Welcome to Microcontest 5: PASS Time Panic
Today we venture into the realm of one of TF2's most divisive game modes: PASS Time, a deadly game of soccerhockeybasketball. Personally, it feels more like Team Handball to me. Regardless, this oft overlooked mode is our focus today, so you better use your hour of prep to brush up on your PASS Time knowledge!
Any map that uses the Jack counts for this Microcontest. Go crazy with your custom modes! Or don't; PASS Time is a complicated mode to work with, and trying to do unique things with it under time limits doesn't always work out well.
To enter, reply to this thread claiming a spot. After the deadline, edit your map into your post to finalize your submission. You should only ever have one post in this thread until after submissions close!
For full Microcontest rules and submission procedure, check out the Microcontest Megathread.
Quick Info:
Time commitment: 4-5 Hours
Difficulty: 4/5
Date: June 27th, 2020
Planning starts: 11:00 AM EDT (15:00 UTC)
Clock starts: 12:00 PM EDT (16:00 UTC)
Clock ends: 4:00 PM EDT (20:00 UTC)
Countdown to the deadline here!
Reference Materials and Information:
NOTES:
Name your .vmf:
pass_<yourname>_mc5_a1
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!
PASS Time will not function as a mode if the file does not start with pass_!
You do not have to compile within the time limit, but I will only wait one hour past the deadline to collect maps at a maximum. After that your map will no longer be considered a valid entry, unless you contact me ahead of time and we work something out.
Good luck. You're all going to need it.
ATTENTION!
The attached prefab is now out of date and has issues, please use this shiny new one for making your PASS Time maps!
Today we venture into the realm of one of TF2's most divisive game modes: PASS Time, a deadly game of soccerhockeybasketball. Personally, it feels more like Team Handball to me. Regardless, this oft overlooked mode is our focus today, so you better use your hour of prep to brush up on your PASS Time knowledge!
Any map that uses the Jack counts for this Microcontest. Go crazy with your custom modes! Or don't; PASS Time is a complicated mode to work with, and trying to do unique things with it under time limits doesn't always work out well.
To enter, reply to this thread claiming a spot. After the deadline, edit your map into your post to finalize your submission. You should only ever have one post in this thread until after submissions close!
For full Microcontest rules and submission procedure, check out the Microcontest Megathread.
Quick Info:
Time commitment: 4-5 Hours
Difficulty: 4/5
Date: June 27th, 2020
Planning starts: 11:00 AM EDT (15:00 UTC)
Clock starts: 12:00 PM EDT (16:00 UTC)
Clock ends: 4:00 PM EDT (20:00 UTC)
Countdown to the deadline here!
Reference Materials and Information:
To ease you into in, I've created a special quick-start .vmf that contains all of the official PASS Time logic, cleaned up, labeled, and organized for ease of use. The official prefab is a mess, containing extraneous logic, incomplete logic, invalid solids, and bizarre organization so I highly recommend using this one.
It contains:
If you want copies of the goals, launchers, or speedboosters, use can paste special to duplicated the existing ones without causing issues.
You will have to manually add new tf_glow entites for each additional bonus goal or bonus goal launcher, since each tf_glow can only target one thing without breaking.
If you only want one spawn room per team that doesn't move, use the forward spawns and remove the large triggers that enable and disable the defender spawn!
It contains:
- All PASS Time game logic
- All three goal types (run-in, throw-in, and bonus goals)
- The bonus goals are the water towers from Brickyard and Timbertown, but you can take the logic out and build your own enclosure for them
- All three launch pad types (tall, far, and bonus goal launchers with built-in glows when the goals are active)
- path_tracks set up as Section 0 (for making the PASS Time HUD function)
- Forward and defensive spawns for both teams
- All triggers needed for the spawns to switch based on Jack position (put these covering the entire map from just inside mid all the way to the goals)
- All triggers and clips needed on spawn doors to keep the Jack out
If you want copies of the goals, launchers, or speedboosters, use can paste special to duplicated the existing ones without causing issues.
You will have to manually add new tf_glow entites for each additional bonus goal or bonus goal launcher, since each tf_glow can only target one thing without breaking.
If you only want one spawn room per team that doesn't move, use the forward spawns and remove the large triggers that enable and disable the defender spawn!
