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In this instalment of How It’s Done, I interviewed Mangycarface, the creator of Yukon. Yukon was one of the two community-made maps included in the Classless Update.

How did you get into mapping?

MangyCarface: I’d messed around with CS maps when I was much younger, but didn’t really do much with it past silly map modifications. When TF2 came out, I actually didn’t like it at first, but once I got into it the settings and gameplay really appealed in terms of design. So over the years I’ve honed my ability while working with TF2’s assets… as other mappers feel, it’s truly a unique game to map for. I think it’s especially easy to get hooked on mapping for TF2, because of the great community support as well as the support on Valve’s part, adding things into the game code to enable more unusual variants on gameplay.

How long, from idea creation to finalizing, did Yukon take, roughly?

MangyCarface: If I recall correctly, Yukon specifically was begun as part of a contest on ETF2L’s part, at a time when good quality 5CP maps were still a bit rare. The layout probably took around 2 weeks’ time, just setting up the basic brushwork and making it functional. I wasn’t able to get as much playtesting as I wanted, and started to detail right away. That probably took 3 or 4 weeks… I remember powering through spring break after going back home. After detailing it, I was able to get some playtesting through the IRC channels, et al, to make changes even after submitting to the contest I originally planned to enter. Eventually though, my interest in it faded until receiving contact from Valve. After that I spent another 2 or 3 weeks to add some polish to the map. so maybe over the course of 6 months-ish? Not that I spent that whole time on it.

When exactly did Valve contact you in relation to when the map was released? The model contributors seemed to receive absolutely no warning they were having their creations added in.

MangyCarface: I think the process is a bit different for models, but in my case it was probably 2 or 3 weeks prior to the update to get some legal stuff out of the way while I was polishing up. The paperwork was done by 7/28 and then the Classless Update came out on the 13th of the next month. Getting the paperwork to my fellow mapper and the material artist for Yukon, Ace, was a bit tricky since he’s in Sweden, and then we were between updates so I think it was just coincidence that it took a few weeks.

When designing Yukon, what kind of balance issues did you face or have to deal with?

MangyCarface: Yukon is a map that still struggles at the moment, and has a few issues that have been hard to address. When detailing, I realized I’d made a dumb layout mistake in terms of optimization and geometry and had to patch it up with the sliding door between 2 and 1. And throughout the map’s development I’ve debated about the middle point. Many feel it would play better were it higher on the bridge, but it’s hard to make a decision like that. Also, in earlier versions, having only 2 routes between 2 and 3 was causing stalemates which I thought wouldn’t have been a problem based on the 2ish entrances to granary yard. But without a yard, the gameplay’s quite different, so I ended up adding a path that to this day I’m not quite satisfied with. I also have a good list of suggested improvements from Jaeger et al. such as a path from below CP1 up to the hut next to it

What part did Ace play in the creation of Yukon? And did anyone else help at all?

MangyCarface: Ace was very helpful in fulfilling material requests. We were kind of both working with maps at the same time, and originally Yukon was to be snowy, but I ended up liking his darker grey textures so much as to switch tracks to along those lines. I think many of the materials he made are commonly used now within the mapping community. As for other help… well, as always, my home community 2F2F and friends there were great help in terms of getting constant pub playtesting, but I also had friends in ETF2L and stateside helping me get tests of varying quality in the 6v6 environment. Many of whose suggestions influenced the map’s changes, and TF2maps.net was useful for stylization criticism among others

If you were given the opportunity, would you want to continue working on Yukon for official tweaks?

MangyCarface: Yes, I think Valve lets community mappers update their maps if needed. As soon as I clear some space in my schedule I’d like to make some tweaks.

What resources can you recommend for someone who wants to get into mapping or wants to map in TF2?

MangyCarface: The first thing they’ll want to do is register at TF2maps.net, undeniably the best resource for TF2 mapping. I also contribute to a group blog which isn’t as often updated as it ought be but, nodraw.net has some neat articles on the matter. It’s best to begin with the mindset that you don’t want to try to make your magnum opus with your first map, just practice, practice practice, and learn from your mistakes. If you hit a block where it seems boring or too hard to go on, step back and re-evaluate, and if you don’t enjoy the actual process of mapping, perhaps it’s just not your thing- I wouldn’t advise anyone to sink the hundreds of hours into a hobby they won’t enjoy.

If there was one big tip you could pass on about mapping for TF2, what would it be?

MangyCarface: Type tf into the keywords field in the material browser. HL2 textures are a no-go, it’s the #1 most common mistake made I find.

Are you going to make more maps and try to get them into TF2?

MangyCarface: Well, let’s see. I’ve probably made a dozen by now, and just won a TF2maps contest for my CTF map. I’m working on the artpass challenge at the moment and hope to bring something appealing to the table, though I have mixed feelings about the whole thing. So, in short, yes!

Do you think it’s wise for mappers to design their maps to emphasise on comp play, or is it good to keep things relatively balanced between comp and pub?

MangyCarface: I like to think perfect map design works across all player counts, but none of us are perfect so it’s good to set goals when you begin a map. Target audience might be a good goal to have in mind. Either way, I believe mappers should be open to the idea of how their map might play at the 6v6 level, and although being a good player does not make one good at layouts, there are definitely good people out there in the competitive community to consult about gameplay.

Thanks for the interview!

MangyCarface: My pleasure.

Lessons Learnt:
-Try to test your map with a variety of audiences, to ensure it works on both pub and comp levels of play.
-Don’t use HL2 textures for a TF2 map, as they do not fit in with the style well.
-Don’t be afraid to consult competitive players for gameplay related information, they will help you pinpoint exactly what problems your map may have.

…And there’s the story behind Yukon. Join us next time when I shall interview JoshuaC, the maker of Watchtower.

When I was still fairly new to the game, I only had a loose idea of what maps did what. Badlands and Badwater Basin got lumped in with Dustbowl in my mind, and I often paid the price in headshots for my ignorance. How then, I thought, would I learn the maps without getting killed? Hopping from server to server hoping to join in a curb-stomping was a haphazard solution, often resulting in meeting the wrong side of some Birkenstock Bacon. My only option was improving my survivability in a map with clearly defined sight lines. In browsing the “simplified list” (Realize that, at the time, I had no idea how to find or connect to a specific server) I found a map simply called “Orange_3x”, proclaiming “100% CRITS”. It was something new, and would most certainly be entertaining for a few minutes, at least.

The next hour was one of the most frenzied of my gaming career.

