I had always played video games on some platform or another going all the way back to the TRS-80.  A few years ago, I hadn’t had a console in a while and was only playing here and there on the PC when my wife decided she wanted a Wii.  She bought me a copy of the new Goldeneye to go with it and I was back on the hook.

A little while later a friend was selling their PS3 cheap and it came with Call of Duty: Black Ops.  I was an instant fan and played quite a bit with some of my real-life friends.  When Black Ops 2 came out (none of my friends pulled the trigger on MW3), I had a copy on launch day, which was a first for me and marked a sort of turning point.

I suddenly found myself taking gaming more seriously than I ever had.  I was looking for more than fun.  I was even watching tips/tricks videos on YouTube.  If this was going to be the way I blew off steam in the wee hours after work, I should at least be good at it, right?

Almost a year later, I’ve played the wheels off of BlOps 2, as have a lot of people – it’s not perfect by any means, but don’t tell me a bad game gets played this much.   I even joined a real clan (TMHK) and posted some beastly game play to YouTube.  There are still of course millions of CoD players better than me, but I’ve made a marked improvement.

…and if I’m going to be any good, I should share my knowledge, no?  Here are some general tips for Call of Duty I’ve been keeping should I decide to start writing about gaming.  If you like them, maybe I’ll keep it up.

1. Play to objectives for more experience
   I’m not just talking about game mode objectives, but you should always play that objective (and the only mode where KDR is your objective is Team Deathmatch).  Even if you’re only about TDM, you should mix it up, work your way through different guns and equipment – you would be surprised how much you like the stuff you haven’t been using.  I haven’t played with my favorites in many months and it’s been great for my skill and XP.
2. Class for objectives to get more from the experience
   Recommended class videos are everywhere but you almost never see them based around any kind of objective.  I wouldn’t dream of playing Kill Confirmed without a class that’s crafted for it – it’s obvious you want speed and stealth but have you considered that if you’re going to run over DB’s, you might as well use Scavenger and if that then run both lethals and tacticals?  If you’re dropping care packages, wouldn’t danger close, bettys/claymores, blackhats and hardline be nice to have?
3. Upgrade your equipment for a better experience
   Little things can make all the difference.  Upgrading my monitor was like night and day and doing the same for my mic has also been great.  However, my best upgrade so far was the cheapest and they’re called Kontrol Freeks; a major difference for around $10.
4. Be a team player and improve others’ experience
   I catch a bit of flak for my wacky call outs, but even if they’re not perfect, they make a major difference for those who want to win.  I’ve had games where I got beasted at every turn, but because I called them all out, one of my teammates had an epic game and we won.  The side that plays as a team wins.
5. Take what you can from others’ experience
   Watching or simply listening to tips and tricks videos can seriously improve your game.  I’m a big fan of Drift0r and XBoxAhoy (who’s also a web developer), but there’s a veritable sea of commentators to choose from.  If nothing else, watch the ones on call outs so you don’t get too creative with them.  😉

I’m looking forward to Call of Duty: Ghosts and may even jump to PS4 after those come out.  I am a little tired of BO2, so I’ll have to play some Grand Theft Auto V when that comes out next month.  One way or the other, I’ve finally accepted video games isn’t something I’ll grow out of, so when the hour’s late and I’m no good for work anymore, there’s a chance I’ll be gaming and taking it more seriously than I ever did as a kid.