Right. So the original thread is at over eight pages, 380+ questions and there's really no way I can catch up on it and help anyone, so here we are again starting fresh.
Some new rules...
1. Limit technical/fps questions. I can help a little in both of these areas, but that's really not the intent of this thread. And you can probably find better help over on FPSLabs (http://hardware.gotfrag.com/)
2. Questions about aiming are ok, but try not to ask for anything specific. I'm still not up for that discussion unfortunately.
3. Be serious. Ask me honest questions and you'll get honest help. Funny little comments do stack up, and it makes it difficult to maintain the thread after a while.
4. Realize I'm going to pick only 1-2 questions a week (more or less, depending on the time I have) to answer. You do not have to repeat your question, I may very well skip you and get back to you at a later date.
--- Below are some excerpts from the previous thread, as to not repeat myself too much --
[b]How can I improve, get smarter, have better aim and be more successful at what I do?[/b]
[b]Smarts[/b] come from experience, and analyzing. Always consider why something happened, how it could have been better and if there was a more beneficial alternative. Don't be content with what works. Watch demos for valuable side-line experience. Don't accept what you see as correct, always consider why things happened, and if the person made a mistake. You can spend a lot of time watching situations over and over, figuring out better ways for individual players to approach them. It can also be good to pause a demo in a critical situation, run through your mind what you would do personally, and play the demo to see what would have happened.
[b]Improvement[/b] in aiming goes back to being a secret for another day. And we already went over how to improve smarts. As a team, come up with clear focus points for practice. Baka had the right idea with this prime article (http://www.gotfrag.com/cs/story/35142/) but continue to look for what's important and not mentioned. Also, the idea of scrimming isn't about winning. Your team will continue to get better if you make a clear point every practice to address problems, and improve upon rotations and execution. The idea is, that every day you can go into practice thinking to yourself "regardless of what happens, we're a better team today than we were yesterday." It doesn't have to be a drastic leap, it just has to be in the right direction. Keep doing that, and eventually you're golden.
[b]Success[/b] on a larger scale comes from a positive attitude and willingness to [i]practice[/i] CS, not just enjoy it. If you enjoy the process, then great. But practice isn't about enjoyment, it's about conditioning you to play better (which in effect should bring you more joy). On a situational scale, positive attitude and attention to detail are the keys to overcoming. Whether it's a 1v1 , or your team is down 13-3... the right mindset can assure that every round is a new round. Thinking logically, since it's hard to get really fatigued in one CS game, you should be improving every round as you gain more and more information about your opponent. (http://www.gotfrag.com/cs/story/33032/) should help with thinking the right way. Never break down mentally. Even if things are going poorly, make the other team earn their rounds. No gimmies. Also check out Success in Gaming, Part 1 ((http://www.thecgs.com/index.php?s=conten..) and Part 2 ((http://www.thecgs.com/index.php?s=conten..)
[b]Why do you have that "1" in your name? Does it make you better at CS?[/b] Actually, that's kind of funny. I used to get flack from people on ESEA for having a "1" in my name. I don't actually play with it like that (not that I ever play under my alias, but if I did, there would be no "1"). It started because GotFrag already has a user named "delight" - same for ESEA. deL[b]1[/b]GHT was the most logical second-choice.
[b]Someone always shoots me before I can shoot them, what can I do?[/b]
The aggressor almost always has the reactionary advantage in linear situations. If someone knows "about" the area you're at, don't wait for him to peek you. Walk your way into an obscure, wide angle on the way to peeking the same corner he's about to peek you on. Some of the best positions on defense are those that allow you to peek the enemy. Your best bet is to safe-peek your opponent before he peeks you (safe-peeking is peeking a peeking opponent, not necessarily peeking an uncontrolled area), or set yourself up in a wide, obscure angle to counter his commitment to the angle he's about to peek (example: guy wants to walk in a room and peek the right corner... standing off of the right corner, at an angle where you can almost see him turn the corner, will allow you to shoot him in the side).
Try not to play in positions that give your opponent an opportunity to prefire you. You don't always have to watch an entrance or angle directly as expected... it's often good to set off a bit, and then peek that angle once the opponent thinks it's clear (such as window on dust2). Be smart with this though, don't let anyone surprise you or more importantly your teammates because you're not peeking.
[b]How does watching demos and learning offensive strategies benefit me defensively?[/b]
Though I prefer to focus more on smaller-scale battles (round by round, frag by frag situations), it definitely helps to understand what could be going on around you at any given time. Knowing strategies can really help you key in on things, in the event that an opponent utilizes them. And the thing is, it doesn't even have to be the same strategy they run. A lot of strategies are based off of principles: fake for the alley, distract the middle player from B, etc... you don't need to know exactly how they are going to do it, as much as you need to understand that they are indeed looking to achieve said principles. Understanding the principle is the key to unraveling their strategy.
[b]If someone develops his AWPing entirely on quickscoping, is that bad? And if he really has good quickscoping skills i mean?[/b]
To answer simply - I wouldn't really call it bad. The fact that he develops his quickscoping ability well, I don't think is going to negatively impact his scoping ability. That is, as long as he doesn't start quickscoping in situations he should be scoping, just because it makes him more comfortable. What I do think is bad, however, might* be the way he's using the awp offensively. Yes, there are a lot of times on offense where you need to quickscope at times, but I believe most entry picks should be coming from scoped shots, primarily because you usually have a good idea where the opponent will be, and for that reason should be using the scope.