I was on the RED team, rolling Medic. I had not developed any aiming skills as of yet, TF2 being my first authentic online experience. The appearance of a Medic on such a map was apparently most unusual, but my team welcomed the assist. BLU had captured all but the final point, barely held off by a constant barrage of explosions, with the kill-counter zooming by too quickly to be of use. I held back, charging an Uber, while enterprising Demomen took advantage of the overheal to jump to the monolithic mid-cap that dominated the map. I can only assume that they were successful, as the Sniper fire and sticky bombs began to thin out. Eventually the second CP was ours once more, and I had to force myself into the line of fire. Time after time, I was shot, bombed, fragged, and occasionally stabbed. The omniscient fear of critical shots turned the round into another game entirely, where rocket jumps and massed charges gave way to ambush and feints. The Ubercharge signified the arrival of Hell on Earth, often denying even the option of retreat to our foes.

Servers with ubiquitous criticals are infuriating to most players. Any class with rapid-fire capability can dominate the field, save the Heavy Weapons Guy. Most classes slower than average are killed almost immediately, denied the advantages of durability. Despite the obvious issues of class balance and mapping problems, servers with 100% criticals provide vital advantages in survivability training and forward planning. These are particularly helpful as a Medic, but all classes can take advantage of such advice.

Be alert

Firstly, players quickly learn to judge events happening all over the screen. While a player on a vanilla server would learn to spot counter-classes and enemy support classes, 100% critical servers taught me the importance of the background. If there is a pitched battle at the middle CP, instinct and camaraderie tell the player to join the dog-pile. I have often found that it is a better tactical move to move past the mosh pit to strike enemy reinforcements focused on the mob ahead of them. In PLR_Pipeline, for instance, the tunnel where the bomb tracks meet hold stairways that allow access to the opponents’ staging area. Attacking the informal conga line has a more lasting effect, and it’s harder for opponents to target the flanking team and hold the tunnel effectively.

Be surprising

Secondly, players learn common ambush techniques. Certain pieces of map geography imprint into the player’s mind, developing a much-needed knack for feints, workarounds, and counter-ambushes. Take, for example, the second CP on Dustbowl, phase 1. While the corridor leading to the point (to the right and up, from the CP) provides ample cover and workspace for enterprising Engineers, it is just as easy for the defending team to prepare for an onslaught from that corridor, preparing a counter-ambush on the platform just outside. With a bit of warning, a defender could jam the gate open long enough for a sweeper team to clean out the corridor. Speaking more generally, maps that have one or two grand entrances to each area (such as 2Fort, the opening points on Gravel Pit, and in certain cases Doublecross) have players that use the same set of ambush points. Such static thinking can be ruthlessly punished by sacrificing default tactical options for play that is tailored to the trap itself. In 2Fort, for example, the small aperture just beside the sewer entrance is a classic spy hideout, frequently purged by alert defenders. Knowing where a player will look grants knowledge of where they will not, allowing for unusual sticky traps and ambush points.

Heavies, Pyros and other common ambushers are less able to abuse these habits due to the difficulty of slipping such obvious threats under the radar. Such players should instead abuse blind spots in the enemy’s routes of advance. In CTF_Doublecross, for example, enterprising Heavies noting heavy traffic on the bridge may make a career out of “H-Bombing runs”, dropping from the upper bridge to the catwalks below to ambush the cowards that seek the safety of sewage. The new-found mobility of sentries allows for a fairly dynamic response to defensive needs, as popular routes of advance can be shut down as needed, channeling enemy flankers into more accessible fields.

Be creative

Thirdly, 100% critical servers teach the player to take whatever path is offered in order to advance. It was quite a feat in Orange_3x to advance from point to point, and the wide-open nature of the map forced me to look to my teammates for more esoteric forms of cover. If several friendly attackers broke to the right, then focus would be off of the left side of the field. Taking account of the enemy’s perception of the field and where they commonly hit allow other options to make themselves known. Once again, 2Fort provides an excellent example: there are two general routes of advance, barring the air. Players may attempt to charge the bridge itself, or go underneath and attempt to convert the sewers into a forward base. Such tactics often result in stalemates due to poor distribution of effort. A forward base in the sewer is bad, yes, but it is containable. It is preferable to an Engineer pod in front of one’s own base. If I, as a Soldier in 2Fort, held down TAB to see how many players were on each team, I could make a good guess at the ratio of “sewer workers” to total players. Light traffic would warrant a sweeper team to clean out the sewer, but if half the server is underground then taking to the air is a clever, safe way to infiltrate the enemy base. Likewise, if a single route of advance in Dustbowl was being used by the attackers, the defenders would be well-served to use the other routes as staging areas and ambush points.

Critical servers were designed with the intent to unbalance the game, tilting the odds in favor of the team that adapted to a game that prized fluid response and excellent awareness of the battlefield. In one sense it can be used to develop empathy, learning how an enemy would respond to several common strategies and what it would take to break a stubborn hardpoint. The lack of teamwork common to such maps can be profited from as well. Chaotic attempts to advance tend to repeat themselves, allowing a vital testing ground for ambush techniques. Lastly, the lethal nature of 100% critical servers forces the player to scan unusual places for threats, translating into an opportunistic zeal for shortcuts and distractions in a more team-oriented environment. So next time you leave a server after a loss, consider joining a crit-happy server, and learn from that which cannot be taught: chaos.

Special thanks goes to Tygrys for the picture making, and to the Orange_X “community” for being obtuse.

In this installment of How It’s Done, I interviewed Icarus, the creator of Coldfront, the community map included with the Engineer update and the first official non-valve map to use the snow theme.

How did you get into mapping?

Icarus: I’ve always had an interest in making games. When I was younger I’d used to make games on paper or with legos to play with my brother and friends. The first mapping ‘program’ I’ve ever touched was for Westwood’s original Red Alert for the PC. Over time, I’ve dabbled a bit in starcraft’s intuitive world editor and Duke Nukem 3D’s Build editor. I’ve even made a couple of primitive rail shooter games with flash. When TF2 came out, I was just captivated by how deep the game was, and how artfully done the worlds were. It wasnt until Steel went official (Heavy Update) that I thought maybe I could try my hand in it, too. I really hadn’t seriously mapped until TF2 rolled around, everything before that was probably closer to dabbling.

How long, from idea to finalizing, did Coldfront take to make?

Icarus: It started with one of TF2M.net’s minicontests. At the time though, I was already in a mood to make a 5CP map, so I designed my two entries to actually look like they might be in one, and leave an opportunity for me to stitch them together at a later time. I didn’t really start development until the Comp CTF contest started. Since then it’s been an on-again off-again process as I made some changes and waited for it to be tested. The cycle was a little slower than I’d liked it to be, but the last map I made (Vector) was tested pretty much everyday. It wouldn’t sit very well with the community that tests my maps. I’ve always had Coldfront’s general theme and playstyle in mind though, it’s not like I made it up as I went along.

