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Starhawk Patch 1.04 Now Available With 5 Free Maps and 3 Game Modes, Digital Version Incoming

by James Lara

September 20, 2012 8:55 pm in News

LightBox Interactive has officially launched Starhawk patch 1.04.

The biggest highlights of this huge patch are the 5 brand-new maps and 3 brand-new game modes. These will all be free, meaning no additional purchase is needed. The video below briefly explains the new modes available in this patch.

[youtube id=”cLaPFipp0l0″ width=”600″ height=”350″]

Good news for those who haven’t purchase the title yet or happen to be PlayStation Plus members: Starting next week, Sony will be offering two (three for PS+ members) versions of Starhawk. The first package will consist of the full game, which will cost $39.99. If you’re someone who isn’t into the single player, however, then you’ll be able to download the multiplayer-only version, which will run you $19.99. As mentioned, PS+ will be getting an additional, single player-only version. If your a Plus subscriber, this will be absolutely free. No news on whether it would be coming to the rest of the users.

The Official Patch Notes

As seen on the official blog.

Five New Maps

We’ve always said all of the new maps we make for Starhawk will be free and 1.04 makes good on that promise. We know you wanted some smaller maps and we’ve delivered. These small maps are great when you have less players and really shine in the new Deathmatch mode too. Add them to your CTF, Zones, DM or TDM game lists. We also included two new Hawk only maps to liven up your aerial combat.

Cypress Glade

In 1.03 we introduced the lush, green (and swampy!) environment of Cypress and included two brand new maps for this new planet. Now with the addition of small maps we’ve got one more for you, the tiny islands of Glade. This small map incorporates the gnarly tree roots and expanded pickup locations of the previous maps that were a big hit with players in 1.03 with a more compact layout for intese battles!

Space Relay

The second small map in this update takes the fight to the tiny Relay station above the planet Dust. There are a lot of tiered walkways on this map: perfect places to get the advantage on the players below you while they are distracted and shooting at someone else.

Scourge Junction

Our final small map, Scourge Junction, is a derelict extraction site full of Crumbling bridges connecting the islands. Vehicles with vertical mobility are key to victory here, just don’t run out of fuel and fall into the acid below!

Scourge Breaker

This new map for Gatekeeper and Dogfight takes you back to a previously unseen area on Scourge where you can riddle your target with fire from your Hawk.

Space Flotilla

Ships and asteroids orbit Dust in high concentrations here. Use the asteroids for cover and fly through the ship cargo bays to grab pickups in this new map for Gatekeeper and Dogfight modes!

Three New Game Modes

We’re always thinking about how we can take the core Starhawk gameplay experience and build upon it. These three new game modes are a direct result of extensive internal gameplay sessions and discussions combined with player requests.

Assault

In this territory control mode the teams are split up into attacker and defender. The attacking team starts at one end of the map with a single drop zone and must capture each of the defending teams control points in order. At the end of the first round the teams switch and the defenders become the attackers. When both rounds are complete the team with the most points wins! Assault is available on all of the original maps, Origin and Collider.

Gatekeeper

This is our second hawk-only gameplay mode and adds a bit of order to the chaos of Dogfight. Playing like a sports game in space or in the sky players will pick up a ball and attempt to fly it through several rings. Each ring the ball carrier flies through increases his potential score by one. Once he has flown through all of the rings he must then fly through the central gate to score the points, all while the opposing team is trying to shoot him down. Gatekeeper is available on all of the original maps, Origin, Collider, and the new Dogfight/Gatekeeper maps Breaker and Flotilla.

Deathmatch Arena

Many in the community called for Deathmatch on foot and this new mode is a direct answer to them. Arena matches are fast paced free for all battles where the gear is dropped in from above automatically so all you have to worry about is killing the other players. Since the respawn and drop pod speeds have been significantly increased there is little downtime when you die. This, combined with the generally smaller maps and unpredictable placement of buildings makes for a frantic gameplay experience! Deathmatch Arena is available on Glade, Origin, Relay, Orbital, Junction, Conduit, Outlands, Basin, and Narrows.

Three New Build & Battle Loadouts

“Trooper” is a loadout that is designed specifically to focus on troop vs. troop combat!

“Light-Weight” is a well balanced loadout that does NOT include larger vehiclels like the Hawk and Ox Tank!

And the “Speeder” loadout focuses on fast vehicle combat and does NOT the Vulture Jetpack!

Ground Pounder, Heavyweight and and Lone Wolf are all seeing slight revisions too!

Tool Tips

This may seem like a simple convenience change, but one we think is an important improvement. To help players navigate the uplink we’ve added tooltips to the icons on the menu, and to most of the sub-menu options. One of the most notable features of this change is that now you can see exactly what Build and Battle parts are in a loadout before you start a game.

Recommended Player Counts

Recommended player counts are a handy way of deciding what maps will play best with the number of players you have. Or you can throw caution to the wind and stuff 32 players into the small maps. It’s your choice, and now we’ve made it easier.

New National Clan Banners

There was a request on the forums for some banners for countries in the Middle East, so we included Kuwait, Israel, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Rock them if you live there, or you just want to represent your heritage.

More Pickups & Rift Barrels

We got some really great feedback that the extra pickups and barrels in the new Cypress maps were a hit, so our designers have gone back through all of the old maps and added lots of new pickups. This was a huge fan request and we’re glad we could make it happen.

M.A.W. Rocket Launcher

Previously troops didn’t really have a lot of options for dealing with the zippy Sidewinder, it was basically ‘don’t stand in the open’, and ‘hope they dismount’. Or maybe you were lucky and had a few proximity mines on hand. Now the M.A.W. locks onto the heat signature of the Sidewinder giving troops on foot a way to deal with the jetbike. This adds a new layer of utility to the M.A.W. and a new layer of complexity for the Sidewinder driver. With no method to scrub the incoming missile, the driver is going to need to use his wits and the terrain to avoid destruction. This change has a dramatic impact on ‘Sidewinder Races’ in the new CTF.

Grinder

The Bruiser skill has been replaced with the Grinder skill, allowing you to start the match with a grinder. We’ve also made it spin up a bit faster and given it a slight range extension.

Galloway Revolver

The pistol has had a slight boost to headshot damage, both in and out of OTS!

