Posted by Rvg7D!s @ 00:34 GMT, 3 January 2022 - iMsg
This guide is geared toward analyzing the components of a CS:GO crosshair, based on what some of the pros use.
Take for example, the shape of an average crosshair. Usually, you'll see 4 ends pointing outward and inward at the same time, in the shape of a T. But have you ever wondered why the t shape is so commonly used over another shape, such as a circle?
For starters, all 4 ends of the crosshair, as I mentioned before, seem to be pointing inward, thereby gravitating your attention towards the center (it's also why you might see a small gap in the middle of the crosshair). This in turn, helps you focus on centering your shots, such as a headshot.
My guess is that our minds seem to pay more attention to patterns or consistency (such as the ends pointing inward toward one direction) rather than something a bit more random (such as the same ends also pointing outward in 4 different directions). Nevertheless, this crosshair also provides a boundary of some sort by covering all directions (left right up down) given it's natural shape (or t).
There's nothing wrong with a dot crosshair though; in fact it probably provides the highest degree of parallelism with respect to your opponent's head, given it's natural shape. My main concern however (as I used to use one) is visibility and direction, meaning the dot is just there, but it does not "guide you or shift your focus toward the center, like a t-shape crosshair would. Least, that's the way I see it.
Nevertheless, I respect personal preferences, and this is just a small snippet of some of the crosshair features to look for or think about.
Posted by nicidob @ 16:10 BST, 27 June 2020 - iMsg
I did a far-too-long writeup of the greatest 1v1 ArenaFPS players of all time, including my own custom Elo ratings, analysis of historical data, etc. I've my own top 10 but would love to hear everyone else's https://nicidob.github.io/1v1_elo/
As of June 29th, I updated the article with new data!
Edited by nicidob at 02:55 BST, 30 June 2020 - 23554 Hits
If you've ever played the game Rocket League, it's obvious that the fast-paced, physics based soccer game is addictive; with a quick matchup time and the option to play singles, duos, 3v3; and the game length being 5 minutes only, it's very easy to pick up and play. Rocket League is car soccer; just like soccer, but you’re driving cars that can flip and boost. The acrobatic technique can be difficult to learn at first- as all physics games usually are- but once you get the hang of it, can be an extremely competitive game.
Esports favors these types of games- quick and easy competitive games with a low learning curve but a high ceiling for competitive play. Fortnite, Call of Duty MW, and Destiny are all games that are similar, but as far as sport themed Esports communities go, Rocket League seems to outperform other sports games like 2K and Fifa. It can be played cross platform, via Xbox, Playstation, and even PC.
Esports Culture
If you are new to the Esports culture, you should know; it really is its own community. With Esports teams popping up all over the world, in high school and colleges, it is developing a huge following, complete with Esports jargon and community chat threads. Great websites like Reddit and Esreality both provide newbies with tons of knowledge about what games people are playing, what techniques people are using, and what groups people are playing in. It’s incredibly normal in 2020 to actually meet a group and become friends with the people you play games with.
It’s important to remember that each game has its own “discord”; essentially, it's its own culture channel where the players communicate and share information about the game. Many of these channels for games like Skyrim and the Witcher often contain lots of history and lore about the actual game itself; doubling as a fan website, or a wiki. These often come with more fantasy-adventure games, whereas sports games don’t carry that kind of following.
The Basics of Rocket League
Rocket League is unique to other sporting games in that it is a purely physics based game. Game developers worked day and night to develop a fully mathematical physics game, and it really shows. When you hit the ball with your car, it’s very obvious that the ball reacts totally similar to a normal ball in sports; bouncing sideways off the wall and hanging up in the air, or going straight up after a two car collision.
Within Rocket league, you can play a standard game; which is a 5 minute game of 3v3. Each player has the capability to jump and boost; and the goal is to score on the other goal and defend your own. Simple.