When designing Coldfront, what sort of problems did you have regarding layout and balance? For example, wide open maps cater to snipers and scouts, whereas enclosed maps suit pyros and engineers.

Icarus: It seems like I tend to overcompensate for snipers myself. i.e. I worry too much about them. The biggest problem I thought I had was that sightlines were too powerful, especially in the mid point. After a few tests though, I learned that snipers, for the most part, don’t need to be dealt with. Optimization is probably the biggest demon in Coldfront though. As much as I would have loved to, I just can’t make the map as wide and open as I’d like to. It might be because some of the art decisions I’ve made, and it’s also probably why maps like Badwater and Thunder Mountain look quite plain in contrast to tighter maps. 5CP maps in particular are very intricate and require a lot more planning and thought than I initially thought. The way that both teams can make a push complicates things. What I think TF2’s push-style maps does very well is way it varies the level of action between every point. The slow capture times for mid points are necessary help make the initial clash more fun. The extremely fast capture times for final points are needed to prevent stalemates, especially as it’s almost always right next to the spawn room. A stalemate to me feels worse than actually losing the match. This is why the engineer can be such a nuisance. I kind of regret making coldfront all indoors, though. I haven’t stopped hearing complaints about soldiers and demomen.

Did you recieve any help with Coldfront from anyone? If so, what specifically did they do?

Icarus: I don’t think it would’ve been possible to do it without any help. I believe one of the most important parts of the development process is through testing and feedback. From random strangers, from a close-knit community, from other mappers/artists. I had help from them all. For Coldfront in particular, there have been a few who have helped in an exemplary way. The most notable was Flame. I met flame mid-development, around the time I was nearing the Beta phase. He helped me get a competitive viewpoint on the map, and withstood sharp criticism as he organized innumerable playtesting sessions and feedback from the competitive community. Once Coldfront was up to snuff around the Release Candidate phase, he helped me get it accepted into several competitive events, including ESEA Season 6. I seriously can not thank him enough for his help. Others have helped too. Seeing as I don’t have any modelling abilities, I had to get help from a few other friends I knew. Selentic helped modify a valve prop so it could be fitted in, as well as the snow on the rooftops outside. In the rooftop case, a model would have been the only way to make it look decent. Void made a couple of posters for me without even me asking. I loved his ‘Icarus Airlines’ poster so much that I just had to put it in. YM made the deer head trophy for the mid point, but it was already done as a part or the swamp pack. Getting help from friends and others is absolutely necessary. You might need to do quite a bit of legwork and networking to find them but it’s worth it.

What resources can you recommend for those trying to get into mapping, or trying to learn the TF2 style?

Icarus: The Valve Developer wiki for sure. It has everything you need to get started, including a straightforward “your first map” tutorial. TF2Maps.Net also has a massive archive of user-written tutorials for almsot every aspect of mapping. There is Boojum’s Ultimate Resource Pack on TF2M as well. It includes an updated FGD (hammer files) as well as some handy prefabs. I wouldn’t recommend using prefabs until you’ve built it yourself though. its a good way to learn how things are done, but you’re going to end up in deep trouble if all you do is copy paste parts into your own map. Here are some links:

• The Valve Wiki’s TF2 Level Creation page
• TF2Maps’ tutorials
• TF2Maps’ mapping resource pack

Oh, and one more thing, for more advanced users. There is this awesome optimization guide out there, that outlines everything you need to know about Source Optimization in detail. A must read before you start any serious map, once you get the hang of hammer.
I know reading isnt everyone’s thing though, I just spent most of my time experimenting in hammer. It’s almost assured that your first map will be bad, so there’s no point in worrying about it if it is.

If there one big tip you could pass on about mapping for TF2, what would that tip be?

Icarus: Paper. Pencil. Nothing is more important than pre-planning the map with sketches and doodles. It really lets you see the map as a whole, and make wild changes on the fly without worrying about hammer. It helps prevent ‘Mapper’s Block’ and your ideas will look more original. You can’t just go into hammer and make a map. You need to be ready to make one.

Are you going to make more maps and try to get them into TF2?

Icarus: At this moment I’m a lot more interested in Alien Swarm. I’ve been mapping for TF2 for some two odd years and I find it really refreshing to work on something new. I don’t want to say what I will be making for Alien Swarm, but (in my mind) it’s going to be crazy.

Thankyou very much for the interview.

Icarus: No problem. Thanks for running these interviews.

Lessons Learnt:
-Try to have your map playtested as much as possible. This will allow you to get the necessary feedback to improve the map with from the audiences you want to cater to.
-Optimization is key. Remember that the bigger the map is, the less detailed it can be before it starts causing performance problems.
-Don’t overuse prefabs. Otherwise, you won’t learn the skills needed to make your own.
-Don’t be afraid to rely on other people for certain things. A map can easily be a collaborative effort, just be sure to give credit where it’s due.

And that’s the story behind Coldfront. Join us next time when I shall be interviewing Mangycarface, the creator of Yukon.

On CTF_Convoy, I was rolling as a Direct Hit soldier due to my recent drop in ping time. Upon crossing the gantry leading to the enemy missile platform, I saw a Demoman, Scout and Sniper on the upper gantry near the front of the RED platform. The Demo fell in a single shot, and the Sniper followed shortly after. The Scout, oddly, stood still. Shock at his teammates’ demise paralyzed him for the second it took to ready his detonation. My thoughts drifted to Operation Desert Storm, where the US Army, foregoing a textbook war of attrition, initiated several smaller strikes affecting several different functions of Kuwait’s military, political, and intelligence capability. Much like that poor Scout, the remaining fighters could do little more than watch as the Coalition Forces took command of the state infrastructure.

Rapid Dominance, the guiding theory behind Shock and Awe, focuses on affecting the perceptions of the opponent, sapping their will to fight. Rapid Dominance requires decent knowledge of the map one is on and some manner of teamwork, but when done right, turns formerly difficult or impossible objectives into realistic goals. In order to establish Rapid Dominance, the team needs coordination and technique more than sheer twitch aim and low ping time, something that can take time and effort to prepare.

Let’s take Gravel Pit as our first example. The two control points available at the start afford attackers with opportunities for misdirection unheard of on most maps. We will assume that RED team (the defending team) knows that Point B is easier to defend than Point A, and so concentrates their defenses on Point A. The RED team assumes that once Point B falls, a concentrated assault on A is inbound. Rapid Dominance seeks to paralyze the enemy by defying its expectations. The first and most obvious expectation is that every attacker will head for Point A when spawned, heading through the spawn hallway. This can be subverted by setting up an offensive base in an unusual but defensive location near the point. The valley under Point B and the surrounding environs provide ample build space for Engineers. Hidden teleporters, preferably more than one, will give flankers opportunities to attack. At best, however, it will panic the defenders, rendering them unable to choose priority targets and distracting them from the high and holy duty of spy checking. If the Engineers note that their teleporters are consistently being attacked, building a single exit can draw off defenders before a major push.

