Merry Christmas - A Special Blog Edition

Let me begin by firstly saying Merry Christmas to everyone that reads my blog (which is mainly my friends, and thats just fine). I hope everyone is enjoying their celebration and having a good time. Its a good time to be with family.

So now on to my special blog edition of my personal Christmas. I was called heartless, stupid, mean, rude, and probably several other things I forgot to mention. Why? Well let me just go back to where the heartless one happened, its really all that matters.

We were out visiting my only living grandparent left, who is unstable as it goes and thus lives in an old folks home. While looking for his glasses in his apartment room (at the old folks home, where old people who don't understand personal possessions will literally walk into rooms and take shiny things and walk out) my Dad found a card of my now passed-away Grandmother. For reference, she died a few months back. Anyway, my Dad finds the card and asks if I have seen it. I say no, so he tells me to read it. I say no again. I get called heartless.

But let me explain myself - I have never had a great relationship with my Grandmother. My whole life I was actually and literally treated like the bad child, the worst grandson, the other one so to speak. Literally, she believed in my older and young brothers more than she ever did me and she always gave them a different and bigger amount of respect. So as time went on and my head caught up to that idea, I kind of came around to hating my Grandmother. That is to say at least until the last time I saw her. The last words she said to me, the last ones she spoke to her grandsons for that matter, was "I'm so very proud of you." I know it doesn't sound like much, but image a woman who's having trouble staying awake, trouble speaking, and literally on death's row saying that. More importantly, she didn't say anything of that sort to my brothers.

Now maybe its because they were still trying to impress her with all the things they had learned and done that she didn't feel the need to tell them, maybe it was just the fact that of all her grandsons we spoke the least to each other, or maybe something just clicked for her in those last minutes we were there. It doesn't really matter, it completely changed everything for me into the complicated mess that is the relationship I have with my now deceased Grandma. And its cause of that sort of screwed-up relationship that I don't want to read what someone else wrote about her anymore, I don't need it. I cry enough for her already, which is something I thought I never would. It hurts to be called heartless when the truth is the exact opposite.

Now to explain the rest of what was said, well... my Dad is a master of saying all the wrong things. Literally he's like a man that just stabbed a knife through your chest and knows how to twist and turn it without killing you. Its agonizing to be around him, so when he starts twisting that knife I fight back.

So that's what holidays are like for me, they are pretty torturous and painful but I live through them anyway. At any rate, I'd rather spend the holidays with my family then with a friends family, a guest in a house I don't understand. That's not to say I don't love my friends, just I don't want to be there for their awkward Christmas where everything goes disastrously wrong for their family. (I have a feeling I have a whole life of spouse-family Christmas disasters ahead of me anyway).

Well, hope that made sense cause it felt good to try and just write it out. Happy Holidays everyone :)

Modern Warfare 3 Singleplayer - A Reivew

So I finally finished the Modern Warfare 3 single player, to which I bet everyone that knows me is wondering why it took so long. Well, I'm not really addicted to the single player campaign, so it has been getting way less play time than the multiplayer. Secondly, I haven't been enjoying it since the first game where everything felt fresh and original.

How do I feel about the new single player? Terrible.

I'm just going to start off this review by saying that besides the fact that the entire plot is a little beyond ridiculous, it also fails at everything. Let me show you how. First off, they say welcome to World War 3, but then the war is over like 3 missions later. Its drives me nuts when games want to declare world war 3 and then end things before anything can really happen on a global scale. Here's what I would have prefered:

1. Scale the whole damn thing back to one country per act. So act 1 is the attack on American soil and we get these epic fights throughout the east coast. Not 2 mission and then "Oh they're retreating" but instead a full on epic war where we are trying to take things back and at every push they push harder. Yea, and lets NOT retake america. I'd rather leave it open, maybe expand on it in a future title with the characters made.
2. Then make the battle in Europe for Act 2. This also remains open at the end, but will be very carefully cued to whats going on there. Most importantly, lets make the battles big, epic, and very drawn out. What I'd love to see is just levels where maybe you spend the whole time trying to push forward, multiple paths and multiple options, and when you get there you have to turn back. That would be great. 
3. Last act should focus back on Price and Roach and them killing Makarov. To be honest, the final act in the game was by far the worst since it was one ridiculous idea after another and the last mission ruined the game for me. Don't end with this epic battle between Makarov and the player or some shit, but leave it open. WW3 isn't going to end in a day and 2 people will not win an assault on an army.

So that's how I would have done it if WW3 is what was wanted. Not this "its over in 1 game" crap that doesn't make it feel epic or hard at all. Now let me give you a list of what I thought took the game and killed it beyond the story.

