I coudnt have said it better. I too used to be an AWP-Hater calling people who used it "awp whores" as the term goes. Then I started playing with it, and learned to play with the weapon and grew to love it. I know at least 10 other people who were in the same boat as me. Hated the weapon until they learned to use it. You know what I hated most about the awp? Getting killed by it and not being able to kill the other guy even when I bought one. I think this is why most people dislike the awp. I will tell you, some maps just are not the same without the awp. What is to stop a sewer storm on aztec without the awp?
I also agree that the awp takes some level of skill to use as opposed to some peoples claims that its a n00b weapon. There is a reason almost all CAL players use it as their primary weapon. Watch some cal demos, 90% of the time the guy has a deagle and an awp. I also agree that the problem is not the awp being too powerful of a weapon for the game, it is the players not evening the skill. Like Unix here said, a skilled player can own in any weapon. They just prefer the awp. I would also like to point out that the awp gets harder and harder to use with each version of CS. The accuracy gets less and less wiht each new version. Remember when shooting the guy in the foot(I loved doing this on the bridge on dust) would kill him, now you have to hit them in the chest or head. The weapon has made some changes and I think right now it is a fairly balanced between power and difficulty of use. I would urge you to take Unix's challenge and play with the awp for a week. Really play with it. I am sure you would come to love it. "Flavored UNIX" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]... > From: "Jules (aka Buddha-Pest)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > in agreement... look at most top clan matches, it's all awp > vs. awp. > > Not really. Granted, the AWP is a huge factor in match-play, and > could possibly be considered the most important weapon in the > game. But you very rarely see a top clan buy 4 or 5 AWPs in a > round in a match. For one thing, the economics of the game > usually preclude everyone from being able to afford one (there's > a reason the AWP is so expensive), but even if the entire team > were rich it doesn't make tactical sense to have 5 snipers -- > it's much more effective to have several assault rifles > supporting your sniper(s). > > The notable exception is on defense in de_aztec, which can be > controlled totally by a team of five good snipers. I seem to > remember old X3 using all AWPs as CTs on de_dust2 in a match > once, but again, it's much more usual to see one or two snipers > per side. > > > > i think the awp in it's current rendition is an important part > of the game. > > it means you don't just run around crazy in open spaces, you > have to respect > > open terrain, long hallways, etc just like real teams/soldiers > do. but i > > think that in the hands of an awp expert the weapon becomes > unbalancing. i > > have a couple of regulars on my server who can work absolute > magic with that > > thing. it makes it no fun for the others. > > Totally agree it's an important part of the game, but I disagree > with the logic of how it unbalances the game. Yes, an AWP in the > hands of an expert will wreak havoc, but then again so will any > weapon in the hands of an expert. The real issue is balance of > skill, not balance of weapons: a CAL-i level player armed with a > glock will own a server of casual players. On the other hand, if > everyone on the server is on the same talent curve, then AWPs > should make for much more interesting games (as long as there's > room to improve, more on this later). > > You say the AWP "makes it no fun for the others", but that's > placing a premium on the fun of the unskilled. This is your > choice, of course. But remember that for skilled players, the > fun comes in the perfection and execution of their skill. I > guess some feel they have to sacrifice the fun of the skilled for > the fun of the unskilled, and it seems to me that the servers > which restrict the AWP are making that claim. > > But consider this: while some players may not care about > improving at CS in any way, I think many (if not most) of your > regs actually try to become better. With a little wise prodding, > you may be surprised to find that your regs come to love the AWP. > > I speak from experience here. I had a strong community on my > 16-player pub for two years, with about 200 regulars. Back then > I wasn't aware of the beauty of competitive CS, so we ran a "free > money", AWP-restricted server. In our minds the scout was more > manly since it wasn't a one-kill weapon, and whenever newcomers > would protest we'd call them "AWP pussies" and such. > > Then I started playing in and following the competitive CS scene, > and realized how important the AWP is (and, equally as > enlightening, how *difficult* the AWP is to use). Suddenly our > ban on the AWP seemed silly; our ignorance of the economics of CS > (since we always had $16,000) seemed naive. With much protest > and many forum debates I took off the free money, enabled the > AWP, and let the players taste a more "true" CS. > > After a while, some of the die-hard AWP haters where themselves > becoming experts with the big green gun. People learned how to > save money, which put a premium on winning (and thus encouraged > teamplay). In short the average talent-level on the server grew, > people were having more fun, and a wealth of (still competing) > clans were born on our humble pub. > > CS is a multi-dimensional game, which is why I think it's the > best FPS ever created. If you agree with that statement, why > remove such an important dimension? The AWP is definitely the > most misunderstood and maligned weapon in CS. Obviously there's > something special to it. If you think that "specialness" is just > because it's unbalanced, and easy, or wimpy, or any other > AWP-hating term, I highly recommend you give it another look. > Try using the AWP exclusively for a week -- even if you forbid it > on your server, pub [under a different name if you wish ;)] on > another server and go AWP crazy. I bet after that week's up > you'll have a whole new appreciation for the weapon of kings. > > > > i think a simple fix that causes the accuracy to go to hell the > moment the > > sniper moves would be the ideal way to nerf the awp down. > require the > > sniper to be still for 2-3 seconds before accuracy returns and > the awp > > becomes a completely different weapon. > > Oof. It's probably been nerfed the most of all the weapons. > Remember the old days when you could shoot AWP in the air > accurately, when you could quick-switch with pistol, when a > leg-shot would kill? By further nerfing the weapons you are > lowering the talent ceiling. This means it takes less time for a > newbie to become as good as a pro, and the pro has a too easily > attainable cap on his talent. The end result would mean players > would become bored of the game sooner, since they'd reach their > peak sooner. Which would mean less players, which would mean > less dynamics, resulting in CS stagnation. This is all > over-simplistic, of course, but can there really be any doubt > that the steeply-sloped learning curve to mastery keeps most of > us going? If it were just Colts and AKs with everyone in the > same skill range, would you still keep playing more than an hour > a week? What is there to work for if luck is all that's left to > separate victory or defeat? Maybe *you* only play for an hour a > week, but what about your regs? > > jupe > _______________________________________________ To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, please visit: http://list.valvesoftware.com/mailman/listinfo/hlds_linux
