Thread: CS Manual of Arms

This is a CS:S manual I wrote for my old clan back in 2003. It's still good, at least I think so, and I wish more new people to CS knew the information herein.

I thought I would post it here for your reading pleasure. I admit it's long. But no one is forcing you to read it so here it is. :4

CS Manual
By: Stealth-X


Following is a manual I wrote to help new players with the game of Counter-Strike. Perhaps a few of the tips will help even the die-hard gamers. Feel free to leave comments as to the usefulness of this manual, or the lack of such. If there are points you feel I missed please add them in the comments. If you think I should expand in a certain area let me know. Lastly, if you want to bitch about something you disagree with, go right ahead. Styles are as varied as the players.

For Beginners (n00bz):

Not knowing the map is one of the biggest challenge new players face. Even really good player don't do so hot on maps they are unfamiliar with. In time, as you play a certain map you will learn where you are most likely to find the enemy. You will find nice places to hide in ambush, places to avoid, and you will know where the enemy is coming from.

The two easiest ways to learn a map are to explore it after you die, as you can still watch the rest of the game, and to create a one-player game and explore the map that way. When dead, you go into what is called ghosting mode. Your spacebar adjusts what view mode you are using. You have two chase modes where you follow a specific player, in which case your fire button will change which player you follow. You can also put it in free-look mode, which does not follow anyone. You are faster than normal, you can fly, and you can go through walls in ghosting mode. If you don't know the map, be sure to take advantage of your dead time and learn it. Most servers have map rotations, which means you will play one map for a time and then it will change to another map. This makes learning maps difficult but not impossible. Most servers will stay on a map for an average of 25 minutes. One option to help you learn the maps is to play on a server that only plays one map. I HIGHLY recommend that all new players play on a one-map server. This will help you to learn the map faster, so you can spend your time practicing the art of killing. Once you know a map well enough to be confident in your location, start playing on a different server. It's preferable to join another one-map server that plays on a different map. A room with 8 to 16 players is probably ideal for beginners. Too few, and you won't get enough action. Too many, and you will have to wait too long for the next round to start.







COMMON COURTESY:

You will hear many new terms when first playing CS. Camper is one of these terms. A camper is someone who waits in ambush and doesn't move. He will just sit there until an enemy crosses his path. Camping is a valid tactic. However, over-camping is not appreciated, particularly if you are the last player on your team or if you are on the team with an active objective, i.e. save the hostages, or plant the bomb. If you are supposed to save the hostages, try and do just that. Don't just sit while the rest of your team dies. Help them out. Participate. If you are a T on a bomb map, try to help the bomb carrier get to the bombsite. If you are the last living person on your team, all of the dead people are waiting for you to win the round or die, so they can play. It's no fun watching the guy you're waiting on sit in a spot where they will never be found. Do your job. Complete your objective. Kill the enemy. Win the round. "Cowardice" has no place in CS.

Don't follow a teammate too closely. If you are RIGHT behind him as he peaks around the corner and he sees four enemies closing on his position, he will not appreciate you blocking his retreat. Give him some space, but stay close enough to provide backup as well. It's a balance that you'll get the hang of over time.

If you are running behind someone and they suddenly slow down to a silent walk, do the same. He probably heard something, or doesn't want to be heard.

If you are rushing with a group of people, you want to rush as fast as them or you will slow them down. Pull out your pistol, your knife or a grenade for your initial rush. Don’t rush with a primary weapon in your hands. This allows you to run faster than with a gun. Also, don't stop while the group you are in is rushing. Whoever is behind you will get stuck, slowing them down and ruining the purpose of the rush, which is to get somewhere BEFORE the enemy! Also, try not to stop in doorways or at corners where you prevent others from passing you.

If you are a CT and the bomb gets planted, get to a bombsite to protect any CTs trying to defuse the bomb. If you are the first there try to defuse the bomb yourself.

If you are a T and the bomb is planted, get to the bombsite to help prevent CTs from disarming it.

If you don't know how to use grenades, don't.

If you are with someone else when he rounds a corner and a firefight ensues, get out there and help him out. If there is one enemy and two of you, you guys should win. Don't be a coward but don't be stupid either. If SIX people mowed him down, it may be best to retreat. You would be wisest to retreat while alerting your team as to where the enemy is.

If someone jumps up and down by a box and/or flashes their flashlight at the box, duck near the box. That is CS language for "give me a boost." This occurs far less often now that CS includes voice communication.