Pass time will not function as a mode if the file does not start with pass_
The PASS Time HUD breaks if there are more than two goals and no Section has been set in the passtime_logic entity. A section is a series of connected path_tracks that the HUD uses to calculate the position of the Jack in the map. I recommend not trying to deal with more than one today, since it's a messy system. One has already been set up for you in the prefab: if you need to add more path_tracks, you have to change the OnMapSpawn passtime_master SetSection output on the logic_auto in the center of the prefab. It takes 3 parameters, separated by a space: <section number> <start of path> <end of path>. By default the prefab is set to give an output of "0 path1 path3"
In official maps and the prefab, the Jack is affected by the launchers (trigger_catapults) and trigger_pushes. If you make your own, make sure to set the Physics Objects flag or the Jack won't get launched!
func_passtime_goal's team keyflag is confusing. You set who scores in it, rather than who's side it's on. They should be set to Blu on Red's side, and Red on Blu's side!
func_passtime_no_ball_zone makes players instantly drop the ball
func_passtime_goalie_zone is used to award points to players that defend the ball
PASS Time maps cheat with how they show blockers on the your own goals; there's tiny func_respawnrooms inside of every goal and the signs are func_respawnroomvisualizers. This is done in the prefab for you.
Each bonus goal launcher has a prop hidden inside that is targeted by a tf_glow to make it light up when the bonus goals are open. There's two different ones, one standard ramp and one corner ramp. You should be able to find them in the model browser by searching "passtime"
If you need additional launchers or goals to light up on powerup, you'll have to make new tf_glow entities and send them the correct inputs from the math_counters that handle the jack power level logic. Yes, part of the Jack power logic is done in the map with logic instead of being programmed into the entities for the mode. It's a clever bit of logic, but I'd avoid touching it if you can for the purposes of this Microcontest.
The PASS Time HUD breaks if there are more than two goals and no Section has been set in the passtime_logic entity. A section is a series of connected path_tracks that the HUD uses to calculate the position of the Jack in the map. I recommend not trying to deal with more than one today, since it's a messy system. One has already been set up for you in the prefab: if you need to add more path_tracks, you have to change the OnMapSpawn passtime_master SetSection output on the logic_auto in the center of the prefab. It takes 3 parameters, separated by a space: <section number> <start of path> <end of path>. By default the prefab is set to give an output of "0 path1 path3"
In official maps and the prefab, the Jack is affected by the launchers (trigger_catapults) and trigger_pushes. If you make your own, make sure to set the Physics Objects flag or the Jack won't get launched!
func_passtime_goal's team keyflag is confusing. You set who scores in it, rather than who's side it's on. They should be set to Blu on Red's side, and Red on Blu's side!
func_passtime_no_ball_zone makes players instantly drop the ball
func_passtime_goalie_zone is used to award points to players that defend the ball
PASS Time maps cheat with how they show blockers on the your own goals; there's tiny func_respawnrooms inside of every goal and the signs are func_respawnroomvisualizers. This is done in the prefab for you.
Each bonus goal launcher has a prop hidden inside that is targeted by a tf_glow to make it light up when the bonus goals are open. There's two different ones, one standard ramp and one corner ramp. You should be able to find them in the model browser by searching "passtime"
If you need additional launchers or goals to light up on powerup, you'll have to make new tf_glow entities and send them the correct inputs from the math_counters that handle the jack power level logic. Yes, part of the Jack power logic is done in the map with logic instead of being programmed into the entities for the mode. It's a clever bit of logic, but I'd avoid touching it if you can for the purposes of this Microcontest.
Please keep in mind these are not rules, but observations I've made on the design of the official PASS Time maps. Feel free to ignore them.
In all official maps:
Defenders respawn faster than attackers in all official maps. When the defender's spawn is active, the defenders have 5 second spawn waves. At all other times, both teams have 7.5 second spawn waves. This is done in the prefab for you
Speed pads are usually found just outside of forward spawns, to help get players reach fights faster. They're also generally found on flank routes and near mid
Launch pads are common, but there is always a way to avoid fall damage after a fling:
Launch pads are all marked with the passtime/pass_goal_arrow overlay. This is done in the prefab for you
All launch pads, speed pads, and goals are func_nobuilded. This is the case in the prefab as well. Be sure to mark the ground in some way to let players know!
There is one run-in goal per team. They are always the furthest from mid, but very wide. They shoot the Jack away if you try and throw it in. This is done in the prefab for you
There is one throw-in goal per team, which is closer to mid than the run-in goal
There is one bonus goal per team, very high up outside of normal throwing range, that has a dedicated launch pad. No class can make the throw without using the launch pad. It activates after the Jack (the ball) is powered up through passes, steals, and interceptions. This goal is worth 3 points, and is usually closer to mid than the regular goal, but the launch pad is difficult to reach. The launch pad for this one lights up with a tf_glow entity while the jack is powered up
In all official maps:
Defenders respawn faster than attackers in all official maps. When the defender's spawn is active, the defenders have 5 second spawn waves. At all other times, both teams have 7.5 second spawn waves. This is done in the prefab for you
Speed pads are usually found just outside of forward spawns, to help get players reach fights faster. They're also generally found on flank routes and near mid
Launch pads are common, but there is always a way to avoid fall damage after a fling:
- On Timbertown, there's water at the end of every launch to catch you
- On District, the launchers to mid are shallow enough that you can avoid damage if you hit the roof right. After using the bonus goal launchers, you can airstrafe into a second launcher on the floor, which doesn't give you fall damage.
