Elements of CTF

ParanoidDrone

L3: Member
Feb 19, 2009
147
11
Woo first non-intro topic. *dances*

Anyway, I'm making a CTF map (my first map, btw), and I'm about 33.3333333333(okayillstop)% done with the basic structure. Whatever. But I thought I'd come here before I got too far and ask what you guys thought were some essential elements to a good CTF map. I figure stuff like multiple routes to/from the intel is a given, but input never hurt, right?
 

HeaH

L8: Fancy Shmancy Member
Oct 2, 2008
553
102
The intel have to be reachable for the map to be fun. Look at CTF_Aerospace, the fun isn't in the intel room, it's out in the map :)
 

TMP

Ancient Pyro Main
aa
Aug 11, 2008
947
560
A good CTF map is fun, not impossible, but not easy.

That's about it I think. Not really played much. It's a cool game mode but not really well represented in terms of TF2 gameplay amongst larger crowds. 2fort is nice when you have massive amounts of teamwork.
 

samn

L4: Comfortable Member
Mar 28, 2008
158
47
A good CTF map should have several routes to the intell that have advantages and disadvantages, forcing the team to make tactical decisions. For example one route to the enemy base may take longer but reward you with more cover and healthpacks, while the other gets you there quickly but has good sentry positions. I don't like turbine because the two routes out of your base when youre charging to the enemy's are imbalanced.

A CTF map should be about 3/5ths of a 5cp map like Well or Granary. Don't make it too hard for engineers to be aggressive and give them places on the centre of the map where they can setup offensive sentries.

Don't have the intell or all main routes to the intell right outside the spawn room - this is one area where 2fort does badly and it makes it too easy to camp. Ctf_well has the intell placed quite a way from the spawn room and one route (the one upstairs) lets you bypass the enemy spawn rooms entirely.
 
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ParanoidDrone

L3: Member
Feb 19, 2009
147
11
A good CTF map should have several routes to the intell that have advantages and disadvantages, forcing the team to make tactical decisions. For example one route to the enemy base may take longer but reward you with more cover and healthpacks, while the other gets you there quickly but has good sentry positions. I don't like turbine because the two routes out of your base when youre charging to the enemy's are imbalanced.

That reassures me quite a bit, actually. The way I have it set up now, the "main" path to the intel goes under a ledge about the same height as the one in Turbine that you can dispenser jump to, intended as an ideal Sentry position. But since said sentry would be in your face the instant you walk into the enemy base, I started to worry that it would dominate gameplay, despite having numerous ways to/from the intel, only about half of which encounter said sentry. (At least that's the plan at the moment. Remember, 33% done with basic structure. :mellow:)
 

Mar

Banned
Feb 12, 2009
607
63
Have mutiple routes (read 5 or more) and have it so that you don't have to push past the enemy spawn.

And no giant deathmatch middle ground (mach4, chaos, 2fort, turbine)
 

ParanoidDrone

L3: Member
Feb 19, 2009
147
11
...

I have a "deathmatch middle ground," but I'm also planning an equally large underground tunnel network similar to 2Fort's sewers, only less cramped. And said middle ground has/will have 8 points of entry/exit. Would that be...permissible, for lack of a better term?

(This is making me more nervous than it probably should.)
 

Sgt Frag

L14: Epic Member
May 20, 2008
1,443
710
I'm working on one too and the biggest thing I'm trying to avoid is that 'middle death match area' Mar describes.

Another thing i'm trying to avoid is having the intel pretty much pinned down like in 2 fort.
It's hard to get for several reasons.
1: both paths out lead to a spawn room. One (straight stair) bypasses it a little bit, but there are alot of ways out of those spawns so even if you make it past the courtyard you still have to make it under the grate and the battlements.
2:the exits are skinny paths, uphill battles and so long that someone can wait above and watch where the intel is going. Really puts the capture player at a disadvantage.

Also, make sure players can get to the intel. 2 fort is alright because the room is fairly large. I like a map called crossunder alot, but the intel is on a desk in a small room off the main intel room. An engi can build a dispenser in the door and it can be almost impossible to even get to it.
 

Apom

L6: Sharp Member
Sep 14, 2008
366
65
I would argue the opposite of Mar. The point of CTF is to have a deathmatch middle ground that extends as far as possible. 2fort's middle ground is much too small for instance - or rather, the part that isn't middle ground is much too large: this leads to unattackable deeply-dug-in defenses, whether by sentries or merely camping demos/heavies.

A deathmatch middle zone doesn't mean it has to be a sniper map like mach4. You can have obstacles blocking line of sights, higher ground only reachable by explosive jumping (but don't make it overpowered à la ctf_chaos)... Overall, a relatively open battle area with a few marked bottlenecks is pretty good for TF2 gameplay, as long as there isn't one single bottleneck (which would inevitably lead to ctf_well style back-to-back defensive lines).