[b]How come I was better in 2003 when the game was harder to play and there was a skill gap, yet now everyone from cal o on up has headshot waller allstars who can beat you on any given sunday?[/b]
Rhetorical, obviously, but I don't think that was why. The quality of competition has risen greatly since 2003, and I'm not talking just about skill level (which you can debate is a factor of game nerfing). I'm talking about team preparation, strategies, all of that. Also, perhaps you haven't taken the game quite as seriously since then, where as more people have come in and put in even more effort. That's bound to create a quick difference in the players around you, if you're walking backwards while everyone is steamrolling ahead. I'm sure if you actually put effort into practice again (long-term, not short-term) you are bound to get where you want to go. Unfortunately for you, that's true for everyone... and there are a lot of people playing competitive CS these days.
[b]What should i do when i am at that level where its hard to keep improving?[/b]
You're past the stage of instant gratification in improvement (for the most part, I'm sure there's still a lot you don't know, but will learn later). So what I suggest you do, is come up with a concrete mini-practice regiment. Now, I'm not saying go all Commando on the game and kick your own butt. Just make a very small, track able practice regiment.
For example, 200 HS Frags with each primarily rifle and primary pistols against bots. Do this perhaps 4 days a week, and record on your first Monday. Record one more time a few weeks later. Go back and watch your demo (maybe even in slow-mo), and compare it. You should be able to watch the older demo and honestly feel like you're playing better, even on a small scale. This should show you that you are improving. Now, I think there are much much better ways to improve than this, but this is just a way for you to realize that you are, indeed, improving. Even if you don't always notice it.
You may also want to get your demo to a knowledgeable friend, watch on vent and let him talk you through some things.
[b]At some point you cant just improve by yourself, you have to improve as a team, right?[/b]
I can agree that after a certain point, you can no longer effectively improve with a current method of practice. But I don't think you ever stop improving as a player. You just have to find other ways to do it.
[b]Are there any other things that you know of that can help me improve and stay more consistent?[/b]
Sorry, I skipped over this one. Absolutely there are things you can do to stay consistent. The best thing you can do is continue to improve as a player (Lethal's Guide somewhat talks about this). The better player you are, the less impacting your slumps will become on the end-result of your performance. Basically, if you're a mediocre player that's slumping you will probably see a big difference... The fall from mediocre to bad is a very short drop. If you're an amazing player slumping, however, all it will likely mean is that you're playing less amazing. I think this is the best method to addressing consistency issues: Improvement.
Improvement will do two things: 1. minimize the impact of your slumps and 2. by practicing consistently, you're conditioning consistency. And what better way to attain consistency than through controllable consistency (practice)? So in effect, you're both minimizing the negative side of slumping and conditioning yourself to be more consistent at the same time. You're hitting the problem in the jaw twice as hard, basically.
Specifics on improving aim I'm not going to be addressing in this thread, but for "other tips" on improving, that you may not have tried, I would suggest downloading the "amx_nade" plugin for metamod. This will allow you to give a player (ie: yourself) unlimited grenades of all types. I commonly use this to minimize downtime while developing nade-centric strats, or perfecting difficult smokes and flashes. If you're not very good with nades, this is also a fantastic way to get you adjusted to the way the HL engine works. More often than not though, you will use this on maps like de_train in your free time, trying to discover and evaluate better nading techniques. This is also an invaluable plugin for team practices.
[b]I am having trouble positioning my mousepad on my desk comfortably[/b]
Try turning your keyboard at an angle. The thing about steelpads, in general, is they provide just enough space to be used by most people. The problem comes when you start taking away any of that valuable space. Turning your keyboard at an angle can give you more mouse space to cover, assuming your keyboard and mousepad are overlapping.
But if it's comfort that's a problem, and that doesn't solve it, your problem is your gaming space, not your mousepad. Getting a mousepad to fit your space, or making more space is what you need to do.
[b]Would you ever quit playing a game competitively for a girl you liked?[/b]
I don't see why you can't have both. But if you're asking me which I would do if the choice presented itself with no alternative, I'd quit 10 out of 10 times. There are more important things in life than material pleasures. I think your feelings for another human being are one of those important things.
[b]What do you think is the best way to explain a Strat to your team? (overview, stratbook, movie, ...)[/b]
Essentially a hybrid.
[i]"If you're the one calling/developing the strats, I would try to make things as visual as possible.
You can do this by creating short strat videos highlighting the POV of each player while the strat is being run, followed (usually) by an overhead view of the execution. Accompany these strats with written documentation explaining what each person is doing, and why they are doing it (as well as what should be done if situations arise) and you've got yourself a fully functional, fully distributable playbook."[/i]... to be referenced in real-time.
[b]When i scrim, i find myself not at the level i would be at if i was playing DM. Sometimes i think its because of confidence or something, but im not sure. Do you know any ways to sort of "transfer" my DM skill into a scrim environment ?[/b]
First of all, if you're uncertain whether or not confidence is a problem, then I can tell you it is definitely a problem. Confidence is not something that can be inwardly mistaken. You're never going to be confident and not know it. And if you're confident, you will perform more consistently. So if you're unsure if confidence is a problem, then there's definitely something hanging in the air.
