ShackCast 28: Team Fortress 2 Changes, Battlefield Heroes, GTA4 Date, Fallen Empire, Fancy Joystick

Alright try to get the podcast number right before the next podcast. Podcast 29 is next no guessing or asking if thats correct.... just say it.

About the TF2 update:

I agree that it seems odd for Valve to spend time on this achievement thing, when they could use it on new maps / gametypes (as you suggested). Especially considering that they've nailed the fun [dead on] (from what i hear/read anyway - as i haven't tried TF2 yet /o\).
On the other hand though, I'm sure that Valve *must* have had a good reason for considering this. Surely they have discovered fun + 10% whilst testing this stuff - or it would seem like a suicide not doing the simple stuff from above (maps / gametypes).

On a side topic - a TF2 addon - (with even more new stuff added) surely that will happen down the road also.

The end of this podcast was amazing.

you mention the stunt events in burnout paradise, and while i didn't quite get it in the demo, i'm having a lot of fun doing them in full version. it's a bit like tony hawk actually (or another game with a combo system more similar to paradise that escapes me atm), you have a 5 second timer to do some sort of move, drift, jump, spin, near miss, boost, etc. after you start your line, and larger tricks like barrel rolls and flat spins seem to net multipliers. i think crashing through billboards does as well.

plus if you tap the boost right before the timer goes out instead of holding it down like i usually do when racing, you can keep your 'line' going indefinitely.. well, until you crash. and like tony hawk, you can keep your current combo going even after the timer runs out.

it's a lot of fun trying to keep it going until you can pull off the next big stunt. i was sort of disappointed to see this wasn't an online event, same goes for marked man. the single player experience feels more complete because of these other events. and to me, both seem like a perfect match for versus multiplayer in addition to straight racing. road rage wouldn't work online because the other players would simply split up and get too far away from you. coop challenges sort of fill the gap, but that's still coop, not competitive. starting to ramble here so i'm going to stop.

anyway, i didn't even realize you could keep combos going forever with tapping boost until i heard criterion mention it in their stunt run podcast. does the full game explain this? i haven't even looked or noticed.

Call me when they make a joystick for 360 that makes shooters not suck.

A game I'd recommend for said fancy joystick would be il2:Sturmovik 1946. I saw it at Gamestop recently for 20 bucks! It may be a little hardcore...but its very rewarding and will definately give you a chance to make use of your new joystick.

Have you thought of getting rudder pedals too...I can't comment on the Saitek pedals...but the CH USB pedals I have are very nice (I've got a CH Throttle and an MS Sidewinder Force Feedback 2...but that Saitek HOTAS you've got should be very fucking nice for IL2 (though I don't know that it has FF, FF is kind of going away it seems, which is sad...as in a game like IL2 it adds a lot when you can feel the tension of the cables changing depending on the air rushing over your control surfaces).

Hopefully the relative voice levels are better this time. I know there's a bit of popping occasionally, but that unfortunately happened at the recording stage. I tried some new crap to make the volumes more consistent though.

Hehe, I was just listening to this in the background while I read chatty and I wanted to reply to something that Remo said about Assasin Creed and my first instinct was to look for the reply button on the player. Duh. Too much Shacking.

Good cast guys. I think I might actually buy fancy joystick. It looks completely over the top, but useful. Too bad he has no games to use it with! Funny stuff

BREAKDOWN

00:00: It's a song!
01:50: Battlefield Heroes announced ( http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/50846 )
05:51: Chris wants to wear a cute pink beret in Battlefield Heroes!
07:05: EA strikes back against Fox News ( http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/50945 )
11:12: Team Fortress 2 achievements and new maps ( http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/50905 )
22:40: Assassin's Creed's outlandish PC system requirements ( http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/50880 )
26:07: Fallen Empire Legion ( http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/50967 )
29:40: NPD 2007 game sales figures ( http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/50939 )
33:07: Grand Theft Auto 4 Delayed by PS3? ( http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/50937 )
35:07: Games we've been playing: Advance Wars, Lost Odyssey, Devil May Cry 4, Rez HD, Burnout Paradise
49:59: Nick's been playing Fancy Joystick: THE GAME
52:01: Steve's been doing the same thing as Nick (TF2, not Fancy Joystick)
53:10: Reader mail: Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Rock Band tracks and instruments, popcorn Wii games, new game quality
68:50: Wrap up
70:00: Ending song!

...if one player dies, you can't complete the map

Daikatana?

So the breakdown is dead and gone, huh? I haven't listened to the Shackcast since it was removed, I mean you guys are great but I just don't have that kind of time. I liked being able to pick the segments that interested me. oh well

well has been released for tf2, however downloading the update will break your steam client.

Woohoo

*goes off to listen*