The Definitive Guide to Improving

Name: The Definitive Guide to Improving
Uploaded: 2019-10-21T23:38:04.000Z
Duration: 2 h 34 min 18 s

Definitive Guide to Improving at CS

In this video, Voo provides a comprehensive guide to improving at Counter-Strike. He covers topics such as aim, movement, crosshair placement, and peaking.

Aim

Aiming is about making your shots easy to hit and your opponent's shots hard to hit.

Time-to-kill is an important factor in aiming.

Crosshair placement and movement are crucial for lower level players.

Movement should be perpendicular to the opponent's line of sight when peeking.

Movement

Movement is important for getting into positions where you can get easy frags.

Crosshair placement works in tandem with movement when going for peaks.

Shoulder peak, crouch peak, wide peak or wide crouch peak, and swing are the most relevant types of peaks.

Peakers advantage is an important concept that relies on human factors and game mechanics.

Crosshair Placement

Crosshair placement should be at head level where enemies are likely to appear.

Preaiming common angles can give you an advantage over opponents who don't do this.

Utility Usage

Utility usage is important for making your opponent's shots harder to hit.

Smoke grenades can block off lines of sight and force opponents out of position.

Flashbangs can blind opponents and make them vulnerable.

Game Sense

Game sense involves understanding how the game works and what your opponents are likely to do.

Map knowledge is crucial for developing good game sense.

Conclusion

Voo provides a comprehensive guide on how to improve at Counter Strike. The video covers various aspects such as aim, movement, crosshair placement, utility usage and game sense. By following these tips players will be able to improve their gameplay significantly.

Angle Peeking and Movement

In this section, the speaker discusses how to peek angles effectively and how movement plays a crucial role in doing so.

Intersecting Line of Sight

When peeking an angle, it's important to intersect the opponent's line of sight.

Strafing out into the wall allows for better intersection.

Practice is needed to get used to stopping at the shoulder peak and lining up with the back wall.

Shoulder Peek vs Crouch Peek

Shoulder peek when clearing angles one by one.

Crouch peek is superior for shooting back at opponents due to accuracy as soon as crouching.

Avoid constantly crouched peeking as it exposes more of yourself and fully commits you to an engagement.

Wide crouch peek or wide peek can force opponents to readjust their crosshair, allowing for first shots.

Utilizing Peaks in Different Angles

In this section, the speaker discusses different types of peaks that are useful in various angles.

Crouch Peek

Use when player is likely holding an angle or there are no off angles nearby.

Allows for faster shooting and utilization of peaker's advantage.

Wide Peek

Use after establishing player location or if they know you're there.

Forces opponent to readjust crosshair, allowing for first shots.

Tips for Effective Peeking

In this section, the speaker provides tips on how to effectively peek angles in Dust2. They suggest using a wipe rack and KZ maps to practice movement and character model control. The speaker also discusses two types of aggressive crosshair placement and defensive crosshair placement.

Using Wipe Rack and KZ Maps

Use the wipe rack on Dust2 to get a feel for how to effectively peek angles.

Practice movement and character model control with KZ maps.

Aggressive Crosshair Placement

Two types of aggressive crosshair placement are discussed:

Staring at the wall line when shoulder peeking an angle

Smooth tracking around corners when trying to clear out off angles

Defensive Crosshair Placement

Defensive crosshair placement is holding an angle while waiting for an opponent to peek out.

Holding your crosshair too close to the corner can give opponents an advantage. Instead, hold it further from the corner so that players strafe into your crosshair as they over peak narrow angles.

Swag's Crosshair Placement Tips

In this section, the speaker discusses swag's crosshair placement tips for defensive play.

Swag's Crosshair Placement Tips

Swag holds his crosshair further from the corner than most players do.

This allows players who are peeking him or you to strafe into his/your crosshairs.

By holding your crosshairs far enough from the corner, you can shoot immediately as soon as their head enters your sightline without having to adjust your aim.

Crosshair Placement and Sensitivity

In this section, the speaker discusses crosshair placement and sensitivity in CS:GO. They explain how to position your crosshair for optimal aiming with an AWP or rifle, as well as recommend a sensitivity range for players.

Crosshair Placement

Angle merging is important when using an AWP.

