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CS 1.6 Installation Step by Step (Part 1)

Between September 12 and 16, Valve Software successively released the CS Steam installer and the full game version. I originally thought I would be able to get in and try it smoothly and quickly, but instead I ran into quite a few twists and turns. From what I learned from various sources, many players ran into the same problems. Based on the situations I encountered myself, combined with player discussions on some forums, I summed up a set of solutions after actual testing. The whole installation process can be handled easily without taking too much time.

Valve first released a Steaminstall.exe installer file of less than 600KB. After running it, all game files had to be downloaded online from the official Steam site, which was really a bit too much to ask for Chinese players. Fortunately, the Steam website soon released a Cache installation version of the game, and the download page address is www.steampowered.com/getsteamnow.htm

The first installation package on the page is 723.4MB and includes all Half-Life MODs, including CS 1.6. For those who only want to play CS 1.6, you can directly download the second installation package, which is 379.4MB and contains only the CS 1.6 MOD. Steam provides 6 download sites for each package, but they are all overseas, so the download speed is very slow. I chose one server that was relatively faster to download the 723.4MB file, and it took a total of 14 hours, with an average download speed of 14.6KB/s. At present, many local download addresses have already appeared in China, and the download speed is much faster. Friends with slower Internet speeds may as well look around for them.



Run the downloaded full installer file. The beginning is no different from installing other software or games: agree to the terms, confirm that you are over 13 years old (CS 1.6 does not allow minors under 13 to play), choose the Internet access method, and so on, then set the game directory.



Since the full installer file already contains the necessary Cache files, the next step does not require downloading online again, saving quite a bit of trouble, and the installation starts directly.



After the local file installation is completed, it will automatically connect to Steam to update to the latest version. The time for this process varies depending on your machine and Internet speed, and players need to wait patiently. It usually takes 10 to 20 minutes to complete. If the machine freezes midway, close the Steam program and run it again. The update process will run again, so there is no need to worry about reinstalling the game from scratch.



Note that after the update is finished, a registration/login interface will pop up, and this is exactly where the thorny problems many people encounter begin.



Steam uses email-address registration, similar to MSN. It is recommended that everyone register with an email account that really works. If you later change your password or obtain Steam-related information, you will have to rely on this mailbox.

I eagerly entered the email address I use most often, then entered a password (this is the account password, not your email password). First there is a password protection hint question, then your nickname in Steam games. Your real name is optional, and I recommend leaving it blank. Then it starts creating the account. A few seconds later, a Steam-Error message popped up, telling me that the Steam network was currently unavailable or that there was a problem with my Internet connection, and asking me to check the network connection and try again.



No matter, trying again would do no harm. But unexpectedly, from then on it was like a nightmare: the network was clearly fine, web browsing, sending and receiving E-Mail, and online chat tools all worked perfectly, but I just could not register. I naturally assumed it might be because connecting to overseas networks was difficult, so I steeled myself and hoped that by keeping up the spirit of “the Foolish Old Man Moving Mountains,” if I kept registering nonstop, surely one time I’d get lucky.

Since I had been online for quite a long time, I had accumulated quite a few E-Mail accounts, and this time they finally came in handy. After 40 minutes, the result was that I lost nearly 30 accounts, and still had no hope of registering. It was like having a bucket of cold water dumped over my head. My urgent wish to quickly experience CS 1.6 was mercilessly blocked right here.

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CS 1.6 Installation Step by Step (Part 2)

It should be explained that the network being used at the time was the company LAN, connected to the Internet through a gateway. Since there were precedents where some online software sometimes could not be used normally on the company LAN, after I absolutely could not register, I began to wonder whether it was caused by the company network itself.

The next day I burned the full Steam installation file to a disc and took it home to try again, using ADSL dial-up Internet access. Unexpectedly, this registration went extremely smoothly and succeeded in one go. At last the registration-success screen appeared! The next few steps also went very smoothly, and a few minutes later I finally entered the long-awaited CS 1.6 game. That is getting ahead of the story; first let me talk about how to solve the problem of being unable to register through the company gateway.



