Seriously? Still No Fixes?

I keep playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and its still NOT balanced more than 4 months after the release date. This is with countless amounts of user input, but what I'm learning is that the companies Infinity Ward, Beachhead Studios (couldn't find a website), and Raven Software are just incompetent enough to not fix it. So here's what I am putting out there, he's my message to the world, the one that says FIX THIS YOU DUMB MOTHER F***ERS!

1. Striker - Seriously? You call that a nerf? I believe the exact quote from fourzerotwo was "The Striker is losing power and all shotguns are increasing in damage." Now I might be wrong about something, but isn't [50 +5power to all shotguns -5power to all shotguns = 50]? SO I don't think you did anything. NERF THAT THING. Here's how you balance it (pick one):

• Down the damage so much that it literally take either 3 close range shots to kill, 5 medium range shots to kill, and impossible from long range
• Add Kick. Add a lot of Kick. That thing should kick so hard that each shot makes you do a half-backflip.
• Make the person slower when they run with it and down the reload rate by a lot.

2. Type 95 - I don't understand how you guys can "nerf" the gun more than once. If its NERFED then it shouldn't need a second nerfing. SO god damn it, learn to NERF a gun! Again, pick one.

• REDUCE THE DAMAGE! It should take at least 3 shots to kill or 2 perfect shots.
• Add kick! Add kick so that you fire that thing and it bounces.
• Reduce the range.

3. MK-14 - This gun doesn't get talked about a lot, but its 2 shots to kill, has no kick, is long range, lets you run fast, can be silenced and used easily, doesnt sway, etc. Are you getting my drift? Its just too god damn good unless you miss the shot, but even if you do you can fire it like a machine gun.

• Put a minimum fire time on it that's higher than 0.5 seconds. Make it take at least 1.5 seconds before you can fire a second shot. With rapid fire, it should decrease its fire time to 0.5 seconds but increase kick (because of more shots).
• Add kick. Why is it that this seems to be a good solution. Oh wait, cause its easy to do and works.
• Make that weapon sway! Its a sniper (or close to the snipers in almost every way) so why not add some sway to the end of it.

4. ALL MACHINE PISTOLS, though mainly the FMG9's - You've tried nerfing this weapon like 50 times in 50 different ways. Why hasn't it worked? Because your idea of nerfing them is slowing down the rate of fire. Their fire rate was ridiculous to begin with, now you've just made them like all the other weapons. So take away the power on them.

• Decrease the damage by A LOT (its a side arm, not a main weapon).

5/6. PP90M1 and MP7 - Both of these weapons have to much power, almost no kick, huge clips, and let the users run fast. Oh, and add on the range proficiency and they only get better. SERIOUSLY? When I saw the videos for MW3 and the douche bag came on and said the PP90M1 where his favorite new weapons, no joke I thought right then and there that the reason he liked them was because they are Overpowered and Not Balanced. Why is it I'm always right.

• Decrease the damage. Lets just state the obvious that these are too powerful for what they do and should have a damage reduction.
• Increase the kick. Make it that the things are off center after about 2 shots fired, make sure its by a lot and make sure that it kicks sort of out of the way of a headshot.
• Decrease the range and accuracy. These guns are way way way to powerful at any range. Decreasing the range and accuracy would really help with how they can magically get headshots from across the map.

7. Grenade Launchers - Honestly, this is the 3rd time you guys have failed at balancing out this weapon, and so far this has been the 2nd worst attempt. Here's an idea:

• Make grenade launcher under barrels cost 2 slots (requiring the attachment modification to use) and leave them as they are. Now for the launchers ones, take away the persons grenade. I guarantee people with twice before using them. While you are at it, make all launchers take away the grenade slot. That'll help balance out the "Helicopters are weak"

8. Recon Drone - Seriously? This thing gets a jammer, can put people on the map indefinitely, flies super fast, can see the enemies as red arrows, gets a flare, gives the player 100 points for each tag (which add to the score board) and also only costs 10 kills not in the same life? SERIOUSLY? (For this one you need to choose 2 or more... this thing is so overpowered)

• No flare. Its hard enough to lock-on as is so the flare is just stupid.
• No jammer. Why.
• No red arrows until they are within range. That way at least it has to be able to see them and isn't just flying around perfectly tagging people it shouldn't be able to.
• NOT FOREVER - Make the recon go away after 10 seconds or so.
• Make it cost more. 10 kills is easy as all get out to get something this over powered.

• AND THIS ONE IS REQUIRED: STOP LETTING IT ADD THE 100 POINTS TO THE SCORE BOARD! It doesn't make sense why this thing can boost someones score on the board from last place to first when they technically haven't done anything that helps increase the score. The assists they get for the kills will show up on their already, so theirs no need to show the 100 points also.

