Welcome to my guide for Counter-Strike: Source. Hopefully, this will help you
get started playing one of the most intense, fun, and popular online
First-Person Shooters. This guide should cover all the bases, and if you feel
that something should be changed or added, please contact me via the
information at the end of this FAQ. Some information may be inaccurate, and
there are likely a few mistakes. Please, point them out. Many of the weapon
stats are done from memory, feel free to correct me.
First, a bit of an introduction is in order. Counter-Strike Source (CSS) is a
remake of the extremely popular Half-Life mod, Counter-Strike. CSS uses
Half-Life 2's engine to give the old game a better look and feel. CSS is an
official modification of Half-Life 2 (HL2), meaning that it is made by the
same people who made HL2, Valve. Because of the new engine, CSS plays almost
entirely differently than previous versions of CS.
Also, maps and strategies WILL be updated in the future. Feel free to
contribute to them, though.
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2. General Tips - 222
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2a. - Starting the Game - 222a
Alright, you've installed CSS and are ready to play. Only one small obstacle
is left; You have absolutely no idea what is going on. First things first;
Open CSS, by double clicking it on the "Play Games" menu on Steam. Now, allow
any necessary patches to be downloaded and installed. After the game loads,
you should be presented with the ingame menu, allowing you to find/create
games, and change your options, among other things.
Alright, you've started the game, and want to jump right into the action. BUT
WAIT! You need to set your options first, and you will want to look over your
controls.
Select Options from the main menu, and put in the name you desire, and adjust
your crosshairs. I STRONGLY reccomend you set the size to small, and use green
crosshairs. They tend to stand out well against most backgrounds.
Next, you can click "advanced" and make sure that "Show Progress Bar when
defusing the C4" is checked. This is probably checked by default, just make
sure that it, along with whatever other options there that you want, are
enabled.
After that is set, continue to the next options tab, and make sure your
controls are set to their liking. This will all be based off of preference,
though I reccomend setting "reload" to something more accessible than R.
Personally, I find it works well being set to reload when the mouse wheel is
pressed down.
The one thing you want to make sure of is that when looking under the
"Controls" tab, you hit the "advanced" button on the bottom, and make sure
that "Enable developer console" is checked. This allows you to bring the
console down with the ~ key, allowing you to see who damaged you and who you
damaged when you die (or at the end of a round), along with a log of the chat
AND allowing you to input commands.
You may also want to enable "Fast Weapon Switch." This will cause your weapon
to instantly appear when you switch weapons, instead of bringing up the large
menu at the top of the screen. However, if you are a beginner, you may want to
leave this unchecked if you are new, and unfamiliar with the weapons.
Move through the next three option tabs, "Mouse," "Audio," and "Video."
Adjust setting sunder the "Mouse" tab as you see fit. This is all based on
preference, and be sure to mess around with the sensitivity to see what you
like the best.
As for "Audio," theres not much to change, just make sure your speaker
settings are alright, though I haven't noticed it mmaking much of a difference.
Same goes for Sound Quality, I can't tell much of a difference between High
and Low quality. Just mess around with that as you see fit.
The "Video" tab will have the greatest impact on your "Frames Per Second"
ingame. Personally, I would rather set everything to low and get good
performance, but the decision is up to you, and your machines capabilities.
There are too many possibilities for me to list hardware specifications and
reccomended settings, so I suggest you start with low graphics and work your
way towards high graphics, playing with the settings until you find a happy
medium between performance and how you want the game to look. Seeing your
Frames per Second, and several tweaks to improve them, will be discussed later
in the guide.
One thing you WANT to get under "Video" is to hit the Brightness button and
turn the Gamma all the way to LIGHT. This will give you a bit of an edge,
allowing you to see better in otherwise dark corners.
Moving on, check out the "Voice" tab. This will allow you to use a microphone,
if you have one, to communicate with your fellow players. Make sure to "test
Microphone." Use this to determine how you sound, and to make sure you're
coming through clear enough to not be an annoyance. I can't offer specific
advice here, again, because thereare too many different sets of hardware and
software. If you need help, try asking on a Tech Support forum, or something.
