Since our <a href="http://www.teamfortress.com/macupdate/">announcement</a> of Team Fortress 2 on the Mac, we've received literally thousands of emails from over seven people, curious as to how the <a href="http://www.teamfortress.com/macupdate/comic/">Apple comic</a> shown in the update fits into the ongoing TF saga. Did Saxton Hale really buy the Apple company? Can Heavy's gun actually shoot email bullets now? Who was that mysterious figure? And why were Valve's lawyers so insistent that he remain mysterious?

Some good questions. Good enough, anyway, that when we angrily confronted our writers with them, they got that look animals get when they're walking across a road in the middle of the night, headlights appear, and they realize they're about to lose their jobs. Following a frantic search through the internet for fancy excuse words, they came up with an answer.

Apparently the Apple comic was <strong>non-canon</strong>. Think of it like a "commercial". Then imagine yourself removing the quote marks around "commercial", because it was a commercial. "Ah, now I get it," you're saying. Just in case you're lying, here's another example: Say Team Fortress was Hercules. Our class updates would be all of those times that Hercules fought gorgons or suplexed an evil king into a mountain. The Apple update would be like the time Hercules enjoyed a jalapeño popper platter at Applebees.

<a href="http://www.teamfortress.com/loosecanon"><img src="http://www.teamfortress.com/images/posts/engy_comic.jpg" width="420" height="193" border="0"></a>

Since this announcement creates a canon-shaped void in the lives of TF2's biggest story fans—our writers—we let them "imagineer" (their words) an <a href="http://www.teamfortress.com/loosecanon">epic Engineer story spanning three generations</a>.

Since our announcement of Team Fortress 2 on the Mac, we've received literally thousands of emails from over seven people, curious as to how the Apple comic shown in the update fits into the ongoing TF saga. Did Saxton Hale really buy the Apple company? Can Heavy's gun actually shoot email bullets now? Who was that mysterious figure? And why were Valve's lawyers so insistent that he remain mysterious?

Some good questions. Good enough, anyway, that when we angrily confronted our writers with them, they got that look animals get when they're walking across a road in the middle of the night, headlights appear, and they realize they're about to lose their jobs. Following a frantic search through the internet for fancy excuse words, they came up with an answer.

Apparently the Apple comic was non-canon. Think of it like a "commercial". Then imagine yourself removing the quote marks around "commercial", because it was a commercial. "Ah, now I get it," you're saying. Just in case you're lying, here's another example: Say Team Fortress was Hercules. Our class updates would be all of those times that Hercules fought gorgons or suplexed an evil king into a mountain. The Apple update would be like the time Hercules enjoyed a jalapeño popper platter at Applebees.



Since this announcement creates a canon-shaped void in the lives of TF2's biggest story fans—our writers—we let them "imagineer" (their words) an epic Engineer story spanning three generations.

<a href="http://steamcommunity.com/dev"><img src="http://www.teamfortress.com/images/posts/stockphoto.jpg" width="420" height="279" border="0"></a>

The item system in Team Fortress 2 generates a ton of data. Up to this point we've provided access to this data through some hacked-together scripts that, frankly, were old and creaky before they went live. Ah, but now...

Pow! Shiny new web APIs that are officially supported. (Find out how to use them <a href="http://steamcommunity.com/dev">here</a>.) This new system comes with a few new features:

<ul>
<li>Output can now be provided as JSON, XML, or VDF (Key Values)</li>
<li>The current item schema is available as an API call, so you don't have to dig items_game.txt out of a patched client</li>
<li>It is much easier for us to add new APIs with the new system, so it should happen more often</li>
</ul>

For now, the old system will continue to run, and all applications built on it will continue to work. A word of warning, though: At some point down the road we will turn it off. So if you're using it, please give the new Steam Web APIs a try.

The item system in Team Fortress 2 generates a ton of data. Up to this point we've provided access to this data through some hacked-together scripts that, frankly, were old and creaky before they went live. Ah, but now...

Pow! Shiny new web APIs that are officially supported. (Find out how to use them here.) This new system comes with a few new features:

• Output can now be provided as JSON, XML, or VDF (Key Values)
  
• The current item schema is available as an API call, so you don't have to dig items_game.txt out of a patched client
  
• It is much easier for us to add new APIs with the new system, so it should happen more often
  

For now, the old system will continue to run, and all applications built on it will continue to work. A word of warning, though: At some point down the road we will turn it off. So if you're using it, please give the new Steam Web APIs a try.

Updates to Team Fortress 2 have been released. The updates will be applied automatically when your Steam client is restarted. The major changes include:

Server Browser

• Server browser now starts centered onscreen when it opens up.
  
• Filter panel now starts expanded, instead of hidden.
  
• Added a warning dialog that pops up to warn players joining games with more than the recommended number of players.
  
• Added a "max player count" filter setting.
  
• Renamed quick list checkbox from "Show Map List" to "Simplified List".
  
  • Mouseover the checkbox now explains the simplified list in the status bar.
    
• Quicklist now shows the number of other servers running each map.
  
• Fixed a couple of bugs related to toggling the quick list, which were resulting in you needing to refresh again.
  

Team Fortress 2

• Added missing earbud particles for DX8 players.
  
• Added new ConVar mp_windifference_min to be used with mp_windifference.
  
