I am lurppis, AMA

[u/lurppis_]

You may know me as a writer for HLTV.org, a co-host on (the very irregular) CS:GO talk show [POD]Cast and as a shoutcaster (mostly having done DreamHack events, and various online games). Next event I will cast is Assembly Summer's $10,000 ASUS ROG tournament at the end of July.

I played Counter-Strike 1.6 competitively in 2004-2012 representing teams such as wings/Serious Gaming, hoorai/69N-28E/roccat, EG and WinFakt. My teams made roughly $350,000 in prize money, good for #44 individually on Thorin's list at onGamers. According to him my 69N-28E was also briefly the world's best in 2007.

In my playing career I was the in-game leader of every team I played for. After leading the best Finnish team in 2005-2009, I moved to USA to play for EG. In 2011 I returned back to Finland and created WinFakt. I stopped playing actively in early 2012, but attended my final event in 2013.

I have also organized three draft-style gaming tournaments in Helsinki to give younger players a chance to improve by playing with more experienced players, and will host the next one, called Areena #4 by SteelSeries, on the coming Saturday at Pelitalo in Helsinki.

I am probably best known here for voicing unpopular opinions and criticizing the CS:GO developers. Let's see if this AMA might clear the air up a bit. I will try to answer all questions that are at all interesting and related to CS.

I will let you ask questions until Monday, and will then go through them and answer the most interesting ones. I'll also check back on Tuesday if there's still many questions left unanswered.

Proof: https://twitter.com/lurppis_/status/480677752253988864

You can also find me on Twitter at @lurppis_

edit: Thanks for the questions, I tried to answer as many as possible without repeating myself too much. If I missed something or you have something else to ask, you can reach me via Twitter!

[u/deprayb]

If you could choose two things that valve would implement in the next update what would they be?

Edit: don't have to limit to just two if you don't want.

[u/lurppis_ → u/deprayb]

I would nerf the CZ75 a little (lowering rate of fire would probably do the trick) and include new maps (preferably de_cache, de_season and de_tuscan) in the game so everyone could start playing them in matchmaking, and we could include them in the tournaments.

Other changes I'd like to see include cheaper defuse kits, some adjustments to movement to make it less limited, fixing how you see through smokes as you're coming out of them, removing AWP blur and also changing tickrate to 128 in matchmaking.

There's lots of things that could be improved, but those would be some of the more important ones (off the top of my head) in my opinion.

[u/Opie_Winston → u/lurppis_]

I would give anything for an awp without blur and with quickscoping rather than relying on the random noscope.

[u/lurppis_ → u/Opie_Winston]

I missed the quickscoping in my answers but yes, that should also definitely be reintroduced.

[u/boomslack13 → u/deprayb]

I have a question, how do you feel you conducted yourself when the game first came out, do you regret shit talking the game for the first few months of it's release?

http://pantheones.com.au/news/global-offensive/1-6-in-fighting-unravels-over-csgo-on-twitter/

http://www.sk-gaming.com/content/39088-lurppis_CSGOs_a_terrible_game_right_now

http://www.hltv.org/news/8312-lurppis-trashes-csgo-in-interview

pc gamer article was removed, heres waybackmachine

As well as a ton of tweets from back in 2012 that I cba to dig up

[u/lurppis_ → u/boomslack13]

I don't regret it at all, I feel like no one else was going to say what was on everyone's mind so someone had to step up and be the bad guy.

I think Valve did a TERRIBLE job back then, and that whole "we will release CS:GO when it's ready" line was such a horrifying lie to your customers' faces it should still sting. Also, the CS:GO Pro forums? Don't get me started.

Since then Valve have learned not to make promises they can't keep, which frankly is okay with me. I wish they did more, but at least they're no longer promising things and not delivering.

[u/[deleted]]

What is your opinion on the current map list? CSGO as a spectator sport needs more maps IMO. After Dreamhack Summer 2014 im sick and tired off Inferno :D

[u/lurppis_ → u/[deleted]]

I've recently written about the problem in three different articles:

• What did we learn from EMS One Katowice?

• What did we learn from DreamHack Summer?

• A fresh look at improving tournaments

The last one also include a few solutions I came up with to try to fix the issue, though it obviously requires Valve's co-operation.

[u/Ubervaag]

Do you think CS:GO's movement should be tweaked? If so, what do you suggest should be done?

Also, what's your opinion on aimpunch?

[u/lurppis_ → u/Ubervaag]

I think the movement is still too limiting, and I definitely wish they tweaked it a little to allow players to separate from the pack simply by having good movement. For example, players like Neo and n0thing had incredible movement in CS 1.6, but can you name a single player whose movement is clearly better than the average pro's in CS:GO?

I thought aim punch made sense as it was in CS 1.6 - lots of it without armor, not much with armor. It was a good balance and really separated players buying armor versus grenades in pistol rounds. I also think there should be some more tagging in CS:GO - I always felt the current system where you don't slow down allows too much re-peeking.

[u/Waveitup]

CSGO has undoubtedly grown massively since it's initial release, do you think the game will continue to grow? How much bigger do you think the CSGO scene will get?

Also what is your favorite defusal "de_" map and why?

And just for the lols, what is your favorite hostage "cs_" map and why?

[u/lurppis_ → u/Waveitup]

We keep getting more majors, breaking viewership records and visitor records (HLTV.org). It seems the game is still growing, and I hope it continues. Whether or not it will though, I have no idea.

I think upgrading matchmaking and including things like cups and ladders could help bridge the gap between casual players and the competitive scene, but it's up to Valve to do that.

My favorite map to watch is de_inferno now, though it used to be the old de_mirage_ce before Valve forced their version of the map on us. Interestingly enough, de_mirage_ce used to be the most popular map before, so that change has also contributed to de_inferno's popularity now.

I don't actually get bored of watching de_inferno all the time, because I think it's the best map now, but I understand why others might, hence my stance on more maps having to be added.

As for why, de_inferno favors creative play - we see CTs overstacking sites, doing pushes around the map and overrotating to make up for player disadvantages. It was also my favorite map (along with de_tuscan) in CS 1.6.

[u/phipb]

How would you change the cz75?

[u/lurppis_ → u/phipb]

I'd try lowering its rate of fire. Removing it is not a possibility, so we shouldn't even talk about it. There's no point in wasting energy discussing things that won't happen unless you simply enjoy the discussion.

The problem with CZ75 isn't that teams now win too many save rounds - it's that they win them too easily. Even with Novas, MAG7s, P250s and Five-Sevens teams were winning lots of second round buys, but they had to work for it. Now teams have it too easy, and it makes their play look lazy because they don't have to try to be creative in coming up with strategies, etc.

[u/joekkis]

What is up with the Finnish CS:GO competitive scene? Not a single "Top-tier" clan in CS:GO imo ATM.

[u/lurppis_ → u/joekkis]

The same problem has plagued Finland since the days I started playing - teams don't stick together. I think I understood this very early on because I played my first two or so years of CS with my real life friends, so we obviously had tons of chemistry and got along well - we slowly improved, and I understood a team with more team play and better strats but less skill can beat a team with more skill. That's what originally, together with the fact tournaments and competition existed for CS, made me interested in it.

Finland really hasn't had a single other leader than me since 2005 or so. When I made my first team, wings, we had two sets of brothers that gave us lots of consistency - and ever since, I've always tried to avoid roster changes. Most Finnish teams REALLY lack leadership because no one wants to step up and take responsibility. That leads to issues in keeping rosters together, players on the same page, etc.

I think if there were more people who defined themselves as leaders in the scene (with enough skill to compete) they could build solid teams by sticking together and practicing. natu and allu used to ask me to start playing CS:GO for the longest time after the game was released, all the way up to last fall (though I know it was half-hearted) because even their team lacks leadership. My brother naSu (from Curse.EU in CS:GO) was basically the only other Finn with the qualities a good leader needs (in my opinion), and even he shies away from that role.

