Example - Modern Warfare 2 Forum: Free Call of Duty MW2 Community

Ik0n · 10-09-2009, 08:51 PM

Here is an example guide I started to write for MW2. I'll be doing one of these for every gun in MW2. I just thought I'd post this to let you all know how I write.

Official Call of Duty 4 Guide

By: Ikon

Guns / Attachments / Perks / Maps:

M16

Attachments

Red Dot Sight - I feel that this is a great addition to this gun. It gives you pin-point accuracy to hit targets from long-close range. It gives you the ability to stayed aimed down your sight and still have great peripheral vision (with a higher sensitivity this can be very deadly). I would recommend this attachment to beginning players that are just trying to get use to how the weapon works. The game types I feel this attachment works best on are: HQ, Ground War. Mainly because there are going to be a lot of people and sometimes you won’t even know which one to shoot. Also, having the silencer on will hinder your peripheral vision and you won’t be able to see all on-coming enemies. There a lot of targets to shoot at and you’ll definitely get a lot of practice.

Silencer - Overall, I believe this is the best attachment with this gun. It gives you the ability to be a ghost around the map, not alerting any nearby enemies by sound or by showing up on the radar. It also seems to increase the accuracy of your hip-fire. However, if you’re not particularly good with iron-sights, this attachment might be a bad choice for you. Even though you start with the iron-sights, not everybody adjusts to them so easily. But if you feel you have mastered how to look down the iron-sights and tag targets from across the stage, this attachment will give you the best chance to win. I would recommend this attachment to intermediate/advanced level players that feel they have adequate enough proficiency using iron-sights. The game types I would recommend this attachment for are: S&D, Merc TDM. Mainly because it is vital in S&D that you remain as calm and quiet as possible. It will give you a clear advantage over your enemies. In Merc TDM, your bound to get teammates that don’t really know what they are doing and could possibly allow the other team to get multiple UAV’s.

Grenade Launcher - This is my least favorite attachment for the M16. It is the least effective and you’ll only get two M203 rounds. If you’re not proficient with the iron-sights, that’s another problem because you’ll have to use them if you want to use the M203. With the limited amount of damage done and the fact that you have to use the iron-sights, I would never recommend this attachment.

ACOG - This is another attachment that is pretty useless on the M16. The range is just as effective as if you were using the RDS. The ACOG will severely inhibit your peripheral vision as well. There just isn’t enough benefits to using it when you have better options to work with.

Recommended Perks

Category 1 - Depends on what kind of play-style you’re looking to play for that specific game. If you are going to be an offensive type player, I would go with the Frags x3 perk as it gives you the advantage to take out multiple enemies bettering your chance at acquiring a UAV. If you're going to be a defensive player and try to keep control of key spots on the map, I would recommend claymores. It will let you watch 2-3 separate directions without having to worry about getting killed from behind/from the side.

Category 2 - This is going to depend on whether or not you're playing by yourself. If you are, I would recommend UAV Jammer as I believe that the M16 has good enough power to let you sacrifice that perk if needed. However, if you are on a well experienced team, I would recommend Stopping Power because it gives you that extra advantage over your enemy.

Category 3 - I believe this to be very crucial. I'm always going to recommend Steady Aim on the M16. It gives you the extra advantage over a player that thinks he has just rushed you for a kill. It is a very accurate gun (when hip-fired) and Steady Aim only makes that even deadlier.

Recommended Maps / Gametypes

Maps - I would recommend any and every map for the M16 (even Killhouse and Shipment). It is a very versatile weapon that can be used both in CQB and long-range. It has very quick aiming ability and enough power to take down the enemy from afar.

Gametypes - Once again, I would recommend this gun in every single game type there is. In the quicker based game types (FFA, Domination, etc) you might find yourself playing differently than say if you were in a HQ, TDM, etc. For the faster paced game types, be sure to make use of the hip-fire/steady aim combination. You’ll be able to take the objectives quickly using your steady aim and making your way closer to the enemy and once you’ve done that you can keep them away from a distance because of how accurate the gun is. For the slower paced game types, you’ll usually find your laying back and picking heavily trafficked areas to be around (for max amount of kills/control).

Sarcross · 10-09-2009, 09:49 PM

I'm looking forward to it.

Neemah · 10-10-2009, 02:50 PM

Good example, but you're terribly wrong on the best attachment, as well as best second perk. RDS is easily the best attachment for this gun. To prove my point, just look at any of the top 8 teams at CoD4 Nationals. Every one of them were using a red dot. Also, second perk should always be stopping power. UAV jammer is a complete waste of the second slot.

Don't really want to take this thread in another direction, but I feel that those things needed to be pointed out and this guide shouldn't be taken as fact.

