This ferry flight recreated in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020:
Showing posts with label video games. Show all posts
Showing posts with label video games. Show all posts
11 September 2020
26 December 2013
People play Bingo for money. So these wireless devices are secure, right?
Has anyone ever played Bingo with one of these wireless devices? How much do you want to bet that the data is not encrypted, or is otherwise manipulable? To be clear, I did not have the right equipment with me to test these devices--I'm just guessing here.
07 September 2013
01 September 2013
Remember this? #10: Winners don't use drugs
If you played video games in an arcade anytime from 1989-2000, you will probably remember this message!
28 August 2013
Remember this? #7: Nokia Snake
Nokia's Snake game was introduced to mobile phones in 1997-98. That's only 15 years ago! Do you feel old yet?
02 January 2010
MW2 Update: 1/2/2010
27 kills on Afghan is my most kills in one game. At least half of which is thanks to a Chopper Gunner care package! ;-)
30 December 2009
The Dad's Guide to Modern Warfare 2: Traffic Analysis
This is part of a series of strategy guides for players of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. If you haven't already done so, check out the first post in the series here. As always, keep in mind the audience for these guides is not hardcore gamers but rather the casual "dad" gamers trying to stay competitive.
What I will call traffic analysis is the study of how players move around the map, as well as where they go and how they get there. By understand the traffic patterns of players, we can better understand how to predict where players will be, which will aid in padding our kill to death ratio (KDR). There are a number of factors that we'll talk about when discussing traffic analysis: mode of play, map layout, choke points, time, and other factors.
Mode of play. Perhaps this is too obvious, but it's worth mentioning. The reasons why players move around the board will likely be completely different in Team Deathmatch than in Domination. The key here is not so much that any random mode of play will result in different movement, but that specific modes will result in specific movements. A few examples: Domination players' movements will be intentionally focused around the specific flags, which are established and known locations. Headquarters players' will move from HQ to HQ as they are relocated; these locations are pre-determined but appear to show up in a pseudo-random order. Team Deathmatch player movement is less dependent on the mode itself, because of the nature of the mode. So player movement tends to defer to the other factors below.
Map layout. It should go without saying that the layout or geography of the map is the most important factor in analyzing and observing traffic and movement (assuming a constant game mode), but I'll say it anyway. Players will move differently when moving across wide open maps like Derail and Wasteland than they will in the city streets and tight corners of Karachi or Invasion. By acknowledging this difference, we can better understand how to locate where the opponent will be. Even on a small map like Rust, there are definite traffic patterns to be learned.
Perhaps it is common sense, but wide open layouts offer less predictability in traffic analysis because the opponent simply has more options. However, that isn't to say that the analysis is impossible, just perhaps a little more difficult. Even on maps like Derail like we already mentioned, players tend to locate themselves in familiar locations: the Warehouse and the Offices are common. So analyzing how players get to and from these locations, as well as actually into these locations, is important.
For this example let's take a look at the second floor of the Offices, which is centrally located on the Derail map and a popular spot for firefights and snipers alike. Yet there are only two staircases to get in, so in effect they're choke points (see below) for opponents who are trying to occupy that floor. If you set up shop on the second floor, you can expect that opponents will be gunning for you from the Warehouse, from the roofs of the Gas Station and Garage. And when they come for you, they're eventually coming up those staircases. So take advantage of that fact and force them to defend themselves in the choke points. As always, claymores are an excellent defense; and grenade damage is hard to avoid in a confined space.
Choke points. Choke points are entirely dependent upon map geography, so they are more or less a subset of the overall map layout, but are important enough to warrant their own bullet. When I talk about choke points I am speaking about areas of the map that players typically pass through to get from one area to another. They may or may not be the only way, but they are typically the easiest and quickest way, so we can take knowledge of that fact and use it to our advantage.
Good examples of choke points exist on the Rundown map. This map is two sides of a town with a river running down the middle, and three bridges crossing the river. It makes sense that crossing one of these bridges is the only way to get from one side of the town to the other (technically there is a fourth way, which is crossing the river by means of two ladders down to the water itself, but in practice I don't see a lot of use of this method). Two of these bridges are fairly wide open as it is, so they're already dangerous ground. The third (the northern most) is narrow, and a good spot to stick a claymore on one end. The key here is putting separation (in this case, the river) between you and your opponents, and then concentrating your efforts on those specific choke points.
Part of my camp and go strategy is finding a location that provides a clear field of view of a high traffic area of the map. Combining that strategy with our knowledge of choke points, we can help select better areas. Again, in reference to Rundown, I come back to one of my favorite spots, the Abandoned House on the western side of the map; it provides a clear view to the wide middle bridge. Another good example is the second floor of the Neighborhood (in particular the portion closest to the edge of the map, between the Church and the Corral. A claymore can guard your backside by protecting the narrow passage between the southernmost edge of river and the Corral, while the northern facing window gives you good coverage of the Brickhouse area.
Time. You might consider it a bit surprising to see time on this list, but a short explanation will suffice. Because all of the players (both on your team and the opponents) start in known locations, it is often possible to predict where these players will be in the first 30 seconds to one minute of the game. Of course, this is highly dependent on the map, and certain maps will result in higher probabilities of successful location. But in general, taking advantage of this knowledge can help you get started on a positive kill count.