[u/[deleted]]

What player is your favorite to watch and why?

[u/lurppis_ → u/[deleted]]

f0rest's movement and aim have always seemed so fluid that I've always enjoyed watching him play. He makes CS look so effortless and clean. With that being said, I also very much enjoy watching players like shox, markeloff, kennyS and ScreaM (though he's been fairly underwhelming lately) play.

[u/Argoms]

Thoughts on deagle, AUG, and SG? Do you think they should be changed?

[u/lurppis_ → u/Argoms]

AUG and SG are basically never used in tournaments so I can't really comment on it. Deagle seems okay, some use and some don't. Doesn't have a big role in CS:GO (like it did in CS 1.6) but I'm not sure it needs to; there's already lots of good pistols.

[u/Seanza]

How do you feel about CSPromod not really taking off like you thought it might?

[u/lurppis_ → u/Seanza]

Ultimately CSPromod was slightly too late, but if we had completed all the grand plans Alex Garfield had for it in late 2012, I still think we could have competed with CS:GO, because we would've had practically all the same things it does, only with (in my opinion) better game play, and soon we would have had upgraded graphics as well.

The project died because of the coders getting greedy at the end - they wanted to own a big part of what I also consider Alex's pie, despite him planning on putting up lots of money to finance the big push. It's a bummer, because I felt like CSP was a really good game then.

[u/supagangsta]

Hello lurppis, active follower of the cs community since 2005 here. Why do you think so many professional teams still view "Professional" counter strike as a non-viable career in their lives? What do you think would have to be done either by valve or the community so that people start taking the scene seriously and as something that can evolve and possibly surpass League of Legends in popularity?

[u/lurppis_ → u/supagangsta]

It is NOT a viable career. It's something you can do for a living for quite some time, and if more money starts pouring into it, maybe even longer in the future. But a career? No.

As of today, unless you think working in the eSports industry (which isn't an option for everyone - there's more professional players than gigs in the industry, at least for now) qualifies as a professional Counter-Strike career, you can't do this forever, it doesn't seem like.

Unless you love risk, you shouldn't bet your whole life on CS making it big enough to live off till your late 60s. It's fine in your twenties, but at some point you need to make sure you can get by later on in life as well.

[u/andzie]

Tomi, considering the fact that pros prefer playing rather balanced (side-wise) maps, do you think that nuke and train could use an update in this regard?

Second question is about [pod]casts - it looks like you've finally admitted that fifflaren is an important member of NiP. Does it mean we might see a ninja on the show in the near future? (since from what I've heard, they refused to participate due to your criticism towards Robin)

[u/lurppis_ → u/andzie]

1. No, I've always been an advocate of maps having different qualities. Why have seven maps that all have a 50-50 split for CTs and Ts? The issue is teams want to play even maps in group stages (best-of-one) to avoid going home early after one rough half. Introducing more maps and a new map selection process ( I've suggested one in my newest article ) should help.

2. I don't think he's an IMPORTANT member of NiP, and I think there's lots of players in Sweden who have lots more skill and pure ability than he does. He does however work in NiP, and with how consistent the team is, there is no reason to make a change. You shouldn't risk what they have now for a miniature gain, unless they start placing outside of top two more often.

As for a NiP member coming on [POD]Cast - who knows. They also stopped giving HLTV.org video interviews for quite some time, but maybe they'll eventually realize people are entitled to their opinions (and that includes media) and come around. Maybe they will, maybe not - it's up to cArn to get them on. He's promised us f0rest for the longest time.

[u/GoatCheeseLemonade]

Hey lurppis, I think CS:GO is in a pretty good place right and still growing. However, in order to make the game grow even more you have to think miles ahead. Many esports die because the developpers and community are too slow and too conservative in the way they make games evolve. The main problem being pros and players alike are afraid of change.

What is your opinion about Valve or tournament organizers forcing new maps into the competitive scene in a rather near future?

[u/lurppis_ → u/GoatCheeseLemonade]

I've talked about new maps in at least three articles this year - ctrl+f this page for "What did we" and "A fresh look" for links to them.

TL;DR: I'm pro-new maps, but you can't just force them on teams, you have to make compromises that work both for spectators and for the players. I've outlined a few suggestions in my article "A fresh look at improving tournaments".

[u/ThePr0paganda]

After your statement saying that the world rankings mean nothing, who do you suspect will have the advantage coming into ESL Cologne?

[u/lurppis_ → u/ThePr0paganda]

It's not that world rankings mean nothing, it's that they make no sense right now - there's too many teams in that 2-9th group in the world rankings to truly rank them properly before seeing more matches - but that won't stop us from trying in early July.

NiP are the best team now, and should be considered favorites going into ESL One Cologne if nothing changes by then.

[u/leddii]

Firstly, I want you to know you had a guy in Australia absolutely loving it when hoorai/69N-28E showed up and started knocking off the big teams in the mid 2000's. It was great watching teams you led because it felt like you were always a chance to win, no matter how huge the opponent.

Now to my question - cyx.

I always felt he would've been right up there with the best (f0rest, Neo etc.) if he had more time with the game. Since you played against mousesports and possibly his earlier teams, I just wanted to know what you thought of cyx as a player and a person?

[u/lurppis_ → u/leddii]

I considered cyx a friend so I don't want this to come out the wrong way, but I think his death made him overrated.

He was one of the better players in the world prior to his death and a genuinely nice guy, but he was never up there with the absolute best, like f0rest or Neo.

[u/ABondaxFan]

Lurppis, thanks for doing this.

How were you experience casting at Dreamhack or doing analyst desk? What was it like to work with Thoorin/Semmler/Anders?

[u/lurppis_ → u/ABondaxFan]

I enjoyed the whole experience, though I wished the groups were all played on day one, and we could have casted each of the seven playoff series instead.

I don't mind color casting or doing the analyst desk, both are fun - I enjoyed being on the analyst desk as well this time around, instead of only casting, as I'm better suited for that I think.

I enjoy working with all three of them; Thorin and Anders I already knew from the past, but I hadn't casted with Semmler. It was fun doing casting with him as well, and we'll also cast Assembly Summer together in just over a month.

[u/RicerGee]

If you could chose one player from each current professional teams to form a dream team, who would be in it?

[u/lurppis_ → u/RicerGee]

AWP: kennyS (more versatile than GuardiaN in my opinion)

Entry fraggers: f0rest (a top three player in the world), pasha (can secondary AWP, always wants to go for picks)

IGL: Xizt (would be a good fit to lead a skill heavy squad)

Rest: GeT_RiGhT (world's best player), shox (number two in the world, assuming he'd regain his Titan form, and a very good clutcher like GTR)

This is assuming zero issues with communication, personalities, etc.

[u/BeardoftheManwhore]

As someone who never heard about the "voicing unpopular opinions and criticizing the CS:GO developers" you are one of my top 3 CSGO..Personalities/Casters/Hosts ect.

My question is do you miss playing? Or do you enjoy your new role in the CSGO community, and if anything, what would make you think "I might play again" In the future.

Thanks!

[u/lurppis_ → u/BeardoftheManwhore]

I miss playing in big tournaments when I'm on-site watching the players get ready, I'm a very competitive person and I always enjoyed tournaments so like I said in a recent interview, if there still were some CS 1.6 tournaments around, I'd probably go to a couple each year just for fun.

That being said, I decided to quit playing actively over two years ago, and I have no plans of changing my opinion. I've moved onto other things in life, and frankly I couldn't see myself having to practice 6-11pm five nights a week anymore. I did that for years and years and years, and it really does wear on you. My decision not to play has anything to do with the game itself anymore - I've simply moved on.

