Capture the Standard
Two-team Roman CTF — raid the enemy base, grab their standard, and return it home for the win.
Capture the Standard (CTF) is Imperium's two-team objective PvP mode. Players queue in, get auto-balanced onto the Gold Eagles and Red Wolves teams, and spawn at their team's base. The objective is classic: raid the enemy base, grab their standard (flag), and carry it back to your own base to score a capture. First team to 3 captures wins, with a 10-minute time limit - if time expires, the team with more captures wins (a tie is a tie). It is a structured alternative to the free-for-all PVP Mine.
Queuing & Match Start
A match begins when staff (or an automated scheduler) open the queue. Players run /ctf join to enter, and once enough players are queued on both sides, the match starts and everyone is teleported to their spawn point. You can leave the queue any time with /ctf leave before the match begins.
Team assignment balances player count, not skill - expect mixed-skill teams. The mode is designed for fast, chaotic fun rather than ranked balance; serious ranked play happens in the Arena ELO system.
The Match Loop
- Spawn at your base. Each team has a flag base (where the standard sits) and a respawn point, set by staff with the
/ctf setgoldbasefamily of commands. - Raid or defend. Push into the enemy base to grab their standard, or stay back and defend yours. Most teams split duties.
- Carry the standard home. Once you pick up the enemy standard, run it back to your own base. If your own standard is missing (stolen by the enemy), you cannot score until it's returned.
- Death drops the flag. If the carrier dies, the standard drops where they fell. Either team can pick it up - defenders to return it, attackers to continue the capture.
- Score a capture. Return the enemy standard to your base while your own is in place: that's one capture.
The match runs for a fixed 10 minutes (or ends early at 3 captures). When time expires, the team with the most captures wins; equal scores end in a tie - no sudden death. Team helmets are handed out at start and your original helmet is restored after the match, and everyone is teleported out of the arena when it ends.
CTF deaths are sanctioned. Participant checks recognize an active match: dying in CTF does not trigger the global death penalty (no balance percentage lost, no gear drops), and the arena is contained - wander beyond the arena radius mid-match and you are snapped back inside.
Rewards
Payouts are flat and paid in Denarius the moment the match ends: 100,000 for every player on the winning team and 25,000 for the losing side (a participation payout so the queue stays healthy). The result is broadcast server-wide either way.
Commands
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
/ctf join | Enter the queue for the next Capture the Standard match. |
/ctf leave | Leave the queue (or abandon the active match). |
/ctf status | View the current match status - teams, scores, and time remaining. |
/ctf setgoldbase | Staff: set the Gold team's flag base at your location. |
/ctf setredbase | Staff: set the Red team's flag base at your location. |
/ctf setgoldspawn | Staff: set the Gold team's respawn point. |
/ctf setredspawn | Staff: set the Red team's respawn point. |
/ctf start | Staff: force-start a match from the current queue. |
/ctf stop | Staff: end the active match immediately. |
Players only need /ctf join, /ctf leave, and /ctf status. The setup commands (setgoldbase, setredbase, setgoldspawn, setredspawn) are run once by staff to lay out the arena, then reused only if the arena moves.
Tips
- Balance raid and defense. A team that sends everyone to raid leaves their flag undefended; a team that turtles never scores. Split 50/50.
- Protect your carrier. The flag carrier is a magnet for the entire enemy team - escort them home.
- Return dropped flags fast. A dropped standard is a free recapture for the enemy; defenders should prioritize returning it.
- Use combat abilities. Mobility and burst abilities shine in CTF's open-field chases.
- Don't rage-quit. Leaving mid-match hurts your team and may incur a queue cooldown. Play it out.