• Linearity - Every mission felt like a "Go Here, Do This" mission with a single hallway or a single place to get the objective done. I would have LOVED optional gameplay, like go this way and see if it pans out or try this route. This game was by far the most linear of the bunch and it was painful to say the least.
• Obviousness - I hate it when movies and video games make things so stupidly obvious. Like for instance the part where the Eiffel Tower falls, it was so lined up that I didn't even have to guess when it would happen. What would have been better is they are walking the streets of paris and suddenly BAM, right on the doorstep. Then we get to make a comment like "Isn't that the Eiffle Tower" and it gets its pay day. Even beyond that, there were other moments that were just so damn obvious I couldn't believe they were even trying.
• Unbelievable - A lot of shit happens in this game that is just plain unbelievable. Not joking. Here are some examples. One, a train goes off track and smashes through not 2 or 3, but like 10 or 15 columns. No, stop it and make that thing hit maybe 2 and end it or make the tunnel break behind him. It was just unbelievable. Two, the final stand, where it just goes on and on and on in this final battle, then the guy pulls out a lighter and smokes? What the hell, he's bleeding from every hole shot in his damn body!
• Not able to Stay Focused - The game switches so damn much between different types of gameplay, which you would think would make it interesting. Actually its annoying. If I'm doing a sneaking around level then I want the whole damn level to be about sneaking around. If I'm doing a level in a plane then I want the whole damn thing in a plane. The most I want to switch between the two is once. Trust me, they break this rule a lot.

I think another thing that just started to get to me the more and more I played was that they also would make these epic moments or scenes, and then ruin them 5 seconds later. Anyway, I'm off to do something else now.

How to Make Black Ops 2 the Best CoD Multiplayer

So I've had a lot of time to think about the mistakes made in MW3, the things that should have been in the game and the things that shouldn't have made the cut. However, even though that game is out there is always another one being made for the future. So here's my journal on how Black Ops 2 could be made to improve on the last one and take hints from MW3 (Multiplayer Edition):

Section 1: Equipment
So the first thing I would change (though not completely) is how equipment is done in the game. First of all the lethal and tactical should be done like they are in MW3, where lethal can also contain things such as Claymores, Bouncing Bettys, etc while the tactical can take things like Motion Sensors and Jammers. This gives the player a good option between a grenade and a defence mechanism, which really challenges them to know how they are going to play.

However, I'm not saying the equipment section from BO1 should be taken off. Instead, it should be transformed into the following options:

1. Cannot Use (Currently equiping an underbarrel or a launcher as a secondary)
2. Extra Lethal Grenade
3. Extra Tactical Grenade (Minus Smoke/Nova Gas)
4. SitRep (Yes, SitRep is no longer a perk, but a replacement for the grenade. Also sounds better than Hacker, which is why I chose that name.)
5. Extra Specialty Equipment (IE anything from Claymores to Jammers)

 The extra grenade will balance out people with launchers whom, up until now, have not felt any repercussions for carrying in a very powerful weapon. Now they have to make a choice, do I want a launcher or do I want another piece of equipment/grenade/sitrep. This should help balance out the "Noob Tube" as well.

Section 2: Perks
Perks are probably the hardest thing to do, however I hope that Treyarch will continue to separate all 3 perks into distinct  background images (Like the shield or the Pentagon) which really helped distinguish them beyond just simple coloring. Here's my list of perks and why:

Blue Perks:

• Recon - Although maybe seemingly useless as a perk, the Recon perk was actually a great addition to the game. It balanced out the overpowered Assassin from MW3 and it actually could be equipped with other perks to make them more interesting (Such as Hardline). I think this should stay and with the same name (unchanged from MW3; same with pro). If I had to say anything about Recon Pro, it should also give increased range to "grenade sensing" and give "grenade sensing" to Hardcore players. This way its not completely worthless in Hardcore.
• Sleight of Hand - Probably my favorite perk in the series because I hate reload times. Also, needs to stay because it is 1/2 perks that has been in the series since the beginning. The pro also should remain untouched (switch weapons faster).
• Extreme Conditioning - Extreme conditioning should let the sprinter run for longer AND get over obstacles faster. As it stands right now, Extreme conditioning is extremely weak and needs a buff. For the pro, the perk should do no fall damage, making it even more valuable to the user. ALSO, Extreme Conditioning sounds much better than Marathon, which is why I took this name instead.
• Scavenger - Since MW2 this has been an invaluable perk. However, lets change it up a but. First off, the regular should give ammo for primary and secondary weapons and the Pro should give a chance of getting equipment restocked (like 1/20 chance). This way the pro actually does something but not overpowers the perk. Giving extra ammo at the start is agreeably the lamest thing that you could get for pro, which is why I asked for the switch.
• Ghost - Blind Eye sounds terrible in retrospect of Ghost. Ghost will make people undetectable by sentries and aircrafts, but with a catch - The aircrafts will still fire when you stand up in the open. I feel that Ghost underpowers killstreaks too much, which is why I think that if a person is standing they should still be shot at. Ghost pro should allow for faster lock-ons and increased bullet damage.

