FORUMS_

I know we have one more day of Gamescom footage to come, but I think we've seen pretty much everything they are going to show us at this point. I have to say I was pleased to finally get some real information about the MP aspect of Black Ops II and see the game in action. I think it was quite obvious that the feature they chose to spotlight this year was the CodCasting and League Play elements as well as their focus on ESports. While not particularly interested in eSports myself, I found the new additions to be well thought out and interesting. I doubt I will be using them much myself, but another example of Treyarch thinking outside the box and doing what they can to innovate and be leaders in the FPS realm.

I think what excites me the most is that we have already seen drastic changes in the CoD formula for this game, but without losing that CoD feel that makes us such big fans. The game still plays at 60 FPS which makes a huge difference when put up against the competition. The human eye sees at 60 FPS, so you get a smooth experience. Try playing another FPS and then jump immediately over to CoD. You will be blown away by how much faster and smoother CoD feels. I can see significant changes in the lighting effects, the few maps they have shown us look brighter and more colorful. We've seen a ton of new innovations already, but what I love is that I am sure there are plenty of things we didn't get to see yet, which means we will be in for some good surprises upon release.

One thing that concerns me is the negativity I've seen on this forum in particular. We as a community have been begging for change for years, and when a developer offers it to us, there are outcries of wanting it to stay the same as it has always been. One of my favorite things about CoD being released every year is the new features, new weapons, and new game mechanics. I enjoy the challenge of the learning curve, figuring out what my niche is in the game, figuring out how I need to play each map. I tend to alternate between strategies, going from run and gunning to careful, tactical play, to even having a more patient, "campy" style depending on the map design and the needs of my team. I enjoy using different setups, experimenting with new things, and chasing down challenges.

First of all, to all players, nobody is trying to take away your style of play. In fact, I am of the opinion that they've given us more tools than ever to be able to craft classes that meet our needs, whatever they may be. It looks like this game won't be spoon-feeding us, we're going to have to make tough decisions frequently to decide what we want to unlock for our classes and what items we may need to live without. There isn't a player in the game who will be able to have everything unlocked all at once, adding to the diversity we'll see in classes. Will you have to adjust? Definitely. Thats part of anything you do. Adapt or be left behind. But video games, in addition to being fun, are meant to challenge us. They're meant to promote competition and provide an experience for all different kinds of gamers. You will still be able to play the game how you want to, and all types of players will be able to have success, you just may have to think a bit more outside the box and experiment more than you've had to in the past. Change is good. Change is exciting.

Remember, this game is still in Alpha. We haven't seen all that it has to offer, and they are not likely to give us all the information we crave before its time. CoD became a lot more fun for me when I learned to let go and just enjoy myself. I am competitive and still rage from time to time, but in the end its all for fun.  Keep discussing the various facets of the game, keep speculating on aspects we aren't clear about yet, but stay away from vast, sweeping statements like "This game is going to suck because" or "This <insert overused term for an aspect of the game> is going to ruin the game because". It always astounds me that people are so determined to make this a miserable experience for other people, when its intended for all players to have fun, even if they happen to enjoy playing different modes, employ different tactics, or prefer different weapons than you do.

Constructive, not negative. Don't ruin the experience for others. Thanks for reading all, and happy gaming!