



de_train and de_nuke (shown above left-to-right) both received significant visual and functional updates Click to expand...

Overhauled the animations for all character models

Culled weapons so they don't clip through walls/doors

Updated all glove/hand model textures to be more detailed

Revamped two older maps to look much more modern and detailed

Added a plethora of new lighting effects and modular assets to the engine with the release of the updated de_nuke





Before/After the gloves update Click to expand...

Links

Over the last few years Valve has steadily iterated upon CS:GO's design in various ways, some minor and some game-changing. While the game launched to some pretty lukewarm reception from the community, it has since grown to become one of the most popular competitive games in the world. So much so, in fact, that it stands as one of the frontrunners for this year's big e-sports push into mainstream avenues like broadcast television in various countries including the USA.CS:GO's spectator features have matured to a point where it's already pretty fantastic to watch. Skilled commentators work in conjunction with spectator mode operators to frame the high-level action in a way that's exciting, clear, and readable to a wide audience. But the game itself is sort of a mixed bag in terms of presentation. Some maps merely look serviceable while other newer ones are a clear step above in terms of detail and presentation. Animations are mostly functional with little in the way of pizzazz, but oftentimes things can look a bit awkward with ragdolls clipping through the environment or hand models contorting in weird ways upon death.It seems to me that Valve has been slowly but surely working to improve the game's presentation in preparation for its increased exposure in the form of mainstream media. Over the course of the last year, they've made the following visual updates:So in the trademark Valve way of doing things, they have slowly but surely been improving the visual elements of the game and then unleashing the changes upon the community with zero warning. Nobody ever seems to know what Valve is doing at any point in time, so we can only theorize what they might add to the game next.One possible update that people are expecting down the line is the addition of skinned gloves. This seems especially likely after the overhaul of all of the game's glove models, and honestly it's the last thing that can be skinned from an FPS perspective.As for me, I'd like to see them continue to refresh classic maps with possible de_Inferno next on the redesign docket. I also wouldn't mind little things like bullet hole decals on bodies and/or ragdolls that stay active after death (rather than static). I'm sure I'm in the minority with those two since they don't really add anything meaningful to the gameplay, but they are visual flourishes that I personally appreciate.____________________