One of my favorite examples takes place on the Afghan map. One team starts at the entrance to Convoy Canyon, while the opposing team starts in Pipeline Canyon. Typically at least one (and sometimes more) of the teammates that start in Convoy Canyon will proceed up the hill and head through the Big Bunker. Taking advantage of this time knowledge (combined with choke point knowledge), we can ambush these players by meeting them in the area by the back door to the Big Bunker. I can't count how many times I've started off in Pipeline Canyon, sprinted up through the poppy fields to the Shack, and launched a grenade or two toward the unsuspecting players peering out of the back door of the Big Bunker. Of course, you can expect that they're looking for you too, but they're locked up in a confined space while you're not. Although if you're careful, you can even reverse the ambush from the Big Bunker side as well, but it is a bit more challenging.
Other factors that are typically out of your control, but still worth mentioning:
What I will call traffic analysis is the study of how players move around the map, as well as where they go and how they get there. By understand the traffic patterns of players, we can better understand how to predict where players will be, which will aid in padding our kill to death ratio (KDR). There are a number of factors that we'll talk about when discussing traffic analysis: mode of play, map layout, choke points, time, and other factors.
Mode of play. Perhaps this is too obvious, but it's worth mentioning. The reasons why players move around the board will likely be completely different in Team Deathmatch than in Domination. The key here is not so much that any random mode of play will result in different movement, but that specific modes will result in specific movements. A few examples: Domination players' movements will be intentionally focused around the specific flags, which are established and known locations. Headquarters players' will move from HQ to HQ as they are relocated; these locations are pre-determined but appear to show up in a pseudo-random order. Team Deathmatch player movement is less dependent on the mode itself, because of the nature of the mode. So player movement tends to defer to the other factors below.
Map layout. It should go without saying that the layout or geography of the map is the most important factor in analyzing and observing traffic and movement (assuming a constant game mode), but I'll say it anyway. Players will move differently when moving across wide open maps like Derail and Wasteland than they will in the city streets and tight corners of Karachi or Invasion. By acknowledging this difference, we can better understand how to locate where the opponent will be. Even on a small map like Rust, there are definite traffic patterns to be learned.
Perhaps it is common sense, but wide open layouts offer less predictability in traffic analysis because the opponent simply has more options. However, that isn't to say that the analysis is impossible, just perhaps a little more difficult. Even on maps like Derail like we already mentioned, players tend to locate themselves in familiar locations: the Warehouse and the Offices are common. So analyzing how players get to and from these locations, as well as actually into these locations, is important.
For this example let's take a look at the second floor of the Offices, which is centrally located on the Derail map and a popular spot for firefights and snipers alike. Yet there are only two staircases to get in, so in effect they're choke points (see below) for opponents who are trying to occupy that floor. If you set up shop on the second floor, you can expect that opponents will be gunning for you from the Warehouse, from the roofs of the Gas Station and Garage. And when they come for you, they're eventually coming up those staircases. So take advantage of that fact and force them to defend themselves in the choke points. As always, claymores are an excellent defense; and grenade damage is hard to avoid in a confined space.
Choke points. Choke points are entirely dependent upon map geography, so they are more or less a subset of the overall map layout, but are important enough to warrant their own bullet. When I talk about choke points I am speaking about areas of the map that players typically pass through to get from one area to another. They may or may not be the only way, but they are typically the easiest and quickest way, so we can take knowledge of that fact and use it to our advantage.
Good examples of choke points exist on the Rundown map. This map is two sides of a town with a river running down the middle, and three bridges crossing the river. It makes sense that crossing one of these bridges is the only way to get from one side of the town to the other (technically there is a fourth way, which is crossing the river by means of two ladders down to the water itself, but in practice I don't see a lot of use of this method). Two of these bridges are fairly wide open as it is, so they're already dangerous ground. The third (the northern most) is narrow, and a good spot to stick a claymore on one end. The key here is putting separation (in this case, the river) between you and your opponents, and then concentrating your efforts on those specific choke points.
Part of my camp and go strategy is finding a location that provides a clear field of view of a high traffic area of the map. Combining that strategy with our knowledge of choke points, we can help select better areas. Again, in reference to Rundown, I come back to one of my favorite spots, the Abandoned House on the western side of the map; it provides a clear view to the wide middle bridge. Another good example is the second floor of the Neighborhood (in particular the portion closest to the edge of the map, between the Church and the Corral. A claymore can guard your backside by protecting the narrow passage between the southernmost edge of river and the Corral, while the northern facing window gives you good coverage of the Brickhouse area.
Time. You might consider it a bit surprising to see time on this list, but a short explanation will suffice. Because all of the players (both on your team and the opponents) start in known locations, it is often possible to predict where these players will be in the first 30 seconds to one minute of the game. Of course, this is highly dependent on the map, and certain maps will result in higher probabilities of successful location. But in general, taking advantage of this knowledge can help you get started on a positive kill count.
One of my favorite examples takes place on the Afghan map. One team starts at the entrance to Convoy Canyon, while the opposing team starts in Pipeline Canyon. Typically at least one (and sometimes more) of the teammates that start in Convoy Canyon will proceed up the hill and head through the Big Bunker. Taking advantage of this time knowledge (combined with choke point knowledge), we can ambush these players by meeting them in the area by the back door to the Big Bunker. I can't count how many times I've started off in Pipeline Canyon, sprinted up through the poppy fields to the Shack, and launched a grenade or two toward the unsuspecting players peering out of the back door of the Big Bunker. Of course, you can expect that they're looking for you too, but they're locked up in a confined space while you're not. Although if you're careful, you can even reverse the ambush from the Big Bunker side as well, but it is a bit more challenging.
