One big game play change being introduced in TI is the appearance of hostages. Expect active civilians within the map that run around, react to events happening around them (bullets flying by), getting in the way, and being used by terrorists as human shields. Another element is introducing dogs -- not little Chihuahuas that the civilians carry but big dogs, German Shepherds or Rottweilers that players can command. The demonstration I saw had Minh order a dog to attack a terrorist. The dog quickly ran to the terrorist, jumped up, and attached itself to his arm. A split second later, Minh dropped the terrorist with a few quick shots.

Other issues that posed problems early-on in Counter-Strike are also addressed, specifically snipers, camping, and waiting. "I hated how powerful snipers were in Counter-Strike," said Minh. "They really unbalanced the game." With players camping at sniping points around the map, Minh remembers playing and watching games that took way too long, especially for players who died early and had to watch from the sidelines. TI resolves the waiting issue in a simple manner: make the rounds faster. "I wanted to make TI faster so people aren't waiting around as much between rounds," explained Minh. "The average round should be two minutes, maybe less, so people aren't waiting around as much." I have to agree; one of the most frustrating things in the world is watching other people play while you're stuck on the sidelines. Quicker rounds means more playing time. More playing time means more fun. It also equates to me getting killed more often, but hey, I'm having fun.

Hostages, bombs, and assault rifles, what could be better?