[Newspaper] CTF Class Monthly - Volume 1 Issue 1 - Mar/April 2017

All Class, All The Time - Vol 1, Num 1
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Letter from the Editor


Hello CTF Community! I have been a part of the CTF community now for about 5 years, 2 owners, and at least 3 different forum providers. Over the years, I have seen the sill that players bring to the game and the dedication that they bring to their opinions on the forums, and I am glad to be a part of this community. With that said, I have always noticed how the majority of CTF players merely view and post replies on the general CTF forum thread, leaving a select few who actually browse the Ideas and Guides sections of the CTF forums. This limits the amount of the community that can actually accesses new CTF Class Ideas and the majority of rework ideas.

As such, I have decided to create this monthly newspaper that covers new class ideas and reworks and delivers them directly to the Community in the general CTF forums. The newspaper will also include a competitive tier list of classes, guides for class and rework creation, as well as special interviews on intermittent issues.

The full editorial staff of CTF Class Weekly is only me at the moment, with @Miskey and @gamren as part time analysts for the newspaper. As such, I am selectively looking for help to create the future installments of CCM. Not all help will be accepted, as a full understanding of the workings of CTF, how a new class must be balanced, and how new classes and reworks will affect other classes is a must to create this business-esque newspaper. A special request for a new banner for CCM is also put out to the community, as my MSPaint skills are extremely lacking. If you or someone you know would be able to help me, please have them PM me, or PM me yourself. It would be greatly appreciated.

Hope you find this newspaper intriguing, and informative. Happy Reading!

• THECOMMANDER5643, CCM Chief Editor

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Resources - This newspaper issue will be much longer than future installments, as these brief header descriptions will not appear in the future. The resources section of CCM is to provide you, the community, with all of the necessary tools that you may need to create a new CTF class that is viable to be implemented, as well as create a properly functional rework of an existing class. I will add new resources to future issues of CCM as they are created, providing they provide an accurate and helpful way to achieve CCM’s goals of creating the best possible ideas and reworks.

CTF Class Guide - https://www.brawl.com/threads/62000/ - This resource put out by myself offers an in depth guide on how to best format your class idea, how each aspect of the class should be thought out, and how it should be played in CTF in order to maximize its potential for implementation.

Damage Calculations Guide - https://www.brawl.com/threads/65187/ - Put out by @2002Tiki , this guide offers an easy resource to calculate the potential damage output of your class and reworks, allowing you to balance out the damage potential yourself, without relying on others.

CTF Rework Guide - https://www.brawl.com/threads/45158/ - Created by @Dankmastr_McSwag , this tool offers a very clear way on how to understand the inner workings of CTF, what needs to be changed, how to change it, and create a fully functional, balanced rework to an existing CTF Class.

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Class Ideas and New/Suggested Rework Ideas - This section will contain all of the new changes made to any ctf classes, threads by the CTF Committee soliciting popular opinion for class changes, and new rework ideas from the community. Additionally, it will include new class ideas by members of the community. Both reworks and new ideas by the community must be thoroughly fleshed out to a viable state and must have received a certain level of popular support to be placed in this class. At this moment, I am the sole voice in deciding what gets placed in this section, but as more help is received, the requirements to be added may change.

*NOTE* Some of the below threads may be more than 30 days old, as there are not many viable class ideas that have been posted. Please be aware of Brawl Forums Rules before replying to any of the below threads. *NOTE*

Elf Update Suggestion - https://www.brawl.com/threads/65380/ - This post put out by the CTF Committee asks the community for what they think should be the best change made to Elf in order to improve its performance in CTF. Should its offensive strength be buffed? What about its survivability? How about its ability to support its teammates? You decide!

Medic Update Suggestion - https://www.brawl.com/threads/65271/ - Medic is both a strong and weak class at the same time. Its ability to heal teammates and restore steak is extremely powerful, but its 1v1 damage output is severely lacking. This suggestion put out by the CTF Committee seeks to increase its potential to survive 1v1 encounters with other classes such as the heavy, prevent its targeting when attempting to cap, and reign in its healing capabilities. Don’t agree? Post your opinion in the thread or below.

