I am no longer surprised by anything that gets added into Team Fortress 2.
Valve celebrated All Hallows Eve in an update for Team Fortress 2 last year, and it's doing so again in 2010 with the release of a new map called the Mann's Manor. The new map--which is out now and available within a free update--contains exploding pumpkins, a surely chilling atmosphere, a random gift box drop, and a first for the series: a certain headless NPC that can kill you. That's right--the Headless Horseman has been added to TF2.
Valve describes the Horseman as a "randomly spawning boss monster" that is exclusive to Mann's Manor. And speaking of exclusive, the Mann Co. Store now has 10 new Halloween-themed items (hats and the like) that will only be available for purchase during the season, according to a Team Fortress 2 blog post, but will be wearable year round. Get to purchasing, I suppose.
One more map has been added to the game in this latest update, too. It's a level called Mountain Lab and it was created by Valentin "3Dnj" Levillain for the Art Pass Contest, which the author won, alongside Tim "YM" Johnson and Alex Kreeger's Mann's Manor.
" Valve has limited people that buy items to not be able to trade those items, thus ripping off players for exclusive items.
I don't even understand how that make sense. How would they be getting "ripped off"?
Those are really the only limitations outside of Special Event Items that everyone can easily acquire. The once per player drop is the metal from this Scream Fortress event, and it can't be purchased. You can use it to make 1 of 4 hats, or the one weapon included in this patch. The hats can be purchased, but only during this event.
Right. Exactly. You can only get one without purchasing. They also make it a limited time offer in order to pressure people into purchasing it since they won't have another chance (except maybe next Halloween). I don't know why you seem to be trying to paint that as a positive.
You get items when YOU die...You're not at all rewarded for anything.
I must not understand what you are saying, because I seriously don't see how those two statements are not directly contradictory.
" @Forum_User: The thing with Valve is that they've already released a plethora of FREE content for TF2. The primary reason it hasn't been so for xbox and has for PC is because microsoft wants a hand in the profits, and none would exist. The content would probably equal out to $150+ for all the PC patches if made available on xbox 360. Though I said just about, you're completely taking it out of context. Valve has limited people that buy items to not be able to trade those items, thus ripping off players for exclusive items. Those are really the only limitations outside of Special Event Items that everyone can easily acquire. The once per player drop is the metal from this Scream Fortress event, and it can't be purchased. You can use it to make 1 of 4 hats, or the one weapon included in this patch. The hats can be purchased, but only during this event. The weapon can't be purchased at all. The only thing I can address in regards to playing to certain design flaws is that it's not exsistant in TF2s drop system. There is no one thing you can do in a game that will greater influence an item drop. You get items when YOU die, not when you kill other people and it's limited to 7 or 8 per week. You're not at all rewarded for anything. So far, only achievement milestones and during the Scream Fortress event has there been any type of rewarding of the players for completing certain actions. With achievements, once you get so many for one class, you get their weapons. This is a one time thing and can't be exploited. With the Scream Fortress event there is only one map this stuff happen on, and it's designed for the event and nothing more. It's not affecting any of the people playing on more serious maps. So there is really nothing you can do except idle your game on a server. Most servers kick anyone afk for more than 1 miunte, so it's not really affecting the people that are actually playing the game. It's not even worth it now as they'll be getting 7 to 8 items a week regardless of length of time played. I would say the achievement systems has been more of a hindrance on the game than the drop system has been in regards to game flow. Which is a shame, considering achievements have been out since the games release. "
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