Now, with your settings set to your liking, you're finally ready to find a
server and play.
Click "Find Servers" on the main menu, and I'll give you a quick run-down of
what you're seeing:
The first column, with a padlock symbol, shows whether or not the server is
password protected. If there is an orangish padlock in this column, the server
is passworded, and you will only be able to play if you have the password.
The second column, which is headed "Servers (xxxxx)" shows the NAME of a
server, and the (xxxxx) is the total number of servers found.
The third column, "Game" tells you which game the server is running.
Suprisingly enough, this column will have "Counter-Strike: Source" under it.
Mind blowing, I know.
The fourth column is where you want to start paying attention. This column,
headed "Players" tells you how many people are in the server, and the number
of people the server can hold. It should read "x/y", where "x" is the number
of players playing currently, and y is the total possible number of players.
After time, you'll get a feel for what size games you want to play. Personally,
big games tend to get graphically intensive, and needlessly hectic for my
tastes, and in my experiences, you have more of a chance at teamwork on
smaller servers. Just my experience, though.
The fifth column, "Map" tells you what map the server is currently running,
in the format "xx_XXXXXXX" Maps will be explained later, and in detail.
the last column, "Ping", is very important. The lower the ping, the smoother
your game will run, and the higher the ping, the worse it will run. Ping is
the time that it takes for your PC to communicate with the server, so the
higher the ping = the longer it will take for your actions to register with
the server. Try to find servers with lower ping. Ping can be affected by the
server, your location relative to the server, and your internet connection
speed.
Your first time playing, you probably won't have much of an idea of what sort
of game you want to play. Your best bet is to pick a server with players in it
and low ping, and just start playing. If you haven't played CSS before, I
reccomend maps like "de_dust", and "cs_office". Both are fairly simple maps,
and will give you a decent variety of gameplay.
Ok, you got into the game and are frustrated as hell. Most people are when
they start out, and that's exactly why this guide is here. These tips should
apply to every map.
First things first: Each map has two teams, the Terrorists (T's) and
Counter-Terrorists (CT's). Depending on the map, each team has a certain
objective. At the time of writing, there are two types of official maps. The
map type is indicated by it's prefix (ie: "de"_dust, "cs"_office).
"de" maps, or defusal maps, are always played where the T's start off with
one player carrying a bomb. This bomb must be planted at one of two bomb
sites, A or B. These sites are always in the same place on a map. Bombs may
be planted anywhere in the vicinity of a bomb site. bomb sites are marked by
red targets painted on the ground, and when you cna plant the bomb, the icon
on your HUD will start flashing red.
The Terrorists win "de" maps by either 1) Killing ever CT, or 2) Planting the
bomb and preventing the CT's from defusing it before it explodes. CT's win by
either eliminating every T, letting the round clock reach 0, or defusing the
bomb after it has been planted.
"cs" maps place 4 hostages in a map, and require the CT's to get to the
hostages, and guide the hostages back to the CT spawn point. The T's win by
either eliminating every CT or letting the clock hit 0. Ct's win by bringing
2 out of the 4 hostages safely to the extraction point, or eliminating every
T.
I had some help compiling these tips, so credit is given where credit is due.
Joemomma writes:
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- For shooting, generally you want to aim towards their upper chest. If you're
up close and can get a headshot, then go for it. Movement increases recoil a
lot, so you don't want to strafe unless you're at a very close range. With
some weapons you probably won't want to strafe at all (such as the Deagle,
because it misses a LOT when you're moving), while with others you'll want to
strafe at longer ranges (MP5Navy).
- Crouch when shooting, unless they're really close. The recoil in this game
is pretty high, so fire in bursts.
- I recommend you set your crosshair to the smallest size, in the options
thing. It's much less distracting and gives you a much better idea of where
your bullets will go. Having it any bigger makes it look like there's much
more recoil than there really is.
