My First Video

This is going to my first post that is linked to a video. Turns out these posts might be longer than I anticipated.

I'll start with a little background. This is a clip from Call of Duty: Black Ops, which is a First Person Shooter (FPS). Black Ops' multi-player lets me go online and play the game against thousands of other people online. Before the game starts, players are allowed to customize their equipment and weaponry. This is where everything starts.

Before undertake any sort of project, activity, or endeavor, you have to plan. It's the concept of starting with a strong foundation. When you build a house, you start from the bottom up. That's what the pre-game part of Black Ops is, planning for your game type, your opponents, and your personal abilities.

The most important part of your set up in Black Ops, is your gun. The majority of your game play is determined by what weapon you equip. There are different classes of weapons, and each one has specific strength and weaknesses. Some are for short-range, some for long range. Some have large ammo clips but are less mobile. Different attachments allow for even more variety in choice and potential. Most importantly, there are always trade-offs, which are an important part of reality. Economics are based around marginal costs versus marginal benefits, and people act logically based on the ratio of cost to benefit. If the benefits are higher than the costs, they will act. This applies directly to choosing your weapon, and all other equipment, in Black Ops. So, before you even begin playing the game, decision making, critical thinking, and organized planning are already being put to use.

Here is the link to Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YQwRA4EjzI

In this game, I'm playing "Capture the Flag". The object is to take the opposing team's flag and return it to your base. You can only "capture" the flag if your own flag is at your base. When the clip starts, both team's flags are out, and I am set up around our base defending the person with our flag. I know the enemy is approaching, so I set up at an area that is heavily trafficked. My radar (which unfortunately does not show up in the film) shows me that several enemies are approaching, which is why I am hiding behind the forklift as the clip starts. As you watch this film, you may want to pause the video at the times I'm going to mark. The film goes by incredibly quick. I suppose watching the whole thing first would be a good idea as well. See what works best for you. :D

You would be surprised how many players do not use cover. Since my enemies are coming out of a door, they are wide open. I can see their entire bodies, while only my torso is visible. I'm already at an advantage. To further increase my chances of winning the battle, I toss a flash grenade, which temporarily blinds anyone in range. This is basically the first thing you see in the clip. As you can tell, my strategy worked here, and my enemy drops. This shows awareness, planning, and being prepared. I actively engaged my opponent without revealing any extra weaknesses. I was able to successfully gather information and implement a course of action that put me on top.

Now, while I was doing this, I was also keeping track of my radar (again, I regret it doesn't show. I will work on getting this to work.) and notice an enemy advancing on the right side of our base (shown at about :06 in the film). I step to the side to see if I can help my teammates, but the enemy isn't in my line of sight. I toss a flash grenade just in case. After I realize I won't be much help, I turn back to my post (about :07). In the split second I turned away, another enemy slipped past my guard. Luckily, he thought I was hiding in a different corner, so I am able to pick him off without much trouble. These events show the depth of this game. If I had been able to help my team, the entire game would have been different. If the enemy that got behind me had guessed the right corner, the whole game would have been different. However, my foe and I both acted on the information we knew. The outcome of our battle may have simply been determined by my ability to quickly evaluate the situation, understanding that I could do no more, realizating that I needed to keep watching the door, and reacting accordingly. Remember, this only happened in a second or two. Not only do you have to think, you have to think fast. Hesitation will get you killed.

This ability to quickly evaluate a situation is definitely handy in real life. Think about the way a conversation works. They are pretty quick natured. Conversations happen in real time, not like this blog, where I can get a drink, use the bathroom, or check my Facebook in between paragraphs. Quick decision making is an essential component of verbal communication.

At about :10 I move into the corner to pick up equipment that my foe just dropped. Again my radar tells me the opponent on our right side hasn't been defeated yet, so I toss another flash grenade in that general direction, hoping for a hit that will give my teammates the edge (enemy shown at :12). After I toss the grenade I immediately turn my attention back to my corridor, remembering how even a split-seconds glance in the wrong direction can be a huge mistake. I check the corner, and see another enemy. After I take him out (:15) I decide to help my team on the right side. This decision is informed by my radar, which shows no immediate danger in my vicinity. Now, an enemy could have been right beside me and hidden from my radar. However, I knew for certain my team was in danger. Their risk was greater than mine. I feel this was an informed decision. Remember, marginal benefits vs. marginal costs.

As I hurry to assist my allies, I check my map again, and see more enemies approaching from around the far corner. I toss a grenade. Unfortunately it isn't quick enough to save one of my teammates, but I do avenge him (:21). I notice another enemy, but I need to reload. I drop back out of line of sight so I won't be shot (you'd be surprised how many people don't do this either). After I reload, I take him out and turn with a teammate to begin our assault on the enemies who are holding our flag. We both realize we have successfully defended our flag, though only temporarily, and we both know we must begin to push or the game will continue to stalemate, showing cooperation and teamwork.

Wow. I can't believe I got all of that from about thirty seconds of game play. I knew there was good stuff here, but I wasn't prepared for such a saturation of experience. Sitting down and examining this clip bit-by-bit helps me understand even more why I am drawn to this game. I am entirely engaged. I'm using every part of my brain. I'm functioning at my highest level.

What I want to show here is that these in-game experiences can translate to the real world. I'm developing all the skills I've described. I need to simply convert them into my every day activities. Recently I've realized I haven't been doing this. I call it: "Not playing life at 100%". Doing this blog is part of my commitment to start doing that. Why should I treat life like it is inferior to a game. I can make life just as engaging. I just have to try.

Thank you for taking this journey. I'm sorry about the poor quality of the video and the length of the text, but it's all I have right now. I'm hoping to get more links up very soon, and I'm anxious to continue exploring this new world.



-Ben