Source of Enthusiasm

[CSN NewsBot]

Amped eSports has a writeup detailing why the differences found in Counter-Strike: Source compared to 1.6 will improve competitive gameplay as a whole.

The other redeeming nature for me of source is how the maps are physically laid out. While as a whole the immediate paths, structure, and fundamentals of the maps haven't changed, there is much less of "shooting fish in a barrel". They have placed into the maps, nooks and crannies which create a better use of tactical movement and not an all or nothing when committing to a long hallway and someone sitting at the end of it with an AWP. I firmly believe that skill in shooting will be less emphasized and team movement becoming a more dominant tactical force.

Read all about it.

[Urban Terror]

Thank goodness for Amped eSports. I don't know where I would be without them and their helpful articles.,

[e0ytk]

I have to agree after playing a lot of 1.6 then moving to Source. The shooting skill is still required but if your team is slack not even a 'one man army' player can make up for a good team in Source. More often than not, you need better team co-ordination in Source and much less in 1.6. I still love em' both though, and I can't wait till they get more maps and etc. out for Source.

[DeFade]

"I firmly believe that skill in shooting will be less emphasized and team movement becoming a more dominant tactical force."



I guess so.... aiming is impossible in css. Or is it just me...

[HankPym]

Reading that made me wonder what it might have been like if they had at least given the riot shield a chance in CS Source. I'm sure the new engine would have avoided a lot of the problems that arose quite nicely.

[entRo]

-After posting this, I realized how long it was. Sorry.



Um, I don't know how many of you read the article, but I'm suprised there isn't more posts saying how wrong the author is.



First he talks about the physical objects (barrels, tires, etc.) and how they can impact competitive gaming. Maybe it's just me, but I can't think of a map (used in pro-play, ported over to CSS, such as dust2 or cbble) that makes effective use of the physical objects. You can kick them around and sorta-kinda hide behind them, but there isn't really any way to quickly block a path off with them. The barrels and other large objects just kinda get in the way. There's no tactical use for them, as hiding behind them often leads to them being shot into you (causing you to be pushed back by them), and attempting to block off a path with them is too frustrating and time consuming to actually work. Even if you are able to somehow get a few barrels in the way of a choke point, they're extremely easy to move if you simply shoot them and don't bother trying to kick them.



The glass. Yeah, it's harder to see through the glass once it's been shot once.. but for fucks sake.. if you're looking through the glass from a distance, why would you not just shoot a majority of it out so that you can see through it? I havn't played prodigy on CSS yet, but I'm assuming the map retains the glass it had in the 1.6 version. If this is true, regardless of glass being difficult to see through once shot, the areas where there is glass are so small that you're too close to the glass to NOT be able to see through it I'm sure. Almost all competitive maps don't make use of glass. Nuke is the only one I can think of, and even then, the glass is rarely encountered.

When lights can swing around and create visually distracting elements into the game play, that's cool and refreshing.

When does this happen.. ever? Even if it did, competitive players aren't going to be distracted by pretty-shiny things while they just want to shoot the first enemy they see. Even the casual player wouldn't be distracted by such an effect after seeing it once or twice.

The mappers so far have done a superb job in adding more places to shoot from and elements to the game shaping a more natural environment.

No, I don't think there is more places to shoot from. I'm excluding chateau and havana (and cs_ maps) since they've long been rejected from competitive play. For dust2 and cbble, I can't think of a single useful place to shoot from that wasn't in the 1.6 versions of the maps. As far as the maps seeming more natural, what does that have to do with competitive play? de_cpl_mill has some of the best gameplay in competitive maps, and who knows what the fuck is going on in that map. There's a sewer system.. for no reason, and a big ass kitty on the wall. Who cares? It plays great.

The other redeeming nature for me of source is how the maps are physically laid out. While as a whole the immediate paths, structure, and fundamentals of the maps haven't changed, there is much less of "shooting fish in a barrel".

This is the only point the author makes that I agree with. However, it seems that important chokeholds were ignored while time was spent on areas sparesely fought over. Such as the B bombsite in dust2. The T's pretty much got screwed with the makeover of this map. Grenades are now even easier to throw over the wall, and entry for CTs is generally easier from all three entrances. I havn't scrimmaged dust2 on CSS yet, but I get flashed enough trying to enter the bombsite as a T. I can only imagine the extreme frustration when a rush is stopped by a single super-flashbang that Source brings.

A last point to the new maps is that they seem to make more sense in the world.

Doesn't matter.

The retina burn and ringing from the flash are much more effective than their predecessors. There is no turning around and avoiding it which renders these bad boys seriously potent and useful.

