Team Fortress 2/Modes

Control Point (CP)
The primary game mode of Team Fortress 2. When a player stands on a control point owned by the opposite team for long enough (the exact time varies by which point on which map), it is "captured" and is now owned by the player's team. Some control points will be "locked", that is, they cannot be captured by either team. To unlock a control point, you usually have to cap a different one. The exact rules vary depending on map. Time spent capping CPs adds up; if a player caps a CP halfway, that CP will stay halfway capped for a little while.

In all CP maps, time is added to the clock whenever a control point is captured. If the round timer ends while a control point is being capped, the round will go into "overtime" and will stay that way until all progress on that CP is lost or the CP is capped.

Capture Point can be further divided into two categories: 2-way and Attack/Defend.

Standard Control Points
All maps of this type have 5 CPs. At the start of the map, BLU and RED will own 2 control points each and another control point, positioned in the middle of the map, will be neutral. Both teams fight over the neutral CP. Once it is capped, a CP on the losing team will be unlocked. The team that owns the middle point will try and capture the unlocked CP, while the team that lost the CP will try and take back the middle.

Once all the CPs are owned by one team, the round is over and if the game hasn't run out of time, a new round will begin. If the game ends and neither team has scored, the game stalemates.

Maps in this mode:
 * ../cp_5gorge/
 * ../cp_badlands/
 * ../cp_coldfront/
 * ../cp_fastlane/
 * ../cp_freight_final1/
 * ../cp_granary/
 * ../cp_well/
 * ../cp_yukon_final/

Attack/Defend
Attack/Defend maps vary greatly in gameplay. In all of them, BLU must capture all control points before time runs out while RED must prevent them from doing so. Once BLU has captured a control point, it is locked and cannot be recaptured by RED. If the time runs out before BLU captures all the CPs, red wins and the teams swap sides. If BLU captures all the CPs, the teams will either swap sides or the map will move on to the next stage. These maps cannot stalemate.

There are multiple forms of gameplay types with these kind of maps.

The basic Attack/Defend map consists of only one stage and 2 to 3 control points. They are set up in a linear fashion so teams must capture one point in order to capture the next.
 * ../cp_gorge/
 * ../cp_manor_event/
 * ../cp_mountainlab/

These maps have multiple stages, with each having 2 control points. Capturing both moves on to the next stage.
 * ../cp_dustbowl/
 * ../cp_egypt_final/

These maps have two control points available for capture at the beginning. Once both are captured the final point is unlocked.
 * ../cp_gravelpit/
 * ../cp_junction_final/

This map is quite unique. The final control point is available for capture at the beginning, but other points are also available for capture. While these points aren't necessary for the attacking team to win, capturing these points unlocks more routes to the final point for BLU and sets up obstacles for RED.
 * ../cp_steel/

Medieval mode is a unique variant of attack/defend maps. All players are limited to their melee weapons and certain other weapons. It plays similar to Gravel Pit, but the final point is only accesible for a limited amount of time before it is closed off, and BLU must recapture both of the previous points to access it again.
 * ../cp_degrootkeep/

Territory Control
Territory Control is similar to the traditional CP mode, except the control point locations are "territories". There are four territories, two for each team, but only two territories owned by opposite teams will be chosen out of random. Both teams must capture the opposite team's control point while defending their own. After one team successfully captures the point, the map moves to another randomly selected pair of territories. Once one team owns all 4 territories, the winning team must capture the enemy base, while the losing team must make a last-ditch effort to defend their base. The game ends when a team captures all the territories including the enemy base or if the enemy successfully defends their base.

Due to the complexity of making a balanced map in this mode, there is only one map created so far:
 * ../tc_hydro/

Capture the Flag (CTF)
In CTF, your goal is to steal the enemy's intelligence briefcase and bring it back to your Intelligence Room. You can still capture the intelligence even if your team's intelligence is missing. If you die while carrying the intelligence, it will drop on the ground and stay there until it returns. To return your intelligence to your base you must defend it for 60 seconds from the point it was dropped without an enemy touching it. If an enemy manages to grab your intelligence within those 60 seconds, the timer will be reset. In a standard game of Capture the Flag, the first team to capture the intelligence three times wins a round. Depending on the server settings, a new round will start or the server will change map. If the map runs out of time and neither team has won a round, the game will stalemate.

