In a post entitled A Heavy Problem, Valve developer Robin Walker has revealed that the next class in Team Fortress 2 to receive an update will be the Heavy, but explains that they have been having some issues with figuring out exactly what to do with him. Unlike the Medic and Pyro, Valve didn’t go in knowing exactly how to improve the Heavy. Their main goal is to make the him a more viable class when there isn’t a Medic nearby, which is proving more difficult than they anticipated. Below is the list of issues and constraints they are dealing with, taking the gaming community into the mindset of a game developer:

• It shouldn't have a cumulative effect when being healed by a Medic as well. Heavy/Medic pairs do pretty well as it is.
• It shouldn't significantly change the Heavy's role, relative to other classes. In particular, it shouldn't significantly encroach on another class's role.
• It should be understandable for both the user and the player it's being used on.

• How much work is it? How many new models, sounds, effects, etc?
• Does it deepen the Heavy's skill curve? Is it easy to learn? Hard to master?
• Is it an interesting tool to choose relative to the base Heavy weapon it's replacing? What scenarios can you envision in which each is useful? What arguments can you raise for why each is better than the other?
• How often does the Heavy need to think about it? Is it something he uses once every 5 minutes, or is it something he needs to be constantly thinking about? A greater impact on player decision making is generally a good thing.
• How many other features of the game does it affect? Often, the best ideas are "economical", with a small set of required actions, but a wide set of resulting effects.
• Finally, keep in mind the skillset required to be a good Heavy. He doesn't really rely on fine aim, since his minigun has such a wide spread, instead relying on more tactical skills, like these:
• Being in the right place before he starts firing, because he has little ability to move while firing.
• Good anticipation of enemy behavior, for both the above point and because his minigun needs to be spun up before firing.
• The ability to estimate the amount of damage he's taking. It takes time for the minigun to spin down, so he needs to be able to know when it's time to retreat several seconds before his health has run out.
• The ability to keep firing at a target while still keeping an eye out for other dangers, in particular Snipers & Spies.

It is a good read for fans of the game, and has me thinking of possible solutions to “The Heavy Problem.” I think that it would be nice to have a version of the chain gun that doesn’t have a “spin” alternative-fire mode, and instead had the capability of shooting out an explosive round every so often.  Another idea is removing the shotgun altogether, and instead having the Heavy replenish life on a critical hit. There are plenty of ways to solve their problem, and I cannot wait to see what Valve comes up with. Have any ideas of your own?

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