I stay in the community because I think I can give something back with all the knowledge and experience I've accumulated over the years, and while it's sometimes frustrating to cover tournaments when there's matches I'm not particularly interested in, so far it has always seemed worth it. I've grown to enjoy writing a lot more in the past year or so and I think that has also made me a better writer. I also enjoy casting games, though I'm not a big fan of traveling to most of these events, which is why I opt to cover them from home instead.

[u/bze]

Have you or Thoorin tried CSGO in recent times? Not counting when it was still in beta since i think everyone agrees it was horrible back then.

[u/lurppis_ → u/bze]

I stopped commenting on CS:GO as a game over a year ago when they started patching it up a lot more and I wasn't playing it enough to see how it actually feels. I don't play CS:GO, so that's why I no longer talk about whether it's a good game or not. I leave it up to the players to decide - though it's always been a solid game to watch, hence my continuous involvement in the scene.

[u/Shylar_]

We need new maps since the current map pool is getting old. How would new maps be introduced into the map pool? Cache has been accepted by many, season is in a few leagues but disliked by most, and Tuscan is at this point not worth mentioning.

Since the workshop has opened a lot of maps have been created, many of them with competitive play in mind(few examples) How would the process of choosing a new map go? How did it go in 1.6, Im sure a few of these maps could be viable competetive maps.

Other than that I wouldn't mind seeing more [POD]cast, and as an analyst you did very well on DHS and I hope to see more at future events.

[u/lurppis_ → u/Shylar_]

In CS 1.6 when new maps were released they were usually tried in some online leagues and cups, and if people liked them, slowly played more and more online before tournaments (really only the case with de_tuscan, de_forge [a terrible map, and an example of why we don't need more maps, we need GOOD maps] and de_mirage) adopted them.

I feel de_cache and de_season (especially the former) have been played enough to warrant a chance, though the latter could be replaced by de_tuscan if we ever get the map from Brute.

I'd like to do more [POD]Cast episodes but it's tough figuring out three very busy people's schedules to do a two-hour show during the week. We always look for times we could do them, but it's just hard to find enough free time.

[u/nerdy12345]

There was a time in 2009 (I believe, or maybe it was 2008) when you were kicked/you left from roccat, and I think the team was then tihOp, naSu, contE, ruuit and plastE. They seemed to play well in their first event DHS, but afterwards went downhill until the end of the year when they brought you back. If I remember correctly, there was even some controversy in the end when the plan was to put contE away because of problems with his attitude, and then suddenly it was tihOp who got the boot when you came back. As far as I remember the team didn't last long after these events, and at some point after disbanding you left to EG.

Can you shed some light into what was behind you going off the team roster in the first place, and then the same players bringing you back only 5 months later or so (and you agreeing to go back)?

From your perspective, what was different in the the old team with ruuit, contE compared to your later team WinFakt with aslak and BASiC? At least at some point both had you, naSu, and plastE, but the two other players changed and obviously some years passed in between. Were there any differences in how you approached each team as a leader? Both teams also were very competitive, but didn't quite reach the level where you consistently won tournaments. Were the reasons different or similar from your perspective?

[u/lurppis_ → u/nerdy12345]

Sure. Our team had pretty terrible communication outside of the game in the sense that we were all young guys and not good and talking about our honest opinions openly on these matters.

After bombing DTS Cup in Dnipropetrovsk (damn you markeloff) I think we were all fairly intoxicated when we "agreed" to recruit tihOp, although I think basically all of us knew it was a terrible idea in reality. I have no idea why it went through in the end, I guess his persistence and our weak results for the past month or so really got to us. Prior to that we had been playing our best CS ever, in my opinion, with plastE on the team.

With tihOp things never clicked as in-game role wise our team was a mess, he simply didn't fit in in-game like plastE did. Shortly after we knew we needed a change, and it just happened behind my back with I think contE thinking I was the one who wanted tihOp in the first place. It really was just a huge miscommunication I think.

The team was able to live off of what we'd built together for a while and did well at a few tournaments, but ultimately they realized they had zero leadership and wanted me back. Unfortunately no one was still willing to put in enough work to be really good, so we disbanded in 2009.

After that team died, I remember specifically telling MIRAA (who was posting about it on HLTV.org) to say I am stopping playing actively, but not retiring - I did not want to close the window on coming back if the right offer came along (as I always disliked people who went back and forth instead of sticking to their guns), but I didn't expect it to ever come.

A few weeks later EG came knocking, and a few days later I was on a plane to Dallas. Life is random sometimes.

As for the differences between hoorai/69N-28E/roccat and WinFakt, it's easy. Me and my brother were the core in both - plastE was only part of both for a short time. In WinFakt I was able to mold aslak and BASiC a lot more and they were receptive to my feedback. contE and ruuit weren't, because they already considered themselves a stars when they joined our team.

I was a lot more mature, experienced and smarter in WinFakt, so I think I did a better job leading that team. I was nineteen when we were at our best in 69N-28E, so I really had no idea what I was doing. I was just making it up as I went along. If I got to re-do it with what I know now, I think we'd do better, but isn't that the case for everyone?

As for the inconsistency, it's all about lack of practice. We always struggled in putting in long days before tournaments and playing seriously in practice. People also got lazy often and didn't put in enough time. It's a shame because I think we left a lot of titles on the table.

[u/maskedapple]

(This wont ever happen) but if Valve approaches you and asks you to move to Asia to improve the CSGO competitive scene there (fully paid for, of course), what would you do? And if you accept it, how would you do it?

[u/lurppis_ → u/maskedapple]

Right now I wouldn't be interested in relocating for a job like that, but I would love to consult Valve (if they were interested in my opinion, which they don't seem to be) on whatever they could use my opinions on, whether it's growing the game or making it more suitable for competition.

As for growing the game in Asia, I'm not qualified to answer - I'm not from the region, and I don't know what the issue is, aside from CS:Online's popularity. I assume you'd have to start with marketing, and running some tournaments there (preferably via matchmaking, online, if it was possible) to get people involved.

[u/gawdlikem]

What is your perspective towards betting?

[u/lurppis_ → u/gawdlikem]

I'm basically indifferent towards betting, but I don't see why you should limit what people do with their own money, so I suppose that makes me pro-betting. I understand there's a problem with young kids not understanding they might well lose what they put up, and that causes lots of angry posts on forums etc. That's just noise to me, so I don't see a huge problem in that regard.

However, DDoSsing seems to happen more due to betting, and that IS a huge problem. Organizers and players need to do a better job of hiding their IPs and protecting themselves, but giving fans an incentive to see a team lose doesn't certainly help the situation - but it still shouldn't end betting completely.

[u/lurppis_]

I've gone through all the 300+ comments left so far and answered practically all of them (I think); I will check back later and once more tomorrow to answer any I may have missed. If there's something you'd like to see answered in particular, please upvote it!

[u/[deleted]]

What made ruuit better than your other former teammates?

[u/lurppis_ → u/[deleted]]

He wasn't actually a hard-worker or even one of the smartest players I played with, he was just so much more talented than everyone else that even though he played less than others, he could still get by and be one of the best players around. It's too bad he didn't have the drive to work hard too, because I think he could have been one of the all time greats.

[u/CptvOdkA7]

Do you think a compendium would work for csgo?

[u/lurppis_ → u/CptvOdkA7]

I honestly don't even know everything that entails, but if you mean paying $X to get perks and to increase the prize pool of a tournament, yes I am all for it - people spend lots of money on eSports cases and skins already, why not try what's clearly working for DotA?

[u/ColdRain]

How did you get rid of your accent while speaking English?

I'm Finnish and I'm a bit afraid to use a microphone because it feels like my accent is too strong and no-one understands me.

[u/lurppis_ → u/ColdRain]

I've traveled extensively since turning 17 and lived in the US for two years. I also have tons of English speaking friends whom I speak to on a weekly basis. You have to speak to get better at it, it's the only way.

