Things I want to see from Valve

Let me start by saying, I freakin’ love Valve. They’re my favorite video games company by far and if they continue to put out top notch products, they’re going to stay that way for a good long time. However, no one’s perfect and there are some things I definitely want to see out of Valve in this upcoming year.

A Team Fortress 2 Update

And a good one at that. Valve, you’ve been teasing us for far too long. The veiled comments, your snarky grins, and that oh so tantalizing Left 4 Dead easter egg. Well, you have our attention… don’t mess this up! Granted, at least one Team Fortress 2 update this year is almost a guarantee; but that’s not what I’m talking about. A new set of class achievements and unlockables is just not gonna cut it. Don’t get me wrong, I love the class updates, but it’s a new year for us TF2 players and I really feel we deserve a little something more. A new game mode, perhaps a new class?! Valve, you decide, but make it good, we’re all counting on you.

A Left 4 Dead Server Browser

Team Fortress 2’s server browser might not be perfect, but it does its job well enough. Why doesn’t Left 4 Dead have one as well? Sure, finding games isn’t too hard currently, but it could be so much better with a real browser. Say you find a reliable, fast server. Well enjoy it while you can because odds are, you’re never going to see it again.

And let’s not forget what, in my opinion, gave TF2 its replay value: modders. I mean yeah, Valve’s maps are superb, but what’s not to like about hundreds of free, equally awesome maps and game modes? The L4D community hasn’t heated up to that point yet, but I’d be willing to bet anything that it’s gonna get there real soon. Already I’ve seen a very faithful recreation of the mall from Dawn of the Dead as well as a gleeful romp through TF2’s dustbowl. Now how are we going to find these great creations or even know whether or not the server is running them with out a freakin’ server browser! The future looks bright Valve, keep up with it.

Faster Launching Steam Games

Seriously… I can feel the onset of old age watching Steam games launch. I pity those with slower connections. What takes so long, I mean really? People who are pirating games aren’t trying to launch them through Steam I assure you, just check to make sure our account owns it and let us in. Well you might be thinking, well Steam needs to verify that you have the correct version. This brings me to a second point. What the hell is up with Steam not auto-patching in the background? There are no words to describe how annoying it is to start up a game and watch as it applies a mandatory patch for the next hour. Oh wait, yes there are: It’s seriously, seriously, freaking annoying.

There is a pretty easy solution. Prior to actually dropping an update, give Steam users the option to use a small amount of their bandwidth to nab the patch over a period of time and up the download speed while their computer is idling. This way, your patch will be ready to apply whenever you are. And hell, even if for whatever reason you haven’t gotten the entire download finished, at least you’ll have a head start. Tell me I’m wrong, but I don’t see anything wrong with this.

Persistent Stats in Left 4 Dead

Again, just like TF2’s. You got a lot right with that game, Valve; put some of that experience to work. I’d tickle me sideways to be able to see my running total of slaughtered survivors or see my overall zombie killin’ accuracy. But that’s not the only thing persistent stats can provide, oh no. More importantly it can let game hosts to screen out team killers as well as THOSE GOD FORSAKEN CRETINS WHO LEAVE IN THE MIDDLE OF GAMES WITHOUT SO MUCH AS A GOODBYE. Sorry, got a bit emotional there. But yeah, for all of its amazingness, the biggest flaw I’ve found in Left 4 Dead is this ridiculously common situation: oh no, my team isn’t totally dominating every second of the match… bye! Never mind that this only means your ex-team is going to have an even tougher time staying competitive.

It’s not like if you accidently shotgun your teammate in the back once in a while, you’re banned from every game for life; I mean who hasn’t done that? This is a problem easily solved with a simple, “karma”-like system. Heal your teammates, complete full campaigns and matches, and do likewise nice things and you gain positive points. Team kill, leave early, eat babies, etc. These will land you negative points, land into the negative and a host can specify to not let you into their server. Sounds fair enough right?

Well those are my suggestions; take ‘em as you will. I might sound like a giant bastardus maximus, but keep in mind: I love Valve like I love pie. And by God, I love pie. Valve is still my favorite game developer and will remain that way in the foreseeable future. No company’s perfect and so all I’m offering are some suggestions from a fellow gaming enthusiast. Let me know what you think.