Did you ever play capture the flag like a kid? The sport jogs my memory of recess and out of doors play time when I was in elementary school. For many, capture the flag was learned on the playgrounds or ball fields of the elementary schools, or might even function as the first sport they ever played.
At first glance it might look like a running game of tag, but CTF has numerous benefits - teaching team work and strategy. Running and being outdoors is a superb activity for the entire family.
Where exactly did capture the flag originate from? Are there official rules for capture the flag? What are the variants?
In history capture the flag didn't begin like a game. During Medieval battles and wars, it was customary for the winning side from the battle to take items in the defeated party; this included the lands, treasures, and sometimes people in their spoils of war. And also that meant taking on the opponent's flag and raising their very own in triumph.
In the American Civil War, both Union and Confederate soldiers were capturing and guarding their respective flags from one another. At what point this act of demoralization upon your enemy turned into an outdoor game and activity is unknown, but the sport could be traced towards the Boy Scouts, first appearing in the 1947 Scout master's handbook, which outlines the particular game play.
Rules
The basics of capture the flag are this - someone assemble on a field and therefore are divided up into two teams. Two flags are put at either end of the field, each flag representing the teams. The goal is perfect for the other team to capture their opponent's flag and bring it to their side of the field or territory. While trying to get another team's flag, both need to make sure that their flag isn't captured.
As an example, say you have twelve people on a small baseball field. The group breaks up into two groups of five, with the field divided in two for every team, and 2 judges that see the game from each side. Each team has a flag which is placed on each side from the field, visible to any or all playing. The teams are split into guards and runners. Runners are those designated to get to another team's flag, while guards are there to 'guard' their team's flag.
The very first team to get the other's flag and return it for their side of the field wins.
While the game structure is pretty much the same, you will find different variants. When an opponents member is caught, they are able to be either put into a 'jail' for a few minutes after which released back to play, or pressed into the opponents. Some teachers might utilize freeze tag inside the game, where caught opponents are 'frozen' for some minutes or before the teacher calls a reset, so that the teams can regroup. This is the game that i am acquainted with, and took part in elementary school.
One popular variant is with a 'hidden flag'; flags chaussures de foot pas cher are hidden and teams must find them. This is a fairly popular game when playing paintball, which is one sport that has incorporated game basics into their gameplay.
Capture the flag finds its distance to technology too. The hacker conference referred to as DEF CON annually host a type of war game called CTF, by which teams need to gain entry into the computer or computer network from the opposing team. This is a strategy and hacking exercise by which groups prevent the invasion of the network, while attempting to access the opponent's network.
CTF has also found its distance to popular gaming. Many first person shooter games, like the Call of Duty or Halo series have mini games or levels that are similar to those of capture the flag. MMOs also provide variations of this - the battleground referred to as Warsong Gulch in World of Warcraft, for instance, is a CTF model.
This is actually the first battleground that players will be introduced to after they hit a certain level (usually 20); a typical compliant among Alliance members (such as myself) is the fact that members seemingly to not understand how or cannot remember how you can play the basics of CTF. This is actually the response when almost all grouped members run off to try and obtain the Horde team's flag, leaving our flag virtually unguarded and ripe for the taking.
Capture the flag is generally introduced to children round the day of 6 or 7, either as part of an elementary school activity or what little league sport. Rules can be changed based on the chronilogical age of players; for example how to go about capturing opponents who're caught. In technology based CTF, the age of the gamer is dependent upon the rating from the game. In most cases, these games are for teens fifteen and up or adults eighteen or more.
Paintball features its own rules for how old players should be to be able to play, truly action is for kids 6 and up or according to parental discretion.
The place for any good bet on CTF is really dependent on the size of the group playing. For example, after i played as a child, we played around the basketball court as our classes were fairly small. A baseballor football field is generally a great destination to game, though in some cases (like paintball or urban areas), a dirt field works as well.
For paintball games, agencies that sponsor the game will usually have much larger fields in order to accommodate the big number of people who are playing. Kids who will play paintball should dress appropriately, in both paintball gear or long pants and shirts, tennis shoes/sneakers magista pas cher or boots, and a protective helmet. Paintball areas or those that offer the game will usually have equipment that may be rented or bought in case you do not own your gear.
Paintball, while funt, is yet another dangerous sport. Children me - even with long sleeves, paintballs hurt and may leave bruises. It is important that folks and kids understand the danger (that is always explained before groups head out in the game the very first time) and they are prepared before going in. Parental discretion is essential; it may be better to hold back until your son or daughter is older (pre-teen or teen) before letting them play.
With respect to the location and chronilogical age of players, parents may want to take along a little emergency first aid kit for scrapes or bruises. This could included ointment, gauze, and band aids.