Team Fort... you're already sick of the this thread, aren't you?

[Fanta Grape]

Yes. ANOTHER Team Fortress 2 thread, but at least it's a gaming discussion on the escapist. Or would you prefer another "am I the only one who hates (insert mainstream game or movie here)" or "need girl help from complete strangers!" thread.

But more to the point, what weapons in Team Fortress 2 are underpowered or generally useless, and HOW CAN IT BE MADE BETTER?

I was discussing with my friend earlier that the Backburner (Yes, you should have seen THIS one coming) wasn't a decent weapon. It can be extremely useful, but it's purely situational in my opinion. Considering how useful and broad the air blast is from the regular flame thrower, I think the back burner should have some basic additional effects. Eg. 15% more speed, 10% less health.

Your ideas for weapons?

HOW CAN IT BE MADE BETTER HOW CAN IT BE MADE BETTER HOW CAN IT BE MADE BETTER HOW CAN IT BE MADE BETTER HOW CAN IT BE MADE BETTER HOW CAN IT BE MADE BETTER HOW CAN IT BE MADE BETTER HOW CAN IT BE MADE BETTER HOW CAN IT BE MADE BETTER HOW CAN IT BE MADE BETTER HOW CAN IT BE MADE BETTER

 

[Kenko]

Backburner is very situational but you do enjoy a higher damage output as well as crits in the back.

But its best if you use it to ambush people or flank them.

Other then that I think the pistols are useless, they do shit dmg and they arent accurate at all.

 

[Aratus]

It got buffed didnt it? 15% more damage all the time? Its a trade off, but I can see some people liking it more

 

[Fanta Grape]

Other then that I think the pistols are useless, they do shit dmg and they arent accurate at all.

To be completely honest, I think the pistols are perfectly legitimate weapons as place holders until you get the upgrade.

 

[smallharmlesskitten]

Other then that I think the pistols are useless, they do shit dmg and they arent accurate at all.

To be completely honest, I think the pistols are perfectly legitimate weapons as place holders until you get the upgrade.

and they work extremely well assisting your mini sentry.

FJ to finish off or take down heavies/sollies

 

[Aratus]

Backburner is very situational but you do enjoy a higher damage output as well as crits in the back.

But its best if you use it to ambush people or flank them.

Other then that I think the pistols are useless, they do shit dmg and they arent accurate at all.

Pistols are actually very good for Scouts. The Scattergun becomes very unreliable at longer ranges, the pistol is how you cover that.

 

[Ze_Reaper_Of_Zeath]

It depends, there are weaknesses to weapons, and other weapons, such as Force Jumping for the FaN, is a perfect acceptable to the weaknesses, or Direct Hit, increased damaged, but less Area Damage..etc

Backburner sucks, only meant for flanking and W+M1 pyros. Sting and Puff Axe is much better

 

[LandoCristo]

The Backburner is totally OP when used right. Not even Axetunguishing can compare to the raw power of back-crits.

The only UP one I can think of would be the Razorback, and only then because it's only against spies, and only when they attack you, so its really just EXTREMELY situational.

 

[coolguy5678]

Scout pistol is a great finisher if you've used up your scattergun clip. Using it any other way is pretty pointless though, especially considering that it runs out of ammo in five seconds. It's generally (but not always) more useful than Bonk and Crit-a-Cola.

Engie pistol is pretty pointless though. I suppose it complements the FJ's small clip.

 

[Audio]

I'd love for the medic to have a surgical lazer which gives a burn effect at close range. When i see an obvious spy going for my heavy, there is little i can do with that shite needle gun.

 

[skeliton112]

well, its not underpowered it's over but the shotgun as heavy. I got twice the points anyone else got and when used right can be better than minigun, and is more fun.

 

[Sir Broccoli]

I'm one of those dorks that actually uses the backburner and I'm really quite happy with it. All you have to do is stay out of sight, sneak past enemy lines and hit them in the back. It's like being a spy except without that wimpy cloaking device and you can set people on fire.

 

[default]

Wow, I never know Team Fortress 2 was so complicated! I thought there was just one weapon loadout for each class??? Boy was I wrong.

I'll have to play it sometime, it sounds interesting.

 

[Frequen-Z]

Backburner is very situational but you do enjoy a higher damage output as well as crits in the back.

But its best if you use it to ambush people or flank them.

Other then that I think the pistols are useless, they do shit dmg and they arent accurate at all.

I think the Pistols are actually rather good. At mid range, the Scattergun does very little damage, yet the pistol will still do around 10 per shot, which is pretty good. Considering it's firing rate, if you keep at the right distance you can wear the enemies health down mighty quick.

Wow, I never know Team Fortress 2 was so complicated! I thought there was just one weapon loadout for each class??? Boy was I wrong.

I'll have to play it sometime, it sounds interesting.

