Call Of Duty: Black Ops 3
Discussion
The matchmaking has been dreadful this afternoon. I was playing a (winning) game of Kill Confirmed and noticed that the match seemed to be getting quieter and quieter - I checked the score screen and saw that all but one of the enemy team had left, and no-one else was dropped in before the match finished. Just piss poor, really. Then lobbies were taking ages to fill, and games that started at 6v6 usually dropped a player or two at the start. f
king hopeless, really. As soon as I've got the achievement for getting to level 55, I'm scrapping this one.
king hopeless, really. As soon as I've got the achievement for getting to level 55, I'm scrapping this one.C.A.R. said:
I've actually been playing Ghosts online most recently, as tbe experience is a lot more 'polished' than the steaming pile that was AW.
Ghosts? Polished? It was by far the most half arsed COD of recent years, by some measure. Even utter crap like MW2 was made with some conviction, despite being hopeless. I smashed a few games in this morning between 0600 and 0800. The gamestate was awful. Half full lobbies, games of 3v3 with players struggling to join and serious host advantage. The host advantage/lag was as bad as I'd seen it. Some players were getting in excess of 35 kills in a game, and their killcams made it look like the opposition were standing still. Some games went alright, and whilst I never felt like I was ahead of the curve, I still managed to put a couple of levels on and upgrade some kit.
I've been giving a little more time to some of the more 'old skool' maps like Exodus, Hunted and Redwood. Redwood is still s
te, but Hunted is pretty good. They break away, in some sense, from the 'three corridor' setup of most of the maps, which have become fan favourites because they usually mean quick and easy score. Nuketown was always popular, but even that wasn't typical three corridor layout because the cover was lain perpendicular to the flow of action from the main spawn points. Hunted is more like MP maps used to look, before the speedball style of play became most popular. I'm hoping to get back on later today with a friend to secure the gold badge for the combat simulation in singleplayer. It shouldn't be hard with two players and high level kit.
I've had a couple of games this afternoon, I was on the wrong side of the host advantage the whole time. I can't believe that for years, I thought that sometimes I was just having a bad game or two, the difference between being on top of the system and being a mile behind it is so obvious. I'm at Level 39 now, and I can't wait for 55 to come so I can sling this load of ste in for trade.
te in for trade. I'm grinding out the last few levels of MP now, it is dreadful. Double XP means the slog has been massively reduced, I'd have given up otherwise.
One thing that really bugs me is the game's inability to correctly display all of the calling cards and emblems. You see so many pop up with the blank red placeholder image instead of the proper calling card, even now, so long after the game was released. What a load of st.
One thing that really bugs me is the game's inability to correctly display all of the calling cards and emblems. You see so many pop up with the blank red placeholder image instead of the proper calling card, even now, so long after the game was released. What a load of s
t.
How did the clans on COD manipulate the system to ensure they were always had the host on their team? I recall in the days before party chat when you'd have a clan of players in the lobby all talking, and they'd say "oh, we're not hosting this, lets look for another" and quite en masse. They could obviously see whether or not they had the hosting player, but I could never see a way to tell. You just had to play and see if you felt fast or slow, deadly of hopeless!
Well, I made it to level 55. Thank fk for that. I know if I hadn't had the double XP weekend to rely on, I'd never have made it. It just wasn't fun enough, and by level 35 or so I really felt like it had run out of steam. Seeing that the double XP weekend stretched from Friday to Monday morning, I knew I just had to make one last concerted effort to get to level 55, unlock the achievement for doing so and then sling the game into the trade in pile.
