CTF BASICS
==========

Capture the flag is the most exciting team play mode of Quake 3 and carries on the tradition of ThreeWave CTF. Quake 3 is the best platform yet for Capture the Flag, and offers the the best mix of graphics, weapons, physics, and game rules. The lack of grapple and addition of bounce-pads bring the game down to earth and ensure that the action will be a true Quake experience and foster team co-ordination for defense and attacks.

The basic premise is unchanged: enter the enemy base, grab their flag then take it back to your base and touch your own flag. If your flag is not there, you must get it back, or wait for your team-mates to return it. However, the enemy team will be hunting you at the same time.

GAMEPLAY
=========

Capture The Flag Rules

Capture the Flag (CTF) starts with the simple goal of entering the enemy base, grabbing their flag and returning home with it to touch your flag for a Capture. Unfortunately, your flag may not be there when you get back, and of course there is the problem of the other team not really being to cooperative about you taking their flag. In fact they tend to be down right inhospitable about the whole thing. The team with the most captures wins. Generally most servers are set so that you cant cause damage to your team-mates, however you should avoid accidentally knocking them into the pits of death.

Scoring – CTF has two layers of scoring. There are captures, which is how many times your team captured the enemy flag, and there are personal points. Captures are what count, but you can also gauge your personal performance with the personal points.

Winning – In the big picture, captures are what counts, and the first team to reach the capturelimit (default is 8 Captures, configurable) wins the match. If the Timelimit is reached before the capturelimit, then the team with the most captures wins. In the case of a tie, then people generally go by the team with the most personal points.

Personal points – You are awarded personal points for your efforts, defending, protecting your flag carrier, and of course for capturing the flag.

Frag 1 point
Capture 5 points
Defend Flag Carrier 1 + frag = 2 points
Defend Flag Carrier, Aggressive Enemy 2 + frag = 3 points
Return your flag 1 point
Return your flag + Assist 1 + return = 2 points
Kill Enemy Flag Carrier 2 + frag = 3points
Kill Enemy Flag Carrier + Assist 2 + 2 + frag = 5 points
Defend your flag 1 + frag = 2 points

HUD
===

The HUD must have three important things (as well as players stats and on screen timer).

1. It must show the current flag states (secure, taken, dropped) [as well as the overall score]
2. It must show the team overlay, playernames, location, and most importantly who has the flag* **
3. Seeing a player carrying the flag must be very very clear that the flag is in their possession

*You should also have optionally to be able to identify a player by their name appearing next to the crosshair when you look at them. This should be optional for team and/or enemy players.

** this is required in tdm also

http://www.threewave.com/quake3/q3gg4.html

FLAG BEHAVIOUR
==============

An opposing team member can always pick up the flag and carry it. i.e a blue team member can always pick up the red flag.
A red flag will automatically return to the red base when picked up by a red player, regardless of whether he is carrying the blue flag or not.
A capture is scored when the player carrying the opposing teams flag walks over their base with their team flag in base location.
After 30 seconds of a flag being dropped it will automatically return to its base.
If the flag drops into a deathzone/off the map/into a void it is automatically returned.

GAMEPLAY MESSAGES
===================

x/you has/have taken the red/blue flag
red/blue team scores
red/blue flag returned
x/you has/have returned the red/blue flag
x/you has/have dropped the red/blue flag
red/blue team wins
x/you defended the red/blue base
x/you defended the flag carrier

CTF TEAM BINDS
==============

Base Secure
Enemy In Base
Flag Carrier Leaving High
Flag Carrier Leaving Low

POWERUPS
==========

The powerup limit should be configurable, but typically it is two minutes. To have it less than that will distract from the CTF gameplay. Each team should have a powerup relatively near to their base, and/or a shared powerup in the middle.

SPAWNS
========

Most red respawns are between the red base up to and some in mid field. Very few/none will be close to the blue base.

OVERTIME AND GAME COMMENTS
============================

Warmup time should be limited, the game starting either when all players are ready or the warmup time is over.

The end of the warmup should be marked clearly with 3,2,1, Fight! voice sounds, as well as large numbers on the centre of the screen indicating this.

Having the on-screen timer go red in the last minute is enough to indicate a match finishing. Optionally from design you can have a countdown at the end of the match too.

As a config option if a game is drawn at the end of the time, either an additional five minutes is added, or the game ends as soon as either team makes a capture.

You probably want Windows DDS thumbnail support (so you can see a folder of images without having to open them all):

like so http://www.pkeuro.com/images/modding/ddsthumbnails.gif

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/directx9_c/directx/graphics/Tools/TextureViewer.asp

Get the DirectX SDK (Summer 2004).

You will also need Maya 6.0 or above for CAD DDS support. http://www.carbonation.com/maya/

You will need to unpack game packs via Paineditor. File|Extract Game Data.

Your map textures will now be found in \data\textures\levels\.

Reference them in Maya 6.0 via the HyperTexture tool.

You will also need to activate the plugin, place in [maya install]\bin\plugins

Plugins are supplied by PCF in the editor package.

