User:Baliame/TF2 Gamemode Theories

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This is a personal page on my own namespace. If you have anything to add or you managed to find something I didn't, please post on the talk page. Thanks!

Baliame's Gamemode Theories

Note that this is a design theory page, it does not explain how exactly to set up these gamemodes. Later, I will write a tutorial for each of these gamemodes. Feel free to create maps of any of these gamemodes.

Table of Contents

Control Point Gamemodes

King of the Hill

Complexity: Easy (2/4)
Support: The current HUD does not fully support King of the Hill. Scoring and score display is done using workarounds.

Description

The King of the Hill gamemode consists of a Hill which teams must hold for a set amount of time in order to achieve victory. This is either done by displaying a timer of the remaining time until victory (the easy way) or having a score limit, awarding score to the holding team every few seconds (the hard way).

Creation

A control point is required in the role of the "Hill" with instant capture time. Another, unreachable, control point is required, as a workaround to automatic capture victory.

The Easy Way

Two team_round_timer entities are used, each activated when the corresponding team captures the point. When a timer hits zero, the team owning it wins. Timer HUD is usable.

The Hard Way

Counters are used to store the score, increased by ticks of timer entities set to a few seconds. Score is displayed using scoreboard brushes.

Variations

Zone Control

Complexity: Easy (2/4)
Support: Team Fortress 2 fully supports this gamemode.

Description

The Zone Control gamemode consists of several control points, and while it's somewhat similar to linear progress control (such as granary), it deserves a mention as a unique gamemode. Zone Control itself may be considered a variation of King of the Hill, with multiple, yet instant capture point, and no scoring. The gamemode bears with quite a few variations, described below.

Creation

Place control points around the map, neither of them requiring "previous points". Set capture time to 0.

Variations

  • Control Field
This variation basically consists of a square of control points in the middle of a small map. Fast respawn times are advised. Control Field features rapid gameplay and heavy firefight concentrated in one area.
  • Four Corners
Four "zone" control points are placed in the four corners of the map. Medium respawn times. Four Corners features tactical gameplay, requiring both offense and defense.
  • Four Corners Peak
A slight deviation from the Zone Control style. There is a fifth control point, and a team must control all four corner points to be able to capture it.
  • Headquarters
Zone Control on multiple floors. Each floor controls a different aspect of the headquarters building, and the teams must use this against each other to gain advantage. Aspects include the control over doors, air systems and remote control object, among other things. This gamemode features tactical gameplay, deciding which aspect is more important than the others.

Capture the Flag Gamemodes

Defend the Flag

Complexity: Very Easy (1/4)
Support: Team Fortress 2 fully supports this gamemode.

Description

One sided CTF, blue team attempts to retrieve the red intelligence, the only goal for red is to keep the blues from taking it.

Creation

Seal off the blue flag somewhere unreachable, add a reasonable timer, extend it on each capture of the flag.

Elimination Gamemodes

Standard Elimination

Complexity: Very Easy (1/4)
Support: Team Fortress 2 fully supports this gamemode.

Description

A more tactical TF2 - everyone has one life. A map played with Sudden Death on all the way.

Creation

Fire a Sudden Death event on round start.

Jailbreak

Complexity: Average (3/4)
Support: The current HUD does not fully support Jailbreak. The gamemode is done using workarounds.

Description

This game is similar to Standard Elimination, however players who get killed do respawn, however in jail, which is near the spawnroom of the opposing team. If all players of a team are in jail, the team is executed and the opposing team wins. However, if someone can press the release button, which is near the corresponding jail, the whole team is released.

Creation

This is a little tricky. The way to do this is through manipulation of respawn entities: the jails start off with a set of disabled respawn entities, while the spawnrooms have these enabled. After the setup timer expires, the state of this switches; the jail respawns become enabled, and the standard respawns become disabled. To check if there are no players of a team "alive", use a trigger entity with team filter and the EndTouchAll output. Finally, "jailbreak" is handled by a jail-wide teleport entity.