Talk:Haunted Halloween Gift

Spawning out of bounds?

Sometimes the gift will spawn behind the door and boxes to the right of the first capture point.

I've seen this happen twice, but only in that particular spot. --Lord Kennerson 09:32, 28 October 2010 (UTC)

I've seen it happen there as well. A server admin using "noclip" was able to retrieve it however. --Flash 18:17, 29 October 2010 (UTC)

It should be noted that it'll stay there until the gift has been pickup or the server is restarted. I've been to a lot of servers where the gift spawned there. When I asked the server players, turns out its been there for a long time. ShunyValdez 04:26, 30 October 2010 (UTC)

It can be picked up by any player. No sv_cheats or magic required. Fly into the gift as spectator, open team selection menu and join red or blu. Bam! Gift is collected and another one may spawn soon. AciD 12:00, 30 October 2010 (UTC)

• I thought the October_29,_2010_Patch fixed it so spectators couldn't collect gifts. --Flash 05:00, 31 October 2010 (UTC)

Not really, did it on the day after it was patched AciD 15:10, 31 October 2010 (UTC)

Frequency & Required Players

Do we know how frequently the present will spawn, or how many players have to be in the server for it to start spawning? It's probably 10 to start spawning, same as what's required for the Horsemann, but does it spawn more or less frequently than he does?--Lijitsu 09:40, 28 October 2010 (UTC)

I've seen it spawn three times a round, but it seems to be twice a round on average. I've seen the Horsemann spawn twice a map, but never three times. Just my experience. GeneShark 09:42, 28 October 2010 (UTC)

It spawns at about the same frequency as the Horsemann. The last few games I've played, they usually spawned within a minute or two of each other. Also, you only need 6 people in the server for it to spawn. I've seen it spawn with 6 people, but never 5 or less. -- -- 09:49, 28 October 2010 (UTC)

Do they spawn with bots? Serird 14:48, 28 October 2010 (UTC)

No, at least they didn't for me. I tried playing with 10 bots all dancing around and with my billion and a half(cheated) health, and no gifts spawned. Did find out that if a Medic is healing the person who kills the Horsemann, or possibly just heals someone who damages him, they get credit too.--Lijitsu 16:06, 28 October 2010 (UTC)

I can confirm that the gift does not spawn with bots. The Horsemann doesn't spawn with bots either and doesn't have any effect on his overall health. It's as if the bots don't exist. XANA520 03:10, 30 October 2010 (UTC)

I got it (at least in this server I'm in; 11 players). It respawns 5 minutes after the gift is taken. I need more people to check on their servers though. ShunyValdez 15:02, 28 October 2010 (UTC)

I've tested it on numerous servers. Gift respawns consistently every 5 minutes after the gift is taken. Although, I would like someone to confirm just in case. ShunyValdez 18:22, 28 October 2010 (UTC)

Just got done running a Round Robin Gift Grab. I was too busy organizing it to track individual gifts, but we completed 2 loops of 10 people in roughly an hour. Not proof, but it strongly supports the 5 minute claim. Also of note. The timer depletes regardless of people. When the 10th person joined after a bit of time below 10 people, the gift immediately spawned. Ajburges 10:06, 29 October 2010 (UTC)

Edited the spawn rate to 5 mins. If this is wrong, feel free to change it. But in my tests, its 5 mins. ShunyValdez 10:28, 31 October 2010 (UTC)

I changed it from Six to Ten, it's Ten after hours of testing and the article on the hats from the gifts states ten as well. Crap 17:32, 28 October 2010 (UTC)

After hours of testing I can confirm it needs 10 players at least for it to spawn. The 10 can be a mixture of a players and spectators but 10 people must be connected to the server. Moussekateer 21:23, 28 October 2010 (UTC)

Someone keeps reverting it to 6, but it is 10, not 6. 10 people must be connected, they can be in spec, or connecting, but it must be 10, not 6. Crap 04:40, 29 October 2010 (UTC)

Please stop changing it between 6 and 10 guys until we have reliable proof. I myself believe it's 10 but we need stronger proof. Moussekateer 06:13, 29 October 2010 (UTC)

Ah nevermind, a moderator has decided it is 10. Please respect the moderators decision and not change it. Moussekateer 06:16, 29 October 2010 (UTC)

Yesterday 6 players was enough to get a drops, but currently changed to 10 with today's update (played with friends for many hours in both days). Dosia36 16:34, 29 October 2010 (UTC)

I had it drop with only 6 players and one or two players connecting. Maybe somebody on the wiki with a server should lock their server and test? -Spik3d 15:22, 31 October 2010 (UTC)

It has been tested multiple times. It maybe be misleading when some players connect and do not join a team or go into spectator mode. Their name will not be listed in the players list or list of spectators but they will be connected to the server. Moussekateer 15:30, 31 October 2010 (UTC)

I am surprised that this is still being argued. It is the easiest variable to test: just start a server, invite friends one at a time every 6 mins, at find the number that spawns the first gift. Happened when I ran a gift round robin. BTW you need 10 people on the server (including spectators). Ajburges 07:49, 1 November 2010 (UTC)

