Valve have released Danger Zone, a Battle Royale mode for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive along with it going free to play.
All existing players have been upgraded to "Prime Status", which is a special status for verified players and only matches you against other Prime players. To become Prime after this update, you need to either purchase Prime from the Steam page or "reach Rank 21 by earning XP and add an eligible phone number to your Steam account" according to Valve.
Considering how I’m quite a big fan (understatement) of Battle Royale type game modes, I’m really pleased Valve has done this. I think it’s important for Linux gamers especially, since BR isn’t something we have much choice on. There’s no Fortnite, no PUBG and any other game with such a mode is very niche. A platform missing one of the most popular things in gaming, isn’t a very attractive platform. So even if it’s not your cup, understanding that I think is important. So again, I’m extremely happy about this.
Danger Zone can be played solo, or in squads of two or three players. On top of that, it's mixing things up a little. As expected from Valve, they're tweaking it with their own special flavour.
The main hook, as with all Battle Royale games is that you only get that one precious life. You also don't start with anything, so you need to be extra careful. You need to hunt for equipment and avoid players until you're ready—or catch someone with their pants down whose hunting for equipment themselves. Over time the map area gets smaller and so you're forced together. The effect Valve has gone for this is different too, with missiles firing from some off-shore rig onto the map. From that, something spreads across sucking all colour and life away from the map and it does look cool.
Each player has their own personal tablet, which tracks player positions in an area and it also allows you to buy weapons and equipment which fly down to you from a drone:
The drone system is quite a highlight, not just for yourself either. You can shoot them down, starving your enemy of their goods or follow them to ambush an enemy. Additionally, you don't actually have to use the dropped items yourself. Is an ally running low? Order something for them. You can also upgrade your tablet a few times, with niceties like seeing where the safe area will be when the map shrinks again, seeing drone paths and so on.
You can also rescue hostages, by carrying them to a safe area which will give you an additional cash reward to buy even more equipment. Naturally though, this will make you a lot slower and more vulnerable to other players:
On top of all that, for those of you who like collecting in-game items, Valve will be giving away a "Souvenir MP5-SD | Lab Rats" to anyone with Prime status while earning 250XP in the Danger Zone game mode. That offer will run until January 9th, 2019 which is probably enough to give the game a little player boost. People do love their skins.
This is what I have been waiting for. An interesting Battle Royale game available on Linux with good support and since it's Valve it will no doubt work well on Linux. Not only that, it's likely going to actually be an active game, especially since it's free. I'm sure plenty of the existing CS:GO community won't be happy, but you never can please everyone. It's not like anyone's forced into it, the mode is separate to the rest of the game.
After playing a good few rounds—I like it. It's quite different to what's already out there, although CS:GO is showing its age a little. Even so, the mechanics seem to work quite well for it. I'm excited to see where they go with this, as they said they will continue to update it based on feedback.
See more on Steam and the official site for details. For info on the free to play status, see here.
I will have more on this in the coming week, frankly I'm too excited to keep typing.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Expalphalog 9 Dec 2018
It works if I unplug my Logitech F710 receiver (Steam Controller can still be plugged in).-nojoy option helps too.
15 years ago I don't believe there was a game any where close to BR nor current CS.But CS:GO is the same as CS 1.6 in terms of gameplay, just with added lootboxes. 15 years ago I played CS 1.6 on 16x16 players maps, and that wasn't a lagfest. And there was Battlefield 1942 for 64 players.
It works if I unplug my Logitech F710 receiver (Steam Controller can still be plugged in).Speak for youself. I find this to be the best mode available in CS:GO easily. Mine runs over over 100FPS the majority of the time :)
Anyway, this mode sucks. Runs at 27-50 fps, 16 people only, the drone system is boring, and the outdated gameplay of Counter-Strike doesn't fit to battle royale.
The drone system is boring? What makes you say that? It makes the gameplay incredibly dynamic.
