Team Fortress 2's Spy murders Sniper, both receive updates
by Griffin McElroy 
{ May 16th 2009 at 11:30AM } 
We thought Valve had straight up flipped their melon (whatever that means) when they started announcing the upcoming changes to Team Fortress 2's hawk-eyed class, the Sniper. A bow and arrow? Okay, fine -- but a shield that prevents you from getting backstabbed? Why not just allow them to turn on God Mode? However, our worries were assuaged by the latest revelation for the Sniper update, in which said Sniper gets Julius Caesar'd by a Spy -- the proud recipient of yet another TF2 update.
The betrayal-prone class will be getting two new tools in the update -- the Cloak and Dagger Spy Watch, which allows you to stay camouflaged indefinitely (as long as you're standing completely still) and the Dead Ringer Spy Watch, which instantly cloaks you for eight seconds when you get hit, dropping a fake corpse in your stead. Oh, we're going to do terrible, terrible things with that.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
sicsided @ May 16th 2009 11:34AM
fyi
both will be getting updates. Confirmed by Doug Lombardi
Brucie_K @ May 16th 2009 11:35AM
Valve: Master trolls.
Hashbrown Hunter @ May 16th 2009 2:30PM
Led by their fearless PS3 troll, Doug Lombardi.
THE Ezio Auditore de Firenze (PSN slycooper_rocker) @ May 16th 2009 6:26PM
hey HH, you mean gabe newell?
Hashbrown Hunter @ May 17th 2009 12:13PM
Oops. Sorry about that.
I'm gettin to old for these 'ere internets!
fyi i am a spy @ May 16th 2009 11:43AM
I KNEW IT!!!
http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=860536
harusame @ May 16th 2009 11:52AM
I liked TF2 more before the class updates. Of course the optional weapons and items bring more variety to the game but the original TF2 was perfectly balanced simple fun.
oolz @ May 16th 2009 12:10PM
the game is still perfectly balanced and I have no doubt that will remain the case after these updates. Valve knows what they're doing. Every update they've made usually have several counters for those who are smart enough to recognize them.
chispito @ May 16th 2009 1:34PM
"several counters for those who are smart enough?"
Only a few of the optional weapons are straight upgrades (the bonesaw and syringe gun for the medic probably being the most significant ones). I don't think it takes a genius to figure out what the "counter" is to a fat guy eating a sandwich in the corner.
Tehman @ May 16th 2009 11:53AM
People are saying that the being cloaked by standing still might be over powered......
oolz @ May 16th 2009 12:12PM
those people must not know good pyros...
Sir Buzz Killington( The Artist formerly known as Jakka) @ May 16th 2009 12:44PM
Not really. The unlock only recharges when you're standing still which means that while you can stay invisible in one spot indefinitely, you suffer from shorter cloak times, have to take breaks staying still and can no longer go 'ammo surfing' by roaming invisible throughout the map picking up ammo boxes to replenish cloak. That + firepower spam + Pyros + all the usual anti-spy tactics people have learned should be enough to balance it out.
Me, I love how it caters to different Spy playstyles. Old watch for your normal predator-esque active offensive spies and the new one for the stealthy ones steadily creeping throughout the base waiting for the opportunity to strike. I know I'll be the latter since hiding next to the enemy dispenser, staying invisible by constantly replenishing my cloak was one of the most fun things I've ever done in that game.
chispito @ May 16th 2009 1:39PM
The best spies I've seen are always moving. I'm not sure this will ultimately be popular with them. The C&D watch I think has more potential.
Cj @ May 16th 2009 11:53AM
Still not one 360 update :(
Nincodedo @ May 16th 2009 12:55PM
And this is why you buy Valve games on Steam. Well, this raps up another Internet Life Lessons for today. I am your host Nincodedo, and I hope you all have a wonderful day.
OTAM @ May 16th 2009 3:54PM
"And this is why you buy Valve games on Steam. Well, this raps up another Internet Life Lessons for today. I am your host Nincodedo, and I hope you all have a wonderful day"
Not everyone has a gaming PC or wants to play on the PC to begin with.
