User:Immortal Hunger

About Me
Gamer. Writer. Graduate student. Male. Late twenties. Unconventional thinker. Verbose. Pedantic. Perfectionistic. Opinionated but open minded: I'm 100% capable of changing my mind if I hear a good argument. So argue with me! I tend to be fairly polite, even if I disagree with you.

I enjoy Modern Warfare 2, Dawn of War 2, Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance, and Guild Wars. The next few months are pretty exciting for me, game-wise: I'm really looking forward to the Dawn of War 2 Expansion and the upcoming Aliens vs. Predator reboot (especially since it's being made by the same developers who made the original AvP, of which I have many fond memories). In case you're wondering, I am not looking forward to Supreme Commander 2 -- the game abandons the streaming resources and variable production rates that made both its prequel and spiritual predecessor so progressive. Nor am I particularly looking forward to Starcraft 2 : if I want true real-time strategy, I'll play Forged Alliance. If I want micromanagement, I'll simply play Dawn of War 2 (which could be more accurately described as real-time tactics rather than real-time strategy).

Where Does My Account Name Come From?
I'm a huge fan of the Warhammer 40K universe: The Tyranids are one of the alien races in the 40K universe, and they have the distinction of being the only race from outside the Milky Way galaxy. Though there are a number of different Tyranid strains, they all have common morphological characteristics: six limbs, an internal and external skeleton, symbiotic weapons systems, and an appearance that is a cross between insects and dinosaurs, with big teeth, glowing eyes, and lots of spiky protrusions. They share a number of visual and narrative similarities with the Zerg of Starcraft fame, but the Tyranids came first -- remember that! The Tyranids are driven by one thing: the impulse to consume all life. They are without number, without fear, and without mercy, and therein lies the appeal: they will do whatever it takes to achieve their goal, sacrificing trillions of their own troops if they feel the objective is worth the cost in biomass.
 * Its writers are very, very good: their diction is bold and evocative
 * The narrative of the 40K universe has strong internal consistency, which is rare these days
 * It's grimdark, which means good men die, bad men prosper, and there is no ultimate "good guy:" the Imperium of Man is a bastion of ignorance and repression despite the bravery of its defenders and the good intentions of its God Emperor; the Tau Empire, despite its claims to "the Greater Good," doesn't create happiness -- it creates sameness and "un-sadness;" and the Eldar are extraordinarily disciplined but equally self-righteous.

My account name comes from a quote by Space Marine Librarian Varro Tigurius, the only human being to make psychic contact with the Tyranid Hive Mind and survive with his sanity intact. He had this to say of his encounter with them:
 * As I looked into its dead black eyes, I saw the terrible sentience it had in place of a soul. Behind that was the steel will of its leader. Further still I could feel its primogenitor coldly assessing me from the void. And looking back from the furthest recesses of the alien's mind... I can only describe it as an immortal hunger. It is this we cannot kill.

This quote stirred my blood profoundly; I initially adopted it for use on the Dawn of War 2 forums, and decided to import it here.

In Modern Warfare 2, I go by the name Human Zergling, in reference to my play style, which eschews patience, camping, and caution in favor of a reckless (and often suicidal) charge into the fray, relying on my reflexes and relentless to ensure a high kill-death ratio. On seeing my playstyle, a friend of mine commented that it is reminiscent of the way I played Unreal Tournament. I decided to adopt the name for its paradoxical effect; as a reminder of my weaknesses; and as a commentary on my playstyle.

Likes:

 * Versatile builds with passive strength that rely on player skill to make the difference.
 * The simple thrill of aiming down the sights and delivering the fatal shots, of keeping the sights rock-steady for round after round
 * The relative lack of "nadespam" that characterized the original Modern Warfare
 * The sheer variety of combinations available to players
 * That little "snick" sound that accompanies a hit
 * Calling in an AC-130
 * Weapons that function well regardless of perks or attachments; I refer here to the UMP .45 and the FAL, since both of these weapons are capable of three-hit kills at any range (a trait that complements my playstyle). I also enjoy the SPAS-12's combination of lethality, exceptional range, and magazine size.
 * The throwing knife -- 'cuz it's pro.

