Call of Duty is in an interesting place right now. With Black Ops 2, many expected Treyarch to take over flagship development studio duties from series creator Infinity Ward. But the new Black Ops wasn't quite the breakthrough act we hoped for, despite making dramatic changes to both single and multiplayer.
The ball's back in Infinity Ward's court, then, but just what should the studio do with it? Craig Owens has a few ideas...
1. Bigger maps
It might be those few extra Christmas pounds talking, but Call Of Duty's multiplayer maps are starting to feel a little, well, tight. Remember the original Modern Warfare's multiplayer offerings? Maps like Overgrown, Pipeline and Creek were sprawling epics, where snipers and medium range shooters could co-exist happily (so long, as you, know, they were on the same team). Even maps like Backlot and Crash seemed roomier than the middle-sized maps of today. We miss the scale of COD's old levels, where proper battle lines could be drawn and shifted across the length of a match, and where SMGs weren't everyone's weapon of choice.
2. Better spawns
If Infinity Ward ignores the sage advice above, and Modern Warfare's maps keep shrinking till they're basically the size of the OXM games room, then we pray that it at least fixes the spawns. Even roomier maps like MW3's Village start to feel like ultraviolent merry-go-rounds when enemy players you killed not ten seconds ago seem to spawn in your soldier's backpack, nipping at your heels like a pack of assault rifle carrying Chihuahuas. Having the enemy team immediately fill the space you've just vacated ruins the feeling that you've actually pushed them back. It's a good way to keep the battle moving, we admit, but it makes it feel less like a battle in the first place.
3. Better AI
Pity the Russian Ultranationalist army. Along with the game's heroic US and UK forces, it has access to some of the most sophisticated, hi-tech military gear the world has ever known. By the time of Modern Warfare 2, it's also managed to trounce the US so utterly that Treyarch felt compelled to rip the entire idea off in Black Ops 2. Yet like all Goliaths, the ultranationalist forces have a terrible, hidden weakness. No training. Shoot, duck behind cover, charge. Shoot, duck behind cover, charge. If these poor Russian conscripts are treated to flanking classes before the release of Modern Warfare 4, it could well spell doom for the western world.
4. Dedicated servers
No entry in Activision's series has been immune to the perils of peer-to-peer netcode, cue the arrival of "that's not the way I saw it!" alternate realities by killcam. Dedicated servers won't make lag disappear - that comes down to you and your opponent's connection speeds, after all - but they can at least remove host advantages, and minimise the horrific lag compensation used in Modern Warfare 3, which could often see players with the lesser connection gain the advantage. We'd explain further, and in more technical detail, but unfortunately we've just been shot in the head by bullets fired two weeks ago.
11 comments so far...
bamozzy on 5 Jan '13 said:
I agree on some of the points here - however some I do not agree with.
1. Bigger Maps
Whilst big maps are quite good and offer more variety of play styles/weaponry etc, this often leads to a slower game. CoD's most popular maps all appear to be of the small maps (Rust, Nuketown, Firing Range, Dome (both), etc). Personally I like the majority of maps for different reasons and play styles - sometimes I like nothing more than sniping from the back of a long range map and other times I like running and gunning. Therefore a good balance of maps is needed.
2-4 Better AI, Better Spawns and Dedicated Servers.
These are all required. The first 2 are just a few tweaks away from working but the best thing to happen to MP would be dedicated servers!
5. Overhauled Perk System.
I like BO2's Perks system. The perks are all character ability and weapon enhancements are now attachments. I like BO2's Scorestreak points but prefer MW3's ability to assign killstreaks to class and loved the Specialist killstreak. MW4 should look at MW3's system and revise it so that Support is just that SUPPORT! As long as there are no Deathstreaks.....
6. Better Stealth
I like Stealthy sections but wouldn't want to much in a game like CoD. It is nice to change the pace but if I want a slow paced stealth based game I would buy one specifically. In MP, if you play stealthily (supprssed weapons and stealth perks) you get accused of being a noob etc so much so that Ghost has changed to be a perk that only works if you are moving (not that I am complaining as some campers use Stealth to hide and ambush)
7. No more respawning enemies
An infinite respawning enemy is certainly not wanted but a certain amount of enemies turning up from somewhere (maybe more if you go in making a lot of noise) is fine - getting the balance right is important.
8. Better Story
This is a difficult one! A story is subjective anyway but it also dictates the game to a great degree. People want less linearity from their game but also want a driven and quality story too. Nearly all story driven games are linear. Stories suffer when there are too many side quests, sub missions, open world travelling etc. We also have to think what could they do next that they haven't yet done in a game where war is concerned? We have had Nuclear explosions, drones, terrorism, countless enemies and battlezones as well as all the media coverage. It would be really difficult to come up with a plausible, original and great storyline in a game. The first MW was so good as it brought the War genre to the modern day. We were fed up with WW1 and 2 games. MW4 (if that is what we get next) should be about polishing refining and trying to deliver a great gaming experience with a nice balance of game play incorporating elements of what has been mentioned here - Better AI etc...
9. More Actual Modern Warfare
This again comes down to the last sentence about 'gaming experience' above. Whilst it is great to have these 'spectacular' moments its how you get to those that is most important! If you have just played through a level of Actual Modern Warfare with better AI etc then you appreciate those spectacular moments more especially if they are in keeping with the storyline.
