Just thought I'd node up a quick run down on some of the maps made for the mod
TeamFortress. There's many flavours of this mod nowdays for many games, but the maps Im talking about are the ones for the original TeamFortress, made for
Quakeworld.
2fort5r: This map is both hated and loved, depending on who you talk to. This map gave birth to the standard for TF mapping, namely a CTF style of gameplay amongst two identical bases, one for each team. The map design was really finalised in 2fort4, with the next revision, 2for5, just changing some of the textures to make the map look more pretty, adding some lights so the place didnt look like a dungeon, and andding in an extra doorway/path into the flagroom. 2fort5r is the same map, just some of the entities have been changed so that there is a choice between having ammo/armor spawn on the floor or in packs. 2fort5r is without a doubt the most played map, because while being simple and straightforward, it's very balanced and proves to take a bit to master. There are many paths from the front of a base to where the flag is, and the paths are basicly broken into 3 groups.
1) The obvious paths, these involve walking through the front door and taking the most obvious path to the flag.
2) The not so obvious paths, these involve walking through the front door, but taking paths less traveled through the base to the flag (i.e. droping down the elevator from the ramp room to the basement)
3) Player assisted paths. These usually involve the person using some technique (mostly rocket jumping, but also gren jumping, detpipe jumping, and conc jumping) to completely avoid all the normal paths and access the base/flag from a direction thats not possible by simply walking and jumping.
I cant really fit everything I want to say about 2fort5r here, so perhaps I will node it by itself sometime :)
bam4: Another popular map, basicly same gameplay style as 2fort5r. 2 Identical bases, each team captures the enemy flag. The first obvious difference between this map and 2fort5r is that this map has some nice texturing :)
The map is generally dark, and big, VERY big. Open rooms and dark corners make this map a particular favourite for engineers and spies, though it's worth pointing out that most of the secret enterances into the base (either swimming underwater or getting into the flagroom the back way) require you to shoot open the doors to the passages, removing your disguise if you are a spy. The map is easy to attack, and easy to defend. It's relatively quick from the front of the base to the flagroom (expecially if you using some sort of expolosive to assist jumping) and there's even health/ammo in the first big room that attackers can get to. The flag is in a room with 1 tunnel and 1 secret enterance. The tunnel provides a nice bottleneck which is easy to defend (the most popular defence spot is in sight of both the tunnel and the secret enterance).
canalzon: created by David Sawyer, a talented map maker and a supporter of the belief that constantly playing 2fort5r will kill you :) The maps gameplay is different from the norm. It's a "capture and hold" style, where each team must take flags from their base to various points throughout the map. Once a flag is taken to one of the 8 points that team gains control of that point and gets 1 point every couple of seconds for as long as they have control of it. Playing on a public server with this map was at best, unorganized. The lack of 1 focal point to defend/attack and lack of communication in public games meant that people were off doing their own thing and teams often lacked the cohesion needed to play this map well. One interesting thing to note is that a spy who had successfully infiltrated the enemy base can hit a control panel to open all the doors to the base, allowing friends to get inside. If a demoman could get inside, and set a detpack in the enemy command room, the resulting explosion would make the enemy team lose all their captured points.
well6: Another CTF map, in the same vein as 2fort5r. This map though, is legendary for being "the map" for anyone who plays as a sniper. The bases have viewpoints from which they can see right over to the other base, which are very far apart. There is a winding sewer system that cuts back and forth between the space between the bases, offering a route which might offer some protection from a snipers scope. Also half way between the 2 bases there is a small building which one must go through to travel from 1 base to the other. The flagroom is interesting, being a giant tower with 2 open elevators that take you up to the top where the flag is. Dont expect the journey up the elevators to be uneventful, Im sure a defending soldier will gladly give you a rocket or two to keep you company :)
Each base has a loft above it with a view into the main room of the base. The loft is heavily stocked with ammo, health, and armor, which is more often than not used by the enemy team attacking the base than the defenders themselves :)
lador11: Not an overly popular map, but a map that deserves mention :) It's very small, very compact, very dark. A popular in small lan games, if for no other reason that a demoman can quickly turn an enemies base into grenade city. Map consists of a cornfield, on either side are 2 houses (complete with utes at the side). Object is to get into the enemy house, steal their key, take it downstairs to unlock the enemies basement and steal their chicken. Take the chicken back to your house, kill it (via guillotine) and you get 10 points :) With a couple of people on the map it can get very crazy, throwing grenades in the windows and running around like a madmen in the corn field make this map one of the most entertaining to play.
hunted: This map is a nightmare to play on public servers. One person is nominated the president (armed only with an axe and has only 50 health, no armor). One team must protect the president and escort him to safety, while the other team must assinate the president. The map requires coordination to be done well, the one thing severly lacking on a public server. The president often runs out, his bodyguards off doing something else, only to take a few steps then fall over thanks to a sniper some distance away. Fun when played well, frustrating when not (at least for the bodyguards).
accel: Not a very popular map (only had a brief rotation on pub servers a long time ago). The map design is simple. 4 Big boxes suspended above a giant pool of lava. 1 flag is in the middle on a tiny platform, moving platforms go from each box to the middle platform. 4 Teams simply try to grab the flag and stop others. Completely biased towards the sniper class (both spawn points in each base are in clear view of enemy snipers). Play this map with grappling hook turned on for extra laughs.
rock2: A very popular map, the theme is that each base is a rough model of alcatraz. You have to infiltrate the enemy base, steal their key, and take the key to the enemy gas chamber. Once the gas chamber is activated, you have about 6 seconds to race around and find a gas mask (or jump in the water) or your killed. This applies to everyone on both teams. Nothing more satisfying to cap and watch a large chunk of the enemy team die (then notice that most of your silly teammates died as well). If you try to get into the enemys respawn room, you get stripped of all your ammo and are thrown into their jail. Just a funny gimmick, not really a tactical tool, as you can just suicide and respawn back in your own base. This map is definately not spy friendly (giant spotlights in the main courtyard light up whenever anyone from the enemy team walks into the yard).
Phew, I will edit this node later and add more. Next ones to be done will be havoc6(havoc32b), civsaw4, border1, spaz4, storm7, colony1, 2night2, dkeep2, emp, mines, sniprwar, and many more.
I've tried not to ramble on, but the reality is each of these maps could easily fill a node of their own, a task I might do someday. The information might not be 100% correct or complete. Anyway, if you have any others I have missed out or have some feedback, just drop me a line :)