Snowplow

Snowplow
Basic Information
Developer(s):	Unknown
Map Info
Environment:	Alpine / Snow
Setting:	Daylight, sunset
Hazards:	Train, pitfall

Snowplow is an Attack/Defense map which was intended to be released alongside the End of the Line Update, but wasn't included, as Valve deemed it "too confusing and challenging for new players". A portion of the money made from sales of Campaign Passes during the Gun Mettle update went to the authors of this map.

The map is a reenactment of the End of the Line video. The RED team has to deal with BLU sending a train towards their base. The fight is centered on RED putting up obstacles on the track that BLU has to clear by capturing the points. Every time BLU captures a control point, the train movies down the railroad track towards the RED base, if the train reaches RED base, the BLU team is victorious. For every 30 seconds that RED prevents BLU from capturing a point, the train is hit by a large device which reduces its health by 10% per hit. RED wins if they successfully reduce the train's health to 0%.

Update history

The following changelogs are directly quoted from the map developer Fr0Z3n.

August 11th, 2014 (B1)

• First public beta release

August 13th, 2014 (B2)

• Ammo/HP condensed or moved around.
• Simplified layout in a building by Stage 1, point 2.
• Moved Red resupply locker back in Stage 1, point 3 spawn.
• Removed secondary Red spawn room from Stage 2, point 3.
• Adjusted stage 2, point 3 respawn times for both teams.
• Fixed clipping exploit stage 1, point 1.
• Added A/B/C signs for points in both stages.
• Increased light level stage 1, point 2.
• Opened skybridge over stage 1, point 3, into a balcony.
• Adjusted spawn times for stage 2, point 3.
• Increased setup time for both stages.
• Replace Glass with temporary easier-to-see textures.
• Moved stage 2, point 1 onto the bridge.
• Increased height of several capture point areas.

August 18th, 2014 (B3)

• Revised stage 2 point 1.
• Adjusted stage 2, Primary BLU Spawn exit to be wider. It is know that the doors clip through walls. + This will be revised in later versions.
• Reverted stage 2 point 2 to a pre-beta version.
• Minor adjustments to spawn times.
• [Hopefully] fixed some blu players spawning inside each other.
• Pointed players in the right direction when spawning in blu forward, stage 2.
• Added some cover before point 2 in stage 1.
• Adjusted door overlooking point 3 in stage 1.
• Increased quantity of arrows.
• Tracks.
• Log clipping and crush trigger.
•  ???
• Added gates to warn those of an incoming runaway train

August 22nd, 2014 (B4)

• Added Overtime.
• Removed train slowing with damage.
• Train now 'stuns' the traps on initial impact with barricade.
• New upper path on point 2 in stage 2, giving access to the roof.
• Train warning gates now animate properly.
• Hopefully fixed some bells playing when they shouldn't.
• Lengthened Red respawn time on stage 2, point 2.
• Various poles have been clipped.
• Updated Localization Files.
• Added one or two health kits and ammo packs.

August 22nd, 2014 (B4b)

• Removed standard Overtime and made it so that the device will not fire while blu is onpoint, regardless of reds contention. This is only in affect during the final 10% of the trains health.
• Train warning gates by 1-1 won't stay down as long
• Slowed the train down so that it doesn't break the sound barrier everytime it moves (speed reduced by 40%, but still an increase of 50% from b3)

August 27th, 2014 (B5)

• Added exterior route to upper left level of Stage 2, Point 2.
• The building between Stage 1, Point 2 and 3 has been made to look not weird.
• Added extra doorway through buildings separating points 2 and 3 in stage 1.
• Minor detailing added.
• Removed a boulder between Stage 1 Point 1 and 2. Replaced it with something else. Spoiler: It's crates.
• Increased the distance between Stage 1, Point 1 and 2.
• Increased the distance between Stage 2, Point 1 and 2.
• Widened the area infront of Stage 1, point 3.
• Removed a bug where the trigger_hurt on the train would still be active during the time the trap was stunned.
• Added a nice awning by Stage 2, point 3. It's actually quite nice. Can keep the porch cool during the day, but catch the nice evening breeze. Barring the toxic sludge barrels, it'd be a nice place to have supper, or a read a newspaper.

August 31st, 2014 (B6)

• Fade distances!
• Blood curdling screams!
• Adjusted a doorway (Fancy, right?)
• Red now use their forward spawn in stage 1 until after point 2 has been capped. We'll be keeping an eye on this change and how it affects the difficulty of 1-2. If you have feedback on, please tell us!
• Red's respawn time for 1-1 and 1-2 has been adjusted to reflect the above change
• Rebuilt secondary spawn for red's final point, stage 2.
• Reworked trap timer entities to show the time until impact on the HUD.
• Added Overtime back in. The final 10% of train health still has the same effect as it does in b5, blu can stop the trap, but red can only stop point capture progression, not restart the trap.
• Roughly halved delay before initial trap activation. (That is, the trap doesn't get stunned as long. All times were basically halved)
• Changed snow surfaceprop to dirt (Removes footprint and snow puff effect)
• All pickup overlays now match existing white-health, red-ammo conventions.
• Adjusted HP/Ammo in some locations so they weren't as dense.

September 5th, 2014 (B7)

• Fixed some chimneys not spinning. (Amazing what some WD40 can do!)
• Continued detailing work in various places.
• Removed instant spawn for red players dying shortly after a blu capture*
• Removed the delay between the train impacting a trap and the trap being activated.*
• Blu ÜberCharges on a point no longer pause the trap. Red ÜberCharges still resume.
• Removed a nobuild on some crates by point 1 in stage 1.
• Swapped "We're running out of time" (heard only by blu) with "Mission ends in 30 seconds" (heard by both teams)
• Added a stairwell on the cross-over between Stage 2, point 1 and 2 that goes from the bridge to upper balcony overlooking Stage 2, point 2.

Trivia

• Given how BLU's base is destroyed in the background, it would seem that the map would have taken place after the End of the Line video.
• In stage 1, a cardboard cutout of a yeti can be seen next to a cliff. The Yeti is wearing J.Axer's Dapper Topper
• In stage 1, near the second point, a series of doors can be found. Behind 2 are rubber ducks. Behind the left door contains Hat of Undeniable Wealth And Respect
• In stage 1, some Doves flying with a bomb can be seen above the trees in the skybox next to the cliff. This is a reference to the last scene in the movie End of the Line
• In stage 1, the first device used by RED for damaging the train is a minivan, suspended by the rear bumper, with an Eyelander attached to the front bumper ("Sword Van"). The second device is a collection of anvils, and the third is a collection of pianos.
• In stage 2, the first device is a collection of refrigerators, the second is a grouping of large logs, and the third is a laser cannon, similar to the one atop the final Control Point on Gravel Pit.
• Snowplow was available for public Beta testing prior to being pulled from the End of the Line Update.

See also

• End of the Line Update
• End of the Line (video)

External links

• TF2Maps page