Other factors that are typically out of your control, but still worth mentioning:
- Teams. Are your opponents carrying out an organized strategy as part of a team? Or are they randomly assigned teammates without any end toward coordination? Obviously, this is going to effect movement. In a sense, the movement of an organized team might even be more beneficial to you because they would tend to be more predictable than could normally be expected. Although to be sure, playing against well-organized, communicative team can be a real challenge!
- Spawning. Spawn locations can be unpredictable, so while you might think the entire enemy team is in one particular sector of the board, a killed opponent might spawn somewhere you don't expect. The constant cycle of deaths and re-spawning tends to flip the teams from one side of the map to the other several times in the course of a game.
27 December 2009
The Dad's Guide to Modern Warfare 2: Altitude
This is part of a series of strategy guides for players of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. If you haven't already done so, check out the first post in the series here. As always, keep in mind the audience for these guides is not hardcore gamers but rather the casual "dad" gamers trying to stay competitive.
In my original post describing the camp and go strategy, I listed four characteristics of good locations:
While most people do a decent job of horizontal gameplay, that is, using the breadth of the map to their advantage on a 2D scale, I get the sense that many players just don't understand the concept of vertical gameplay. Or perhaps they do understand it, and they're just not playing with it as a strength. Playing vertically incorporates that crucial third dimension which, in my experience, tends to give a player that key advantage. Most of the maps incorporate a good deal of vertical gameplay, although some don't (With the exception of the trenches, Wasteland is almost entirely flat in a 2D sense).
It is not an overstatement to say that altitude has been one of the key factors in many of history's significant military battles. Let's take a short break from video games and insert just a few historical examples from both sides of the Civil War:
Most of the altitude changes on MW2 maps are on the order of 2-3 floors (in terms of buildings; although some maps like Estate have more change). This may not seem like a lot, but it really does make all the difference. While it is true that higher can be more exposed (especially on a map like Rust), I believe this is mitigated by the better view and less task saturation. Consider that to defend yourself on ground level you must be aware of players at that level and also above you. On the other hand, a player in a high altitude area is, with a few exceptions, free to concentrate on opponents below him.
One of my favorite examples of this type of location is on the roof of the Mosque on Karachi. It overlooks Main Street on one side and the long alley toward the Cafe on the other, and also provides easy access to the roof of the Apartments (again, down toward the Cafe; incidentally, this rooftop is great place for a Sentry Gun when aimed in the direction of the Hotel and Ground Zero). Probably two-thirds of my 59 kills/18 deaths on Karachi (since 12/21) are based on this single rooftop (yes, I'll admit it, on this level I am more camp and less go). Two large columns on the roof, and a claymore by the ladder, provide excellent defense. To be sure, this rooftop isn't even the highest point on the map; there is a rooftop on the Storeroom that goes a floor higher.
Of course, you cannot be too vigilant when occupying such a location, so the need to continue moving around as a defensive measure cannot be overstated. In a game yesterday I initially spawned on the Parking Lot side of the map and was making my way toward the Mosque when an opponent on the Mosque roof killed me at the archway between Main Street and the Shakar Mart. After re-spawning I made my way to the ladder on the Ground Zero side of the Apartments, came around the corner, and was pleasantly surprised to see that two opponents were on the Mosque roof, overlooking Main Street, and blissfully unaware that I was about to unload the grenade launcher on them (this also highlights a failure in communication in teamwork on their part; with two players on the roof one of them should have been guarding the Cafe alley/Apartment side).
Examples of other maps that offer excellent vertical gameplay are Quarry and Favela.
There certainly may be instances when higher is not better, but I think those circumstances can be dealt with on a case by case basis.
In my original post describing the camp and go strategy, I listed four characteristics of good locations:
- Higher in altitude than the surrounding terrain
- Provides a clear field of view of a high traffic area of the map
- Sufficient defensive cover
- Defensible approaches
While most people do a decent job of horizontal gameplay, that is, using the breadth of the map to their advantage on a 2D scale, I get the sense that many players just don't understand the concept of vertical gameplay. Or perhaps they do understand it, and they're just not playing with it as a strength. Playing vertically incorporates that crucial third dimension which, in my experience, tends to give a player that key advantage. Most of the maps incorporate a good deal of vertical gameplay, although some don't (With the exception of the trenches, Wasteland is almost entirely flat in a 2D sense).
It is not an overstatement to say that altitude has been one of the key factors in many of history's significant military battles. Let's take a short break from video games and insert just a few historical examples from both sides of the Civil War:
- Walking the Sunken Road alongside Marye's Heights in Fredericksburg and gazing down in the direction of the Rappahanock, it is not difficult to imagine the futility of the North's assault. The altitude of Marye's Heights provided the South with a clear and unobstructed view of the North's assault, as well as providing them the opportunity to dig in defensively. Anyone with a common understanding of military tactics could guess the outcome without even reading the history (here, if you're interested).