• Added Engineer to the list of classes that can equip Max's Pistol.
  
• Rebuilt sound cache files that were out of date.
  
• Source TV:
  
  • Fixed unlockable items not being visible.
    
  • Stopped "player is carrying X" messages looping forever.
    
  • Fixed overhealed particle effect being visible on your current view target when in first-person spectator mode.
    
• Changed in-game button colors to be less eyepoppingly bright.
  
• Improved Steam Web APIs for TF2 items (see http://www.teamfortress.com/)
  

Engine

• Fixed some graphical issues when alt-tabbing during a game.
  
• Fixed bullet penetration problems with Linux dedicated server.
  
• Removed an exploit that allowed people to change their names to something other than their Steam profile name
  

Do you hear that? That ominous, otherworldly silence? That's what we in the game biz call the calm before a storm. And keep listening... do you hear that distant rumble? We call that thunder. It happens during a storm whenever it's not quiet.

All of these portents can only mean one thing: Something big is happening. The fact that everybody else on the team keeps telling me that it's only weather, and that weather can't talk to you, tells me they're all in on it. (And possibly not human? More on this later.)

Perhaps it's the upcoming Polycount Pack update making the hair on the back of my neck stand up, and the Australia-shaped hair on my back matte itself back down, since it means we'll be shipping the best of the amazing <a href="http://www.polycount.com/2010/06/28/tf2-polycount-pack-week-5-check-in/" class="standardLink">Polycount Contest entries</a>. Be glad you're not one of us, forced to order that list of magnificent items into some kind of hierarchy. Maybe we'll just announce they've all won first place.

<a href="http://wiki.teamfortress.com/wiki/Main_Page"><img src="http://www.teamfortress.com/images/posts/tf2_wiki.jpg" width="420" height="209" border="0"></a>

Or maybe it's the release of the <a href="http://wiki.teamfortress.com/wiki/Main_Page" class="standardLink">Official TF2 Wiki</a> that's made weather choose me as its emissary on Earth. Developed by the administrators of the unofficial TF2 wiki, it's a perfect place to find out everything you ever wanted to know about TF2, but were too afraid to type into Google. Head over there and see if you can help them out. If you're a useful enough contributor, the weather might talk to you too. It might even point out which of the people on your team aren't real humans. Then we could compare notes.

Or maybe, just maybe, it's something else entirely.

Do you hear that? That ominous, otherworldly silence? That's what we in the game biz call the calm before a storm. And keep listening... do you hear that distant rumble? We call that thunder. It happens during a storm whenever it's not quiet.

All of these portents can only mean one thing: Something big is happening. The fact that everybody else on the team keeps telling me that it's only weather, and that weather can't talk to you, tells me they're all in on it. (And possibly not human? More on this later.)

Perhaps it's the upcoming Polycount Pack update making the hair on the back of my neck stand up, and the Australia-shaped hair on my back matte itself back down, since it means we'll be shipping the best of the amazing Polycount Contest entries. Be glad you're not one of us, forced to order that list of magnificent items into some kind of hierarchy. Maybe we'll just announce they've all won first place.



Or maybe it's the release of the Official TF2 Wiki that's made weather choose me as its emissary on Earth. Developed by the administrators of the unofficial TF2 wiki, it's a perfect place to find out everything you ever wanted to know about TF2, but were too afraid to type into Google. Head over there and see if you can help them out. If you're a useful enough contributor, the weather might talk to you too. It might even point out which of the people on your team aren't real humans. Then we could compare notes.

Or maybe, just maybe, it's something else entirely.

<a href="http://www.teamfortress.com/images/posts/battleofbothworldsfinalPoster"><img src="http://www.teamfortress.com/images/posts/battleofbothworldsthumb.jpg" width="420" height="505" border="0"></a>

So you've been taking advantage of Training Mode and Offline Practice Mode all week, and you think you're pretty hot stuff. What better way to find out how wrong you are than to watch some pros in action at the Steam Powered User Forums' <a href="http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1302587" class="standardLink">"Battle of Both Worlds"</a> match this week? Also known as the "Pros vs Pubbers" event, the match features a team of competitive players versus a team of highly skilled public-server players. It's a perfect opportunity to see a whole bunch of truly great TF2 players have some truly great fun. <a href="http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1302587" class="standardLink">Check it out</a>.

So you've been taking advantage of Training Mode and Offline Practice Mode all week, and you think you're pretty hot stuff. What better way to find out how wrong you are than to watch some pros in action at the Steam Powered User Forums' "Battle of Both Worlds" match this week? Also known as the "Pros vs Pubbers" event, the match features a team of competitive players versus a team of highly skilled public-server players. It's a perfect opportunity to see a whole bunch of truly great TF2 players have some truly great fun. Check it out.

Updates to Team Fortress 2 have been released. The updates will be applied automatically when your Steam client is restarted. The major changes include:

Engine

• Fixed crash in SourceTV relay
  

Team Fortress 2

• Fixed blood splashes not appearing on bullet hits
  
• Fixed Achievement dialog text being cut off for certain resolutions
  
• TFBot Changes
  
  • Medics now respond when nearby humans call for Medic
    
  • If a Medic Bot is healing you and has an ÜberCharge ready, use the voice commands "Go go go!" or "Activate Charge!" to force the Bot to activate the ÜberCharge