- Walking can be useful since your footsteps are unheard, but you need to
know when to use it. Don't walk when there's a big firefight going on, but
rather when there's a few players left and you need to stay stealthy to
survive.
- Don't rush out in the beginning of the round. Rushing requires experience.
Stay behind your teammates a little. Cover them and areas the enemy may come
from. If you know a horde of enemies will come by, then try to ambush one or
two and do what you can. A lot of this game takes thinking. Going gun-ho will
often get you killed.
Buying Strategies and Notes
Desert Eagle Pistol (game calls it the Nighthawk) - by far the most powerful.
I always get this if I need a pistol as the Terrorists. It costs $650, so in
the pistol round you'll only have 3 extra clips.
USP (CT default pistol) - decent amount of power, nice ROF, and its bullets
lead up, often resulting in a headshot. A better close range weapon than the
Deagle.
For CTs:
FAMAS (I forget what the game calls it, but it's the $2200 rifle) - $900 less
than the M4A1. Packs a punch but isn't as strong as most rifles. Decent recoil.
Great choice when you don't have much money.
M4A1 - My favorite overall weapon. A lot of power, easily controlled recoil,
very accurate. Also has a silencer. $3100
Steyr AUG - A great weapon. Powerful, accurate, nice recoil, and has a small
scope. $3500.
For Ts:
Ak47 - Another great overall weapon. More powerful than the M4A1, but has
more recoil. It's more accurate. Well priced, for $2500.
Galil (game calls it the Defender) - Less power and recoil than the AK47,
and costs $2000. Good when you're in the shit pit with little cash.
Krieg Commando - Almost exactly like the Steyr AUG. Costs $3500.
You can also get the $1500 SMG, the MP5Navy. It's good, decently accurate,
and has a low recoil, but it sucks at long range and doesn't have much power.
If you have low enough funds that you have to consider this gun, though, then
I recommend you get a Deagle instead. That way, if you pick up a better weapon
(which you're very likely to do), you didn't waste $1500 on a gun.
Also, get a kevlar and helmet every time you can afford it. I buy armor
before I buy my weapons, because it's extremely important. I also recommend a
frag grenade.
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Good tips from Joe.
Now, there are still things left unsaid:
- It's your call when deciding to use a silencer or not. I find that shots
tend to go a big closer to where I want them, but power also seems to be
reduced. Personally, I've started leaving the silencer off at the start of
rounds, and putting it on when people start to spread out.
- You might want to start off by playing a certain map a lot. As you become
more familiar with the little details of the map, your chance of surviving
increases greatly.
- CROUCH. ALWAYS. With VERY. VERY few exceptions, the added accuracy gained
from crouching is a HUGE help. Recoil in this game DOES get very unmanagable
with some guns, and you have a better chance of hitting if you crouch, even
if you keep the trigger down.
- FIRE IN BURSTS AT LONG DISTANCES. Tap the trigger, actually. if you hold
down the trigger, after the 3rd or 4th round is fired, bullets tend to jump
all over the place. When I'm in a long range fight, I tend to go so far as to
fire each bullet with one click of the mouse, and it works. The closer the
range, though, the longer the bursts can be.
- Stick with your team! Even if you're good, you won't do too well against 3+
players by yourself. There's no reason not to stick with your team. You will
need to use your team to guard the bomb, get to the hostages, or whatever it
is you are supposed to be doing. They are the one resource you will ALWAYS
need.
These cover most of the CSS-specific tips. Anything unsaid most likely falls
under First-Person shooter common sense (ie: Aim for the upper chest/head,
reload between firefights, etc.)
- A tip for putting on your silencer quickly. Right click to begin the
animation of putting on the silencer, then quickly switch weapons by any
means in the middle of it. When you switch back, your silencer will be
completely on.
A (hopefully) detailed listing of each weapon, and it's strength's/weaknesses.
Format:
Name: What it is usually called.
Cost: Amount of money required to buy it
Speed: How fast the gun fires
Notes: Anything I feel needs to be added; accuracy, usefulness, etc.
