Half-Life: Counter-Strike Game Guide

GameSpot Video Games, PC, Wii, PlayStation 2, GameCube, PSP, DS, GBA, PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3

ON TechRepublic: 5 things we have learned from Bill Gates

Watch the Latest Show!

home

Chapter One: Getting Started

Even though it's an action game, Counter-Strike is one of the most complicated first-person shooters out there. You must use the radio, type messages to your teammates, buy items, and cycle through weapons all while struggling to stay alive. Before you jump into a game, you must set up your controls on your keyboard in a way that will let you access Counter-Strike's many keys without taking your eyes off the action. You'll find Counter-Strike's control menu in the configuration screen. While there isn't a single best setup for your controls, you'll generally find the game's default settings ideal. Here are Counter-Strike's primary controls and the recommended keys to bind each action to:

Access buy menu: B
Strafe left: A
Strafe right: D
Move forward: W
Move backward: S
Jump: Space bar
Crouch: Ctrl key
Fire: Left mouse button
Special weapon function: Right mouse button
Reload weapon: R
Use: E

When binding your keys, keep in mind that you must keep one hand on the keyboard and the other on the mouse at all times. If you must take your eyes off the screen to search for a key, even for a second, you'll likely get killed by another player. With this in mind, you should also bind keys for standard and group radio messages and the high score menu within easy reach of the hand that's on the keyboard. Since these functions aren't as essential to Counter-Strike's gameplay as the commands on top, you can place them anywhere you want.

You should also bind the next/previous weapon control to your mouse wheel. If your mouse doesn't have a wheel, you should bind the individual weapons to the number keys on your keyboard. In fact, since you can only carry one primary and one secondary weapon at once, you're better off doing the latter. Some newer mice, like Microsoft's Intellimouse, have upward of four buttons, which gives you more options when choosing where to bind your keys.

Note that these control suggestions are just that: suggestions. Some players prefer to use the keyboard's arrow keys for movement, and you should take the time to find a control scheme that's the most comfortable and best fits your style while still letting you perform all the game's necessary tasks.

Proper control can mean the difference between life and death.

Last-Minute Suggestions

Once you've got your control set up the way you want to, you should go to the customize menu in Counter-Strike. Here, you can pick out your character's online name and spray paint image and color. You should also jump into the advanced portion of the customize menu and deselect the option for "left-handed weapon models." This moves your character's arm and weapon from the left side of the screen to the right, which makes it easier to get accustomed to the screen's layout, especially if you're used to playing other first-person shooters, most of which draw the weapon on the right side of the screen anyway. If you're left-handed or just prefer Counter-Strike's unique left-handed weapon models, you can leave this option activated.

One final suggestion is to jump into the game's video options menu and move the gamma slider as far right as possible. This will brighten the screen and make it easier for you to spot hidden enemies in corridors and low-contrast maps like Office and Cobble. For an even greater boost in gamma, you can also go to www.entechtaiwan.com and download and install PowerStrip, a video utility that, among other things, can increase the gamma settings on your video card.

« Previous Page

Playing the game »