*kick*
Er begint zich nu voor Call of Duty 2 op de Xbox 360 iets
vergelijkbaars voor te doen. In short: de multiplayermogelijkheden zijn bedroevend. Het zit op zich fantastisch in mekaar, mooie maps, killcam werkt goed, game best netjes balanced en zo, maar de matchmaking is compleet verneukt.
In het multiplayer menu kun je kiezen uit Friendly of Ranked match, daarna uit Random of Specific game, en bij specific game kun je vervolgens kiezen welke van de 5 gametypes je wil spelen. De oplettende lezer mist hierbij al snel opties als "Create (private) server", "List servers" met filters en sorteeropties, "Choose map" en "Invite friends". En inderdaad, je wordt gewoon op een willekeurige server geknikkerd met vrijwel willekeurige mensen. Als ie geen passende server kan vinden binnen X seconden maak je er zelf een. Ergo, merendeel van de tijd zit je met wildvreemden op een server met 450ms ping (heb ik serieus gehad) op een map die je niet leuk vindt.
Zie wat Activision vindt van deze klachten:
Customer 11/29/2005 08:51 AM
I'm writing in reguard to Call of Duty 2 and the lackluster Live multi-player. There are two main issues.
First, the game lags with 8 players, which is totally unacceptable when I can play another 360 game (Perfect Dark Zero) with 16 players and have no lag at all.
Second, there is absolutely no way to have a game with friends only. This totally defeats the purpose behind Microsoft even having a friends list for Live.
I certainly hope that there are plans to resolve both of these issues in the near future. If not, I will be among several people that carefully read reviews from other players before purchasing future Activision titles.
Response (Stephen Frick) 11/29/2005 09:09 AM
Hi, Activision does not have any say as to how the online host lobby works. This is designed and run by Microsoft.
You may experience lag in game caused by individual players and their connections/distance from the server.
Thank you for contacting Customer Support
Customer 11/29/2005 09:27 AM
Correct me if I'm wrong, but if Microsoft had the final say in how the online host lobby worked, wouldn't Call Of Duty 2 have options like Perfect Dark Zero and Project Gotham Racing 3 to have the ability to host private games?
Quite frankly, the response I reveived to both of the issues is a cop out on the part of someone at Activision. I've been a consumer of Activision games since the days of the Atari VCS (the 2600) and I am sorely disappointed in the "blame someone else" response I just received. If this is what can be expected from now on, then I will no longer be looking at Activision games for future purchase.
Futhermore, I am forwarding my initial contact and the response I received to Microsoft. I'm sure they'll be quite interested in it.
Response (Stephen Frick) 11/29/2005 09:39 AM
Hi,
Our games use the standard Microsoft lobby.
Thank you.
Customer 11/29/2005 10:08 AM
So, what I'm being told is that Microsoft comes in and does part of the work for you on the lobby portion of your games. Somehow, I find that truely hard to believe.
Again, if that were the case, then the lobby for Call of Duty 2 would more resemble those from Perfect Dark Zero and Project Gotham Racing 3. However, Call Of Duty 2 has no option to create a game lobby anywhere in the online options. The lack of being able to have a private "friends only" game also shows a lack of a "standard Microsoft lobby."
Surely, you understand the workings of the XBox 360 enough to know that Live is integrated in the console ot be able to be accessed at any point, however the game lobby is the sole doing of the developer.
So, at this point, I think that it might be best if Stephen would pass me off to someone that might be able to give me a less standardized answer and maybe at least address the issue with something more that trying to pass blame.
Response (Stephen Frick) 11/29/2005 10:15 AM
Hi, this is the way the game is designed and it is not going to be changed.
If you would like to contact Microsoft about how they have designed their standard host lobby and the changes you would like seen, please feel free to do so.
Customer 11/29/2005 10:35 AM
Perhaps you didn't understand. Other games include the ablity to host private games. This includes the ability to create a game lobby and invite only friends to the game, keeping the general public out. Both options are not included in the online component of Call of Duty 2. Instead, you have to randomly connect to a server and hope that your friends can get in before the general public.
Live is designed and run by Microsoft, yes. Programming of the game to include the option to create a private game, that's soley on Activision.
