Category: Call Of Duty

Call Of Duty, CoD, Playstation, PS4, Video Games

Black Ops 3 Weapon Tuning

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Recently Black Ops 3 has been updated with some weapon tuning.

Little bit confused why some of the tuning was done against some obvious balances issues. Studio is using various bits of data to make choices collecting player feedback have some faith given current meta. Treyarch has done decent job overall but issues between classes in my mind.  What do I know end of the day not very much only have small minor opinion.

Light on real numbers again but that normal for most studios.

Given some information which can be found here Weapon tuning

Normal sources should have the real numbers within couple of days/weeks.

Call Of Duty, CoD, Video Games

Zombies – Teach me your ways…

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Couple days ago somebody asked me….

How did you get so good at zombies? 

Okay they asked different question but was asking the above.

Answer: Using the game mechanics to my advantage and bending the rules to suit me.

Call Of Duty zombie mode comes down to map knowledge, understanding mechanics and being efficient.  Loads of practise with patience helps in understanding the mechanics and map knowledge.

Good at black ops 3 version due to having the same mechanics as BO2/1 and even WAW when it comes to key behaviours.

Sure you seen some of my gameplay but have you noticed the patterns?

Zombies have certain path pattern and behaviour which I exploit combined with other mechanics so always one step ahead.  Understand the rules the game has given me now using them to my advantage to give me extra time to react and think.  What you don’t see is my decision making process which is harder to explain and comes with practise.  Basic version making choices based on the information at hand working out risk and safe routes on the fly.

Rules/mechanics in call of duty are simple just a case of decision making and map knowledge which makes players good or bad.

Willing to explain thinking if you wish and why I’m doing it 🙂

Of course watch some Youtube videos see what they done different some people are far more efficient compared to myself.  In fact still learning the most efficient ways of using the maps.

Practise makes perfect….

And look out for any live streams from myself ^_^

Call Of Duty, CoD, Video Games

Shadows Of Evil – bad design

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Shadows Of Evil – bad design

Let’s talk about Shadows of evil…….

Highest round so far is 22 with 4 players.  Group came from reddit trying to help me to complete the easter egg together.   Majority of my time played with random public players [ZOMG how can you do that!].   Enjoy trying to keep people alive and survival element of zombies.  In the past been able to get to high rounds 35+ on most maps with random players and even groups I know are decent.  Just find it rather boring playing solo or groups decent players apart from getting easter eggs.

Enjoy Shadows of evil but do find map rather frustrating when playing with random players.  Bad design is to blame firmly at pack a punch.

Pack a punch – Not fan of the design behind opening of pack a punch.  Need to collect 4 pieces, complete rituial avoiding any zombies during the process, open up rift and open up the door.   Trying to complete these steps with random players quite challenge very quickly becomes rather hard to complete.  From my experience just not worth trying to complete until players are dead.

Would like to see Treyarch change how rituials work so they are not required to open up pack a punch.  Could always rework the pricing of the doors required that is another option on the table.

Do like the map but loads of frustrating parts which become no go zones and rather hard to keep players up.  Result most people go into death cycle and quit.  Need pack a punch in order to get pass the group of zombies who killed your teammate at certain rounds.  Far easier to let players die over revive them. Due to how the map is designed can’t loop around to pick up teammates.  Loads of tight areas which force you into the zombies, even at rounds 10-15 that can be death sentence. Players often get into death cycle with no way of getting out of it.  Throw in zombie health increases per round upgraded weapon becomes required at certain level.

Map requires you to think is it worth the risk to revive that player most of the time 60% not worth it.

Would be nice if was given more tools to help revive players and more options to get out of the death cycle.  Say free weapon after certain round or gobble gum.

Call Of Duty, CoD

Black Ops 3 – Weapon Tiers

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Assault rifles

Weapon balance wise Treyarch has done decent job making each weapon feel different.   Do think that certain weapons could be rebalanced to fix some issues with them.

XR-2 and M8A7

M8A7 needs to be changed needs to have recoil increased due to being close range burst weapon. XR-2 needs to be given less recoil due to being ranged burst weapon.

ICR-I and HVK

HVK needs to decide if wants to be close range or long range due to recoil suits close range more. Grand scale of things feels more close range HVK.

Sheiva

Rate of fire needs to be increased with decrease in recoil.

Tier 1: M8A7

Does not mean M8A7 overpowered just rather good plus versatile.

Tier 2: XR-2

Slower rate of fire M8A7 which suited for longer ranges.  Does suffer from higher recoil at distance which makes it less versatile.

