Where to play Counter Strike

Counter Strike is a critically acclaimed and widely popular multiplayer game. Released by Valve in 1999, it pits players in a tactical team based environment, where one team wins by successfully completing the objectives for the game type, or by completely eliminating the opposing team. Over the years the game has seen many sequels, each offering minor improvements in graphics and visual effects. Notable sequels include CS: Source and CS: Global Offensive. These offer only visual enhancements and the core game play has largely been left unaltered.

One of the major reasons for the success of Counter Strike is its low hardware requirements to run properly. Counter Strike 1.6 in particular, can run on virtually any computer available recently on the market. This enables people from all walks of life to play and enjoy the game. Another reason is its sheer flexibility in playing environments. Players can play solo with computer controlled opponents called ‘bots’. Players can also play with friends or other people in local environments through a LAN connection, or internationally using the Internet.

Each environment has a number of advantages and disadvantages. New and amateur players can learn how to play and sharpen their skills by playing against the computer. There are various difficulty levels and beginners can learn easily. However, playing against the computer is useless for professional and highly skilled players because even with the highest difficulty, the computer can be easily defeated by them.

This is where the multiplayer part of Counter Strike comes in. If people want to play against friends or other players, they may go to local facilities which offer the service of hosting Counter Strike servers. These places are locally called Gaming Zones and offer computers connected to a LAN connection. These are great places to have fun as people can enjoy Counter Strike with friends. Playing on a LAN network is also great because of the very low pings a local connection offers. The lower the ping, the more responsive the in-game players are. These networks are also used to host servers at competitive gaming events, ranging from local tournaments to the World Cyber Games championships.

Another way to play with other players is by using the Internet. A popular gaming portal, called Steam, offers a huge variety of servers. Players just log into their unique Steam accounts, join the server they like and play with players from around the world. This is a great way of meeting new people and making new friends. Players can even make their own teams with fellow players and then compete with other teams in online tournaments.

These teams are called clans and may have members from around the world. Playing online is also great because there are millions of players online, with varying levels of skill. However, there are many disadvantages of playing online, chief among which is high ping. If the Internet connection is not good enough, or if it breaks, the player may not be able to perform at all.

To sum up, choosing the right playing environment depends on the player. If one doesn’t have a good enough Internet connection, he/she should play locally, either solo or on a LAN network. If, however, the players want to broaden their horizons, and learn new skills, they always have the option of playing online.

Servers for Best Game Play

Online gaming can be separated into two categories: Online and LAN. The quality of the whole gaming experience depends on a number of factors but none is more important than the server that hosts the game. The servers need to have different specifications, depending upon the type of use they would be put to. Some vital characteristics that determine the quality of the server include smooth gameplay with minimal lag, extremely low latencies, reliability in operation and

LAN gaming doesn’t require any internet connection. A basic setup could consist of just a PC that is capable of running the game and LAN cables to connect the server pc with other computers. This is enough in most cases, but this article will try and focus on how one can get the best possible setup that provides a flawless gaming experience.

The first question that needs answering is how many people will game on the server? More the number of people playing on the server, the more powerful the servers have to be. Like a normal pc, a server also requires some basic components to work. The processor should be one of the multicore models available in the market. Both AMD and Intel have viable options to consider. A quad-core core i5 should be more than enough. The GPU and RAM depend on the game itself. For example a demanding game would need a high-end GPU and greater RAM. HD6870 from AMD is a popular choice. For optimal performance, a multi hard disk configuration is recommended, as this would prevent any type of slowdowns from occurring.

Moving on, the server should have access to a high speed network. Wired networks are always preferred over wireless ones due to their reliability. They also provide lower latencies which result in smoother gameplay. For the optimal network, a capable network card should be installed.

As for the operating system, it should be the latest installment of windows, i.e. Windows 7. The OS should be kept updated and fully patched for maximum reliability. Make sure that your system settings are configured according to the game that will be played taking into account any specific instructions provided by the game.

Now if you want your server to possess the ability to play online as well, then a few additional details need to be taken care off. A fast internet connection is a must. To ensure low pings and lag free gameplay anything ranging from a 10-20 Mbps connection is acceptable. Keep in mind that if the connection of the server is not fast enough, all the players playing will be affected. Also the distance from the server can affect the quality of gaming. The closer a player is to the location of the host server, the lower the ping will be.

Lastly installing a server monitoring software would allow you to manage your server and its configurations. They also provide remote access capabilities allowing one to keep the server up and running whilst being in a different place.

Counter Strike: Online Vs. LAN

Counter strike is an entertaining game that is famous worldwide. The game is a production of valve cooperation and it is mostly renowned for its multiplayer gameplay. Counter strike is a first person shooter game. Gameplay involves two teams, namely, terrorists and the counter terrorists. Mission of game is killing all the opponent players or fulfills the required map objective such as rescuing the hostages from terrorists, preventing terrorists from bombing the area, etc. The game requires the gamer to be aware and have sharp reflexes; therefore a lag (common term used for a slow response of the computer) in the game is completely unacceptable.

The game must have a steady speed and must provide the user best quality output in order for the gamer to fully perform in counterstrike. In multiplayer gaming the probability of smooth flow of game sometimes becomes harder to achieve because even if your computer is providing efficient result one of the other gamers computer might lag. All the players need to have computers perfectly compatible to this game in order to have a normal gameplay. But another question arises when we talk about multiplying counter strike; is it better to play “Online” or through “LAN connection”.

Many people prefer to play with LAN connection because it provides a stable ping for every user, therefore allowing the game not to get stuck. LAN basically stands for local area network, which also provides the users a smooth gameplay with less risk involved because the gamers playing counterstrike are connected through a stable network. On the other hand internet connection may get disrupted due to various reasons. Some gamer might not even have a good network connection therefore preventing him to play the game properly and also showing a lag to other users on his bot (the person being controlled by the gamer).

Sometimes it also becomes convenient to game while sitting at home. Internet provides an opportunity to the users to play while being miles apart. Through internet one can game with people sitting even in other countries. LAN covers only a limited area therefore making it compulsory for the gamers to game in close quarters. Internet does not face this limitation and therefore is better from this perspective.

One reason that also provokes people one to play on LAN instead of on internet is that even though internet allows people to play sitting miles apart, people playing on internet often do not know each other. LAN allows you to play with people you know and are friends with.

Now even though internet may not allow you to game with people whom you might know, but this is not a warranted reason to decide whether to game online or on LAN, because one might not even play with his friends even while sitting in a gaming zone that operates on LAN, and one might even get to play with friends online by making a private room.

So playing online or on LAN is a personal choice of users depending on their situation and requirements.