Now, if Activision refuses to acknowledge this issue and make a patch for this, then it's time that the XBox Live community also be made aware of this so they can make informed decisions about future purchases of Activision products.
Again, I request that this issue be given to someone else, preferably at a higher tier within Activision support.
And for the record, I have contacted Microsoft. When I get a response, I'll be sure to let you know exactly what they say.
Response (Kirk McNesby) 11/29/2005 11:04 AM
Hi,
The XBox 360 is a new console and changes were made to the implementation of the XBox live interface for the 360. As always happens less is known or set regarding a console prior to it's release. What was implemented in Call of Duty 2 is the basic interface to XBox Live. If you would like to play with your friends on Call of Duty 2 you should make sure you are taking advantage of the tools provided to you through the xbox live interface. Make sure you friends are set to approval status AND are on your friends list. XBox Live will attempt to connect you to people who are both your friends and people you have given an approval rating before it tries to match you with random people. You can also try not selecting quick match and specifying game parameters, these parameters will attempt to be matched first and if all of you select the same parameters you are more likely to be put together.
As it stands now there is nothing for Activision to acknowledge. The interface is functional. The tools that you have been provided with work. It's not necessarily what you want and I will certainly make note of that for future reference by us, but at this point the interface is at is is and this is highly unlikely to change now that the game is released. Sorry.
As far as other companies making it possible to play private games I will draw your attention again to the fact that these are launch titles for a new console and the other studios that you mentioned are either owned outright by Microsoft or their game was published by Microsoft.
Customer 11/29/2005 12:06 PM
So, from what I'm gathering, since this is the "basic interface" for Live, online was an afterthought?
You have a lot of unhappy consumers out here and I know I'm not the only one voicing my dissatisfaction with the product. Again, the single player is outstanding, but where's the value in the title past the single player if the online portion is "basic" at best? Surely you don't expect us to play split screen or own enough consoles to play via system link.
Sure, there are tools provided to get the games that I would like, but are you aware that it's time consuming? It can take 30 minutes or more to try and get a "friends only" game. And even that's not 100% guaranteed. What's the use in putting that much time in to just trying to get a game set up instead of being able to play?
Why not look into possibly updating the online code to make it a 100% thing? I realize that there might be some work involved if the interface were to be modified with a patch to update it to give the options that a lot of players would like to have, but isn't it worth doing instead of having a good portion of consumers not willing to buy future releases from Activision?
Is this "basic" interface also the cause of lag in games? My connection is fine in any other online sitaution, but in any game I have tried to play in Call of Duty 2 has been laggy. If it has to do with other players' connections, the option to create a server in the online options could solve this issue as well.
Again, I've been purchasing Activision titles since the days of the Atari VCS (2600) and on various platforms up until present day with the XBox 360. Why? Because Activision has been known for publishing quality software. And when there has been an issue that could be resolved, Activision has done so.
Granted, Activision is under no obligation to work on this issue or resolve it, the product shipped as is and you fully have the option to say "that's what you get, deal with it."
As a consumer, I can mearly register my disappointment and make the informed choice to no longer purchase Activision titles. And within the Live community, I will make my opinion and my experience with this game known so others can make an informed choice as well. The internet can be such a great force to get such things across.
You had a great game here, it could have been even better had the online interface been more than just "basic." From what I'm getting out of the responses is that there will be no improvements put in place, which is a shame.
So, I will take my money elsewhere and I will recommend to everyone in the Live community that they do the same. With 100 people on my friends list, and most likely the people on my friends list also having 100 people on theirs', I'm sure the number is considerable.
Best of luck to Activision in the future, hope you can some day restore the faith of a former long time customer.
Ze schuiven het allemaal af op Microsoft dus, wat bull is gezien het feit dat andere games wel gewoon de gevraagde features bieden. MS levert de faciliteiten, maar Infinity Ward heeft het gewoon ruk geimplementeerd en zich er met een halfslachtig bouwsel van afgemaakt. Extreem zund voor een game die afgezien daarvan een prachtige singleplayer heeft en zelfs een zeer zeer goede multiplayer.... als je uiteindelijk toevallig een keer met de goede mensen op een server met een acceptabele lijn terechtkomt