Tier 3: Man of war

Recoil wise not a fan of this weapon due to the H recoil however still one of the most versatile weapons.  Don’t like burst weapons use the Man of war.

Tier 4: HVK, ICR-I

ICR-I long range rifle which is low damage but has lower recoil.   Designed to challenge M8/XR-2 less versatile.

HVK more versatile ICR-I does more close range damage due higher rate of fire.  More versatile can be used at range or close.

Tier 5: Sheiva

In theory should be decent however weapon is not very versatile.  Slow rate of fire, slow ADS, poor hipfire spread adds up to not very versatile weapon.

Sub machine gun

Once again Treyarch has made every weapon interesting.  Balance wise things are pretty decent everything has a role.

Pharo burst weapon, Razorback ranged, Kuda standard SMG, Weevil average SMG with big clip, Vesper high rate of fire, VMP mix of Kuda/Vesper.

 

Tier 1: Pharo, Razorback

Tier 2: Kuda, Weevil

Tier 3: VMP

Tier 4: Vesper

Light machine guns

Yet to use LMGs but again feels decent balanced.

Tier 1 48 Dredge

Tier 2 BRM, Dingo

Tier 3 Gorgan

Shotguns

Tier 1: Argus

Tier 2: Brecii

Tier 3: KRM

Tier 4: Haymaker

Haymaker still good but nerf you can feel it. KRM is better now with minor buffed it gained.

Call Of Duty, CoD, Video Games

Black Ops 3 classes

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Call Of Duty Black Ops 3 has been out for 2 weeks.  Most of these classes rather generic versatile options.  Decided to post my classes because should answer any questions about my load outs. Future reference for myself when it comes to classes so don’t have to remember the load out.

Every single class features blackcell launcher.  Depending on the mode use Trophy system or Concussion nades can be exchanged for other items.  Smoke nades with trophy system could be powerful combo yet to use.

Not going to see weapons on these or attachments still have to use most of the guns within this game.

Update:

Decided to swap out Fast hands for Hard wired or Tracker just more useful.

Class: 

  • Flak jacket
  • Hard wired or Tracker
  • Awareness / Dead silence

Class:

  • Flak jacket
  • Hard / wired or Tracker
  • Tactical mask / Dead silence

Class:

  • Flak jacket
  • Hard wired or Tracker
  • Tactical mask

Class:

  • Flak jacket
  • Scavenger / Fast hands

Class:

  • Scavenger / Hard wired or Tracker
  • Awareness / Dead silence

Class: 

  • Hard wired or Tracker
  • Awareness / Dead silence

Class:

  • Six Sense
  • Tracker or Hard wired
  • Awareness / Dead silence

Class:

  • Blind eye
  • Fast hands
  • Engineer / Dead silence

Why don’t you use?

  • Afterburner –  Don’t find much use outside couple niche routes which are still risky to use.
  • Overclock –  Useful for specialist challenges but that about it.
  • Ghost – Nerfed to hell you got to be running in order to run ghost without gung ho that a death wish. Why use Ghost when could use a black cell launcher.
  • Ant up – Only used for challenges don’t get much benefit for using it.
  • Hard wired – Not many people are running with stuff which this perk counters so I don’t use.  Could see myself putting it on couple classes. 
  • Cold blooded – Same as the above could see it being useful for challenges
  • Gung-Ho – Sort of useful on shotguns but this slot is busy with great choices may add it to shotgun class.
  • Blast suppressor – Outside of SnD can’t see it being useful don’t play SnD.
  • EMP – Same issue as hard wired
  • Stock charge / Trap mine – Yet to use them together due to the unlock system
  • Flashbangs – Not sure why
  • Black hat – Black cell does it faster and does not ping you for long.
  • Thermite – Useful on Nuketown I don’t have nuketown as I hate that map.
  • Combat Axe – Style but not very versatile maybe it works with shotguns.
  • C4 – Again high unlock but sounds useful for objective modes
  • Pistols – Launchers are just so powerful….but pistols are strong
  • Shotguns – Going to be rare me using a shotgun after getting them diamond not worth using.

May be useful but I doubt it some insight into my class building not the best player in the world. Can see 2 perk builds being rather powerful, with bunch of attachments.  Looking over attachments fast mags/ extended mags, FMJ, Quickdraw are likely to be common for myself.  Long barrel on ARs could be useful with high calibre on certain weapons.   SMGs fast mags, laser, extended mag, quickdraw once again.    Not 100% sold on FMJ could see it appear on one or two guns.

