Time: 00:20:02 CET 15:20:02 PST 18:20:02 EST 07:20:02 Seoul 06:20:02 Beijing
BLOGS
Aiming: What is? How To?
What is aiming? How often are we actualy using it? What can "I" do to be a better aimer? All these questions will be answered in my blog.There's been a lot of discussion about aiming but i don't think everyone really realizes what aim is?
My Definition:
Aiming is the ability to move your crosshair to a specific position and at the same time being able to control your bullets so that they hit the targeted area.
There's many factors that effect your aim.
Mice(Accelerations), Mousepad, Your Computer etc... (and the list goes on)
WHO? WHAT?
First of all lets talk about what a lot of people are practicing especially American Counter-Strike Players.(IMO) In America I see more and more of an older playstyle and the newer style(skill) is not being implemented. The American style can be passive with lack of aim.
To explain this better, the players are relying on strafe(keyboard) movement to complete their shots/frags instead of their mouse movement.(AIM)
If a M4A1 spray goes down then upright the player would pull down but then move to the left to compensate instead of using full mouse control to the bullets; depending on the situation.
You do see this pattern being used in other countries but not as consistently.
Acceleration comes in two forms Negative Accel and Acceleration.
If you use a MSIE 3.0 you will have negative acceleration. So how does that affect your game? You needf to understand what that will do to your aim. You will find that you are undershooting a lot so you have to get used to the distance moved and what it takes to make it hit your target. Playing maps like "musclememory.bsp" will help you learn fast. It will show your mouse reacting to your arms movement is it undershooting or overshooting. So use this to your advantage and get used to YOUR mouse by practicing.
What can you do to practice aim?
Here are some ideas of improving your aim.
Start with musclememory.bsp and learn how your mouse reacts to movement if its undershooting get used to it fast by shooting at a certain block then moving to the next but having timed it so that your bullet hits the spot perfectly. I prefer to use the AK47 for this since its recoil is harder to control.
Now play Aim_Map and practice doing flick shots to your opponent don't use large distances use smaller distances to flick to.
Thats all for now.
Rates and How They Effect Your Game IMO
There's so much you can really learn about a game and this is something you should consider when changing rate.Every setting you play with alters your game not to mention all the video settings you can change.
The following is in no specific order and not organised what so ever.
VSYNC
Lets start with V-sync. Vsync is going to give you uncapped framerates so it COULD stay consistent depending on your computers processing power; these days people have computers which are more than capable of running Counter-Strike 1.6 with vsync off.
If you use a CRT and you play with 120hrtz I would suggest using vsync ON its going to give you the smoothest overall feeling. If your monitor can't reach 120hrtz leave v-sync off. That way if u play with 60-100hrtz you're going to get similar feeling all the time.
If you use a TFT/LCD you should always have vsync off otherwise your framerates will be limited to the HRTZ you have them set to. Well until the 120hrtz LCDs are out... :D
RATES
Its really important to keep your rates the same all the time LAN/ONLINE you're going to see a big improvement if you practice with the sames ones all the time. Especially at EVENTS
Keep your updaterate 101 and cmdrate 101 unless you're connection can't support these rates but if you're going to lan keep them same on lan TOO.
RATE itself is a little bugger
Check for yourself TEST(example):
Start with a rate different that what you're used to in between 20000-30000 since thats what most people use.
Practice aiming on aim_map usp or any of your preference.
Then Switch to the rate you've always been using.
In my Example
I use 20000 rate and when i switch to 25000 rate and played bots on aim_map_usp my movement became more innacurate(than what im used to) as well as my shots.
And everything went back to normal my shots i was used to hitting were hitting again when i went back to rate 20000.
IMO What happens is you are allowing more traffic through from your computer to the server. Your movements and shots come out from your computer to the server at different times since there's more traffic that is being allowed through.
So if you're going to an EVENT try to stick to the same settings RATE, and RefreshRate/Vsync if the tournament allows them.
Let me know what you guys thought of this blog thx!
Learning the Game Inside Out Par
Learning the Game Out Inside Part 2 by Daniel Dallmann
Furthering the Blog
How To Get Known (http://www.sk-gaming.com/blog/97/)
by Michael 'Mitcha' Williams (http://www.sk-gaming.com/member/512419/)
Since my last article got such a good response from those who had read it, I felt it was necessary to continue to the second part. In the first part of the article I covered a large portion of where most players demanded answers.
