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We look for opportunities to continue improving upon our existing content alongside developing new additions to the game. Retroactively updating features helps keep the project feeling consistent and equally polished, something we consider to be one of its strengths. Sometimes we introduce a new visual technique, for instance, and it helps things stay on a level playing field, regardless of when they were first added. It also comes with the added benefit of keeping things a little fresh. Seeing a familiar environment with some touch-ups can be fun.

With that said, we do put a good amount of thought into considering what things should be changed or tweaked and to what extent. One of the driving goals of the project is to capture that old-school TF2 feeling, so ideally changes should enhance it rather than distract. Of course changes, especially visual ones, can be inherently rather subjective. One way to think about these, then, is that they can feel like how someone remembers the game looking, if not representing how it actually did. We also already have a fair amount of content, so it can take some time to implement these tweaks across the board and to fully see them to completion.

Here’s some before-and-afters for a couple of the maps that received updated visuals in 2.1.4:


This mindset also means that even after something gets updated it's still open for additional refinement and changes, so feedback’s always appreciated. There’s a lot of tweaks across these maps and the others that received updates in 2.1.4; be on the lookout next time you’re fighting on one of them!

Sorry — we were so busy releasing a mid-size update with sweeping map changes, readability and accessibility improvements, and long-awaited weapon rebalances, that we forgot to do April's community roundup until just now. Don't worry: everyone who wasted their time on the update has been fired forever, so this won't happen again.

"TF2 Classic - A Community Compilation"​

Valued community presence and old-head B. Comet has cooked up yet another YouTube clip show! We enjoy featuring these — they're probably the most "accessible" way to get TF2 Classic in front of a wider audience, and TF2C regulars (like you!) often see themselves in the background of clips, making it a community-wide home movie of sorts. We tend to look for a new gimmick every time, though (otherwise videos are all we'd feature), so the Community Compilation falls into the niche of "play of the week"-style player spotlights, like NISLT used to do for live TF2 way back when.


Like last month's video feature, there's a "human zoo" quality to this compilation too. More than ever, since the clips in the compilation are player recordings; there are some custom HUDs in this video so tacky that they literally make my stomach hurt. I saw someone playing at 65 FOV and nearly wet myself. It's all very cinéma vérité and is exactly the kind of "putting freaks on blast" playerbase journalism we appreciate.

Give it (and B. Comet's other compilations) a watch, and enjoy the TF2 Classic 2.1.4 Patch!

(And I know it's a housekeeping patch, but this is a good opportunity to get your friends into the game by saying "a new update just came out!" and slinking your way out of any clarifying questions they might have.)

The 2.1.4 Patch for Team Fortress 2 Classic has been released. To apply this update to TF2 Classic, use the latest version of our downloader. The major changes include:

Important Changes:​

• We have once again enabled the Medi Gun sound collage feature introduced with version 2.1.0, and all related crashes have been addressed.
• Fixed a longstanding exploit that allowed any player to change a server's map to a random one (Sappho)
• Implemented a few sanity checks during startup to ensure the game was properly installed; to disable this behavior, use the -nodircheck launch option

Weapon Changes:​

• Updated the Nail Gun:
  • Increased fire rate by ~12.5% (to 0.1s, from 0.115s)
  • Updated first person model to animate the ammo belt (Raptor Dan)
• Updated the Mine Layer:
  • Reload animation is now slightly lowered to improve visibility (Raptor Dan)
• Updated the Anti-Aircraft Cannon:
  • Updated the model and textures (SamDum)
• Updated the Sandvich:
  • Heavy now carries a lunchbox with him when equipped (SamDum)
  • Fixed crit particles not showing on the throwable
  • Throwable no longer detonates friendly Mine Layer mines
• Updated Chekhov's Punch:
  • Sounds for gaining or losing crits are now audible to all players
  • Crit glows are now only visible on the weapon's own model if crits are full
• Updated Jump Pads:
  • Jump Pads are now fully client predicted and consistent on any ping (Wonderland_War)
  • Can now be built in Medieval Mode
• Updated the Fishwhacker:
  • Updated first person animations (Ventrici)
  • Ragdolls now take extra knockback from Fishwhacker kills
• Updated L'Escampette:
  • Reduced cloak penalty when damaged while cloaked to -10% (from -15%)
  • Reduced cloak capacity penalty to -40% (from -50%)

