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Anyone a fan of Order of the Stick, Arkham Horror, or Twilight Imperium? Granted, the latter may take all day...

Well, you can modify the medic model so that he can have an extra strap to hold the medigun/syringe gun with. It can hang from your medipack (although it might look bulky and might rip through your straps).

The damned thing is coming one way or another. ;)

Use a VTF editor/viewer to view/convert the textures.  The masks themselves are at most 256x256.

Thanks; I haven't futzed around with game textures in general since Oblivion came out.
Meh, 256. I might do a little work in Illustrator then; gotta learn some of the newer tools, anyway.

I'm thinking of going as either a RED or BLU Engineer. I need to figure out how to build a Level 1 Sentry out of common household materials. XD

This is news to me, but if you go in Steam>Games, and right-click on TF2 to view the player manual, you get a nice little easter egg. Might be handy to have with that there sentry.

BTW HEAVY IS A GOD. WORSHIP HIM!

"Don't cross the beams!"

I don't feel like making it out of paper or clay. (Holds up fist in false triumph) I'm going to get my hands on actual propane tanks! I don't want something that will fall apart and smush when I sit or put it on the ground! Hopefully, I'll have the resources. I have until May, so I'll probably get the costume done before then.

Awesome. It'll be a hit hefty, but that's the point, eh?

I'm a bit worried about the mask though. Should I add a zipper on the back of the mask, or should I make it out of elastic fabric (boo, I want to use dull vinyl/pleather/something rubbery looking)? Any suggestions? I want to be able to remove the mask with relative ease.

I don't blame you - the spy balaclava is annoying enough. Are you making the pyro mask from scratch or modifying an existing gas mask (Russian gas masks are close to the right shape, but they're usually light grey...)?

You shouldn't have any problems accessing a zipper, provided your hair doesn't get in the way. You could also do it in 2 pieces - a black, open-faced hood (think scuba), then the mask attached with a strap. It'll be a bit off model, but sometimes you have to compromise for comfort.

Hope your spy costume comes through ok. How are you going to make the paper masks? (How are you going to take high definition screenshots for the thing?)

Garry's mod, which lets you pose ragdolls, now has access to the TF2 models, so I'll probably grab some screenshots from there, or read up on how to rip textures from the actual in-game masks (I've seen folks ripping game assets for a few weeks now using 3D programs). I'll save whatever I grab somewhere in case other people want to use them.

I'm also trying to devise a way to make a little "booklet" of masks, so I can swap them out. But it's been on the back burner while I finish the syringe gun (I don't quite know why I'm making it, as I can't carry both it AND the medigun, lol).

I'm thinking of going as either a RED or BLU Engineer. I need to figure out how to build a Level 1 Sentry out of common household materials. XD

Oh, man, that'd be truly epic to see! Even a level 1 would be the ultimate win for TF2 prop-making.  ;D The base seems to be the only real tricky bit... you could probably demolish an old office chair to accomplish that.

Sounds like you got a plan (sort of). Do you have a place to stay for the night? (I heard of congoers sleeping inside the convention center. Wouldn't recommend it though.)

Oh, god, no. I've had to sleep in airports before when my flights have gotten delayed. {twitches} I'll book a hotel as close to the center as I can or see if people need a roomie.

I myself might be going as a BLU pyro. I've got the gloves (I need to sandpaper/tape over the words) and the coveralls (I won't be pulling the pockets off :(). The only trouble comes in with finding appropriate cylindrical tanks for both the strap-on and the flamethrower (no, it really won't spout flames ). I don't feel like buying full propane tanks either, so I'll be searching for junkyards or something... (I've already went to the army surplus store: no such luck...)

Doo eeet! My second favorite class, if going berserk with the bonesaw doesn't sate my bloodlust.  ;D Pyros are also my favorite healing buddies so far. I have no fear of spies when I'm with a pyro.

Yeah, those tanks could be a pain. Good thing you have some time to look around - it's hard to find something in plastic that looks close. (I'd check sciplus.com every so often - sometimes they get things like this.) You may want to check with some place that refills propane tanks - they may have some damaged/empty ones. The pyro's back tank could be some empty scuba gear or an empty fire extinguisher.

