Modern Warfare 3 Dedicated Servers Leave Out the Leveling Up.

[Cenequus]

I guess im kinda ok with it?

Although Black Ops did get by without any form of matchmaking. The PC version was shit, and the game was shit, but the dedicated servers worked alright.

This. The only good thing was the dedicated servers and they're screwing that up too now.GeeGee

 

[UltraXan]

Of course, this doesn't surprise me. Oh well, I'm not gonna buy it anyway. Interesting to know that Activition and infinity ward are still being dicks when it comes to PC releases.

 

[Irridium]

Why can't they do what Valve does with TF2?

If servers want to be "ranked" and show up in matchmaking, have them register the servers with IW. That way when you search for games in "matchmaking" or whatever, people have a chance to drop in and rank up on your server. And those servers will be under greater scrutiny by IW.

And for those who don't want to have quickmatch, just let them pick and choose like normal.

If MW2 was any indication, Infinity Ward's matchmaking system is filled with cheaters, connection issues, and just general crap that shouldn't even be happening in the first place.

 

[deth2munkies]

I don't mind it much at all. I only mind if they do things like pull people from the ladder to invite-only tournaments or give out prizes to top ladder people, in which case it's extraordinarily annoying to not be able to play on dedicated servers because your rank goes down whenever you're playing for fun.

 

[GeorgW]

I see this as obvious, I don't see how anyone could be very upset with this news. They're not trying to prevent hacking or anything like that, I don't think they're stupid enough to think they can, they just don't want you to power-level in fixed matches.
I like that the admin can choose weapons and stuff though, so it's all good.

 

[Doom972]

Sounds like they are being lazy and making up excuses.
If their leveling system makes people able to cheat then they should fix that.
I'll stick to Team Fortress 2, where I can play on whatever server I like and still be able to unlock items without worrying about cheaters thanks to VAC.

Aren't they using Steamworks already? or is it just for installation?

As for the PC version of the game itself, who would get it? PC gaming has been getting the short end of the stick for years from this genre. (admittedly they are not missing out on much)

Steamworks doesn't mean the game uses VAC since VAC can only be used with source engine games. That doesn't mean Infinity Ward and Activision can't develop something similar.

Sounds like they are being lazy and making up excuses.
If their leveling system makes people able to cheat then they should fix that.
I'll stick to Team Fortress 2, where I can play on whatever server I like and still be able to unlock items without worrying about cheaters thanks to VAC.

Ah...hehe...yeah...our TF2 match was hacked to shreds the other night, snipers running around meleeing everyone with super speed and all-crits.

I play mostly on Israeli and sometimes German servers and I rarely encounter cheaters (maybe once every 2 months, so I don't consider it a problem). Since cheating can easily mean getting your account banned (which means not being able to play on VAC enabled servers for any game) it's really not worth it unless you just play F2P and don't have other VAC-enabled games.

 

[Awexsome]

This seems like the most logical choice. They still want the leveling system to actually mean something but even if they had a way to totally prevent illegitimate means of level hacking you still could have people running dedicated servers with legit mods or gametypes that completely uneven the leveling field whether purposefully or on accident.

Console players don't get to level up in their own private matches so this is the same thing.

 

[Comando96]

This requires an image.

This is a step forward... they aren't there yet by a long shot... but... a step forward none the less....

 

[ASnogarD]

Still a stupid move to pull anyways, especially when Activision so proudly announced a dedicated anti cheat team to combat cheating, now they show no faith in that team with this move.

I am willing to bet there will still be a plethora of cheats and hacks available for the ranked games, so all this does is cause more annoyance with no real gains.

... and here I thought Activision was changing its tune regarding PC gaming, guess I must be tone deaf 'coz I dont hear nuthin' now.

 

[Saw767]

After EA and Activision decided to go to war with each other with these war games (ok, EA decided to go to war, Activision was just being, well, Activision) you would think that they would try and not do anything to piss their players off.

With EA making Battlefield 3 require Origin and this news of MW3 changing the dedicated server system that had utilized in the beginning, it shows once again that they are showing system favoritism.

As you may have guessed, I am a PC user, so this issue is not new to me, it just continues to surprise me when it keeps happening. Ubisoft keeps delaying the pc version of their games, I dont know why making a good port is such a hard thing to fit into a schedule. The pc doesnt get as much support, such as denying DLC and not making patches across developers and publishers.

In closing, I have to say I am disappointed at this news, and am glad that I decided to give Battlefield 3 my time instead of CoD again. Tomorrow will be fun, and I'll look at CoD again next year when another one comes out...

So let's see who wins the "nominations", one for most sold FPS this year, the other for the most douchery, and there can only be one winner for these awards...

 

[SyphonX]

As much money that Activision makes off of this franchise... you would think it's a no-brainer to have dedicated servers. But no. A few billion is not nearly enough.

 

[ViciousTide]

They are just cheap, and they are charging you more for MW3 than any other Game in history. Gone are the days that games are $60 +$40 in DLC, now it's gonna be $60 upfront, Plus a monthy subscription of $15, for non dedicated servers, and the same game engine as the last game, just different skins, weapons, and maps per month. It's Bullshit, and they are shitting on the poor gamers of the recession, just like the banks are doing!

