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...).

Interesting!

An entire month of writer’s block and in two days time I’m able to break past that. If I had to guess, I would say that in reading other novels I was able to find the words to write what I wanted without compromising the details. So I’ve started to move on to the next chapter.

Chapter nine is very interesting, because I gave the story this sort of momentum in the previous chapter and that’s not exactly something I wanted to lose in this one. Because of that, things are going much faster than previously described and I think my readers will find themselves glued to the book as they are forced through a tumbling feeling.

But don’t take this the wrong way, at the same time I don’t plan to skimp on the details. I feel that although in the previous chapters details were used to really pass pages, they were also used to really set the mood of the novel. Now that the mood is really there, I can move on with what I was really trying to do. So from chapter eight onwards the readers should feel like they are being pulled along a quick line of thought and a rush of feelings as the main character tries to solve the things happening around him. In other words, stuff starts happening and it doesn’t really let up from that point onward (Though my readers may disagree as to where the stuff starts to happen and the momentum begins to build).

I also feel as though one of my worries form the previous journals is being answered in this chapter. I know that to fully fulfill this worry of stopping my character from having a robotic appearance I might have to go back and change him. On the other hand, I give him a real relatable sense from this point onward that may help my friends who are reading bond with him and understand him even more. He has fears, he has hopes, and he has a goal... so to that extent he has a real human feel about him.

As for plot and story updates, there really is nothing new since I know exactly where I am taking him. This next chapter, which I actually named off of a title I thought of using for another book, will lead the main character right up and into the final place he visits for this installment. It also will lead him into what I hope will be the pace for the rest of the story.

Words this Month: 1,402
Total Words: 97,463

Coming Up Next

So starting tomorrow (as it is still not really tomorrow for me, I haven’t slept yet to say the least) I will be starting back up the whole words per month and total words. There isn’t exactly a goal this month except to finish the book. If I don’t do so now, then I feel like all will have been lost.

A few fears I’ve been having is that the main character maybe feels a little robotic. Like, I try to make him human with fears and goals, but to a certain extent I can’t really be sure. I do know I try and at least make him act intelligently, but that only makes me wonder if he sounds more robotic. I mean, how many people actually think things through before proceeding.

It’s fears like these that make me want to just stop and move on, but I figure if I can plow through it, at least I’ll have accomplished something. I mean, of all the fears I’ve had so far putting down this book and starting another one is just a bigger fear. I want a feeling of accomplishment, that I actually did something and that someone out there thought it to be interesting. Sure, this book probably won’t be published now or any time in the near future, but it is a nice goal to set and leave open.

At any rate, normal blog will resume tomorrow and I’m going to try and shoot the number of blogs back up to 20 or more a month again. It may be a rough road ahead, just as a fair warning, and next month may be even weirder and harder. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see.

December...

The final month of the year and I have several important announcements to start it.

First, I finally bought Microsoft Word 2010 and will now be able to actually write something more. I tried using 2003 and the Mac version of 2008 and 2011, but those versions all altered the text and got me off task. So really I needed to get 2010 just to keep writing and not get stuck on details like all the text being screwed up after I specifically worked on it a certain way. So there’s a plus towards me finishing it.

Second, I feel the need to write! I have ideas flowing through me again and I get up right before I’m asleep to jot down little things I’m afraid I might forget. This is a wonderful piece of news, which basically means I’m once again thinking and ready to make more ideas. So there is another plus...

...except I’ve been quickly jotting down ideas not on the story I’ve been working on, but another one from the past. I suddenly had this brainstorm about the other book my friend said she would kill me if I didn’t finish it and so now I really want to start rewriting it. That’s right happy campers (who aren’t actually that happy), I’ve been thinking about R.E.D. again and I’ve been coming up with a plot-line for the entire thing to include what I want. Amazingly, the plot is really twisted and good and the descriptions I would be heading for would be easy to do because of how well I can envision each scene. So this is kind of a plus and a minus.

Now I just need to refocus all my energy into writing again and then write. I think if I can pull myself out of this rut, finish the book, and move on to redoing R.E.D., well then most of my readers who follow this will actually be very much pleased. To them, sorry I didn’t actually get anywhere with R.E.D. or continue it for something of like 5 years now...

Off to think of working!

On another note, before I go that is, My granddad fell down again and I’ve been having serious insomnia. Woohoo!