Topic: Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 - OT

Black Ops is slower in movement speed, time to kill and the maps are generally bigger too which slows down the pace a bit.

There is a delay in being able to shoot after sprinting (sprint out time), this can be long enough to die or maybe at most fire off a shot. ADS time is also different on every weapon too. If you are sprinting and see an enemy, you can be killed in the time it takes to stop and ADS to shoot. Even if you prefer to hip fire, there is a delay between sprinting and being able to shoot. 'Gung Ho' Perk allows you to shoot (hip fire only) whilst sprinting and therefore has no delay. 'Fast Hands' (perk) allows you to recover from sprinting faster - reducing that sprint out time. 'Quickdraw Grip' attachment speeds up the time taken to ADS. Most players are likely to be using at least 2 out of these 3 (Fast Hands and Quickdraw) and in some cases (Shotgun/SMG's) all 3 which will speed up their ability to kill you if you are not using any. Assuming you both see each other and start to shoot at the same time, A player without these could be killed before they get their weapon up. Drift0r did a recent video on these 2 perks which show the difference they can make.

If it is just a case of reactions because you are using the right perks/attachments and still feel you can't react quick enough (ie you are already in ADS and don't react quick enough to pull the trigger for example) then that comes with time and practice. Playing the Combat Training against the more difficult AI can help too. If you can hold your own against the highest difficulty, then you will certainly be OK against a lot of the online gamers. A lot of the eSport gamers use the Combat Training to practice, warm up and speed up their reactions.

@BAMozzy: Yeah I might run some bot matches to practice after the weekend of course. I did happen to find one big no no I was doing with the Kuda though and I think it might be attributing to people kill me in a one on one confratation and that is I don't hold the fire button down I tap it. So yeah a really bad habit I need to break.

Loving the new Zombies map - Der Eisendrache but think its going to take a while to find out all its secrets and the sheer size of it seems massive at the moment. Not tried the new maps yet but looking forward to playing them later...

I found zombies to be even more boring than the campaign. I'll give it another try but I'm guessing it's a lot better playing with friends.

@Bad-MuthaAdebisi: I have to agree with ya there, I was expecting a bit more like Left 4 Dead but just the having to open things with money and buy weapons just make it seem like a grind. It might be more fun with friends but, none of my friends like Zombie mode so I just stick with normal MP. But yeah I don't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.

So, I haven't tried any of the new maps yet but I will this evening. I did notice a nice update to multiplayer now. If the same map gets selected over and over it after you play it a few times in a row you won't be able to choose it from the three selectable maps. I thought that was nice so I don't keep getting Combine and Infection over and over and over.

There is a lot more to Zombies than just buying doors and weapons off the wall. It also gets very tense and hectic too. If you open up EVERY door, it can be very difficult but if you leave certain doors closed, then the Zombies can only come from certain directions. There are also a lot of hidden things in them too which make it a lot more interesting than just a horde mode. Its certainly a lot deeper than face value!

So I got to try all the new maps and here is what I think.

Love Skyjacker and enjoyed Splash alot. I only did Gauntlet once and it was interesting what I played, as for Rise, I hate it at least in domination. The fact that is a wide open area and people just hit you from every angle, yeah just annoying. Not a big fan of that one.

Rise is my least favourite too. It is the 'biggest' map in BO3 and I must admit, I do find it a little confusing too. One thing I have noticed about BO3 is that 'B' Dom is often very much out in the open with multiple positions to be attacked from when trying to capture. I think Rise is going to be more of a 'sniper' map although it does have areas, flank routes etc for shotguns and SMG's. What I mean by that, is that it has a lot of long sight lines that are good for 'snipers' and with the 'aim assist' non-existant in BO3, a lot of the other maps are not very sniper friendly. I know on some they 'can' be used but its not very easy. Rise is also better in Ground Wars (9v9) too.
Splash and Gauntlet are my favourites. Both medium sized maps although Splash is on the large size of medium. Both visually impressive and certainly the most unique maps in BO3. Skyjacked is a good map too, but for me it plays the same, feels the same and has the same issues as the BO2 Hijacked map - People play ir exactly the same way - same camping spots etc etc and so doesn't feel 'new' or 'unique'. Its very similar to Combine as well which doesn't help - particularly as that map cropped up SO often and then seemed to be constantly stuck on it. Fortunately the Map voting system has been patched (I don't understand how this wasn't in the game at the start - after all it was in many previous CoD's).
Overall, I think the DLC Maps are good and there is a balance in size - 1 small, 1 large and 2 medium sized maps. I would have been a bit disappointed if all 4 were similar in size as this would have created a similar feel to the combat and pacing.
For me though the highlight of this Bundle is definitely the new Zombies Map! The attention to detail is amazing and I have managed to do a few of secrets although I haven't managed to get the Bow upgraded yet - but I have been doing solo runs... I like the 'Back to the Future' reference for one of the Trophies too...

And servers are down, pffft

I got this ordered, will have it over the weekend. Hope it's as good as you guys are making out

@BAMozzy: Yeah pretty much what you said about the new maps sums it up for me too. I will add I love Skyjack if for anything how small the map is, lots of action don't have to take awhile to find people, and it's perfect for leveling up my SMGs and Shotguns . I don't remember Hijack too much but then again I didn't play Blops 2 too much.