Most people have microphones and you should too. A headset (headphones with microphone arm attached) is the best way to go.

Don't talk TOO much on the microphone. It makes it harder to hear the enemy's footsteps. But, if you see the enemy or the bomb, it's smart to alert your team as to where they are. Also, if in the middle of a game you, as a T, find that the hostages you were guarding are gone, tell your team so they know to defend the rescue points.

Do not shoot your teammates. Even if friendly fire is off, you will throw their aim off and give their position away.

Friendly fire ISN'T!

DON'T CHEAT! It happens. Cheaters are out there. Don't be one of them! Hopefully, with some practice, you'll be better than them anyway.



TIPS AND TRICKS:

If you're not moving while shooting, you should be ducking. It makes you a smaller target and some say it provides for better accuracy but I can’t confirm this.

A ducked person is half the target area as a standing person.

Half of a crouching body shooting around a corner is a much smaller target then a standing body in the middle of a doorway.

If you're not ducking while shooting, you should be moving. It makes you harder to hit; much harder, as a matter of fact.

Watch your radar and listen for the enemy. This means if you hear someone through a wall to your left, you will know if it is an enemy or a friend because of your radar.

Be aware of your situation and location. Know where the nearest cover is and if you get shot at, use it.

Never ever turn your back to an enemy or a hotspot where enemies usually are.

Always hug the walls. There is no reason to run down the middle of a hall, run down one side or the other. This either provides you with a better angle of fire, or brings the enemy into an exposed position to shoot you.

If you are in a firefight and run out of ammo before all the bad guys are dead, NEVER reload your primary weapon! Switch to pistol and finish it up. The other option is to throw your rifle on the ground as you run over another. Hopefully it's not empty too, click, click, click.

Type "hud_fastswitch 1" in console. This will allow you to choose weapons with a push of the correct number button at the top of keyboard. This is more efficient than selecting the weapon with a number key and THEN activating it with the fire button.

If you still use a button for "last used weapon" (Q is default), ALWAYS have your pistol as your last used weapon! Pick pistol, then rifle so you can pull the pistol back out at a moments notice, i.e. when your rifle runs out of ammo.

Watch your radar and listen for the enemy.

If your team plants the bomb (you are T), get near enough to hear a CT defusing it, but out of the visual range of the bomb and the most likely avenue of approach by the CTs. Pop out and kill the defuser three seconds after the defuse starts. I say three seconds because if the CT has a defuse kit, it will only take five seconds to finish, but if he's good and has time he'll know that…

If you are a CT and you need to defuse the bomb, and if you have time, check the area quickly, press and release defuse, and then look around again. Ts will wait to hear the defuse, then pop out to kill you; when they do, you'll be ready. Now defuse the bomb.

Watch your radar and listen for the enemy.

NEVER shoot from a ladder! It is VERY inaccurate!

It's better to have a gun and not need one, than to need a gun and not have one.

If you are a T defending the bomb against defusal, the higher your position, the better, CTs can only look up a little or they stop defusing. (Still true)

If you are a CT and a teammate is disarming the bomb your ONLY priority is to keep him from getting shot by a T. Get in front of him, cover him, and keep an eye on the higher areas in the level.




If you are a T guarding one avenue of approach to a planted bomb, hide at the far entrance to that avenue of approach (farthest from the bomb). The CTs will be rushing to get to the bombsite and won't expect you that far from it. They will expect you IN the bombsite. Also, when the bomb is about to go off, you might not have to run to live through the explosion.

If you approach a soon to detonate bomb with a group of CTs, the first to the bomb should start defusing immediately, trusting his team to cover him. The first to the bomb should have a defuse kit. This doesn't always happen so if you are defusing without a kit and someone with a kit walks up, immediately after you start defusing, let him do it. He'll let you know he has a kit with his mic, his flashlight, or his gun. In time you'll learn the beep speeds and the approximate time to detonation that they denote.

Watch your radar and listen for the enemy.

If you are a T and you see the bomb on the ground in a quiet area, it's an AMBUSH! At least assume it is. CTs will guard the bomb if they find it (they should anyway). Check obvious hiding spots near the bomb before picking it up. Much like the defusing of a bomb, the sound you make when you pick it up is the CTs cue to pop out and shoot you.

If you are a CT and you see the bomb laying on the ground, let your team know where it is and guard it. Make sure you can hear the bomb being picked up from where you guard it. That bomb is a game win for you and your team.

Watch your radar and listen for the enemy.

