Poll: Has TF2 Gone To Far?

[N3vans]

I used to play TF2 a lot back in the day but yes, I think they have gone a bit too far with it. I was fine with the weapon updates, I really looked forward to a new class update along with a new 'Meet the ____' video, but there are a lot of things that have since turned me off it and now I haven't played tf2 in about a year.

Firstly, the more recent development of adding new items if you pre-order certain games just comes across as really gimmicky. To a lesser extend the new micro-transactions thing annoys me too. Maybe it's just me, but I believe that once I've paid for a game I shouldn't have to pay for it any more, it's for this reason I hate Battlefield Heroes. However with BF:H it's more to do with the marketing of it being 'free to play', when that's literally bloody it. You get the basic game, but if you want anything resembling a decent looking character or adequate firepower out comes your wallet and EA's vaselined-rubber glove. Also to clarify, this doesn't include singleplayer DLC, I don't mind paying for a few more well-constructed hours of gameplay. I can agree with the sentiment of wanting to pay amateur content-makers for their work, but surely if you're a fan of the game you're making content because you enjoy it, not to look for a profit.

However, more OT, the main reason I don't like TF2 anymore. It may seem like something fairly trivial but the 'hats' system put me off the game completely. Original TF2 had a really, really nice visual aesthetic, but the inclusion of stupid looking headwear ruined the feel of the game for me.

 

[HT_Black]

You want them to....stop supporting their game? That's...uh...Yeah, I'm not quite sure I get you.

 

[AllLagNoFrag]

Hmm... I dont really mind. The developers do keep balance in mind (least I feel that way). Also, these new hats and stuff that is collectible is just to add new things into the game that is optional to get. A cool hat just gets people saying "wow", it doesnt get you any kills or skill. The new weapons too, they just provide a different playstyle and if you really want it and don't want to wait for it to randomly pop in your inventory, then they give you the option to buy it. I dont think that what they are doing is wrong at all. After all, they have to somehow be earning something for these updates.

 

[Dorian]

Fun fact: With some exceptions[footnote]ie, Jarate, Bonk, the Wrangler, Flare Gun, Buff Banner, things that fuction differently than the weapons they replace[/footnote], the majority of weapons out there are simply reskinned weapons that just use slightly altered stats. Which, for the most part, just leaves the vanilla set[footnote]Again, with the actual NEW weapons[/footnote] as the most balanced.

After all, Valve spent a VERY long time making sure this complex game of rock-paper-scissors-Spycheck-Ubercharge worked properly. Lately, they've just been thinking of stats for individual weapons and tossing them out there.
The Magic Conch that they just added? It's the Buff Banner with Mad Milk.
The Katana thing RUINS Medieval mode. You gain full health on EACH kill! There's already enough Demomen Swordsmen running around!

 

[one of them]

From the outside it looks like Valve is using TF2 and it's community as a way to sell other games using in-game bonus items. I've played TF2 since before the Scout update and have over 500 hours and counting in it, and I still believe it is a balanced and fun game. If these updated were not added then I know that the community would only be about 10% of what it is now.
There comes a point in every game's lifespan where it either keeps itself going through updates, pushing the stagnated vanilla lovers out, or keeping the stagnate vanilla lovers happy and slowly dying out.

 

[Tomo Stryker]

You want them to....stop supporting their game? That's...uh...Yeah, I'm not quite sure I get you.

No I'm sorry, I didn't mean that at all. What I meant was that if they continue to just give away items here and there, the items you have become less interesting and soon it will start to feel like Badlands. Now don't get me wrong, I loved playing Badlands. What I'm trying to say is that whats cool today won't be cool tomorrow, a good example was PolyCount Update. My Spy was fully equipped with the new Spy watches that I had just received the day after. I was stoked, but soon I realized that there were even more items and that I 'needed' to collect them. I'm not complaining about free content, I love free content. I guess it's that I feel like no items holds value anymore because of a constant stream of new items.

 

[Sleekgiant]

I like how so many people say there is no Vanilla mode when there are Vanilla servers

As far as the update goes, I'm fine with it, in fact its great, so many free kills from people using the Katana, its going to be great.

 

[HT_Black]

You want them to....stop supporting their game? That's...uh...Yeah, I'm not quite sure I get you.

No I'm sorry, I didn't mean that at all. What I meant was that if they continue to just give away items here and there, the items you have become less interesting and soon it will start to feel like Badlands. Now don't get me wrong, I loved playing Badlands. What I'm trying to say is that whats cool today won't be cool tomorrow, a good example was PolyCount Update. My Spy was fully equipped with the new Spy watches that I had just received the day after. I was stoked, but soon I realized that there were even more items and that I 'needed' to collect them. I'm not complaining about free content, I love free content. I guess it's that I feel like no items holds value anymore because of a constant stream of new items.

Oh, I get you now. I don't, however, see it like that. It seems to me that the perpetually increasing weapon base allows for much more player customization and strategy variatian than, say...Bad Company 2. Take, for example, the new katana for the soldier/demoman. This allows the pre-existing demonknight class to be repurposed from a shock trooper into a deep-striking melee soldier that grows healthier as he kills. The enemy team has to adapt and learn to counter such a soldier, and the soldier himself has to learn how to use his weapon. As it stands, there's numerous variations and strategies that are already in play: IE, the difference between an Eternal Reward/Dead Ringer spy and an Eternal Reward/Cloak and Dagger spy. In my eyes, Valve aren't dilluting what already exists--they're enriching it.

