Team Fortess 2 Public Beta Program Begins

December 3, 2010 5:50 AM

Much as Valve has previously done with Day of Defeat: Source and Counter-Strike: Source, the developer yesterday launched an opt-in public beta program for Team Fortress 2, letting players test changes which may be rolled out to the regular game.

While the initial release focuses on balance tweaks--affecting Natascha and other slowing weapons--plus a few map changes, Valve notes that the beta program may also be used for "testing new technologies without the risk of breaking the game" and "running higher level, game-wide experiments (like doubling player health)."

Valve previously held a TF2 closed beta program with TF2 clans, focused on balancing the class-based shooter for competitive play. The forum for this new beta has separate feedback sections for 'public' and competitive play, showing attention to both.

This beta uses a completely separate installation of TF2, so you can still play the regular version when you please. If you own TF2, you can enter the beta by moseying on over to the Steam client's Library section and installing "Team Fortress 2 Beta" from your list.

Here's what's in the initial beta release:

Three Natascha variants:

-40% damage
-25% damage, -25% health
Spin-up/down time increased, slowdown-on-hit effect falls off over distance.
Map changes:

cp_granary: new entrance added into the RED and BLU mid ramp room.
cp_5gorge: 5 CP version of cp_gorge.
Misc balance changes:

Players being healed by a medic are immune to movement-impairing effects generated by hit-scan weapons.

Alice O'Connor

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flasher 907

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December 3, 2010 6:52 AM

This is a pretty cool idea. I don't remember the betas of DODS and CSS being about core gameplay changes but more about engine updates. Perhaps i'm wrong.

I like this idea of experimenting with gameplay changes though. I've always felt many things didn't feel right with TF2 gameplay which kept me from really loving the game. As someone with a Quake background I've long been dissappointed that the TF2 soldier feels so sluggish. Both in player movement and rocket firing/reloading.
- goldrunout
  
   reply
  December 3, 2010 7:59 AM
  
  Well, if you ask to any css competitive player, they'll tell you that an engine update IS a gameplay change :D but maybe it's because of us css players being so nerdish
- leuthil
  
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  December 3, 2010 1:12 PM
  
  The CS:S beta was both, actually. There was definitely a large emphasis on the engine itself but they also did change the gameplay, for better and worse.... mostly worse as usual.
  - Medevila
    
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    December 6, 2010 9:09 AM
    
    This is EXACTLY WHY they do these betas. Some of you hard up faggots who can't deal with change will bitch and moan whenever they make changes, and this beta is their way of saying, "Bitch and moan while you can so we can change stuff up a bit so you won't be complete dickheads when the changes become official."