If you are defending something (Bomb Site or Hostages) go where your team doesn't, thus covering the weak side. If you are on the attacking team go with your team to strengthen your offense. SIMPLE.

If you are in the back of a rushing group, cover the rear. Make sure you don't get flanked.

When you are dead, watch the best players in order to catch on to the way they play. Learn from them. Notice their spots, their tactics, and their movement. Also, switch between players on the map, particularly the enemy players. You will see where they are moving and you'll notice patterns after a few deaths, i.e. there are always three CTs guarding the top of the stairs, or there is no one guarding the rear ramp. Take advantage of their predictability.

Don't be predictable!

To expand on that, don't hide in the same spot two times in a row. It will be checked next time. Don't rush the same direction every time, etc. Switch it up.

A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. (Just thought that was important)

Watch your radar! Always stay aware of your team's locations. If your team has to cover two main routes, you will have two groups of dots on your radar. If one group starts shrinking there are bad guys over there. If it disappears predict what the enemy is doing or where they're going. On a bomb map it would mean get over there as fast as possible because the bomb is being planted. But be cautious because they may be attempting to flank you too. If you are a T and the group by the hostages gets killed you know that the CTs will probably have them by the time you get there, so instead, head to the hostage rescue point and prevent them from reaching it.

Watch your radar and listen for the enemy.

Pay close attention to your team strength and your enemy's team strength (Tab key). See how many people on each team have died. If there are a lot of you and only a few of them you will find you prefer different tactics than if you are the last of your team facing 5 of the enemy.

If you are the only one left on your team DON'T MAKE NOISE! Walk at all times. Put a silencer on if you have an M4 or a USP. You need to pick the enemy off one by one; if they know where you are they will surround you. If there are four of THEM left, they will feel over confident and run around as usual, thus giving their positions away.

Don't reload immediately after killing someone, there is often a second enemy waiting to jump out once his friend dies and you'll usually have enough ammo after one kill, for another. Fire, kill, backup, take cover, listen, reload, repeat (somewhere else preferably).

If you and most of your team rush to the most likely meet point (where you expect the enemy to be rushing) and the enemy isn't there, THEY ARE SOMEWHERE ELSE! Leave half the team in case of a delayed rush, the rest go to the other likely assault points. EXAMPLE for de_dust: A good T team almost always rushes on dust. You’ll notice that there are NOT many good T teams on dust. One way or the other they need to plant the bomb. The Ts fastest rush is bombsite B, so most of the CT team should go to bombsite B. However, if the Ts didn't rush that way, send people to reinforce the top of the ramp, as that's the second rush point. Easy.

Watch your radar and listen for the enemy. Are you getting that this is important?

LISTEN! Always listen, even if you are running you can hear other people moving around you. If you are guarding a door you can shoot the instant a rushing enemy comes through, just by the sound of their feet.

The first shot often wins, the head shot always wins! Practice your aiming. Try for headshots. They are devastating. Aim at the head first shot, then if you are shooting full auto bring it down to neck or upper chest level so that the recoil brings the shots back into the head area. You'll learn where to hold with the different weapons if you pay close attention to where you are aiming at all times.

If you are firing mid- to long-range, only shoot in two to three round bursts, the fourth, and often the third, will miss by a long shot. If you are in an up close and personal shoot out, try for the first shot to be head, but if you must run full-auto, bring the sights down as your bullets will recoil up.

As before, if you are with someone when they round a corner you hear six enemy weapons firing at him, he will probably be dead before you get out there to help him. In that situation it is best to run away. If the enemy sounded far away pull out your knife to run faster and get around a corner and find some teammates. If the enemy sounded fairly close, run away backwards with your gun out so you can shoot if you have to. In either case it's a good time to leave an HE or a FB behind. There is no one in front of you to hurt or blind except the enemy because they just killed your buddy, and there is a group of bad guys, which is what HEs are made for.

If you don't know how to use grenades, DON'T! Practice throwing grenades alone in a server you create.

Watch your radar and listen for the enemy.

If you are in a medium-range firefight, watch your bullet impacts. As you hold down full auto your rounds will head up and often left a bit. You will see these rounds impact the wall above and to the left, behind your victim. If this is the case, bring your sights down and to the right. An even better bet would be to stop firing, strafe a bit and start firing again.