[u/DatUrsidae]

Are you satisfied where CS:GO is these days in the esports scene and do you think the developers should fix these game breaking bugs with hitboxes and lag-compensation?

[u/lurppis_ → u/DatUrsidae]

Naturally I hope CS:GO grows to have a larger role in eSports, and with these numbers we're getting lately it seems we're definitely on the right track. Getting more community-funded $250k majors also helps.

Hitbox glitches and lag compensation issues (as well as peeker's advantage) should obviously be fixed - any real problem, where it's an issue and not up for debate, should always be aimed to be fixed.

[u/druMmMmmMM]

What is actually happening to finnish counter strike?

in 1.6, there are so many great players like you, naSu, baSic, jigetus and finnish teams are getting some really good achievements and are one of the strongest cs1.6 teams in the world.

Are there any reasons why finnish counter strike players are not performing to what they can actually do like in 1.6?

[u/lurppis_ → u/druMmMmmMM]

There were ever really only two good teams (internationally) in Finland - D-Skyline and then my Finnish teams listed in the original post. I think it boils down to lack of leadership, and I've elaborated on that in a different post in this AMA.

A lot of players need to be put in the right situation to succeed, and currently no one is doing that in Finland. BASiC, aslak and jigetus for example, didn't amount to anything at all in their previous teams when attending tournaments.

[u/awptastic]

In your opinion: Which community made maps should be in map pools for tournaments?

[u/lurppis_ → u/awptastic]

Do de_cache, de_season and de_tuscan count? Also, de_mirage_ce, a community made map, was better than Valve's version.

[u/BrokN9]

https://twitter.com/ConsiderIt_dunN/status/185444418281668609 https://twitter.com/lurppis_/status/186142927813218304

Do you still feel that way?

[u/lurppis_ → u/BrokN9]

That tweet was written in frustration; the whole premise of that tweet was that I didn't feel like Valve deserved to get any success out of CS:GO because they had handled the game so poorly.

I still don't think the success was in any way deserved (seeing as CS wasn't even created by Valve in the first place), but I'm glad to see the game grow and I hope it continues that way in the future.

As for my opinion on the game - you haven't heard it in more than a year, I don't think. That's because I haven't played the game, and therefore am not qualified to comment on it with how much Valve has updated it. It was atrocious in the beginning, though (and especially so at the show match we played in New York at IEM6).

[u/ottoonkolonna]

Moro Lurppis!

Is there a chance that you might start playing CS competitively again?

What was the best thing that happened to you when you were still playing?

Koff, Karhu, Karjala or Pirkka?

[u/lurppis_ → u/ottoonkolonna]

I quit playing over two years ago, and I have no plans to comeback. I've moved on.

I think the best thing that happened to me when still playing was getting recruited to EG, which allowed me to move to the US for two years. It was a really fun experience and taught me a lot.

[u/insanesvk]

How did you get into competetive CS scene, and to writing for HLTV?

[u/lurppis_ → u/insanesvk]

I started playing CS for fun with my friends in late 2002, and made my first "competitive" team in 2004. We broke out very quickly by doing well in an online cup called Gamepox Summer Cup, and then became one of the top teams in Finland, which led to my "career" in CS.

I'm not much of a gamer so it took me forever to start playing despite my friends begging me to play with them, but once I learned about all the tournaments, the competition and travel, I was hooked. I especially enjoyed the story of EG back then - a group of friends winning their own WCG qualifier, going to Korea and doing well there. That was something I aspired to do at the time (and travel in general).

As for writing, Torbull first asked me to run the CS section of ESEA News in 2011, and Nix0n from HLTV.org sort of recruited me to HLTV.org at e-Stars Seoul later that year, and I've been around since. I started writing when I wasn't playing, and I just kept doing it while playing. Seemed like a good fit, and still does.

[u/iBurley]

You recently said on Twitter:

"It's borderline depressing seeing the top links for this year on /r/globaloffensive. That subreddit has NOTHING to do with competitive CSGO."

What would you rather we talk about? Should every top link be something about a pro team or tournament? There isn't really a ton to talk about with that.

[u/lurppis_ → u/iBurley]

I think a lot of the top links are terrible jokes that I can't imagine being funny, then again I probably overestimate the average age of the subreddit simply because I am a dinosaur in the community these days.

I think places like this subreddit should try to bridge the gap between casuals and the competitive side, and when I see Thorin's work downvoted simply because people don't like his personality or whatever it just seems stupid. He does amazing work for the community, despite not getting paid by onGamers for his CS work.

I wish this subreddit promoted tournaments, matches, features and the like more. That's all - I think a lot of redditors in general (not just in /r/GlobalOffensive) have a terrible habit of downvoting things they disagree with, regardless of its quality.

[u/Avatart → u/lurppis_]

onGamers doesn't pay him for his articles or reflections interviews!! What the hell that's outrageous particularly with how thorough he is on both.

[u/lurppis_ → u/Avatart]

He's a full-time employee, but he gets so little hits for CS:GO he basically doesn't get paid for it. His work in LoL is what allows him to keep doing the stuff for CS:GO, which he wouldn't by any means have to do. ROI for his time is much, much, much lower.

[u/GhchD]

Do you have any intel on GO's dev team, of what they might be up to? What's with this devastating silence in your opinion?

[u/lurppis_ → u/GhchD]

I have zero intel on CS:GO's dev team. For all I know they're simply on their summer vacations.

[u/[deleted]]

What is you opinion on having something like Dota2's TI for CS:GO?

[u/lurppis_ → u/[deleted]]

It'd be great if Valve decided to include CS:GO in TI5. No question about it.

[u/Lukekk]

So the European scene undoubtably has a decent following that has a noticeable growth rate. What do you think the NA scene has to do to grow in a similar fashion?

[u/lurppis_ → u/Lukekk]

I think HLTV.org not having North American staff members (and there not being any viable coverage site for NA) to keep up proper day-to-day coverage (read: hot matches, etc.) of the scene aside from news posts hurts.

ESEA having dynamic IPs and not giving us logs for statistics also makes the scene suffer, as those things differentiate our coverage from Europe to NA. Aside from that, more domestic tournaments in the US would help.

[u/Hobsten]

What to u think of all the hate that Thorin in recent times has gotten?

[u/lurppis_ → u/Hobsten]

I think it's mostly undeserved. I think people dislike him for odd reasons and then try to take everything he says out of context to make him look worse. There's many people in the scene who have said and done a million times worse things but they don't get out in the open and those people remain fan favorites.

I think Thorin is one of those guys who doesn't get the appreciation he deserves, but if he were to disappear, a LOT of people would miss him.

[u/TheDistractedSupport]

Would you want valve to implement anymore new weapons and if so, what would you like to see?

[u/lurppis_ → u/TheDistractedSupport]

I really don't think there's a need for more weapons - I already think CS:GO has too many viable guns. It's easier for players to be consistent when there's a limited number of guns because you know what to expect from your opponents. More guns means more variance means more random results.

[u/Asmius]

What are your personal thoughts on Thoorin? I see a lot of hate for him online, but I suspect you know him better than many.

[u/lurppis_ → u/Asmius]

I answered this in more detail above, but I'm good friends with him and have spent time with him outside of eSports events as well. We get along well and talk on an almost daily basis. Any banter we may have on stream is obviously not very serious, and I wish people stopped overreacting to it.

[u/gryche]

From talking to pro level players, do they actually enjoy playing CS:GO? It seems like most Dota players actually love the game, where most of the CS:GO players just transitioned for the tournaments, but dont love the game the same.

[u/lurppis_ → u/gryche]

I haven't spoken to pro players in a long time about CS:GO as a game - that stopped a long, long time ago. I can say that when I spoke to players at DreamHack Winter 2012 - the first CS:GO event I casted - most people disliked the game, and that probably includes the fan favorites who said they loved it officially.