Assassin Rework by @Rhoske - https://www.brawl.com/threads/56279/ - This rework serves to help maintain the fun factor of assassin, while keepings its viability of recovery and high damage intact, in addition to removing the requirement of the blocking mechanic.

New Necro Changes - https://www.brawl.com/threads/65458/ - This new change to necro helps to increase its skill cap, increase its defensive capabilities, and also removes its camp-and-afk nature of the class.


Trapper Class Idea by Myself - https://www.brawl.com/threads/61972/ - This new class idea helps provide another premium structure-centric class to CTF that helps provide defense and support from a wide variety of traps at its disposal. Watch out, that torch might be your death!

Nightmare Class Idea by @TWC123 - https://www.brawl.com/threads/57005/ - This class provides a new aspect on recovery, with its ability to deal true damage to its enemies with tracking wither projectiles. Its ability to slow, combined with its ability to increase its true damage provides a new way to recover.

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State of the Class Tier List - In this section, CCM hopes to provide you with an accurate tier list of the best classes in competitive CTF at the moment. Input from multiple sources, including moderators, MSW Commentators, as well as myself go into making this as objective as possible.

S Tier

Spoiler

(Classes in this tier are guaranteed picks in matches and are very strong, not having them puts you at a severe disadvantage.)

Pyro: Pyro is a must have defensive class. Fire damage is an incredible tool for a defense, and pyro is the only class that can provide that, and even benefit off of it, dealing increased damage to a player on fire. Pyro’s frenzy mechanic also has extreme potential, being able to quickly two shot any class on offense except for medic, which now rarely enters the flag room anyway.

Assassin: Assassin is an extremely strong pick in the current meta because of both its defensive capabilities and recovery potential. The potential to chase down a flag carrier makes it very strong in the mid-field and its ability to instantly kill any class regardless of their armor makes it an extremely tool in halting rushes on the flag. In the right hands, the assassin is arguably the most influential class on the map and each team will always have one.

A+ Tier

Spoiler

(These classes have consistently performed well in the competitive scene and are very strong in the current meta. However, certain scenarios and maps prevent them from being placed in the S tier.)

Medic: Medic is an extremely strong pick in the current style of play in competitive CTF, with enormous potential on offence, defense, and recovery. Its ability of healing teammates and restoring their steak can mean the difference between a capture and a recovery. However, because it is not as strong individually as either pyro or assassin, it is not as important on the battlefield as either of those two classes.

A Tier

Spoiler

(Classes in this tier are your staple classes in all team competitions. Not too strong, not too weak, with just the right amount of utility makes they consistently present in almost all CTF scenarios. The only thing that keeps these classes from going up a tier is the fact that they are currently chosen at about the same rate, but rarely altogether due to map dependency)

Soldier: A mainstay on the offensive perspective of CTF, a soldier is a very solid pick for competitive CTF. Its ability to scale walls combined with the third strongest armor in the game provides a very potent pick in most scenarios. We’re starting to see soldier played heavily on defense as well as offense, this makes the class a great pick for matches. However, soldier does fall off in effectiveness on certain maps, preventing its higher ranking.

Heavy: The generic class of CTF. It is the class that everyone will default to if another class is not picked. With the highest armor in the game, it is also the tankiest passive character in the game. Its ability to control the flag room as well as its potential to steamroll through a defense makes it the staple class of CTF. Heavy can be used to lock down certain maps on defense such as Opposites Collide V, which is very common in matches.

Archer: Archer is a very useful tool on the battlefield, capable of removing any threat off of the map provided that it is at least 30 blocks away. In the hands of a master marksman, archer can cause havoc all over the battlefield, assisting in both recovery and silencing the enemy offence. However, as archer’s greatest weakness is the map that it is played on, its pick-rate is dependant on which maps are played competitively.

Ninja: Ninja is a strong pick on most maps for offense, defense, and recovery. Its ability to cross large portions of the map instantly and it’s extremely high damage output make it a potent threat to players trying to capture. Its invisibility and damage output make it a high priority target in the flag room, and it is extremely useful for taking out enemy pyros when used on offence. However, as ninja both has low armor and is also map dependent, it does not have as much impact on the battlefield as some other classes.

