A twist on CS:S gameplay? Created 17 years ago2007-01-13 04:36:46 UTC by Strider

I'm currently working on a CS:S bombing map and i'd like your opinion on some ideas i've come up with.

Firstly, just how important is the standard CS:S gameplay to you people? My map could work easily as a simple de map, but i'd like to put a little twist on the gameplay by giving the terrorists/ct's some extra objectives, but would this just annoy you CS:S fans?

My idea was to have the terrorists need to disable some filtration systems before planting the bomb in order for the explosion to spread throughout the entire base (it's set inside and outside of an underground compound).

Likewise the ct's will be given the objective of protecting those systems, to prevent the bomb being placed. I was even thinking of giving the ct's the ability to lock down the systems permantley.

The filtration systems would have to be located very close to the bombsite to avoid annoying the players, and the lock-down mechanism would have to be located on the far side of the base, completely away from the ct's spawn area to keep the gameplay even.

Like i said, i could easily do this as a simple de map, but i want to try to set my map apart from others. But by doing this i fear i'd be turning people away from it. I'd like to know what you think about this idea. As it is, if i can't get it to work right, i'll probably scrap the idea, but if people like it enough, i'll be more inclined to try it out.

I think that it would be awesome to have a new game-style or whatever,
but my computer-playing friends never give new things a chance, so I wouldn't really be able to play

(assuming bots wouldn't know what to do)

Ah yeah, i haven't really thought about bot support with this. That poses quite a bit of a problem. :/

lol owned.

This kind of map could be fun though. Objective based games are always enjoyable and adding another element to it could add to the enjoyment.

... then again, if it's YOU who makes this map, it'll probably suck anyway. Right Strideh? :>

Haha, right.

Well, i'm going to try this anyway. If the bots end up failing everytime, then it sucks to be them.

Screw the bots, make this a real player based map. Multiple objectives sounds fun: makes a change from the "plant bomb > explode > win" thing.

Sounds a bit like what the Splinter Cell multiplayer modes offer. These seem to be packed with all sorts of objectives and risk factors. I read some articles about it on gamasutra.com, very interesting.

For example, in one map the defenders had only a few places to defend, which was pretty easy, but the attackers could hack a few systems through some control rooms to shut down the lights and all those things, so the defenders would suddenly be at a disadvantage. Their choice basically was to stick to the small, easy perimeter, or to spread out to try to defend the control rooms, the much harder-to-keep outer perimeter.
In another map, the attackers could blow up some valves, so an easy-to-defend room would become a mistbank, giving the attackers a good chance to sneak in.

The only problem I can think about this (apart from the obvious bots not knowing what they're doing and also noobs not knowing what they're doing) is that once you're dead in CS, you can't respawn. To be honest, I think one of the teams is going to get killed before the terrorists even have a chance to do the sub-objective thing.

If there was some way to make it for CS:DM, it could work, but I don't think you can plant the bomb with that thingymajiggy.

Well, completing these objectives won't be a hard task, as simple as turning a few valves. They'd probably be equivalent to the danger faced when actually planting the bomb, and being located close to the bomb point(s) would give them a greater chance. I'll have to play around with it, but it sounds like something people will actually be keen to try.

The solution would be to have multiple valves. But yeah, it still would make life harder for the T's (since it now takes them twice as much effort to win), so some balancing elements that make life harder for the CT's would be usefull I think.

Sounds awesome, I think you should at least make an example type map just to test it out. Real small, maybe 4 players so you can see how it all fits together.

Hmm, i don't think an example map will be necessary, i can easily remove these features if it doesn't work out. And yes, i will have to think carefully about how to add some counter-weight for the CT's, a similar objective that disables the T's ability to complete their task.

It'd be neat if you try to plant the bomb and it fails giving you a reason that the filtration isn't disabled yet. If not just block the room off until the valves or w/e is turned. Yeah and as they said, multiple valves, that way, it won't be "You two go perma block it, we'll just all stand here with our awps and mg's and blast em away".

Hmm, i'll have to see how it turns out, it mostly depends on the layout though, so testing will be pretty important. Still, this map is a long way off, so thanks for the ideas and input.

The idea's great, although it's gonna be pretty shitty, if your whole team gets whiped out and you have to run around the map alone, trying to turn the right valves and THEN plant the bomb.

My point is, that the bomb plant scenario always leaves an opportunity for the terrorists to win, even if you're left 1 vs 3, or more. The additional objectives would fuck it up a bit, imo.

Still - nice idea.

I think it would be a great way to force the players to co-operate.
If you don't, you'll loose.

There is that CS map where you have to free the chickens and I thought it worked quite well with co-op. Hopefully this will be the same.

great idea. Definetly go for it. You could have the func_bombtarget inaccesible to the T's unless a button is pushed somehwere, i would make sure there were at least two buttons to open it though, so the CT's just dont camp. It would also be good to put environmental dangers in, like falling glass that damages (use a func_breakable to trigger a game_player_hurt) or radioactive/toxic water. You could also have damaging steam emit from pipes when a valve is shot open.

One thing I positively hate about CS is that 1) everyone plays DE maps, and 2) Plant, defuse, win. over and over again. I still remember playing "the hunted" map on TFC and wonder why nobody plays AS maps anymore.....

Thanks for the comments people.

Daubster: Yeah, that is one of my biggest concerns, having to do it all alone. That's why i'm carefully thinking the layout through and deciding to stick these systems not too close to the bomb zone(s), but in each route into the zones so there is NO way to miss them. I'm also thinking that not every system must be disabled, 2 out of 3/3 out of 4, for instance. It will be indicated by a change of light (warning lights or something). This way, CT's will be able to disable the systems resulting in a struggle to protect the zone. Though, i imagine with limited players, and the fact that you do not respawn in CS:S this might just become downright annoying.

The best way to find out is through testing, testing, and more testing. If by the end of it, there is no way to make it work well, than it's a simple matter of converting it back to a de map.

eightballrota: Environmental hazards seem like too much for any type of CS:S match when you consider you are being hunted by people with precision weaponry, working in teams. It just wouldn't feel right in CS:S to me.