Secondary: Building Attachment
Attach this to a building with M1. Press and hold M2: building becomes magnetic, attaching to friendly ally. M2 again to deploy item where the friendly unit is standing.
Meant to promote base mobility and lateral movement. The focus was meant to allow defenders to move teleporters between multiple defensible locations, especially on maps like Gravelpit. I'm still looking to balance this unlock better, as I think it promotes more sneak teleporting than lateral movement.
The Stinger
Secondary: Building Attachable
Attach to a building with M1. That building's usage charges a defending gun. When the building is not in use (not healing / teleporting / recharging) the gun will attack encroaching enemies.
Meant to provide wider base defense AND subtly encourage engineers and allies to move away from dispensers periodically.
The idea here are sapper-style items that replace the Engineer's pistol. He can then attach them to buildings to grant them unique abilities, to change his strategy, or offer bonuses. It's an unlock type that I would like to see explored because it's something I think hasn't been proposed very much in the past, and because I like the idea of extra buildings.
Some balancing thoughts: "friendly sappers" should not cause buildings to run counter to their primary mission: while the Stinger can open up new locations for a building, it shouldn't encourage Engineers to stop using their dispensers or teleporters as dispensers or teleporters. So I think the "friendly sapper" drawing charge from buildings functioning, not interrupting the primary building's function, and working best when the building is not in use are good strategies.
Post your own ideas for balance or attachables in the comments!
The war against the robots had been going poorly. Lots of mercs were dying, valuable merchandise was being destroyed, but worst of all, Mann Co was spending a fortune on quicklime.
As the shortage of corpse-dissolving mineral worsened, Mann Co turned to their most brilliant minds for a solution. As it turns out, however, their most brilliant minds were haberdashers. The resulting solution (skull-hats) was stylish and wildly profitable, but failed to eliminate the multitude of putrifying limbs and organs on Mann Co property. The hat-makers were fired, then immediately rehired, dusted off, and told to get back to work gluing feathers to felt or whatever it was they did, exactly.
Coincidentally, in a charming mountain laboratory outside of Rottenberg, Germany, an unknown scientist (whose name we're beginning to suspect may be Unknown Scientist) discovered an amusing side effect of the charged particles coursing through the veins of mercenaries. The TF-66 medibeam antenna could also feed a signal into an external transceiver and when the person attached to the transceiver died (suddenly, via crazy coincidence), it would exude a cloud of charged notdeadium particles in the shape of whatever mercenary, military android, or bewildered circus clown was transmitting. If an external medigun beam passed through the fine mist, the body would regenerate quickly, leaving a living and thoroughly relieved mercenary, military android, or circus clown. Bongos was immediately re-vaporized for security reasons.
Realizing the application vis-a-vis solving the quicklime shortage, Gray Mann's hellish robotic war machine rolled out to Rottenberg to rampage through its quaint architecture, menace its lederhosen-bedecked population and destroy the Reanimators before they could be mass produced and put onto battlefields. Two days later, a team of mercenaries decided that they should probably see what all the fuss was about and headed over there.
Recently the longstanding dispute between the RED and BLU groups was resolved via double homicide. However, immediately after the cessation of hostilities between the two groups, new hostilities began as arms manufacturer and comic book distributor Mann Co was attacked by robots. It was in the wake of these robot attacks that Mann Co finally saw fit to publicize technology it had apparently been hiding in a Senate Subcomittee-proof cellar.
The Multipurpose Chargeable Canteens are not actually canteens and under no circumstances should anyone ever drink out of one. For the most part, the Canteen's sturdy steel frame and handy canvass carrying case are merely external protection for the various interchangeable inserts available for purchase at any Mann Co Defensive Outpost. Each insert can be installed into a standard canteen and then charged up to three times at a go. When pressed as to why canteens could only hold three charges, a representative of Mann Co claimed that allowing mercenaries to carry more than three charges at a go might make them into "big softies" who should "just go home and bake cookies" if they couldn't "take the heat from the hellish onslaught of merciless, unstoppable robots". Another simply mimed a gruesome explosion, followed by several more, while making "pkew pkew" noises with his mouth. An accountant explained that it was "detrimental to core profit margins" before being impressively suplexed through an open window by what other Mann Co representatives claimed was simply an "albino gorilla luchador" before deferring this journalist to technical staff.
