Do's and Dont's: Capture the Flag

[Nassar]

DO:
1) Guard flag carry.
2) Form a perimeter around carry to draw aggro from zombies and target attacks.
3) Maintain distance from carry to ward off attacks, defend carry.
4) Clear zombies from carry! A quick Leap attack will destroy zombies instantly at level 20.
5) Secure base when necessary.
6) If you're flag carry and you're going to die, try to position the flag behind scenery where it will be difficult for other team to detect from their point of view. Use skills to speed up death. NOTE: By default, the other team's perspective will be rotated relative to yours, remember that!
7) Maintain contact when possible, always make sure there is at least ONE designated base guard.
8) If you're the guard, secure the base when mobbed so more cannot enter/leave.
9) Sometimes hiding in a corner of the base to catch intruders off guard is a good idea.
10) Look at your team mate's health, try not to steal hearts they could use.
11) In most situations, you want your carry to grab the heart unless they're very weak, you're under attack and you'd have a better chance than them at killing attacker and protecting the goal.
12) Use light switches when appropriate.
13) It's probably a better idea to let level 20s and/or your stronger teammates to grab the speed boost. They'll probably do better with it than you will.

DON'T:
1) Leave carry unattended.
2) Ditch carry to go off alone - UNLESS you know where the attack will come from.
3) Steal the heart from the carry.
4) Run in front of the carry, secure base and - OOPS! - lock them out.
5) Unless it absolutely cannot be helped - try not to hit light switches indiscriminately and kill your teammates.
6) You and a teammate both have your sights on a heart? Nine times out of ten, it's best if the level 20/stronger teammate has health than you.
7) Are you the weakest one at attacking? Flag. Don't have the build for flagging? Defend base.
8) If you join a match and see one side is like 3v1, don't join that side and make it 4v1. Keep things fair, it's more fun that way!
9) Be considerate. It's a team match. Do the little things that will help your team even if you sacrifice stats for it.

LITTLE THINGS I'VE NOTICED THAT GET ME KILLS/KILLED
- try to turn corners as tight as possible to save on time, but be careful where you're aiming when you turn a corner so you don't get caught off guard.
- keep an attack charged at all times, sometimes I'm guilty of trying to wait for my preferred skill to become active and have nothing prepped - bad idea!
- I've noticed sometimes if a skill is held charged for a while, it will eventually "time out." Seems to be about a minute time limit, try to keep in mind so you don't time out at the wrong time or recharge at an inopportune moment!
- during a root or stun, I'll keep an attack charged to unleash it or after I've used all my skills, I'll hold on to my attack button to charge up an attack. But sometimes I notice my finger will be on it but the command won't be recognized. Missing even a few small attacks or one charged one can be the difference between a kill and a death. Try to be aware.

[Blaquehaaart]

Yeah, especially hitting the switches randomly -- both the flag area and lights. Flag area switches should mostly be used for trapping your opponents in, not trapping your team in. I hit the switch when I run into the room, then then I loop around check out if an opponent is coming, if not, I grab the flag and have it timed so the door drops while I'm running out. This is so people don't run in after me, and give them an option to lock me in.

If someone, runs in to a room I wait for them to grab the flag and hold it for a few second, then hit the switch and fight. Even if I can't beat the guy it does 2 things: it softens them up from my attacks and the flag burning them. Also, it give my team time to respond.

As for defense, if you are outnumbered, every one should just go on D, and wait for someone to queue on to your team.

If you outnumber them, having one guarding is a good idea.

If you outnumber and out skill them go on full offense, and just pwn them.

If they equally skilled and you are equally numbered, you want at least one guard. If they have more points on the board, you probably want to play more defensively, and have one person attempt the flag. It should look like this 0-0: equal defense and flag attempts, 0-1 more defense less attack, 0-2 all defense minimal attack.

If you team wipes on a flag attempt a couple people should check the base before assaulting the flag room...in case your opponents are assaulting your flag room.

At 20 pvp, it's usually better to run the middle if you are in a good team. If you are in a bad team, then it's all situation.

In any case, this is all generic theory craft. It's pvp cft 101 really. Everything is situational.

[Ripper McGee]

I'd like to add that communication can be key and a lack of communication can be awful. It's frustrating when you'e attempting to give direction and your teammates either completely ignore you or simply don't understand you (which is often the case).

[Blaquehaaart]

Are you running with pugs or a premade? If someone in a pug started shouting commands and I didn't have a rapport with them I wouldn't listen either.

