At Lanarchy we specialise in Counter Strike. If you have any questions about the game that aren't covered in this FAQ, contact Mc Bain?. If you have questions regarding what games are played at the event, check the Event FAQ.
Q – What is Counter Strike?
A – Counter Strike (CS) is a 'mod' for Half Life. This means someone has written there own game that uses the Half Life engine. You can buy the retail version in the shops, or download it from the internet.
Q – Where can I download it from?
A – There are a variety of mirror sites, check the Counter Strike Home Page.
Q – I have the latest version of Counter Strike but I can't connect to a game online?
A -You must have the latest updates in order to play on online servers. If you have the mod version then you must have the latest version of Half Life installed, version 1.1.1.0. Planet Half Life would be a good place to start looking for this download. Then you must have version 1.5 of CS installed. If you have the retail version of CS then you must upgrade to version 1.0.0.5. For an explanation of how to set CS up for the first time read this thread.
Q – My internet connection is terrible, can CS be played off line?
A – Only with the use of 'bots'. We recommend PODbot. The person who coded these bots was drafted in to help with the AI for the upcoming Condition Zero, thats how good the bot is. If you have any questions about it, the writer is a moderator at Nuclearbox, I suggest you register there.
Q – What exactly is a Bot?
A – When you play most retail FPS games you can add computer controlled opponents. Because CS is a 'mod' it does not come with bots, you need to download an add-on that will enable you to add in computer controlled players.
There are various bots out there, trial and error may be needed before you find one that suits you. Some can be inhuman like in their amazing accuracy, some can be dumb as two planks of wood, most are adjustable in some way to make them suit your own skill level.
Q – Can I install custom maps on CS?
A – Maps can be downloaded from many places. A few different map packs that will be used at Lanarchy events can be found here. These packs can be unzipped directly into your cstrike directory and all associated files will be put in there correct folders. Some zipped map files wont be so easy. Maps can need a number of different files in order to work properly. Some have custom sounds, some custom textures but all will contain a .bsp file which must go in your /cstrike/maps folder. You often get a .wad file too, which goes in your base /cstrike directory.
Q – Can I use custom models within CS?
A – Yes, as long as they are not used to cheat in anyway. At Lanarchy events, one thing that we will be checking is that no one is using brightly coloured models to help them see them in dark places. We will allow custom models as long as they are in keeping with the realistic feel of the game (i.e. no big Homer Simpson models will be allowed)
Q – Okay, fair enough, so what do I do with these model files when I get some realistic ones I like?
A – If its a model of a player then they go into the /cstrike/models/player folders. Simply copy them into the relevant model's directory. So, if you are replacing the SAS model, copy it into /cstrike/models/player/sas folder.If it's a gun model then it should go into the /cstrike/models directory, although you should back up all original models before doing this as some weapon models will prevent you from joining some game servers.
Q – I've installed an AK47 skin and now I can't join any servers because of some p_ model error. What have I done?
A – Some servers check the size of your models, some enforce that everyone must be using standard models. Check exactly what file it says the server will not allow and replace your original file back over the new custom one. It is usually the p_ model (in this case p_ak47.mdl) which is how the gun looks to you when someone else is holding it. This is often enforced as some people will cheat by making the p_ model huge, or with large spikes designed to give away the position of people hiding behind crates or walls.
Q – Wow, that cheat sounds cool, where can I get it from?
A – Do not even attempt to use a cheat. If you are lucky enough to find one that doesn't contain a virus, it will alter things in your registry which can often mean a format and full re-install of windows is the only way to remove all traces of it. Many servers will ban you forever even though you thought you'd uninstalled the cheat. No matter how many times you say it was your little brother or that you only installed them to play against bots with, you won't get unbanned.
Q – I have installed some custom weapon models but they are showing as left handed in the game, how can I make them right handed?
A – Go into 'Play CS' then 'Customise' and then 'Advanced' you will one option is weapon alignment. It probably still says right. Select left and come all the way out clicking 'done'. When your back to the main menu, go back in and change it back to right handed weapons, come back out and it should be fixed. If they are still left handed it may be because there is only a left handed model for that particular gun.
Q – Will the Lanarchy servers have cheat protection on them?
A – Yes, we will be using CSGuard 8.0. If you are caught cheating then you will be thrown out of the event without a refund.
Q – How can I change my targets (aiming targets) to look different or can i design my own?
A – The only targets you can change are the ones on guns when your zoomed. All you can do to the targets of the other guns is change their colour. Here are some sites for custom crosshairs though – 1, 2 and 3.
Q – I am trying to connect to an online game of CS and it is telling me the server is using a different protocol?
A – You are using a different version of CS to the server. Check you are updated to the latest version and try again. If you still have a problem, the server is possibly running an old version of CS, connect to a different one instead.
Q -When I try and connect to a server it tells me I need a certain sprite/sound file but I cannot find the file on the net. What can I do?
A -Open your config.cfg file in a text editor like notepad and look for the following line -
cl_allowdownload “0”
Change this to “1” and then try connecting again.
Q – I have a question not answered above, how can I find out the answer?
A – Click here to register on our forum and then click here to be taken to our Counter Strike forum. Post whatever problem or question you have and we will try and get it answered within 24 hours.