And the fact that each player can have two of these $200 team-paralyzing bombs makes it even more awesome!!!!!!



I hate getting flashbanged as it is, but atleast in 1.6 I can turn around before it goes off and save myself the guesswork that comes with being totally blind. I don't understand why that option was removed in CSS.

The new 'Frag Grenade' is not so far from the 'HE' of the past and the ringing helps add to the effect taking a staple in competitive CS and effectively strengthening it without going overboard. My only issue is learning how the throw them right it's different and I frequently bank these bad boys off things and make mistakes.

The grenades (frag, flash, and smoke) are way too small. While difficult to tell them apart mid-air in 1.6, it's pretty much impossible in CSS. I can hardly see grenades coming, much less say "Hey! That's a smoke grenade! No worries bra's". Usually, I hear a bank-sound, and then I blow up. That's cool. The size of grenades needs to be increased.

The new Smoke is much more effective and at times can be completely immobilizing to an enemy attack. I have several instances of just being completely engulfed in smoke and having no clue what is going on. This grenade might be a bit much but all in all the debate over the 16 bit can die and that's enough to make me smile.

All that means is that it's going to be even easier for the T's to just walk right by the CTs and plant the bomb. A smoke grenade combined with two or three flashes in CSS is enough to make you just punch yourself in the face out of shear frustration. Don't do it, it hurts. Trust me.

There final feature which are pretty darn neat and I have become very accustomed too is the new fastswitch, because for the first time (that I know of) I can use my mouse wheel to scroll through my weapons without clicking to whip'em out. This has been something that's been pretty impactful in how I play and when attempting to play 1.6 the other day I felt handicapped without it.

This will not help competitive play. If anything, you're worse off using your mousewheel to change weapons just because it takes longer. It's not a bad thing to include the feature for people who want it (people like stupid things), but it's just not going to help the competitive community one bit.

[ZackMorris]

after reading the previous two articles this website has written I am sorry to inform DChozn that I will not be reading this one <3

[arctic]

entRo wrote..

When does this happen.. ever? Even if it did, competitive players aren't going to be distracted by pretty-shiny things while they just want to shoot the first enemy they see. Even the casual player wouldn't be distracted by such an effect after seeing it once or twice.

It happens all the time, do you have A.D.D or something, most of your arguments are wrong as hell. For example: No. You cannot see threw the glass very well once its been shot threw and it takes one hell of alotta bullets to make a square big enough so that you can.



The barrels are great if you use your head. Yeah there are instances where you run in to one and you die or w/e but honestly there have been so many times when me and another in a 1v1 will be strafing and firing and I'll win because I'll be going behind the barrels which take the hits instead of me even if they fall over they serve a good cause.



I'm too tired to go in to all of your comments but I'll add more later.

[entRo]

arctic wrote..

It happens all the time, do you have A.D.D or something,

When do the lights swing around? No, I don't have ADD as far as I know but I'll go get it checked out just for you bucko!

most of your arguments are wrong as hell.

Damn. Good thing you're about to show me which ones and why with factual basis and reasoning!

For example: No. You cannot see threw the glass very well once its been shot threw and it takes one hell of alotta bullets to make a square big enough so that you can.

Now I'm just dissapointed. If you had noticed, I said that the only time you're ever near glass on prodigy, it is easy to see through because you can't help but be close to it given the small rooms. I wasn't talking about office, because office is not a competitive map.

The barrels are great if you use your head. Yeah there are instances where you run in to one and you die or w/e but honestly there have been so many times when me and another in a 1v1 will be strafing and firing and I'll win because I'll be going behind the barrels which take the hits instead of me even if they fall over they serve a good cause.

Okay.. let's discuss something. We're talking about competitive play here. Aside from the worst teams in CAL-o, there is no strafing back and forth and spraying that lasts longer than a second. Even if that were to somehow happen (and hilarity ensued because the two involved were just that bad), how fuckin hard is it to NOT shoot a barrel? Competitive players (aside from the worst, which you'd obviously fall under) can aim pretty decently. Pub spray-strafe-reload-duck-spray-again-die battles DO NOT HAPPEN in competitive play.

I'm too tired to go in to all of your comments but I'll add more later.

Good, because your other objections left me dissapointed and angry.

[Sm[o][o]th]

I agree with the entRo.

[Spookie4551]

Never though I'd say this but, grats to entRo for a reasonably well put arguement which I nearly wholeheartedly agree with :|

[ImPhayze]

I think entRo should get a few cookies, because he is right

[Cliche]

hmm cooookies

[entRo]

Looks like a pancake to me.

[wolf8218]

the lights do move around in prodigy, but no one cares because my brightness is up high enough to see without lighting.