- At Gettysburg, Longstreet knew that Pickett's Charge (across open fields toward Cemetery Ridge) was destined to fail, yet Lee ordered it anyay (to the South's ultimate peril). While the change in altitude is less noticeable at Gettysburg, it is undeniable that one dug in along Cemetery Ridge is clearly in a better position then one assaulting across the open fields.
Most of the altitude changes on MW2 maps are on the order of 2-3 floors (in terms of buildings; although some maps like Estate have more change). This may not seem like a lot, but it really does make all the difference. While it is true that higher can be more exposed (especially on a map like Rust), I believe this is mitigated by the better view and less task saturation. Consider that to defend yourself on ground level you must be aware of players at that level and also above you. On the other hand, a player in a high altitude area is, with a few exceptions, free to concentrate on opponents below him.
One of my favorite examples of this type of location is on the roof of the Mosque on Karachi. It overlooks Main Street on one side and the long alley toward the Cafe on the other, and also provides easy access to the roof of the Apartments (again, down toward the Cafe; incidentally, this rooftop is great place for a Sentry Gun when aimed in the direction of the Hotel and Ground Zero). Probably two-thirds of my 59 kills/18 deaths on Karachi (since 12/21) are based on this single rooftop (yes, I'll admit it, on this level I am more camp and less go). Two large columns on the roof, and a claymore by the ladder, provide excellent defense. To be sure, this rooftop isn't even the highest point on the map; there is a rooftop on the Storeroom that goes a floor higher.
Of course, you cannot be too vigilant when occupying such a location, so the need to continue moving around as a defensive measure cannot be overstated. In a game yesterday I initially spawned on the Parking Lot side of the map and was making my way toward the Mosque when an opponent on the Mosque roof killed me at the archway between Main Street and the Shakar Mart. After re-spawning I made my way to the ladder on the Ground Zero side of the Apartments, came around the corner, and was pleasantly surprised to see that two opponents were on the Mosque roof, overlooking Main Street, and blissfully unaware that I was about to unload the grenade launcher on them (this also highlights a failure in communication in teamwork on their part; with two players on the roof one of them should have been guarding the Cafe alley/Apartment side).
Examples of other maps that offer excellent vertical gameplay are Quarry and Favela.
There certainly may be instances when higher is not better, but I think those circumstances can be dealt with on a case by case basis.
MW2 Update: Kill to Death Ratio by Map
These numbers are calculated since December 21st. Note that some of these maps are only based on one or two games! Also, I'm 2/0 on Quarry so the formula hasn't kicked in yet.
In terms of overall raw data, this is 453 kills and 245 deaths for an overall 1.85 KDR (since December 21st).
Working on another post for tomorrow!
In terms of overall raw data, this is 453 kills and 245 deaths for an overall 1.85 KDR (since December 21st).
Working on another post for tomorrow!
26 December 2009
25 December 2009
The Dad's Guide to Modern Warfare 2: "Prez, are you camping?"
This is part of a series of strategy guides for players of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. If you haven't already done so, check out the first post in the series here. As always, keep in mind the audience for these guides is not hardcore gamers but rather the casual "dad" gamers trying to stay competitive.
In the middle of an epic 18 kills/0 deaths Team Deathmatch game on Rundown, one of my teammates (who I didn't know) asked me if I was camping. I laughed to myself, especially given my recent posts on this blog concerning MW2 strategies. Of course, I was carrying out my camp and go strategy, and in truth, it had been more go than camp.
I started out in one of my favorite spots, the Abandoned House, got one kill and then quickly a second with the claymore guarding the door. And then I started moving on, around the water tower (using the edge of the map for defense) to the Fish Market and then the second story of the Drug Store. It was here that he asked me if I was camping, and to be true, I did spend some time here, but only because a sentry gun overlooking the Fish Market and Cantina was racking up kills! I then went across the bridge to the second floor of the Neighborhood, and then finished up by the Stable.
Nothing else was said until the intermission, when he began pleading with me not to camp if I was on the other team during the next game. Not surprisingly, he ended up on the other team...and I racked up a 13/2 on Derail, primarily by skirting the edges of the map and capitalizing on the other team camping by the Gas Station and Garage (a 3x kill with a precision air strike confirmed this one!). Most interestingly is the fact that I truly did not do any camping on this map, only to have this guy accuse me of "running around the edges of the map." So apparently any strategy that works for me and against him isn't fair? haha!
Quite honestly, getting under other people's skin simply by playing to your strategy is classic fun, especially when you're wiping them of the map. As I said before, you paid $60 for the game, you paid $50 for an Xbox Live account, so you can play whatever strategy you choose!
In the middle of an epic 18 kills/0 deaths Team Deathmatch game on Rundown, one of my teammates (who I didn't know) asked me if I was camping. I laughed to myself, especially given my recent posts on this blog concerning MW2 strategies. Of course, I was carrying out my camp and go strategy, and in truth, it had been more go than camp.
I started out in one of my favorite spots, the Abandoned House, got one kill and then quickly a second with the claymore guarding the door. And then I started moving on, around the water tower (using the edge of the map for defense) to the Fish Market and then the second story of the Drug Store. It was here that he asked me if I was camping, and to be true, I did spend some time here, but only because a sentry gun overlooking the Fish Market and Cantina was racking up kills! I then went across the bridge to the second floor of the Neighborhood, and then finished up by the Stable.
