Call of Duty:Black Ops [Impressions start @ page 12]

[Harkonis]

I played with you for about an hour before you left. 

An hour?  And you didn't send me a message, invite, or anything?  Doesn't make much sense.

I figured if you cared, you'd msg me.  I typically pop in and join friends in progress and see how long it takes them to notice.  Then they pretty much always send me a msg or join my party (which I always have open and joinable when I'm online).

I was just surprised you just kept playing and never popped in and kind of thought you were messin with me.  I'm content playing on either side of a team of friends.  I often join in progress on Romy and Nonna to shoot at them until they decide to invite me.

[PeteRock]

I played with you for about an hour before you left. 

An hour?  And you didn't send me a message, invite, or anything?  Doesn't make much sense.

I figured if you cared, you'd msg me.  I typically pop in and join friends in progress and see how long it takes them to notice.  Then they pretty much always send me a msg or join my party (which I always have open and joinable when I'm online).

I was just surprised you just kept playing and never popped in and kind of thought you were messin with me.  I'm content playing on either side of a team of friends.  I often join in progress on Romy and Nonna to shoot at them until they decide to invite me.

I honestly never noticed until later.  Apparently after an entire hour.    I think part of the problem is I had an allergic reaction to the new brand of contacts I've been wearing and it's messing with my prescription and vision.  I've been struggling lately to see the light type on the light background in the game lobbies, driving at night, eyes drying out during softball games, etc.  For some reason it has become really hard for me to see the names listed in the lobby as the light-on-light coloring blurs together.  My eyes also start to burn and tear up at random times.  It's a little scary and I may have to stop wearing contacts for three to six months.  That's not a big deal most of the time, but it becomes a problem for sports.  I don't have special shatter-proof glasses for sports and may need a pair since I play shortstop on both of our B-league softball teams.  Some of those balls come humming and getting hit in the face hurts enough, but it's even worse with glasses.  A guy last night had one skip up into his face, broke his nose, and he had a concussion.   

My eye issues plus not really ever paying much attention to the randoms in the lobby kept me from taking any notice that you joined.  You're like a ninja.  Otherwise I would have sent you a message or joined up with you as I'd much rather play with friends than solo.  Regardless of team performance it's nice to chat, whether it be about the game or life in general.  Sorry I missed you, quite literally.

[Harkonis]

I thought perhaps you were too fabulous to be seen in a party with me! 

[Isgrimnur]

Hark: the passive agressive n00b hoover.

[ATB]

I played with you for about an hour before you left. 

An hour?  And you didn't send me a message, invite, or anything?  Doesn't make much sense.

Thaaaaaaaaaat's Harkonis!

[Harkonis]

I played with you for about an hour before you left. 

An hour?  And you didn't send me a message, invite, or anything?  Doesn't make much sense.

Thaaaaaaaaaat's Harkonis!

indeed, I've spent an entire evening joining ATB in progress, and he isn't even on my friend's list! 

[PeteRock]

I thought perhaps you were too fabulous to be seen in a party with me! 

Next time send an invite instead of waiting for one with baited breath.  That way you'll know for sure. 

On the other hand, I am certainly too sexy for this shirt, too sexy for this shirt, so sexy it hurts.  Just not necessarily for your party. 

[Harkonis]

Joined on Nonnahob and crew for some fun tonight.  Sadly ran into Calvin completely ignoring all objectives and just playing like TDM.  yay!  32-8 with zero caps or defends, good job sir.

Now I remember why I don't play non-TDM modes.

[ATB]

Now I remember why I don't play non-TDM modes.

This is also why I don't prefer non-TDM modes (well, not Calvin specifically , but people not playing them the way they should be played)   Although the ones with the bombs seemed kind of fun the couple times I tried them. Same with CTF.

[Harkonis]

Now I remember why I don't play non-TDM modes.

This is also why I don't prefer non-TDM modes (well, not Calvin specifically , but people not playing them the way they should be played)   Although the ones with the bombs seemed kind of fun the couple times I tried them. Same with CTF.

All of the objective games are quite fun when played 'properly'.  It's just really hard to get people to do it and the way killstreaks work encourage the people who just stay back and poach to keep calling shit in.  I'm very much looking forward to playing shooters without KS's again.

[RTuck86]

Now I remember why I don't play non-TDM modes.

This is also why I don't prefer non-TDM modes (well, not Calvin specifically , but people not playing them the way they should be played)   Although the ones with the bombs seemed kind of fun the couple times I tried them. Same with CTF.

All of the objective games are quite fun when played 'properly'.  It's just really hard to get people to do it and the way killstreaks work encourage the people who just stay back and poach to keep calling shit in.  I'm very much looking forward to playing shooters without KS's again.

