ubercharged.net

“Welcome. Welcome to Team Fortress 2.

You have chosen, or been chosen, to visit to one of our finest first person shooters.
I have been proud to call Team Fortress 2 one of my favorite games.

And so, whether you are here to stay, or passing through on your way to parts unknown, welcome to Team Fortress 2.

It’s safer here.”

Ok, ok, that’s was simply an edited version of Dr. Breen’s speech from the beginning of Half Life 2, but I think it gets the point across. As you know, on June 10th 2010, Valve and Apple have supplied us with more soldiers for the never-ending war between RED and BLU. Yes, TF2 for Mac has landed, bringing with it legions of new players, welcome to the community!

“

Some of you may be veteran players who are simply playing on a Mac as it works better for you; or a new player who has yet to get acquainted to the TF2 universe. To newer players, we have lots of guides that will help you get more acquainted to all the different classes in Team Fortress 2 and how they play.

If you are a new Mac player, there are a few things to expect when first playing TF2, so here are a few tips when you start.

Ignore haters and trolls

These are the people who are likely to insult you for using Mac and/or being new to the game. If you are wearing your earbuds (which you’ll have if you played on a Mac before June 14th) you will easily stand out as a Mac player. If they are using voice chat, simply hit escape and use the “mute players,” option so you can ignore them.

Don’t worry about not knowing the game very well. The important thing to remember is that everyone has been new at some point; spend time playing and you will undoubtedly become a better player.

The “earbud” Issue

If you have the earbuds you will likely run into haters and trolls who will complain about the fact that they didn’t get any and treat you badly about it. This will eventually blow over; stuff like this has happened many times before. If people are getting to you about wearing the earbuds, you can mute them as stated before or simply not wear the earbuds until everything regarding the issue blows over. Also, don’t make a big deal about how you have earbuds while other players do not, this will only end badly for you.

Practice Makes Perfect

Again, everyone starts out playing poorly, and with the amount of time that TF2 has been out, its players have become much more skilled; this causes problems for new players who do not know what they are doing. With the newly added training and offline modes, you can practice your skills by facing bots (AI controlled characters). If you wish to get to know the characters before jumping into online severs, these will be a great asset for you. As I stated earlier, Ubercharged.net also offers a plethora of tips and guides to help you.

So take a look around the site and once again, welcome to Team Fortress 2 and have fun.

For those eager to learn more, here are links to some of our how-to guides.

The How to Play Section
Articles that include the tag how to or tactics

As most of you probably know, I’ve been a little bit inactive in the Team Fortress 2 space lately. There’s a bunch of reasons for that: not being awesome enough to have obtained any hats; playing too much WoW, holding down a full time job in Mass Effect 2…

The list goes on.

One of the main reasons though is that I’m just plain lazy. And that I’m an Apple fan boy who spends all his time booted into OS X. Those two points are more inter-related than you might think. You see, TF2 and Steam require an antiquated and inelegant operating system called Windows to run. Thanks to the awesome power of my Mac, I can dual boot into Windows to do this. However it requires me shutting down everything else I was doing, restarting, chugging through an ugly and foreign UI, then booting up Steam, and eventually connecting to TF2 some minutes later.

Where as to play WoW, I just stay planted on the couch safe in OS X land, and Command-Tab between that and the very important twitter session I had running.

All that looks like it’s about to change though

Steam on OS X?

The Apple and Valve fanboy communities have come together over the last week with rumors floating around that Steam and Valve’s Source engine games are coming to OS X. Awesome huh? We’re talking about a May launch here – which is really not too far off.

This is all part of the new client beta that launched recently. One of the subtle changes introduced that only the web-dev geeks picked up on, is that Steam is now using Webkit to drive the UI. What is Webkit? It’s the core HTML rendering engine that is used on the Safari and Chrome web browsers. The old Steam client was really just a thin layer around Internet Explorer – which meant Windows only. Webkit is cross platform and will happily run on OS X.

