This video is sponsored by Skillshare, which is a site containing thousands of classes on
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Thinking about the map Aztec makes me feel nostalgic.
And also old. In my mind, it will always be a part of Counter-Strike. If a player claimed to
not know that map, I’d think they were trolling. And yet many of today’s players WON’T have played
Aztec. Because the map hasn’t been in the game for over 3 years now- not since 2017. And since that
time, the game’s playerbase has doubled. So while it’s hard to know for sure, it could be that more
than half of the game’s current playerbase has never even heard of the map! Which is terrifying
to me, since it’s so embedded within my memories for the game; when I go to start a new match I
half expect to still see it on the maplist. So for those of you who don’t know Aztec,
it was set in a jungle, amidst a load of tombs and pyramids which I would
ASSUME were made by… the Aztecs. If that sounds familiar,
that’s because it also describes a new map that’s just been added to the game,
called ‘Ancient’. This is a map made by Valve, and while it isn’t Aztec, it’s obvious it’s intended
as a follow-up to Aztec. There are so many reasons for why it is that I’m certain of it, even without
an official statement from Valve about it. It’s not just because the theme’s the same-
it features the same wooden bridge. The same style of pyramids. Even the same textures and patterns,
but with a high-definition makeover! Loading up the map in the editor, it even uses the
exact same colours for the sun and ambient lighting, and the map’s skybox is called
‘hr_aztec’. Through their actions, it’s been made clear that Ancient is the new Aztec, and
if you want the old one instead then you’ll have to remake it using these new textures and props.
Or just to download the old one off the workshop again I dunno.
But I’m fascinated by why they chose to do this. Every defuse map in the game since release
has received a facelift, so it makes sense for Aztec to get the same high-definition treatment.
But then, why bother remaking so many of Aztec’s textures and props so faithfully if they didn’t
intend to remake the map? Did they get half way through before changing their minds about it?
Or did they never intend to remake Aztec- in which case,
why limit themselves so much by sticking to the EXACT same stuff?
Was it all done to free Valve of the burden of Aztec, by letting them work on a new map,
whilst giving the community the assets required to remake Aztec for themselves if they did so wish?
And this is what I’ll be investigating today: How possible would it be to remake Aztec with
the new assets, and what would that look like? To do this, I decided to try and remake it.
Not because I thought I could do it, but more because I wanted to know how I was going to fail.
So let this be a warning to you if you’re considering remaking Aztec with the new assets!
There are 2 ways you can remake Aztec: the first is to keep the map as-is, but to swap the old
textures and assets for the new ones. This is the lazy way, and definitely not how you’re supposed
to do it. It’s what I did, and let me warn you now: it ends up looking disjointed. A bizarre
mix of old and new. What you SHOULD be doing instead is to re-imagine the map. And this takes
a lot more time and effort! For this you look at each room, look at what it used to be like,
and to imagine how it could be remade today to best utilise the new textures and assets.
Take the watery underpass, for instance. It would not be made like this today.
It would not have these primitive looking, sloped ceilings. It wouldn’t have flat looking walls! It
doesn’t matter if you give it higher definition textures or source 2-props, but it still won’t
look as good as a place from Ancient, which has been built from the ground-up WITH the
new assets in mind. If you really want to see how Aztec could look with Ancient’s new assets, then
check out Ancient itself! Look at how everything seems to pop out, while also blending in so well
with the rest of the surface. Looking at each of these locations, they’re absolutely beautiful.
It’s just a shame they function as nothing more than empty, boxy rooms.
The reason why these newer maps look better is because so much of them is now made of models.
Proper models, created in a specialised program and then ported into Counter-Strike.
The older method was to use the tools in CS:GO’s editor, by piecing objects
together out of blocks and displacements. Using models isn’t a new technique- it’s as old
as the Source engine itself! Let’s go all the way back to Counter-Strike Source, since the Aztec map
for that was released even before Half Life 2 was! THIS is a map made almost entirely out of blocks.