Moving along, there's no pressure in a DM server. Unless you've got a hang up about always looking good in front of people, usually there's nothing to lose in a DM. A scrim is supposed to be sort of be a gauge of a player's ability come match day, and if a player doesn't do well in scrims, it's assumed he will do no better in matches (which are essentially the entire point of practicing in scrims). Doing poorly in scrims, on a personal level, can mean a lot to a player, because many people view it as a precursor to their self-worth as a competitive gamer. So right away, we know even something as trivial as a scrim can mean a lot to an individual, if a negative pattern of performance continues to manifest itself.
Players, good and bad, and in all walks of competition are known to respond differently to situations. Some players seem to "turn it on" when it's crunch time, where as others are unable to cope with the mounting pressure. Now, Counter-Strike scrims aren't necessarily crunch time situations, but as we understand it, how we perform in scrims is what usually gives us an idea of how we will perform when it actually does matter. So there's definitely a feeling of worth on the line. This may be why you do better in DMs than in scrims... You may just not be comfortable with the pressure.
That's one reason why, but to be honest I doubt that is it, merely because I had the exact same feeling for the longest time. I would always do extremely well in CSDMs, and then flop in scrims... As it turns out, however, I would consistently find myself being a complete monster in actual matches. So it definitely wasn't the pressure holding me back.
For me, when I'm in a CSDM my goal is to improve through repetition. CSDMs actually do matter to me, because if I'm doing poorly it's a sign that my practice time wasn't used as effectively as it could be. I feel like there's pressure to perform in a CSDM because of that, and I think that's why I excelled in CSDMs - because, as we learned earlier, I play better when I feel like it matters.
Your problem could be the opposite of the first thought - that you can't handle the pressure well - it could be because you don't see scrims as being important. I was the same way. I was great in CSDMs, but also great in matches... and for the longest time, I was a complete drag in scrims. I never viewed scrims with the intent of performing well, or winning (somewhat, but not really). It was really all about doing better as a team. So for me, there was no pressure to perform, so I failed to perform in scrims. I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing, unless you're of course trying to get noticed, at which point teamwork, sadly, doesn't get you enough credit.
My advice to you is to find out which person you are right now as a player: the kind that enjoys the challenge, or the kind that shies away from it. If you enjoy the pressure and you put a lot of pressure on scrims, and yet you still fail to perform, then start thinking about the factors below.
[i]Your skill in CSDMs may never be the same as your skill in-game in a scrim. In CSDMs you're warmed up, the muscles in your hand become loose and more responsive and your actions involve no consideration of dictating factors like cs economy.[/i]
This is pretty simple once you think about it. Now, I can't remember how the theory goes exactly, because it's been a while since I last heard it. But I remember this theory on how the brain learns and retains information. The idea is, the brain can only hold 7(?) thoughts at once (3 major tasks, 4 minor), any more than that and something has to be pushed out. In a CSDM, you're quite simply putting much less into your brain, hence it is easier to keep what is in around you in the front of your mind. On the other side of things, [b]this can immediately explain why completely thought-driven states such as depression have such a direct negative impact on your performance.[/b] Your mind simply can't juggle so much at once, especially when the game in front of you is delegated to one of the minor tasks because of more imposing issues. Ever try to play CS sad? You wont play well. And even if you do, you probably could have done better. This is the phase I'm going through right now, and it took me a while to understand why I was practicing harder and playing worse. In a game like CS, that is so mentally dependent, you can't slack off and let your mind wander or take the time to wallow over your poor play. Doing so just makes it more difficult to keep the game at the top of your mental priorities... you just can't play CS when it is delegated to a minor task in your brain, at least not at a high level.
On a smaller scale, when you're in a scrim, you can be thinking about a whole variety of things, and as a result you may lose grasp of certain keys, such as cs economy (implications of your actions), the strat (and all the things required of you), opponent positioning, simple stop, fire, go mechanics, and a bunch of other very basic, but important things.
The best thing you can do here, is make sure you retain the most important things to your individual success in your brain (if individual success is, indeed what you want).
You can try focusing on things like: Likely position of opponent (best, worst, and likely scenario) and how the opponent will react to certain things. Visualization is so important. Always keep these things in mind, and calculate based on odds, not how the round played out before.
For example... if you know where your opponent is, and you figured you have a better chance at picking him than he does of picking you, don't be afraid simply because it didn't work out that way last time. You have to trust your ability. Something I love doing when I have really low HP, is to play with absolutely no fear. Too often someone will have low HP and turn into a snail. I'm not saying start running everywhere, but don't let your health stop you from doing what you've calculated to be the best option. If you start doing that, you're only digging yourself into a deeper hole.
GET WARMED UP. Pretty obvious, but this is why people are generally better towards the middle and end of a deathmatch than at the beginning. Being warmed up from round #1 is extremely important, because of the pistol round. You can't wait until round 5, 6 or 7 to get warmed up and expect great overall results. People may complain about "try harders" in pre-game, but it really doesn't make too much sense. If your objective is so linear that all you want to do is do well, and win, then preparing beforehand is crucial. Gaming has the added advantage of not being too physically taxing, so you don't lose anything from putting yourself in the right rhythm before a game in CS, where as in sports like football, you could simply tire yourself out for when it matters. Get warmed up. Get loose. You don't have to play hard, but don't run around with shotties either.