In Part Two i'll cover a variety of commands and how to keep your game at a consistent good level.
Counter-Strike Commands
Sensitivity
Low Sensitivities Range 1-2.7 | High Sentivities Range 2.7-4.5
Another one of those commands where people ask W.I.U.W "Who is using what?". There are low sensitivities and high sensitivities. Generally if you use a lower sensitivity you will use your arm to aim more than your wrist and with mid-high sensitivities you will use your wrist and arm.
With Low Sensitivities your midrange/long range shooting becomes easier because it is easier to keep your crosshair consistently on your target.
With High Sensitivities your close range and mid range become your expertise and when shooting long range it becomes more difficult because you can move your mouse very little but it will do a larger movement compared to a low sensitivity it makes it a little harder to keep your target in your crosshair as consistently and demands a lot more control. People who use their arm with high sensitivities is when then need to perform a large turn, 90+ Degrees.
zoom_sensitivity_ratio a default of 1.2, this command works as a multiplier for when you're scoped in, if you have a sensitivity of 1 it was multiply it by 1.2 so initially your sensitivity will be slightly higher. If you wish to keep this command changed you must put it withing your userconfig.cfg
Tip This command is completely preference, if you wish to experiment with it lower it by .1 or raise it by .1 I felt that when i lowered it to 1 so that it would be the same sensitivity as my rifle I couldn't snap to the guys as easily and gave me a harder time it wasn't easy to get used to, I chose to remain with defaults.
Your sensitivity can dramatically be changed by your Average FPS and the amount of hrtz your monitor can provide in the resolution you choose to play in.
Note Generally once your hrtz are above 100 the sensitivity does not change.
By default on WindowsXp your monitor hrtz is forced to 60, this problem can be fixed either by your video cards forceware drivers or by application. The are two well known programs that exist to fix the problem, our first and easiest is called Refresh Force Reforce you can download this file at (ftp://ftp.thecpl.com/reforce.zip)
How To Use Reforce: Once downloaded move the file from the zip file to your My Documents or Desktop and run the program. When the Program opens there will be dialog asking you to Auto Populate, click on this. Now generally there is a feel to different resolutions and the lower the resolution the better fps you will receive.
Resolutions used by SK-GAMING
640x480 SK|Fisker, SK|Spawn
800x600 SK|Ahl, SK|Vilden
1024x768 SK|Snajdan
AutoPopulate loads safe defaults for your monitor but it is possible that your monitor can handle more than 85hrtz. The best way to find out is go to your monitors Manual or the manufacturers website. After doing your homework you can now manually set your hrtz by Clicking on any Frequency and typing in the appropriate number. If you cannot acheive 100hrtz on 800x600 look to see if you can receive it on 640x480 because you want to recieve 100 refreshes per second to ensure smooth and up to date gameplay.
The second known program is called PowerStrip a very strong and independant program. This program allows you to overclock raise and lower gamma, contrasts and brightness all within one program and let you select the frequencies you wish to use for your monitor and save them as profiles. You can download this file at (http://www.entechtaiwan.net/ps.htm)
Frames Per Second "FPS"
Getting 100fps isn't always easy and is very important to playing at a consistent level. Always use the command fps_max 100 or fps_max 101 ensuring the game is trying to recieve 100 or more updates.
To get 100 fps you must have a video card from a known manufacturer.
ATI http://www.ati.com
NVIDIA http://www.nvidia.com
These two manufacturers are the leading manufacturers for video cards and they sponsor major events such as the CPL, ESWC and WCG.
RAM, CPU and VIDEOCARD, are three very important factors for having stable fps. Since 1.6 has taken over it has become more dependant on the processor other than the video card although the video card does a lot of work aswell.
My minimum requirements for a competative Counter-Strike Computer.
Video Card
ATI 9600 +
NVIDIA 5600+
Processor
AMD 2800+
INTEL 2.8+
Ram
Corsair 512MB+ 400mhz
Kingston 512MB+ 400mhz
Your video card has many personalizable settings.
Vsync: On or Off
To learn more about Vsync check out this link provided by SK|iantje (http://www.sk-gaming.com/forum/6/18073/) or the direct link (http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=928593&page=1&pp=20)
Texture Quality and MipMap Quality: High Performance, Performance, Quality and High Quality. These two settings I like to set differently I chose High Performance for textures and high quality for mipmap so that the models etc. are defined while the walls are not so defined.
