On the surface, any Call of Duty game is plain, simple, and straightforward. Don't read this as a criticism, however, we're just saying, they are all linear, visually striking (generally), entertaining, easily digestible shooters on rails for all those of us who just want to shoot something for hours on end with little in the way of consequences. Activision, Treyarch, Infinity Ward, and Sledgehammer have a good thing going in this franchise. While none of the games are ever perfect, they do what they're meant to do.
While the campaigns have, for the most part, always been somewhere between pretty good and unbelievable (with a notable exception, Ghosts, which tried to do a lot but did it all poorly), multiplayer is the reason many fans keep coming back to the series no matter what. Multiplayer not only adds a social aspect to gameplay, but also offers a far greater and more lasting challenge than the single player option. With that said, however, coupled with that great competition is the fact that you're no longer up against the computer, rather you're squared off against other people who may well be as smart, or smarter than you. Scary thought, right?
With all this in mind, there are numerous aspects to multiplayer that make it absurdly difficult to get an advantage over your competition. You're selecting weapons, perks, explosives, and special weapons, and, of course, your own style of play. With all these variables, many players who consider themselves to be real veterans are actually practicing atrocious habits. Here are twenty things that many CoD players do that are actually completely wrong, we expect nothing less than rage and death threats in the comments section.
20 Compulsive Reloading Without Slight Of Hand
If you're an avid Call of Duty player, there is a good chance you spend an abundant chunk of your life clicking the "reload" button. In real life, when you want to reload a weapon, it means either getting rid of an empty magazine in favor of a full one or swapping a full one for a partially emptied one, to be used at some point later. CoD doesn't have this problem, making reloading after firing three to five (or even one) shot. It can get ridiculous, and it can also cause headaches for a player. Compulsively reloading any firearm can take a couple of seconds, and unless you're entirely hidden, doing so after every time you discharge rounds from your weapon can result in getting killed. In many cases, engagements between players do not warrant more than ten bullets to conclude, so maximizing reloads instead of maintaining movement and awareness can be a problem. Of course, using the Slight of Hand perk is a way to circumvent this, if you can't get enough of the reload animation.
19 Getting Used To One Weapon
We've all been there, you start using a new weapon you've unlocked, and all of a sudden it's your best friend, and you want to get a real life version with which to cuddle while you sleep. This isn't something that every player does, but many do find a weapon that they like and just use it for all maps and in all situations. For this writer, it was the ACR in Modern Warfare 2. There are two reasons to master as many weapons as possible rather than just becoming a surgeon with one. First off, you get points and complete challenges for getting kills with different weapons, so sticking to one is going to sabotage your leveling. Second, different weapons force you to play the game differently and develop different skills, which makes anyone a more well-rounded player.
18 Getting Used To One Class
This point builds upon the previous. While no two players play these games exactly alike, there are some broad, umbrella terms there for different styles of player. You can camp, rush, operate with some hybrid of the two methods. Then there are those who just quietly skulk around the perimeter of maps picking people off as they see them, whatever those heartless freaks are called. There are sniping enthusiasts, machine gunners, and, of course, those brave souls who just sprint around knifing people. But at the end of the day, not one of these styles works in all situations, for all game modes and on all maps. You can get good at one and have quite a bit of fun, but to be an asset to your team no matter what, you'll need to be able to rock out as any of these playing styles.
17 "No Russian" - You Might Be Doing It Wrong
If you had no problem gunning down dozens of unarmed civilians in this controversial level, by all means, disregard this point.
We had to throw this one from the Modern Warfare 2 campaign in here because the scene got so much negative press. There are several ways to avoid this highly divisive (but pretty tame, seeing as it's a video game) mission. Obviously, there is more than one prompt that allows you to simply skip the level altogether. But if you're not the type to do that and miss out for the sake of the story, nobody actually forces you to fire a shot during the "No Russian" assault on the airport. Think about it, when Makarov and the boys lower their weapons and start mowing people down, you have the option to just slowly walk along with them and enjoy the fun. They won't say a thing, and the only time it will be advantageous to start firing is when the real opposition (the cops with riot gear) show up.
16 Wasting Grenades
We understand how satisfying it can be to Hail-Mary a frag grenade at the start of a match and get a laugh when it blows up some hapless, unsuspecting loser on the other team, but it's a low percentage choice and unless you have a perk that allows you to pick up dead players' gear, you're down a key tool for the rest of that life. The same can be said of chucking one of your other grenades (flashbangs, etc) without there being a specific target you want to disorient; chances are it'll do nothing and just rob you of a tool you could use later when you're engaging an enemy. We'll admit, there are some small maps in every game that warrant a strategic frag-toss at the start of a match, but for the most part, save them until you need them.