Other game modes include a 1v1, and 2v2, which are usually less chaotic games that are better serving for beginner players. Several game modes can be plated adjusting the settings, which makes the ball more or less gravity influenced, allows for different boost speeds, and even allows players to have special abilities. These are all different options for players, but there’s always the standard types which are usually the most popular.
Getting into It
Rocket League is great as an introduction to esports because it’s a simple game that’s relatively easy to learn. While it is it’s own unique type of game, it’s conceptually simple and doesn’t require a lot of understanding to know what the ultimate goal is. Many Esports clubs at schools have what’s called a “casual” team or a B team, where new gamers can come and learn these games and enjoy playing them. Even if you don’t belong to a league, it’s fun to pick up and just play with a few friends!
Edited by Demiurge at 20:16 BST, 7 May 2020 - 20836 Hits
Posted by Sujoy @ 10:45 BST, 4 October 2019 - iMsg
Finding the best CSGO gambling sites in 2019 is not that easy. CSGO gambling has had a chequered past to say the least, with many sites being shut down and penalised because of illegal activity.
There is clearly a demand among some Counter-Strike lovers to bet on their favourite game but for the sector to be sustainable long-term, CSGO gambling sites must comply with the laws - primarily for the safety and security of esports fans but also for the sake of themselves.
Is CSGO gambling still legal?
The good news for esports fans is that there are plenty of CSGO gambling sites offering a legal and safe place for players to bet on the greatest first-person shooter ever made.
But, before we delve into those CSGO gambling sites, let's take a look at what betting on Counter-Strike is all about.
Why gamble on CSGO?
Just like fans of any other sport, many lovers of esports like to have a flutter on their favourite games. Fans who enjoy CSGO gambling like to place bets to add an extra layer of fun to the experience, while others enjoy using their in-depth knowledge of the complex metagame and varied tactical outcomes to potentially turn a profit from an already pleasurable experience, watching their favourite esport.
What makes CSGO unique among the tier-one games is the simplicity of the esport, especially at the beginning, with no heroes or abilities to learn, and very little jargon to keep new fans at the gates. Aligned with the fact everyone has either played or seen a first-person shooter, and therefore understands the fundamentals of what they are seeing, it makes CSGO not just the perfect beginner esport, but also a game with virtually infinite depth when it comes to gambling.
With near-constant play all year round and two Majors to enjoy, CSGO also has a fantastic spread of reliable top-level play for you to bet on at all points in the year, with amazing tournament organisers across the globe. Be it Blast, ESL, FACEIT, DreamHack or some other group, there is almost always an elite tournament on every weekend, and the professionalism of the scene is arguably unrivalled in esports, meaning you can trust the world’s best with your hard-earned specie when you do decide to gamble on CSGO.
Find CSGO matches
Getting into CSGO couldn’t be easier, with Twitch offering content under the CSGO tab, and both YouTube and Facebook streaming free content at times. The scene is also blessed with some amazing content creators who will teach you the game at every level, so you can learn everything from the basics to complex executes and site timings with just a click of a button.
The vast majority of high-level play is broadcast, for free, on Twitch though, and by going to you can find out what is starting when at virtually any event you please. A great place to find schedules for upcoming matches as well as live streams is the Midnite CSGO matches page, where you can enjoy the best esports has to offer from around the world in the comfort and safety of a fully regulated site.
What are the best CSGO gambling sites in 2020?
The following operators are reputable CSGO gambling sites but bear in mind that not all will be available in your part of the world.
All licensed and, therefore, legal betting sites require customers to be at least 18 years old.
Also, look out for esports bookmakers who are members of the Esports Integrity Coalistion (ESIC) - this is a good sign that they are responsible operators.
Another word of caution - when you see a site promoting X or Y gambling operator, keep in mind they won’t always be doing it out of the goodness of their hearts. Affiliate deals mean a partner is paid for every user that clicks on an advert and places a bet, so it is in their interest to encourage you to bet with their partner, even if that isn’t actually the best option or price.
Free bets, bonuses and codes
There are several of CSGO gambling sites with codes to offer new and existing players a bonus such as free bets, free cash or another incentive to sign up. They say nothing comes for free and these offers usually come with a caveat such as minimum deposit or wagering requirements.
