So CTF. There are pretty new. But I think after running half an alert around Tapp Waystation and the Traverse among a few other such bases, I wanted to put down some notes: The Good It changes up the dynamic of a fight. No longer are you just huddling around a building, but are actually making use of the larger area of a base regardless of population. Running around as convoy for flag runner is good practice for moving as a group. Securing a base isn't a tedious wating game, meaning you can move faster on. Also the compromise of timer to flag capture means, it will generally take longer to cap. Overall this makes less geographically defendable bases more stable. The Bad If you loose your secure link, everything comes to a grinding halt. With normal bases you can continue the cap and even take a base, which usually gives your side enough time to reestablish a link. CTF needs a team securing the connecting latice (see Tap Waystation, when trying to cut off nothern push via Traverese and Matterhorns Triumph or Snowshear Fort). That is in addition to a team protecting spawn options, conduit and flag moving. It puts attackers at a horrible disadvantage, needing a lot of manpower and coordination. CTF isn't as self-explainatory as normal bases. I saw multiple captures fail, because randoms couldn't fathom they had to resecure a conduit hacked by some infiltrator instead just watching it slowly ticking down. In a same vein, I saw flag bearer walk around like headless chicken, because they didn't know how to get to conduits. The Map Indicator for CTF is still a bit messy and seemingly buggy. Some Ideas to adress the bad issues Use the Timer Icon for CTF bases along the number indicator, with the bar just progressing along with the number of captures. Similiar to the underground infantry bases, create an path overlay showing a path to the conduits. Doesn't need to be the most direct or best, but for example at Impact Site, you need to use the jump pads. The path should only be visible while carrying the flag. Some audio cue or text indicator when a conduit is in the progress of being lost. Something like "Conduit A under attack, resecure it stat soldier". Much like there are cues for final countdown on normal bases. And an additional text showing status of each conduit. Probably the biggest one: Either make a CTF harder instead of impossible, if no secure link exists (Like the timer for a flag is reduced to half or quarter and or upon timer tick base resets). OR Apply the same logic to regular captures. If an enemy looses their secure link, they have X minutes to resecure a stable link, otherwise points will reset to defender site and counter ticking down, much like flag count slowly ticks down. Would have the nice side effect that overextending can be halted without entirely having cutoff an enemy. Some ideas to add more good There are some bases with only a single flag and conduit, which makes the fighting lines too static imo. Maybe try to give such bases multiple possible flag spawn locations and the flag chooses a new spawn every time, that is indicated as a flag is being carried away (will also become the return position if flag is retaken). Have the timer resecure a conduit increase the more flags have been taken. At least on bases with only a single conduit. Otherwise it can be very punishing, especially on surprise galaxy drops (give your side is usally spread between at least 3 positions already).