This stuff looks like a crate, but if you look closely it’s
actually just a block with a texture on it. Sus. In fact, it’s easier just to say what IS a prop-
the tank is, the ferns are, the lights are and so are the oil drums. But everything else has
been made out of blocks and displacements by the mapper, rather than a modeller.
And that’s why it looks rubbish. Fast-forward to Aztec for CS:GO
and a lot has changed. The majority of it is still made out of blocks and displacements,
but anything you’d consider to look nice, like the plants, this cracked block above the walkway here,
and even these crates- AND THESE- are models. But not these, these are still blocks.
That’s the difference that 8 years has made. And now fast-forward ANOTHER 8 years to Ancient,
and it’s become even more model-focused. Now, pretty much every surface is either a model,
or has models sticking out of them. In fact, r_drawstaticprops 0 reveals what it would
look like without models and it is not a pretty sight. And neither’s bombsite A.
I personally don’t like the new way of making maps. I appreciate that it’s the future, and I
acknowledge it makes maps look better. But it’s taken away the joy I used to have for mapping. I
loved having complete control over my own level, taking the project through from start to finish
without having to rely on anybody else, and being able to do so within a matter of days or weeks.
But if I want to take mapping seriously today, I’ll need to work with other people.
I’ll need an artist and 3D modeller, and will need to continually go back and forth
with them throughout my map’s development which could span months- or even longer!
And when I’ve tried to explain this to people in the past it’s fallen on deaf ears, it’s clear that
a lot of people just see the goal of mapping as being to create the most incredible looking level
ever and if you’re not aiming for that then you’ve failed in some way as a mapper. But for it me was
about the process of converting a thought of mine into a place for others to explore. And
it always amazed me that something I created could still surprise me with its look and feel.
But this is why Valve’s remade levels are so awesome, because they give mappers all
sorts of high quality textures and models to use in their own levels!
But even if you’ve already got all of the assets needed to make your level, it’s still more work
than the older method… and more restrictive. Because when you’re dealing with props, you have
less freedom with where you place them. A tree in Ancient might be made of 3 or 4 different things-
you’ll have the roots. You’ll have the branches. You’ll have another for the vines that drape down
from it. Then you might have another for the ivy climbing up the trunk. A lot of these props are
designed to slot together, in a very specific way. You can’t just sprinkle them on your level
and expect it to look good. You almost have to be developing your map AROUND the props instead.
LUCKILY, Valve has provided us with a special prefab map, called Ancient_zoo. There was a
time when this sort of thing would have been a welcome bonus, but when you’re dealing with a
map with this level of complexity it’s all but required to make sense of it.
What Ancient Zoo is is a collection of all of the different textures and props from the map,
and with examples of how they can be pieced together to make more elaborate structures.
Even a seemingly simple bit of wall could be made of a dozen different parts.
Take this stone mound, for instance. You’ve got the base layer, which itself is a displacement
which allows for smooth or realistic transition between 2 different textures.
Then you’ve got the trims around the outside. And then you’ve got extra stones to stick out
of the displacement bit in the middle to make it look bumpier. But these props have to be
placed very specifically over the displacement, otherwise the rock placement won’t match up.
The placement of assets is a lot more pre-planned than it used to be.
With enough time and effort you CAN make your own structures out of these individual parts. At the
back of the zoo is this grand structure comprising of 519 separate parts, to really show what’s
possible if you take the time to combine the pre-made assets together in a convincing manner.
You can see this building here in its entirety, then another in front of it in a ruined state,
showing how flexible these models are if you take the effort to arrange them properly.
Then in front of this one is something interesting- they’ve combined the building
together into just one single, lower detail object. Parts that were previously 3D are
now all combined together in a blobby of flat manner. You wouldn’t use this inside your level,
but would maybe somewhere far out in the distance, where people won’t notice the limited detail.
ANY WAY. That’s what you’re given, if you’d like to remake Aztec with Ancient’s assets.
