CS-Nation

Covering the future of Counter-Strike
counter-strike source beta guide

Go0Zy understands that grenades are meant to be thrown.
Grenades
Grenades have received a rather beefy upgrade. First and foremost, Frag Grenades (previously HE Grenades) do much more damage against armored victims than before. In CS 1.6, if you're wearing armor, grenade damage is reduced by 50%. This is not true in CS: Source. While the actual raw damage a grenade does seems to be about the same, the amount absorbed by armor is substantially lower. In fact, armor seems to absorb 15% at best, usually much less.

Frag Grenades aren't unstoppable however, quite the opposite. They no longer damage players though objects or walls. Hiding behind a crate is all it takes to completely shield yourself from the blast. Even so, you'll still definitely want to start putting Frag 'nades to use in CS: Source.

I'm sure you're aware of the upgrades to the Flash and Smoke grenades. Both are much more useful now. A single smoke 'nade can provide pretty decent cover, especially in darker areas. Two smokes and you can go ahead and set up a picnic. If you're a terrorist on dust you'll definitely want to start using smoke grenades to provide cover from the snipers perched above the underpass, or to block off the right flank inside the halls while you rush the bombsite.


One Smoke.

Two Smokes.

There is only one thing you need to know about the new and improved Flash Grenade, if it can see you when it explodes, you're deaf and blind. There's no looking away this time. The team that most effectively puts these babies to use is the team that's most likely going to control the hall, and win the round. You can still carry two at a time, so use them often, just don't blind your teammates.


Good: Blinding your enemies.

Bad: Blinding all your teammates.

Weapon Behavior
In CS: 1.6 you can shoot through any wall that is only one brush thick. This seems to also be true in CS: Source, but you'll find a lot of the walls and objects you're use to shooting through impenetrable. Dust isn't exactly a map known for its through-the-wall spray-spots however. In most situations, it's best to just not waste your ammo.


CS: Source players will be happy to learn that guns still shoot.
Weapons in CS: Source are largely the same as their 1.6 counter-parts. The AWP delay was reduced to be just long enough to prevent quick-switch exploiting, but short enough that it's really not noticeable otherwise. Aside from that, it performs the same, and you shouldn't have any trouble making un-zoomed quick-shots. It should be noted that the reflections in the sniper scopes are purely for looks, and do not reflect other players.

Another cool addition is that silenced weapons have finally been fixed. Your muzzle-flash is now completely invisible if you have your silencer attached. This should give you a bit of an advantage in the darker parts of dust.

Finally, the PARA's rate of fire has been increased, making it slightly more versatile, but recoil is recoil. You will more than likely find the cheaper rifles easier to work with, and more deadly.

The Rest
Sound in the game is overall much more convincing. Stopsound is no longer usable, but ambience is subtle and well done, wonderfully adding to the atmosphere of the environment. One thing you may notice is that footsteps are harder to make out, you'll really have to be paying close attention to pinpoint enemy locations.

The last slick new feature to watch for is damage information outputted to the console when a round is completed. Stats-Me is no longer needed to display damage taken and received. If you're a pub player you will be used to this feature, but the league players among us will find it very informative during matches to know just how much damage they did, and who to get revenge on next round.


Damage Output.

At heart, this game is still Counter-Strike. It's a very impressive update to our age-old favorite, and looks to breathe some fresh life back into the community, and maybe even attract new players. It will be very exciting to see the final face of the game, and all the possibilities with the source engine. I'll see you in-game.

    

  

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