Call Of Duty, CoD, Video Games

Call Of Duty Black Ops 3 Shotgun Classes

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Call Of Duty Black Ops 3 Shotgun Classes

Below are perks and attachments I found useful on shotguns.  KRM is missing due to being terrible compared to the other options.  Shotguns can be shutdown by any good player more a troll/joke weapon in this game used to camp buildings.

Brecci attachment extended mag

Haymaker attachments extended mag with fast mags

Argus attachments quickdraw with stock

Found Sixth Sense to be useful, afterburner, Tracker, Scavenger, Awareness and dead silence.

Scavenger with concussions can be used to help close the gap.  My best advice is to keep control of building near high traffic areas. Argus has longest range but found it hardest to use out of every shotgun.

Sixth sense with Tracker plus Awareness and dead silence is likely to be best FFA class in the game.

Can see pistol being useful as backup option but given how went for camos on shotguns had no room for it.

Depends what mode you play but found being passive/aggressive worked in FFA.

Do have diamond shotguns now 🙂

Not the best player in the world don’t claim to be.

Battlefront, Call Of Duty, CoD, Thoughts, Video Games

Various Thoughts

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Decided to quick little post on various topics over write out something massive.  Still working out what a good idea to write about when it comes to this site but here goes nothing.  Recently been playing Call Of Duty Black Ops 3 so here are my views and some other subjects.

Call Of Duty Black Ops 3

Campaign does suffer from Call Of Duty writing which most characters are skin deep male dominated macho culture.   Even the female characters feels like they should be male.  Key problem here is that when characters die you don’t feel connected to them just looking at the set pieces thinking that looks awesome.  Credit to Treyarch for making the campaign coop in some respects feel like an add on.  Some strategy players can specialist in various loadouts or focus on certain weapon types.

Zombies shadows of evil is fun game even gives you hints what you need to do.  Visual and audio messages saying you should do this in order get benefit feels story driven.  You don’t have to start the Easter egg to be told the story of zombies.  Credit again to Treyarch for improving on the criticism.  Sound design not bad however does appear to be some gaps sometimes you don’t hear zombies behind you.

Multiplayer you kill things and rank up.  Only issue I have with whole thing is linear progression system.  You have to get kills in order move up the progression rank.  Movement system does not matter during combat feels very close to older games.

Paris attacks

Recently Paris suffered from series of terrorist attacks across the city.  Terrorist attacks are rare within European nations with only a handful of recorded ones within recent years.   Could not have come at worse time, European nations which are deeply divided with no clear leadership.  European project is facing economic, social issues on colossal scale along with crisis of leadership deeply divided.  Global issues remain unsolved feeding into the challenges the European nations face. France is not only nation suffering from terrorist attacks, long list of attacks this year. Concerns me not just due to pointless lost of life but the debate.   Very real risk that we could fall into the trap being placed before us very real risk that fibre of European nations being ripped apart as a result.

European nations have failed to get to grips with issues on global stage even the back yard. Europe suffering from economic failure with younger generations converting to extreme ideology views. Young men are killing each other and others, becoming murders attacking values which raised them.

Obvious example refugee/migrant crisis economic/social problem caused by failed states/civil wars/economic failure.

Worries me that wave of xenophobia and populist parties may come one step closer to power. Growing already shaped the debate to much in the wrong direction making matters worse.  Some was looking for reason to reject refugees may have been given one.

Pray for Paris and Europe.

Star wars battlefront

Fan service still decent game but very causal not a bad thing at all.  We need causal games which why we have Call Of Duty with various other titles.  Have no interest in that title at all 🙂

Twitch/Youtube

Yes do plan on live streaming some more just a case of finding the right game and being interesting. Going to try get some games to add to Youtube at the same time.

Call Of Duty, CoD

Call Of Duty Black Ops 3 – inconsistency

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Call Of Duty Black Ops 3 – inconsistency

Lets talk about inconsistency within Call Of Duty latests release Black ops 3.  Design point of view the game does have a degree of randomness added to the overall mechanics.  Based on my playtime so far my performance suffers from massive amount of inconsistency.  Willing to admit that some of my weapon choices could be to blame but not everything is down to that.   Can use various tactics to increase the odds in your favour which is why players exploit these tactics and other players get annoyed at them.  Obvious examples Stealth based perks, sound based perks, passive playstyle, gun boosting attachments.

