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CS:GO Beta Updated, SDK Is Released To All Beta Players

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CS:GO Beta Updated, SDK Is Released To All Beta Players

As usual, Valve released their weekly update for the CS: Global Offensive update just this past Friday. Alongside the release of yet another batch of beta invites sent to survey applicants, Valve has made the CS:GO beta SDK publically available for all those in the CS:GO beta. If you’re interested in CS:GO level design, they recommend that you join the CS:GO SDK mailing list. Later on, Steam Workshop integration will be added (just like Portal 2 and its Perpetual Testing Initiative), so that all players can view, rate, upload and download maps. The level editor itself is, of course, Hammer 4.1, so not much has changed. That said, it does feature all the new entities that you’ll be needing for your CS:GO level design needs, including the new isometric shadow-mapping system, which is actually surprisingly easy to set up and use.

The game update itself features some slight changes to weapon accuracy and recoil which have been well received by most players, as well as some game optimization. In addition, SE versions of the DE_Nuke and DE_Inferno maps have been added to the game, providing competitive players with levels stripped of all props and superfluous visual effects. There have also been changes on the audio design front, such as raising the volume of firing sounds; increasing the distance at which firing sounds fade out; and removing all DSP from footsteps and firing sounds for improved sound directionality. However, Global Offensive’s audio still needs quite a bit of work, and I’d recommend replacing or heavily modifying certain firing sounds (the M4, P2000, P250, SCAR-20 and SSG08, in particular). Overall, this is a strong update that improves the game even further. Check out the blog post for more info.

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6 Comments

  1. Sorry, I have a noob question, what is a “SE” map? I tried to find it with google, of course, but “se” is a word in my language (“se” in portuguese is “if”), so it is nearly impossible to find a good answer. I have a feeling that is damn obvious =P.

    • An se map is a variation of an official map that’s stripped of all props and fog. They’re intended to be used for tournaments and stuff. That’s why it’s a bit more difficult to access them (either browse for a server with one playing or open it from the console).

  2. Gotta C through the editor… Hmm, I’ll give it a S for super. Now I gotta GO.

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