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. Your lows wont be as low, your highs will be much higher, and your middles will be much more consistent. Figure out what's wrong with yourself in scrims. If it's your thought process, watch a demo with someone knowledgeable. If it's your aim, then do what you've come to understand as the best way to improve your mechanics.
[b]Do you believe that a player plays only as good as the team?[/b]
No, I do not believe so. I believe this is an excuse people will sometimes try to make to make themselves feel better. It's true that it is a team game, and the team will only consistently win as good as the team is, but when it comes to individual performance, it's on you. Yes, a better team can allow you certain luxuries and confidence, but at the end of the day it's still you moving the mouse and making the individual decisions.
To put this simply... if you were to take the best Counter-Strike player in the world, and put them on the team you're playing for now, do you think that player will cease to be as good as he is? Will his skill be nerfed to the level of his group? Now, he may lose more often as a team, because his team is not quite as good, but in general he should still be performing very well.
I think your problem is a mental block, and part of being a great player is making people around you great. You will benefit from a better team, so why not try to make your peers better? Perhaps show them some of the things that you know. Another sign of a great player (and a great team) is one that plays to its ability, not to its peers. If you play to your peers, then bad play will be contagious. I know, I watched the Jaguars throughout the entire 2006-2007 NFL season. Playing well against and with good teams and players doesn't change the fact that you still play down to the bad ones. If you play to your ability, you'll always perform as you expect from yourself.
[b]How to bunny hop like forest (silent jumping)[/b]
Silent jumping is illegal in most US based competitions, and because US players largely inhabit this forum, I don't want to get into it.
[b]Bunny hopping advice[/b]
I will tell you a neat trick is to crouch during your bunny hops. If you do this correctly and time it properly, you can actually maintain speed going up ramps, and the smaller body frame you've created means you're moving faster proportionate to your size, and of course makes you more difficult to hit bouncing around corners. It's a great way to enter a site tbh, because the crouching on the hop means when it comes time to stand up, you will hit the ground faster than a regular hop (think of it like crouching down in the air to make a jump, it lifts your feet to an extent).
Essentially, you can bounce around the corner and stand up at the end of your jump and erase the landing time, as opposed to bunny hopping out the normal way and having a longer delay. You get the same shifty movement like you want in a bunny hop, but you get the added benefit of a smaller target, faster proportionate speed and reduced vulnerability. Plus, it feels cool.
do things like mousepads, headphones, etc. really matter that much? i've been using an mx310 and some cloth pad i found in the basement for a long time and what i'm wondering is if buying a new mouse/mousepad or better headphones will have any real impact on my ability to shoot heads.
[b]Do things like mousepads, headphones, etc. really matter that much?[/b]
Headphones, not really. As long as you are getting consistent and appropriate sound coming from the right directions. A new mousepad/mouse, however, can have a very adverse impact on your performance. This is because after a good deal of time with one peripheral, your mind and body come to understand X effort = X distance across the screen. When you change stuff like sensitivity, mouse surface or a new mouse specifically, you start to change the amount of effort required to reach X distance. How extreme the changes are equates directly to how much it effects you.
Once X effort fails to always equal X distance, you start dealing with inconsistency... which is not what you want in CS. You want consistency. A new mouse can have a huge impact on this in particular. If you think about it for a second, the way the mouse is designed has a lot to do with how you grip it, and that alone can have the biggest impact on the effort required to reach X distance. Why? Well, even if the mouse surface and technical specs of the mouse were completely the same, a new mouse design that requires a different grip means you're putting in a different amount of effort, more than likely, to move the mouse in different directions.
Example: Moving the mouse to the right will have most players pushing with their thumb, which is not the same amount of effort as moving the mouse to the left, which for many may involve pushing with the pinky, or right ring finger (depending on the grip). Changing a mouse means more than just changing weight, shape and comfort. There's a less aesthetic impact to your game as well.
nice delight, keep it up. However I got something I'd like to discuss with ya.
I noticed that whenever I'm playing, and I get nervous, it'll make me be more careful, however I'll play like 50% of my potential at about 90% of the times [I get nervous]. Anyways I had this tourny the other day against some team I wont say the name here, and they were rolling us 11-4 at 1st half. I knew one of their boys is a hacker, I did play for his team and HE tought I hacked. Then I remembered this "woah, I'm afraid cuz I think/know he hacks.... maybe he's afraid of me too...", this gave me some confidence back, gave me guts, and the result was: I went crazy with the awp, quickscoping every bish that got on my way and we eventualy won the game on the 1st overtime. When the game was over they requested my oct (a program that keeps taking screenshots to check 16biting/wallhacking/"info givers") while I laughed my ass off cuz I did pull this one (reciving the status of MVP @ that match).
I had that recorded, and I watched it twice. There was a notable difference on the 1st half (where I had no confidence; I could hit my shots but that just wouldnt be enough) and the 2nd half (where I had confidence back and was hiting everything).
My point is, confidence is a life changing factor. from this experience I learned that whenever I face a hard situation on life, I gotta trust myself and go for it.