- On Brickyard, all launches are shallow enough to not give fall damage except the two bonus goal launchers on each side. These two are aimed at each other, so you can juggle yourself without hitting the ground. Near on of them is another launch pad you can hit, which breaks you out of the cycle and lets you land on the ground with no damage.
Launch pads are all marked with the passtime/pass_goal_arrow overlay. This is done in the prefab for you
All launch pads, speed pads, and goals are func_nobuilded. This is the case in the prefab as well. Be sure to mark the ground in some way to let players know!
There is one run-in goal per team. They are always the furthest from mid, but very wide. They shoot the Jack away if you try and throw it in. This is done in the prefab for you
There is one throw-in goal per team, which is closer to mid than the run-in goal
There is one bonus goal per team, very high up outside of normal throwing range, that has a dedicated launch pad. No class can make the throw without using the launch pad. It activates after the Jack (the ball) is powered up through passes, steals, and interceptions. This goal is worth 3 points, and is usually closer to mid than the regular goal, but the launch pad is difficult to reach. The launch pad for this one lights up with a tf_glow entity while the jack is powered up
Each class has a different throwing arc. Heavy throws farthest, while Scout throws shortest
The Jack bounces off playerclip and blockbullets
The Jack can be trigger_teleported, so use this to recover the ball if it enters a pit or something. You can also set a func_passtime_goal to give -1 points to make it respawn, which seems to be the way that Escalation Studios intended the Jack to be reset if it ever entered a pit.
Because of these effects, players tend to move in large, fast moving groups when pushing as a team. Keep your routes and hallways wide enough to handle big groups!
The Jack bounces off playerclip and blockbullets
The Jack can be trigger_teleported, so use this to recover the ball if it enters a pit or something. You can also set a func_passtime_goal to give -1 points to make it respawn, which seems to be the way that Escalation Studios intended the Jack to be reset if it ever entered a pit.
- Players are marked for death when holding the Jack if there are no teammates nearby
- All teammates around a Jack holder move at the same speed as the fastest player in the group
- The Jack heals nearby teammates, but not the player holding the Jack
Because of these effects, players tend to move in large, fast moving groups when pushing as a team. Keep your routes and hallways wide enough to handle big groups!
Brickyard:
Timbertown:
District:
Please note, all these maps are more than double the size of the template I have given you. Do with that information what you will.
- 10752hu from goal-to-goal, measured from the back of the run-in goal
- Mid is 2560hu wide the widest point
- Mid is 1536hu across
- The transition buildings heading towards the goals are 1280hu
- The courtyard for the bonus goal is roughly 1280hu
- The final area before the run-in goal is roughly 1984hu
Timbertown:
- 11008hu from goal-to-goal, measured from the back of the run-in goal
- Mid is 3072hu wide the widest point
- Mid is 3328hu across
- The courtyard for the bonus goal and regular goal is roughly 2304hu
- The final area before the run-in goal is roughly 1664hu
District:
- 13056hu from goal-to-goal, measured from the back of the run-in goal
- Mid is 832hu wide where the ball drops, but there are two flanks though buildings making the width of Mid 2464hu wide if you include the streets on each team's side
- Mid is 1536hu across, from street to street
- There's a roughly 768hu transition area
- There's two different areas here, splitting the map in half. The inside of the subway is roughly 1600hu across, 1312hu wide. The outside street is 1080 across, but only 672hu wide not counting Red's spawn alleyway and the interiors of buildings.
- The final courtyard is roughly 2240hu across, with all three goals in this space. The regular and run-in goals are at the back, and the launch pad for the bonus goal is right in the center.
Please note, all these maps are more than double the size of the template I have given you. Do with that information what you will.
NOTES:
Name your .vmf:
pass_<yourname>_mc5_a1
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!
PASS Time will not function as a mode if the file does not start with pass_!
You do not have to compile within the time limit, but I will only wait one hour past the deadline to collect maps at a maximum. After that your map will no longer be considered a valid entry, unless you contact me ahead of time and we work something out.
Good luck. You're all going to need it.
ATTENTION!
The attached prefab is now out of date and has issues, please use this shiny new one for making your PASS Time maps!
Attachments
Last edited: