Counter-Strike Pros Invited to Valve

[-smash-]

According to Cadred.org, an E-Sports coverage website, several professional Counter-Strike players from around the globe have been invited to an event being held at Valve in August.
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With the success of Team Fortress 2 and its constant updates and the recent move to Free 2 Play, it's a wonder why Valve hasn't treated their more popular game, Counter-Strike, with the same respect. Perhaps now Valve has the time to start thinking about the future of the game, and the purpose of this event is designed to get the ball rolling and get ideas flowing (if they haven't already!).
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(EDIT
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Ilkka Ker?nen, a level designer at Valve, also mentioned in a recent interview that he's working on some Counter-Strike stuff...

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  (in response to asking if he's mapping for tf2)
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  iikka: not at the moment, I'm working on some counter-strike stuff
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  Seba: is there anything major comiing to CSS?
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  iikka: can't really comment right now

We'll keep you posted!

 

[DEATHMASTER]

Net.......code......source.....

 

[Ennui]

I heard rumors of this over the past week or so. I'm surprised it's actually true. Hopefully it has to do with CS2! It's going to be so disappointing if this is somehow Dota 2 related.

 

[DEATHMASTER]

Why would CS pros specifically be brought to give a crap about that.

 

[Hectic Glenn]

Perhaps for the understanding of competitive play that Dota 2 will support. Or it will be specifically CS related, which seems more likely. Another link from smash - http://forums.tf2maps.net/showthread.php?t=17463

(in response to asking if he's mapping for tf2)
iikka: not at the moment, I'm working on some counter-strike stuff
Seba: is there anything major comiing to CSS?
iikka: can't really comment right now

 

[Ennui]

Why would CS pros specifically be brought to give a crap about that.

I didn't say that's what I think is happening. Just vaguely another possibility since both CS and Dota-esque games are very e-sports oriented.

I personally would be thrilled if they are gathering ideas for (or even feedback on!!!) a sequel to Counterstrike but I'm too jaded to get excited about it until there's actually some solid evidence.

Maybe they're making CS:S free to play and adding hats.... but god I hope not.

 

[ríomhaire]

I've never really liked Counter-Strike, though I've had ideas for what would make an awesome CS2 for some time now. Any real CS players would probably hate them though.

 

[DEATHMASTER]

Ironsights?

 

[ríomhaire]

Ironsights?

Probably actually. My thoughts can pretty much be summed up as taking the original Rainbow Six, adding new features and making it multiplayer. Players equipping various armours and weapons before deploying (with heavier armours restricting movement, making you unable to swim, etc), organising into squads, setting waypoint markers on the map to work out a plan and then choosing your spawn point. Jumping would be entirely removed and replaced with a climbing system (that also depends on armour level). More equipment like door charges (or booby-trapping doors if you're terrorists). Possibly with a commander/overseer who's job it is to mark the map with info like enemy positions and objectives.

Also with an option to just quick-play and spawn straight away without this squads and map stuff and play more like the original game, but still with the climbing system and that stuff.

 

[Lobster]

See the problem with that, is that it wouldn't be true to CounterStrike, which is essentially an arcade game, with a set of firmly fixed and simple mechanics. Much of it's popularity comes from the fact that the game itself has remained the same for so long, when someone is considered a "Good" CounterStrike player, it is more about the person rather than the choices they have made in equipment, or planning.

Its the reason maps like de_dust remain so religiously played despite the game having one of the largest libraries of custom maps for any game in existence. The same for the equipment, there are only a handful of popular combinations, that have been used consistantly for the last decade, simply because the game has become a sport, rather than the tactical simulation it may have once set out to be. Something as simple as a set of new player models being added to the game would upset a significant number of people for a while, as the majority of the player base is so used to them.

If Valve were to make a new CounterStrike, then the difficulties they would face would be similar to those faced with Starcraft 2. On the one hand you want to push the game forward and bring in new ideas, but on the other hand you have an entire industry of competitive gamers to please. Even CounterStrike Source, which tried to be a straight clone of CS on a newer engine, was harshly received for some time, because the game simply didn't behave in the way that hardcore CS players had come to know.

I have heard rumors of DOTA2 having native support for streaming games and other competative features like that, maybe they are talking about retro-fitting them back into CS.

 

[Ennui]

Lobster nailed it basically. I sure don't envy Valve the task of making CS2.

My hope is that they are basically having a conference asking all of these CS progamers what THEY want from CS2, or to review some ideas / prototypes Valve is working on. I would LOVE to see Counter-Strike 2.

