J4MES OX4D

I still play IW4X/Plutonium clients and the difference between that and what we have now is crazy! It's exactly how COD used to be in its golden age. Nowadays you can feel the underlying manipulation in operation but now it's become dynamic which is adds to the frustration. I didn't mind as much with it during Cold War or even MW2019 because if you were in a BS-laden match, you knew right from the get-go but here you can see your performance nosedive through these artificial factors as the game wears on and that's why I don't believe it's anything server-related because a) your connection wouldn't decline this way and b) Activision have literally patented the concept to fuck you on the fly. I really miss the host advantage P2P days because although one would likely thrive, at least 12 players weren't playing at a disadvantage unbeknownst to them. SBMM is one thing but adding rigging on top will never give a fair, smooth or satisfactory experience.

Yeah it’s definitely not latency or lag comp related. I don’t think we’ve had bad servers in COD since Black Ops 4 and this is definitely not a core netcode issue either. I saw another video on TikTok that I will try and recover where a couple of guys actually tested the same weapon in a live environment between two different players - it was an online public game and they roped the whole lobby into not playing so they could test it. With exactly the same gun, one player needed 3 bullets to kill and the other required 5 clear as day. Same weapon, class, body location and target player yet two very different outcomes. So many other videos where people are really putting scenarios to the test and evidence of bullshit is coming to light. I can also see why all these reverse-boosting streamers die to freak one hit kills in Warzone now and why they are now inching into fire free bot-lobbies in desperation😂

Here's a snippet of just one of the vile patents that have corrupted this franchise. I will try and collate the rest when I have the time, plus to break it down and exclude all the nauseating waffle and key points. Basically to cut a long story short, the better you are at the game(s), the less base-health you have, the more accurate you have to be and the more challenging lobbies you will experience. The chances of ever getting better at the game are virtually non-existent. Lower-skilled players have a lower threshold for accuracy and more underlying health. Weapon damage output is also scaled so things like statistics which Drift0r used to break down are totally worthless. If you've ever experienced matches turning on their heads or a sudden nosedive in personal performance during a game, then the game is deliberately scaling you down dynamically rather than you doing anything wrong. If you died 6 times in a row after being 12-1 up then it's not on you or the opponents momentum - it's the game. Also all these comebacks and games that end closer than they should are all dictated by these elements in play. These are also damning factors for the likes of Warzone - you run into a much weaker player and they may have significantly more health and you are vulnerable by virtue of ability. The video in my OP literally shows perfectly landed bullets not even counting and from the enemy's perspective, the bullets didn't even hit allowing them to melt the opponent without even being flinched. It's all pretty disgusting really "[0080] Once an assessment is made, the computer program that executes the gaming environment modifies elements of the session and/or gameplay parameters as the session is being created based on the aggregate skill level. In embodiments, session modifications may include, but are not limited to: adjusting the number of enemies, adjusting the complexity of puzzles; and player adjustments, which may include the player's health, damage, speed, available abilities, and difficulty level. In one embodiment, a player's health is scaled based on the player's skill level by. At 306, data corresponding to acquired skill level of each player is generated and presented to a player via a game console, resulting in each player within a team experiencing a different degree of difficulty or challenge while still experiencing the same content in the same gameplay session.[0081] FIG. 3B illustrates a table providing an exemplary list of parameters of a gameplay session that are modified based on a player's skill level and the corresponding experience for players of different skill levels. For example, in a first-shooter gaming environment, when a first player aims his weapon at a target, a parameter defining the tolerance for how accurate the player's aim must be to hit the target is modified based on the acquired skill level of the player. The computer assigns the tolerance for how accurate the player's aim must be to hit the target differently based on the skill level of the first player. A player having a higher skill level will be assigned a lower tolerance parameter and therefore, will have to be more accurate in aiming in order to hit the target. A player having a lower skill level be assigned a higher tolerance parameter and, therefore, could be less accurate in aiming in order to hit the target. As shown, column 310 of Table 1 lists modifiable parameters such as `degree of accuracy required to hit a target`, column 312 lists the experience of a player having a `high` skill level, which may be `high degree of accuracy required`, column 314 lists the experience of a player having a `medium` skill level, which may be `medium degree of accuracy required`, and column 316 lists the experience of a player having a `low` skill level, which may be `low degree of accuracy required`. Similarly, the table lists other modifiable parameters, such as `likelihood of being targeted by enemy`, where the experience of a player having a `high` skill level may be `high degree of likelihood`, the experience of a player having a `medium` skill level may be `medium degree of likelihood`, and the experience of a player having a `low` skill level may be `low degree of likelihood`. Another example parameter is `difficulty of an in-game puzzle`, where the experience of a player having a `high` skill level may be `high degree of difficulty`, the experience of a player having a `medium` skill level may be `medium degree of difficulty`, and the experience of a player having a `low` skill level may be `low degree of difficulty`. Another example parameter is `bonus chance of finding powerful treasure`, where the experience of a player having a `high` skill level may be `medium degree of chance`, the experience of a player having a `medium` skill level may be `high degree of chance`, and the experience of a player having a `low` skill level may be `very high degree of chance`. Yet another example parameter is `number of challenging enemies in a single encounter`, where the experience of a player having a `high` skill level may be a high number, for example 10-20, the experience of a player having a `medium` skill level may be a medium number, for example 5-10, and the experience of a player having a `low` skill level may be a low number, for example 1-5. Still another example parameter is `gold earned multiplier`, where the earning of a player having a `high` skill level may be `high`, for example 1.5.times., the earning of a player having a `medium` skill level may be `medium`, for example 1.25.times., and the earning of a player having a `low` skill level may be `low`, for example 1.times.. One more example parameter is `friendly-fire damage amount to team-mates`, where the experience of a player having a `high` skill level may be `high degree of damage`, for example 100% of damage, the experience of a player having a `medium` skill level may be `medium degree of damage`, for example 50% of damage, and the experience of a player having a `low` skill level may be `low degree of damage`, for example 0% of damage."