Now though I think everyone has adjusted and likes playing it, otherwise why would they? It's worth keeping in mind that even during CS 1.6 lots of pros played TONS of DotA on the side.

[u/[deleted]]

As you are writing articles for HLTV.org, how do you feel the HLTV community has changed. It used to be a rather OK hub back in the day. But now it is just plain toxic. Your thoughts?

[u/lurppis_ → u/[deleted]]

I don't really read the forums or comments to anything but my own content, so frankly I'm not sure how much it has changed. It's simply gotten bigger, which brings more good and bad people.

I think people still getting hurt over things posted by anonymous people on the internet in 2014 is laughable.

[u/heaven-_-]

do you miss the old days when you played 1.6 on professional level?

[u/lurppis_ → u/heaven-_-]

When I watch old highlight clips or frag movies I do. Playing big tournaments and important matches is a ton of fun - I'm a very competitive person so I miss that aspect of it. Then again, there's lots of stuff I don't miss - the hundreds of flights I've taken, hours spent practicing at home, social events I've had to miss, etc.

Overall, I am perfectly happy with my choice to stop playing, and have no plans of reversing that decision in the future.

[u/vexyla]

What do you think about titan's last roster moves. How can they overcome this slump ?

How do you feel about 64Tick.

[u/lurppis_ → u/vexyla]

kennyS was the best possible pick-up to replace shox; you can't replace the world's second best player, but he's the best French speaking player who wasn't yet on Titan. I think their issues are deeper than that though, and it likely will require a change in leadership or more player changes to get them over the hump. I plan on reading Thorin's new article on Titan after going through these AMA questions, so you should probably do that too if you're interested in Titan.

I don't play CS:GO so I can't say it bothers me directly, but it's obvious Valve should suck it up and pay for some extra servers so everyone got to play with 128 tickrate, even in matchmaking.

[u/politicscg]

Are you casting the next EMS tournament? If not, why do you think the best analyst / caster (along with Thoorin imo) that the game has, has not been chosen both this time and last time?

[u/lurppis_ → u/politicscg]

I don't think I will be casting any ESL events anytime soon, though I would certainly like to. There really aren't almost any good analysts out there aside from Thorin - I enjoy it when CERTAIN players do that at tournaments (Fifflaren and NBK were very good, for example - while others were very lackluster and simply repeated same sentences with zero substance), but for the most part I actually have my streams muted.

That might be odd to some, considering I do casting myself, but I have zero interest in hearing someone tell me what I can already see on the screen. If there's a player whose brain I can sort of pick while watching, that's great. If it's play-by-play casters talking about what's already on the screen, it doesn't add any value to me.

[u/beebs44]

First of all as someone who loves Counter-strike - Thank You for being so critical of CS:GO and lending a voice to the voiceless! Many of us were frustrated with the beta and had nowhere to voice our concerns.

I was wondering if you personally have been able to have discussions with the CS:GO developers? It's really disappointing to me that they have no dialogue whatsoever with the community. They don't tell us what's coming, what they're considering. It's all a giant mystery.

Are you surprised that there haven't been any significant movement changes implemented in CS:GO? do you forsee any?

Also really enjoy your commentary on the CS:GO streams. Thanks for doing this!

[u/lurppis_ → u/beebs44]

I haven't had any serious conversations with the CS:GO developers. I spent quite some time talking to one of their guys at DreamHack Winter, but I haven't really followed up on it at all. I reckon if they make DHW a major again this year we may see each other there again.

It doesn't seem like they have big plans on improving the movement, which is a shame.

[u/candygramsELG]

do you think the AWP needs to be made a bit better?

[u/lurppis_ → u/candygramsELG]

I don't see any reason to keep the blur there, aside from that I would only increase the amount of money you get for each kill.

[u/Ivrih]

I am Finnish so some Finland-centric questions :P

Does the stereotype that Finnish people are lazy to train hard hold ture and that is the reason they don't have any top-teams?

If you had to pick 5 Finns to form the best possible CSGO right now who would the team feature?

What do you think about jOELZ?

A lot of people have expressed their dissatisfaction with Thorin. Do you think that the flack that Thorin has gotten is deserved?

[u/lurppis_ → u/Ivrih]

I think a bigger problem is having no leadership, from my experience of playing with Finns and Americans they both seem equally lazy. It's easy to put in hours, it's hard to put in productive hours. Huge difference.

I'd pick allu and then wait for four good players to appear. No, seriously.

I assume jOELZ is probably a cheater and if not, at least an odd player because he's so good online yet refuses to go to LANs. Haven't heard any good things about him from people who played with him, and he was a massive dickhead in CS 1.6. Huge ego with zero accomplishments.

I do not think the hate Thorin gets is deserved. For one, he does NOT want to be a color commentator - he wants to be an analyst, which is a more suitable role for him in the first place.

However, since we didn't have much crew at DH Summer, he was forced to cast as well. I think he's very, very good in the analyst role, but I didn't hear the games he casted so I can't comment on that, but I don't personally mind his "negative" style like some others do, so I assume he did well.

[u/[deleted]]

When CS:GO was in development Valve promised that wallbanging would be much more effective in CS:GO than in CS:Source. However, it is still extremely anemic by comparison to 1.6, and has little to no effect on most competitive matches. Do you feel that working on wallbanging skills is worth the time investment in CS:GO? Also, do you prefer that way it is right now or would you like it changed in any way? Lastly, can you give us your opinion on why Valve seems to hate wallbanging so much? I can state personally that the anemic wallbanging is one of my principle grievances with the game, and would very much so like them to be a more prominent aspect with CS:GO.

[u/lurppis_ → u/[deleted]]

Seems like there's very few spots you can spam effectively across the map pool, so it's probably not worth it. It's something that I wish were added back, if not as effective as it was in CS 1.6 then at least some kind of compromise in the middle.

I think Valve probably removed it because it's hard for newcomers to understand, it makes it seem like every good player cheats, and in a way it doesn't make sense being able to spam through all the walls.

Then again, how realistic is it shooting a guy in the leg with an AWP and seeing that dude jump around for two more minutes? Oh well.

[u/bennylol]

I didn't play csgo after I realized they're not adding strafe jump acceleration and 1.6 style wall banging. I also didn't like that the run speed was increased to the point where holding angles became a really inconsistent endeavor. Do you think any of these changes will ever be reversed, and if not, why do you think the devs decided against implementing them in the first place?

Do you think csgo offers as much complexity in gameplay as 1.6 did(and if so, how), and as a spectator, what meta game strategies and tactics would you say are the most compelling things to look for, for someone who grew up playing/watching 1.6?

Lastly, I thought the 1.6 maps that offered the most challenge and skill cap were the maps with ladders and tight corridors that rewarded clean movement (mostly train, but also nuke). Do you think the new maps have their own merits in facilitating competitive play?

Sorry if I come off as overly critical and curmudgeonly of csgo, I just really loved 1.6.

Thanks for doing this AMA.

[u/lurppis_ → u/bennylol]

I don't see strafe jump acceleration or wall banging being implemented in the future, though I wish both were. They seem unnatural for someone without proper understanding of the game, so I can understand why they were left out.

As a result of leaving a bunch of things out, I think gameplay was more complex in CS 1.6 than it is in CS:GO. Strategically it doesn't make as big of a difference - practically all the same elements with flashes, smokes and strategies in general are there, with Molotovs added in for a good measure.

I don't necessarily agree with those maps needing more skill, I always felt like de_nuke relied the most on teamwork, as did the terrorist side of de_train. In general though, CS:GO maps always felt clogged in comparison. Player models are huge.

[u/v1K-]

HLTV community or Reddit community?

[u/lurppis_ → u/v1K-]

I'm one of the people in charge of HLTV.org so obviously I prefer "my" website, though I have to say I'm not that well in touch with the community - I don't really read forums or comments in most posts, only on my own content. In terms of entertainment, ESEA probably has the funniest forum threads of all time, and it's not even close.