My grandpa's pet parrot says "holaholahola" all the time, heh.

I love teaming up with pyros as a medic, provided they stop just short of suicidal (wth is with some people who think the healbeam always makes them invincible? gotta wait 'til yer glowy, guys).

Maybe it's revenge for me being set on fire so much. Screw spies, this medic only truly fears the cleansing fire.

So does that mean you're going to buy a one day pass or the whole shebang? Saturday passes/one day passes are EXPENSIVE. Are you attending the con with someone?

Naw, I'll buy the whole kit-n-caboodle for at least myself. Less stress about keeping a schedule that way. Dunno if my Cali buddies will be joining me, but I'll probably give a shout out to look for folks to hang out with (and esp. frag in the game room) as the con date gets closer.

It would have been cool to have both the medic and the spy when taking pictures....

I don't think we'll be wanting for spies. Scouts have seemed to be really popular so far, too -- I'm surprised no one has called one, yet. It's still really early; who knows what other classes will show up, especially if Valve releases more of those awesome "Meet the..." videos. Plus, once you get started on one costume, you start seeing parts for the other classes all over the place.

BTW, to the other sneaky folks who may be looking for cheap suits: this one isn't as blue as the pic shows (it's a bluey-grey), but it's decent for the price, if cut a bit big (got the link from a halloween spy on another forum). I'd suggest thrift-store shopping, first, unless you are a lazy dink productive only at non-business hours, like me.

Oh, and I'll gamely heal any enemy spies for a silly photo op ala this. Or knife any enemy engies to recreate this.  ;D Or, you know, just exchange taunts. (TF2 taunt-off!)

This'll be my first Fanime. I'll be going as the Team Fortress 2 Medic.

... though I'll also have the Spy with me in case I'm in a stabby mood.  ;D

You better be careful there. If you strut around showing off your costume and gear, there might be men (and possibly women, if they play) chasing after you in hopes for a hug. Too bad the medigun can't infect in real life, so you can ward the horde away from you.

I work in opera/theater a lot. We're huggy people.  ;D

FL is a ways off, but some friends in San Fran have been not-too-subtle with hints that I should visit, so I figure Fanime will be a good chance to kill 2 birds with one stone.

I did a lot of Trek cons when I was a kid, but nothing in a long while. MegaCon 2008 will be my first cosplay con (we're trying to setup a generic Red vs Blue photo shoot there). But really, it can't be any stranger than getting glomped by glitter-people on opening night for Orpheus in the Underworld one year... (the cast also gave candy to us pit musicians; it was like reverse-Halloween.)

Anywho, I may also bring my BLU spy that I've just started working on (Medic will still be my main). An entire cosplay because I find one prop - the paper masks - so absolutely hilarious.

One medic checked for and accounted.

If we want to make this truly game-authentic, everyone else needs to be spies and engies. (I kid, I kid.)

You really look like a younger version of the medic. Are you able to mimic the German accent?
Watch me take a billion pictures of you.

Lol. Did I inherit the dominant Cuban genes from my parents? No, I got the "who knows, possibly slavic or tuetonic" recessive stuff.

I can do some of his sound clips, but anything original eventually morphs into a Spanish or southern accent, completely betraying my actual heritage.  ;D

I'm barely any good at FPS games.

I'm what you call the fish in the barrel.

or cannon fodder. take your pick.  ::)

TBH, I'm rubbish at the normal FPS tropes - sniping, rocket jumping, etc. The class system in TF2 has finally let me find a niche. As the medic, I don't worry much about my aim (the medigun is very forgiving and "sticky"), and to a lesser extent, the map itself -- my base skills are just staying alive and keeping up with the pack.

Pyro's a bit the same. "Aim" is such a broad term when you wield a flame-thrower. And many pyros stay on defense, so you just need to know your own base/cap point really well.

Hey, I'm Juego from cosplay.com. I may be visiting a friend in Cali during Memorial Day weekend; if that is the case, count on seeing a RED medic. :D