Marking CTF capture zones

VelvetFistIronGlove

VelvetFistIronGlove

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Dec 25, 2007
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Here's a model I'd like to see: a hologram to mark the intelligence capture point. With all the attack/invade ctf maps, and ctf maps with capture zones away from the flag spawn, a hologram like this would be a great way to unambiguously identify a flag capture point, that players could see from a distance (The hazard stripes are good when you're near, but generally far from obvious otherwise).

I envisage it to be much like the neutral control point hologram, but instead of a ?, to have a holographic projection of the intelligence briefcase on the top (probably looking like it's sitting upright, as then its silhouette, with papers sticking out and all, is more recognisable).

The model would have three skins: neutral, red, and blu, each skin probably only changing the colour of the projected briefcase, leaving the light shaft a neutral white. And it'd have a single animation: the same slowish rotation as the CP hologram has.

If I get time, I'll be trying to do this myself, as it's not a difficult modeling task (especially as I can probably assemble it from bits of the CP hologram and a scaled up low-poly briefcase model).

But that's my idea. How do you think a capture zone should be marked so that it's easily identifiable from a distance?
 
grazr

grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle
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Mar 4, 2008
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Well for starters it should be represented by local spytech stuff, and pointed towards by various arrows.

One might be able to represent it with a coloured fade to alpha texture similar to the HL1 volumetric light texture. If that makes any sense?
 
VelvetFistIronGlove

VelvetFistIronGlove

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Dec 25, 2007
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megawac

megawac

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Oct 2, 2009
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Oh sorry my bad its: models/effects/cappoint_hologram.mdl
 
Terr

Terr

Cranky Coder
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Jul 31, 2009
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Uh... what?

I just use the capture-zone overlay image along with some more of that handy yellow-and-black hazard striping. Sure, it's not holograms but it's a consistent style players usually have already learned.
 
lana

lana

Currently On: ?????
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Sep 28, 2009
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Terr said:
Uh... what?

I just use the capture-zone overlay image along with some more of that handy yellow-and-black hazard striping. Sure, it's not holograms but it's a consistent style players usually have already learned.
Click to expand...

He stated in the first post that it's difficult to see overlays from far away
 
absurdistof

absurdistof

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Aug 10, 2009
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Hmm you could make a texture with proxies that would show raising bands of the neutral hologram color, that would fade out as they went up. Kind of like this, but vertical

| | | | | |

and they would rise and fade out around 2/3 the way there. This way wouldn't be that realistic but it would be more practical I think. In a way like the King of the Hill marker in Halo 3.
 
VelvetFistIronGlove

VelvetFistIronGlove

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Dec 25, 2007
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The hologram idea was just trying to adapt the markers already used for CPs (that players are familiar with, and are highly visible) to CTF. It's not perfect: it wouldn't work anywhere near as well for a capture zone inside a building, for example. The main reason I first thought of it for desind is that there the capture zone is on top of a tall tower, and without the hologram there's no way you can see it.

Moreover, using the CP holograms in desind has been problematic: players don't know whether to take the flag to their-coloured CP in enemy territory, or to the enemy-coloured CP in their own territory. So I clearly need to give a little more thought to the problem.
 
grazr

grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle
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Mar 4, 2008
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The Hydro signs work pretty well for saying "GO OVER HERE!!!". But as for telling players where to take it, you can do that on the HUD at the start using the logic_auto.

OnMapSpawn/ctf_gamerules/SetRedTeamGoalString/Take the neutral intelligence to the enemy base

You'll have to set one for each team.

Failing that, we could always make a game mode movie.
 
Terr

Terr

Cranky Coder
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Jul 31, 2009
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Perhaps you could use the existing "Capture Point" overlay texture, except as a normal texture on on both sides of a flat brush. Make the brush non-solid, paint the 4 "thin" edges with nodraw. Then spin the brush using one of the workarounds for TF2's broken func_rotating.

Viola, a hologram :p
 
grazr

grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle
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Mar 4, 2008
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Overlays wont render properly when used directly on brush faces. But it's not a question of making the capture points seen, but which one the team has to take it too. At least that is what i took from what has been said. Unfortunately capture zones away from the intel are going to be visually obstructed by local geometry, in which case the only way to guide the player is with signs/arrows.

Either way, in general, capture zones should be identified by local architecture and details. for instance, spytech, and the other usual hints that have already been discussed, hazard strips etc. Over a course of perhaps 3 sessions most players would have traversed and memorised your maps layout and mechanics. It's simply a matter of breaking the ice gently during that period of "WTF IS GOING ON, WHERE AM I?" that occurs with every new map.
 
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Bob Ross

Bob Ross

L3: Member
Jun 16, 2009
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i was literaly about to request this exact thing. ive got alot of sketches of various ways i thought they could look if you'd like to see them...

i also thought it would be cool to have a sign similar to the giant hydro signs but as large rectangles with a picture of intel as well as a blinking arrow.

EDIT: http://forums.tf2maps.net/showthread.php?p=136876#post136876
 
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apocguy

apocguy

L2: Junior Member
Jan 10, 2008
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This idea would probably work better on a night themed map, but you could have spot-lights that slowly circle around the capture point. Something like the spot-lights at the end of No Mercy in Left4Dead.
 
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