Name: 9x19MM Sidearm/Glock
Cost: $400
Speed: Pretty quickly. You can empty the clip in a few seconds. Has a
Secondary fire, which fires 3 rounds at once. Rate of fire is reduced, damage
is increased. Accuracy takes a bit of a hit if you fire for an
extended period of time.
Notes: Terrorist starting pistol. Doesn't do much damage, but can be decent
in close quarters. Takes a few hits to the torso to put someone down. Don't
rely on it, though. 20 round clip.
Name: KM .45 Tactical/USP
Cost: $500
Speed: Pretty good for the pistol. empties it's clip quick enough, doesn't lose
too much accuracy.
Notes: CT starting pistol. Tends to do better than the Glock. Can be silenced.
12 Round clip. Seems to take people down a bit faster than the Glock.
Good budget pistol, you can win a round or two with this.
Name: 228 Compact / 228
Cost: $600
Speed: Comparable to the USP and Glock.
Notes: Decent weapon, but there's not much reason to choose it over a USP,
Five-seveN, or Deagle. 13 round clip.
Name: NightHawk.50c /Deagle
Cost: $650
Speed: Slowest of all the pistols. Take your time with this one and make your
shots count.
Notes: Ah, the Deagle. Strongest pistol, and the slowest, with the smallest
clip. Damage compares to some of the rifles, and can take someone down in two
or three good shots. 7 round clip.
Name: .40 Dual Elites/Dualies
Cost: $800
Speed: Damn fast. Two guns, both with decent rates of fire.
Notes: Great if you're going for style points, though the cost is a bit much.
Decent gun for close quarters, has decent damage and a quick rate of fire.
30 round clip. TERRORIST EXCLUSIVE. CT'S MUST PICK THIS OFF THE GROUND TO USE
IT.
Name: ES Five-Seven / 5-7 or Five-Seven
Cost: $750
Speed: Average, feels a bit slower than the USP.
Notes: Good damage, accuracy, and a good choice if you want a quality pistol.
CT Exclusive!
Name: Leone 12 Guage Super/Pump Shotty
Cost: $1700
Speed: Slow. Very slow. Has to be pumped after each shot is fired.
Notes: Great damage. Usually a one-hit kill at CLOSE range if it is centered
on the body. Slow, but very, very powerful. Ideal for maps like cs_office.
Name: Leone YG1265 Auto Shotgun /Auto Shotty
Cost: $3000
Speed: Pretty quick, for a shotgun. Slower than any automatic weapon, and
slower than the pistols, but does more damage. Doesn't have to be pumped, just
hold the mouse button down.
Notes: Personally, I dont care for the auto-shotty. Fires a lot faster than
the pump, but at the tradeoff of damage. It still works great in close quarters
Name: Ingram Mac-10
Cost: $1400
Speed: Good speed. Will put a lot of lead in the enemy, quickly.
Notes: Low damage, good speed, accuracy isn't too good. You're probably
better off saving for an AK. T exclusive.
Name: TMP
Cost: $1250
Speed: Very, very quick.
Notes: Fast, weak, and inaccurate. Not reccomended. CT Exclusive
Name: MP5
Cost: $1500
Speed: Decent. Not TOO fast, but quick enough to put some rounds in the enemy
quickly.
Notes: Decent, cheap gun. Good damage, good speed, accurate enough.
Name: UMP
Cost: $1700
Speed: Slowest SMG, but still respectable.
Notes: Decent damage, fairly good speed, and accurate. Good buy after a pistol
round or two.
Name: ES C90/P90
Cost: $2350
Speed: VERY quickly. Spits out it's 50 round magazine in seconds.
Notes: Weak, but you can put a lot of rounds in the enemy. Decent SMG, good for
close quarters.
Name: IDF Defender
Cost: $2000
Speed: Pretty quick, though most rifles are. Above average, though.
Notes: Respectable in all aspects. good buy, T exclusive.
Name: AK-47
Cost: $2500
Speed: Slower than the Defender, about average for a rifle.
