Yes indeed, this blog is about TF2. So if you don't want to listen to me ramble, go ahead and leave.

First off, TF2 has really good game modes, but sometimes, you just need a new one to spice things up. Most game modes that are done are mostly gimmicky and for fun. Examples are Companion Cube Soccer and Balloon Race. Some can be done competitively, though. I'm mostly looking at Domination here. If you don't know what those game modes are, I won't explain it here.

Anyways, a friend petitioned me with a mode style that he thought would work well. It's from the game Multiwinia, the multiplayer version of Darwinia. The mode? Rocket Riot.

An explanation of Rocket Riot

This game mode, though, is based for multiple teams while Team Fortress 2 only has two. The problem there is pretty small, as we can fix that with good map design. The actual mode also does not exist in TF2, so we did analysis of what the game mode was closest to. We noted that fuel charge to 100% was a lot like Domination, so we looked at the entity work there. I was assigned to actually create the game mode. My friend is doing the map design in blocking out so we can have a basic gameplay style down.

So far, I have hit every road block so far, resulting in glitches abroad which I have had to fix when they appear. It is very annoying not having a traditional form of programming, but lots of logic entities and a lot of I/O properties.

Our modifications to the game style are as such:

The solar panels are control points, which are surrounded by solar panels.

Instead of having to fit 100 people into your rocket, your team has to capture a point underneath your rocket. When the countdown starts, you have a little while to get out from underneath it to get away before you die from the fires.

When the enemy "destroys" your rocket, it loses 50% of it's fuel (Pending, number unknown. 50% is a lot.)

Anyways, we're still pre-alpha on it. It's pretty cool to do the ent work, but tiring too.