I have started work on the next leg of the project for the LibreTag system. It consists of two bases which act as both a respawn point and adds CTF (Capture The Flag) capability to the game. There will also be a master console which will control the bases as well as showing each teams score and game time if required.
Each base will glow/pulsate the teams colour so it can be seen from a distance at night. They will communicate via IR with the players and with wireless 433Mhz modules to the master console. On each pulse of light, the base will also send out a IR command to give each player +10 health and a new clip up to the game maximums.With the wireless communication it will be possible for each base to notify and receive instructions regarding the status of the flags and used to relay IR commands to players when they come within distance. This could be used for example to kill a certain player when he goes to a base or send an “end game” signal to all players when the game timer runs out.
When an enemy shoots the base, it will initiate a 3 way handshake with the gun and players head senors to transfer the flag to them. The players head sensors will then flash/pulse with the colour of the teams flag they have just stolen and have to make their way back to their base, where they can transfer the flag to their base in much the same way. If they player dies on route, then when they respawn at a base the flag will be returned in much the same way.
At its initial conception, there will be two game types:-
1. Classic CTF – Each team has one flag, on successfully stealing the enemy’s team’s flag, the flag is returned and they get a point. Winner is the team with the most points.
2. Enhanced CTF – Each team starts with 8 flags which act as a power source for the bases, when you steal the enemy’s flag you keep it. For every flag a team loses, they’re base will slow down at the rate it sends out recharge pulses, and faster for every flag you gain. The object is to capture all the enemy’s flags thus rendering their base lifeless, leaving just a short firefight to finish them off.