Typical types of betting offers include:
1. No-deposit offer - just sign up to get the bonus
2. Free bets - credit in your account you can bet with but not withdraw
3. Free cash - credit in your account you can withdraw after betting once
Free bets commonly require multiple wagering (for example 10x the amount) before any winnings can be withdrawn. Free cash can usually be withdrawn after being bet once. This is required by most regulators to prevent money laundering. Always check the terms and conditions on any betting offer and contact support if you are unsure.
Almost every site will offer you some kind of free bet or bonus to create an account with them, but remember you don’t have to limit yourself to a single site or bookmaker. Taking advantage of the best offers and bets will maximise your chances of having the best and most productive betting experience, although, obviously, we have to recommend Midnite as your first port of call.
What can you bet on?
The best CSGO gambling sites offer fans plenty of choices on every Counter-Strike game. A typical CSGO match at Midnite allows fans to bet on
1. Match result - who will win the match?
2. Correct score - the result of the match, for example 2-1 or 2-0 in a best-of-three.
3. Map winner - who will win map 1, who wins map 2?
4. Total maps - will there be two maps or three maps in a best-of-three?
5. Total rounds in a given map - will the number of rounds in map one be higher or lower than a given number?
6. Handicap betting - will team A win with a plus or minus maps headstart?
7. Race to 5 or 10 rounds - who will get to 5 rounds or 10 rounds in a given map?
8. Overtime - will a given map go to overtime?
Events and teams
As we said, there is CSGO pretty-much 24/7 in 2020, from streamers to tournaments and everything in between, and both male and female events take place at the professional level.
However, it’s the bigger prize pools that attract the best teams and biggest crowds, and in 2020 we have a great selection of tournament across the globe to catch your eye.
We’ve already seen a Major in Katowice and some incredible action from places as far-flung as Sydney and Dallas, while Blast Pro have taken us to areas that aren’t traditionally as into the game, like Madrid. In the near future there is ESL’s Pro League Finals from Montpellier, with $600,000 on the line, then we go to the Cathedral of Counter-Strike in Cologne for ESL’s jewel in the crown, and the scene’s only ‘unofficial’ Major, ESL One Cologne.
Of course, there is still another proper Major to come as well, and it is the German fans who are blessed this year with the news that Berlin, and Starladder will be bringing them the second $1m event of the year. As you can see, if you’re getting into CSGO today there is still a massive amount to look forward to in 2020, even with all the great stuff you’ve already missed.
Edited by Sujoy at 01:48 BST, 11 September 2020 - 15341 Hits
Posted by lolograde @ 16:47 BST, 17 July 2018 - iMsg
Movies are an important part of the Quake and AFPS community. Not only are movies a great way of introducing new audiences to the game, we get to see some of the best moments, and share the movie maker's unique perspective of the game. The goal of the editor is to make the whole greater than the sum of the parts. And sometimes the editing is so powerful it reorients the way we think about the game itself.
This article contains a series of interviews with a variety of different movie makers, styles, and games. I will update this article with new interviewees so check back regularly! Lastly, there is a Discord channel for Moviemaking. Feel free to join if you'd like to talk movies, music, editing techniques, etc.!
These days, lots of new things are popping up from their niche status and into the mainstream. The best example of that in 2017 is Bitcoin. Up until this past year, Bitcoin was nothing more than “magic internet money”, as even some of its own community called it, but during 2017 it had soared in popularity almost as fast as its value did.
But that’s money, and money does make the world go ‘round. Let’s talk sports, or “sports” - depends on where you stand.