Digital Vibrance: Low to Medium Recommended (This feature enhances colors)
Final Say:ALWAYS USE 32BIT IN CS because there is no point in practicing with what is illegal in tournaments.
To Be Continued!!!
The key to success is consistency
The key to consistency is repetition.
Learning the Game Inside Out
Learning the Game Inside Out by Daniel Dallmann
Furthering the Blog
How To Get Known (http://www.sk-gaming.com/blog/97/)
by Michael 'Mitcha' Williams (http://www.sk-gaming.com/member/512419/)
I've been playing Counter-Strike for just over two years and I have been obsessed with understanding everything about what I enjoy, Counter-Strike.
This game needs no introduction and it's been around for many years and many changes have come through out its existance. It is now a new sort of profession where players of teams battle it out for thousands of dollars in massive tournaments we have grown to love, to watch and strive to be a part of.
My goal is to familiarize everything i've learned and come to know about CS and share this with you and now to get to my point.
Counter-Strike Commands
You can find at least a thousand or more posts on these commands concerning rates, viewsize, zoom_sensitivity_ratio, ex_interp, fps_max, sensitivity and the on going list of other various commands where it has felt to be that the sky is the limit.
Rates
The following commands have had kids litterally running around to learn all that they can about them; cl_updaterate, cl_cmdrate, rate and ex_interp.
Generally the questions come in a certain form "Who is using what?" and "How should I set these commands for my computer or my connection". I believe at least ninety percent of people that play CS have searched forums of large multigaming communities (http://www.gotfrag.com, http://www.sk-gaming.net) for the answers directly or indirectly.
The rates most professional players are using is found in the CPL GUI (ftp://ftp.thecpl.com/CPL_16gui.zip) which come along with a nice background and some advanced options easily acessible to those who install it.
cl_updaterate 101
cl_cmdrate 101
rate 25000
ex_interp 0.01
These rates are chosen by the CyberAthlete Professional League. (http://www.thecpl.com)
cl_updaterate the amount of updates you demand at one time. Download Rate
cl_cmdrate is the amount of updates you send at one time. Upload Rate
rate sets the client data rate.
ex_interp is one of the most talked about commands. Default with installation without userconfig.cfg forcing it is ex_interp "0.1", ex_interp is a clientside command allowing us to tighten or give slack to the hitbox/model alignment.
By Setting it to ZERO ex_interp "0" it performs a calculation to provide the best alignment.
The formula for ex_interp is 1/cl_updaterate #
examples with help of Andy "liquid" Lawson helping me to find exact interpoliation for my theory states in another blog:
cl_updaterate "101" = ex_interp 0.009
cl_updaterate "100" = ex_interp 0.01
cl_updaterate "83.33" = ex_interp 0.012
cl_updaterate "50" = ex_interp 0.02
cl_updaterate "40" = ex_interp 0.025
cl_updaterate "33.33" = ex_interp 0.03 * found to not be completely exact because we rounded off the updaterate
cl_updaterate "25" = ex_interp 0.04
cl_updaterate "20" = ex_interp 0.05
cl_updaterate "16.67" = ex_interp 0.06 * found to not be completely exact because we rounded off the updaterate
If you do not use an ex_interp of "0" you can find yourself shooting people but blood apearing behind them to where the hitboxes should be.
ex_interp being set to ".1" can give you a big advantage in some situations.
If you choose to pick mid double door on de_dust2 with an awp with ex_interp 0.1 you can aim at the left side of the opening and clearly hit someone directly if it hits when they cross. You can do this because the hitbox is behind the model slightly making you seem like you have super reflexes, yes it is possible to do with ex_interp 0.01 but it would have to be prefired or someone to do it with really great reflexes and timing.
What you need to know is that different tournaments use different configurations for example:
ESWC (http://www.esworldcup.com)
*The userconfig.cfg is a file found in your cstrike directory that automatically executes commands when counter-strike has opened to re-ensure we have things just the way we want.
(C:\ProgramFiles\Steam\SteamApps\USERNAME\counter-strike\cstrike or C:\ProgramFiles\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\USERNAME\counter-strike\cstrike)
ESWC uses similar commands within their userconfig compared to the CPLGUI.
I have taken them both and uploaded them for you to compare yourselfs, renamed to clarify the comparison.
http://www.pickupgamers.com/ESWC.cfg
http://www.pickupgamers.com/CPL.cfg
Both userconfig.cfg provided by the GUIs use
cl_updaterate "101", cl_cmdrate "101", ex_interp "0.01" but use rate differently.