Red Perks

• Quickdraw - Probably one of the best/weirdest new adds in Quickdraw. I think this should stay the same as it is in MW3 since the bonus you get with it is perfectly powered and the pro is extremely useful without overpowering the perk.
• Flak Jacket - First off, Flak Jacket sounds cooler than Blast Shield. So that explains why I kept this name. Second off, the perk should decrease explosive damage (unless they are standing on the grenade, it should still kill then) AND give a 15% reduction to flash/stun. The pro gives a 55% reduction to flash/stun grenade recoveries (so greater reduction) and a 85% reduction to fire damage and you can't light on fire. I think that getting no fire damage will ruin killstreaks, but saying that it greatly reduces it and stops lighting on fire is fair.
• Hardline - The non-pro should reduce killstreaks by 1 except for far later one where it reduces by 2 (I think getting 1 kill reduction kinda kills it later) and the breaking point should be like 10 kills (so 10 kills becomes 8 while 8 kills becomes 7) which would balance out the end-streak hurt normally felt by equipping this perk. TO do so, there would need to be no 11 point killstreaks. The pro should allow for 2 assists to count as a kill again and deathstreaks require 1 less death. Changing care packages was too powerful and ruins the point of a care package.
• Cold Blooded - I felt that Assassin was a really stupid name for a perk. Why? Because then you can't use Ninja later (its confusing then) and Assassin didn't make sense for what it did. So instead, I give you Cold Blooded revived from MW2. Now unlike MW2, Cold Blooded will only make them undetectable by UAV and Thermal Scopes. The pro will stop Counter UAVs from working, REDUCED red crosshair and name when targeting (so it would be like 25% the range that they would normally appear). This is important, since the balance comes in a green perk.
• Overkill/Warlord (either name works) - This perk should give the user a secondary weapon and the pro should give that weapon up to 1 attachment. Its very much balanced already.

Green Perks

• Scout - I felt the name Marksman was stupid when Scout says it all and so much faster. As such, I renamed it back to Scout from BO1. Scout should originally allow for breath to be held longer and the pro should be that the enemies can be identified up to 4x the range. I switched the order because in all honesty it was made for snipers and thus should be the more interesting of the two. Also, the pro is a counter for Cold Blooded Pro, meaning that if one person wears Cold Blooded Pro and another person has Scout Pro, it should balance back to normal distances of red crosshairs and names. This downs the power of Cold Blooded Pro and makes getting this perk pro WAY more worth it.
• Stalker - By far the BEST addition to the CoD series, Stalker needs to return. Again, faster movement while ADS will be the original benefit of using this (SO useful!), but the pro actually will NOT be delayed explosions. The point of SitRep is undermined by delayed explosions, so instead I recommend that Stalker Pro be that it makes enemy footsteps louder (4x as loud). This actually makes sense with stalker too, since if you are hunting someone it would be better to hear them.
• Steady Aim - Same as BO1/MW3. Also, needs to stay the same name since it is 1/2 perks that have been around since the beginning.
• Ninja - Dead Silence from MW1 and MW3 was a terrible name, literally just god awful. Instead, it should be called Ninja which makes more sense. Ninja reduces the noise made by a person by x1/4 again (Which is already very useful/powerful) and Motion Sensors don't detect them. Ninja Pro then makes it that Jammers/Heartbeat Sensors (if that gets used) AND Decoy grenades don't work either. This balances out the problems that were found in BO1 and fixes what was wrong with it in MW3.

Section 3: Killstreaks
I actually think that MW3 had a great idea for killstreaks, but performed it wrong. First off, the transition from killstreak to pointstreak was a great idea, but there are some flaws to it. First off, taking down a pavelow is a lot harder than taking down a UAV, so why are they equal? Instead, I think pointstreaks should be redone to incorporate more important items with more points. UAV = 0.5 pts, Helicopter = 1 pt, Pave Low =2 pts (1 for flares and 1 for killing but only gives the points if it gets taken out and it gives them to the person who's rocket caused which). Now here are my recommendations for the actual things that can be earned (Notes only on things that are new/changed):

