kreafan's Blog about TF2: 2024

This is a suggestion for a Major TF2-Update (or Updates, if this Update is separated for each class, so then these 9 <Class> Non-Primary Updates would be served separately each N months: Scout NP-Update, Spy NP-Update, etc. etc.).

It is mostly about the non-primary slots (secondary & melee).

And a possibility for the TF2-players to play some gimmicky/fun/crazy loadouts with the weapons that are considered as an additional weapons/tools, not the primary weapon to kill enemies.

That's why these loadouts could be used as already-balanced loadouts. (Exception, maybe, is the Medieval Gamemode, where these loadouts would bring an imbalance gameplay. Probably.)

Possible checkbox in the <Class> loadout menu.

But are all classes in the same category? Let's see! (There is a bit of [combinatorics]math below too.)

1.) Some of the classes (6=5+Engineer, who will be analyzed additionally in the subsection 1a; all other 3 classes will be analyzed in the section 2; all possible issues will be discussed in the section 3) could use their secondaries/melees instead of the primary/secondary weapons.

Classes, which could use it properly without(?) a game-balancing:

Scout/Soldier/Pyro/Heavy/Engineer(?)/Sniper.

The possible schemes are these:

2 2 3 (secondary+secondary+melee→ s+s+m further in the text)
1 3 3 (primary+melee+melee → p+m+m further in the text)
2 3 3 (secondary+melee+melee → s+m+m further in the text) [= 3 2 3, same]
3 3 3 (melee+melee+melee → m+m+m further in the text).

Examples:

Scout with a Pistol in the Primary Slot, Bonk! in the Secondary slot and any Melee.

OR: Heavy with a Shotgun in Primary Slot, some Melee in the Secondary slot and another Melee in the Melee slot.

OR: Soldier with 3 Melees in all 3 slots.

- - -

How much additional possible loadouts this would add (here: 's' for the 'Secondary', 'm' for the 'Melee')?

[If some secondary/melee weapon is used, let's not count it twice/three times. Though it is optional, probably, for the Devs to add something like a 'Bonk!+Bonk!+Bat'-option too, just for the player's fun. ]

Scout: 7s*6s*8m/2! + 5p*8m*7m/2! + 7s*8m*7m/2! + 8m*7m*6m/3! = totally 560, plus to the existing 280 loadouts;
Soldier: 10s*9s*7m/2! + 8p*7m*6m/2! + 10s*7m*6m/2! + 7m*6m*5m/3! = totally 728, plus to the existing 560 loadouts;
Pyro: 9s*8s*9m/2! + 6p*9m*8m/2!+ 9s*9m*8m/2! + 9m*8m*7m/3! = totally 948, plus to the existing 486 loadouts;
Heavy: 7s*6s*7m/2! + 5p*7m*6m/2! + 7s*7m*6m/2! + 7m*6m*5m/3! = totally 434, plus to the existing 245 loadouts;
Sniper: 6s*5s*4m/2! + 7p*7m*6m/2! + 6s*4m*3m/2! + 4m*3m*2m/3! = totally 247, plus to the existing 168 loadouts;
Engineer(?): 3s*2s*5m/2! +6p*5m*4m/2! + 3s*5m*4m/2! + 5m*4m*3m/3! = totally 115, plus, to the existing 90 loadouts.

1a.) (?)Engineer...Well...

How to combine the Gunslinger with other Melees? Which Sentry would be placed then? Destroy the Sentry if another Melee is chosen?! Or is it just not allowed to place another Sentry while one is already placed? Or is it allowed Mini-Sentry with a usual Sentry (this case is unbalanced!)?

If the s+m+m, p+m+m and m+m+m schemes are excluded, then only the scheme s+s+m is the only available one (adds 15 additional loadouts).

The issue is reconsidered again in the section 3).

2.) OK. What about Demoman, Medic and Spy? Let's analyze them!

2a.) Demoman.

He has 6 primaries, 7 secondaries and 8 melees. But his Primary and Secondary slots aren't about 'This Grenade Launcher is the main weapon and this Sticky Launcher is not'. So...

Hmmm...probably, the possible schemes would be these:

1 1 3 (p+p+m)*

1 3 3 (p+m+m)

2 2 3 (s+s+m)*

2 3 3 (s+m+m)

3 3 3 (m+m+m)

*Questionable loadouts. Let's discuss it in the section 3 below.

How much additional possible loadouts this would add (here: 'p' for the 'Primary', 's' for the 'Secondary', 'm' for the 'Melee')? [Not counting repeats, as before.]

6p*5p*8m/2! + 6p*8m*7m/2! + 7s*6s*8m/2! + 7s *8m*7m/2! + 8m *7m*6m/3! = totally 706, plus to the existing 336 loadouts.

