[TF2] Meet Your Match: General

With the release of this summer's big TF2 update, we've seen new game modes, beta game modes being released, new taunts, new balances, and probably one of the bigger controversies aside from the F2P update. This also caused a big split between players, and not just by means of Heavy v. Pyro. It's been awhile since we've done this, so let's get back into things:

    Competitive and Casual Mode:
While I'm not going to lie, I've been hyped competitive, after playing the beta for so long, I'm a little sad to see that it's only 6s. Granted, that style of comp isn't bad, it's just that I prefer Highlander, as it does incorporate all TF2 has to offer. Now, casual mode is another story. I love this mode, and this'll probably be what I play now. A lot of people I know say they have issues with ping, team composition, and a few other things I'll get into; I honestly don't have those problems. It's nice to see the mode track my stats, and only for games I gained experience in. I've also noticed I usually get matched with people I were with in matches prior, which is good if I want a rematch. The mode has a sense of tryhard, but it's not enough to ruin a match, since both teams are like it. I could go on forever, about how much I like this mode....

    The New (Old) Maps:
I titled it like this, because surprisingly, the 3 maps have been staples of comp for a while. It also doesn't help, that we had cp_sunshine, since 2015, as the Halloween map, Sinshine. That being said, it's still nice to see these maps in rotation, and how the public plays them, especially pl_swiftwater. The new passtime map, has to be up there with Landfall, in terms of how it looks. I like the feel, the subway is nice, and it's got a nice flow in terms of gameplay. I still do wish we had more urban maps like this.

    The New Taunts:
In short, I love all of them. The Carlton shows off Scout's curvaceous hips, the Fanfare is just all around fun to use, and Bouncer is a better pool party taunt, and the Disco taunt is well animated (Too bad you can't unbox it in unusual...the '72 effect would've been perfect...). I'm slightly upset at no all-class taunt, but I still use the kick, so it's all good...Mannrobics can bite me.

    The Weapon/Class Balances:
This is where it got a bit wierd for me. A lot of weapons got hit, some for the better (They made the Sun-on-a-Stick useful.), some for the worse (Cozy Camper...), and some for the wierder (Quickie Bomb?). I'll go into detail about each class later, but I'll say I think this the most interesting some of these weapons have been.

    Heavy v. Pyro:
First of all, #TeamHeavy. Secondly, I was surprised that it wasn't the rumored Spy v. Engie war. This is a nice little competition though, and it's nice to see this comeback, since the last one offical one was 2009. I'm on Team Heavy, because the big guy needs love. Yes, Pyro needs a balance, but Heavy is one of the more unappreciated classes in this game. Besides, both classes do get their reworks, this is just seeing who gets it first, and who better than TF2's mascot?

    What the community has been complaining about:

    The Long Queue Time:
So something I'd like to say...Y'all people are impatient. And I say that because people were bitching about this, day one. And now something I'd like to ask, "Did any of you play Mann versus Machine when it first came out?". I ask that, because it was the same way, long queue times, because with over 6,000 people trying to find a game at once, it's hard to match them into a place where they'll actually be able to play, and  not lag out. Sure, they stress tested everything, but the amount of people during that time, was literally a fraction of what it is now. As days have passed, the time was shortened to about standard MvM queue time for me, and I don't mind it, because I can multitask, normally drawing while I wait. And as of posting this, Valve said they fixed the error where matches that weren't full, and had started weren't taking people, so that has shortened the wait a bit further. While it's hard for people nowadays to do, being patient it something worth learning.

    The Removal of Quickplay/Rise of Community Servers:
This is the big one. A lot of people, including myself, used quickplay on a regular basis, so seeing it removed completely, we weren't all too happy. However, with the removal of the Valve servers, the community will be the more dominant places for pubbing. That being said, people don't like this, because the servers now are ad-ridden, plug-in infested, madhouses with admins who love to mess with people. People do forget they weren't always like that. Back in the day, they were the majority, and they weren't nearly as bad. What killed it? Quickplay! It was simple to get into, and get out of a match, and with none of the issues of a community server, it seemed like the better choice. So with the drop of people, various hosts left, with only a handful of decent ones staying. Now, when I say decent, I mean those just running the game; no custom gamemodes or maps, just default TF2. That's something that needs to come back now. Various people, are in the process of making servers like this, including myself. Like I said in the last one, it just takes some time...

Those last two are what split the community. While I personally think this is a good update, I will admit some things are off. Though, if the community bitches enough, things are bound to change. For better or for worse, only time will tell.