New CTF scoring system

[TVR]

MO, Dokujisan, it's just making it more complicated.

Pfft.
I don't think what I'm suggesting is all that complicated, not any more complicated than any of the other mechanisms in the game.

Adding extra points for killing a flag carrier is already quite odd; the defenders have to let the attacker actual touch the flag in order to gain the extra points.

Well, I thought about that. However, it could be argued that they are taking a bigger risk by "allowing" the flag to be grabbed. But that is sort of playing around with the points does suck.

Perhaps the flag would actually have to get a certain distance from the base before the "returned flag" points could be rewarded?[/quote]

When you start getting into radii, it becomes a map specific, some flag rooms are huge, while others are tiny and cramped;

Not exactly. You can figure out a common radius to work with most scenarios. If the base is a cramped area, then the radius to extend a little past the walls. That won't hurt anything.

[Greatwall size > Facing Worlds size]

This may possibly lead to a whore-fest like situation where people just stay within the radius to simply siphon off bonus points, while they could be doing something much more tactical.

You know how hard that would be???
It's hard enough just trying to synchronize an attack on the enemy base within a 15 second window. I don't think people are going to be able to coordinate well enough to take advantage of the radius scoring by hugging next to the flag carrier. Remember, that person is going to be laser jumping and moving all over the place.

The only thing I can imagine them doing is grabbing the enemy flag and the whole team switches to defense and NOT capping the flag...just to rack up bonus points for defending base and defending flag carrier.

So, to prevent that, perhaps the "defending flag carrier" bonus points don't work near the base. Problem solved.

[Would frags count then?]

My proposal is this, in order to standardize groups, carrying the flag must impeded in such a way, that escape from one defender with a shotgun is reasonably difficult [disarm the flag carrier? slower movement?];

I don't understand this part of your proposal.

[Simplified: Xeno can't escape our base alone now]

The locations of both flag carriers should be available to both teams to encourage continued protection rather than prolonged cross - capture due to hiding in odd locations as well.

I don't think that will encourage people to protect the flag carrier. Instead, people will continue to do what they are doing now, which is pass right by their flag carrier and go to the enemy base to capture the next flag.

[Except this would shorten the cross - capture time, which I believe is irritating when it drags on]

To balance this out, returning the flag must give absolutely 0 points, so people don't whore the bait-and-frag technique that is quite common among games that fall into a stalemate;

Again, either a distance-from-base limit before giving those points, or a time delay before giving those "return flag" points would be helpful here. This will make it too dangerous to allow the enemies to grab the flag...just for a couple extra points.

Remember, they are getting extra points for grabbing the flag as well. It wouldn't be worth it to play around with that risk.

[IMO, marking the locations of the flag carriers would already make it easy for a dedicated 2+ person team to retrieve the flag (without protection, of course) so giving no points (considering how many flag-respawn-fetishist there are); remember though, frag counter = all points besides captures, and capture counter = only captures]

this way, people will eventually realize that attacking one by one is futile and should group together naturally. In order to reward players who actually do this, the regular point counter could be removed and replaced with a capture & frags counter; with the frag counter having no effect on the game of course.

So a kill is a kill is a kill? That is what I disagree with. It's simply not true. In team play, killing someone that is trying to kill your flag carrier DOES matter more than killing random person. If defending your flag carrier doesn't gain any points, then people will continue to just pass up their flag carrier and try to capture the next flag when their flag carrier dies. Then they get the points and end up at the top of their team when the match ends.

[What if the capture counter is for the entire team?]

This should probably make players feel like they're actually on a team, and all of them can do something, contrasting with an average CTF game
where colourless people make a straight beeline to the opposing base, and die AFTER picking up the flag, forfeiting 5 points to the opposing team.
[This should also make CTF its own gamemode, not TDM with extra objectives]

I don't think your proposal will cause people to play as a team, because people are going to be influenced by the personal scores at the end of the match.

[A single capture counter for each team should solve that; think team pride]