Well Infinity Ward, Beachhead Studios, and Raven Software, I've done literally the hardest part for you guys in cleaning up your mess, all you have to do is change some numbers and click update. I know, its hard having power, but for the $1 Billion you get paid you better start working harder for it.

How to be a Good Roommate

So I thought I would just post this list, because I'm highly annoyed that my roommates tend to be rather inadequate at figuring out these simple rules. Also, these are very general rules, little things, that tend to go a long way with any roommate because they are good habits to get into. I'll try to sort them by area.

Kitchen

• If you make a mess, clean it up - I think this is self explanatory, but no one wants to clean up your messes in the kitchen. You made dinner, that's nice, but you also get to clean up your pots and pans and all the spills too. Also, it takes 15 minutes to clean up your mess, maybe longer if you made a bigger dinner, but it goes much farther for your roommate.
• Dishes go in the Dishwasher, not the sink - I can't tell you how annoyed I get when dishes are in the sink. First of all, they get in the way of  your roommate trying to cook or clean his own dishes. If you want them to get clean, you better put them in the dishwasher. The exception to this rule is if you are in a hurry and will clean them ASAP, but to be honest I don't think that's a good exception.
• Keep it fresh - If stuff goes bad, throw it out. I hate finding stuff that went bad 3 days ago in the fridge and the worst part is I can't throw it out cause its my roommates and he'll be like why. So keep it fresh for your roommate.

Bathroom

• Help clean it up! - I really hate that I have to put this on here, but of all the roommates I've had it seems like none of them ever learned that I don't really want to have to clean the bathroom every time. That's nice that you vacuumed the main room, that's lovely you learned how to press a button on the dishwasher, but lets be honest none of those compare to what's in the bathroom. Rule of thumb, help out instead of stinking it up. (My current roommate still thinks its okay to let me do it)
• Always flush unless otherwise - Basically, I don't want to see something in the toilet. If you toss it in there, I'm going to assume its a bio-waste I don't want to touch and you need to flush it. If you are tossing it in there cause its just a little thing, think if it can be trashed instead and save me the hap-hazard of seeing it and being disgusted. Also, convention says unless you agree on stuff that can sit, always flush.
• NOTHING DOWN THE DRAIN! - Seriously, don't clog the drain with things you shouldn't be dumping down there. If it comes off you while you shower (dead skin, hair, oils, etc) then its fine because you can't help that, but if you purposefully are putting something down the drain to get rid of it, just stop and don't. You clog the drain and cause someone else to fix it or yourself problems. So simple rule, nothing down the drain that wasn't suppose to go there.
• Stay out of my medicine cabinet - Simply stay out. People take medical things for various reasons, some more embarrassing that others. If you don't have permission to be in there, then don't go in there. Its like viewing someones personal stuff but not understanding that they take it for a certain reason. So stay out of medicine cabinets and drawers and anything else that aren't "yours" to keep privacy!

Common Room

• Clean up your mess - I think we get the point by now, but if you make a mess then you need to clean it up. No one wants to clean up your stuff and unless no one has a problem with a decoration or something a certain way, then keep it out of there and keep it clean.
• Share the Vacuum - It sounds like a weird rule, but I know a lot of people that won't help clean up the messes that just naturally happen. If you take the time and both do it, you both end up happier with one another.
• Don't hog the common room - It sounds weird, but people tend to hate it when they can't use their rooms the way they want to. So in basic, don't hog it all to yourself because you never know who else may actually want to use it too. And if it seems like they aren't using it and so you deserve that time, it probably just means that they don't go in there because you use it too much. Hogs don't notice the annoyance they cause.

Your Room

• Keep the private, Private - We don't need to know your personal life. Keep what you want private, private. Enough said.

Girlfriends/Boyfriends

• WE DON'T NEED TO HEAR THAT! - Seriously no one wants to hear you having sex, making out, talking all lovey dovey, or any of that other crap. So try to keep it to a minimum. Seriously, I'm sick of hearing sex. Go somewhere else. Go do something else...
• WE DON'T NEED TO SEE THAT! - Same as above, but no one wants to see it either. If you are the type of couple that can't get your paws off each-other, then get out of the room with that. It makes everyone else feel like a third wheel when you are always attached at the lips and no one likes to watch other people make-out or touch each-other. No sex in common areas please.
• Spend less time with her/him in the Apartment - It sounds weird, but actually don't bring your girlfriend/boyfriend home to the apartment as often as possible. They don't live there, they don't have a room there, they don't pay rent there, they shouldn't be there (if they do live there [and pay], ignore this rule cause it doesn't apply). I have a roommate that seriously thinks I want to see his girlfriend all the time. I hate her, I really don't want to see her. SO it would be awesome if they could, you know, either pay me back since I didn't ask for another roommate or move him out since he just wants to live with her.
• If she/he is loud - Kill them. I'm not joking, I hate hearing girlfriends/boyfriends talking so loud that I can hear them through the walls. I don't care if you mute them by stuffing their mouth (no moans though) or if you literally duck tape that trap shut, but no one wants to hear that voice all the time.
• Just cause you like them doesn't mean your roommates do - I think that's self explanatory.
• Its not her place, its not her stuff, its not where she should go - She/he needs to bake, well don't bring her home cause I need the kitchen that I pay for for my own cooking. She/he needs the washer/shower/couch/TV/sink/Anything, well too bad. Seriously I can't drive home how much that this isn't her/his apartment and he/she doesn't actually have a right to the stuff in it. So stop letting them have it.

