactly to their liking, Valve is immediately a company run by monkeys and retards and that thing must be fixed to suit them.
@Waffle: Good, because it is an FPS and not an RPG. I like how you believe a random drop system immediately makes it an RPG. I thought RPG’s were about stats and whatever, but your enlightening post has proved otherwise.
Kmria responded on 23 May 2009 at 4:30 pm #
I actually kind of agree with Sinister Minister… Yes, I too played for six hours and saw not even the shadow of an item, and I also got kicked by servers for random causes or could not access water maps because of particle effects. The update has been live for only one day! It’s obvious there will be issues. The best thing to do, IMHO is either just enjoy the game as if nothing ever changed or not play it for a couple of days, at least till the end of the weekend. Valve are only human, after all, unlike the Train God.
SW1ft responded on 23 May 2009 at 5:35 pm #
I agree. i hate the new way of getting weapons. i lpayed for 2 1/2 hours and only got 1 item.
LaZodiac responded on 23 May 2009 at 5:48 pm #
I think a good way to remedy things is to make weapon gets happen more, but only if you have the milestone achivements for that specific weapon.
MIkey responded on 23 May 2009 at 6:28 pm #
If you read the recently posted blog post, duplicates are to allow you to trade items with other people in a future update. You will also be able to ‘aim’ to-wards an update.
Which are both OK ideas.
b00n responded on 23 May 2009 at 7:58 pm #
“Keep in mind they did this because YOU farmed your achievements.”
Oh! So it’s our fault now!
Yeah that’s it. They are just punishing us.
Comissar Cain responded on 23 May 2009 at 8:52 pm #
If you feel like the new system requires you to ‘grind more’ you’re doing it wrong.
It’s a crap system, I’ll be the first to admit, but here’s my amazing strategy for coping, you should try it.
1). Realize that you will get the new toys eventually.
2). Realize that you enjoy playing the game, and did long before Ambassador, Huntsmen, and Jarate entered the scene.
3). Play the freaking game and stop worrying about it.
Alternatively, you can continue to whine in utter futility, even though you know Valve is changing the system. I humbly suggest the Steam Forums.
I Got Really Detailed Files responded on 23 May 2009 at 9:17 pm #
I hate both systems.
But at least this way I don’t have to grind for 20 hours on an achievement server to even get close to getting the unlocks.
C.G. responded on 23 May 2009 at 9:48 pm #
You know, Valve implemented the “Get achievements -> win new weapons” system long ago, and people kept complaining how hard it was to get achievements, how they wanted to play with the guns NOW, not after getting 20 or so achievements, etc etc.
Valve listens to the players and implements a new system based on random drops, so people no longer need to grind for achievements… and people still complain.
And if Valve changes back to the old system, people WILL STILL COMPLAIN.
Seriously. Read TF2’s latest blog post. You know this is a new system. You know they’re trying something new, even to them. You know there will be bugs. Maybe this worked in a very small scale between beta players, but keep in mind how big the current TF2 player base is. It’s like managing several countries at once, with very distinct cultures and opinions between them.
Relax, and just play, or don’t play at all. All will be fixed soon. Call me biased if you want, but Valve is still one of those rare companies who keep constant touch with the players, and don’t treat them like mere costumers of a product. I admire their patience.
… I should make a thesis entitled “Luck/Random Factor: How much is Hated when Implemented in Games”
arstal responded on 23 May 2009 at 10:45 pm #
I have to agree. Valve and any other company reading this- we don’t like unlocks. Unlocks in a competitive game, or even casual game, are poor game design, and quite honestly- TF2 is too good to need lame gimmicks like this.
Pyrit responded on 24 May 2009 at 12:35 am #
I just thought it was disappointing that they’re showing us all this new kit, then not actually letting more or less than half (I think it’s safe to say this) of people have it.
I liked earning achievements for weapons. With the exception of the Medic achievements, I liked to earn them in normal play and it felt as if you actually earned something once you got the weapons – aiming towards getting a taunt kill was a fun challenge and you felt as if it paid off in the end. Grinding was a problem, but I don’t think this was the right way to tackle it.
The whole system, to me anyway, just yells ‘please play more’. It just seems like a gimmick just to make people get on TF2. I’m sure many here can attest that sometimes, it’s not a matter of ‘wanting’ to play, it’s more if you have the time.
