[Carnage]

Know what you mean about scripted events and being forced down a corridor, but when it's done well it's excellent eg GOW2 & Hard Life

Not to mention Uncharted 1 and 2 on the Ps3 - Absolutely fantastic and prob two of the best things I've played in a long time. I love the GOW2esque cover/gunfighting which works brilliantly and is very fluid.

Everyone on my friends list is playing MW2 but I refuse to give in!

[Bubba]

Check out Crackdown if you haven't already Bubba, should be pretty cheap now and a great of sandbox.

I'm looking forward to Crackdown 2 out next year

[SA Chris]

Chris if you have a PC less than 5 years old, it should run COD4 and there's a demo to check out, it's pretty cool.

Got a fairly new laptop at home, but prefer playing games on the Wii.

[Bubba]

For the Wii, Metroid Prime Trilogy and Dead Space are meant to be decent shooters.

[SA Chris]

MP Trilogy is on Xmas list. Need to keep laptop free so she can use 'net when I am playing games

[Bubba]

Found I had 4 games to trade so got myself a copy of MW2 today. It was a toss-up between that and Forza 3 but since I'd been driving all night a driving game didn't really appeal.

It'd better be worth the hype.

[robertostallioni]

I'm in the same position Bubba, does it have a split screen co-op?

[SA Chris]

I'd been driving all night
a driving game didn't really appeal.

I think the second line is actually "my hand's wet on the wheel".

[Bubba]

I'm in the same position Bubba, does it have a split screen co-op?

Yes, it has split-screen co-op or remote co-op over XBL (not sure about PS3 version but sure it'll be the same).

Having a quick bash through campaign on "hardened" difficulty which seems about right - not too hard, not stupidly easy. The Ice climbing is funny, am trying to do the airport thang without shooting but I don't think it's possible so i'll limit it to not shooting civilians.

[fatdoc]

That's what I did, then repeated it full carnage. No difference in pathway.

Campaign gets better.. Much.

Online server error pissing me and norton off, invites and online co op don't bloody work!!:-((

[Norton Sharley]

Hope the campaign gets better cos' personally I think it's really not very interesting.  Then again I have been through COD3, 4, 5 .... 

Friends invite issue appears to not be limited to us FD, see the forums.  The person being invited needs to log out of PSN, accept the invite and then log back in, apparently.  Seems rather long winded and hopefully (another) patch will be forthcoming soon.  Ready for tonight's onslaught?

[Bubba]

Just finished it on "hardened" - good difficulty I reckon, you need to think a bit - anything easier would have been a waste of time really. Will probably do it on "veteran" for the tick.

I thought it was really good in some parts - the Favella levels were good, and some stuff was exciting and atmospheric. My main complaints are why can't you turn off the music? I hate game music. Also, still far too corridored - really annoying when the corridor is so narrow so you have to go exactly where they want you to go - it just feels artificial.

Now for some multiplayer I reckon - if my now shitty ISP (which I'm changing) will let me get on...

Not tried "Special Ops" either - any good?

[Bubba]

Initial thoughts on multiplayer

- Level matching is a bit stupid - why match < level 10 in with > level 35 ?
- Maps lend themselves to camping and the amount of junk in some of them brings a lot of luck into the equation.
- Some spawns are very iffy. You can spawn right behind somebody for instance.
- The ever present aircraft are fucking annoying (can this be turned off in custom matches?)
- Same with the missiles, etc - very unskilled
- Lag issues can be horrible

But that said, it's quite enjoyable to play.

[Norton Sharley]

Level matching <10 with >35 doesn't really matter does it.  There are lots of crap level 35's, and above, around.  Wait until you get matched with someone who is a prestige level 3 and above or so and knows every single nook and cranny on the maps and works with a team.  Then you'll know about getting f***ed over  .

Not sure about the camping too.  If you mean that you need to camp rather than avoid running around in the open I think this leads to better gameplay.  I guess its just different to Halo, for example?   Can't wait to get the Claymores for some proper camping  .

I do think the multiplayer has been made so that it's now far easier to shoot people.  If your shot is anywhere near they're dead - COD4 you had to be spot on with your shots and the body armour defended you much more.

I agree that the aircraft are too frequent, but being the AC130 (or whatever it is) pilot is quite fun and saves you getting shot for a while.

Lag can be horrible but the host migration is a bonus.

Not tried "Spec Ops" either.

Personally I think MW2 has good maps like COD5 but with the weapons(ish) of COD4.  Does that make it the best COD yet?  No.  For me the beach assault in COD3 and the general feel of COD4 are better.  COD6 just doesn't leave me with the same satisfaction.  Just off to try the Spec Ops to see if that changes my opinion.