10. New Engine
Personally I have no issue with the current engine. It was built for the current generation of consoles and Black Ops 2 certainly does not look awful! Actual demolition of surroundings (like BF3) is good in some cases and doesn't work in others. IF MW3 is on the next gen consoles then it would definitely need a new engine however if not then I can see this engine getting at least 1 more use. I am certain that MW3 or BO2 could have looked better and maybe had more destructive elements too but would have lost that 60fps. Lets be honest - how many games look as good as BO2 AND run at 60fps?
Overall I think it is a very tough act to follow regardless. The single player is a very difficult thing now - just what can they do that hasn't already been done/seen/tried etc AND bring something different in terms of gaming whilst keeping the fans, Activision and any new comers happy. The same goes for all other aspects of the game. Regardless you know the haters are already going to comment instead of adding anything constructive..... But no doubt it will sell!
Incidentally:- About BO2
Hope they fix the problem with the MP and Custom Classes (especially if you play Local MP). I reached Prestige 5, level 40 and after playing a couple of matches on local, returned to Xbox Live for a bit of MP to see a message that all my Custom Classes had been reset. I have lost Custom Classes 6-10 AND all my permanent unlocks as well as any existing level unlock tokens too. I don't know if it has affected my weapon stats, camo's XP etc as well...
I had just bought the Season Pass as well!!!
I may have to play through to the end of this prestige and reset EVERYTHING and start again! Really ANNOYED!!!!!
Baryonyx on 5 Jan '13 said:
Modern Warfare does need a massive overhaul.
The story in MW has been abysmal post COD 4. Black Ops has shown how a COD game can be story driven and exciting. I found BO2 genuinely gripping and finally having a decent bad guy was a big part of that. Looking back on COD4, it was very 'low key' in terms of bombast. Something which progressively got worse in the MW series. But that part in MW2 where the American general turns on you? Absolute rubbish.
lazercut123 on 5 Jan '13 said:
I have bought every cod game since 4 and played it less and less each time (blops 2 is an exception, I playe that for 2 weeks instead of mod 3's 5 days), and now that mod 4 has been announced I am not buying cod anymore. The only thing that will make me buy is if it has- oh wait, no, nothing will make me buy this, not even if they pay me to play it.
BOO infinity ward, you suck! Die like THQ will in 6 months (not that I necessarily hate THQ)
RetroDad on 6 Jan '13 said:
Metalrodent on 7 Jan '13 said:
have to say I agree with most of those points, CoD 4 was great, since then the games have been meh, fun enough but samey and clearly recycled and uninspired (I mean c'mon, Blops 2 is not original, all it did was rip Ghost Recon off lol)
bamozzy on 8 Jan '13 said:
I have tried the Activision Support website but it won't allow me to log in for some reason. I have also posted on the official CoD website forums and notice that it does seem quite common (I wish I had seen before I played Local!!) and also have tweeted to a few of the official Twitter accounts too. Eventually one of the Twitter Messages came back and said they were going to investigate but not heard anything more. Will have to chase them up AGAIN!!!
Anyway thanks. It is really annoying and has stopped me playing for now. I may have to persevere though and reach the end of this prestige ASAP and use my prestige token to reset everything. I notice my stats on some weapons (3 Shotguns and the Assault Shield) are completely ridiculous! apart from using the KSG (maybe 50-100 kills) I have NOT used the others EVER in a public match (or in a private or local match either) Its not my style of play.
Mendes on 10 Jan '13 said:
Thank you, thank you, thank you OXM!!!!!
This brilliant article has just further convinced me that not buying any more COD after MW2 was completely the right decision to make, I feel if they haven't got it right by now, certainly with regard to the campaign, they never will.
I understand from all my friends I'm missing out on lots of lovely zombie killing action but really a weight was lifted from me the day I rid myself of the shackles that is the yearly iteration of what I feel is essentially the same game, followed by multiple map packs which I must own else I'll get booted from the lobby after every other game.
How I used to love the series and how I now loathe it, I thought I was bipolar in my thinking and that I was missing out on some fantastic campaign fun, but I realise I've grown as a person and that I don't give a flying UAV what happened to Soap after MW2.
I realise my thinking is opposed to many, but if any of you have any niggling doubts about the series miss buying it for one release, I doubt you'd look back, you'll find there are too many other good games that deserve your attention ... if I'm wrong wait a few short months and like a good bus service another one will be along before you know it.
JR Texx on 10 Jan '13 said:
JR Texx on 10 Jan '13 said:
Have you actually played since CoD4? because if you did you didn't be saying "boo" to infinity ward.
Matthew Jackson on 14 Jan '13 said:
I really enjoy video games and have started to play with airsoft guns http://www.airsplat.com/airsoft-video-games.htm because of the games that i play and its a lot of fun.
GeeFLex on 19 Jan '13 said:
I agree with most of the posts above; The next call of duty better be a heck of a good one for their clients to keep playing the game. I've been playing every call of duty since World at War (which btw is the best one yet) and like many people like to say: This game as degraded over the years. Ever since Modern Warfare 3 i've been getting bored of playing after a few weeks. I find the game to be too Modern, World at War was based on real wars and were alot more realistic than the more recent cods
I've been seeing Facebook pages against BO2 cause people find it sooo shitty.
I've been seeing internet posts *Like this one* saying that the gameplay is soo shitty. No offense.
People are literally trying to make people boycot the next call of duty games because they change them so much, but in a bad way.
In past war games, if you were a good player you would have a little advantage. But in BO2 just like in MW3, if you're a good player..you'll get killed by a noob using an overly powered gun like the ACR,M8A1,etc.
I remember having so much fun playing WaW or MW2, good old days.
Alls I'm saying is that the next better be one for the ages. Let's hope,
Thanks