Another field that was testing the niche-mainstream border in 2017 was esports - or Esports, or eSports, or e-sports… the list goes on and on. We’ll use “esports”, and capitalize the E when needed, following Paul “Redeye” Chaloner’s rule of the word, as he explained during this live broadcast (he’s very passionate, so the clip does contain some inappropriate words - you have been warned): (embeds don't work here)
If we take a look at the Wikipedia page for esports, it is defined as “a form of competition using video games.” Just like sports, esports is organized into different types of games. Instead of soccer, hockey, and basketball, however, they are mainly First-Person Shooters (FPS), Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas (MOBAs), and Real-Time Strategy (RTS) games. FPS games include Quake and Counter-Strike, MOBAs include League of Legends and DotA 2, and RTS games include StarCraft II. Just like in traditional sports, players are not referenced by their first name. Unlike traditional sports, however, players are named using their chosen nickname in the game and not their last name - with me being Yotam “Tech” Cohen, for example.
In this piece, the FPS field will be overviewed, with Quake as a case study.
I ask you to come into this with an open mind, especially if you’re a traditional sports fanatic, as this is not an easy topic for some (“Video games are not a sport” people, keep that down please).
Ready? Onto our subject.
Let’s Talk Business - Quick Maths
If you played video games growing up, you know the fun and thrill that comes with it. The reflexes, the challenge, the talk with your friends about it... Little did you know that in the future, people were going to play video games for lots of real prize money.
To put esports’ size in perspective, the biggest prize pool to date - at the time of writing - was the DotA 2 International 2017, where the general pool exceeded $25 million and the winners, Team Liquid, took home a very fair share - $10.6 million. But here’s the real kicker: that money isn’t even 4% of the total revenue of the esports industry in the past year (again, at the time of writing).
In 2017, according to statistics website Statista, esports had generated about $696 million in revenue, with the audience size being around 385 million people around the world. In just two years, esports has more than doubled its revenue - and it’s expected to grow to over $1.4 billion in 2020 - again doubling its value in about 3 years.
Quake: The One that Started it All
If you owned a computer as a kid during the late 1990s, there’s a pretty fair chance you’ve heard about Quake. Quake is a fast-paced, brutal shooting game that puts your reaction time, coordination, quick thinking and decision-making skills to the ultimate test by pitting you against other players in a big, tall arena (hence it’s more specific genre name: Arena Shooter).
Due to its simple but fast, competitive nature, Quake shaped esports as it is today by being one of the first, with tournaments still ongoing. Its biggest event each year is QuakeCon, which is organized by Bethesda, the company developing the game. Quake as an esport isn’t huge, with the biggest player in the field currently being Counter-Strike, but it is one of the longest-running ones, running all the way back to 1996.
General Rules of a Quake Tournament
Quake’s biggest tournament is “Duel” - one versus one, time-limited combat. When a timer of 10 minutes runs out, the player who killed his opponent more times wins. Each player starts (or “spawns”) with only a machine gun and 100 points of health (HP). Items, such as the Mega Health (“Mega” for short) and the Red Armor, can refill and/or overfill your health or armor points over 100, and more powerful weapons and ammo are scattered around each arena. Armor takes two-thirds of incoming damage and is a must-have item in order to stay alive. When your HP reaches 0, you die. Items can greatly increase your chances of staying alive and killing your opponent - so make sure you know where they are located in each arena and take notes on their timing - especially the two key items mentioned earlier.
A match of Quake is played on a “map” - the setting. Each map has its different structure, item locations, and features, such as teleporters - instantaneous travel to another part of the map - and jump pads, which are like powerful trampolines.
Since a game can be as short as 10 minutes, competitive tournament rulesets extend that using a best-of-X format (or BOX). A professional match and the Grand Final of a tournament are usually a BO3 and a BO5, respectively. To decide the maps of each game in a series, players are given a standard list of maps. Each player then bans a map from the match, and then each picks a map. This repeats until the map slots for the game are filled, with the last map usually being a decider remaining after all other maps have been picked or banned.