The Uber-Canteen insert allegedly contains a notdeadium core that irradiates a fluid medium. The uber-insert ships with a reusable, self-sterilizing syringe which is capable of holding enough fluid for a five-second charge. Uber canteens do not generate ubercharge, nor are synthetic ubercharge supplements yet a possibility: instead, ubercharge is generated at offsite facilities. When pressed, Mann Co representatives claimed that it was a proprietary secret and that further inquiries should be taken up with their team of elite military legal androids.
The Kritz Canteen is quite different from the Uber Canteen. There is a well-documented phenomena on battlefields with extensive medigun saturation known as "random crits". Essentially dissipated notdeadium would coalesce on mercenaries, causing their weapons to emit a disruption field that essentially triples the damage dealt. Kritz Canteens have a special pressure nozzle that dissipate the gas, conducting the disruption field onto their weapons for a few seconds.
To learn more about the Power Up Canteens, click here.
In this segment, I aim to introduce each TF2 class as an XCOM
soldier, complete with ranked abilities. Today, we're looking at the Heavy. Hey,
XCOM players! If you have any opinions about the balance on these
abilities, let me know in the comments section.
The Heavy Weapons Guy is distinct from the traditional XCOM Heavy by his emphasis on the minigun over demolitions. A murderous mountain of muscle and guns, HWG sweeps his weaponry over the field, converting aliens into alien-scented vapor.
HWG can equip heavy weaponry and pistols. With advanced training, he can equip light weaponry to his secondary slot.
Squaddie Rank Ability: Suppression Grants reaction fire against a specific target if it moves. Suppressed targets suffer a 20% aim penalty.
Corporal Rank Ability 2: Custom Tool Cartridges Reloading no longer ends a turn
Sergeant Rank Ability 1: Gulag Upon successful reaction fire, HWG will suppress target.
Sergeant Rank Ability 2: What is Pain? HWG does not suffer from battle fatigue.
LieutenantAbility 1: Joy in Slaughter Adds 10 will for every enemy killedin battle.
Lieutenant Ability 2: Sandwich Sandwich heals HP. Medkit upgrades apply.HWG carries one per battle.
Captain Rank Ability 1: Entrenched Reduces damage by 1 while in cover. Reduces damage by 1 while unflanked. Reduces damage by 1 while suppressing or on overwatch.
Captain Rank Ability 2: Natascha Enemies the HWG suppresses lose 2 tiles of move.
Major Rank Ability:You Call That A Gun? The HWG can now equipLight Assault Rifles to his secondary weapon slot
Colonel Rank Ability 1: Suppression Sweep Allows the Heavy to target multiple enemies for suppression.
Colonel Rank Ability 2: Tracking Heavy gains +10 Aim and +2 damage against enemies he successfully wounded on the previous turn.
In this new segment, I aim to introduce each TF2 class as an XCOM
soldier, complete with ranked abilities. Today, we're looking at the Spy. Hey,
XCOM players! If you have any opinions about the balance on these
abilities, let me know in the comments section.
Spies are cloak-and-dagger units. Armed with decoys and tons of cloaking technology, these units are invaluable for high-risk infiltrations.
Squaddie Rank Ability: Hologram Creates a holographic projection of a randomized ally which can be controlled remotely. Lasts 2 turnsunless destroyed.Spies using this ability are considered invisible unless out of cover or flanked.
Corporal Rank Ability 1: Silent Killer Spies don't alert enemies while dashing
Corporal Rank Ability 2: Sneak Attack Attacking with the pistol doesn't break cloak
Sergeant Rank Ability 1: Observational Intel Grants three additional tiles of vision.
