Okay, it’s time for grab-bag post!
First, I’ve been playing a fair amount of Team Fortress 2 lately. My take: extremely polished and quite fun, even if you don’t have twitch skills any more. My only two caveats are that a) sudden death sucks – I much prefer maps where it isn’t possible and b) the spy appears to be overpowered. I know, I know, learn to play…except that the game is usually so freakin’ chaotic that trying to pick out which of your teammates might be a traitor at the same time gets really hard. Although it’s quite satisfying when you do. “Hey, why’s one of our scouts just hanging arouKILLKILLKILLKILL!” Overall, it’s the first online FPS I’ve played in years and I’m really glad I preordered it so I could get into the beta.
But I am pleased to report that TF2 has not prevented me from working on Planitia. I’m focusing on the AI right now. My computer players can now intelligently flatten the land around their villages so that their mana production increases…now they just need to be able to use god powers and build armies. I’m hoping to have another demo with rudimentary AI this weekend.
And finally, I usually have to pay for entertainment like this.
I’m enjoying the TF2 as well. The need to do something about Pyro in my opinion. Interesting concept and a good counter to spys (they aren’t so invisible when they are on fire) not to mention a quick burst tests everyone in the room for being a spy. Unfortunately they lack the speed to be real gorilla fighters. Can’t hunt someone down and can’t get away in time.
I think Scout is a hair overpowered too. Just need their shotgun toned down a little. The speed combined with the deadly up close makes them too short rangy…
theNathanBlack (on Steam).
I have been playing it a fair amount as well. Overall I like it a lot. The Medic is a definite improvment over the old medic class. I can’t wait to play in a month or two when people actualy know what ubercharge means.
The only things I dislike are related to what the game is not. I was hoping for some of the gameplay of the original team fortress. Sadly that is not here. This plays more like Team Fortess Classic, which is still a great game, just not quite as high on my list as the original.
What I miss most is the balance, TF2 and TFC both favor the defencive classes balance wise. While TF favored offence. You can see it most when you play a map like 2Fort. In TF2 i’ve played several hour+ matches of CTF where we finaly got flag captures because the other team got bored. In TF we would have matches with 20+ flag captures in less than an hour. On the other hand TF could never have pulled off dustbowl as well as TF2 or TFC. The Conquest maps are just a better fit for the balance of TF2. Ahh well….
They do need to do somthing about the spy, he is the ONLY class that can actualy break a good defence right now but he has no counter (used to be the scout could unmask him). The Medic can break a weak defence with a heavy or Pyro, but it is just not effective enough for CTF although it works great in conquest.
Anyway I could talk all day about this…. but I realy need to get building my sentry gun….