Free TF2 Weekend

May 22, 2009 8:03 AM

This weekend is a Free TF2 weekend (instructions at the top of the page). So if you wanted to know what all the fuss was about, join MeFightClub at 8.9.15.132:27015 for pubbie action,* or join the forums to find out how to hop on the privvy. JOIIIN USSS.

Or, if you're cortex, RETUUURRRRNNN TOOOO USSSSS.

*Loag up the game. Enable the develop's console in the settings options (I believe under advanced keyboard), hit ~, then type "connect 8.9.15.132:27015." Guaranteed 90% less morons than average servers.

posted by flibbertigibbet to MetaFilter-related at 8:03 AM (129 comments total)

Err. Load. Not Loag.
posted by flibbertigibbet at 8:04 AM on May 22

If you want access to the privy, check Herr Doktor's profile for address and password. Forum membership not a requirement.
posted by absalom at 8:14 AM on May 22

I second this. It's a good time. It's like a virtual meet up, with guns and wrenches.

If you're nice, our spies might not even stab you in the back that much.
posted by jefeweiss at 8:16 AM on May 22

If you're nice, our spies might not even stab you in the back that much.

A spy would say that.
posted by jmd82 at 8:39 AM on May 22

This is OK if you like really awesome stuff, I guess...
posted by Mister_A at 8:53 AM on May 22

This would happen the weekend I'm out of town with my wife's family doing "quality" things while "outside."

Ah well. I'm on a Mac anyway and I don't think there's any good way to get Steam running on a Mac without installing Windows.
posted by middleclasstool at 8:54 AM on May 22

play with us! great times.
posted by lohmannn at 9:24 AM on May 22

Does having a good time playing TF2 depend on having a mic?
posted by Memo at 9:26 AM on May 22

Doesn't depend on it, Memo, but I'd say it helps. Get a cheapo mic! Or don't!
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 9:29 AM on May 22

This is a trap. They just want to throw jars of pee at you.
posted by demiurge at 9:35 AM on May 22

Or set you on fire, THEN throw jars of pee at you.

With love.
posted by WalterMitty at 9:39 AM on May 22

Incidentally, is the Steam link broken in the MetaFilter profile? It goes to http://steamcommunity.com/id/# and I think it should go to http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/#
posted by demiurge at 9:39 AM on May 22

If you have a wired 360 controller (including the Guitar Hero / RB guitars), you can plug the 360 Headset into the controller and then plug the controller into your computer. This is what I'm doing and it works just fine.
posted by Diskeater at 9:42 AM on May 22

I can honestly say I followed both links and read every comment in this thread and have no fucking idea what language you people are speaking. Same world, different planets.
posted by cjorgensen at 9:47 AM on May 22

We basically go around filling jars with pee, wrenches in hand, and scream inanities at each other, cjorgensen.

It's not a computer game or anything silly like that. :-)
posted by Grither at 9:50 AM on May 22

Valve Software (makers of such great games as Half-Life, Portal, Counter Strike and so on) just released a major content update for Team Fortress 2, an incredibly fun team-based first person shooter. This is a "free TF2 weekend" so you can download and play the game for free all weekend long. If you do decide to buy it, the game is only $10 thanks to a 50% off sale.

A group of MeFites hang out over at the MeFightClub where we play and discuss TF2 and other games. You don't have to join MeFightClub to play. Warning: if you do decide to play with us this weekend, we may break out into song.
posted by Diskeater at 9:54 AM on May 22

Your server reports a connection error and I think less of you for it.
posted by bunnytricks at 10:01 AM on May 22

Memo: Does having a good time playing TF2 depend on having a mic?

I've been a proud member of MeFight for over a year. And I have a good headset. And I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've actually spoken in-game (singing doesn't count, of course).