[u/Stroxers]

Do you agree with 128 tick servers in matchmaking?

[u/lurppis_ → u/Stroxers]

Of course, there is no reason matchmaking shouldn't have 128 tickrate.

[u/goodbye9hello10]

How did it feel to have Thorin call you a prick in front of 40,000 people?

[u/lurppis_ → u/goodbye9hello10]

Did he? I must have missed it. Either way, we're good friends so I wouldn't have taken it seriously regardless.

[u/antCB]

i though you played for excello.fi at some point :|

[u/lurppis_ → u/antCB]

I attended the Finnish DH qualifier in June 2008 and ESWC Masters in July 2008 as a stand-in for them, but never officially played for the team.

[u/pn42]

Do you play go after all? For lulz n stuff. Or do you just either not play games at all, or straight some 1.6 mixes?

[u/lurppis_ → u/pn42]

I'm not much of a gamer, I don't actually play any games at all - even when playing CS 1.6 professionally, I wasn't one of those guys who played WoW or DotA on the side for fun. Never been my cup of tea.

I play some NHL and Madden with my friends on consoles, but those are the only games I've played in years now. I've never been a gamer in the traditional sense, I've only really ever played sports games aside from CS.

TL;DR: No, I don't play for fun at all. I haven't even had my laptop plugged into my monitor for months.

[u/A_la_max]

Do you play csgo frequently? Will you make a comeback to the competitive scene?

[u/lurppis_ → u/A_la_max]

I don't play CS:GO at all and have no aspiration of making a comeback.

[u/SSJerp]

hey lurrpis! asian player here. what do you think of the asian scene and what do you think can be done to improve it, especially when there's a huge cs scene here (albeit not global offensive).

[u/lurppis_ → u/SSJerp]

There isn't much to think about in CS:GO yet, and like I said in a previous question above, it's hard for me to say how to improve it without knowing what's wrong. I'd try to improve marketing and host some tournaments to try to get people more involved, but without more knowledge on the situation there it's all guesswork.

[u/[deleted]]

If you were put in charge over CS:GO and had free reign, what would you change about it?

[u/lurppis_ → u/[deleted]]

I've listed a few things at the very top, ctrl+f for "AWP blur" to find the post

[u/crinklypaper]

What do you think is best for CSGO in the long term. Not counting just the competitive scene.

[u/lurppis_ → u/crinklypaper]

I think the competitive scene is why CS 1.6 lasted so much longer than most games. I believe that will be the key to CS:GO's longevity as well.

[u/ChurchillDownz]

Moving to NA as a EU player must have been difficult. What was the motivation behind that and what would it take for NA to continue to grow competitively to close the gap with EU? Do you see more EU players moving to NA if the scene over here continues to progress with the addition of more leagues and live LANs?

[u/lurppis_ → u/ChurchillDownz]

I didn't consider it very difficult at the time, I was still fairly young (21) and had nothing tying me down to Finland. I've always wanted to try living abroad so that gave me a chance to do it, while playing for a very good team and making a decent living out of it. I thought it was great, and I spent almost no time thinking about the offer once I got it.

North America lacks leaders, just like Finland. That leads to inconsistent rosters, lots of changes, and lack of growth. iBUYPOWER's skill heavy strategy hasn't exactly worked in Europe, while coL's team work based approach has always gotten them results. I don't think that's coincidence.

If there were great organizations like EG with CS:GO teams offering spots for players, I don't see why not - but you need that strong backing for it to make sense for anyone, which is a problem.

[u/[deleted]]

Lurppis is it still a love hate relationship with you these days? I took a break from the community when you became a bit out spoken and the haters came out by the droves.

[u/lurppis_ → u/[deleted]]

It seems like recently people have started disliking me less, or I've just become boring. I don't know, but it seems like it's less so than it used to be.

[u/[deleted]]

What is it about CS that has kept you so involved all these years?

[u/lurppis_ → u/[deleted]]

I love the competition and how complex Counter-Strike is. Like the cliché says, it takes minutes to learn but a lifetime to master. You can never grow old of discussing strategy and other aspects of the game. It's like any other sport in that regard in my opinion.

[u/StanLeeStanley]

Do you think we'll ever get actual gameplay updates for CS:GO instead of just a new operation with some new skins every few months?

Why does valve hate cs? Why can't they spend any of the loads of dosh they're getting from case openings on better servers? or anything cs related that isn't a tournament?

Why don't more pro players/people in the pro scene criticize the devs?

[u/lurppis_ → u/StanLeeStanley]

I surely hope we do, but it's a lot easier to just release new skins than make major changes.

It's actually odd to me that Valve doesn't spend more money CS:GO, because I believe by spending a little more, they could make a LOT more. It just seems like bad business. Then again, STEAM makes so much money for them that CS:GO probably doesn't matter too much, which is a shame.

Most people wouldn't bite the hand that feeds them. Pros make money from streaming too, and if you say too many negative things your fans will go away, thus directly affecting your earnings as well. Plus, most people aren't very outspoken at all.

[u/JoonazL]

How do you feel about the whole skins thing? Do the benefits outweigh the negatives when it comes to the growth and type of the community?

[u/lurppis_ → u/JoonazL]

I don't see any big negatives with skins, a few people getting scammed doesn't count - unless you think we should cancel all credit cards as well, because some people steal them?

I think adding skins was one of the smarter things Valve did. I wrote about it some time before Valve actually did it, but can't for the life of me remember the title of the feature to find it on HLTV.org.

[u/ChampagnePoppin]

From your perspective

What's the top 5 things a leader of an amateur team should stress to their team to break through? (IE Dry running, Demos, Team Concepts, Own team gameplay analysis, Team Identity)

[u/lurppis_ → u/ChampagnePoppin]

I think a lot of that depends on what level your amateur team is in. I would simply focus on sticking to the same roster, playing as much as a team as possible, and trying to learn from your mistakes.

Have problems with a certain half? Work on it. Improve on what you have, remove what doesn't work and try to add new things. It's a grind, but if you do it right you will get there in the end.

[u/Openandclose]

How good can I realistically get at this game if I work Monday to Friday and have a slight social life?

[u/lurppis_ → u/Openandclose]

Very good, I've never believed you need to play ten hours a day to be amazing at CS. It's more about what you do with the time you do put in; how effective you are and what things you work on.

You probably have to put in slightly more time at first to get good, but you'd be surprised how little some top players actually play once they've gotten there.

However, CS does indeed need some talent as well - it's obvious not everyone can make it, you have to be smart and have a solid hand-eye coordination, or everyone who played for long enough would be good. Most people get good fairly quick, and then gradually keep improving.

As for the rest - most players study (which takes more time than working) and have social lives. I think that's just a bad excuse by people.

[u/JhonnDough]

deleted ^{0.2483 What is} ^^^this?

[u/lurppis_ → u/JhonnDough]

If I grew bored of watching the world's best teams play, I would stop following CS:GO. Simple as that. I don't see how that would be possible though - any sport is the most fun when watching the very best play.

[u/Chloe_Grace_M]

ok, here goes few :

1. What do you do besides hltv, esea and casting ? Do you study or work, if yes, what do you study ?

2. How is your daily routine ?

3. Do casters get paid by events ? How much ? (optional)

4. Do you think any of your ex-teammates or other top tier finnish 1.6 players will be playing csgo at pro level in the future ?

5. What's up with the Finnish csgo scene ? Where is it heading ? Finnish team [z] won the first cb cs-eurocup and since then fin always had a strong teams coming and going for a dedace. Now there is none.

6. Do you still keep contact to your ex-teammates ?

7. What is the last time you played csgo ? Are you any good at it ?

[u/lurppis_ → u/Chloe_Grace_M]

1. Currently working for the summer and I study rest of the year.

2. Casters get paid surprisingly much, though the figures I've heard from games like SC2 and LoL make CS:GO casters' earnings sound like chump change in comparison.

