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ashecitism · Nov 23, 2014

MM=Matchmaking

With Valve online services people are always parsing code whenever for ex there's an update released to see what's up behind the scenes, if there's any hint to future happenings. Same goes for TF2. I've been only made aware of these stuff recently, however these date back to the Halloween update and some even before (so, this was before Overwatch got announced, before anyone brings it up

), but figured people might be interested in it. Remember though, Valve Time.

Looked up the relevant links, the ones for Facepunch require an account to view though.

from August:

http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1398764&p=45671387&viewfull=1#post45671387

i just noticed some coding for something called "tf2 skill rating beta"

competitive beta stuff might be coming

edit: "tobor" is one of the new ratings

http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1398764&p=45671812&viewfull=1#post45671812

Must be a remnant of times gone by. Official comp TF2 was a failure, iirc.

its new

Click to expand...

http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1398764&p=45674243&viewfull=1#post45674243

http://www.reddit.com/r/tf2/comments/2ku2cf/player_skill_rating_added_to_the_game_update/

Here's a few more things found, for those of you who didn't read the thread:

http://pastebin.com/GaGiepbs

http://pastebin.com/n1ZRHAg5

Some interesting things to note in there:

TF_MatchmakingMode

TF_Matchmaking_INVALID

TF_Matchmaking_QUICKPLAY

TF_Matchmaking_TOBOR

TF_Matchmaking_WizardStep

!TF_Matchmaking_WizardStep_INVALID

8TF_Matchmaking_WizardStep_TOBOR_PLAY_FOR_BRAGGING_RIGHTS

,TF_Matchmaking_WizardStep_TOBOR_TOUR_OF_DUTY

)TF_Matchmaking_WizardStep_TOBOR_CHALLENGE
TF_Matchmaking_WizardStep_QUICKPLAY
TF_Matchmaking_WizardStep_SEARCHING

and

TF_GC_GameState

TF_GC_GAMESTATE_STATE_INIT

(TF_GC_GAMESTATE_WAIT_FOR_PLAYERS_TO_LOAD

TF_GC_GAMESTATE_STRATEGY_TIME

TF_GC_GAMESTATE_GAME_IN_PROGRESS

TF_GC_GAMESTATE_POST_GAME

TF_GC_GAMESTATE_DISCONNECT

TF_GC_GAMESTATE_LAST

TF_GC_TEAM

TF_GC_TEAM_DEFENDERS

TF_GC_TEAM_BROADCASTER

TF_GC_TEAM_SPECTATOR

TF_GC_TEAM_PLAYER_POOL

TF_GC_TEAM_NOTEAM

Then this thing talking about a "lobby-based" matchmaking mode:

Entering lobby-based matchmaking mode

Open mode active. Gameserver will show in server browser and accept ad-hoc joins.

Strict mode is active. Gameserver will not show in server browser or accept ad-hoc joins.

Server is hidden from server browser list, but will accept ad-hoc joins.

Requested trusted server status.

Leaving lobby-based matchmaking mode

EDIT: It appears some of these things have been in the game since late 2012, but never seen the light of day. (Or have different meaning/uses than what you'd expect them to be.)

https://github.com/wheybags/steamirc/blob/master/steamre/Resources/Protobufs/tf/tf_gcmessages.proto

from Halloween:

http://www.reddit.com/r/tf2/comments/2kuji9/tf2_major_update_speculation_megathread/

Matchmaking & Skill Rating

testinglol (who has been known to leak major updates) has found a lot of smoke for competitive matchmaking and skill rating for TF2 (post requires an account to view).

What do you think it will look like? Picks/bans? PUGs or teams? Highlander or something more Valve's flavor? (I'm sorry 6s, I just don't see you being supported as being likely).
Spy vs Engy

References to a 'Spy vs Engy' update have been found.

What do you think this will look like? How will it differ to Demo vs Soldier? What do you think the prize(s) will be? Which side are you on?

http://pastebin.com/kG97th2w

http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?p=46370979#post46370979

I see you want a Spy vs Engineer update. It's coming.

The Spy vs Engineer Update
Select your side and start fighting.

Features

New comic (?)

Quests
-Quest Loadout!
--Objectives
---Kills
---Headshots
---Friends list kills

New items
War Journal (Purchasable)
Team Engineer Helmet
Team Spy Balaclava
The War Pistol
New weapons for spy and engineer
and more..