I think it is a proper strategy proper to have 1 or 2 guys on your team going for kill streaks.  It helps those of us trying to cap points a TON.  It is extremely frustrating to have to try and take a point that has 8 different entrances (defensive positions overlooking it) when re-spawns are instant.  Having someone go around and get streaks helps alleviate that pressure for a little bit or diverts the other teams attention to shooting something down just long enough for a successful cap.  Objective games are team-based and not every guy for himself.  There are a few different roles necessary to be successful Calvin's is just as important as capping and technically *is* defending.

[PeteRock]

Got into a MP session with Hark last night and had a reasonably productive night.  We played together for a few hours and I think I only had two matches with a k/d ratio less than 1 (I don't believe Hark had any).  For the first time ever I also earned three Blackbird killstreaks in one night.  Prior to last night I only earned 1 during this entire prestige playthrough (I'm at level 48).     Unfortunately I didn't listen to Hark and purchase the Blackbird contract which offered $1400 and 1400 XP.   

While I enjoy teaming up with enough friends to fill a team I find that my kill production drops off significantly as I'm not only competing against the enemy but against teammates to earn kills.  When playing with only one or two folks with better skills I'm still able to contribute a fair bit and earn decent k/d and game score statistics.  Hark and I were fairly consistently at the top of our team and sometimes at the top of the entire lobby. 

I really want to prestige before the semester starts on Monday.  I've got softball practice tonight and a night tournament on Saturday (5pm until 2am if we make it to the finals), so I'm hoping I can find the time between now and Sunday night. 

[Harkonis]

Tuck, i was more complaining about how killstreaks work.  Just having them in the game sceews up onjective games for me.  Without them it is best for whole team to go for objective and covering each other.  With killstreaks it encourages the roaming sharks who kill to kill.  It also encourages a more campy approach since a death breaks streak.

Killstreaks were a neat idea, but i think overall it is a fail.  They are a rich gets richer 'win more' type thing. 

[wonderpug]

What if you made killstreaks objective based?  In TDM you'd still get them based on kills, but in, say, domination, it would be based on flag captures or defends.  You'd probably have to tweak the numbers around, and there'd still be ways to exploit it, but I think it'd be better than having it kill based for everything.

[Harkonis]

That might work.  The air raid worked fine in BF1943, it even gave something to fight over in TDM.

[Nonnahob]

What if you made killstreaks objective based?  In TDM you'd still get them based on kills, but in, say, domination, it would be based on flag captures or defends.  You'd probably have to tweak the numbers around, and there'd still be ways to exploit it, but I think it'd be better than having it kill based for everything.

Rumours abound that killstreaks will be POINT based rather then kill based in MW3.

Cap a flag in DOM = 3 kills... if the formula from black ops held true. That would help to balance things out.

Killstreaks really don't bother me too much in black ops. The chopper gunner and the gunship both go down in TWO shots. That seems ridiculous for a 9 and 11 killstreak reward. Unfortunately if you're not playing in a group it's hard as hell to get greenies to shoot anything down. It's why I will rarely play alone anymore.

[Nonnahob]

New "Express" list for black ops - no ghost or second chance allowed.

Win!

[PeteRock]

As our fall softball season doesn't start for another few weeks I'm thinking about spending a rare free Friday night playing a bit of Black Ops MP, especially since I prestiged a 3rd time and could use some shooteyface after an already harrowing first week of classes.  It'll be nice to unlock some new assault rifles.

[PeteRock]

I'm surprised with how much more mileage I've been getting out of this as I keep finding myself drawn back for more.  Although I am getting a little tired of playing Firing Range over and over and over and over and over again.  The more repetition I see in the original maps the more interested I'm becoming in picking up at least one new map pack to get a little variety.  I do well on maps like Firing Range or Summit but I don't need to play them every single match. 

Leveled from 24 or so up to 28 or 29 last night and might try to play a bit more tonight depending on my studies.  Black Ops isn't a bad study break, allowing me to jump right in for an hour or two.  The hard part is stopping.  I always think "just one more level, just one more contract, just one more game."  Suuuuuuuure. 

[Mikagami]

Hark was right...
I played the fuck out of this for lv50/15th prestige and now barely put an hour of game play per week.
BF:BC2 is frustrating as all hell without a squad that TALKS to each other.

[Kagath]

Hark was right...
I played the fuck out of this for lv50/15th prestige and now barely put an hour of game play per week.
BF:BC2 is frustrating as all hell without a squad that TALKS to each other.

