Category: Counter-Strike

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

May 6th, 2012 · By Vic · 6 Comments

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.

CS: Global Offensive Beta Receives New Update, Featuring Improved Recoil And Movement

April 28th, 2012 · By Vic · 7 Comments

Week 12 of the CS:GO beta has brought yet another significant update, featuring a ton of excellent changes – improved recoil; improved movement; a SE version of DE_Aztec with all fog, particles and props completely removed for competitive play; assists added to the kill/death notification messages; and a whole bunch of changes to the maps themselves, including adjusted bloom and post-processing, as well as modified ambient sound content for improved playing experience.

And, of course, the CS:GO SDK has been released, but it is currently in very limited distribution, and only a few mapmakers currently have access to it. A shame, but hopefully we’ll all get to try it out in due time. As always, a new batch of beta invites has gone out to survey applicants – so check your Library! Overall, a terrific update – be sure to take a look at the official blog post and changelog.

I’m unbelievably proud of Valve – they could have released CS:GO in late 2011, as nothing more than a cheap, mediocre downloadable re-release. Instead, they are truly listening to player feedback and using it to build what may eventually become the greatest Counter-Strike game yet. And that’s what Valve is all about.

The Factions And Armies Of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

April 24th, 2012 · By Vic · 8 Comments

CS:GO’s doing far more than just slapping on a new feature or two and calling it a day. It’s going to be a full-scale remake/semi-sequel to Counter-Strike, and whether or not the pro players like it, it’s a damn good game so far. But there’s one thing I’m worried about – the lack of variety in in-game faction skins. Currently, we only have four factions in-game in total, but they’re map-limited, and they don’t really fit with the maps they’ve been placed on, seemingly arbitrarily. Sure – whatever army we may be playing with isn’t the most important thing about the game by far, but it’s still a part of it nonetheless. But don’t worry – it would seem that Valve has some good things in store for anyone who’s been worrying about all that.

The Evolution of Aztec

April 22nd, 2012 · By Vic · 15 Comments

Oh, Counter-Strike. We really do love you. Which is why we stalked you and took pictures of you while you aged! We’re a lot like paparazzi, except instead of selling the pictures, we just put them on YouTube. That way, everybody wins!

CS: Global Offensive SDK To Enter Beta In One Week, Will Feature Steam Workshop Integration [UPDATED]

April 20th, 2012 · By Vic · 3 Comments

[UPDATE: Chet Faliszek tells us that CS:GO's SDK will contain the classic Hammer Editor.]

What would Counter-Strike be without custom maps? Well… pretty much nothing. As a matter of fact, most, if not almost all of the maps held most dear by Counter-Strike fans were created by third-party mappers. So the release of a level design toolkit is crucial to CS:GO’s development. Hammer (or, to call it by its maiden name, WorldCraft) is getting a bit old, and Portal has already replaced it with a far simpler and more versatile Puzzle Creator. So what’s going on over at the CS front?

CS: Global Offensive Gets Server Browser, All-New Arsenal Mode Maps, And More!

April 15th, 2012 · By Vic · 18 Comments

I swear, it’s like this game’s getting better almost every other week. And to think we were all so skeptical when it was first announced last year!

Valve And Nexon Announce Counter-Strike Online 2

April 8th, 2012 · By Vic · 9 Comments

In mid-2008, Valve and Nexon launched “Counter-Strike Online”, a free-to-play spin-off based on CS: Condition Zero, targeted towards the Asian gaming market. It’s filled with loads of new game modes (including, but not limited to an assortment of challenge modes, and boss attack modes), characters, maps and weapons. It also uses a micro-transaction system that makes you pay for your weapons, using a combination of in-game post-match points, and real money (believe it or not, it’s actually doing pretty well). It has been distributed in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, and there’s even plans to release it in India. And it’s actually really successful.

In a… pretty surprising move, actually, Valve and Nexon have announced that they’ll be doing all of that… all over again.

Could CS: Global Offensive Have A Free-To-Play Demo Trial, On All Platforms?

April 4th, 2012 · By Vic · 19 Comments

The last time Valve ever released a demo for one of their games was way back in 2009, for Left 4 Dead 2. One year earlier, they had brought Portal 1 to the XBox Live Arcade as “Portal: Still Alive”, and as all XBLA releases require that a demo trial be offered alongside the actual game, they had been forced to release a free trial for it (not all XBLA trials are time-limited, though).

Since CS:GO will be a download-exclusive game, one could only assume that this would also be the case for its XBox 360 version. However, some code found within the CS:GO beta seems to imply that its free trial won’t be limited to the XBLA, and it also seems to confirm that CS:GO will be a paid release.

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