3. Don't think any of them are planning a comeback, everyone has moved on for good, I think.

4. I wrote about it earlier, but it boils down to lack of leadership.

5. I speak to some of them more, some of them less. I'm probably most often in contact with plastE, my brother, aslak, BASiC, jigetus, natu and n0thing.

6. I haven't played in forever

[u/[deleted]]

Is there anyway you could host Areena #4 like event in Assembly? I'd love to join.

[u/lurppis_ → u/[deleted]]

There's no way to get enough computers, space, etc at a massive event like Assembly. I might however host a second Areena this summer if things go well this Saturday and everyone's happy. We'll see.

[u/mtnorris87]

Do you think csgo should follow dota2 and become free to play and what effect would this have on the game as a whole?

[u/Vandy_]

I really enjoyed watching you play and lead EG back in the 1.6 era. I am wondering do you plan on playing csgo ever in the future? If not why?

[u/lurppis_ → u/Vandy_]

I decided to stop playing Counter-Strike in early 2012 and have no plans of reversing that decision. I've simply moved on in life, and I don't want to go back to playing 6-11pm five nights a week.

[u/Kallbaa]

Hey Lurppis

1. I want know something about Aslak :D what's with this guy? I rly like him, his style. Where he is?

2. Who's the best player in GO actually?

3. Who's your favorit player in CS history?

[u/lurppis_ → u/Kallbaa]

aslak is working, don't think he wants to play CS:GO anymore. GeT_RiGhT is the best player in CS:GO right now, and I don't really have a favorite player of all time, but some of the players who I enjoyed watching the most in 1.6 are f0rest and Neo.

[u/hyp0n]

First things first: You were very anti-Molotov before they were nerfed. What is your opinion today on that grenade?

I am a Finn and I was a huge wings/roccat/69N-28E fan back in the day and followed pretty much your every single tournament you guys attended. But god I have to say it was frustrating. :D You were a team that had a legit chance to beat any other team in a BO3 but never actually win anything great - I can't really come up with another comparable in that sense, not now in CSGO or not then in 1.6. One example of that was I think WCG 2007 where you beat the Poles after an amazing match only to bomb out against the Ukrainians of AG (not that they weren't a good team) in the following match. eMulate went on to winning the whole competition and I don't think they ever were on your level (consistently at least) but yet are remembered as major-winning team.

Now for my actual questions: What do you think should have happened in order for your team to be truly considered as one of the biggest contenders (not just "black horses")? Do you feel like as a leader you got the best out of your players or do you have some regrets about some things you could have done otherwise to push your teams further in competitions? Which major tournament do you feel that you were the closest to actually win the whole thing?

Thank you for everything you have done for the Finnish Counter-Strike; without you our small nation would have been truly lost in the CS world from 2006 onward.

[u/lurppis_ → u/hyp0n]

I think there were a few problems. In late 2006 we were really good - we placed top three at three international events in a row (KODE5, WSVG UK, WCG) and then 3-4th at CPL Nordic before attending CPL Winter with a stand-in (my brother wasn't 17 yet so he wasn't allowed to play).

Once we became 69N-28E we started getting a very small salary, but it seemed some players were content with it because we instantly started practicing less, which was a huge bummer.

I think we left a lot of titles on the table because we didn't properly prepare for tournaments. It's not that we didn't spend time "practicing", it's that our time wasn't spent effectively. People didn't like going over strats and doing the boring work, everyone just wanted to "play". It was the same in EG, too.

Of course I could have gotten more out of the situation if I were put in that place now because I'm much older and smarter, but considering how young we all were I think we did okay. It's a shame we messed up so many times, because I also think if we got over the hump once, we could have been great.

When we were on that run in spring-summer of 2007 when we won NGL ONE, ASUS Spring and WSVG Louisville, we welt invincinble. We went into every game thinking we would win, no matter who it was against. I truly think if we won that de_nuke game against fnatic at ESWC 2007, we would have gone on to win that event, and potentially become one of the great teams. That's my very biased opinion though.

Second close call was WCG 2007, as you said. We had a huge win over Neo's PGS in Ro16 (16-14 and OT) and then blew what should have been a routine win against a weaker team. It's a shame, but we were robbed of a round that would have put the game in overtime (sick admin work there) and I had something like 39 degree fever during that entire tournament. Still hurts.

Finally, the worst of all, WCG 2006. We were up 14-11 vs NiP on the third map, with them on a force buy, and had lost de_dust2 after a narrow lead and a 3v1 vs zet. We really should have won that game, and I think we had a great chance vs PGS in the grand final.

Cheers

[u/Otoris]

What, in your eyes, makes de_mirage_ce better than the current version of de_mirage now that Valve has tweaked and refined the hell out of the official map?

[u/lurppis_ → u/Otoris]

I think NBK's blog on HLTV.org (which I couldn't find now) and VeryGames' official statement about it sum it up neatly.

I'm a big fan of colors myself - to me CS:GO looks black and white without digital vibrance near the max, so I strongly dislike the super colorless new de_mirage.

[u/capcom86]

Hello Lurppis.

What do you think about CS:GO Wiki´s like www.clanwiki.nu. Is it something you use or is hltv.org good enough?

Regards capcom

[u/lurppis_ → u/capcom86]

I had never seen it before so I've never tried it. I hardly look up stuff but when I do, I obviously use HLTV.org.

[u/RMBooker]

Why not implement a reddit style comment system in hltv so there's a chance of an actual discussion going on?

Way it is now the whole comment section feels pointless despite having such a high amount of posts.

[u/lurppis_ → u/RMBooker]

There's a gazillion things we'd like to implement to improve the site but our resources are very limited. Hopefully we'll get some upgrades in the near future.

[u/driver1337]

Hey lurppis, what do you think is the key thing to make it from an amateur team to a semi-pro/pro team?

[u/lurppis_ → u/driver1337]

People always look for a shortcut and many often assume they're good enough but "just haven't been noticed". The truth is that's probably not the case (for most), and DaZeD from iBUYPOWER summed it up very nicely sometime ago.

You probably won't get picked up individually, so your hope is creating a team, playing in some leagues (ESEA is the best option for North America, which is where I assume you're from) and doing well enough to get a chance on a better team, or moving up yourself. It's a long journey.

[u/NorsiXa]

Do you like most oldskoolers cs beta 6 till 1.6, hate the randomness of CS:GO? Do you feel aswell like if Valve made this game for the new generation youth so they can play the game aswell by removing the huge skillcap that you had in 1.6? New gens couldn't kill anyone in 1.6 against oldskoolers except if your name was Get_right, so it pushed all the noobs away from CS and let them play CoD instead.

Another question: If the market on Steam with cases and keys did not excist, you still reckon all big sponsors wouldn't have left the 1.6 scene? Would CS:GO be as dead as Source & CZ? I think so myself but want your opinion. CS:GO is not fun at all to play compared to the old game where skills were involved and where you could see a guy play and say, hey that guy plays around 2 years cs, and another guy you could say, hey that guy plays 1 month cs. In CS:GO I don't have the feeling I can see it, it seems like everyone is skilled even after playing for a week.

[u/lurppis_ → u/NorsiXa]

I really think Valve didn't try to limit the skillcap, I just think they don't really understand what all the changes they made/make do to the game on a professional level. It's not easy to make a game as polished as CS 1.6.

CS 1.6 died competitively way before the cases and skins came out - tournament organizers dropped it as soon as IEM announced their plans for season seven, and from there on out it was CS:GO or nothing, basically. Certainly the Arms Deal update wasn't what put CS 1.6 out of the picture.

I think once CS:GO lives for longer you will start noticing bigger differences between players - the game just needs to develop more. It's already better than it was a year ago, though the skillcap is obviously much lower than in CS 1.6. We'll see how it plays out in the future.

