Double Cross

Double Cross
Basic Information
Variants:	Doublefrost
Developer(s):	Unknown
Map Info
Environment:	Industrial
Setting:	Nighttime
Hazards:	Pitfall
Map Photos
Map Overview

“

"In the middle of the night, two bridges span a bottomless chasm of certain doom. (Said bridges span the chasm in the day also, but the gate is locked.) Secret bases concealed behind the unassuming facades of a factory and a farm built next door to each other fool absolutely no one in the area, who sometimes gather around to “watch all them mercenaries fight over that Spy base." Doublecross is a fast-paced map that promises a lot of turnaround, with fighting focused on the main bridge and plenty of ways to fall off of it (or cause others to). The secondary train bridge below is perfect for sneakier classes, and provides a number of secret tunnels." — The WAR! Update

”

Double Cross is a Valve-created Capture the Flag map. It was released with the WAR! Update.

The team must capture the opposing team's Intelligence until the game's capture limit is reached (default limit is 3) while preventing the enemy team from achieving the same.

Locations

• The Main Bridge: Directly opposite each team's spawn room on the floor below lies the main bridge, linking the two bases. A truck, crates and dirt are scattered across it, partially blocking sight-lines. There is a single toll booth on both sides, each with a small health kit inside. This bridge offers a direct route to the enemy courtyard and Intelligence room.
• The Train Bridge: Below and perpendicular to the Main Bridge is the Train Bridge. This can be reached from the Main Bridge via a set of stairs on either side. The Train Bridge offers access to each base's extensive sewer system, with a medium health kit placed in the precise center of the bridge itself. A bottomless pit yawns below it.
• The Intelligence room: The Intelligence sits in the middle of a small room below and to the left of each team's spawn room. It has three access points: An upper gantry leading towards the spawn, the main doorway leading to the courtyard, and another doorway leading to a refuse area, which can be reached from the Battlements. In the Intelligence room the Announcer security panel featured in Meet the Spy can be seen; this will light up displaying the appropriate message if the Intelligence is taken.
• The Courtyard: Opposite the main base entrance and below the spawn room is the Courtyard. This open area links the Main Bridge to the Intelligence room, as well as the spawn to the Intelligence room via an upper gantry. There is a small shed here from which the sewers can be reached via a short drop. A small health kit and ammo box can be found underneath the gantry.
• The Battlements: A small Sniper deck can be accessed from the Spawn. This runs parallel to and looks out over the Main Bridge, with each team's deck opposite the other. From here the Intelligence room may also be accessed via a short drop into the refuse area.
• The Sewers: The bottom level of each base is comprised of a network of tunnels and maintenance rooms. They are accessed from either inside the base via stairwell near the entrance, the shed in the Courtyard, or from a one-way chute in the spawn room dropping into a pool of water. Each sewer exits to the Train Bridge. A small health kit and a medium ammo crate can be found at the foot of the stairs.

• 

  Exterior of RED base

• 

  Main bridge and BLU base

• 

  Courtyard leading to the Intel room

• 

  BLU's Intel room

• 

  Deep chasm with Train Bridge.

• 

  Basement sewer of RED base

• 

  Entrance to RED base

• 

  Refuse drop to Intel room

See also: Category:Double Cross images

Strategy

• Scouts may find it easier to use the sewer system to get to the enemy intelligence, as most of the enemy forces will be concentrated on the bridge.
• Spies may also find the sewer system useful in order to get into the base quickly and without provoking attention. The map also provides many unobtrusive places to hide while cloaked, such as on top of crates and barrels.
• The sewer access shed in the courtyard is an excellent way to avoid the main entrance if you are looking for an escape route with the Intelligence.
• Conservative Engineers can construct a reasonably effective Sentry Gun at the top of the gantry in the Intelligence room to guard it. Be warned; building on the gantry in the courtyard will allow enemies who walk directly underneath it to get to the Intelligence room untouched. More adventurous Engineers may like to consider building in the enemy sewers.
• Skilled Engineers can consider building a sentry in a location that guards both bridges, such as the ammo drops halfway across the upper bridge, or on the roof of the shed outside the front entrance. Be warned, however, that Sentry Guns here are difficult to establish and usually destroyed quickly. However, on effective deploy, they can prove difficult to remove.
• Soldiers and double jumping/Force-A-Nature wielding Scouts can reach the enemy Battlements in the same way they can on 2Fort. From here, you have direct access to the Intelligence room. Also note that Soldiers, Demomen, and Scouts are the only classes that can escape over the balcony overlooking the refuse area to the Battlements. Scouts can do it with either a regular double jump or a Force-A-Nature triple jump, though it is much more difficult in only two jumps, and takes practice.
• It is not too difficult to organize a strong push with offensive classes into the enemy courtyard, as unlike other CTF maps there are no killer Sentry Gun locations. If Medic backed Heavies and Soldiers make it to the enemy base entrance, they will be in a good position to break into the Intelligence room directly. Be wary of classes attacking from the balcony leading from the spawn here.
• You can shoot directly into the enemy courtyard by hanging out a battlement window.
• The bottomless pit is coded in a way that can prove hazardous to players carrying the intelligence, as falling into it will force the carried intelligence to return to its home base. For clever players on defense who know how to carefully utilize knockback, this can be used as a very effective defense against fleeing enemy intelligence carriers.
• The bush on the Train Bridge is useful for hiding a Demoman with a Eyelander or Horseless Headless Horsemann's Headtaker and a Chargin' Targe, to do the charge ability and rack up the head counter, however use caution and slyness when you hide.
• As a Engineer, Soldier or Demoman, it's possible to jump through the door between the enemy spawn and water pool via a sticky, rocket or sentry rocket jump.

Update history

February 3, 2010 Patch

• Fixed the map not ending correctly when using mp_timelimit.
• Changed to prevent Engineers from building on top of the shack in each base.

February 23, 2010 Patch

• Improved clipping to prevent players from getting to unintended places.

January 6, 2010 Patch

• Reduced the number of moons in ctf_doublecross. Before the patch, 7 moons could be seen on the map's skyline.

Trivia

• Security alarm panels, much like those featured in Meet the Spy, appear in each teams' Intelligence room with the panels 'ALERT', 'INTELLIGENCE' and 'CAPTURED' lighting up when the enemy team has taken the Intelligence.
• This isn't the first Valve map to bear the name "Double Cross". The first Double Cross was an original Half-Life map designed for team deathmatch and was a sequel to the immensely popular Crossfire. Like Crossfire, it involved a bunker which could be defended and one could activate a superweapon to kill everyone not inside the bunker.
• The map's original name was Nightfall, but a community map PLR Nightfall was released before the WAR! Update.
  • The skybox for Double Cross still bears the filename sky_nightfall_01.

External links

• WAR! Update: VI Day - New maps