However, keep making guides as they are interesting to read.

TheLighterDark · 10-10-2009, 03:38 PM

Wow Ikon, please let me or fenny do the gun guides, lol.

SOLiiD SNAK3 · 10-11-2009, 05:56 AM

gun guids are oppinions and i would definately trust ik0ns word the guys a cod monster lol

fenny · 10-11-2009, 09:26 AM

Well imo i think a guide shouldnt have much opinion in it, in the way you slaughtered the grenade launcher and the Acog is a example of this. When you put your personal prefrences into a 'guide' your not helping the reader you are only saying wot you think. Im sure there are alot of people who thinks the grenade launcher and the Acog scope are good attachments.

What you should be saying is "the Acog scope has its strenghts and weaknesses. Were it gives you a extended view for the gun, which is useful for a gun which can take down enemys from a far, it can also increase the chance of firing from the hip due to the zoom of the sight and with a semi-auto gun firing from the hip should always be the last resort."

Personal opinion should only be at the most 20% of the guide, the rest should be facts explaining the strenghts and weaknessess even if you dont belive there are any.

Quote:

Guide Language

In a guide you must word and "talk" in a way that informs the reader, a guide is not a conversation with a mate is a source of information and guidance on the subject you are talking about, but you can have some fun as well.

for example:-

BAD if your as good as me use the mp40 as it rocks

GOOD A skilled player will know that the mp40 is the best to use due to its high rate of fire and high damage

Also the way you "talk" is important, what i mean is the person you speak in. Never speak in 1st person, i do this, i did that. People will think you are talking from guess work and that you have made up the information, talking in 3rd person gives you a sense of professionalism and makes the people trust what you are saying.

for example: -

BAD what i would do is run to A first

GOOD The best thing to do is run to A first

it's not a lot but it makes a lot of difference.

Finally you need to explain like the person has never played the game before, explain things that might seem obvious to you, but if a person has never played the game before they will not no what you are talking about.

for example: -

* Use the Scavanger perk, which is unlocked at level x
* The best attachment for the Ak-47 is the suppressor, which is unlocked after X number of kills

the bits in bold are the things that seem obvious, but need to be added.

Also when explaining things don't use short hand, words like jugger and marty need to be spelt out as like i said, people might not know what you are talking about. Abbreviations are ok like SP but make sure you spell the word out in full 1st.

Also a guide about a single weapon should contain important facts like body multipliers, levels attachments are unlocked, damage per bullet, picture of the gun.

No offence ikon but i think this is a reason the guide submission section is needed

SPOOKFORCE · 10-11-2009, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fenny

Well imo i think a guide shouldnt have much opinion in it, in the way you slaughtered the grenade launcher and the Acog is a example of this. When you put your personal prefrences into a 'guide' your not helping the reader you are only saying wot you think. Im sure there are alot of people who thinks the grenade launcher and the Acog scope are good attachments.

What you should be saying is "the Acog scope has its strenghts and weaknesses. Were it gives you a extended view for the gun, which is useful for a gun which can take down enemys from a far, it can also increase the chance of firing from the hip due to the zoom of the sight and with a semi-auto gun firing from the hip should always be the last resort."

Personal opinion should only be at the most 20% of the guide, the rest should be facts explaining the strenghts and weaknessess even if you dont belive there are any.

But any guide is only going to be someone's opinion anyway. They are trying to help someone based on the knowledge they have gained from their own experiences. Discussion of the facts and strengths and weaknesses of a weapon will only provide the author's interpretation of the facts they deem important. It doesn't matter how objective someone tries to be, their personal bias will always come through. If no one was different you'd hardly need any guides because they'd all be identical. Variety is what we need. It'll give people an opportunity to learn something different and make it more likely that someone will find something that helps them.

Knowing the quality of Ik0n's previous work I'd trust his opinion over anyone else's interpretation of the facts

fenny · 10-11-2009, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPOOKFORCE

But any guide is only going to be someone's opinion anyway. They are trying to help someone based on the knowledge they have gained from their own experiences. Discussion of the facts and strengths and weaknesses of a weapon will only provide the author's interpretation of the facts they deem important. It doesn't matter how objective someone tries to be, their personal bias will always come through. If no one was different you'd hardly need any guides because they'd all be identical. Variety is what we need. It'll give people an opportunity to learn something different and make it more likely that someone will find something that helps them.

Knowing the quality of Ik0n's previous work I'd trust his opinion over anyone else's interpretation of the facts

A guide is supposed to inform the reader with facts to help them. Suggesting which perks/attachments are better than others are not and there for belong in a thread in the general discussion section.

