Counterstrike 1.6, better known as CS, is the favourite past-time of most guys out here, and I’m no exception. If you’ve not heard of it, you’re probably farther from LAN gaming than Indian villagers are from potable water. Though one of the most popular LAN games, it’s quite simple: somebody creates the server on his comp, you join either the terrorists (T for short) or the counter-terrorists (CT, for short), buy a gun with the money you have (the money here is virtual, and depends on how many of the opposite team you kill, your team’s overall performance, etc), pack some grenades and you’re off. I’m no MVP (that’s most valuable player for the uninitiated), but I do score quite a good number of headshots (that’s the mark of a good player: a shot to the head which kills the enemy instantly).
If the number of players is small, the one running the server selects a smaller map with a simple objective: kill the players of the other team. A round ends when all members of a team are killed; the other team, naturally, wins the round. These rounds last only a few minutes, and most of the time the battle boils down to a one-on-one between the last survivors of each team. You don’t have to buy anything here, you just pick the weapons up from the ground. My tactics here are varied: I may run berserk with a Benelli XM shotgun, or go steady with one of my (and most everybody’s) favs: the Sig 552, the Colt or the AUG. Sometimes I get frustrated and pick up the MP5 too, often with devilish consequences.
Then we have the ‘bomb’ formats, where the Ts have to plant the C4 at a bombsite, and the CTs have to stop them from doing so; they must also defuse any planted bomb. This is the most popular format of the game, and you may choose any role you like: from a room-clearer to a sniper. I love the more versatile clan role: using the Sig or the Colt, depending on whether I’m a T or a CT, respectively. Sometimes I pick up the tactical shield coupled with a DEagle, just for fun. There’s the ‘hostage’ format too, but for some reason it’s not that popular here.
And then there’s the deathmatch: no objectives, 50 or more players, complete mayhem. You either kill, or die and respawn. And yes, I’m the king of this format. All I need is the Colt, and I’m happily spilling enemy blood all over the map with my burst fire. Sometimes they catch me from behind, and I actually manage to turn and take out their skulls. Of course I’d never forget the last time I played a deathmatch, a few days ago. For a change, I picked up an AWP and started sniping. I was surprised when I discovered I was still on top.
To sum it up, CS is always fun, and an effective way to take a break from the real life and unleash the primeval animal instincts. In a peaceful way, that is.
