Team Fortress 2: Engineers EVERYWHERE!

I have enjoyed TF2 for quite some time now. The game is fairly balanced and allows a high level of coordination and teamplay to be successful. For shooter games, that is pretty hard to do. Just recently the guys over at Valve let us have a tasty new update, especially for the Engineer class. New weapons for the Engineer as well as some new maps AND it's free. If this were Activision I'd

be paying 15 to 25 dollars for this kind of thing, yet Valve provides it for free to a game that is almost 3 years old. The updates breathed some new life into the game, which still had plenty of life left in it.

The new update focuses around the Engineer. Every class in the game has had an update in which they had significant improvements to their class. Medics got neat new toys for phat healz, Scouts got some very interesting tools that help them stay alive or avoid pursuit, everyone basically got something. This time it is the Engineers turn and they don't bother wasting any

time. They add neat new gizmos, some of which have yet to prove their proper usage.

As with the release of any large new update, everyone has flocked to the new and cool stuff. I've been a long time fan of the Engineer and I have trouble finding a server where it is worth it to play an Engineer or where I can even play the class due to limitations. There is no reason to join an 8 on 8 game where 6 people on your team are Engineers. The game is long, boring and full of suck. However, I did manage to get the minimum achievements that allowed me to pick up the new weapons.

I was very excited to get my hand on the new shotgun, but then I wasn't so sure that it was something I want. It gets crits based on the number of "revenge points" that your turret builds up. You can't use these immediately. You have to either destroy your turret OR have your turret destroyed. Either way, unless you lose the turret then you aren't getting the points. It's kind of awkward. The points can build up and allow for some very potent crits, but sacrificing your turret is a pretty large drawback.

Luckily, the second weapon you receive is a mechanical hand that allows you to build mini turrets. The mini turrets can't be heal or upgraded, but they build 4 times faster. They only do have damage, but you're normally going to be right on top of them anyway, so it should be much of an issue. With a low-cost, fast-build turret available the new shotgun becomes more useful. The effectiveness of the new turret is rather low, but it makes an offensive Engineer much more viable.

The final new weapon takes the place of your pistol, which I hate to see go, but allows you to remotely control your turret. You can aim it and fire it, but when you "disconnect" it is unable to make any actions for 3 seconds. It makes the turret pretty vulnerable, not to mention that while you are firing the turret, you are spending through your ammo and you or another Engineer will need to refill it, if you want to continue your killing spree. You can choose to fire off bullets or rockets, both of which can be restocked in your turret, so long as you have it upgraded.

The last and most interesting/fun additions, aside from the maps which I haven't had much time to play, is the new ability to move your mechanical minions. You can now uproot your turrets, dispensers and teleporters and move them around. You can build and upgrade anything and simply pick it up and move it. In a bad spot and wanna give it another shot? Pick that bad boy up and just take it somewhere else? Forget having to destroy and rebuild items when you move forward, just pick it up and carry it with you to the next spot. What a welcome addition!

The ideas are all very solid, we will see how they evolve into the the gameplay. I am very glad to have this update, as I said I enjoy the Engineer quite a bit. I have always liked TF2 and have been waiting for this update for some time, now. With it's arrival comes a ton of people who are playing the class. In a few weeks things should quiet down and return back to mostly normal. I appreciate all of Valve's hard work and look forward to getting plenty of time with TF2 in the near future.