I think most gamers would rather play a fair game especially on one that costs full price and is monetised along the way. Once they start manipulating connection, matchmaking and now dynamic performance aspects then the game loses all credibility and is basically rigged no matter what you do. Some players have been conditioned to accept this - FIFA players get screwed by scripting based primarily on their in-game spend and now gameplay-impacting factors are ruining people’s experience here - whether it be monetised-related or them trying to ramp up engagement by thwarting regular players on the fly. I’d rather play in a game where connection takes priority and the game runs fluidly. Their plan for retention has already failed miserably and most content creators have resorted to either blatantly cheating or reverse-boosting. Hardly a good image for the brand and the relationship between creators and the community is souring to the extreme now. The only ones that get screwed are the honest regular players and I don’t get satisfaction even doing well because it’s all artificial bollocks at someone else’s expense. No other FPS has these factors in operation and COD can barely grow or retain a playerbase come Christmas so there’s really no reason why Activision should continue this.

Legend.

Sadly it’s a TikTok link but this is a prime example of the underlying skill-based hit detection element that is in operation. Although it’s still a ‘rumour’, more and more evidence is coming to light of this happening and this has to be the cleanest example of ‘scripting’. Even the Warzone shills have given up trying to dismiss things being awry and now many big names have stopped playing after being affected by such BS after originally denying it. Now the skill gap has widened and players have more static stats, it’s really becoming prominent https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMF3JLnTY/

Daymare 1998 FREE on GOG Daymare: 1998 on GOG.com WWW.GOG.COM DAYMARE: 1998 is a third-person survival horror with hardcore survival mechanics and ha

