Thank you for the kind words! We've definitely had some vscript naysayers writing some nasty comments, but not as many as I was bracing myself for, thankfully. I'm truly grateful for every skeptic that has tried the game mode out for themselves and been convinced of the legitimacy and Fun of the mode.

I don’t agree that characters turning into statues “isn’t very TF2-y” considering the existence of the spycicle, the saxxy and the golden pan. I chose “Freeze Tag” as the title to pay homage to the classic Quake game mode which I used as inspiration for a lot of the design work. With Quake being TF2’s predecessor, I felt that it was apt to use the same name for the same game mode. “Arena Respawn” already exists in some capacity in the community and functions similarly but different enough from Freeze Tag that I did not feel it was the best descriptor for the mode.

@@nanoco1000 I get that but with those examples there's some context/rationale (you stab someone with an icicle and they freeze, the golden weapons are meant to be rare and flexs for the user) instead of in the gamemode where it just sorta inexplicably happens on death and also inexplicably unhappens when teammates are in your vicinity. Some people in the comments are seeing that and thinking "this belongs in Garry's mod" even if the statue thing already exists with some specific weapons. I'm not saying it's bad, I'm just saying I get where others are coming from.

Agreed its kinda weird that killing someone in this game just freezes them without any actual reason. Afterburn deaths are gonna look weird lol. The gamemode looks fun, but I think some reflavoring would help make it fit more.

I'll never understand the subgroup of tf2 players who reject and gatekeep anything that isn't vanilla tf2 on a badwater/upward inspired map. God forbid players have a choice to play unique gamemodes!

Players revive with half HP, so medics are still very useful :)

@ but… where’s the funny Ragdolls!?

if anything thats a good thing. arena is pretty much unwinnable without a medic.

We would love it to be a smissmas exclusive as we think it would make it more special every time it comes around every year, but I don't think we get control of that unfortunately, I think that's entirely up to valve whether it's holiday restricted or not :(

goated neutral comment. thanks for "getting it"

Counterpoint: Spy is weaker as a pick class, but takes on a strong supportive role due to his ability to sneak in and rescue teammates frozen behind enemy lines. Flankers could do this to an extent, but not as successfully or safely as spy, I would think. Idk, I'm not a spy main

As far as I could tell from my research at the start of development it started as a playground game, and then its first use in a videogame was Quake multiplayer. I may be wrong and there may be a game the did it before Quake, but that's as far back as I could find.

Thank you for your kind words. I've definitely been feeling the burn of the preconceptions of vscript as a result of how those past projects were received, but not as much I had initially feared. I think my biggest saving grace so far has been vscript skeptics giving FT a try on a full server, having a really fun time, and publically voicing in the comments about how skeptical they were, and how they had a lot of fun in the end. It's hard to urge people to give it a go when you created the mode, because of the obvious biases, but I'm happy with the reception, nonetheless.

Unfortunately just the status quo now for people making vscript modes after the reception of prop hunt and gungame/deathmatch. I'm just hoping that we can prove that vscript isn't the horrible boogyman that everyone thinks it is

@@nanoco1000I think its more that adding gamemodes that doesnt really have anything to do with the core game itself. And if people want to play them. Have custom servers. Not many people play the other v-script gamemodes that is in casual since its not as popular. Cool for the moment but not in the long run. Dont get me wrong this looks neat but not for a casual setting.

@@DegmoGrandfather Ah yes, the fun and casual gamemode belongs in pro leagues and esports

@@randoguy7488 Has nothing to do with it. By creating many casual gamemodes we split the players even more which will cause longer queue times. And why create official ones when we have the community servers. And if it is so wanted, why is many servers with said gamemode dead or barren if its so needed?

@@DegmoGrandfather It's an unfortunate matter of fact that people just don't play workshop maps. The servers being empty has nothing to do with the quality of freeze tag itself, but rather that the community just does not play workshop maps. Try and look for a server with players playing Lifesnatcher, Fjord, Devastation, or Sewer. Despite these maps being (at time of writing) among the top rated maps on the workshop and objectively well crafted maps in terms of both artpass and gameplay, there isn't a single server with people playing on them.

Thank you! I'm a lifelong quake fan myself too :)

yknow you're not the first person to suggest this, maybe some time in the future I'll reach out to lizard of oz and see if he'd want to collaborate or something. though, knowing source, it won't be an easy copy+paste job lmao

Alternate gamemode for sure. They don't even have Arena in there.

Correct! This game mode is originally from Quake, of which TF2 owes its entire existence and identity to. Not Garry's Mod

@@nanoco1000 that doesn't give it a reason to be added to the game though lmao

I'm sorry you feel this way, but through our extensive testing we've frequently had feedback from noted arena haters (like UEAKCrash) that Freeze Tag fixes all of the issues they have with default arena mode, and that it's just "a better arena". This isn't just lip service and hyperbole, by the way. We've had a whole bunch of different people from different communities say this exact thing verbatim. If you're still not convinced I implore you to try it out for yourself, as you may be pleasantly surprised, but I would understand if you don't want to. Hope I can look forward to seeing you on the server some time!

oh now that could be a really neat idea for a map

@nanoco1000 oh definitely. And not just tf2. Oil rigs in general would make a pretty good setting to explore. Heck even splatoon has one. (At least i think that's what it is) Edit: OK so turns out I was thinking of a different map, but my point still stands. Big structures in the middle of the ocean have so much potential

I understand your concerns with preserving the "sanctity" of tf2, but with my hand on my heart (and putting as much of my obvious bias aside) I do genuinely believe that freeze tag fits within team fortress 2. As far as "lore" goes, tf2 has already established that characters can come back to life through various voice lines, the respawn mechanic itself, and the mvm reviver. Valve maps also have way more egregious examples of not fitting the "1960s industrial spy team based shooter" vibe too, if you look at stuff like Carnival of Carnage introducing the concept of ancient sumerian circus gods, items like the spycicle that already turn people into frozen statues, and the existence of the yeti in Mercernary Park. On the gameplay side, Carnival of Carnage also introduced the bumper car minigame which I think we would be agree is Extremely out of place in a class-based first person shooter. On the topic of gameplay also, freeze tag is a game mode from all the way back in the quake days, and tf2's legacy is built almost entirely upon quake, down to game mechanics, level layouts and the breakneck speed of the game.If preservation is a big thing for you, think of it as preserving the legacy of the game that got us all to this point in the first place, and adapting it to fit within already established gameplay rules, gamemode, and mechanics in tf2. I know that it's hard to take everything I say seriously given that I was the project lead on freeze tag and you are (understandably) skeptical about the whole thing, but I sincerely hope that you can find the time to play it for yourself on a full server, and I hope that it might change your opinion, even if just a little bit.

...so more people can play it?

this guy hates fun

Hi, I'm not quite sure what you mean, do you mean that certain classes should take longer to thaw out than others?

@nanoco1000 yes just like how MvM reanimators take longer on specific classes. I really fear that a meta of heavy, soldier/demo with pain trains and medic vaccinators could create a wall of health and respawn. I admit that there ton of settings who play in hand such as the map layout and i will need to test it on your servers before making up my mind. Honestly with more testing and balancing it could be a good Misc gamemode but you need to take your time with it and not try to release it a soon as possible. Saxton hale and Zombie infection got ton of balancing issues who could have been prevented with more testing.

@@taste5728 We have been working on freeze tag since October 17th of 2023. Rest assured that we've taken our time with it, and that it plays very smoothly :)

You should go check out ODDEEO's other songs then! They're all bangers imo!