Modern Warfare 2 Preview

[DoctorFinger]

Click to see the insanely hi-res original

Activision brought a build of Modern Warfare 2 to New York City yesterday...and I wasn't invited to the party. *sniff* Joking aside, the sections of the game shown at the preview were expanded versions of the ones seen at E3 and in the debut video: the snowbound Cliffhanger level, complete with snowmobile races. There was apparently one thing missing from the level: the widely derided infinite enemy spawns.

But what was happening in the level we were shown from the new game was different, the IW guys explained. Absent from that level — and from the game — are the infinite enemy spawn points that were criticized in Modern Warfare. Bowling said the new game's enemies have "dynamic AI," meaning that they are designed to act more independently of what the designers map out. He said a player could expect them to be more sensitive to gamer behavior, going beyond the flanking and cover strategies of the enemies in the first game to break their patrol routes, or take to roofs. They're smarter. And they will adapt enough that a Modern Warfare 2 player won't be able to rely on the enemies being in the same places and doing the same things each time they play a level.

While the Infinity Ward crew was not showing off the game's multiplayer modes, they did talk a little about the co-op Special Forces Mode. Rather than make the campaign co-op, which the developers say would have detracted from the greater experience, they took levels and sections of levels and "remixed" them into co-op scenarios. Special Forces Mode itself will last about as long as the single player campaign.

Modern Warfare 2 is set for a November 10 release on the PS3, 360 and PC.

Source - Kotaku.

[Mortis]

Very happy to hear the infinite spawns are gone.

[National Kato]

Are the AI grenades still magnetic?

[Goronmon]

Originally Posted by National Kato

Are the AI grenades still magnetic?

The AI grenades on Veteran in CoD4 were heat-seeking and also seemed to have the ability to phase in and out of reality to pass through solid objects in their goal to land at your feet in groups of 3+.

[National Kato]

They were like clusters of sweet grapes, only the sweetness was piercing death and dismemberment.

[fishinBULL]

Originally Posted by national kato

they were like clusters of sweet grapes, only the sweetness was piercing death and dismemberment.

qft


................

[Dukefrukem]

What is this infinite spawns they're talking about? I don't remember this complaint.

[Kielaran]

Originally Posted by Dukefrukem

What is this infinite spawns they're talking about? I don't remember this complaint.

In many areas of the COD games, there is a 'monster closet' where if you held your position, enemies would spawn infinitely. To stop this, there was an 'invisible wall,' which, once crossed, would close the monster closet.

TBH I liked the veteran mode of the COD games. It was very hard, but beatable, given you had the patience to keep trying.

[jpublic]

Originally Posted by Dukefrukem

What is this infinite spawns they're talking about? I don't remember this complaint.

There's a couple areas (that TV studio comes to mind) where the enemies would keep coming in never-ending waves until the player gets to the objective. No letting your AI allies clear out the enemies for you, while you hide under cover.

[cp#]

Originally Posted by Kielaran

In many areas of the COD games, there is a 'monster closet' where if you held your position, enemies would spawn infinitely. To stop this, there was an 'invisible wall,' which, once crossed, would close the monster closet.

TBH I liked the veteran mode of the COD games. It was very hard, but beatable, given you had the patience to keep trying.

I was always yelling at my roommate: RUN! JUST RUN!

[DoctorFinger]

Originally Posted by Kielaran

TBH I liked the veteran mode of the COD games. It was very hard, but beatable, given you had the patience to keep trying.

You're also a borderline professional at FPS'. Us mere mortals get our asses kicked too badly.

[KidCactus]

Originally Posted by jpublic

There's a couple areas (that TV studio comes to mind) where the enemies would keep coming in never-ending waves until the player gets to the objective. No letting your AI allies clear out the enemies for you, while you hide under cover.

Couple of areas? I'd say every single area with several enemies were like that.

[Goronmon]

Originally Posted by KidCactus

Couple of areas? I'd say every single area with several enemies were like that.

This.

You just get so used to always trying to move forward that you don't notice them as much after a while. That is, until you reach a particularly difficult part.

[crazyD]

Originally Posted by jpublic

There's a couple areas (that TV studio comes to mind) where the enemies would keep coming in never-ending waves until the player gets to the objective. No letting your AI allies clear out the enemies for you, while you hide under cover.

Couple areas? Pretty much the entire game revolved around infinite spawns.

EDIT: TOO SLOW

[Inspector Fowler]

I prefer the sometimes literal monster closets of L4D.

I actually didn't get far enough in CoD4 to notice this. Every time I started it up with the intent of playing single player, I'd think, "But I could be playing multiplayer!" and I never got to it.

[Narradisall]

Dynamic AI?

This isn't a COD complaint, but just an AI in general one. I haven't played a game in the last few years where I've noticed much of a jump in AI, yet every game seems to laud that they have made some amazing AI jump that makes the AI act like a real human opponent. None have delivered so far imo.

[DoctorFinger]

I actually thought Gears of War had pretty good enemy AI, but you're right about too many companies touting incremental changes quantum leaps.

[National Kato]

I second the good Doc's comment on Gears 2 AI...I also thought the AI in Far Cry 2 was good.

[Vigil80]

My favorite thing about Far Cry 2 enemies was the way their behavior changed as you gained rep. They'd start blubbering and panicking, and backing off instead of rushing you.

Why are they being so tight-lipped about MW2 multi? They have to know it's the part most people are really concerned about. Are they building suspense? Waiting to talk about it until they know they've got a final feature list?

[Whunpo]

I definitely wasn't a fan of CoD4's AI. If a shooter wants to be realistic, it should focus on fewer, tougher enemies, rather than mowing down hundreds of enemies who just attempt to overwhelm you. Unfortunately, my guess is that it's a lot easier to program the hordes of basic, grenade throwing AI rather than the few realistic enemies.