Notes: Staple T rifle. Accurate, powerful, fast. Use it often, and learn to
love it. T Exclusive
Name: FAMAS/Clarion
Cost: $2250
Speed: Average for rifles. Has a 3 round burst, lowers rate of fire for
increased damage.
Notes: I don't use this often, personally. Not too powerful, and not too
accurate. You could probably find a use for it, though. CT Exclusive.
Name: Scout
Cost: $2750
Speed: Slow. Very slow.
Notes: Sniper Rifle, and as such, accurate. One shot to the head, two or so to
the body to put someone down. You run about as fast holding this as you do
with a knife. It's alright, but you could save for an AWP instead.
Name: M4/Colt
Cost: $3100
Speed: Average, comparable to the AK-47.
Notes: Staple CT rifle. CT Exclusive, has all the features of an AK-47, and see
ms a bit easier to control. Can be silenced.
Name: Bullpup
Cost: $3500
Speed: Above average, faster than the M4 Colt.
Notes: Nice alternative to the M4, but not really better. You're probably
better off saving $500 and getting an M4.
Name: Krieg Commando
Cost: $4200
Speed: Pretty quick, semi-atuo sniper rifle.
Notes: Good accuracy, speed, and damage. Good medium between a Scout and an AWP
. CT Exclusive.
Name: Krieg 552
Cost: $3500
Speed: Pretty fast, even for a rifle.
Notes: Accurate, powerful, T exclusive. Right click zooms in a bit, too. Good
buy, helpful rifle.
Name: AWP
Cost: $4750
Speed: Very slow. Slowest gun in the game, pretty much.
Notes: Deadly. Accurate, almost always a one hit kill. Only drawback is it's
speed, and you could always switch to a pistol.
Name: D3/AU-1/Autosniper
Cost: $5000
Speed: Semi Automatic - as fast as you can pull the trigger.
Notes: Very powerful, two shots to the body to kill. Large clip, very accurate.
Widely considered to be a "cheap" weapon.
Name: M249/Para
Cost: $5750
Speed: Very, very fast. One of the fastest in the game.
Notes: Inaccurate, and not terribly powerful, but spits out lead like no other.
Decent if you're just playing for fun, or for close quarters.
All equipment is purchased on the "8" menu of the Buy screen.
- Kevlar: $650 - Protects you from bullets. Adds 100 armor, and makes you live
longer. doesn't come with a helmet.
-Kevlar and Helmet: $1000 - Same as Kevlar, but extends the protection to the
head.
Flashbang: $200 - Blinds friend and foe alike, causing them to hear only a
buzzing sound and see a blank white screen. Length of effect and intensity
depend on how close you are to a flashbang when it goes off and how direct
your line of site with it is.
HE Grenade: $300 - AKA, frag grenade. Explodes, sending shrapnel through the
air and doing good damage to people near it. Good to throw towards a popular
route, you can catch a few people with this.
Smoke Grenade: $300 - Fills the surrounding area with smoke. Use it to create
your own cover, but keep in mind that smoke won't stop bullets. Try it in a
tunnel or enclosed area, where it works best.
Night Vision: $1250 - Creates a nice green effect on your screen, allowing you
to see in the darkness. However, nothing in the game at the moment is too dark
to see in, so there's not really a reason to blow 1.2 grand on these.
Defusal Kit: $200 - Great item on "de" maps. GREATLY speeds up the time it
takes to defuse the C4. If it seems like the T's are able to plant often, pick
this up. CT Exclusive.
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5) Maps, and Map-Specific Tips - 555
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More information and better maps will be added as I think of things to be
added. I probably mixed up a few bombsites, also. Want to suggest something,
or help me fix something? Contact me!
This is my photobucket page listing maps of the various, er, maps. Updated
with the guide, usually. Contain iformation on spawns, hostages, bomb sites,
and points of interest.
Missing maps for: Italy, Havana, Prodigy, Tides
5a) "de" Maps:
Map: De_Dust
Brief summary: Classic map, and straightforward design. Remember to guard the
bomb, and plant it if you have it.