Here's a life lesson,don't put out a product with your names on it and then completely abandon it.
DrgnAK @ May 16th 2009 4:20PM
Valve games always have very frugal system requirements, and a three year old PC with a new 50 dollar graphics card is good enough to run TF2 well. Same specs can also run L4D, CoD4, etcetc. You don't need a modern gaming rig capable of running Crysis at 1080p at 100fps with 8x anti-aliasing and 16x arthroscopic filtering on highest settings.
$50 upgrade + $20 TF2 is only $10 more than buying a new game, and is well worth it.
DrgnAK @ May 16th 2009 4:22PM
I forgot to mention that it's well-known that Valve surpassed the 360's memory limit with the TF2 DLC, so they need to run a lot of optimizations to fit it in the 360's limited memory space while new DLC continues to pour in for the PC.
JXCgunrunna @ May 16th 2009 5:43PM
@drgnAK
running at PC game at 1080p? y such a low resolution?
??? @ May 16th 2009 7:18PM
@JXC:
"y such a low resolution?"
1080p? Low?
Why does everything have to be overkill to be "good?" That's the problem with your type: You're so bleeding edge you fall off the edge of reality as a result.
MowDownJoe @ May 16th 2009 12:01PM
Anyone look at the source code for the Spy Update page? Little comment that reads "Spy sappin' mah update!" Oh, Valve... you can read our every move.
ripslymemc @ May 16th 2009 12:18PM
I bought the orange box just for this game. This game gets the most play out of all my games. Please release DLC for the consoles!
devilsei @ May 16th 2009 12:25PM
They are waiting til they have a good chunk to add. Microsoft wouldn't let these class updates be free, ooooh no, they'd make you pay with your fingers. Valve wants to make sure that when you have to pay for the update, you'll get more than your money's worth with it.
Least thats what I think.
devilsei @ May 16th 2009 12:26PM
Oh, and most likely there wont be any DLC for the PS3, Valve's is just like Bethesda, both give the ps3 the finger, and in essence, the fans on that system.
cloud858rk @ May 16th 2009 12:32PM
EA made the PS3 port, it's not Valve's fault. Go complain to EA they aren't porting any DLC.
ecko @ May 16th 2009 12:50PM
Didn't Valve release the dlc for L4D for free? I would like to believe the fine folks at Valve would be able to dissuade MS from charging for this, considering how fans have been clamoring for it on 360. /.02
PS36Wii Fanboy @ May 16th 2009 4:40PM
You know, if any of you read the Valve blog, the reason why they are not updating as soon as the PC version is because the Orange Box is hitting memory capacity on the 360, they are trying to find a way to reduce the memory needed for the update so they don't overexceed that, and they are working on it. It is not because MS eats a kitten everytime a free DLC( It is not even DLC, it is going to be an update!) comes out.
dastranger @ May 16th 2009 12:28PM
I know I'll stir some controversy here, but imho for this "generation" of games, TF2 is the best Multiplayer game out there. It's such a shame that much of the console community (I mainly play on the 360 version, but also on the PC version) doesn't recognize this.
Sure, I love me some COD4, Halo 3, Killzone 2, etc., but there's something about TF2 that takes the crown for me. Maybe it's because of the truly defined classes, the almost "forced" team playing nature of TF2, the art style, updates. TF2 is just amazing.
Console player, go back to TF2, it's truly the best MP game out there.
It's just a shame of the lack of updates on the console side. Ahhh well.
cloud858rk @ May 16th 2009 12:34PM
I agree, it's a shame the game hasn't gone mainstream like Halo or Call of Duty. Well, less 10 year olds for us.
Einhanderkiller @ May 16th 2009 12:44PM
Maybe it's not mainstream, but it is pretty popular. There are around 100,000 players per day on the PC.