Back at the company, I first tried logging in with the account that had registered successfully, but still hit a wall. It seemed very likely that the difference between the company LAN and dialing directly to the public network at home was causing the registration failure. With a try-it-and-see attitude, I borrowed an internal MODEM from a colleague’s machine, unplugged my machine’s LAN cable, installed the MODEM, and dialed in. Wouldn’t that mean dialing directly to the public network? Possibly because MODEM dial-up is slower, this registration was not as smooth as at home. The first two attempts still failed, and just when I was about to give up, the third time finally succeeded. I clicked the Finish button impatiently, afraid that something unexpected might happen again.

The registration did succeed, but I couldn’t possibly use MODEM dial-up to play every time, could I? With an uneasy feeling, I closed Steam, disconnected the MODEM dial-up connection, plugged the LAN cable back in, and ran Steam again. Fortunately, the Steam game interface appeared before my eyes. No problem! After that, other colleagues who played CS 1.6 also used this method to register successfully. It’s just that depending on each person’s luck, some got it in one try, while others, like me, needed several tries.

In the following days, more and more information appeared online about how to register CS 1.6 without direct public-network access. It was not hard to see that many players happened to think of this solution around the same time. Actually, the principle is quite simple; the key is whether you are willing to try. I certainly was not the first to use this method, so I also exchanged some experiences with quite a few fellow gamers and learned that besides this method, there is another one as well, aimed at those who really do not have the conditions to dial up first.

The method is as follows: ask a friend to register an E-Mail account for you on his machine using a direct dial-up connection (MODEM, ISDN, or ADSL will all work). As long as you can remember the password, you can change it yourself later. After registration succeeds, compress all files in the Steam installation directory except the SteamApps directory into an archive using WinZIP or WinRAR (the size is not large; after compression it is only a bit over 3MB). Give the archive to you by USB flash drive or by sending it online. Then extract the files from it and overwrite your Steam root directory with them, then log in with this newly registered account.

I actually tested it myself, and it really is a workable method. But one thing to note is that it is best if your friend’s machine and your machine use the same operating system, and Steam’s installation directory should also be the same. By the time this article went to press, I had also learned of a method of replacing one file after installing the game. The principle is actually the same as the one above, so it involves the problem of changing the game installation directory in the file, and I won’t say more about it here.



I had long heard that Steam had begun to support Chinese menus. I very easily found the Language item in the Settings options. Select Simplified Chinese, confirm, exit Steam and enter again. There you go, the menu interface is now showing Simplified Chinese text. No need for any Chinese localization patch anymore.



The installation part is basically drawing to a close. Click Game on the Steam main menu, and the game menu will appear. All the games in the runnable game menu are gray and need to be added. Don’t worry, the installation files for these games are actually all in the full installation package. Double-click Counter-Strike, and it will prompt you to add CS. The next step is to enter the game’s CD Key. Here I still recommend that everyone use a genuine CD key as much as possible. Although a generated key from a key generator or even any random 13-digit number can also let the installation continue smoothly, Steam will send a letter to your email address clearly stating that your CD Key is invalid. So whether Steam will block this account’s game privileges in the future is still hard to say.



The next step is to choose which game MODs to install. If you installed the full installation package of around 700MB, just select them all. If you used the 379MB installation package, then you only need to select Counter-Strike and Half-Life. Click Next, and after a few seconds it will say that the selected games have been successfully added to the game menu, and the previously gray game names will also turn bright white and playable. Sometimes this step may freeze. Cancel it and run Steam again, and you will find that the game has already been added successfully.



The final step! Enter the game MOD you want to play. Taking CS as an example, double-click Counter-Strike. The screen will show that it is preparing to enter CS, and after several minutes you will successfully enter the game (players with slower machines or Internet speed may need to try several more times. If you still cannot get in after 5 minutes, cancel and enter again. Try a few more times and you will definitely get in, and after that, running CS again will not take so long anymore—a one-time effort for lasting ease). Now a beautifully made CS 1.6 interface comes into view. Success at last!

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Fresh Impressions of CS 1.6 — New Guns for Cops and Robbers, with Impressive Power

At last I got into the CS 1.6 game. Thinking back on the problems encountered during registration, it really was a case of good things coming only after many twists and turns. All right, enough nonsense—let’s sweep up all the new and interesting things in CS 1.6 in one go.




As mentioned before, 3 new kinds of equipment have been added in CS 1.6. Let’s start with the firearms.