So onto my effort. I tried replacing some of the stuff in Aztec with Ancient’s premade assets,
just to see what it would look like. Here you go. Aztec, Ancient. Aztec,
Ancient. And the thing that stood out to me was that the new textures are a lot less colourful.
This one is clearly a high definition version of the one seen in Aztec, but the green has become a
lot more muted. Brown, even. So while it may look clearer when you’re staring right at it, from a
distance it doesn’t look quite so appealing. But then, if you look at Ancient, that’s what
it’s like- it isn’t vivid yellows and greens. Everything’s a shade of brown. It’s a bit odd,
really- I would say that Counter-Strike has become more cartoon-y in recent years,
especially with the newer character models and the other map remakes, which are all a lot more
vivid and colourful. But Ancient’s theme is more muted and realistic than Aztec’s bright,
colourful appearance was. So that’s something to bear in mind if you’re thinking of remaking Aztec.
And the same happened with the water. Aztec has an iconic, murky brown colour. But replacing it
with Ancient’s makes it clearer and less visible. There’s definitely more to this new water texture
than meets the eye- if you see how it’s used in the map Ancient, it looks perfectly acceptable,
and even has a flowmap to allow for realistic movement on the surface, with the water appearing
to travel from the waterfall, around the bridge support, and through the tunnel towards B. The
water around the edges, away from the current, looks almost still in comparison. But again, it is
a very different style to the one seen in Aztec. The next difference I found was to the vegetation.
There are definitely NEW versions of the trees and shrubs seen in Aztec,
but they function very differently. In Aztec, a tree is a hefty looking thing that can cover
and obstruct a large area of your screen. Just look at the size of this tree trunk!
The ones in Ancient might be the same species, but their trunks are thinner and their canopy,
often a lot less dense. Don’t get me wrong- they’re much more detailed, especially when
viewed up close. But to get the same effect from the new props requires a lot more of them.
But this is how times have changed. Back in 2012, you’d fill an area with 4-5 trees and that would
be it, done! And with as few polygons as possible, given the jungle environment.
Compare this with the areas surrounding Ancient and they’re much more elaborate.
The trees aren’t there to obstruct your view, but merely to contribute to a pretty scene. So this
would be something to consider when replacing Aztec’s props for Ancient’s- you’ll have to use
more of them to get the same amount of ‘bulk’. But just because Ancient is more elaborately
detailed, it doesn’t mean they haven’t attempted to optimise it. Before watching this next bit of
the video, I suggest you run about the map and try to find examples of low-quality scenery…
because you probably won’t! Yet go into noclip, and the moment you step beyond the playable area
the props quickly drop in quality. Just metres away are basic cut-out shrubs. And further away
still are entirely 2 dimensional rows of shrubs and trees. It’s testament to the
skill of Valve’s mappers that you just don’t notice this in practice, because when you
know what to look for it becomes blindingly obvious that huge shortcuts have been used.
Also, fun fact: I don’t think there’s a single blade of grass in Ancient! There are shrubs,
vines and leaves, but no grass. There’s grass on the old Aztec- so if you’re remaking it,
you’ll either have to keep the old props in, or find some alternative decoration instead.
While there’s no way I was going to remake the entire level, I did spend a few hours on these
2 places. Like I said, this isn’t the best it could look- merely what it looks like if
swapped out for Ancient’s prefabbed structures. And with the plants in particular I really abused
the scale feature to make them big enough to serve as ‘replacements’ for whatever it used to be like.
Bombsite B just looks a bit bland now that the ground and the structure are roughly the
same shade. Before you can see the difference having green grass and a yellow structure made.
If we look at Ancient’s bombsite B, things aren’t made that much better though the vertical
wall around the site does at least separate the structures from the playable space a bit better.
On this near-side I’ve swapped out the scaffolding, foliage and rocks for more
modern equivalents and it’s okay, though again I miss Aztec’s more vibrant colour scheme.
