Call of Duty: Black Ops II

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IGN

When David Vonderhaar discusses Call of Duty: Black Ops II multiplayer, it’s like listening to an intelligent, articulate critique of the franchise’s unwillingness to change. As Game Design Director, Vonderhaar is the idea man. He’s a well-spoken developer who’s proud of his team and title. When he tells me about the new direction for Black Ops II multiplayer, he’s confident and excited. But each time he tells me about a new concept, he qualifies it by saying, “I can’t believe I didn’t think of this sooner.” Vonderhaar is hard on himself, and it’s hardly surprising. His smart and simple changes seem so obvious the moment you see them that you’ll wonder what took so long to implement them.

With Black Ops II pushing its setting a decade into the future, it makes sense that Treyarch is, finally and in multiple ways, modernizing Call of Duty. The overhauled user-interface makes Modern Warfare 3 look and feel like a relic of gaming’s past. The newfound depth of character customization caters to and empowers different kinds of Call of Duty players. Most importantly, the retooled reward system will alter the way millions of people play the biggest first-person shooter in existence.

Before you step onto the battlefield to capture flags or dominate control points, you’ll want to spend some quality time getting to know the new loadout system. The user interface is cleaner, making it easier to take in information -- attachments are all laid out side by side, while guns rotate on a carousel menu. Vonderhaar doesn’t want players wasting time diving into and pulling back out of unnecessary menus. The elegance is necessary. Without it, managing the new customization system would be disastrous. Instead, it enables new ways of building custom classes.

The internal nickname for Treyarch’s customization system is “Pick 10,” since, well, that’s what you do. In the past, you had to take items into battle “whether you cared for them or didn’t care for them,” Vonderhaar says, “whether you used them or didn’t.” Each of your class loadouts in Black Ops II has a maximum of 10 slots you can fill however you please. If you don’t use secondary firearms, simply remove it from your set and replace it with a perk, grenade, or attachment. In addition to this, Vonderhaar throws players a potential curveball: you can sacrifice a perk or tactical item for a Wild Card, providing further options.

These could have huge ramifications on multiplayer.

With these, you can double the amount of frag grenades you spawn with, add a second primary weapon to your loadout, or take additional perks. You may have to opt against taking a scope or a pistol, but Treyarch makes each strategic decision worth your while. You can even skip guns altogether, equip three perk-centric Wild Cards, and go into each match with six perks -- just try to steal a weapon as fast as possible, yeah?
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“What makes the Wild Cards special is they allow you to break the rules of the traditional system,” says Vonderhaar. This is handled within reason -- you can't stack Wild Cards to carry just grenades into battle, for instance. Each slot variant has limited restrictions, but they allow an additional kind of flexibility.

If you’re first instinct says this sounds an awful lot like a table-top game, you’re not wrong. Vonderhaar and Treyarch built board games to get a grip on how the loadout system would function, what the possibilities were, and to ultimately define their new open-ended philosophy. All of this happened “before writing a single line of code” for Black Ops II, Vonderhaar explains. This helped the developer destroy and rebuild the rigid class customization of previous entries, while identifying issues that needed solving.

David Vonderhaar “will never, ever design video games again without going through this process.”

Pick 10 truly allows you to play to your personal style. It lets you focus on what works and reject what doesn’t. In turn, you’ll become a better, more capable competitor. The results of your decisions come to life, of course, on the battlefield. Experimenting with loadout styles felt like experimenting with a collectible card game deck or trying on an outfit -- you sample what you have, see how it suits you, and adapt accordingly.

New loadouts, new interface, new play style.
by Mitch Dyer
August 13, 2012

When David Vonderhaar discusses Call of Duty: Black Ops II multiplayer, it’s like listening to an intelligent, articulate critique of the franchise’s unwillingness to change. As Game Design Director, Vonderhaar is the idea man. He’s a well-spoken developer who’s proud of his team and title. When he tells me about the new direction for Black Ops II multiplayer, he’s confident and excited. But each time he tells me about a new concept, he qualifies it by saying, “I can’t believe I didn’t think of this sooner.” Vonderhaar is hard on himself, and it’s hardly surprising. His smart and simple changes seem so obvious the moment you see them that you’ll wonder what took so long to implement them.

With Black Ops II pushing its setting a decade into the future, it makes sense that Treyarch is, finally and in multiple ways, modernizing Call of Duty. The overhauled user-interface makes Modern Warfare 3 look and feel like a relic of gaming’s past. The newfound depth of character customization caters to and empowers different kinds of Call of Duty players. Most importantly, the retooled reward system will alter the way millions of people play the biggest first-person shooter in existence.

