DOTA, the new Counterstrike

Two games from different genres with so much in common 

Shoot or be shot.

During the late 90s, PC gaming started slipping into the consciousness of then console addicted Filipino gamers, and the game responsible for intensifying the trend was an action-packed first-person shooter -- Counterstrike.

Counterstrike wasn't actually the game itself, it's merely a modification, but here in the Philippines, it was responsible for making PC gaming popular, even outdoing Half-life.

Part of CS' success can be attributed to the fact that it introduced new concepts to the Philippine gaming scene. Unlike most FPS games during its time, CS had a touch closer to reality. For one, it lets you play either terrorist or counter-terrorist with mission objectives for each team varying, depending on the stage you are on. The usual high tech, fictional weapons have been replaced by real guns, which you won't find lying on the ground. And in the event that you do, it's probably beside or on top of a corpse. Instead of scavenging for firearms, the traditional method of arming yourself in CS is to buy your weapon of choice. Of course, you'll have to spend your money wisely or you'll end up bringing a knife to a gunfight. Also worth mentioning are maps inspired from actual war zones. In addition, the game is not lacking in booms (courtesy of H.E. grenades and C4 explosives) and gore.

But what made Pinoys fall in love with CS, that it made them ditch their controllers for keyboards and mice, is the multiplayer aspect of the game. The team play is one thing, but playing with 31 other players takes the cake. I mean, before CS, the closest thing you'll get for multiplayer is a split screen while playing Gran Turismo against your brother on the PS1. The most number of playmates you could have is three, and you have to visit the nearest amusement center and play Power Stone to experience that. 

Because of said reasons, Counterstrike had made a giant step for gamekind -- it was more than a a past time for slackers, enthusiasts or people who wanted to shoot somebody without the consequences -- CS was the religion and way of life that proliferated computer rental shops. Tournaments abound and bets where tuition fee money, lunch allowance and salaries at stake became the norm. It's because Filipinos take CS seriously that the game can even start fist fights among short-tempered gamers.

Counterstrike to Filipinos is like what
Starcraft meant to the Koreans, only on a lighter scale

Thus, Counterstrike's dominance in the Philippine PC gaming scene lasted for almost, if not a decade. It even came to a point where I was saying "Isn't there anything else to play with?", not because I was tired of the game, but out of curiosity whether there was any other game that could pleasure me as CS does, only to realize there isn't anything after all. The only thing that ended Counterstrike's run are MMORPG games. But their reign didn't last for long, and surprisingly, it was an old game that caught them by surprise.

Warcraft III came out some time in the middle of the CS era. It managed to make some noise but not enough to oust Counterstrike. It wasn't until a mod, Defense of the Ancients (which is actually played in the Frozen Throne expansion), that people started noticing W3. 

Just like CS, DOTA introduced new concepts for us to enjoy. It automated/simplified most of the stuff that drives away the average gamer from strategy games -- gathering resources, training units, building armies and structures, and sending forces to infiltrate the enemy's base -- and with some RPG elements in place, it spawned new genres, one is self-titled and the other two are Action RTS and mobile online battle arena, or simply MOBA.

So when DOTA, with its unique brand of gameplay, reached Philippine shores, every Pinoy gamer who laid eyes on it instantly became hooked. And I can attest to this, being able to play DOTA 6.18 (which isn't even the earliest version, mind you) up to 6.71. Back then, you'll seldom hear five people having a good time playing against five others in a strategy game, but DOTA changed all that. Because of this, people slowly accepted DOTA and turned into a daily habit. The CS tourneys are now gone, and people who are done placing their bets on gun-toting guys are now putting their money on heroes.

Yurnero: Likes going around in circles

DOTA is such a great game that it inspired other developers to start making their own MOBAs, albeit, with  better graphics and more focus on online multiplayer competition. Heroes of Newerth or Legion of Legends anyone?

But CS' and DOTA's similarities don't end with their influence to the Philippine gaming community. Just like CS, DOTA will eventually become a game, not just a mod, but a game in its own right. And surprisingly, Valve, the same company that produced Half-life and CS, is the big name behind the project. Did someone say déjà vu?

However, it's good to note that while CS' is still being played today, it doesn't hold the same appeal it had back then. DOTA, on the other hand, is still strong, and when DOTA2 comes out, you can expect loyalists to follow it when they see that Frozen Throne isn't getting anymore updates from the Action RTS/MOBA that gave it its staying power.

Still, we all know something new will eventually come along, and when that time comes, gamers and developers can only look back at the first popular Action RTS/Dota/MOBA, the former in appreciation for making strategy games easier and more enjoyable, the latter for inspiration in making the next big thing.

But for now, right hand on a mouse, left hand on the keyboard, casting a spell that'll turn trees into my minions, I march onwards the enemy base and find myself asking the same question again: Isn't there anything else to play with? No, I wasn't bored nor was I tired thinking of new item combinations and teleporting wherever I please. I was just curious why there isn't any other game that has captured my eyes, ears, fingers and ultimately, my heart. Yes, a new game will come along. But for now, I enjoy DOTA, and am looking forward to DOTA2.

The present day video game world is now infested by zombies, and kids today will never understand, or have been deprived, of Counterstrike's finest moment. But they still have DOTA. And for a person who lived in a generation which shared CS and DOTA, I have to say I lived a damn good life.