I have typically always looked to get to the maximum level or prestige once in COD games, because whether or not you liked or loathed it, it would at least give you some experience to base your assessment of the game on. This is another try hard effort from Treyarch, but despite the effort they've put into it, it comes off like a bag of slack. I will continue to rant in a slightly aimless fashion at things I liked, or didn't like:
1) The weapon selection in the game is piss poor. Despite there being loads of guns, and the differences in handling being noticeable (not hard when it's a fictional arsenal), the good guns are few and far between. The Man O War assault rifle is so much better than anything else in the class that I used it almost exclusively to finish off. You'd be a fool not to go for it the second you unlock it. It sights quickly, especially with a boost from the Perk 1 slot quick sight buff. There is a hint of trigger lag, but not so much you'll feel like you're wielding an LMG. It punches hard, and doesn't recoil much. The accuracy, even without a grip or stock, is just fantastic. The other assault rifles felt like peashooters in comparison. They might have handled quicker but had nowhere near the stopping power of the Man O War. It almost feels like, in the interest of choice, the MOW needs scaled back and the other assault rifles scaled up.
The rest of the weapons being crap is sort of tied into map design. The three channel map design is everywhere in this, and the introduction of waist height cover boxes and longer sight lines is clearly an effort on Treyarch's part to increase the gun skill in this game. This has the effect of stymieing the subs to a degree, they're still ridiculous up close but their usefulness is curtailed. Black Ops 2 was probably the fastest and most intense COD MP, and the SMG ruled the roost in that game. I guess Treyarch didn't want another blitz style shooter like that, and the effort they've made to slow the pace is tangible in lots of the design.
Shotguns, LMG's and sniper rifles, forget it. Not useful enough to trump an SMG or AR.
2) The Specialist system was designed to give every player some creative freedom to style a character how they wanted, and play how they wanted, but it didn't work and it was probably one of the most irritating things about the MP in BO3. Every character looked roughly the same, no matter which colour jacket you selected, so it made everyone feel very samey. There was a lot more personal freedom in choosing aesthetic kit for a generic fighter, rather than having to have a distinct look and feel for each specialist. Like, Battery has an amazing special weapon but her design is crap. That black cyborg guy has the most irritating voice in gaming. The winner's circle jerk after each game only serves to highlight how naff and samey the characters look despite your efforts to style them, whilst also showing of the game's curious inability to display the emblems and calling cards you worked so hard for.
3) As mentioned above, the map design isn't great. Combine was being played again and again in KC lists tonight, because it's one map that always finishes quickly - which means high score. You never run out of time on Combine, despite it being a really basic and tedious map. The central area is a no-man's land save for dashing to get tags. Shootouts down alleyways on the sides of the map feel like playing fking volleyball. Larger, more free form maps like Havoc and Hunted are still st, because by any standard they're boring, particularly Havoc where all the players migrate to the (surprise!) corridor section and the spawns enforce this virtual rope-pull of shooting. I don't know if the best maps will be kept back for DLC but I couldn't give a fk if they were, I won't be playing this again and I'm not sure who would find long term enjoyment in it.
4) As I'd mentioned earlier, the balance between scorestreaks and shooting is better. No longer do you feel like you're constantly spawning to be ttted by another streak. However, the Specialist abilities spoil that balance. War Machine and Scythe are overpowered. Purifier is good but well balanced because of it's range. The Sparrow's arrow is too strong. Other classes have really st specialist weapons. The specialist abilities are also st - what do you really want, an electric cannon of the chance to leap backwards a few steps? A rapid fire grenade launcher or a laughable bullet vest?
The more you play, the more the sense pervades that Treyarch were really struggling to strip things down to the basic, compelling duelling of MW and WaW. However, in the relentless drive to innovate, they spin a few new ideas into the mix and the resulting mess just doesn't work out. Consumer demand has fking wrecked COD, because WaW had the perfect balance of guns, streaks, great maps, good shooting and decent spawns. But every year, there is more slap piled to the point where we're so far removed from a truly incredible COD that I can barely remember what they felt like.