NB: The Friday night games (which generally ramp up around 9pm US EDT) are usually our most heavily-populated ones. In my opinion, there are few better ways to ease yourself into a new game like this (especially if you're not totally familiar with FPSs) than just jumping in and joining a full team of 10-12 people where you can blend into the woodwork while you learn what the heck is going on (it will probably help to announce that you're new to the game when you join the server, so that people know not to expect too much).

wooooo boozeodrome
posted by Doofus Magoo at 10:05 AM on May 22

And, if things get too full tonight, we actually have TWO servers, so there should be plenty of room for everyone!
posted by absalom at 10:27 AM on May 22

Have you guys seen this video? I think they're all great, but this was far and away the best.

God, I love this game.
posted by kbanas at 10:45 AM on May 22

I'm down. How does TF2 compare to Halo3 in terms of gameplay?
posted by geoff. at 10:52 AM on May 22

Less twitchy, more team-oriented. Some classes are there for defense, some for offense, some don't do much actual damage themselves (like medic) and the whole game is infused with hilarity. Highly recommended and mefightclub is a great place to learn!
posted by Grither at 10:55 AM on May 22 [1 favorite]

Less twitchy, more team-oriented. Some classes are there for defense, some for offense, some don't do much actual damage themselves (like medic) and the whole game is infused with hilarity. Highly recommended and mefightclub is a great place to learn!

Absolutely correct. And some classes really compliment each other well. For example, if you're a medic, you usually stay with a heavy - one of the big guys who lugs around a machine gun. After you do enough healing, you gain an "uber-charge", which will make both you and your target invulnerable for a short period of time. That's usually the strategy for breaking through a heavily defended control point.
posted by kbanas at 11:01 AM on May 22

Can't wait to get into this update. It's the gf's birthday this weekend, though, so I will likely be with her most of it. Next week, though...
posted by backseatpilot at 11:01 AM on May 22

Hmm....do I install this on the work laptop? Or do I finally break and install Windows on the home computer...decisions, decisions.
posted by inigo2 at 11:05 AM on May 22

Hmm....do I install this on the work laptop? Or do I finally break and install Windows on the home computer...decisions, decisions.

What do you have? I installed it on Vista on my MacBook Pro and it runs pretty well, aside from some bugs and glitches with the video drivers that I had to iron out.
posted by kbanas at 11:11 AM on May 22

Sony Vaio 2GHz, running Vista. Not sure what the graphics power is like on here (and too busy to research right now.) (But not too busy to be reading metatalk, apparently. Doh.)
posted by inigo2 at 11:14 AM on May 22

I can honestly say I followed both links and read every comment in this thread and have no fucking idea what language you people are speaking. Same world, different planets.
posted by cjorgensen at 12:47 PM on May 22 [+] [!]
OF COURSE AND EXCATLY
OUR PLANET HAS A HEAVY EMTAL CORE OF AWESUM
YOUR PLANET IS GASEOUS ILKE FARTS

BEWARE, BEWARE OUT OF THE ASSES WE RISE WITH OUR ROTATO HAIR
AND WE EAT MEN LIKE U LIKE AIIRRRRR!
posted by herrdoktor at 11:28 AM on May 22 [4 favorites]

I usually play the heavy, so a server full of spies and snipers is pretty much my nightmare. Regardless, I'm going to try to make some time to play this weekend, maybe I'll see some of you there. Oh, and I'm Thrilhouse in-game. No touch sandvich!
posted by Who_Am_I at 11:29 AM on May 22

I usually play the heavy, so a server full of spies and snipers is pretty much my nightmare. I circle-strafe around you and light you aflame.

AFLAME!
posted by kbanas at 11:37 AM on May 22

Sweet. I will connect this weekend and engage in pee-throwing, back-stabbing action.
posted by shino-boy at 11:51 AM on May 22

Also, on MeFightClub.com, you can post images in the threads. SNAP
posted by mrnutty at 11:53 AM on May 22 [3 favorites]

"I can honestly say I followed both links and read every comment in this thread and have no fucking idea what language you people are speaking. Same world, different planets.
posted by cjorgensen at 12:47 PM on May 22 [+] [!]"

PEARS FATTEN LIKE LITTLE HEAVIES
A BLUE MIST DRAGS THE CAP

YOU MOVE THROUGH THE ERA OF SNIPERS
THE SMUG ROUNDS OF THE SPY
BONK!, BAT AND SANDMAN!