2b.) Medic.

He has 4 primaries, 4 secondaries and 5 melees.

Probable schemes would be:

1 1 3 (p+p+m)*

1 3 3 (p+m+m)*

2 2 3 (s+s+m)*

2 3 3 (s+m+m)

3 3 3 (m+m+m)*

*Questionable loadouts. Let's discuss it in the section 3 below.

How much additional possible loadouts this would add (here: 'p' for the 'Primary', 's' for the 'Secondary', 'm' for the 'Melee')? [Not counting repeats, as before.]

4p*3p*5m/2! + 4p*5m*4m/2! + 4s*3s*5m/2! + 4s *5m*4m/2! + 5m *4m*3m/3! = totally 150, plus to the existing 80 loadouts.

2c.) Spy. The most difficult one. (The most important reason I've said at the beginning that this update could be separated for each class, because, for example, this class combos would need a lot of testing.)

Spy has 5 secondaries (revolvers), 5 melee (knives), 3 secondary PDAs (cloak devices) and 2 buildings (sappers) (1 primary PDA — Disguise Kit — isn't noted here, as the similar PDAs weren't noticed for the Engineer). Each devices can be considered as primary or secondary.

How much additional...Wait a minute. How to consider all possibilities (schemes)? (Let's discuss all possible difficulties later, in the section 3, —like the possible problem "How to combine 2 cloak devices?" or "How to combine the Spycicle and another Knives?".)

Numbers — as before — couldn't be used here for the schemes, that's why the abbr. are used (here: 's' for the 'Secondary', 'm' for the 'Melee'). 'sPDA' for the 'secondary PDA' and 'b' for 'Building'):

s + m + sPDA + b is the main in-game scheme (we don't add here a primary PDA — Disguise Kit).

So, the additional (29)schemes are these (with the description in brackets; the Disguise Kit is always available for the Spy, keep it mind, please):

s + s + sPDA + b (2 revolvers, cloak device, sapper) → 5*4*3*2 / 2! = 120/2 = 60 loadouts;
m + m + sPDA + b (2 knives, cloak device, sapper) → 5*4*3*2 / 2! = 120/2 = 60 loadouts;
s + sPDA + sPDA + b (1 revolver, no knives, 2 cloak devices, sapper) → 5*3*2*2 / 2! = 60/2 = 30 loadouts;
m + sPDA + sPDA + b (no revolvers, 2 cloak devices, sapper) → 5*3*2*2 / 2! = 60/2 = 30;
s + sPDA + b + b (1 revolver, no knives, 1 cloak device, both sappers) → 5*3*2*1 / 2! = 30/2 = 15 loadouts;
m + sPDA + b + b (1 knife, no revolvers, 1 cloak device, both sappers) → 5*3*2*1 / 2! = 30/2 = 15 loadouts;
s +s + s + s (4 revolvers, no knives, no cloak devices, no sappers) → 5*4*3*2 / 4! = 5 loadouts;
s+ s + s + m (3 revolvers, 1 knife) → 5*4*3*5 / 3! = 300/6 = 50 loadouts;
s + s + m +m (2 revolvers, 2 knives) → 5*4*5*4 / (2!*2!) = 400/4 = 100 loadouts;
s + m +m +m (1 revolver, 3 knives) → 5*5*4*3 / 3! = 300/6 = 50 loadouts;
m + m + m + m (4 knives) → 5*4*3*2 / 4! = 5 loadouts;
s + sPDA + sPDA + sPDA (revolver and 3 cloak devices) → 5*3*2*1 / 3! = 5 loadouts;
m + sPDA + sPDA + sPDA (knife and 3 cloak devices) → 5*3*2*1 / 3! = 5 loadouts;
s + s + sPDA + sPDA (2 revolvers and 2 cloak devices) → 5*4*3*2 / (2!*2!) = 30 loadouts;
s + m + sPDA + sPDA (1 revolver, 1 knife and 2 cloak devices) → 5*5*3*2 / 2! = 75 loadouts;
m + m + sPDA + sPDA (2 knives and 2 cloak devices) → 5*4*3*2 / (2!*2!) = 30 loadouts;
s + s + b + b (2 revolvers, both sappers) → 5*4*2*1 / (2!*2!) = 10 loadouts;
s + m + b + b (revolver and knife, both sappers) → 5*5*2*1 / 2! = 25 loadouts;
m + m + b + b (2 knives, both sappers) → 5*4*2*1 / (2!*2!) = 10 loadouts;
s + s + s + sPDA (3 revolvers, 1 cloak device, no sappers or knives) → 5*4*3*3 / 3! = 180/6 =30;
s + s + m + sPDA (2 revolvers, 1 knife, 1 cloak device, no sappers) → 5*4*5*3 / 2! = 300/2 = 150 loadouts;
s + m + m + sPDA (1 revolver, 2 knives, 1 cloak device, no sappers) → 5*4*5*3 / 2! = 300/2 = 150 loadouts;
m + m + m + sPDA (3 knives, 1 cloak device, no sappers or revolvers) → 5*4*3*3 / 3! = 180/6 = 30 loadouts;
s + s + s + b (3 revolvers, 1 sapper, no cloak devices or knives) → 5*4*3*2 / 3! = 120/6 = 20;
s + s + m + b (2 revolvers, 1 knife, 1 sapper, no cloak devices) → 5*4*5*2 / 2! = 200/2 = 100;
s + m + m +b (1 revolver, 2 knives, 1 sapper, no cloak devices) → 5*5*4*3 / 2! = 200/2 = 100;
m + m + m + b (3 knives, 1 sapper, no cloak devices or revolvers) → 5*4*3*2 / 3! = 120/6 = 20;
sPDA + sPDA + sPDA + b (no weapons, 3 cloak devices and 1 sapper) → 3*2*1*2/3! = 2;
sPDA + sPDA + b + b (no weapons, 2 cloak devices and 2 sappers) → 3*2*2*1/(2! * 2!) = 3.
3 cloak devices and a Sapper

