[Stogieman]

Damn! Where did you get that pic? That's gotta be xbox and PS3 combined.

I was playing Halo Reach last night and there was only 243,000 players online.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by Stogieman 

Damn! Where did you get that pic?

kotaku

Originally Posted by Stogieman 

That's gotta be xbox and PS3 combined.

My first inclination as well, except that'd be bad info if not an outright lie. But I wouldn't rule that out as a possibility.

Edit: The map is sorta overblown because the shot is overexposed, but I noticed Tuesday Night that it seemed like everything fro the eastern seaboard to Illinois was lit up. My guess is they're a little generous with how bright/large each individual player is.

[Stogieman]

Originally Posted by Kevin Bogues 

Bday is still a week away but thanks!

Oh I see... so you lied about your birthday when you registered at trueachievements.com.

[Stogieman]

Black Ops Breaks Sales Records

Black Ops sold around 5.6 million copies in North America and the UK. By comparison, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 sold a paltry 4.7 million copies last year. First day sales for Black Ops in the US and UK totaled more than $360 million.

And I wasn't one of them.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by Stogieman 

Oh I see... so you lied about your birthday when you registered at trueachievements.com.

He probably lied about his astrological sign, interests, and turn-ons, too, the bastard.

[lpkmckenna]

Ars Technica reports that multiplayer is completely broken, but the single player mode is much better than MW2.

[sek929]

Well that continues the trend of gaming websites exaggerating to get page hits.

What exactly is broken about this game? Minor differences aside it is EXACTLY the same as MW2.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by lpkmckenna 

Ars Technica reports that multiplayer is completely broken, but the single player mode is much better than MW2.

On PC. Must qualify that.

[mattyb]

Had a day off today and played quite a few s&d rounds. Much better when you get to know the maps. You don't get many pseudo-dollars per match but you do get the XP.

Spent a while looking at stats. The S&D leaderboard has a few MafiaXXXX players. Check out their average scores and stuff and you'll see that its a bag of bollocks.

THE defacto weapon of choice for your 12 year old S&D player is the AK-74u. Even though I am ashamed to admit it, I have bought into this trend and equipped it with a silencer and grip. Reminds me of the ACR.

Have fun ladies, its good night from me.

[sek929]

The AK47u is a monster of a weapon. I personally use it with grip and extended mags and it isn't uncommon to get three kills in one clip.

[The Final Dakar]

It's definitely the early entrant as the new SCAR.

[KCrosbie]

What's with finding a matchmaking game when you have a party? Fatty, Dakar and I couldn't connect to a game which seemed like forever. It wasn't until I hosted that we found one.

[KCrosbie]

So it seems you can enter a code at the computer on the main screen to unlock the zombie map "Five." You don't have to beat the campaign to unlock it.

The code: 3ARC UNLOCK

[KCrosbie]

whoops

[Leonard]

Originally Posted by KCrosbie 

What's with finding a matchmaking game when you have a party? Fatty, Dakar and I couldn't connect to a game which seemed like forever. It wasn't until I hosted that we found one.

I have to say, Halo has the best matchmaking (it always finds games fairly fast and with a good connection (CoD:MW2 seemed to be 50/50), but CoD (at least MW2) always tried to keep the matches full, ie. it brought in new players if a player left. Halo doesn't bring in new players. Interesting how matchmaking is so different between 2 Xbox games. You would think Microsoft would standardize some of that.

[boy8cookie]

20-0 bitches!~

That is all.

[Stogieman]

Yeah right. Where's the video from the new theater mode to back this up?

ps - You were probably spawn camping and hiding in the grass the whole game.


That reminds me, how does Black Ops' theater compare to Halo's? I'm surprised we haven't seen any fattyramas or videos in this thread yet.

[Stogieman]

So I just read in another forum that they brought back infinite enemy respawn in SP.

**** you Treyarch!

[KCrosbie]

Originally Posted by Stogieman 

So I just read in another forum that they brought back infinite enemy respawn in SP.

**** you Treyarch!

Yeah it ****ing sucks, but it's only in a few certain areas.

Not nearly as bad as WaW.

[mattyb]

SP in CoD games is only for :

1) when you have no internets
2) when there are too many XYZ hackers on (a la care package glitch)
3) achievement whores

That is all.

[The Final Dakar]

4) When none of your friends are on and you can't stomach another game with the 2-12 (Are those bullets being fired outside? I better go check) crowd.

[Mrjinglesusa]

Anyone else having trouble connecting to matches? I've waited 15-20 minutes for a lobby to fill up and a match start. ????

Other times, it might take 10-15 minutes to even get into a lobby.

[Mrjinglesusa]

Spawning SUCKS in multiplayer.