COME CLEAR OF THE INTEL!
posted by boo_radley at 12:15 PM on May 22

Agent430 reporting for cannon fodder duty!
posted by Mick at 12:18 PM on May 22

This could be a lot of fun! I played some TF2 right after it came out (not on the MeFightClub server), but I haven't really touched it since. I was really pretty awful, but being with Mefites could make the overall experience better. Consider me possibly in!
posted by malthas at 12:36 PM on May 22

Oh great, and me still with a puter that can not handle the game. How I long for the tortured groans of mortally wounded mefites.
posted by vrakatar at 12:53 PM on May 22

Tips for newcomers: don't shoot your teammates and never watch your backs.

Spies on the opposite team will thank you.

Your teammates will not.
posted by starman at 12:54 PM on May 22

middleclasstool: I'm on a Mac anyway and I don't think there's any good way to get Steam running on a Mac without installing Windows.

Yeah, this. If there is some handy trick, please let us know. In the meantime, I will just pretend that these kick-ass updates will actually wind up on the Xbox version.
posted by paisley henosis at 1:10 PM on May 22

Steam and TF2 work with Crossover Games, and you can get a free trial of that too. I used to play with that all the time, but as Left4Dead doesn't work, I bit the bullet and installed windows.
posted by gregjones at 1:12 PM on May 22

Thanks, I will try that. Is it actually worth bothering with, with only 1GB RAM, though? I've been trying to update to 4GB for over a month, but NewEgg keeps sending me dead sticks…
posted by paisley henosis at 1:27 PM on May 22

IS THIS SOMETHUNG I"D NEEED A COMPUTAR TO UNNERSTAD?!
posted by eurasian at 1:28 PM on May 22 [1 favorite]

I started with an nVidia 6600 GT (128meg) video card, AMD 2800 processor, 512 MB RAM (upgraded to 1 GB RAM) -- it plays fine, not the highest graphic settings, but still looks good.
posted by starman at 1:31 PM on May 22

I'm going to try it on my old-ish 1.8ghz black Macbook (in Windows), so I'll let you all know how that goes.
posted by malthas at 1:34 PM on May 22

Rather, 2ghz. But integrated graphics. We'll see...
posted by malthas at 1:35 PM on May 22

flibbertigibbet is the spy, get him!
posted by Artw at 1:48 PM on May 22

get him!

Proves how good a spy flibber is!
posted by jmd82 at 1:52 PM on May 22 [3 favorites]

That's a disguise!
posted by Artw at 1:58 PM on May 22

(Everyone knows the only laydee character is the Flamer)
posted by Artw at 1:58 PM on May 22

And I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've actually spoken in-game (singing doesn't count, of course).

Same here, although in my case it's because I'm concerned about waking up my toddlers (and thus destroying any hope I had of making Spy Flambé that evening.)

I use the PC version.

A microphone is not required as you can type conversations into a chat window. However, coordinating typing with the game controls can be a challenge. You'll die a lot. Having a mic can help you coordinate your team's attacks, and it also allows you to laugh maniacally at the other players on the server when appropriate. (Not that I would ever do such a thing.... Toddlers, you know. )

Personally, I don't have a headset. Instead, I use ear buds plugged into my speaker's headphones jack and speak into the mic on my webcam, which works perfectly well in-game. I'm pretty sure that you'd need a headset on an XBox, though.
posted by zarq at 2:11 PM on May 22

This still means nothing to Xbox TF2 players, does it?

cries but its a manly cry. eats sandvich.
posted by jbickers at 2:11 PM on May 22 [1 favorite]

Don't think this is going to work on my macbook using parallels seeing as it tells me it will be 4 hours to download. The fucking free weekend will be over before I have a chance to play it... Would love to give it a go though seeing as I've had the orange box on my xbox since it was released, but I just don't really do xbox live, what with having gone through puberty in the eighties.
posted by Elmore at 2:12 PM on May 22

I've actually not played for quite a while - how much do all the new character upgrades they've added since the medic one affect it?
posted by Artw at 2:14 PM on May 22

Elmore: the free weekend ends the 25th. YOU STILL HAVE HOPE, MAN!

