Jump Pads

The BLU Engineer is having the time of his life.

Engineers can now switch out their Teleporters for two Jump Pads! Instead of being disassembled and reassembled on the atomic level, teammates can super-jump into battle, covering the same kind of height and distance you'd expect from a perfect rocket jump. One-way drops are now two-way opportunities, explosive jumpers' shortcuts are now valid flank routes, and "I can't focus on keeping my Teleporters up!" is now a piss-poor excuse not to play Engineer.

Jump Pad publicity blurb

Jump Pads are a type of building that can be constructed by the an Engineer using the PDA: Jump Pad, replacing his ability to build a Teleporter. The Engineer can construct two Jump Pads that work independently of each other, emitting wind particles, a team-colored glow, and a constant whirring noise while active. Each Jump Pad requires 70 metal to build, have 90 health each, and cannot be upgraded. Hitting a Jump Pad with the Wrench will repair damage and speed up construction as usual. They can be constructed in deep water, but will not function, showing a message saying they are flooded. If they are constructed in shallow water, they will function as normal.

When an ally presses the jump button while above a Jump Pad, that player's jump is given increased height and distance, similar to that of a rocket jump. The user's momentum depends on the momentum they had beforehand. A player can still walk or jump onto a Jump Pad without receiving the boost. Compared to the Teleporter, the cooldown on the Jump Pad is significantly shorter, so players are able to use it in short succession. The cooldown is per-user and not per Jump Pad, meaning multiple users will not affect each others usage, and using two Jump Pads will not circumvent the users own cooldown. If the user is on two Jump Pads at once, the animation plays on the one the user walked on first. The Jump Pad also works even during situations the user wouldn't be able to jump, such as while crouching, while the Heavy has his minigun revved up, or while in the middle of a jump - however, it will not work while taunting. The user can continually hold the jump button to constantly receive the Jump Pad boost. The user also does not take fall damage from the boost.

The Jump Pad itself is solid and players are slightly elevated while walking on top of it. Enemies can walk on top of the Jump Pad, but jumping on it only produces a standard jump. The Spy can use Jump Pads belonging to any team, regardless of whether he is disguised. When one Jump Pad is sapped, the other Jump Pad is unaffected. A counter on the HUD tells the builder how many players, including the builder, have used it to jump. If a player lands on an enemy while in the middle of a jump, they will deal significant damage to that enemy and play a "stomp" sound effect. The damage dealt uses the formula 10 + fall damage * 3. The Jump Pad power is not high enough to stomp an enemy at equal level with it, and so the user must gain more height during the jump, or have the Jump Pad built above the enemy. In addition, users of the Jump Pad who are on fire will have their afterburn extinguished.

The utility of the Jump Pad depends on the map and the circumstances of the team. While Teleporters enable faster movement to the frontline, the Jump Pad allows the Engineer to play a more versatile role, turning routes that require explosive jumps into routes that all players can use. In addition, its ability to give increased horizontal velocity partially fulfills the role of the Teleporter in getting teammates to the front lines quicker.

The Engineer's voice lines related to the Jump Pad were provided by Gianni Matragrano. Despite this, he has not yet put Team Fortress 2 Classic in his portfolio.

Trivia

• The description for the Jump Pad included the phrase, "To air is human". This is a pun on the saying "To err is human; to forgive, divine", and is attributed to the English poet Alexander Pope.
• As shown in the Fight or Flight promotional image, a thrown Sandvich will be launched by the Jump Pad.
• The Fight or Flight promotional image shows a RED Engineer sitting on a Teleporter, with a second Teleporter right next to him. Logically, if both Teleporters belong to that Engineer, they should be active and teleporting him.
• If an enemy Spy kills an Engineer by stomping on him after using him own Jump Pad, the Engineer will get credit for his own death.

Gallery

A teaser image from the 2.0.3 patch notes, before the Jump Pad was announced.