More Score & Time Options

With the changes to the capture rules in CTF in 1.03 we wanted to allow for higher scoring games. Now you can go as high as 15. We also heard that you wanted more flexibility with the Zones score limit options so we’ve added 2500, 5000 and 25000(!) limits. In addition there are several new game length options so you can dial in your perfect game length and these are totally adjustable on our servers. This gives us the power to make these changes based on player feedback without the need for an update!

In-game scoreboard in Deathmatch and Dogfight

Checking the score in the modes where you were forced to spawn in used to be a drag. The only way you could see it was to open the uplink while everyone else in the game was climbing over each other to be the first one to kill you. Now the scores are displayed in the game without having to take your fingers off the trigger.

XP Payouts for Tier 2 and 3 in Zones

Previously there wasn’t much personal reward for sticking around to get your zones up to rank 2 or 3; XP was only paid out on the initial capture. Now you’ll get XP for each rank you help secure. So stick around and help your team hold the zone while you collect XP!

Only Clan Leaders & Officers can Initiate a Clan Match

There was some concern from clan leaders that rogue members were able to create unauthorized clan matches which could have a negative impact on the clans W/L ratio. Now the clan tag options are unavailable to anyone but a clan officer or leader.

Cake and Fist Icons removed

We removed the cake and fist icons from the game list leaving only the skull icon. Putting a cake icon on a game was a big neon sign that basically said ‘fresh meat’. Now new players will know when a game is probably too rough for them, and veterans (all you blue 50+ players) will be able to join the widest number of games possible.

PlayStation Store Button

A PlayStation Store button has been added to the uplink to make it easy to find new DLC content!

More Rift Energy in Homeworlds

We’ve heard the request for more Rift Energy while in each of the multiplayer Homeworlds. Now you will start with quite a bit more! This should help speed up the rate that you can build stuff!

Starhawk Specific Network Scanner

To help aid players in debuging their home networks, the Starhawk 1.04 Update includes a new network connection scanner that will trigger automatically in the event of a failed network connection. Certainly disconnects from the internet can happen for a wide variety of reasons, but based on all of the data we have collected, the vast majority of them are related to port blockage on a player’s home network. The new network scanner will inform you of any ports that maybe blocked that are negatively impacting your Starhawk connection.

Prospector Tuning & Create Game Changes

We’ve modified how damage is scaled with 2-4 player games. No, four player games are still challenging, but much more manageable. In addition we fixed an issue that was causing certain tough enemies to spawn less than the desired amount in games with less than 4 players. To put the icing on these changes we’ve also increased the XP payout in co-op mode. And to make Prospector games easier to start and join we’ve given you the ability to set a game name, difficulty and make the game public or private. Public games will now show up on the game list.

Quickmatch Improvements

We’ve added all three new game modes as well as Prospector mode to the Quickmatch menu to make finding them a snap!

Rage Quit Penalty

Nobody likes a sore loser (unless it’s in a hilarious youtube video) so players who rage quit the game while it is in progress will now post a loss. We know that there are times and circumstances where players should be allowed to quit out and we have allowed for that in this new system. Players will not take the quit penalty if they leave in the first 5 minutes of joining a game, if they have very low skill score, or have earned 0XP so far in the match. In addtion we have made this all tuneable on the server so that we can make adustments to the system to ensure that its accomplishing our goal of enforcing good sportsmanship.

So what do you guys think? Is $19.99 a fair price for just the multiplayer, seeing that all map packs will be free?

Tags: Patch 1.04 PS3 Starhawk

James Lara

A gamer at heart, James has been working for MP1st for the last decade to do exactly what he loves, writing about video games and having fun doing it. Growing up in the 90's gaming has been in his DNA since the days of NES. One day he hopes to develop his own game.

Home > News

A First Look at ‘Takedown’ by Serellan Studios

by David Veselka

3:03 pm in News

You may remember a few months back, Serellan studios, headed by developer Christian Allan, began a kickstarter project to help fund their upcoming, hardcore tactical shooter Takedown.

Their goal: to provide a realistic, unforgiving, slower-paced shooter reminiscent of older Rainbow Six titles. While the kickstarter project itself succeeded, we’ve yet to hear any updates from the studio regarding Takedown, until now.

Kotaku got a hold of a batch of brand new screen shots showcasing the game in its developmental stages. These shots are mainly taken from a prototype level, though they still give a good idea as to how the game is shaping up and let me say, they look good.

What do you think of Takedown so far? Are you excited about it? Let us know in the comments below!

Tags: Featured PC Serellan Takedown

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > Features

Why Call of Duty Zombies Should Become a Standalone Game

by BOSS JEDIZOHAN

2:21 pm in Features

If the recent wave of excitement generated by the ongoing teaser campaign by Treyarch for the BO2 iteration of Zombies is proof of anything, it’s that people really enjoy killing Nazi zombies. So much, in fact, that a lot of people would buy Treyarch’s CoD titles solely for the Zombies sub-game.

As I’ve discussed before, CoD’s lifespan is becoming too short to hold our interest, in part because no single title has really offered much in terms of DLC post-release compared to more modern games like BF3 and Mass Effect. MW3 tried with the Chaos/Faceoff modes, and Spec Ops missions, but it’s overwhelming shortcomings really made the total offerings of MW3 a letdown (I’m working on an in-depth article about this BTW, so don’t get too worked up in the comments, save it for that article).

So, considering how put off people were by MW3’s survival mode and how much they seem to love Zombies, would it make sense to produce a standalone version of the increasingly popular sub-game that can be released annually? In my opinion, hellz to the yeah! Why? Well, there a lot of reasons…

Part of what makes CoD fun is the DLC you get after release. New maps and gamemodes are typically a nice refresher for the game and help hold my interest in it, MW3 aside. Both WaW and BO1 had Zombies DLC, but not much in the way of new content over time. Yes, the easter eggs and expanding story were cool, but they didn’t really offer any new kind of gameplay. Making a standalone Zombies game would give Treyarch’s Zombies devs more room both on the disc and in their budget to offer more content and gameplay experiences. BO2 Zombies looks to be benefiting from BO1/WaW Zombies’ explosive success, but I highly doubt that they’ll be able to release 10-15 new Zombies maps like they do for standard MP. Making Zombies standalone would open the doors for a full year of DLC, something I think Zombies fans would really enjoy.

Standalone Zombies would also bring a dedicated support/development staff with it that could easily build a bigger and better game. Imagine a Zombies campaign (already rumored to be included in BO2) in addition to the easter-egg/achievement hunting of the Zombies we’ve come to know and enjoy. Imagine MLG Zombies tournaments (the idea reminds me a lot of Diablo). Just think about how much bigger and better the Zombies experience would be if it was actually its own game.