This strategy carries over to other maps as well. In Granary, sentry placement acts as much as a rally flag as it does a defensive tool. A level 3 sentry is a symbol of team dominance in an area, and assassinating that building, even if no one else died, disheartens the defense. In that instant, the offense has a chance to attack with redoubled ferocity. Kamikaze attacks on Engineers will at the very least delay the defenders’ recovery until the cavalry arrives. With their sentries down, masses of attackers pouring into the area firing rockets in every direction, only the most steel-jawed or inexperienced of players would retreat.

Rapid Dominance depends on altering the enemy’s perception of the battlefield, destroying their symbols and leaders instead of fighting a war of attrition. If there is a level 3 sentry controlling an area, destroying it will dishearten the enemy. If one or two players are coordinating the enemy’s efforts, counter-classes should be sent in with the aim of scoring a domination. Domination, like sentry destruction, alters the player’s sense of the battlefield. Revenge enters into their equations, and the resulting priority change can be taken advantage of.

Take 2fort as an example. As a Direct Hit soldier, one could repeatedly rocket jump up to the battlements and blow the Super Samurai Sniper Squad to hell. Once dominations are accrued, the designated Aussie-troller can then draw fire on the bridge, distracting the average Weighted Companion Sniper not only from his own kind across the field, but from Medics, Demomen, and Engineers looking to lock down the entrance to the fort.

Payload is perhaps the most difficult game mode in which to assert rapid dominance. The defense knows with certainty where you are, where you came from, and where you will go. In Badwater Basin, a heavily defended rooftop above Checkpoint 2 could hold up the bomb for more than five minutes. In this case, only altering the method of advance can unnerve the enemy. A consistent influx of Spies, preferably with the Dead Ringer, will confuse, frustrate, and distract the Engineers. What if, suddenly, five or six Spies, sappers and pocket watches in hand, ambushed the Engineers with no other objective but to sap? They would all die at the hands of a competent Pyro, but by that time a Soldier or a Demoman would have arrived, courtesy of the Spies distracting the pyromaniacal doorwarden. From a pure gameplay perspective this strategy is ridiculous, but human error and panic is the core of Rapid Dominance. Subverting enemy expectations and exploiting the resulting confusion can yield extraordinary success.

To review, rapid dominance uses speed, coordination, and map knowledge to subvert the enemy’s expectations, then exploits the resulting confusion to destroy key targets, such as sentries, coordinating players, or support classes. The enemy, disheartened, confused, and at a serious tactical disadvantage, has no other option but defeat.

Special thanks to this article go to Tygrys, for his GMod mastery, and to confused Scouts everywhere for donating Dominations.

I just want to take a moment to say thanks to everyone who has been supporting the How It’s Done series. Originally it started out as a small venture into the world of modelling for the convenience of the readers, and it’s gradually turned into a big thing. I’ll get this out of the way as quick as I can, and just say that I want to thank these guys:

-The community contributors who have been the basis to this series and provided valuable information to the community.

-Robin Walker and the TF2 Team for their incredible support through the blog and emails about recruitment (this was prior to the blog post, thanks guys!).

-The Official Team Fortress Wiki for providing reference material and pictures.

-Pilk and Swizzle, for posting on various community forums to recruit contributors I couldn’t get in touch with.

-And you guys, the readers. Without your support this series wouldn’t have got as far as it has, and hopefully you’ll continue to enjoy the next instalments.

That’s everything, so without further ado, here is the latest interview for your viewing pleasure.

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In this instalment of How It’s Done, I have interviewed Swizzle, the creator of the Pain Train. The Pain Train was unveiled in the first wave of community contributed weapons, unique for its capture rate-affecting ability.

How did you get into Modelling?

Swizzle: My first exposure to 3D modeling was in about 2000. My sister’s then-boyfriend showed me his copy of Bryce 3D, and it piqued my interest. Before that, I thought that only movie studios could do the things that I suddenly had access to. I didn’t get serious about 3D until about five years ago when I discovered CGTalk and other computer graphics forums online. After that, I got more and more into practicing and getting involved in the community. This is how I eventually ended up stumbling onto Polycount. I’d heard of Polycount through people on CGTalk, and even visited there a few times, but I didn’t really start participating for another year or two. I mostly lurked and learned from all the amazing stuff I saw constantly posted there.

What software packages/tools do you use?

Swizzle: I use Modo and Mudbox for the 3D stage of things and Photoshop for texturing. I’d like to stress, just as Larolaro did, that the tools aren’t important. A lot of people ask what the best tool to use is, and the only answer to that comes via your own practice and experience. I’ve seen people make amazing things with every 3D package out there, so you’re really only limited by your skills and your imagination. Just like in more traditional media such as pen and paper, paint or clay, it all comes down to familiarity with your tools and how you use them, but not the tools themselves.

Roughly how long did the entire process of creating the Pain Train take, from idea to finalization?

Swizzle: I’d had the initial idea for quite a while, and I’d even tried my hand at making the model a couple of times before, but I didn’t really make something I was satisfied with until I sat down for an hour or so and doodled on paper to come up with a good design. From there, it was a few hours modeling (and refining the model) and then a couple more for texturing. Getting it into the engine was a massive pain, though, especially since (at the time) I was unfamiliar with the process used to import models into Source. The initial import process took about two days to get right, and I promptly forgot everything because my personal life got in the way.

When designing the Pain Train, did you ever have any idea about what attributes it would have, or did you know not to design it with them in mind?

Swizzle: When I first designed and modeled the Pain Train, it was actually about a year before the contribution system had even been announced, so I was actually only interested in making something that looked cool and tought me the basics of working with weapon models in Source. After I learned about the contribution system, I went ahead and submitted it, but I decided that I probably couldn’t come up with something better than Valve. Thus, I only submitted it with a short note saying I thought it would probably work well as a demo/soldier weapon and left it at that.

Do you think Valve handled your submission well? The Pain Train, being the only capture rate affecting item, is a unique addition and an asset in a Soldier or Demoman’s arsenal.

Swizzle: Personally, I think Valve handled it fantastically. They came up with a unique gameplay mechanic (that I know hadn’t even crossed my mind before I heard about it) and I’m glad it’s actually a viable weapon to use in a variety of situations. That said, I do wish they’d add some attribute that would make it useful in modes like Capture the Flag.

Would you have liked to have had more influence on how the Pain Train turned out, had you know it was going to be included?

