Forum

As you probably read the recent “Status Updates on Team Fortress 2 and ETF2L” news, you might have seen the section :
“Additionally, we would also like to remind you that using server plugins that enable unusual alterations of any game variables will be considered cheating in matches. This includes server plugins that allow higher FOV values than normal.This point is currently being discussed by our staff, however.”
Well, that’s a sparkle of hope they gave us, I think we should let the staff know that we adding that server plug-in will be so amazing, since if people want to play on FoV 90 it won’t matter to them that much, but if people want to play on FoV more than 90, it will make a major difference in their gamestyle.
If we can’t have the OpenPlugin on TF2, atleast allow a plug-in in our competitive servers.
What difference would it make? since we were doing the same thing only with the OpenPlugin and not with server plugins, so it will be like everything back to normal excpet pubs.. :(.

Allow it or Igor will delete etf2l.

Quoted from beach

Seems a bit silly to leave it to a team’s discretion that would probably create more arguments than there are already; either allow it or ban it outright …would probably cause less trouble.

It is not as simple as that. For example, we can not grant teams to play on a tftrue server, if at least one party wants it, because the ETF2L servers do not have tftrue installed. It also needs to be considered that a team that is against unusual settings may feel cheated, if they can not object to higher fov settings.

Why would anyone be against max fov 120 if it was a global competitive (or even global tf2) rule?

EDIT: The problem previously was that some people felt that they could only get rid of their disadvantage with regard to fov by installing a dodgy plugin. If everyone is able to access this option problem-free then there is no problem.

We already had TFTrue on many servers, this seems like a reasonable solution for all of us, it was allowed back then, why ban it now when you allowed it before?
Casual did create a new sort of “.exe” thing now, but it’s really in early alpha and the only thing it changes is the mat_picmic, for now atleast.
He did say something about the fov_desired changer “Looking into it, will be harder to do now”, so if ETF2L decides a silly decision to ban it, if TFTrue will be available to play on people who DISLIKE fov_desired > 90 they can just not use it, and the ones who do, will.
It’s like having an OpenPlugin only that some don’t use it.
One thing I saw that might cause some drama, is that some TFTrue have the fov_desiried limit to 179, which is too much, but it’s not something that coding/scripting won’t solve (I think).

Quoted from JackyLegs

We already had TFTrue on many servers, this seems like a reasonable solution for all of us, it was allowed back then, why ban it now when you allowed it before?

This is a misconception. You are allowed to use tftrue during matches, e.g. to get extended damage and health stats or to automatically record stv demos. This is not going to change. However, it is not and has never been allowed in ETF2L to use it to alter any server settings to unusual values. Nothing has changed at all.

Quoted from Spike Himself

TFTrue is a server plugin, making it possible for etf2l to control its behavour (by adding tftrue settings to the etf2l configs).

The only way to make that fair for everyone though is for etf2l to enforce usage of tftrue on *all* match servers.

There is a problem with that: tftrue is an external plugin, not endorsed by etf2l, so none of the above really is an option right now (unless etf2l wants to endorse anakin’s plugin or receive the source code of it and maintain it themselves, neither of which seem very likely at this point in time).

Competitive games have to be balanced and fair for everyone – that is a fact you cannot alter. If you use a client side plugin or hack that increases your FOV, you are gaining an advantage over players that dont want to are are not capable of using such plugins or hacks. Don’t forget that “don’t want to” is a very fair argument so long as valve deems it cheating.

When valve allows a higher FOV by default without the use of any game changing plugins or hacks, only then it becomes a personal preference for players and there is no longer any need for a discussion.

Until then, there is also no point in having a discussion about plugins – it’s simply unfair.

Yes, I agree TF2 should have the option for a higher FOV, but that is entirely irrelevant to the topic at hand.

I heartily endorse this event and/or product

what about an official etf2l plugin based on tftrue? doesn’t esea has something like this for ages?