Since the custom models were added in Operation Shattered Web last year, we’ve received
a few ‘visibility updates’. But this is THE visibility update.
Why am I talking so quietly? It’s because it’s 5 in the morning, and I’m a nice
housemate. This update is not some half-hearted map change,
nor some minor model-adjustment (though there are those as well!), but we’ve been given
a brand new video option called ‘Boost Player Contrast’. It’s effectively magic- but
it makes player models more visible! This is done with a number of subtle adjustments.
At a distance, it appears to give players a subtle dark halo, more vivid colours, and
it blurs the background around them to make them stand out better. And maybe they’re
no longer faded by the map’s fog. The difference this makes ranges from subtle to pronounced.
And yet, it’s never distracting. It doesn’t go so far as to make it all look artificial
or like some kind of cheat. I often struggled to know if it was on or not- but turn it off
and the change it made was immediately apparent. I wouldn’t mind the option to adjust the
strength of this effect, but what we have here is a good starting point. And now this
option’s a thing, we can say goodbye to any of the problems we’ve been having because
no doubt they’ll be able to adjust the strength of this effect until a balance is found that
suits all of us. In my opinion, there’s no good reason NOT
to use this. Just enable it and then if there are still problems, let Valve know.
And as well as this, there have been the obligatory model and map changes, which I’ll be covering
pretty much for the remainder of this video. Some of the model changes are surprisingly
big! If I wanted to make life difficult for Valve I’d complain that I bought one of
these and no longer like how they look. When I initially looked at these models, I got
them the wrong way around and was like ‘hmm this doesn’t look like an improvement’.
Which I guess says that they are an improvement. More contrast, more colour, and a stupid white
balaclava which clearly prioritises style over substance.
Believe me, it was extremely tempting to upscale these images, but I resisted since I felt
it could undo what we’re trying to look at here. But one wouldn’t hurt would it?
Face it, it does look better. Ah screw it, have them all upscaled.
And now the map changes, of which there are many! Dust2’s the best to cover. For the
first time in Counter-Strike history, they’ve INCREASED the amount of fog! It starts nearer
and gets thicker. Over the years this has been reduced, I assume to improve visibility.
But with this new graphics option, the extra fog might help distant characters to stand
out MORE. 2020 really is a year full of surprises. Oh and bombsite B’s doors have been reversed.
This is a big thing, too. People have wanted this change for ages, though I dare not speculate
about how it will change the bombsite experience, as this will change everything! A bit.
I think the general belief was that flipping these doors would make attacking the site
from middle easier since you’d be able to clear out angles one by one. And it means
one less place you can get shot from when planting the bomb. But on the other hand,
it’ll make rushing B a bit more scary to know that a sniper could be stood in mid,
trained in on your location. So there are a lot of changes to consider here. I think
variety’s good but learn a few smokes to help hide this sightline if you’re attacking
this site. I’d like to know what would happen if the
entrance was pushed back a bit, the cover along here extended and perhaps something
in the middle just here. But maybe that’s too big a change to such a classic layout.
The windows on the slope at A have been made smaller and higher up so that heads poking
over the wall won’t be disguised by them. And the cover next to the truck in middle
has been simplified by having more panels added. This is obviously connected with the
change to B’s double doors, since Valve are now expecting this to be a viable sniper
position. Finally, people guarding mid will have yet another thing to worry about.
Inferno may not look like it’s had the most changes, but they’re some of the most interesting.
This ivy near CT spawn has been pruned back to make it stick out less, or to improve visibility
or whatever. That wasn’t the exciting change. In middle, they’ve improved the tower’s
shadow! You can see before it was a horrible, blurry blob. But it now shows the roof tiles
and better blends in with the surrounding shadows. In some ways, this isn’t quite
as realistic, since shadows of far-off things SHOULD be blurrier. But I think it looks nicer
so there. This is an interesting change because the tower was in the skybox- meaning it doesn’t
actually exist! So that’s why there were shadow problems before. Off the top of my
head I can’t think of how they’ve forced accurate shadows on something in the skybox,
but it’s probably a matter of ticking a checkbox somewhere that for some reason, has
remain unchecked for all these years. And lastly… a game of tic tac toe has been
added to T spawn. Because those AFK teammates need something to do upon their return. Woo.
People will be happy with Mirage’s changes, too- the ladder might- and I say MIGHT- finally
be fixed. For years, players have lost rounds by getting stuck at the top of this monstrosity.
The patchnotes say the angle has changed, but I can confirm that the suspect clipping
has also been adjusted. We might finally be free of this thing.
This plant near T spawn has been trimmed back. And when they say that, they mean it! It’s
about as pathetic looking as a haircut done in lockdown. The light in market has been
made brighter by a pointless amount. A silent drop-down into B has been fixed,
though you’ll just have to imagine what that will look like.
And the rubbish at the top of middle has been tidied up.
BUT THAT’S NOT ALL! Overpass has been given some pretty new trims
to conceal some rather simple brush-work. But now they clip through all the flowers.
Valve pls fix The windows in toilet have been taken out.
This ivy on the wall just outside it has been removed to eliminate one of the more sneaky
camping spots on the map. The bicycle at picnic has been stolen.
And some lights have been added to mid and T spawn. WHAT A DIFFERENCE THESE MAKE! Visually,
it’s so much more inviting. I can’t imagine ever returning to how dark and depressing
they looked before. You’ll no longer be so safe, camped in a corner at T spawn. Not
that you should be there in the first place.
TRAIN has had one change, and that’s to these bumpers, which have been adjusted to
have a flat top to make for a simpler outline and for better visibility should some one
be camped behind them.
And last is Cache, textures have been simplified and brightened across the map, as FMPone does
one of his classic full-map sweeps of little details that could never all make it into
the patchnotes. There are small things like these wires in B being raised so as to be
out of the way of the action, but you can understand why these things don’t make it
to the patchnotes. I’ve mentioned in the past how this map loses more of its greenery
with every update. But in his defence, while some places (like warehouse) do lose more
than they gain, there are parts where the floor gains some grass. So it’s not all
bad news. The ladder in middle has been swapped out
for a box you can hop up from. Ladders in the game are fiddly and bad, so until the
game receives a source-2-ladder-update, I think this is the best option.
An unwanted mid-shed wallbang has been fixed. And 1v1 arenas have been added! These are
quite a bit bigger than Valve’s ones. They seem more detailed, and more sprawling since
they have an indoor and outdoor area to really give players a taste of the two halves of
the map before the game starts for real. Like you can see, this really has been the
visibility update. They’ve apparently adjusted the dropped C4 geometry, which if I had to
guess, would be similar to the updates the grenades got lately to make picking them up
more reliable and predictable. Dangerzone’s drones have received a fix.
And the deagle now fires a shell when its last bullet is fired.
Excellent work, Valve. Now you’ve fixed our visibility concerns, you’re free to
give us even more ridiculous looking custom models.