ESWC uses rate 20000
CPL uses rate 25000
I believe that both rates are adequit for lan play, it is to demonstrate that people have their preference.
If you have a lower connection use lower rates but if you have a 2mb+ line you should be able to achieve full rates without getting loss or choke. To see if you are receiving choke or loss use net_graph 3 in console and lower your rates if you are receiving either.
You can begin with rates
cl_updaterate 101
cl_cmdrate 101
ex_interp 0 should always be set to zero
rate 25000
if you are receiving 0-5 choke quite consistently, lower your updaterate and possibly your rate like this.
cl_updaterate 80
cl_cmdrate 101 (try lowering your cmdrate with your updaterate so both are 80 it gives a different feel)
rate 20000-25000
lower your cmd/updaterate's by 10's or 20's until your choke or loss has disapeared and lower your rate if you feel it's necessary.
When you have made a choice with certain rates stick with them if you feel they're not consistent enough raise or lower them. If you do play competatively being consistent is very important, being comfortable and to play at a good level more often.
To Be Continued
The key to success is consistency
The key to consistency is repetition.
Theory of Perfect Interpoliation
Rates & Ex_interp Guide by Daniel Dallmann
The General idea is to use the CPL GUI online and on Lan which forces the following rates.
cl_updaterate 101
cl_cmdrate 101
rate 25000
ex_interp 0.01
When in fact using an ex_interp "0" with updaterate 101 should force the interp to 0.009. This is nearly impossible to get on any VAC server, Any server with VAC should force a interp no lower than .01.
So does this sound right to you?
What you also should know about ex_interp is that it rounds up the numbers for example:
*=updaterate you want to use
Formula for ex_interp 1/*updaterate
Let's say you choose updaterate of 80, so the formula will be 1/80 which will give "0.0125" but when you check your ex_interp in your console it will display "0.012".
So let's find updaterates that are whole exact numbers that are legal in Cyberathletic Amateur League (0.01-.06).
cl_updaterate "100" = ex_interp 0.01
cl_updaterate "83.33" = ex_interp 0.012
cl_updaterate "50" = ex_interp 0.02
cl_updaterate "40" = ex_interp 0.025
cl_updaterate "33.33" = ex_interp 0.03 * not valible, updaterate rounded off
cl_updaterate "25" = ex_interp 0.04
cl_updaterate "20" = ex_interp 0.05
cl_updaterate "16.67" = ex_interp 0.06 * not valible, updaterate rounded off
Rate let's you decide how large the updates you can send at once.
Using a somewhat high rate is suggested if you use a too low rate other people see you skip accross the screen.
Good Example
cl_updaterate "80"
cl_cmdrate "80"
rate 20000-25000
cl_updaterate "100"
cl_cmdrate "100"
rate 20000-25000
Bad Example
cl_updaterate "70"
cl_cmdrate "70"
rate "3500"
Aiming, Muscle Retention, Muscle Memory.
I decided to write a little bit about working out and playing video games hope this will be of interest to anyone who plays video games. Please take this seriously and leave comments.What you're going to notice a lot for people that are less consistent is that your muscles aren't performing at the same strength so you're overshooting a LOT or very unfocused.
You can really notice this right away if ur playing far from your game, while playing aim maps, mix or scrim. Your timing and movements from your arm are not in good sequence.
To help this you should take the time to let your muscles become in unison with your brain. So if you are or are not an active person, on your OFF days where u are playing poorly u should really step back from the GAME for about an hour.
Do shoulder, bicep,tricep and chest workouts(pushups). Try to use weights that will make you work hard and become focused.
Create a small Regiment of about 30-45minutes of working out.
When you are working out remember to pace yourself and don't overdo it, ex: THROWING YOUR ARMS AROUND WITH WEIGHTS.
Go SLOW and in CONTROL for all your workouts. Quality over quantity. Once you start losing your form and you can't push yourself any further then you shouldn't force another rep using poor form.
This will help you get in control of your body and help you focus.
After you're done all of your workout, take time to focus on the game. Watch a NEW demo of a player you like; on a map you're going to be competeing in or you want to learn something in.
Now that you are fully focused you will perform at a higher level than before don't forget to jump back in the aim map for about 20mins max u don't want to kill yourself before your matches or practices!
Goodluck have fun!
By Daniel 'timecard' Dallmann
Jan 27, 2009 00:59
What is aiming? How often are we actualy using it? What can "I" do to be a better aimer? All these questions will be answered in my blog.There's been a lot of discussion about aiming but i don't think everyone really realizes what aim is?