And being able to just hang out in Steam will be fun. Steam chat is great, but I can only use it when I’m on Steam – which is when I’m in Windows, which is only an hour or so a day if I’m lucky – and for that hour I’m cramming in as much gaming as possible, so I’m probably not wanting to chat to you. Now if we could get an open XMPP chat protocol, it would be even better… (HINT HINT Valve)

So expect to see me around a bit more – both in game, and just lurking on Steam. Anything that help me be a lazy gamer even more lazily is all good. It also means I can actually chat and catch up with you guys.

More eye candy

Here’s a few more teasers that Valve dropped in with their inimitable hype machine style.

And if you don’t know the reference to in the Alyx/Breen strip below, check out Apple’s famous 1984 superbowl ad directed by Ridley Scott.

Update – official now

Here’s the official word from Valve.

March 8, 2010 – Valve announced today it will bring Steam, Valve’s gaming service, and Source, Valve’s gaming engine, to the Mac.

Steam and Valve’s library of games including Left 4 Dead 2, Team Fortress 2, Counter-Strike, Portal, and the Half-Life series will be available in April.

“As we transition from entertainment as a product to entertainment as a service, customers and developers need open, high-quality Internet clients,” said Gabe Newell, President of Valve. “The Mac is a great platform for entertainment services.”

“Our Steam partners, who are delivering over a thousand games to 25 million Steam clients, are very excited about adding support for the Mac,” said Jason Holtman, Director of Business Development at Valve. “Steamworks for the Mac supports all of the Steamworks APIs, and we have added a new feature, called Steam Play, which allows customers who purchase the product for the Mac or Windows to play on the other platform free of charge. For example, Steam Play, in combination with the Steam Cloud, allows a gamer playing on their work PC to go home and pick up playing the same game at the same point on their home Mac. We expect most developers and publishers to take advantage of Steam Play.”

“We looked at a variety of methods to get our games onto the Mac and in the end decided to go with native versions rather than emulation,” said John Cook, Director of Steam Development. “The inclusion of WebKit into Steam, and of OpenGL into Source gives us a lot of flexibility in how we move these technologies forward. We are treating the Mac as a tier-1 platform so all of our future games will release simultaneously on Windows, Mac, and the Xbox 360. Updates for the Mac will be available simultaneously with the Windows updates. Furthermore, Mac and Windows players will be part of the same multiplayer universe, sharing servers, lobbies, and so forth. We fully support a heterogeneous mix of servers and clients. The first Mac Steam client will be the new generation currently in beta testing on Windows.”

Portal 2 will be Valve’s first simultaneous release for Mac and Windows. “Checking in code produces a PC build and Mac build at the same time, automatically, so the two platforms are perfectly in lock-step,” said Josh Weier, Portal 2 Project Lead. “We’re always playing a native version on the Mac right alongside the PC. This makes it very easy for us and for anyone using Source to do game development for the Mac.”

Cheers to Drexer for the tip in the comments

No, I’m not dead. I’ve just been out of interwebs range for a few weeks, and have been lazy for a few months prior to that.

Wes Wilson of Dead Workers Party fame of Control Point fame forwarded through a sad little note about the CP podcast being no more. I’ve been a fan of theirs since the start, and have listened to pretty much everything – well, except for a couple of trainwreck episodes I skipped through… but the rest is gold

Here’s the blurb

The Dead Workers Party releases their final episode of the Control Point podcast in anticipation of their new project, Nation of Gamers.

The Dead Workers Party has been releasing weekly episodes of Control Point for over two years. The surprisingly successful Team Fortress 2 podcast has been receiving over 12,000 downloads per episode and was known for its irreverent humor, well produced radio dramas and parodies. With over 125 hours of content on a first person shooter, the episodes had largely become a showcase of community creativity and listener-generated content. Control Point was even linked via the official Valve Team Fortress blog to celebrate their efforts in helping to build the community around their game.

Despite a continually growing audience, Episode 100 marks the end of the podcast run. Comprised of an extensive hour and a half radio drama about trying to save Valve Software from a malevolent takeover, the story of “Legends” ties up two years worth of community in-jokes and paves the way for the hosts to move on to another project. Three months in the making, the production serves as a “grand finale” for the show, featuring an original script, original songs, and a parody of Lonely Island’s “I’m on a Boat”.

