*NEW* Everything Modern Warfare! Official Thread!

[thekillers005]

http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss350/AgentTalon/modern-warfare-2-gdc-09.jpg
This thread is for all things and all news reguarding...
Well Modern Warfare 2 of course.

Today Infinity Ward held an invite-only Modern Warfare 2 Multiplayer Event.
What's in it for us?

How about Modern Warfare 2 Domination Gameplay?

**FIRST VIDEO IS HD AND IS ONLY 1 MINUTE LONG. SECOND VIDEO IS OVER 4 MINUTES AND IS CAM VIDEO**

*MODERN WARFARE 2 DOMINATION HD GAMEPLAY*
(SHORT GAMEPLAY)
http://i992.photobucket.com/albums/af48/ModernWarfare2News4U/th_ModernWarfare2DominationGameplayCam.jpg (http://s992.photobucket.com/albums/af48/ModernWarfare2News4U/?action=view&current=ModernWarfare2DominationGameplayCam.flv)

*MODERN WARFARE 2 DOMINATION 2 GAMEPLAY*
(LONG GAMEPLAY)
http://i992.photobucket.com/albums/af48/ModernWarfare2News4U/th_CallofDutyModernWarfare2DominationC.jpg (http://s992.photobucket.com/albums/af48/ModernWarfare2News4U/?action=view&current=CallofDutyModernWarfare2DominationC.flv)

*NOTE* I do not claim this video*

What's an event without some pictures? That's right, jump in and check Infinity Ward show off their menu screen!


$399 Modern Warfare 2 themed Xbox 360!
*CLICK THE FLOWING LINKS TO SEE MORE PICTURES AND DETAILS*
http://i992.photobucket.com/albums/af48/ModernWarfare2News4U/1.png

*GO TO THE FOLLOWING LINK FOR MORE DETAILS*
http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/15/39...ireless-contr/ (http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/15/399-modern-warfare-2-themed-xbox-360-250gb-hdd-wireless-contr/)

Modern Warfare 2 Muliplayer Menu!
http://i992.photobucket.com/albums/af48/ModernWarfare2News4U/2.png

Modern Warfare 2 Game Summary Stats!
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Modern Warfare 2 Create A Class!
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Modern Warfare 2 Creat A Class!
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Modern Warfare 2 Killstreak Rewards!
http://i992.photobucket.com/albums/af48/ModernWarfare2News4U/6.png

Modern Warfare 2 Create A Class!
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Modern Warfare 2 Create A Class!
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Modern Warfare 2 Create A Class!
http://i992.photobucket.com/albums/af48/ModernWarfare2News4U/9.png


*LEAKED ART BOOK IMAGES*
http://modernwarfare247.com/news/art...rfare-2-leaked (http://modernwarfare247.com/news/art-book-modern-warfare-2-leaked)

*LEAKED NIGHT VISION GOGGLE PHOTOS*
modernwarfare247.com/news/leaked-mw2-nvg-pictures



** I WILL BE UPDATING THIS THREAD WITH MORE NEWS EVERYDAY*


NEWEST NEWS

New Perks and Death Streaks:
Commando- increased melee distance
Hardline- 1 less kill required for kill streak
Scavenger- full Resupply from dead bodies
Bling- 2 Primary Weapon Attachments
Copycat- Steal your killer's class in kill-cam..4 deaths without kill
Painkiller- Timed health boost when you spawn

Killstreak Rewards:
3- UAV
4- Care Package- Random killstreak
4- Counter UAV
5- Sentry Gun
5- Predator Missile
6- Precision Airstrike
7- Attack Helicopter
9- Pave Low - Pic
11- AC-130


Equipment (Primary Frag Locations):
Frag
Semtex (sticky grenade)
Throwing Knife
Tactical Insertion- Allows you to choose respawn point
Blast Shield
(Snipers and Shotguns CAN have suppressors/silencers)

*DONT FORGET TO say thanks*

[thekillers005]

Multiplayer Hands-on: Part 1 ? First Impressions

As a self admitted Call of Duty junkie ? I'm going to classes, and I'm using the steps ? I was eager to jump in and give the new multiplayer in Modern Warfare 2 a serious run through the paces. Not a hands-on "dabble" with the game; a real runthrough. Thus far I've had a chance to play three matches, each of which were different, and experimented with three different class sets. The beta we're currently on is totally locked out at the beginning, starting with each player at level one, and resetting every time a 20 minute interval is up. Needless to say, that limits the amount of guns I've had a chance to use, but it also keeps the playing field even.

The first major note I can make on the game is that, as expected, it's pretty unchanged in the gameplay department from the previous Modern Warfare. IW knew it had a hit on its hands in the first game, and as such Modern Warfare 2 feels like a true Modern Warfare experience. The team sizes are set at nine on nine, the levels are a mix of indoors, outdoors, and varied height, and yeah, there are still sections of the game when you're totally confused as to why you died. It happens.
As for what's truly different, I'll start with a few basics I noticed. Bringing up things like the UAV mid-battle (and mid-sprint) seems to be more dependant on the gun this time around to determine speed, and the game is hugely reliant on perks and create-a-class options. Semtex, a replacement for grenades, can actually stick to people, walls, doors, ceilings? whatever. I tried to toss one at a shield, but didn't live long enough to see the result, sadly. They rock though. It's a great way to pop someone hiding in obvious cover, and it has a shorter fuse than a regular frag grenade. The actual weapon loadouts are also a bit different as well, with a primary and secondary gun available in every create-a-class. Rather than being stuck to just pistols, players can add a shotgun, machine pistol, or regular pistol in its place, as well as rocket launchers. Apparently someone else had the same feeling I did about shotguns ? they're nice, but I'd never use one over a rifle or SMG ? and decided to shoehorn it in with the regular set.