Yeah I stopped playing it pretty much when I maxed out levels too. Didn't get much mileage out of the second map pack and never got the third nor the most recent. Zombies may make me pick it up again for a bit especially since I have the Hardened with the extra maps. Never used the code yet though.

[Harkonis]

I miss the days we played games for hours a day and months and years in a row because they were FUN, not because we were levelling up or unlocking things.

Now that they dangle the carrot and you can eventually GET the carrot, you lose the internal motivation to play.  I'm still waiting for a AAA release that has the balls to have strong multiplayer without unlocks and calls it such.  Would love to see it with full-on media blitz and commercials saying unlocks are for pussies with ADD

[Teggy]

I miss the days we played games for hours a day and months and years in a row because they were FUN, not because we were levelling up or unlocking things.

Now that they dangle the carrot and you can eventually GET the carrot, you lose the internal motivation to play.  I'm still waiting for a AAA release that has the balls to have strong multiplayer without unlocks and calls it such.  Would love to see it with full-on media blitz and commercials saying unlocks are for pussies with ADD

I think BF:BC had a good balance of that. You have to level, which gives you time to try out different classes and weapons, but once you are done leveling there is no prestige mode, so you just keep playing.

[Roman]

another double XP starts today until Tuesday- learned about it over @ Blue's.
http://www.bluesnews.com/s/125168/call-of-duty-black-ops-free-double-xp-weekend

[Kagath]

another double XP starts today until Tuesday- learned about it over @ Blue's.
http://www.bluesnews.com/s/125168/call-of-duty-black-ops-free-double-xp-weekend

Is it a free Gold weekend too? If so, I'll be playing as a ringer... 

[PeteRock]

another double XP starts today until Tuesday- learned about it over @ Blue's.
http://www.bluesnews.com/s/125168/call-of-duty-black-ops-free-double-xp-weekend

This couldn't be better timing.  Wife is out of town until Tuesday, I've got a fridge full of beer, and as I'm dealing with a substantial concussion I have to spend the weekend resting and avoiding strenuous activity or any kind of impact.  I was initially cleared to get back to lifting but got dizzy and puked after deadlifts two days ago, so it looks like I'm back to the IR.   

Black Ops it is then!

[PeteRock]

Last night I finally experienced the frustration people have voiced with objective based games and the people who don't play them "correctly."  A friend is a big Headquarters game type fan, so I gave it a try while playing with him.  The first few rounds we played I really enjoyed as we worked well together.  It was exciting to communicate with each other, fight off enemies converging on our position, and succeeding in acquiring the objective.  Although it was also frustrating when we failed.  But later we wound up in games where people hid in secluded, hard-to-see locations and played as if it were TDM.  They'd hide nowhere near the headquarters and simply pick people off on their way to the objective.  One player went 47-2.  It was infuriating.  Granted, his score still didn't compare to ours.  Despite our k/d ratios being barely .500 we scored higher from capturing objectives, but it was maddening to constantly be killed in no relation to the objective.

These are the experiences that discourage me from playing team-based games like Battlefield because if you don't have a group of friends together you risk experiences like I had last night.  BF3 looks pretty bad-ass, but I'm not a fan of vehicles (despised the tanks in W@W), and I worry about how well players will handle specific roles when needed.

Wound up going back to TDM, and with double XP I managed to go from level 38 to 44, and I hope to flip again later today.

[Harkonis]

even the people hanging off and picking people off would be fine if they didn't get killstreaks imo.  technically there's nothing wrong with keeping the enemy reinforcements from getting to the objective, but man with killstreaks it just seems to reward that style of play far too heavily.

[Nonnahob]

Thread revival!

Been playing this since I simply can't handle mw3s lag compensation business. Had an incredible night of noob lobbies. It was like Christmas. Set a new tdm record for myself with 53 kills. Noticed this game has been getting more players online lately. Feel free to drop me an inviting if anyone is still playing!

[ATB]

Just re-read through a bunch of this thread. What a great game and time BLOPS was.  Miss those days!

[Harkonis]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXRUuqonYQg

Best run with just a shield so far

[pr0ner]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXRUuqonYQg

Best run with just a shield so far

Only a n00b posts a Black Ops 2 video in the Black Ops 1 thread.

N00b.

[Harkonis]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXRUuqonYQg

Best run with just a shield so far

Only a n00b posts a Black Ops 2 video in the Black Ops 1 thread.

N00b.

you are entirely correct, some idiot necro'd this 

[USMC Kato]

Hark loses Hark points?!?

[ATB]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXRUuqonYQg

Best run with just a shield so far

Only a n00b posts a Black Ops 2 video in the Black Ops 1 thread.

N00b.