Assault - Package for kills/points obtained in a single life

• 3 pts - Spy Plane
• 4 pts - RC-XD: This was too powerful for 3 kills, so I moved it up by 1.
• 4 pts - Assault Care Package: Will give assault pointstreaks ONLY and has the chance to carry a perk/ammo as well
• 5 pts - Reaper Missile: I'd honestly prefer this over the valkyrie rockets... they were annoying that you had to call them in and then use them on the ground... Only 1 Missile though!
• 5 pts - Sentry Gun
• 6 pts - Napalm Strike: The strike itself should have a bombing value that will hurt/kill anything and then a fire value that hurts based on fire damage.
• 7 pts - Attack Helicopter
• 7 pts - Mortar Team
• 8 pts - Rolling Thunder
• 10 pts - Napalm Run: A team of 3 jets bombard 3 streaks of napalm across the map. This makes more fire and gives more use to some perks, but has an increased amount of points to balance it out.
• 10 pts - Armored Helicopter: Much like a Pave Low from MW2 and MW3
• 10 pts - Assault Drone: I likes this, it balanced out the Ghost perks ability in a strange way
• 11 pts - Attack Dogs
• 12 pts - Chopper Gunner

 Support - Package for points obtained over multiple lives (notice kills is taken off, I would prefer object based points instead of just points for everything Assault gets)

• 4 pts - Spy Plane
• 5 pts - Counter UAV
• 5 pts - Airdrop Trap: Like a care package but made to explode
• 6 pts - Support Care Packge: Will give support pointstreaks ONLY and has the chance to carry a perk/ammo as well
• 8 pts - SAM Turrent: This should come in a care-package!
• 8 pts - Advance Spy Plane: This one CAN be shot down, but shows ALL people (Cold Blooded people included) on the mini map as an arrow. This balances out the problems of the blackbird in BO and the Advance UAV in MW3. Takes 2 rockets to take down.
• 10 pts - Black Bird: This one CANNOT bet shot down, but shows only people without Cold Blooded on. Shows everyone as arrows who appears on the mini map
• 12 pts - Recon Drone: Same as MW3 but without the flash when it marks. Also, it only marks for 30 seconds and is easier to kill (NO FLARES WHEN LOCKED ON, IT GOES DOWN 1 HIT)
• 15 pts - Emergency Airdrop: Same as it was from MW2 but on this package to balance it out. No guns, its stupid to overpower it with that.

Specialist - I love the idea behind this, but it wasn't done right (sadly). Its close tho, so I gave my solution to how to fix it (which actually isn't too much done). Here's my personal fix to it:

• 3 pts - 1st Perk Added
• 5 pts - 2nd Perk Added
• 7 pts - 3rd perk Added
• 9 pts - 1 perk randomly added for every point earned at this point OR 10 pts - give all perks

Finally, at 25 pts (unaffected by hardline and strike package streaks) the MOAB should return (Still doesn't end the game and kills the enemy team 1 time along with all their equipment). 

My Modern Warfare 3 Addiction

So I'm currently addicted to the game Modern Warfare 3. I know, its pretty much the exact same as the previous entries, but currently the Call of Duty titles have just been the best FPS games on the market for a guy like me. I love the fast paced action and I love the gun on gun action.

But this blog isn't about my love of the game, I think we can all agree that was established by the fact that I've already clocked over three and a half days worth of multiplayer alone since it came out (November 8th, exactly 3 weeks ago actually). No, instead I'd like to write a quick blog about what I think needs to be changed to make the game better (and hopefully gets read since I think no one actually reads this)

First, my list for overall improvements:

1. More Complex Maps - I know they said that they were heading for a more noob friendly game by having less intriguing ways of getting around the maps, but now all the maps are just boring. Go down this hallway and go over here. To be honest, adding secret paths is what makes them fun and I'm sad that there are so few. Besides that, I think a lot of the maps have been oversimplified to the point that it might as well be hallways. Sad day.
2. More Height in the Map Design - Currently there is exactly 2 maps you can die from falling on. The first one is Mission where you can die from approximately 28 feet (so no boot camp points if you do it) and the second one is Seatown where you can jump down a well that's pretty much out of the way of the map... In other words the maps have very little height dimension which leads to some pretty one-plane fights (boring).
3. A Fix for Lag - Modern Warfare 2 was one of the laggiest multiplayer games I've played in a long time. Literally you could get shots with curving bullets around corners for no reason. Well, they knew it was a big problem/complaint, but instead of fixing it the lag returns and much worse. Seriously, I've had it lag up right when I get in a battle, freeze my screen, and then return once I'm dead. That's bad lag.
4. A BETTER Call of Duty Elite Service - I'm not actually complaining that the service died in the first few days due to too many people wanting to use it, but actually I'm upset because its been 3 weeks and they still have almost nothing interesting on there. For instance, where are the clan challenges (Not clan operations, I can wait on those)... I feel like those should have been ready from launch. It just seems like after extensive beta testing in Black Ops, Elite seems barren and boring.