[Ripper McGee]

Generally, with PUGs. It's not a matter of shouting commands, though. It's just common sense stuff based on seeing strengths and weaknesses in a match. For example, in one match it was obvious I was the strongest player on either team in the match, but the other team was more organized. If I didn't play defense, we would have lost quickly, so I kept saying "I'll defend, go get the flag!", only to have another--much weaker--player completely ignore me and just stand with me inside our flag zone... Frustrating, to say the least.

[Nassar]

Communication in a pick up group is still better than no communication at all, whether or not you feel the rapport is there.

On that note, I would LOVE for a mobile game with voice chat.
Or at least give us team chat!

[StompArtist]

I'd rather people wouldn't start making strict rules on how it should be played. Leads to everyone playing the same way and ensuing boredom. :(

[Swede]

Or at least give us team chat!

Team chat is /team MESSAGE HERE

Only your team will see those messages.

[Blaquehaaart]

Eh, I learned far before this game never to expect anything from a pug, and not to take those games to seriously and just have fun with it.

If you want serious structured play, form a team and run with them over and over. Then roll all the pugs.

[Nassar]

Team chat is /team MESSAGE HERE

Only your team will see those messages.

I tried it, not sure if it worked. It doesn't pop up as a specific color in chat bubble like PM/guild chat?

[Nassar]

So, a few thoughts after I game I just had..

This match was about an hour to an hour and a half long.
My team spent about half of it outnumbered, members dropping out and others coming in with the score 1-0 in our favor.
I spent about 1/4th of the match on defense, usually defending the base by myself while taking on 2-3 players consistently.
I managed to rack up 200 kills (pic below) - which wasn't even the highest in this game. Another player, "konvict," had 203 - spending the entire game on offense.
You can't see it in the picture, but the kill distribution for my team was inconsistent. I had, far and away, the most kills by the most convincing margin.
The other team had multiple players 100+ and many in 60+ territory, if I recall correctly.
I was the best player in game - and by that I mean that on 1v1, I was 60/40 at least up til 100/0 when it came to my probability of kill/death when encountered with level 20s/21.
When on defense, I was the most valuable player.
When on offense, I consistently drew and could handle double/triple teams.
Blue team was a better all around unit (I was on red), with a greater number of higher quality players. Though to be completely fair, each team did have at least one scrub or two.
Instead of 18th century battlefield tactics of lining up together - I think my team could have made a greater dent if I led the forward charge, softened them up/killed them and then had another two attackers come in a staggered pattern. This would have allowed us to maximize damage per spacing and given each time to sweep back up towards flag carry and escort/pick off/route defenders.

I'd like to eventually play with competitive 5v5 teams of the best players in game.
Most of the match was a stalemate, very boring and tedious.
And ultimately, my team didn't have another grand player who could coordinate with me and make the big difference.
Too much of my team's momentum was riding on whichever stage of the game I was in - offense, defense or special teams.

Also, after encountering many different types of player builds - I feel that end game, about every point in damage is equal to 11-13pts of health.
What I mean by that is that if you're going to min/max your stat build with equipment for something, only give up 1 point in damage output per 11-13pts of health.

9837

[Blaquehaaart]

Eh, the opposing team had some really good guys. Angel Assasin, Big Chezzz, and Konflikt are no joke, and the others on that team weren't bad either. I spent about 2/3rds of the match on D, and Konflikt and AA were pummeling down all game.

I had to piss all game though...that was ridiculous.

[Nassar]

Lol.
You were on my team? What's your ign?
The thing is, not to sound cocky, there are only a few names that I have to watch out for who can really go toe to toe with me.
AA, BigCheezzz and konflict are top tier, but they're not on the level of, say, Attiladehoney - who has just enough HP/damage to turn our encounters either pretty evenly or I die and she dies a few seconds after me due to my DoT (and her adding about 150-200hp over me at the cost of about 11~ less damage stat than me).
So my perceptions of other players are skewed, there are only a few I ever really have to consciously watch out for - not to bring the others down though.
At level 20/21, there's very little separating all of us.

[Blaquehaaart]

I'm bail.

Man, konflikt is pretty tough...he on Whiteserpent's level. I probably have harder time with bigcheezz than Attila, but they are both really good.

Eh, with a vs/fb/stomp build it basically comes down to gear. I just spec'd it again, ran a couple games, and remembered how boring it is to play...and I already want to spec back even though I was playing a high blood drain build. However, the damage from vs is just stupid, it cost so little to use, it has a snare and a knock back...it's such an op skill.