If you are the last person on your team, MOVE SILENTLY! Listen for the enemy. If you are hiding and you hear three enemy approaching, and you trust your hiding location, let ALL THREE pass. THEN start shooting them. If the first enemy by doesn't see you the ones that follow OFTEN assume the area is clear. If you shoot the first one as he rounds the corner the next two will know where you are.

To find good hiding spots, the best thing to do is watch the areas you’ve been shot in the back from, and watch other players while you are dead. If you think you know a good spot to hide, when you are dead wait near it and see if the people running by it check it. Often times the obvious/natural spots are known and always checked ruining their usefulness. But, if they always check right first because people hide there a lot, then hiding on the left may be a wise course of action.

Just because your teammate is in front of you doesn't mean that the room or box he just ran through or past is clear.

Check behind EVERYTHING!

Watch your radar and listen for the enemy!

Don't hold yourself to too high a standard. There are people out there that are better than you. You will die a whole hell of a lot! Don't take it personally. Don't take it seriously. It is just a game, and like all games you will get better with practice. Have fun.

Want to get better? Doing pretty good on your usual server? Find a server with better players. When you get your ass handed to you, THAT is when you are learning!

Want to get better? Find a server with friendly fire ON. Now you have to identify your targets before shooting, and you have to miss your friends when shooting nearby enemies.

Want to get better? Practice!


Item Specifics:

AK, AUG, SIG: Must fire in burst due to heavy recoil, unless VERY close or VERY competent at manually lowering crosshairs in full-auto.

Weapons to avoid until experienced: Machine gun, Sniper rifle,

Scout: kind of accurate while moving, sorta. Under NO circumstances should you EVER fire any other sniper rifle while moving.

Mac 10: Seems cheap as a T, but after maxing out it's expensive ammo, it costs MORE than the MP5 and is FAR less accurate.

Grenades: It is best to learn the angles, bounce, and range of grenades in a private game you create. That way you won't injure or blind your teammates. You can bounce grenades of multiple walls and even the ceiling, so make sure you think in three dimensions when angling for a grenade toss. If you must practice with them during an actual game, use smoke as they won't hurt or blind your teammates. Of course, smoke is annoying too.

High Explosive grenades (HE): These are used to stop rushes and for enemy groups. They are not powerful enough to kill an uninjured and armored enemy so they are best used by throwing them at enemies that have already been in a firefight. If friendly fire is on, look at your radar to make sure you don't hit a friend.

Flash-bang grenades (FB): Blind line of sight. FBs will blind the thrower too, so they should be thrown around corners and followed AFTER they explode. Look away or get behind something if one is thrown at you. Be VERY sure of your aim, your angles, and your team's location before throwing a FB. Warn others through voice comm. that you are throwing one. The only time I recommend a beginner throw them is when blind. This may sound strange so let me explain. A FB is usually followed by the thrower and sometimes by the whole team, because FBs often precede a rush. If you are holding a position and you are blinded by a FB, it is usually best to try and run away, you're blind so you have to do it by memory. Because you are blind, and because those near you are blind, and because the enemy is closing on you, NOW is a good time to throw a FB at you own feet (while running away BACKWARDS). This ensures that enemy who can see you get blinded, and you aren't blinding your teammates because they are more than likely blind already.

Smoke grenades: They lag slower computers. They obscure both sides. They are generally thrown in an area with few or no people to prevent the other team from rushing that way or going into that area. Smoke is generally a hassle for everyone and they MAY work as a deterrent. Some snipers use them near themselves because they will already be sighted in on their kill zone so finding a target isn't their priority. Hitting their target is their priority. I personally find that they are USUALLY a waste of time and money.

Silencers: Are available on the M4 and the USP as options and come standard with the TMP and Scout. Silencers allow you to keep the enemy guessing as to your position a bit longer. The silencer takes a bit of velocity off the bullet making it a bit less powerful, and also changes the recoil pattern. Practice with and without the silencer to get used to the difference. If you are flanking use the silencer as you want to take the enemy out from behind without being noticed. They are also good for spot camping or hiding in wait for the enemy to run by for the same reason you use it for flanking. If you are the last player from your team alive, and there are several enemies alive, use the silencer. Stealth is your only ally. Make sure you are walking NOT running, or the silencer won't help.

Defuse Kit: Buy it if you can afford it. Pick it up if you see one on the ground. The one with a kit should be the one to disarm the bomb.

Night Vision: Expensive. Helps you see in the dark Kinda Sorta, but fairly useless. Some people like them so try them out. Most don't think they're worth $1000. I Never buy them.

Kevlar and Helmet $1000: MUST HAVE!

