Gaming in 5.1 - unfair advantage?

[Cock Womble]

I'm guessing that those of us with surround sound set-ups, or those Turtle's Head headphones, find it invaluable in a "I can hear someone behind me" kind of way. I often hear some scuffling, then check the radar (where possible) to see if they are green triangles in my vicinity.

But what of those gamers who don't have the benefit of 5.1?

Is it, in effect, a cheat?

[Dare2Fail]

How can something that has been programmed into the game, and used as a marketing tool (most games advertise that they are in 5.1), be classed as a cheat?

[Cock Womble]

Dare2Fail said:

How can something that has been programmed into the game, and used as a marketing tool (most games advertise that they are in 5.1), be classed as a cheat?

Perhaps "cheat" is too strong a word, or perhaps I've had too many beers, but you've got to feel sorry for those gamers playing in stereo through their TV speakers, n'est pas?

[Mr Will]

Dare2Fail said:

How can something that has been programmed into the game, and used as a marketing tool (most games advertise that they are in 5.1), be classed as a cheat?

In the same vein, is someone using a 50" 1080p TV cheating, just because some people are still using 21" CRTs?

[R820]

I switched to a 32 inch lcd 1080p tv this weekend from a 26 inch CRT. The difference is amazing. I can now spot people further away moving in the bushes on COD. Forza 3 is also so much more enjoyable.


Im working on the surround sound.

[Cock Womble]

R820 said:

I switched to a 32 inch lcd 1080p tv this weekend from a 26 inch CRT. The difference is amazing. I can now spot people further away moving in the bushes on COD. Forza 3 is also so much more enjoyable.

I was staying with my sister and her family over Xmas. They've got an old(ish) Sony CRT in the conservatory for the kids to attach their XBox to. Playing Lego Star Wars on it was bearable, but I tried playing MW2 and it was just impossible - squinting at the screen to see any kind of detail just gave me a headache.

[Norbury90]

My system certainly helps me, you can hear every rustle or footstep, and know where its coming from. Brilliant.

[Taffer]

Not an unfair advantage at all - I don't think 5.1 makes a huge difference, but headphones do. Even in stereo, you can get much better situational awareness than through telly speakers, as all other sounds are blocked out. I find I have to use Ninja Pro most of the time, as the sound of my 'normal' footsteps in game sounds so loud!

Edited by Taffer on Friday 22 January 22:24

[Digby]

Taffer said:

Not an unfair advantage at all - I don't think 5.1 makes a huge difference, but headphones do. Even in stereo, you can get much better situational awareness than through telly speakers

I was going to say the same thing.I remember my counterstrike days where it was possible to plant a bomb by a stack of boxes, wait till you heard someone running up to defuse, then just circle the opposite way to their footsteps and run around the boxes.I never moved a few inches from the bomb, because you could pinpoint the direction they were moving and just go the opposite way.Even if they ran around the boxes / area to look for you, they just assumed nobody was there.Then you knifed as they defused.....and got accused of wall hacking!

I enjoy the sounds coming from behind on my amp setup, but it has not once ever helped me do any better than decent headphones would.Once you understand that a certain type of sound means it's coming from behind etc, it really makes no difference imho.In fact, if I was out to do the best I could possibly be, I would always use headphones.I even ditched some 5.1 headphones and went back to a nice set of stereo Grados.

[MattyB_]

Digby said:

I was going to say the same thing.I remember my counterstrike days where it was possible to plant a bomb by a stack of boxes, wait till you heard someone running up to defuse, then just circle the opposite way to their footsteps and run around the boxes.I never moved a few inches from the bomb, because you could pinpoint the direction they were moving and just go the opposite way.Even if they ran around the boxes / area to look for you, they just assumed nobody was there.Then you knifed as they defused.....and got accused of wall hacking!

You've posted exactly what I was going to say.

Positional awareness through headphones is essential in games like CS, which was a bit...cleaner...than modern games - stuff like MW2 tend to be more of a "clusterfk" as they now call it, with rapid movement and lots of background noise/explosions. Its far less important.

I miss CS 1.3 - maybe rose tinted specs, but I've never found another MP shooter thats ever come close to it. CS:Source doesn't seem to cut the mustard.

[Bullett]

MattyB_ said:

Digby said:

I was going to say the same thing.I remember my counterstrike days where it was possible to plant a bomb by a stack of boxes, wait till you heard someone running up to defuse, then just circle the opposite way to their footsteps and run around the boxes.I never moved a few inches from the bomb, because you could pinpoint the direction they were moving and just go the opposite way.Even if they ran around the boxes / area to look for you, they just assumed nobody was there.Then you knifed as they defused.....and got accused of wall hacking!

You've posted exactly what I was going to say.

Positional awareness through headphones is essential in games like CS, which was a bit...cleaner...than modern games - stuff like MW2 tend to be more of a "clusterfk" as they now call it, with rapid movement and lots of background noise/explosions. Its far less important.

I miss CS 1.3 - maybe rose tinted specs, but I've never found another MP shooter thats ever come close to it. CS:Source doesn't seem to cut the mustard.

Another headphones CS player here. Sound was critical in this game a great feature and not really experienced anything like it since. Too much background noise. The tension on the final 1 v 1 or on a defuse was cool. You know the guys there waiting for you to defuse but you have to try. I used to click and then cancel. Must play again some time. Never got into CS:source but still play DoD.