As for weapons, I've gone hands-on with quite a few thus far. The RPD is back and virtually unchanged, the M4 is also entirely true to the original feel, FAMAS is basically a bigger brother to the M16 (with three shot bursts),and the .44 Magnum is like a more ADS-friendly version of the Deagle, and it kicks a whole lot of ***. I've cleared rooms with a .44, and not bothered to switch back to my main gun. It's sick.

Other guns on the field include the RPD-like L-86 (it has crazy hop, but very strong. I'd place it between the M-60 and RPD from Modern Warfare), the AA-12 auto-shotgun, which I sadly haven't tried yet, the reliable MP5K (which looks to be a replacement for the original, at least for the earlier level players), and the "yang" to the K's "ying," with the UMP45. It's stronger than the MP5K, but it also scatters a bit more at a distance. As a quick note though, both MP5 and UMP feel far more reliable than the Skorpion or Mini-Uzi ever did, and the iron sights are a bit more manageable as well (think original MP5).

Another major change is the killstreak system, which is a huge addition in both a good way, and possibly a bit of a negative one; we'll see how balance holds out once we play more prolonged matches. Players can customize their kills at the 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, and 11 increments, and while not all of them are open right away ? starting Private class only has 3 and 4 ? it provides some serious incentive to keep leveling. These include everything from supply drops to predator missiles, helicopters, UAV, AC-130, anti-UAV, and air strike. As for a few details on those, the predator missile is a cam-controlled drop where you can actually steer the missile and have the R-trigger to accelerate its fall. Supply drops are interesting as well, having players throw down smoke that actually brings in a helicopter drop. Anyone on the field can use it though, so it's a race to get to the box. It can contain any of your killstreak options currently set (basically a roulette) and can seriously turn the tide of a battle. With that being said, it's also another area where the more hardcore gamers might be a bit concerned, as a lucky roll could mean a guy that tags four or five people could essentially unlock the AC-130 or other ***-kicking streak rewards. Of course the chance is equally good that you'll kill everyone around and steal the upgrade for yourself, so it should all balance out in the end.

As for the levels, we've had a chance to try three different areas out, including Highrise (the level with the helicopter that's stationary on top of a skyscraper), Afghan, which is set in a brown mountainous area next to an airplane crash site, and the Rio level shown in the first multiplayer footage IW released a few days back. Afghan allows for some great sniping and has a nice network of indoor cave areas (as well as a shanty town), Highrise is a classic "side vs. side" setup with plenty of glass to shoot out and exploding barrels ? as well as an underground network ? and the Rio level is pure vertical insanity, including a water tower, shanty town sniping posts, dozens of houses, and slanted streets. As a quick observation on level design, things are far more varied in this game as opposed to COD4. There's more height, there are more cover areas, and elevation change from section to section can be drastic. Afghan has not only a great sniper perch, but also a few areas where you're jumping from mountain ledge to mountain ledge. Pretty intense.

[thekillers005]

Multiplayer Hands-on: Part 2 ? The Specifics

Now that we've got the basics down, let's dive into the real guts of Modern Warfare 2 (http://xbox360.ign.com/objects/142/14281102.html), which is the insane amount of customization. When it comes to pure depth and options, Modern Warfare 2 blows away the competition, and that includes COD4. The killstreaks include an insane amount of versatility, guns are far more expandable, and perks are even crazier than the first game.

I'll kick it off with the guns, starting with the weapons themselves. The beta includes a huge range of weaponry, with the list comprised of the M4, FAMAS, SCAR-H (which is a mix of AK-47 and M4), Tar-21, the MP5K, UMP45, a submachine gun called the Vector (similar to the original MP5, but with a faster firing speed), the aforementioned light machine guns, and sidearms. The SCAR was a blast to play with, and the iron sights were easy to use from even mid to long range. Speaking of long range, kills from a farther distance earn you extra challenges, as do double and triple kills and headshots. Not bad. Oh, and the P90 wasn't playable, but it's in the list, and in the first half of submachine guns you unlock.

Where things really get interesting, however, is in the new gun-based attachments. Modern Warfare had things like doubletap as a perk. This time around, gun attachments include modifications like those as well, so you've got silencers, the ACOG scope, red dot, grips, heartbeat scanners, improved speed, and high-cap magazines. With the new Bling perk you can have two attachments at a time as well, so increased firing speed and a larger mag is entirely viable. These don't take the place of any perks either (minus the Bling one), so tweaking weapons is now deeper than ever.

On the grenade front, the same thing applies. There's now frags, semtex, throwing knives, but also a strange addition called "Tactical Insurgence," which replaces all primary grenades with a flare stick. Crack it open on the battlefield and you'll mark that spot as your next respawn point. This is a bit tricky to use, since you have to not only know where you want to spawn next time, but also get there. If you use it right though (on Afghan you can crack a stick by your sniper position, and if killed will spawn just a few meters from the person that flanked you) you can dominate. This is also interesting for snipers that spend time getting to out-of-the-way areas as well. Get to a killer spot? Crack open the stick, and hop right back up there if you're counter-sniped.

And then there are the perks. First off, Pro Perks. Pro Perks are new additions to the game as well, allowing for you to actually increase the power of a specific perk (say, stopping power or increased speed; another addition announced tonight) if you use it a lot. Kill a set amount of people with stopping power on ? I believe it was 1,000? no easy task ? and you unlock "Stopping Power Pro." These perks can be seen on the main perk selection menu, and like all the other customization in the game it's entirely streamlined. If you hover over any attachment, gun, or perk in the game and press X, you'll see info on that selection, including how many kills you need for the next challenge or unlock. Nice.