General Tips: Notice that Bomb Site A is in the CT spawn. Most people will go
for site B, and that is where much of the action on this map takes place.
Map: De-Dust 2
Brief Summary: Larger than Dust, has more long range action, and a nice mix of
close quarters and long distance fighting. Not quite as straight forward as
Dust, but a decent beginner map.
General tips: Remember to guard the bomb, and plant it if you have it. You
should shy away from SMG's and pistols, and try to grab a rifle for the long
distance fights.
Map: de_Piranesi
Brief Summary: Larger and complicated than the Dust maps, still has a balance
of very close quarters fighting and a few choice spots for snipers.
General Tips: Long range engagements are common here. Nothis really new
applies here, though. Watch the windows and areas above you, though, and be
wary of
snipers.
Map: de_aztec
Brief Summary: Long range fights are the order of the day here.
General Tips: Get a gun that you can use at long range, and be very wary of
snipers. Flashbangs and smoke will help you get the drop on them. Taking the
path to the water can help you surprise a few enemies, but be sure to check
above you, especially around the bridge.
Map: de_cbble
Brief Summary: Mostly long range fights, and some of the best sniping spots in
the game.
General Tips: Grab a gun you can use at long range, and stick with your team.
Don't be afraid to stick in one spot and snipe. Be sure to watch the windows
before you run onto open ground.
Map: de_chateau
Brief Summary: Mostly close range combat, teams tend to get split up easily
in this map.
General Tips: Watch upper levels and windows very carefully. This applies
ever moreso here than other maps. You'll probably see some close quarters
fighting, so choose your equipment accordingly.
Map: de_prodigy
Brief Summary: A very close quarters map. only one or two chances to use a
sniper rifle.
General Tips: As a CT, take to the vents to get the drop on the T's. T's need
to make good use of smoke and flashbangs, or snipers, to clear a few long
halls.
Map: de_Tides
Brief Summary: not one of the better maps, Tides is an average map. Medium to
close range engagements are common.
General Tips: Nothing new here. Keep the basic, general tips in mind and
you'll do fine.
Brief Summary: CT's have to secure 2 of four hostages, and escort them back to
the extraction point. Lots of close quarters fighting, and
General Tips: Lots of close quarters fighting. If you want to use a shotgun
or a Para, use it here. Remember, only 2 of 4 hostages gave to make it to the
extraction point alive. Use your team to guard the hostages and proceed
carefully.
Map: cs_havana
Brief Summary: A compact, close quarters map. CT's must secure and escort at
least 2 of 4 hostages.
Map coming soon. Feel free to contribute!
General Tips: Not much chance to use a sniper rifle here. Good deal of dark
corners and enclosed areas, so pick a weapon you're quick and comfortable with.
Lots of twisting passages and alleys, so stick close to your team.
Map: cs_Italy
Brief Summary: A good, straightforward hostage rescure map. Has a good balance
of close quarters and long distance fighting.
Map coming as soon as I get a good one.
General Tips: Good, fun map. Pick a weapon you like, and pick a path. If you
stay alert, you'll be able to get a jump on a few enemies. There are quite a
few paths to take, so you have a variety of ways to get at your enemies. Try to
vary your paths, and hit your enemies unexpectedly. This tends to apply more
here than other maps.
At this time, I'm not going to include any maps or tips for custom maps, as
there are a huge amount of custom maps and tons of different versions. If
there is enough demand or popularity for a certain map, I may add it.
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6. Legal info/Credits/Contact info/Version History - 666
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Credits: Valve, for finally getting this out to us.
The GFAQs1942 community, for input and support
Ceej, for making the best damn site on the intarweb.
This written guide is the sole property of it's author, Robert Davis. All
content used within the site is the original property of the author, and may
not be posted on any site without the author's permission. If you wish to use
this guide on your site, contact me at the information below. The newest
version of this guide may be found at www.gamefaqs.com.
If you find this guide anywhere other than GameFAQs, please contact me.
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