Wednesday’s Heavy Update has appeared, and it details Valve’s new Payload Map, Badwater Basin.
Promising more open areas, fewer bottlenecks, and more vertical gameplay elements, Badwater is also a single-stage map unlike the multi-stage design of Gold Rush.
77 responses so far ↓
1 Shadow Hog // Aug 14, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Yeah, I hear you on the sandwich news. :(
Also, that Spy in picture B is suicidal. Running head-on to a sentry without a disguise? Insane…
2 Sam // Aug 14, 2008 at 1:04 pm
You didn’t include me :(
3 Pentadact // Aug 14, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Lovely name.
4 Alek // Aug 14, 2008 at 1:06 pm
I’m sure those evil minds at Valve ARE making the sandwich, but are holding it for a the Tuesday update.
;_;
5 DoctorDisaster // Aug 14, 2008 at 1:11 pm
I’m definitely looking forward to a new payload map; I don’t like Goldrush, but its fans like it so much that I feel like I’m missing out. This sounds and looks a bit more like Badlands or Gravel Pit, my favorite Valve maps.
They should have used this release for day 1 while we were still buzzing about the update in general. There’s not really much more to say about the new map until we’ve played it.
6 John // Aug 14, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Damn! Industrial desert environment.
7 Capn_Nacho // Aug 14, 2008 at 1:17 pm
I’m guessing the new gamemode will have a non-industrial desert environment, and may even feature the sandwich as a gameplay device. But I’m a fool.
8 iflurry // Aug 14, 2008 at 1:35 pm
I love you, Valve. Everything about Badwater Basin sounds great - a new Payload map, more innovative design elements… I’m not sure how I feel about one big Payload stage, but I’ll be playing it anyway.
And I’m diggin’ the puntastic achievement names.
9 x_machina // Aug 14, 2008 at 1:36 pm
I’m still waiting for them to switch up the environment, like John mentioned. I’d love to see an industrial jungle environment, kind of like Syndrome’s fortress in The Incredible.
That said, the new map does look terrific, and I’m definitely down for another payload map. Hoorah!
10 JeCa // Aug 14, 2008 at 1:38 pm
“Damn! Industrial desert environment.”
Seconded. Now again, what was that about mastering something through constant repetition? Are the wars between the RED and BLU set on a planet entirely consisting of desert with industries built on it? Well, guess we’ll see in a few days.
But honestly, I think quite a few battles could be won at B as it stands. Once again though, only time - valve-time that is - will tell.
11 Nonomu198 // Aug 14, 2008 at 2:01 pm
V…..vertical? What’s next, we need to controll time and the 8th dimension?
12 x_machina // Aug 14, 2008 at 2:10 pm
“V…..vertical? What’s next, we need to controll time and the 8th dimension?”
I think I’ve played against spies that have already figured out how to do that :P
13 roBurky // Aug 14, 2008 at 2:21 pm
Dunno if I like the “more open areas” thing. I thought Goldrush was bad enough for providing snipers with large distances to shot across.
14 Trid3nt // Aug 14, 2008 at 2:34 pm
Snipers? I hate Snipers.
15 Pixi // Aug 14, 2008 at 2:39 pm
Looks a little too Industrial and a little too desertish.
16 Dwight K. Schrute // Aug 14, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Maybe valve’s new game time will be set in a new environment, like “Dessert” and industrial: where the map takes place on a giant sundae complete with cherry HQs for each team.
17 Dwight K. Schrute // Aug 14, 2008 at 3:04 pm
EDIT: time => type
18 Mr. Brit // Aug 14, 2008 at 3:11 pm
with ice cream sandwiches, BLUberries and REDcurrants
19 Turyx // Aug 14, 2008 at 3:20 pm
The C could be epic, like assaulting a Fortress
@Shadow Hog:
“Also, that Spy in picture B is suicidal. Running head-on to a sentry without a disguise? Insane…”
That happened so many times to me…
I stab a guy and then forget to disguise…and by the time I realized it I’m dead.