I hope these rules (which is a smaller list) show my frustration with my roommates girlfriend. That's why that's at the bottom, so that I'm kinda fizzled out when I get there. Sorry for the random service announcement.

Why I Went on a No Refined Sugar Diet

So I have a little bit of time to spare right now, a keyboard, and my phone in front of my. My first thoughts were to write a new blog. And I thought that since everyone out there is currently going crazy with their New Years resolution (which is usually to get in shape), that I would finally get around to explaining everything and anything behind why I went on a no refined sugar diet.

Let me start by saying that I am in no way obese. I actually went into the doctor before I started the no refined sugar diet and had them take my body mass index (BMI) to test me for how much fat I had; sort of a way to see if I was skinny fat. I came out as being actually on the lower side of perfectly average. In other words, if I starved myself for a day I would have been considered malnourished. I did not do the diet because I felt I was fat.

Instead, I plain and simply chose to do the diet to see what it would be like to have absolutely no artificial sweets inside of me. I wanted to know if my mood would change, if I would lose weight, if I could survive without refined sugar, and all around what impact sugar had on me as a person.

Its not an easy task. Once I started, I realized that literally everything has sugar in it. From pancakes to bread to any easy-dinners on the shelf, there was almost nothing I could eat that I didn't cook myself. I even had to find a tortilla that had no sugar baked into it to widen my options (and yes, those do exist and yes, they do taste better than the sugar ones). And I did all of the diet without changing any other daily habits! I still went for walks every day to get 10,000 steps in, I still went to class and took tests, and I still was as active as before. Taking sugar out of my diet not once stopped my from my daily tasks and it didn't make me more energetic either.

And before I get onto the results, heres exactly what I removed from my diet: No honey, no packet sugars of any type, no artificial sweeteners, no corn syrup or other substitutes, and none of the lesser known refined sugars that are currently used as both preservatives and sweeteners. All of those things are technically refined sugar (and they make non-refined honey, but its got bugs in it so you probably don't want that).

Well, what I learned from doing all of this was that I could actually live an entire diet without refined sugar. Its not easy, its honestly not even that great a diet, and its probably one of the weirdest challenges I've put myself through to date. I also learned that a sugar-full diet was actually what was keeping my weight were it was. I'm not joking when I say I lost 10 pounds in 1 month of just changing my diet. I wasn't eating less, and in fact I was eating more on the no sugar diet. The fact was that everything I ate just tended to have about 50-75% calories overall. A few other stranger things I learned was about a billion ways to sweeten food without sugar (which leads me to believe that cinnamon chicken is one of the greatest inventions yet) and it taught me to cook a lot more of what I want to eat instead of being lazy and going out to eat.

Yet the strangest thing I probably learned from this study was that our bodies were not meant to take in all the sweets we normally do. I was off sugar for a month, so any and all that was left in my body had been worked out in that time and my taste buds had a chance to reset. Well, I found that fruits are actually about as sweet as the body needs and fill the craving of sweets. When my study ended, I changed back from fruits to sugar and found I actually couldn't do it. Why? Because sugar is actually too sweet. I would try to eat the same sugary foods as I had before, but they actually were just too sugary. And worst of all, about 2 bites in I would feel my sugar craving satisfied but my hunger craving still there. So what I guess I'm trying to say is that cutting out the sugar actually slowly reset my system to the point where I no longer need a large piece of cake to fill the sweet craving or a full bottle of soda to give me that sugar buzz. Instead, a simple bowl of fruit or a glass of orange juice will usually do it for me now and I can walk away all the happier. Its like a sugar paradox - more sweet isn't actually the right amount of sweet but more sweet needs more sweet.

And so now I actually don't eat sweets like I use to at all (sorry Vicki, that cake was too much cake). I use too be an ice cream fiend, eating a bowl of it and feeling good afterwards. My friends use to give me cake that literally touched 4 edges of the plate with each corner. I use to want brownies, candies, chocolates, and anything else that had refined sugar in it every night. Now I just don't feel the need. Instead, I pop open the fridge and find my fruit and have that to cure the craving.