The Dead Workers Party is recording the first episode of their new gaming podcast, Nation of Gamers, on Sunday January 10th. The new show will bring the energy and humor of Control Point to a wider audience, focusing their discussions on more precise elements of gaming life, and building their existing community with gamers from all genres. This date also marks the first session in their new recording studio, and can be watched live on UStream. The episode will be released on both the Control Point and Nation of Gamers podcast feed on Wendesday, January 13th. Valve products are predicted to still have a strong presence in the new show.

The Dead Workers Party is a film production company from Huntsville, Alabama. Their studio features a 45′ green screen and a RED ONE HD digital camera. They began podcasting in 2005 and host a network of podcasts from a variety of hosts. Other shows on their network include World of WoW, Multiplaying, Random Chatter, Lost Chatter, and Tech Chatter, as well as many discontinued ventures, such as The Daily Gamer, WARP, and The Safe House.

###

Links of Interest:

Control Point
Dead Workers Party Network
Episode 100
Control Point mention on the Team Fortress Blog
Dead Workers Party live UStream feed
Dead Workers Party on Youtube

Farewell CP, you’ve been a huge part of the TF2 world

Looking forward to the new projects though, and glad to see the guys are keeping on chugging with newer, shinier toys.

It has come to my attention that a notable portion of the prison population have abstained from attending the satanic murder rituals in the designated happy corner at section UC1 of the campus. Reports from the field have indicated to me that not only are our play-things refraining from offering up their depraved souls for holy cleansing in the coals of our Lord the Locomotive Deity, but they are so far fallen as to offer up weak nonsensical excuses for their absence.

A list of invalid excuses for absence that have been and/or will be made is as follows:

• “I didn’t know that section UC1 had moved 300 miles South.”
• “I have recently lost my arm/my leg/control of my bowels and feel less-than-inclined to make the trip.”
• “I have been stabbed/bludgeoned/molested/shot/yelled at.” (or any combination)
• “I watch Neighbours.”
• “I’m not a prisoner.”
• “I don’t know who the Train God is.”
• Any excuse which, in any way or form, mentions or insinuates the word ‘but’. There are no buts.

Any convict who makes, or appears to our staff to be avoiding making these excuses will be incarcerated in the mines of a free Korean MMO of our choice for an indefinite period of time.

I would like to remind all convicts that continued absence from section UC1 will result in dire consequences. All absent prisoners to date have had derogatory remarks entered in their criminal profiles and, as above, any peon that deliberately continues to avoid their designated happy corner in section UC1 will be assigned to WoW duty in the gold mines. It is absolutely unacceptable for any UC member to deny the Train God their soul, and we will enforce his will in the strictest method possible.

Your patience hasn’t been noted,
General Balls
UC Warden

Despite our vigilance, and the subsequent posting of the UC1 Server’s new IP on the server banner to the right of this page, it seems that several prisoners have voiced concerns over their inability to find the happy corner after it’s recent move to Los Angeles. While it is certainly my place to question the mental capacity of such convicts, bypassing this phase allows me more time to both remind you all of the section’s location and think up suitable punishment for such incompetence.

Now read closely, because I’m not going to repeat this for the illiterate. The new IP for UC Server #1 ‘The Cult of the Locomotive’ is:

Alternatively, the lazy amongst you can click the first server banner on the right to join UC1.

You have no excuse now,
General Balls
UC Warden

So, we got linked by valve… again.

This is becoming kind of fun to wake up in the morning and see a nice little traffic bump that lasts a few days.

Anyway, welcome to all the new readers. If you haven’t seen the site before, I don’t blame you if you run scared after reading a few posts. Especially stay away from the universally despised competitive guide, and the forums. Doubly so if you are suffer back problems, heart conditions, nausea, dizziness, or are pregnant.

We’ve had reports that the ubercharged twitter feed is plagued by spam #hashtag promotions, Evony ads, and tweets about cornflakes. So avoid that as well.

And you shouldn’t go near the ubercharged.net TF2 servers either (unless you’re a train fan and/or lover of shenanigans)

Please direct all complaints to Robin Walker and the Valve TF2 team for sending you here. ubercharged.net denies all responsibility for any injury real, imagined, or virtual.