One thing I have to ask does Nuk3town ever come up for multiplayer?

@Tasuki: At the moment (as far as I know), Nuketown doesn't crop up in the 'general MP' (core/hardcore) because it was a 'bonus' map for those that pre-ordered or got it with special editions. I have heard though that everyone will have it free at some point - I thought it was due on the same day as the DLC. When that happens, it will be in the rotation.

From my perspective, I think its OK but I am a bit bored with it as its been in every Black Ops - inc a Zombie variant in BO2 and cropped up in the rotation a LOT. I half expect one of the DLC packs to have a remake of Firing Range at some point!

Small maps are good but it gets a bit tiring and very repetitive (same guns all the time - either using or being killed by) and I like the different changes of pace and option to use different weapons etc that Medium/Large maps can provide. Certainly helps with getting 'challenges' done too.

@BAMozzy: Huh didn't know it was a preorder bonus, I just went into my local Target and picked it up right off the shelf. But that makes sense if it was. I can see your point on small maps though. I do do that myself when I see the next match is combine or Skyjack I always select an SMG or shotgun.

@Tasuki: Nuketown has caused controversy as Activision announced it was a pre-order bonus for all. However it was only a pre-order bonus with select retailers and 'Game' in the UK (I don't know which US stores had it) was the only retailer to have it. I had a code inside my case with mine - I pre-ordered the Hardened Edition for both my PS4 and XB1 and from different retailers and got the Nuketown map for both. Maybe Target then was the US store and still had some 'Nuketown' versions.

Ahead of Black Ops 3's release, Activision's marketing trailers had mentioned Nuketown as a pre-order bonus - but only the easy-to-miss small print buried at the bottom of the image at the end of the videos specified GAME had nabbed it as an exclusive. Further complicating the issue, Activision listed Amazon as a UK retailer involved with the Nuketown pre-order offer on the official Call of Duty website. When Black Ops 3 came out and those who had pre-ordered with shops other than GAME failed to receive Nuketown, anger on social media grew. It was at this point that Activision was caught changing the wording of its support website, which had claimed "all players" who pre-ordered were guaranteed Nuketown. Activision changed the wording to specify the need to pre-order with "participating retailers".

Like I said though, it was rumoured to be coming free to everyone regardless and if/when that does happen, it will no doubt be added to the rotation. I don't understand why its not in the rotation now - considering the DLC maps are and obviously not everyone has those either. I am not complaining though as no doubt we would have ended up being stuck on that map instead (or as well as) Combine.

Good to see Exodus back into the rotation too.

@BAMozzy: Ok I didn't know that only certain retailers had it I thought it was a PS4 exclusive map honestly, though I should have known when friends of mine who have an Xbox One were talking about Nuk3town guess I am just slow lol. I got my copy a few weeks ago, after the Christmas holiday so I am wondering if Activision just sent the second shipment with a free Nuk3town in every copy regardless of store. Regardless this is why I hate exclusive store preorder bonuses, but that's a rant for another day. I was just wondering why it never popped up in the rotation which makes sense now. Although as you pointed out makes no sense now that the other DLC does.

I didn't know that they took Exodus out although right now I am note sure which map that is lol if I saw it I would go oh yeah lol Must have been a glitch that dropped it from the rotation.

Oh and speaking of glitches, I found an interesting one in Splash last night. When you go up from the bottom of the yellow tube slide right at the bottom you can jump through the wall. Try it and see. Lol

@Tasuki: Nuketown was jusy a general pre-order bonus. The only thing that PS4 get is early access to the DLC - just like Xbox used to. It was announced as a general pre-order bonus for ALL but I guess some retailers acquired it as a store bonus. It was advertised on their site in the UK for Amazon too but then Game had the exclusivity so that annoyed many people. As I said, it was in the package and therefore maybe Target had more copies than they did pre-orders and so put it out on the shelf.

Exodus was removed about a month or so ago because it kept freezing on the load-up screen. Its a long map with the giant turtle statue. I know Splash has a few 'glitches' and people have already found a few places they can access that I don't think were designed to be accessed. Its already been patched once though but I guess if that's still happening, will be patched again. People no doubt will complain that these shouldn't slip through control but its very difficult to find every thing when you are that close to the game. You wouldn't think to try doing some of these things to test if its possible. I really don't know how some people find them in 'normal' game play.

@BAMozzy: Ah ok I played Exodus the other night and I even asked my son is this a new map (it was before the DLC came out) cause I didn't remember it at all. That would explain it.

As for people finding glitches some people just do, they play a lot of times to look for things like this. Sometimes they look to do it for exploits others times they just see if they can do it.

So last night wasn't a good night for me domination wise, just poor match making and such so I decided to switch over to Kill confirmed and I have to say Splash I enjoyed a whole lot more in Kill Confirmed then Domination. Not sure why that was but it seemed a better map for that type of game.

I like Kill Confirmed on all these maps. Domination can be a bit silly if the matchmaking is a bit one sided or you come up against parties. You end spawn trapped and its very difficult to turn it around.

Double Weapon XP this weekend!