CVG's Orange Box Dissected Part 3 (TF2)

[Munro]

CVG has
posted the
third and final part of a feature focussing on The Orange Box. This time the
spotlight is focused on Team Fortress 2. The article has several bits of new
information including the new matchmaking system.

"We're working on matchmaking right now for Left 4 Dead," claims Walker, "and
the plan is to roll that back into Team Fortress 2 and all our other multiplayer
products. We've no firm plans in terms of being able to say what exact
feature-set you'll get, but there's absolutely some matchmaking systems going
in. In terms of more generalised matchmaking, not so much on the individual
level, but on team and clan levels, that's something we'd really like to get
into Steam at a basic level, so that it supports any product.".

Part one of the feature
can be
found here (Half-Life 2: Episode Two), and part two
can be
found here (Portal).

 

[jondo85]

matchmaking might be fine for a game with a user big as the CS or CS:S, there are always plenty of low ping servers of each map, but anything smaller like TF2 wouldn't work

i hope there is an option to turn it off

 

[Xendance]

The 2nd link goes to the Team Fortress 2 part, not the Portal one.

 

[SirNuke]

I wonder if this is a hint of what features are in store.

(From the steamworks' game service page).

 

[scotland1]

Nice.

 

[Intamin]

They never cease to amaze me, that game lobby looks great--like Battle.net, kinda, but more functionality, of course.

And jondo, I think there'd be an option to opt out of it...I can't think of anything serious that valve hasn't given us an option to turn off.

Anyone?