CS:GO’s Halloween update has come to an
end.
Biome and Subzero didn’t remain in casual
for long- they’ve been moved into official
competitive matchmaking. We can finally play
and judge these maps! But they won’t show
up in tournaments just yet since they lack
the Counter-Strike logo of approval, meaning
that for now, subzero and biome remain in
reserve.
It will no longer be a mystery as to why a
player was kicked from the server. Here is
a list of the messages that you might see,
explaining the kick.
The scoreboard has also seen a few improvements.
More stats have been added to Demolition and
the Flying Scoutsman. As you can see here,
HS%, K/D ratio and ADR have been added to
both.
It now supports any number of rounds. If set
to any greater than 30 max rounds, the counter
bit in the middle disappears. Here, for example,
is what a competitive map looks like on the
70th round.
And lastly, that counter bit in the middle
will now display the earliest round the match
could end on, a trophy indicating which team
could win it. Here, at the start of a game,
it shows up on the 16th round for both teams,
since either team at this point could potentially
win 16-0.
In this example, since terrorists won the
first round, it shows that the terrorists
could win it by the 16th round.
And here, since the counter-terrorists won
the first round, it shows up on their side,
indicating that THEY could win it by the 16th
round.
And now, since both teams have won a round,
it shows the trophy for both teams again but
on the 17th round, since the best either team
can manage is a 16-1 win. Hence taking 17
rounds in total. I think I’ve spent enough
time on this now.
Last is Cbble, which has had more changes
than you might have expected.
It’s no longer dark and spooky. But it’s
not back to how it was previously, either-
they’ve made it sunnier than ever before!
Before it was all a bit cloudy and washed
out looking, but now it’s friendly and sunny,
with nice blue shadows and everything. It’s
kind of like Nuke, now.
A bit of a story: YEARS ago when I made my
map, de_sparity, I also made a night time
version and it was only then that I realised
how many lights a map needed. I think Valve
must have had a similar revelation following
Cbble’s Halloween version, since the lights
remain. It won’t make a blind bit of difference
to how the map plays, but it’s nice to know
the map has been built upon and has become
a more functioning, practical PLACE in the
process.
Now onto the actual changes.
As you’d expect, the Halloween stuff has
been removed. The fire pyre has been switched
back to statue that hopefully won’t set
you on fire and kill you. At least the floor-fog
has gone, and with it, the horrible smoke-exploit
that allowed you to see people where you shouldn’t
have been able to.
And although they’ve said they have reduced
the number of coffins, many remain! Even after
Halloween has ended, Cbble remains moderately
spooky. When they say they’ve added LORE
to bombsite A, I assume they mean MISSILES,
which are now hidden inside the coffins at
the site! I don’t know why they’re there
but I’m sure it all makes sense somehow.
In my recent Halloween Bugs video, Nailbomb
pointed out an areaportal bug to the windows
on the terrorists’ approach to B. So when
Valve said in the patchnotes that they ‘Opened
up windows from B halls towards site’ I
HOPED they were referring to these. But no,
they’re talking about the ones on the OTHER
side, which will let you throw grenades into
the site earlier than ever before! But be
warned- I’m yet to throw a smoke that actually
lands somewhere useful. I’m sure it can
be done, but in competitive matches I’m
expecting many spectacular grenading fails
out (and around) these windows.
Also, while we’re here… Valve pls fix.
The cover in the corridor leading to B has
also gone, returning to how it was before,
only more open since you can see the boxes
that were on the left-hand side are now gone.
And the shape of the cover once terrorists
reach the site has also been changed! Very
little remains for them to hide behind once
they reach the site. And what is there can
be shot through, even with a pistol.
The boost in B has been opened back up again.
I wasn’t sure what they were doing when
they blocked it off for the Halloween update,
but now I guess they weren’t sure either.
The cover in this little room at A has been
cut back, and so has the clipping. This will
give people here a bit more room to manoeuvre
and to hide from terrorists pushing up the
slope to A- particularly towards the back
of the room.
It is sad to see the gravestones gone in bombsite
A. You’ll no longer be able to jump onto
them here. Gone is the 3-man boost from the
other side. And gone is the trick-jump from
site into balcony, which I totally can do
but will just show you with bullets for now.
With the coffins having been replaced with
barrels, the boost here will have changed
a bit to do, so you may want to practice it
to see where you can stand and what you can
see from where and so on.
And that’s it.
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