As for other perks I noticed, the list goes on and on. Scavenger allows you to re-up on all supplies and ammo any time you cross over a dead body, and new "deathstreak" system actually comes to your aid with a class-stealing ability ? die four times, and you can steal the class setup of the person who last killed you, allowing you to get guns not previously unlocked ? and also a perk that gives you automatic health boots for 10 seconds after respawning. The health boost is also included as a standalone perk, as is the Bling perk I mentioned. A new infinite sprint option is included, "hardline" lets you get to your killstreaks one kill faster (if UAV is at three, you get it at two every time), there's a speed boost perk (which was the "feathered boots" pic in the original MW2 teaser trailer) that lets you run faster, and then the expected stopping power and steady aim options.

And then there's the kill streak perks. The new killstreaks are what really elevate Modern Warfare 2 above and beyond any other online FPS in terms of customization and user diversity, even raising the bar well over what Modern Warfare did two years ago. Shown off tonight was the AC-130, UAV, anti-UAV (nice touch), sentry gun turret (which can be placed anywhere and then moved by any teammate), precision airstrike, which now lets you change the approach direction of the attack, the amazingly deadly predator missile, the supply drop (which is the roulette of other killstreaks that drops in) and helicopter. The choppers are still pretty deadly this time around, though with none of the advanced rockets that appear to be in the game unlocked I'm sure this is balanced out later with a decent grouping of anti-air. I also tried to stick a chopper with semtex, but didn't quite have the arm. The predator missile is going to piss off a lot of group-up clans, since you can instantly drop a huge explosion down on an entire group of people, but while I originally wasn't a fan of this upgrade since it was overpowered, you can also see it coming on the radar and prepare for a good three seconds or so, giving you time to run inside or disperse. I avoided a few direct predator attacks, and it was pretty satisfying.

And finally, a few other "housekeeping" bits to mention. First off, a new version of Search and Destroy is now supported in the game. Titled "Demolition," this new mode (whether it replaces S&D or is just in addition to it) allows for everyone on the attacking team to have a bomb, and full-on respawns as the round goes on. Defenders try to stop the attacks at both an A and B site, but if attackers succeed in a single bombing their time is increased and the focus shifts to the other site entirely. This was a great mode for using the predator missile, as you could blow away teams that were moving towards sites, and the sentry guns (basically auto-turrets) could be dispatched at various choke points and used to control the flow of the map. Oh, and while I'm on the subject of capping and planting, shields are a ***** to fight against. You may not always have a buddy with you, but shield carriers can squat on a point and deflect a huge amount of fire. I managed to score some captures in domination using that tactic, and I'd assume "shield spam" will be a worthy tactic when dealing with headquarters as well. As for the new mode, demolition is a great addition to the Modern Warfare game set, and one I'll be playing right up there with headquarters for the months (and let's be realistic; years) to come. Hopefully classic Search & Destroy makes a return though too.

We'll have more on Modern Warfare 2 soon, so keep checking back for more updates. As for this initial hands-on, the game is a blast, the bar is again being raised, and Modern Warfare 2 is proof positive that when it comes to first-person shooters Infinity Ward (http://games.ign.com/objects/550/550008.html) is in a league all its own. This is just the beginning for our coverage, so stay tuned for future updates and more hands-on play as we near 11.10.09.

Game Radar Hands On

Modern Warfare 2 - Multiplayer hands-on
Infinity Ward could have hitched a ride on the success of Call of Duty 4 and released a moderately updated game with new maps and some new weapons, but they didn?t ? they updated everything without losing any of the violent charm of the original.

GENERAL IMPRESSIONS

Everything is more intense. The sounds of ricochets and bullets zipping by your face, the bloody deaths, the room-shaking explosions, the ringing in your ears ? all of it feels twice as powerful. Visually, the game is very similar to CoD4, but the textures are crisper and effects like the bloody drips over your vision look more amazinger.
The controls haven?t changed, and it plays roughly the same as CoD4, but the new weapons, perks, and other additions have significantly increased the number of available strategies and techniques. Both offensive and defensive players should enjoy every match (especially capture-the-flag, which is a blast), and if you?re not the type to score a lot of kills, you?ll still have your chance to shine in objective matches (more on that later).
The maps we played were pretty similar to what you saw in CoD4 (with the possible exception of Highrise, which takes place at the top of an unfinished skyscraper), but none of them were ever dull. They?re crammed with choke points, sniping roosts, environmental weapons, and hidden paths, and they all maintain Infinity Ward's usual level of ambiance and factual accuracy.
Rather than recounting my innermost feelings with more walls of text, I?m going to deliver the rest of the hard information in bite-sized chunks. Many of the impressions I've just described will be expanded on as I detail the game?s individual features. Here is everything that is new:

[thekillers005]

PERKS

You knew there would be new perks, but you didn?t know how varied and powerful they?d be. And you probably didn?t know that they?d be upgradable. Each perk now has its own challenge which, when completed, unlocks the ?pro? version. You won?t know what the pro version will do until you unlock it, but we can pretty safely assume it'll be worth it. Here are some of the new perks we saw:
Bling ? Use two attachments on a weapon. No more choosing between the red dot sight and grenade launcher!
Scavenger ? Auto-grab ammo from enemy corpses. This is great for maintaining a steady supply of grenades.
Commando ? Increase melee range for those extra-lungey knife attacks.
Here?s a general rule regarding Modern Warfare 2: if it wasn?t customizable in CoD4, it is now. You can still only have three kill streak rewards at a time, but after level 10, you?ll start unlocking new rewards which you can use in place of the defaults. The new default rewards are:
UAV (3 kills) ? Exposes enemy locations on your radar. This is the very same unmanned aerial vehicle from CoD 4. So what makes the perk different in Modern Warfare 2? They can be shot down. Actually, everything can be shot down.
Care Package (4 kills) ? Throw down a special smoke grenade to call in an airdrop of goodies on your location. Your reward might be something simple, like an ammo refill, or something awesome, like an instant advanced kill streak. The catch is that everyone, including enemies, can see the packages location on their radar. This isn?t necessarily a drawback, however, as they can be used as bait for ambushes.
Predator Missile (5 kills) - Try not to hit yourself as you guide a fly-by-wire missile from the heavens to the ground. It?s very effective, and scores you an excellent view of your enemies? positions for some bonus intel.
Those are all great, but they?re nothing in comparison to the unlockable AC130, which gives you command of an aerial cannon that?ll shred your foes like cheese.
A couple of the other new rewards are the Sentry Gun, an automated machine gun which is great for defending flags in CTF and bomb sites in Sabotage, and Counter-UAV, which does exactly what it's called, and cancels out enemy UAVs.