 

[Unfocused]

Probably actually. My thoughts can pretty much be summed up as taking the original Rainbow Six, adding new features and making it multiplayer. Players equipping various armours and weapons before deploying (with heavier armours restricting movement, making you unable to swim, etc), organising into squads, setting waypoint markers on the map to work out a plan and then choosing your spawn point. Jumping would be entirely removed and replaced with a climbing system (that also depends on armour level). More equipment like door charges (or booby-trapping doors if you're terrorists). Possibly with a commander/overseer who's job it is to mark the map with info like enemy positions and objectives.

Also with an option to just quick-play and spawn straight away without this squads and map stuff and play more like the original game, but still with the climbing system and that stuff.

What would the commonalities with CS be, that would make this game a sequel to it, rather than a completely new title?

 

[ríomhaire]

What would the commonalities with CS be, that would make this game a sequel to it, rather than a completely new title?

Basically that Valve would be making it

Yeah as I said I don't really like CS so this really me wanting a Rainbox Six multiplayer made by my favourite developer. But even so Valve are not afraid to radically change a game between sequels. Look at TF2's development. It was originally to be a quasi-realistic military shooter with vehicles and a commander. They were going to make BF2 from TF. That's a much bigger difference than what I'm suggesting. Even the TF2 we ended up with is rather a lot different from the original game other than the same nine classes. The arsenal of most of the classes has been changed a good deal, grenades eliminated, the pace slowed down, Spies can turn invisible, etc.

The basic layout of what I'm suggesting would be the same as CS in that it's terrorists and counter-terrorists going after the same objectives with loadout choosing before the round starts and then deploying into something that can either be very tactical or a death match. I'm suggestion changing the movement mechanics and expanding on the opening loadout and giving more options. I don't think that's very different to the level of change between QWTF and TF2.

Oh and also what the hell would be the point in releasing a sequel to CS that is still the same as CSS? The CS fanbase is already split almost down the middle over them and splitting it thee ways instead wouldn't be healthy for any of the games and then Valve would just have three identical games with better graphics to split the base between.

 

[Asknoone]

Lobster nailed it basically. I sure don't envy Valve the task of making CS2.

My hope is that they are basically having a conference asking all of these CS progamers what THEY want from CS2, or to review some ideas / prototypes Valve is working on. I would LOVE to see Counter-Strike 2.

 

[Barnz]

You're over-analyzing the whole thing. I'm sure Valve wanted pro-players to see the major changes done to Counter-Strike: Source (by Hidden Entertainment), before they make it available for everyone.

 

[SWAT Pointmann]

Probably actually. My thoughts can pretty much be summed up as taking the original Rainbow Six, adding new features and making it multiplayer. Players equipping various armours and weapons before deploying (with heavier armours restricting movement, making you unable to swim, etc), organising into squads, setting waypoint markers on the map to work out a plan and then choosing your spawn point. Jumping would be entirely removed and replaced with a climbing system (that also depends on armour level). More equipment like door charges (or booby-trapping doors if you're terrorists). Possibly with a commander/overseer who's job it is to mark the map with info like enemy positions and objectives.


Also with an option to just quick-play and spawn straight away without this squads and map stuff and play more like the original game, but still with the climbing system and that stuff.

I wouldn't mind playing a game like that, but it wouldn't be Counter-Strike anymore. I imagine CS2 will be an enormous task for Valve. It has to be a new game, but there are also the fans that will whine if they make it too different from the original. Valve needs make CS2 a unique game and not a COD rip off.

 

[Ennui]

You're over-analyzing the whole thing. I'm sure Valve wanted pro-players to see the major changes done to Counter-Strike: Source (by Hidden Entertainment), before they make it available for everyone.

Elaborate. What changes are you talking about? Sources etc? Not doubting you (shit you are who I would go to for obscure Valve questions), just haven't heard a thing about this before.

 

[ríomhaire]

I wouldn't mind playing a game like that, but it wouldn't be Counter-Strike anymore. I imagine CS2 will be an enormous task for Valve. It has to be a new game, but there are also the fans that will whine if they make it too different from the original. Valve needs make CS2 a unique game and not a COD rip off.

I wasn't suggesting a CoD rip-off, I was suggesting a R6 rip-off (which I would totally love to see someone make).

 

[SWAT Pointmann]

I wasn't suggesting a CoD rip-off, I was suggesting a R6 rip-off (which I would totally love to see someone make).

I didn't mean to suggest you were. I was just doing my own rant. I think realistic tactical shooters is something the average gamer does not want sadly, so it isn't profitable. Perhaps if Valve could make an arcade and realism mode in CS2, they could attract both types of players and that would lead to more profit. It would some what divide community I guess.

 

[Barnz]

yo, swat pointman. nice to see you! add me on steam.

http://steamcommunity.com/id/thebarnz

 

[Omnomnick]

My guess is updating certain features in game to make competitive play easier and more accessible, or testing new maps to help keep the game fresh? Maybe, it really depends. Knowing Valve it could be anything...