[Blaquehaaart]

Yeah, builds don't change at 21 unless your putting 3 points in shadow dance. I'm thinking about doing that though. I prefer a fast play style, but it's just so demanding on blood. Eh, I have some plat to play with, and I think I'm just going to play that down and play till my gear get outdated.

[Nassar]

So after a few experimental games yesterday, I drew up some thoughts.
Let me know what you think.

9992

I feel like most teams use a 3-2 formation, leaving at least two defenders in the pocket with one sometimes playing out of pocket.
After some experience playing defense solo while the rest of my team attacks, I think a 3-1-1 formation could be viable as a solitary player in the pocket is usually able to control the flow of game pretty well simply by locking out the base.

I drew up what this would look like.
Obviously, power ups and zombie have to be taken in account but I think a player sweeping through center is a viable tactic - it's one that at least I've had success using.

SS denotes strong side, anyone from the opposing team killed on this side will respawn opposite them due to how respawn works (on the side with least opposing players).
FS denotes free side, this player is the sweep for the offense - flanking, combing or closing the pincer as needed.

On that note, I think players need to get more creative with their formations instead of walking in tandem - especially when they're escorting the flag carry. This limits and breaks up the opposing teams DoTs and snare targets instead of allowing a full assault.

I'm a really big advocate for staggered attacks and formations.

9993
9994
9995

The basic idea behind the three wide attack is to allow the point (center attacker) to draw the attention of both defenders and hopefully kill one (or both). At the least, they will be softened up for the other attacks to come in and pick them off. One of the attackers should stay behind near the entrance to ward off any reactionary defense and hopefully allow the carry to get as far down the field as possible. At this point, the center should have respawned and started making his way back to act as hand-off since the carry will probably be dead by this point.

9996
9997

The four wide attack is just an iteration on the three wide. The difference here being that SS and FS are clearly defined and that any defenders SS picks off, we should expect them to be respawned on FS and again, staggered attack is the key. This provides more cushion and an extra body to absorb/dish out damage.
Of course, this leaves your team's defense hampered.

I believe instead of a permanent four wide attack, the tactic should be used situationally. Instead of having the center immediately go back to join the attack, I think after the initial assault - that player would be best to act as the middle sweep, turning the 4 wide attack into the 3-1-1 formation.

Obviously, again, power ups and zombies would have to be taken into account and this is all mostly just theory for now, since I haven't really had a chance to practice it with a team that knows what it's doing.

[Lady_Pebbles]

Team chat is /team MESSAGE HERE

Only your team will see those messages.

I tried it, not sure if it worked. It doesn't pop up as a specific color in chat bubble like PM/guild chat?
It doesn't popup in a different color and it is buggy as hell. In fact, for me it doesn't work at all. Reported it a lot and still no fixes but Im sure they'll get to it sooner or later.

[Aylilth]

What would be nice is even playing teams! No drop outs and re-joiners

[Blaquehaaart]

I don't think plays are something that people other than longstanding teams need to focus on.

Situation reaction is probably better. Like assisting the flag carrier, what to do as a flag carrier, when and when not to hit switches, when to sacrifice yourself, defending, etc... After you get that all down then run plays.

People are still locking their team mates into the flag room, or locking their flag carrier out. People still don't assist their flag carrier, or get on the flag when their is fighting to pick the flag up if it drops...etc.

It only takes one good guy to guard. If he floats in the his hallway leading to the flag room you can take on a pretty decent force solo, because it's a bottle neck and you have some terrain elements to work with. People that barrel down the middle usually pull zombies, and people coming in from the sides can get caught by them to. The guard can exploit the snares. Also, if the guard drops he can back to intercept the flag if it gets picked up.

Generally, switches should be used to lock an opposing flag runner in the room, so the flag burns his life, or lock people out of the room when you have a flag. People often lock their whole team in the room, which just gives your opponents time to advance. Or hit it every time someone walks up, which is bad, because if a team comes barreling in right after the door shuts, it won't reset in time to lock on the flag carrier in the room giving the opposing team one less obstacle to obstruct their carry.

In any case, you can't expect anything from a Pug.

[Lady_Pebbles]

Well.. its sad to say but some people are out to win by cheating. Recently I have noticed that some players have figured out a way to ged rid of their own flag COMPLETELY!
Simple.. no flag.. no win.. Hopefully sts will help us to stop this great phenomenon.. :)
I agree, this is getting ridiculous.