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Thanks to my brothers and sisters-- as well as the old timers of course! Happy Veteran's Day.

Word is that they sent out a fix to the servers, changing the sv_maxrate from 5000 to 25000. This was odd because user configs were defaulted at 25000, and yet ranked servers weren't? (Unranked servers could have their configs change to the liking of the admin regardless). This is *suppose* to fix some of the server lag-- and yet, I'm sure its not the last of the coming updates...

Ha, Ty from MidwestPX, who is a vendor here, sells 15 rounders: 15/20: http://midwestpx.com...php?cPath=15_72 15/30: http://midwestpx.com...php?cPath=15_79 "stubby"-variant: http://midwestpx.com/index.php?cPath=15_69 The "20" and "30" mean the size of the magazine body; with the "15" being, of course, how many rounds can fit into the magazine. I haven't ordered any yet, though, I will in the very near future. However, everyone who has ordered from MidwestPX have only had rave reviews.

Bushmaster does sell NJ-compliant ARs: http://www.bushmaster.com/catalog_xm15_PCWA3X_14M4IZ.asp You can always buy any type of rifle you want, and then have aftermarket work done to make it NJ-compliant (having the stock pinned if applicable, having the bayo lug removed, and having a permanently attached NJ-compliant muzzle device). PK90 is an FFL and does [solid] aftermarket work here in state. You would need to get in contact with him regarding details. You can also always contact Bushmaster directly and see if they would do the compliance work in-house. Say you don't want that model above, but something like the ATACs or Magpul edition or whatever-- considering they do have the knowledge and parts to make it NJ compliant, maybe you can get a special order. But again, you would have to contact them.

Game engines are templates, not necessarily the same across the board. A number of games use the Unreal, Havok, and Source engines for example-- but all have their own tweaks. I do agree that BO's graphics aren't amazing at all, but if it's a huge issue a person can reskin and upgrade the sprites and textures (mods in other words). Of course this can only be done for PC players... As I've said, there is no doubt that something is wrong with the game currently and will need to be patched by Treyarch. Once it does, I imagine the game will be as smooth as MW2

I haven't heard anything from any former colleagues. If this was something serious like a foreign launch or a precursor to something more ominous, there would be more overt chatter. As for this not being an alphabet-agency launch, I come to that conclusion based on my own experience-- meaning it very well could have been. They use different methods of delivering overheads into orbit, often time very public. Considering that Boeing and smaller aerospace/defense contractors, as well as a large NASA presence, are all in CA, it wouldn't be surprising that it was a botched launch or maybe even a private demo (though the later of those is doubtful as private demoing can be done at more secluded locations). Sorry I don't have a legit answer

Once the kinks are ironed out, this will be an excellent game. The updates to mechanics and the balancing act with perks and letting users choose what they want to upgrade is flipping awesome. And while it's overshadowed right now, dedicated servers is really pretty awesome. Just give it a couple days and this will be well worth the money.

I just got word its an alleged bomb threat from a person who's in Princeton right now. And to add: http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/11/bomb_threat_causes_evacuation.html

Happy birthday, brothers.

I did notice heavy choppiness and stuttering throughout the single-player campaign. The word around the community is that the minimum settings must be met or a person will suffer through said choppiness and stuttering... instead of telling me your specs, best to check a site like: http://www.systemrequirementslab.com/cyri/ With that said though, there is an issue with the game itself that needs to be addressed, and should be addressed relatively soon (is my guess). As for the length... it strikes a good balance between MW2 and MOH in terms of action and cut-scenes. Developers talk about fluid cut-scenes being all the rage right now (like HL2), but I think the game is paced better when a player can sit through a cut scene (while still looking around, but not necessarily interacting). MOH really suffered, IMO, with its pacing... it was like four short hours of only-action with like two minutes of cut scenes total (that is a bit of an exaggeration, but still). BO's campaign is maybe around... six hours or so? I want to say MW2 was around that same length. To me, what makes BO more interesting then MW2 is the variety of environments a player gets to see. Even if levels take place in technically the same region, it will still highlight a different location from within (not to give spoilers as these were in the trailers, but, for example, in BO the player will see the jungles of Vietnam as well as the developed urban dwellings). With that said, nothing to date beats the "Wolverines!" level from MW2 when you fight through the US suburb as a Ranger...