B+ Tier

Spoiler

(These classes are stronger than their counterparts in the B tier, but still do not see enough performance or pick-rate to boost their placement into the A tier.)

Empty

B Tier

Spoiler

(Classes in this tier have the potential to be great classes when paired with skilled players and the correct team composition. However, due to a lack of consistency in their pick-rate and or their performance, are generally not played competitively.)

Chemist: Chemist suffers from a low pick-rate and performance in competitive CTF in the hands of the majority of CTF teams. However because of the chemist’s abilities and potent strength potions, when paired in the hands of a master chemist player, this class has the ability to be a strong offensive support class with a lot of utility, sustainability, and damage. Chemist right now is a class that you buff as, switch off of, and stay off of until you need buffs again. The only exception being players that are very good at the class or certain compositions.

Mage: Much like chemist, mage is also a class that suffers from low pick-rates and performance in competitive in CTF. When paired with a skilled player under the right scenarios, mage is a very strong tool on the battlefield. When used correctly, mage is a very strong harassment tool in the mid-field, a viable counter to enemy archers, and a useful addition to flag defense. Mage can be used to stall very well defensively and for recovery, but it is difficult to play around as you drop dps in the flag room in favor of stalling.

C+ Tier

Spoiler

(While not as weak as classes in the C tier, these classes still do not have enough impact on the game to be placed in B tier. Picking these classes will put a detriment on your chances of winning.)

Empty

C Tier

Spoiler

(Classes in this tier are significantly weaker than other choices in the current gameplay, due to a lack of performance and or a lack of significance in their abilities. Picking these classes will severely hamper your chances of winning.)

Elf: Elf is an extremely weak pick in competitive CTF in its current state. Its pure element has the potential for tremendous damage and when paired with a skilled player in the perfect scenario, it has the potential to cap. However, because the majority of its abilities are lackluster, in addition to the strengths of all other playable classes in CTF, Elf is a very weak pick in the current meta. Elf can be fairly useful in the hand of the right player, but you can argue that even then, the class is fairly weak.

D+ Tier

Spoiler

(While still not currently allowed in competitive play, recent changes to these classes have brought the potential for their reintroduction into the competitive scene.)

Necro: Although necro is not currently allowed in competitive play, it is being tested for it right now in unofficials and other non-official matches. The class has shown map based potential that, with teamwork can result in a decent defensive class. It’s not quite viable to the point where you’d choose it over heavy/soldier/chemist map based, but those who know how to use the class can make it work to an extent, similar to elf.

D Tier

Spoiler

(Classes in this tier while weak in their own rights, have been deemed too strong in a majority of their attributes, and as such have been banned from competitive play. These classes will not be allowed in competitive play without significant changes.)

Engineer

Dwarf

Fashionista

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Special Section - This section of CCM will appear and disappear sporadiclly as not every issue will contain a special surprise. This may include an exceptional class idea or rework, a new piece of content provided by the CTF Committee, or an exclusive interview with a CTF Committee member or prominent member of the CTF Community. In this issue, we have a very special interview in store for you with @wintergreen3

CTF Class Monthly: As part of the CTF Committee, you know the inner workings of the development and evolution of Capture the Flag. How often do discussions regarding new classes, reworks, or other class-related gameplay tweaks come up among the other members of the Committee?

Wintergreen3: We discuss those things really often, especially now with Discord making it easier to get everyone's opinions on ideas/changes. We even have an organized way of getting votes from the committee members.


CCM: What is the current priority of the CTF Committee in relation to classes? For example, are you focused most on responding to community feedback, are you focused on balancing existing classes as the Committee thinks is best, are you focused on adding new classes into CTF to change the gameplay, etc.

WG3: We're generally trying to listen more to the community and be more transparent than we have been in the past. Balancing existing classes is the main priority right now, since if we add something to an already unstable version of the game (cough cough the Crit Bug was awful cough cough). We might start thinking about adding another class once we're done with Necro, Medic, and Elf.


CCM: When it comes to reworking classes, which class has the highest priority for a rework in the eyes of the CTF Committee? Are you only working on one class rework at a time, or do you have multiple ideas in the works?

