Call of Duty: Black Ops – Escalation Map Pack 2
Today as we enter the dojo of entertainment let us sharpen our minds and hone our skills in the First Person Shooter. Call of Duty: Black Ops has recently released a new set of maps under the Escalation title. Four to be exact: Convoy, Hotel, Stockpile, and Zoo. Each map having its own unique advantages for certain type of players. Let us begin…
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| Convoy |
Convoy
Convoy is a reminds me of scene in those hitcher movies of to one side you have the old $2 inn with a diner and gas station and the other there’s a crate yard. Convoy is one of those places your passing through to get to where you really want to go. Under the bridge of the main highway there is a large ruin area where the bridge gave out and fell apart right below. On either side of the bridge there are walking over passes one that has been completed and the other under construction.
Convoy is a map that is known for it’s legnth. a long map with two levels. Look out for snipers here, as there are plenty of points over the long map that provide a great vantage point for skilled snipers. My advice here us a good multipurpose assault rifle here. Steady accuracy, long range, and lots of ammo will come in handy on this map. You can attempt to use a submachine gun if you like, but I personally feel they are useless in team deathmatch (however they may prove to be useful in Capture the Flag). Key Point of interest (KPOI): the gas station. Light those gas pumps up with some heavy fire and watch the competition get toasty.
Hotel
Hotel’s name is pretty self explanitory. It takes place in a luxury hotel. There are changing rooms for the pool at the center of the map. The pool itself has a bar in the center of it (:-] hehe). On one side of the hotel the ground floor has a casino, while the other side has more suites. Both sides othe hotel have three stories and elevators that are useable during gameplay (good and bad). Both top floors have large windows over looking the main pool area.
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| Hotel |
Probably one of my favorite maps out of the pack (might have something to do with 32 kills and 5 deaths round I played… maybe ;-]). It is a great all around map. Use a shotgun; use a submachine gun; or use a sniper rifle… Use ANYTHING! It all works here. Great vantage points for sniping and enough corners and rooms for an all out balls-to-the-wall Rambo method (i.e. My method hehe :-]). There are also enough places that wrap around others and routes that provide hidden paths for the FPS (First Person Shooter) ninjas out there. There’s a little bit here for everyone on this map. KPOI: the elevators. These elevators can allow fast travel between floors, but it also makes you a sitting duck. So be careful and plan accordingly.
Stockpile
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| Stockpile |
Stockpile reminds me of an industrial town. It’s expansive and there’s a thick blanket of snow on everything. Each building on the map is unique for different reasons. Whether it be the layout or the inclusion of large metal doors that you open by using buttons. Also there is an abandoned train house on one side of the map that allows for a great place of cover as you take on snipers in the windows and balconies across that side of the map. This map is probably “camping” friendly. Overall, Stockpile is a very large map that does keep things balance, but here i have more of a preference for long distance guns with the hardened perk here. There are too many things the enemy can hide behind on this map, so its best to have that extra power from the Hardened (FMJ) perk. KPOI: the factory doors. These doors are throughout the map. They will draw a lot of attention to you if you open and there is a risk involved. when you open the doors there is a possibility that they can come back down on you, and at that point you’re done.
That’s right! This map is a zoo. If you’ve played Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, then this map will remind you a lot of amusement park. Twists and turns, hidden passageways, and pocketed areas litter this map. I would advise use of a mid to low range weapon that is light in weight it allows you to move quickly across the map to handle the enemies you face. KPOI: the monorail. The monorail is probably the most interesting parts of this map. traveling on the rail will allow you to cover a lot of distance in a short time. It also gives you a great vantage point to snipe. The downside of this feature is that there is no cover at all. So if you get shot at, there is no where to hide.
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| Zoo |
Assemble your team and take on these maps. They will definitely put you to the test as you acheive a Master status. Now let us focus our minds inward as we calm our gaming spirits, and chant the focusing words of the dojo. Deep breath…. Pwnage!!!
Also note, this is the first blog entry completed on a mobile app :-).. using my Motorola Xoom to bring you the knowlege today. That’s why it’s laid out the way it is… enjoy.