A New TF2 ARG (Update: Meet the...Adult Swim?)

[DustyDrB]

Yesterday's patch added some apparent "junk items" to the game:

• Pocket Lint
  Banana Peel
  Barn Door Plank
  Cheese Wheel
  Damaged Capacitor
  Goldfish
  Secret Diary

People have been wondering what the deal is with them. A lot of speculation says that it might be pointing to Meet the Pyro being released this Friday (Written on the capacitor is 6.22V1500, possibly pointing towards 3PM on June 22. The Secret Diary is clearly burned in a corner. And many of the items are described as mysterious, which is how the Pyro is officially described as well).

And today people have found out that if you equip the "Eliminating the Impossible" Medic set, the items are given new descriptions. I tested that one out on the Pocket Lint and found this:

Spoiler

Anyway, it's always fun to figure these things out. So all you wannabe Sherlock Holmeses come and hypothesize. What's going on?

Update:
So now there's this [http://www.adultswim.com/promos/valve/].

What a twist! Guess I need to start watching Adult Swim now...for something. I don't know if this is actually related to the ARG, but the timing is enough that it's worth mentioning. When you sign up for the newsletter, you're met with a page to put all your info as well as the following image:

Spoiler

Also worth mentioning (maybe? I don't even know) is an official TF2 blog post "How A Gun Gets Made" [http://teamfortress.com/post.php?id=8045], which details the creation of a possible new user-created Pyro weapon called the The Scorch Shot. The post ends with a silent video that takes you through the creation of the weapon. At the 7:08 mark in the video, a Youtube page is shown for the music video of Goldfish's "Fort Knox" [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAdX_nwXlrY].

Yep. It takes a better conspiracy theorist than I to deduce the meaning of all this.

 

[Z of the Na'vi]

*snip*

According to the TF2 Wiki, the new descriptions form a secret message.

When combined with the other items added in the June 20, 2012 Patch, the full quote reads "Think of the deeds of hellish cruelty, the hidden wickedness which may go on, year in, year out, in such places, and none the wiser.".

I think you may be onto something with that "Meet the Pyro" theory.

 

[Z of the Na'vi]

Now that I think about it, Meet the Medic came out exactly one year ago this Saturday, June 23.

Perhaps releasing Meet the Pyro on June 22 is Valve's way of being clever?

 

[DustyDrB]

I think you may be onto something with that "Meet the Pyro" theory.

That would make me happy. Pyro is my main class. I'd like to get a weapon that uses less ammo for airblasting (maybe at the cost of reduced damage or afterburn duration). It sucks when I run out while I'm reflecting bombs/rockets/arrows and extinguishing teammates.

 

[ResonanceSD]

I think you may be onto something with that "Meet the Pyro" theory.

That would make me happy. Pyro is my main class. I'd like to get a weapon that uses less ammo for airblasting (maybe at the cost of reduced damage or afterburn duration). It sucks when I run out while I'm reflecting bombs/rockets/arrows and extinguishing teammates.

The. Manmelter.

OT: Meet the pyro would be cool. It'd mean Valve actually finished something -_-

 

[DustyDrB]

I think you may be onto something with that "Meet the Pyro" theory.

That would make me happy. Pyro is my main class. I'd like to get a weapon that uses less ammo for airblasting (maybe at the cost of reduced damage or afterburn duration). It sucks when I run out while I'm reflecting bombs/rockets/arrows and extinguishing teammates.

The. Manmelter.

OT: Meet the pyro would be cool. It'd mean Valve actually finished something -_-

Doesn't reflect projectiles. And I'm too attached to my flare gun. I get almost 40% of my kills with that thing.

 

[DustyDrB]

An update:
People got curious and decided to craft the banana peels together. When they did this, one of a few QR codes [http://stats.tf/banana/] was produced. When they put all the codes together, they ended up with this:

Spoiler

A conversation between some US Senators and Saxton Hale, in which they talk about this guy [http://teamfortress.com/war/saxtonhale/poopyjoe.htm].

Weird stuff...

 

[Kapol]

It seems like it's bigger then just Meet The Pyro going by the QR thing. The only thing that seems like it could be involved in TF2 is that the mention of Poopy Joe makes me think that Poopy Joe might be the pyro. It's implied he was wearing something to protect his head, that he was more intelligent then other monkies (by the fact he's the only one who survived space training), and so forth.

That said I do have to wonder if this could possibly mean something bigger. TF3?

 

[aksel]

TF3?

I really doubt that. With Dota2 and CS:GO coming up, and with TF2 being so successful, I doubt they will release a sequel.