Of course, a standalone Zombies game offers some challenges. Do people really want to pay for 2 CoDs every year? Will only Treyarch be developing it and will it impact their CoD development negatively to have their staff divided? Can a standalone Zombies game compete with games like DayZ and it’s soon-to-release clones? Will it end up turning CoD into the next Guitar Hero (think “Call of Duty: Nicki Minaj Robot Nazi Dance Edition”)? But, and I think most importantly, will it suck if the devs don’t have to be so clever? Right now, the Zombies devs have very little room to work with on the disc and that limitation has inspired a lot of creativity (easter eggs, themed maps like “Call of the Dead,” and using weapons built into the core game instead of creating a wholly unique weapon roster/system). More freedom might equate to less creativity, but I think it’s worth a shot considering how successful Zombies has become.

2 CoDs every year would obviously not help keep the franchise alive. The more you make of something, the less valuable it becomes. Perhaps Zombies standalone could be a $30 digital download only title the releases in the summer when CoD starts feeling stale. Maybe make it free if you have ELITE Premium (that would make the service totally worth the price for me, btw). Minecraft has proven cheaper games with unique features and a dedicated following will sell well on the XBL arcade.

What about Treyarch having two games to publish instead of one every other year? If anything, Zombies being developed outside of the typical CoD development cycle is going to take a load off of Treyarch. Instead of having to make basically 2 games in every title they produce, they could focus on one game at a time. This can only benefit the development of both games. Combine this with the larger staff a standalone Zombies game will make affordable to Treyarch, and I think it’s a win-win for both the fans and the devs. I also highly doubt anyone outside of Treyarch would be working on it, given their involvement in it’s development and level of commitment to the sub-game. It’s Treyarch’s baby and that’s part of what makes it so fun and the fans so loyal. Bringing in a new studio to work on it would lead to a mass exodus of players loyal to Treyarch’s direction of the game and something I doubt Activision would do. I also think the increased revenue would make it unnecessary. Treyarch can always hire more people if they have more income.

As far as the competition is concerned, there’s no doubt that DayZ is a contender for the zombie game crown. It’s got a huge following and the standalone version of DayZ will no doubt sell exceptionally well. But DayZ is a PC-only title right now and no console ports are actively being developed. The goal of a multiplatform DayZ is obviously something the DayZ team is shooting for, but it’s not going to happen before the next generation of consoles are released. That gives CoD Zombies at least a year of market dominance before DayZ hits consoles, assuming Treyarch starts working this year on their own Zombies game.

Honestly, I think that while arcade shooters like CoD will always be popular, the future of gaming is leaning towards complexity and that’s something DayZ does well, emotionally and technically. DayZ makes you feel tiny, it makes you feel threatened, and that’s something gamers are looking for more of. Story and easter eggs can only get you so far if the experience isn’t emotionally involving. So far, CoD has really failed, I think, to emotionally connect players to the storyline or gameplay in that you have very little to lose when you die. If you die in DayZ, you’re starting from scratch, which really, really sucks. Avoiding death in DayZ is hard and emotional. Avoiding death in CoD is mostly just frustrating and annoying. In the end, a standalone Zombies game is going to sell well, but it’s only going to appeal to people that like fast-paced shooters. DayZ has the potential to offer an experience much like CoD Zombies (smaller maps with less penalties for death and friendly fire off), but CoD Zombies will most likely never come close to DayZ’s experience. However, that’s a discussion for another time.

The possibility of Activision/Treyarch running Zombies into the ground becomes a big issue if it becomes its own entity. Activision will have yet another wellspring of a title to pump dry. Guiatar Hero is proof of that. But so far, CoD has been handled well and doesn’t seem to be going in the same direction as GH did. While I fear Zombies being pumped to death, I doubt that it going standalone would be the catalyst for that to happen.

As for creativity and solid gameplay, this is Treyarch, baby! They know what they’re doing and they know what does and doesn’t work. I have full confidence that a bigger budget and more manpower could only improve the Zombies experience.

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments!

Thank you for reading.

Tags: Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Featured PC PS3 Wii U Xbox 360 Zombies

BOSS JEDIZOHAN

I've been a gamer since before most gamers were born. Now a full-fledged member of the PC Master Race, I'm enjoying all the best games from both AAA and Indie developers in glorious 1440p. Praise Gaben and may the Steam deals be ever syphoning funds from your life savings. Subscriber

Home > News

Battlefield Celebrates 10 Years, One-Day Origin Sale: Select Battlefield Titles for $10

by David Veselka

1:18 pm in News

Today marks the beginning of a very special week in Battlefield history.

Digital Illusions CE, aka DICE, begin celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Battlefield franchise.

DICE will be celebrating all week long until the 28th, bringing you something special every day. Today alone, Battlefield 3 fans are being treated to a number of different goodies. Let’s take a look at them below.

Remastered Anniversary Artwork

First off, we have “four never before seen desktop wallpapers in full HD resolution. These were created here at DICE by upscaling select scenes from the classic Battlefield 1942 intro,” according to the Official Battlefield Blog. Click on the images below to enlarge these beauties and right-click to download.

Wake Island Dog Tag Challenge

Next week, DICE launches the Wake Island Dog Tag Challenge where PC players will compete against Xbox 360 and PS3 players to “reach a specific number of game rounds on this legendary map.” More details to come!

Talk With Lars Gustavsson, Battlefield 1942 Veteran, Next Tuesday

Next Tuesday, September 25, Battlefield fans will get the chance to speak to long-time Battlefield developer Lars Gustavsson. “He has worked on almost every Battlefield title since the start, and Codename Eagle (the spiritual predecessor to Battlefield) before that,” writes the blog. Again, more details are to come, but the chat will take place at Origin.com.

Battlefield Anniversary Sale – Today Only

Head over to Origin, today only, to pick out select Battlefield PC titles, including Battlefield 3, for only $10. The blog mentions that “the offer only lasts until midnight today on September 20th (incidentally the date when Battlefield 1942 originally launched in Europe).” Check out the full list of Battlefield titles on sale:

Battlefield 3

~~$39.99~~
$10.00

Battlefield 2142 Deluxe

~~$14.99~~
$10.00

Battlefield 2: Complete Collection

~~$19.99~~
$10.00

Battlefield: Bad Company 2: Vietnam

~~$14.99~~
$10.00

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Digital Deluxe Edition

~~$49.99~~
$10.00

Battlefield: Bad Company 2

~~$19.99~~
$10.00

Happy 10th Anniversary, DICE! And, happy playing everyone! We’ll see you on the Battlefield.

