How to Manage Maps and Map Rotation on Your CS 1.6 Server
Set up your map rotation, add custom maps, change maps via console, and get RockTheVote working so players can drive map changes themselves.
Map Files
Every map is a .bsp file stored in cstrike/maps/. The default CS 1.6 install ships with the classic maps already there — de_dust2.bsp, de_inferno.bsp, cs_office.bsp, and so on. Custom maps follow the same format: get the .bsp file and drop it in that directory.
Setting Up the Map Rotation
The map cycle file lives at cstrike/mapcycle.txt. One map name per line, no .bsp extension:
de_dust2
de_inferno
de_nuke
de_train
cs_office
de_mirage
de_cbble
de_aztec
The server cycles through this list in order. When the last map ends, it loops back to the first.
The map rotation triggers based on mp_timelimit (time limit in minutes) and/or mp_maxrounds (round count). Set one or both in server.cfg:
mp_timelimit 25
mp_maxrounds 0
With the above, the map changes after 25 minutes regardless of round count.
Changing the Map via Console
Immediate change (ends the current round and switches):
changelevel de_dust2
Via RCON:
rcon changelevel de_dust2
AMX Map Commands
With AMX Mod X installed, admins get nicer map control:
amx_map de_dust2
amx_map waits for the current round to end before switching — cleaner than changelevel which cuts the round off immediately.
amx_votemap de_dust2 de_inferno de_nuke
Starts a player vote with up to five map choices. The winner switches at round end.
RockTheVote (RTV)
RTV lets players start a map vote themselves by typing rtv in chat. It's the single most-requested feature on public servers and keeps the player base happy when a map overstays its welcome.
Install it:
- Download
rockthevote.amxx— it ships with the AMX Mod X CS addon package you already installed, or grab it from the AMX forums. - The file goes in
cstrike/addons/amxmodx/plugins/. - Add this line to
cstrike/addons/amxmodx/configs/plugins.ini:
rockthevote.amxx
- Restart the server.
Players type rtv or rockthevote in chat. Once enough players vote (default: 60% of the server), a map vote starts automatically.
Adding Custom Maps
- Place the
.bspfile incstrike/maps/. - Add the map name to
mapcycle.txt. - Create a
.resfile for the map listing all assets clients need to download (optional but important — without it, clients won't auto-download custom sounds or models).
Without FastDL, players download custom maps through the game protocol at roughly 30 KB/s — slow enough that most players disconnect before it finishes. Set up FastDL if you run any custom maps. See the FastDL setup guide.
Validating Maps
If a map crashes the server on load, the .bsp is either corrupt or compiled for a different version. Test it in single-player first. You can also check if the file size seems reasonable — most CS 1.6 maps are 1–10 MB.