Counter-Strike: A Beginner’s Essential Information Guide

  Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be like to be one of the elite members of an Anti-Terrorism team? Or even to be on the other side of that? Well, as of July 18th. 1999, that’s been a distinct possibility thanks to the game Counter-Strike, and its descendents. However, there is more to the game then simply playing one side or the other. There are different types of players, different game modes, and there are different ways of playing the game.

  When it comes to players in Counter-Strike, one must bear in mind a few things. Many players are young people, between the ages of fourteen and twenty-nine. Thus, when realizing this, one must not allow themselves to be turned off by the behaviors and conduct of the individuals whom play, the language used therein and even the perverse tactics and distractions used. Even amongst all these things though, there are multiple types of players, and to properly prepare a person for a game, it is always a good idea to research; thus, here they are. The first type is the veteran gamer. Veteran gamers are the players that have been playing for multiple years, anywhere from two, to the truly veteran players, that have been playing since the beta testing of the game, almost 6 years ago. Common characteristics of the veteran player are: the fact that no matter what, they will beat you. Their years of experience beat however many years of experience you have. If you do defeat them, then you have gotten a lucky shot, or they are just messing around. Another trait of the veteran gamer is teamwork. It’s something they embrace, oft working in packs, called “squads”, or “clans”. These clans will employ group tactics, and can commonly be found taunting each other with friendly barbs and insults. However, the veteran player can be quick to anger at the next gamer type, the newb, due to the fact that the newb is commonly found making obvious mistakes that will get the veteran killed. This brings us to the next type, the newb; enigmatic in their behaviors, obvious in their mistakes, yet obnoxious and eager to pounce on the mistakes of another, newbs are a plague that all gamers must deal with. Newbs are painfully obvious during game play, they can often be spotted carrying the biggest guns, or the weapons that will get them the easiest kills, commonly using the “AWP” sniper rifle, a .50 caliber sniper, a weapon used for one shot kills; or the “Para” M-249 SAW, a heavy duty machine gun used almost exclusively for the tactic called spray and pray, in which the newb will simply squeeze their trigger, point in the general direction, and hope that they hit the target enough to eliminate it. Other practices newbs have been spotted doing are things such as blocking doors; this can cause jam ups when retreating from the other team, causing other players to be at forfeit; they often team-flash, which is the practice of throwing a flash bang, (a diversionary grenade designed to blind and deafen opponents) by teammates instead, blinded them at critical times and allowing the opposing force to take them out with ease; and finally team killing, in which the newb, intentionally or not, kills it’s own teammates. Finally, the most glaring evidence of a newb is their language and conduct in games, usually using some sort of pornography as their “spray” (a mark sprayed on the wall identifying that the player was their) and using speech filled with racial slurs, insults, insinuations, and blaming other reasons other then themselves for their poor showing in the game. The final type of gamer is the malevolent gamer. These players are not newbs, but not always veterans; they have often been playing the game for one or more years, and are kind in their actions. Willing to assist other players by buying them weapons when finds are short, assisting them in reaching difficult areas leaving themselves open for sacrifice, joking and always willing to admit when they have been killed fairly, even encouraging good kills and admitting their mistakes, the malevolent gamer, while always a friendly and fun person to play with, is a definite minority amongst the Counter-Strike world.

