Capture the Flag mode is a very fun way of playing multiplayer games. Basically, players are divided into two teams (at least four players are required), the RED and the BLUE team. Each team tries to capture the flag of the opposing team. The captured flag has to be returned to the homebase afterwards. During the game, teams will be identified by markers above their heads, colored in their team color. These markers also indicate who has the flag, who has retrieved the flag and who won the game.
The game will also warn you about important conditions (captured flag, retrieved flag, recovered flag) with voice and text notifications.
Both team compete to capture the opponent's team flag. Player with the flag will be specialy marked (described later), and his goal is to bring the enemies flag back to his homebase flag position. At this time, the team wins the game.
If, however, player carrying the flag get's killed, the flag will remain standing on the place were the player died, enabling the other team to get the flag back, and bring it to the safety of their base. Retrieved flag needs to be placed back at the "flag position" (usually a well marked area of the base).
FFA: Free For All.
After they are killed, players are respawned randomly in either the red or the blue team. You cannot control the color of your team in any way. This provides a very dynamic gameplay where your former teammate can aim you a second later.
Choice
After they are killed, players will be spawned in the neutral land, the GREEN ZONE. Teams should then proceed to their base, BLUE or RED respectively. This way a team can always have the same members, opening new possibilities and more competitive action.
Game markers
You should read the Gameplay page to learn more about markers first.
Basic ("Normal") Team color markers
These markers indicate the player's team color. As you can see on the image, the markers are simple arrows in the team's color (RED or BLUE). For simplicity, I will use only RED markers in the descriptions -- the same goes, of course, for the blue team.
Player have normal markers when they do not carry the flag.
Captured Flag Marker
This marker will appear when the player has captured the flag of the opposing team. In this case, RED team player captured the BLUE flag.
Once a player has captured the flag, task of the other members of his team is to protect him at all cost. The other team has to kill this player before he brings the flag to his base.
Retrieved Flag Marker
This marker appears when a player retrieves his team's flag from the enemy. In this case, RED team player retreived the RED flag, flag of his team.
Team can be retrieved only when out of the flag location, (only after the opposing team captured it).
If the opposing (in this case BLUE) team kills this player (in this case RED), they can re-capture the flag. That's why, as soon as you retrieved the flag, you should bring it back to your homebase and return it on the flag location, where it will be automatically recovered and the marker will return to the normal status.
Winners marker
When a team brings the captured flag of the opposing team back to their base, the game is over and that team wins.
You will need to restart the level to play it again.
Starting and creating a CTF game
- Change to directory where your copy of SST TC is installed and run SST_TC.bat, then select type of the game (IPX or TCP/IP). You can also use the Windows based Launcher.
- Setup will be launched, cofigure the options and conection.
- If you are the game creator, choose the THIRD episode. This is where the CTF maps are located
- Choose a CTF level (they have CTF in the name). They also have FFA (Free For All) or C indicator written in brackets, this indicates what type of the CTF map uses.
- YOU HAVE to set the monsters to on, it doesn't matter what difficulty (there's no monsters in the levels), but it CANNOT be set to "no monsters".
- The game will begin after the both sides are ready, depending of the map selected (FFA or CHOICE).
- The game ends when one time has captured the flag and returned it to their base. You will need to restart the map to play again.