Backpack
The backpack is a player's personal inventory, allowing for storage for all in-game items. Items are kept in individual slots and can be viewed, moved or deleted from within the backpack interface. Additionally, most tool items can only be used from within the backpack. Items are displayed as pages, with each page displaying 50 items. The backpack can also be sorted by class, rarity, and type.
The backpack was introduced into the game with the first unlockable items from the Gold Rush Update in April 2008, with its initial storage capability being only 50 items. The storage size has since been increased on multiple occasions, and as of the Australian Christmas update in December 2010, the backpack now consists of 300 slots (or 6 pages). The Australian Christmas update also introduced the Backpack Expander tool, enabling the addition of 100 more slots per use to a total of 1000 backpack slots. Free-to-Play Team Fortress 2 players will be limited to a single backpack page (50 slots); once they become Premium players with any in-game purchase, their backpack is upgraded to the standard capacity.
Items, when moved within the backpack, will make a distinct sound based on the properties of the item itself; a distinct sound is usually heard when an item is picked and another when it is put down again. For example, the Eyelander when moved will produce the sound of a sword being drawn, and Bonk! Atomic Punch will make the sound of a pop top opening when it is picked up and the sound of a soft drink can falling to the ground when it is put down. Some items have unique sound effects, such as Ze Goggles, which make a sound that resembles the goggles turning on and off. Noise Makers will play their sound effects.
Update history
- The backpack was introduced with a storage capability of 50 items.
- Added the ability for players to permanently delete items from their inventory using the backpack menu. This does not reset achievements. Once an item has been deleted it can never be re-earned.
- Added drag & drop to move items around. Item positions are maintained on the backend.
- Added multi-select, allowing you to delete multiple items at once.
- Added a new key to the key binding page that opens your inventory directly to your backpack.
- Fixed mouseover panel being incorrectly position when the backpack first appears.
- The backpack's storage capability was increased to 100.
- Backpack can now be sorted by type.
- Multi-selection in the backpack is now done by holding down the Ctrl key.
- Added help to the backpack screen.
September 30, 2010 Patch (Mann-Conomy Update)
- The backpack's storage capability was increased to 200.
December 17, 2010 Patch (Australian Christmas)
- The backpack's storage capability was increased to 300.
- The Backpack Expander tool was introduced, enabling the addition of 100 more slots per use to a total of 1000 backpack slots.
April 14, 2011 Patch (Hatless Update)
- Backpack can now be sorted by Rarity.
- Improved the backpack sorting algorithms.
- Fixed backpack being unavailable for some players.
- Fixed a few backpack images not drawing correctly.
- Fixed players not being able to access their backpack loadout.
- [Undocumented] Clicking restore in backpack on a numbered item will now prompt to remove the number as well.
- Added a “Show in Backpack Order” setting to the loadout slot select screen.
June 23, 2011 Patch (Über Update)
- Free-to-Play backpack rules defined. Free backpacks are limited to 50 items but become standard backpacks upon upgrading to Premium status.
- [Undocumented] Brought back the ability to view item levels in the in-game backpack.
- Added a checkbox to the Backpack dialog that will colorize items based on their quality
Bugs
- The autosort function will not work when a user has more than 520 items.
- Occasionally, due to various reasons, items may become "invalidly placed" when placing an item on top of a different item so that one of the items disappear. (Note: The item is not gone from the Backpack. The player must then move around items to make it reappear.)
- With "Show quality colors" toggled on, if you drag an item into Invalid space (Off the border, into the header) The item will reset without it's Quality color. The quality color will come back when you Switch the page or Highlight the item. This affects all items of all quality except Unusual items.
- When "Show quality colors" is enabled, the name of the item in the icon will not be visible in the equip menu or crafting menu. However, this does not matter as a box appears with the name along with details of the item.
Trivia
- When sorted by class, the class order uses the internal order (which is the same as Team Fortress Classic) rather than the more familiar role-based ordering.
Gallery
Interface
The backpack interface.
An example backpack.
Viewing an item in the backpack.
Using the "Show Quality" option.
Other
Pre-Mann-Conomy Update backpack icon.
