To play CTF with the 3ZB on maps (whether dm or CTF) you will need to create .chn files that provide the bot with a route (or routes) between the two flags. With 1.51 of 3ZB Ponpoko provided a help file to create these files, it wasn't totally clear though so I have done a new guide here which will hopefully provide some help to those who want to play CTF on extra maps with this excellent bot.

Right, to begin with make sure you have set chedit to 1. Either use this in your Quake2 command line or type "chedit 1" at the console. Then load up the map you want to play and you should be in editing mode. To tell if you are in editing mode try walking over any items. If you don't pick any items up then you are in chedit mode.

Now you have to work out where the red base will be (the red flag has to be place first). It's best to pick a high place as this is easier to defend. The choice is up to you though. Once you have found a suitable place, from the console type "impulse 52" to place the red flag. The capture sound should be played and if you step away from where you placed the flag it should be there. Next bind a key to "impulse 50". This is the command that drops the chaining heads and you will need to use it often. Now go and find a place for the blue flag. Once you have decided on an area for the blue flag (don't place the blue flag yet) make your way back to the red flag. Now we you can start to make routes between flags.

To do this walk away from the red flag on a route towards where you want the blue flag to be. As you go press your key binded to "impulse 50". Each use of "impulse 50" should play a sound and little skulls should appear on the floor which, should be connected to the flag and each other by green lines (this is done automatically, you don't need to walk out the line yourself. It should be easy to work out this is the path the bot will take. Try to take a route that you would normally take when going between the flags, but don't make it to difficult or impractical. As the 3ZB can use the Grapppling Hook you can use this in creating the path. Whenever it needs to go higher up the bot will use the hook. So if you want it to take a shortcut it is possible.

Once you have made your way to where you want you blue flag to go (and you have a route of skulls behind you) you can place the blue flag using "impulse 53". Now stand over this and drop another skull ("impulse 50"). As long as the route can be connected you should here a new sound and the green line should be connected to the blue flag. This sound signals that the route has been completed and once into a proper game the bot will follow this route. Now you can go back to the red flag and make more, varied, routes to the blue flag. You will also need to set where each team spawns when they first enter the game. Using "impulse 58" you can set where the red team spawns (obviously put this near the base). You can put as many spawning points in as you like. "impulse 59" does exactly the same thing, but puts in blue team spawning points.

Once you have got at least one complete route, and spawning points for both teams have been created use "impulse 55" to save the file (a little message should come up telling you what has happened), set "chedit" to 0 from the console and reload the map. Now if you spawn some bots on either team they should start using your routes to get to each flag.

"Something's not working!" I hear you shout. Here are some of the stuff that can go wrong: While creating a route you get the message "can't put here". This message means that the link between the last skull and the one you are trying to place cannot be established. The most common cause for this is putting skulls round corners. The link between each skull has to be straight and cannot be bent. So you need to place skulls so they can connect without having to be bent (it should be easy to work out how to make routes round corners). The same goes for placing skulls above or below each other, the link has to be in a straight line and not through any walls or floors. Remember to make sure you put in team spawn points or the teams will not be able to spawn. Also remember to save the file before you exit, or all that hard work will be lost.

When creating routes it is advisable to stick to a low limit. Think of how many basic routes you use when playing CTF. It's probably only about four, although you make little variations each time. With too many routes the bot may keep changing it's route which will mean the bot takes longer to get between each base. It can also cause overflows when creating the actual routes, which can stop you completing the route and cause other problems. You will notice that the routes provided by Ponpoko are only around 3-4Kb. Even for a large level like q2ctf2. The first route I made, for fatal2, was 5kb and caused a massive amount of overloads (on my P120). So keep to direct routes and don't make several routes that are almost identical to each other as this is a waste.

To get an idea of what is a full .chn file download this .zip which contains my .chn for starctf2 (to see this you obviously need the starctf2 map) and put it in the chain folder in your 3zb directory you can then edit it by setting chedit to 1 and loading the starctf2 map in quake2. Warning this file causes overflows on my machine when being edited (it will work fine in normal mode, and the bots will play it well) and may do the same on yours (you'll know if it does ;) so don't send me mail saying my file was screwed up.

Here's a list of the commands available while in chedit mode, and what each of them does:

General Commands
• Impulse 50: Drops a chaining head (looks like a skull) and will connect the new head to the previous one. Also used to complete chaining when placed onto the blue flag.
• Impulse 51: Meant to remove chaining heads, flags and any extra items. Have to be over what you want to remove when you use it.
• Impulse 52: Places the Red flag. Always place the red flag first and make routes from the red to the blue flag.
• Impulse 53: Places Blue flag.
• Impulse 55: Saves a .chn file. Remember to have created at least one, complete, route before saving or no route will be created and the flags won't appear once you have reloaded the level. Also remember to actually save before reloading :)
• Impulse 58: Adds a Red team spawn point. Used when members of the red team first enter the game. Unlimited number can be placed.
• Impulse 59: Adds a Blue team spawn point. Same use as the red spawn point except used by blue team members

Weapon and Ammo Placement Commands
• Impulse 62-70: Adds extra weapons (From Shotgun <62> to BFG 10K <70>, in there usual order)to where you are standing when you use the command. Used to even out weapon placing in a level if the weapons are not balanced fairly between each base.
• Impulse 71: Places a box of shells.
• Impulse 72: Places a box of bullets.
• Impulse 73: Places a box of cells.
• Impulse 74: Places some grenades.
• Impulse 75: Places a Rockets canister.
• Impulse 76: Places a Slugs canister.

Item Placement Commands
• Impulse 80: Places a Quad Damage.
• Impulse 81: Places a Silencer.
• Impulse 82: Places a ReBreather.
• Impulse 83: Places an Environment Suit.
• Impulse 84: Places an Ancient Head (?).
• Impulse 85: Places an Adrenaline Pack.
• Impulse 86: Places a Bandolier.
• Impulse 87: Places an Ammo Pack.

Armour Placement Commands
• Impulse 90: Places some Body Armour.
• Impulse 91: Places some Combat Armour.
• Impulse 92: Places some Jacket Armour.
• Impulse 93: Places an Armour Shard.
• Impulse 94: Places a Power Screen.
• Impulse 95: Places a Power Shield.