Swizzle: While I do have a streak of perfectionism running through me, I can’t think of any way that I could have helped beyond the modeling/texturing side of things. I don’t have access to all the information and statistics that Valve collects on player habits, so I wouldn’t have been able to make a useful contribution to the gameplay design process. I think the only thing I would’ve changed about the process of getting the Pain Train in the game is actually getting a notification from somebody at Valve, or even an automated system, that said “Hey, congratulations. The Pain Train made it in!”. The only way I learned that my item had been included in the first community update was through a message from a friend on a forum I frequent, since I didn’t have access to the game at the time.

What resources can you recommend for somebody trying to get into modelling, or wanting to model in the TF2 style?

Swizzle: I would recommend to anybody interested in modeling that they get some 3D package RIGHT NOW and start playing with it. Blender is a high quality, free 3D package that’s made a lot of big strides in the past year or so, especially in regards to usability, so it’s good for people just starting out. If Blender turns out to not be your thing, try out demo versions of other software. As I said before, it’s the artist and their skills that matter, not the tools. Beyond 3D packages, though, I’d suggest drawing and sculpting using traditional media. With artistic skill in place, 3D is nothing more than learning a new set of tools to make art with. As for working in the TF2 style, I’d recommend simply taking the time to load up some levels in TF2 and walk around looking at everything. Observation is key to any sort of art, so learning what goes into the artistic style of TF2 is paramount to making something that looks like it belongs. If somebody is really committed to making something good, start posting work on forums like CGTalk, Polycount, Game-Artist.net, GameArtisans.org, the TF2Maps.net forums and anywhere else they can find. Feedback and critiques are key to developing your skills, so go to those places to get help.

If there was one key tip you could pass on to someone trying to model or texture in the TF2 style, what would it be?

Swizzle: The silhouette is king. If your item, hat, weapon, character, model or map doesn’t read well with just large shapes and no inner detail, you need to work on it further. Valve designed the characters and items in TF2 to be read from a distance, and that all goes out the window with poor planning. Good planning leads to good designs, and the best designs read well from a distance. This is because reading those silhouettes is crucial to gameplay. Lighting conditions, angles and movements change in-game, but the only thing that doesn’t is the overall silhouette of an item. If you can tell what it is from just the silhouette, you’ve done something right.

Is there any interesting trivia you can share about the Pain Train at all?

Swizzle: Well, the stuff in the TF2 wiki about it being the discarded handle of an Axtinguisher and the name coming from a line delivered by a horribly drunken demoman are both ideas completely coined by people in the community. I think that’s pretty funny, but very creative.

What is it exactly, just to set the record straight: Just a makeshift handle with a railroad spike through it?

Swizzle: It’s exactly what it looks like. A big ol’ stick with a big ol’ spike. There’s another thing that aspiring weapon designers should take note of; it’s an extremely simple idea. Simplicity is a key element of a good design.

Do you think the Polycount contest was a good idea on Valve’s part, and do you think it’s possible a second one or something similiar could happen?

Swizzle: I think it was a great idea, and I hope they have other contests like it in the future. The Artpass contest over at TF2Maps is a good example. I hope other game companies take a hint and get their respective communities involved into the process of making games. As for the possibility of more of them happening, I think it’s just inevitable.

Was ‘The Pain Train’ the weapon’s original name, or something Valve conjured up?

Swizzle: I actually submitted it as the Pain Train. I’m completely convinced, though, that the note I included with the submission was the only thing that led them to keeping the name. It said, simply, “The Pain Train’s a-comin! Woo woo!”

Thanks for the interview.

Swizzle: It was a pleasure.

Lessons Learnt:

-The tools used by others are not the most important thing, so much as how well you can familiarize yourself with them. Experiment with various software and find what’s right for you.
-Visit a wide variety of sites and resources to look at other people’s projects, find guides and recieve critique for your own work.
-View your model as a silhouette and apply it to existing class silhouettes. This will help you see whether it can easily be identified at a distance, like a lot of Valve’s weapons.

…and there’s the knowledge behind the Pain Train. Join us next time for a slightly different topic, as we dive into mapmaking and interview Icarus, the creator of Coldfront.

Ok, to begin with, I strongly recommend that you take some deep, calming breaths. The picture you are about to see (Or has caught your eye already) can invoke massive amounts of terror and disgust, and therefore being in a calm state of mind is recommended. I strongly urge you to suppress any desire to smash things or stab your eyes out, despite the untold horrors that you may consider to lie below. Right, are you ready? Here goes…

Yes, that’s me playing Team Fortress 2. With a joypad.

Allow me to explain. To start with, no, I’m not going to try and argue that a joypad is far superior to a mouse and keyboard when it comes to methods of control. I’d be wrong if I tried to, because a mouse and keyboard does allow for a greater deal of precision, allows for faster reactions and responses, and generally can do more than a joypad ever could. Sure, I consider joypads to be precise and effective to an extent, but they aren’t in the same league as the trusty mouse and keyboard combination. So, no to that… What this is really about is certain other factors that are important, to me especially; Familiarity, comfort, and fun.

You see, I’ve never been the biggest PC gamer. I’ve dabbled in it over the years, for sure, but when it came to playing games I just always picked the consoles for no other reason than… Well, I just did. So over the years my skill with a joypad has risen, whilst the skill and ability in using a mouse and keyboard passed me by. It’s only really with Team Fortress 2 that I’ve really started playing PC games, and with this event came situations whereupon people destroyed me by deftly flicking their fingers over the keys, whilst I wondered why I couldn’t find the letter “R” all of a sudden. And whilst I’ve learnt over time to master the system, and continue to do so, I still remain at the point where I’m more comfortable with a joypad in my sweaty palms… Years of experience will do that to you.

The fact the computer I play TF2 is also placed on a desk which is just cluttered by nature meant I often found myself constantly shifting things about, just to give the mouse some space to try and kick ass with. So recently, after dying yet again to a guy with his hands fused to his keyboard and mouse after years of use, I thought “Screw this” and plugged the joypad in. Now, I laze about on my bed, know exactly what button is where and what it does, and are having more fun with the game than I have in a long while. Yes, I still tend to die a lot to the PC elite – just last night a medic bobbed and weaved right in front of my soldier and shot him with relative ease – but in some ways my joypad experience in comparison to my M+K experience means I’m actually doing better. I even got a few dominations last night, which in my world is a rare and wondrous thing. Besides, who cares about dying if the fun is there? It certainly was for me.

The choice is yours…

Anyway, enough of a personal monologue from me, I think. You may be asking why I’m putting up such a defence for the joypad anyway, and why I suggested at the start of this article that people might be trying to kill me. Indeed, you may be one of those future murderers yourself, and wondering why you feel that way. Well, you see, there’s a ton of hate towards joypads in comparison to the keyboard and mouse, because the latter is considered just to be better. I came across some of this hate when trying to get the joypad working, and asked myself – Why? Why are you even trying to press your method of control onto myself and others? It’s clear the people asking in those threads want to use joypads, whatever their reason may be – Fun, comfort, whatever. Smashing them down for not using the “Pro” choice seems pointless, and if anything, you should encourage it if you believe the joypad user will become easy pickings in a fight. Yet despite these facts, people have (And always will) try to press their choices on to others, and that’s a shame.

So come on, people. Give joypads a break. We may not be as cool as you, but perhaps that’s just the way we like it.

I’ll be brutally honest. I really have no idea how to start this one. This is always something that bugs me whenever I sit down to write something; how do you interest your audience whilst having it not sound inappropriate, without simply using “I’ll get right down to it”? Maybe I’m just obsequious to form, but heck with that, I really have no idea where to begin.

/lampshading

Anyway, there have been a few bits about TF2 nibbling at my ankles, some for quite a while, and some just recently coming into play. Whilst they’re not super important, they’re certainly things I’d like to see added, perhaps with an option to turn them off (although I don’t see why you’d ever want them off, unlike the dingalings).

______________________________________________________________________________

Frontier Justice crit activation

This one is fairly recent, given the weapon I’m talking about.
What I want is an action that allows you to toggle on/off any crits you’ve earned for the Justice, using mouse2 (or whatever weird key you have bound to +attack2, you nerd). It’s not a terribly huge deal, but (for example) sometimes I want to take a couple of potshots at enemies far away without wasting my crits, given that there’s less reasons around to use the Luger nowadays…

How it would work: This would start as normal – you’d have crits for your shotgun whenever you’ve earned them, but if you hit mouse2, they’ll shut off until you click it again.

______________________________________________________________________________

Invisibility and Dead Ringer icons

Spy is the one class where I always have viewmodels on. This is not to help time melee hits; rather, it’s because I don’t use the class icons on my fairly toasty HUD, and the only way to assure whether you have invisibility on is with the cloak bar, which is odd with the C&D.

Not only that, but I’d like a way to determine whether I have my Dead Ringer out or not, if I so choose to play without viewmodels.

How it would work: Perhaps have the cloak meter glow when you are fully invisible, and have a little cross on it when you’re only semi-invisible? Apart from that, have a Dead Ringer icon next to it whenever you have yours out, and perhaps just an outline when you don’t.

This may be a little confusing for new players though, so I’d just add it as a command that’s off by default.

______________________________________________________________________________

Syringe count

It’s just a pet peeve, but I’m someone who uses syringes a fair lot when they actually DO play Medic, blutsauger included.

I also, however, like to heal as much as possible for my charge, so sometimes I’m not so sure if I’ve reloaded yet before hitting a target with the beam. So…

How it would work: Show the syringe count, no matter which weapon you have out. Maybe keep the uber meter permanently on too.

______________________________________________________________________________

Grids for Engineers

This is slightly harder to do. In essence, I often find myself spending a second or two more than I’d like aligning my buildings to things like a corner, or just on a cliff, of sorts.

So , you could have the Engineer automatically align his building to the ledge or against the wall in a gridlike section, but the trouble lies with when you want it set diagonally, or don’t want it perfectly on edge.

How it would work: I think it would be handy to have an option that allows this ability. Just a simple console command to give people the choice, off by default, and with which they can script without having to add something silly to the game like +attack3 or +alt2 or anything.

______________________________________________________________________________

Glowing bars for items that recharge

Take Jarate, or Bonk, or even the Sandvich now. While the “ding” it makes is a nice touch, sometimes you miss it. Sometimes the bar glitches out and shows that it’s full regardless of the fact that you just used the item.

So here’s a little idea I had: make the bar that shows how far it’s recharged glimmer for a second when you’re fully charged. This would apply to Bonk!, the Sandman, the Banner, stickies, the Targe, the Sandvich, ubers, Jarate, and the spy watches; a sizable portion of weapons.

How it would work: Just a blink of light, maybe a second or so in duration. Alternatively, make the bar turn a different color like green, or make it blink green.

______________________________________________________________________________

They’re not very big issues, I’ll admit, but to paraphrase Mr. Croshaw, the niggly little bits in a game which one plays a lot come back to annoy you.

I’ll agree, it’s probably best not to complicate things too much. The thing is, sometimes it’s better to just have a console command for those people who don’t want/need such options, as keeping them out of the multiplayer advanced menu makes it simpler for new players. Some of them, such as the item recharge bar glowing, don’t really need this, while some (like the Engineer grid) do, if there’s any chance at all some people don’t want them.

Anyway, part II will be here at some point. For the time being, anyone got any little things they think would be a good addition to TF2?

sometimes I want to take a couple of potshots at enemies far away without wasting my crits, given that there’s less reason to use the Luger nowadays.

Here’s a thought; no matter the amount of class updates that roll out, and no matter what shiny treats they may contain, we all know what the true issue at hand is and always will be – the hunt for hats. You see, most (if not all) of the carnage and effort that takes place in TF2 is done in the hope of gaining one of these elusive objects, and when a hat finally falls into your possession it is a joyous occasion indeed… Well, most of the time, because some hats are just really awful. The sight of then popping up in your inventory for the first time is quickly followed by actual tears of sorrow, and to wear these hats is to show to all that everything cool and groovy in hat world is out of your grasp. Which hats am I talking about when I say this? Well, these ones, of course…

The Scotsman’s stove pipe

I begin here because this hat is, annoyingly, the only ‘rare’ hat that I actually have. So what’s my issue with it? Well, it’s the fact that it looks almost exactly likea hat that is the most common of them all – The Ghastly Gibus. Practically everyone has one, the vast majority wear one, and as a result of this the Gibus now has no unique appeal, and has actually become rather boring to see perched on someone’s head. So when you see the silhouette of a top hat now, there’s the instant assumption is that it’s just another boring Gibus – Even if it’s a stove pipe. Ugh.

Sure, you can argue the hats are different in some ways, but let’s face it – You’re not going to do a detailed analysis of what’s on someone’s head in the middle of a warzone full of explosions and bullets, and you’ll be too busy raging at your death to pay attention to what your teammates are wearing during the long wait to respawn. So screw you, Mr. Stove pipe, for looking totally boring all the time. I hate you.

Mining Light / Trophy Belt

These two hats share a similar issue to that of the stove pipe, but in fact could be regarded as even worse, because these hats look dangerously similar to what the engineer and the sniper wear by default anyway, and these ‘default’ hats are the most boring headgear of all. Yet the fact there are some notable differences that can actually be considered rather neat, and the fact I don’t actually have a deep and overbearing hatred towards these pieces of headgear, mean I’m putting them separately. Yet these hats can also help raise a decent point – what’s with these tiny cosmetic changes anyway?

Part of the deep and mysterious appeal behind obtaining a hat is the fact it can make your character look cooler, or raises a laugh when you see yourself taunting, or doing something similar that shows off your dapper good looks in full glory. Yet these hats achieve nothing of the sort, and even if a certain appeal can be drawn from them, you’re going to have to be looking for it when everything moves around at a frantic pace. In the end, absurdity and madness are what we want, and these hats just lack the punch and uniqueness to pull such a thing off.

Ritzy Rick’s hair fixative

…Or Texas Slim’s dome shine. Or Baseball Bill’s Sports Shine. I think you can see where I’m going with this, and it’s going towards this point – They aren’t even hats! Not only that, but they look rubbish, and (In my personal opinion) actually make their respective characters look worse than they do normally. Perhaps you can see where Valve was going with the logic behind these hats at the time – it’s the great reveal behind what each of these characters were hiding behind their original headgear! Their ACTUAL HAIRSTYLE! Like, zomg. Yet any initial mystery was soon snuffed out with the boring and lifeless final results that were actually added to the game – I mean, why not give the engineer a Mohican, or something? I mean, the demoman got an afro, and it’s impossible to argue the fact that afros aren’t awesome. But a bald head? Not so awesome.

The cheater’s lament

Now, there’s nothing technically wrong with the look of the cheater’s lament – Indeed, my Medic sports this hat with style – yet it’s here because of the monumental amount of chaos it created when it first appeared, and the way it stands as the very first hat that people felt they were obligated to. In case you weren’t around when the storm happened (count yourself lucky), the cheater’s lament was given to anyone who didn’t idle for items, with those who DID idle finding themselves one hat down and labelled a cheater. Cue madness, and that’s only one thread I can find with ease. The fallout was monumental, and whether you think Valve was right or not, it wasn’t pretty to watch.

This dark day in TF2 history proved to be only the grim first coming of floods of whining about not getting one item or another, with the most recent example of this probably being the earbuds for playing on Mac, and those crazy golden wrenches. Practically all of this rage is unjustified, which makes it even less pretty to watch – I’m amazed a Valve employee hasn’t killed themselves with the amount of stupidity that’s been on show. The cheater’s lament stands at the pinnacle of this idiocy, and for that reason it’s got to be one of the worst hats out there.

Now, if you excuse me, I’m off to play for another 3,000 hours and then commit suicide when my reward is a Master’s yellow belt…

Directly from the Ubercharged.net secret interview headquarters.

An exclusive interview with Mr.E., the anonymous author of the Übermensch controversial report that made its way into the internet last week.

Reporter: It is a pleasure to be here ladies and gentlemen, gamers and gamerettes. Today we have here Mr.E., who shall remain anonymous for the duration of this interview. Good afternoon Mr.E.

Mr.E: Good afternoon to you too.

Reporter: Now, Mr.E., last week this report made its way to the internet through secret channels, and has since then been brought to both the attention of the media and the public. Would you mind explaining to us what is the content of this report so that we are all on the same page?

Mr.E: Well, this report, if you so want to call your view of it, consists of the analysis of a colleague of mine at the Reliable Excavation and Demolition company. Now, it is common knowledge that none of us in the RED team are the most usual of individuals in the psychological front. You should hear what some of them talk about themselves. What some of them say to their weapons or what they do to grass or birds or…

Reporter: Excuse me Mr.E., but… Weapons?

Mr.E: Yes, I mean… it’s nothing, don’t worry about it. Because we’re RED, and at least we’re not BLU, and that’s what counts. That’s the important point. That. Is. What. Counts. Except… This colleague of ours… I’m not so sure if he still thinks the same. I mean, initially we were all pretty quiet, you know how it is when you’re all new at the job. But then after some time, after some updates in our lives, he started to talk a lot more. And suddenly his conversations do not seem so simple, his rage does not seem simply turned towards BLU, it seems towards everyone and anyone; and sometimes he looks at us, and believe me you don’t want to see him look at you, because his eyes, his eyes-

Reporter: They are scary?

Mr.E: Yes; well, I suppose scary is a way of telling it, but the truth is it’s more than that. Sometimes it’s as if he holds us in no more contempt than the BLU’s, and that we’re all ants to him, and he sits there in his chair, with blood dripping from his fingertips and with that look on his eyes.

*Mr.E. drinks a bit of water*

Reporter: So, you believe this colleague of yours might wish you harm?

Mr.E: No, it’s not that. We’re nine combatants in the middle of a war; of course someone wishes harm to someone else, accidents and hostilities happen. It’s normal, it’s the human condition that one or other of us might sometimes be angry. But the thing is that we cannot hurt each other. There is no fire between friends, and that’s nice and okay, because that means that we can protect each other and not be worried about stray bullets. Oh, and it helps against spies, can’t stress that enough.

Reporter: I believe there might be a ‘but’ incoming?

Mr.E: Yes, there is… He is the only one that can affect us. I mean, my dispensers and such can heal them, and I can teleport them, and perhaps I shouldn’t be saying so many things, but gosh darn it… We can help each other, but it’s all very subtle and simple. But he can heal us, uber us, give us crits – And he’s the only one who can directly affect us like that. And if he can heal us, then he might be able to hurt us; and he’s invincible and we don’t know if he shares his invincibility because he has to, or if he’s not bound by any rules, and and and….

*Mr.E. drinks some more water*

Reporter: Are you calmer now, sir?

Mr.E: Yes, yes. It’s just that when I think of him then, looking at us sometimes when he barges in, his body reflecting every light in a sickly red glow. It gets to my stomach a bit.

Reporter: I am sorry for the interruption sir, but it seems that there are some disturbances outside our studio.

Mr.E: What? WHAT? Is it him? It is him, isn’t it? It’s him? It’s HIM!

Reporter: No, of course not sir. It cannot possibly be him, our headquarters are well hidden, there’s no way such a person might find its way here, and-

Mr.E: He can, believe me he can. The things I’ve seen him do. He. Can.

*CRASH*

Mr.E: It’s him, it’s him. I know it’s him, no one can keep him out, no one, no one. Noonenoonenoonenoonenoonenoone-

*Reporter nervously wipes sweat from his forehead*

Reporter: Stay calm please Mr.E., I’m sure it’s just the wind, no reason to be alarme-

*CRASH*

External voice: We apologize for cutting this transmission. We shall make sure that the rest of this interview will be transmitted as soon as possible with possible corrections and RUN RUN RUN FOR SAFETY HE’S BEHIND ME AND HE’S WATCHING US ALL AND HE’LL KILL US ALL HE’S MAD HE’S M-

*SPLAT*

-connection lost-

In this instalment of How It’s Done, I have interviewed Larolaro, the creator of the Homewrecker and a winner of the famed Polycount pack contest, with his Tank Buster pack for the Soldier.

Firstly, how did you get into Modelling?

Larolaro: Well, for the past 4-5 years I’ve been working as a freelance illustrator (http://larolaro.blogspot.com) and at the same time I’ve always had a lingering curiosity for games and what-not, so I started to dabble in modelling. It was a straight up nightmare at first, as I found it very difficult to learn by myself, so the extent of my knowledge comes from 4 years of tedious un-knowing button clicking, haha. 2D and 3D really are two opposite sides of the same coin but eventually I got the hang of it… Sort of. Now, to be honest, I’m never going back. Being a digital artist moving onto 3D really gives me a plethora of new options to realize my ideas.

You initially designed the Homewrecker. How long did the Homewrecker, from idea to realization, roughly take?

Larolaro: I created the homewrecker roughly a year before I submitted it to valve through their contribute page. So, embarrassingly, the homewrecker was just a bit of tooling-around practice, as I just did it for fun and never intended for it to be a serious submission. The concept took me 5 minutes and the model and texture was complete in about 2 hours. However, the compiling and such took an age, the source engine really isn’t noob-friendly. I see the source engine as a beautiful ornate chair with a spike carved into the seat; It looks great, it’s solid and it will last for a long time, it’s just a pain in the ass to use.

What software packages do you use? Previous contributors have said that the paid stuff (like 3DSMax) is the best, but you can do just as well sometimes with freeware.

Larolaro: Oddly enough I get this question alot from random people on steam, and I never answer the question because if I did I would giving the impression that it matters which one to use. I’m sorry to burst any bubbles and such but unfortunately there really isnt a magic button to make 3D, as it’s difficult to learn 3D no matter what program you use. The program is just a tool for a similar result; just pick one that looks good and use it and if it doesn’t work out too well for you, you will naturally move onto a different program anyway. So my advice would be, try them all and pick what feels right for you.

The Homewrecker was originally an Axe/Axtinguisher skin (back when it was called Mr. Sledge), but upon submission did you ever think about what attributes it could have had? Some people think this is necessary, despite this not being the case.

Larolaro: Well, I have a lot of respect for the way valve do their thing, so I just left it to them, I had nothing in mind to be honest. I don’t manage a hugely successful online multiplayer game, so I don’t have any right to say what’s what because I really don’t know the amount of implications a game mechanic might have.

Do you think that Valve handled your submission well? The Homewrecker was initially a choice alternative for quick building destruction, but with the addition of the ability to damage Sappers it suddenly became a used and viable option for Pyros. And would you have liked to have had more influence on these modifications?

Larolaro: I really think they did great with the homewrecker, I was even happy with it before the sapper-removing stat, albeit it being a whisper of a weapon. The homewrecker was one of the first community weapons to be added into TF2, and it was new ground they are walking on, so I figured they would possibly weaken its impact on TF2’s gameplay.

When someone’s trying to get into modelling, can you offer any resources or tips you found helpful?

Larolaro: Well, I didn’t use many tutorials when I was learning so I don’t have any resources to offer. For learning 3D, my advice would be just stick at it, don’t give up and practice, practice, practice! It’s a decade long battle with a wall of scary buttons, so if you don’t suck it up and focus you’ll go crazy.

Do you think you learned much, if anything, from modelling for TF2?

Larolaro: Well, I’ve played and admired TF2 from the start, having clocked 1000+ hours in it. It really is a massive inspiration to me, modelling this and that for TF2 has really helped me on the way to becoming “industry” ready, if you know what I mean. It’s a huge compliment from valve to give the homewrecker and Tankbuster pack their professional blessing.

When you decided to enter the Polycount contest, did you have a clear image of the class/weapons you wanted to do, or was it a much more gradual and developmental process?

Larolaro: For the 5 weeks we had to do the contest, it took me a week to gather up the courage to even start. I really didn’t think I would have a chance of winning so I very almost didn’t enter, But I thought I might as well do it for some good old practice. So 1 week in I started a WWII Survival Theme (Check it out here). This involved a rucksack, a survival knife (See it here) and a scrim camo helmet. After 3 weeks I started to get a lot of criticism and my theme started to fall apart so I scrapped it entirely. I wanted to pursue an entry that went smoothly and people enjoyed, so I came up with a tangent off my original idea and this is when I came up with the Tankbuster Pack. I started my Tank Buster pack from scratch with only 10 days left of the contest. This meant I had 5 items to concept, model, texture and compile with 2 days each. It was total chaos and I really didn’t sleep very well for those 10 days, haha, but I learnt a lot and eventually got picked as a winner, so it was totally worth it.

Are there any other packs that you particularly liked in the Polycount contest? Valve have said that just under half of the entries were of a good enough quality for submission, so there will be more community items to come from the contest regardless of the main winners.

Larolaro: I enjoyed a lot of the entries in the contest, and it’s a shame only 5 won the contest, but I can understand coming up with game mechanics and balancing 12 weapons really is enough for one update. Some of the entries that caught my eye from the start were Nrek’s (Croc-O-Style), Progg’s (Gas Man), Both of Swizzle’s entries (Expert’s Ordnance Pack and Field Medic’s Tool Kit), Gerre’s (Hillbilly Pack) and Pierate’s (Medievil pack).

If there was another Polycount contest or something of that ilk, would you participate given the chance?

Larolaro: I have no doubt in my mind that Valve will do something similiar in the future, given the popularity and quality of the entries in the contest. In fact, I’d be surprised if they didn’t do something. And when that happens, I may have to take another shot at it, with a hopefully larger timeframe than what I had to do my entry in.

Lessons Learnt:
- Keep practising as much as possible. Remember, getting good is not a quick process, and needs time investment.
- Be sure to consider your ideas thoroughly first, and be ready to abandon projects if they become boring and are clearly not going anywhere.
- Once again, experiment with as many different softwares as you can until you find the one that suits you best. There is no definitive ‘best’, so it’s up to your tastes and working style to determine yours.

…and there is the lowdown behind one of the more successful modelling achievements in TF2.

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Now, this is where I reach out to you, the reader. If you are an estabilished TF2 contributor (this includes maps), are interested in an interview, or know one who would be happy to have one published here, then please try to contact me here in the comments, on the UC forums, or at the Official Team Fortress Wiki. I’d like to make this series last as long as possible as I’ve recieved such positive feedback and so much useful information for aspiring 3D artists has come out of it, as well as revealing info to keep non-modellers amused and interested. Thanks for all the support, and hopefully expect more in the near future.