Thanks, Roger L.

Tags: Battlefield Battlefield 1942 DICE Featured PC PS3 Xbox 360

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Zombies Gets a Reveal Date, New Teaser Trailer

by David Veselka

September 19, 2012 4:38 pm in News

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Zombies invade September 26 as Treyarch finally gears up for a proper reveal.

Check out the more substantial teaser trailer below and as usual, leave your thoughts, speculations and notices in the comments below!

[youtube id=”UoZ2o_2QMOE” width=”600″ height=”350″]

Tags: Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Featured PC PS3 Xbox 360 Zombies

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > Features

Medal of Honor: Warfighter Preview

by David Veselka

4:06 pm in Features

Medal of Honor: Warfighter will soon be deploying on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC this October 23rd. If you’re not yet excited, chances are that you still don’t know very much about it. Now, that’s not your fault, of course. There honestly isn’t much to go by these days as the pickings are slim when it comes to multiplayer information.

Luckily, myself and a handful of others had the chance to visit the Danger Close team down at the Electronic Arts studios in LA where we got some good hands-on time with Global Warfighters. While not the final build, I found many promising goodies that have me excited for final release.

Upon picking one of six the six different class types in Global Warfighters, we were then able choose from one of twelve different units/nationalities before duking it out 10v10-style. Not all units/nationalities were available to us at first as we had to unlock them as we progressed through the ranks, though we did get a good taste of each of the six classes.

The biggest difference between classes that I found, other than their specific class abilities and support actions, were their movement speeds and ranges at which they were most effective. The demolition class with his or her Tank Mode ability, for example, was fittingly the slowest, though he or she could practically demolish anything within close range. I quickly found that the most effective way of dealing with this beast of a class was to simply get out of its way. Of course, you could then re-engage at longer distances if you were feeling lucky. On the opposite end of the spectrum, you have the Spec Ops class, who also has a smaller effective range, but is much quicker on his or her feet. You’d want to pick this guy for getting to those objectives quickly – a real asset in Warfighter’s “sport” mode, Homerun.

On the slower side, though not as slow as the Demolitions class, you have the Sniper and the Heavy Gunner who I found to be most effective providing support at longer distances thanks to their ability to deploy a bipod in either a prone stance or perched up on a ledge. While in this stance, not only do they get a better view of the battlefield due to their enhanced mini-map, but their shots become dead-accurate. It was a shame, however, that not all maps were suited for this style of play. I found myself only able to use my class ability when using one of these classes in very specific circumstances.

In the middle, you have the Pointman and Assaulter classes who can get a lot of work done at medium ranges. With their average movement speed, they served as a good middle-ground – someone who can effectively attack objectives, following closely behind the Spec Ops class, and yet still provide good support. The Pointman’s Heavy Hitters give them an extra kick in terms of bullet damage for the duration of one magazine while the Assaulter can devastate enemies with his or her grenade launcher. I found these class abilities to be the most effective, though hopefully not too effective in the final release.

Lastly, each class has a completely different set of support actions, both offensive and defensive which kept things interesting. I must stress, however, that unlike 2010’s Medal of Honor, score chain rewards, particularly the offensive actions, are much less of an annoyance as they once were. Fear not the dreaded spawn-trapping days of old.

Check out the full list of class abilities and units/nationalities below:

Classes and Abilities

Pointman

Heavy Hitters – Extra damage for the duration of one magazine.

Sniper

Bipod – Enhanced mini-map with a boost in accuracy.

Heavy Gunner

Bipod – Enhanced mini-map with a boost in accuracy.

Spec Ops

Spec Ops Vision – A scanning tool that reveals near-by enemy locations for a very brief period of time.

Demolitions

Tank Mode – Grants extra armor to the wearer until depleted.

Assaulter

M320 Grenade Launcher – Semi-automatic grenade launcher.

Units/Nationalities

USA

SEAL
SFOD-D
OGA

Canada

JTF-2

UK

Germany

Russia

SPETZNAS GRUPPA ALFA

Poland

GROM

Sweden

S SOG

Norway

FSK/HJK

Australia

SASR

South Korea

ROKN UDT

As I mentioned in my earlier report, different game modes take place on different sections of each map as each game mode requires a different amount of play space. For example, Hotspot utilizes most of the Sarajevo Stadium map, showcased in the most recent multiplayer trailer, due to its large number of objectives, while Homerun, a 6v6 game mode, takes place in a different, smaller section.

As a quick reminder, Hotspot has players either attacking or defending one of five randomly generated objectives while Homerum pits two teams against each other with only one life. One team must capture one of two flags and bring it back to homebase before being completely eliminated by the defenders. Sarajevo Stadium, a map that takes place at night, is set inside an Olympic stadium with a bobsled run which can be used to traverse different sections of the map.

Sector Control, a game mode that requires you to control up to three flags, similar to Call of Duty’s Domination or Battlefield’s Conquest, was also playable on Somalia Stronghold, a bright, open map that features a lighthouse with some good vantage points as well as some good CQC areas between the battered buildings. You may have seen this map in some earlier multiplayer footage.

Something brand new to us was Sector Control on Harra Dunes. Set in a small, shady village deep within a desert valley, Harra Dunes had me thinking of a few Counter-Strike maps like de_dust. While not not at all a rip-off, I suppose the setting alone was enough to remind me of such maps. Harra Dunes, in particular, featured a triangular set-up when it came to the different flag positions in Sector Control. It also featured a market/bazaar area near the center of the map, which provided tons of cover, while more rocky, elevated positions could be accessed near the edges of the map. Not a lot of fighting took place near the center of the map as, frankly, it was a dangerous place to be. Many of us ended up traversing the outskirts as flanking routes.

MoH Harra Dunes Large — Medal of Honor: Warfighter Multiplayer Map Harra Dunes (Click for Larger Size).

As you can see in the image above (click for larger size), the power of Frostbite 2’s lighting and landscape builder really came into effect here. The large, daunting cliffs were quite impressive in size as the sun’s rays trickled over its edges and onto the battlefield.

As for the gameplay, expect the look and feel of Battlefield, but the map design and match flow of Call of Duty. Personally, I felt Danger Close melded the two styles rather successfully and I think there’s plenty to like for both audiences.