Before you step onto the battlefield to capture flags or dominate control points, you’ll want to spend some quality time getting to know the new loadout system. The user interface is cleaner, making it easier to take in information -- attachments are all laid out side by side, while guns rotate on a carousel menu. Vonderhaar doesn’t want players wasting time diving into and pulling back out of unnecessary menus. The elegance is necessary. Without it, managing the new customization system would be disastrous. Instead, it enables new ways of building custom classes.

Drones: The new bane of your existence.

The internal nickname for Treyarch’s customization system is “Pick 10,” since, well, that’s what you do. In the past, you had to take items into battle “whether you cared for them or didn’t care for them,” Vonderhaar says, “whether you used them or didn’t.” Each of your class loadouts in Black Ops II has a maximum of 10 slots you can fill however you please. If you don’t use secondary firearms, simply remove it from your set and replace it with a perk, grenade, or attachment. In addition to this, Vonderhaar throws players a potential curveball: you can sacrifice a perk or tactical item for a Wild Card, providing further options.

These could have huge ramifications on multiplayer.

With these, you can double the amount of frag grenades you spawn with, add a second primary weapon to your loadout, or take additional perks. You may have to opt against taking a scope or a pistol, but Treyarch makes each strategic decision worth your while. You can even skip guns altogether, equip three perk-centric Wild Cards, and go into each match with six perks -- just try to steal a weapon as fast as possible, yeah?

The idea of Pick 10 was born out of an actual boardgame.

“What makes the Wild Cards special is they allow you to break the rules of the traditional system,” says Vonderhaar. This is handled within reason -- you can't stack Wild Cards to carry just grenades into battle, for instance. Each slot variant has limited restrictions, but they allow an additional kind of flexibility.

If you’re first instinct says this sounds an awful lot like a table-top game, you’re not wrong. Vonderhaar and Treyarch built board games to get a grip on how the loadout system would function, what the possibilities were, and to ultimately define their new open-ended philosophy. All of this happened “before writing a single line of code” for Black Ops II, Vonderhaar explains. This helped the developer destroy and rebuild the rigid class customization of previous entries, while identifying issues that needed solving.

David Vonderhaar “will never, ever design video games again without going through this process.”

Pick 10 truly allows you to play to your personal style. It lets you focus on what works and reject what doesn’t. In turn, you’ll become a better, more capable competitor. The results of your decisions come to life, of course, on the battlefield. Experimenting with loadout styles felt like experimenting with a collectible card game deck or trying on an outfit -- you sample what you have, see how it suits you, and adapt accordingly.

However you suit up, you’ll want to use whatever scores you the most points. Points are the new focus; Kill Streaks are out, Score Streaks are in. Now you earn streak bonuses based on what you do overall, not just how many dudes you kill in a row. Kills are part of it, certainly, but Treyarch is steering players in a direction the Call of Duty franchise desperately needed: Playing as a team, and playing carefully, are more important than ever.

Black Ops II incentivizes players going for objectives rather than kills. Scoring a headshot makes you considerably less points than scoring a flag or control-point capture. What’s more, killing while carrying the flag doubles the points you earn, which fills your Score Streak meter much faster. When you cross the point threshold of your equipped streaks -- each has its own numerical value, ranging from the low hundreds to the 1200 point range -- you unlock access and unleash.

Now players need to repeatedly score to keep their streak bonuses in play. If you die, you lose your score streak. This is incredibly important. It forces Call of Duty players to stop rushing, start thinking, and value their precious life. As I poured more time into multiplayer, I found myself stepping away from traditional Call of Duty values. Black Ops II looks and plays and feels just like any other series entry, but the mentality with which you approach the competitive side is completely different. Don’t be surprised to see players behaving as though they’re playing SOCOM or Counter-Strike. Even though you respawn, each life matters.

With all this in mind, Treyarch has removed the COD Points currency system, so all unlocks -- whether it's slots for your Pick 10, Score Streaks, or weapons -- are gated off by rank. You level up, you get more. When you Prestige at 55 and start again, you'll still be unlocking new stuff.

That each piece of gear affects a specific person in a deeper way than any past Call of Duty games is the heart of Black Ops II multiplayer. This is a bold departure from the franchise’s numbing familiarity. For the first time since Modern Warfare's debut, a Call of Duty game is uprooting shooter conventions -- in due time, other designers will follow and borrow Vonderhaar's ideas for own games. Treyarch is content to leave Modern Warfare 3 to its own devices. Each of Vonderhaar’s ideas help broaden the appeal of Black Ops II, because they seem to serve as reactions to vicious online criticisms of Call of Duty -- most notably, uh, that scathing Call of Duty Needs to Change thing that I wrote.
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This looks like it could be just what the franchise needs! Some very interesting changes and will be interesting to see how it plays out in November.
 
