Here on ‘Steam of Consciousness’, I have decided to start a segment that spotlights game modifications (for any steam game) that happen to catch my eye. I figured the best way to launch this segment with one of my favorite mods: Trouble in Terrorist Town.
This modification requires the following steam games to play:
- Counter Strike: Source
- Garry’s Mod
This Mod is great because, unlike most online shooters where mindlessly gunning down enemies for points is rewarded, randomly shooting people is penalized as the game focuses on deductive logic to determine who should be killed. The game’s concept is simple: There are a gang of terrorists that everyone plays as- but not every terrorist is faithful to the cause and could be a traitor who wants his comrades dead. The goal of non-traitor characters is to determine who the traitors are before they are killed by them and it is the traitor’s goal to use deceit and stealth to take out ‘innocent’ terrorists. Thrown into the mix is the ever-important detective who can trace DNA trails off of fresh corpses and try to find the Traitor. The result is madcap violence paired with careful logic and a surprising air of ethical concern.
This Mod is a ton of fun to play with friends and voice chat is almost necessary to have when playing because of all the double crossing and explanation that has to take place. The game could have 2 or 3 traitors on voice chat blaming you for a murder they committed- so you have to be ready to explain yourself and prove that the enemy is causing all the trouble to the other terrorists. The game’s interesting use of Counter Strike: Source plots weapons that can be picked up to kill at any time and instantly dropped so that no one can prove that you were the killer. Most maps are based off of old counter strike maps, but there is also a variety of new maps for the game including my favorite: a replica of the mansion from the movie “Clue” (with all the secret passageways and even the breaker box!) The maps, the weapons, and the team dynamic all contribute to a tense and heart-pumping situation.
It was a traitor, in the ballroom, with a rifle!
The game’s most appealing aspect is the psychology behind it- it plays on an element of fear and distancing that human beings often struggle with. Not many games put you in a place where you feel vulnerable- you can’t shoot everyone without receiving penalties and you are being watched by someone constantly. The lack of trust creates people who feel the need to group up or people who prefer to be alone because of the fact that anyone could be a traitor. The game works best when everyone gets into character and wants to get to the bottom of a ‘who-dunnit’ mystery. This game sort of reminds me of those ‘murder in the ballroom’ parties where people become a character and a story unfolds- although nobody is playing a character, people take on the idea that this could be a real situation and treat it as such. The only failure of this game comes from players who realize that it’s just a game and start randomly killing people regardless of the consequence- the random killings make the game that much more intense, but it can also ruin the game for those looking for a more authentic experience. Luckily- server overseers can boot any RDM’ing players that decide to shoot up the whole gang of terrorists. Aside from minor annoyances brought on by trollish killers who try and ruin the game, much of the community takes the experience and makes it feel like a heavy situation that unfolds as you play in each match.
Matches can take a long time- that may be my only other complaint about this otherwise awesome mod. If you get killed by a traitor within the first few minutes of a usually ten-minute game, then you find yourself just spectating the action and talking with other dead players. It can get boring spectating the match isn’t your thing- and, although there’s a minigame where you can posses objects on the map, it only proves to be fun for so long until you get very bored. Waiting for matches is worth it, though- each round guarantees a new experience with danger around every corner. Detectives find DNA, innocents follow other players around, and traitors plant bombs and off innocents. after repeated playthroughs- I never really found myself bored with the gameplay because of the new experiences and the overall feeling of improvement with logic and combat. Trouble in Terrorist Town, or TTT, is not just a shooter- it’s an interesting social experiment and game that puts brain before brawn. This mod comes highly recommended and is a blast to play with steam friends.
Traitors gonna trait.
Steam of Consciousness 