While I found the gameplay enjoyable, there’s still much to be revealed when it comes to unlocks, weapon customization and ranking system. Hopefully, we’ll get a better look at these features in the coming weeks leading up to Medal of Honor: Warfighter’s release.

If I may, I’d like to quickly mention my single player experience with Medal of Honor: Warfighter. As many may already know, Danger Close crafted a rather spectacular single player campaign in 2010’s Medal of Honor, providing some intense story telling along with an authentic look at the life and hardships of a Tier 1 operator. Though the bar is set high, Medal of Honor: Warfighter promises to take these elements to another level.

[youtube id=”j6o3EvvFdak” width=”600″ height=”350″]

Inspired by actual events, Task Force Mako infiltrates an Abu Sayyaf terrorist stronghold set in a flooded Isabela City, Philippines. The stage is set via an in-game cutscene: Preacher and Mother desperately gather intel in a sticky situation where hostages are being held captive. Once again, the Frostbite 2 engine showcases some extremely life-like facial animations between conversing characters. While it may seem a minor technical feature, it adds ten-fold to the believability of the story telling. After the terrorists disperse due to pre-mature sniper fire, things are finally kicked into motion and it’s up to you to get to the hostages before its too late.

You play as Preacher as you push your way through enemy forces utilizing an assault rifle equipped with a dual-sight (ACOG and iron sight). The AI is what you’ve come to expect. Enemies take cover while chipping away at yours, lob grenades and fire deadly RPGs your direction. Luckily, if things get a bit hectic, sliding to cover and popping off shots using the peak and lean mechanic can really save your neck. So can the handy call-outs that come from your brothers in arms. Upon landing your first headshot, you’ll be greeted by a familiar notification – a satisfying moment. As in 2010, the HUD is kept squeaky clean and disappears when not needed, ammo can once again be replenished by simply requesting some from your teammates and getting shot at makes your character flinch in a startling but realistic manner.

The demo came to an explosive close as perspectives switched to that of a supporting helicopter gunner above – a scene which has become all too familiar to most gamers by now. Personally, I felt it didn’t quite fit the more tactical gameplay I experienced moments before. But again, being inspired by true events, this sequence was possibly included as a means to stay true to what might have actually taken place.

In true Frostbite fashion, explosions look and sound great while weather and lighting effects provide an immersive experience similar to what you’d find in Battlefield 3. In this particular play session, we were set up on the Xbox 360, surprisingly, which held up quite nicely and was a real treat to look at, despite not being able to match the graphical capacity of the PC.

You can catch a full play through of this very mission right here.

Back to multiplayer! Considering we know so far, what class and game mode are you most looking forward to trying out in Warfighter? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow MP1st on Twitter and Facebook for your Medal of Honor fix!

Tags: Featured Harra Dunes Medal of Honor PC Preview PS3 Warfighter Xbox 360

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Incoming Mass Effect 3 N7 Bounty Weekend and New Multiplayer Telemetry Data Revealed

by David Veselka

12:36 pm in News

Operation: Patriot begins September 21 for those still enjoying Mass Effect 3’s multiplayer and carries on throughout the weekend until September 23.

“Cerberus continues to put pressure on our troops, hindering our fight against the Reapers. Our allies have committed their top military units to target Cerberus’ most valuable assets: their Atlas Mechs,” writes the BioWare Blog.

Squad Goal: Extraction on any difficulty with all squad members as the same non-human race. Requires 2 or more players in squad.

Allied Goal: Kill 600,000 Atlas Mechs on any map at any difficulty.

Special Circumstances: Escort Drones travel speed reduced.

Squad Goal Success: All squad members awarded a Commendation Pack.
Allied Goal Success: All players awarded a Victory Pack.

BioWare also announces a brand new, unlockable assault rifle being added to the multiplayer arsenal, previously only available in the single player: The Argus Assault Rifle.

The Argus is a high-powered rifle favored by senior C-sec officers. An excellent close-range weapon, its bursts of fire ensure ammunition conservation during lengthy conflicts. Other law-enforcement agencies across the galaxy are adopting the Argus as their standard rifle, as much for its intimidation factor as its suppression power.

As a special treat, BioWare has also updated the latest multiplayer telemetry data and presented it in this neat diagram below. Check it out (click for a larger image) and tell us, are you still enjoying Mass Effect 3’s multiplayer and looking forward to even more DLC and community events?

Tags: Bioware Featured Mass Effect 3 N7 Bounty Weekend PC PS3 Xbox 360

David Veselka

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Home > News

Upcoming Battlefield 3 Server Update Aimed at “Re-Balancing the Gunship.”

by David Veselka

10:26 am in News

As of tomorrow, September 20, Battlefield 3 players can expect a few changes making their way to the much talked about AC130 gunship included in the brand new Armored Kill expansion pack.

Through an upcoming server update taking place at 8:00 UTC tomorrow, August 20 (at which point players can expect a downtime of 15 minutes), DICE will be pushing out some tweaks that are “directly based on community feedback from the past two weeks, aimed at re-balancing the gunship.”

Check out the upcoming tweaks below as seen on the Battlelog.

Gunship balancing in server update R31 on September 20th (all formats)

Stationary and mobile AA cannon damage has been reduced by 30% versus the gunship.
Rationale: This fixes an issue where it was too easy for players to use stationary or mobile AA to shoot down the gunship from the other side of the map.

Jet cannon damage has been reduced by 50% versus the gunship.
Rationale: In Conquest mode, jets have been able to single-strafe a gunship and destroy it. This re-balance will require more skill from pilots to take it down.

The delay before moving the gunship forward to a new base in Rush mode has been increased from 15 to 30 seconds.
Rationale: Previously, the gunship was moved to the next base so quickly that it was possible to parachute from it into the base before defenders were able to prepare. This tweak will give defenders time to fall back and protect the valuable M-COM stations as intended.

The Delay between gunship spawns has been increased from 90 to 120 seconds in Rush mode.
Rationale: After destroying the gunship in Rush mode, it reappeared too quickly to be well-balanced. With a 50% increase in spawn time for the gunship, defenders will now have more time to focus on the crates and less of a constant overhanging threat from the gunship.

Initial delay before the gunship spawns in Rush mode has been increased from 15 to 60 seconds.
Rationale: Before this update, the gunship gunners could find the enemy before the round and instakill them when the pre-round timer ran out. Now, it will take a full minute before the gunship will spawn, giving defenders ample time to prepare.