For the PC version, as I've been browsing the official Treyarch forums, it seems like there are issues with both the user and servers. BO for some reason is a huge CPU hog and that might be the problem regarding the user (which would affect any game mode). Server-side issues might have to do with the general config, with max rates, etc. Fortunately the guys running the MP-side of the community have acknowledged that something is not right, though no ETA on fixes. Again, I'm not overly concerned since the game has only been out for 40 hours or so? I remember the horror stories a good friend of mine would tell me when he worked for Blizzard during "patch days" for WOW (and the release day of Burning Crusade being infinitely worse)... pretty much staying in the office for three of four straight days while taking naps in the breakroom until things were mostly smoothed out. I could imagine Treyarch is going through a similar process now (considering they have the juggernaut weight of the "COD" name looming over their heads). Infinity Ward is great, but I've always preferred Treyarch studios as they were always more community-friendly... hopefully they won't let us down. As for IW, I honestly hope they just scrap that studio. Considering in that mass exodus, the majority of the leads left, that studio is in no shape to release a product simply for banking on their name and the COD brand... then of course we're talking about Activision here who I'm pretty sure would sell their own kids for a profit

Once you beat the campaign/single player, the story and the way they tell it makes a lot more sense. With that said, having beat it-- I do see how they implemented the whole Cold War era thing in there... definitely a tinfoil-hardhat area . Campaign was kind of short which was a bit disappointing. Zombie mode is fun, though I haven't really touched it yet. Played one round, and figured I'd go jump on multiplayer. Now multiplayer for PC right now is a hot mess. This is the aspect that disappoints me the most considering its like the whole reason why most people spent the $60 for it. The maps are pretty solid, though, still suffer from the "circle-syndrome" from MW2. The guns are pretty nice, and I like how they worked in the system where you can buy what guns/attachments/perks/etc you want. Definitely makes it more enjoyable then just trying to level to prestige, etc. What makes MP totally suck right now is while servers are plentiful, they F'ed up the netcode really bad. PC guys know what I'm talking about with it being pretty laggy. Some of it might be user-issues, but it seems like Treyarch will have to patch/update this, or at least give suggestions to the community with how to tweak their machines via console commands. Once that's cleared up though, solid, solid game. ETA: The game has only been out for a day, and this sort of stuff is expected-- reason why I'm not nerd raging, haha. Though, I will be looking forward to the fixes.

BMDO = MDA (Missile Defense Agency), and they were actually a part of the news release. I honestly doubt they have anything to do with it because MDA relies on other means (I won't say much more then that). I also doubt its NRO or NGA for the same reasons.

I have no idea nor have I talked to anybody who does (and we wouldn't discuss it over an unsecured phone of all things). But I'm going to venture to say it was a botched launch by a defense contractor. I could be totally off and it was some highly classified deterrent aimed at stopping doomsday

Merged. I'll rename the thread so its a general COD: Black Ops discussion thread... so we don't flood the forums with the same thing. I've been playing the single player campaign... not bad. Hopped on multiplayer, and pretty good crowd considering its 3:41AM (this is on PC btw). Common problem is that the graphics are kind of choppy. Just upgraded my card, and the rest of my specs pass the test (check on: http://www.systemrequirementslab.com/cyri/) Still, choppy, and had to update my drivers or the shadowing and textures were terrible... same applied in both single player and multiplayer... doesn't feel as fluid as MW2 for some reason. Also, maybe its because I'm pretty worn out, but the single player story telling mechanic is... well, confusing... and this is coming from the guy who thought Inception was kind of simple. About to start the Ural Mountains mission (which apparently is in the beginning/middle)... which, if it is in the beginning/middle, thats pretty awesome considering it took me this long to beat the latest Medal of Honor I'll have more coherent thoughts after I get some shut eye.

In the private sector regarding security clearances, I know d-contractors who had their clearances suspended because of financial reasons... which led to them not being able to work, and their eventual dismissal. Even in the military, albeit a government position, if we racked up a debt of 10K I believe, clearance was suspended/lost, and the person would most likely be T-spaced (at least it was the SOP in my unit), meaning they would be re-trained and moved ASAP. My understanding also is that if a person has severe debt (I'm unsure of how much that is), they cannot enlist (or are not suppose to be able too). Again, this is with a government position. Regarding the private sector, I don't think its the financial info that matters, but what it can indicate. People in panic tend to be more willing to do unfavorable actions that can reflect poorly, or be downright criminal. With that said, I'm not judging either-- just saying.