It works if I unplug my Logitech F710 receiver (Steam Controller can still be plugged in).Speak for youself. I find this to be the best mode available in CS:GO easily. Mine runs over over 100FPS the majority of the time :)
Anyway, this mode sucks. Runs at 27-50 fps, 16 people only, the drone system is boring, and the outdated gameplay of Counter-Strike doesn't fit to battle royale.
The drone system is boring? What makes you say that? It makes the gameplay incredibly dynamic.
I would also add that the gameplay of CS is not outdated by any means. Many people only switched to GO because Valve was clear they were trying to model 1.6 gameplay with a graphics makeover. Battle Royal is not new, not even new to CS. The new danger zone is basically a FFA FY map with dynamic weapons spawns and drones added, on a larger map.
Also, 16 people only is not bad. In my region, the longest i had to wait (in the early morning) was 1 minute to join a match. The map size and the number of players also keep a match from taking forever.
I do wish that they made more gungame maps and made that gamemode and deathmatch more similar to the classic mods in CS 1.6, which are still more fun. But it seems they abandoned the gungame mode.
The drone system is boring? What makes you say that? It makes the gameplay incredibly dynamic.I haven't played any BR games, but I expected that players must always be on the run, searching for better stuff and weapons. Here, you just collect money, order lame pistols and SMGs, sit and wait for a drone. Lack of ammo doesn't sound appealing too. I was spectating a couple of matches after I died, and the remaining two players just did nothing but sitting on the same spot and looking at their tablets until the shrinking area forces them to move.
I would also add that the gameplay of CS is not outdated by any means. Many people only switched to GO because Valve was clear they were trying to model 1.6 gameplay with a graphics makeover.I played CS:GO since it was in beta (not much though), and at first it was indeed just CS: Source but with newer textures. It had nothing new, so people didn't want to play it. Then Gaben added all those xXtr3m3 weapons skins, and CS:GO got huge popularity among the schoolchildren who liked showing their classmates how cool their acid green M4 looks like. But the gameplay was always the same as in year 2000. Look at any popular online shooter of 2012, when CS:GO was released. You started a round in Battlefield 3 or Call of Duty: Whatever-game-it-was-in-2012, and instantly got into a wild action with airstrikes, helicopters, customizable weapons, etc. Different genres, I know, but still. Time passes, games evolve, Valve games don't. Why don't Valve make a completely new modern game instead of modding CS:GO?
Make sure you log bugs on their official tracker: https://github.com/ValveSoftware/csgo-osx-linux/Looks like this one is a pretty popular issue.
The drone system is boring? What makes you say that? It makes the gameplay incredibly dynamic.I haven't played any BR games, but I expected that players must always be on the run, searching for better stuff and weapons. Here, you just collect money, order lame pistols and SMGs, sit and wait for a drone. Lack of ammo doesn't sound appealing too. I was spectating a couple of matches after I died, and the remaining two players just did nothing but sitting on the same spot and looking at their tablets until the shrinking area forces them to move.
I would also add that the gameplay of CS is not outdated by any means. Many people only switched to GO because Valve was clear they were trying to model 1.6 gameplay with a graphics makeover.I played CS:GO since it was in beta (not much though), and at first it was indeed just CS: Source but with newer textures. It had nothing new, so people didn't want to play it. Then Gaben added all those xXtr3m3 weapons skins, and CS:GO got huge popularity among the schoolchildren who liked showing their classmates how cool their acid green M4 looks like. But the gameplay was always the same as in year 2000. Look at any popular online shooter of 2012, when CS:GO was released. You started a round in Battlefield 3 or Call of Duty: Whatever-game-it-was-in-2012, and instantly got into a wild action with airstrikes, helicopters, customizable weapons, etc. Different genres, I know, but still. Time passes, games evolve, Valve games don't. Why don't Valve make a completely new modern game instead of modding CS:GO?
I personally like the drone system. By ordering a drone, you are potentially giving another player your exact position. That allows me to play this game in a way a proper Battle Royale should be played imo. You are either the hunter, or the hunted. I often follow a drone, hide and wait for the player to start moving. And the hunt can begin.