Nothing else was said until the intermission, when he began pleading with me not to camp if I was on the other team during the next game. Not surprisingly, he ended up on the other team...and I racked up a 13/2 on Derail, primarily by skirting the edges of the map and capitalizing on the other team camping by the Gas Station and Garage (a 3x kill with a precision air strike confirmed this one!). Most interestingly is the fact that I truly did not do any camping on this map, only to have this guy accuse me of "running around the edges of the map." So apparently any strategy that works for me and against him isn't fair? haha!
Quite honestly, getting under other people's skin simply by playing to your strategy is classic fun, especially when you're wiping them of the map. As I said before, you paid $60 for the game, you paid $50 for an Xbox Live account, so you can play whatever strategy you choose!
24 December 2009
MW2 Maps
You can download the maps here.
As a follow-up to my previous post about communication, I thought it would be useful to post the maps for the various MW2 levels--thus helping to propagate useful terminology for communicating.
Please note that I take no credit for these maps--I downloaded them from here. The only changes I made were to group the maps by name, convert them to PDF, and rename them with the following naming convention:
mapname-gamemode.jpg
Game Modes are abbreviated as follows:
ctf = Capture the Flag
dom = Domination
hq = Headquarters
sab = Sabotage
sdd = Search and Destroy/Domination
td = Team Deathmatch
Enjoy!
As a follow-up to my previous post about communication, I thought it would be useful to post the maps for the various MW2 levels--thus helping to propagate useful terminology for communicating.
Please note that I take no credit for these maps--I downloaded them from here. The only changes I made were to group the maps by name, convert them to PDF, and rename them with the following naming convention:
mapname-gamemode.jpg
Game Modes are abbreviated as follows:
ctf = Capture the Flag
dom = Domination
hq = Headquarters
sab = Sabotage
sdd = Search and Destroy/Domination
td = Team Deathmatch
Enjoy!
23 December 2009
The Dad's Guide to Modern Warfare 2: Defense
This is part of a series of strategy guides for players of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. If you haven't already done so, check out the first post in the series here. As always, keep in mind the audience for these guides is not hardcore gamers but rather the casual "dad" gamers trying to stay competitive.
In my last post, I made reference to some general guidelines when selecting locations using the camp and go strategy. One of those guidelines was defensible approaches, so I want to go into a little bit more detail on that factor.
No matter where on the map you select a location (with a few exceptions), there will be multiple approaches to that area. And then once you've approached the location, even most buildings on the various maps typically have more than one entrance, whether it be through doors, windows, or staircases. Let's say for example that your current location is the large bunker on the Afghan map. There are two doors to defend, but beyond these there are more accurately three general approaches as you must consider approaches from the middle of the map (even though they'll eventually go through the front door).
In the face of multiple enemies, it would difficult for one person to defend all of these approaches at once, but the task can be made easier by taking advantage of multiple methods to assist in your defense. While not all of them apply to this particular map, we can apply some of them to see how they work in our favor:
In my last post, I made reference to some general guidelines when selecting locations using the camp and go strategy. One of those guidelines was defensible approaches, so I want to go into a little bit more detail on that factor.
No matter where on the map you select a location (with a few exceptions), there will be multiple approaches to that area. And then once you've approached the location, even most buildings on the various maps typically have more than one entrance, whether it be through doors, windows, or staircases. Let's say for example that your current location is the large bunker on the Afghan map. There are two doors to defend, but beyond these there are more accurately three general approaches as you must consider approaches from the middle of the map (even though they'll eventually go through the front door).
In the face of multiple enemies, it would difficult for one person to defend all of these approaches at once, but the task can be made easier by taking advantage of multiple methods to assist in your defense. While not all of them apply to this particular map, we can apply some of them to see how they work in our favor:
- Boundary defense. As I also noted in my previous post, these locations will tend to be located around the edges of the map rather than the middle. In Afghan the large bunker is indeed on the edge of the map, which prevents the enemy from outflanking you by taking advantage of the boundary as a defensive measure.
- Claymores. I love them. It's a shame you don't get two of them as you did in the first MW, but that doesn't make them any less valuable. Even if they don't kill your opponent, claymores act as a tripwire by alerting you to approaching enemies. I try to use them in tight stairwells or around dark corners, and generally in what I would consider the most common approaches and heavily trafficked areas. It is not a stretch to say that I get at least one (and sometimes more) claymore kills in most of my games; even if I get killed my claymore will often take out the enemy. Claymore emplacement is a bit of a mix of art and science; locating high traffic areas where they are most likely to be effective, but placing them so they're not seen until it's too late.
- Teammates. By observing the location of your teammates on the map, you can also use them as a defensive measure and tripwire, even if they not directly helping you, or even communicating with you.
- Overhead map. The audio cues (.i.e., "tango down") combined with the fading red dot of a killed enemy on the overhead map can build your local situational awareness by alerting you to enemy action in close proximity to your location.
- Direct defense. In addition to your offensive aims, you should also be able to cover at least one of the approaches directly with your personal weapons. This means that you can't get caught staring down your sights for long periods of time without moving and looking around.
- Movement. It is important to keep a cycle of movement even within your location. I will typically slide across a window opening looking for movement or locating enemies, then move for cover. Occasionally I will check my other approaches (i.e., entrances, openings, windows, staircases) and then return to the priority. It's worth noting that one of my most common accolades is Sixth Sense: No deaths from behind. I think this is a testament to the fact that movement even while camping is important.
