Surviving in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare’s online multiplayer isn’t just a matter of skill, or how quick you can pull the trigger. It’s all about being at the right place at the right time. To do that, one should be familiar with the maps. If you’re having trouble remembering things, then at least you should know the difference between a good hiding place and a deathtrap.

The video above provides some good hiding tips. Of course, there are just too many crevices in Call of Duty 4 to mention. Bottom line, it’s all about making sure that no one would be able to sneak up from behind. The best hiding places provide impeccable cover from the rear. At the same time, the spot isn’t isolated from passers-by as well, since it’s useless to just hide and not score any kills.

Of course, if your Call of Duty 4 skills are nonexistent like mine are when using a controller, then that great camping site hiding place you just found useless.

Post from: EveryJoe

Clip shows suitable hiding places in Call of Duty 4 multiplayer

YouTube is home to the oddest videos this side of the Internet. The above clip for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is just one of those oddities. Why is it odd? Because the FNG mission that you get to watch isn’t the same one you’ll experience when you play the game.

Digging deeper, I found out from Fourzerotwo’s blog that the video was made by Qrysalis, a PC modder from Japan. Apparently, the modder has found and reconstructed the files from Infinity Ward’s original training missions for Call of Duty 4. According to Fourzerotwo, Infinity Ward decided to make the FNG training shorter in the final version of the FPS.

What’s interesting is the modder’s land of origin. Japan, as we know, is console gaming country. FPS isn’t exactly the game of choice there, at least not as much as Monster Hunter or Pokémon. Kudos to Qrysalis for going against the local flow and bringing out the “original” FNG training for CoD4. I just hope that bit about Brokeback snipers and Hot Coffee moments were in jest.

Then again, some YouTube user just might make that fear a reality. Goosepimples, man.

Post from: EveryJoe

Modder unlocks original Call of Duty 4 training mission

Getting impatient in leveling up your online persona at Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare? Then maybe this news would interest you: there’s going to be a double XP weekend this coming September 13th to 14th. For the uninitiated, this means you get double the number of experience for your solider, making leveling up quicker than usual.

When you level up faster, you get to unlock more goodies such as new multiplayer modes, perks, weapons, and challenges. If you’re working on your Prestige mode, then the wait won’t be as long.

So what’s the catch? According to Infinity Ward communications director Robert Bowling (aka Fourzerotwo), there’s an upcoming Xbox Live/PSN promotion that would coincide with the Call of Duty 4 double XP weekend.

Interestingly, Bowling used the term “gut feeling” when referring to the certainty of the double XP weekend. That means he’s not sure yet. Still, the IW insider thinks the event is imminent.

Image for Call of Duty 4: Modern Combat is courtesy of Activision.

Post from: EveryJoe

Fourzerotwo: Call of Duty 4 is getting double XP weekend, I think

According to Infinity Ward director of communications Robert Bowling (aka Fourzerotwo), Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare’s online multiplayer community is 10 million strong. This figure corresponds to the sum of Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 players. Unfortunately, Bowling made no mention of CoD4’s PC community and its contribution to the overall total.

10 million players? That’s insane. In case you read the title wrong, I’m referring to CoD4, not World of Warcraft.

Bowling added that Infinity Ward is working on some new multiplayer playlists to “breathe even more life into multiplayer,” on top of a few other things that he “can’t talk about just yet.” As to what Bowling can’t talk about, we can only speculate. I hope it’s a new Infinity Ward-developed Call of Duty. In space.

Image for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is courtesy of Activision.

Post from: EveryJoe

Call of Duty 4 online muliplayer is 10 million strong

Have you ever scratched your head in wonder how Gaz, one of Soap MacTavish’s squad mates in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, completed the CQB test (i.e. cargo ship training level) in 19 seconds? Well, wonder no more because you get to see just how in the video.

Some notable tricks used in the clip:

• The player’s first shot hit two targets at once (0:11). This was done by moving towards the ship’s entrance and waiting until the targets are aligned.
• Flashbang grenades were primed before arriving at the corresponding doorway. This would save precious seconds.

Strangely, despite the error with the first flashbang, the player in the video used up at 15 seconds, beating the game’s record. Note that the game would recommend the Veteran difficulty when Gaz’s record is beaten. Then again, if you’re good enough to go through the course in less than 19 seconds, then Veteran should be a piece of cake.