Other changes in the server update

Fixed a bug where a new squad leader wasn’t chosen when the current squad leader left.

Fixed so that MK1A3 uses flechette rounds instead of frag rounds in Gun Master mode for Premium members (non-Premiums already have flechette rounds).

Fixed a bug with Squad Rush on Sharqi Peninsula where the user was spawned outside the combat area if they deployed shortly after the first M-COM was destroyed.

Tags: AC130 Armored Kill Battlefield 3 Featured PC PS3 Xbox 360

David Veselka

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Home > News

[Updated] Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Zombies Video Teaser 2

by David Veselka

September 18, 2012 9:21 pm in News

A Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Zombies reveal is getting closer.

Earlier today, we got our first video teaser of a strange image and some even stranger noises.

Tonight, we are treated (more like teased) with another clip that might startle you if your speakers are set on high. You’ve been warned.

[youtube id=”80NzyLt4AK0″ width=”600″ height=”350″]

Be sure to leave your thoughts and speculations in the comments below!

Update

Treyarch has released a brand new image to compliment the video teaser above with the following words of warning:

The calm has ended – they are beginning to return.

Black Ops 2 Zombies — Car headlights, or giant zombie eyes?

Tags: Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Featured PC PS3 Xbox 360 Zombies

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > Title Updates and Patches

Latest Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Title Update Notes For PS3, Xbox 360 and PC

by David Veselka

2:49 pm in Title Updates and Patches

The latest Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 updates are live for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC and we’re here to tell you what’s been fixed, tweaked and simply made even more awesome.

Xbox 360 Title Update 22

DLC search popup disabled when searching with DLC off

Fix for players inability to access Chaos mode when not signed in (Xbox specific)

CMR mod fix (18p Face Off)

Fix for black screen on load when all DLC content is owned

PS3 Title Update 21

DLC search popup, disabled when searching with DLC off

CMR Mod fix (18p Face Off)

Increasing content slot limit to 31

(Issue on Xbox that caused a black screen if all content packs were owned)

PC 9/10 Update

Fix for Survival Chaos dvar mods

All notes from the official MW3 Forums.

Remember, Modern Warfare 3 Collection 4 is on its way for all PS3 and PC players next month. Read here to learn more!

Tags: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Featured Patch Notes PS3 Title update

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Zombies Are Coming, New Teaser Video

by David Veselka

9:37 am in News

“Power, power, power, power! It’s always the first priority.” – Edward Richtofen

This is what Treyarch recently teased via their Twitter and Facebook pages. Not only that, but we also get this cryptic video of an old TV, an image of burning rubble with something in the background (?) and some scary music.

What do you think it could be?

[youtube id=”EoJmYnZtqWI” width=”600″ height=”350″]

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Hopefully, this signifies that we are getting even closer to a full Black Ops 2 Zombies reveal!

You can also follow Treyarch on their Facebook page as they walk through each classic Zombies location one map at a time starting today.

Thanks, Mitchell!

Tags: Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Featured PC PS3 Xbox 360 Zombies

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Modern Warfare 3 Collection 4 Dated for PS3 and PC, Incoming PS3 Elite Premium Content Drops

by David Veselka

September 17, 2012 5:04 pm in News

Infinity Ward has got some important dates to note for PlayStation 3 and PC Modern Warfare 3 players itching for some new content.

October 9, PS3 Elite Premium members can look forward to batch of new content drops including three multiplayer maps:

Gulch

Boardwalk

Parish

A day later, October 10, all PS3 and PC Modern Warfare 3 players will have the chance to download Collection 4: Final Assault which includes all five latest multiplayer maps:

Decommission

Off Shore

Guch

Boardwalk

Parish

That’s the latest from Infinity Ward, and sadly, what could be the last bits of content Modern Warfare 3.

Be sure to check out our Modern Warfare 3 Collection 4: Final Assault review right here!

Tags: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Collection 4 Featured PC PS3

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Gears of War 3 – Special Anniversary Weekend Event Details

by Shawn Kegarise

4:11 pm in News

This weekend is a special one for the Gears of War franchise. To celebrate the release of Gears of War 3 exactly a year ago, Epic has decided to throw a party. A special guest will make a return and you’ll also get to play with a special anniversary edition weapon skin!

One of the most popular playlists is making a return this weekend, ‘Brothers To The End’. BTTE pits two teams against each other in a 2 vs 2 Team Deathmatch styled match. So grab one of your friends and hop into the action!

For the Horde 2.0 fans out there, Epic hasn’t forgotten about you either. The Creepy Crawlie Horde Event is for this weekend only. The normal lineup in Horde has been replaced by a contingent of the creepiest crawlies the Locust have to offer. This includes Tickers, Corpsers, Wretches, Bloodmounts, Serapedes and Reavers. Looks like you’ll have your hands full accomplishing your Horde goals this weekend.

Oh yeah, can’t forget that Epic is flipping on the TRIPLE XP switch!

To sweeten the Anniversary Event even further, Epic has decided to bring back an old character for use. The Thrashball Locust character will be making it’s long awaited return for use in this weekends event. The event ribbon for this event was first earned the weekend of January 26th, so if you didn’t receive it then, be sure to get on this weekend and earn it!

Thanks to Epic for the details. Any Gears fans out there planning on hopping on and enjoying this special event? Let us know in the comments below!

Tags: Featured Gears of War 3 Xbox 360

Shawn Kegarise

Hailing from beautiful Pittsburgh PA, Shawn has spent most of his 25 years playing video games. The original Killzone on PlayStation 2 captured his love for competitive multiplayer experiences and has thrived on that ever since. Now I live, breathe and eat multiplayer madness with the guys and gals of Lucky Strike. Subscriber

Home > News

Microsoft Renews Killer Instinct Trademark

by David Veselka

2:39 pm in News

The folks over at XBLA have recently dropped some pretty heavy news for fighter fans.

It seems that the Killer Instinct franchise is not dead after all. Play XBLA reports, “We have either renewed or refiled a trademark application in various jurisdictions.”

The original Killer Instinct saw its inception on arcade in 1994, later released on SNES and Game Boy in 1995. A year later, developers Rare unleashed a sequel, Killer Instinct 2, which eventually its way to the Nintendo 64 in the form of Killer Instinct Gold in November of 1996.

While simply renewing a trademark doesn’t actually indicate that any developmental action is being taken, hopefully we’ll hear more news of a Killer Instinct remake, sequel or reboot making its way to XBLA soon.

