Counter Strike 1.6 – a mod that came off from the Half Life series was developed by Valve Corporation in the year 2000. As for its competitors Battlefield series was developed by EA – DICE in 2002 and Call of Duty series by Infinity Ward in 2003. So what? Battlefield series has had 27 game releases, COD 11 releases and Counter Strike only 6. This version – CS1.6 sustained for a decade, and to some extent is still played in remote regions across the world.
Specifically, what makes CS1.6 stand out amongst the other FPS games? Obviously not graphics, not really the story but the gameplay itself. The game revolves around the principle of “simplicity”.
Weapons – take the example of flashbang – most of the other games that include even the future iterations of Counter Strike series make the screen absolute white. But in CS1.6 you still see some portions (translucent), which is not real but it helps to engage a person while playing. It gives hope to dodge even while the situation is hell. Same applies to the throw, there is no advanced physics as to how to throw grenades especially in the context of gravity, instead just aim and throw – it is not real but the path is predictable. Giving a player more control over the throw and easier to dodge as the path is very much predictable since the laws of physics are not applied on the bounce eg. bouncing a grenade off the wall. Size of the grenade is also small, to an extent where a grenade can even navigate through a narrow space between wall edges as it is possible to throw a grenade in a straight line, where aiming and shooting would have been more difficult besides the grenade is going to affect a large region.
Scale – specifically considering the player to world scale. The world around the players is noticeably larger. Definitely not real but helps to have more hiding spots. Giving larger opportunity to hide and shoot. Same applies to jumping over platforms. Having realistic dimensions of boundaries/walls gives a sense of being stuck as the rest of the body is exposed taking away the possibility of it being a hiding place. Headshot boxes don’t exist really exist, giving the player more control on an already strategically planned map. In CS1.6 you are exposed easily or you are completely hidden thus making you navigate and move around more often.
Movement – as simple as the crouch hop mechanism. i.e hopping/jumping and crouching definitely is not real instead it actually seems like a glitch. But guess what? It actually makes it more difficult to hit/target. The ability to bunny hop feels like you are on the moon. Indirectly making the player to more across more often. It gives a nice choice of either covering larger distance (to get to hiding places quickly when under attack) while compromising speed making you more vulnerable to get attacked easily or just run across the field also making aware of the person on the other side of the wall that you are here.
Bad graphics – most common is the non realistic blood splat. It makes it easy for player to shoot, as less distraction is on-screen. Red signifies hit or its a miss making it easy to digest. It helps to increase the pace of the game. To add to it, no world skyboxes, less lighting, bloom, etc effects. It helps to make sure frame-rate does not drop while playing online especially indirectly keeping the CPU specs low – giving a wider audience. People don’t have to have high-end computer specs to experience this game.
Sound – players’ running/footstep sound and guns being shot is on high value. It helps to have an intelligent play experience. Not much of talking (in-game) or background score helps you focus on gameplay itself. On the other hand, no matter what platform/terrain you are on, its the same walking sound (unreal) but it helps to focus. In short, you exactly know that sound of steps that you should be looking for/keeping you alert.
Weapons – less recoil less realistic feel. Helps you to narrow the difference between guns – your success rate is purely your skill to navigate and aim. e.g. – aim right – spam less – but make sure to shoot right amount at right place – timing becomes very important. It helps you to quickly click strategically at the right target area.
The ability to shoot at all kinds of walls/materials. Definitely not realistic in terms of architecture but it gives the ability just spam on any wall. This is just a subtle visual feedback, to bring that excitement on screen always as you have visual feedback during most of your game time.
There are really no player shadows in CS1.6, although it may help to spot other people with their shadows but by eliminating shadows it increases difficulty. But since the AI/nor most users are not going to react to player shadows, its useless to have more graphic content. Making it a distraction than an ability to do more. Instead in CS1.6, you know exactly what to look for- the uniform opponent clothing and not anything else.
The most important feature are the maps, which are not realistic even crowded at times. In real world infrastructure no once can build architecture that way, leading to a non realistic level design but giving ample opportunity to make the gameplay engaging:
Short maps
Pool – No guns are provided and you can’t buy them but you can pick them up from the ground. A small region having pillars acting as obstacles. Giving you ample area to move, use of restrooms to hide – but one can shoot through doors, wait and listen. Brings a certain amount of suspense. There are only two sides to the map, with two different colors on and a large pool with water which is transparent. The bullet is slow giving more time to react and takes out less health. It is subtle but useful, giving the player to make the most of the opportunity to react.
Headshot – same as pool in terms of rules, but gives more places to hide with just a couple of boxes lying around. You are exposed most of the time, it challenges you to move quickly and navigate. Good guns such as the sniper rifle are far away at regions that are high up and more exposed. But reward you in the end as you get to see the entire map.
If you got an awesome gun in one round and you did not die, you can carry it with you to the next round, you get an advantage to shoot and win more until u lose the rifle or the ammo is over. You are forced to give up, you will die eventually no matter what. Thus maintaining a state of balance.
Large maps
Ddust2, Inferno – the region is divided in the form of base where you are spawned. There is a region of nothingness in between to connect the two or a tunnel area.
Italy – Top and Bottom gameplay form. You know one has the advantage over the other. As you constantly have to look up and down apart from sideways. Adding more complexity to your viewing area.
Office – Indoor vs outdoor gameplay. There is a ton of breakable glass dividing the two. You still are exposed to a great extent, and the breaking of glass gives you ample audio-visual feedback to keep the pace of the game fast on large scale maps.
Train, Desert, Italy – ton places to hide. Rooms and boxes are your obstacles, giving you more opportunity to navigate. Longer gameplay equally is equally important for larger teams.
Assault – indoor – warehouse vs outdoor building. The two teams have limited entrance points specifically only 3. After playing a couple of times your team has the ability to strategically plan and camp around at these points.
Larger maps are backed by themed background score, based on the type of environment. But it is important to note that the background score never overpowers your ambient sounds and gameplay sounds – keeping you focused at all times.
All of the above, are core mechanics of CS1.6 that made it a success for many years. Also through minor tweaks the game has low CPU specs giving a wider target audience across the world where the internet speeds are not that great or are not really technologically or economically advanced. The core foundation of multiplayer gaming over global servers made it also playable at all times. Bots are there for not playing online, but its the multiplayer functionality combined with bad graphics non-realistic environment components with the simplicity of the gameplay that made it sustain a decade and available to a larger audience across multiple countries across the world.
Game Design 