SECOND is my list of Perk Improvements:

1. Make Recon Pro easier to get - It takes 120 explosive recons to get, which I think it a lot considering each life I only have 3 grenades max plus maybe a 2 grenade launcher for most that life. So lets see, if we take the max possible, it takes 24 lives with perfect hits to get pro. 24 lives is too many.
2. Down Assassin Pro - Currently Assassin Pro does more crap for the person than any other perk. Seriously it does 1. Unseen by UAV 2. Unseen by Thermal. 3 Unseen by Motion Sensors 4. Unseen by Heart Beat Sensors (and those 4 are JUST the unpro version, so the pro gets) 5. Unaffected by CUAV 6. Unaffected by EMP. SO what do I think it should be. First of all I think it should be called Ghost (Like CoD:BO) and it should do 1. Unseen by UAV 2. Unseen by Motion Sensors 3. Unaffected by CUAV. Then take the other 3 and put them into their own perk under Perk 3 and call it Cold Blooded. Seriously, assassin sounds bad (and not in a good way).
3. Rename Dead Silence to Ninja - Dead Silence sounds cool, but the picture is terrible. Also, ninja gives the purpose behind the pro more meaning.
4. Make killstreaks that use either motion sensing (IE Blind Eye protects against it) or thermal sensing (Cold Blooded previously described protects it) or on the other list (Ghost previously described protects it). Also, make a few killstreaks that require more than one perk to be completely protected so that the killstreaks aren't worthless just cause they are using blind eye or ghost.
5. Maybe even more to adding a 4th perk set... 3 is good but we're getting to a point where having 4 at all times would be more dynamic and interesting and allow for more dynamic play.... (this is not a necessity, just an idea). I know the more dynamic it gets the harder it is to balance, but by splitting up some of these extreme perks we might be able to actually balance them.
6. I actually wish their was a perk for improving the grenandes. Like if you equip a launcher it should get rid of this perk (so that's the downside to launchers vs pistols) but the perk can be used for getting a second lethal grenade or 2 more tactical grenades (minus tac inserts, sramblers, traphy system, portable radar and only 1 more smoke and emp grenade.) This would ALSO be a better perk spot for Sit Rep/ Something that lets you walk past crap like Stalker Pro does. It could also be used to add extra ammo to weapons as well.

NEXT is my list for Killstreak improvements:

1. Balancing the Support Strike Package - So the original strike package based off kills was fine, but when they added in the new one they made some HUGE mistakes. For one, not resetting the package on death means that getting the streaks will be easier, so why are all of the streaks set LOW. Seriously, the average kills I get per game is approximately 18 which is strangely the highest that the strike package goes to. I think its easy to say that this package needs some sort of reset (like you get 3 lives to try and then it resets) but not resetting it makes the end ones WAY too easy to get. 
2. Balancing the Specialist Strike Package - I love this strike package, but WHY is it that its so overpowered. Its not that you earn perks every 2 kills, its that you get all the perks at 8 kills (7 with hardline) which is annoyingly overpowered. You basically go from normally overpowered soldier to ridiculously overpowered soldier. I think instead they should give you a new perk RANDOMLY at every kill/point once you reach 8 so that its just not so damn ridiculous. Yea, get 8 kills and have the power of an AC-130 in your pants.
3. Fixing the Pave Low - The Pave Low is an awesome killstreak, but for 12 kills you get something that dies with exactly 1 person using a Stinger missle (trust me, I do it all the time). PLUS it still is limited by why the helicopter can see, IE one perk blocks it. For 12 kills you should get something with a little bit more power behind it.
4. Get rid of the Juggernauts - It sounds like a great idea, its really just an annoying one. Seriously, I don't want to play as a juggernaut and I don't want to fight them. This isn't co-op and to be honest just throwing armor and shitty weapons on a person doesn't make it a good killstreak. Plus its expensive for something that I've killed single-handedly. Lets just get rid of this all together and replace it with something cooler.
5. Make the AC-130 DIE - It drives me nuts that the AC-130 takes 2 people firing a rocket at approximately the same time. Even dumber, the reaper drone goes down in 2 rockets. Lets make the AC-130 die in 3 rockets and call it good instead of this 2 rockets at the same time bullshit.
6. Make the Sam Turret, Ballistic Vest, Recon Drone, and Remote Sentry have to be called in via a care package. It annoys me because the reason for the airdrop trap was to make people stop wanting to grab the care packages. Well now almost nothing comes down in a care package so it seems pointless to even make a trap.
7. A support class care package - I think this one is obvious, 7 points and you get a care package that caters to support type streaks.
8. PERKS IN CAREPACKAGES!!!! - How was this missed? Seriously, a care package should carry more than just killstreaks. It should also have a chance to bring in something that passively helps the player and it could go on both the Assault and Support Carepackage. PLUS this would be interesting since the perk would be random, so if people wanted it or not would be insteresting to see.
9. Random, but a carepackage in a carepackage - On the very rare chance (like 1/million) I would like to see a carepackage that ironically has a carepackage inside. I know, seems lame but it would be funny to say the least.
10. FIX THE RECON DRONE!!! - If its not bad enough that this little toy helicopter doesn't come down in a carepackage (which is weird, who stuffs that up their @$$ and thinks its a good idea for later), its annoying that it is overpowered. Here's what it does: 1. Tags people on the map until they die 2. Has flares to stop missles from killing it when they lock on (really?) 3. Acts as a small jammer for anyone in the radius who doesn't have assassin pro 4. Flashes everyone it tags annoyingly 5. Gets visibility of where everyone who doesn't have assassin is. Here's what it should do: 1. Tag people for 30-45 seconds. 2. Gets Visibility of where everyone who doesn't have assassin is. Yea, that's right, less than half of what it does I think it should have. Why? Because it takes 10 non-consecutive kills to get this and it is a death bringer. Lets fix it please. (notice the length of this paragraph compared to others, probably means its a big big big big big problem guys)