Fan favorite items and perks will return, but some have been altered. One highlighted by Vonderhaar specifically was the "Ghost" perk, which now only makes players invisible to UAVs if they are on the move. This protects against campers that have relied on the perk to keep them hidden for years, and it's a fantastic change.
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:eek:

Best COD ever?
 
How many of the xbox regulars play on getting this ?

My copy of MW3 sits gathering dust as the big parties full of regulars we used to have just don't happen any more :(
 
On that Aftermath 2 Multiplayer Gamplay vid check out 07:17

Looks as if the "Panic knife" is still there annoyingly. Was hoping it would have to be equipped.
 
dannyjo22 said:
I always used to camp a building or area in mw2 and move about within that area anyway. Pick 10? Can I have an ACR with no attachments and 9 claymores please.
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They are going to limit the amount of equipment you can get, hopefully though you will be allowed 2/3 claymores grenades.
 
I'm not liking the x-ray scope and the one that highlights enemies. That said i still think it looks really good and i'm sure they'll be perks to counter them.
 
You can bet there's a perk to hide you from it, just like the thermal scopes from modern warfare etc..

I have a mate on my friends list who loves his quick scoping

Didn't know how to handle me when I started running dead silence pro, assassin pro and blindeye pro with a silenced ACR on face off as he relies on thermal scope.

Don't mind this new scope. The "pick 10" thing will make it easy to pick a great stealth class and hide from all this stuff.

If they Have the balancing right, it should be more points than a normal scope


Kreeeee said:
Most people have moved onto better series.
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Yeah I noticed. Where are you getting your FPS fix ?
 
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I noticed a lot of the MW3 weapons appear to have been carried on which is nice. I prefer the MW3 weapons to the obscure ones in black ops 1
 
This stuff was "leaked" last April :

anticonscience said:
Have a pinch or two of salt:

details

Activision's set to pull back the curtain on its next Call of Duty game on May 1, but the internet doesn't like waiting for official reveal dates.

The game's widely expected to be Black Ops 2 from Treyarch, although new speculation based on supposedly leaked retailer merchandising suggests 'Eclipse' may also feature in the title. It's also rumoured to be set for release on November 13, the second Tuesday of the month and a day when a total solar eclipse will take place.

Activision attempted to delete a long list of potential Black Ops 2 multiplayer details from the CoD forums back in March, and further unverified MP details have now emerged. They might be completely fake, but how do you like the sound of the perks, weapons and game modes listed below, via MP1st, and what would you like to see in Black ops 2?

Game Modes-

Escort ~ A game mode in which you escort a player across three flags to achieve victory. The enemy team killing the player will result in a win for their side.

Split Spawn ~ A game mode in which you spawn from a hellicopter, and climb down to get to the ground. The player starts with 3 lives. One player can control the chopper to let you climb down in different areas, as well as shoot from the chopper. If the chopper is destroyed, players can no longer spawn. Players compete for a central flag that takes 2x as long to capture than a regular domination flag. Either the death of all opposing players or the capturing of the flag will grant you a win. This game has 2 rounds.

Equalizer ~ A game mode in which players are switched to the enemy team upon death. Players will compete for a flag, which when owned, open up a power plant to allow the player to customize their class in game, get new weapons, and put on a juggernaut suit for their team only.When there are 2 players left on a team, they are granted with the power plant automatically, and pointstreaks up to a 5 point requirement can also be obtained. If either of the two players die, they will remain on their own team. The team with the most converts (kills) at the end will win. If tied, whoever is currently owning the power plant will win.

-Perks- (Only new and modified!) (Perk slot not yet defined!)

To clarify what elite is, it is a side-pro perk you can choose when leveling up the base perk. These elite perks ONLY work if paired with another BASE perk.

1. Spy - Appear as a friend on the map. (Disadvantage is, you're always spotted even without a UAV, and when shooting, you turn red on the map)

b. Pro - Detect enemy spies. They will still always be spotted on the radar.

c. Elite - If Pilot is active, your airship will be marked as an ally.

2. Escape Artist - When going prone, you feign death (You cannot shoot during)

b. Pro - When approaching death, the enemies crosshairs will turn to white, and your name will dissapear.

c. Elite - if Diver is active - You realistically fall into your feign death instead of diving.

3. Audiophile - Players with silenced weapons will show on your radar if they are shooting at you or close around you.

b. Pro - Footsteps are louder

c. Elite - If bladesman is active - kniving will show up on the radar

4. Defuser - Throw all equipment but cookable grenades up to 2x farther - a hollow circle will show up around your crosshairs, and the circle will fill in 3 seconds. When the circle is full, it will throw 2x farther, when it is empty, it will throw 1x as far.

b. Pro - Be able to take semtex off of players and throw them elsewhere, and be able to pick up any enemy equipment and use it as your own.

c. Elite - if quickdraw is active - the circle will fill in 1.5 seconds.