Yeah, I know, I suck as a spy
20 Tim // Aug 14, 2008 at 3:28 pm
It’s pretty obvious they’re going after Badlands and Gravelpit’s style with this. Just look at the name. BADwater BASIN (Basin being essentially a pit to direct the flow of water).
As for my map idea: Go for an arctic map. Have Red’s base be an icebreaker nuclear submarine. It’s huge, and starts off above water, offering many ways for characters to sneak in, aside from the top hatch. At this first stage, snipers can find good positions on top of the sub to snipe from.
Meanwhile, Blu is a team of arctic researchers, living on a polar base. There is a lot of open space, with only a couple of buildings for them to hide behind.
The point is, blu needs to sneak inside the sub and have the engie whack a few key points to set up the sub to breach, while the rest of the team ensures he doesn’t get killed. In the tradition of the game, there’ll be three points. Inside, the tight quarters make it great for heavies and pyros, so it’s an immediate transition from dodging sniper fire to trying to avoid being killed by close combat classes. After a point is capped/wrenched/whatever, the submarine sinks a bit more, making it have less ways for blu to get in, and creating more open space for red. By the third CP, only the top hatch will be open, creating a major chokepoint pretty much requiring a bunch of ubers.
Once Blu wins, the sub goes underwater, and explodes as it has a meltdown, creating a massive tidal wave coupled with a nifty mushroom-steam cloud. If Red wins, they fire the torpedos and blow the heck out of the research base, also breaking the ice and creating waves in a cinematic physics way. That way, you don’t have to let blu win to get cool explosions.
The main problem I see with this, asside from gameplay issues any real map team would find with it, is that my plan has the guys up in the cold. They’re not dressed for it. I mean, only the pyro would be comfortable, I imagine. Demoman could deal. But the poor little scout would freeze outside. Unless he had a medic follow him… Or a pyro to warm him up… Same would go for the heavy.
21 Mr. Brit // Aug 14, 2008 at 3:39 pm
alternate costumes, bear skin coat for the heavy. Also make it standard CPs or everyone will go engy to get the points.
22 Cpt. Falcon // Aug 14, 2008 at 4:03 pm
@Mr. Brit:
true. i was thinking what would have to be done isn’t something that only the engi could do, maybe maybe classes with explosives.
maybe it can be just something destructible, so any class can help break it, and engi’s can repair it.
i was let down for two reasons when i saw the heavy blog updated.
1) need sandwiches!!!! shotgun alt!!
2) another desert industrial. i like it much more than industrial industrial, but cmon, switch it up!
jungle! arctic!
how about volcano!
construction site would be cool. suburban-rural village!
remaking an hl1 deathmatch level, like bounce, stalkyard, datacore, etc!
how about a new theme to an old level! post-apocalypse 2fort and dustbowl! the terrain could be changed by explosions, like new tunnels or closed off areas due to rubble.
rats level!
i know, desert industrial! perfect.
23 Cpt. Falcon // Aug 14, 2008 at 4:04 pm
a sweet idea would be a multiple-biodome level, where you could go to different enviorments. or maybe with portals or something.
24 LaZodiac // Aug 14, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Alt coustumes for diffirent environs would be the best thing ever.
I totaly want to see the Heavy looking like he came from Predator in a jungle setting.
Also, just a question. Why does Blue almost always attack?
25 Koslov // Aug 14, 2008 at 4:44 pm
@24: because Blu has issues, I mean they cant even spell Blue right :P
I second or third or whatever the “general disapointment” in another Desert-Industrial themed map.
For once I would like to see some grassy fields, or maybe some trees.
Ohs well back to the customs.