VR is in a very dodgy position and has been for some time. It's not a pathetic fad like Kinect but many developers just don't have the experience or dev tools to make a game in this genre plus publishers are not too keen in taking a risk on something that may not make a substantial return, or one at all. Half Life Alyx has been a huge success and with the amount of Quest 2's selling, there is definitely a market and potential but still we are not seeing enough games that are a worthwhile purchase for what is essentially an expensive piece of kit. Barely an AAA publishers are biting either so the chances of more Alyx-type titles are going to be minimal and what may happen is that these devices are used for alternate experiences. Mark Cuckerberg hasn't helped either - his reality sector is hemorrhaging money on top of the humiliating Metaverse calamity which is further scaring off developers from entering this sector. Just goes to show that you can burn $20bn a year and end up with something less developed than VR Chat which is free and has been out for 5 years. If devs don't want to take advantage of the open goal Reality Labs have given then that sends out a damning message to the future of this kit in gaming. Maybe PSVR2 will help get things back on track but the first iteration didn't do much to bolster this domain. If I picked up a VR set, I'd probably use it for 3 days and then it would be gathering dust in the box. No doubt it's an amazing concept but just isn't proven for gaming even with Valve's efforts. My mate spent £3750 on a 3D TV just over a decade ago and I went round his to watch some footie through Sky Sports3D and the stupid looking sunglasses! Whilst it was a unique experience for the first half, I just didn't see the point and couldn't imagine using that. Fad seemed to die out very quickly and once Sky binned it, that was it. Those TV's were then going for £500 in the bargain bin.

Mortal Shell FREE on Epic - ends later today https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/mortal-shell

Severed Steel FREE on Epic (ends in a few hours) https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/severed-steel Worms Revolution Gold FREE on GOG Worms Revolution Gold Edition on GOG.com WWW.GOG.COM Includes: Worms Revolution, Worms Revolution - Customization Pack, Worms Revolution -

Don't think they've got the stat for total hours played which is a shame (plus a blessing) and a bit surprising. Everything else is nicely detailed but not the biggie.

Whatever you do, do not watch A Good Day To Die Hard. It's absolutely horrendous! It's Independence Day 2/Home Alone 3 quality of garbage

There is a link to this on the Steam Winter Sale page (if you click the link below you'll need to login to a browser as it does not go direct to the client so I'd find the page in the latter as it's easier) and it showcases your highlights of the year with how many games played, achievements all all other detailed stuff which is pretty neat:- Sign In STORE.STEAMPOWERED.COM Just by visiting the page, you can earn a 50xp badge too

FIST FREE on Epic just for today https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/fist-forged-in-shadow-torch

Game currently FREE on Epic - deal ends sometime tomorrow (26th) https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/death-stranding

Death Stranding FREE on Epic until - deal ends tomorrow https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/death-stranding

3/10 from Angry Joe and very mixed feelings elsewhere

What's everyone's game of the year for 2022? Very tough choice this year - plenty of big names and some good titles although most were still pretty much old gen ones that didn't stand out massively, a bit like Horizon Forbidden West which has been gone and forgotten by now. Elden Ring swept up at the awards but I think that even had some surprise flaws that prevented me from choosing it. Didn't get round to SIFU but that game has been very impressive according to other players and Ragnarok is another one up there that I've still yet to buy. Some unique titles like Stray, Cult of the Lamb, Narco and Pentiment also came out. Personally I will give it to Vampire Survivors - really unique and addictive game that represents unreal value for money non-stop entertainment. 98% positive on Steam with over 160,000 and around 5m copies sold. Also a sublime title for the Steam Deck.

Swagg’s was hilarious and painfully humiliating. Love the bit where he goes ‘fuck they are all pushing’ and it’s just one guy standing still facing the other way after respawning😂 Sadly this gutter material has become the standard for streamers/content creators and many now don’t try to break sweat or even act happy that they got a nuke. Even some of the honest players like Fotunate and TGD have stooped to this. Still, whatever keeps the 12 year olds interested and impressed I guess!

Disappointing how many content creators use bot lobbies - this is about the 30th shipment nuke I've seen this week and every match is pretty peaceful. This one is slightly better as at least he got hit once or twice but most of the time it's players against bots who don't shoot and spend most of the time facing the wall😂 He also cut the scoreboard out so nobody can do a stat check on the opposition. Players with high K/D's (even 1.0 and above) would not run into lobbies like this even tanking themselves prior. Only players I remotely trust these days are 402Thunder, Eight Thoughs and GGReloaded as they don't give a toss!

Fallout game giveaway on Epic Fallout, Fallout 2, and Fallout Tactics are free on the Epic Store | PC Gamer WWW.PCGAMER.COM It's time for some serious post-nuclear fun.

