Only a day late, Team Fortress 2 beta is released

Brian Ambrozy 18 Sep, 2007 at 9:13am ET Article published in Tech

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.

Comments

1. 
   18 Sep 2007 ~ 10:23am BuddyJ I wanna see pix!
2. 
   18 Sep 2007 ~ 1:15pm NiGHTS Secondeded.
3. 
   18 Sep 2007 ~ 1:50pm primesuspect I did a 30-second stint as a Pyro
   
   
   
   But someone named Dr.Peppper ended my run with that rocket that you see flying at my face.
   
   
   
   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
   
   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.
4. 
   18 Sep 2007 ~ 1:51pm Cyclonite Hmmm... Can you still preorder?
5. 
   18 Sep 2007 ~ 1:57pm 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.
6. 
   18 Sep 2007 ~ 2:39pm BuddyJ 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
7. 
   18 Sep 2007 ~ 3:04pm 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...
8. 
   18 Sep 2007 ~ 3:06pm NiGHTS Same here, I'd be interested in just buying TF2. :o
9. 
   18 Sep 2007 ~ 3:17pm CB When it's released you can, but right now you can only play the BEta if you buy Orange.
10. 
    18 Sep 2007 ~ 3:17pm primesuspect I have nephews that don't have the games if you really are in need of someone to regift HL2 to.
11. 
    18 Sep 2007 ~ 3:34pm BuddyJ You can regift it to me. There's no shame in begging.
12. 
    18 Sep 2007 ~ 3:36pm Linc [me]* Keebler huggles the free Black Box that came with his video card[/me]
13. 
    18 Sep 2007 ~ 3:41pm Ryder

    Keebler wrote:

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

    Which you promptly had to RMA...did it come back yet?
14. 
    18 Sep 2007 ~ 3:48pm Linc

    RyderOCZ wrote:

    Which you promptly had to RMA...did it come back yet?

    Oh yessir, I've been enjoying my new 2900XT goodness for about 2 weeks now, and Starcraft works now too
    
    //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.
15. 
    18 Sep 2007 ~ 4:05pm primesuspect Free black box for me cause asus cards blowed up woo!
16. 
    18 Sep 2007 ~ 4:15pm lemonlime

    primesuspect wrote:

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

    
    
    
    
    Oh the deals.. I love it
17. 
    18 Sep 2007 ~ 5:15pm Ryder

    Keebler wrote:

    //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
18. 
    18 Sep 2007 ~ 10:15pm 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:
    
    
    
    But soon afterwards, I was knifed in the back by a damned spy, Baffula:
    
    
    
    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
19. 
    18 Sep 2007 ~ 11:28pm primesuspect I played with mas0n tonight.
    
    he shot my face
    
    
20. 
    28 Sep 2007 ~ 10:31am 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
21. 
    28 Sep 2007 ~ 10:37am BuddyJ If you preorder at Gamestop, you save $5 and you get a sekrit code to get in on the beta.
22. 
    28 Sep 2007 ~ 10:38am CB Why would you pre-order on amazon? Just pre-order through steam and DL the thing... :P
23. 
    28 Sep 2007 ~ 10:40am GHoosdum What's Black Box?
24. 
    28 Sep 2007 ~ 10:43am Annes

    CB Droege wrote:

    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.
25. 
    28 Sep 2007 ~ 10:46am 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
26. 
    28 Sep 2007 ~ 10:48am Annes

    primesuspect wrote:

    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)
27. 
    28 Sep 2007 ~ 10:53am CB

    GHoosdum wrote:

    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!)