Fortress Blast

Fortress Blast is an open-source SourceMod plugin for Team Fortress 2. It can be run on top of any game mode and may be combined with other plugins. The main draw of the plugin is that it allows a server to add custom powerups to any map. Also included in Fortress Blast is an optional mini game mode called Gift Hunt that adds an extra condition to existing map game modes.

The plugin was created by Naleksuh and Jack5, and was first released on the 26th of October, 2019. Version 1.0 was released later on the 10th of November. Nine days later, Fortress Blast was first popularised by prominent YouTuber MediExcalibur2012.

From the 6th of April, 2020, Fortress Blast underwent an extended hiatus that lasted until the 23rd of March, 2021.

Powerups

The powerups in Fortress Blast are heavily inspired by the mechanics in the Marble Blast series of games, and even use sound effects from said games, specifically the titles Marble Blast Gold and PlatinumQuest. Version 0.1 of the plugin released with all storable powerups from Marble Blast Gold, yet the Time Travel powerup was adjusted to work inside a multiplayer first-person shooter.

Powerups spawn in fixed locations around a map, defined by the server. These locations may be duplicated across the middle of a map in cases where the map is symmetrical. Fortress Blast comes with powerup locations for several official maps and many more custom maps. It also includes a feature where players can drop powerups on death.

The powerup model made by ChargingTurnip used by Fortress Blast. All powerups use this model but differ in color.

The powerups in Fortress Blast are similar in appearance to those in Mannpower. In fact, they replace the powerups from that game mode by default. However, they differ from Mannpower in the following ways:

• Different powerups are indicated by color, rather than shape.
• Collected powerups, when stored, are initially inactive. Only by pressing Special attack do powerups leave storage and activate for a short amount of time.
• A stored powerup is overwritten when another powerup is collected.

What follows is a list of powerups in Fortress Blast as of version 5.0:

• Blast - Creates an explosion at the user's location, dealing enough damage to kill a Scout at point-blank range.
• Become Sentry - Transforms the user into a Level 3 Sentry Gun, which can be exited by pressing either the jump or shoot key.
• Catapult - Launches the user in the approximate direction they are looking at a slight upward angle.
• Dizzy Bomb - Surrounding enemies are made dizzy, which has adverse effects on the rotation of their screen and their ability to move.
• Effect Burst - Nearby enemies are each coated with one of four random status effects: Bleeding, Fire, Jarate or Milk.
• Frost Touch - Lasts for 8 seconds, and turns enemies into ice statues for 3 seconds upon contact.
• Ghost - Turns the user into a Ghost for 5 seconds that can scare nearby enemies and fly to unreachable places (only spawns if the server has Halloween mode enabled).
• Gyrocopter - Grants the user with 25% gravity for 5 seconds.
• Magnetism - Depending on the user's active weapon slot, enemies are either repelled or attracted to them for 5 seconds.
• Mega Mann - The user becomes giant for 10 seconds, and is overhealed to 4 times their current health (capped at 4 times max health).
• Shock Absorber - Allows the user to resist 75% of all damage and take no knockback for 5 seconds.
• Super Bounce - Makes the user "bounce" off the ground when they fall according to their vertical speed, and blocks all fall damage for 5 seconds.
• Super Jump - Launches the user into the air depending on their initial vertical speed.
• Super Speed - Grants the user increased speed which deteriorates over 8 seconds.
• Teleportation - The user is sent to a random active and friendly Teleporter exit, unless there are none, in which case they will be sent to spawn.
• Time Travel - The user turns invisible and runs very fast for 3 seconds, but they cannot attack during this time.
• Mystery - Takes on the effects of another random powerup.
• ULTRA POWERUP!! - A combination of Frost Touch, Magnetism, Shock Absorber and Super Speed, plus critical hits and many other powerful effects for 10 seconds.

Gift Hunt

Gift Hunt is a map-based game mode exclusive to Fortress Blast, inspired by Gem Hunt and Gem Collection from PlatinumQuest. It was introduced in version 2.0 of the plugin, but was overhauled in version 3.0 to be compatible with symmetric stock maps, and again in version 4.0 to add Attack/Defend and Payload support among other map game modes.

In Gift Hunt, small gifts appear randomly around a map. The mission of each team is to collect a certain number of gifts, which unlocks the objectives on the map that can win them the round upon capture. Above gifts are sprites that can be seen through some walls, allowing gifts to be found quicker. The number of gifts required to unlock the objective can vary between servers and player counts. If all the gifts on the map have been collected, more will appear.

If the server has specified that RED team's role on a certain map is to defend, gifts do not spawn until setup time is over and the round timer starts paused. If the BLU team collects the required number of gifts, the objective will unlock as normal, but if the RED team does so, the round timer will start ticking down.

External links

References

• Fortress Blast official wiki
• Fortress Blast official repositories
• MediExcalibur2012's Fortress Blast video
• Marble Blast Gold and PlatinumQuest on marbleblast.com