WG3: Necro has been the focus lately, we'll probably figure out our next steps once we finish with Elf and Medic. Assassin might be reworked in the near is future, if it doesn't require 1.9; updating the version of the servers is out of our hands. Other than Assassin, I'm not sure what our next rework would be.


CCM: In relation to the last question, can you give us any information regarding further upcoming potential class changes?

WG3: I'm pretty sure the Assassin rework we had planned a long while back (a year ago, by now) is 1.8 compatiable. It was focused on staying in fights longer than the Assassin we have now, which makes you go in, kill 1-3 people, and run out because you have nothing to defend yourself with.


CCM: What class or classes do you think are the most important to a CTF game?

WG3: Ever since it got sharpness V back, Ninja has been really good again. It's so versatile, yet it's not too powerful (except for maybe ghost capping). Sure, it can pearl across the map in 10 seconds and has a lot of damage, but it dies so quickly that if you don't strafe correctly or back off at the right time, you're just going to die or run out of resources.


CCM: What class or classes would you as an individual like to see changed to help improve the gameplay of CTF and in what way?

WG3: Elf would be my top choice right now. I feel like it has tons of potential and it would be really fun to play if it had a more specific role.
Not to mention I think I might main it along with Archer if it were better rounded!


CCM: If you were to see one new CTF class implemented into the game, what would it be? Just give us the general concept.

WG3: I'd like to see a more tanky support (maybe not in armor, but health) with very low damage but with some kind of slowness debuff that you would throw/use near an enemy (not spammable). Could be offense or defense based, and would give absorption to nearby teammates for a couple of seconds (3-4 seconds, maybe). I haven't really thought it through much, so it might be an awful idea; having a way of slowing a player down other than Elf or someone hitting them back is an interesting concept.

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Thought of the Month - This section of CCM is meant to make the readers think about what they have just read, and how they can apply it to better improve the state of CTF as a whole. Thoughtful discussion is encouraged. Post your responses below, and keep everything as positive as possible, please.

This month’s question is based on a forum post by @Diversities

If you were able to change one thing about the classes in CTF, whether it be a removal of a class, a small tweak, a complete overhaul, or an addition of a new class, what would it be and why?

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Closing Remarks

Thank you very much for reading the first issue of the CTF Class Monthly newspaper. I hope you enjoyed the content that it provides. If you have any suggestions of other sections that we should add, like a Q&A section or a Tips & Tricks section, post your ideas below.

I’d like to give a big shout out to all people whose content made it into this month’s issue for class ideas and reworks.

Another big thank you to @Miskey and @gamren for your analytics help and assistance with the tier list, a shout out to @2002Tiki and @Dankmastr_McSwag for their additions to the resource section, and finally to @wintergreen3 for the cooperation and helpful information given in the interview.

Thanks again, and we’ll see you next month! Happy CTF’ing!

 

Archer is too map dependent to be high enough for S or A+ tier, and heavy has seen a slight drop in pick rate, due to soldier defense being favored on certain map choices. We also try to use Heavy as the baseline for the rankings of all other classes, and as A tier is the target 'balanced' tier, heavy is placed there.

@Daniellll and @Deplicasus Thanks for the help with the new banner. Certainly looks better than mine. If we get no other submissions, i'll be using yours on the next issue.

 

Thanks to everyone for all the great feedback. I really appreciate it.

I can definitely try to do more interviews for future issues, and I hadn't thought about a media section. It seems like a good idea, and i'll give it some thought.

 

The tier list rankings are based on three criteria, well technically 4. They are all theoretically based around the heavy class and the A tier, which is the technicality criteria. The hard criteria that all classes are based on are their actual performance in matches, their potential performance as a class in general, and their pick rate in competitive matches.

While assassin has low potential performance as you stated, and would most likely be placed in B+ to A tier if based on that alone, assassin is picked in every single competitive ctf match, and offers significant impact on the gameplay scenarios in CTF, both on defense and recovery. This almost 100% pick rate and high performance in competitive matches offset its low potential performance and place it in S tier.

With that said, the meta of CTF will almost certainly change by the next issue in April/May, and all classes are susceptible to a tier change.