Before you know it your $500 500GB HDD for your console will be filled from them being to cheap to make discs anymore...good luck with the greedy controlled by Wallstreet console Game Industry Then!

 

[Mumorpuger]

I'd like to know what idiot at infinity ward looked at all those people boycotting MW2 for it's lack of dedicated servers and said "You know what? Those guys that like dedicated servers? let's shit on them again!"

Seriously, what is it with game developers and restricting the player's freedom. It's been happening more and more recently.

Well part of the problem is the majority of "boycotters" were caught playing MW2 on launch day, completely taking any sort of legitamacy they had and crapping all over it.

I'm sure that the folks at IW who made these decisions know that something like this will have no bearing on who buys their product, even if the consumer swears vehemently he's not going to because of it.

Jim did a show on the Jimquistion on why "boycott" needs to stop being used by gamers; [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition/3857-BOYCOTT] They don't have the backbone to stick by their convictions.

 

[Braedan]

I see this as a good thing. It removes most of what i hate about cod multiplayer. No bullshit level grinding, no advantages to the better players, just for the hell of it. Now all i gotta do is find one of these servers with no kill streaks aloud and i'm goooood.

 

[coolguy5678]

I've never played a CoD game online and probably never will, but I see this as an improvement over dedicated servers with the level system. The server admin can just enable everything for everyone, and you have an even playing field, regardless of how long players have been playing the game for. In exchange, you lose out on a silly Skinner box, which I see as a plus, anyway. But apparently some members of the fanbase don't see it this way, as evidenced by this post on the official community site:

wow.... can't level up on dedicated servers? what the HELL was the point in bringing them back?

Because the only reason anyone plays CoD is to level up, right? Not because it's, you know, fun, or anything.

 

[Frostbite3789]

so PC players wanting to level up are going to have to choose between experience points and a superior playing experience

This comment is biased and unprofessional, who are you to make this call - its totally subjective and will vary with the player. I personally found the omission of dedicateds in mw2 made it a much more focused and balanced experience with less faffing about. I hated the idea initially untill I actually played the game and found it was better this way

I'm glad I have the option to browse servers, but I like to know every game I play will have consistent rules decided by the dev, not some squeaky voiced elitist admin who bans claymores cause they are 'teh n00bz'...

I just wanna turn on the game and jump straight into a match - I may be a minority in this opinion but at least it's my own opinion

I loved being tied to a host who if they left could completely destroy the game.

I loved being able to select where I wanted to play based on ping and not randomly matched up with people, where everyone's ping was stupid amounts of erratic.

Did I say love? I really mean I thought it was an abhorrent system and didn't even deter hackers. So, what was it's purpose?

 

[Korten12]

Steamworks doesn't mean the game uses VAC since VAC can only be used with source engine games. That doesn't mean Infinity Ward and Activision can't develop something similar.

They're using VAC.

I don't really understand how this prevents cheating or hacking. If anything, there is little or no anti-cheat on P2P connection. But then again, I'm no expert on security. I only know that hacking on a dedicated server becomes hard as they update things like punkbuster to compensate for new hacking techniques. Well, not that I thought it wouldn't be, but having a system that is a shit idea for a game that will most likely be the same as the last seems like a poor idea.

On the cheating part, it doesn't allow for boosters. See, in MW3 as many sites tend to leave out is that Dedicated Servers are free. Simply download a program and the server with all your rules will be up. Now if you could make this ranked, people would make servers for boosting.

 

[MajorDolphin]

They are just cheap, and they are charging you more for MW3 than any other Game in history. Gone are the days that games are $60 +$40 in DLC, now it's gonna be $60 upfront, Plus a monthy subscription of $15, for non dedicated servers, and the same game engine as the last game, just different skins, weapons, and maps per month. It's Bullshit, and they are shitting on the poor gamers of the recession, just like the banks are doing!

Before you know it your $500 500GB HDD for your console will be filled from them being to cheap to make discs anymore...good luck with the greedy controlled by Wallstreet console Game Industry Then!

Ouch, who would pay 500 bucks for half a TB? Just saying.

I agree with the rest of your post though. It seems like the great culling of gamer's wallets has finally begun. They are literally pumping us dry and every area of the gaming industry is taking us down the same path. We really ought to pay more attention to the boring gaming conventions. You know, the ones without all the booths of half naked chicks and flashing lights.

 

[Doom972]

Steamworks doesn't mean the game uses VAC since VAC can only be used with source engine games. That doesn't mean Infinity Ward and Activision can't develop something similar.

They're using VAC.

I don't really understand how this prevents cheating or hacking. If anything, there is little or no anti-cheat on P2P connection. But then again, I'm no expert on security. I only know that hacking on a dedicated server becomes hard as they update things like punkbuster to compensate for new hacking techniques. Well, not that I thought it wouldn't be, but having a system that is a shit idea for a game that will most likely be the same as the last seems like a poor idea.

On the cheating part, it doesn't allow for boosters. See, in MW3 as many sites tend to leave out is that Dedicated Servers are free. Simply download a program and the server with all your rules will be up. Now if you could make this ranked, people would make servers for boosting.

I missed the fact that the game will use VAC. Thanks.

Boosting isn't cheating. If someone wants to unlock things faster and not enjoy achieving it gradually that's his business. If by leveling faster you become too strong then it's the leveling system that's flawed, not the servers.