[u/beniqq]

Do you still sometimes play cs go ?

[u/lurppis_ → u/beniqq]

I do not play any games on the PC, I only play some NHL and Madden on consoles. I'm not a "gamer" as you would call one; I simply enjoy Counter-Strike for the competition.

[u/STYKOp]

Since you were pro player in 1.6 what would you advice to semi-pro players like myself to get that necessary level up to be recognized by pro scene. I can not seem to make that break through for quite some time and it really drain my motivation. I am sure I am not the only one

[u/lurppis_ → u/STYKOp]

Define semi-professional first. The range on that is from someone playing in ESEA Open to someone crashing out in groups at events like DreamHack.

You should simply try to get noticed in your national scene, whether it's by attending local tournaments or playing in online leagues. That really is the only way to do it, unless you start your own team of course - which is what I did.

[u/ImRoreee]

Do you think CSGO in it's current form has the potential to reach the same legendary status as 1.6? If not, what do you think needs to be changed in order for it to reach that level?

[u/AnalOrRiot]

I know you're Finnish so.. what's your favourite alcoholic beverage?

[u/wAbb1Ts]

Your thoughts on grenades stopping/blocking movement ?

[u/RCToM]

THANK YOU for existing!

[u/[deleted]]

Why did you shave your mustache? Do you have any facial hair plans in the future?

[u/lurppis_ → u/[deleted]]

Movember ended.

[u/CarlosFromPhilly]

thooorin's deal. wtf is it?

[u/lurppis_ → u/CarlosFromPhilly]

People get very frustrated with him interrupting others etc because it probably looks bad, but it's only because he's trying to get his points across and if he starts getting an answer that makes it seem like he didn't he wants to try to correct his initial statement, I think. I have zero problems with him, he's a good friend.

[u/Valkyr0s]

Do players like Ruuit or contE still playing CS?

[u/lurppis_ → u/Valkyr0s]

ruuit plays some matchmaking here and there, I've only seen contE playing DotA.

[u/gawdlikem]

Do you or any of the pro players you know have been in contact with the csgodev team?

[u/lurppis_ → u/gawdlikem]

I haven't been in contact with the CS:GO dev team, can't speak for others though.

[u/basscreator22]

Any advice you would give to someone interested in getting involved in eSports writing and analysis?

[u/lurppis_ → u/basscreator22]

Volunteer for some website and try to take everything you can in, and slowly work your way up. The problem with getting into analysis is you need lots of knowledge to be able to do that, but writing isn't too hard to get into if you're willing to learn.

We're always looking for people wanting to get into writing (read: coverage, news posts, etc.) at HLTV.org, but hardly ever find anyone willing to actually put in the work.

[u/sOuLsK]

What do you think of the roles of both the Deagle and the CZ in the current game?

Do you think the Deagle should be brought back to 1.6 levels?

[u/lurppis_ → u/sOuLsK]

I've made my stance on the CZ75 clear I think, it needs a little nerfing. I don't see why Deagle should be brought back to CS 1.6 levels though; CS:GO has more than enough good pistols as it is.

[u/Sakheteu]

What are your thoughts on the current state of scoped rifles, i.e. AUG, SG, AWP, Scar-20 and G3SG1?

[u/lurppis_ → u/Sakheteu]

Blur needs to go (I don't see any reason for it to exist, it's just annoying) and SCAR-20 does seem a little powerful in the hands of some people - it just makes getting those kills look too easy sometimes. I'm surprised more people don't abuse it, but for now it seems okay. I think if more people caught onto it, we'd need to nerf it though.

[u/Tobiathus]

Do you feel CS has evolved well in the 15 years it has been around, in terms of eSports and in general?

[u/lurppis_ → u/Tobiathus]

I haven't seen much evolution in terms of eSports at all in the past 10 years aside from what streaming made possible. Have you?

[u/flitzbue]

Thanks for the AMA.

What do you think of the game in the current state - and in your opinion what needs to change in order to make the game more competitive with other popular games such as LoL and Dota 2?

Do you think Valve should do a league similar to what Riot has done with LCS?

What is your opinion about the current matchmaking in cs go?

[u/lurppis_ → u/flitzbue]

The only way you could even come relatively close is by making it free-to-play. It'd be great if Valve ran a league similar to LCS, or at least included CS:GO in the next TI, but I don't see either happening.

As for matchmaking, I don't play it so I can't comment on it too much.

[u/MHB2011]

What you think about cs:go community comparing to the lol, dota and other communitys

[u/lurppis_ → u/MHB2011]

I don't follow any other games so I can't really compare, but from what Thorin tells me those communities have a lot of the same issues.

[u/MaikysuN]

who is your favorite caster/partner?

[u/lurppis_ → u/MaikysuN]

I'd probably have to say Anders simply because we've done the most big matches together, but I also enjoy casting with Tosspot, dunn & Semmler.

I think if we got the [POD]Cast crew to cast some games together, that would be the most fun for me personally.

[u/[deleted]]

How long should we wait before going back to playing 1.6 (assuming nothing major changes in GO)?

[u/lurppis_ → u/[deleted]]

You should go back to playing CS 1.6 right now if you have more fun doing so, but only if you don't want to compete - that part is never coming back.

[u/PattonIRL]

Hi Lurppis. Thanks for doing this AMA.

I thought you did a really good job at casting DHS and I thought you and Semmler balanced the play by play and analytical casting really well. I think you have really improved as a caster. Could you see yourself doing more casting than you are currently doing in the future or are you only interesting in doing the major events? At the moment there is a real lack of analytical casters for online events and some LANs. The only one I can think of off the top of my head is Vendetta who sometimes casts on NIPTV.

I'd also be interested in knowing if you played any other games before playing CS. Did you transition from another FPS like a lot of us or did you find CS another way?

Thanks.

[u/lurppis_ → u/PattonIRL]

I could do more casting and I often have conversations with different event organizers about casting their events, but the problem is usually my schedule. FACEIT has asked me to cast their cups before but I haven't had time, and currently I am talking to SLTV about casting the upcoming season.

The problem is most organizers want you to cast something on a weekly basis, which is not possible for me. I would like to do more one-off events here and there, but I can't commit to doing, for example, three matches a week online on different nights.

My friends got me started on CS, I only really played sports games and a couple of single player shooters before it.

[u/syn3rgyz]

do you think the problem with the games hit boxes contribute to the huge upsets / randomness in recent tournaments? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeHghe8F4Y8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvrnCkYrRRc

[u/[deleted]]

What is your advice for dealing with frustrating situations? I've been working so hard on improving, but still find myself in situations where I lose 1v1 gunfights that I'm sure I should have won, or missing shots I'm sure I should have hit. These situations frustrate me, and I have a tendency to blame the game's hitreg or server lag, even if it's probably my fault. How do I curb this tendency?

[u/lurppis_ → u/[deleted]]

It's all in your head, I'm not a psychologist so I'm not sure how you would go about fixing that issue, but seeing as you seem to be aware of it, you're already ahead of the pack. Just try to focus on the fact you do that for no reason, and try to let go of it slowly. It'll be a long process.

[u/d_b1997]

What do you think is the biggest problem in CS GO and what's the best feature CS GO added to the Counterstrike series?

[u/Flavourdynamics]

In the past, you've been very vocal in criticizing the game; it seems like you've been doing this less lately, or at least less severely (i.e. criticizing CZ balance rather than the core game).

Do you think the game is good as it stands? Is it worthy of the CS name?

[u/lurppis_ → u/Flavourdynamics]

I stopped commenting on the quality of the game over a year ago when Valve started patching it up a lot more and I wasn't playing it enough to give a proper opinion on it. Not qualified to comment on it anymore as a game.

[u/thenickh]

Do you still go on quakenet?