Then when I have enough money, I order a single drone for sniper rifle.
The drone system is boring? What makes you say that? It makes the gameplay incredibly dynamic.I haven't played any BR games, but I expected that players must always be on the run, searching for better stuff and weapons. Here, you just collect money, order lame pistols and SMGs, sit and wait for a drone. Lack of ammo doesn't sound appealing too. I was spectating a couple of matches after I died, and the remaining two players just did nothing but sitting on the same spot and looking at their tablets until the shrinking area forces them to move.
The drone follows your position, so you don't have to statically wait in the position you ordered the stuff to get them. Of course, running away from a drone you ordered is kinda dangerous, as it works like a big probe that shows your position.
I really like the mechanics of the drone, and more the idea of low ammo. With the latter, it makes you count each shot you make and also decide if your position is good enough before attacking another player (e.g. if you're far away and only have 9 bullets, it's better to save and move on/find a better position).
Last edited by x_wing on 9 Dec 2018 at 9:50 pm UTC
orochi_kyo 10 Dec 2018
I haven't played any BR games, but I expected that players must always be on the run, searching for better stuff and weapons. Here, you just collect money, order lame pistols and SMGs, sit and wait for a drone. Lack of ammo doesn't sound appealing too. I was spectating a couple of matches after I died, and the remaining two players just did nothing but sitting on the same spot and looking at their tablets until the shrinking area forces them to move.Its obvious you havent played BR and Danger zone that much, you are judging the game because on two matches the remaining players, well, they decided to wait? LOL.
The drone system is a double edge sword, if someone sit and stay for the drone to come, well, that is pretty much telling others "hey, Im here, come and kill me". But contrary as you say, in the matches Im been playing, some players use them as baits, they even leave the case closed so any greed player could come to their dead.
I really like the drone system, its innovative and can be used in many ways.
Also I have run out of ammo, but the melee weapons are actually easy to use and they do a good chunk of damage so this forces players to get out of their nice and very protected spots to fight.
Nothing like Fortnite, some guy gather too much ammo, build a tower and stay the whole match in that tower, why he/she would go away when have a sniper or a SMG and plenty of ammo?
Last edited by orochi_kyo on 10 Dec 2018 at 7:42 am UTC
Its obvious you havent played BR and Danger zone that muchYes, I haven't played much. Maybe Danger Zone is something I need to get used to, but my first impression is negative.
Pro-tip: Wait until last 3 seconds before accepting a game.
Why?
When I accept and the counter is at 16s or so, quite often it gets to 15/16 players and then it just closes. While when I wait for last 3 seconds, it always joins.
No idea why it is happening like that.
Pro-tip: Wait until last 3 seconds before accepting a game.
Why?
When I accept and the counter is at 16s or so, quite often it gets to 15/16 players and then it just closes. While when I wait for last 3 seconds, it always joins.
No idea why it is happening like that.
I have waited until 3 seconds but I still got the "15/16 players" message - but it is much less frequent, so I think it helps. The match making process is something the developers should try to improve, if at all possible.
The Battle Royale mode is quite fun to play and it suites me fine. I like the large open terrain map and the randomness that makes each game unique. For a free to play game there isn't really anything to complain about, but more BR maps to choose from in the future would be really nice.
chris.echoz 12 Dec 2018
PSA: Does CS:GO Danger Zone crash for you on deployment? Set Shader Detail to Medium, seems to stop it. Highest setting seems to crash 2/3 times.I've been getting this about 1 in 5 games or so. Luckily my friend who is also on Linux has been crashing alongside me most of the time, so we've only had to queue again.
Not sure if I dare lower the shader details, in case it makes my expensive pixels look bad... :D
Wtf?
I just bought 7 copies 3 weeks ago for our youthcentre.
... but battle royale for linux is a nice thing!
With that special conditions, I would give refunding a try. Do mention "youth centre" and "seven copies"...
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