Competitive mode
New matchmaking and ranking

Some of these might not make into the update. Nothing is %100 guaranteed to get in. I will be updating this post later to include possible new stats for the weapons.

http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1398764&p=46371433&viewfull=1#post46371433

A lot of the stuff he's "leaked" before has just been written in plain text inside of obscure TF2 files. The competitive ranking stuff was actually added to the modevents system in yesterday's update:

"competitive_victory"
{
}

"competitive_skillrating_update"
{
"index" "short" // entindex of the player
"rating" "short" // skillrating
"delta" "short" // skillrating adjustment
}

Click to expand...

(from resource/modevents.res)

http://pastebin.com/H28pXLYu

enum TF_MatchmakingMode {
TF_Matchmaking_INVALID = 0;
TF_Matchmaking_QUICKPLAY = 1;
TF_Matchmaking_TOBOR = 2;
+ TF_Matchmaking_LADDER = 3;
}

from a couple of days ago:

http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1398764&p=46535494&viewfull=1#post46535494

- (Already known, as people found it and I told y'all about it here) TFHoliday_SpyVsEngyWar. Triggering this holiday with tf_forced_holiday 6 does nothing as far as I can tell.
- Merasmus will possibly somehow be related to the war
- Global scoring
- Custom killcam messages
- Huge data dump Pelipoika made that shows a bunch of stuff. Lines 1 to 32 show some SpyVsEngyWar stuff. Not everything in this dump is related though, so pick through it at your own leisure.

I have picked through the dump, and found this stuff. First portion is Spy vs Engy WAR stuff. Second portion is a "Skill Rating" thing which I believe to be competitive matchmaking, and the third portion is an odd "Chat Channel" thing I've not heard of yet.

I believe this Chat Channel stuff to be related to competitive matchmaking, so we may be getting public chat channels and a spectating system of some sort.

http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1398764&p=46535770&viewfull=1#post46535770

chat channels are old and copied code from dota

I think I got them all, whew.

Arion · Nov 23, 2014

EmptyCanO'wupass · Nov 23, 2014

Yes! A competitive mode similar to what CS:GO has is exactly what would pull me back into TF2. The question is will it be 6v6, highlander, or both?

Tenck · Nov 23, 2014

I'll download tf2 again just for this. Spy all day.

The Technomancer · Nov 23, 2014

EmptyCanO'wupass said:
Yes! A competitive mode similar to what CS:GO has is exactly what would pull me back into TF2. The question is will it be 6v6, highlander, or both?

Yup that would do it for me too. If its 6v6 I'll try and drag my Dota squad into it

hbkajshdvfbkjhvgkahsgdfka · Nov 23, 2014

This would definitely get me playing again. I loved playing Scout in 6v6 competitive rules and Highlander.

ricardo_sousa11 · Nov 23, 2014

Make Day of Defeat 2 with this !!! RIGHT NOW !

afternoon delight · Nov 23, 2014

Noooo I was just growing tired of it until Christmas don't kill my productivity like this Valve.

RedComet · Nov 23, 2014

ricardo_sousa11 said:
Make Day of Defeat 2 with this !!! RIGHT NOW !

I would love to have another, I spent so much time with DoD source. Do a lot of people still play it?

SUPERJEM94 · Nov 23, 2014

Arion said:

.

Exuro · Nov 23, 2014

Quests eh. Wonder if those will simply be kill x player with y weapon or what. And it looks like it might be an item slot so maybe you hold a quest, complete it and gain an item or something.

BlackGoku03 · Nov 23, 2014

PS3 Orange Box too?

Fat chance, I know.

OminoMichelin · Nov 23, 2014

Thank god I didn't uninstall it yet.

abunai · Nov 23, 2014

Haven't played competitive ETF2L for three years but this would probably make me re-install to see what's up.

ashecitism · Nov 23, 2014

Btw what's Highlander mode? Always see a lot of people bringing it up when the topic is competitive TF2.

Tregard · Nov 23, 2014

ashecitism said:
Btw what's Highlander mode? Always see a lot of people bringing it up when the topic is competitive TF2.

