Forum > Gaming Discussion > How Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 made a Bro-liever out of me.
How Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 made a Bro-liever out of me.
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Tue, 08 Jan 2013 16:55:39
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To play only the Campaign of a Call of Duty game is like playing a Zelda game and only exploring the Overworld. You could have some fun, but you're missing the entire point. Campaign is practically a bonus mode to go along with the real star of the show: Multiplayer. If I've read correctly, they are even made by two different development teams. Black Ops 2 offers such an improved Online experience, it has even convinced me, a long-time opponent of competitive online play, it is completely worthwhile.

____________________________________

The heart and soul of multiplayer now is the Create a Class system. This system gives you Ten Points to distribute among various player items and attributes. It is structured like this:

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  • Primary Weapon
    • Attachment
    • Attachment
  • Secondary Weapon
    • Attachment
  • Perk One
  • Perk Two
  • Perk Three
  • Lethal (Grenades, etc)
  • Tactical
    • Item One
    • Item Two
  • Wildcard One
  • Wildcard Two
  • Wildcard Three

____________________________________

You use One point for choosing any of these items. Obviously, you cannot choose them all. You can, however, forgo one item to have points to spend in another. For example, you can NOT take an attachment for your secondary weapon and maybe choose to carry TWO Tactical Items rather than just one.

Perks are just that. They are Skills earned by going up in Level that give you an advantage in Multiplayer. For example, Engineer allows you to see Enemy items on the Battlefield, delays timed explosives, allows you to re-roll Ally care packages and Booby Trap enemy care-packages, as well. Tie this with the Black-Hat Tactical item where you can Hack enemy equipment to make it your own, and I'm sure you see the potential possibilities! Other Perks include things like giving you the ability to Sprint Faster, Reload Quicker or Not Appear on Enemy A.I. controlled drones and weaponry.

Wildcards mix things up by bending the rules and customizing your character that much more. They allow things like Choosing Two Perks in One Category, Carrying Two Lethal Grenades or Items, Allowing a Second Attachment for a Secondary Weapon, or Giving you the Ability to Carry TWO Primary Weapons. Trick here is: Wildcards cost a point too. You effectively have to spend TWO points to make these work, but the level of customization they offer the player makes it worth it. One example is this: I wanted to play a Sniper, but I wasn't very good in this Class yet. I found just GETTING to a Sniping Point tough on its own! Rather than carry the traditionally weaker Secondary weapon, I chose to NOT carry a Second Tactical Item and gave up one of my Perks, so I could carry a SECOND, PRIMARY Light Machine Gun, as well as my Sniper Rifle, to Arm me while I ran around looking for an ideal spot. Once you are nested as a Sniper, you can kill almost anyone with ONE SHOT so Lethals and Items and various Perks become unnecessary. I just chose the two that make me invisible to Enemy Radar and Reticules and was good to go!

Scorestreaks are Earned based upon Level too, but are independent of the Create a Class system. They are based on Score rather than just the number of kills, and you earn Score Points in several ways:

_______________________________________________________________________________

  • Get a Kill.
  • Get a Kill with a Scorestreak (Reduced Points).
  • Get an Assist.
  • Get an Assist with a Scorestreak UAV/Counter-UAV (Reduced Points).
  • Defend your teammates with an Assault Shield.
  • Capture a flag in Capture the Flag or Domination.
  • Plant a bomb in Search & Destroy or Demolition.
  • Defuse a bomb in Search & Destroy or Demolition.
  • Capture an HQ in Headquarters.
  • Destroy an HQ in Headquarters.
  • Capture an enemy or friendly dog tag in Kill Confirmed.
  • Capture the Hardpoint in Hardpoint
  • Defend the Hardpoint in Hardpoint (Get a kill while inside the Hardpoint).
  • Destroy enemy Scorestreak Rewards.

_______________________________________________________________________________

You need to unlock Scorestreak rewards using Tokens you earn as you Level Up (as you do with Weapons and Secondaries, etc) and you can Equip Three. Again, these have nothing to do with Create a Class, other than selecting them in the same Menu Screen. You have to EARN these during battles by scoring points, so they do not require Create a Class points to equip. They include many, many COOL Special Attacks such as Escort Drones that follow you around and shoot at enemies, Automatic Sentry Guns, UAV's and Orbital V-Sat's that reveal enemy positons and Field of Vision, respectively, and controllable aircraft like the Dragonfire or the V-Tol Warship. Earning these bad-boys in the middle of a match is completely GRATIFYING and can totally tip the odds in your Team's Favor!



