 Good evening. Recently, I started playing Garry's Mod again, with a small group of friends on a private server. We goof off with absurd custom models and maps and generally have a blast. But in the process of organizing game sessions and coordinating add-ons, it came to my attention that some of my friends were missing models and textures because they didn't have the game Counter-Strike Source purchased and mounted. And this got me thinking. See, without assets from Counter-Strike Source mounted, playing GMod Online without running into problems is nearly impossible. Some game modes like Prop, Hunt, and Murder are often played on Counter-Strike maps, servers for Dark Rp or Sandbox often make use of Counter-Strike weapons, and custom maps often utilize Counter-Strike props and textures. So if you try to play online without these assets mounted, you're going to eventually be met with gaudy missing textures and error signs. And if it's a map you're missing, you might even get flat out booted from the server. In fact, Counter-Strike Source assets are so essential to the Garry's Mod experience that somewhere along the line the GMod team actually bothered implementing tofu versions of the player models and weapons, just to try and help the game stand on its own. While this makes trouble in Terrorist Town playable on select levels, it doesn't account for the rest of the missing textures and models that new players will have to deal with if they have any intent of playing online. Steam used to promote a bundle that included both CSS and GMod together for just 15 bucks, and I have no idea why they stopped doing this. Nowadays both games are $10 each, and while that might not seem so bad, I'm of the opinion that if it isn't sold as part of a package with GMod, CSS should just be free. Here's why. First, as established, the game's files being freely accessible would simplify life for Garry's Mod players and server owners, who would no longer have to deal with asset-related headaches. Second, the slash and cost would greatly encourage new players to pick up the game. Maybe you have a friend who's willing to dish out $10 to try Garry's Mod with you, but are they also willing to dish out another $10 for a game they're never going to play just so they can properly enjoy the first one? The game having what amounts to a hidden fee is pretty discouraging for some new players. What if you're trying to get a group of people together? The collective price of GMod for 8 people goes from $80 to $160 the second you start thinking about playing on Dust2, Office, or one of the hundreds of thousands of maps that use content from those levels. I think GMod would be a much more welcoming game if it could just stand on its own. Third, CSS being free would make it legal for people to redistribute its assets online, which would help the greater source mod and community a lot. Many early source mods, like S-Mod Tactical, also relied on Counterstrike assets, but nowadays their mounting systems are broken because of complications from the source engine being updated. If Counterstrike assets could simply be downloaded online, life would be a lot simpler for anyone trying to play or tinker around with these classic mods. Fourth, I think CSS should be free because frankly I see no reason for it not to be. Making a 15 year old game that sees maybe a couple thousand sales per year free to play would not have a notable effect on Valve's profit margins at all. This is a company that thinks in terms of billions. And even if money were a concern, the influx of GMod players you'd see in the wake of this decision would probably be enough to make up for lost revenue, since Valve also receives a hefty portion of GMod sales. Some might say that CSS going free would detract from CSGO's success, but the primary player base of source is veterans from an era gone by, so it's not at all a welcoming game for new players. If someone's trying to get into Counterstrike, they're going to go play the newer, prettier installment that has an alluring esports scene and a matchmaking mode designed to help newer players improve. And that brings me to my final point. If the newest installment of a series is completely free, why should the buggy, unsupported installment from nearly 20 years ago not be as well?