- Crouching. Another of my more common accolades is Sneaker: Most time spent crouched. It makes sense that reducing your target profile reduces your exposure to enemy fire. There is very little reason not to stay crouched if you're in one location for any period of time.
22 December 2009
The Dad's Guide to Modern Warfare 2: Camping
This is part of a series of strategy guides for players of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. If you haven't already done so, check out the first post in the series here. As always, keep in mind the audience for these guides is not hardcore gamers but rather the casual "dad" gamers trying to stay competitive.
Camping is the strategy of staying mostly in one area of the map over the course of game and taking what are perceived to be opportunistic kills of opponents as they pass the player's camping area. There is no more derided strategy in MW2 then camping, but it's not because it doesn't work. Quite the opposite. Camping can be a very effective strategy. However, those who prefer the strategy of a more wide open, fluid game will ultimately be frustrated by campers because camping is seen as a "noobish" strategy.
I think the negativity toward camping is based on a view that the wide open, fluid game is somehow a more correct or better way of playing the game. And because it takes considerable time to become proficient at a wide open style of play, newer players will often camp because, well, it's easier to do.
Either way, it is interesting to note that for all the negativity associated with camping, most everyone does it to some extent or another. People who are skilled at sniping over long distances are respected for this skill, but ultimately a sniper is probably camping to do it. Furthermore, the layout of some maps lend themselves to camping. Battles on the Estate map almost always revolve around taking, holding and defending the house, while the other team assaults it. Perhaps this is a more dignified version of camping because as a defender your impact is more concrete for the team and less opportunistic for yourself.
If it sounds as if I am defending camping, it's because I am. In fact, I'll defend whatever strategy you decide to play--you paid $60 for the game, you paid $50 for an Xbox Live account, so you can play whatever strategy you choose. Do you really care that some random, nameless opponent called you a "noob" and a "camper"?
Back to the topic at hand. The strategy that I'm advocating is called camp and go. It may sound like an oxymoron, but it isn't. Camp and go is a hybrid strategy which takes advantage of camping for short periods at different locations around a map, and then moving quickly to other locations for short durations.
The first part of the strategy is to select a handful of locations on each map and use them to your advantage. The ideal locations will have some or all of the following characteristics:
Typically these areas will be closer to the edges of the map rather than the middle, although this doesn't always apply (this brings up an idea another future post--using map boundaries as defensive measure).
So you think you've located the perfect place to camp. Great. Guess what? Most everyone also knows about that place. So don't surprised when someone comes hunting for you. And believe me, they will.
Camp and go takes into account that your success as a camper will draw the enemy toward your location. Believe me, if you start picking off opponents successfully from your location (and especially if you pick off the same person more than once), they'll come looking for you (note to self--yet another future post--using the killcam to gather intelligence).
So when to move? Sometimes it's easy. When you can physically see multiple enemies approaching your position and you feel as if you can't defend all the threats at once, you probably ought to consider moving. If multiple red dots are moving in your direction on the map, or spawning behind or close to you in areas that you can't easily defend, same considerations. More difficult is deciding when to move when it isn't always apparent that someone is definitely coming for you. Over the course of your games, sometimes you can just get a sense that it is time to move on. The threat to you may not be immediately evident, but you're calculating on the fly a combination of map dynamics (where other players are--both your teammates and the enemy--in relation to you) and a feel for the flow of the game to get a sense of when to stay or go.
In future posts I'll get into more detail on specific maps about some of my preferred camping locations and how I like to move around the map as I camp and go.
Check out my latest stats using camp and go here.
Camping is the strategy of staying mostly in one area of the map over the course of game and taking what are perceived to be opportunistic kills of opponents as they pass the player's camping area. There is no more derided strategy in MW2 then camping, but it's not because it doesn't work. Quite the opposite. Camping can be a very effective strategy. However, those who prefer the strategy of a more wide open, fluid game will ultimately be frustrated by campers because camping is seen as a "noobish" strategy.
I think the negativity toward camping is based on a view that the wide open, fluid game is somehow a more correct or better way of playing the game. And because it takes considerable time to become proficient at a wide open style of play, newer players will often camp because, well, it's easier to do.
Either way, it is interesting to note that for all the negativity associated with camping, most everyone does it to some extent or another. People who are skilled at sniping over long distances are respected for this skill, but ultimately a sniper is probably camping to do it. Furthermore, the layout of some maps lend themselves to camping. Battles on the Estate map almost always revolve around taking, holding and defending the house, while the other team assaults it. Perhaps this is a more dignified version of camping because as a defender your impact is more concrete for the team and less opportunistic for yourself.
If it sounds as if I am defending camping, it's because I am. In fact, I'll defend whatever strategy you decide to play--you paid $60 for the game, you paid $50 for an Xbox Live account, so you can play whatever strategy you choose. Do you really care that some random, nameless opponent called you a "noob" and a "camper"?
Back to the topic at hand. The strategy that I'm advocating is called camp and go. It may sound like an oxymoron, but it isn't. Camp and go is a hybrid strategy which takes advantage of camping for short periods at different locations around a map, and then moving quickly to other locations for short durations.