My Definition:
Aiming is the ability to move your crosshair to a specific position and at the same time being able to control your bullets so that they hit the targeted area.
There's many factors that effect your aim.
Mice(Accelerations), Mousepad, Your Computer etc... (and the list goes on)
WHO? WHAT?
First of all lets talk about what a lot of people are practicing especially American Counter-Strike Players.(IMO) In America I see more and more of an older playstyle and the newer style(skill) is not being implemented. The American style can be passive with lack of aim.
To explain this better, the players are relying on strafe(keyboard) movement to complete their shots/frags instead of their mouse movement.(AIM)
If a M4A1 spray goes down then upright the player would pull down but then move to the left to compensate instead of using full mouse control to the bullets; depending on the situation.
You do see this pattern being used in other countries but not as consistently.
Acceleration comes in two forms Negative Accel and Acceleration.
If you use a MSIE 3.0 you will have negative acceleration. So how does that affect your game? You needf to understand what that will do to your aim. You will find that you are undershooting a lot so you have to get used to the distance moved and what it takes to make it hit your target. Playing maps like "musclememory.bsp" will help you learn fast. It will show your mouse reacting to your arms movement is it undershooting or overshooting. So use this to your advantage and get used to YOUR mouse by practicing.
What can you do to practice aim?
Here are some ideas of improving your aim.
Start with musclememory.bsp and learn how your mouse reacts to movement if its undershooting get used to it fast by shooting at a certain block then moving to the next but having timed it so that your bullet hits the spot perfectly. I prefer to use the AK47 for this since its recoil is harder to control.
Now play Aim_Map and practice doing flick shots to your opponent don't use large distances use smaller distances to flick to.
Thats all for now.
Rates and How They Effect Your Game IMO
By Daniel 'timecard' Dallmann
Jan 25, 2009 23:58
There's so much you can really learn about a game and this is something you should consider when changing rate.Every setting you play with alters your game not to mention all the video settings you can change.
The following is in no specific order and not organised what so ever.
VSYNC
Lets start with V-sync. Vsync is going to give you uncapped framerates so it COULD stay consistent depending on your computers processing power; these days people have computers which are more than capable of running Counter-Strike 1.6 with vsync off.
If you use a CRT and you play with 120hrtz I would suggest using vsync ON its going to give you the smoothest overall feeling. If your monitor can't reach 120hrtz leave v-sync off. That way if u play with 60-100hrtz you're going to get similar feeling all the time.
If you use a TFT/LCD you should always have vsync off otherwise your framerates will be limited to the HRTZ you have them set to. Well until the 120hrtz LCDs are out... :D
RATES
Its really important to keep your rates the same all the time LAN/ONLINE you're going to see a big improvement if you practice with the sames ones all the time. Especially at EVENTS
Keep your updaterate 101 and cmdrate 101 unless you're connection can't support these rates but if you're going to lan keep them same on lan TOO.
RATE itself is a little bugger
Check for yourself TEST(example):
Start with a rate different that what you're used to in between 20000-30000 since thats what most people use.
Practice aiming on aim_map usp or any of your preference.
Then Switch to the rate you've always been using.
In my Example
I use 20000 rate and when i switch to 25000 rate and played bots on aim_map_usp my movement became more innacurate(than what im used to) as well as my shots.
And everything went back to normal my shots i was used to hitting were hitting again when i went back to rate 20000.
IMO What happens is you are allowing more traffic through from your computer to the server. Your movements and shots come out from your computer to the server at different times since there's more traffic that is being allowed through.
So if you're going to an EVENT try to stick to the same settings RATE, and RefreshRate/Vsync if the tournament allows them.
Let me know what you guys thought of this blog thx!
Learning the Game Inside Out Par
By Daniel 'timecard' Dallmann
Aug 9, 2005 21:09
Learning the Game Out Inside Part 2 by Daniel Dallmann
Furthering the Blog
How To Get Known (http://www.sk-gaming.com/blog/97/)
by Michael 'Mitcha' Williams (http://www.sk-gaming.com/member/512419/)
Since my last article got such a good response from those who had read it, I felt it was necessary to continue to the second part. In the first part of the article I covered a large portion of where most players demanded answers.
In Part Two i'll cover a variety of commands and how to keep your game at a consistent good level.