One bit I do think looks better is the distant scenery, thanks to the higher quality tree models
and the larger distant pyramid which gives more sense of scale to the world. Just a shame I hid
it behind the mossy building. Oh well. Now let’s move onto the second area,
just outside of T spawn. Again, I’ve swapped the textures and props for Ancient’s equivalents.
I definitely appreciate the higher resolution textures on the structure and the cliff,
and I think, unlike bombsite B, I’ve managed to improve upon the original’s
colour scheme in this area, with the whiter bricks helping to make the structure stand
out against the background better than before. I had fun with the new texture blending just here,
blending between a rocky texture and some kind of mural, with a few 3D rocks placed over the
top to finish off the make-over. I swapped the 2D cross texture with more modern looking 3D models.
And the plant dangling down here has been made up of higher quality textures.
The old one was a single prop, while the new one is about 5 different parts.
With it you get more flexibility to customise its appearance, but it’s also more work to deal with.
And I do think the new prop placement of the shrubs and ferns appears more natural
than the spam of these weird vine things previously. I also added more distant trees,
since I felt the background of Aztec felt too sparse to feel like a jungle before.
This tunnel was a bit of an experiment for me. The new, lighter bricks work against me here
because where they meet the muddy ground looks like a less natural transition- which is why
for most of the walls I used a darker brick pattern which transitions into moss further
down. I do like the new root models which you can see I spammed the underside of the tunnel with.
And I decorated those diagonal supports with brick trims, which doesn’t go together brilliantly but
you can see what I’m getting at here. The experiment here was how to decorate
where the ground meets the walls. This 2D row of ferns looks absolutely terrible, but
I kept it in just to show you how NOT to do it. Further along there’s another 2D row of plants,
but masked with lots of high quality fern and rock models in the foreground.
It’s not practical to use so many models in such a small area, plus they’ll lead to
problems with visibility, like if a player drops a weapon here or crouches up against the wall.
Here is the same sort of thing, but using low quality models which are only really intended for
use outside of the playable space. From this angle they look kind of okay in my opinion, giving the
illusion of lots of plant-life without impacting performance so heavily. But when you stand above
them and look down, you can see the compromises made by using these lower quality assets.
And here I just threw a few leafy models at the ground and left it at that.
But I think I actually prefer the result here since there’s less to go wrong with it.
Just for comparison, here’s how Ancient treats the edges of spaces. When you look for it,
you realise how little detail there is in these parts of the map normally.
If I had more time I would have liked to have decorated one of the interior rooms of the map
as well, but then why bother when Ancient shows us what they would have looked like.
And last of all I rendered the same map but with slightly different sun colours and direction,
which I thought made this part of the map look a bit more flattering.
So yeah, if I managed these changes in just a few
hours, just imagine what could be done by somebody bothering to do it properly.
So why didn’t Valve bother to remake Aztec themselves? I think it’s because the map had
some serious balancing issues. What normally happened was that CT’s would stock up on
snipers then would lock down the few routes the terrorists had to choose between. There was a
time in Counter-Strike’s past when this was a lot of fun, but given the rise of competitive
play and increasingly elaborate strategies, maybe it wasn’t worth Valve’s time to try and remake
what could be seen as just a ‘casual’ map, and that by the time they had made enough changes to
it to make it balanced again, they might as well have just made another map instead. Like Ancient.
Like I said earlier, if people want Aztec back badly enough then they can just use
the version on the workshop, or to remake it themselves if they really wanted to.
Maybe it’s the nostalgia talking, but to me, Ancient doesn’t feel as iconic as Aztec was.
Sure, it’s pretty, but that doesn’t change the fact that Ancient is just a series of generic,
boxy rooms and polished, gameplay-driven corners. Aztec on the other hand felt more like
a UNIQUE experience, with its dark waterways, daring bridges and exposed, open platforms.
None of this made it a good competitive map, but it was an EXPERIENCE. There wasn’t another
map quite like it! And for all its flaws, it does still have its fans. So who knows-
perhaps one day, we’ll see a high-quality, community-developed remake of the map.