I can't count the number of times I spawn and killed immediately or spawn, look around and see no one, take two steps and get killed by an enemy who spawned in the exact spot I just spawned.

WTF gun are people using that is full auto, balls on accurate, and doesn't seem to move an inch (muzzle rise)? FAMAS? Galil? Whatever it is, I need it because: 1) the MP5 does piss poor damage and 2) the M16 SUCKS. I'm only Level 13 so don't have access to much. Anything better than the MP5 or M16 at level 13?

For people who invited me to matches, I'm waiting until I level up a bit (Sabatoge is good for me in this regard) and learn the maps better before joining in. No offense, but to be honest, I suck right now. LOL

[exca1ibur]

Two words... Combat Training (on hardened). Best preparation for online without the embarrassment.

[sek929]

The FAMAS fires very fast, but isn't all that accurate at distance.

Honestly, some of the SMGs are on par with the FAMAS for deadly-ness.

[mattyb]

AK-74u is by my reckoning the SMG of choice. Famas and Galil seem to be the most popular assault rifles.

In S&D there seem to be more and more using the Colt Commando and those that have unlocked it rate the G11.

I am using my fave weapon : AK-47 with silencer. I wouldn't say that I'm owning, but I'm doing OK.

[boy8cookie]

This game has, by far, the ABSOLUTE WORST spawning of any game ever made, ever. EVER!

Still, parties of 2-6 are pretty fun.

[Stogieman]

Is the spawning is worst than Halo: Reach? Wow, that's pretty bad.

[Mrjinglesusa]

Originally Posted by mattyb 

AK-74u is by my reckoning the SMG of choice. Famas and Galil seem to be the most popular assault rifles.

In S&D there seem to be more and more using the Colt Commando and those that have unlocked it rate the G11.

I am using my fave weapon : AK-47 with silencer. I wouldn't say that I'm owning, but I'm doing OK.

Awesome - that's just the info I need. Thanks.

I'm almost to the point I can unlock the Famas so I'll go with that for awhile until I unlock the AK47, AK74u, and Galil then try those.

[Mrjinglesusa]

Originally Posted by boy8cookie 

This game has, by far, the ABSOLUTE WORST spawning of any game ever made, ever. EVER!

Still, parties of 2-6 are pretty fun.

Agreed. It's common sentiment that the spawning system is horrendous in this game and is on the list of fixes for the first update. There needs to be something in the software that will not allow enemy spawns within a certain distance from a friendly spawn. Better yet, they need to designate certain points for enemy and friendly spawns - not use the same spawn points for both.

[boy8cookie]

Originally Posted by Stogieman 

Is the spawning is worst than Halo: Reach? Wow, that's pretty bad.

way way way way way way way way... way worse.

Originally Posted by Mrjinglesusa 

Awesome - that's just the info I need. Thanks.

I'm almost to the point I can unlock the Famas so I'll go with that for awhile until I unlock the AK47, AK74u, and Galil then try those.

AK74u is the best short - mid range weapon that I've used. I'm not a fan of the FAMAS (short clip, fast fire rate) but it's fairly accurate at medium long range (not long range). I feel the same about the AK47. The Galil is probably has the most recoil, but if you manage the recoil by firing in short bursts, it's the best of the 3, imo.

My "go to" class is:
Galil (Silenced + Reflex Sight)
Crossbow
Semtex
Decoy
Camera
Ghost (Pro)
Warlord (Pro)
Ninja

Up until yesterday, I was using claymore, but decided to tryout the camera - Holy Sh¡t that thing is awesome. First game I used it, I went 20-2.

[The Final Dakar]

Don't have time to comment boyos (though i was hoping to start a discussion on this).

My response: YouTube - DakarZero - Black Ops Game Clip

[boy8cookie]

aww, you didn't get my triple semtex kill

but yeah, lol...

[mattyb]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

Don't have time to comment boyos (though i was hoping to start a discussion on this).

My response: YouTube - DakarZero - Black Ops Game Clip

Video proof that their spawn algorithms are shite. You've got Treyarch by the balls now !!!

Did you use the Treyarch Theatre stuff to get it onto YouTube? Easy? I haven't had a chance to play with it yet.

=======================

In other news, I lost my Zombie cherry last night. I must say, if you're frustrated with the game, getting three other people into a Zombie game is a really good laugh. Only got to level (or is it wave) 8 though.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by Stogieman 

Is the spawning is worst than Halo: Reach? Wow, that's pretty bad.

Here's was my analysis of Reach's sawn problems:

On small maps, there wasn't enough room for good spawning, partly thanks to Halo's notoriously open sight lines. (see: Cage, The)
On large maps, there wasn't enough cover. This became extremely obvious on any map that involved either vehicles or snipers.

In the end, my main indictment seems to be: Not enough cover/bases/rooms


On Black Ops the problems are much more fundamental.

I would posit that the maps on average are smaller than Modern Warfare 2s, the biggest problem is the spawn respecting "territory". It just doesn't exist. I've spawned several times looking at 1 or even 2 enemies. In certain areas of the map, you want to leave a team mate in spawn to prevent the system from depositing someone right behind you. On medium sized maps, it will eschew using a far empty side of the map to continue depositing enemies (and friendlies) where the main firefights are occurring, ad nauseam.

I made a vid of this, but for some mysterious reason it didn't render the first time, so I'm re-rendering it now. I've also got another great link, but that's on my laptop so I'll post it later.

Originally Posted by boy8cookie 

aww, you didn't get my triple semtex kill

but yeah, lol...

There's a minute+ version on my fileshare that includes most of the ****ery. Since they only let you render 30 sec (at terrible quality) that's what you get.

I'll be posting two more clips in the coming days, depending how cooperative their servers are.

Originally Posted by mattyb 

Video proof that their spawn algorithms are shite. You've got Treyarch by the balls now !!!

I don't have them by shit. But I agree whole-heartedly with everyone else. These are the worst spawns I've ever seen in a game. GoldenEye's were more predictable, but spawn ****ery was limited by the # of players and size of maps. Gears of War were more set, but limited by the game-types and the molasses slow gameplay.

Originally Posted by mattyb 

Did you use the Treyarch Theatre stuff to get it onto YouTube? Easy? I haven't had a chance to play with it yet.

Convoluted and inconsistent thus far.

[The Final Dakar]

From another forum, supposedly from Treyarch's forums. Commentary in bold.

Hey 360 gamers,

We are listening to you and we’ve been busy working on updates based on feedback from the community. We have already deployed a number of updates, and there will be many more to come. Stay tuned right here for all the latest info.

LIVE FIXES
11/5
- Villa: User can clip into rock at west edge of grid zone B2 and see through to the other side
- Crisis: User can clip into LVT between grid zone A3 and B3 and see through to the other side
- User can get an infinite number of 'Sam Turret', 'Care Package' and 'Sentry Gun' killstreaks (commonly referred to as the “care package glitch”)

11/9
- Radar sweep when there are only 2 players left in One in the Chamber will stop functioning if the 2 players have multiple lives when the sweep starts
- Crash when viewing content (films, clips, etc) in the Community & Recent Games menu

11/10
- Users’ rank and stats can get wiped under very specific conditions

11/11
- Online number counts were not updating properly; these are now reporting exact online numbers
i.e., maybe that 3 mil wasn't real.
- Parties getting disbanded when host did not find a match quickly
Not fixed.

11/12
- Launch: User could access a small platform outside of the intended play space below the rocket gantry by jumping to a very specific location; now blocked from access
- Launch: User could access a small area inside geometry at vents near Dom flag A by going prone and moving around in a very specific location; now blocked from access
- Some users reported that weapon attachment challenges were not resetting after prestige; now all are guaranteed to clear as soon as selecting the prestige option


IN PROGRESS
- Improved matchmaking to find matches faster
- Improved match and host selection; will result in much better networking conditions for all games (a.k.a., decreased lag)
- Weekly and Monthly leaderboards stats reporting incorrectly for kills, deaths and assists (All Time leaderboard not affected by this)
- Additional improvements to party system
Regards,
-JD

Also, this is long, but really worth it.
YouTube - Hitler hates Black Ops

[sek929]

Heh

[The Final Dakar]

That rendered surprisingly quick.
This is the Black Ops spawning in what seems like its default state to me.

YouTube - DakarZero - Black Ops Game Clip

Take note that after the final kill, I leave the room and an enemy spawns in there a moment later.

[The Final Dakar]

Hanoi in all it's glory (not mine):

YouTube - Screwed up Black Ops Spawns in HQ for @DavidVonderhaar

[The Final Dakar]

Last night I had a rare moment – a planned (and successfully executed) Halo jump. Of course, I had to commemorate it on video (from 3 angles).

YouTube - DakarZero Ninja, P.I.

Other interesting note, I was watching the game and at one point I put a guy into Second Chance. He survived for what seemed like 30 sec or even more (I was running at 4x and he must have been on for over 10 sec), ignored by team mates, before he just got up by himself.

I brief google turned up this: YouTube - Black Ops "magic" revive self revive from second chance last stand
Unbelievable.

[sek929]

Wow, that Hanoi video is amazing.

I guess 99% of "How the hell?" moments can be blamed on this games dubious spawning system.

[Jawbone54]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

That rendered surprisingly quick.
This is the Black Ops spawning in what seems like its default state to me.