And finaly, lets end on how I hate the guns:

1. The Type 95 and the MK14 should only, and I mean ONLY, get 1 fire kills if its a head shot. Otherwise they both need to be weakened for when their bullets hit elsewhere. Seriously overpowered and annoying.
2. The P90 needs either a smaller clip or a weakened damage. It seriously has too much power/fire rate for an SMG to be balanced. OH, or slow the user down a bit.
3. The PP90M1 needs rebalancing, its too powerful for how fast it fires and the range it gets. Loosen it up.
4. Snipers shouldn't be so easy to quick scope in. I'm not saying get rid of quickscope, I'm saying get rid of super-quickscope. Or at least down the power on them so they can't just run around and shoot feet for kills.
5. Shotguns - Really, you have a damage modifier? It doesn't need it, go take that out and rework the whole shotgun line for how messed up they are.
6. The akimbo machine pistols need to lose accuracy. Yea, you can't zoom in, but you guys left the accuracy of the non-ADS so closed that everyone figured out the FMG9 is amazing. Open it up some and down their range, they weren't meant to work like machine guns!
7. Please Make the Javelin less annoying - I hate how often I have to hear that sound, so it clearly is still annoying. How about instead its quieter but the rocket makes a wooshing noise (like a predator missle)
8. Get rid of some of the ammo for the XM25. Its just got to damn much. Period. End of story.

So those are my current complaints, but here's my other stuff that I feel is missing from the game:

• Deathstreaks that grow stronger with each death. For instance Martyrdom gets a faster timer or something or juiced lasts for longer or final stand builds up to the you get revived point. It annoys me that kill streaks get stronger the more you kill but deathstreaks stay the same.
• A Support Strike Package Care Package (enough packages in that sentence?). It just seems obvious to have it.
• A difference between the holographic sight and the red dot sight. I hate that its just one is more bulky than the other. Why not make it the red dot is less bulky but shows a laser in dark places while the holographic doesn't show the laser for the bulk. Sounds like a solution.
• The hybrid site should require 2 attachements since it gives 2 things, BUT it should be whatever 2 sights you want. For instance, instead of just Holo and ACOG it could be Red Dot and Thermal. Maybe Red Dot and ACOG, or for the random person, Red Dot and Holo. It would have been cooler than the required set and more customizable.

I know that this is a long list, but I had to post it since this is what I think about all the time. Yeah, its a lot of stuff, but I feel like they missed a lot of stuff. If you have comments on my list, please leave them, I'd love to hear other people's thoughts on what could have been done better.

The Paranoid and the Save

So I'm sitting here, writing up a report (Gasp, not the story? And during the summer none-the-less?) for my summer class (Oh, there's the sense) when suddenly and violently my copy of Microsoft Word goes dead. I know, right? That's a dream killer.

Except I guess I use Microsoft Word and computers so much that I've just gotten into a habit of saving every time I stop writing. Not that any of that matters (cause I have auto-save set to like 5 minutes... I hate losing work), but the difference was definitely nice this time since the repair build wasn't a good copy but my 2 minute old copy was excellent. So go me, save some time, dance break!