Edited: Wed, 09 Jan 2013 01:56:05
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Tue, 08 Jan 2013 16:56:19
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Creating such Customizable Characters would be kinda pointless if the Game Modes you play in weren't as Unique, Robust and Varied. There's certainly no problem here either! Each mode has its strengths and weaknesses. Each has its own unique gimmick, but they all prove to be A LOT of fun! Not since the days of Killzone 3 have I seen such variety, and choosing WHICH mode I want to play is almost a game unto itself! Here's a brief description of the modes I've played:

_______________________________

  • Team Deathmatch: Two Teams of up to 6 players apiece fight to score 75 kills. If neither team reaches the number, the highest after 10 minutes is the Victor!
  • Free for All: Up to Eight players try to score 30 kills within 10 minutes.
  • Domination: Capture Three Flagged areas on the Map in Five Minutes time. Earn 1 Point for every Flag you hold every 5 seconds. The first Team to reach 200 Points wins.
  • Hardpoint: Earn One Point per Second while occupying a Captured Hardpoint. Hardpoints reset after 60 seconds. First Team to 250 points within 10 minutes wins.
  • Demolition: Defend or Destroy Two Bomb points on the Map, then switch sides for the Second Round. Tie breakers are decided by a Third round, whomever destroys the Bomb in this Round wins the Match.
  • Confirmed Kill: Probably my favorite out of the bunch! Basically Team Deathmatch, but you must Confirm your Kills by Obtaining the Dog Tags of your enemies! You can Deny an Enemy his or her Kill by collecting the tag of your fallen Team Mate before they do! First team to 100 points wins!

_______________________________

Of course, there are more modes than these, but I haven't had much or ANY experience with them, due to enjoying the ones I've been playing so much --OR-- they are more Hardcore than I am ready for, and haven't had the guts to try yet! They are:

  • Capture the Flag: Is an explanation even necessary?
  • Headquarters: Kinda like Hardpoint, but your Team doesn't respawn if you are currently holding a HQ! DON'T DIE!
  • Search and Destroy: Like Demolition but without re-spawning!
  • Ground War: Randomly chooses either Team Deatmatch or Domination modes
  • Mercenary Moshpit: Two teams partake in a mish-mosh of Modes!

_______________________________



Edited: Tue, 08 Jan 2013 18:02:32
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Tue, 08 Jan 2013 17:59:06
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With so many Modes and so many Character Options, how you play Online really becomes TOTALLY up to you! Maybe you want to be Agile and Quick in Confirmed Kill so you equip a Light Machine Gun (for outdoor, mid-range) and Shotgun Shell firing Hand-Gun (for indoor, close-range) to run around the Map collecting Dog Tags. Maybe you'd rather pick-off the Enemy from afar and let your Team Mates Confirm the Kills by being a Sniper!

Maybe you want to be a Heavy Brute in Team Deathmatch, so you equip a Shotgun (for up close devastation) and a Rocket Launcher (for destroying enemy Care Package 'Copters) and the Perk where you don't Flinch when you are Shot. Or, again, be the Guardian Angel, pick a high point on the Map and defend your Team Mates and the Hardpoint from being Contested by the Enemies in the Hardpoint or HQ modes.

Nothing is more Gratifying than being an Engineer in Team Deathmatch or Confirmed Kill, equipping an Automatic Rifle and Black Hat Hacking device, either picking off your enemies yourself or TURNING THEIR OWN WEAPONS AGAINST THEM! Do that enough, earn an Automatic Sentry via Score Streaks and watch IT mow the other team down! Just don't let IT get hacked and destroyed by an enemies' Engineer!

You get 5 Slots at the Start for your Character Creations so you can always have one at the ready, depending on the Mode or Map you choose. Light and Fast, Hard and Heavy, Stealthy and Deadly, Team-Player Tactician... whatever your mood dictates!



Edited: Wed, 09 Jan 2013 02:02:28
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Tue, 08 Jan 2013 18:20:07
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Maybe you don't know this, or maybe the Bro's don't know this, but Call of Duty multiplayer has become almost RPG-like over the years. There's always the motivation to play again, play again, play again, to earn more EXPERIENCE, level up your Character and see just what Skill, Weapon, Perk or Score Streak you can unlock next. The sense of Progession and Growth, seeing your n00b character become a BAD-ASS, is both ADDICTING and GRATIFYING! There are Medals to earn during gameplay (like Killing so many enemies without Dying, Getting so Many Headshots, Capturing Hardpoints, etc) that earn both Points during play and unlock Emblems for your Calling Card.