Aim at a height that allows you to hit both crouching and standing opponents.

Recognize different angles where you want to be trying to merge the way people could potentially peak on you.

Sensitivity

Stick within a sensitivity range of somewhere around 400 dpi and 1.6 in-game sensitivity to 400 dpi and 2.5 in-game sensitivity.

Majority of professional players sit around that area in general.

Find your sensitivity by starting and moving in 0.1 or 0.2 increments throughout that to feel where it gets most comfortable.

Shoot a couple bullets into the wall and move back and forth trying to track them to get a decent feel for how a sensitivity is before you actually do anything else.

Ability to relatively easily do a 180 if you have a smaller mouse pad.

The speaker also mentions other aspects of aiming such as movement, reaction times, etc., but they are not associated with timestamps so they are not included here.

Sensitivity and Recoil Control

In this section, the speaker discusses sensitivity and recoil control in CS:GO.

Sensitivity

The difference between arm and wrist aiming.

Arm aiming is more consistent than wrist aiming.

Finding a balance between what feels good in deathmatch/aim map versus real game situations.

Importance of finding a sensitivity that allows for quick reactions but also precision.

Recoil Control

Importance of keeping bullets on target during shooting.

Practicing recoil control against a wall by shooting 30 bullets and keeping them within a reasonable spread pattern.

Combining movement, recoil control, and crosshair placement together to improve accuracy.

Recoil Control Practice

In this section, the speaker discusses different maps and techniques to practice recoil control in CS:GO.

Recoil Master Map

Recoil Master is a beginner-focused map that shows the exact spray pattern of each gun.

A green dot helps players follow the spray pattern and improve their recoil control.

The map also provides the spray pattern for each gun when changing weapons.

Training Aim CSGO Map

Training Aim CSGO is another map that can be used to practice recoil control.

The speaker recommends using Classic Fast Aiming mode with white targets, infinite ammo, and zero delay.

This allows players to transfer their spray between seven static targets before they drop down.

Aim_Botz Map

Aim_Botz is a popular map where bots are loaded all around the player in 360 degrees.

Players can practice their aim against these bots instead of just targets on a wall.

The most popular way to use this map is by blocking off three walls and killing bots located in a small area.

Target Practice Techniques

In this section, the speaker discusses different target practice techniques in CS:GO.

Classic Target Practice

Classic target practice involves setting the target amount to 100, delay to 0.25, and duration to 0.5.

Players can adjust these settings based on their experience level.

This technique trains flicking skills by shooting one bullet at a target before it disappears.

Intensive Fast Aiming

Intensive fast aiming involves turning the respawn time to 0.3 and practicing flicks against targets that don't disappear until shot.

This technique is more challenging than classic target practice.

Time Trials

Time trials involve setting a timer to see how fast players can kill 100 bots.

This technique helps players improve their speed and accuracy.

Practicing and Mentality

In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of practicing in a deathmatch and having the right mentality to improve in Counter-Strike.

Deathmatch Practice

Practicing in a deathmatch is a good way to get flick practice or any type of different practice depending on what you're looking at.

You can kill a thousand bots here before you could even kill a couple hundred players in a deathmatch or aim map.

Importance of Mentality

The majority of professional players are actually very good at many things because they have the right mentality to improve.

Having the right mentality means that you're actually learning as you're playing the game.

Players who are hard stuck in a certain rank and have spent hundreds or thousands of hours without improving often have trouble with conceptualizing how they should be improving within the game.

Improving Effectively

To improve as quickly as possible, find out what you did wrong and visualize what you could have done better.

Try to extrapolate that to be relevant in as many situations as possible.

If you have trouble doing this in the middle of a game, go into your demos and try to do that as well.

Results-Oriented Thinking

Be cautious against results-oriented thinking because CS is a game where expected value plays an important role.

Sometimes, even if you played poorly, your opponent may die anyway.

Recognize both when thinking about non-results-oriented thinking.

Goal is Improvement

Recognize that the goal is to improve, not necessarily win every specific game.

Allow yourself not to get too angry at your teammates or opponents if mistakes are made because all that matters is that you're able to practice and improve effectively in your own way.

Importance of Testing and Game Sense

In this section, the speaker emphasizes the importance of testing strategies and developing game sense. They also provide tips on how to improve game sense through practice.