Everyone plays as a seperate class, 9 players on each team ("There can be only one")

Quests eh? Weird, I thought we were getting the "final" update next.

roMonster · Nov 23, 2014

ashecitism said:
Btw what's Highlander mode? Always see a lot of people bringing it up when the topic is competitive TF2.

9 v 9. There can only be one of each class for each team.

thefro · Nov 23, 2014

EmptyCanO'wupass said:
Yes! A competitive mode similar to what CS:GO has is exactly what would pull me back into TF2. The question is will it be 6v6, highlander, or both?

Should be both ideally.

ashecitism · Nov 23, 2014

I see, thanks.

Tregard said:
Quests eh? Weird, I thought we were getting the "final" update next.

You mean End of the Line? That's a possibility yeah, people were expecting it for this week. And again, just because these are in the files doesn't mean they will be released next. Dota had custom game modes stuff for months before the alpha tools shipped.

Nzyme32 · Nov 23, 2014

Arion said:

Pretty much. All this stuff sounds great, kind of like CS:GO

Emperor Bohe · Nov 23, 2014

Hopefully it limits the weapons to the vanilla ones

Werewolf Jones · Nov 23, 2014

Comp TF2 is a pretty funny joke but this will stop the people who care about it to complain that Valve doesn't focus on it.

rockmanjoe · Nov 23, 2014

Haven't played in a while, but a new Spy update will definitely pull me back in!!

dex3108 · Nov 23, 2014

Seven years later Valve is still supporting TF2 for FREE.

grandwizard · Nov 23, 2014

Oh wow, this would be huge. Competitive matchmaking in CS:GO is a complete gamechanger, it finally opened up to the masses the intensity and purity of the competitive side of the game that previously you had to jump through hoops to experience. That kind of stuff straight in the client is an enormous improvement and could bring a lot of new attention to TF2.

gelf · Nov 23, 2014

A matchmaking mode that lets me play against people as bad at multiplayer FPS as I am could draw me back in for the first time since it came out.

L4DANathan · Nov 23, 2014

Team Counter-Fortress: GO 2 confirmed, Holiday 2014.

afternoon delight · Nov 23, 2014

GreatCharleston said:
Comp TF2 is a pretty funny joke but this will stop the people who care about it to complain that Valve doesn't focus on it.

Honestly I'll enjoy it for the simple fact that people will probably play every class which will guarantee so many more matches I'll feel like playing.

If they did it for L4D2 or 3 I would literally freak the fuck out.

ashecitism · Nov 23, 2014

afternoon delight said:
If they did it for L4D2 or 3 I would literally freak the fuck out.

L4D doesn't have any MM of sorts? Next one is bound to have one then.

ViviOggi · Nov 23, 2014

Arion said:

If this ends up being somewhat balanced this will be me.

Sold all my hats for Dota hats though ((((

Mobius and pet octopus · Nov 23, 2014

I like competitive ranking... but I don't quite like TF2... Might try it anyway if I find myself a group.

crimsonheadGCN · Nov 23, 2014

ashecitism said:
L4D doesn't have any MM of sorts? Next one is bound to have one then.

It has match making, but there is no skill rating attached to it. I believe Valve has previously said that they tested out a skill based rating for MM randomly for a short time period, but it did not work.

ashecitism · Nov 23, 2014

Oh god, just noticed I wrote skill rankings in the title. Bothers the hell out of me, contacting a mod lol

zephervack · Nov 23, 2014

I really hope they force 6 v 6 like on release, TF2 hasnt been the same since.

balladofwindfishes · Nov 23, 2014

Emperor Bohe said:
Hopefully it limits the weapons to the vanilla ones

The system they were testing out had a pick/ban phase where each team got to ban a certain weapon and it would go back and forth for a few rounds. Stock were exempt.

Some unlocks make for a much more interesting game. It's part of the reason they want to make this lobby system, there's a huge disconnect between the game professionals play and the ones we all play and Valve feels like that hurts the TF2 community. They want to encourage strategies using unlocks rather than outright banning them because the vast majority of players use unlocks and like them. Emulation of pros is the best way to make the scene popular and increase the skill level of the game, but you can't do that when pros play a different TF2 than you play.

zephervack said:
I really hope they force 6 v 6 like on release, TF2 hasnt been the same since.

The original idea was Highlander, not 6s. 6s doesn't represent the TF2 people actually play well enough to make a lobby for it. It's not interesting to most people when only 2/3s of the classes are played.