Now back to what we all really care about, my other Word projects. Broken Falls, as my friend probably has been killing me to write more and more of, will be put on hold until after tomorrow. Why? Because I have a test tomorrow and so I don't think time spent writing a novel will be the best way of studying. So until then, bye bye writing and hello random notes!

With that said, Broken Falls has entered the final story stages. As I told my friend last night (and I know she still wants to kill me for this), I'm at the part where I feel there are lots of mysteries but not enough explanations. Its time to start pulling those mysteries together, showing how they are all solved, and giving the readers what they really want, a conclusion. I know, from me that's a freaking insane idea considering the last whole story I finished got me sent to the vice principals office. I'm not sure why, I thought my story was very nicely depressing... so why would they think I'm suicidal all of a sudden? Which reminds me, don't let copies of your suicidal novels fall into the hands of teachers, principals, loved ones, or generally anyone that you know. Seriously, they all take it as if you wrote a diary about it when in truth some stuff had to be made up to make a better story and they don't know the difference between reality and writing.

By the way, while on that subject, the teacher that got the copy and turned me in for it was totally stupid. She failed to realize that all normal high school students are depressed (Where the abnormal ones end up never achieving anything greater in life) and that writing was a way to let out the steam for them. When did she finally come to realizing this? When she taught the creative writing class and on one paper there were 28 sad, good, emotional stories, 1 terribly written and uninteresting happy story, and then my story which fell right into the omg poetically amazing but no one there cares cause it's a bunch of high school bastards. (I wonder if I still have that short story...). At any rate, moral of the story is all high school students are depressed as they should be.

By the way, I just checked all of my secret story hiding locations and I can't find that story. I found the story that got me in trouble but the other one seems to have disappeared. I'll send that story to my friend, she can read it I guess. (And on another 'nother note, I just found a creepy one that had an ending... I'll send that as well). I've been writing since high school, so the possibility that I have short stories completed is there (and a lot of them I remember but not as well as when I wrote them. My style has changed, my pen name is... well I don't have one yet... and its just kind of weird to look back and think I completed something (Even if it was short).

For reference, my longest completed story is 3,821 words and 5 pages long (42 KB of space) and my current story is 101, 110 words (I didn't make that up, its just weird on its own) and 133 pages long (376 KB of space). So a little bit bigger.

Alright, back to my report... then bed... then class... or something...

Words since last post: 599
Total Words: 101,110

To Answer my Friends Question

My friend asked me a simple question when I secretly sent her the last chapter, which was of course, "Are you being sexy and writing more again?" (Words may have been added or removed to dramatize that last sentence) My simple answer to those that read this blog is yes. Yes I have continued writing my story again and yes I am finding it very much enjoyable. Maybe its just something about the month of July that gets me all writing happy, maybe I'm just kind of in the mood for something kind of horror-struck (Actual horror content of this novel to be decided/determined/decimated). I think its a combination.

I've moved onto chapter ten, which has the most original title ever, though I'm not ready to post it yet so tough luck to all those kids caring (That's like what, three and a half of a stump. Man I have an awesome fan base). Unlike previous chapters, chapter ten is a little bit of everything. Things move forward, plot moves forwards, things are introduced, plot moves forward, things get closer to chapter eleven, plot gets faster, things get faster, people get faster, faster gets faster, and so forth. I know that's not telling much, but I literally just got off of a chapter that was like full-pace run (wait, that sounds wrong) and had to actually slow it down to capture the moment. I know, that goes against everything I said I was going to do, but now we pick it up again since the next chapters are more about the ending. That's right, the past chapters were really all a nice set-up and now comes the action-packed, thrilling ending where suddenly thoughts I had come to closure and thoughts I want to leave open... well obviously stay fairly wide open.

And that's where Book 2 comes in... which will of course be titled (that's the actual title... screw the public I want something weird and eye catching). In continuing this blog to continue with my writing, I will now change scope to be different. First of all, the count at the bottom of the blog will be of what I've written since the last blog followed by the current total. Why am I changing this? Because I don't really want to go through the math of figuring out how awesome I've been doing each month and I'm still very much busy and unable to spend time on such things. Instead I'd rather rant (that's what blogs are for). So I'll try to post updates on a regular basis (which for me is what... once every three months maybe except for when I first started) and I'll try to keep the word-counts up to at least 1,000 words, which is about a page and a half of microsoft word single space writing. To my friend, this is good considered its about 10,000 words to a chapter (roughly) and 40,000 words until the end of the book (un-roughly).

So lets get that pace-maker back on and roll through some pages!