Counter-Strike Commands
Sensitivity
Low Sensitivities Range 1-2.7 | High Sentivities Range 2.7-4.5
Another one of those commands where people ask W.I.U.W "Who is using what?". There are low sensitivities and high sensitivities. Generally if you use a lower sensitivity you will use your arm to aim more than your wrist and with mid-high sensitivities you will use your wrist and arm.
With Low Sensitivities your midrange/long range shooting becomes easier because it is easier to keep your crosshair consistently on your target.
With High Sensitivities your close range and mid range become your expertise and when shooting long range it becomes more difficult because you can move your mouse very little but it will do a larger movement compared to a low sensitivity it makes it a little harder to keep your target in your crosshair as consistently and demands a lot more control. People who use their arm with high sensitivities is when then need to perform a large turn, 90+ Degrees.
zoom_sensitivity_ratio a default of 1.2, this command works as a multiplier for when you're scoped in, if you have a sensitivity of 1 it was multiply it by 1.2 so initially your sensitivity will be slightly higher. If you wish to keep this command changed you must put it withing your userconfig.cfg
Tip This command is completely preference, if you wish to experiment with it lower it by .1 or raise it by .1 I felt that when i lowered it to 1 so that it would be the same sensitivity as my rifle I couldn't snap to the guys as easily and gave me a harder time it wasn't easy to get used to, I chose to remain with defaults.
Your sensitivity can dramatically be changed by your Average FPS and the amount of hrtz your monitor can provide in the resolution you choose to play in.
Note Generally once your hrtz are above 100 the sensitivity does not change.
By default on WindowsXp your monitor hrtz is forced to 60, this problem can be fixed either by your video cards forceware drivers or by application. The are two well known programs that exist to fix the problem, our first and easiest is called Refresh Force Reforce you can download this file at (ftp://ftp.thecpl.com/reforce.zip)
How To Use Reforce: Once downloaded move the file from the zip file to your My Documents or Desktop and run the program. When the Program opens there will be dialog asking you to Auto Populate, click on this. Now generally there is a feel to different resolutions and the lower the resolution the better fps you will receive.
Resolutions used by SK-GAMING
640x480 SK|Fisker, SK|Spawn
800x600 SK|Ahl, SK|Vilden
1024x768 SK|Snajdan
AutoPopulate loads safe defaults for your monitor but it is possible that your monitor can handle more than 85hrtz. The best way to find out is go to your monitors Manual or the manufacturers website. After doing your homework you can now manually set your hrtz by Clicking on any Frequency and typing in the appropriate number. If you cannot acheive 100hrtz on 800x600 look to see if you can receive it on 640x480 because you want to recieve 100 refreshes per second to ensure smooth and up to date gameplay.
The second known program is called PowerStrip a very strong and independant program. This program allows you to overclock raise and lower gamma, contrasts and brightness all within one program and let you select the frequencies you wish to use for your monitor and save them as profiles. You can download this file at (http://www.entechtaiwan.net/ps.htm)
Frames Per Second "FPS"
Getting 100fps isn't always easy and is very important to playing at a consistent level. Always use the command fps_max 100 or fps_max 101 ensuring the game is trying to recieve 100 or more updates.
To get 100 fps you must have a video card from a known manufacturer.
ATI http://www.ati.com
NVIDIA http://www.nvidia.com
These two manufacturers are the leading manufacturers for video cards and they sponsor major events such as the CPL, ESWC and WCG.
RAM, CPU and VIDEOCARD, are three very important factors for having stable fps. Since 1.6 has taken over it has become more dependant on the processor other than the video card although the video card does a lot of work aswell.
My minimum requirements for a competative Counter-Strike Computer.
Video Card
ATI 9600 +
NVIDIA 5600+
Processor
AMD 2800+
INTEL 2.8+
Ram
Corsair 512MB+ 400mhz
Kingston 512MB+ 400mhz
Your video card has many personalizable settings.
Vsync: On or Off
To learn more about Vsync check out this link provided by SK|iantje (http://www.sk-gaming.com/forum/6/18073/) or the direct link (http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=928593&page=1&pp=20)
Texture Quality and MipMap Quality: High Performance, Performance, Quality and High Quality. These two settings I like to set differently I chose High Performance for textures and high quality for mipmap so that the models etc. are defined while the walls are not so defined.
Digital Vibrance: Low to Medium Recommended (This feature enhances colors)
Final Say:ALWAYS USE 32BIT IN CS because there is no point in practicing with what is illegal in tournaments.
