Dekstar
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- Joined
- Jun 4, 2004
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[br]You can view the gameplay video above (provided by Halflife2.net's own Omnomnick), but here's a quick run-down of the main features:[br]Graphics settings are almost entirely locked down (DirectX 9.0 is the only supported DirectX, for instance) meaning players will be unable to exploit certain graphical quirks that plagued Source (e.g. seeing through doors and crates on lower DirectX levels), and while this does mean there is a higher barrier for entry from PC gamers, at least it will be very pretty and relatively unexploitable.[br]Matchmaking, which you have no doubt seen in any number of recent FPS games, has made an appearance. This button will instantly connect you to other players of your skill-level, meaning there will be fewer instances of being trounced by your enemy. As the game is coming to PS3 as well with cross-play between Mac, PC and PS3 gamers, those using controllers or the Playstation Move(tm) will find that they will be matched with others of similar skill-levels, and not be forced to play at a disadvantage (yes, it is controversial to say that, get over it). Also, Valve have plans for clan-based matches to be easier to find, especially in teams of 5v5.[br]Of interest is a new feature that shows HPE and Valve are interested in making sure players get as much play-time as possible. Should a player die in a casual game which has bots on their team, they have the option of 'possessing' that bot, taking control of it for the rest of the round, or until it dies. I love this idea, because it helps disperse some of the rage of being killed almost as soon as the round begins, having to sit the rest of it out. At least now you have the potential to keep playing. One unfortunate side-effect (which I've yet to see) is that cheaters who are team-killed in order to cut their griefing short now have another potential avenue to continue. Oh well, swings and roundabouts means I think it's a mostly positive change.[br]Weapons, Money, and Accessories have been looked at hard by Valve and HPE. New additions have been made to the arsenal, including molotovs and decoy grenades (which are currently in the beta), as well as some alterations to bring some of the older pistols up to date, and a new taser weapon that is both pricey and difficult to use, used as a 'show-off' weapon for players who want to make a point.[br]Physics are also simplified. When Valve were showing off Counter-Strike: Source before its release, they made a big deal about barrels and other physics objects, which could be affected by players and explosions. Unfortunately, in-game, said physics objects were more often a hindrance to players, who would often bounce off a barrel rather than run into it, causing a lot of irritation among players. Now, while physics objects such as barrels still absorb bullet damage, they are now completely static.[br]All of these changes are to put emphasis on the game being more for e-sports and teams, which is good if you want to play a well-balanced game with your friends.[br]But you've read all that already in our previous coverage of the game. What's it actually like? For this section, my opinions are from the perspective of a Source player. I've been playing regularly since the original Source beta was released in 2004, when there was an offer on that meant anyone who had Counter-Strike: Condition Zero on their Steam account. I've seen the game evolve over the last seven years, and have played both publicly and in leagues such as Enemy Down with the Halflife2.net|Clan.[br]The second opinion comes from Smash, who is a volunteer moderator on the Steampowered User Forums, and regular 1.6 player.[br]Between us, we cover a large range of the audience that Valve and HPE are trying to attract. Let's get to it.[br]Movement[br]Dekstar: There was a pretty game-breaking bug called the 'wiggle-walk' that allowed people to move faster than they should by merely tapping the strafe buttons as they were walking forward. Thankfully, that's been fixed now and movement seems a lot like Source to me, if not a little heavier. There is a bit more of a speed decrease after landing from a jump it seems, which is bad for bunnyhoppers, but good for anyone who hates bunnyhoppers. From a third-person perspective, model movements seem a lot more fluid too, especially falling from a height (for instance overpass on de_dust to underpass). The movement seems just like Source otherwise, which in my opinion isn't a bad thing.[br]Smash: When the beta was first released, the movement was very sketchy from the first-person perspective. It was too fast and almost uncontrollable at times. For example, in Dust inside bomb site B, if you tried to strafe fire down the tunnels from the outside, it was a lot harder to hit your mark because of your velocity and acceleration speeds. It almost felt like I was sliding on a sheet of ice.[br]The movement was adjusted a bit in a recent patch, and while it does feel a whole lot better, there?s still room for improvement. If Hidden Path Entertainment wants CS:GO to feel more like CS v1.6, then they need to tune down the velocity slightly still, and then it will be perfect.[br]Graphics and Performance[br]Frames-Per-Second (FPS) has always been an important aspect of the Counter-Strike series. Part of that is what is keeping 1.6 so popular, as even those with low-end computers can still take part in a very popular game with a thriving online community. In Source, it used to determine how quickly your crosshair expanded and contracted (though didn't actually affect recoil or bullet spread). This was later fixed, but there was still a huge psychological difference to how weapons handled.[br]Dekstar: The game looks gorgeous, even though I'm not exactly running at the highest settings, and I still get 60+ FPS for the most part, which isn't bad considering my laptop's specs. I do get a slight dip when viewing molotov fires, and immediately after being flashed, but otherwise the game runs smoothly.[br]One small detail to note that I do think is awesome (even though it doesn't really add anything to the gameplay) is pools of blood will seep out of dead bodies onto the floor, which adds a nice touch of realism. Also blood-sprays seem a lot more realistic this time around.[br]What I wish Valve will take on board, now that they have forced certain graphical settings (such as bloom and dust) among clients, is making use of these features for tactical advantages and disadvantages. Say a long tunnel section of a map was unbalanced slightly in one team's favour, adding glare into the eyes of that team, slightly blinding them from the other side could even those odds. I have already noticed the dust outside double-doors at A on de_dust is partially obstructing spotting enemy Cts in the sniper nest, which is interesting, as it adds another skill-factor for higher-level players to take into account.[br]Smash: The graphics are rendered beautifully. It?s running on the Dota 2 Source engine build, so it also runs great across a wide range of PC hardware. If you compare CS:GO to the older games, it?s definitely more detailed and shiny. But is that what the 1.6 players want?
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Competitive 1.6 players will argue that detail can detract too much away from gameplay and affects strategic elements. In this case, I can see clearly where a player is at all times, but there?s still an issue of identifying who is friend or foe, which I think is mostly due to the depth fog ? At times you can only see the silhouette of a character from a distance while the details in their clothes are lost. Also, player models are able to hide behind this fog, and the farther they are from you, the easier it is for them to blend in with their background.
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There?s also the issue of the default FOV for the first-person player weapon models. It?s too low. The screen space is slightly obscured because my AK-47 is taking up a quarter of it. You can see why this would be a problem. Here?s a quick comparison of the default FOV from CS:GO to 1.6:[br]