ArtW and jmd82/zealeus: I actually get asked a lot if I'm a guy who's imitating a girl. It makes me sad, deep in my blackened, pyro-flambe'd little heart-o-mine.

Re: mics: AWESOME FUN TIMES, so long as you don't use it to whine and/or be a dick. If so, we may have to stab you in the face. Asking for help, tips, warn (in the LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU sense), curse, or to cackle maniacally are all encouraged uses of the microphone, and add to the ROTATO ATMOSPHERE.
posted by flibbertigibbet at 2:18 PM on May 22

Will I need a mouse with two buttons to play this? Going by the download speed I have about two days to source one. Which, despite my limitless optimism, means the game probably won't run in any playable way. Back to Carcassone on the xbox so... and UNO...
posted by Elmore at 2:19 PM on May 22

ArtW: ehhh, the character updates are possibly less important than all of the miscellaneous updates that have happened, i.e. all of the engie's stuff can now be upgraded to level 3, including teleporters. The character updates mainly just added a lot of things that mess with movement: slowing (not annoying), blasting (fun, even when you're being blasted about by a pyro!), stunning (the very controversial Sandman, kinda annoying), and the like.
posted by flibbertigibbet at 2:20 PM on May 22

Elmore: aww :(:(:(.
posted by flibbertigibbet at 2:21 PM on May 22

If you are confused by all this random info, there's a decent summary on the Wiki.

Please note that we have the Rotato Royale! tournament going on right now, and the first match of the tourney will probably happen tonight around 8:30pm, with the second one at 2pm on Saturday. So if the public server is locked down with a password, either try the private server or come back later!

With the new update, there should be people to play with for most of the weekend. COME JOIN US! It's fun!
posted by gemmy at 2:38 PM on May 22

I can't remember who owns the above link, but could I ask that someone please delete it?

The link can be found in our forums, but should be off here so that the owner doesn't pay out the wazoo in bandwidth-related expenses.
posted by herrdoktor at 2:38 PM on May 22

herrdoktor, Ack, i'm really sorry. I didn't realize. :( :(
posted by zarq at 2:39 PM on May 22

aww :(:(:(

That sounds bad.
posted by Elmore at 2:43 PM on May 22

You fuckers distracted me... and that's the best excuse I can come up with.
posted by Elmore at 2:51 PM on May 22

Well well well, i knew there was a reason that i got the orange box this week.
posted by dobie at 3:18 PM on May 22

70% now, better than I expected. Means I won't be able to play tonight, but it should be done by morning. Anyone up for some hand holding???
posted by Elmore at 4:00 PM on May 22

I've never played TF2 before, but I've got a house full of teenage boys sleeping over tonight and plenty of time, so I'm going to try the Crossover Games TF2 thing and see if I can get it to work.

Please take pity on me.
posted by misha at 4:05 PM on May 22

I killed that link.
posted by cortex at 5:00 PM on May 22

I keep getting "Warning: Connection Problem Auto-Disconnect in 30 seconds" WTF?
posted by geoff. at 5:09 PM on May 22

Every weekend is free Quake Live weekend.
(and every weekday too, of course)
posted by Chuckles at 5:13 PM on May 22

cortex: "I killed that link."

Thank you.
posted by jefeweiss at 5:20 PM on May 22

I got it working. Now it is full. Damn.
posted by geoff. at 5:25 PM on May 22

Awesome, I just realized I downloaded Crossover Games when they had it for free download awhile back. I may come play tonight.
posted by middleclasstool at 5:53 PM on May 22

Incidentally, will I do all right with a keyboard and trackpad? I may not have a spare mouse around here.
posted by middleclasstool at 5:54 PM on May 22

I kind of skipped all the info in this thread and happened to get in the middle of a tourney.
posted by geoff. at 6:00 PM on May 22

There are two servers, a public and a private. It's most LIKELY the private that's full, so try the pubbie : 8.9.15.132:27015 (ignore the title, it's a very silly in-joke, it's not, in fact, a 24/7 SnoFort server).