To Be Continued!!!
The key to success is consistency
The key to consistency is repetition.
Learning the Game Inside Out
By Daniel 'timecard' Dallmann
Aug 7, 2005 20:10
Learning the Game Inside Out by Daniel Dallmann
Furthering the Blog
How To Get Known (http://www.sk-gaming.com/blog/97/)
by Michael 'Mitcha' Williams (http://www.sk-gaming.com/member/512419/)
I've been playing Counter-Strike for just over two years and I have been obsessed with understanding everything about what I enjoy, Counter-Strike.
This game needs no introduction and it's been around for many years and many changes have come through out its existance. It is now a new sort of profession where players of teams battle it out for thousands of dollars in massive tournaments we have grown to love, to watch and strive to be a part of.
My goal is to familiarize everything i've learned and come to know about CS and share this with you and now to get to my point.
Counter-Strike Commands
You can find at least a thousand or more posts on these commands concerning rates, viewsize, zoom_sensitivity_ratio, ex_interp, fps_max, sensitivity and the on going list of other various commands where it has felt to be that the sky is the limit.
Rates
The following commands have had kids litterally running around to learn all that they can about them; cl_updaterate, cl_cmdrate, rate and ex_interp.
Generally the questions come in a certain form "Who is using what?" and "How should I set these commands for my computer or my connection". I believe at least ninety percent of people that play CS have searched forums of large multigaming communities (http://www.gotfrag.com, http://www.sk-gaming.net) for the answers directly or indirectly.
The rates most professional players are using is found in the CPL GUI (ftp://ftp.thecpl.com/CPL_16gui.zip) which come along with a nice background and some advanced options easily acessible to those who install it.
cl_updaterate 101
cl_cmdrate 101
rate 25000
ex_interp 0.01
These rates are chosen by the CyberAthlete Professional League. (http://www.thecpl.com)
cl_updaterate the amount of updates you demand at one time. Download Rate
cl_cmdrate is the amount of updates you send at one time. Upload Rate
rate sets the client data rate.
ex_interp is one of the most talked about commands. Default with installation without userconfig.cfg forcing it is ex_interp "0.1", ex_interp is a clientside command allowing us to tighten or give slack to the hitbox/model alignment.
By Setting it to ZERO ex_interp "0" it performs a calculation to provide the best alignment.
The formula for ex_interp is 1/cl_updaterate #
examples with help of Andy "liquid" Lawson helping me to find exact interpoliation for my theory states in another blog:
cl_updaterate "101" = ex_interp 0.009
cl_updaterate "100" = ex_interp 0.01
cl_updaterate "83.33" = ex_interp 0.012
cl_updaterate "50" = ex_interp 0.02
cl_updaterate "40" = ex_interp 0.025
cl_updaterate "33.33" = ex_interp 0.03 * found to not be completely exact because we rounded off the updaterate
cl_updaterate "25" = ex_interp 0.04
cl_updaterate "20" = ex_interp 0.05
cl_updaterate "16.67" = ex_interp 0.06 * found to not be completely exact because we rounded off the updaterate
If you do not use an ex_interp of "0" you can find yourself shooting people but blood apearing behind them to where the hitboxes should be.
ex_interp being set to ".1" can give you a big advantage in some situations.
If you choose to pick mid double door on de_dust2 with an awp with ex_interp 0.1 you can aim at the left side of the opening and clearly hit someone directly if it hits when they cross. You can do this because the hitbox is behind the model slightly making you seem like you have super reflexes, yes it is possible to do with ex_interp 0.01 but it would have to be prefired or someone to do it with really great reflexes and timing.
What you need to know is that different tournaments use different configurations for example:
ESWC (http://www.esworldcup.com)
*The userconfig.cfg is a file found in your cstrike directory that automatically executes commands when counter-strike has opened to re-ensure we have things just the way we want.
(C:\ProgramFiles\Steam\SteamApps\USERNAME\counter-strike\cstrike or C:\ProgramFiles\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\USERNAME\counter-strike\cstrike)
ESWC uses similar commands within their userconfig compared to the CPLGUI.
I have taken them both and uploaded them for you to compare yourselfs, renamed to clarify the comparison.
http://www.pickupgamers.com/ESWC.cfg
http://www.pickupgamers.com/CPL.cfg
Both userconfig.cfg provided by the GUIs use
cl_updaterate "101", cl_cmdrate "101", ex_interp "0.01" but use rate differently.