As a small side note, when I first started the diet a bowl of fruit could not sustain my craving needs. I actually ate more fruit that first week than ever before in my life because I had these unbelievable cravings. However, after eating fruit I also felt full, satisfied, and better for a lot longer period than refined sugar ever managed. To be more exact, I would eat a piece of candy or a slice of cake before and for maybe 10 minutes I would be satisfied. Then the craving would start again. With fruit, I finish off a bowl and I feel satisfied for hours.Its actually better at curing the craving.

So to end this blog about my tests into a more healthier me, I actually recommend people trying to cut sugar from their diet. Maybe they shouldn't take it to the extreme I did, but it does create a better feeling and a better person in the end, yet doesn't change anything at all.

Cool technology!

So I love my new phone, but there is just no way that I can type out long messages on it all the time. My solution? I bought a blue tooth keyboard and paired it with my phone! Now I can do all sorts of stuff on the go that I couldn't do before...

I know it sounds weird that I wanted a wireless keyboard to plug into my computer to do stuff with, but actually its exactly what I needed for all the stuff I really want to do. Just to kind of explain with an example, sometimes i get a story idea while I'm walking around and it just keeps developing in my head while I go along. Well, I can remember it all the way back to my apartment, but as soon as I get home I'm too tired to actually write. So that great idea I had gets thrown into a pile of good ideas and it almost never gets developed unless its for the current story. Well now I can stop and just start writing it right on my phone and keep the energy flowing!

And just for further reference, the most often time that I get the urge to write isn't when I'm at home (though I do get the urge to just start typing sometimes there), but actually when I walk in a book store. There's something about the smell of fresh books that really brings out the writer in me. Now do you see the advantage of a lightweight keyboard and a phone that can link with it? That's right, writing anywhere i go and without limits!

I was so excited about this random tidbit of news that I actually am using my new keyboard right now to type it up into the blogger app. That's how much I really wanted this! Now I just have to remember to carry the keyboard with me (which is still 1/7 the weight of my laptop).

In other news, my laptop's battery has gone to hell. It literally cannot hold a charge anymore and I get maybe 1 hour of service time out of it. To replace it I would have to spend over $100, which just isn't worth it for me. So instead I'm turning it into my portable desktop... since now it needs to be plugged in 90% of the time. I can still leave it on while I walk around, but I can't use it for very long. I timed it these last few days at approximately 50 minutes to 90 minutes of time I can use it (which is almost nothing compared to the 3-4 hrs I'm suppose to get). What really sucks is there's no warning on it if the charge goes out, so I can't really write stories without it plugged in because it literally just dies on the spot.

Anyway, hope everyone is enjoying their New Year and hope everyone is having a wonderful Winter Break (if you are still on it) or are enjoying the wonders of being back at work (If that's happened yet, I know some places start on the 3rd). Good luck all and hopefully more updates to come this year. I'm sort of trying to transition this blog to an anything blog, we'll see how that goes.

Oh, and here's a picture my husband took when I went to see him and the wonderful wife! Its me at Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs if you were curious.

Happy New Years!

It's January 1st an you all know what that means, a brand new year! Hope everyone's been having a good holiday week, I know I've been enjoying the stress free living!

As far as my break has been going, its been really good. I spent most my time away from home, just playing on my Xbox with friends (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 anyone?) and really just kicking back. On the actual holiday days (Christmas, Christmas Eve, New Years Eve, New Years Day), I've been celebrating the way my family always celebrates. We gathered around the table and had a large meal, which was always good. Outside of that, we went to the zoo and looked at the Denver Zoo Lights which are up this time of year and saw my last living grandparent.

Outside of that, I visited my best friend in Colorado Springs for a while and had a great time! It was good to see them again and I can't wait for March when I fly out to San Fran to go and meet up with them. On a random note, hope they got my letter I mailed just before Christmas. Anyway, saw them and did a lot of great stuff together like watching The Hangover: Part 2 and walking around Garden of the Gods down there. All and all, it was a good time and I'm happy I got down there this holiday for it.

On a story related note, don't expect updates for a while on the current *cough cough* masterpiece. I've got a lot of stuff to finish up before the end of February and so I won't have much free-time to really spend on writing my book. What will take up so much time, you may have asked me if I haven't told you already. Well I have my masters report coming to a close and I still have a lot to write. Personally I blame that on my professor, he's made it very stressful for no reason and now I'm trying to pick up the pieces of my broken paper and figure out what to do with all the stuff I've already done. I'm hoping to get it pretty much done in the next 2 weeks, but that's going to require a lot of work. Currently it's halfway with edits on the written side and all the technical stuff on the other side, in other words a headache and a stomach turner.

Anyway, best of wishes on the New Year to everyone, Happy 2012!

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