Kevlar $600: MUST HAVE if you can't afford Armor and Kevlar.




Finally Some Technical Stuff:


cl_crosshairscale 2000 This sets your crosshair to a set size. Play around with the number. The bigger the number the smaller the crosshair.

cl_crosshairusealpha 1 and cl_crosshairalpha 6000
Together, these make your crosshair absolutely opaque (non see-through)
*Thanks Cecil

Take a screenshot of Dust or Dust2 with your crosshair overlapping both a dark spot and a bright dust spot. Then take a screenshot of the darkest corner you can find in CS. Now open both pictures up and adjust your video card settings (color correction) so that you can see detail in the darkest area but still see your crosshair on the bright part of dust. I personally have 2 custom color settings, one for dust/dust2 and one for everything else. The dust one is slightly toned down so I can make out my crosshair better.

Add this to your launch options:
-noforcemaccel -noforcemparms -noforcemspd -noipx -nojoy -heapsize 512000 -console
The first three get rid of mouse accel (also download and install the cpl mouse fix). Don’t remember what the next two are for but I assume it’s joystick related so if you’re using a mouse and keyboard they should be fine. The last one (-heapsize…) sets a certain amount of RAM apart for use by the game. It should be half of your total installed RAM. I have a gig of ram so 512k is my number. If you have 512k RAM, then your number should be 256000. Everyone needs console but there a check box for it in the game options as well.

Here is my buy script. Copy it into a config file, if you don’t know how then check the forums or ask, I’m not going to cover it right now:
bind "UPARROW" "timeleft"
bind "DOWNARROW" "buy vest; buy m3; buy primammo"
bind "LEFTARROW" "nextmap"
bind "RIGHTARROW" "buy famas; buy galil; buy vest; buy primammo"
bind "KP_HOME" "buy vest; buy sg550; buy g3sg1; buy primammo"
bind "KP_UPARROW" "buy smokegrenade"
bind "KP_PGUP" "buy defuser"
bind "KP_LEFTARROW" "buy vest; buy p90; buy primammo"
bind "KP_5" "buy hegrenade"
bind "KP_RIGHTARROW" "buy flashbang"
bind "KP_END" "buy vesthelm"
bind "KP_DOWNARROW" "buy vest; buy m4a1; buy ak47; buy primammo"
bind "KP_PGDN" "buy vest; buy aug; buy sg552; buy primammo"
bind "KP_ENTER" "buy elite; buy fiveseven; buy vest; buy secammo"
bind "KP_INS" "buy m249; buy vest; buy primammo"
bind "KP_DEL" "buy scout; buy vest; buy primammo"
bind "KP_SLASH" "buy awp; buy vest; buy primammo"
bind "KP_MINUS" "buy primammo"
bind "KP_PLUS" "buy deagle; buy secammo"

You can edit this with no problem and also, if you want mp5 on your list just copy the p90 set and replace p90 w/ mp5 and give it a new button.

Lastly, the sounds are a lot harder to localize in CS:S then in previous versions. I personally found a sound pack and took all the walking sounds and replaced the stock ones. The soundpack has a gear-jingle on it so it makes it easier for me to pinpoint the noise. Or you could get the footstep files from your 1.5 or 1.6 CS install and change their names to the CS:S ones and put those files in your:
?:\?\Steam\SteamApps\youremail@hotmail.com\counter-strike source\cstrike\sound\player\footsteps
file. You’ll have to create the file.

That's it. You made it all the way through. Congrats. Let me know what you think.

Best regards,
Stealth-X (Nate)

cool

Decent...
but very common sense stuff.

Very.

Thanks

I agree with you, RudyTheRocka, it is mostly common sense. It strikes me, though, how few people have it

Most people with a few weeks of online play will have figured most of this out, but this gives a nice kick in the pants to the slow ones, and a good introduction to those just beginning. At least, that's what I hope.

Regards,
Stealth-X (Nate)

Originally Posted by Stealth-X

Thanks

I agree with you, RudyTheRocka, it is mostly common sense. It strikes me, though, how few people have it

Most people with a few weeks of online play will have figured most of this out, but this gives a nice kick in the pants to the slow ones, and a good introduction to those just beginning. At least, that's what I hope.

Regards,
Stealth-X (Nate)

Damn I sound pretty rude there.
I meant to come across that this is intended for people who are like installing the game, it will make things simpler.

Not too much for somebody who has played 5-7 hours already. However there are some good points in there