OT: If not the long-awaited Meet The Pyro, then maybe a new hat, yeah?

Also: MAYBE IT'S A HINT THAT THE GUYS FROM TF2 WILL SHOW UP TO HELP GORDON FREEMAN IN HL3!!!

 

[Syzygy23]

Maybe the Pyro was the guy who planted the explosives?

 

[Konatacalypse]

THE PYRO IS POOPY JOE! My dreams of a monkey arsonist may finally come true.

It seems like it's bigger then just Meet The Pyro going by the QR thing. The only thing that seems like it could be involved in TF2 is that the mention of Poopy Joe makes me think that Poopy Joe might be the pyro. It's implied he was wearing something to protect his head, that he was more intelligent then other monkies (by the fact he's the only one who survived space training), and so forth.

That said I do have to wonder if this could possibly mean something bigger. TF3?

I pray to god they don't announce TF3. Valve has never been able to make a third installment in any of their games.

 

[Rastien]

I can't remember where the fuck i read it trying to find it now but its to do with some scherlock holmes event thats coming in the next patch and these all have something to do with it.

Ah this was it:

http://www.pcgamesn.com/tf2/team-fortress-2-arg-begins-story-sherlock-holmes-poopy-joe-and-questionable-monkey-origin-pyro

http://www.pcgamesn.com/tf2/tf2-secret-update-valve-put-sherlock-holmes-case

Also could be hinting towards MAN VS Machine which is another possible patchy thing.

 

[ResonanceSD]

HUDDA HUDDA HUH!


.. oh come on guys, EVERYONE KNOWS THAT ONE.

 

[Mr.Mattress]

Wait wait wait wait wait wait wait...

Saxton Hale didn't legally get his first supplies of Austrailium... He Stole it from the US Government? That, changes... something...

Other then that, I honestly doubt Poopy Joe has anything to do with Pyro. But perhaps Poopy Joe has something to do with the cloning capabilities of Teams BLU and RED?

 

[Erana]

Please we all know Pyro is really Chell out to get revenge on the world for roasting Companion Cube.

Through space and time? She must have something to do with the world suddenly being a lot less cartoony.
DAMMIT, CHELL!

Still, the Pyro being a monkey is just waaay too obvious now, Valve wouldn't do it.
... Jesus Christ, Valve. What the fuck are you doing to make me think that messages on banana peels and pocket lint are "too obvious"?

Doesn't reflect projectiles. And I'm too attached to my flare gun. I get almost 40% of my kills with that thing.

Yessss. I love the flare gun. Someday, I hope that other classes would get a weapon with an arc like that.

 

[DustyDrB]

Doesn't reflect projectiles. And I'm too attached to my flare gun. I get almost 40% of my kills with that thing.

Try this one pistol that can extinguish people for guaranteed crits. I love it and have it in all loadouts simply because then I can use my flamethrower ammo for blasting and... fire.

That would be useful, but I have an unhealthy obsession with my flare gun. The way that I play, I get a lot of guaranteed crits (or mini-crits) anyway (The "Puff and Sting" strategy using the Degreaser quick weapon switch and either the Flare gun or Axtinguisher).

Maybe I'll give that weapon a try, though, the next time I find one. I'd just been turning them into metal.

Other then that, I honestly doubt Poopy Joe has anything to do with Pyro. But perhaps Poopy Joe has something to do with the cloning capabilities of Teams BLU and RED?

I don't know about having nothing to do with the Pyro. I think him actually being the Pyro is unlikely, but there has to be some sort of connection.

Anyway. 3PM today is a time many are speculating to see something. 3PM in what time zone? Who knows. The TF2 blog did update [http://tf2.com/post.php?id=8045] with an entry on a Steam Workshop weapon for the Pyro. They say about the weapon, "Now back at Valve, those of us in the TF Team are always reviewing items in the Workshop, and we thought Jalcober's flare gun model would be a great fit for the universe."

So count that as another hint that this is the long-anticipated Meet the Pyro.

 

[hoboman29]

For anyone wondering about the quote it is from a Sherlock Holmes story called The Adventure of the Copper Beeches.

My only concern is that these items actually do something and don't just take up backpack space.

 

[DustyDrB]

For anyone wondering about the quote it is from a Sherlock Holmes story called The Adventure of the Copper Beeches.

My only concern is that these items actually do something and don't just take up backpack space.

With everything that's going on with these items, I don't think you need to worry about that. If you don't want them, try trading them. People are paying ridiculous prices for these things, even though only the capacitor and diary are ultra-rare. I've got about seven pocket lints now just from drops.