Post from: EveryJoe

How To’s: Beat the Call of Duty 4 training record

Remember the first video tutorial for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare that I showed? Well, we have the second part right here. This time, the maps tackled are Bog and Bloc. I don’t think this batch is as good as the first one, but it still provides good insight on the levels nonetheless.

Post from: EveryJoe

Call of Duty 4 multiplayer tips for surviving Bog and Bloc

Speaking of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, I’ve again finished its single player campaign and remembered that its’ ending is similar to Resistance: Fall of Man–it’s as abrupt and unsatisfying.

Perhaps it should be made clear to developers that credits aren’t part of a game’s ending.

The short ending is a shame, considering that the single player story is excellent. What I don’t get is why Infinity Ward didn’t put in just a little more effort to flesh out the campaign’s closing moments.

How about a little background on Soap MacTavish? Better yet, some more details on the aftermath of the events would give us a better sense of closure. This might actually be necessary considering that everything ended abruptly.

I don’t even get what that mid-air VIP rescue meant. One of the teammates sound suspiciously like Captain Price, which begs the question: who are the characters that survived?

Any theories?

Image for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is courtesy of Activision.

Post from: EveryJoe

Call of Duty 4 ending is short and vague

Yes, it’s a long tutorial video for Call of Duty 4, I know. But you know what? The tips enumerated here are very useful and easy to understand. Instead of merely reading walkthroughs and being in the mercy of a tipster’s writing capabilities, a video like the one embedded above gives you a good picture on what to do in certain situations that no Pulitzer-Prize-winning author can improve on.

Post from: EveryJoe

Watch multiplayer tips for Call of Duty 4

I’m terrible at shooters when using two analog sticks. This is why I resort to using the FragFX, a special PlayStation 3 controller that lets me play console FPSes with mouse-like precision. In theory, it’s supposed to be great. Application however, is another story.

My FragFX never really gave me that PC shooter feel. Granted that it could never really replace a mouse and keyboard, but the controls have generally been iffy. When I press R1 to fire, the action for the triangle button is inexplicably activated as well–even if my thumb was nowhere close to it.

This was when I decided to look to firmware upgrades for answers.

According to the FragFX site, the latest downloadable upgrade is said to address the problem of other buttons “bleeding” into each other. The download was over in no time, but the upgrade process was quite a head scratcher.

The readme instructed that the upgrade files should be decompressed into a folder with a specific name. Fine. It also says that the original FragFX driver should be deleted, and that I should use the one included in the download. Let me tell you—it’s not as simple as it sounds.

When all the hairy stuff was done, I plugged in the controller and ran the upgrade program. Inexplicably, an error popped up and it persisted even if I’ve checked the connections several times. I unplugged the FragFX and tried again. Still no dice.

I went back to the readme for options and here’s what I gleaned: either I contact SplitFish support, or I try upgrading the firmware in another PC.

I was in no mood to email support and list down the system specifications of my PC, including the brand of each part. Luckily, my brother has a rig of his own so I tried upgrading it there. For some strange reason, the upgrade worked in another PC but not in mine. When I tried out the controller, the “bleeding” is gone. For the first time, playing console shooters feel more PC-like without the annoying button malfunction.

Watch out Call of Duty 4, here I come.

Image of FragFX is courtesy of SplitFish.

Post from: EveryJoe

FragFX firmware is a pain to update

Why does PC gaming rock? Because you get your downloadable content for free. According to Infinity Ward community manager Robert Bowling at IAMfourzerotwo, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare’s Variety map pack is being sponsored by graphics card maker Nvidia. The free DLC will be available for keyboard/mouse jockeys on June 5th.

Variety will include the following maps: Broadcast, Chinatown, Killhouse, and Creek. Bowling added that the 1.6 patch for the PC version of CoD4 would also be coming out the same day. Among other things, the patch will:

• Add support for the new Variety maps; and
• Fix a server crash exploit recently reported by the CoD4 community;

I find it funny that the cheaper version of Call of Duty 4 is getting its DLC for free, while the more expensive console counterparts have to cough up some cash just to get the new maps.

Image for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is courtesy of Activision.

Post from: EveryJoe

Call of Duty 4 DLC to hit PCs for free