DEATH STREAKS

Perks like Martyrdom in CoD4 (which left a live grenade behind after every death) were meant to lend a hand to new players, but wound up being overused by skilled players. So to give inexperienced players a little help without making things easier for advanced players, Infinity Ward has introduced death streak rewards.
After three consecutive deaths with no kills, players are awarded a little bonus of their choice (assuming they?ve unlocked all of them). The default bonus is Copycat, which allows a player to steal his killer?s class for one round, and get a taste of the weapons and perks of a more advanced player. The next one unlocked, and the last one we saw, is Painkiller, which affords players 10 seconds of extra health after they respawn ? great for when you?re being spawn camped.

[thekillers005]

SECONDARY WEAPONS

Secondary weapons are no longer just pistols ? they include machine pistols, shotguns (standard and automatic), and various rocket and missile launchers. This is great news for snipers, who will no longer be helpless in close-quarters (an automatic shotgun is a sniper?s best friend). And with a well-fired missile, you can take down helicopters, AC130s, UAVs and other nuisances.

ATTACHMENTS

CoD4?s red dot sight, grenade launcher, and suppressor are still here, but there?s so much more. Attachments no longer refer to just physical objects and properties, they can refer to skills too. Akimbo (dual wielding) and Rapid Fire are a whole lot cooler than ?Digital Camo.? Other new attachments include a heartbeat sensor, thermal scope, and tactical knife.
n other news, sniper rifles can now be fitted with suppressors. ?Run and gun? players may not like the change, but sneaky bastards like myself are all over it. Shotguns are now suppressible too.

SPECIAL GRENADES AND EQUIPMENT

Your special grenade slot isn?t just for grenades any more. In order to add a little more variety to the gameplay, and give advanced players an option other than grenade spamming, Infinity Ward has introduced some pretty exciting new weapons. Among them are Symtex sticky grenades, throwing knives, a blast shield (a face mask which offers extra protection), and my personal favorite, ?Tactical Insertion.? Tactical Insertion equips you with a special marker which you can throw anywhere. As long as it isn?t destroyed by an enemy, you?ll respawn wherever you left the marker. There?s nothing like appearing behind the guy who just knifed you in the back...REVENGE!


RIOT SHIELDS

If you need a change from the usual strategy, try replacing your primary weapon with a riot shield. It?s bullet proof up to a point, and makes you a pretty damn menacing opponent. You can?t shoot and hold the shield at the same time, but you can bash people?s heads in, and when you?re using your secondary weapon, the shield is stowed on your back, giving your *** a little extra protection. Combine this with a blast shield, and your enemies will have a hell of a time knocking you down.
It should also be noted here that, in team and objective based matches, you won?t be penalized for focusing on tasks other than scoring kills. Distracting enemies with your riot shield will be rewarded, as will shooting down a helicopter, killing an enemy flag carrier, and anything else you do to help your team.

[thekillers005]

CALLSIGNS

We've covered that Modern Warfare 2 rewards players for every action they take, but who cares how many points you get if no one else sees all your hard work?
Aha! That's why we have callsigns, which are essentially big customizable plaques which pop up when you score a kill or perform a commendable action. Callsigns include a title, which is a string of letters (in this case "My name is"), an insignia (that ghostly fellow), a background, and, of course, your gamertag and rank. The titles, insignia, and backgrounds are all unlockable, and there are hundreds of them unlock. You can unlock them by leveling up, or by completing certain prerequisites. For example, we unlocked the ?Accident Prone? insignia, presumably from falling off too many ledges.
We're able to talk about three of the multiplayer maps: Afghan, a desert map, Highrise, a skyscraper, and Favela, a shanty town in Rio de Janeiro. I largely played objective-based matches like capture-the-flag, which all three maps were great for. Each map has a lot of great features, and we'll definitely be giving them a more in-depth look later. Until then, I'll leave you with some basic descriptions of what you can expect.

MAP: AFGHAN

Afghan is a rocky desert map, the centerpiece of which is the ruins of a downed jumbo jet. The open central area, which contains the aeronautic set piece, is great for snipers as it?s overlooked by several high cliffs and bunkers. At the northern and southern ends, the passages become more confined in caves and on ledges, and the fighting gets more intense. At one point, my team and I were backed into our base, where we were defending the last of two bomb sites. Enemy flanks were approaching from three directions ? a cave in front, and two narrow passages to the left and right. They dropped a sentry gun into the mouth of the cave, and that wreaked havoc on us for a few seconds until someone managed to hit it with a grenade. We separated into two groups to cover the two side passages, and everyone contributed to the defense of cave. I decided to switch to a riot shield, which turned out to be pretty effective. I was able to stand in narrow passages and block the enemy advances while bashing them with my shield. Meanwhile, my teammates were able to pick them off with ease as they piled up in front of me. After a minute of non-stop fighting, time finally ran out, and we won the match.

MAP: FAVELA

The term ?favela? means shanty town, which, you guessed it, is what this is. The best way to conceptually divide this map is into two sections ? the high ground and the low. The high ground is on the rooftops, which provide little cover but offer faster travel and a broad view of the larger streets and objective sites. The low ground is great for making escapes, as you can disappear around corners faster than your pursuer can rattle off bullets, though you must always be weary of the marksmen who lurk above.

