Meh, I like being able to pick off fleeing burning enemies with the shotgun, since it's optimal range is right outside the flamethrower's. So for me, the flaregun is pretty useless. Plus the fact that it has only moderate damage, a large delay between shots, a slow projectile, no area effect, reduced effectiveness on pyros, and no effectiveness underwater.

Backburner is a definite keeper though, just for the health if nothing else. And it just makes being a sneaky bastard a lot more fun.

I have no idea if I'll use the Axtinguisher for anything. Generally if you get close enough to someone to melee them, you might as well just burn them. I never really used the regular axe for much either, except the occasional humiliation kill. I'll probably use the unlock just because it's more interesting than the regular axe.

Man, maybe my aim just got a lot better in the last couple days but it feels like shotguns got a stealth boost overall. I'm getting more kills with the Soldier's shotty than with the rockets.

Can we organize another day where we all play so i can dominate again ~ ~ ~

you mean me beating you up, but saying it's the ping all over again.

Yeah, xiao, facestabs are still pretty common. Maybe I haven't played spy enough, but backstabs still seem to work well enough too.

I wonder how many of these updates will defy expectations. With medic, you'd expect to at least get a heal, but unless it helped a medic get an achievement you probably wouldn't. With pyro, you'd expect spies would have a hard time, but it doesn't seem like it (although this is more likely due to the fact that pyros are more useful offensively now).

Name a date and time, and preferably a server. Of course, we probably don't want to use mine again.

I'd love to host but for some reason if i create one it doesn't show up in actual server lists.

I'll try to set a date this coming week for people and see what would work. I'm moving in like 2 days and i don't know if i'll have internet at our new house right away so we'll see.

Yeah, it's not as simple as clicking "Create Server." I'm not really sure how to set up a non-dedicated server, but Valve has instructions for setting up a dedicated standalone. Of course, this would work best on a different computer than the one you're playing on, if one is available.

I'm pretty much going to be AWOL starting Saturday and going until the following Monday. Sounds like I'm going to miss out. :(

I am happy they finally decreased the requirements for medics to get their unlocks, though. Finally got my kritzkrieg. Just one more achievement and I'll have the Ubersaw, too.

Huh, I totally didn't notice they lowered the requirements. I guess next time I choose medic I'll suddenly get the kritzkrieg, which is... not at all exciting.

well rumors say the next achievement pack is for the heavy... thoughts anyone? heavies certainly do need some tinkering after all the improvement in the other classes, I guess it's good they are next I'd guess they will have to rework soldier too.

The rumors I've heard state that the new weapons will make the heavy more useful when not paired with a medic. What that means I have no idea.

Perhaps a new gun you can fire while moving or a way to run a little faster?

I'd like to see a scout patch out of the hopes they'd get something to let them survive popping around a corner and seeing a level 3 sentry. I'd also like them to up the ammo for the scout's pistol. Why should they only get a few clips when the engineer's pistol gets something like 200 shots?

If any of you guys are looking to step up your game, playing on the Penny Arcade Forums servers will put hair on your chest in a hurry. Jinn and I played a bit the other day, but their server is private, so I think all they ask is that you make a forums account and have some passing interest in the comic.

It's not as hectic as it used to be before the class updates (they had some downright scary spies) but the caliber of player there is pretty high on average, and they're usually filled late afternoon into the night.

I play there almost exclusively now, because I know the players are more organized. It helps, too, when you know you can trust the judgment of the guy standing next to you because he's kicked your butt before.

Yeah, I had a pretty great time on their server. Wish I could have stayed a little longer. It was nice having a little bit more challenge - nothing wrong with testing out your skills a bit more than average.

I may actually play there later on in the evening. Hope to catch some of you for a game sometime soon.

So they've removed the health bonus from the Backburner, and from the looks of it many pyros have already switched back to the regular flamethrower. I guess I will too, since Backburner crits from behind only seem to work about half the time.

Yeah, I can't figure out the backburner crits. It seems to work best if I only start hitting the person while their back is turned and before they turn to face me. Sometimes I'll get it to work better if I stop shooting them for a split second and then restart when they're running away.

I think it's still back to normal flamethrower for me, though.

Yeah, I think the general consensus is that the backburner's useless now. Why would you take it over the airblast when the crits just DON'T WORK more often than not?

Man, that sucks. That was pretty much all the backburner had going for it. I am enjoying the air blast more and more though. I never realized how much stickybombs annoyed me until I was presented with such an easy way to remove them from my path.

The airblast for the regular flamethrower is more useful that many realize. When you're trounced with a line of soldiers headed your way on many maps, and you have a few pyros nearby that can skillfully airblast in, use the flames, and the 2nd one with the axestinguisher going around hitting people....you can clear them out pretty fast. :)

I was playing against one guy last night that was really effective with the airblast. He'd light you on fire, hit airblast really quick, and the switch to the axestinguisher since he had gotten close enough to hit.

Heavy Update:

The inevitable 35 achievements / 3 weapons (Boxing gloves, YES)

plus:

New Community Map

New Payload Map

New game mode with 5 "arenas"

One of the achievement icons shows a sticky being blown apart by lightning; could the Heavy possibly be getting a Tesla Gun?

IRRESPONSIBLE SPECULATION! WATCH THIS SPACE!

For those not keeping up there's been a couple updates:

New payload map, Badwater Basin.

And today, Natascha, a minigun with a 100% chance to slow targets on hit (but it doesn't say how much or how long) and does 25% less damage.

Interesting, but I'd still rather have seen what will apparently be the sticky-destroying lightning shotgun.

Interesting because now i can snipe heavies more easily than ever :D

WHEN IS OUR GFF GAME.

if you are still basing yourself on the achievement icon, there is no lightning shotgun the achievement itself has been unveiled and it has nothing to do with the new secondary weapon(actually none of them do) so I doubt there will be any lightning weapons for the heavy.


We can all just invade a server some day I guess Pom, we can agree none of us had a decent ping at starman's. On other news I wonder what "meet the ____" is next.

Unless, of course, the sandwiches are the new secondary.