Originally Posted by Root

Yes the house could be bigger. If someone were to take the house from cs_retreat and put it into harvest, it would make for better defending potential.
Root

That right there would make this a magnificently better map. Or perhaps extending the house, making all of it a double-story (not just the front wing).

Terrorist Aspect
I cannot stand Terrorist on this map. One, I am far too restless to stand still for too long. Two, I'm a sniper-whore, and the terrorists are basically surrounded on every side by snipers. Three, there is NO cover for terrorists.

A house where you can be seen from -some- angle unless you are crouching is not cover. As it stands, there are two places of complete cover for the terrorist. One is that little brown HE-hungry shack, which is only for the stupid or the daring, and that tiny section behind the house, along the inside of the "L". But neither are close to significant.

The house needs to be more like cs_escape, with room to move and places to safely hide. And more sneaky ways for the Counter-Terrorists to extract the hostages (I have seen this done twice successfully... and failed more times because hostages apparently DON'T want to be rescued).

My suggestion for the map is to take the current house, and stretch it. Keep the same "L" shape, but add a couple more rooms, and not surround them with wall-wide windows. I could do some possible sketches if there was somebody willing to modify it, and somebody capable of doing a fluent, seamless job.

Don't get me wrong, though. I've played where terrorists have been fun... it's all in teamwork and communication.

Counter-Terrorist Aspect
On the Counter-Terrorist side, I love the map. With proper teamwork and coordination, this map is amazing. Smokes and flashbangs do wonders, and with sniper cover a successful rush to the house can be terribly satisfying. Of course, I'm a major sniper, so it's obvious I enjoy the counter-terrorist side. There are many places to snipe from (albeit with too little cover), and you can be an amazing part of the team by relaying valuable information such as terrorist locations, open areas, and protecting your allies to properly execute plans.

As I said, I've seen hostages rescued only twice successfully. There are two reasons for this. One, hostages are morons that get stuck left and right. The second reason is because it's only worked when the LAST terrorist (or in one instance, two), were off dallying around the shed or some such place. I think it was me who distracted them both times, hurling smokes and flashbangs, while cutting off their movements with sniper/pistol fire. But really, it was luck. The terrorists need but stay at/around the house, and the hostages will never be rescued.

Conclusion
Great map! The house just needs to be updated some, and the terrorists will be able to enjoy it more, too.


On a last thought... maybe something of a "cellar" to the house, with a pair of hostages moved down there. There could be a door leading down at the back of the house, at the inside that corner of the "L". There could be either one semi-large room, or an entrance-room with the hostage room deeper inside. This could give another hopefully pleasant aspect to the map, with possibly a rally point for the counter-terrorists. It would also allow the terrorists a place to safely reside, and retreat to. It would also further encourage the safe rescue of at least one pair of hostages. Thoughts?