Even using these tactics with versatile weapons find that far too often looking at inconsistent performance asking what happened.

Be the very nature of Call Of Duty increasing the odds of winning to 60% still better over 50/50. Players die so fast you can’t cover all the angles, reaction time plus doing any aiming still die fast. Average human reaction time is 0.25 seconds, average kill time is 0.1-3 seconds.  Add in aim down sights time that another 200ms plus any networking plus having to look and move your hands. Reducing the number of potential threats plus actions needed helps increase your odds.  This why players pre aim lines of sights hold areas of down.  Aggressive players still play rather passive compared to other games.  Obvious example when was the last time you saw somebody play quake like Call Of Duty.

Mechanics wise Call Of Duty Black Ops 3 does pretty much everything differently.  Attachments are based on weapons with benefits being greater for certain weapons.  Weapon damage models can be made up of 4-5 different numbers.  Movement system does not work how players think it does. Has some nice little minor things which allows players to move faster.  Still trying to get used to these changes, movement wise part being one of the hardest.  Trying to include these in combat comes down to trial and error.

All adding up to the inconsistency being faced by myself.  Not the best player in the world but finding whole deal frustrating that said nice to be learning.  Even if the game is rather random makes me think of hearthstone in some respects.  Reviewing my gameplay may be helpful in finding faults with what going on.

 

Call Of Duty, CoD, Video Games

Black ops 3 my weapon rating

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Below you can find all my weapon rates for black ops 3 weapons.  Not used every weapon yet but based on the information here a rough list. Some tier 3 weapons are not bad but have nice niche.

Assault rifles

Tier 1: Man of war, M8A7

Tier 2: HVK, ICR-I

Tier 3: Sheiva

HVK is the best average gun in the game expect to see most people running it in public lobbies.

Sub machine gun

Tier 1: VMP, Pharo

Tier 2 Kuda, Vesper, Razorback

Tier 3 Weevil

Expect to see most players again using average guns Kuda, Razorback with some VMP.

Light machine guns

Tier 1 48 Dredge

Tier 2 BRM, Dingo

Tier 3 Gorgan

Expect to see most players running the BRM or Dingo

Shotguns

Tier 1

Tier 2 Haymaker, Argus

Tier 3 Brecci

Tier 4 KRM

KRM is just bad avoid it simple as that, wasted too much time on that gun trying to gold it given up.

Call Of Duty, CoD, Playstation, PS4, Video Games

Black Ops 3 Beta Final thoughts

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Black Ops 3 Beta Final Thoughts

Call Of Duty Black Ops 3 has made some pretty big gameplay mechanics changes. Movement system has been changed again. Advanced warfare took movement system allowed a huge amount of freedom impacting the metagame. Combat along with travelling the map faced with massive changes. Movement freedom is scaled back in favour of a much more controlled pace. That said movement still plays a role but is far more tactical in use. Map is designed to use the movement system with certain routes being options. Movement allows for sliding once more with wall running added. Mechanical the movement has been redone from the ground up with physics changed and new limits put in place.
Advanced warfare worked on PC but movement did not work on console black ops 3 Treyarch has reached a happy median.

Lets take a look at the movement system.

Wall running – One button wall running with you able to fire when running.  Based on map design so far let’s players travel around choke points and avoid lines of sight.

Boost jumps –   players to boost in whatever direction even when moving.   Black ops 3 stops players from being able to move apart from a limited number of directions.

Slide – Returns pretty much unchanged

Forward momentum is another change from Advanced warfare which did not have any forward momentum at all.  Of course could be wrong given how I did not play that game.

Changes to the movement system means the game feels much closer to older call of duties and more natural. Movement system is easier to learn but hard to master. Rest of the game is rather much the same as past titles from a design point of view and gameplay mechanics. Call of duty also has dedicated servers along with listen servers.  Weapon balance wise is better however does have some issues but Treyarch appear to know what they are doing.

Weapon balance assault rifles are king however SMGs still have a place along with LMGs and other snipers.  Shotguns have quite good spread which are balanced with lower range/damage feels better compared to BO2.

Hope Treyarch can find the best balance between weapon classes right now assault rifles are too strong.

Metagame appears camping is best option and could see E sports being quite good.

Can see this title being frustrating but that standard for call of duty.  Watching out to see how the xbox version beta goes and PC version.  Do have some complaints about the title but looking forward to the single player along with zombies.

Game can be random at times but is rather fun.  Was going to avoid this Call of duty game however this beta has changed my mind.