As you can see, esports isn’t mindless entertainment. It’s a cutthroat, tough competition with lots of mental note-taking, quick reactions, coordination between eyes and each hand and educated inferences on your opponent’s state. Some people don’t include esports as a sport just because it doesn’t involve intense physical activity, but that definition can cripple some popular sports in existence today. For example, archery is an Olympic sport - and the most physical activity done is pulling a string and walking to get arrows back. In fact, archery has more in common with esports than it seems: they both rely on subtle motor skills of the hands and arms, and both require lots of quick thinking - as explained by Assistant Professor of Physical Education Seth Jenny in the following video, posted by ELEAGUE on twitter:
Other sports that break the definition include poker, which is broadcasted on ESPN, golf and shooting - also Olympic sports.
A Professional Example
Now that you’ve learned most of Quake’s - and esports’ - basics, let’s watch an example. This particular one is the Grand Final of the QuakeCon 2016 Duel Championship, where the American Shane “rapha” Hendrixson played against the Russian Sergey “evil” Orekhov in one of the most intense matches ever played live, and - coincidentally - also the last Duel match of the main QuakeCon championships being played on Quake Live, with Quake Champions’ early version replacing it in 2017’s tournament. The game is casted in part by Daniel “ddk” Kapadia, one of the most famous esports casters to date. If you have an hour to spare, I cannot recommend this match enough. It is chock-full of impressive moments of precise aim, tactical thinking, and quick decisions. The winner - I won’t spoil this greatness for you - takes $12,000 home.
If you’d like to try Quake yourself, Quake Live is currently at a price of $10, but Quake Champions will be free to play when it comes out. You can also buy the full version of Champions, which also gives immediate early access to the game. At the time of writing, Bethesda has yet to provide a release date for the first full version of Quake Champions.
A Conclusion - and Personal Thanks
Congratulations, you are now educated on the basics of Quake and, consequently, esports as a whole. If you thought Quake was big - it’s only a small fish in a bigger pond than it started in. Games like Counter-Strike and League of Legends attract millions of viewers every event, with organized teams, companies, and investors all creating a new genre of what we call “sports”. In the future - and even today - moms might want to reconsider telling their children to stop playing video games.
In general FPS esports news, a huge Counter-Strike event is coming up soon - a Major one, some might say (the event is classified as a Major by the developing company, Valve). I might write a piece about an overview of Counter-Strike before the tournament starts, if you, the reader, and others want it.
Thank you for reading my very first piece! I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to try my hand at esports journalism, and this website gave me a good starting point. If you’d like to see more of this content and/or have suggestions, you can leave a comment or email me at "thetechnixian (at) gmail (dot) com".
winz reminiscing about his career: 'I usually have a very good idea of where I stand individually...'
While modern-day esports fans recognize Michael "winz" Bignet as a skilled and versatile Overwatch player—who is ready to play whatever position his team needs—his career as a professional player began more than a decade ago. In the distant 2004, he was already representing ‘against All authority’, a brand veteran fans will recognize as a once staple name among the upper echelon the French esports scene.
While winz wasn’t a regular in the offline circuit at the time, he’d grow to be recognized as one of the best in the games he played. Throughout 2005, he became UT2004 world champion by winning ESWC in France, his home country. 2006 saw him earning the gold again, but this time for Quake 4 with notable wins over toxjq, now recognized as the greatest Q4 player, and Cypher, who would eventually become the best, and arguably greatest, Quake duelist to date.
After the introduction of Quake Live, winz gave up on the 1v1 mode due to a number of gameplay changes he didn’t enjoy and the continued prevalence of old maps. For several years, he wasn’t part of the highest level of offline competition, but eventually made a comeback in team modes and games, winning premier tournaments in Quake Live TDM, ShootMania, and most recently, Overwatch.
The interview takes a retrospective look at his career as a player.
. . .
Here's a short opinion piece regarding requests for higher 'visibility'.
For the sake of the argument I'm going to assume most users requesting such features are veterans from previous iterations of quake or the like.
On a quick glance, game engines in the late 90ies / early 2000s had a very distinctive 'blocky' feel to it. Even round shapes appeared to be sloppy bent lines, makeshift solutions.