Now, 1 more thing I'd like to discuss. If you play the annoying idiot, you shall eventualy play better. I mean, if you keep talking on the mic, making up stupid jokes all of a sudden, laughing at whatever happens on the game, you'll eventualy have better results, or will at least take off the pressure and play smoothly. Do you agree? btw if ne1 wanna test this, watchout not to p.i.s.s a teammate off.
The Help Thread [2]
Some new rules...
1. Limit technical/fps questions. I can help a little in both of these areas, but that's really not the intent of this thread. And you can probably find better help over on FPSLabs (http://hardware.gotfrag.com/)
2. Questions about aiming are ok, but try not to ask for anything specific. I'm still not up for that discussion unfortunately.
3. Be serious. Ask me honest questions and you'll get honest help. Funny little comments do stack up, and it makes it difficult to maintain the thread after a while.
4. Realize I'm going to pick only 1-2 questions a week (more or less, depending on the time I have) to answer. You do not have to repeat your question, I may very well skip you and get back to you at a later date.
--- Below are some excerpts from the previous thread, as to not repeat myself too much --
[b]How can I improve, get smarter, have better aim and be more successful at what I do?[/b]
[b]Smarts[/b] come from experience, and analyzing. Always consider why something happened, how it could have been better and if there was a more beneficial alternative. Don't be content with what works. Watch demos for valuable side-line experience. Don't accept what you see as correct, always consider why things happened, and if the person made a mistake. You can spend a lot of time watching situations over and over, figuring out better ways for individual players to approach them. It can also be good to pause a demo in a critical situation, run through your mind what you would do personally, and play the demo to see what would have happened.
[b]Aiming[/b] is all about muscle memory. Info here: (http://chicagochimera.thecgs.com/index.ph..)
[b]Improvement[/b] in aiming goes back to being a secret for another day. And we already went over how to improve smarts. As a team, come up with clear focus points for practice. Baka had the right idea with this prime article (http://www.gotfrag.com/cs/story/35142/) but continue to look for what's important and not mentioned. Also, the idea of scrimming isn't about winning. Your team will continue to get better if you make a clear point every practice to address problems, and improve upon rotations and execution. The idea is, that every day you can go into practice thinking to yourself "regardless of what happens, we're a better team today than we were yesterday." It doesn't have to be a drastic leap, it just has to be in the right direction. Keep doing that, and eventually you're golden.
[b]Success[/b] on a larger scale comes from a positive attitude and willingness to [i]practice[/i] CS, not just enjoy it. If you enjoy the process, then great. But practice isn't about enjoyment, it's about conditioning you to play better (which in effect should bring you more joy). On a situational scale, positive attitude and attention to detail are the keys to overcoming. Whether it's a 1v1 , or your team is down 13-3... the right mindset can assure that every round is a new round. Thinking logically, since it's hard to get really fatigued in one CS game, you should be improving every round as you gain more and more information about your opponent. (http://www.gotfrag.com/cs/story/33032/) should help with thinking the right way. Never break down mentally. Even if things are going poorly, make the other team earn their rounds. No gimmies. Also check out Success in Gaming, Part 1 ((http://www.thecgs.com/index.php?s=conten..) and Part 2 ((http://www.thecgs.com/index.php?s=conten..)
[b]Why do you have that "1" in your name? Does it make you better at CS?[/b]
Actually, that's kind of funny. I used to get flack from people on ESEA for having a "1" in my name. I don't actually play with it like that (not that I ever play under my alias, but if I did, there would be no "1"). It started because GotFrag already has a user named "delight" - same for ESEA. deL[b]1[/b]GHT was the most logical second-choice.
The aggressor almost always has the reactionary advantage in linear situations. If someone knows "about" the area you're at, don't wait for him to peek you. Walk your way into an obscure, wide angle on the way to peeking the same corner he's about to peek you on. Some of the best positions on defense are those that allow you to peek the enemy. Your best bet is to safe-peek your opponent before he peeks you (safe-peeking is peeking a peeking opponent, not necessarily peeking an uncontrolled area), or set yourself up in a wide, obscure angle to counter his commitment to the angle he's about to peek (example: guy wants to walk in a room and peek the right corner... standing off of the right corner, at an angle where you can almost see him turn the corner, will allow you to shoot him in the side).
Try not to play in positions that give your opponent an opportunity to prefire you. You don't always have to watch an entrance or angle directly as expected... it's often good to set off a bit, and then peek that angle once the opponent thinks it's clear (such as window on dust2). Be smart with this though, don't let anyone surprise you or more importantly your teammates because you're not peeking.
[b]How does watching demos and learning offensive strategies benefit me defensively?[/b]
Though I prefer to focus more on smaller-scale battles (round by round, frag by frag situations), it definitely helps to understand what could be going on around you at any given time. Knowing strategies can really help you key in on things, in the event that an opponent utilizes them. And the thing is, it doesn't even have to be the same strategy they run. A lot of strategies are based off of principles: fake for the alley, distract the middle player from B, etc... you don't need to know exactly how they are going to do it, as much as you need to understand that they are indeed looking to achieve said principles. Understanding the principle is the key to unraveling their strategy.
