Dust2 is the most popular map ever made for Counter Strike.
Perhaps it's the most popular map, ever.
You only have to go through the server list to see that it takes up a significant proportion
of all of the active servers.
People can play it thousands of times and yet the appeal never really goes away.
Sure, some people prefer Inferno, others Mirage or Nuke.
Of course they will- but I doubt you'll find somebody who hates Dust2, unless they hate
it for its popularity.
The most frustrating thing about it in my opinion is that it was a lucky coincidence.
It wasn't subject to a definitive plan or designed for a certain play-style.
In fact, it borrowed heavily from Dust 1 in the most unusual of ways.
It was made by David Johnston, the guy who also made Cbbl and, you guessed it, Dust 1.
He based Dust 1 off of a Team Fortress map then was requested to make another one.
He made the layout of Dust2 with no idea of where the bombsites or spawn points should
be.
He even called it 'dust 3' because he didn't think it was a worthy successor to Dust 1.
How wrong he was.
A man called Jess Cliffe had to reassure him that it would be okay and even suggested where
all of the sites and spawn locations should be, and thus, a legendary map was born.
What strikes me as amazing is how it has gone through several iterations over the games
and still retains the classic Dust feel.
It shows that it's not about the exact placement or shape of objects.
I find this reassuring- it's almost as though things could be tweaked around a bit and the
map wouldn't suddenly suck.
In fact, it could perhaps get even better.
Let's start with the setting.
It's a bright, clean map and enemies tend to be clearly visible against the background.
The only map that is comparable to this is Mirage, also set in a dusty, bright environment.
The areas tend to be very open and there are places with very little cover, encouraging
rushes between key areas of the map.
A bit like Mirage.
I'm going to compare it with this map a lot since I feel they have an unusual number of
similarities.
I'm now going to make a HUGE number of enemies and say that I'll also be comparing it with
Nuke, a map that I believe is heavily, heavily flawed.
I'll explain why as this video progresses.
Let's start with the spawn points.
Both Terrorists and Counter Terrorists have an immediate decision to make after spawning.
I think this makes it interesting from the start, and before long those choices split
into yet more.
Mirage has the same sort of thing.
Nuke, on the other hand, has a compulsory path you must follow for a while, which eats
into the first 4 or so seconds every round.
Doesn't sound like much, but in a 30-round game that's 2 MINUTES you spend simply running
somewhere because you have to!
Also, the terrorist side of the map in Dust2 is under-developed.
It's practically a load of corridors and areas you must rush through to get to the CT-side
of the map, which is far more complex and interesting.
For me, this is important, as that's all terrorist side should be.
You don't want to encourage terrorists to camp near their spawn as it takes away from
the goal of a defuse map.
In competitive this isn't AS much of a problem, but in casual games it makes every round a
long, drawn-out affair.
That's why I dislike the large area on Nuke near T spawn which I simply consider clutter,
unnecessary and irrelevant to the majority of the game.
Dust2, on the other hand, has B tunnels and mid area that are easily controlled by terrorists,
encouraging them to rush to these areas to gain a foot-hold on the map and at the same
time preparing for further advances into the bombsites.
Next, I'm going to talk about the middle of the map.
Both Dust2 and Mirage have open middles that are more easily controlled by terrorists,
giving Counter Terrorists a couple of sniper-spots to serve as an early warning system and as
a deterrent.
To make for an interesting map I believe that Terrorists should be able to easily hold the
middle of the map to allow for interesting rotations, while at the same time encouraging
Counter Terrorists to probe for more information by using their sniper spots but also to stick
at the bombsites in preparation for the inevitable attack.
Nuke by contrast doesn't exactly have a middle that connects the two bombsites.
I guess the outside, ramp-room and vents serve as this connecting area but these are primarily
CT-sided areas and aren't exactly what you'd call a 'middle'.
Having a definitive middle of the map is great for warm-up rounds and for quick contact with
the enemy, which I believe makes rounds interesting early on.
It's almost like the high-risk high-reward part of the map, a gamble that can ultimately
determine the outcome of the round.
Dust2 is a perfect example of this.
Now onto the bombsites.
In Dust2, both are reached by Counter Terrorists first, but to get to the BEST spots they really
have to fight for it.
For Bombsite A, if you don't hold long then the whole of bombsite A can fall since people
at the bombsite will be shot from two BOWEORKJ ODNF OFJDOA directions at once, with no cover
to protect them.
With Bombsite B, the strongest defensive positions are along the far wall, an area that can be
guarded by the Terrorists from their entrance tunnel.
Once again this encourages early decisions by CTs to hold a particular bombsite and makes
for an interesting power struggle within a relatively small part of the map.
Unlike Nuke, where every bombsite has a BILLION different camping spots and entrances, Dust2
remains minimalistic and with few entrances, all with varying pros and cons.
The idea of rushing bombsite A in Nuke fills me with dread.
With Dust2 I at least feel I've got a chance and can check each camping spot one at a time,
rather than being suddenly faced with 10 different spots that the enemy could be hiding.
It makes a massive difference.
And finally, there are connectors.
You have lower B tunnels connecting B to mid, and short A connecting mid to A. These areas
play an important role at all times, when both taking a bombsite and when trying to
recapture it.
I always think it's important to have a choice of paths to take to any destination as it
keeps enemies on their toes, encourages teamwork and preventing overpowered camping positions.
I also like how the spawn points don't become redundant once the bomb has been planted.
Okay, terrorist spawn is a bit far out for a full rotate, but CT spawn is still an important
area when running between sites.
You can forget about Nuke's entirely.
I essentially see Dust2 as a complex game of rock, paper, scissors.
There is no over-powered area.
Every strong-point has its weakness and it encourages dynamic and fast-paced play.
The map is simple and with cover only in essential spots and best of all, both teams stand a
chance of winning.
Some maps are heavily CT sided, but Dust2 is almost perfectly balanced.
We've all had games where we lose as a particular side, only to dominate with that same side
later on in another match.
So there you have it.
Dust2 is a friendly, balanced map that encourages the right sort of play.
The rounds are short and straight-forward, but the tactics that go into them can be diverse
and interesting.
The map doesn't require complex tunnel networks and does away with any pointless areas, making
it simplistic, fair and fun.
I don't think I'll ever get bored of the map.