Counter Strike New Revealed
Valve finally announced Counter Strike New after weeks of speculation. It's a major update for CS:GO which will bring it onto the Source 2 engine.
It also introduces responsive smoke grenades and sub-tick updates for servers. It's made a lot armchair gamers crazy, but it looks like an upgrade for the average player.
Smokes
Counter Strike New has a massive update that will alter the way smokes are used in the game. The changes are being described as responsive smokes and are a huge game changer. Smokes will expand to fill areas and move across the map in a variety of ways. They will also respond to the lighting in the games, making them look more realistic. In addition to these new features, smokes will be capable of interfacing with gameplay events, which will open up new tactical possibilities. Bullets, for instance will push smoke in order to temporarily clear sightlines. Hex grenade blasts will also disperse smoke occlusion.
The biggest change to smokes is that they'll be a more dynamic part of the game. Smokes in earlier versions were fixed-shaped objects that had a restricted range of movement and vision blocking. Smokes of the new design will fill the space in which they are placed and make it harder for players to see vision when they are in place. This is a significant change that will increase the speed of play and provide both teams with the same visibility.
Smokes react to the light and weapons as well as the environment in the world space. This makes the smoke appear more realistic and allow players to utilize it in various ways to gain an advantage over their opponents. This is particularly beneficial in the chaotic 5v5 games which are bound to occur on every map.
Smokes are no longer a one-way. This was a major problem in CSGO, since it allowed players to see the position of their opponents from behind the smoke. Twistzz is a popular CS:GO professional who says the new system will make CS2 more fair for both teams.
Other minor changes include adjusting the vertical position of smoke particles to prevent seeing through edges and updating spectators' smoke overlay images to reflect their camera's position. Finally, the expiration of smokes was updated to be more in line with the visuals of how they fade on the screen.
Loadouts
CS:GO players can now alter their weapon selection prior to the start of each game. The revamped loadout system allows players to choose the weapon that best match their playstyle and team's strategies. The updated system also adds new tactical depth to the game since players must be able to balance firepower and utility.
In addition to the new loadouts, the CS: GO update includes a number of other improvements and changes. The most important is that the buy menu has been completely overhauled. The old buy wheel has been replaced by a customizable grid which shows all options for purchase simultaneously. The grid is filled with five pistols and five "mid-tier weapons" like submachine guns, shotguns, and rifles.
The new system will be easy to use, and will give players more control over the weapon they choose. It will allow them to choose the weapons that suit their style of play and team strategy the most, as well being able to experiment with different combinations. It will also allow players to test their abilities against other players' loadouts, and see how they compare.
While many players appreciate the added flexibility, others have criticized it for deviating from the essence of Counter-Strike. They have also raised concerns over how it will impact map-specific loadouts and skins for agents based on visibility.
In spite of these criticisms the new loadout method will be tested in greater detail in the coming months. Some of these issues might be addressed in future updates. It is crucial to keep up-to-date for more details.
Workshop Tools are also included in the update, and can be enabled from the settings menu. This allows community contributors to design weapon finishes and stickers, as also maps. In addition the update will live ban players who break VAC guidelines during games.
The latest CS: GO update is set to be released later this summer. Players can now check out the complete list of new features and upgrades by visiting the official CS: GO site.
Sub-Tick Updates
The server updates the world of Counter-Strike in short intervals of time referred to as ticks. Valve hopes to ensure that CS: GO is fast and smooth. The smallest delay can alter the accuracy of an attack. A new video shows the most significant improvements to the game, also known as sub tick updates.
Instead of an update of 64 ticks every millisecond, CS Go will now be able make use of sub-ticks (or as Valve calls them, "micro-ticks") to communicate with the server. Each of these tiny increments of time will be recorded by the client, and then transmitted to the server, which then send back the updated game state to players. The servers will now know the exact moment that you shot your shot, jumped, peeked, and other inputs.
While a one-minute video is not enough to cover everything the video explains every piece of data sent by a client has an associated time stamp, and that the server will collect all the data from all players in chronological order before sending it back. According to the video the CS: GO server will now be able to send more than twice the data as a 64-tick server.
This means that even if the game's tick rate goes up to 128 Hz, it will still be able to respond to your commands instantly and continuously. Micro-tick updates also decrease the time it takes to input by making sure that the server reacts to your actions without glitches or delays.
Valve's technological improvements to the game are only beginning. Valve is using dynamic smoke and particles to improve the way smoke interacts with its surroundings. It's also upgrading all maps with high-resolution lighting, textures, and models. All CS: GO weapons and cosmetics will also be updated with Source 2 tools and features.
Maps
The upcoming update for Counter Strike New will bring new maps to the game as well as some classics that are being given facelifts. The updates are currently being tested as part of a limited-test beta. The first set of maps includes touchstone and upgrade maps that will see no major changes to gameplay, whereas others have been fully renovated or redesigned using the latest Source 2 tools.
Among these, Overpass has been reworked to take advantage of the engine's new unified lighting system. The underpass of the map has been filled with light which makes the area more spacious and less crowded. In addition smoke grenades now expand dynamically to fill spaces and interact with the new light.
Italy is a different map that has been overhauled. Its lighting, texture and structure have been greatly improved. The new version is more balanced than its predecessor which was heavily CT-oriented. Fans can expect a few more classics, including Aztec and Militia to be updated in the future.
These maps will not be added to the competitive map pool despite the fact that they are still playable. Train is an exception because it has been removed from Active Duty but will still be played in tournaments. Valve has not yet confirmed whether the other maps that were removed from the pool will be added back.
One of the most controversial updates is one designed by Helsingin Sanomat, Finland's national newspaper. The newspaper has been open in its criticism of Russia's actions towards Ukraine. The map is based on the conflict-ravaged Donetsk. It's titled de_voyna, and includes a variety of references to the war.
cs2 case opening will release a set Source 2 Tools for map makers in the future. This will include features such as improved lighting and character read as well as a physically based rendering system that produces realistic textures, materials and reflections. It will also make real-world objects, like windows and doors, easier to use. The update is scheduled to be released sometime in the summer.