Also on release people played exactly the same TF2 you play today, but without unlocks so I'm not sure what you're even talking about...

Zubz · Nov 23, 2014

Well then. I barely did anything during the Halloween update and didn't really get anything. This, on the other hand... Well, let's just say that we're gonna have fun with this thing.

Mobius and pet octopus · Nov 23, 2014

If there is a confirmation on this happening I might actually try to become good at this game. I've played it before in the past and it seems pretty achievable.

sixghost · Nov 23, 2014

zephervack said:
I really hope they force 6 v 6 like on release, TF2 hasnt been the same since.

6v6 TF2 is for insane people. I can't imagine the audience would be very big for something like that. Highlander would be much more popular imo.

ashecitism · Nov 23, 2014

I take it in 6v6 teams can have multiple players with the same classes?

CountAntonius · Nov 23, 2014

It needs it and the scene probably deserve it.

There was a time where tf2 was an incredibly balanced team game and it's different enough from CS:GO that they could co exists well.

The issue is most competitive leagues ban a most of the items and rarely use some of the classes. I'm not sure sure that is something valve would embrace. There was an article before from a valve developer saying even he got bored of the comp tf2 scene because the meta game never changes. It's been the same for years and it got boring. They were throwing an idea of a dota 2-esque pick/.ban system but for weapons. Regardless it will be interesting to see what they do.

Dictator93 · Nov 23, 2014

RedComet said:
I would love to have another, I spent so much time with DoD source. Do a lot of people still play it?

DoD source made me so sad. Just like how DoD retail, post valve, made me sad after the DoD beta years.

Piston Hyundai · Nov 23, 2014

dex3108 said:
Seven years later Valve is still supporting TF2 for FREE.

You say that like they're doing it out of the kindness out their hearts or something when they're doing it because it's actually more profitable than keeping it a paid product.

CountAntonius · Nov 23, 2014

Dictator93 said:
DoD source made me so sad. Just like how DoD retail, post valve, made me sad after the DoD beta years.

DoD is one of my favorite franchises but I don't see it as a game that is very friendly to monetize in anyway and never had a huge playerbase so I've pretty much given up hope it will ever get a sequel.

Piston Hyundai said:
You say that like they're doing it out of the kindness out their hearts or something when they're doing it because it's actually more profitable than keeping it a paid product.

and that's still a great thing for gamers.

crimsonheadGCN · Nov 30, 2014

So if this does happen, do you think we'll start seeing an increase in TF2 concurrent numbers? LIke CS:GO and Dota 2 experience? Or have we already seen TF2's peak at this point?

afternoon delight · Nov 30, 2014

crimsonheadGCN said:
So if this does happen, do you think we'll start seeing a gradual increase in TF2 concurrent numbers? LIke CS:GO and Dota 2 experience? Or have we already seen TF2's peak at this point?

I'd say it will probably grow, anecdotally know of a few who'd jump back in for something like this. A supported Highlander mode is especially tantalizing.

ashecitism · Dec 1, 2014

crimsonheadGCN said:
So if this does happen, do you think we'll start seeing an increase in TF2 concurrent numbers? LIke CS:GO and Dota 2 experience? Or have we already seen TF2's peak at this point?

I think so, yes. Though probably a smaller increase as this doesn't have an established eSport scene opposed to the other two (just guessing here)?

ashecitism · Dec 11, 2014

not sure if he's serious or not, considering the disappointment and anger felt towards Valve after EotL

you need a war journal to join the war and competitive ticket to play competitive. you also need to reach a level on steam to be able to play competitive. they might have changed these after all the negative input they got from duck journal but i doubt they did. its valve after all. atleast you get some rewards from war journal...

http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1398764&p=46691985&viewfull=1#post46691985

edit:

How pray-tell did you extrapolate all that information from using IDA Pro to look at the server_srv.so file from tf/bin? I can understand pulling added netprops and strings and such from IDA Pro, but getting general information like that....I dunno man....are you a wizard?

http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1398764&p=46692776&viewfull=1#post46692776

so maybe he's just being cynical due to the current situation or....

BossRush · Dec 11, 2014

And here I thought I was gone for good...but a new event for the spy and engie...it's too good to resist!

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