Maps in this mode:
 * ../ctf_2fort/
 * ../ctf_doublecross/
 * ../ctf_sawmill/
 * ../ctf_turbine/
 * ../ctf_well/

Payload (PL)
In payload, the BLU team must push a cart to the end of a track while RED must prevent it from getting there. To push the cart, a member of the BLU team must stand next to it. The cart also acts as a level 1 dispenser, replenishing ammo and health to BLU players pushing it. The more BLU people next to the cart, the faster it goes. The cart's speed maxes out at 4 people. Any RED team member standing next to the cart will stop all forward progress until he moves away. If no BLU member stands next to the cart for 30 seconds, it will start rolling backwards. When the round timer runs out and no BLU team member has stood next to the cart for 30 seconds, the match enters overtime and BLU is given only a 5 second timer to stay by the cart. If the timer runs down, RED wins. If the cart reaches the end of the track, BLU wins.

There are also checkpoints scattered along the track. When the cart reaches a checkpoint, time is added to the clock. In addition, the cart cannot roll back past checkpoints. Some maps have one stage with several checkpoints while some maps have multiple stages with less checkpoints per stage. Some maps also have uphill slopes, in which the cart will automatically roll down if no BLU team member is standing next to it.

Maps in this mode:
 * ../pl_badwater/
 * ../pl_barnblitz/
 * ../pl_frontier_final/
 * ../pl_goldrush/
 * ../pl_hoodoo_final/
 * ../pl_thundermountain/
 * ../pl_upward/

Payload Race
In this mode, both teams get a cart—and must push it into the heart of the enemy's base while blocking them from doing the same. Unlike Payload, not pushing the cart for a period of time will not make it move backwards and their is no time limit. Uphill slopes appear quite frequently in these maps. Whichever makes it to the end first wins.

Maps in this mode:
 * ../plr_hightower/
 * ../plr_nightfall_final/
 * ../plr_pipeline/

Arena
In arena, each team attempts to kill every player on the enemy team. There are no respawns, so staying alive is essential. If the game is not over after a minute has passed, a control point is made available. Whichever team captures the point will win. It is generally centered on high-paced, competitive but short matches. There is no resupply lockers and very little health packs, so survival is much harder. A unique feature in Arena mode is the First Blood buff, in which the first player to kill another player gets a five seconds critical hit boost.

When a team is defeated, the players on that team are cycled. Some players remain, while others are pushed into spectators and must wait for the next round. The new team will now need to engage the enemy and claim victory.

Arena games are typically played to a score of 5, with scores being reset once a new team wins. Reaching the score limit will reset the score as well, and split the players across the two teams before filling in the player slots.

Maps in this mode:
 * ../arena_badlands/
 * ../arena_granary/
 * ../arena_lumberyard/
 * ../arena_nucleus/
 * ../arena_offblast_final/
 * ../arena_ravine/
 * ../arena_sawmill/
 * ../arena_watchtower/
 * ../arena_well/

King of the Hill
King of the Hill is somewhat of a combination of standard control points and arena mode. At the start of the match, a control point is locked until after a certain period of time. Once it unlocks, teams must fight over it. Once a team captures it, their timer starts counting down. That team must then defend the point as the enemy team tries to capture it. once the other team captures it, their timer starts counting down and the roles are switched. The team that has their timer reach zero first wins.

Maps in this mode:
 * ../koth_badlands/
 * ../koth_harvest_event/
 * ../koth_harvest_final/
 * ../koth_lakeside_final/
 * ../koth_nucleus/
 * ../koth_sawmill/
 * ../koth_viaduct/

Training
Training is the single-player mode introduced with the Mac Update to help introduce new players to the elements of the game. There is no other player, as teammates and enemies are replaced by bots.

Maps cannot be played normally, but can be accessed by creating your own server.
 * ../tr_dustbowl/
 * ../tr_target/

Item Test
This is the mode for modders and weapon makers to test out their creations. It is unplayable in multiplayer.

The map can only be accessed by creating your own server.
 * ../itemtest/