k for that. I know if I hadn't had the double XP weekend to rely on, I'd never have made it. It just wasn't fun enough, and by level 35 or so I really felt like it had run out of steam. Seeing that the double XP weekend stretched from Friday to Monday morning, I knew I just had to make one last concerted effort to get to level 55, unlock the achievement for doing so and then sling the game into the trade in pile. I have typically always looked to get to the maximum level or prestige once in COD games, because whether or not you liked or loathed it, it would at least give you some experience to base your assessment of the game on. This is another try hard effort from Treyarch, but despite the effort they've put into it, it comes off like a bag of slack. I will continue to rant in a slightly aimless fashion at things I liked, or didn't like:
1) The weapon selection in the game is piss poor. Despite there being loads of guns, and the differences in handling being noticeable (not hard when it's a fictional arsenal), the good guns are few and far between. The Man O War assault rifle is so much better than anything else in the class that I used it almost exclusively to finish off. You'd be a fool not to go for it the second you unlock it. It sights quickly, especially with a boost from the Perk 1 slot quick sight buff. There is a hint of trigger lag, but not so much you'll feel like you're wielding an LMG. It punches hard, and doesn't recoil much. The accuracy, even without a grip or stock, is just fantastic. The other assault rifles felt like peashooters in comparison. They might have handled quicker but had nowhere near the stopping power of the Man O War. It almost feels like, in the interest of choice, the MOW needs scaled back and the other assault rifles scaled up.
The rest of the weapons being crap is sort of tied into map design. The three channel map design is everywhere in this, and the introduction of waist height cover boxes and longer sight lines is clearly an effort on Treyarch's part to increase the gun skill in this game. This has the effect of stymieing the subs to a degree, they're still ridiculous up close but their usefulness is curtailed. Black Ops 2 was probably the fastest and most intense COD MP, and the SMG ruled the roost in that game. I guess Treyarch didn't want another blitz style shooter like that, and the effort they've made to slow the pace is tangible in lots of the design.
Shotguns, LMG's and sniper rifles, forget it. Not useful enough to trump an SMG or AR.
2) The Specialist system was designed to give every player some creative freedom to style a character how they wanted, and play how they wanted, but it didn't work and it was probably one of the most irritating things about the MP in BO3. Every character looked roughly the same, no matter which colour jacket you selected, so it made everyone feel very samey. There was a lot more personal freedom in choosing aesthetic kit for a generic fighter, rather than having to have a distinct look and feel for each specialist. Like, Battery has an amazing special weapon but her design is crap. That black cyborg guy has the most irritating voice in gaming. The winner's circle jerk after each game only serves to highlight how naff and samey the characters look despite your efforts to style them, whilst also showing of the game's curious inability to display the emblems and calling cards you worked so hard for.
3) As mentioned above, the map design isn't great. Combine was being played again and again in KC lists tonight, because it's one map that always finishes quickly - which means high score. You never run out of time on Combine, despite it being a really basic and tedious map. The central area is a no-man's land save for dashing to get tags. Shootouts down alleyways on the sides of the map feel like playing f
king volleyball. Larger, more free form maps like Havoc and Hunted are still st, because by any standard they're boring, particularly Havoc where all the players migrate to the (surprise!) corridor section and the spawns enforce this virtual rope-pull of shooting. I don't know if the best maps will be kept back for DLC but I couldn't give a fk if they were, I won't be playing this again and I'm not sure who would find long term enjoyment in it. 4) As I'd mentioned earlier, the balance between scorestreaks and shooting is better. No longer do you feel like you're constantly spawning to be t
tted by another streak. However, the Specialist abilities spoil that balance. War Machine and Scythe are overpowered. Purifier is good but well balanced because of it's range. The Sparrow's arrow is too strong. Other classes have really st specialist weapons. The specialist abilities are also st - what do you really want, an electric cannon of the chance to leap backwards a few steps? A rapid fire grenade launcher or a laughable bullet vest?The more you play, the more the sense pervades that Treyarch were really struggling to strip things down to the basic, compelling duelling of MW and WaW. However, in the relentless drive to innovate, they spin a few new ideas into the mix and the resulting mess just doesn't work out. Consumer demand has f
king wrecked COD, because WaW had the perfect balance of guns, streaks, great maps, good shooting and decent spawns. But every year, there is more slap piled to the point where we're so far removed from a truly incredible COD that I can barely remember what they felt like. iphonedyou said:
Maps are pretty poor. And no Nuk3town - just what the fk?