Dislikes:

 * The iron sights on the FAL >.<
 * Explosive weapons, particularly the grenade launcher: a weapon that is a virtually guaranteed one-hit-kill, possibly against multiple targets, at any range that does not require any precision or reflexes just irritates me. I see it as a sign of mediocrity, of taking the path of least resistance. Some argue that grenade launcher builds are the most efficient way to play, since they almost guarantee a win, and that failure to use them is a weakness. My response: this is a game, not a war; winning is not the only goal. As you can no doubt see from the above, I derive joy from other things besides winning. For those players who enjoy only winning (at any cost), I have no doubt that the grenade launcher appeals to them. My aim is higher.
 * "Gimmick" builds or weapons that render other builds or weapons obsolete. I enjoy an open-ended metagame in which players have the opportunity to innovate and experiment


 * Hackers. See my above argument on the grenade launcher


 * Exploits. See my above argument on the grenade launcher

The Ninja:

 * UMP .45, silencer
 * SPAS-12, grip
 * Throwing Knife and Flashbangs
 * Marathon, Cold-Blooded, and Ninja
 * Usage : Get behind enemy lines; stay there; mess things up.
 * Pro : Fast; versatile; lethal at all ranges; undetectable except by sight
 * Con : UMP .45 iron sights are slightly unwieldy; tends to run out of ammunition even with liberal use of the Throwing Knife

The Lurker:

 * UMP .45, silencer and red dot sight
 * SPAS-12, grip (and FMJ)
 * Throwing Knife and Flashbangs
 * Bling, Cold-Blooded, and Ninja
 * Usage : Slower and more methodical than the ninja, this build is used in deathmatches when precision is more important than speed. The red dot scope compliments my run-and-gun playstyle.
 * Pro : Versatile, lethal at all ranges; undetectable except by sight; very precise
 * Con : Ammunition is even more of a problem for this build; also, if you die behind enemy lines, you have to get there again, which is painful without Marathon

The Assassin:

 * FAL, silencer and holographic sight
 * SPAS-12, grip (and FMJ)
 * Throwing Knife and Flashbangs
 * Bling, Cold-Blooded, and Ninja
 * Usage : Similar to the Lurker, I use this build when I'm feeling the FAL more than the UMP .45
 * Pro : Versatile, lethal at all ranges; undetectable except by sight; very precise; extremely powerful
 * Con : Slower than the Lurker

The Shooter:

 * FAL, silencer and thermal scope
 * SPAS-12, grip (and FMJ)
 * Throwing Knife and Flashbangs
 * Bling, Cold-Blooded, and Ninja
 * Usage : I use this on long-range maps with a high degree of visual clutter to easily identify targets from a distance
 * Pro : Functions as a sniper without the limitations of a sniper rifle
 * Con : Relatively specialized; lacks the damage boost of the holographic sight

The Rifleman:

 * FAL, holographic sight
 * SPAS-12, grip
 * Throwing Knife and Flashbangs
 * Marathon, Cold-Blooded, and Steady Aim
 * Usage : For those times when the amount of noise you make doesn't matter. Useful in a variety of circumstances
 * Pro : Fast, reliable, and lethal; thanks to Steady Aim, I can more fully utilize the SPAS-12's substantial range
 * Con : Loud, not as versatile as the other classes due to the lack of a silencer

The Soldier:

 * FAL, holographic sight and underbarrel shotgun
 * Stinger launcher
 * Throwing Knife and Flashbangs
 * Bling, Cold-Blooded, and Steady Aim
 * Usage : This is a general-purpose build for use when the enemy has your team under heavy fire from the air.
 * Pro : Extremely versatile: can take out any aerial unit short of an AC-130; as lethal as any oter variant of the FAL
 * Con : Slow and loud: the FAL's poor iron sights force me to use a sight (which is not all bad, since the holographic sight increases the FAL's damage)

Why I'm Here
I created an account here for three reasons:
 * 1) I enjoy puttering around and adding my perspective to the wiki. I don't like keeping useful knowledge to myself, even if knowledge gives me an advantage. I value fairness; this means competition on equal terms; hence, I'm open about my strategy wherever possible. I also enjoy "cleaning up" articles and editing for grammar and clarity, but this takes time that I don't have as a graduate student.
 * 2) Security. I've edited a number of articles here and I was starting to feel twitchy about my exposed IP address. Not that IP addresses are hard to find on the Internet, but better safe than sorry.
 * 3) Imrlybord7 suggested it. Since this particular user speaks with authority, I listened.