Counter Strike Source Beta BEGINS!

[OnEMoReTrY]

Right off the front page of www.steampowered.com

"The first phase of the Counter-Strike: Source beta has begun at all cyber cafés that subscribe to the Valve Cyber Café Program. Click here to find an Official Valve Cyber Café in your area.

In preparation for the next phase of the beta, we have made the Source Dedicated Server (SRCDS) available via the Dedicated Server Update Tool.


In addition, an update for Counter-Strike: Condition Zero and Counter-Strike has been released. Steam will update itself automatically when you restart. Here is a list of the changes:

STEAM CLIENT CHANGES / ADDITIONS:
Force spec_pip off if forcechase cam modes are set
Improved lag compensation for the player with the last player slot (ie. player 10 on a 10 player server)
Changed engine to respond to new server info query"

 

[Rage187]

You still have another week or so.

Gabe Newell made a couple of posts to the Half-Life 2 Fallout Forums about plans for Counter-Strike: Source and Half-Life 2 data preloads on Steam in preparation for the release of each. Regarding Counter-Strike: Source, he says this in one post: "Just got out of a review meeting. 8/11 the Cafe's turn on (tomorrow). 8/16 CZ/ATI users pre-load. 8/18 CZ/ATI turns on," and in a subsequent post: "The engine test (CS:Source plus de_dust) for cyber-cafe's started pre-loading at 6." There are also posts on the Steam Users Forums indicating that Valve has started to pre-load Counter-Strike for some end-users (thanks Stoo). The first post also has word from Gabe on plans to start preloading art and sound assets for Half-Life 2: "8/17, HL-2 pre-load starts (textures, audio and other stuff that doesn't change)."

 

[OnEMoReTrY]

So when will ATI voucher holders be able to install and play off steam?

 

[OnEMoReTrY]

nm

 

[Rage187]

Sound like the 18th or 19th possibly.

But also realise its one map IIRC

 

[Schadenfroh]

meh, i will be more excited about day of defeat source

 

[PsharkJF]

TF:Source with cheaterstrike:source as well as TF2 before CS 2

 

[Tab]

Meh, I was excited but all it is prettier graphics...

 

[naruto1988]

Originally posted by: Tabb
Meh, I was excited but all it is prettier graphics...

i like the current gameplay. why change it? =p

 

[JeremiahTheGreat]

better physics too.. hopefully no more shooting through solid walls.

 

[Shinei]

Jeremiah: That's a "feature", if you can call it that.

Anyway, I get the feeling HL2 is going to get Daikatana'd by this point. Doom 3 is already out (with better graphics and physics, mind you (even though the game doesn't necessarily use all those physics)), making HL2's heavily-delayed and anticipated release all the more scrutinized. Valve needs to really wow the world with HL2, otherwise HL2 will replace Daikatana as worst hyped-up game ever.
That's not to say I won't buy it like any other Lemming when (if) it comes out, though.

 

[Sylvanas]

i wouldnt really call doom3's physics "better" than halflife2's (even though we havent seen a working sample, im basing this on the various vids ive seen) farcry's physics engine (in my mind) was better than doom3's.

 

[Shinei]

This isn't the thread for a debate that has nothing to do with HL2; BFG10k and Cat have already had it out over whether Doom 3 or FarCry has better physics in the Doom 3 Graphics thread. FarCry's is more reactive, but less realistic, while Doom 3's provides a more authentic feel at the cost of not sending bodies flying 600 feet when you poke them. There isn't much exploration with material interactive physics (boxes, trays, etc.) in Doom 3, so that argument can't be had until someone attempts to make a fully-interactive map. Anyway, if you want a full run-down on the subject, check out the Doom 3 Graphics thread. Back to HL2 and its pre-loading/possible release.

 

[ryedizzel]

the BEST thing about CS is the gameplay. so im glad to see they aren't changing it.

 

[imported_SpitFire]

Shinei graphics and physics aren't everything. Halflife 2 will most likely have a much better story line than doom 3 along with some features such as character interaction? way smarter AI Anyways saying HL2 could bomb is total bs, it more than likely will be the game of the year. That thing was just thrown together, its been in the making for five years. Combine a sequal to HalfLife and counter-strike source and you have one happy camper for $50. I'll be playing HL2 mods such as CS, DoD, TFC etc for years to come on the source engine while doom 3 will find its place on my shelf. The single player game only stays fun so long and the doom 3 multiplayer is seriously lacking.

 

[Yanagi]

Im more excited to check out HL2 than CS.. :/ Is it only me??

 

[Acanthus]

Again dont Doom 3 and HL2 both use the Havok Ragdoll physics engine... as in the same engine.

Correction: Doom 3 uses its own physics engine. Its max payne 2 and HL2 that use havok.

 

[vss1980]

Originally posted by: Shinei
Jeremiah: That's a "feature", if you can call it that.

Anyway, I get the feeling HL2 is going to get Daikatana'd by this point. Doom 3 is already out (with better graphics and physics, mind you (even though the game doesn't necessarily use all those physics)), making HL2's heavily-delayed and anticipated release all the more scrutinized. Valve needs to really wow the world with HL2, otherwise HL2 will replace Daikatana as worst hyped-up game ever.
That's not to say I won't buy it like any other Lemming when (if) it comes out, though.

Surely the most hyped up games ever would have to be Doom3 itself aswell as Duke Nukem (forget what the whole name is, but the new 3D one which just hasn't ever appeared). Doom3 has been hyped for about 3 years now and to be honest I expected better. HL2 is nowhere near that level yet.

 

[g3pro]

Originally posted by: SpitFire
Halflife 2 will most likely have a much better story line than doom 3 along with some features such as character interaction? way smarter AI

Did you really like the Doom 2 story? Cuz if you did, you're in for a treat! Alien forces from another dimension invade earth... Sound familiar?

 

[vss1980]

Originally posted by: g3pro

Originally posted by: SpitFire
Halflife 2 will most likely have a much better story line than doom 3 along with some features such as character interaction? way smarter AI

Did you really like the Doom 2 story? Cuz if you did, you're in for a treat! Alien forces from another dimension invade earth... Sound familiar?

Yeah, that is true, but in HL2 we started it and in HL the whole point of the game is to try and stop it all, not just kill anything that moves. HL2 has a storyline, Doom...... meh.