Tonight's Count: 1,536
Total Words: 100,511

Post 61 or Chapter 9 Finished

I think its interesting, for the past chapters of the book I've been writing at least 10,000 words. Now I'm actually pulling that back because what I'm really heading for is for something that will resemble what I meant for it to be from the get go. With chapter 8 I really was able to change the pace and the direction, but with that same change in pace/direction I also need to move onto the faster style.

Things happen, they happen much faster, and they probably will continue to happen at that speed for most of the rest of the story. The characters are down, the plot is set up, and its time for things to just unfold naturally. As such, I feel a shorter chapter to get the characters from point A to point B is what's needed.

Now with that said, I don't think that chapter 9 is in anyway less important than previous chapters. It just had a small point to make and a few things to collect, then its time to move on. That's how these things work sometimes. And I honestly thought about continuing it into the next area, but I felt it might be better as its own little thing. In my re-read of the story, I might do the same with previous chapters to make them go faster.


Anyway, onwards to chapter 10...

Words since last word thing: 1512
Total Words: 98,975

Happy Birthday Omega Pen!

Today is a big day for this blog! Its the day that this blog officially turns 1 year old. That's right, one year ago I started this blog with a simple intent (which still hasn't been finished) and I'm still typing on it. And its a little bit too bad that I'm so busy with everything, so this is a short update.

Ouch!

So I somehow ended up with extreme pain in my neck. Just in case it wasn't clear with that last statement,  I have no idea how it happened. I just woke-up and pow, pain! It's okay though, I just sat around all day wishing that I could do something more than be bored and watch the television show The Whitest Kids U'Know. I love that show and all of its randomness, but that's just me.

So anyway, hoping this pain goes away. Oh, and did a little bit of writing on the next chapter, but then got bored and changed the channel in my mind. Weird, because I know everything I need to type, its just not boring me that's hard.

3 Months in 1 Blog

So let me just start by saying that I am currently waiting for both Coffee and my computer to restart. With that out of the way, let me also just add that I haven't really written anything in the story since then. Is it out of my mind. Not really. I've just been either stressed, busy, or just not in the mood to write. Worse yet is that I kind of feel like putting down that book and going back to my previous one, RED, and restarting it. Why? Because I have all these ideas on how to do it better and more correctly than before that will allow me to not get stuck and actually finish it.

On that note let me describe how RED current was working out to be. There was a main character who had an interesting (no, really!) past and for some reason decided to spend his life as a detective. He gets a call out from the middle of nowhere and they ask him to find their daughter. Blah blah blah blah, more characters, and next thing you know I was in a hole.

Another important part to RED was that all the characters were based around two scenarios. The first one was that they would all be considered a "color" and as such that would turn into both their name and a bit of their personality. T he second personality was based around a dance of some sort (very subtle in the story, but one could notice it if they were looking). Although I liked the characters that this created, it did not create any seen friction that could continue into a full blown story of amazing proportions. That is a skill that I can only think I have currently been able to develop. And yes, Plots are hard to make and even more complicated to make great.

So what do I want to do to RED that changes it completely and makes it possible to complete? Well, for starters, I want to base characters and the scenes they are in off of colors. In this way I can get a much more dramatic scene (as will be seen in the re-write) as well as a possible self style to the story. I'm even considering taking it to the next level and using it in the text a bit (though most likely I wont on the first version) just to really have some fun with it. The second thing I want to do is add a little bit of LA Noir. Okay, enough of RED, that's actually not even started and I just wanted to give my friends who had read what was written an idea of why I might want to restart. Trust me, its better.

Now back to the update of my life. Lets see, went back to school for my Masters of Science in Civil Engineering and a focus in Structural Engineering. I couldn't get a job without a masters because of the economy, so I went back as I promised my parents. Had my birthday back in January, it wasn't very good. Did not do much but study and work for more of February. Had a lousy Valentines Day (expected). March came around and things finally started to get better. I got out and got to hike, which caused sore legs for a few days but I think was more than worth it. I finally got a "haircut." I put that in quotes because I donated every last inch of it. 10 inches went to Locks of Love and then what remained was shaved off for St Baldrick's Day. If you'd like to see a few of the pictures or donate towards my cause, you can find them here on the St Baldrick's Day website. I'll be adding more soon. Also, the total length was 10.5 inches and I'm glad to be rid of it. It was too long.

And finally on my update, yesterday I got stood up by all of my friends to go drinking (except Wyatt, who I accidentally stood up because I was so tired I passed out, sorry!). Today I got stood up to go hiking. Sad end of the first half of the school year, but it happens. Now on to Spring Break and then to finish up my first semester as a grad student. Never thought I'd go through so much school (cause I hate it...).