Road to the Scout Update

[Zablorg]

Okay, so the new scout update is going to be released on Tuesday, with a new snippet of information being released every day barring the weekend. So far we've got

The Sandman

Some stupid community maps

And Bonk! The atomic punch cherry fission drink, now with isotopes! Also, achievement names.

So far I am pretty skeptical that this update will fly well. Despite saying in a commentary node I think, that they wouldn't introduce any stunning weapons, we have the Sandman. While hopefully it will be hard to get a decent hit on a guy what with the distance modifier and both you and he running around and perhaps an arcing effect, what happens when you do get hit? Probably if there's a soldier or demo in the vicinity you fucking die, that's what.

I'm not sure about the drink, either. It just seems really wierd. It obviously lets you dodge bullets to a degree, if not completely, and the slowdown seems like a good "fuck you" to a Heavy who just got laps ran around him by the flash.

[Uraniun235]

Oh god. Stunning ubers? A fucking at-will near-invulnerability super-speed potion?

The scout can already be plenty deadly, this has the potential to turn them into one-man rape gangs.

[eyexist]

So far every unlockable except, arguably, the Ubersaw has a catch (i.e. Blutslauger's lack of crits, Backburner's lack of a compressor, etc.). I wonder what it would be for the energy drink? Perhaps if the scout stops moving any successful attacks on him are automatic crits

Uber stunning doesn't seem like that big of a deal. Skilled Pyros are bigger threats for Ubers and Krits since they can juggle enemies and deflect projectiles. From the achievements it looks like the baseballs can be deflected too. If anything it makes Scouts Pyro fodder along with Demos, Soldiers and Sentry Guns.

[Laughing Mechanicus]

Frankly I think people are being ridiculously hysterical about the Scout stunning thing. As already mentioned there are a load of different ways to screw up an uber team and it's not like that has "ruined" them.

So far every unlockable except, arguably, the Ubersaw has a catch (i.e. Blutslauger's lack of crits, Backburner's lack of a compressor, etc.). I wonder what it would be for the energy drink? Perhaps if the scout stops moving any successful attacks on him are automatic crits

According the the update page once the energy drink wears off the scout will experience "feelings of lethargy that can last several seconds" presumably this means a speed reduction for a short time.

[Zablorg]

Keep in mind also that in any FPS really, a few seconds can go a long, long way.

Aaron may be right regarding the ubers, but I think any mortal being stunned in a group fight is going to be dead immediately. Also they will probably become immediate spy bait, depending on how the effect is handled. I do consider a 1 on 1 fight with a scout using this to be fair game, however.

I'm really refraining judgement on this until it comes out. Given the effects of the weapons so far, depending on the scale of the effects described, things could run smoothly or they could potentially become RUINED FOREVER. Even if this happens there's a considerable chance Valve will try to patch things up until they play right, which is what they've been trying to do with the Sticky launcher with limited success.

Today's Scout news update revealed official support of the map CP-Egypt. Looks pretty nice, and its description revealed that the Scout's main unlockable features some elevation feature. Most interesting.

Also, is anyone else amused that the TF2 community is outraged about Valve's support of Junction which no-one has to play or even set eyes upon?

[eyexist]

Frankly I think people are being ridiculously hysterical about the Scout stunning thing. As already mentioned there are a load of different ways to screw up an uber team and it's not like that has "ruined" them.

Really, the team that doesn't rally behind the people being ubered can ruin it more than any Scout, Pyro or Sentry Gun.