And for all of you on the fence, TF2 is ten bucks. That's like 2 trips to Starbucks. Half a hit of heroin! A very very expensive brownie. Dinner for two at McD's.

Come ooonnnnnnn.
posted by eurasian at 6:18 PM on May 22 [1 favorite]

Okay, I downloaded Crossover Games, installed it. Installed Steam through Crossover Games (so it says). I went to the Team Fortress page, where it says, "Already Have Steam? Play Now!" But when I click on that, I get what I guess is a Steam Icon, with two empty boxes. Nothing else. How do I actually play the damn thing? There is something on the page about registering, but it doesn't say how to do that.
posted by misha at 6:52 PM on May 22

Jesus God. You guys weren't kidding about the download. It's currently saying 2.7 days left.
posted by middleclasstool at 7:21 PM on May 22

Incidentally, will I do all right with a keyboard and trackpad? I may not have a spare mouse around here.
posted by middleclasstool at 8:54 PM on May 22 [+] [!]
Short answer: yes.
Longer answer: yes. You've got to understand that TRUE PROCYBERATHLETICISM
posted by herrdoktor at 7:30 PM on May 22

Ugh. Nothing is worth the Crossover Games/Steam hassle. Uninstalling is even worse than installing it was.
posted by misha at 7:36 PM on May 22

Ha ha. Apparently, my uberproskills got the best of me and pulled the trigger too quickly.
As I was saying:

TRUE PROCYBERATHLETICISM comes from within. It's not about whether you will do well with a keyboard and trackpad, it's whether other people will be able to handle your... different method of play. Subversion is not to be underestimated.

For example, as others may attest, I frequently eat as I play. My left hand, instead of resting on the ASDW keys, wields one or several corn chips, or perhaps a bit of brownie, while my right hand focuses on destroying the enemy. This means that I must either remain stationary and look around, or shift my right hand over to the ASDW keys for movement.

In the first case, the enemy will see me look around curiously and slowly, often at the sky, as if I am taken aback by the beauty of the antialiased world about me. They, too, become curious as to what I'm gazing at, and look up. At that precise moment, I down my corn chips, and crunching furiously, replace my hands in the proper positions to unleash a few choice insults over voicecomm and several thousand rounds of pain. HERRDOKTOR: 1, ENEMY: 0.

It is easy to tell when I am operating in the latter case, as I move about in full speed whilst facing the same direction. Some may view this as potentially clumsy and dangerous, as I could run into walls and get stuck on things like ledges and benches. However, I've memorized the layout of every map, and so I move as a deadly robot, to the left or the right, forwards or backwards, but ALWAYS. FACING. THE ENEMY. This instills fear and confusion in the enemy, and allows me to destroy them with ease. Do not mistake their laughter as laughter at my expense: it is the maniacal laughter of men (and sometimes women, or in the case of CitrusFreak, a little of both) faced with certain doom. HERRDOKTOR: 2, ENEMY: -5000.

So, yes, you'll do fine. You will, of course, not fool me with such tactics, but I am sure that you will contribute healthily to the team's efforts. And if you've doubts, be the fat heavy weapons dood. You can shield your teammates.
posted by herrdoktor at 7:40 PM on May 22 [8 favorites]

The 2.7 days left or whatever is how long the free version is good for, not the remaining download time. It doesn't actually report the downloaded percentage. Downloading the game should only take a few hours.
posted by jedicus at 7:42 PM on May 22

Ugh. Nothing is worth the Crossover Games/Steam hassle. Uninstalling is even worse than installing it was.

Weird, it went fine for me. Installed shitload of Windows fonts, installed Steam, and I'm downloading now.

The 2.7 days left or whatever is how long the free version is good for, not the remaining download time. It doesn't actually report the downloaded percentage. Downloading the game should only take a few hours.