Any Killer Instinct fans out there excited about this “killer” news? Let us know in the comments below!

Tags: Featured Killer Instinct Microsoft XBLA

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > Videos

Only In Battlefield 3 Video Contest – DICE Picks Their Top 10 Favorites

by David Veselka

1:24 pm in Videos

Battlefield 3 developers DICE (Digital Illusion CE) have, at last, narrowed down the number of video entries in their Only in Battlefield 3 contest to the top 10 picks.

To learn more about the contest, including what prizes are being offered this time around, read here.

All that’s left at this point is for the top three winners to be chosen. We’re getting close!

Kick your feet up and check out the top 10 picks below, in no particular order, including descriptions by DICE. Make sure to let us know which one was your favorite in the comments below!

THE EXPERIENCE 2

Submitted by: irontjunfisk

[youtube id=”o7X9ssBNGx0″ width=”600″ height=”350″]

Who doesn’t remember user irontjunfisk’s beautiful stunt jet flying from the last challenge? This time, he’s back with even more daring stunts and even more gorgeous camera work. We can’t stop watching this one.

SKYKILL

Submitted by: CaptMytre

[youtube id=”WiK96JG32ME” width=”600″ height=”350″]

Created as a direct challenge to last year’s winner, Stungravy’s RendeZook, Skykill features a number of skilled air moves – including guiding TV missiles, firing unguided RPG’s at passing aircraft, and an uncanny ability to ram ejected enemy pilots.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

Submitted by: LeZevo

[youtube id=”mwcMzE9eSS4″ width=”600″ height=”350″]

Showcasing the true meaning of a “Battlefield Moment”, this is what happens when a helicopter flies too close to the ground. At least if user LeZevo is standing there with C4 equipped.

ONLY IN BATTLEFIELD 3: SPOTLIGHT OF THE FLANKER

Submitted by: UZIboy420

[youtube id=”1_SKvra14xM” width=”600″ height=”350″]

Here’s one of those cinematic works of art that has you going “How does he DO that?”. If you have any love for the jets in Battlefield 3, bets are you’ll want to watch this beauty over and over again.

ONLY IN BATTLEFIELD 3: JACKFRAGS

Submitted by: jackfrags

[youtube id=”EY0zmsEsBAM” width=”600″ height=”350″]

The modest title “JackFrags” hides one of the most professionally edited videos we have ever received from a fan. Everything from tempo to scene selection, transitions, and use of audio is spot on. This is as close to a DICE produced in-game trailer you can get without actually working at DICE.

LUCKIEST KILL EVER

Submitted by: SG3089

[youtube id=”n5MGMzHgOEo” width=”600″ height=”350″]

You’ll have to be quick to see it. But when you see it, you won’t believe your eyes. It’s just one of those crazy “Battlefield Moments” that has you stare at the screen and shake your head in disbelief.

CRAZY COPTER

Submitted by: Frenchswat

[youtube id=”QQns3EZE5Lo” width=”600″ height=”350″]

Combine crazy flying skills with a daredevil attitude and a panache for flying your helicopter indoors and what do you get? You get “Crazy Copter” from magic heli pilot Frenchswat!

OPERATION 925

Submitted by: buzzikea

[youtube id=”km0aui5wei0″ width=”600″ height=”350″]

Perfectly capturing the essence of Close Quarters, this high octane montage from office level Operation 925 has us re-falling in love with Close Quarters (no offense, Armored Kill!).

OPERATION TEAMPLAY

Submitted by: MongolFPS

[youtube id=”o7bLHIUmrOQ” width=”600″ height=”350″]

There is too much awesome team work in this video to make it justice in text form. Two helicopter buddies jump in and out of the chopper at need, knowing their buddy will safely pick them up afterwards. Just another day in Battlefield 3 for true team players.

JACK OF ALL TRADES

Submitted by: Newelementgaming1

[youtube id=”QE9hX9XbTBo” width=”600″ height=”350″]

Some people do C4 runs. Some do longshot sniping. Some do great strafing runs in jets. And some – like user Newelementgaming1 – do everything, and look good doing it.

Tags: Battlefield 3 Featured Only in Battlefield 3 PC PS3 Xbox 360

David Veselka

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Home > News

Celebrate the Launch of Borderlands 2 With a Brand New Trailer

by Joel Santana

1:00 pm in News

2K Games and Gearbox have released a brand new launch trailer for their upcoming FPS RPG Borderlands 2.

In this amazing trailer, we get a glimpse of the new vault hunters of Borderlands 2 taking it to Handsome Jack’s henchmen with the help of a very familiar cast.

[youtube id=”ERe3wZdIAtc” width=”600″ height=”350″]

For more amazing Borderlands 2 media, feel free to check out this article where we cover the size and scale of all the foes found in Pandora.

Borderlands 2 is set to release tomorrow, September 18th in North America and Internationally on September 21st and will be available for the PC, PS3 and Xbox360 platforms. It will also be available for purchase digitally on day one for PSN subscribers.

Tags: Borderlands 2 Featured PC PS3 Trailer Xbox 360

Joel Santana

Gamer for the past 20 years who loves anything ranging from RPGs, Fighters and of course FPS games. Author

Home > News

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 – Weapon Levels and Unlocks to Carry Over As You Prestige

by David Veselka

September 16, 2012 1:26 pm in News

Treyarch game design director reveals that weapon levels and unlocks in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 will carry over as you prestige.

David Vonderhaar is constantly questioning long-held assumptions about Call of Duty. On Twitter, he said,

Just got this bug from QA. ‘Weapon levels are given after unlocking a gun that was leveled up on a past level progression.’ That’s what we call NAB. Not a bug. If you Prestige and unlock the gun, you’ll pick up right where you left off. If something has been a certain way a long time, the assumption when it doesn’t work the way it has in the past is that it is a bug.

Definitely something new for the Call of Duty series. However, this doesn’t come as too much of a surprise given the completely overhauled create-a-class system, which you can read more about here. This, and many other new features making their way to Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 this November 13.

What do you think about this fresh new change for the Call of Duty series? Let us know in the comments below!

Tags: Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Featured PC PS3 Wii U Xbox 360

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Rumor – Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Multiplayer Map List

by David Veselka

1:08 pm in News

Check out this unconfirmed list of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 multiplayer maps.

Over on the se7ensins forums, one user allegedly got a hold of this list of multiplayer maps and brief descriptions through the Black Ops 2 beta.