Within Maya go Windows|preferences|plugin manager and activate the plugin by clicking autoload and load

Methods of converting wireframe geometries into Maya.

http://www.pkeuro.com/images/modding/convert.gif

QUAKE/QUAKEWORLD
================

1. Convert BSP into MAP using BSP2MAP tool. Open PAKs using Pak Explorer/Quark, or look in ID1\Maps\

2. Open MAP using Right Hemispheres – Deep Exploration (2.0 or higher). Save as .obj

3. Import OBJ into Maya.

4. Set View|Camera Settings| Perspective off. Press 6. Use View|Camera Tools|Zoom Tool.

5. Set scale 1.2 1.2 1.2 , rotation 90 0 0

6. (Assuming youve loaded the plugin by now) File|Export All, and save the MPK file to data\maps\

7. Open Paineditor with a New Level… under templates add at least one Gameplay|playerrespawnpoint.

8. Make sure you Save All as DM_* … it needs to be DM_ for PK to recognise it as an MP map.

QUAKE3
======

1. Open PK3 files using Winzip. Find BSP files.

2. Open AC3D, open the BSP file and save as 3DS file.

3. Import 3DS into Maya.

4. Set View|Camera Settings| Perspective off. Press 6. Use View|Camera Tools|Zoom Tool.

5. Set scale 1 1 1 , rotation 0 0 0 (not checked)

6. (Assuming youve loaded the plugin by now) File|Export All, and save the MPK file to data\maps\

7. Open Paineditor with a New Level… under templates add at least one Gameplay|playerrespawnpoint.

8. Make sure you Save All as DM_* … it needs to be DM_ for PK to recognise it as an MP map.

Alternatively

1. Use GTKRadiant/Q3Radiant to open the BSP files.

2. Export as OBJ… open in Maya.

3. (alternative) Convert to ASE using GTKRadiant. Use the ASE2MPK file converter supplied by PCF.

5.5 TEXTURE (see step 2.)

6. (Assuming youve loaded the plugin by now) File|Export All, and save the MPK file to data\maps\

7. Open Paineditor with a New Level… under templates add at least one Gameplay|playerrespawnpoint.

8. Make sure you Save All as DM_* … it needs to be DM_ for PK to recognise it as an MP map.

UNREAL TOURNAMENT
=================

1. Use GTKRadiant/Q3Radiant to open the MAP files.

2. Export to OBJ

3. Import OBJ into Maya.

4. Set View|Camera Settings| Perspective off. Press 6. Use View|Camera Tools|Zoom Tool.

5. Set scale 0.1 0.1 0.1 , rotation 0 0 0

5.5 TEXTURE (see step 2.)

6. (Assuming youve loaded the plugin by now) File|Export All, and save the MPK file to data\maps\

7. Open Paineditor with a New Level… under templates add at least one Gameplay|playerrespawnpoint.

8. Make sure you Save All as DM_* … it needs to be DM_ for PK to recognise it as an MP map.

DOOM 3
======

1. Use GTKRadiant/Q3Radiant to open the MAP files.

2. Export to OBJ

3. Import OBJ into Maya.

4. Set View|Camera Settings| Perspective off. Press 6. Use View|Camera Tools|Zoom Tool.

5. Set scale 0.1 0.1 0.1 , rotation 0 0 0 (not checked)

5.5 TEXTURE (see step 2.)

6. (Assuming youve loaded the plugin by now) File|Export All, and save the MPK file to data\maps\

7. Open Paineditor with a New Level… under templates add at least one Gameplay|playerrespawnpoint.

8. Make sure you Save All as DM_* … it needs to be DM_ for PK to recognise it as an MP map.

NOTES
=====

If you are a fan of any of the parametric tools such as Pro Engineer or Solid Works, you can load up the geometry via STL files. You can export these from most programs, but you can also use Crossroads (link) as a common interface.

You may have noticed some smaller site changes on the right hand side. This is a move to the more open structure of the site where users can contribute a lot more to adding in opinions and news, something which is a standard feature on d3euro and q4euro.

Simply log in and you will have access to the site control panel from which you can add articles and news.

Have fun 🙂

Now that DOOM 3 will not be the game to be used in the CPL World Tour, theres been a lot of speculation as to what game will be used. There is currently 2 favorites: Painkiller & UT2004. The CPL have already said that it will not be Quake 3, and it wont be CS.. as thats a team game only.

Today I got informed by Stermy the Italian PK player, about a couple of threads over at the CPL forums. One thread was made in the Painkiller section to get Painkiller picked, and one was in the UT2004 section to get UT2004 picked. As you will see, UT2004 had way more people replying to vote for it to get picked, where-as Painkiller only had about 4 replys. So, Im posting it here, to get all of you Painkiller fans to give Painkiller the support it deserves. Just post to say you would like to see it at the CPL, and why. It will do the game a tremendous amount of good if it does get chosen, so lets help it.

The Painkiller thread at the CPL forums can be found here, and the UT2004 thread can be found here.

What are you waiting for? POST!