YouTube - DakarZero - Black Ops Game Clip

Good God, I hate that map.

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

Last night I had a rare moment – a planned (and successfully executed) Halo jump. Of course, I had to commemorate it on video (from 3 angles).

YouTube - DakarZero Ninja, P.I.

Not baaaaad, not bad at all. I wish I could see it from the second guy's perspective.

[boy8cookie]

My first attempt at uploading a video... I hate that the theater mode doesn't auto play when you stop ffw.

YouTube - kavV1ka - Black Ops Game Clip

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by sek929 

Wow, that Hanoi video is amazing.

I guess 99% of "How the hell?" moments can be blamed on this games dubious spawning system.

Dubious is a kind word choice.

Originally Posted by Jawbone54 

Good God, I hate that map.

Good map. Terrible spawns.

Originally Posted by Jawbone54 

Not baaaaad, not bad at all. I wish I could see it from the second guy's perspective.

I wish I had thought of that.

Uninteresting side-note. I had to redo the video because I shot the original with the carcass of a car framing what would be the opening, unseen kill in this version. Turns out the game doesn't know a car is supposed to be a carcass when it's whittled down, which left me with a huge shiny car blocking a full third of the frame.

Originally Posted by boy8cookie 

My first attempt at uploading a video... I hate that the theater mode doesn't auto play when you stop ffw.

YouTube - kavV1ka - Black Ops Game Clip

The repeated use of super hi-speed action was a bold directorial decision.

[sek929]

He is the Uwe Boll of film clips.

[boy8cookie]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

The repeated use of super hi-speed action was a bold directorial decision.

I just wish it was a smoother transition from super fast to regular speed, even when I knew I had to hit play after letting go of FFW there was still a variable lag before it started to play again. I'll probably regulate my clips to things that can be played at regular speed, or regulate them to 'none at all.'

Originally Posted by sek929 

He is the Uwe Boll of film clips.

Google tells me I should probably be something other than indifferent towards this, but I'm not.

[Jawbone54]

I'm continuing to have trouble with this game. I love it so far, but my K/D is far below what it was in MW2, and doesn't seem to be getting much better. I played about ten matches last night, and it was brutal.

My 10-year-old nephew plays, and actually outscored me about half the time, talking smack to everyone in a really thick Southern accent.

[Mrjinglesusa]

Originally Posted by Jawbone54 

I'm continuing to have trouble with this game. I love it so far, but my K/D is far below what it was in MW2, and doesn't seem to be getting much better. I played about ten matches last night, and it was brutal.

Ditto.

I don't know if it's going from PS3 (MW2) to 360 (BO), not knowing the maps, lag, crappy guns early on, spawn problems (i.e., enemies spawning right behind me), or I just plain suck, but I'm getting absolutely murdered. It seems like I can hit someone 3-4 times and they don't die yet they turn and pump 2-3 in me and I'm dead. It's probably that I just suck, but I hold out hope that it's something else going on.

[Jawbone54]

Originally Posted by Mrjinglesusa 

Ditto.

I don't know if it's going from PS3 (MW2) to 360 (BO), not knowing the maps, lag, crappy guns early on, spawn problems (i.e., enemies spawning right behind me), or I just plain suck, but I'm getting absolutely murdered. It seems like I can hit someone 3-4 times and they don't die yet they turn and pump 2-3 in me and I'm dead. It's probably that I just suck, but I hold out hope that it's something else going on.

I have all the same complaints (except the PS3/360 one).

I'm pretty sure the spawning is a big part of my problem, but the difference in map styles is absolutely huge for me. I can't play the way I did in MW2 to the same results, which will probably be a good thing in the long run, in that it will provide a different experience.

Ironically, almost all of my best matches have taken place on Nuke Town.

[Mrjinglesusa]

Originally Posted by Jawbone54 

I have all the same complaints (except the PS3/360 one).

I'm pretty sure the spawning is a big part of my problem, but the difference in map styles is absolutely huge for me. I can't play the way I did in MW2 to the same results, which will probably be a good thing in the long run, in that it will provide a different experience.

Ironically, almost all of my best matches have taken place on Nuke Town.

Yeah, I think not knowing the maps well is a big part of my problem. In MW2, I got to the point where I had 2 or 3 spots on each map where I had good cover and knew where enemies would be coming from. In BO, it is really hard (for me) to find places with good cover that don't have at least 2 different entry points where I can easily get shot in the back. It seems the players who do well in BO are those who move constantly. You really can't camp/hold down a position in BO.

I do OK in Nuke Town because it's more linear. There are two clear "sides" to the map where you can only get to the other side by going around the houses on either side or through the houses. It's the easiest map IMO for allowing you to cover your back and keep enemies in front of you (unless of course they spawn right behind you).