A feature of competitive Call of Duty that has never progressed through many DLC drops from many different games is adding them into the competitive rotation. Since Black Ops II has been the game to implement new features into the scene. I feel that this is the appropriate time since we are about half way through the season and almost eight months into the game. To use the resources we have at our hands to test and integrate DLC maps into the rotation.
Especially since Call of Duty: Ghosts is in our near future, it would be wise to keep the content fresh and the learning curve relevant. I’m not saying that the game is stale as of right now. But if we continue down the path we are now it will become that. If we continue to change the rotation and keep the growth into Ghosts there is no reason for the community to not support another season if necessary. Since there is no guarantee that the competitive community will receive the same treatment we have received from Treyarch.
There are plenty of ways we can use the resources we have now to test out DLC maps. Previously DLC maps were added accidentally into the league play system. There is no reason Treyarch can’t add game types that they feel are viable to the competitive scene. Or work with us, like they have previously through 360icons or potentially MLG. The revamp of Firing Range and Summit, even though these maps were featured in previous rotation on Black Ops, would be a good place to start. Due to the fact we have Hardpoint, along with many different perks, scorestreaks, and attachments. Have considerably changed the meta game, that will hopefully be carried over into future Call of Duty games.
The hardest part of this process would be the implementation of the maps. Since we aren’t Halo and don’t have the ability to create our own maps on a map editor we have to purchase our maps. Now one possibility that Bungie used to do was make the map packs free over time allowing the maps to be easily accessible for implementation. I don’t know if it was intentional for that reason, but it really allowed Halo 3 to expand its rotation and have a solid selection. Thus making the viewership experience very entertaining, I don’t see why we couldn’t do the same. I’ve also heard the idea of making a special map pack just for the competitive scene. This seems kind of selfish to me, if anything there should be trial period for everyone to test the maps out in the league play system for a certain period of time. In the end we all may have to invest to get a little bit more from Treyarch. When new camos were released people didn’t stop to buy them, so I couldn’t imagine how difficult it would be for everyone to accept that they may have to buy a map pack. Whether it be the new Vengance map pack or one created especially for the competitive community. In the end this is all time in effort put in by Treyarch to support us.
This is all up to us as community to realize what is better for us and what will help us grow even more. I don’t see this being impossible to implement, especially since everyone was against scorestreaks in the beginning. I also think that with the support we having been getting from Treyarch this will only be a tip of the hat to them saying, “ Thank you for making a competitive game and supporting us, and we appreciate you guys, so were going to use your DLC maps”. They will understand what we are trying to do and support whoever is using them at their event because in the long run it is beneficial for Treyarch for us to use DLC maps, it’s like free advertisement. I only want the community to grow for the better and I feel that this is the next step.
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Contact the writer:
Twitter: @KyleGeNdLiKe
Email: legendlike@evilsourcegaming.com
As a casual BO2 player who enjoys watching the competitive scene I would love to see even just one map from each of the released packs to make it into League Play/Competitive scene. As you noted, it’ll keep the game fresh and hopefully entice a few people to buy the map packs. Even if the major event organizers choose not to let the pro players play on the new maps, why not a DLC playlist in LP? Let the players get even more value out of their map packs.
However, I fear that it’s too late in the BO2 life cycle to implement this. Activision is already gearing up for the Ghosts train and I don’t think they would want people to stick with BO2 once their new yearly CoD comes out where they could sell even more maps.
*Commenting (again) because I think Disqus ate my first one.
Those are all valid points portions. Glad to see you commented. I definitely think your idea of a DLC playlist for LP would be a good idea. Implementing into the rotation would force people to have to test them though. A lot of people may not like Ghosts though, especially if Inifinity Ward doesnt support eSports like in the past.