ESWC uses rate 20000
CPL uses rate 25000
I believe that both rates are adequit for lan play, it is to demonstrate that people have their preference.
If you have a lower connection use lower rates but if you have a 2mb+ line you should be able to achieve full rates without getting loss or choke. To see if you are receiving choke or loss use net_graph 3 in console and lower your rates if you are receiving either.
You can begin with rates
cl_updaterate 101
cl_cmdrate 101
ex_interp 0 should always be set to zero
rate 25000
if you are receiving 0-5 choke quite consistently, lower your updaterate and possibly your rate like this.
cl_updaterate 80
cl_cmdrate 101 (try lowering your cmdrate with your updaterate so both are 80 it gives a different feel)
rate 20000-25000
lower your cmd/updaterate's by 10's or 20's until your choke or loss has disapeared and lower your rate if you feel it's necessary.
When you have made a choice with certain rates stick with them if you feel they're not consistent enough raise or lower them. If you do play competatively being consistent is very important, being comfortable and to play at a good level more often.
To Be Continued
The key to success is consistency
The key to consistency is repetition.
Theory of Perfect Interpoliation
By Daniel 'timecard' Dallmann
Aug 7, 2005 19:42
Rates & Ex_interp Guide by Daniel Dallmann
The General idea is to use the CPL GUI online and on Lan which forces the following rates.
cl_updaterate 101
cl_cmdrate 101
rate 25000
ex_interp 0.01
When in fact using an ex_interp "0" with updaterate 101 should force the interp to 0.009. This is nearly impossible to get on any VAC server, Any server with VAC should force a interp no lower than .01.
So does this sound right to you?
What you also should know about ex_interp is that it rounds up the numbers for example:
*=updaterate you want to use
Formula for ex_interp 1/*updaterate
Let's say you choose updaterate of 80, so the formula will be 1/80 which will give "0.0125" but when you check your ex_interp in your console it will display "0.012".
So let's find updaterates that are whole exact numbers that are legal in Cyberathletic Amateur League (0.01-.06).
cl_updaterate "100" = ex_interp 0.01
cl_updaterate "83.33" = ex_interp 0.012
cl_updaterate "50" = ex_interp 0.02
cl_updaterate "40" = ex_interp 0.025
cl_updaterate "33.33" = ex_interp 0.03 * not valible, updaterate rounded off
cl_updaterate "25" = ex_interp 0.04
cl_updaterate "20" = ex_interp 0.05
cl_updaterate "16.67" = ex_interp 0.06 * not valible, updaterate rounded off
Rate let's you decide how large the updates you can send at once.
Using a somewhat high rate is suggested if you use a too low rate other people see you skip accross the screen.
Good Example
cl_updaterate "80"
cl_cmdrate "80"
rate 20000-25000
cl_updaterate "100"
cl_cmdrate "100"
rate 20000-25000
Bad Example
cl_updaterate "70"
cl_cmdrate "70"
rate "3500"
Aiming, Muscle Retention, Muscle Memory.
By Daniel 'timecard' Dallmann
Apr 23, 2009 22:10
I decided to write a little bit about working out and playing video games hope this will be of interest to anyone who plays video games. Please take this seriously and leave comments.What you're going to notice a lot for people that are less consistent is that your muscles aren't performing at the same strength so you're overshooting a LOT or very unfocused.
You can really notice this right away if ur playing far from your game, while playing aim maps, mix or scrim. Your timing and movements from your arm are not in good sequence.
To help this you should take the time to let your muscles become in unison with your brain. So if you are or are not an active person, on your OFF days where u are playing poorly u should really step back from the GAME for about an hour.
Do shoulder, bicep,tricep and chest workouts(pushups). Try to use weights that will make you work hard and become focused.
Create a small Regiment of about 30-45minutes of working out.
When you are working out remember to pace yourself and don't overdo it, ex: THROWING YOUR ARMS AROUND WITH WEIGHTS.
Go SLOW and in CONTROL for all your workouts. Quality over quantity. Once you start losing your form and you can't push yourself any further then you shouldn't force another rep using poor form.
This will help you get in control of your body and help you focus.
After you're done all of your workout, take time to focus on the game. Watch a NEW demo of a player you like; on a map you're going to be competeing in or you want to learn something in.
Now that you are fully focused you will perform at a higher level than before don't forget to jump back in the aim map for about 20mins max u don't want to kill yourself before your matches or practices!
Goodluck have fun!
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