Can someone explain to me how the YER knife works?

MrDeePay posted...

A kill feed allows you to track the name of the downed teammate (and a quick glimpse of their class assuming that don't switch to a different one immediately), the name of the Spy (so you can track their status easier), and a rough guess as to where it happened if you've seen your teammate shortly beforehand. A kill feed provides you with much more information than a icy ragdoll does.

I never said the ragdoll told you anything. I said the freezing noise did. You must admit you are going to be more likely to notice a loud noise than looking up at the kill feed and deducing all of that. I know that can be done, but you will not always have full awareness of where all your teammates are, and you definitely are not going to be constantly doing that unless you are playing comp or are just a major tryhard. It is hardly a benefit.

JDM_Jev posted...

Its not beating around the bush when its common sense. The text that pops up in the corner all game is visible by all players at any point in the game - it doesn't go anywhere! The ice statue is in one spot provided there are other players nearby it to point it out. Also provided they can determine if its a Spy on their side or an enemy that is leaving them, another point the 'hurr durr spycicle is hard' wagon failed to address completely. Backstabs from convential knifes are also very easy for teammates to notice even if they are illiterate like you and ignore the killfeed and the Spy was behind them (this doesn't apply to the spycicle) because they scream loudly and ragdoll.

How is this a hard concept to grasp?

No need to get angry. Look, we are not saying you cannot notice a spy by looking at the kill feed. We are saying you are more likely to notice a loud noise or an ice statue for a very simple reason, our reticle is not on the top right of the screen. Generally, our eyes will be focused in the middle of the screen because of this. In the middle of battle, you will be focusing on the heavy-medic in front of you, not on the killfeed. Spies generally strike in battle because that is when people will be distracted. You cannot honestly say you would be more likely to notice a spy is behind you if the kills show up in the feed while you are in battle than a loud noise right behind you. You just won't have the time or be in the state of mind to notice one line saying some spy on the enemy team just killed that guy behind me out of the five others that are up there and still focus on the other enemies in front of you.

JDM_Jev posted...

I notice it when my teammate flies in front of me from the ludicrous backstab ragdolls and the backstab notice shows up in the killfeed. But I guess that's far too advanced a strategy to interpret an incoming spy warning from two different sources.

Inconcievable really, I should stick to swiveling around every 2 seconds looking for ice statues instead.

Good luck with that heavy medic coming around the corner while you are too busy staring at the top right of your screen then. You can use whatever strategy you want to notice them.

"No death notice will be produced to the enemy team, but a unique sound of ice freezing will be produced, allowing alert players to notice the presence of the Spy."

-Official TF2 Wiki

I will use that one.

BakedStuffEtc posted...

I think the horrible, blood-curdling scream a player makes upon getting backstabbed by the stock knife is leagues more noticeable than a fairly subtle freezing sound

Not to me. Maybe it is because I wear headphones while playing, but the freezing noise is always extremely loud and noticeable to me.