Let’s face it: When one player sucks in Call of Duty: Black Ops multiplayer, the whole team suffers. And if you don’t realize which guy on your team sucks – well, you know how that old adage goes, right? So we’re here with a public service announcement. Here are eight things a majority of players do that make them worse instead of better. Yes, some great players out there will probably disagree with these strategies – but we probably wouldn’t want to play with you. And yes, people make dozens of other mistakes as well. These are the eight we’re going to work on today.
Above: If you can only score when rocking the noob tube, keep reading – we can help
Reason #8 %26ndash; You think you're Super Mega Sniper Elite 007
We see you out there trying to be all stealthy, creeping around really slowly pretending that if you move like some hot-stuff Navy SEAL nobody will see you. We know why you’re doing it – because that's how it works in the movies. But video games don't work like that, buddy. While you see yourself moving with the utmost precision, as slowly and stealthily as a mighty jungle cat, everyone else sees you creeping along like a sitting duck, possibly with your gun barrel glitching through the wall and your legs dancing wildly as they constantly realign.
How to fix it: Move quickly (but don’t sprint – more on that later) and with purpose or not at all. If you're going to try to go stealth, stop moving entirely or move quickly, then stop. The human eye is trained to see motion, and in a game like Black Ops the frenetic action will often make it tough to see anything that isn't moving. Get into position, then stop fidgeting. If you have to move, do it in one swift motion to reduce the chance anyone will catch you moving.
Worst in: Free-for-All
Above: You are not this guy. Get over it
Reason #7 %26ndash; You never stop reloading
After you win a gunfight, you reload right away. Don’t do that. We've lost count of how many idiots we've picked off right after their fight because they started reloading immediately after the fight was over. Shooting attracts other enemies, particularly live ones you haven’t shot yet. And reloading makes you completely defenseless for a few precious seconds. If you get caught, you're toast. How many bullets do you think it takes to kill somebody anyway? You don't need 30 bullets in the clip to take somebody out.
How to fix it: Make sure you're safe before reloading. If you've just unloaded on some fool, it's likely somebody heard the shots and is coming to mop up the leftovers. They're probably even hoping you're silly enough to start reloading immediately. Head around the corner and duck behind a dumpster or something.
Worst in: All modes, but specifically Free-for-All, Team Deathmatch
Above: Kitty is out of ammo because he shot, left, and therefore lived long enough to shoot some more. We could all learn from Kitty