5. Juggernaut - Regenerate health faster while moving

b. Pro - Regenerate health faster while crouched

c. Elite - If scavenger is active - you are able to drop ammo packs for your team.

Side note: Earlier, Treyarch Developer David Vonderhaar did mention that the next Call of Duty would not include regenerative health perks.

6. Diver - You can dive into cover (A.K.A. Dolphin Dive) -and while diving you can still shoot, however when you land it takes awhile to regain focus.

b. Pro - You crawl 2x faster

c. Elite - With Extreme conditioning active - You can sprint while crawling to crawl faster (3x) instead of getting up.

7. Pilot - Your flying killstreak's kills will count towards your next killstreak.

b. Pro - Your controllable flying killstreaks will last until they are shot down.

c. Elite - With blind eye active - Your uncontrollable flying killstreaks will not show on the map.

8. Technician - Any land killstreak's kills will count towards your next killstreak.

b. Pro - Your Advnaced UAVS will disable the enemies UAV

c. Elite - If defuser is active, your sentries cannot be taken down instantly.

9. Bladesman - You have 2 knives in each hand instead of just one in one hand. (This essentially makes knives kill twice as fast.)

b. Pro - You have a chance of dodging the incoming players knife.

c. Elite - If assasin is active - kniving will be completely silent and not show on the killfeed, unless countered by audiophile elite.

10. Conciousness - While standing, you are just as accurate as when you are prone

b. Pro - Your bullets cause more flinching.

c. Elite - If marksman is active - shooting your enemy will mark him on the mini map.

11. Focus - Be able to shoot while sprinting, even at the deduction of accuracy.

b. Pro - Be able to shoot while jumping, even at the deduction of accuracy.

c. Elite - If stalker is active - when jumping, equipment does less damage to you.

12. Deep Impact - Your bullets shoot through hard surfaces.

b. Pro - Your bullets gain 50% damage with each person they go through.

c. Elite - if steady aim is active - when hip-firing, your bullets have 10% more damage with each person they go through.

-NEW!!-

-Knife Melee Slot-

1. Default Knife - Takes 2 swipes to kill, you need to put it away, and take it back out like usual.

2. Tactical knife - Takes 4 swipes to kill, as long as you are pushing the melee button however, it will keep knifing

3. Tactical hammer - Takes longer to get out, takes 4 swipes to kill, you need to put it away and take it back out like usual, but against riot shields and machines it takes only 1 swipe to destroy.

4. Throwing knifes - Start with 4, fast to get out, fairly accurate, but takes 2 to kill and is ranged

5. Tomahawks - Start with 2, slow to get out, fairly innacurate, and takes 1 to kill and is ranged

6. Ballistic knife - [Disallows use of equipment] - A tactical knife in one hand, while a ballistic knife is in the other. You start with 2 ballistic knives, and they kill in 1 shot. These knives take a moderate time to get out. (With Bladesman on, you start with 3 ballistic knives and one ballistic knife in each hand.)

-Guns- (More than EVER!!) (These are the ones announced or finished so far)

Assault Rifles: AK74, Ruger Mini-14, Type 65, Valmet M76, M70, R1 Rifle, Commando, AR-18, Valmet M60, AKM-63, AMD-65

Submachine Guns: Mp5SD, PA3(DM), SW M76, Type 64, UZI, Mini-Uzi, AKS-74U, Mac 10, MPL, Ares FMG

Shotguns: Model 590, Model 1300, Model 1100, Spas-12, CAWS, Stakeout, Saiga-12, Striker, Featherlight

Sniper Rifles: Psg-1, PSL, SVD, Model 700, M76

Light Machine Guns: Type 67, Enfield L7, M240, AS70

Pistols: M973, Steyr GB, Skorpion, MEU, Python

Explosives: SA-7 Grail / 9k32 Strela-2, Stinger, FIM-43 Redeye, Arwen 37, M26Grenades, HG 84 Grenade, M67 Grenade, Sticky Grenade

-Attachments-

Attached Weapon Rack (Weapons attached to primary for quick weapon switching) (Only works when paired with pistols)

Attached Pistol (For snipers only)

Attached Shotgun (For Assault Rifles only)

Attached Bayonette (For Assault Rifles and Snipers only)

Laser

Red dot sight

Reflex scope

Thermal Scope

Acog Scope

Extended Mags

Dual Mags

Rapid Fire

Grenade Launcher (Grenades drop significantly more)

Grip

Perfected Ironsights (Ironsights that make it easier to see your bearings)
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So judging by the stuff coming out of gamescn, most of this was just made up BS then ?

Here's the real (and more simple) perks system

http://www.vg247.com/2012/08/14/don...n-list-revealed-new-create-a-class-explained/
 
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