Saturday 12 January, 2008

Gameplay

I've been sticking with the map I played on my previous entry, and it's really becoming clear how tactics can evolve. When you play one map enough, you get a feel for the intricacies; I've found places to shoot enemies that I would have never thought of before, along with new tactics that (I think) are really clever. For instance, throwing smoke and flash grenades at the front door to make the terrorists think a rush is coming, while the rest of the team rushes in the back instead. The game is really easy to play for long periods of time because there are so many possibilities.

I've also come to be able to predict events like rushes, people hiding in corners, etc. For instance, if I open a door and get greeted with bullets, I know to close the door before a grenade comes sailing my way.

Design

I'm really starting to respect the designers when it comes to level design. They predicted events that would probably cheapen the experience, and took measures to keep it from happening. For example, since players can shoot through walls, it would be easy to figure out where enemies commonly hide and shoot through the wall to kill them, but the designers put in pillars and props to shield them.

It should also be noted the detail they put into each level. The warehouse level has a story that its a washing-machine warehouse (but it's really for money laundering), and the boxes have the company logo, name, etc. There are even stacks of money that, when you look at them, you can see the individual dollars' features.

There are, however, some glitches that players can exploit with the help of other players. If one player crouches under the main office and another player jumps on top, and both players jump simultaneously, the top player will get wedged between the floor, and can shoot their enemies up above (but not be seen). Using these glitches in most servers results in a ban from that server.

Also, since the game is internet-based, there are discrepancies in bullet timing. One player could swear he made it behind the wall but the server shows him dead a few feet from it. This is because of each player's ping, which measures how long it takes for information to go to and from the server to each computer.

Wonderful entry. Much like the game, it brings attention to little details. Not only was the social aspect of the game covered, but also design aspects, such as level design.


- David Seagal (Grader)