[Taffer]

Bullett said:

Another headphones CS player here. Sound was critical in this game a great feature and not really experienced anything like it since. Too much background noise. The tension on the final 1 v 1 or on a defuse was cool. You know the guys there waiting for you to defuse but you have to try. I used to click and then cancel. Must play again some time. Never got into CS:source but still play DoD.

How is DoD these days? I stopped playing it a few years ago - since it became DoD:Source actually. When I started playing it they still had bleeding implemented. Fun game, just sort of drifted away from it as I'm now a console-tard and don't have the dosh to keep a fast gaming PC running.

[Menguin]

MattyB_ said:

Digby said:

I was going to say the same thing.I remember my counterstrike days where it was possible to plant a bomb by a stack of boxes, wait till you heard someone running up to defuse, then just circle the opposite way to their footsteps and run around the boxes.I never moved a few inches from the bomb, because you could pinpoint the direction they were moving and just go the opposite way.Even if they ran around the boxes / area to look for you, they just assumed nobody was there.Then you knifed as they defused.....and got accused of wall hacking!

You've posted exactly what I was going to say.

Positional awareness through headphones is essential in games like CS, which was a bit...cleaner...than modern games - stuff like MW2 tend to be more of a "clusterfk" as they now call it, with rapid movement and lots of background noise/explosions. Its far less important.

I miss CS 1.3 - maybe rose tinted specs, but I've never found another MP shooter thats ever come close to it. CS:Source doesn't seem to cut the mustard.

Cs 1.6 - 747 FTW

[Digby]

Bullett said:

You know the guys there waiting for you to defuse but you have to try. I used to click and then cancel.

Yeah, same here.Problem was, in the end, we were all just waiting for the second sound of a defuse before we attacked as we knew that a cancel once or even twice was on the cards

[Kuroblack350]

I've always found it an advantage for CoD - wouldn't want to be without it, especially on some of the more 'stalking' type of maps

[Scraggles]

so the game is set up with a certain spec and someone who knows the spec, but then decides to get the minimum allowed is bhing that people who have spent the time getting a nice set up and wtfpwning the OP are somehow cheats ? LMFAO

[Bullett]

Taffer said:

Bullett said:

Another headphones CS player here. Sound was critical in this game a great feature and not really experienced anything like it since. Too much background noise. The tension on the final 1 v 1 or on a defuse was cool. You know the guys there waiting for you to defuse but you have to try. I used to click and then cancel. Must play again some time. Never got into CS:source but still play DoD.

How is DoD these days? I stopped playing it a few years ago - since it became DoD:Source actually. When I started playing it they still had bleeding implemented. Fun game, just sort of drifted away from it as I'm now a console-tard and don't have the dosh to keep a fast gaming PC running.

Still the same. I've not played the source version. I am in a clan that used to be CS/DoD/TFC and play competative games. We really only play socially nowdays.

[stephen300o]

I hate all those damn cheats using steering wheels!

[okgo]

Bullett said:

MattyB_ said:

Digby said:

I was going to say the same thing.I remember my counterstrike days where it was possible to plant a bomb by a stack of boxes, wait till you heard someone running up to defuse, then just circle the opposite way to their footsteps and run around the boxes.I never moved a few inches from the bomb, because you could pinpoint the direction they were moving and just go the opposite way.Even if they ran around the boxes / area to look for you, they just assumed nobody was there.Then you knifed as they defused.....and got accused of wall hacking!

You've posted exactly what I was going to say.

Positional awareness through headphones is essential in games like CS, which was a bit...cleaner...than modern games - stuff like MW2 tend to be more of a "clusterfk" as they now call it, with rapid movement and lots of background noise/explosions. Its far less important.

I miss CS 1.3 - maybe rose tinted specs, but I've never found another MP shooter thats ever come close to it. CS:Source doesn't seem to cut the mustard.

Another headphones CS player here. Sound was critical in this game a great feature and not really experienced anything like it since. Too much background noise. The tension on the final 1 v 1 or on a defuse was cool. You know the guys there waiting for you to defuse but you have to try. I used to click and then cancel. Must play again some time. Never got into CS:source but still play DoD.

Its the same in cs:s. Without headphones you might as well not play the game. Every surface makes a different sound, its so vital.

COD is nohing like that, meaning its easier to be good at.

[Spiritual_Beggar]

okgo said:

Its the same in cs:s. Without headphones you might as well not play the game. Every surface makes a different sound, its so vital.

COD is nohing like that, meaning its easier to be good at.

CoD hasn't been good since the very first one.

The original was simply...awesome!!! And the UO expansion made it eeven bettter!! Some immense team battles were had on that game! Maps like Italy, and Kharkow are etched into my memory

All others have falleen well short of the mark when it comes to Online. It's become too much like Quake....too much run and gun!

That is why CS is still THE best FPS for online.


Still playing it here after all these years...and just as much fun, if not more so, than ever!

Headphones really help....but aren't essential for casual PubServer play.

(P.S.: sniper_supreme is my account name if anyone is up for a game sometime)

(P.P.S.: anyone know any good UK based PubServers? All my old haunts seem to be missing now; IOA, etc)

Edited by Spiritual_Beggar on Saturday 23 January 16:00