Take a look at some features we’d like to see in the Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 multiplayer. For more information about Black Ops and a discussion about its new future setting check out, Will Black Ops 2 Successfully Reinvent the Call of Duty Series.

 1. The assist point value should be proportional to the amount of damage done to an enemy.

Assists are one of the most frustrating inclusions to the Call of Duty series. Every player can relate to that moment of desperation when you’ve wasted all your ammo on an opposing soldier all to see “20 Point Assist” pop up on the screen. Not to mention when this herald of annoyance happens back to back, or on multiple occasions. Yes, I’d rather have some points instead of none for hitting but not killing an enemy, but shouldn’t the points be reflective of how much damage was done? An 80 point assist makes me feel a lot better after almost dying than a measly 20.

 

2. Greater ability to explore and traverse the maps with climbing and mounting on objects.

The Call of Duty multiplayer experience is a chaotic culmination of gun-play, random encounters, and often times, sudden, unexplainable death. For those more imaginative players who seek calculated advantages instead of the run-and-gun battle plan, utilizing the level layout has been a key tool in previous CoD titles. The ability to climb on top of a car to reach the second story of a building to flank an opponent rather than taking the easily guarded stairway is a matter of choice, and strategy. Of course if players can barely jump or climb on anything, as in MW3, the tactic unfortunately dissolves. If there is an awkward box in the center of the room, why can’t I climb on it!

3. One perk that makes players invisible to UAV and air support (Coldblooded/Ghost), not two separate perks (Blind Eye/Assassin).

Choosing to play in a stealth-driven manner can be a very difficult prerogative in a series that often rewards players for immersing themselves into the action. Perks such as Coldblooded or Ghost help to even the odds against marathon-running, submachine gun-wielding foes, but these additives have taken the place of other great perks such as Scavenger and Blast Shield and are thus, a double-edged sword. With such reservations about sneaking in Call of Duty, why would another blow we dealt to stealth fans, by splitting invisibility to UAV and air support into two separate perks? Stealth aficionados want justice, at least the ability to take a more subtle approach to playing without being penalized too heavily.

4. The inclusion of contracts and daily challenges that reward players with points, experience, or other in-game currency.

Gamers take Call of Duty very seriously. If we have to pay $65 every year for a new installment of the series, the multiplayer features better be entertaining for days upon days of gameplay. Even with the ability to prestige, often players fall into the same old patterns, using the same weapons, over and over again. Daily and weekly contracts aid to reward players for their in-game feats such as “get 4 headshots in 1 hour” or “Be on the top of your team in Team Deathmatch”. Also, these incentives encourage individuals to try out different guns and play styles, exploring the content in unique ways that they might not have done without the promise of points or experience.

5. Access to a battle record for non-Elite users.

There needs to be some sort of statistical tracking for players across the board. The first Black Ops boasted a host of numerical data, charts, graphs, and my personal favorite, the location-hit diagram. With the inclusion of Call of Duty Elite, a premium service, these once free pieces of information: kill/death ratio with a particular gun, heat maps, accuracy ratings, and the Theater Mode, were all removed in the next game, Modern Warfare 3. I’m not saying that Elite should be disbanded, rather, players should be able to see their kill/death ratio from game to game and who their nemesis is with a FREE click of a button. Elite can still provide more detailed statistics but the basics should be accessible.

6. Customizable emblems.

The preset logos are stale and derivative of previous titles. Either give us new items to personalize our gamer identities or allow players to create their own. I spent a good 20 minutes perfecting my callsign in the original Black Ops and I wore my creation with pride. Some players push the envelope with the craziest, most creative renditions for their emblems and hey I don’t think that should be censored. My only concern is that for every awesome version of Batman or Kirby, there are a ton of graphic representations of a woman’s chest or some dude’s junk. Creativity at a price.

 

7. Have lethal grenades (frag/semtex), tactical gear (flash/stun/smoke), and equipment (claymores, motion sensors, etcetera) in separate categories.

As an American, I believe that every soldier has the right to bear not one, not two, but three categories of equipment into battle. All joking aside, a claymore is not comparable to a grenade in its style of use or strategy, so why would it take up a grenade slot? We shouldn’t have to choose whether we want a flash bang or a tactical insertion, the two are dissimilar items and thus deserve separate classification.

 

8. More customization options for weapons.

Black Ops introduced a multitude of ways to modify guns that had never been done before. Everything from the lens color, reticle shape, outer pattern, and emblem imprint could be tweaked and personalized. My M4 is different from your M4, and that’s the way I like it. I hope to see more elements from this creative outlet emerge in its predecessor, Black Ops 2.

 

9. Better Killstreaks.

Call of Duty 4’s most menacing foe was the Attack Helicopter, World at War featured the devastation of Attack Dogs, MW2 had the destructive merits of the Tactical Nuke, Black Ops’ Hail Mary was the gunship, and MW3 has….I’m not quite sure. During the transition from Black Ops to MW3, many of the killstreaks were watered down in power and stature. The advanced UAV on the support track is nothing in comparison to the SR71 Blackbird for example. To keep the exploits of multiplayer exciting and gratifying, Black Ops 2 needs to reward players for their feats by providing worthwhile killstreaks.

10. Get rid of the money that flies out from bodies after a kill.

Ahh the famous CoD “money shot”. Getting a Payback kill triggers a sudden explosion of cash in the Call of Duty series, and sure I get the pun, “PAY-back” but come on. Give us a gore-induced outburst of blood and guts or a ridiculous eruption of candy canes and lollipops instead of a cascade of dollar bills. Better yet, how about providing players the ability to choose which objects their corpses leave behind? If you want moolah flying from your carcass cool, I’d prefer rainbows and sparkles.

Bonus: When it comes to Last Stand (or other equivalent perk) the kill point should be awarded to the player who downs the enemy not the one who delivers the final bullet.

This is a controversial addition, one that has changed from game to game within the series. In my opinion, downing an opponent is the same as inflicting the death-blow, at least in terms of the amount of work required. If one player does all the damage to get an enemy into Last Stand, why should the individual who throws a flash or sneaks in an extra bullet receive the kill?

 

 What changes would you like to see in Black Ops 2? Do you think the new futuristic setting will enhance or detract from the multiplayer?

 Editor’s Note: I’ve been a Call of Duty fan for years now and I’m excited about the new direction of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. The features mentioned are solely derivative of my personal experiences in multiplayer from game to game, and the changes that I think would enhance the overall experience. If you can’t tell, I’m a huge fan of the original Black Ops and would love to see some of those elements return in the sequel.

            

WordPress › Error

There has been a critical error on this website.

Learn more about troubleshooting WordPress.