The first part of the strategy is to select a handful of locations on each map and use them to your advantage. The ideal locations will have some or all of the following characteristics:
- Higher in altitude than the surrounding terrain (I'll talk more in detail about altitude in a later post)
- Provides a clear field of view of a high traffic area of the map
- Sufficient defensive cover
- Defensible approaches
Typically these areas will be closer to the edges of the map rather than the middle, although this doesn't always apply (this brings up an idea another future post--using map boundaries as defensive measure).
So you think you've located the perfect place to camp. Great. Guess what? Most everyone also knows about that place. So don't surprised when someone comes hunting for you. And believe me, they will.
Camp and go takes into account that your success as a camper will draw the enemy toward your location. Believe me, if you start picking off opponents successfully from your location (and especially if you pick off the same person more than once), they'll come looking for you (note to self--yet another future post--using the killcam to gather intelligence).
So when to move? Sometimes it's easy. When you can physically see multiple enemies approaching your position and you feel as if you can't defend all the threats at once, you probably ought to consider moving. If multiple red dots are moving in your direction on the map, or spawning behind or close to you in areas that you can't easily defend, same considerations. More difficult is deciding when to move when it isn't always apparent that someone is definitely coming for you. Over the course of your games, sometimes you can just get a sense that it is time to move on. The threat to you may not be immediately evident, but you're calculating on the fly a combination of map dynamics (where other players are--both your teammates and the enemy--in relation to you) and a feel for the flow of the game to get a sense of when to stay or go.
In future posts I'll get into more detail on specific maps about some of my preferred camping locations and how I like to move around the map as I camp and go.
Check out my latest stats using camp and go here.
MW2 Update 12/22/2009
Even though I've been playing well lately, I was riding an unbelievable high tonight. Sometimes it takes me a game or two to get back in the zone, but the first game here was one of my best yet. And yes, I know about the division by zero error, but when you pwn the enemy, sometimes that happens. ;-)
21 December 2009
MW2 Update 12/21/2009
Throughout the course of my strategy guide I will post the progress of the games I've played since I started the guides.
The Dad's Guide to Modern Warfare 2: Communication
This is part of a series of strategy guides for players of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. If you haven't already done so, check out the first post in the series here. As always, keep in mind the audience for these guides is not hardcore gamers but rather the casual "dad" gamers trying to stay competitive.
I would argue that one of the most (if not the most) important themes is communication. And strangely enough it is often the most ignored. Most (but not all) players play with a headset and microphone to allow easy communications with your teammates. It would seem to be a no brainer that actually communicating during the game would be a key factor in your team's success, but amazingly enough this isn't always the case.
I've been on both sides of the fence here: I have played games with teammates that communicated virtually everything happening on the map (generally to success); and I've played entire games with microphone-enabled teammmates who didn't say a single word at any portion of the game.
Communication goes hand in hand with teamwork, which is often a measure of familiarity with your opponents. A few nights ago I played on a team with seven other guys that I know (having actually met most of them in person) and have played with on multiple occasions. We lost a couple of matches, but quickly went on a five or six game winning streak (and most of these matches weren't even close; a 200-69 final score in Domination mode was one example). And the matches we did lose were to an obviously well-organized team; so I can't exactly complain about this one!
On the other hand, playing with strangers has the tendency to lead to poor communication and a subsequent lack of teamwork. Players run around the board at their own whim and overall success comes down to a roll of the dice; is the other team communicating just as poorly (where we may win despite our lack of communication) or are they working together (where we don't have much of a chance).
You won't always have an opportunity to do so, but in general, I recommend playing with familiar teammates. Even if they're people you've never met in person, playing with the same people develops familiarity with your teammates' styles of play, encourages communication, and helps drive an overall team strategy. Also, in my experience, playing with friends is just more fun (which is/or should be the point!).
However, it would be lacking of me to recommend that you simply "communicate!" without making reference to how you should communicate. The overall goal of communication should be to build the situational awareness (SA) of your teammates such that they can know what's going on beyond their individual screen. Here are a few things I like to talk about in the course of a game:
What are your thoughts on communication (good or bad)? How how it helped to contribute to (or from) your gameplay?
I would argue that one of the most (if not the most) important themes is communication. And strangely enough it is often the most ignored. Most (but not all) players play with a headset and microphone to allow easy communications with your teammates. It would seem to be a no brainer that actually communicating during the game would be a key factor in your team's success, but amazingly enough this isn't always the case.
I've been on both sides of the fence here: I have played games with teammates that communicated virtually everything happening on the map (generally to success); and I've played entire games with microphone-enabled teammmates who didn't say a single word at any portion of the game.
Communication goes hand in hand with teamwork, which is often a measure of familiarity with your opponents. A few nights ago I played on a team with seven other guys that I know (having actually met most of them in person) and have played with on multiple occasions. We lost a couple of matches, but quickly went on a five or six game winning streak (and most of these matches weren't even close; a 200-69 final score in Domination mode was one example). And the matches we did lose were to an obviously well-organized team; so I can't exactly complain about this one!
On the other hand, playing with strangers has the tendency to lead to poor communication and a subsequent lack of teamwork. Players run around the board at their own whim and overall success comes down to a roll of the dice; is the other team communicating just as poorly (where we may win despite our lack of communication) or are they working together (where we don't have much of a chance).
You won't always have an opportunity to do so, but in general, I recommend playing with familiar teammates. Even if they're people you've never met in person, playing with the same people develops familiarity with your teammates' styles of play, encourages communication, and helps drive an overall team strategy. Also, in my experience, playing with friends is just more fun (which is/or should be the point!).