Total amount: 60 + 60 + 30 + 30 + 15+ 15 + 5+ 50 + 100 + 50 + 5 + 5+ 5 + 30 + 75 + 30 + 10 + 25 + 10 + 30 + 150 + 150 + 30 + 20 + 100 + 100 + 20 + 2 + 3 = 1215, plus to the existing 150 loadouts.

Section 3) Possible issues? Let's go class by class. (Of course, not all possible issues are listed. And not everywhere the thing '[Solvable.]' is added.)

All classes

Most important one: do the same category weapon share an ammunition?

(For example, 2 Flareguns for the Pyro.)

Scout

No issues?! Pistols + Pistols, Pistols + 2 Bats, 2-3 Bats, drinks and throwables; all combos seem ok.

[With different charge-meters, of course. i.e. Solvable.]

Soldier

2 different shotguns are ok. Shotgun and some of the Banners combo is ok.

What about the 2 Banners (or 1 Banner + B.A.S.E. Jumper) combination? How are they shown on the back of the Soldier? Equip region glitch?! (Same — for the boots.)

How you gain the charge for 2 Banners and activate them? Do they combine or have 2 different charge-meters? (Possibly, 2 different.) [Solvable.]

2 Banners would lead to some imbalance (though Soldier himself doesn't have a Rocket Launcher, his team — under the effect of 2 Banners, like 2 different Soldiers activated 2 different Banners simultaneously.)

Gunboats' effect is useless without the Rocket Launcher.

2 or 3 Melees? Pain Train would be seen as a must-have, probably.

Pyro

"Mmph..."

Flamethrower and 2 Melees?!

Demoman

«*Questionable Loadouts". Because 2 GL(Grenade Launchers) + 1 Melee or 2 SL (Sticky Launchers) + 1 Melee would be not-balanced. (How you detonate different stickies? How much of them would you have at maximum out there on the map? Do you have a separated ammo for GLs/SLs?)»

What about Shields' overlapping? [Solvable.]

Heavy

Seems like no possible issues.

Shotguns, eatables, different fists and melees seem ok in combos.

Engineer

An issue, as it was noticed before in 1a, with the Gunslinger and other Melees.

«How to combine the Gunslinger with other Melees? Which Sentry would be placed then? Destroy the Sentry if another Melee is chosen?! Or is it just not allowed to place another Sentry while one is already placed? Or is it allowed Mini-Sentry with a usual Sentry (this case is unbalanced!)?

If the s+m+m, p+m+m and m+m+m schemes are excluded, then only the scheme s+s+m is the only available one (adds 15 additional loadouts).»

Also — an issue with the stats of the Melees. (Posssible.) [Solvable. Multiplication of the stats is already in-game.]

Medic

2 healguns?

2 shooting weapons with no healing device (except the Crossbow)?

3 melees with no healing devices?

Sniper

2 passive wearables with the Equip Region glitch?

Spy

Any one of the 29 schemes, noted above, consists of possible issues (especially those 2 last ones, 'no weapons'). Need, probably, lots of tests.

How to combine 2 cloak devices? [Solvable. Additional key/mouse button.]

How to combine the Spycicle and another Knives? [Solvable. Eg., no problem at all. The player trades for it with -1 item replaced by 2nd knife.]

7/09/2024

Non-Primary Update