New To Map Making - Problems I'm Having

Hey Everyone,
So I have just started making a map and so far I'm happy to say it's going well, however I have now hit a point that I cannot finish the map. Here are the problems I'm having.

CP Texture - Right now my cp is all pink and black squares, it does however look like its reflections are pink and black squares, I've tried making all the textures tf2 only and removing all the lights.

Arena Mode - The biggest problem I am having, how do I make it so there is only one life per player and how do I make it so the cp only activates after 60 seconds?

Trains - Not required for this but I plan on making a train based duel map next.

Thanks in advance!

For the first one you need to place an env_cubemap on the map somewhere, that will fix the issue.  If not then the game isn't recognizing the sky and you need to try a different one.

No clue on arena.

You need to make a func_tracktrain, some paths, and then parent a model to the tracktrain.  This is for lifts, but is still a train, just vertical http://www.halfwit-2.com/?page=tutorials&id=9  If it needs to be deadly you'll also have to parent a trigger_hurt to the tracktrain as well.

Thankyou very much for your help.
I haven't tried what you have said yet but I'm sure it will work, I haven't tried to do use env_cubemap yet because I have found out how to make the map arena and I'm only halfway through that process, and I don't need the train yet but I will come back to this thread after I finish my current map.

Thanks, I'll probly have more questions later.

Check out this post on how to compile Cube Maps. http://www.teamfortress2fort.com/forums/t/HowtofullycompileCubeMaps-19852.aspx

Arena map mode is EASY. Copy/psate

Don't have time to search for you but there is a tut at fpsbanana.

It tells you how, but there is one entity that I could not figure out how to make for the life of me. It doesn't exist for some reason. But that tut has a smaple map with it, you can grab all the entities, copy and paste into your map. It all works, there is nothing more to do.

(unless you want doors to open at certian time, etc... I used the timer for the cap to open my cap point doors at 60 sec.)

Once you put those in your map you will have to wait AND spawn bots (type bot in console) to start the game mode so you can run around.