Yeah, I figured that out when I started clocking the download. There's no way I'll be able to play tonight, so bleah, but hopefully the hotel tomorrow (small town) will have wifi. If not, I'll be on Sunday.
posted by middleclasstool at 7:46 PM on May 22

Check out the bandwidth usage on valve's servers. Peaks of 99 Tbit, got dang.
posted by boo_radley at 7:47 PM on May 22

TF2 is always fun. Come in, everybody!
posted by flatluigi at 8:08 PM on May 22

Crossroads Games seemed fine, got the Windows stuff, all of that in a few minutes. Downloaded Steam. After that, nothing went right. Clicking on the link on the TF2 page asked me what application to use, it couldn't find Crossroads or Steam--Steam was just an icon with a robot arm, anyway--and it never initiated anything like a game download.

So, couldn't register Steam or the game or whatever it was I was supposed to register to get started. Couldn't find a way to download the game at all. Everything in the help and support links are about having trouble connecting; I never got that far so they were no help.

So, serious frustration. Then, since there isn't an auto-installer for Crossroads, there's a million files to delete to get it off your computer, and they don't show up where they should for CleanApp, so you have to search with spotlight to find them and get rid of them all.
posted by misha at 8:25 PM on May 22

Every weekend is free Quake Live weekend.
(and every weekday too, of course)

Yeah, I've been trying to get other Mefighters on the bandwagon, but not too many have so far. Friend me up -- I'm wonderchicken (I think) in QL.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 9:12 PM on May 22

jmd82/zealeus: I actually get asked a lot if I'm a guy who's imitating a girl.

I just get confused as to who's who among the clan. I think I have the gender correct, though.
posted by jmd82 at 10:04 PM on May 22

Jesus, that was far more fun than I expected it to be. Might have a new fave server now.
posted by XQUZYPHYR at 10:29 PM on May 22

Awe shucks, I decided to install windows just so i could start playing again this weekend.
posted by iamabot at 11:24 PM on May 22

The public server is broken right now, so try the private server instead. (You might have to wait in line at peak hours.)

For people with integrated graphics and weak hardware, there are a few tweaks you can do to make the game run better. Perhaps somebody could post them?
posted by archagon at 11:44 PM on May 22

Yay, more new people!
posted by First Post at 11:58 PM on May 22

Glad to see some of the new faces from this thread playing with us. It's been a blast!

Also, for those with integrated graphics or weak graphics cards, the tweak being used to make the game run on Intel integrated is to put "+mat_bumpmap 0 +mat_picmip 2 -dxlevel 90 +mat_forcehardwaresync 0 -autoconfig" in launch properties for TF2. For more detail on how to do this, feel free to MeFi mail me or add me to Steam friends.
posted by Chan at 1:29 AM on May 23 [1 favorite]

Will Steam work in WINE? I keep getting a 'Cannot connect' message when it tries to update.
posted by carsonb at 7:35 AM on May 23

Rrrgghh of course you pick the weekend where my old machine has died and my new machine's motherboard is DOA.

Curse your failure to predict the future and/or read my mind Valve!
posted by Skorgu at 7:40 AM on May 23

Fresh meat! The best kind.
posted by WalterMitty at 1:45 PM on May 23 [1 favorite]

Chan, -dxlevel 90 a bad idea for people with integrated graphics. They should probably use -dxlevel 81.
posted by archagon at 2:01 PM on May 23

According to the thread I found, -dxlevel 90 makes TF2/Portal work on Intel integrated graphics chipsets. But yeah, it doesn't hurt to try 81 as well.
posted by Chan at 3:10 PM on May 23

Another mac person chiming in.

I couldn't get crossover games to work, and didn't want to figure out what was wrong, though I did appreciate staring at some fake woman side boob, bullet hole covered tanks and race cars for 30 min waiting for things to download. Awesome.

I had been wanting to try out windows on my mac (gasp! shock! horror!) for a while. So I used boot camp and these instructions.

