Capture the Flag

CTF is a familiar team-oriented schoolyard game. Players are divided into two teams, Red and Blue, each with a "home base" and a flag. The objective is to grab the opposing teams flag, and bring it together with your own flag at your home base. This is "capturing the flag", and scores your team one "flag". The team that ends with the most flags captured wins.

## Goal

Your teams goal is to pick up your opponents flag, and return it to base to your own flag. But your opponents will be doing their best to get YOUR flag and take it back to THEIR base and flag. This means your team needs to divide its efforts between bringing home the flag without getting fragged in the process, and also making sure your own flag is home so that you can score, by fragging any opponent who gets your flag. Great fun!

## Rules

* Capture the Flag unlocks at level 9, and available on Monday, Thursday and Sunday.
* Your team is always the Blue team, the opponents are always the Red team. "Absolute" names for the teams are Alpha and Beta.
* Each member's attribute bonus will be shared with other teammates in CTF. But the same attribute won't be overlapped. So select planes wisely.
* Each teams flag begins the game at their home base, and it returns there when a player on the home team picks it up from the field (where it must've been dropped by a fragged/crashed opponent), and resets there when the opposing team scores a "flag".
* Picking up flags is easy - just fly through or very near to the flag. If it's the opposing teams flag, you pick it up & carry it. If it's your own teams flag, it teleports back to home base (you cannot carry your own flag). If it's already at home base, nothing happens.
* If you're carrying the opposing teams flag and are fragged, the flag drops to the ground directly below. It can be picked up either in the air while descending, or on the ground below. If you have a mate very near by, the flag will automatically pass to them. If you have an opponent very near by, they will automatically return the flag to their base.
* If the opposing team has your flag, you cannot score a "flag", since your flag isn't at home base. Someone on your team has to frag the opponent with your flag (or make them crash), then pick it up to return it to home base. Only then can the flag-bearer bring the opposing teams flag in for a score.
* When the game ends, the team who captures more flags wins the game. If both team captures the same number of flags, then there will be 1 minute overtime match. If still the same, then the result will be a draw.
* If players abandon the game before it ends, medals and credit score will be deducted.

## Player Positions & Roles

Like most team sports, players play specific roles at any particular time. In CTF, these roles are: flag bearer, wingman, goal tender, and defense. These roles switch from pilot to pilot during a match, and unless your team has a full complement of pilots, you will be required to play more than one role at a time or in quick succession. The flag-bearers role is clear and immediate, the other roles are often more dynamic. Rarely are positions as well-defined as they are described below, but it is useful to keep in mind what role you're playing at any particular time.

* Flag bearer: Picking up the flag puts a big bullseye on your plane - your task is to stay alive long enough to return the flag to home base. This means you have to focus on self-preservation and making your way back to base. Hopefully your team mates are focused on making sure your flag is there when you get there, but you can't count them being successful. You may have to hang out, hopefully somewhere near base, until the flag is returned. It may even be necessary to risk taking on the opponent flag-bearer to get the flag returned yourself, but only as a very last resort.
* Wingman: Your job is to keep your flag-bearer alive, and help him/her get to home base. You should be working to frag any opponents targeting your flag-bearer. This very often means coming in behind any opponents who are trailing your flag-bearer (who is probably on his/her way to base) and distracting or fragging them while they try to frag your flag-bearer. You should also be in position to pick up the flag if your flagbearer gets fragged.
* Goal tender: Hover around in front of home base and keep opponents from taking your flag. Target any incoming opponents, but don't get too distracted & let another opponent nab the flag. If an opponent picks up your flag, frag them ASAP, and then return the flag to base. Repeat as needed. If an opponent takes your flag and gets away with it, you should change to "Defense".
* Defense: Your job is to make sure your flag is at home base when the flag-bearer gets there. This means you have two jobs: 1) If an opponent has your flag, you need to be primarily focused on fragging them, and then picking up your flag to return it to base, and 2) you need to help out your own flag-bearer by keeping the opposing teams pilots at bay.

## Strategies

* Sometimes, picking up the flag is used in defense rather than offense; your opponent can't score a flag while you're carrying it!
* If you're a member of a team, you would normally hold fire against another member of your team. However, most pilots agree that if you're on opposing side of a game like CTF, you should NOT hold back against a fellow team member. Otherwise, your loyalty is divided, and this is likely to create bad vibes.
* As soon as your team scores a flag, your opponents flag will reappear at their home base. If the situation allows, try to be there (or have a mate there) to pick up their flag right away. In the time it takes your opponents to get reorganized, you can already be most of the way home with it!
* Likewise, if you're chasing an opponent with the flag to their home base and they score a "flag", their flag will be right there - pick it up as you pass & try to cover some ground toward your own base. The flip side of this is that when you get a flag, there is a good chance an opponent is hot on your tail, and is likely to nab your flag right away and make off with it. Don't relax when you get a flag, turn around & keep playing!