15 Cook 'Em Up
If, when you're tossing a frag, you're hitting the button (pressing the key, whatever) and then letting it go immediately, you're doing it wrong and wasting your grenade. It can be a nerve-wracking task to "cook" a grenade, because if you do this for too long it's going to blow you up. If you're paying any attention whatsoever, it should only take once for this to happen to learn your lesson. Cooking 'nades is one of those skills that may take some time to learn, and a ton to master, but it is definitely worth it, because throwing a grenade without holding on for at least a second is just inviting it to get thrown back in your direction. Cooking your frags is an art form that many Call of Duty players neglect, when they should be embracing it and mastering it.
14 Not Working As A Team
This is a tough one, because we don't all have friends we can game with whenever we want. There are, however, numerous ways to practice some kind of teamwork on the virtual battlefield. If you see a friendly sniper getting set up, it may be possible (on many maps anyway) to flush people into his line of sight, and this may end up a better strategy than trying to take these enemies on by yourself. Similarly, if you happen to be teamed up with a gifted rusher who generally gets the first kill, following him is never the worst idea, because we all know that the only thing tougher to deal with than a talented and aggressive player is two of them. Teamwork is even more important in game modes that aren't team deathmatch.
13 Overusing Sprinting
Sprinting is an important part of any Call of Duty game. If you're playing the single player campaign, you're certainly going to need to use this function from time to time, and in multiplayer there are some points on every map where it will be necessary. Crossing roads or open spaces is best done with the sprint button down, and getting yourself close to the action (as long as you know nobody is behind you or flanking) after spawning are good times to run fast. Unfortunately, if you're anywhere close to the action, take it slow. Too many players love to sprint every chance they get and end up taking corners too fast while still going full speed, guaranteeing the enemy, who are moving along at a slower pace, gets the first few shots off. If there are enemies nearby or you think there might be, slow it down and pay attention rather than just charging ahead like a buffoon.
12 Not Paying Attention To Controller Settings
This isn't something that many people actually think of, but having your controller tuned properly for your style of play is incredibly important and often completely overlooked. For most of these games (and many games, in general, these days) players are allowed to assign buttons as they see fit. Because everyone plays a little bit differently, this customization can be the difference between a complicated gaming experience and an efficient, streamlined one. If you're trying to play these games with any competitive edge whatsoever, play around with the controller, try different button configurations, see whether you like the Y-axis inverted, and possibly most importantly, fiddle with the look sensitivity if you're having trouble with aiming.
11 Not Having Anti-Air Capability
One of the most annoying things that can happen while playing Call of Duty is that someone on the other team gets on a roll, gets an airborne killstreak/pointstreak/scorestreak, and all of a sudden your entire team is wondering, "where's the guy with the anti-aircraft capability." Well, we hate to break it to you, but if you want something done, you should do it yourself, and that includes taking out enemy aircraft in Call of Duty games. Regardless of what game you're playing, there is an opportunity to have a class/loadout that will enable you to take out airborne enemy vehicles. As we all know, not bothering with this can be the difference between a win and a loss in any given match.
10 Not Knowing "Cover" VS "Concealment"
This is a real-world tip that has a great deal of importance to any Call of Duty user. One of the most important lessons anyone learning to handle firearms for personal defense can ever learn is this difference. In summation, cover is something between you and the other shooter that will stop their bullets. Concealment is any barrier that makes you difficult to see, but will not stop any rounds. It's the difference between a concrete barrier and a couch. The barrier will be effective, the couch will do nothing. Getting some good familiarity with what obstacles and objects in various multiplayer maps, regardless of which game you're playing, is necessary, and many players have absolutely no idea which materials and buildings offer concealment and which offer actual cover.
9 Bunching Up
Earlier we mentioned that a decent strategy for teamwork in online play is to rush in pairs. Don't confuse this with bunching up, having your characters hold hands and burst into rooms two at a time through the same doorway like the Three Stooges. Whether you're rushing, camping, or any game plan in between, bunching up is the quickest way to look like a couple of fools and hand your adversaries some double-kill bonuses. Hunkering down to snipe in the same room or area as another sniper is a sure fire way to get both of you mangled, whether it be someone who catches on to your tactics and lobs a grenade, or someone who finds a way around behind you and wastes both of you. In summation, playing as a team doesn't mean being less than a foot from each other at all times. Spread it out.
8 Sniping From Windows
Don't misunderstand us on this one; in many cases, a window will be your only choice in terms of a vantage point from which to snipe. But there is a way to do it and many players, most of them either new or just seasoned yet clueless veterans who don't snipe often, aren't doing it well. Ideally, if there are pieces of wall missing, something to obstruct what is behind, that is the best bet, but if that isn't available, standing back from a window will do wonders, compared to standing close to it. This should go without saying, but standing close to windows not only gives the player better visibility of the battlefield, but it also gives the battlefield and all enemies within, a great view of the sniper. Remember the lesson learned in Enemy at the Gates, what sniper in his right mind snipes from a window?