Yes, you can also design your own Emblems. Yes, a lot of these are Vulgar and/or Dude-Bro-ish. You'd be surprised just how many are ARTISTIC --OR-- feature MegaMan, Mario or classic Final Fantasy characters! Sorry, haters, it's NOT just Douches and Dude-Bros playing these games any more; there are old-school gamers playing now too! Some of the detail and care put into these creations (yeah, even the vulgar ones) show a level of concentration not possible for the average, Mountain Dew'ed up meat-head!

**Wait!? This is someone's EMBLEM!? Fez fan --AND-- CoD fan?! That does not compute!**

**HUNGER GAMES?! They can READ now too?!**

**You just got your ass shot by a Luigi fan. Surrender your controller and hang your head in shame!**

Yeah, the meat-heads are still there. You can easily mute their mic's. Yes, this can potentially be the ONLY game they play or the only series they have EVER played. You know what is great though? BEATING THEM AT THEIR OWN GAME and WATCHING THEM BLOW A SHIT-FIT! I used to be intimidated about not having as much experience or not having enough time to play as these "hardcore" guys --BUT-- I've noticed, just because they devote more time, doesn't necessarily mean they are GOOD at the game! You'll be shooting A LOT of higher level or PRESTIGED players, just as if they were anyone else. Killing one who IS a seasoned player...? Even better!



Edited: Tue, 08 Jan 2013 19:14:11
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Tue, 08 Jan 2013 18:59:21
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"Isn't it sad though that there are people that will ONLY play this game all year when there are so many other GREAT games out there?" you may ask yourself. Can't knock them for being content, can we? Truthfully, I can now see WHY this can be so. I've been playing pretty regularly for three or four weeks now. I have yet to see all the Multiplayer modes. I am only level 36 out of a potential 55. I have unlocked only about HALF of the Weapons, Score Streaks, etc. I have BARELY touched the Campaign.

Even more bewildering: Campaign and Multiplayer is only 2/3 of the content on the disc! There's a fully realized Zombie mode, now, that's part Shooter, part Adventure and ALL FUN! Three games worth of Content on One Disc! Is it any wonder this can become someone's ONE game?! Activision / Treyarch realizes that players play the game for differing reasons; they even give you the option to set ONE of the THREE modes as the 'Default' title screen, so you can load up and jump into one immediately. Yeah, there are people that are THAT devoted to one of these modes or another. If you wish to fully explore EVERYTHING on the disc. Yeah... that's gonna take a while. Talk about your money's worth!

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Tue, 08 Jan 2013 21:17:15
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Wut?  what has the world come to?  Are you playing on the 360?  Maybe I'll join you one day.
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Tue, 08 Jan 2013 23:50:47
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AWESOME! I would LOVE to have someone to play Zombie Mode with!

GASP

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Wed, 09 Jan 2013 01:30:34
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Just to further expand on what was said. I haven't even come close to my first 'Prestige' yet. In CoD speak this is when you Level your character past 55. When you do this, you have the option to reset your character to Level One. You get a generally BAD-ASS emblem and you get to choose ONE item to remain Permanently available, regardless of the normal Level you would need to unlock it. You also have to make one of the three decisions:

  • Unlock an extra Custom Class (can only be redeemed 5 times, for 10 custom classes max)
  • Receive a refund of all regular Unlock Tokens used during the current Prestige
  • Reset ALL stats (wipes away all progress, and resets the player to non-Prestige Level 1)

Why would you want to do this? One: For the Bragging rights. Two: You get to LOOK like you are at Level One but still KICK ASS. Three: Keeps the game fresh by allowing you to tweak your character juuust a little bit but still work towards what you want to accomplish.

In addition to Character Prestige, Weapons do now too. Although your weapons are locked up again when you do Prestige, the Level you have gained IN them does not reset. You can feasibly choose to have a high-level weapon with some AWESOME attachments (See through Walls, anyone?) unlocked permanently and use it at Level One. Unlike your character, Weapons only can be Prestiged Twice. Once allows you to place your Clan Tag on your weapon. Twice allows you to add your Emblem. Allowing your Weapons to Prestige does RESET their levels!

Here's where all this is leading to and what makes this CoD so Replayable: You can Prestige TEN TIMES. Yes, you have to reach Level 55 TEN. TIMES! Besides all the Bonuses and Perks you get for Prestiging all those times, upon completing the 10th time the player becomes a Prestige Master: all weapons, their respective camos and unlocks, equipment, perks, wildcards, emblems, and calling cards are automatically and permanently unlocked. You effectively become an Unstoppable Juggernaut with EVERYTHING at your command! Just THINK of the Soldier you could make!

