Dustbowl Style Map

This tutorial will show you how to create a map like dustbowl, where one team has to try and capture the enemy HQ, while the other team defends it.  Along the way, the attacking team has to capture intermediate points.  In the case of dustbowl, the attackers must capture two points before they can start the attack on the main HQ.

Overview

In this tutorial, I will show you how to create a map which has the following:

• 3 points which the attackers must capture in order
• 'Moving' spawnpoints

Specifics

This kind of map requires few TF entities to make it work, however it needs to be carefully planned to give the right balance to the gameplay.  To follow this tutorial, the map should be split into 3 consecutive areas, which the attacking side have to capture in order.

All the areas of the map need the same entities, so I will first deal with area 1, then show you what to change for the other 2 areas.

Area 1

Create the spawnpoints for both the blue and red teams where you want them.  Assign them all to be in spawn group #1.  Also, make sure the initial state is 'On (Restored)'.  You then need to make the entity which will act as the flag.  Create an item_tfgoal and set these properties:

• Team: Blue - only the blue team can carry this.
• Goal #: 10 - used in detecting who is carrying it
• Model Path/Name.mdl: models/flag.mdl - what it looks like
• Model Skin: Blue - or another colour if you want
• Goal Activation Bitfields: 4788 - This sets properties such as it being droppable and it pausing before returning to the start
• Pause (stays on ground) seconds: 60 - this specifies how long it pauses before returning after it is dropped
• Highlight HUD items bitvalue: 131072 - Blue - so the person carrying it knows they are carrying it

Now we need to specify the area the flag must be carried to.  To do this, create an i_t_g where the flag must be taken.  Set these properties:

• Goal Activation Bitfields: Player touch - it is activated when a player touches it
• Team: Blue - it will only work for the blue team
• Has Item #: 10 - the blue flag
• Goal effects bitfields: 7 - so the respawn effects everyone
• Remove Spawn group #: 1 - removes the first set of spawn points
• Restore Spawn group #: 2 - restores the next set of spawn points
• Goal result bitfields: 32 - force respawn

And that's it for area 1.

For area 2, the blue spawnpoints are generally where the red ones were for area 1, and the red ones are near to the next capture point.  You then need to create the flag and capture point again, in the same way as before.  The following properties need to be changed in the new ones:

• The blue flag's goal # is now 20.
• In the i_t_g, the 'has item #' property should now be 20
• The i_t_g needs to remove spawn group 2 and restore spawn group 3

And that's all the changes that are required.

Now for area 3, again make the flag and capture point, and change the following properties:

• Make the flag goal #: 30
• In the i_t_g, change the has item # to 30
• It doesn't need to remove or restore any spawnpoints this time, as it is the end of the map, so remove these values completely
• Change the goal result bitfields to '4 - scores, intermission, end' - this will change the map

And that's all for this map.  Of course, there are lots of other effects used in dustbowl, such as the grates which open after a certain amount of time to let the defenders set up, and the way the capture points change when they are captured.  These can all be done using various normal HL entities, triggered by the i_t_g's along the way.  If you have any difficulty with these, please don't hesitate to contact me, either by e-mail or on the forum.

Good Luck with your map - and don't forget to think balance constantly.

Az.

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