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There is a unique moment when playing a video-game where the player reaches a level of comprehension. These ‘firsts’, however often replayed, may not be unchanged or unlearn. The solving of a puzzle, or the defeat of a boss, these interactive-moments define video-games. For multiplayer games, these moments are much more impactful when the player reaches their ‘in the zone’ as the game is never the same again. My goal was to become 'Kobe Bryant ready'.
In roughly seven hours, I reached my breaking point with Call of Duty: Black Ops multiplayer. Death upon death, from frag grenades to shotgun blasts and dual-weilders, while losing myself within the maps and the shellacking of killstreaks — I quit on Black Ops. As with each bitter death came and went while maintaining a meager .5 kill death ratio the decision to stop playing came swift. With the luxury of holiday game releases, I decided to ply my gaming into DJ Hero 2, Fallout: New Vegas and Hot Pursuit, but Black Ops crept back in.
Black Ops have character layouts that work better in the countless multiplayer game modes. I changed my approach to the multiplayer matches, I decided to become one of them. I was no longer the lone-wolf who tried to cap domination points or plant bombs by myself. Those who do, are just noobs. I started to randomly throw grenades since it is basically a ‘use it or you lose it’ chance for a kill. I waited, while my teammates desperately tried to hold off a total domination or capture a headquarters, only to kill an enemies from behind. I became the player I dreaded, and I liked it. Heck, I obnoxiosly left my Kinect mic-speaker on so everyone can hear every gun toting screaming the game blares out of the television speakers.
I decided to ditch my hard-worked, yet underachieved layout of a M-16 with a Smoke Scope and Silencer attachments, while using the perks of Ghost, Warlord and Ninja. I adopted a faster, yet gritty layout with a AK47U with Rapid Fire attachment, and the perks of Lightweight, Steady Aim and Marathon. While the new layout proved to be quite dangerous in close quarters maps, from time to time, I would employ my first layout in larger maps. There troublesome design questions in Black Ops multiplayer, which hopefully Treyarch and Infinity Ward can address.
The core issues with Black Ops is the need to have unlockable game modes, the map voting system and the enforcement of policing game-types. Multiple games modes are tied with the leveling system, and in a sense, Black Ops forces the player to play only the opened playlists. This would be fine, if there was min and max setting of ranked players. The difficulty rises when a low level player is forced to play against a higher ranked player. There is a huge gulf between and M-16 vs an AK47. Given the infrequency the maps are played one’s frustration increases ten-fold.
The trouble with the map voting system maps can be re-voted in for multiple sessions without seeing a new map. The compulsive and obsessive gamers who just wanted to play the mode Domination on Nuketown only to ‘farm’ kills for ranking purposes is a loss to all who play. As I do realize the voting system is democratic, but their has to be a system in place to force a new map after the millionth time.
Enforcing players to adhere to the game mode is null and void in Black Ops (and previous Call of Duties I should add). The leveling system is tied to points generated by kills (capturing a flag, as an example, are not enough bang for the peoples’ buck), matches are inherently team death-match or just on big free-for-all. There is just not enough reward in completing the goals in its respective game modes. Either I was to adapt or quit, and I decided to learn and adapt.
While skill and familiarity are distinct qualities to multiplayer matches, but when the leveling system is tied with the weapon, perks, and killstreaks, low rank players are inherently playing on an uneven field. Going back, at level 38, with 24 hours under my belt, I laugh vicariously at my enemies who tote pea shooters while I run and gun them down with my silenced, AK47.