7 Misusing Weapons
We'll go at this point from a different angle. While many of our entries on this list are detailing things players do wrong that may negatively impact their kill/death ratio, this one will focus on people who misuse weapons but may well do it in such a way that benefits them. The two most simple examples are rushing with sniper rifles (QuickScoping) and camping with assault rifles. While these techniques do work, although actually learning to QuickScope can be quite hard unless you're already an elite player (and of course, the developers have tried to get rid of the practice altogether), both of them are examples of using the weapons in a way for which they were not designed. Is knowing this going to stop people from doing? Of course not...moving on.
6 Not Moving After A Kill
This is a quick note about camping, and while nothing is more irritating than a skilled camper, it is a way people play the game and it isn't going away. To look at it another way, campers are called snipers in real life and they play a necessary role in any modern military. Anyway, moving on, the best way to actually camp isn't just to find a single spot and settle down there, hoping for a few kills, a better choice is to have multiple hidey-holes and to run from one to another every time you make a kill. Building on this point, once you're in your new position, take a look back at your old one in case a previous kill shows up trying to settle the score. This stuff is pretty simple, right? Well, it should be, but evidently, plenty of people still haven't picked up on some of these "finer points" of gameplay.
5 Only Playing TDM
Team Deathmatch is the vanilla ice cream of Call of Duty. We all know it, it's hard not to like it, and it's simple, and a popular choice for most people. With that said, with all the other flavors out there, why stick to vanilla? In any game in this series, there are other gaming formats that may not be as simple as Team Deathmatch, but that will make you a better player. Whether it's Domination, Search and Destroy, Capture the Flag, or one of the numerous others, having to focus on these other objectives rather than just "kill everything" puts your brain out of its element and will make you a better player over time. Even competitions such as Gun Game can be highly useful for forcing you to learn new and unfamiliar weapons.
4 Not Communicating
This isn't necessarily for everyone, and if you're a casual player, rocking the headset and and actually trying to coordinate with teammates may be more of a headache than just going solo. But if you're serious about this franchise and want to make the most of your experience, joining a clan might be a decent idea, and learning the finer points of headset communication might be just what you need to take your game to the next level. In Team Deathmatch, letting other players know about snipers, campers, and anyone who might be on a streak is a great use for a headset, and in other game modes, coordination when going after objectives is even more important. It is the difference between playing well and dominating your opposition.
3 Going For Kills Rather Than Objectives
A couple of entries ago we discussed how important it can be to play game modes that aren't Team Deathmatch. We'd now like to build on that idea. When you do play those other game modes that are not TDM, there is always the temptation to just show up and try to waste the other team the whole time. Here's the problem, if everyone has the same idea, and just tears around the map trying to cause mayhem and death, nobody is going to bother with the objective. If you're so obsessed with your kill/death ratio that you won't put that aside to pay attention to an objective, you may as well stick to TDM. But, for the real competitors, you generally get not only extra challenge points, but also valuable experience for putting the killing urge aside and focusing on actually winning matches.
2 Maximum Perk Strategy
The selection process regarding perks is an important one and just picking and choosing without coordinating a game-plan is one of the worst things a player can do, and wastes what can actually be accomplished with an effective perk selection. To make this point we'll use one of the greatest examples from a game that is old, but one of the absolute gems of this series. Modern Warfare 2 featured a perk combo that made many of our lives a living hell. It was none other than the Marathon, Lightweight, and Commando trio. Marathon allowed players to run indefinitely, Lightweight was quicker movement, and commando increased the radius of a knife swing. These three perks, when used together, were devastating, and excruciatingly annoying. Here's the thing, other perks work together in much the same way; figure them out, and build a game plan around them. Most players don't bother but they really should.
1 Expecting Gameplay To Change Year To Year
If you're offended by this being the final point of this article, first off, you're easily offended. Secondly, you might just be one of the thoughtless cretins who shows up year after year expecting meaningful change in the Call of Duty franchise and then complaining online that they keep putting out the same game every year. To be clear, we aren't saying this to knock the franchise: the developers do one thing, and they do it very well. Every year they come out with a new shooter on rails, with a slightly different story, some new characters, and some marginal changes in certain gameplay elements. Let's say it again, whether it's Treyarch, Infinity Ward, or Sledgehammer, they do a good job.
Think of it this way, Laphroaig is a distillery that makes amazing, smokey Scotch whiskey. If they tried to shake things up and make apple cider, the result may not be so great. In much the same way, we can't fault the businesses behind Call of Duty for sticking to what they know and what they do well. But if you're expecting the upcoming WWII to be a major change or improvement on previous titles, it will be another well-designed, highly marketable, and ultimately entertaining game that most people will quietly enjoy, while others will type in capital letters on the internet to show their hatred and frustration.