MAP: HIGHRISE

This map?s uncharacteristic modern urban setting is very welcome. The map is comprised of the roof of an unfinished skyscraper (complete with helipad), two interior office spaces at the northern and southern ends, and a passageway which connects the two sides. The offices are great for crouching around in - I was able to shotgun blast quite a few guys through cubicle dividers (papers and blood went everywhere, it was great). The rooftop exterior, however, is a dangerous place, and you can easily be forced into narrow passageways. It does offer a series of suspended metal beams which can be used to climb up to an excellent sniping roost. Finally, the passage below is exposed in the middle of the map, but is otherwise covered. If you?re lucky, you can use it to sprint all the way from one side of the map to the other without being noticed, and launch a surprise attack from behind your enemy.

[thekillers005]

GameSpys Hands On
Spiffy:
New rewards, titles, and emblems; tried-and-true gameplay; AC-130 gunships and throwing knives in multiplayer.
Iffy:
The blood splatter effect is a little off-putting; Deathstreaks may seem cool, but they're just a way of confirming that you suck.

Customize that Profile
In the original Modern Warfare you didn't really have much in the way of making your profile appear unique to those around you, making a game where no one stood out visually from the crowd. This time around you can customize not only your Call Sign (your title, like Sgt., SSDD, etc), but also the emblem you have that visually represents you in the lobby and during matches. The goal behind this was for players to stand out, for the community to almost develop recognizable heroes who you could pick out thanks to their unique profiles. I'm still not sure how this will work in practice -- when you're playing you're hardly paying attention to the names or symbols of others -- but it gives players some other way to connect on a deeper level with their online profile.
Killer Killstreaks
If you've played CoD 4 online then you're likely intimately familiar with the killstreak system. While in CoD 4 you worked within a set framework of what a killstreak meant (three kills got you a UAV, five an airstrike, seven a chopper), Modern Warfare 2 allows you to unlock new killstreak bonuses and customize it as part of your load out. Players who put in the time to earn enough unlockables can set themselves up to have a new item for each successive kill after the third, with extra special items coming for players who can get eight or 11 kills in a row. In our playtime we didn't unlock any new killstreak items, but we did get to use the UAV, Care Packages (supply drops that will give everything from ammo to attack runs from a helicopter), and the Predator Missile (a player guided bomb that falls from the sky). While this new customizable killstreak system obviously won't alleviate the concerns of players who hated it in the last game, it does mean that you won't fall prey to the same cycle over and over, making for a much less predictable -- and more exciting -- match. And hey, having more things to earn and ways to customize your load out is never a bad thing.
New Perks, Guns, and Equipment
What multiplayer sequel would be complete without the prerequisite addition of new versions of old stuff. Several new weapons are included in Modern Warfare 2, but what's really cool is that they've expanded on the Secondary weapon category. While previously you pretty much had to take a pistol -- unless you took the right perks -- now you can carry guns like a shotgun, automatic pistol, or magnum for your secondary weapon. Your secondary weapons will also be upgradeable with items like silencers and sights, giving you even more chances to unlock new items as you play.
Perks are also returning in Modern Warfare 2, but they've also been expanded upon in some pretty significant ways. Along with new perks like Scavenger (allows you to resupply from dead enemies), and Hardline (killstreaks require one less kill to get each stage), players now have the ability to upgrade their perks to "pro" levels, granting additional benefits at the cost of having to use them enough to level up. Pro level perks aside though, the biggest change comes in the addition of the Death Streak perk. Ok, ok, it's not exactly a perk, but it works a heck of a lot like one; players who die repeatedly can give their load out a special ability that will help them with their subsequent spawn. For instance players who die a lot at the spawn point might choose Painkiller, which allows them to take significantly more damage for a short time when they first appear. Another Death Streak perk on display was Copy Cat, which allowed the player to take the load out of an enemy while they watched the kill cam. These are great additions to the game as far as accessibility goes, and will likely not break the balance thanks to the fact that they're only activated when someone is doing pretty poorly anyways.
Grenade spamming was an annoying part of past Call of Duty games, but the ability to swap out frags for a host of new items could alleviate that to an extent. Now, instead of only being able to switch out your "Special Grenade" type, players can take alternate items in the place of frags, such as throwing knives and sticky bombs. This not only gets rid of the impetus for players to just spawn and throw grenades, but also gives them new items to earn and ways to further customize their load out for their playstyle. For instance players who like to have a stealth weapon might choose throwing knives because it doesn't make you appear on the map when you use it (and it looks bad ***).
What's Old is New Again
Modern Warfare 2 features one entirely new multiplayer mode (Demolition), along with the addition of an online staple: Capture the Flag. Capture the Flag is pretty much exactly what you'd imagine it is like -- with players protecting their flag while seeking out the enemy's -- but Demolition definitely feels at once familiar and also new. Demolition is very similar to the old CoD standby of Search and Destroy, except now there are two bomb points on the level and players are allowed to respawn. One team defends while the other attacks the bomb points, with the match being won or lost based on if a team can manage to blow up both points in the allotted time. A total of two rounds are played, with both teams taking turns being the defenders and the attackers. In our play sessions this mode was a...err...blast, with the two bomb sites providing adequate dispersion of players so no one spot turned into too much of a killing field. And while it certainly isn't going to blow (Ha!) anyone away with its originality, Demolition is already shaping up to be a great change of pace from the standard Team Deathmatch.
Awards for All
Just like its predecessor, Modern Warfare 2 isn't going to include any achievements for multiplayer. That being said, players will find constant rewards just from playing the game online, even more so than in the last Modern Warfare. On top of unlocking new guns and accessories through play, players will be awarded Accolades at the end of each match. These awards cover everything from the player who spends the longest time in prone to who switches weapons the most. Everyone gets a feeling of accomplishment, and players can look at other players awards to see just what type of camping bastard they are. The prestige mode from the last game will also make a return, and will supposedly have actual in game benefits associated with taking the time to level up all over again, but this wasn't on display as of yet. The point is this: anyone and everyone is going to get awards while playing Modern Warfare 2, making it even easier to sink far too many hours of your life into it without feeling like you've accomplished nothing.
Ready for Action
It seems like it was only yesterday that I first saw Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 at E3, and here I was getting ready to hop into the multiplayer mayhem against a field of wide-eyed game journalists. Sure that snowmobile chase and the Ice Climbers single-player stuff was neat, but CoD 4 was a multiplayer gamer's game, and I expect Modern Warfare 2 to be no different. Tonight's session was to be a strange setting for my first taste of Modern Warfare 2. You had to fight for a seat at the game stations, with European press and American journalists going elbow-to-face for the chance to sit down and get some highly-anticipated hands-on time. In the gaming world, Modern Warfare 2 is big news: The guy next to me was shooting a video segment and only half-paying attention to the game, only we could all hear his monologue in our headsets. Where was that mute button again? I was pretty sad that we weren't on opposing teams, because it would have been a lot of fun to get some easy kills from him.
Now, if you've played Call of Duty 4, and shame on you if you haven't, you know what to expect out of Modern Warfare 2's multiplayer. While there was talk of the game being scrapped and rebuilt from the ground up, much of what I knew and loved has remained intact. From what I saw, the lobby interface is nearly identical, the character models bore similar levels of visual fidelity, and everything felt familiar. Sure, there were some new visual effects, like the awkward blood-splattered windshield effect that coats the screen with gobs of red whenever you take fire, but this is unmistakably Modern Warfare.