Testing Strategies

Test strategies when stakes are low to gain experience for future situations.

Don't be afraid to try something new if it doesn't matter much.

Improving Game Sense

Practice game sense in actual games.

Improve utility usage through out-of-game practice.

Use utility purposefully and not frivolously.

Positioning is important for avoiding getting taken down.

Utility Usage and Positioning

This section focuses on the importance of using utility effectively and positioning oneself correctly to avoid getting taken down.

Effective Utility Usage

Use every piece of utility with a real purpose behind it.

Every piece of utility should have a specific function such as repositioning or cutting off an execute.

Correct Positioning

Take the correct line into a bomb site or area to avoid getting taken down.

Hug walls for cover instead of running straight at corners.

There are usually two lines into an area - aggressive and passive - that support each other.

Aggressive and Passive Lines

This section focuses on the different lines that can be taken into an area or bomb site, and how they can be used to support each other.

Different Lines

There are usually two lines into an area - aggressive and passive - that support each other.

The aggressive line is more risky but can catch opponents off guard.

The passive line is more supportive and provides cover for the aggressive line.

Overall, the speaker emphasizes the importance of testing strategies, developing game sense, using utility effectively, and positioning oneself correctly to avoid getting taken down. They provide specific tips on how to improve in these areas through practice and purposeful use of utility.

Positioning and Angle Isolation

In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of positioning and angle isolation in CS:GO gameplay. He explains how to position oneself to gain a geometric advantage over opponents and avoid being exposed to multiple angles at once.

Positioning for Attack

To gain an advantage when attacking, position yourself as far away from angles on the left and towards the plot as possible.

When trying to be aggressive, take the shortest route that is exposed to the least amount of angles.

Avoid running down the middle of an area open to everything. Instead, pick a line as you make your way into the bombsite and stick to it.

Positioning for Defense

When holding a defensive position, avoid holding an angle where someone will peek out on you expecting you to be there.

Defensive lines are different from attack lines. You generally don't want to ever be holding an angle where someone will peek out on you expecting you to be there.

Holding an off-angle near cover can give you an advantage over your opponent.

Angle Isolation

The idea behind angle isolation is that you want to be open to as few angles as possible whenever possible.

Peeking in window is a decent example of a very isolated situation because it only exposes you to one angle.

Stay Near Walls and Defending Bomb Sites

In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of staying near walls to isolate oneself from potential threats. They also discuss how to defend bomb sites effectively.

Staying Near Walls

Staying near walls can isolate you from potential threats on one side.

Holding a specific angle can isolate you from one player while leaving you open to another.

This type of isolation can be useful in clutch or outnumbered situations.

Defending Bomb Sites

When defending a bomb site solo, it is important to prioritize survival over finding frags.

Dying early can make it difficult for teammates to retake the site.

Preferably, get a kill and stay alive when solo holding a bomb site.

Surviving and Communicating in CS:GO

In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of surviving as long as possible during a B sight defense on Dust2. The goal is to delay time for a rotate to come over and get a couple of kills. The speaker also emphasizes the relevance of communication in CS:GO.

Surviving During B Sight Defense

Surviving as long as possible during a B sight defense on Dust2 is crucial.

A successful hold would be two kills and some time delayed for a rotate to come over.

Getting one kill and instantly dying would not be good, but it wouldn't be the end of the world if the rotate was close.

It's generally better to survive without getting any kills than getting one kill and instantly dying.

Communication in CS:GO

Communication is essential in CS:GO, but it's important to communicate only relevant information.

Calling out what your opponent is doing doesn't have any impact on what's going on throughout the map.

You should communicate information that is relevant to your team, such as if an opponent at B has thrown down all their utility or if they are fully out of utility.

Going for a pick even if your teammates aren't around you is important because it relays information that perhaps your opponent or your teammates should play a certain way to help you deal with going for that pick.

One of the best ways to use communication is to suggest something for someone when you use your utility. For example, instead of saying "I'm in lower tons and I've got nades," say "I'm flashing for you on cat."

Effective Communication and Map Selection

In this section, the speaker discusses effective communication in CS:GO and how to select maps for practice.