[b]If someone develops his AWPing entirely on quickscoping, is that bad? And if he really has good quickscoping skills i mean?[/b]
To answer simply - I wouldn't really call it bad. The fact that he develops his quickscoping ability well, I don't think is going to negatively impact his scoping ability. That is, as long as he doesn't start quickscoping in situations he should be scoping, just because it makes him more comfortable. What I do think is bad, however, might* be the way he's using the awp offensively. Yes, there are a lot of times on offense where you need to quickscope at times, but I believe most entry picks should be coming from scoped shots, primarily because you usually have a good idea where the opponent will be, and for that reason should be using the scope.
[b]How come I was better in 2003 when the game was harder to play and there was a skill gap, yet now everyone from cal o on up has headshot waller allstars who can beat you on any given sunday?[/b]
Rhetorical, obviously, but I don't think that was why. The quality of competition has risen greatly since 2003, and I'm not talking just about skill level (which you can debate is a factor of game nerfing). I'm talking about team preparation, strategies, all of that. Also, perhaps you haven't taken the game quite as seriously since then, where as more people have come in and put in even more effort. That's bound to create a quick difference in the players around you, if you're walking backwards while everyone is steamrolling ahead. I'm sure if you actually put effort into practice again (long-term, not short-term) you are bound to get where you want to go. Unfortunately for you, that's true for everyone... and there are a lot of people playing competitive CS these days.
[b]What should i do when i am at that level where its hard to keep improving?[/b]
You're past the stage of instant gratification in improvement (for the most part, I'm sure there's still a lot you don't know, but will learn later). So what I suggest you do, is come up with a concrete mini-practice regiment. Now, I'm not saying go all Commando on the game and kick your own butt. Just make a very small, track able practice regiment.
For example, 200 HS Frags with each primarily rifle and primary pistols against bots. Do this perhaps 4 days a week, and record on your first Monday. Record one more time a few weeks later. Go back and watch your demo (maybe even in slow-mo), and compare it. You should be able to watch the older demo and honestly feel like you're playing better, even on a small scale. This should show you that you are improving. Now, I think there are much much better ways to improve than this, but this is just a way for you to realize that you are, indeed, improving. Even if you don't always notice it.
You may also want to get your demo to a knowledgeable friend, watch on vent and let him talk you through some things.
[b]At some point you cant just improve by yourself, you have to improve as a team, right?[/b]
I can agree that after a certain point, you can no longer effectively improve with a current method of practice. But I don't think you ever stop improving as a player. You just have to find other ways to do it.
Sorry, I skipped over this one. Absolutely there are things you can do to stay consistent. The best thing you can do is continue to improve as a player (Lethal's Guide somewhat talks about this). The better player you are, the less impacting your slumps will become on the end-result of your performance. Basically, if you're a mediocre player that's slumping you will probably see a big difference... The fall from mediocre to bad is a very short drop. If you're an amazing player slumping, however, all it will likely mean is that you're playing less amazing. I think this is the best method to addressing consistency issues: Improvement.
Improvement will do two things: 1. minimize the impact of your slumps and 2. by practicing consistently, you're conditioning consistency. And what better way to attain consistency than through controllable consistency (practice)? So in effect, you're both minimizing the negative side of slumping and conditioning yourself to be more consistent at the same time. You're hitting the problem in the jaw twice as hard, basically.
Specifics on improving aim I'm not going to be addressing in this thread, but for "other tips" on improving, that you may not have tried, I would suggest downloading the "amx_nade" plugin for metamod. This will allow you to give a player (ie: yourself) unlimited grenades of all types. I commonly use this to minimize downtime while developing nade-centric strats, or perfecting difficult smokes and flashes. If you're not very good with nades, this is also a fantastic way to get you adjusted to the way the HL engine works. More often than not though, you will use this on maps like de_train in your free time, trying to discover and evaluate better nading techniques. This is also an invaluable plugin for team practices.
[b]I am having trouble positioning my mousepad on my desk comfortably[/b]
Try turning your keyboard at an angle. The thing about steelpads, in general, is they provide just enough space to be used by most people. The problem comes when you start taking away any of that valuable space. Turning your keyboard at an angle can give you more mouse space to cover, assuming your keyboard and mousepad are overlapping.
But if it's comfort that's a problem, and that doesn't solve it, your problem is your gaming space, not your mousepad. Getting a mousepad to fit your space, or making more space is what you need to do.
[b]Would you ever quit playing a game competitively for a girl you liked?[/b]
I don't see why you can't have both. But if you're asking me which I would do if the choice presented itself with no alternative, I'd quit 10 out of 10 times. There are more important things in life than material pleasures. I think your feelings for another human being are one of those important things.
Essentially a hybrid.
[i]"If you're the one calling/developing the strats, I would try to make things as visual as possible.
You can do this by creating short strat videos highlighting the POV of each player while the strat is being run, followed (usually) by an overhead view of the execution. Accompany these strats with written documentation explaining what each person is doing, and why they are doing it (as well as what should be done if situations arise) and you've got yourself a fully functional, fully distributable playbook."[/i]... to be referenced in real-time.
[b]When i scrim, i find myself not at the level i would be at if i was playing DM. Sometimes i think its because of confidence or something, but im not sure. Do you know any ways to sort of "transfer" my DM skill into a scrim environment ?[/b]
First of all, if you're uncertain whether or not confidence is a problem, then I can tell you it is definitely a problem. Confidence is not something that can be inwardly mistaken. You're never going to be confident and not know it. And if you're confident, you will perform more consistently. So if you're unsure if confidence is a problem, then there's definitely something hanging in the air.
Moving along, there's no pressure in a DM server. Unless you've got a hang up about always looking good in front of people, usually there's nothing to lose in a DM. A scrim is supposed to be sort of be a gauge of a player's ability come match day, and if a player doesn't do well in scrims, it's assumed he will do no better in matches (which are essentially the entire point of practicing in scrims). Doing poorly in scrims, on a personal level, can mean a lot to a player, because many people view it as a precursor to their self-worth as a competitive gamer. So right away, we know even something as trivial as a scrim can mean a lot to an individual, if a negative pattern of performance continues to manifest itself.
Players, good and bad, and in all walks of competition are known to respond differently to situations. Some players seem to "turn it on" when it's crunch time, where as others are unable to cope with the mounting pressure. Now, Counter-Strike scrims aren't necessarily crunch time situations, but as we understand it, how we perform in scrims is what usually gives us an idea of how we will perform when it actually does matter. So there's definitely a feeling of worth on the line. This may be why you do better in DMs than in scrims... You may just not be comfortable with the pressure.
That's one reason why, but to be honest I doubt that is it, merely because I had the exact same feeling for the longest time. I would always do extremely well in CSDMs, and then flop in scrims... As it turns out, however, I would consistently find myself being a complete monster in actual matches. So it definitely wasn't the pressure holding me back.
For me, when I'm in a CSDM my goal is to improve through repetition. CSDMs actually do matter to me, because if I'm doing poorly it's a sign that my practice time wasn't used as effectively as it could be. I feel like there's pressure to perform in a CSDM because of that, and I think that's why I excelled in CSDMs - because, as we learned earlier, I play better when I feel like it matters.
Your problem could be the opposite of the first thought - that you can't handle the pressure well - it could be because you don't see scrims as being important. I was the same way. I was great in CSDMs, but also great in matches... and for the longest time, I was a complete drag in scrims. I never viewed scrims with the intent of performing well, or winning (somewhat, but not really). It was really all about doing better as a team. So for me, there was no pressure to perform, so I failed to perform in scrims. I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing, unless you're of course trying to get noticed, at which point teamwork, sadly, doesn't get you enough credit.
My advice to you is to find out which person you are right now as a player: the kind that enjoys the challenge, or the kind that shies away from it. If you enjoy the pressure and you put a lot of pressure on scrims, and yet you still fail to perform, then start thinking about the factors below.
[i]Your skill in CSDMs may never be the same as your skill in-game in a scrim. In CSDMs you're warmed up, the muscles in your hand become loose and more responsive and your actions involve no consideration of dictating factors like cs economy.[/i]
This is pretty simple once you think about it. Now, I can't remember how the theory goes exactly, because it's been a while since I last heard it. But I remember this theory on how the brain learns and retains information. The idea is, the brain can only hold 7(?) thoughts at once (3 major tasks, 4 minor), any more than that and something has to be pushed out. In a CSDM, you're quite simply putting much less into your brain, hence it is easier to keep what is in around you in the front of your mind. On the other side of things, [b]this can immediately explain why completely thought-driven states such as depression have such a direct negative impact on your performance.[/b] Your mind simply can't juggle so much at once, especially when the game in front of you is delegated to one of the minor tasks because of more imposing issues. Ever try to play CS sad? You wont play well. And even if you do, you probably could have done better. This is the phase I'm going through right now, and it took me a while to understand why I was practicing harder and playing worse. In a game like CS, that is so mentally dependent, you can't slack off and let your mind wander or take the time to wallow over your poor play. Doing so just makes it more difficult to keep the game at the top of your mental priorities... you just can't play CS when it is delegated to a minor task in your brain, at least not at a high level.
On a smaller scale, when you're in a scrim, you can be thinking about a whole variety of things, and as a result you may lose grasp of certain keys, such as cs economy (implications of your actions), the strat (and all the things required of you), opponent positioning, simple stop, fire, go mechanics, and a bunch of other very basic, but important things.
The best thing you can do here, is make sure you retain the most important things to your individual success in your brain (if individual success is, indeed what you want).
You can try focusing on things like: Likely position of opponent (best, worst, and likely scenario) and how the opponent will react to certain things. Visualization is so important. Always keep these things in mind, and calculate based on odds, not how the round played out before.
For example... if you know where your opponent is, and you figured you have a better chance at picking him than he does of picking you, don't be afraid simply because it didn't work out that way last time. You have to trust your ability. Something I love doing when I have really low HP, is to play with absolutely no fear. Too often someone will have low HP and turn into a snail. I'm not saying start running everywhere, but don't let your health stop you from doing what you've calculated to be the best option. If you start doing that, you're only digging yourself into a deeper hole.
GET WARMED UP. Pretty obvious, but this is why people are generally better towards the middle and end of a deathmatch than at the beginning. Being warmed up from round #1 is extremely important, because of the pistol round. You can't wait until round 5, 6 or 7 to get warmed up and expect great overall results. People may complain about "try harders" in pre-game, but it really doesn't make too much sense. If your objective is so linear that all you want to do is do well, and win, then preparing beforehand is crucial. Gaming has the added advantage of not being too physically taxing, so you don't lose anything from putting yourself in the right rhythm before a game in CS, where as in sports like football, you could simply tire yourself out for when it matters. Get warmed up. Get loose. You don't have to play hard, but don't run around with shotties either.