Sergeant Rank Ability 2: Field Recon Grants +5% critical chance when attacking enemies that have been autopsied Grants +5% critical chance when attacking enemies that have been interrogated
LieutenantAbility 1: Sabotage Arms Close range ability disables the victim's primary weaponfor three turns.
Lieutenant Ability 2: Dummy Fire Holograms can suppress targets, although their attacks do no damage
Captain Rank Ability 1: Cloak and Dagger Allows the Spy to carry 2 extra invisibility charges while wearing Ghost Armor
Captain Rank Ability 2: Dead Ringer Cloaks the spy upon receiving reaction fire.
Major Rank Ability: Hard Light Holograms have a 50% chance to reflect incoming damage
In this segment, I aim to introduce each TF2 class as an XCOM
soldier, complete with ranked abilities. Today, we're looking at the Pyro. Hey, XCOM players! If you have any opinions about the balance on these abilities, let me know in the comments section.
The Pyro is a light area-of-effect class, capable of wounding groups of enemies without relying on explosive damage. Be careful with these units! Their penchant for fire can make it dangerous for friendlies as well as hostiles. Be sure to invest in Titan Armor as quickly as possible!
Pyros can use Assault Rifle and Shotgun Class armaments.
Class Specialty Secondary: Flamethrower
Flamethrowers deal damage over an area without dealing explosive damage. There is a chance that any tile in the flamethrower's area-of-effect might catch fire. Fire can spread, damage the environment, and may injure people who stand in it or pass through it while moving.
Flamethrowers cannot be reloaded once their ammo is spent without upgrades. Flamethrowers can not be used to Overwatch.
Squaddie Rank Ability: Ignite Concentrated fireblast deals 3 damage and sets the foe on fire, reducing their Will score and dealing a point of damage per turn. Requires Flamethrower Ammo.
Corporal Rank Ability 1: Firesense Grants HUD display that shows the range of environmental hazards. -1 damage from environmental hazards
Corporal Rank Ability 2: Adjustable Nozzle Allows Pyros to alter the area of effect of the Flamethrower
Sergeant Rank Ability 1: Hazmat Suit Renders the Pyro immune to fire damage and poison.
Sergeant Rank Ability 2: Extra Tank Doubles the Flamethrower's ammo capacity.
LieutenantAbility 1: Hazmat Response Allows the Pyro to clear environmental hazards, prevent vehicles from exploding, put out fires, and eliminate poison clouds.
Lieutenant Ability 2: Oil Slick Expends a small amount of Flamethrower Ammo to create a flammable puddle at range. Deals critical fire damage when ignited.
Captain Rank Ability 1: Tempered Steel Nerves Pyro gains +5 will for every enemy he has burned
Captain Rank Ability 2: Forged in Flame +3 Health, +10 Defense
Major Rank Ability:Backburner Increases fire damage to 2. Critical chance increases by 15% when the enemy is flanked.
Colonel Rank Ability 1: Fireman's Carry Allows the Pyro to stabilize one teammate without using a Medkit.
In this new segment, I aim to introduce each TF2 class as an XCOM
soldier, complete with ranked abilities. Today, we're looking at the Medic. Hey, XCOM players! If you have any opinions about the balance on these abilities, let me know in the comments section. Now, I know the Support is basically a field medic unit, so I'm trying not to replicate that skillset too much here. Ironically, that means subverting their role as pure healers a little.
Medics are support units dedicated to keeping units alive and kicking on the field.
Squaddie Rank Ability: Overheal Adds an additional 2HP to the supported unit, +5% aim, +5% crit chance
Corporal Rank Ability 1: Medigun Medikits can now reach an additional two tiles.