Fringe is a stand out in a sea of mediocrity. Evac is close behind.
Combine can DIAGF.
I've seen a video of the re-imagined Nuketown and it looks dreadful, I really don't like the makeover they've given it. Lights on the floors, what is that all about? But in terms of build, it's always been a great map. Much loved by players because the score came fast and easy, yet as I've mentioned, more interesting to play because the cover opposed the main sightlines. I always enjoyed playing it on the previous games, so I was really disappointed to see that it hadn't made it into this game. I thought when I ordered a copy from Amazon months ago, that they had promised Nuketown for orders before release. I was surprised not to get it, and it just feels like another slap in the face from a franchise that has lazily relied on pre-orders for a long time. k?Fringe is a stand out in a sea of mediocrity. Evac is close behind.
Combine can DIAGF.
I didn't mind Fringe much, as it had some more interesting parts around the outside of the map whilst still having that central kill zone area. Evac was one of the better maps, but it didn't seem to come up very much. I quite liked Infection, in terms of look and design, but that seemed fairly rare in the playlists too. Redwood was absolutely s
t, I hated that map. If you were having a bad game, you couldn't even shoot down loads of scorestreaks with a launcher to pass the time. Aquarium was a decent map too, but there wasn't one map as good as even the worst map on World At War. Look at this map shot from the WaW maps - great design and interest evident even from a top down view, never mind once you consider the elevation changes and multiple levels in some maps, all before we were jumping around and powersliding with f
king jet boosters. 
I don't know if I'll even bother with the next COD, unless the announcement of next year's title takes it dramatically away from the future war scenario. Activision need to f
k off, and come back with a new engine and a historic setting. WW2, Vietnam, Gulf War, whatever. Go back to what the players used to rave about, rather than feeding the nonsense created by the rot that set in when MW2 jumped the shark. It's almost like there is a fear from Activision about going back to basics, as if players will revolt against a stripped back COD game that focuses on the shooting and has less influence from Scorestreaks (although Treyarch have ironed this out to a degree). My MP gaming now is taken up a lot by Destiny, which has unlocked a really compelling system after a dreadful first year. I hope The Divison does more of the same. Call Of Duty is a relic, and whilst I don't ever see it turning into a beautiful PVE experience like Destiny, the cracks in the old formula are showing. I also seem to recall on an older Call of Duty, you could manage your matchmaking preferences from the game to select better connections or connections to local territories. This seems to have disappeared again, I wonder if it was perhaps because players were using it too much and slowing down matchmaking for casuals overall, leading to frustration. I'd happily wait thirty seconds to find a really good game, than take an instant drop into a game where you're well behind the curve.
C.A.R. said:
The semi-automatic rifle is pretty good too, and suits my style better (ie aiming and shooting down sights, rather than spraying and praying and hoping for the best - which is sadly all-too effective in this game). It's called the Shieva or something.
That should be an earlier unlock. By level 38, I was just grinding out to the finish on the supreme Man O War, and I had no interest in trying the Sheiva. I used it a bit in the campaign and it was pretty good, but probably not suited to the sorts of MP in Black Ops 3. I came up against it a few times in MP, but never found it a real thread. Close up, even the chugging fire rate of the MOW could spam the Sheiva user out, and over mid to long range the accuracy of the MOW still made me a contender. It's a bit of a shame that the semi-automatic rifle has become a novelty in these games. Going back (again) to the high point of the series, WaW, the rifles were supreme. You had the semi autos, that were so versatile and a joy to use, and deadly bolt actions that rewarded skill but never felt gimped (especially since you could use them with iron sights for maximum versatility). The balance was so spot on there you could drop in with an SMG, adapt your playstyle to use the maps to get closer to the enemy and take them out up close. There isn't really any nuance like that in BO3.
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