Official forums for BZFlag.org

Over the past few months, we've been secretly working to implement the All Hands On Deck game mode on HiX and now, we would like your feedback.

Before I continue, I'd just like to warn all of you: even though this is HiX, all of your current strategies and tactics will be practically useless. All Hands On Deck is a game mode where in order to capture the enemy flag, you and your entire team must be on a specified "deck" (these are your bases). Got one player missing, it's not a cap! So, let's take all of your favorite ricochets and jumps from HiX, and put them in an entirely new game mode that requires new strategies.

Gone are the days where you could split up your team while defending and attacking. What new strategies will you come up with?

Our original hope was to introduce AHOD as a new game mode to Leagues United but first, we'd like your feedback. We will not be replacing traditional HiX, because that'd just be silly but we would like to add new things to the rotation but only if they'll actually be played on. A lot of our maps don't get a fraction of the activity that HiX or Duc do.

If you haven't played it yet, go grab a few friends and try it out! It requires a minimum of a 2v2. Don't have friends? Well, time for you to make some! Timed matches are supported with the /countdown command.

Check it out at
allejo.public.leaguesunited.org:5192

Not a huge fan of it, but I guess it doesn’t hurt adding it. I’ve played it over the years. I just don’t see many players actually playing officials on it. More so the better teams. We have added xen and a few other maps and his still remains the most played by far.

I think the map has potential for fun but some things need to be worked out yet. We don't need another map that doesn't play well with small/or large numbers if the settings etc are not right.
several suggestions have come forth and only testing will see which are viable fixes.

• Perhaps a smaller map - as some have mentioned it's too big for 2v2 or 3v3.

• hogfish wrote: An issue I did see was when there was a cap, the recently capped team had too much of a positional advantage. That team was able to make a very little effort retaliatory cap. It was kind of a non-event. Could we try having BOTH team flags go back to their respective bases upon a cap, creating a reset and putting both sides on an equal footing?

• Also maybe a world weapon on the both bases on caps, so that bases are cleared and players spawn elsewhere?
• Or have both flags mid on cap, creating a race for the bases

As players test out the map, I'm sure there would be more ideas.
I prefer versatility in map choice....creating a broader appeal to all players, not just a select few.

Even with a world weapon at bases I believe the problem of the retaliatory cap would still remain, if the opposing team manages to get the flag close to their base. In fact it may be easier as all will spawn on base leaving it for one to grab the flag while the others stay on base. Perhaps having the capping team's flag go mid?

Using the freeCtfSpawns world option will let all tanks spawn randomly around the map after a capture, giving no side an AHOD advantage.

Bullet: Are you trying to tell me that every tank will spawn at the exact distance from the flag?

Even when spawns are random they still aren’t always fair.

The spawns would be random, so you are correct that one team could be luckier than the other.

I think it would make more sense to have the tanks spawn at the same distance opposite sides of the map to make it fair. Just my opinion though.

Bertman wrote: ↑Fri Jan 12, 2018 2:10 am Even with a world weapon at bases I believe the problem of the retaliatory cap would still remain, if the opposing team manages to get the flag close to their base. In fact it may be easier as all will spawn on base leaving it for one to grab the flag while the others stay on base. Perhaps having the capping team's flag go mid?

I haven't tested this that much at all, so take this with a grain of salt, but I don't understand the positional advantage. Just like in regular HIX, if Team A's flag is near Team B's base, and Team A has just captured the flag, this is the same scenario isn't it? In fact this is even easier in regular HIX as only one player is then required to capture, not the entire team.

I agree with Shuist above. The point was to not create a different expectation of scenarios, but to simply change the Cap requirements so all tanks have to be on same base. Everything else should remain the same.

It changes the tactics quite a bit, but everything else is very close to how Hix is currently done (i.e. spawns, flag stays, etc.).

I don't think we need a world weapon or spawn changes, it feels good to me the way it is.

We played 2 v 2 and 3 v 3 today and we all liked it.

After giving it another go today I agree. Leave it the way it is. It was great fun!

For what it's worth, I found it enjoyable.
Though no one told me at first and I was utterly confused sitting on my base with the enemy flag.

Any other support for or against this map? Judging from last season's stats, it's tough for new maps to get any traction so I'd hate to add yet another map into the rotation for it to receive little to no attention.