This is More than Mashing, a column on amazing demonstrations of skill in video games where I try to collect and showcase the best the net has to offer in skilled game playing and break it down so anyone can understand. This week I’m covering MW3: EXTREME SNIPEZ MONTAGE [[MLG]] xXNOSCOPESXx.
A lot of people deride Call of Duty for having no real skill, but I say they have a lot to learn. Call of Duty is in actuality one of the most skillful first person shooters to date. I can personally confirm this, being Prestige 12 in Black Ops 2. A lot of other shooters rely on abusing broken mechanics and glitches like Strafejumping, but Call of Duty takes players right back to the fundamentals and in that sense is a much more pure and skillful first person shooter experience in much the same way that the essence of fighting games is distilled in Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo Edition.
In this video you can see some pretty classic demonstrations of Call of Duty skills and none is more fundamental than the 360 Noscope. 360 Noscopes are the epitome of fire person shooter skill. In a Noscope you’re aiming without even a reticle, but the 360 takes that to the next level. By spinning you’re capable of taking advantage of Call of Duty’s implementation of the Havok physics engine, which even governs bullet physics. By utilizing the centrifugal force (physics majors forgive me) you can actually direct the bullet more accurately and at higher speeds, which makes bodyshots more likely to kill. It’s really tricky because you have to spin around and then manage to hit your target without any sort of aim assistance, but it’s completely worth it. In the video they even pull off a 720 noscope. It’s a risky move but if done successfully can sometimes decide a game.
Quickscoping is a very involved method that eases up the process of getting accurate headshots, very similar to option selects from Street Fighter. It’s the mark of a high level sniper to be able to run around the map, headshotting everyone in sight. Essentially, it involves very careful use of the scopes and firing at exactly the right time. By pointing the gun near an enemy and entering the scopes, the game selects for you the right way to aim, and with good timing you can take them down. It’s a tricky method with maybe a 2-3 frame window on the exact moment you need to pull the trigger, but in power it is unparalleled, enabling players to engage enemies with much more killing power than standard weapons. Using Quickscoping, players are no longer barred to the standard sniper position at the back line, but can roam the map freely with unparalleled killing power.
Another useful trick shown in this second video is the, “Swiffer Shot”, named because you sweep your screen like a swiffer with it. It’s a classic fakeout involving scoping, then unscoping, then rescoping and shooting the guy. It can be very helpful for confusing opponents over whether they should avoid fire or press in to take you down. It can be very tricky to get the timing down exactly, as the windows for when you can and can’t adjust your scope are rather tricky to recognize from visual indications alone, so you just need to get a sense for the timing. Once mastered this adds a tremendous mental aspect to your play that can be very useful against unfamiliar beginners or even veterans.
Many other FPS have a history of trickjumping and Call of Duty is no stranger to this tradition, with tricks like the Temper Shot and others like it where you jump off a rooftop, executing trickshots as you descend. Very great choice for a round-winning kill. This is extremely useful for mobility, because you can advance while also dispensing trickshot themed death. Many experts use this to close distance against more defensive teams. Additionally, your bullets inherit velocity from your fall speed, which can be helpful against evasive targets.
All of these techniques are extremely useful to seasoned players and comprise one of the biggest entry hurdles for new players attempting to playing Call of Duty well competitively. For those with dedication, improvement means being able to dominate opponents effectively and stylishly. Remember, when you successfully execute a trickshot, your victim gets to see how it went down on the killcam. You may still have some trouble with hardscoping scrubs, but, with practice, they’ll learn their place. Altogether Call of Duty is one of the most deep and skilled first person shooter games out there, perhaps best encapsulating the dread and horrors of war better than any game in history.
Do you have a video of someone doing something amazing in a video game? Send it my way in the comments and I’ll add it to my youtube playlists, and maybe break it down in the future. I love seeing things unlike what I have already, so if you have something unique please share it.
See you next time, don’t let me catch you hardscoping!
Celia Alexis Wagar's CritPoints 