[thekillers005]

Ding!
It didn't take long before I was able to line up an enemy in my sights and shoot him in the face. Oh, Modern Warfare 2: It was love at first headshot. You know that warm and fuzzy feeling of accomplishment that you get when you gain experience? Modern Warfare 2 is heaping on an extra helping of rewards, handing out more gold stars than your favorite teacher. Kill someone, capture something, ruin somebody's day, do anything cool that you can think of, and the game will let you know with the flashy, in-your-face on-screen equivalent of a pat on the back. I vividly recall stabbing this one unfortunate soul in the face with my knife just before he was able to finish me, and getting rewarded not only for the kill, but also for ending his own kill streak and exacting revenge upon him for a previous death.
Call of Duty 4 had all those great challenges to plow through in the barracks, but that whole system has been expanded extensively. Now your actions within the game are measured against the other players more so than they are compared to a static list. From round to round, the game gave me props for capturing the most flags, getting the most long distance kills, and the most stabbings. Stat tracking may sound like a boring feature, but it'll add a lot to Modern Warfare 2's reward system, and ultimately, it was just as much the XP and progression systems as it was the gameplay and graphics that kept players coming back. How you play the game will impact the rewards you earn, and will even mold how you set up your soldier, as you'll need the proper experience in order to earn those pro-level perks.
Smooth Sailing on the S.S. Gunship
When we spoke to Infinity Ward Community Manager Robert Bowling about things to look out for during our hands-on session, he urged us to be on the lookout for the airdropped Care Packages that would grant us access to some of the cooler stuff that would otherwise only be unlocked at higher levels and by much greater kill streaks. I managed to go on one particularly nasty tear by sneaking around the enemy flank and taking up a vantage point at a nearby rooftop and racked up a solid streak of kills, giving me the ability to call in a supply drop. I ran back to our own base in order to play with this ability from relative safety, and dropped some red smoke to call in the package. It didn't take long at all before the tell-tale green case of a military storage unit parachuted down from above, and I raced over to find that I had scored BIG. I was the proud (part-time) owner of an AC-130!
Activating this baby dropped me into the familiar black and white overhead view from the mother of all gunships, and I started raining depleted uranium death down upon the enemy team. Enemy targets were easy to distinguish from friendlies, as the baddies all had red squares around them, highlighting them clear as day. The AC-130 lasted quite a while, easily long enough to rack up a whole new batch of kills and to set the other team running scared. The Predator missile, which I was able to use a couple times during my session, is similarly cool, flying down from above to strike at any enemy target, and powerful enough to get the kill even when they're behind cover. You have to think fast and be quick to pick a target, and you can get the business over with extremely quickly and precisely by kicking in the afterburners and boosting the missile towards its unlucky victim.

[thekillers005]

I (Don't) Wanna Riot
It's been said time and time again that "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Knowing that it had the potential to cause the most change, I tried out the riot shield build and instantly hated it. You're defenseless, unable to even use a pistol to fire from around the shield, as you would in the countless other shooters that have utilized a shield option. I had dual machine pistols as my secondary weapon, however, and had fun pulling those out and spraying crazy amounts of bullets around, shield be damned. This akimbo thing might be worth further investigating. I'll say this about the riot shield, though: It kept me alive for quite a while despite a hail of incoming fire. I was eventually taken down, but you can easily use it to lead a charge down an exposed hallway, clearing the way for your team to take up advantageous positions, or providing cover so that your squadmates can maneuver towards the enemy flanks. You're not completely immune, though, and every time I used it, enemy fire eventually penetrated my shield (and my skull). There's some use to this, specifically in objective games, but you'll probably want to forget all about donning a shield in a deathmatch.
I came away from this brief taste of Modern Warfare 2 feeling like the fundamentals remained largely intact, while its new rewards system would give me an even greater incentive to put in those long hours. If Modern Warfare 2's single-player campaign can meet the standard set by CoD 4, then this is going to be one hell of a complete package.