I just got one, we were 9. Maybe it has changed with the new update, need confirmation. --Ash Grey 11:15, 7 November 2010 (UTC)

Bypassing the 10 player requirement

Has anyone found a way to get gifts to spawn that doesn't require 10 players? -Fooble 18:15, 29 October 2010 (UTC)

Actually, I have an interesting idea. 10 people each start a server at cp_manor_event. They all join one of the servers until a gift a spawns. After the gift is picked up, they all switch to the next server. This is repeated until they are back to the original server. By this time another gift should have appeared because the gift timer still goes even with less than 10 players. -Fooble 18:20, 29 October 2010 (UTC)

This sounds plausible given what I've witnessed with threshold cases. If you have 9 listen servers and 9 dedicated drifters that simultaneously jump to the next server you could skyrocket gift/mask production. The host and one of the drifters would take turns getting the drops from each server. Such a system would give each participant a mask every 10 min. Would require a disciplined and large group to do though. Ajburges 07:41, 1 November 2010 (UTC)

Locations

Can we have some screenshots of the cycle locations? Kevschow 01:41, 30 October 2010 (UTC)

The presents are spawned in random locations. -- Nineaxis 01:54, 30 October 2010 (UTC)

Based on my observations, different servers have their own list of possible spawn points from the nav_mesh. Possibly created at map start. This would explain why people think there's a "location cycle" and why gifts appear in the same areas: they've exhausted the server's list and a location was chosen twice, respectively. ShunyValdez 05:05, 30 October 2010 (UTC)

It is possible for the gift to appear in the same place more then once.--QuincytheDestroyer 06:06, 1 November 2010 (UTC)

Location seems to be sudo-random with several fixed locations to choose from. Definitely a large enough sample size to prevent definitive mapping, but after a while players can identify map areas with higher location concentrations (and thus gift grabbing chances). Ajburges 07:46, 1 November 2010 (UTC)

Latest person to gift sometimes gets it

The trivia says "If multiple players stand in the translucent form, the player who has touched the translucent present the longest will receive it." That is not always the case, i have seen the last person to get to the present get it several times as well as the first person getting it. --QuincytheDestroyer 02:23, 30 October 2010 (UTC)

Confirmed. I have first-hand experience in which I *ahem* ninja-ed a gift from someone. I was across the map and was able to take the gift. I've edited out the entry. ShunyValdez 04:37, 30 October 2010 (UTC)

Scouts seem to get it more then any other class, if 2 are on at the same time. I had the gift stolen from me 3 times by a scout. --QuincytheDestroyer 09:57, 31 October 2010 (UTC)

I theorized that the player closest to the gift's center (origin point) gets the gift. I always get the gift if I push my victim someone away and I stay at the center. ShunyValdez 10:33, 31 October 2010 (UTC)

I believe it's just a random roll as to who gets it when it finishes materializing. There is no pattern. I've been ninja'd, and ninja'd others in return, by touching the very edge of the box.

Forcing people off the gift is very similar to a teleporter barge, I believe its the same. Discordance 15:20, 1 November 2010 (UTC)

Gift test server

If the '6/10 players connected to server for spawn debate' is still ongoing I can quickly set up my server so this can be tested. Let me know and I can provide server details here. Moussekateer 21:35, 1 November 2010 (UTC)

Random?

Out of curiosity, is the Mask you get completely random, or class based? Just asking since I've gotten 2 Gifts, both as Engineer, and both times, I got an Engineer mask. So can anyone confirm it's random?. Mikau 16:00, 3 November 2010 (UTC)

It's random. Speaking from someone who hunts those darn things. ShunyValdez 16:52, 3 November 2010 (UTC)

Glitched at end of Event

I was on a server where the game continued when the event ended, the game glitched and every 1 minute the message a Halloween gift is some where go find it kept popping up, until the game finished.--QuincytheDestroyer 21:34, 8 November 2010 (UTC)

Halloween Gift texture exploits?

I have heard of players who used custom Halloween Gift texture files to make the gift more easily visible when it spawns in order to gain an advantage in finding it. I can confirm that such files exist, as I saw them available on FPSBanana before they were taken down for being hacks. Would information about this be suitable for the Trivia section? Or should it go into Exploits? Not quite sure where it belongs, and would like to check if it belongs on the Wiki at all. -- McWang 04:57, 12 November 2010 (UTC)

I would put in as an external hack. The distinction is simple: exploits are done in-game while with hacks, you have to use an external file (as in this case), software (aim-bots) or device (router/proxies). My vote: this shouldn't be added in the wiki. ShunyValdez 05:45, 12 November 2010 (UTC)

Well it's a material hack which I guess is sort of covered under wallhacks. Not noteworthy though. Moussekateer 05:47, 12 November 2010 (UTC)

It's already in the wiki, in Hacking, like Mousse said. No need to toss it in trivia. Just people being greedy. --Vaught 05:52, 12 November 2010 (UTC)

Was this by skinning the box another color or something of that nature? Wintergreem 05:55, 12 November 2010 (UTC)