Only a day late, Team Fortress 2 beta is released

[primesuspect]

Valve today unlocked the Team Fortress 2 beta that was announced last week. In typical Valve fashion, it was delayed—while originally promised on the 17th, it came very early on the 18th.

Everyone who pre-ordered the Orange Box is able to play TF2 beta today. Icrontic has a Steam group (called Icrontic - imagine that), so if you want to hook up with some of the locals, be sure to ask for an invite.

[Buddy J]

I wanna see pix!

[NiGHTS]

Secondeded.

[primesuspect]

I did a 30-second stint as a Pyro

http://icrontic.com/images/prime/ctf_2fort0001.jpg

But someone named Dr.Peppper ended my run with that rocket that you see flying at my face.

http://icrontic.com/images/prime/drpeppper-is-looking-good%21.jpg

As you can see, it's like playing in a Looney Toon world. It's awesome. This is going to be a blast with the Icrontic group in Steam, I can already tell.

There's a good chance we'll be seeing this at Icrontic LAN 08 :D

I was pleased to see that 16:10 displays (like most widescreen computer monitors) were supported. I ran this on my crap computer (Geforce 7600GS) at 1680x1050 and it was smooth with 2xAA and most settings on "high" - Source is a very efficient engine. I can't wait to get back to IcronticHQ and try this out on my 1900XT.

[Cyclonite]

Hmmm... Can you still preorder?

[CB]

Indeed, you can...

Side note: I'll be home in about ten hours, ready to hook up with some Icrontians via Steams great new matchmaking system. :)

[Buddy J]

Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match!
Find me a find!
Catch me a catch.
Matchmaker look through your book,
and find me a perfect match.

/me likes Fiddler on the Roof

[Thrax]

Ohmanohman. Can I just buy TF2? Do I have to buy the whole orange box? I don't want HL2 again, and have nobody I care to regift it to...

[NiGHTS]

Same here, I'd be interested in just buying TF2. :o

[CB]

When it's released you can, but right now you can only play the BEta if you buy Orange.

[primesuspect]

I have nephews that don't have the games if you really are in need of someone to regift HL2 to.

[Buddy J]

You can regift it to me. There's no shame in begging.

[Lincoln]

* Keebler huggles the free Black Box that came with his video card

[RyderOCZ]

Keebler huggles the free Black Box that came with his video cardWhich you promptly had to RMA...did it come back yet? :eek: :D

[Lincoln]

Which you promptly had to RMA...did it come back yet? :eek: :D
Oh yessir, I've been enjoying my new 2900XT goodness for about 2 weeks now, and Starcraft works now too :D

//edit: AND... ASUS sent me a brand new retail box (I only sent the card in) replete with a second copy of STALKER and second Black Box coupon, so Brian's the winner in the whole debacle, heh.

[primesuspect]

Free black box for me cause asus cards blowed up woo!

[lemonlime]

Free black box for me cause asus cards blowed up woo!


;D

Oh the deals.. I love it

[RyderOCZ]

//edit: AND... ASUS sent me a brand new retail box (I only sent the card in) replete with a second copy of STALKER and second Black Box coupon, so Brian's the winner in the whole debacle, heh.Outfrigginstanding....gotta love it :D

[primesuspect]

oh wow. I played for about 30 minutes tonight. What a blast!

It's a great mix of humour, balance, and variety. The taunts are great, the classes are set up to provide just the right class for people of any skillset, and the graphics are excellent.

Here I am cheering after successfully defending my base:

http://icrontic.com/images/prime/ctf_2fort0000.jpg

But soon afterwards, I was knifed in the back by a damned spy, Baffula:

http://icrontic.com/images/prime/baffula_got_me.jpg

There's a lot of cool little touches - notice that Baffula is looking at me. When someone gets you, the camera zooms into them and the enemy looks at you as a final insult, for example.

The beta runs really good on the client side, but every server I played on was lagging pretty bad - everyone was complaining about it. It's probably a combo of beta code + heavy use due to release day.

I can't wait for the full release so I can play with the rest of Team Icrontic :D

[primesuspect]

I played with mas0n tonight.

he shot my face

http://icrontic.com/images/prime/mas0n_killed_me.jpg

[Annes]

So wait....can I pre-order the Orange Box on amazon and get into this beta? How the heck does that work? Do I get some sort of code? TELL ME OMG

[Buddy J]

If you preorder at Gamestop, you save $5 and you get a sekrit code to get in on the beta.

[CB]

Why would you pre-order on amazon? Just pre-order through steam and DL the thing... :P

[GHoosdum]

What's Black Box?

[Annes]

Why would you pre-order on amazon? Just pre-order through steam and DL the thing... :P

I don't know! This steam thing is new to me! (and I'm at work)

I think I'll just stop at the GameStop during lunch.

[primesuspect]

omg anne you are making this way too hard.

go to steampowered.com

download steam

create an account

click store

buy orange box with credit card

start download and play with us tonight

watch life crumble around you

[Annes]

go to steampowered.com

download steam

create an account

click store

buy orange box with credit card

start download and play with us tonight

watch life crumble around you

*salutes* will do! (when I get home)

[CB]

What's Black Box?

Black Box was the original package. It was the same as Orange box (price and all), except it did not include HL2 or Ep1. When they decided to release Orange Box, Black Box was canceled, but some people had already been given coupons for it, so those people don't get the two extra games.

(and it's a good thing for them, because if they got two more games, then those games would have been part of the price they paid, and then they would have been paying for games they already have!)