Kotaku Hands-On
Activision gave us our first taste of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's multiplayer modes tonight at an event in Hollywood, California, featuring a fully playable—but still beta—version of the impending holiday blockbuster.
Modern Warfare 2 developer Infinity Ward brought with them three maps, five preset classes, and dozens of new improvements that make the sequel to Call of Duty 4 feel, well, even more modern than its predecessor. The addition of new perks, new killstreak and deathstreak bonuses, and the new Callsign unlockables ensure that players of the previous game will have hundreds of hours worth of reasons to reinvest in multiplayer. The blistering intensity of the game's multiplayer component, more frenetic than ever, will guarantee they'll have fun doing it.
First, let's talk about the location, location, location of Modern Warfare 2's multiplayer beta.
We spent most of our time on the Highrise map, a level that takes place on the rooftop of a building and two adjoining offices—the spawn location of flags and the players who long to capture them. It's a chokepoint-filled map, with both sides meeting in the middle for the majority of firefights, a handful of service tunnels cutting beneath the area where the action takes place. There's a sweet spot right in the center of Highrise, offering protective walls on all sides with two entry points that look to be easily guarded. One team we went up against took advantage of this spot to great effect, whether by luck or strategy, putting a hurt on my team of Army Rangers.
With its mirrored map layout and dozens of little nooks and crannies in which to hide oneself, we foresee Highrise becoming very popular, very quickly amongst the Modern Warfare 2 community.
Favela, a sun-bleached brick village full of brightly colored posters and billboards, looks like it could be set in Rio de Janiero. It was the map we spent the second most time with and my personal favorite. Plenty of winding alleyways, staircases and multi-tiered roofs on which to hide made the map more exciting, less predictable than Highrise. Grabbing the flag in the center of the map, then sprinting back to base with an escort was exhilarating. On Highrise, we were more concerned about being sniped from the back. On Favela, it was who might be around the next corner that was cause for concern.
Finally, we spent a little time in the map Afghan, a dusty desert location that featured a downed aircraft or two (or more) and some scary drop-offs. The edges of those sheer drops made for prime sniping real estate, though, giving the player full view of the map. Afghan also has a few lived-in caves that offer a bit of shelter from the open air layout of the rest of the map, but our time with it was brief.
The two predetermined classes I found myself leaning toward were the Riot Control class—armed with the riot shield as the primary weapon and dual-wielding a pair of sub machine guns as the secondary—and First Recon, which loaded me out with a FAMAS burst fire gun and a fairly massive hand cannon. I had less luck with the Grenadier, the Sniper Scout and the Overwatch classes. They just didn't jibe with my playing style, which is to generally be a pest.
Playing as a Riot Control class offered an exciting new gameplay tactic—being a distraction. There's a Challenge reward for doing so, one called Crowd Control, that one can receive for being a bullet sponge while sporting the Blast Shield. What's not as much fun is when an enemy takes you out by shooting your shins and feet into oblivion, an area unprotected by the shield while standing and running. Plus, as Riot Control, you dual-wield right away.
We didn't get much of an opportunity to muck with the Create A Class option, but did quickly customize a pair of classes with what was already unlocked. I'm not sure if this is good news or bad, but Infinity Ward is being extremely generous with the load out options. The developer has broken the "rule" that secondary weapon means pistol. Players can choose an assault rifle for their primary weapon, a rocket launcher for their secondary. Or a machine pistol. Or a shotgun. Whatever. Expect chaos.
Players can also deck their custom class out with accessories—like suppressors for assault rifles, sniper rifles and shotguns—as well as special grenades, like the Tactical Insertion flare that lets the player choose his spawn location or familiar flashbang grenades.
Better players than me got to take advantage of some of the new Killstreak rewards. Most of what we saw tonight—UAV, AC-130 gunship, sentry guns, Predator missiles—we'd heard mention of before or had seen in Call of Duty 4. But what's nice about the Killstreak after the UAV, known as the Care Package, is its randomness. You may get ammo. You may get to step into the AC-130 and rain death on your enemies. It's designed to give the player who might not ever have an 11-kill long streak a chance to experience doing so. (But watch out, because anyone can grab your Care Package after it's been airdropped.)
Equally an experience is actually shooting down an AC-130 gunship. It, like the UAV, can be a nuisance to your enemies, and they have an option to take them both down.
On the flip side of Killstreaks are Deathstreaks. They don't reward the better player, they help to level the playing field for the less skilled player. Two were shown tonight. Copycat lets the player on the losing end of a streak inherit his killer's class and weapons load out—even if the player receiving the Deathstreak bonus hasn't yet unlocked those guns—for one life only. The other is Painkiller. It's much simpler, offering the less skilled player a short period of increased health.
Our three hours with Modern Warfare 2's multiplayer mode was both delightful and a little exhausting. There's just so much happening on-screen, all the time, a constant barrage of Challenges, kills, streaks, explosions and blood-spattered camera effects. Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily. Modern Warfare 2 keeps the intensity redlined throughout the match. But it somehow manages not to be abrasive, even with all that flaming death happening around you.
Based on the tiny shred of what was unlocked in our demo of the next Call of Duty, there's a deep well of weapons, accessories and unlockable bonus attributes that players will enjoy for a long time. The gameplay appears to be tighter than ever, the feature set more expansive than ever—even the Perks get perked. Modern Warfare 2 appears to be delivering a multiplayer experience beyond our expectations, an experience I look forward to enjoying again when the game ships on November 10th.

[Simzo]

Holy shit, that is some detailed info. Good job on putting all of that together.

