Morning Discussion

Oh, it's all fun and games here at Shacknews. Chris gallivants around QuakeCon, cosying up to id CEOs and superstars. Nick kicks back at BlizzCon to reacquaint himself with his dear friend the wizaaaaaaard and befriend Diablo 3's monk. Even Maarten's in on the fun, hitting up Gamescom to enjoy countless video games in a sophisticated European manner including Borderlands, which he said looked particularly splendid before sucking on a clove cigarillo.

Me? Well, knowing that events are far more work than they might appear to be, I'm secretly a little glad that I end up staffing the office to post the flood of media, even if it does mean I miss out on playing all the fancy pants video games before the hoi polloi.

From The Chatty
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    August 24, 2009 7:07 AM

    [deleted]

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      August 24, 2009 7:08 AM

      [deleted]

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        August 24, 2009 7:10 AM

        So close. Better luck next time!

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        August 24, 2009 7:10 AM

        i think you did quite well. it's pretty.

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      August 24, 2009 7:11 AM

      [deleted]

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      August 24, 2009 7:14 AM

      god damn 13 years

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      August 24, 2009 7:17 AM

      Do people still play QWTF? I spent a ton of time playing that game via QuakeSpy (later GameSpy). Its too bad things like destructible map portions weren't brought into TF2.

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        August 24, 2009 7:21 AM

        I would if there was a huge following. There are only a few servers these days and it looks like they're hosted in some South American country.

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      August 24, 2009 7:17 AM

      [deleted]

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      August 24, 2009 7:18 AM

      detpacks >:(

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      August 24, 2009 7:19 AM

      Demomen shitting detpacks is one of the best things

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      August 24, 2009 7:21 AM

      [deleted]

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      August 24, 2009 7:22 AM

      [deleted]

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        August 24, 2009 7:56 AM

        I can't tell - was that video 3d accelerated? I'm not even sure 3d acceleration was out in 1996

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          August 24, 2009 7:57 AM

          The video was. And yes, there was 3d acceleration in 96-97, but it was uncommon. I bought my first Voodoo card (Diamond Monster 3D) for Quake in 97!

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            August 24, 2009 8:01 AM

            Actually, I was wrong on when I got mine. I got it at release, so that would have been late '96!

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            August 24, 2009 8:04 AM

            [deleted]

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              August 24, 2009 8:07 AM

              I gave my Monster 3D card to a friend when I got a Pure 3D (another Voodoo 1) card. I still have that one and it's big brother, the Pure 3D II. They still work! I just put the Pure 3D II card in my old Pentium Pro 200 computer and it still runs UT and Quake 1/2/3. :P

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                August 24, 2009 2:05 PM

                Yah I had the Canopus Pure3D card... i remember loading up Quake and Quake 2 and being amazed at how good it looked with hardware acceleration! :D

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            August 24, 2009 1:48 PM

            Verite Rendition V1000, punks. I had Quake running in hardware 3D before GLQuake was even a word on anyone's lips!

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          August 24, 2009 8:09 AM

          yes, it was 3D accelerated.

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            August 24, 2009 8:10 AM

            you can tell from the lighting effects that just weren't possible outside of a 3d card back then.

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              August 24, 2009 8:14 AM

              This was filmed using a more modern source port because the stencil buffer shadows that are being cast as the rockets go by didn't happen in GLQuakeworld.

              That reminds me, I thought it was awesome to have r_shadows 1 on back in the day. Even if it cost me FPS and the shadow never changed directions, it was cool.

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                August 24, 2009 2:23 PM

                yup, i was thinking the same thing. the rockets definitely did not look like that back then.

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      August 24, 2009 7:29 AM

      Thanks for posting that. I lost many a night to QWTF back then. I wish TF2 was as fun as QWTF or TFC but it isn't.

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        August 24, 2009 7:34 AM

        i'm havnig way more fun with it than those two

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        August 24, 2009 1:33 PM

        So did I. I spent years on QWTF and TFC. And I find TF2 to be as much fun if not more than those two combined.

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        August 24, 2009 1:53 PM

        tf2 is more fun , theres no argument for tfc/qwtf other than nostalgia. I dont see how the classics are better in any shape or form.

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          August 24, 2009 2:05 PM

          iawtp

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          August 24, 2009 2:24 PM

          TF2 is team deathmatch where everyone has an equal chance at killing everyone else and skilled players cant really excel (sure they can do well, but they still get killed more than they would if it wasnt for the stuff valve has added to the game to reign them in).