Robert Maynard @ May 16th 2009 12:45PM
Not only do I agree with you, I'll take it a step further and predict it'll still be played ten years from now, probably even after Left 4 Dead. Even while running off an engine that's now five years old, the visual design will continue to age very gracefully.
The Dark Wayne @ May 16th 2009 1:03PM
It certainly seems like it could considering CS has done just about the same thing
Poisoned Al @ May 16th 2009 7:51PM
If "mainstream" you mean "played by screeching, racist 12-year-old fuck-tards" then I'm quite happy for it to stay niche.
Muffin_man @ May 16th 2009 8:21PM
A lot of PC games (especially Valve ones) are driven by community content and community involvement. You;ll never find this on a console because there isn't much scope for community content and the community usually moves on when the next big game comes out.
I bet there are probably games on the original xbox that have no online players left yet I bet the exact same game on PC stil has a community of players.
Premature ejaculation man @ May 16th 2009 8:41PM
I'd definately play it if it were an XBLA release (with the updates). I don't want to buy the orange box though for one game.
EGOvoruhk @ May 17th 2009 3:45AM
Premature ejaculation man: Why the hell not? Orange Box for the 360 is only 20 bucks, and you get 5 games. Every single game is worth that 20 dollars
JaxDaxter @ May 16th 2009 12:32PM
I wonder when this update is going to come out. There must be at least one more reveal, but after that - unless there's another "Meet The ..." video - the update must be in a few days, Wednesday at the latest.
Einhanderkiller @ May 16th 2009 12:42PM
Meet the Pyro.
Robert Maynard @ May 17th 2009 2:21AM
Meet the Spy has been leaked
http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/58667
Robert Maynard @ May 17th 2009 2:21AM
I feel compelled to add that it's effing incredible.
CH3BURASHKA @ May 16th 2009 12:41PM
Valve is the shit.
Exhibit A @ May 16th 2009 12:43PM
The update is coming out on Thursday the st, it says so on the TF2 Blog.
Sabi @ May 16th 2009 1:16PM
sweetness i was expecting it sooner or later
Alex @ May 16th 2009 1:22PM
just finish the damn upgrades so you can release the 360 DLC. It might was well be TF2.5 at this point.
WiiFTW @ May 16th 2009 2:11PM
Finish the updates, botch them, then patch them again to fix them? Great plan!
Alex @ May 16th 2009 2:26PM
worked for Gears of War 2!
oh wait...
The Dark Wayne @ May 16th 2009 2:44PM
All historians agree that George Washington's greatest regret was not being PERMANENTLY INVISIBLE. Now you can succeed where the man who invented America failed
busydoingnothing @ May 16th 2009 3:03PM
Oh, fuck yeah. The return of Feign Death, one of my most-missed features of old-school Team Fortress.
Give the Demoman his detpack back, and we will be closer to perfection...
cknblade @ May 16th 2009 9:43PM
I'm sort of nervous about this. If done well (which I'm confidant it will be), it will be a back up plan that experienced players will catch within a second or so...enough time for a spy to jump around or make a quick get away. The real determinant of this will be whether it will register on the upper left that you killed the person, as this could drastically alter how fast people will react to these spy "deaths."
Bryan @ May 16th 2009 4:13PM
An okay update. The new additions stay balanced within themselves. The Dead Ringer is something I already do -- I cloak instantly once hit. What I want to know, once it creates a fake body, does it create a fake death in the HUD? Because if not, it's pointless.
The Cloak and Dagger is great -- except it can't be recharged by ammunition, metal, etc. That leaves you dead in the water unless you find an excellent spot to hide.
If you haven't noticed, Valve has conveniently (and ingeniously) placed ammunition packs around maps. Walk out of the first rendition of Goldrush -- you cloak, your first ammo pack will come into sight as you are just losing watch energy. Depending on the path you took, another ammunition pack will greet you in the same manner.
Not to mention, the Spy relies, not heavily, but still frequently on dropped guns and metal to stay invisible. Staying still is not very smart, although I will, at times, stay completely still, as enemies will run off and check usual spots for where you could've been hiding.
We'll see.