Mansion (cs_mansion) was an official hostage rescue map featured in the Counter-Strike beta. It was one of the first four maps in Beta 1.0, but it was removed in Beta 2.0 and then re-added in Beta 3.0 . It was finally removed for good in Beta 4.0 version.
Overview[]
Originally released as one of the first official Counter-Strike maps as part of Beta 1.0, this hostage rescue map centers around a two-floor mansion with a large yard, featuring only 3 hostages within the mansion. One hostage is located on the first floor in the room with a vending machine, while other two are located on the second floor, in a room connected to the dark hallway. A sewer functioned as an alternate route from the CT spawn to the backyard. CT Spawn contains monitors which can be used to spectate the interior of the house,and there is also a small hut nearby. In the house there are lots of light switches, and there is a pitch-black hallway where Terrorists can hide to ambush enemies.
Development[]
Mansion was designed by Magnus Lind. Jess Cliffe approached him a few weeks before the initial beta of Counter-Strike was released after coming across a map Magnus had designed for Team Fortress Classic. Lind visited the Counter-Strike website and thought the mod looked cool, but initially declined due to being busy with his studies. However, he quickly changed his mind and started designing the map.[1]
Screenshot from first ever Counter-Strike playtest
Notably, Mansion would be used in the first ever playtest of the mod.[2] This test was held sometime in May 1999,[3] before the first beta had even been released.
Maps for the first beta of the game were chosen in a contest type of way, where Jess Cliffe and Minh Le would judge all submitted maps and the four best maps would be included in the initial release of the mod.[4] Mansion was one of the four chosen maps and was officially released as part of the first beta in June 1999. Magnus Lind thought the decision was partly based on the fact that there were few maps to choose from,[1] but at least a bunker and a factory map had been announced on the official website neither of which were released as part of the initial beta.[3]
Despite getting included in the first beta, the map was removed when beta 2.0 was released. It would make a return in beta 3.0 with new spawns, but was once again removed by the time beta 4.0 rolled around. The reason for its removal was likely poor map design and many sniper spots/small cover possibilities for Terrorists and Counter-Terrorists respectively.
Magnus Lind was aware that the look of the map left much to be desired, but thought that the map played well. He thought that the numerous unofficial remakes that were made of the map reinforced his opinion.[1] One of these remakes, Estate, was released as an official map in beta 6.5.
Trivia[]
- Every room in the building has a switch which can be used to turn lights on and off. This was the first map to feature a switch for every room which can be used to turn lights on or off.
- There are two security cameras at the CT spawn zone. One overlooks the middle of the second floor of the mansion while the other one overlooks the front yard.
- The skybox texture is an unused skybox found in Half-Life's files.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 3DAction Counter-Strike - Interviews - Magnus Lind. Archived from the original on 2000-09-04.
- ↑ COUNTER-STRIKE: A Retrospective In Pictures; A Comedy of Errors. Archived from the original on 2001-06-03.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Counter-Strike: www.counter-strike.net - News Archive - Older News. Archived from the original on 2000-08-16.
- ↑ Counter-Strike: A Half-Life modification - Mapping Info. Archived from the original on 199-05-08.
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