COUNTER STRIKE 2

COUNTER STRIKE 2 – AN OVERVIEW 
A game for PC and Xbox 360 
By Fernando A. C. Prado 

INTRODUCTION

This is an initial concept plan I made for the sequence of the popular game Counter Strike. In this document 4 points was taken special care:

• Similar gameplay: all the major gameplay features of the original CS (and CS:S) was kept, so the old fans and players can start playing CS2 without a long learning curve.
• Realism: there is a tendency in the market to value the realism. When CS was made, it was a water line in terms of realistic action. Now it is dated. The gamers are today much better informed, through and demanding.
• Evolution: why to buy a sequel? Because it is bigger and better. It's not enough to just update the graphics.
• Game value: there are 2 ways for keep people playing a game (besides the quality of the game itself): rewards/rank system and high customization. There will be support for both in this document.

NEW FEATURES

- Custom a Unit: the player can build a CT unit. When building a unit, he can choose which weapons it will use, but that weapons will cost 10% more to buy in game. Otherwise, if he chooses a standard unit, he can access the weapons of that unit for the regular price. Unit customization includes set of the uniform, country flag, name and unit’s badge (import image file). It’s important to allow the player to save its units (for sharing with other players). This feature in the game not only will make the fan community very happy as will increase exponentially the value of the game. Players all around the globe will make their custom units for their countries CT units.

- Statistics: like in TF2, there will be a statistics panel for the player. The player can earn medals for the completed achievements. Additional suggestion: military ranks and unlocks (this make wonders with Battlefield 2).

- (Optional) Mods: To reward those CS fans who make new weapons and player models, CS2 could have a simple and easy mod support. Using scripts, the modder can add this new art to the game. Of course, to play with these new features, a server running the mod is needed.

- Game modes: Campaign, Challenge and Classic. Each could be played alone (with bots) and/or with other players. Steam friends where never so precious.

- CAMPAIGN GAME MODE

• Counter Strike meets Rainbow Six (at least a very light version of Rainbow Six).
• The player chooses a standard or custom unit.
• The player will fight slightly modified versions of the classic maps, following a sequence of events. Additional suggestion: the Campaign could starts with a video showing a big terrorist attack to the country, so the CT unit is called to hunt down the terrorist cells around the world.
• Some maps would be for Rescuing Hostages, others for Defusing the Bomb (the bomb starts armed and there is a time for the CT to defuse it. Of course, the Terrorists will be on their way), VIP Escorting or even "Don't let the Terrorists escape" maps.
• The player will have bots (and/or other players) in his team. (Optional) He can buy the equipment and weapons for his bots.
• The enemy bots will be lightly armed in the early maps, and better armed in the last ones. The AI difficulty is also increased. To make things more challenging, there could be more enemy bots than CT team mates in every map.
• Only one round, so if all players are dead, the map ends.

- CHALLENGE GAME MODE

• The player chooses a standard or custom unit.
• The gameplay is similar to the Classic CS.
• The campaign starts with a random map. The bot AI is set for easy for the first map and increases for each map is played.
• In campaign, the objective is to win a certain number of rounds before the AI. For instance: 10 rounds.
• After winning all maps (the last will be in the Expert difficulty), the challenge mode ends. This could be recorded in the player statistics (rewarding a medal for that unit, for instance).

- CLASSIC GAME MODE

• Basically the Classic CS game modes. Defuse the Bomb, Rescue the Hostages, Protect the VIP, etc.
• (Optional) After a certain number of rounds, the teams are swapped. This is a very interesting (and fair) feature of the Team Fortress 2 (in maps like Dustbowl).

- CLASSIC GAME MODE (Clan battle)

• This could be done with simple server side settings.
• Each clan will play with its custom unit. This will greatly value the clans (Counter Strike golden years will surely be back).
• One team will play as CT and the other as Terrorist.
• (Optional) After a certain number of rounds, the teams are swapped.

GAME PLAY CHANGES

- Each map is played by a specific CT faction versus a specific Terrorist faction. For instance, the map de_dust should be Seal Team 6 versus Fundamentalists. Instead of choosing between the Seal Team 6, SAS, etc., the player will choose between slightly different versions of bodies for the same unit.

- Each unit is unique. Each unit has, for instance, 4 types of handguns (with one silenced and one heavy handgun), 4 types of smgs (with one machine pistol and one silenced), 2 types of shotguns (one pump action and the other semiauto), 4 types of assault rifles (at least one scoped), 2 types of sniper rifles (one bolt action and the other semiauto) and 1 type of machinegun.

- The weapons each standard unit has are based on accurate and updated information. No more SAS using Desert Eagles, for instance.

- The price of the starting handgun is discounted from the player starting money, for balance.

- There will be slots for the total of hand grenades. Suggestion: 2 or 3 slots (so the player may buy 2 HE grenades, for instance). This could also be done for equipment (defuser, extra ammo, medkit, lockpick, etc).

- Secondary mouse bottom (right bottom) will bring the iron sights/scope. Firing a weapon without aiming will make it much less accurate.

- The fire-mode of the weapons can be selected (for instance: semi-auto, burst, full-auto). How? Pressing the weapon number more times will scroll between the fire mode options (the standard in the full-auto).

- A tertiary bottom is needed (for putting a silencer in the weapon, for instance).

- Improve a weapon option (aka "Pimp your favorite gun"). Add laser aiming module, silencer, flashlight, etc. to an existing weapon. New modules could be unlocked by accomplishing achievements.

- Realist ballistics (very important). Each weapon fires a projectile in a certain velocity. Long range shots need to worry about projectile drop. Silenced weapons have projectile speed decreased.

- Weapon collision. So, in smaller spaces, handguns are more recommended than long rifles. This would add a complete new deepness to the game.

- Improved AI: Bots can't see clearly through smoke (from smoke grenades) and get confused when shot by silenced weapons (as human players do).

- Server customization: the server can choose a wide range of options, like the CT and Terror units of each map (good for clan servers), the allowed weapons and equipment, turn on/off Realistic Damage, Dynamic Prices, etc.

- More destructible environment. A challenge for the mappers BUT if you want to impress the gamers (and critics) today, you need to push the envelop.

- More realistic grenade behavior, physics, detonation time (can be cooked) and throw distance. A real grenade could be shot, kicked or thrown back.

- More player model hitting regions, like hearth (as critical as head).

- The players earn points for killing assistance (like in TF2). There isn't more annoying thing than you lost your frag just because other "finished" the target. Besides that, assistance points strength the team play.

- Player animations for climbing ladders. He can’t fire a weapon when doing this.

- To avoid the bad habit of jumping and shooting (which have nothing to do with reality), the crosshair should enlarge a lot when the player jumps.

- (Critical) Better Anti-Cheat capability. In CS, one guy using cheats may ruin the entire match. Question: Why TF2 has virtually no cheaters and CS:S has lots?

- (Optional) More realist damage. A wounded soldier would walk slower, leave a trail of blood, etc.

- (Optional) Locked doors. This lead to new equipment: lockpick tools. Of course, shotguns could be used to breech closed doors.

- (Optional) Medkits. This could be equipment for the Campaign game mode.

- (Optional) Unlocks. Better weapons could be unlocked trough achievements/ranks.

STANDARD CT UNITS:

I made a list of the small arms for each standard CT team, based on the real weaponry they use.