26 Mr. Brit // Aug 14, 2008 at 5:19 pm
I want to see a map based in the nuclear test town in Indy IV, complete with plastic mannequins and enterable fridge. Time ticks away as your team tries to rack up the most kills. Once time runs out the map explodes, vapourising anyone in the open. You must decide when to push for an extra point and when to rush to safety. Plus Indy can be spotted in the skybox
27 Cpt. Falcon // Aug 14, 2008 at 5:22 pm
a great idea came up on FPSB for the spy’s sapper unlockable:
a “kick-me” post-it note.
it would be bigger than the demo’s post-it note, so teamates can see it.
when placed on an enemy, that enemy is now open to friendly fire. if the victim takes enough damage, (maybe down to red health) the note falls off.
it cannot be removed by the medigun or dispensers.
if placed on a SENTRY: the sentry now treats every teammate as it would its engineer. so if you stand in the way of the sentry it will shoot you. maybe it would only do 60% damage though (to enemies and teamates, so as still to be effective).
it only takes 1 wrench hit to dislodge.
if placed on a TELEPORTER: the entrance becomes the exit.
if used on a DISPENSER: i haven’t decided yet.
it either takes health and ammo (but won’t kill), or it becomes neutral, healing and giving ammo and metal to anyone.
when a post-it is placed on a building, it won’t sound the engi’s alarm and tell him which building it’s on, but maybe the engi will say something like “Spy postin a note!”. He’ll have to find which building its on, however.
28 Mr. Brit // Aug 14, 2008 at 5:39 pm
http://www.tf2comic.fr.index.php
For all your tf2 comic needs, the comic is not mine, it’s made by ‘the prick of destiny’ but i liked it so I figured an ad couldn’t hurt. Kudos if you’re reading :)
29 Mr. Brit // Aug 14, 2008 at 5:44 pm
my link doesn’t appear to be working but look on the previous post at the last comic, click the name
30 Alexander // Aug 14, 2008 at 5:52 pm
@16
WOAH. I had that same idea a few months ago and even started on a map like that with a friend!
Unfortunately the map was a complete failure, though I find it interesting how you thought up the exact same idea of a sundae map.
31 Metal Gear?! // Aug 14, 2008 at 6:17 pm
Goldrush was awesome. I’m sure Backwater will rock too!
32 Mr. Munchlax // Aug 14, 2008 at 7:47 pm
Hmmm… I wonder how this one big stage thing will work? Hopefully we won’t be seing red winning 80% of the games on Badwater Basin. I mean Gold Rush is fun and all but it sucks due to the fact that it’s near impossible for blu to win unless the red team just isn’t trying.
33 Mr. Munchlax // Aug 14, 2008 at 7:48 pm
whoops I meant seeing.
34 Aeneas // Aug 14, 2008 at 11:53 pm
Loving my google add for death valley
35 Nanosheep // Aug 15, 2008 at 12:06 am
Don’t forget, the scout can also steal sandwich from dead/knocked out heavies.
36 Lack_26 // Aug 15, 2008 at 1:42 am
I really hope that this map is good for scouts, it’s quite hard to be a total dick on 8+ player servers. To many bullets.
Also, my mouse died, I’m having to use a Wacom Tablet to browse, so no FPS for me today :( Although it did work well with WiC…
37 Chijts // Aug 15, 2008 at 2:39 am
What kind of Wacom tablet is it? Mine’s an intuos 3 and I could easily see how that could work well for an FPS. But I don’t want to wear it down!
I think with this Heavy update it’s an exciting time to be a TF2 player.
38 jimborb // Aug 15, 2008 at 3:11 am
Bah, I’m still waiting for Valve to update the xbox 360 version of TF2, so i’ve nought to add regarding the new map vs goldrush argument.
And as for the sandwich? i’m speculating here, but i think it’ll be a new taunt for the heavy, something that i don’t think has happened yet in TF2 but i can’t see them replacing the shotgun with a sandwich or the minigun with some sort of sandwich spewing gattling gun.
39 Lack_26 // Aug 15, 2008 at 5:09 am
@Chijts
I’ve got a Wacom Graphire4, last time I tried it on a FPS the screen just spun round a lot. But I did manage to fix the mouse problem, it seems the mouse plug at the back of the computer doesn’t work (I’ve had this on another computer), this was solved by plugging it into a USB at the front of the computer. So I’m happy, it still freezes occasionally, but I just hold it at a slight tilt for about a second and it works again.
40 Joe Snuffy // Aug 15, 2008 at 6:08 am
Chris, if you’re going through these, I would like to inform you of my discovery (or prehaps my living-under-a-rockness) that although your spy-sappin-MY-sentry? picture is everywhere, a friend told me a site kindly stuck their http on it.
http://www.halolz.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/spy-check.jpg
Onto the map, it has great promise, although a new landscape tileset would be nice. A problem stated above is that goldrush can be such a grind, lets hope that both sides can break each other without any linebreaking just at 2 mins.
@25 BLU stands for Builders League United with RED meaning Reliable Excavation Demolitions.
It…er sets the setting of rival teams and also explains the landscapes, motivations and missiles/laser cannons. Maybe not the last bit.
41 J3553 // Aug 15, 2008 at 8:00 am
Possible Unlock order
1. cp_steel
2.KGB & Achievement Names
3. pl_Badwater
4. Achievement Descriptions
5. The Weapons
6. New Gamemode and maps.
42 Tim // Aug 15, 2008 at 8:24 am
J3553: I imagine they’d probably release one weapon at a time, and do maybe all the achievements but the sandwich ones for #4, leaving us bloggers in suspense for #5, where they reveal the sandwich. Or maybe #4 will be a big fat delay notice letting us college kids know we won’t get to play until the year just started and we won’t have time to game :-(
43 Koslov // Aug 15, 2008 at 8:50 am
@40: It was a joke…
Remember, they are going to have that Special Edition Uber cool Widescreen version of the Meet the Team Video in one of those updates.
44 Mike // Aug 15, 2008 at 8:50 am
Hi, my name is Chris and I said that Nondrick would get an update this week.
45 Duel Elite // Aug 15, 2008 at 8:54 am
As a friend pointed out to me(sam) if you right click on the images of the achievements and selete properties, youll discover huge hints to each achievement, Id go and do “Konspicuous Konsumption” first, (3rd from the bottom on right) And sure youll be pleased by what it says
46 Still Not Chris // Aug 15, 2008 at 9:08 am
While the desert-industrial theme is getting old, what other options are there? There’s a tropical island, yes, but nowhere that is both industrial and not the desert. The desert is the place where civilians won’t see people shooting each other and keeps the mean lady’s place out of the radar.
47 Killa-Ewok // Aug 15, 2008 at 9:39 am
Hi, my name is Chris and I won’t be doing any Nondrick anymore.
48 DoctorDisaster // Aug 15, 2008 at 9:40 am
People keep saying “jungle jungle jungle” but may I say that (1) I’m bloody sick of FPS in the jungle, please go play EVERY OTHER FPS EVAR if you’re that desperate for jungles, and (2) jungles fly in the face of the TF2 design philosophy of keeping the background impressionistic and uncluttered.
Underwater base, volcano base, arctic base, and moon base all lend themselves wonderfully to TF2’s look and spytech theme. Jungles just don’t.
49 Tim // Aug 15, 2008 at 10:04 am
I would love an underwater base. Especially with tons of breakable windows. You could flood a room, making it a difficult place for pyros and introduce a drowning risk, and you’d also have to be careful how you’d aim or else you’d down half your team. Of course, that makes griefing a major issue.
I’d also like all the little Bioshock jokes they could work into the map, kinda like Valve saying, “Hi!” to 2K. The video introducing the map could be awesome. Heavy and Medic playing the roll of Little Sister and Big Daddy…
50 Tim // Aug 15, 2008 at 10:05 am
Argh, I meant playing the ROLE. This is no speculation about the sandwich. Please don’t think I’m asking for aqua-sandwiches on rolls…
51 Killa-Ewok // Aug 15, 2008 at 10:33 am
I don’t think that the room-flooding can be done with the recent build of the source engine. All liquids are in a stationary form, like a big oxygen-drainin’-movement-slowin’ jelly.
52 LaZodiac // Aug 15, 2008 at 11:21 am
@Whoever it was that explained the RED and BLU names: I know that. And from the words teh acronym stands for, BLU sounds like the nice guy that wouldn’t think of dropping an atomic bomb on their enemies.
53 The chicken // Aug 15, 2008 at 11:28 am
IT”S UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FRIDAYS UPDATE IS HERE!
NEW MINIGUN=NATASCHA!
http://steamgames.com/tf2/heavy/
54 Sam // Aug 15, 2008 at 11:28 am
NATASCHA
55 Sam // Aug 15, 2008 at 11:28 am
wohhhh same time post
56 Baejung92 // Aug 15, 2008 at 11:30 am
Natascha is out.
57 Baejung92 // Aug 15, 2008 at 11:30 am
Darn, late.
58 Sam // Aug 15, 2008 at 11:31 am
Note the background
59 John // Aug 15, 2008 at 11:33 am
Woho! The next environment will be blurry!
60 The chicken // Aug 15, 2008 at 11:33 am
haha Me and same Wins :D
61 The chicken // Aug 15, 2008 at 11:33 am
sam* (my bad)
62 PsychoDuck // Aug 15, 2008 at 11:33 am
The Heavy’s having an affair!
@ Sam: Whoa, nice catch. Reminds me of the first few sections of Halo 1.
The Duck Has Spoken.
63 The chicken // Aug 15, 2008 at 11:34 am
I see GRASS In that blurry landscape of blurryness
64 Sam // Aug 15, 2008 at 11:34 am
Thats what I thought, looks like valhalla
65 The chicken // Aug 15, 2008 at 11:35 am
He looks like he is in some type of gorge or basin or valley because it looks like rock walls behind him
66 Sam // Aug 15, 2008 at 11:38 am
At least it’s not sand and corrugated iron.
67 Buckjarky // Aug 15, 2008 at 11:39 am
BTW, Natascha is out!
The second unlockable for the Heavy, Natascha allows the Heavy to slow enemies with her bullets. Enemies taking damage from her will find themselves moving slower for an instant, encouraging them to find cover or deal with the Heavy. Unfortunately, her firepower is somewhat weaker than that of Sasha, so the Heavy will find it takes longer to finish them off. As a result, Natascha’s great to use against those that want to get away, like Scouts & Medics, and not so great against those trying to kill you. Heavies that like to jump around corners to surprise groups of enemies will also find it very useful, although it’s best to make sure there isn’t a Sasha-wielding Heavy there.
68 Sam // Aug 15, 2008 at 11:41 am
Bit late
69 Sam // Aug 15, 2008 at 11:43 am
Also its level 5 so that means you get it first.
70 Dwight K. Schrute // Aug 15, 2008 at 11:43 am
@Buckjarky, about 14 posts and 10 minutes late.
71 Killa-Ewok // Aug 15, 2008 at 11:47 am
Check out the teamfortress.com page now! NATASCHA IS OUT!
72 Killa-Ewok // Aug 15, 2008 at 11:49 am
Geeez, fuckin’ late. Kinda sucked, the Natascha link was at the upper left corner of the screen for a time. At least, for me it was, and it made it almost impossible to notice it.
73 friccish // Aug 15, 2008 at 11:49 am
Not only that, but check out the heavily blurred background. That is NOT desert industrial!!!
74 friccish // Aug 15, 2008 at 11:50 am
ooops, sorry, didn’t see comments on this already
75 Koslov // Aug 15, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Damn I love this blog, You mention something about grass and trees and valve deliver a fuzzy background that hints to some sort of fuzzy grass and/or trees.
76 darthpugwash // Aug 15, 2008 at 12:38 pm
Will definitely nice to have another Payload map.
77 Nibwoddle // Aug 16, 2008 at 3:14 am
The background is very similar to Well’s skybox.
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