Counter Strike New Revealed
Valve finally revealed Counter Strike New after weeks of rumors. It's an update for CS:GO that will bring the game onto the Source 2 engine and make some significant visual changes.
It also brings sub-tick server update and smoke grenades that respond to. It has got a lot of armchair gamers going crazy but it is a huge upgrade for regular players.
Smokes
Counter Strike New is getting an overhaul that will completely alter the way smokes are used in the game. The changes are being described as responsive smokes and will be a major game changer. Smokes will now expand to fill in spaces naturally and then move around objects on the map. They will also respond to the lighting of the game, which makes their appearance more appealing and realistic. Smokes will also interact with events in the game. This will open up new tactical possibilities. Bullets, for instance will cause smoke to be pushed to temporarily clear the sightlines. Hex grenade blasts can also disperse smoke and occlusion.
The biggest change to smokes is that they will now be a more dynamic part of the game. Smokes in earlier versions were a fixed object that had a restricted scope of movement and blocking. The smokes are now able to expand to take up the space they're within and hinder the player's view when they are in it. This is a major upgrade that will make the game dynamic and provide both sides with the same visibility.
In addition to this smokes will also react to the environment, weaponry, and lighting in the world space. This makes the smoke appear more real and allow players to use it in different ways to gain an advantage over their opponents. This is especially beneficial in the chaotic 5v5 matches that are likely to occur on every map.
Smokes will also no longer be one-way that was a major problem in CS:GO and allowed players to view their opponents' positions from behind the smoke. Twistzz is a popular CS:GO professional who claims that the new system will make CS2 more fair for both teams.
Other minor changes include adjusting the vertical position of smoke particles in order to minimize the possibility of seeing through edges, and also updating spectators' smoke overlay visuals to match their camera's position. The expiration of smokes was updated to be in line with the visuals on the screen.
Loadouts
CS:GO players are now able to alter their weapon selection prior the start of every match. The new loadout system allows players to select weapons that suit their playstyles and team strategies. The new system adds depth to the game as players must find a balance between power and utility.
In addition to the new loadouts, the CS: GO update includes many other enhancements and changes. The buy menu was completely revamped. The old buy wheel has been replaced by a grid that can be customized to show all options for purchase at once. case opening is comprised of five pistols and five "mid-tier weapons" like submachine guns, shotguns and rifles.
The new system will be simple to use and will give players greater control over their weapon choice. They can pick the weapon that best fits their style of play, team strategy and try out various combinations. It will also enable them to test out their skills against other players' loadouts and find out how they stack up.
Many players have praised the increased flexibility, while others have criticized it for deviating away from the fundamental premise of Counter-Strike. They have also raised concerns over how it will impact map-specific loadouts and skins for agents that are based on visibility.
In spite of these criticisms, the new loadout system will be tested more thoroughly in the coming months. It is possible that some of these issues will be addressed in future updates, therefore it is essential to keep an eye on the site for more information.
Workshop Tools are also included in the update and can be turned on from the settings menu. This lets community contributors design weapons finishes and stickers as and maps. In addition the update will live ban players who violate the VAC rules during games.
The new CS: GO update is scheduled to launch later in the summer. Players can check out the full list of new features and upgrades by visiting the official CS: GO site.
Sub-Tick Updates
The world of Counter-Strike is constantly updated by the server in discrete increments of time called ticks. The smallest delay between a tick and the mouse click of a player may affect a shot's accuracy, so Valve is doing its best to make sure that CS: GO is fluid and responsive. A new video reveals one of the biggest under-the-hood improvements, known as sub-tick updates.
Rather than the 64-tick update that occurs every millisecond, the CS: GO will now be able use sub-ticks (or as Valve calls them, "micro-ticks") to communicate with the server. Each of these tiny intervals of time will be recorded by the client and transmitted to the server, which will send back the updated game state back to players. The servers will now know the exact moment you fired your shot and jumped, swung, and other inputs.
The video does not provide all the information. However, it does explain that each piece of data sent by the client has a date and time and that the server will collect all the data in chronological order from all players prior to sending it back. According to the video, a CS: GO will be capable of sending twice as much data than 64-tick CS: GO.
This means that even the tick rate of the game is increased to 128 Hz, it can still handle your commands instantly. It's not only about increasing the tick rate as micro-tick updates also reduce latency and input lag by ensuring that the server will respond to your actions without delays or glitches.
This is clearly only the beginning of the technical enhancements Valve is making to the game. Valve uses particles and dynamic smoke to enhance the way smoke interacts with its environment. It's upgrading all maps with high-resolution lighting, textures and models. Source 2 tools and features will be used to upgrade all CS cosmetics and weapons.
Maps
The next update for Counter Strike New brings new maps as well as some classics that have been updated with facelifts. The updates are being tested in a limited beta. The first set of maps comprises touchstone and upgrade maps that won't see major changes to gameplay, whereas others have been revamped or rebuilt using the latest Source 2 tools.
Overpass is one of these maps that has been modified to take advantage the new engine's unified lighting system. The map's eerie underground has been filled with light to make it more spacious and less crowded. In addition smoke grenades now expand dynamically to fill spaces and interact with the new light.
Another map that's been reworked is Italy that has been given major changes to texture, lighting and structure. The new version is also more balanced than the predecessor which was heavily CT-oriented. Fans can expect a few more classics, including Aztec and Militia, to be revamped in the near future.
While many of these maps remain playable in other modes, they're not added to the competitive map pool. Train is an exception, as it has been removed from Active Duty but will still be played in tournaments. Valve hasn't confirmed yet if the other maps that were removed will be reintroduced to the pool.
Helsingin Sanomat is the national newspaper of Finland. Its update has been deemed controversial. The news agency has been vocal in its criticism of Russia's actions in Ukraine and the map takes inspiration from the city that was devastated by war in Donetsk. It's titled de_voyna, and contains a range of references to the conflict.
In the future the developer will be releasing a collection of Source 2 tools for community map makers to use in their own creations. This will include features such as improved lighting and character read as well as physically-based rendering that produces realistic materials, textures and reflections. It will also make it easier to implement real-world objects like doors and windows. The update is set to be released sometime in the summer.