 

[vivahate]

The hitbox in multiplayer is terrible, it's like CSS or something. Keep getting irate at the killcam when someone totally misses but gets the kill. Some of the maps are pretty bad and only really enjoyed the Airport map. The campaign was fun though, even if you got killed in a cinematic 2(3?) times 

[Bubba]

Not sure about the camping too.  If you mean that you need to camp rather than avoid running around in the open I think this leads to better gameplay.  I guess its just different to Halo, for example?   Can't wait to get the Claymores for some proper camping  .

Maps where you can use camping as a strategy are just stupid - there's no skill involved in hiding behind a desk then jumping out with a shotgun and shooting people in the back.

A well designed MP map shouldn't facilitate lengthy camping. If you have a hiding place that is secure from one direction, then it should be exposed to fire from a different direction, etc.

Have a look at the Halo map variants that MLG come up with for competition play. They are really well balanced and encourage hardcore gameplay, not fannying about setting mines or shooting people with missiles from the sky.

Don't get me wrong, MW2 is a lot of fun but it doesn't seem to really be that competitive. I'll play some more and see if things improve. Perhaps custom games are the way to go - I've not explored the custom game options yet, you might be able to turn some of the crap off. A map editor like Halo's Forge would be awesome too.

Wait until you get matched with someone who is a prestige level 3 and above or so and knows every single nook and cranny on the maps and works with a team.  Then you'll know about getting f***ed over 

I've been unfortunate enough to meet some Halo pros and proper competition teams on a few occasions - it's certainly pretty demoralising

<edit> There's actually quite a lot of discussion re MW2 on the MLG forums regarding how to make it balanced and competitive - see here.

This topic and this one have some interesting stuff in.

[vivahate]

I think MW2 is too complex to be considered an e-sport like Halo/GoW, the killstreak bonuses and the camping aspect kinda ruin that. But it's really good fun and very competitive. My first impressions have changed dramatically after ~20 levels of multiplayer, it takes some getting used to; but I think it's a valuable multiplayer FPS experience, if a bit less well balanced for e-sport play than Halo/GoW

[Zods Beard]

Maps where you can use camping as a strategy are just stupid - there's no skill involved in hiding behind a desk then jumping out with a shotgun and shooting people in the back.

Agreed, people who use camping spots are the worst kind of scum. Is there an option to move the weapon spawn points?

[vivahate]

weapons don't spawn, you start with them or take them off people. I don't think any of the camping spots are conducive to people sitting there for the whole game, you get a pretty good killcam when they kill you so campers don't normally last long!

[fatdoc]

not that I've got there but once i open up harddcore ( easily the best on cod 4)

- there is no deathcam, no HUD and it's all much less arcade and really tense

if i get a silenced sniper... then BOOM no red dot .. no sound.. average campinf site and..... never gonna die.

now, that's simply shite.
anyone got there yet??

[Fatboy]

Loving it so far I have to say and the Spec Ops are a genius addition to which I have already lost a fair few hours!!

This guy on the other hand isn't so sold on it...
http://www.digitalbattle.com/2009/11/15/this-guy-really-hates-modern-warfare-2/

[Norton Sharley]

Bubba - clearly you are a pro and I am an amateur.  I didn't understand any of those MLG links.  I suppose I just run round shooting peeps and try to keep my kill ratio > 1 and/or to make sure it is better than FatDocs ratio  .  At the moment this is something of a struggle, these maps are too big for my tiny brain to remember.

[Bubba]

anyone got there yet??

I've just unlocked the hardcore modes - does seem a bit better but again, this game is still campier than Stephen Fry.

Norton, at least you understand the concept of kill ratio - lots of people don't understand that ratio > kills in slayer. 

[fatdoc]

Kill ratios can be ignored and still be effective at cod.

Personally I only understood them once I got into hardcore cod.

There is a benefit in gaugin ability by way of this on cod, but only if you play that way and not just.. Level up... Level up methodology.

This is way off halo.

So, what is it? Level up or kill ratio?

I hate the way in the in game points bonus does not reflect yr ratio.

Cod is an online arcade experience.. Shallow, but damn fun. It's not a game for global  expert players, what guts me is mw2 is far more like this than cod 4.

I'm not overtly impressed...

Give me more time & I will beat sharleys ratio, but... Do I do this at the expense of my level?

Christ, fuck it.

Some nights are for levels, others get the sniper out & go for ratios.

I reckon best middle ground is get to top level and then tick all the weapons..

Best combo of skill, and fun.

[Bubba]

My point is that in a slayer/deathmatch game then ratio is everything. Not just in MW2, in any game.

The team with the positive ratio wins, the one with the negative ratio loses. If they both have a zero ratio then it's a draw - simple as that.

A lot of people don't understand this so they chase kills, die a lot and lose the match.