Corporal Rank Ability 2: Sangfroid This Medic is not affected by the Fallen Comrades will penalty
Sergeant Rank Ability 1: Field Medic Allows Medics to carry 3 medkits
Sergeant Rank Ability 2: Defensive Confers +25% defense to this Medic
LieutenantAbility 1: Kritzkrieg Overheal now provides +3HP, +20% aim and +30% crit chance
Captain Rank Ability 1: Medical Expert Using a medikit no longer ends the turn. Limit 1 medkit use per turn.
Captain Rank Ability 2: Covering Fire Prevents reaction shots against dashing allies, deals 75% of the equipped weapon's base damage
Major Rank Ability:Reflecter Overheal now has a 25% chance of reflecting an opponent's attack back on it
Colonel Rank Ability 1: Recovery Medic recovers HP% while healing allies. HP is based on percentage healed + armor HP bonus.
Colonel Rank Ability 2: Zombify Medic can turn enemy corpse into melee-zombie with 4 HP. Process destroys corpse
In this segment, I aim to introduce each TF2 class as an XCOM soldier, complete with ranked abilities. Today, we're looking at the Engineer. Hey, XCOM players! If you have any opinions about the balance on these abilities, let me know in the comments section.
The Engineer is an area denial class, focused on manipulating the environment
Squaddie Rank Ability: Sentry Allows the Engineer to deploy a sentry once per mission. [Sentries share a weapon type with their engineer (conventional, laser or plasma) and deal equivalent damage minus one. They have 3 base HP and have 50% of their engineer's armor bonus.]
Corporal Rank Ability 1: Bulwark Allows the Engineer to construct Walls that confer 50% cover.
Corporal Rank Ability 2: Observant The Engineer takes Overwatch after other units. [Won't waste overwatch if another unit kills the target]
Sergeant Rank Ability 1: Hauling Packs up a sentry and allows it to be redeployed with its current health.
Sergeant Rank Ability 2: Wrangle
Lieutenant Sergeant Rank Ability 1: Sentry Suppression The Sentry will begin suppressing an enemy after attacking it.
Lieutenant Rank Ability 2: Reactive Elements Allows both the Engineer and the Sentryto take a reaction shot on an enemy attack.
Captain Rank Ability 1: Short Circuit Reduces enemy grenade and explosive damage by 50%.
Captain Rank Ability 2: Autoloader Switching to and using pistols will automatically reload primary weapons.
Major Rank Ability:Robot Hand The Engineer gains +1 HP and will not suffer from Battle Wound penalties
Colonel Rank Ability 1: CAVORITE Sentry Sentry gains Flight and Evasion. Can now travel between tile heights
Colonel Rank Ability 2: Minisentry Confers a Minisentry [Sentries share a weapon type with their engineer's pistol (conventional,
laser or plasma) and deal equivalent damage minus one. They have 3HP]
Recently I found a book of video game art (one of my favorite kinds of book) which featured a discussion about the art and artistry of Team Fortress 2. Having read interviews, presentation, and devnotes on much of it, I was already familiar with a lot of what went on, but it did something no resource I've used has: it identified Valve asset artist Eric Kirchmer as specifically responsible for the creation of the sentry gun. If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know that I adore the sentry and I'm always looking out for more sentry gun designs. So I decided to contact Mr. Kirchmer and discuss the designs with him.
TF2 is famous for its incredibly long development cycle, yet I notice that the sketches for the sentry gun available on the TF2 artwork page are very similar to the final model. Did the sentry gun go through any earlier design stages?
TF2 went through lots of iterations over the course of many years, but
the design that was established came through in a fairly short period of
that development cycle post Half Life2. At that time, Valve was in
early development of the Source Film Maker tool and one of first
projects was an animated trailer introducing the TF2 team at a pretty
early stage of development.
