[mattyb]

And so, the hype begins.

[mattyb]

G-36 is back, loved this gun in MW. Nice to see a good selection of semi-auto snipers as well.

[mattyb]

Plasticy 1887 with Hasta La Vista written on it - meh.

[The Final Dakar]

God damn you, frenchie.

[mattyb]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

God damn you, frenchie.

Its rare that I get a chance to start a thread in this forum. Let me have some glory.

You're up early.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by mattyb 

Its rare that I get a chance to start a thread in this forum. Let me have some glory.

Iwas waiting for the official announcement at E3. Now I'm reporting this thread to the mods
No i'm not

Originally Posted by mattyb 

You're up early.

Wrong again, as always.

[boy8cookie]

Are we buying this?

[sek929]

Probably. Homefront's complete butchery of the lobby matchmaking system has left a gaping hole in my thirst for online play. Again, I could care less about the campaign, but here's hoping for one hell of a multiplayer experience.

[The Final Dakar]

Unless the prerequisite leaked version of the game the weekend before shows a glitchy unplayable mess, it's a Day 1 purchase, despite my considerable misgivings about having 3,000 developers try to cram a notoriously difficult game play mechanic into an ancient game engine.

[Kevin Bogues]

Originally Posted by boy8cookie 

Are we buying this?

I guess....

only because i got out of black ops so early do i think i could get back into CoD

[The Final Dakar]

I really want to say, "It couldn't be worse," but many people pin Black Ops new features (Split-screen, new sound engine, theater) as the source of its problems and I can't imagine any of those are more challenging than adding damage modeling.

Really, it's hilarious, because if they didn't add those new features, people would scream about being milked for the same game on a yearly basis even harder.

[Kevin Bogues]

i'm left with a situation where if i don't buy MW3, what do i buy? nothing else is coming into the online shooter space and anything that does won't have nearly the following from my friends list as this.
Hopefully this isn't a large DLC map pack of MW2

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by Kevin Bogues 

Hopefully this isn't a large DLC map pack of MW2

Are you kidding me? After Black Ops, that's the best case scenario.

[Stogieman]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

Unless the prerequisite leaked version of the game the weekend before shows a glitchy unplayable mess, it's a Day 1 purchase, despite my considerable misgivings about having 3,000 developers try to cram a notoriously difficult game play mechanic into an ancient game engine.

The people responsible for making the first two games successful are no longer involved. But who cares? We got three separate developers working on it now (Sledgehammer, Raven and the ghost of Infinity Ward.). What could possibly go wrong?

[The Final Dakar]

Bookmark that post.

[Leonard]

Originally Posted by boy8cookie 

Are we buying this?

Probably. I'm bored of Halo:Reach and I'll probably be done Homefront soon. Time for another MW. From what I've read it sounds promising.

[Stogieman]

Originally Posted by Leonard 

Probably. I'm bored of Halo:Reach...

I guess that leaves me the last man standing.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by Stogieman 

I guess that leaves me the last man standing.

[Stogieman]

Well played sir. Well played. </Golf Clap>

[The Final Dakar]

You're the one who has played well to receive such an honor.

[mattyb]

Originally Posted by Leonard 

I'll probably be done Homefront soon.

Damn. Thats dedication.

[The Final Dakar]

I suppose the new bet is whether this thread will surpass the Black Ops thread, where I asked if it would surpass the MW2 thread (Hint: It didn't even come close).

[mattyb]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

I suppose the new bet is whether this thread will surpass the Black Ops thread, where I asked if it would surpass the MW2 thread (Hint: It didn't even come close).

Think that it was me that thought BO would be popular. Funny that there are so many people still playing it, but MW2 lovers from here and my clan both don't rate it as highly as MW2.

[The Final Dakar]

I've probably mentioned in that thread that I think it appeals to the younger/less strategic/ADD crowd. Either that, or just natural sales progression.

That Black Ops has outsold MW2 makes me sick, but if MW3 fails to outsell Black Ops, I will be really tormented.

[mattyb]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

That Black Ops has outsold MW2 makes me sick, but if MW3 fails to outsell Black Ops, I will be really tormented.

I know what you mean. Its as if 'true' online FPS players universally hate Black Ops. Seems to be people that put in less than 20 odd days into MW2. The scum.

[The Final Dakar]

Don't use 'true'. My friends are evenly split on it, with a .5 vote going towards Black Ops by the guy who played MW2 after Black Ops (and once only tubers and fagmandos were left in MW2).

[mattyb]

I didn't really know how else to classify the BO haters.

Anyway, enjoy work, I'm going to try and get the Fall cammo on the Barrett before bedtime in MW2.

[Leonard]

Originally Posted by Stogieman 

I guess that leaves me the last man standing.

Yeah, but I've played more Halo:Reach than any of you.

[The Final Dakar]

A space goes after colons. Not that I'm sure a colon is even necessary here.

(Also, apparently colons bring out the inner grammar nazi)

[Stogieman]

The first official trailer is finally here.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Reveal Trailer

[mattyb]

Retailers slash prices.

You guys seeing this in the States?

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by Stogieman 

The first official trailer is finally here.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Reveal Trailer

Let me guess, 100% single player, 90% cutscenes, 100% irrelevant.

[Kevin Bogues]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

Let me guess, 100% single player, 90% cutscenes, 100% irrelevant.

90% cutscenes
100% explosions
10% i'm driving a boat/helicopter/plane/jets-ski/AC-130/bicycle/skateboard

[mattyb]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

Let me guess, 100% single player, 90% cutscenes, 100% irrelevant.

Originally Posted by Kevin Bogues 

90% cutscenes
100% explosions
10% i'm driving a boat/helicopter/plane/jets-ski/AC-130/bicycle/skateboard

So young yet already so cynical.

[The Final Dakar]

I didn't care about the MW2 trailer, either. I didn't jump on the bandwagon until the AC-130 multiplayer trailer, because, jesus god, that was amazing.

[Leonard]

How are they ever going to surpass the AC-130?

They should add a A10 Warthog as a killstreak. Of course that would be lower on the scale than an AC-130.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by Leonard 

How are they ever going to surpass the AC-130?

Not what I'm asking for, but that's for them to decide. If the rumors are right, it's destructible environs.

[Kevin Bogues]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

Not what I'm asking for, but that's for them to decide. If the rumors are right, it's destructible environs.

I think this is a long time coming, If i remember correctly the first Red Faction game has "geomod?" i remember using rocket launchers and creating tunnels in the maps to other areas, good times.
Back then, it felt so revolutionary that i couldn't imagine it not taking off... i was wrong

EDIT: Wiki confirmed "geomod" and that game was released in 2001...mother of god

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by Kevin Bogues 

I think this is a long time coming, If i remember correctly the first Red Faction game has "geomod?" i remember using rocket launchers and creating tunnels in the maps to other areas, good times.
Back then, it felt so revolutionary that i couldn't' imagine it not taking off... i was wrong

Well I imagine the problem was a game-breaking two-fold: Destructible environments were difficult to code, and they also presented a challenge gameplay design. How many times in Red Faction did you blast a concrete wall only to find adamantium girders underneath (to prevent you from an easy shortcut)?

In the multiplayer realm of 10 minute games, it feels like a more playable fit (gameplay wise), though the constant need for better graphics, bigger maps, and more players really could curtail that.

[Kevin Bogues]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

How many times in Red Faction did you blast a concrete wall only to find adamantium girders underneath (to prevent you from an easy shortcut)?

Absolutely true, at the time it did provide some interesting and revolutionary mechanics, but was hindered by the level design and graphics.

[mattyb]

Dynamic environments would be seriously cool. But then the question is 'how dynamic'? I imagine the coding would be pretty heavy - I know nothing about coding FPS games, but I imagine a constantly changing map as well as the constantly changing player positions wouldn't be the easiest thing to do.

[The Final Dakar]

Well, to me the reality of the difficulty of the coding pales in comparison to the challenge of balancing the dynamic. Much like wooden crates and banana leaves are inexplicably more bullet proof than 6" concrete, it will need to be decided what can and can't be destroyed, most likely to frustrating conclusion.

After that is solved, the more important problem can than be addressed: How to inflict said destruction. Does every explosive cause structural damage to varying degrees? Only rockets? Only air support? If it can be done on the ground, do you create a perk that increases the likelihood of destruction? Do you nerf a perk that would allow for more/unlimited explosives (Or place it in the same class)?

[mattyb]

I was talking to a Battlefield 2 PC gamer about the ability to bring down buildings and create holes in walls etc. He said that B2's implementation was very well done. If EA can code it, then Activision should be able to.

[The Final Dakar]

Yeah, but that ignores two things:

1. You're taking about coding and not gameplay again
2. People who are drawn to Battlefield and hate CoD's taste can't be relied upon for their take on Battlefield's gameplay.

I mean, if they didn't like it, why would they be playing it?

[mattyb]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

Yeah, but that ignores two things:

1. You're taking about coding and not gameplay again
2. People who are drawn to Battlefield and hate CoD's taste can't be relied upon for their take on Battlefield's gameplay.

I mean, if they didn't like it, why would they be playing it?

2. He's a serious CoD player, having played CoD UO online on PC. Like me, he was in a CoD clan that admined their own servers. He changed to the dark side because of server issues with MW2. Not knowing any other PC based MW2 players, I don't know if they ever got as good an experience as we on the Xbox did.

1. I'm struggling for words in how to put this across. The coding and gameplay is intrinsically linked, along with the maps, add-ons, perks etc. By adding smoke grenades you change the gameplay, but having 2 claymores, you change the gameplay. Of course being able to blow holes in walls will change the gameplay. We can get pedantic and wonder if someone can melee with the butt of their rifle an already created hole to make it bigger, but then we could also get pedantic about the thermo scopes' display on the snow bound maps in MW2. Apart from OMA, the balance in MW2 was pretty much spot on. Being able to maintain a balance with dynamic environments (along with perks, etc etc) will be a challange, but if B2 has done it, why shouldn't MW3? Fatty's Judgement Day thread actually touches on this, the 'core' aspect of MW2 was sound, which is why its overall a better game than Blops. Of course if the use of dynamic environments is 'unbalanced' or flawed then funky new add-ons won't matter. And by the way, we've already had dynamic environments in Blops - the rocket launch on Launch, the doors on Radiation - you could even count the lifts in Hotel.

[mattyb]

Modern Warfare 3 vs. Battlefield 3: the difference is in the PC

He has some interesting points, but I don't agree with everything.

the game is going to be ultra-competitive, and things are going to rapidly devolve into min-maxing teenagers who will call you an ethnic slur if you don't have one of the agreed-upon loadouts for the best destruction. When I play Black Ops these days I feel like I'm punishing myself. With players that already know where to go and what to do, the game often feels like players picking between a limited number of already-effective strategies.

So B2 isn't competitive? And B3 won't be? Whats a min-maxing player? Ever heard of global mute? Do people who already know the Battlefield maps not try and repeat successful strategies?

We already know that while the console version of Battlefield 3 will be limited to 24 players, the PC version will support servers with up to 64 players. That's not a small skirmish anymore, that's a war. And since we're playing war games, this is the way it should be. The squad mechanics will return from Bad Company 2, although likely with some updates. If you stick with your friends and support each other by picking the right classes, you'll go far. This is not a game for lone wolves.

I never felt playing any CoD games online, either PC or Xbox, that there weren't enough players on the map. In fact I avoided the games-types where you could have large teams due to lag issues. And I sometimes like not having to reply on teammates.

I've seen new players try Black Ops and quickly grow discouraged, especially with the aggressive nature of the community.

Its an FPS, what does this person expect? First he says what a war is, then he doesn't like it because its agressive. Bias is an understatement.

The environments will feature massive destruction, and the animation of the soldiers is almost uncanny. It's immediately noticeable from a graphical perspective, and the physics updates will impact the game. Watching the Modern Warfare 3 presentation left me squinting as I tried to see what's new in the engine. Where are the big updates? We may see them later, but that's something you need to put front and center when you show a game for the first time.

Yes, of course the hairs that you can count on the forearms of your enemy are important - what drivel. I'm all for better graphics, but it isn't the selling point of CoD. More of the same is the selling point, that may make lovers of CoD simpletons, so be it.

I have a feeling that this is purely due to the support of the PC by EA. Maybe B2 is a shit hot game on the PC, maybe B3 will be. But that makes no difference to the largest market for a certain game segment. Like he says, why would Activision change things too much.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by mattyb 

2. He's a serious CoD player, having played CoD UO online on PC. Like me, he was in a CoD clan that admined their own servers. He changed to the dark side because of server issues with MW2. Not knowing any other PC based MW2 players, I don't know if they ever got as good an experience as we on the Xbox did.

I stand corrected.

Originally Posted by mattyb 

1. I'm struggling for words in how to put this across. The coding and gameplay is intrinsically linked,

No, I think you're misusing coding to represent any function within the game. I have a feeling if you said gameplay instead every time you'd turn out ok.

[mattyb]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

No, I think you're misusing coding to represent any function within the game. I have a feeling if you said gameplay instead every time you'd turn out ok.

Like I said, I find it hard to put into words. And I don't have the same gaming analytical skills as you or others in this forum.

[KCrosbie]

Originally Posted by mattyb 

And I don't have the same gaming analytical skills as you or others in this forum.

[mattyb]

Some sort of MW3 advert going to be shown on the 28th during of after the Champions League Final (European Club Football's biggest prize). Dunno if its just France or if it'll be Europe wide.