I whole heartedly recommend it. Obligatory User Group link [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/groups/view/The-Escapist-Team-Fortress-2-Group-PC]

Get it and come play with us, you'll have a whale of a time.

 

[Caliostro]

Items any good TF2 player will quickly scrap because they are objectively useless, in order of most absurdly useless to just plain old useless (more or less):

- The Huntsman - Always useless, all the time.
- The Homewrecker - Always useless, all the time. It's only potential use (remove sappers), forces you to hang around sentries... Which allows you to spy check almost exclusively, bypassing the need to remove sappers entirely.
- The Backburner - Absurdly useless in comparison to the flamethrower.
- The Direct Hit - Absurdly useless in comparison to the rocket launcher.
- The Chargin' Targe - Absurdly useless in comparison to the Sticky Launcher.
- The Razorback - Mostly useless. Decent snipers don't ever need it.
- The Scotsman's Skullcutter - The speed penalty is criminal. Becomes useless.
- The Gunboats - Useless in comparison to the shotgun.
- The Dalokohs Bar - Useless in comparison to the Sandvich, which in itself is inferior and more situational to the shotgun.
- The Force-A-Nature - Useless in comparison to the Scattergun in the hands of a decent scout.
- The Eyelander - Similar to the Skullcutter, but the health penalty isn't as egregious as the axe's speed penalty.
- Tibalman's Shiv - Was overnerfed from "balanced" to outright inferior to the Kukri.
- The Syringe Gun - Decent on it's own, but no reason to ever use it instead of the Blutsauger.
- The Bonesaw - Decent on it's own, but no reason to ever use it instead of the Ubersaw
- The Shovel - Standard melee weapon, but no real point over the equalizer.

There are a few other weapons I don't personally like, but those are the ones that are objectively useless. There's no good reason to use them at all. It's not "they're better or worse". It's that everything they do is either pointless or is done better by the item they're replacing.

 

[Frequen-Z]

- The Homewrecker - Always useless, all the time. It's only potential use (remove sappers), forces you to hang around sentries... Which allows you to spy check almost exclusively, bypassing the need to remove sappers entirely.

While the post overall, when matched with your disdain for almost every map, makes me question why you even play the game, I feel I must object to this complaint in particular.

When spychecking, it's not uncommon for a caught Spy to start panicking and head for the nearest sentry to cause some damage before he dies. Many, many times, I have seen a Spy stab and sap the clueless Engineer and his weapons, we need those weapons, so removing the Sappers to give the sentry a fighting change of surviving until the Engy respawns is much better for the team than a lone Pyro 'puff and sting'-ing with the Axtinguisher.

It doesn't force you to hang around sentries either, having it equipped isn't some legally binding contract forcing you to glue yourself to an Engy to protect him, it's just as circumstantial as the next weapon, if you see him in need, give him a hand.

The Homewrecker is for team players.

 

[WelshDanny]

How can it be made better...

....MORE HATS.

 

[Caliostro]

While the post overall, when matched with your disdain for almost every map, makes me question why you even play the game, I feel I must object to this complaint in particular.

I love the game, I dislike BAD maps and BAD weapons. I love good maps and good weapons.

When spychecking, it's not uncommon for a caught Spy to start panicking and head for the nearest sentry to cause some damage before he dies. Many, many times, I have seen a Spy stab and sap the clueless Engineer and his weapons, we need those weapons, so removing the Sappers to give the sentry a fighting change of surviving until the Engy respawns is much better for the team than a lone Pyro 'puff and sting'-ing with the Axtinguisher.

It doesn't force you to hang around sentries either, having it equipped isn't some legally binding contract forcing you to glue yourself to an Engy to protect him, it's just as circumstantial as the next weapon, if you see him in need, give him a hand.

The Homewrecker is for team players.

The only reason to ever use the homewrecker is if you're playing "sentry defender". Otherwise, it's not justifiable to lose the sheer power and versatility of the axtinguisher to the whole 2 times every 100 matches you'll come across a spy, within "unsapping" range, sapping stuff with no living engineers nearby.

If you're playing "sentry defender", there's absolutely no excuse to let a spy go by you if you're still alive. There's equally no excuse to let them KILL THE ENGINEER AND SAP THE BUILDING. Spy checking is absurdly easy, "free", and should be done to everyone when playing on defense. Flame + Airblast (usually finished with an axtinguisher hit) makes it impossible for any spies to even get close to the sentries, let alone sap them. If you're playing "sentry defender" and spies are killing your engineers and sapping your shit, you're doing it wrong.

Airblast is for team players. The Homewrecker is for bad players.

 

[WelshDanny]

The Homewrecker is a great weapon for the defensive Pyro. I've come out of spawn countless times to find teleporters being sapped.

Smashy Smashy.

To be honest, it's more usual in competative team matches where TEAM play is the key, than the normal melee weapons.