One of the highlighted goals of the video was to show the Engineer
deploying a Sentry and have it blast a whole bunch of incoming Soldiers,
which was going to be pretty awesome, except we actually didn't have a
Sentry yet. So the Sentry design was conceived and realized in about a 2
week stretch leading up to the video launch, and after that we began
articulating and designing how its upgrade states would work. Prior to
that stage of the TF2 design there was many other incantations of the
Sentry design, but I don't really remember those because I don't think I
had been born yet ;)
During the long lead-up to the Engineer update, we saw the introduction
of the Repair Node and the Combat Mini-sentry. Were any other buildings
designed for that update? - Don't know an answer to this one
Were you responsible for designing any of the other iconic technology employed by the mercenaries? If so, which? What was the process there?
The design of the Sentry helped drive the design for the other buildable
devices, Dispenser, Teleporter etc and at the time we were developing a
visual language for all the TF2 class weapons. Iconically, the HWG
Minigun and the Pyros Flamethrower were really successful in supporting
the visual style unique to the TF2 universe.
What do you think of the Steam Workshop? As a Valve employee, are you entitled to submit designs through it, or to the profits that might entail if those designs are picked up?
The Steam Workshop is an awesome way for TF2 players to get their
designs into the hands of the rest of the community, and make money back
from it, and really supports the growth of TF2 as a community driven
product.
Your employee bio says you've worked on a number of other games for Valve. Which was your favorite? Are there any game assets you're especially proud of?
My all time favorite project to work on was Half Life2 mostly because it
was my first experience working on a video game and it was a wild ride.
Also I absolutely loved the game when it was released even after having
played it for endless hours in testing before release.
TF2 was also a huge favorite to work on, and a little known design
addition added to the game was in the German version of TF2, they can't
have blood or gibs when players die, so we put in a bunch of gibs when
players explode and it was all this gag stuff like a balloon poodle, an
old boot, a tin can, a rubber ducky etc, etc. It was like one of the
funniest design projects I've worked on.
So there you have it. A little bit of the design history about the sentry gun, and some cool information about one of the men involved in developing the game we all adore.
With the adaptation of the Quick Fix and later the TF-1968 standard Medigun onto battlefields around the Gravel Sea, TF Industries began expanding the research and development of notdeadium-powered healing coils in the interest of reducing the company's insurance premiums. Bedwetting pacifists also suggested that the technology could be used to heal sick people and preserve lives tragically cut short in the endless and seemingly pointless skirmishes between upstanding legitimate businesses in the area, but nobody could see the profit in it.
Much of this effort was directed towards discovering ways to increase the frequency and duration of the high-emission charges which made the mediguns particularly devastating in combat situations. Although it was well-known that something was accumulating inside the healing reactors, what it was, exactly, could not be determined since opening unvented reactors tended to vaporize unwary scientists, wary scientists, unwary chimpanzees, and nosy criminal investigators.
Then, while an unknown scientist was sawing into a mercenary to retrieve a lost watch, he noticed that the patient's organs glowed faintly. Upon further investigation, he discovered that the TF-1966 receiver antenna (used to draw medibeams to the correct patient on the battlefield) also emitted high-charge particles into the patient's bloodstream, irradiating his vital fluids. When a healing beam was attached to the patient, these particles (along with a small amount of evaporating bodily fluid) would travel back up the beam, through the emitter and into the reactor, where they would accumulate.
Ventilation of accumulated irradiated fluid was totally impossible until the reactor hit peak capacity. Several synthetics were tried, but they all failed miserably. Ultimately it was found that only irradiated fluids from human subjects could be used to artificially "seed" the reactor. When it was determined by legal that mercenaries could not be persuaded to lower their weapons long enough for fluids to be harvested, alternate solutions had to be sought.
The only populations where the fluid-irradiation levels were high enough was amongst TF Industry mercenaries, so finally development of field tools for collecting fluids from enemy mercenaries became the obvious tactic, leading to the development of the TF-M1 Extraction Needle, which was basically a horrifyingly large venipuncture needle. The needle, while effective, was ultimately superseded by the introduction of the much more useful TF-M2 Combination Extraction Needle/Bonesaw, also known as the "Ubersaw". The TF-M2 had the added benefit of being a necessary component in an intralumbar spinal tap, a highly effective harvesting method.
