i predict full tilt

Yeah I think you should contact etf2l staff to correct the mistake :)

bumping this thread since etf2l preseason cup is going to feature it.

Is phi the actual owner of the map nowadays?

I played it on a scrim, and we didn't have big problems with it.
Compared to viaduct, it is a welcomed change. Sniper is weaker (thank god), soldiers have flat ground and corners to work with, scouts have some props and some roofs and demoman is the king of middle point.
A lot of holds can work : behind point, 2 or 3 different forward holds to try, and ammo/health is scattered around which requires careful resource management ( a very good thing IMO).
Protecting the medic from soldier bombs is quite tricky, as there isa lot of jumps or routes to take to dosuicides,
I look forward to seeing it played in da cup (and possibly the season)!

It definitely comes from the servers.

I think the game checks every couple seconds for your loadout, or refreshes instantly when you hit a cabinet. If your life depends on a loadout change you could have a script to change class to random then back to your intended class to force a refresh. However if you play demo you'd lose your trap that way.

Best bet is walking to the cabinet, or switching while you're dead.

On the other hand, in that same tough break update, vaccinator build rate has been increased.

While it's a shame how valve works, the vaccinator is strong enough as is and could become way too strong if that feature was working ;)

your reasoning isnt right. You should read the old sigma guide. You will read that when no team has a clear advantage (picks/uber, i'm talking about +2 advs not +1s), making a move is a risky business. Therefore teams do low risk plays such as suicide 1 dude, or they do nothing at all.

So the solution is to give a clear reason for one team to make a move. koth/ad does it with a timer, and in 5cp it has to be done with assymetrical zones where one team has a positional advantage so big they can afford to push at a very low risk. Therefore, pushing and capping would be the norm, and a successful defense would be an exceptional play worth to be praised. A bit like basketball.

Tried ctf_mach4?

Also, CTF without standoffs :/

I would like to see a koth map in 6s that isn't viaduct. Just try to make one with a spire as the cap point.

But first, people would have to agree to scrim other things than 5CPs. I remember when turbine or gravelpit were allowed I could never get a game on these unless they were the maps of the week in etf2l.

funny, the sacrifice and opening the pawn gives would suit solly better IMO :>

yeah what you describe makes sense. The way casts work (at least when i was involved) was the standard play-by-play dude + the analyst who doesn't talk as much. We try not to interrupt too much what one says to avoid constant chaos and we rely on what the cameraman says to us off-stream about plays about to happen.

As it's the default set up anything different such as what you propose requires firstly an established duo used to this 'style' but also what is the flank caster going to say when no backcaps or roamer bombs/anything else funky happens? Not saying it can't be done but it definitely requires more preparation than for the current set up. It's already a bit difficult sometimes to find 2 casters on time, so applying this seems even harder.

it's videocardbenchmark.net , so you might wanna edit your post ;)

and yet valve reacts to yttrium's job when a "very small" portion of the playerbase cares enough to use it ;)

Most played :
1 - Starcraft BroodWar
2 - Starcraft 2 : way worse than BW but still good enough to hook me
3 - Supreme Commander Forged Alliance : the best and deepest RTS : play it at http://www.faforever.com !
4 - Starwars galactic battlegrounds (hi sage)
5 - Dawn of War 1 : more of a RTS than dow 2, which is a tactical / micro management game only

Also if anyone wants to play BW hit me up on steam!

Is medic a less popular class in competitive TF2?

Perhaps yes, it's not a class for the standard fps frag focused player, but some like to be counted on and as such medic can be popular. It's like in all the MMOs or mobas where supports are needed : feeling valuable when you play the role is rewarding in itself.

Are valve attempting to encourage people to play medic by making it more powerful? Is it working?

All I can say is that i don't see more pubbers play medic than before the update. But in matchmaking everyone seems to recognise the need for medics, so at least this part is working.
As for medic becoming more powerful, i don't think it is needed.

Would it not be better to re-work the medic to make the mechanics more fun (such as the crossbow?
Is there even a problem here, or is this all just my gripes as a medic-main?

There is no problem. A lot of fun mechanics are already there : crossbow as you said, quick fix and vaccinator are all fun and rewarding to use properly.

Will Thalash donate for the greater good of the community?