Of course, we can’t confirm these, but we can still take a look nonetheless. You’ll see previously announced maps Cargo, Aftermath, Turbine and Socotra (originally known as “Yemen”), though no mention of Nuketwon 2025. Of course, that is a pre-order item, after all, and would likely not have shown up in any beta.

Check them out and let us know what you think!

Carrier

“Chinese Supercarrier. Open engagements on the deck, with great close quarter fights through the hull.”

Cargo

“Port of Singapore. Good for close quarters engagements and verticality.”

Drone

“Hidden drone facility in the heart of the Mynamar jungles. Great long engagements down the center, fun close quarter fights through the facility.”

Express

“Los Angeles bullet train station. Good long to medium engagements up and down the bullet train tracks.”

Hijacked

“Luxurious super yacht. Frantic, yet controlled close quarters engagements.

Aftermath

“Set in a ruined downtown Los Angeles after an invasion.”

Meltdown

“Pakistan nuclear power plant. Battle for control of the nuclear cooling tower and the surrounding facilities.”

Nightclub

“Floating resort in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Tight corners and angles throughout.”

Overflow

“Peshawar, Pakistan. Great urban engagements in the flooded streets.”

Raid

“Fight through this hillside mansion, in the Hollywood Hills. Hectic close quarters engagements.”

Slums

“Run down section of Panama. Great close quarters engagements and tough chokes to fight over.”

Socotra

Update: Originally “Yemen” as seen in the Black Ops 2 Gamescom live streams.

“Urban streets of Yemen. Tight alleys and close quarters engagements.”

Turbine

“Wind farm in the steep hills of Yemen. Fight across the different tiers and angles.”

Village

“Border town between China and Kyrgyzstan. Classic engagements and destinations to fight over.”

Via, iplaycod.

Tags: Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Featured PC PS3 Wii U Xbox 360

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > Features

Play The Objective!

by BOSS JEDIZOHAN

September 15, 2012 12:20 pm in Features

Before we get into the meat and potatoes of what I have to say, I want to make two things clear. Firstly, I am not the greatest player of all time, I am simply above average. Secondly, I am not accusing anyone of sucking at FPS games, period. I am simply making an observation of the fact that most players online are average to mediocre at most games. You will find this is true of most things in life. Not everyone can be above average or great at anything. That said, lets do this.

[youtube id=”vGbwmVf8EyY” width=”600″ height=”350″]

I play A LOT of online games. I play so much in fact, that I run a YouTube channel about games and write about games for MP1st (duh). My enjoyment and appreciation for online games cannot be contained by simply playing them, I have to talk about them, I have to share my games online, and I want other people to join me in discussing them. So when something about online games frustrates me to the point that I want to not play, I think it’s worth talking about.

Playing the objective is a big deal to me. It’s how you win the game. It’s what the game was designed for. So when I see people not playing or even wholly ignoring the OBJ in team-based games, it drives me insane. Why? Why does it matter how other people play the game so long as I’m doing what I want to do? Well, I want to win. Additionally, I don’t want to constantly have to carry my entire team on my shoulders as they argue about what corner to sit in. At first, it makes you feel important, but over time it just gets annoying. If my teammates put half the effort I do into playing the OBJ, I’d be happy and win a lot more games. But they don’t.

Aside from the obvious “it’s what you’re supposed to do” thing, what annoys me about people ignoring the OBJ is that they’re doing it to avoid deaths. Look, I get it, dying sucks. Nobody wants to get killed in an FPS game and that happens a lot more frequently near the OBJ. So it makes sense that people looking to stay alive would avoid the OBJ. But staying alive isn’t the point of Rush in BF3. On top of that, most people’s stats (across all FPS MP games) are relatively mediocre. 75% of the players I run into finish games with roughly 0.90 K/Ds. So what’s the point of preserving mediocre stats? Is the baseline of optimal performance a 1.00 K/D these days? If so, since when?

The fact is, people are built to be slightly selfish (survival instinct) and unless you’re playing with your friends and they want to win games, you are going to be playing mostly with people that avoid playing the OBJ. The reason is simply why should I care how well someone I don’t know does? That’s why mic-only servers in BF3 tend to be more competitive. Having to communicate makes people care more about their teammates. In fact, if I yell enough, typically I can get some people to actually cover me when I go in for a plant or defuse. But the fact is it shouldn’t require yelling or servers where the admins kick people out for not communicating enough. It should be assumed that the OBJ is there to be played and everyone should, by default, attempt to play it.

The point here is that the next time you hop online to play some BF3 or CoD, keep in mind how hard it is for players like me to do well and win games because you don’t want to play the OBJ. Worry less about your individual performance and consider your team’s performance overall. Think about how much easier it would be to win games if a minority of players weren’t doing all the dangerous work. Think about how much more competitive games would be if everyone were fighting over the B flag, instead of just letting the enemy team have it. Games would be more fast paced and less boring. Stats would more accurately reflect the quality of the player behind them. And overall, I think the online gaming experience would be much more enjoyable.

That’s why I picked the gameplay for the video above. Even though we lost by 1 point, that game was fun because everyone was giving their all and playing the OBJ. Nobody was camping, nobody was baiting with tags, everyone was looking to win. Best of all, we didn’t lose because of some crappy players, we lost because the other team was better. That’s a lot less frustrating than losing because the other 5 people on your team went 3 and 20.

Anyway, leave your thoughts below. Please keep in mind that I’m not “smack-talking” anyone here. I’m trying to work out a solution to a problem that affects everyone in the FPS/online gaming community. Just remember to PTFO!

Thank you for reading.

Tags: Battlefield 3 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Featured PC PS3 PTFO Xbox 360

BOSS JEDIZOHAN

Home > News

MP Talk – The Official MP1st Podcast, Episode 3

by David Veselka

September 14, 2012 9:25 pm in News

We’re back with episode 3 of MP Talk, the official MP1st Podcast!

Since we missed out on last week, we’ve got tons of awesome multiplayer gaming content to cover from Halo 4 to Gears of War: Judgment and Medal of Honor: Warfighter to Battlefield 3: Armored Kill, as well as some Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 on the Wii U.

As always leave your thoughts, impressions, questions, answers and feedback in the comments below. We love hearing from you guys.

Additionally, we’d like to announce that you can easily download our podcast using the link at the bottom of this page straight from MP1st. Even better, we will soon be on iTunes. We’ll make sure to let you know as soon as that happens.

Happy listening!

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber