User blog:Magma-Man/Call of Duty - Mindless Shooting, or Tactical Thinking?

It has become extremely common for most people, those against the series in particular, to accuse Call of Duty's multiplayer as being "mindless shooting" and little else. After spending the last several hours playing Black Ops II for the first time in over three months, (which I loved every second of) I can say you are bringing that attitude upon yourself, because it's certainly not how I play.

Call of Duty is a skillful game; this isn't opinion, it's fact. This common misconception is due to the twitch like nature of the mechanics; Most take each individual gun fight as the main source of skill, much like how it is in Halo. In reality, the skill largely comes in the form of environmental awareness, and the ability to predict situations. This is a game that demands full attention at all times, constantly paying attention to enemy behaviors, enemy locations, the spawn system, and the environment, and updating predictions accordingly every second. The key to winning many gun fights isn't so much having a quick trigger finger (although this helps immensely) as it is predicting engagements and knowing what you are running into. This will prepare you for the next engagement and give you a major upper hand if your prediction was right.

As for the engagements themselves, these are of course the game's main strengths. They are essentially little jolts of adrenaline, because you need to act fast, and immediately get back on your path of prediction and guess work to stay alive. In no other game do I get so excited to survive an engagement, to do well and survive. Call of Duty empowers you during these moments like no other game does, especially with the kill streaks. I don't find the feeling comparable to any other game.

Another large issue many people have with the games is either anger from not doing well or their hatred for the community. The solution to both of these problems is simple. First of all, don't get angry. If you made a mistake, keep going, just make a mental note of the mistake and attempt to not replicate it. Remember this is just a game, it's for fun, and anger isn't fun. This is a game series you need a clear head for, and I have yet to see a player perform better while raging. If the players you've been paired with or against are too troublesome, such as facing an army of quick-scopers, just leave the lobby and find another. As for the second problem, turn that to your advantage. Mute your team if they are annoying you, and assume your enemies are a bunch of egotistical twats. (It's not hard) Treat the enemy team as a love-to-hate entity, it makes it so much more gratifying when you do well. It can be difficult to act on both of these solutions, as they may seem incompatible, but it's not impossible.

If Call of Duty is "mindless shooting" for you, it's your fault. If the hostile community gets to you, it's your fault. This is a series that is popular for a reason. I've been playing it since I first got Finest Hour back on the PS2, and with the exception of Ghosts, I love this franchise and think it's the best it's ever been.

I could also defend the campaigns, which are also one of my favorite aspects of the series, but that would be an entirely different rant. Perhaps for another time, and it will most likely be part of my planned In Defense of Linear/"Corridor" Shooters. Thanks for reading.

How do you play Call of Duty? Mindless Shooting Tactical Thinking Exploitative Quick-Scoping