Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 - Ultimate Wishlist

With the May 1st €˜World Reveal€™ looming dangerously close, it becomes ever more difficult to contemplate the changes and additions to one of our generations biggest media franchises. Alas, I have before you a fabled and fantasized super list of all manor of exciting possibilities - including some slightly less obvious features than others. Now, I would first like to start by saying this list is not set out with the primary objective of being an accurate representation of what we will see revealed later today. Whilst there are plenty or articles out there designed specifically to help you place your bets, and prove the YouTubers and Gaming WikiLeaks out there, right and wrong... this list should be a safe haven where all manor of ideas and hopes can be collected and shared. It€™s a nice idea anyway. First off, I shall start to feed you with some of my own hopes for this franchise, a lot of which are very personal to me, but essentially reflect where I believe this franchise is being directed by you. The community. Now, with all of the recent stories surrounding the new rabbit holes and treasure hunts coming directly from Call of Duty€™s own website, the inspiration for my most prominent talking points will seem slightly mundane. As it stands, when I ask someone what they think of Elite, Call Of Duty€™s unified stat recording feature, the response is generally related to the bugginess of the systems interface, and the user experience as it is delivered to us now. And whilst I agree with most of these statement, I cannot escape the thoughts of my own ambitious plans for the service. Looking forward, the information recorded and collected by the system could prove to be invaluable in creating the all new, innovative experience we have all been screaming for. I would like to see this information be used in a slightly more prominent manor. Yes it's all well and good to offer a service that improves the background of the game, and fills the intrigue of the hardcore gamer's pursuit to self obsess.. But why can't the information be used on the very face of the game. Since Call Of Duty 4, (and many of you will argue it was before that) the games thus far have been multiplayer Goliath's. Not only does the game sell well initially, but it is then still played.. day in and day out by of thousands of Gamers. These players come to a multiplayer universe, derived from the war stricken environments gifted to us from the comparably minuscule hours of gameplay within the campaign. To me, the campaign has one major feature over the multiplayer. Detached from the specifics of a single player story line.. the campaign has a beginning, a middle, and an end. It has growth, it€™s a journey. It doesn't matter who started the war, or who ended it but we were all there for the journey. Personally, I would see our multiplayer adventure go beyond our ever improving Kill Death Ratios, and Prestige emblems. I would see our environment reflect our victories, and defeats. I would see the multiplayer aspect of this game, become an immersive experience rivaled by none. If it were up to me when we log on to our new multiplayer universe this fall, every map will be clean, brand new, virgin to the likes of RPG fire, and suppressive battering. We're going to be here all year, and there will be plenty of destruction in our wake... Primarily using Elites €˜Heat Map€™ recording feature, I would see our battlefield reflect the ever changing nature of the player. When was it decided that one side of the map had to have the advantage all year round? When we accept that the design of the maps are created in such a manor to resemble a war zone, either in the middle or aftermath of a war, we will in turn accept that all of the maps are detached from our immersion. If the stats say that one side of the map favors the victor or the attacker, you may find that in a month or two, a wall will be blown up or a helicopter crashed, forever changing the way the map is played. Weather it€™s knocking down walls, or breaking down doors. Force us to change the way we play. And speaking of the way we play, I do more than just think and day dream about elaborate changes - I actually play the game. And with play, comes happiness, excitement, and most importantly Rage. I love to hate this game. My problem with this is exactly that. The way we play this game. With a few million different and unique players there is bound to be differences between the types of players, and styles. With that in mind, I have before you a slightly different account of annoyances, and changes I would like to see today. I feel very passionately about this game, and my above rant on the focus on multiplayer immersion, but I€™m not going to sit here and speak poetically about some of this stuff, because frankly it just doesn€™t deserve it.

The Simple Stuff

Clans With Modern Warfare 3 bringing with it a sister product designed to help us connect and compete, I think it would be ludicrous not to include a simple clan matchmaking option. When you happen to be in a lobby with 5 of your clan buddies, all dressed to impress with your custom logo and clan tag.. why is it that you then have to split up into separate lobbies to do well in Clan Operations. Leveling up your clan should be simple. Clan Vs. Clan. Restricted matchmaking options so that you only go up against other unique clans. Knifing I€™m probably going to get flamed for even mentioning a fault with the knifing system but here goes. If i€™m holding my gun, aiming at someone€™s face. Why is it faster to put my gun away and stab someone than it is to pull the trigger on said gun. Personally, i think knifing should only be allowed with one handed weapons as a Tactical Knife, or an equipment (double tap etc) Game Modes I don€™t like that game modes seem so prudish when it comes to restricting perks / items etc. After jumping on BlackOps for the first time in a few months, I came across a custom playlist called €˜Express€™. With the addition of shorter lobby timers, the playlist limits perks like Ghost, and Last Stand (don€™t start) to enhance the game mode towards a specific type of gameplay. It€™s a perfect ideal that I would see expanded and refined. Example: Hardcore S&D should not have explosive weapons.. PERIOD. There are many other examples where this would work but you get the idea. Designing game modes with particular play styles in mind. Sniping Again, this is something I€™m probably going to take some heat for but it needs to be discussed. I€™m fairly certain this game has a unique balance on realism, and playability. It€™s not designed to be a real to life FPS Simulator, but there are many aspects that just need to stay in the physical world. Having only fired one gun in my life, I have little to no experience in firearms, but in saying that - I€™m pretty sure there has never been a case where a military spec sniper rifle has had a bullet leave the gun at a 45° angle. balancing €˜Quick Scoping€™ and sniper gameplay is difficult, I know.. But there has to be some realism. Sniper rifles are long weapons, they should take some time to aim, but once they€™re aimed.. the kill the things they aim at. These maps aren€™t over the span of miles or even hundreds of yards, so balancing this shouldn€™t be impossible. Long story short, slow ADS times, but little to no sway would be my suggestions. With these balances, the guns can get more powerful in return, eliminating the hit marker with a .50 cal. Now I€™ve barely begun to touch the surface on my own list of changes and proposed features, but if you€™ll have me, I€™d be happy to talk to you guys about that further. Obviously we are in for a huge influx of information this evening, and I wouldn€™t want to overshadow what Treyarch have prepared. Maybe it will be innovative, maybe it will be amazing but you can be sure that we will discuss it all here. And now I leave you with a question.. A source of inspiration for your commenting fury to engage with..Try to think out of the box on this one.Regardless of what is possible, or what you think is expected - What is the number one €˜game changer€™ you would see announced this evening?