Clan r4: Rockets 4 Supper

Updates to Team Fortress 2, the Source Engine, and SourceTV have been released. The updates will be applied automatically when your Steam client is restarted. The full change list can be found below:

Source Engine

* Refactored how lightmaps are downloaded to the graphics card at level load. On some hardware configurations this can lower level load times significantly
* Optimized some particle systems to improve performance on some hardware configurations
* Player stats are now sent up as they change, rather than when the player dies
* Improved playback of sub-frame sounds
* Fixed a crash caused by alt-tabs during map load
* Eliminated unnecessary temporary memory allocation in scenefilecache

Team Fortress 2

* Badlands released

* Changes to Dustbowl
o Added a new access point to the stage2 attacker gates (drop-down left from spawn), allowing attackers a way to reach the left route without being subjected to the spam and sentry gun fire
o Fixed a gap in stage 3, cap 1 that allowed a player with to wiggle above the “ceiling” clip
o Fixed a gap behind stage 1, cap 1 house
o Fixed a high perch on stage1 cap1 house roof
o Fixed a perch offering view of nodraw textures and the skybox (stage1 cap2 rock barrier)
o Fixed a few places where rockets/demoman pipes could pass through non-solid models
o Sealed up a gap over stage1 lower startgate
o Clipped off tall windows in stage 3 to prevent sentry guns from behind built behind them

* Changes to Capture the Flag Well
o Fixed trains not starting on map spawn
o Removed cap association from red spawns that were spamming console

* Changes to Granary
o Removed spawn timing advantage from the middle (from -3 to 0)
o Fixed several model perch exploits (red, blue cp1 gate and blue cp2 gate pipe)
o Fixed a few places where players could get stuck between containers and silos
o Adjusted playerclips on red container that made it appear like players were floating

* Added a small delay (200 ms) before a zoomed sniper shot can get a critical hit
* Added server side convar mp_fadetoblack. Same functionality as Counter-Strike, used mainly during in-person tournaments and LAN events
* Added flamethrower “sizzle” sound when the Pyro is hitting a target
* Updated explosion debris to be a bit darker
* Fixed idle players not being kicked from the server if mp_allowspectators was set to 0
* Added ctf_well to the default mapcycle.txt file
* Added ctf_well to the default motd.txt file
* Fixed floor tile material type
* Fixed some weapon damage info missing from TF2 game stats
* Made some small changes to the Demoman viewmodel that were causing performance problems
* Added a new timer to the HUD to show the value of mp_timelimit. This is useful if you’re playing a timed match on 2Fort, where you only set a timelimit on the server and no other win conditions.
* Added server log entry for buildings destroyed by their owner
* Fixed sentry gun shadows being clipped
* Updated glass material

SourceTV

* SourceTV now uses a hidden slot on the game server. This allows for 24 player servers to also have a SourceTV proxy connected to it
* Fixed Pyro’s flamethrower flames not showing up in SourceTV

This month’s issue of the Games for Windows Magazine has a page in it that includes all new screenshots of the two new upcoming maps, Goldrush and Badlands, together with an interview with Valve.

I couldn’t get to show you the screens here as I didn’t buy the magazine. Sry.

Maybe one of you could pick it up and scan it for us?

In today’s Steam Update News, Valve tells us that they’re now in the balancing stages for Goldrush, one of the two new maps coming out later this month. They also showed us one piece of concept art depicting the mining cart:

(click for bigger image)

For those of you who haven’t heard, Goldrush is a map featuring an all new game mode where BLU players have to escort a high tech mining cart through a series of Dustbowl like map sections to RED’s headquarters. The cart moves faster when more BLU players are near and stops completely if just 1 RED player gets near.

This map, together with Badlands, unlockable weapons and new achievement packs will be rolling out some time later this month.

Updates to Team Fortress 2 have been released. The updates will be applied automatically when your Steam client is restarted. The specific changes include:

Team Fortress 2

• Added new capture the flag map CTF_Well
• Added Spanish map descriptions
• Added new option to auto-save a scoreboard screenshot at the end of a map to the Multiplayer->Advanced dialog
• Added more particle optimizations for mid range and low end hardware
• Updated CP_GravelPit to fix all known exploits and changed the scoring method to score per capture rather than per round
• Updated “nextlevel” CVAR to trigger a changelevel at the end of the current round (not mini-round)
• Fixed SourceTV demo recording problem
• Fixed mp_stalemate_enable not preventing Sudden Death mode on some maps
• Fixed a couple cases where player stats were not being recorded correctly
• Fixed some log entries being truncated
• Fixed crash caused by trying to import a custom player spray
• Removed the “Reset Stats” button from the Player Stats screen

Duplicated from GamesRadar.com:

In the wake of PC Gamer UK’s scoop on major gameplay revisions planned for Team Fortress 2, the magazine’s now revealed that a new TF2 map will be with us soon.

A CTF (or capture the intelligence) version of classic map Well is being whipped into shape at Valve HQ, and PC Gamer reports that a tentative release date has been set for today. However, it may slip to next week.

The current TF2 version of Well is a control point map.

“The area near what was once the second-to-last control points have been renovated to give another set of stairs to the upper floors of each team’s home building, but other than that the structure of the map is largely unchanged,” PC Gamer explains.

“It’s better suited to large numbers of players, since the action tends to be more spread out on CTF maps. As an extreme example, Valve’s Robin Walker recalled having to defend his team’s dropped intel underwater, in the moat outside the train yard.”

CTF_Well is coming in addition to a reworked version of TFC map Badlands and new level Goldrush, which introduces a brand new game mode. Valve is also bringing unlockable weapons to TF2’s classes.

Source: PC Gamer UK

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I’d like to clarify that after this map is added, we’ll have ctf_well and cp_well, so no need to say goodbye to good ol’ capture point Well just yet.