In fact, I’d just leave now and avoid the hassle.

Maxim (aka Ctrl-C) and the gang over at team-fortress.ru have been hard at work translating our world famous TF2 competitive guides into the beautiful native tongue of the Heavy Weapons Guy (that’s Russian, for everyone living under a rock for the last two years).

Before all, I want to say “Thank You!” to authors of Competitive TF2 guides on your site.
Some of people on our russian site and me translating each of this guide to russian language.

First: http://www.team-fortress.ru/data/articles/cw-tf2-part-one
Second: http://www.team-fortress.ru/data/articles/cw-tf2-part-two
Third: http://www.team-fortress.ru/data/articles/cw-tf2-part-three
Fourth: http://www.team-fortress.ru/data/articles/cw-tf2-part-four
Fifth (published yesterday): http://www.team-fortress.ru/data/articles/cw-tf2-part-five
Sixth will be published today/tomorrow

DO SVIDANIYA!

Update!

Here’s the sixth one as well: http://www.team-fortress.ru/data/articles/cw-tf2-part-sixth

I’m so psyched while writing this up. It started as an innocent thread about an innocent command. However, my research eventually blossomed into an amazing discovery that led to having bots battling it out whilst I scrolled through the server list. Trust me, this WILL impress you.

Some Pics

First let me show you what you’re getting into:

How To Do It

1. Go to the RCBot Website and download the latest version of RCBots (As of this article, the latest version is version 0.51).
2. Follow the readme instructions included with the download.
3. Now that you have installed RCBots exactly as the readme said to, open your “Steam\steamapps\<YOUR USERNAME>\team fortress 2\tf\cfg” folder and open autoexec.cfg in notepad. IF THERE IS NO AUTOEXEC.CFG, make one in notepad.
4. In your autoexec.cfg file, paste the following:
   //FOR AWESOME BACKGROUND FIGHTING
plugin_load ../bin/HPB_Bot2
sv_cheats 1
map_background ctf_turbine
alias "redbot" "rcbot addbot 3 2"
alias "blubot" "rcbot addbot 3 3"
alias "botloadscript" "wait 1000; redbot; wait 10; blubot; wait 10; redbot; wait 10; blubot; wait 10; redbot; wait 10; blubot; wait 10; redbot; wait 10; blubot; wait 10; redbot; wait 10; blubot; wait 10; redbot; wait 10; blubot; wait 10; redbot; wait 10; blubot; wait 10; redbot; wait 10; blubot; wait 10; redbot; wait 10; blubot; wait 10; redbot; wait 10; blubot"
botloadscript
5. Run TF2 and wait a while, depending on the speed of your computer, the bots may take longer to load.

Explanation

Basically, I’m loading the plugin for RCBots with {plugin_load ../bin/HPB_Bot2}, running a map in the background of your main menu, and then adding bots. The way that I’m adding bots, is through the use of a script which is defined and run within the autoexec file. I named this script {botloadscript} and run it immediately after defining it.

Why don’t I simply paste a bunch of {rcbot addbot} after loading my server you ask? The autoexec runs through all the commands almost instantaneously. This means that the console doesn’t wait for the map to load before adding bots. So, while the map is still initializing, the console would attempt to add bots and fail. However, if I use a script, the script will only run once in a map, allowing bots to be added once the map is initialized.

How To Customize

If you want to change the map used, simply replace the {ctf_turbine} in {map_background ctf_turbine} to another map. However, be aware that not all the maps are waypointed, and so on some maps, the bots will only stand still.

If you want to change which class a team is made of, change the first X in {alias “[team]bot” “rcbot addbot X [team number]“} to a number 1-9 corresponding to the classes as defined in the RCBots readme. If you want to have different classes on a single team, read the readme and replace  the {redbot} and {blubot} in the main script to various other bot loading commands. I only call upon {redbot} and {blubot} because it was easier for me to switch around classes by changing an entire team to that class.

Other Notes

Having bots battle in your menu will cause the game to load slower upon initial startup. However, some of this time is made up when you join a server, because it will actually load slightly faster due to most of your resources already being initialized. That’s just something to think about if you plan on using this for a longterm period of time.

You can also remove the flag indicator and other HUD elements that appear on your screen by adding {cl_drawhud 0} to your autoexec.cfg.

You may need to adjust the length of the first wait command in order to get your bots to load at a decent rate. I’ve found that 1000 is perfect for my computer, but others my get different results.

My Thanks

I would like to thank putnamehere3145 for starting the original thread on the Steam Forums, also my friend for first mentioning bots and sparking this whole quest, and finally the RCBots team for making fantastic bots, even if they do still need a lot of work.

Please comment with any questions, comments, problems, or suggestions. I had a blast testing this, and I hope that you can enjoy the fruits of my labor!

If you’re after a slightly more serious and competitive focused TF2 podcast, check out Friendly Fire.

It’s produced Mint Condition, Sigma, and Highstepper, who are refugees from the Control Point community. FF is meant to complement the CP podcast, seeing as CP has jumped the shark is less serious, while Friendly Fire focuses on competitive 6v6 play, tactics, and serious business.

It’s part of RandomChatter. RC is home to a bunch of other great podcasts – check out TechChatter for some great rampant Apple fanboyism (which I fully endorse, and you should too, or Steve Jobs will come and kick you in the face. Which would be painful and embarrassing. Especially given his current state)

Not sure why we haven’t gotten around to mentioning this one yet. I’ve been listening to it since it started up. I’m just lazy.

Jim walked outside and said,
“Time to fill cowards with lead,”
A Sniper found Jim’s crown,
And after one swift rifle sound,
Jim laid on the floor dead.

So it seems are friend/enemy the Sniper is the next class up for the update packs. It is even going to compete with the Heavy Weapon’s Guy for largest update. Although we aren’t one hundred percent sure if the art of Jarate will be a weapon or not. Here’s hoping it will. You may disagree that the Sniper should be the next class update, mainly because you doubt the new offensive tactic called “Sniper Rush” will work. With more then 60 hours of the class under my beat, I’m going to talk to you people about how I think I will enjoy the update…

Personally, I think I am one of the only people looking towards the Sniper Update. I’m not looking to endless WCS matches, because I don’t like them. What I am looking forward to is how the update will change how to class will be played. I’m not what you would call a normal Sniper. I’m the kind of Sniper who, when he sees an enemy Sniper, he finds some way behind them, score a headshot from a meter away, and then taunt for their deathcam.

Clearly, my many hours of Spying may be the cause of this, but it is so fun to imagine the enemies reaction when they find out that they have been killed by a Sniper standing right behind them. For this reason, one of my favourite maps to snipe on is ctf_vikings_final, because it is so easy to get behind the enemy, and, since the map is so open, there are so many Snipers to annoy.

Hopefully, the update will be for Snipers like us. The ones who don’t understand that the Sniper has to stand perfectly still, and stay in a location until death. Remember, we (The Ubercharged Community) keep going on and on about how the Sniper is a lone wolf class. Spies can also be counted as lone wolf classes, but they get rid of Sentry nests, right? Well, so can Snipers. Sentries in open spaces (e.g. Most of Hydro) can easily be taken down by a single Sniper. One headshot to deal with the Engie, a couple of shots to deal the Sentry, and an easy cap.

The Sniper is a unfortunate class. People who play him is often thought to be related to the Counter-Strike player stereotype. This isn’t always the case. A Sniper isn’t a solo class, he is a support class. That means he supports people. The fact that he has a scope doesn’t mean he has to stay away from the fray. Take a match I had on arena_badlands for example. I took down a Heavy (*cough* Black Watch *cough*), a Medic, and a Scout while they were capping the point by sniping afar and the rest of my team was dead, them being my only kills of the round. The next round, however, I went with my team, and killed the same Heavy and got First Blood (I think there might be a achievement for getting First Blood), then killed his Medic with a crit Kukri. The only kill the BLUs did that round was from the Medic, who went on a killing spree after his buddy died.

By staying back, I helped my team out of a bad situation. By helping my team, I stopped the situation from happening in the first place. Of course, how you play Sniper is your own way. But hanging back may not be helpful for your team. If you can both play Sniper the way you like and help your team, then maybe, just maybe, you can be as badass as me…

Full Comic!

Oh wait, this article was going to be about what I thought of the Sniper update. Damn…

Take your lumps like a man, Private Twinkle Toes!

Yeah, this is pretty old news, but quiet it down! I’m trying to talk here!

So I was right. One of the initial intentions behind the new crit system is the desire to cut back on the total number of crits themselves. Congratulations, you whiny maggots! You got what you want. Happy now? OR ARE YOU? I don’t think you are. I think you feel guilty.

See, intentionally, one of the effects of this new system gives more skilled players more relative crit chance than less skilled ones than before. So my death, death, streak combo which happens somewhat fairly often will pay off it seems. At least, that’s what Valve wants you to believe. Well, actually, it is kinda true, but take a look at this graph.

Valve uses teh graphs to explainzor, and so does I!

What you first notice is that, for every point in the “recent damage” axis, the new graph never overtakes the old one. Basically, no matter what you do, you will never have a higher crit chance than before based on your damage. (And don’t start comparing yourself doing 800 damage on the new one here to you doing 0 damage on the old one!). Oh well. There’s always something to complain about during nerfs/buffs. I’d probably have complained if the ubercharge were presented as an unlock rather than an original concept, too..

What we have is a new cutoff point, at half the damage of the old one. Pay attention to the slopes before that. The new one is slightly steeper than the old one (it can only be so much steeper, I mean). So yes, you do get more crits per damage dealt in the new system. However, it maxes out before it can catch up with the old one. We can conclude that it does give more skilled players a chance to dish out more damage, but it doesn’t give those who are REALLY on a streak a superchance of crits. Say you kill a few enemies. You get what’s yours, but after that, it remains the same, even though you’re still dealing out the pain at the same rate (or even if it were faster, as a matter of fact)

There’s actually a good question here: why did Valve set the crit bar so high in the first place? Well, I’d argue, it was through testing.
In TF2, what is supported is a side winning, as “a stalemate does not mean that everyone wins, but that everyone loses.” This comes out of the crit system initially implanted; “the better you’re doing, the more likely you will keep on doing well.” This is also apparent from spawn locations and times in stock maps, where the better a team does, the more they will spawn/closer their spawn will be to the front lines.
*not universally true, but hey.

Take note. This calculation of damage is only taken from your past 20 seconds. So keep on pushing once you’re doing good! If you just chainstabbed a row, embrace the revolver for your escape.
________________________________________
Now for a more boring tactics section: crit chance dice rolls.

According to Valve (and you, if you’ve been studying it), non rapid-fire weapons roll for a crit for every shot, and only that shot is marked as a crit. Rapid-fire weapons, on the other hand, roll for crits every second, and will be given crits for the next two seconds. This is pretty obvious, but it’s important to make sure to keep firing when you get a rapid-fire crit!

Here’s a list, just for filler.

Non rapid-fire weapons
All melee weapons except the bat
Rocket Launcher
All shotguns
Flare gun
Sticky bomb launcher
Sniper Rifle
Disguise Kit

Rapid-fire weapons
Both pistols
Baseball bat
Flamethrower/Backburner
Sasha/Natascha
Sandvich
Sentry Gun
Dispenser
Syringe Gun/Blutsauger
SMG
Revolver
Sapper

I’m actually not sure about the scattergun and the grenade launcher; I regularly get two crit nades/shots in a row, but a lot of times I also get a crit-notcrit-crit combo, which would indicate otherwise. Can anyone confirm?
Crossed out ones are ones that don’t count, of course. But hey, if you start critting with a sapper, let me know.

So, what can we draw from this? Besides sapping my precious crits, of course, I think it increases the value of the Medic wielding a Kritzkrieg. You are more credit to team when you decide to take more risks, basically. Despite being an unlock, I still find more people using the ubercharge than the Kritz, and this may or may not change that. It’s a shame, though, since I’m much more afraid of the Kritzkrieg, unless I’m ubered (pretty rare) or being sneaky-sneaky-kill-kill.
Moral of story: we need more medics. It’s amazing what just one extra can do for the team already. Combine that with a kritz/uber, and you’ve got a winning combination. So get your gun out, doctor. We’re going hunting!