ExAstris responded on 24 May 2009 at 12:41 am #
Hah. I personally wish the old system was back, even if it means I have to achievement grind or cheat. I’d rather have the sense of accomplishment.
That said, I really, really want to try out my own personal Diplomatic Enemy-Elimination Enhancement and Ambassadorial Aid.
@gelugon2105: Isn’t it wonderful? As spy is my most played, I look forward to the new abilities given to us
But yeah, I agree with you entirely.
And at those telling us to shut up and stop whining: again, Valve LISTENS to complains, unlike other companies. They look at the Steam forums, and they quite possibly look here. Just because YOU got the unlocks you wanted 35 seconds after joining a server doesn’t mean the rest of us have, and if you think we’re being whining and obnoxious, or UC is turning into steam forums, or whatever, then you can leave and go troll some other part of the internets.
That is all.
ExAstris responded on 24 May 2009 at 12:45 am #
Oh, Pyrit, I didn’t see that post, but I agree.
I play TF2 when I get a chance; I certainly don’t have 400 hours to sit and play and grind for items, nor would I WANT to. That’s why I left MMOs, for bob’s sake!
Now, far be it from me to say I liked achievements. I didn’t. I still don’t. But it’s a hell of a better system then what they’ve done here, and I don’t think they realize that.
dekichan responded on 24 May 2009 at 1:05 am #
just a clarification, grinding is when you do something mindless in order to pick up a random drop, like killing bats for 40 minutes in order to obtain 8 bat claws. It is a grind, since it is simple and not fun in it of itself.
Playing TF2 on an achievement server could be a grind, like jumping enough times or something. But just playing TF2 while you’re waiting for a drop is not, or at least should not, be a grind.
Sarda responded on 24 May 2009 at 1:43 pm #
ExAstris:
The problem is, if they listen to the current complaints, we’ll go back to achievement farming and it will be even worse, because of all the people who know we could have had something better.
Comissar Cain responded on 24 May 2009 at 3:51 pm #
@Ex
They’ve already heard the complaints. There are several responses on the Steam Forums and on the blog. It was the complaints that brought about the system to begin with. It’s one thing to whine, it’s another to whine long after the problems have been acknowledged because oh-my-god I’m not getting all my new equipment RIIIIIIIGHT NOW!
Also: I have none of the unlocks. I’ve gotten 2 Axtinguishers, 2 Sandwiches, Bonk, and a Sandman–all of which I already have I’d like the new equipment, but I also enjoy playing the game, learning the new maps, etc.
Winter responded on 25 May 2009 at 6:26 am #
“It was the complaints that brought about the system to begin with.”
People complained that the achievement unlocks were horrible–which is true. So Valve looked at it and carefully designed a new system… which is actually WORSE.
Which is really pretty amazing when you think about it. The achievement system was pretty horrible–how could they have designed a worse one??
I have an inventory full of FaNs now. Although i’m doing pretty good compared to some people–at least i have one of the new items.
ExAstris responded on 25 May 2009 at 8:12 am #
@Comissar Cain: Links please??
The problems have been ackonwledged; that doesn’t mean they are planning to fix them, doesn’t mean they won’t keep the new system, and doesn’t invalidate the fact that the issues exist.
Additionally, as I believe I have stated, it’s not the fact that this new system is glitched that irritates me as much as the new system itself. Even if it were coded perfectly, it would still be a crap system.
nineteen responded on 25 May 2009 at 11:59 am #
Goddamn, what are you all on your rags?
Everyone needs to just calm the fuck down.
Trust the Valve. Love the Valve. They will make things right, but it may take a little time.
gelugon2105 responded on 25 May 2009 at 4:31 pm #
I just wish this “little time” comes right after the promotion period ends.
Tim responded on 25 May 2009 at 5:45 pm #
You shouldn’t really make a rant about this when we are all aware how bad the new system is, but at least it was short.
Jimmy responded on 27 May 2009 at 5:26 pm #
I like the new system. It means I can just chill out and play TF2 as per usual, while the unlockable weapons slowly pour in. Then once I get an unlock, I can play around with it for a while to see if it’s any good, until the next unlock comes in.
So, I don’t have to do stupid crap like try to get achievements or grind certain ridiculous playstyles (Eg flare-gunning 100 enemies).
Rawkalawka.