Do the math: It took me three or so weeks to reach 36. It takes more Experience to Level Up at higher Levels. I am figuring probably Two more weeks before I Prestige. That's 5 weeks. Now do that TEN. TIMES! Ten times 5 weeks apiece is 50 weeks. NOW do you see why some people play a Call of Duty game EXCLUSIVELY for a year, and only STOP playing to get the next one the NEXT year?! What other non-MMO or Competitive Real-Time Strategy Game offers you THAT much value?!



Edited: Wed, 09 Jan 2013 02:44:36
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Wed, 09 Jan 2013 01:45:17
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I'lll stick to Killzone 2, thanks. Killzone 3 was bad enough.

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Wed, 09 Jan 2013 01:45:34

Just to address the "Bullet-Sponge, Combat Knife, One-Shot Kill" issues that have been brought up in the past: There's a Perk for that, should you choose to equip it. You can normally see Enemy characters on your Mini-Map that are Running and/or Shooting. The more noise you make, the more likely you will be spotted on the map. Equipping the 'Awareness' Perk makes footsteps 4X Louder than normal and makes enemies appear on your radar that much more easily. If someone can sneak up on you with THAT perk equipped and one-shot you with a Knife... you know what? You deserve it! Realistically, almost all modern FPS have Stealth Kills in them now anyway, Killzone and Halo being two recent examples.

Having a plethora of Short Range, DEADLY weaponry certainly doesn't hurt either, like the aforementioned Pistol that fires Shotgun Shells, Pistols that Fire Quick, Three-Round Bursts, Shotguns and such. Shame on you if you let them get that close to you, anyway! Keep 'em at mid-range with a Sub-Machine Gun, farther away with a Rifle or Frag 'em from across the Map with a Sniper Rifle! Combine your weapons choices with the fact that someone on your team almost always has a UAV activated or a Satellite showing where ALL your enemies are located (unless they have that ONE special Perk)... One-Shot kills are NOWHERE NEAR as easy as they once were! Kudos to those who have the skill to pull it off!

Even the ability TO have a Combat Knife equipped comes at a hefty price. In order to have one, you need to NOT choose a Secondary weapon! Sure you may be able to stealth kill now, Good Luck surviving long enough to do so!



Edited: Wed, 09 Jan 2013 02:08:19
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Wed, 09 Jan 2013 01:55:14
Foolz said:

I'lll stick to Killzone 2, thanks. Killzone 3 was bad enough.

Oh you! Just think of Call of Duty as the Fifa Soccer of FPS and you'll see where I am coming from!

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Wed, 09 Jan 2013 01:59:55
phantom_leo said:

Oh you! Just think of Call of Duty as the Fifa Soccer of FPS and you'll see where I am coming from!

So you won't be able to play it online next year because the servers will be shut down? Nyaa

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Wed, 09 Jan 2013 02:03:32

Edit: Duplicate post. How did that happen?



Edited: Wed, 09 Jan 2013 02:07:42
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Wed, 09 Jan 2013 02:06:06
Foolz said:
phantom_leo said:

Oh you! Just think of Call of Duty as the Fifa Soccer of FPS and you'll see where I am coming from!

So you won't be able to play it online next year because the servers will be shut down? Nyaa

Meh! By that time everyone would have moved on to Modern Warfare 4 anyway!  Nyaa

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Wed, 09 Jan 2013 05:14:43
+1

Sp the world did end, this is some alternate dimension. Nyaa

Nice write up.

Edited: Wed, 09 Jan 2013 05:15:10
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Thu, 10 Jan 2013 17:11:48
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Excellent write-up there Leo and spot-on. The Call of Duty games are absolutely overflowing with content. They can very much indeed thoroughly dominate one's game time.

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Thu, 10 Jan 2013 22:16:33
+1

This whole thread is like porn for angel.

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Fri, 11 Jan 2013 00:52:31
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He typed that last post with his erect member.

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Fri, 11 Jan 2013 01:22:24
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No you need  a white baseball cap (worn sideways), a pair of pants that sits below your ass, some stupid techno music, a YOLO shirt, and shout at the TV "Oh COD you so cray cray!"

Christ I hate young people today.

(Not you Leo please continue)

I have to get back to thsi game but I just have soooo much to play blaaargh.

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Fri, 11 Jan 2013 01:38:37
SteelAttack said:

He typed that last post with his erect member.

...and I thought I was done with this topic!  GASP

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