I was thinking the other day how many controllers I've used over the years for each system. Picking a fave is not easy as most have done their job based on the device and games it was intended for. Thought I'd pick out a few that I've used over the years but tough to choose which is best overall. PS1 pad was amazing for its time and influential for many years to come. Loved the D-pad and buttons. Start and select were a bit weird to press but it did the job perfectly. N64 was very advanced at the time especially with the 3D stick, a solid D-pad, shoulder buttons, Z-trigger along with the two standard plus yellow directional ones. Didn't use the d-pad much from what I remember but the 8-direction stick was really ideal for the likes of Goldeneye and the array of platformers. Dreamcast controller was pretty awesome - fit nicely in the hands and much smaller than it appeared in pictures. Full 360 degree stick with solid grips too. D-pad was a bit too tight and raised for my liking though but was fairly under-used in most games plus the coloured buttons also felt a bit cheap. The VMU/memory card aspect was also pretty interesting but devs didn't make much use out of it in the end sadly. Microsoft Sidewinder - got this for Christmas around the early 2000's. Bit weird on the face of it but it worked surprisingly well. Had a strange 3D-type D-pad that was slanted slightly which was fairly unique even to this day. My only gripe was the lack of coloured or clearly marked buttons. Very comfrotable though. Playstation 2 pad was just amazing - expanded upon the original with pressure-sensitive buttons and twin sticks - these didn't have much grip and were perhaps a bit large but they worked pretty well. The first Xbox pad was way too heavy for my linking - I didn't really like the white and black buttons as they were too small and dug into your finger. The vibration also made a buzzing sound and the coloured buttons felt a little elevated and cheap. Can't remember how the D-pad was but the sticks were solid enough. Seemed a little over-engineered but with tweaks, future Xbox ones were spot-on. Gamecube controller was very strange - every button was bizarre and the D-pad and right stick was just so oddly placed. It didn't really have a detrimental effect on the games and the main 3D stick was fine but it just seemed a bit of a mess. I don't quite consider the Wii, 360 or DS3 pads retro as of yet - all excellent and highly reliable controllers. The Wii was really unique in what was a bit of a fad of the era despite monumental success. The 360 and PS3 controllers were both excellent and remain the key foundations for pads today.

I watched Tinker Taiilor Solider Spy last night for the first time. I remember this being advertised extensively just over a decade ago but I just never got round to seeing it. Interesting Cold War espionage film with a very strong and recongisable cast. Pacing and tone was a bit wayward at times but it looked fantastic and was a good watch indeed. Can't believe Kathy Burke went from this to this🤣

That's the other thing, the store and platform as a whole was missing so much key functionality - literally only started supporting cloud saving two years after launch and despite a few other staple features being drip-fed, it's still missing a lot including basic game forums. Epic also got a $500m fine the other day so it really isn't looking all that rosy in terms of reputation. Tim Sweeney is also not being so cocky now after he's played all his cards and has failed to put any dent into Steam or provide any confidence or key benefits for developers.

They are losing $200m a year on average with the current business model and aren't expecting to post a profit until 2027 and even that sounds rather optimistic because it's based on a complete shift in their model of stopping free games and only accounting for paid revenue. If it does post a profit then it will likely be minimal - they wont be burning money on giveaways but they certainly wont be delivering much money to cover the annual losses since it was formed. Their only selling point is freebies and I bet 95% of those users don't have an established transaction history on record. The Fortnite crowd also don't seem to be branching out to support the platform and they cannot maintain this business as it is forever, even in the short term because it's not viable. If it wasn't for Fornite and Unreal propping them up, EGS would be defunct already. Game Pass is a better option especially when it comes to newer titles - most of the giveaways are titles that are passed their peak income or are old. They certainly haven't managed to attract much in the way of game exclusives and now Ubisoft have returned to Steam so there goes that partnership too! I deleted my Epic account years ago and have not ever grabbed one of their freebies. The interesting thing is they only have to pay if the end-user installs the game - imagine the black financial hole if they paid for every title that was added to an account! I can't see it ever turning around.