  The next thing that a player needs to be prepared for is game types. One coming to Counter-Strike from games such as Quake, or Unreal Tournament may be unaccustomed to the game types in Counter-Strike. Coming with two default game types, these are Defuse (DE) and Hostage Rescue (CS). These two types pit the two teams against each other to achieve their respective goals, the Counter-Terrorists (CT) versus the Terrorists (T). The first, and most common is probably the Defuse type map. In the game play for these maps, the Terrorist team must successfully plant C4 explosive at one of two bombing points on the map, and protect the bomb until it explodes, bringing the round to an end. The bomb tends to have a fuse of roughly one minute, and take ten seconds to disarm without a defusing kit, five with. If the bomb is placed, then the round, which tends to last about five minutes (it varies per server), will be extended after the time limit if necessary until the bomb is disarmed or it detonates. The only way for the terrorists to win a DE match is for them to successfully bomb on of their targets, or to eliminate all members of the opposing force. However, if the bomb is set and terrorists lose all team members, they can still win if the counter-terrorists fail to defuse the bomb. For the counter-terrorists, they must either eliminate the opposing force, or disarm the bomb, or the time must run out before the terrorists plant. They can still lose even if all opponents are dead and the bomb detonates however. Matches vary in results. The second type of map commonly seen is Hostage Rescue maps. These maps require a bit more skill, as the counter-terrorists are required to infiltrate the terrorist areas, rescue an undetermined amount of hostages (traditionally 4) and escape, with the hostages to their original starting point on the map. What makes this difficult is the fact that this type of map requires the counter-terrorists to take on a more offensive role, while the terrorists can “camp” (stay around the hostages, or at strategic choke points) and wait for the CT’s to come to them. If the terrorists do in fact camp the hostages, then this can cause problems for the counter-terrorists as if the hostages are killed, while it will not lose the match, they lose potential money required to buy weapons and equipment, and can hit a losing rut of sometimes up to three rounds before they can get enough money to buy proper equipment again. There are only two ways for the counter-terrorists to win a round, rescue the hostages or eliminate the entire opposing team. If time runs out, or the entire counter terrorist team is eliminated, then the terrorists will win. The same penalty for the counter-terrorists occurs for the terrorists however, which discourages (unsuccessfully however) the killing of hostages by the terrorist team, thus necessitating that the CT’s eliminate the entire hostile force. The intentional killing of hostages is a tactic commonly used by newbs for a quick win on either side, for if the CT’s rescue even one hostage and the rest are killed, they win. This is very frowned upon however, and can result in being kicked from the server. The final type of default map is the Fight Yard (FY) type, which is springing up in multiple variations such as AWP yards (AWP) and other weapon specific matches. The entire point of the FY match is to eliminate the other team in a closed environment with the resources given. These matches require skill and reflexes, although many say it is purely luck. The opposing teams start on opposite sides of a symmetrical map, pick up weapons off the ground, and immediately go into combat. A team wins by eliminating all enemies, or the timer will run out and award it by an undetermined means. Rounds are very brief and intense, and even the most veteran player is at risk of an early death in these rounds, for spray and pray tactics are often employed, and spaces are usually tight with very little cover.

  With all players there come different play types and tactics. However, there are certain play types that predominantly occur throughout the game, and here they are addressed. First is the tactician. Usually a veteran, the tactician will work with fellow teammates, and, knowing the map and even standard tactics for on new maps, will use all advantages to achieve a victory through ambushes, choke points and all out assaults when the enemy is weak. When in a group, even a small number of these players can dominate a group, and highly ranked clans are often comprised of a number of these players. These players can turn the tide for a team, and if working together, or even if highly skilled on their own, can be accused of “hacking” the game, or stacking their team with good players while leaving the other team at a disadvantage, but are most commonly accused by this by the newbs that they just killed, before they managed to get a shot off. The second is the all out offensive player, the kamikaze. These players will launch a sudden assault with varying results. Often newbs, these players will grab as strong a gun as they can, and charge in with a disregard for their own life. This is a phase however, and doesn’t last long, as it is more often then not met with heavy resistance and the player dies quickly. The final type that is seen is the sniper. These players usually find a spot far from the battle itself, and undercover snipe unwary or distracted players. Snipers however are viewed in varying degrees of status. Of the four sniper rifles, only the ‘Scout’ is not frowned upon, as the AWP is a one shot kill anywhere, requiring no skill, and the two types of automatic sniper rifle are commonly banned from rounds as they too are seen as easy kills and lacking the need for skill. The scout, however, requires a head shot for a one shot skill, and thus is an impressive kill with its slow refire rate, and low damage count. Scout snipers are the only liked snipers, and if found, are great allies.  

With this game, you can experience what it is like to be the one to stop the terrorists, or to be the one attacking a target. One can experience this whether it be with serious players and takes one a serious role, or experience the game with the average gamer, and have an experience reminiscent of a high school dodge ball game, where objectives are completely ignored and the teams merely try to eliminate one another, any player can experience either of these. So thus through these ways and through the previously mentioned game modes, player types and ways of playing the game, not only can a player gain the experience intended, but any type of experience they wish.

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