[Oliv3r P]

in the time u did all that, i had a good kip

[thekillers005]

Multiplayer Factions


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Faction Name: Army Rangers
Faction Info: A military Special Forces Unit of the United States Army. The Regiment is composed of rapidly-deployable light infantry forces with specialized skills that enable them to perform a variety of special operations missions.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3450/3885350856_65bc655f6d_o.png (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2617/3766458064_631c230872_o.jpg)
Faction Name: Op For
Faction Info: An opposing enemy force

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Faction Name: Task Force 141
Faction Info: A multinational grouping of military units or forces for the performance of a specific operation or assignment.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3529/3771911679_a641dea6fc_o.png (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2550/3765663121_db558d3495_o.jpg)
Faction Name: Spetsnaz/Ultranationallist
Faction Info: Russian Army Special Forces, are the original Spetsnaz and are generally considered the best trained units of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2606/3881105793_795cb89330_o.png (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2537/3881969192_628392759a_b.jpg)
Faction Name: Militia
Faction Info: (N/A)

[thekillers005]

Equipment


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Category: Primary
Name: Frag Grenade
Inventory Count: (N/A)
Info: (N/A)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2485/3767250569_4463bd3bd7_o.png (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2596/3767150793_f4ce3acd59_o.jpg)
Category: Primary
Name: Semtex Grenade
Inventory Count: (N/A)
Info: (N/A)

Category: Primary
Name: Throwing Knives
Inventory Count: (N/A)
Info: (N/A)

Category: Primary
Name: Tactical Insertion
Inventory Count: (N/A)
Info: Choose a location to respawn

Category: Primary
Name: Blast Shield
Inventory Count: (N/A)
Info: (N/A)


__________________________________________________ _
- Special Grenades


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Category: Secondary
Name: Stun Grenade
Inventory Count: (N/A)
Info: Stuns any enemies in the blast range, impairing their vision and causing slight physical damage.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2625/3767873298_e986aacc3e_o.png (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3513/3767150827_10e0e57262_o.jpg)
Category: Secondary
Name: Smoke Grenade
Inventory Count: (N/A)
Info: Causes a thick smoke cloud in the target area, which you and your squad can use for extra cover or a diversion.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3453/3767074185_fcf972e44b_o.png (http://www.modernwarfare2.com/)
Category: Secondary
Name: Flashbang
Inventory Count: (N/A)
Info: Causes any enemies in the blast range to become blind and deaf for a few seconds.

[thekillers005]

Gun Attachments



Attachment: Red Dot Sight
Info: (N/A)

Attachment: Silencer
Info: (N/A)

Attachment: Heartbeat Sensor
Info: (N/A)

Attachment: Grenade Launcher
Info: (N/A)

Attachment: FMJ Ammo
Info: (N/A)

Attachment: Extended Magazines
Info: (N/A)
Unconfirmed Perks

[thekillers005]

Unconfirmed Perks


Perk Name: AT4 (Anti-Air)
Perk Ability: (N/A)
Perk Tier: (N/A)
Perk Upgrades: (N/A)

Perk Name: C4
Perk Ability: (N/A)
Perk Tier: (N/A)
Perk Upgrades: (N/A)

Perk Name: Riot Shield
Perk Ability: (N/A)
Perk Tier: (N/A)
Perk Upgrades: (N/A)

Perk Name: 2x Attachments
Perk Ability: 2 Attachments on weapons
Perk Tier: (N/A)
Perk Upgrades: (N/A)

Perk Name: Akimbo
Perk Ability: Dual Wield Sidearms
Perk Tier: (N/A)
Perk Upgrades: (N/A)

Perk Name: Stopping Power
Perk Ability: Increased Bullet Damage
Perk Tier: (N/A)
Perk Upgrades: (N/A)

Perk Name: Martyrdom
Perk Ability: Drops a live grenade when you die
Perk Tier: (N/A)
Perk Upgrades: (N/A)

Perk Name: Claymores
Perk Ability: (N/A)
Perk Tier: (N/A)
Perk Upgrades: (N/A)

[thekillers005]

- Gun Camouflage

- Red Tiger
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3532/3729666726_1c41e57b10_o.jpg (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2428/3766749738_27f3280cdc_o.jpg)
- Snow
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3509/3728865013_b05a0194e7_o.jpg (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3597/3765952691_3559c751dd_o.jpg)
- Digital
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2472/3729682536_8c6f9cf33e_o.jpg (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2481/3765952839_c10f4afd59_o.jpg)
- Desert
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2599/3883721812_afb793ae9c_o.png (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2513/3882934565_2149770f2e_b.jpg)
- Customizable Killstreak Rewards


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Killstreak Name: UAV Recon
Killstreak Acquired: 3 Kills
Killstreak Info: Enemy positions show up on map for limited time.

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Killstreak Name: Air Drop
Killstreak Acquired: 4 Kills
Killstreak Info: (N/A)

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Killstreak Name: Predator Missle
Killstreak Acquired: 5 Kills
Killstreak Info: (N/A)

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Killstreak Name: AC-130 Gunship
Killstreak Acquired: 11 Kills
Killstreak Info: (N/A)

Killstreak Name: Care Package
Killstreak Acquired: 4 Kills
Killstreak Info: (N/A)

Killstreak Name: Counter UAV
Killstreak Acquired: 4 Kills
Killstreak Info: (N/A)

Killstreak Name: Sentry Gun
Killstreak Acquired: 5 Kills
Killstreak Info: (N/A)

Killstreak Name: Attack Helicopter
Killstreak Acquired: 7 Kills
Killstreak Info: (N/A)

Killstreak Name: Pave Low
Killstreak Acquired: 9 Kills
Killstreak Info: (N/A)

Killstreak Name: Precision Airstrike
Killstreak Acquired: 6 Kills
Killstreak Info: (N/A)

[thekillers005]

reserved for later

[blakeydinho7]

so no gold camo in this one then?

[thekillers005]

i dont know

[thekillers005]

maybe i still dont know

[DRCL]

Why not give credit to the places you copied and pasted most if not all of the information from? :\

Either way, this got me way too excited for this game.