The winning team in CTF is usually the one with the tightest strategy. Here's a few defined roles I thought of to assign players on your team.
Offence
These are the dudes who go after the flag.
Escort
This dude escorts the flag carrier back home. The OS has to make sure he gets in between the flag carrier and the rocket.
Defence
A team needs some player(s) to go defence. 2 is a good number. Defence players never leave their base and stick close to the flag room.
Pursuit
The pursuit player has one purpose and that is to kill the enemy who is carrying the stolen flag. This player must be single minded in this purpose as he or she will often have to charge through many enemy defenders to get that flag and return it. This role can be combined with Defence. It's good to have one player who is Defence/Pursuit.
Rover
The Rover's job is to cause mahem. This player wanders around your base or the enemies or the territory in between, killing every enemy player encountered. In this way the rover can also provide momentary support for Offence/Escort/Pursuit players as things happen.
Scout
The Scout should avoid combat as much as possible and collect intelligence instead. This can mean, warning of incoming enemies, observing enemy players, finding the enemy who has the stolen flag and is hiding, and so on.... I imagine the Scouts best weapon would be the rail gun so they can pick off enemies at a distance.
The best games of CTF I've played is when everyone knows what to do and takes on specific roles for their team. These are just a few ideas I had to define some more specific roles to aid team strategy.
Email me what you think of them.
Cool!
.............................
harmer emailed me about this and this is what he said:
Hi,
Just replying to your CTF Roles page. Umm.. I think that alot of the
roles somewhat more dynamic than you've portrayed ie when the opposition
get the flag the Defence usually end up in your Pursuit role. However alot
of players (grrrrr!) don't know when to leave it alone and call off a
pursuit, leaving the base undefended (or under-defended).
Your role of Rover I've heard refered to as MPP, duuno what it stands
for multi-purpose player (I think?).
I'll have to disagree with the role of scout. A player who activily
avoids combat?!?!
If you just bind messages, you'll find that an MPP or any other player can
supply any intelligences your team needs and with the added fire power of a
"full" player.
Escorts. Yeah. Now thats proper teamwork. Unfortunately most non-clan
(ie 2 or more members of the same clan) matches don't have then (at least
consistantly).
I have to say I agree with his comments and on second thoughts the 'Scout' sucks! Who'd want to play that role!?!?!? :)
so, I guess the important thing is to know what jobs need to get done and when to switch roles. The other good point raised is when to know you must stay with the base or leave it to pursue. I guess nkowing this would be the key to a teams success in a game.