Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[baruk]

 I just got back into this after a 6 month break - I've recently been enjoying the half-zatoichi (my first sword.. at last!).
Here's a sample round (I've also been dabbling with this shiny new replay editor thing):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJwdHsXZd3A

[Blargityblarg]

So I'm SOMEHOW SOMEWAY trying to make a demoknight work in MvM.

But I keep dying! I'm starting to think this subclass just isn't meant to handle this game mode.

But the thought always strikes me... "What if I just need a bit more practice?" and then it's a neverending cycle of frustration. I just want to hit things with a sword.

Zatoichi + Crits on kill

The only thing I don't like about the Zatoichi is that it doesn't have the extended reach of the eyelander or the skullcutter.

After giving it another go with a Targe, bootlegger, and eyelander demoknight, and this time with a more conservative approach of hiding around corners and running away when injured, I've been semi-successful! I do very much enjoy the perks the eyelander gives you, what with the extra health and speed it gives you, plus max speed upgrades, I'm zipping around like nobody's business. Got 28 heads once before getting ginked by a spy. I still don't feel I was as effective as I could have been doing something else, but it WAS my excellent speed + charge that allowed me to run to base real fast and save us from a scout that broke the line and was about to sink the bomb.

Then with a completely maxed out weapon and crit canteens, I was doing just under 400 for every swing to the tank at the end.

Then again, it was on Doe's Drill, which is like Baby's First MvM. I guess you gotta start somewhere though.

I've heard that Demoknight is most effective on the Mannworks maps.

[Enzo]

So, anybody watching any of the Saxxy vids? Some of them are pretty damn good.

COOL:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hluOWGFZktg
SAD:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NCERdh_-j4

[JoshuaFH]

Alot of the Saxxy vids are frickin genius. I can't believe just the tremendous lineup of excellence that's showcased in these vids.

In other news, apparently there was some sort of Steam update today that introduced a thing call Big Picture which is this snazzy thing that makes your Steam'ing experience that much more nicer looking, if needlessly intrusive and complicated, but it also seems to have disabled my ability to trade things in TF2 somehow. This really upsets me, if only because I hate looking like an idiot wanting to trade with someone, and then having to go "Sorry, my backpack's been locked up for some reason!"

And am I alone in feeling that normal multiplayer is really difficult to get into? I usually only do MvM, cause MP is just so deeply unforgiving, often filled with people who's caliber of skill is just too high to coexist with. I had to quit when my experience just started devolving into "Spawn, die, spawn, die, spawn, die instantly...".

It doesn't help that the maps feel like labyrinths in comparison to MvM ones.

[10ebbor10]

It matters on which servers you play. Many of the public servers can be quite unbalanced, as wel as several mod servers. Live MvM, MP really depends on the team, especially if you're not that good at it.

[Thexor]

Try playing against bots - on the highest difficulty, bots are a reasonable intro to 'real' MP. Also, look for official Valve servers, which are commonly filled with less-skilled players. (And a few pubstompers, but you'll find them on any server.)

MvM is not a good intro to MP. It teaches you that your character is a one-man killing machine, and that most opponents won't try to dodge or shoot back.

If you're still having trouble, consider signing up for the coaching system, where an experienced player will help you learn the ropes. I've never used it myself, but supposedly it's useful.

[Enzo]

I'll coach you Josh! I've never used the coaching system, it might be fun. Never had the desire to coach a complete random person though.

Otherwise, general advice for learning the ropes:
I would advise against playing against bots, because they don't behave like real players at all. The highest difficulty bots are basically a really dumb player with aimhacks.
Valve and Skial servers, for whatever reason, seem to have the lowest average skill level. To the point where I can't play on them because it doesn't feel fair.
Pick one or two classes, not spy or sniper, and focus on learning their strats.
MP maps are quite a bit more complex than MvM maps, but some way more than others. Steel and Nucleus are much more confusing than, say, Coldfront or Turbine. 5CP and CTF actually have simpler layouts on average, I'd say. Payload maps could be good since they tend to force the players to stick together moreso than other gametypes, so you can avoid engaging in 1v1 fights.
Watch this.

[Duke 2.0]

 Bots are fine. Figuring out how to control yourself is half the game, and the bots happily point out terrible sentry positions for you. It takes a while to figure out how the different weapons work in regards to leading and arcs. Maps also just take experience to understand, to know where ammo/health is and general flow of both teams.

 If you want to play with others it's nice to try out medic. You are always looking at what more experienced players are doing, your team overall is stronger for whatever you do and you don't need to learn the offensive aspect of the game. Just learning where you can move with a medium survivable guy, the lesson of always sticking with other dudes always and what can kill you in moments.

 And never. Stop. Moving.

[jester]

Quickplay servers usually have the lowest skill levels in my experiance

[JoshuaFH]

I'll coach you Josh! I've never used the coaching system, it might be fun. Never had the desire to coach a complete random person though.

Otherwise, general advice for learning the ropes:
I would advise against playing against bots, because they don't behave like real players at all. The highest difficulty bots are basically a really dumb player with aimhacks.
Valve and Skial servers, for whatever reason, seem to have the lowest average skill level. To the point where I can't play on them because it doesn't feel fair.
Pick one or two classes, not spy or sniper, and focus on learning their strats.
MP maps are quite a bit more complex than MvM maps, but some way more than others. Steel and Nucleus are much more confusing than, say, Coldfront or Turbine. 5CP and CTF actually have simpler layouts on average, I'd say. Payload maps could be good since they tend to force the players to stick together moreso than other gametypes, so you can avoid engaging in 1v1 fights.
Watch this.

I'll have to take you up on your coaching offer Kinseti. Though not today, I have a bit of a headache from getting oneshotted by everything under the sun ten times in a row.

Having an army of giant robots descend on you from the bowels of hell is relaxing compared to this.

[Korbac]

Completely random tip.com - When jumping, crouch, so your legs can't be hit.

I have been able to battlemedic my way to victory many times using this.

[PTTG??]

Alot of the Saxxy vids are frickin genius. I can't believe just the tremendous lineup of excellence that's showcased in these vids.

In other news, apparently there was some sort of Steam update today that introduced a thing call Big Picture which is this snazzy thing that makes your Steam'ing experience that much more nicer looking, if needlessly intrusive and complicated, but it also seems to have disabled my ability to trade things in TF2 somehow. This really upsets me, if only because I hate looking like an idiot wanting to trade with someone, and then having to go "Sorry, my backpack's been locked up for some reason!"

And am I alone in feeling that normal multiplayer is really difficult to get into? I usually only do MvM, cause MP is just so deeply unforgiving, often filled with people who's caliber of skill is just too high to coexist with. I had to quit when my experience just started devolving into "Spawn, die, spawn, die, spawn, die instantly...".

It doesn't help that the maps feel like labyrinths in comparison to MvM ones.

Oh boy, tablets are needlessly expanding into yet another place they were unneeded and unwanted.

[USEC_OFFICER]

Oh boy, tablets are needlessly expanding into yet another place they were unneeded and unwanted.

Are you talking about Big Picture? It's designed for television, not tablets. So I guess that Steam is trying to expand into the console space then? Who knows.

[Rose]

Yeah, I was in the big picture beta for a while, and it's pretty nifty. It's also the only controller interface I've used that has a sane text input.

[PTTG??]

Oh boy, tablets are needlessly expanding into yet another place they were unneeded and unwanted.

Are you talking about Big Picture? It's designed for television, not tablets. So I guess that Steam is trying to expand into the console space then? Who knows.

Eh, fine. TVs make sense, what with the steambox coming up.