However, it would be lacking of me to recommend that you simply "communicate!" without making reference to how you should communicate. The overall goal of communication should be to build the situational awareness (SA) of your teammates such that they can know what's going on beyond their individual screen. Here are a few things I like to talk about in the course of a game:
- At the beginning of the game, review the overall team objectives of the game based upon the map and your team's starting location. Do you play to occupy and hold down one particular section of the map? If you're playing Domination, what flags do you plan to go after (more on this one in a later post addressing Domination strategy)?
- Discuss the location of the enemy players and their movements; are they coordinated (indicative of teamwork and enemy communication) or do they run around with no idea of strategy?
- When you have something important to contribute to the offensive beyond your ordinary individual arsenal, let your teammates know; perhaps they can help you employ it more effectively. Here I'm talking about a precision air strike, or sentry gun, or something along those lines. If your teammates know where the enemy is massing, you can employ your air strike with greater effect or place the sentry gun in a critical area. Likewise, it can be helpful to your teammates if you communicate with them your attempt to shoot down a Harrier or helo with a surface to air missile (i.e., Stinger) so they can concentrate their efforts elsewhere.
- If you have someone screaming in the same room as you, this can bleed over the mic and annoy your teammates. The same goes for music, no one wants to hear your music so stop rebroadcasting it to the room.
- Some trash talking is generally acceptable, but it can quickly get annoying (especially to the other team while not in the actual gameplay), so temper your emotions. This also goes for language; you certainly won't have virgin ears after a while, but there really is no need to pile on. You're not going to "win" an argument with a loudmouth braggart 13 year old (and yes, he's probably better than you).
- Also, technical issues with your microphone (feedback) and breathing issues (literally, hearing you breathe every breath) will probably get you muted; this kind of kills your ability to contribute to the communication effort, so fix them!
What are your thoughts on communication (good or bad)? How how it helped to contribute to (or from) your gameplay?
The Dad's Guide to Modern Warfare 2: Introduction
This is the first in what I hope will be a series of strategy guides for players of
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (herein referred to as MW2). I call it the "Dad's Guide" because I am looking to appeal to casual players such as myself who do not play the game 24/7 (like many younger than us!) but still want to be competitive when we do play.
I do not claim any special qualifications to write this guide other than I fit the type of player I'm trying to reach; but I do think I'm a pretty decent MW2 player:
I suspect there won't be much in these posts which would be unfamiliar to the hardcore gamer, but again, that's not the audience that I'm seeking. Also, these strategies are based upon a particular style of gameplay that I enjoy, but others may not. So your mileage may vary.
In each post I will try to concentrate on one particular theme and talk a little bit about how that theme can influence your gameplay. Not only will I talk about how these themes apply in general, but I will also try to relate them to particular maps. But even then, sometimes there are exceptions to these rules and I will point out when I think these exceptions apply. I should also point out that these strategies are generally geared toward the Team Deathmatch mode of play; I may make some specific recommendations later on about other modes but we'll stick with Team Deathmatch for now. When I do make references to other modes I'll explicitly mention them.
A few important notes:
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (herein referred to as MW2). I call it the "Dad's Guide" because I am looking to appeal to casual players such as myself who do not play the game 24/7 (like many younger than us!) but still want to be competitive when we do play.
I do not claim any special qualifications to write this guide other than I fit the type of player I'm trying to reach; but I do think I'm a pretty decent MW2 player:
- I am currently Level 56 (Brigadier General 2). I have not prestiged and I don't plan to!
- My score rank is somewhere in excess of 2.3 million; yes, that many people have a higher score than me. Yes, most of them play a lot more than me. And yes, there are a lot of people below me!
- I have just over 2 days of actual gameplay (~50 hours). Again, this number is fairly consistent with score rank.
- After playing the game for a couple of weeks with no real aim, my kill to death ratio (KDR) was 0.85 (i.e., I was killing 85 people for every 100 of my own deaths). Nothing to call home about! Since implementing this strategy, I've brought my overall KDR to what I think is a pretty darn respectable 1.06 (as of last night). Over the course of this strategy, it's closer to 1.50!
I suspect there won't be much in these posts which would be unfamiliar to the hardcore gamer, but again, that's not the audience that I'm seeking. Also, these strategies are based upon a particular style of gameplay that I enjoy, but others may not. So your mileage may vary.
In each post I will try to concentrate on one particular theme and talk a little bit about how that theme can influence your gameplay. Not only will I talk about how these themes apply in general, but I will also try to relate them to particular maps. But even then, sometimes there are exceptions to these rules and I will point out when I think these exceptions apply. I should also point out that these strategies are generally geared toward the Team Deathmatch mode of play; I may make some specific recommendations later on about other modes but we'll stick with Team Deathmatch for now. When I do make references to other modes I'll explicitly mention them.
A few important notes:
- This guide is based upon the Xbox 360 version of the game. Much of this probably applies to other versions, but I don't know the individual differences.
- Despite this being a guide for the casual player, I'll assume you have at least a basic knowledge of the game. When I think explanation of the basics is necessary, I'll provide it.
- As I previously stated, this strategy guide is based upon a style of gameplay, and there are certainly differences of opinion over what's best. So this is all part of encouraging discussion.
- Your feedback is appreciated!
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