I should be up soon.
posted by fontophilic at 4:02 PM on May 23

Those getting the "cannot connect" message: it seems to be some problem with the latest client update. See this Steam forum thread for more details. The fix is to go to the installation directory and delete the file "clientregistry.blob". After doing that, it seems to work just fine.
posted by malthas at 8:10 PM on May 23

Oh, my bad. Disregard my advice, then.
posted by archagon at 8:26 PM on May 23

Happy to see some new faces around playing over the last two days. Welcome all!
posted by gemmy at 9:38 PM on May 23

jmd82/zealeus: I actually get asked a lot if I'm a guy who's imitating a girl.

I just get confused as to who's who among the clan. I think I have the gender correct, though.
posted by jmd82

I'm Spank/Kim. I'm a girl. I was reinforcing the point that you were correct re: my gender. GOOD ON YA.
posted by flibbertigibbet at 10:22 PM on May 23

I so killed some of you.

Also, what's with the [mefi] tag? Is any MeFi player encouraged to use it, or is it some kind of clan indicator?
posted by kbanas at 6:44 AM on May 24

If you're a Mefite, you can use it! We encourage it, it spreads the love and/or Rotato!
posted by flibbertigibbet at 6:55 AM on May 24

So what does it take to get into the private server? Is being a MeFite all that is needed, or is there some kind of weird initiation? I filled in the 'application' the other day, but that just seemed to be login info and I haven't heard anything since.
posted by Midnight Rambler at 1:18 PM on May 24

All you need to be is a Mefite, all are welcome. The password is here, where it says TF2Pass.
posted by Olli at 1:38 PM on May 24

> Will Steam work in WINE? I keep getting a 'Cannot connect' message when it tries to update.

I've run it under wine in Ubuntu with the latest wine release. For me it doesn't run smoothly though and it looks pretty ugly with all the detail turned down in an attempt to get it smooth, so I end up just booting to windows.

You need to punch a few holes in your firewall for steam to work properly, are you behind a router?
posted by markr at 3:57 PM on May 24

Also, you'll probably want the latest dev builds of wine rather than whatever comes with your distro. The DirectX support in wine is moving pretty quickly.
posted by markr at 3:58 PM on May 24

So what does it take to get into the private server? Is being a MeFite all that is needed, or is there some kind of weird initiation? I filled in the 'application' the other day, but that just seemed to be login info and I haven't heard anything since.

I run the forum. You won't receive anything else, other than a hearty welcome and a cookie, if you're lucky. There are weird initiations, of course, but those must remain secret.

Unfortunately, the original post here was pretty hard to understand for someone not initiated into the Ways. To play with us:

1.) Download TF2 for free.
2.) Look on herrdoktor's profile here at MeFi for the password to the private server ('the privie').
2a.) Optional: connect to our main public TF2 server (for which no password is required).
3.) Connect using the Steam game browser or ingame. Just hit Add Server on the Favorites tab of the server browser, paste in the IP, no need to bother with the console stuff recommended in the original post. (Follow those links for the IPs, or check the sidebar at Mefightclub for current server IPs and statuses.)
4.) Play, share and enjoy.

We have a total of 3 dedicated public servers for TF2 ('the privie', 'the pubbie' and 'the other one') and 3 servers for Left 4 Dead.

The forums at Mefightclub.com are just where about 550 of us have registered to hang out and trade recipes and discuss whatever sometimes-gaming-related brainfarts hove across our collective line of sight.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 4:28 PM on May 24

Also, TF2 is only free this weekend, but there are frequent sales on Steam that knock it down to 10 bucks, which is an amazing game value. I've got about 500 hours invested in it over the last 18 months, and I still love playing, mostly because of the community we've got.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 4:30 PM on May 24

Crappity crap crap, this ain't working. I got Crossover and Steam running and I can get into TF2, added the public server to my favorites, and I can log into that, but all I can do is look around before it says there's a connection error and boots me.

I got the private server address off the mefightclub forum and the pass off of herrdoktor's profile, but when I try to add the server it can't find it.
posted by middleclasstool at 7:42 PM on May 24

Using the developer's console to connect rather than searching for the pubbie, it gives me a "missing map" error and disconnects me. When I try that method on the privvie, it just tries four times and says nope, ain't happening.

