PropHunt

“

C'mere, sweetheart... Click to listen — The Soldier looking for props

”

PropHunt is a Team Fortress 2 mod originally written and released by Darkimmortal with a set of accompanying maps developed by various authors, indicated by the ph_ prefix. The unranked copy of the SourceMod plug-in is currently available for server administrators through AlliedModders. The ranked copy is available on request from the Geit or Darkimmortal via GamingMasters.co.uk.

There is also a SourceOP LUA rewrite of the plug-in that is used privately on the SourceOP servers.

Gameplay

PropHunt plays much like a cross between the standard Arena Mode and the game "Hide and Seek". Players on the RED team, disguised as "props", are given a 30 second set up time to hide, and afterwards players on the BLU team attempt to find and kill them in the allotted time period. At the end of each round the teams are swapped; the "Hunters" (BLU) become the "Hunted" (RED) and vice versa. Respawns are not permitted until the end of each round.

Players on the RED team are forced to play as Scouts and are randomly assigned the appearance of a map prop at the start of each round. They are not able to make use of their weapons unless they are the last player on their team. Passive item effects, like the Sandman's health penalty, will influence the player as normal. In addition, the RED team is unable to drown, which enables them to hide underwater.

The BLU team has access to all classes except for the Spy and Medic with the Solemn Vow (due to their ability to see enemy stats). Pyro is the default class, and the most widely used. Fire effects are visible on props, making them easy to track after they are found. Also Pyros are granted the ability to "fly" by firing their flamethrowers in midair as a means increasing vertical mobility.

Firing a weapon or swinging a melee weapon will cause members of the BLU team to slightly damage themselves. This is intended to give players a reason to focus on suspicious props rather than shooting everything in sight. To reward successful hunters, members of the BLU team who score a kill or kill assist are restored to full health and granted a small speed boost for as long as they keep their current weapon out.

Health pickups are generally very limited on Prop Hunt maps, although Prop Hunt maps universally feature a central, unable to be captured control point that will fully heal a player passing over it once every 55 seconds (tracked individually for each player).

BLU or RED win the round if all members of the opposing team die. RED is also able to win by staying alive until the end of the round's duration, at which point all BLU players are instantly slain and the victory awarded accordingly. If there is only one RED prop left, they are allowed to shoot the BLU team members.

Tips

Hunted

• You have 30 seconds to find a decent hiding spot. Make the most of this time.
• Try to find a spot that you will fit in nicely. Don't try to give anything away to the Hunters.
  • Most people don't tend to look up. Use this to your advantage.
  • A good place to hide is near props similar to yours, e.g., hide in a corner full of barrels as a barrel.
• Hide somewhere with a good exit. There is nothing worse than getting stuck at your enemies' mercy.
• When you have been found out, just run and find a health kit as quickly as possible. Try to give your pursuers the slip and find another hiding spot.
• If you see an incoming projectile, try to avoid it. Your cover will be blown but you will still live to find another hiding spot.
• Clicking will make the prop stay still so you can check your surroundings without drawing too much attention.
• There are some spots where people don't or rarely check. Hiding there while not drawing any attention will almost guarantee victory.
• Feel free to run around from the Hunters for the duration of the round, especially if your prop is something that won't fit into your surroundings. Be wary, however, of the positions of the other Hunters (so you don't run into another Pyro's fire), the landscape (so you don't run into walls), and other Hunted (so you don't blow their cover as well).
• Be careful of hiding in hazardous locations, e.g., a room full of pumpkin bombs, as a stray bullet could kill you instantly.
• It is advisable to equip the default Bat, even though you cannot use it. Negative effects such as the Sandman's reduced health and the Candy Cane's increased explosive vulnerability are detrimental.
• Since you cannot drown, hiding underwater will negate the Pyro's fire ability. However, beware of other classes's attacks.
• If you're the final prop, you can shoot, so it helps to practice playing as a Scout. If you choose to do so, lurk around a health kit and pick off weakened Hunters.

Hunters

• Your health decreases when you fire. Consequently, try not to randomly shoot everywhere.
  • As a Pyro the Phlogistinator will drain your health in less than one second due to it's faster firing rate it is advised to not use this weapon due to this.
• The Pyro's fire can easily reveal Scouts and do quite a number on their health. The same goes for weapons that cause bleeding.
• The Heavy's Sandvich can be useful not only to himself but to his team as well if thrown at wounded teammates.
• Jarate doesn't damage you when you throw it, but will reveal any Scouts in the area. Jarate will help kill the Scouts faster.
• If you see a prop but fail to kill it, tell your team what it is so they can kill it.
• You can shoot and jump to do a "super jump" to reach higher places.
• Engineers are not allowed to build Sentry Guns, but can build Dispensers. If you are planning to be an Engineer, build your Dispenser during setup time when the health penalty is not active and then haul it to a good spot.
• Offensive taunts like the Pyro's Hadouken and Engineer's Dischord and Organ Grinder will not drain the hunter's life at the cost of execution speed. Use it to your advantage.
• Using either the Short Circuit or Widowmaker will not drain an Engineer's health, although it will drain the Engineers' metal reserves.
• When attacking a large prop, the actual hitbox of the Scout does not match the prop and is either at the center of the prop or at the end of a long prop.

Bugs

• Choosing to play as the Demoman or Medic will result in the player ref-posing until a melee weapon is drawn out. When the melee weapon is selected as these two classes, the player cannot switch weapons. Note, however, that the Chargin' Targe may still be used, and set effects will apply.
• Any equipped miscellaneous items and hats will not be hidden while playing as a prop. To work around this, it is advised to keep a loadout preset empty exclusively for PropHunt.

External links

• TF2 PropHunt Official Steam Group
• TF2 PropHunt Stats pages
• AlliedModders plugin release thread
• Team Fortress 2 Hide and Seek Mod Found to be Grea - Shacknews (Oct 2009)
• Interview with Dark Immortal and Geit on Kritzkast (Episode 36, October 2009)