Effective Communication

If a player is getting close to an angle where they need an aid, you can say "I'll flash you have Kat" or "Do you want to flash up Kat?" This shortens the time it takes for your teammate to ask for utility.

Active communication is more effective than waiting for your teammate to ask. It also prevents miscommunication if you don't have the necessary utility.

Don't spam your teammates with unnecessary information. Keep communication channels clear for important things that pop up.

Map Selection

Every map has something unique about it that makes it strong for certain teams. For example, T-side utility usage is important on Inferno, while rotations are crucial on Nuke.

Different maps require different playstyles. Dust2 and Mirage are good for defaults, while Vertigo and Nuke require more reactive play.

Expanding your map pool helps work on weaknesses in communication, rotations, and utility usage. Avoid becoming a one-map hero.

Playstyle should be based on personal tendencies rather than trying to fit into a specific role. Don't force yourself into being a support player if you're naturally aggressive.

Playing to Your Strengths

In this section, the speaker advises players to focus on their strengths when practicing and improving. They caution against trying to play like others just because they are successful.

Practicing Effectively

Many players try to improve their aim by deathmatching for hours on end, but this is not an effective way to practice.

The speaker recommends avoiding "ridiculous practice patterns" that take you out of actual competitive gameplay for too long.

When practicing, it's best not to spend more than 30% of your time deathmatching. If playing with a team, other activities like reviewing demos can be added in.

For solo matchmaking games, the focus should be on actually playing the game and occasionally reviewing demos.

Reviewing Demos

The speaker recommends reviewing your own demos if you have trouble identifying mistakes during gameplay.

However, it's important to avoid being too results-oriented when analyzing your own play. Focus on what could have been done differently rather than just what happened.

One useful aspect of demo review is analyzing how you appear to opponents. This includes looking at how your nades and flashes affect them as well as how effective your peeks are.

Pro demos can be overrated since they often involve counter-strats that may not apply at lower levels of play.

Watching Pro Demos

In this section, the speaker discusses the potential pitfalls of watching pro demos for learning purposes.

Pros and Cons

Watching pro demos can be helpful for learning new strategies and techniques.

However, it's important to keep in mind that pros have a lot of knowledge about their opponents and the game that may not apply at lower levels of play.

Counter-strats are often used by pros, which can make certain plays look weird or ineffective if you don't understand the context.

When watching pro demos, it's important to focus on general concepts rather than specific plays or strats.

Improving Your Gameplay

In this section, the speaker discusses how to improve your gameplay by watching pro demos and learning from them. He also emphasizes the importance of finding a team with similar goals and mentality.

Learning from Pro Demos

Watching pro demos can be helpful in improving your gameplay.

Don't try to copy their entire playstyle, but instead, steal an angle or an aid that they use and practice it in a real game.

Find your own way to play while picking up things from other players along the way.

Finding a Team

Being on a team can be positive as you have players working towards the same goal.

Look for players with similar hours and goals rather than just skill level.

At higher ranks, focus more on improving as a team rather than individually.

Playing on Platforms

Start looking for a team when you're at a decent rank on platforms like ESEA or Faceit.

ESEA is recommended for North America while Faceit is recommended for Europe.

Focus on practicing fundamentals around MGE rank before worrying about stats or league performance.

Do Stats Matter?

In this section, the speaker talks about whether stats matter when trying to improve your gameplay and find teammates.

Importance of Stats

Although stats may not reflect your true skill level, they do matter when trying to find teammates or improve your gameplay.

Players should aim to have good stats while also focusing on improving their overall gameplay.

Improving at CS:GO

In this section, the speaker talks about how to improve at CS:GO and gives tips on how to find a team even if your stats are not great.

Networking is Key

CS:GO is heavily reliant on networking with other players.

Find players that you're friends with and think you are a good player so that when their team is looking for someone, they contact you even if your stats are bad.

You can find potential teammates in pugs or 10-mans where you become friendly with the players.

Stats Matter

If your stats are really bad and you're trying to find a team, a random team from the forums or from a looking for team post, you are going to be judged at least partially based on your stats.

Your stats will make a difference when making a looking for team post.

Overall, the speaker emphasizes that networking is key in finding success in CS:GO. While stats do matter when trying to join teams through random posts, having connections within the community can help overcome poor statistics.