Jesus really doesn't want me to shoot you people in the face. :(
posted by middleclasstool at 8:00 PM on May 24

I should add that if this isn't rectified before the free weekend is over, then I'll just have to sate the beast by punching an actual Mefite in New Orleans in July. Let's do this.
posted by middleclasstool at 8:03 PM on May 24

Okay I think I had the wrong address for Rotatus Maximus but found it, and it's giving me a bad password error, but it's not prompting me for a password through the developer's console. Help me, or I'll start some really bad fanfic here.
posted by middleclasstool at 8:12 PM on May 24

Well, goddammit, I figured that out but the server is full. Ah well, back to pornography.
posted by middleclasstool at 8:18 PM on May 24

Heh. Set the server-browser window to auto-retry on the private server, middleclasstool -- as soon as someone drops, you'll get in! (I think the public server might actually be borked at the moment, though.)
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 9:39 PM on May 24

Also, shift-tab while you're waiting in-game, bring up the Community Overlay Thingy, and you can browse the web with the built-in browser while you're waiting for connection.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 9:40 PM on May 24

I actually was able to get in later on last night, but it still booted me. I'm thinking it's just not going to run under crossover. I mean, it loads and everything, but it shows a "connection problem" every time I log into a server, and then it boots me.
posted by middleclasstool at 7:47 AM on May 25

It's amazing how much TF2 I crammed into this weekend, considering it's my work week and I had guests and compulsory attendance events IRL. (it helps to be a piss-poor host)

Always good to kill/be killed by new faces!

I hope the Mac road bumps prove only temporary.
posted by Busithoth at 9:15 AM on May 25

I felt I was stabbed in the back by fellow Mefites when I tried to be nice and heal their wounds.

Oh, btw, worked fine with Crossover Games (downloaded from their free weekend!) and new model MacBook. The public server had connection problem and always 0 or 1 people present, but the private server didn't give any problems.
posted by Free word order! at 11:51 AM on May 25

Yeah, got on the public today, and it worked like a champ.

I really suck at this game. And I really hate playing with a trackpad.
posted by middleclasstool at 1:09 PM on May 25

Heh. Now I'm trying to buy it and it won't let me check out.
posted by middleclasstool at 1:15 PM on May 25

Middleclasstool, are you sure you're not the equivalent of a black hole for bad luck, cause it seems you never run out... :P
posted by flibbertigibbet at 9:27 PM on May 25

God seriously has a problem with me fragging people -- or more accurately, getting fragged, because Jesus Christ did I get killed in the face repeatedly earlier today. But I think I've got it worked out now. We'll see tomorrow.
posted by middleclasstool at 9:46 PM on May 25

Glad you got it sorted -- register at the Club if you haven't already and say hello, and maybe I'll see you on the weekend, which is the only time I can play when you folks in North American and Europe are awake, thanks to timezonery.

Don't worry about sucking a bit -- TF2 is a team game above all, and there are classes that are excellent for hanging back and learning how stuff works (or just running into the fray and yelling 'MMMFFMFFBBFP!' and setting people on fire). We like to blow up fresh meat, but we're happy to help if you have questions.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 2:01 AM on May 26

Woo, goddamn, do I get killed a lot. And evidently no one can hear me talking, even though the voice mic test works, but hey, I set a personal best today, torched four people before I died.
posted by middleclasstool at 8:52 PM on May 26

simple question. is the private server up 24/7, or only enabled for special occasions? I'm trying to add server in my favourites, but the server does not connect.
posted by phredgreen at 1:15 PM on June 16

It's up 24/7. Are you using the right IP?
posted by flatluigi at 1:41 PM on June 16

There are a couple of places where the privvie's address is incorrectly listed. If you look on the sidebar of the MeFightClub home page after you log in, the one marked "Rotato Royale" is the one you're looking for.
posted by middleclasstool at 1:58 PM on June 16

I'm sorry, I meant "Rotatus Maximus." The Royale's the tournament.
posted by middleclasstool at 2:48 PM on June 16

will track it down, thanks!
posted by phredgreen at 6:14 PM on June 16