Take a look at Heavy Metal Fakk 2 running on id Tech 3 - the 'Colosseum' doesn't have a very round feel to it. Notice how the statue on the right of the player model is all chopped up and 'blocky'
Visual Cluster
Games that we're passionate about usually have less visual cluster, clean head up displays, minimalistic design and so forth. The year's 2017, while recently more and more video games adpoted clean, intuitive or even invisible HUDs represented in game design, the screens tend to be packed with more content.
Colors, Staturation
Do a quick run down of your favorite game and you can quickly define a palette - quake 1 uses predominantly greyish/brownish scheme, quake 2 uses slightly brighter brownish colors, inching closer to a dark orange. Quake 3 has a lot of red highlights throughout the maps and level esign, player models but retains the greyish-brown scheme to some extent. Now take a quick glance at quake champions - the colors are more vivid, aren't as washed out as previous titles, it's eye candy (to some) and a strain for those that literally lived their lives alongside older quakes.
Shapes, Lines, object complexity
Here's where it gets really interesting. Take a look at two random screenshots from Q3, pay attention to straight lines, level geometry, gun model
Lots of strong lines, clearly defined shapes, not much going in terms of variety - a clean level design that stands the test of time.
Now on to a screenshot from QC I snatched online -
Quite frankly, the gun model itself has more going on than the entire level from Q3. Plenty of shapes, an obvious lack of straight long lines, inconspicuous edges. In order not to cherry pick I used this image and am convinced that it's hard to come up with screenshots that would go against my theory - the level of fidelity is just light years ahead, attention to details, different technologies and rendering engines used..
Geometry plays a vital role in competitive FPS titles - levels need to be elegantly traversed, allowing for swift, fluid movement and fast paced action. Cramped corners usually remove the integral gameplay which provide compelling combat scenarios, skill based executions, eyecatching air rockets, light gun pins and other buzzwordy glory kills. Q3/Q2 level design simplicity allowed for greater mobility and 'shiny' frags. Map design, item placements etc are another topic though - I'm not too well versed in it.
Cosmetics, Consistency
Adding neon models, bright skins and similar visual aids clashes with the art direction - the screen is already cramped with visual clutter. It won't make the game more relaxing, more pleasing or more visible, it will just look out of place and in some cases even worse.
For the longest time, competitive gaming had a way to force models. Counterstrike had cl_minmodels (*cvar might have changed), UT had .ini settings (PlacedCharacterName= _____ ), quake has cg_forceEnemyModel ' ' - None of these games had 'classes' though, forcing all models as Slash for example would be very confusing if you end up getting blasted by Ranger's Dire Orb. There's also cosmetics that come into play and I'm pretty sure it would cause a downfall for in-game payable items if someone were to just tinker the settings to remove them.
Consensus
What veterans are after is not bright skins but a nostalgia filled expectation for a period where games were less clustered with visuals, effects, particles and were built around 'primitive' engines which favored simple shapes/design, a more robust level geometry and similar remnants of the past.
Edited by Teen Queen at 12:40 BST, 27 April 2017 - 17333 Hits
The past decade has seen a surge in the popularity of eSports. Millions of people tune in to watch different tournaments each year, with the number steadily rising year over year. Just a few years ago, there wasn’t enough demand and there weren’t enough professional players for world tournaments.
Today, new tournaments are routinely announced that are almost guaranteed to overtake their predecessors both in terms of number of players and prize money pay-outs. The next decade in eSports is set to see the industry come into its own, with more growth and professional players able to base careers in eSports.
For more information about the dramatic rise in popularity that eSport has seen along with some fascinating facts and figures, check out the following infographic put together by computerplanet.
Edited by Badb0y at 15:57 GMT, 15 January 2017 - 83985 Hits
In the article I take a look at what is for me the 5 most interesting story lines at QuakeCon 2016's duel tournament. Hope you enjoy it and feel free to let me know if you got questions or criticism.
I meant to post it on 4th, before the event but experienced some technical difficulties I couldn't fix in time since I was planning to post it just before the tournament starts. I hope it is still enjoyable read.
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