And I'm pretty sure that it was called "Borderlands", by the way.

 

[Ekit]

Yes. If you ask me, every class should have 4 unlock weapons. Two for the primary weapon, two for the secondary weapon and to for the melee weapon.

 

[Tomo Stryker]

You want them to....stop supporting their game? That's...uh...Yeah, I'm not quite sure I get you.

No I'm sorry, I didn't mean that at all. What I meant was that if they continue to just give away items here and there, the items you have become less interesting and soon it will start to feel like Badlands. Now don't get me wrong, I loved playing Badlands. What I'm trying to say is that whats cool today won't be cool tomorrow, a good example was PolyCount Update. My Spy was fully equipped with the new Spy watches that I had just received the day after. I was stoked, but soon I realized that there were even more items and that I 'needed' to collect them. I'm not complaining about free content, I love free content. I guess it's that I feel like no items holds value anymore because of a constant stream of new items.

Oh, I get you now. I don't, however, see it like that. It seems to me that the perpetually increasing weapon base allows for much more player customization and strategy variatian than, say...Bad Company 2. Take, for example, the new katana for the soldier/demoman. This allows the pre-existing demonknight class to be repurposed from a shock trooper into a deep-striking melee soldier that grows healthier as he kills. The enemy team has to adapt and learn to counter such a soldier, and the soldier himself has to learn how to use his weapon. As it stands, there's numerous variations and strategies that are already in play: IE, the difference between an Eternal Reward/Dead Ringer spy and an Eternal Reward/Cloak and Dagger spy. In my eyes, Valve aren't dilluting what already exists--they're enriching it.

And I'm pretty sure that it was called "Borderlands", by the way.

Sorry, I just had a Hur Dur moment with Badl- Borderlands. But I do see what your saying and I do agree. I guess its just that the whole superficial Hat extravaganza just drove me up the wall.

 

[Vern5]

Those updates are what keep TF2 so very fresh. I only have a chance to play TF2 every now and then (weeks can pass between games) and every time I come back I find something new and exciting. Even being killed by weapons I have never seen before produces immediate, overpowering intrigue in me. Still, since TF2's arsenal seems to be expanding at an exponential rate, I imagine that a lot of "completionist" gamers are probably having strokes right now.

Anyway, until I can craft a hat that automatically shoots cannonballs at enemies every 40 seconds, I will not be satisfied.

 

[Aux]

I like how they do release no updates with new maps, hats, weapons, etc. However I am not a fan of paying content. This is mostly because all of the prior updates have been free. I see no issue with getting a special hat for pre ordering games however though.

 

[DevilWolf47]

Yes, but i'm inclined to be a little more tolerable of Valve's stupid moves. It's called "Valve Time" for a reason, and i have a feeling we'll have a viable alternative energy system before we have a Team Fortress 3. When Valve does release, the time spent on the project normally shows. It's excusable.
...to an extent. I know Team Fortress 2 was meant to combine grotesque violence and cheap humor, but the balance is off with some of the add-ons.

 

[HT_Black]

Sorry, I just had a Hur Dur moment with Badl- Borderlands. But I do see what your saying and I do agree. I guess its just that the whole superficial Hat extravaganza just drove me up the wall.

It was like that for a lot of people--if it wasn't, The Demopan woldn't be a meme. I was rightly miffed by it at first, but I grew to like it; it's rare to see an FPS with such an emphasis on customization, even if said customization is silly and sometimes stupid-looking.

And, as an aside, what class do you play?

 

[Sad Face]

What's watering it down is people's obsession with hats.
If people didn't spend an entire round spamming the airwaves with requests for fashionable, yet digital, headwear than it would be much more fun.

That said, I still love this game.

 

[Outright Villainy]

Eh, I had some minor Nerd rage at the new update, but I'm kinda used to it at this stage. I actually like the mannconomy one for the most part too, even though a lot of the weapons were crap.

But yeah, all this promo tie in stuff is kinda bad, and nearly all new weapons since have been unnessecary and clutter up the game more than they need to.

In all honestly, the game would be perfect with about half (or less) the weapons they have now. The only addition that unquestionably adds to gameplay, or doesn't change it, are maps.

Maps are all I want now, I don't really have faith in valve to release well thought out balanced weapons anymore.

 

[The Artificially Prolonged]

Kinda split on this, on the one hand I find the new items and weapons do keep me coming back to the game from time to time. On the other hand as more and more weapon varieties come into play I feel it does skew the balance a bit for me. I'd prefered it more when there where just a few choices for each class which required you to think clever in order to be effective, but was also easy to get your hand round it all when your just starting out.

 

[Tomo Stryker]

And, as an aside, what class do you play?

Mostly the lighter classes like Sniper, Spy, Scout or Engineer. But my personal favorite is Spy. Mostly because its a lone ranger class that acts by himself throughout the round.

 

[DaHero]

So many of you that play PC games might play TF2 as well. I have noticed a massive amount of tie in items that you get in TF2 if you preorder certain games and it bothers me a great deal. Many won't give a second glance while others will complain, but my question is, has Team Fortress 2 gone over the edge with the collectible hats and weaponry? I am one of those Vanilla players who do enjoy a bit of the updates like the Spy's Poly Count or the Soldier's Direct Hit. But lately its felt very watered down. When will Valve stop updating TF2?

Link to see the Shogun Update

http://www.teamfortress.com/shogunpack/

TF2 was dead in the water the day crafting was released. I gave up on it because it's gotten pathetic.