To iterate with what has been said, this is a public area-- the internet as a whole being a public area. The question is innocent enough, but the willingness to go forth with the venture after the warning is what is troublesome. What a person opts to do behind closed doors is their own business; but possibly inflicting damage on the greater whole knowingly is not tolerable. Let's be a bit more aware of said surroundings.

Ha, I'll be picking it up in three hours or so from my local Gamestop... ah, its so odd that they opened one in my town of 20K, considering there are two Best Buys, two Targets, and two Gamestops within 10-15 miles... but I don't mind! I'll be playing it on PC though. Once servers are established (meaning after the first month or so after half the servers close because people stop paying for them or whatever), maybe we can find a stomping ground for the PC guys.

I just hope the PC version isn't a ported console version... that would... well, be infuriating. Nick, my 360 RROD'ed a couple months ago... they just ended up sending me a brand new 360-- and it was one of the new generation-type models too.

I was at my local Gamestop yesterday doing some trade-ins for AC:Brotherhood, and asked what the deal with being open from 9-12 was... apparently some stores are having full blown events (like tournaments), while most will just be open so people can start lining up and finish paying for the game ahead of time (so the process is quicker once they can start handing them out at 12:01AM). I told him I'm going to be one of the "jerks" that shows up a bit later at like 12:30 so I don't have to wait out in the cold

Did Rick and Glenn escape with a group in the comics? I thought it was just Glenn. Plus, didn't they hit up a gun store on the way out of Atlanta? I guess they would add more characters to add a bit more depth and flavor to the story. ***SPOILER ALERT*** Text is in white below, highlight it if you want to read it. What was with the car/car alarm? I thought it was them doing target practice with the commandeered guns that attracts the zombies to the camp site where everyone else is. Or maybe if/when they go back for the dude's brother all of this happens? I can't say I'm too thrilled with the random characters being added to the mix... I was kind of invested with the characters that were in the comics.

Agreed with joejaxx regarding MOH. The AI was pretty terrible, and the level design is subpar (its really just a matter of remembering where enemies pop up). I also do agree that the single player campaign is way too short considering its a $60 investment (I think its somewhere around four hours of gameplay... MW2 was like double that or so... Fallout New Vegas is like ten times that). I also did not like the multiplayer at all, and maybe that's because I'm too spoiled by Dice's real venture, BC2. If the single player engine and mechanics were utilized for the MP, it could have been much better I think. Now the good, it is really, really accurate. The look/sound/"weight" of the weapons was dead on (no bullet drop though). The extra stuff (like the SOFLAM), and even the way your team looked and carried themselves was very nice. And, something that some reviewers complained about, the military lingo used is spot-on. Its not some MW2/Hollywood stuff (or ripped from something like 'Generation Kill'), but chatter/comms that are used. The issue still is that these are all small things that I consider "polish." Problem is that the product as a whole needed a different direction, and not necessarily polish. The story is also pretty generic, but there are some "levels" that are pretty intense... albeit short. Again, I agree with joejaxx, and just wait til this is selling for like $20-30.

Haha, wow, I think the same thing every time too. Maybe in the respective universes they don't have a "Romero" that helped fan the flame? Or maybe its because if it did actually happen, everyone would probably be in such shock? I've seen people react quite strongly to what I would consider smaller things.

I joined the group too, my handle being 'bene' If I hadn't got New Vegas for PS3, I would've been all over that for PC (have FO3 for PC). And I really should have, as the PS3 version had crazy stutter and crash issues (in the week it took me to beat New Vegas, probably crashed 15-20 times)... plus you can actually use the irons for the majority of the guns in New Vegas, which would've been cool to use (console version is all VAT combat, haha)... hmm, maybe I'll trade my PS3 version with some other games for AC:Brotherhood, and it'll give me the excuse to get New Vegas for the PC...:ph34r:

EA is actually bringing BF2 back with "HD" graphics, and it'll be free to play: http://battlefield.play4free.com/ Its only in closed beta right now (I put in an entry for it, we'll see). Trailer is also on the main page linked above. They're not calling it a BF2 reboot, but its very, very obvious that's what it is, haha. I'm excited about it as BF2, aside from BC2, was one of my favorite of the Battlefield series (BF:Vietnam was fun too).