What The Fuss Is All About

I Will Equip The Riot Shield, And I Will Own You

I’ve had Modern Warfare 2 for three days already.  I love it, even the aggrivating multiplayer aspect of it.  I don’t know how Modern Warfare 1 was, but in MW2 they give you the option of having a special class equipped with a riot shield.  Due to the dynamics of online play in first person shooters, nobody ever uses it.

First, you have to understand what it’s like playing in first person shooters online with strangers: Anarchy.  Even though you’re on the same team, it’s every man for himself.  They make it so friendly fire doesn’t injure you, that’s how bad your teammates are.

I prefer modern military and police shooters as opposed to WWI and WWII era games. I don’t know why I am attracted to these, but I am.  I like tactical operations, surgical accuracy, and stealth.  I looooove sneaking around.  I was excited that Modern Warfare 2 was heavy on these features.

Assholes online, however, don’t care for it too much.  You see, there are unlimited deaths, which means you can die, and die, and die, and your achievements keep racking up.  There is no penalty for death.  So much so, that dying in-game has even become another tool to use in getting one over on your enemies in the fact that you can booby-trap your own corpse.  When these guys are dropped into a game, they scatter like so many dandelion seeds in the wind - both teams - to randomly collide in battle.  Sun Tsu and General Patton would shit themselves in anger at seeing this.

As I mentioned, MW2 gives you the option of having a riot shield as your primary weapon.  Normal military and police procedure says a squad of 4-5 people enter any given area: a shield, a shotgun, 2 submachine guns and optionally a rifle.  The shield guy is moving cover - completely invaluable in tactical situations.  He’s literally a human shield.

I’ve played the game for 3 days, and I haven’t seen one shield in online multiplayer games.  I got bored tonight, and decided to set up an equipment class using the shield. I could sit here and tell you what a rewarding experience it was to provide protection for my teammates as we advanced a little safer towards our goal, but I’m not going to.  BECAUSE THEY WOULDN’T STAY BEHIND ME.  Even with me running past teammates, and setting up in front of them.  I was just in the way of their blind frenzy.

The shield guy moves slow and methodically.  He doesn’t charge out into crossfire and pray he hits an enemy player before an enemy player hits him.  He watches his angles, and crawls turtle-like through a maze of cover stopping bullets by the handful.  This irritates the fuck out of 99% of online first person shooter players.

I love the shield for a few reasons:

• It stops bullets and grenade blasts.
• Other players have never seen one in battle and don’t know how to defeat it.
• You can hit people with it, and it makes a satisfying *WHUMP* and cracks their skulls.
• I last about 300% longer per round than I did using the spray and pray method.

I did notice that after 20 minutes of fighting, two of my friends also equipped shields after being enlightened.  10 minutes later, an opposing team member had one.

Maybe in a couple of years, they’ll learn how to operate as a team and actually use one. Watch out for me, though - I will fucking split your head open with it.

28 December 2009 ·

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• modern warfare 2