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            August 24, 2009 2:32 PM

            Beady, you're funny.

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            August 24, 2009 3:08 PM

            I'm convinced that you are either playing TF2 completely wrong or playing the wrong TF2.

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            August 24, 2009 3:09 PM

            if anything, tfqw and tfc are much more deathmatch-oriented where a skilled DM player could dominate regardless of class. tf2 differentiates among the classes much more.

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              August 24, 2009 3:12 PM

              in fact the removal of conc grenades is pretty much an admission of this. with conc grenades every class was more "deathmatchey". without them someone like the medic or engie is much less effective at pure combat

              you really think tf2 is a deathmatch game? what the hell is a medic, engie, or spy going to do vs. a soldier or pyro or heavy?

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                August 24, 2009 3:16 PM

                People who think a gametype is overly simplistic liken it to straight team deathmatch as if it were the most boring thing in the world. Nothing new here.

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              August 24, 2009 3:32 PM

              And thats specifically why TF2 is perfect for me. The main problem that always bogged down QWTF and TFC is that the abuse of grenades and the spammy nature of the other engine mechanics began melding each class into one another.

              Eventually you had classes which pretty much abandoned the entire "team" aspect. Not to mention the class-specific traits with each character. As the years went on. Those games just became Team DM's more than anything. Especially when the maps that rolled out began catering to these exploits. The game just stopped being fun after a while and got incredibly stale for me. The omission of grenades in TF2 was a huge positive. People concentrate on the strengths and weakness found within each class now. Playing in a strategic manner as a team dynamic is now vital.

              Team Fortress now feels like TEAM fortress with specific classes that make you feel needed and wanted for the jobs they can do.

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              August 24, 2009 3:59 PM

              I'm more of strategic player than a deathmatcher, and I find in TF2 that you dont get anywhere near the results by playing smartly than you did in TFC or qwtf.

              In TF2, crits are a massive decider. Playing on a nocrit server is so much more fun for me, simply because I can do stuff that isnt 'normal' (like play a defensive scout, which is damned effective with the sandman and drink). But with crits on, one diceroll just nullifies you. I dont see the point in playing intelligently if all you get is frustration :(

              In TFC, I could build a sg in a place nobody ever uses and it would work well. In TF2, it gets sapped in seconds and there is fuck all you can do (even more annoying when you get backstabbed first and then everything you built is instasapped). I can go soldier on defence and rock peoples socks, but one crit pipe or rocket and I'm dead for the next 15 seconds and that time can decide a round. Heck in TFC a team could win a round without firing a shot, but in TF2 you have to deathmatch if you want to have a chance at capturing a the point.

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        August 24, 2009 3:25 PM

        I had way more fun in QWTF than I ever did with TFC or TF2. I think it was the crazy interesting community maps, and the fact that despite conc grenade jumping, I did prefer grenades to no grenades.

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      August 24, 2009 7:36 AM

      [deleted]

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      August 24, 2009 7:39 AM

      [deleted]

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      August 24, 2009 7:41 AM

      [deleted]

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      August 24, 2009 7:52 AM

      I remember staying up until 4 am on a weekend playing this mod for QuakeWorld. Such awesomeness.

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      August 24, 2009 8:09 AM

      shit brings me back.

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      August 24, 2009 1:14 PM

      I thought it was a sniper at the end taking the shot. My memory must be fading :(

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      August 24, 2009 1:17 PM

      I saw the ballons and party stuff in the game today :D

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      August 24, 2009 1:19 PM

      How is it 2009 and there isn't a single good FPS to play online that uses a grappling hook awesomely? The 3wave grapple was an epiphany moment in gaming for me

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        August 24, 2009 1:32 PM

        I think I was telling someone at Quakecon this and they just looked at me as if I was insane.

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        August 24, 2009 1:38 PM

        Agreeing with this post. Grappling hooks and jetpacks (a la Tribes) are sorely missing from the video game market.

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          August 24, 2009 2:12 PM

          They made that game (Tribes Vengeance) but nobody bought it.

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      August 24, 2009 1:41 PM

      good times, good times

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      August 24, 2009 2:26 PM

      You're half the man he is. http://www.shacknews.com/profile/makenxero

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      August 24, 2009 3:29 PM

      Happy Birthday Team Fortress!

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      August 24, 2009 3:59 PM

      [deleted]

Hello, Meet Lola