Highlander FAQ

Please check the main ETF2L FAQ before asking questions on the forum, they may already contain the answer to your question.

Make sure you read both the General Rules as well as the Highlander Rules. They contain a lot of useful information about important rules, playing matches and how the tournament will work.

The following questions have been asked a lot since the Highlander Challenge signups opened. We will add any other questions that are asked many times.


Where do I find my Steam ID? How do I put it onto my ETF2L account correctly?

Please join a TF2 server (any server) and type ‘status’ in the console. This will give you a list of all the players on the server and their Steam IDs. Alternatively you can get your steamID from this site. The Steam ID is the number STEAM_0:0:xxxxxxx or STEAM_0:1:xxxxxxx (the x represent any number from 0 to 9). To put this onto your ETF2L account, you need to go to the Team Admin link at the top right of the etf2l.org page. Then click on Profile on the left menu. In the Steam ID box you need to put just the numbers, so either 0:0:xxxxxxx or 0:1:xxxxxxx. You do not need to put the “STEAM_” part in.


Why am I and my teammates listed as unverified on the team page?

Whenever a player is added to a team, they are listed as unverified for 24 hours. This is to stop people from adding new players onto their team right before a league game without anyone noticing. After 24 hours they will automatically be verified.


Why am I on the waiting list? Does this mean I am not in the competition?

The Highlander Challenge was originally set at 160 teams maximum. However, this was only a provisional limit. We fully intend to increase the size to accomodate as many teams as we possibly can, whilst still keeping enough teams to fill all of the divisions and the playoffs correctly, so we haven’t increased it yet because we don’t quite know how many teams we will get in total. So if you are on the waiting list, do not worry! This means you are signed up and will be added as soon as we increase the team limit for the competition. Keep checking the news on the front page for more information when we do this.


How do I record a demo of our games?

All players in ETF2L competitions are required to record demos of their games. This means that we can see exactly what each player did in a game, for the purposes of checking for cheating. To record a demo, simply connect to the TF2 server that you are going to play the match on, and when you are ready to start playing the match, open the console by pressing the tilde or ` key, and type “record highlandermatch1′ in the console and press enter. A demo will then be recorded with the name highlandermatch1. You should use a different name for each match. You can use whatever names you wish for the demo. All demos should be kept for at least two weeks after the match has been played. You may be required to upload demos by an admin on the match page, so make sure to check them and check your email account regularly.

You can also record demos automatically be using the P-Rec plugin. Please see our P-Rec instructions page for more information.


I have previous experience in competitive TF2, can I still play?

Please check the Highlander Rules to find out who is elligible to play.


When will it start?

The Highlander Challenge signups close on 26th of August. The first games are due to start on 12th September. In the mean time, why not sign up to the Highlander Ladder and get some practice and match experience!


What does the “Select division you think you belong:” part of the signup mean?

Ignore this section and just leave it as it is, we use it for our 6v6 league tournaments but it is not relevant for the Highlander Challenge.


Where do I find a team to play in?
If you’re a player looking for a team, the best place to start is by going to your favourite pub servers and finding out if they have an ETF2L Highlander team. If they do, sign up, and if they’re full, make a second squad! If they don’t have a team at all, tell them about it and get organising!

You can also find Highlander teams recruiting in the Highlander Recruiting Forum.


How does stopwatch mode work?
Stopwatch mode is used when playing Attack versus Defence maps such as pl_badwater, cp_dustbowl and plr_hightower. One team attacks first, their aim is to capture as many of the control points that they can. They also set a time that it took them to capture those points. For example, the attacking team might manage to capture 3 control points on cp_dustbowl in 7 minutes. The teams then swap over, with the other team having the chance to attack. They now have two ways of winning the round. If they manage to capture 3 control points in less than 7 minutes then they have won the round. They can also win by managing to capture more control points than their opponent (4 in this case). Please note that each team gets to attack once and defend once in a single stopwatch round.


What are the victory conditions for each of the map types?
For the five point CP maps (such as cd_badlands, cp_granary etc.) -
Capturing the final enemy control point wins you the round. The overall map winner is determined by the most rounds won in 30 minutes, or a difference of 5 rounds between the two teams’ scores (for example 5-0, 6-1, 7-2). This win difference allows a match to end before 30 minutes if one team is heavily beating the other.

For cp_gravelpit and cp_gorge -
Team A gets to attack first and then defend whilst Team B attacks. This is one round, the winner is the team that captures the most points, or captures the same number of points the quickest according to the stopwatch. Then a second round is played, where Team A will defend first, then attack whilst Team B defends. This is to allow both teams to have the opportunity to attack first for one round. If both teams have won a round, then a third round must be played as a decider.

For cp_dustbowl and all the payload and payload race maps -
One team attacks first, while the other team defends, then they swap over. This is one round. The winner is the team that captures the most points, or captures the same number of points the quickest according to the stopwatch. only one round is played on these maps.

For King Of The Hill maps -
The team that manages to capture and hold the control point long enough to run their team timer down to 0 will win the round. The team that wins 3 rounds first wins the map.

Note: Remember to set mp_timelimit to 0 for PL and A/D maps or use the stopwatch config for those maps


What screenshots do I need to take?
For 5 point CP maps such as cp_badlands and cp_freight_final1, you should take a screenshot at the end of the game showing the complete scoreboard with both teams listed. If the map is an Attack versus Defence map such as cp_gravelpit, cp_dustbowl or any of the payload maps then you need to take a screenshot showing which team has won when the stopwatch victory conditions are met. For an example of the type of screenshot this is, please view the cp_gravelpit screenshots on this match.

You also need to take a status screenshot when both teams are on the server. To do this, inside TF2 open the console and type “status” and press enter. Then type “screenshot” and press enter. This will save a screenshot of the status text in the console.

You will need to convert all images to jpg before submitting them to the website.


How should I enter map results into the website for the Highlander Ladder?

For the five point CP maps (such as cd_badlands, cp_granary etc.) -
The scores should be entered exactly how they are on the final scoreboard screenshot.

For cp_gravelpit and cp_gorge -
please give the teams two points per round won. For example if Team A wins 2 rounds and Team B wins 0 rounds, enter the score as 4-0 to Team A. If Team A wins 1 round and Team B wins 2 rounds, enter the score as 4-2 to Team B.

For cp_dustbowl and all the payload and payload race maps -
Please give whichever team wins the round 4 points. So if Team A wins cp_dustbowl, then enter the score as 4-0 to Team A.


My question hasn’t been answered? How do I contact the admins?
The best way to contact the admins is in our IRC channel, #etf2l on irc.quakenet.org. Please read this guide for how to set up IRC.

Are the new unlocks in the mann-co update allowed?
No, all unlocks from the latest patch and any future patches until the end of the tournament are banned, with the exception of the Holy Mackerel.