Every perk and every attachment can be really awesome or really rubbish to a person, some people can use a 'supposly' rubbish attachment better than all the rest. Its all to do with opinion. Now a guide is supposed to inform people, personal opinion doesnt inform it suggest what they think is best. You have to act biest (sp) when writing as everything has a strenght and weakness.

Of course im only saying this for guides about guns/perks/attachments stuff like that, guides about maps and stradegys needs personal opinion.

SPOOKFORCE · 10-11-2009, 09:59 AM

I think you're a little confused because to act in a biased way when writing something you are putting your own viewpoint/preference onto it lol.

If I'm reading you correctly--your guide would include
---The name of the gun
--it's stats (damage, range, accuracy etc)
--it's attachments and a spiel about when the attachments are unlocked and what they do.

You can't explain what situation/map the gun is better for because that's your opinion
You can't say which attachment it better because that's your opinion
The only stuff you can say is already accessible in the game menu--all your doing is collating it.

Guiding someone is when you explain to them how to achieve the most success. This will necessarily require personal opinion and experience to be brought in. Without this a guide is, well, useless (it provides what everyone knows without any analysis of the significance--because that involves personal interpretation). The very nature of a guide implies that the content is only a suggestion. People will try it out and see if it helps. If I wanted a guide I wouldn't want one that explained the 'facts' of the weapon. I'd prefer one that explained the practicalities of a weapon from someone who is experienced in the game (Ik0n's bloody experienced lol---has a k/d above 3)

fenny · 10-11-2009, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPOOKFORCE

You can't explain what situation/map the gun is better for because that's your opinion

I never said that, infact i said the complete opposite. When writing about anything to do with maps and strategies personal opinion is a must.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPOOKFORCE

You can't say which attachment it better because that's your opinion

There is no such thing as a better attachment, if someone says that they think a attachment is better its because they havnt got the skill or the playing style to use it just as well as the others. Each attachment is better than the rest to someone.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPOOKFORCE

The only stuff you can say is already accessible in the game menu--all your doing is collating it.

erm no

i said to word your personal opinion to fact.

"the Acog scope has its strenghts and weaknesses. Were it gives you a extended view for the gun, which is useful for a gun which can take down enemys from a far, it can also increase the chance of firing from the hip due to the zoom of the sight and with a semi-auto gun firing from the hip should always be the last resort."

That contains personal opinion, but is worded in a way that sounds like you know what you are talking about.

Only friends of ikon know he has a good k/d ratio (which means nothing when writing) but strangers who dont know him will ask why? Why do you say the Acog scope sucks when i can use it perfectly well, why should i carry on reading when you put to much of your own views into it rather than a broad outlook on what is good and bad about it.

SPOOKFORCE · 10-11-2009, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fenny

I never said that, infact i said the complete opposite. When writing about anything to do with maps and strategies personal opinion is a must.

There is no such thing as a better attachment, if someone says that they think a attachment is better its because they havnt got the skill or the playing style to use it just as well as the others. Each attachment is better than the rest to someone.

erm no

i said to word your personal opinion to fact.

"the Acog scope has its strenghts and weaknesses. Were it gives you a extended view for the gun, which is useful for a gun which can take down enemys from a far, it can also increase the chance of firing from the hip due to the zoom of the sight and with a semi-auto gun firing from the hip should always be the last resort."

That contains personal opinion, but is worded in a way that sounds like you know what you are talking about.

Only friends of ikon know he has a good k/d ratio (which means nothing when writing) but strangers who dont know him will ask why? Why do you say the Acog scope sucks when i can use it perfectly well, why should i carry on reading when you put to much of your own views into it rather than a broad outlook on what is good and bad about it.

So...basically you're saying to build on facts with personal oppinion (which is exactly what he does) but to word it in a way that makes you look like you know what you're talking about (I'd suggest you have to know what you're talking about if you want to write a guide).

A good k/d ratio does mean something--it means you have the experience and ability to be able to back up what you're saying--lending support to the strength of your arguments and the suggestions that you make (opinions based on fact lol).

A broad outlook of what is good or bad about it is still and always will be your personal interpretation of the facts, nothing else

fenny · 10-11-2009, 10:23 AM

Quote:

This is another attachment that is pretty useless on the M16. The range is just as effective as if you were using the RDS. The ACOG will severely inhibit your peripheral vision as well. There just isn’t enough benefits to using it when you have better options to work with.

i see no facts about the strenghts of this attachment, only how bad he thinks it is

SPOOKFORCE · 10-11-2009, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fenny

i see no facts about the strenghts of this attachment, only how bad he thinks it is

Exactly--he's basing it off his personal experience. No one (myself included) wants to read a dull scientific recount of the stats of an attachment. If they were to be doing the analysis themselves they wouldn't even need the guide. They want someone who knows what they're doing to help them improve their game. What he did was more help than stats (stats guide no one).

