New TF2 update: Soldier goes sci-fi?

[Neverhoodian]

Well, Valve has released a brand-new Team Fortress 2 update, and the Soldier gets a few new toys. Modeled by WETA Workshop, it's two sci-fi ray guns taken from Dr. Grordbort's Infallible Aether Oscillators ( http://www.drgrordborts.com ). The names and stats for the weapons are as follows:

The Cow Mangler 5000
Level 30 Focus Wave Projector
Pros:
This weapon does not require ammo.
This weapon can fire a charged shot that mini-crits players and disables buildings for 4 sec.
Cons:
No random critical hits
This weapon deals reduced damage to buildings.


The Righteous Bison
Level 30 Indivisible Particle Smasher
Pros:
This weapon does not require ammo.
This weapon fires a projectile that penetrates enemy targets.
This weapon's projectiles cannot be deflected.
Cons:
This weapon deals reduced damage to buildings.​

For pictures and a comic, check out the latest TF2 blog:

http://www.teamfortress.com/post.php?id=5887

Personally I haven't played the game yet since the update, but the Steam forum users are going crazy, with lots of people claiming the Mangler is overpowered (apparently the charged shot also sets enemies on fire). There's also the somewhat strange aesthetic choice. I understand that its retro steampunk design is supposed to fit the game's timeline, but for the Soldier? If anything, it should be the Engineer that gets nifty sci-fi ray guns.

So my fellow TF2'ers, what's your take on this?

 

[Smallfry]

That charge function is Overpowered as shit. They are really hard to reflect as well. haven't seen the pistol yet.

 

[neonsword13-ops]

I can sense this no ammo thing is going to piss some people off.

 

[Kahunaburger]

Oh, good. I'm glad they are finally releasing new weapons for the soldier! Engineer was getting way too much love.

...ಠ_ಠ

 

[Smallfry]

MOAR ENGI

They haven't made any engineer weapons because no one has SUBMITTED any engineer weapons.

 

[Neverhoodian]

MOAR ENGI

They haven't made any engineer weapons because no one has SUBMITTED any engineer weapons.

Actually, there were a whopping ten Engineer packs submitted for last year's Polycount Contest:
http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=74543

 

[Smallfry]

MOAR ENGI

They haven't made any engineer weapons because no one has SUBMITTED any engineer weapons.

Screw that, I wanna see more Demoman stuff that isn't all melee focused. Srsly, wtf.

I'd like to see an original weapon. Remember when they released the flare gun? The Sandvich? The Huntsman? Things that aren't just a re-skin with new attributes?

 

[Amondren]

I've seen people spamming the charge all over the place annoying as a scout.

 

[Kahunaburger]

MOAR ENGI

They haven't made any engineer weapons because no one has SUBMITTED any engineer weapons.

http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1097383

And what Neverhoodian said.

MOAR ENGI

They haven't made any engineer weapons because no one has SUBMITTED any engineer weapons.

Screw that, I wanna see more Demoman stuff that isn't all melee focused. Srsly, wtf.

And this. Non-demoknight needs some love too!

 

[Rednog]

I had a fun idea for a new pyro gun, a vacuum that had no ammo to start with but has the ability to use alt fire to suck up enemy projectiles (like a reverse airblast) and the projectiles he sucks up are turned into fuel and shot out the vacuum.
Pro is that the flames are expelled at a faster rate than a normal flame thrower.
Cons: Start with no ammo, have to fill the vacuum with projectiles completely to use it.

 

[Someone lost on TVTropes]

Damn, these weapons look ridiculous O.O

Spoiler: But this has to be the best part of the update: Novelty Pipe and Mutton Chops

Spoiler: DO WANT

This is going to be a fun week to play pyro with the inevitable 3+ soldiers on each team.

 

[Midnight Crossroads]

Oh, good. I'm glad they are finally releasing new weapons for the soldier! Engineer was getting way too much love.

...ಠ_ಠ

We need buildings, I think.

Maybe have a dispenser that overheals and charges an uber if it heals while it's target takes damage. Let the engi know when it's charged and allow him to deploy it. As a drawback, no metal dispensed.

Or maybe one which allows players to change class, but doesn't dispense health or ammo. It would still heal with class changes, but that could be balanced by the time it takes to change between classes.

Maybe a teleporter which has a shorter delay but a limited range that can be overcome by more engineers stringing their teleporter exits together.

Or a teleporter which only teleports intelligence, but not players. The team would have to coordinate to move intell, and put a shorter reset timer on teleported intell. Like five or ten second reset timer.

You could even have a teleporter which link up to form force fields where both teleporters pool their health to act as a shield for the team.

There are all sorts of potential sentries. Sentries with flame throwers, sentries replaced by mines, long range sentries with a minimum range. You could even have sentries which shoot health or ammo at allies.

 

[Triforceformer]

MOAR ENGI

They haven't made any engineer weapons because no one has SUBMITTED any engineer weapons.

Yes they have. It's just that Valve says that the Engineer is hard to balance unlock wise and that they don't want to release any crappy stuff for him. I take that as more they aren't even trying, because it really cannot be that hard.

As for the LAYZER BEEMS...why are these Soldier weapons? What about the Soldier would point to sci-fi LAYZER BEEMS as unlocks making any sense? Hell, their names are better suited for Engineer unlocks than for Soldier ones.

 

[Legendsmith]

Personally I haven't played the game yet since the update, but the Steam forum users are going crazy, with lots of people claiming the Mangler is overpowered (apparently the charged shot also sets enemies on fire). There's also the somewhat strange aesthetic choice. I understand that its retro steampunk design is supposed to fit the game's timeline, but for the Soldier? If anything, it should be the Engineer that gets nifty sci-fi ray guns.

So my fellow TF2'ers, what's your take on this?

Valve stopped caring about aesthetics when hats happened.
Go lsiten to the developer commentary. They spoke about how they took care in making TF2 look good and fit together. They've trashed that.

 

[Anarchemitis]

The Engineer is not frequently updated because even though he's the smallest class, he can have the biggest footprint on gameplay dynamic, bigger than Medics.

 

[Hiphophippo]

I really don't feel like either weapon is all that overpowered, personally and I'm an engineer / medic main. They are fun though.

As for the aesthetics of them...well, it's not terrible and at least fits the timeline of TF2 but I play the game mostly because it's balanced, silly fun. Rayguns don't really change that and I still think the art in the game is neat.

But I do understand that point of contention

 

[Ranooth]

So how long till the Heavy gets magic powers?