The CT side has added the French CLARION 5.56 automatic rifle. Its 5.56mm caliber is the same as the M4A1, the rate of fire is very high at 1100 rounds per minute, the muzzle velocity is 2212 feet per second, the damage is slightly lower than the M4A1, and it also has a three-round burst firing function. Its purchase order is B41.

In the past in CS 1.5, the CT side always complained that the M4A1 was too expensive. Quite often, after several rounds they still could not afford an M4A1, and there was simply no way to turn things around. In comparison, the AK47 on the T side was just too cheap, and it was really hard to fight against it with an MP5. Now the appearance of the CLARION 5.56 is precisely meant to make up for this shortcoming. With just a little saved-up cash, you can buy a main weapon with quite considerable power.

In actual combat, this new CT gun really does play a very good role. Usually you can afford it in the second round. It fires very fast and is powerful. But when firing continuously, the muzzle spread is also rather serious, though still much better than the AK47. Personally I think the three-round burst function is not suitable for use in close-range firefights, otherwise the interval time is enough to let the opponent get you.




Now let’s look at the T side. Added is the Israeli IDF DEFENDER automatic rifle, with a 35-round magazine, a firing rate of 675 rounds per minute, a muzzle velocity of 2013 feet per second, and bullet damage roughly equal to the CT’s new gun. Although it has no special function, in the game it can shoot through wooden crates and the edges of walls. Its purchase order is B41, and the original AK47 becomes B42.

The CT side just got a good gun, and the T side responds in kind. In the game this gun feels like a variant of the AK47, with great power and little crosshair spread, plus very strong penetration, giving CT quite a headache. In the game I saw many CT players throw away the guns in their hands just to pick up this new T gun, which shows how useful it is.

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Fresh Impressions of CS 1.6 — The Shield, the Center of Controversy



The addition of the riot shield has been the hottest topic of discussion in CS 1.6 from the very beginning. It can only be bought by the CT side, though T can use it too if they pick it up. The appearance of the shield refers to the specialized riot shields used by police, only its power has been greatly exaggerated. When using it, press the special function key (default is the right mouse button), and the CT character will use the shield for frontal defense. At this time the CT cannot attack, and can only observe through the bulletproof glass on the shield. Aside from grenades, it can block 100% of all frontal attacks from firearms.

Sounds a bit scary, doesn’t it? After buying the shield you cannot equip a primary weapon anymore. Right now on CS 1.6 servers, shield users all like to pair it with the powerful Desert Eagle, then when they spot an opportunity, move the shield aside and give the opponent a fatal blow. It is common to see a T empty a whole spray of AK47 bullets into a CT’s shield, only for the CT to be completely unharmed, then “headshot” the T with one shot while the T is reloading.



Now a kind of CT attack tactic has already formed online: two CTs equipped with shields rush in front, one CT stays far back covering with a sniper rifle, and the other two CTs attack under the shield’s cover. This tactic is especially effective against Ts who charge in all at once. After the gunfire erupts, the result is usually that CT suffers very little damage while all the Ts are killed. The appearance of the shield has made many players extremely dissatisfied, believing that it greatly weakens the offense-oriented T side and makes CT even more fearless when facing T.



In addition, shield bugs have also become one of its major crimes. At present two bugs are known: first, when a CT holding a shield throws away the shield while reloading a pistol, then steps forward and picks it up, the bullets are automatically filled; second, the Internet is full of talk about the “invincible shield”—when you buy a shield and equip a Desert Eagle, even with the shield open you can still block incoming bullets! Hehe, it really does sound a bit scary. If that’s really the case, how are Ts supposed to play at all?

I actually did witness an “invincible shield” once on a certain CS 1.6 server. Four Ts took turns attacking a CT hiding in a corner from the front, and from every angle it could be confirmed that this CT was in the shield-open state. We watched as the CT slowly used the Desert Eagle to take down the 4 Ts one by one, yet not a single bit of health was lost. Maybe I’m just dull, but no matter what I did I simply could not reproduce this “invincible shield,” hehe.

In view of the many problems with the CT shield, many competitions that have begun holding CS 1.6 matches have already clearly stated that the shield will be disabled during matches, otherwise the balance of competition cannot be maintained. Some players have even united to strongly urge Valve to remove the shield entirely. As for what the fate of the CT shield will be, we can only wait and see.