Okay, well, I've finally gone and unlocked all the wonders inside the Scout Update, and I have to say here that experiencing the new items for myself is entirely different from having them used on you.
First of all, the Force-A-Nature, which I unfairly judged before as an overpowered hand cannon. Yes, the Scattergun replacement is significantly more powerful per shot, but there are several good reasons, and it's not half as overpowered as I first believed. 2 Shots instead of 6 make a big difference in your strategy, and it really test your marksmanship. And while in an achievement server, the FAN's reload time may not seem slow at all, it's more than long enough for you to regret not having killed your enemy with the two shots, same as with most TF2 weapons. It's still very much a close range weapon, though it's spread covers a little more angle. It's still quite as useless at long range as the Scattergun, so don't holster that pistol just yet. Even at point blank however, against a bot even, no enemy could be killed in ANY less than two point blank shots; not even spies, save for the freak crit. It's a perfect hit and run weapon. I've been able to kill heavies by darting from around corners. It takes a lot of shots, but it makes coming across a Heavy as a scout a faceable challenge instead of a predestined slaughter. The knockback is satisfying, but it affects you in midair if you're not careful. ONLY double jump and fire if you're strafing or retreating, because if you're moving forward and fire in midair, the recoil will stop you dead, and give Snipers the sweet spot they've been dreaming of. Also, the recoil does not quite give Scouts the abilities of the Demoman and Soldier. You ARE propelled upward by firing at the ground, but it's almost negligible, and I only advise it for distances that are 150% the double jump. A good example is recoil double jumping onto the bridge cover in 2Fort from the base entrance. In other words, Valve knew what they were doing. Also, the sound of the FAN is good old fashioned kickass.
Second, is the Sandman. It's melee effects are identical to the aluminum bat, save for the satisfying wooden thunk, as opposed to the metallic ring. The feature of course, is the baseball, which you can fire at opponents in an arc. Unlike what some people think, it is NOT require to specifically hit a player's head with the ball in order to stun them. When a player is hit with it, they enter 3rd person mode animation until they recover. The recovery time depends on the distance between the Scout and it's target. If they hit you point blank, you'll be out less than two seconds. At full health, you're hardly at risk one on one with the Scout. They'll barely have time to do anything before you're up and at 'em again. However, the Sandman is built as a defensive implement, so count on a smart Scout holding you down while his buddies lay on the hurt. Be advised that the ball cannot be used rapid fire. You have three options as a Sandman wielding Scout who's used his ball:
1: Wait 20 seconds for it to "respawn" in your hand.
2: Get a new one from a spawn supply locker
3: Go and pick up the one you tossed!
Indeed, the Scout can go retrieve the ball if possible, a fun implement that makes logical sense and gives the weapon a unique feel. The uses have already presented themselves quite well. Already I've seen a defensive Scout stun the Medic of an Uber-Heavy in the 2Fort courtyard, while the other defenders finished him off and proceeded to destroy the hapless Heavy. It adds more strategic depth where the Class is concerned, and that can ONLY help a previously linear class like the Scout.
Third and finally, we have the "BONK!" energy drink. Unlike the advertisement, the can is blue and the fluid within is green. I think by far that this was the most misinterpreted of the Scout unlockables. I had thought it was basically giving the Scout and ubercharge, but it's more reasonable than that.
Basically, the Scout will stop to drink from the can, and will show the Scout in 3rd person. Not for a taunt mind you, but you actually CONTROL the Scout in 3rd person while under the influence of the drink, probably to show off the awesome refractive streak trail the Scout leaves in his wake. The effects of the drink are entirely linked to the momentary invulnerability. Explosives can MOVE the Scout, but anything that might strike him is a "miss", until the effects wear off. Meanwhile, you are incapable of firing your weapons, so really the goal of "Bonk!" is to get the Scout safely through a stalemate area to behind enemy lines, or else to escape the Intel basement with the Intel when half the enemy team is waiting for you upstairs with a new sentry. And the effect is NOT long lasting either. Plus, the severe slowdown from "crashing" on Bonk means you'd better have done what you intended before you were gunned down, or else that you actually fought off your pursuers. Either way, it's another addition that changes the old notion that sticking three sentries in the intel room with two engineers is the most impregnable defense there is, hopefully adding the leverage needed to break the 16 on 16 stalemates that are only too often seen these days.
So the gist of it all is, Valve went in, looked at what needed fixing in the game, and tried best to fix those things with the Scout Update, to superb effect. Once the hype dies down, I look very much forward to the new dynamics we'll see emerge from the altered gameplay in the coming days.
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