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. Your lows wont be as low, your highs will be much higher, and your middles will be much more consistent. Figure out what's wrong with yourself in scrims. If it's your thought process, watch a demo with someone knowledgeable. If it's your aim, then do what you've come to understand as the best way to improve your mechanics.
[b]Do you believe that a player plays only as good as the team?[/b]
No, I do not believe so. I believe this is an excuse people will sometimes try to make to make themselves feel better. It's true that it is a team game, and the team will only consistently win as good as the team is, but when it comes to individual performance, it's on you. Yes, a better team can allow you certain luxuries and confidence, but at the end of the day it's still you moving the mouse and making the individual decisions.
To put this simply... if you were to take the best Counter-Strike player in the world, and put them on the team you're playing for now, do you think that player will cease to be as good as he is? Will his skill be nerfed to the level of his group? Now, he may lose more often as a team, because his team is not quite as good, but in general he should still be performing very well.
I think your problem is a mental block, and part of being a great player is making people around you great. You will benefit from a better team, so why not try to make your peers better? Perhaps show them some of the things that you know. Another sign of a great player (and a great team) is one that plays to its ability, not to its peers. If you play to your peers, then bad play will be contagious. I know, I watched the Jaguars throughout the entire 2006-2007 NFL season. Playing well against and with good teams and players doesn't change the fact that you still play down to the bad ones. If you play to your ability, you'll always perform as you expect from yourself.
lol nice
why? :(
Silent jumping is illegal in most US based competitions, and because US players largely inhabit this forum, I don't want to get into it.
[b]Bunny hopping advice[/b]
I will tell you a neat trick is to crouch during your bunny hops. If you do this correctly and time it properly, you can actually maintain speed going up ramps, and the smaller body frame you've created means you're moving faster proportionate to your size, and of course makes you more difficult to hit bouncing around corners. It's a great way to enter a site tbh, because the crouching on the hop means when it comes time to stand up, you will hit the ground faster than a regular hop (think of it like crouching down in the air to make a jump, it lifts your feet to an extent).
Essentially, you can bounce around the corner and stand up at the end of your jump and erase the landing time, as opposed to bunny hopping out the normal way and having a longer delay. You get the same shifty movement like you want in a bunny hop, but you get the added benefit of a smaller target, faster proportionate speed and reduced vulnerability. Plus, it feels cool.
Headphones, not really. As long as you are getting consistent and appropriate sound coming from the right directions. A new mousepad/mouse, however, can have a very adverse impact on your performance. This is because after a good deal of time with one peripheral, your mind and body come to understand X effort = X distance across the screen. When you change stuff like sensitivity, mouse surface or a new mouse specifically, you start to change the amount of effort required to reach X distance. How extreme the changes are equates directly to how much it effects you.
Once X effort fails to always equal X distance, you start dealing with inconsistency... which is not what you want in CS. You want consistency. A new mouse can have a huge impact on this in particular. If you think about it for a second, the way the mouse is designed has a lot to do with how you grip it, and that alone can have the biggest impact on the effort required to reach X distance. Why? Well, even if the mouse surface and technical specs of the mouse were completely the same, a new mouse design that requires a different grip means you're putting in a different amount of effort, more than likely, to move the mouse in different directions.
Example: Moving the mouse to the right will have most players pushing with their thumb, which is not the same amount of effort as moving the mouse to the left, which for many may involve pushing with the pinky, or right ring finger (depending on the grip). Changing a mouse means more than just changing weight, shape and comfort. There's a less aesthetic impact to your game as well.
I noticed that whenever I'm playing, and I get nervous, it'll make me be more careful, however I'll play like 50% of my potential at about 90% of the times [I get nervous]. Anyways I had this tourny the other day against some team I wont say the name here, and they were rolling us 11-4 at 1st half. I knew one of their boys is a hacker, I did play for his team and HE tought I hacked. Then I remembered this "woah, I'm afraid cuz I think/know he hacks.... maybe he's afraid of me too...", this gave me some confidence back, gave me guts, and the result was: I went crazy with the awp, quickscoping every bish that got on my way and we eventualy won the game on the 1st overtime. When the game was over they requested my oct (a program that keeps taking screenshots to check 16biting/wallhacking/"info givers") while I laughed my ass off cuz I did pull this one (reciving the status of MVP @ that match).
I had that recorded, and I watched it twice. There was a notable difference on the 1st half (where I had no confidence; I could hit my shots but that just wouldnt be enough) and the 2nd half (where I had confidence back and was hiting everything).
My point is, confidence is a life changing factor. from this experience I learned that whenever I face a hard situation on life, I gotta trust myself and go for it.
Now, 1 more thing I'd like to discuss. If you play the annoying idiot, you shall eventualy play better. I mean, if you keep talking on the mic, making up stupid jokes all of a sudden, laughing at whatever happens on the game, you'll eventualy have better results, or will at least take off the pressure and play smoothly. Do you agree? btw if ne1 wanna test this, watchout not to p.i.s.s a teammate off.