cpoint: 4 years

[CSN NewsBot]

Four years ago, Counter-Strike BETA 1 was released. A long history and a lot of changes mark the journey from small-time mod to commercial success. To celebrate, asspennies and I have done a Counter-Point about the history of Counter-Strike. As always, here's a tidbit with absolutely no context:

I also remember the maps -- cs_prison was the first map I played. It almost stopped me from playing more when I couldn't figure out how to get down from a ledge. My next map was the aforementioned cs_siege. I've always had a soft spot for this map, ever since that time, during beta 2, that I went 29-1 AWPing people who ran around the cliff corner from the crate just outside the garage. It was the one and only time I've ever shown some skill in using any sniper rifle.



But one thing that needs to be addressed is the community. I didn't really get into the CS community until around Beta 3, when I started talking in the Counter-Strike.net forums. That was when there were only about 500 people playing the game and less in the forums. It's not so much that the community was tight-knit -- no matter how romantic you want to be about it, it wasn't. It's just that there was a certain charm to the small size of it. You could make a post in the forums, for instance, and not have it drop 3 pages in an hour. You could ask a question and genuinely get it answered. It was a fleeting, but exciting, time.

Read the rest of this week's issue of Counter-Point here!



By the way, in various places the release date of BETA 1 is listed as the 19th of June. It was actually released a full hour before midnight (eastern), but cliffe couldn't afford an accurate watch or something. BETA 1 came out at 8 PM Pacific on June 18th, 1999.

[CARTMAN]

ahh the memories

[Vayalent]

Edited by [user="117719"] @ [time="1055970899"]

Wooo

I was going to ask if you had anything planned for *ehem* FOUR Years of CS.



..just read it, lovely stuff. Usually Counter-Point is boring nonsense that didn't interst me, but I like nostaltia, especially CS nostaltia and it looks like you 2 have written some good stuff.

[SonicB00m]

Good read,



I lub you rizzuh.



HAha. Good times cs has been.

[whiskas]

nice read

the thing that I missed most was that headshots were very difficult to get in the BETAs



now you get headshots a dime a dozen, and it doesn't even take skill, just dumb noob luck.

[DarkViper311]

that was the best 5 minutes ive ever wasted

[_alZha_]

btw> I think the p90 is belgian so they would be pretty pissed off to hear to be called french.

[tspoon1066]

Ye Olde Fabrique Nationale P90 eh? I still like it, but anything over 10 yards it just seems to lose its potency.

Good article.

[Sp00neyG]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CS..hehe

i remember the good ol' days of beta 2...i used to love siege as well..but now, we have all moved on...and i still love it

great article btw...good read

[orphy]

I never played the betas at the time of their release, but I've got a fairly accurate picture painted about it. That was actually a pretty cool Counter-Point.

[ChardN]

That was the best CP yet, and in fact, the only one I have read all the way through. Shocking. I really cant remember when I started playing I think it was 1.1, but then again I cant remember what I had for dinner 3 hours ago...

[XTRMNTR]

Yeah, great CP guys, definitely the best read yet. Makes me wish I was around for those whimsical Beta days.

[Seven`]

Definitely the best Counter-Point you guys have done. I have heard about most of the things you mentioned, but I wish I could have been there. Unfortunately, I didn't start playing CS until the last beta. It was 7-point-something, don't exactly remember. It wasn't long until 1.0 came out though.



As far as favorite version, 1.5 is the best so far.

[Spoonman]

I remember BETA 6.0 when I first played and laid eyes on Counter-Strike. It was on cs_siege no doubt, killed two enemies the first time I played and I was hooked from then on. I even remember telling my friend about the AUG and that it was a good weapon (Since I saw it in Die Hard.) I also remember my friend saying that the new radar system was gay before realizing that it was for teammates only. Ahh... the good ol days of red text. Nostalgia consumes me.

[Antinous-ODY]

Good CP guys, also the only one I finished. I dont remember when I started, but it was sometime in the fall of 99. Anybody know what beta or official version that was? Sad, I made a friend at school because he played in a server I hosted once. He asked where it was and then I asked who he was.. anyway that story isnt really interesting so I'll stop.



I wonder how much CS would change in CS2 if vehicles were added. I am open to the idea, but then again, I am not sure. I was heavily disappointed when they removed the APC from seige. Man that was awesome. Jeepathon was cool, but I think the maps without vehicles had a better, more organized feel to them. I'm sure in private servers they would be alright.



My personal opinion on the worst change was around 1.1-1.3 I think. When they made the awp more than a 1 shot kill. I think that if someone was shot in the leg with such a powerful rifle, they would be as good as dead. Maybe just have their movement slowed down like in Americas Army, Raven Shield, etc.



Was there ever a 1.2? I swear there never was but people tell me there was. Maybe it was only for retail. I think thats what happened. But anyway....



This CP was very nostalgic. I remember when I was a n00b and I would awp up in the tower on de_cbble before they added that back door. Also, I would camp with an awp behind that big block on Aztec where the old bombsite was. Militia was fun with the awp as a T on the roof because of the limb kills. I would get 5 kills a round with that. Man I am sick. I used to marvel over the death animations. That was one of the things I showed my friends when I first started playing. "Check out the sweet death animations!"



Enough is enough; as fun as those old versions were, I think the new versions are better and better.