Map Changes:​

• Updated koth_frigid (Wheat):
  • Added a new dropdown route that leads from the rooftop to the side flank
  • Added reflections to various surfaces that didn't have them before
  • Added parallax corrected cubemaps to most of the map
  • Increased detail on several brush-based decorations
  • Vents now drop down into the hallway below instead of leading to mid
• Updated pl_jinn (14bit, abp):
  • Reworked the track's path and surrounding geometry near the final point
  • Reduced the number of crouch-jumps required to navigate final
  • Reduced Red's spawn time at final to 9 seconds (down from 10)
  • Added dynamic team-colored lights to the Payload checkpoints (as seen on Lakeside)
  • Added parallax-corrected cubemaps
  • Fixed the finale kill trigger not disabling properly
  • Miscellaneous ammo and health pack adjustments
  • Miscellaneous lighting and visual fixes
  • Miscellaneous clipping adjustments
  • Reduced map file size
• Updated cp_powerhouse (newgreenshoot):
  • Sun angle has been rotated to match the skybox
  • Team-colored lights have been added to the control points, reflecting the point's owner
  • Cubemaps across the map are now parallax-corrected
  • The river now uses a new, custom water material, using our new shader
  • Volumetrics have been added to a few windows across the map
  • Skylight is now emulated more accurately using light_directional
  • Reflectivity has been increased, making many interiors slightly brighter and more colorful
  • Many props using the wrong team skin have been adjusted
  • The lightmap scale across the map has been adjusted, making it less detailed in distant/inaccessible areas and far more detailed in gameplay spaces
  • Most lights have been reconfigured to add greater contrast and visual interest to areas
  • The turbines are now static props, rather than dynamic props. This makes them more realistically lit, but they're currently lacking their internal animation. We'll improve this in the future
  • Many stairs are now blockbulleted for better explosion handling
  • Disabled collision on hanging lamps across the map
  • The tonemap has been adjusted to make sunlit concrete materials no longer blinding
  • Imprisoned cow
  • Reduced map file size
• Updated vip_badwater (newgreenshoot):
  • Fixed broken-looking shadows on players and dynamic props
  • Tweaked lighting around the map to rely more on environmental/bounce lighting instead of artificial lights
• Updated dom_hydro (newgreenshoot):
  • Updated water material to be more similar to tc_hydro
  • Brightened up many areas around the map to aid in player visibility
  • Synchronized the parallax_obb brushes with tc_hydro, for nicer vent reflections
• Updated ctf_2fort (newgreenshoot):
  • Slightly adjusted lighting around the map, and fixed some previous lighting errors
  • Updated the basement floors for each team to be properly reflective (after the cubemaps on them were previously broken)
  • Added parallax correction for spawnroom floors across the map
• Updated pl_frontier_final (newgreenshoot):
  • Fixed various displacement seams
  • Adjusted some displacements outside of BLU's first spawn to look more natural
  • Some boulders are no longer hovering above the ground
  • Many, many lighting fixes
  • The runoff puddle outside of BLU's spawn now uses the same modern water material as tc_hydro
  • Restored cubemaps, and added parallax correction for the floors in RED's final spawn
• Updated pl_upward from f10 to f12 (refresh.tf/Hamn):
  • Added back occluders from stock Upward
  • Added more hints, areaportals and occluders for optimization
  • Redone skybox brushes for optimization
  • Changed the doors in dropdown to never be opened after closing
  • Changed the doors in dropdown from silent to making a sound when closing
  • Fixed detail brushes flickering on 1st point
  • Fixed some lighting issues
  • Fixed some props and brushes being solid
  • Fixed water brushes in skybox with various cubemaps
  • Fixed unoptimized visleaves next to the hill
  • Fixed floating barrel near 2nd
  • Improved clip alignment under balcony on 3rd
  • Added blockbullets in front of window and dropdown-elbow
  • Added resupply sign on last RED last spawn
  • Reduced t-junctions and edict usage
• Updated dom_oilcanyon (Waugh101):
  • Detail has been increased on and around cliff faces across the map
  • Detail has been increased in the skybox terrain and foliage
  • Various skybox details have been tweaked to appear slightly more true-to-life
  • Capture Point C's building has been modified to appear more visually interesting
  • Multiple BLU buildings have been changed to better fit BLU's design language
  • Various structures have been subtly tweaked to increase consistency between them
  • Minor optimization improvements

Mapping Changes:​

• tf2c_ctf_4team_no_repeats 1 is now enabled by default (Trotim)
  • Each team can only capture each enemy team's flag only once. Neutral flags are unaffected.
• Included additional developer textures
• Civilian's limousine model is now usable as prop_static
• Added several missing game_text inputs
  • SetText, SetPosX, SetPosY, SetTextColor, SetTextColor2
• Add class limit option to info_player_teamspawn (Trotim)
  • Uses Spawnflags to see which classes are allowed to spawn if the restrict_classes keyvalue is set to 1
• Implemented force_respawntime_override and force_respawntime_override_timer for health and ammo pickups

Miscellaneous Changes:​

• Reset stats button on the stats page now has a confirmation dialog
• Implemented support for custom keybindings for Engineer's PDAs
• Implemented LanguagePreference material proxy, for localized materials
• Implemented tf2c_force_thirdperson for server owners
• Implemented mp_bots_must_join_team, mp_humans_must_join_team
• Implemented tf2c_arena_always_start_round
• Implemented bot_mirror
• The minimum for fov_desired is now 20, if sv_cheats is enabled
• Lowered support points rewarded to UberCharged Medics for blocking Sentry damage (Trotim)
• Passing no arguments to bot_teleport now iterates upon the player list instead of picking a random bot every time
• Fixed a bug where normal muzzle flash appeared under beta muzzle flash (NitoAndTheFunkyBunch)
• Fixed VIP being able to avoid respawn by staying in class selection menu
• Fixed cl_load_custom_item_schema loading the wrong path on server
• Fixed a crash regarding the boioing suicide command
• Fixed a crash caused by healing someone while dead
• Fixed a crash in loadout screen if the class model's flex controller is missing
• Fixed a crash with bots being unable to find a fallback area for spawn
• Fixed hidden attributes counting towards the attribute limit in the item tooltip
• Fixed Flame Thrower airblast overriding custom visual effects
• Updated the appearance of tf_grenade_show_radius and tf_rocket_show_radius spheres (Azzy)
• Grenades using the set_detonate_mode 2 attribute now use the correct explosion particle
• Removed tf_bot_reevaluate_class_in_spawnroom
• Exposed several hidden console variables and commands
• Added a few item attributes
• Updated localization files
  • Added Polish translation (zbik)
• Updated medals