The facts he determined were that the range has the same effectiveness as RDS and that the scope restricts peripheral vision. EVERYONE will agree upon different facts...(as the historian does--me speaking from my field of experience)

fenny · 10-11-2009, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPOOKFORCE

Exactly--he's basing it off his personal experience. No one (myself included) wants to read a dull scientific recount of the stats of an attachment. If they were to be doing the analysis themselves they wouldn't even need the guide. They want someone who knows what they're doing to help them improve their game. What he did was more help than stats (stats guide no one)

didnt i just say that when talking you need to wrap your personal opinion in facts. now you goin on about stats again.

SPOOKFORCE · 10-11-2009, 10:36 AM

Personal opinion has to be based on something--he's not pulling it out of his arse lol. It is based on the fact as he sees them (he, as the author, selects the facts). Anyway...I know what I like in a guide...I favour the style in which Ik0n writes them.

I shall depart from this thread for I don't want to keep debating semantics (plus we are taking over this thread lol)

N3V3R SL33P · 10-11-2009, 11:40 AM

This is ik0n's opinion. Just chill out, I know Justin knows his stuff, but I'm smart enough to know that I don't like the silencer, and yeah the grenade launcher isn't very good.

Greg · 10-11-2009, 05:22 PM

I have to give this one to Fenny. Not just because he's a friend, but IMO he's completely right.

Ikon said that the ACOG is useless on the M16. It's not useless. How useful or useless it is depends on a person's opinion. Someone will like it and someone will hate it. A guide is supposed to inform someone about the stats of things. Now you are saying that Ikon knows what he is doing, that maybe true but that's also because it's about Cod4, which we all have played for a long time and we are all experienced. With MW2 it won't be the same. If he is planning on making guides close to the release of the game, I wouldn't want to know how he plays and what he likes to do. I want to know stats of weapons, damage multipliers and the advantages AND disadvantages of things, because they all have both. I'm not saying Ikon doesn't know what he's doing, I'm sure he is a lot better than me at the game, but even if he says how he plays, I'll never be able to play like he does. Everyone has their own play style and prefers one gun rather than the other. As Fenny said, there aren't "good" attachemnts and "bad" ones. It depends on who is using them and how.

Fenny has written I don't know how many guides and he really knows what he is talking about. So when it comes to making guides I would recommend listening to him.

Ik0n · 10-11-2009, 05:41 PM

Like Spook has said, if you want the full stats of a weapon, just read the guide book or read a guide from Fenny. No matter what you do a weapon guide is always going to influenced by personal opinion / experience.

Just from one example, you say you don't like what I said about the ACOG scope. However, it gives you JUST as much range AND restricts your peripheral vision. I'm going to write guides that I think will give people the best chance for success based on my experiences so far.

fenny · 10-11-2009, 05:45 PM

well what ever anyone writes they have to go through the submission section anyway.

Ik0n · 10-11-2009, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fenny

well what ever anyone writes they have to go through the submission section anyway.

Well, what would be the point in having different people write guides? Going by your suggestions, everyone's would be exactly the same. Like I said, I write guides based on what I think gives someone the best chance at success.

SPOOKFORCE · 10-11-2009, 09:04 PM

True as ^^

Fenny how bout you post up an example of your guide for the M16 so we can see your approach rather than comparing to a hypothetical.

bigdskippy · 10-11-2009, 09:46 PM

wait till my guide comes out on how to get killed alot......just u wait!!

**Syndrome-X** · 10-11-2009, 09:54 PM

Wow, this thread has gone seriously off topic. Ik0n wasnt asking for your opinion of the guide. Honestly, he should delete everything in here.

He was just showing you his guide style. Everyone will have a different style. This is Ik0n's Guide, not IW's guide, or Fenny's guide. I am sure everyone that submits guides, will have a little different.

But like I already stated.... he didnt ask for criticism. He was just showing you his style.

Greg · 10-12-2009, 10:43 AM

If you're writing a guide about weapons, it has to be an objective guide. It's not supposed to have too much personal opinion in it. That's because the guns are like that. Full stop. It's like if we talk about a red car, if the car is red, and you say you would prefer it to be black, the car is still red, even though you don't like it. If you insert too much personal opinion, you will make people avoid some weapons, which isn't the best thing. I may like the MP5 more than the P90 for example, and you like them the other way around. In my guide I can't write that the MP5 is better than the P90, because it isn't true!

Though, if you are writing a strategy, it's a completely different thing. That has to have personal opinions and habits in it.

From what I've read, Ikon made a weapon guide, not a strategy one.

Obviously I'm not trying to offend Ikon in any way, but we're just discussing how a guide should be made.