Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Prestige and League Emblems Revealed
Through a recent Call of Duty: ELITE update from the folks over at Beachhead Studios, some users have have been able to extract the complete list of Black Ops 2 League Emblems and Prestige Emblems, including the mysterious Prestige Master emblem.
Black Ops 2 League Emblems
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Black Ops 2 Prestige Emblems
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Black Ops 2 Zombies emblems and additional Prestige emblems have been found via the 4players.de forums.
Black Ops 2 Zombie Emblems
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As mentioned below, these additional Prestige Emblem (last four at the bottom-right) are unconfirmed as additional Prestige levels.
Black Ops 2 Additional Prestige Emblems
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According to these images, there seems to be multiple tiers of Leagues one could possibly enter through their Black Ops 2 career. As a recap, Leagues in Black Ops 2 will pair equally skilled players into similar matchmaking categories. As one progresses and becomes more proficient, they will obviously be able to move up in tiers with better players.
So far, only ten Prestige levels have been confirmed, plus the last and final Prestige Master (in which everything is unlocked for a player in Black Ops 2). However, reports have surfaced that some users have found up to 15 emblems (thanks, CharlieINTEL) within the latest ELITE update, though a number of them appear to be older Black Ops 1 emblems. It’s yet to be confirmed what it could actually signify.
The game's story will jump between two timelines, with the primary one set in 2025. "Most" of the game will be set in 2025.
It is a direct sequel to Black Ops.
We will find out definitively what happened at the end of Black Ops—presumably, Mason didn't actually kill JFK, given that he's out in the field in Black Ops II. But who knows?
The second timeline will be set in the late 80's near the end of the Cold War.
The story will be narrated by Black Ops character Frank Woods, now an old man. Apparently he didn't die at the end of Black Ops after all.
In the 80's timeline, players will take on the role of Black Ops protagonist Alex Mason.
In 2025, players will take on the role of David Mason, who is the son of Alex Mason. The father/son relationship will play a part in the story.
In the game's fiction, there is a second Cold War happening between China and the US due to the scarcity of Rare Earth Elements used to make tech devices and military weapons.
The story is based on a real-world possibility, as China (according to the folks at Treyarch) currently controls 95% of the rare earth elements in the world. Topical!
Many of the real-world hooks are inspired by P.W. Singer's Wired for War: The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the 21st Century.
A good deal of the 1980's action will take place during proxy wars in Central America. Tropical!
Game Director Dave Anthony hinted that we may find out more about "imaginary" Viktor Reznov. "He was essentially a figment of the player's imagination," Anthony said. "Or was he?" Studio Director Mark Lamia chimed in, playfully. "Will we find out more about that?" asked Anthony with a smirk.
David Mason (the son)'s callsign is "Section." Which is kind of a cool callsign.
The villain will be a man named Raul Menendez, who in 2025 is pitting the Chinese and US governments against each other by hacking into their drones and other robotic weapons.
The 1980's missions will chronicle what started Menendez on setting his current-day plans in motion.
The story is was written from the ground up by Dark Knight and Batman Begins co-writer David Goyer. Goyer joined the first Black Ops part of the way through. He wanted to "create a memorable villain" with Martinez.
Martinez has hacked into the US's unmanned drones and unleashed an attack on Los Angeles. In the mission we saw, a fleet of drones were destroying buildings in downtown LA.
There will be at least one female soldier in the game, a pilot named Anderson. She laid quite a bit of waste during the entire LA mission.
The president in 2025 is also a woman, and appeared in the LA mission.
David Mason's sidekick is a soldier named Nelson who appears to be played by Michael Rooker of Mallrats and The Walking Dead fame.
The game will be using full-body performance capture to place its actors in the game; the tech demo I saw demonstrated both male and female actors captured with the sort of clarity we've come to expect from games using full-performance capture. James Burns will be reprising his role as Frank Woods, of course.
The Gameplay:
From what I saw in several demo sections set in a burning, futuristic LA, drones are controllable in combat and will play a large part in the game. Players have a drone-controller on their wrist in the game, and can use it to assign targets and waypoints.
There will be horses, and horseback-riding, during at least one sequence in the 1980's. They even went so far as to bring a horse into the motion capture studio.
At one point in the demo, the player jumped into a futuristic anti-aircraft gun and shot down enemy drones.
Vehicle segments will be back, including one piloting a futuristic VTOL airship. Part of the VTOL mission was mostly on-rails, but the second part involved free-flying and dogfighting with drones.
The Black Ops II story will be branching—it will feature choices and variable outcomes. Wait, what? Yep.
At one point, players had an option to either grab a sniper rifle and cover their squad, or rappel down to join up with them. Presumably that choice leads to a slightly different gameplay experience—this looks like one of the smaller of the choices offered in the game.
A large part of the branching will be due to Strike Force, which is a brand-new game mode featuring tactical, open-ended gameplay in sandbox-style levels.
The New Game Mode: "Strike Force":
Strike Force missions will be woven into the core single-player campaign, and will present themselves as various black ops missions available around the globe.
Players won't be able to play all of the strike force missions in a single playthrough.
Strike Force is currently only included in the campaign and isn't a separate mode. It won't allow for multiplayer but, at some point down the road, could be fleshed out. "Things like Zombies originally started as unlocks," said an Activision representative after we followed up to make sure. "We're not taking the option off the table."
Depending on the outcome of a given strike force mission, the story will change. "You're going to choose a mission," said Lamia, "and that's a branch for the story. Say there's three missions out there—you're not going to go back and play all of them; the story goes on. If you die on a strike force mission, you die in the story."
Going on that, it would seem that the playable characters don't feature in the Strike Force missions.
Strike Force allows players to control squads of troops, giving follow/hold commands with the shoulder buttons.
Strike Force also allows a zoomed-out command view via an unmanned aerial drone that lets you to set waypoints for your units to achieve shifting goals.
Strike Force will allow you to control (at the very least) armed aerial drones, armed land-drones, and unarmed aerial drones in addition to being able to hop to the viewpoint of any of the soldiers in your squad.
The strike force missions will unfold organically but will be written into the story—in that way, they'll function somewhat like a single-player version of the multiplayer in Mass Effect 3.
I think I heard Kiefer Sutherland voicing one of the squad members in Strike Force, but I'm not sure. Consider this a Kiefer! Rumor!
Multiplayer:
Multiplayer director David Vonderhaar relayed that the new approach they are taking is "One size does not fit all." That means, he said, that there is no one way to play a Call of Duty game. So, they're pulling back features like create-a-class, killstreaks, and other features and reexamining them, challenging their assumptions of "what cows are sacred."
Multiplayer will take place entirely in the year 2025—there will be no multiplayer missions set in the 80's.
They are taking the E-sports community very seriously. In part, that means that they're focusing on making the game more fun to watch as a spectator. Hopefully that means super cute, colorful uniforms!
Online Director Dan Bunting took us through a tech demo of the upgraded graphics; while lighting upgrades and tech aren't usually the most interesting topics, what they were showing looked great. As they put it, they are aiming for "PC quality graphics running at 60 FPS on a console." The illusion was quite convincing.
We saw two unpopulated multiplayer maps: The first map we saw was a naturalistic map located in a village in Yemen.
The second map was called "Aftermath" and was set in a ruined downtown LA, presumably after the drone-attack that we saw in the demo.
Zombies:
Zombies will definitely be back in Black Ops II, and will feature all new modes that are more fleshed-out than ever.
"There will be more zombies and more modes; just more."
The zombies are "In the multiplayer engine." "If you think about all of the things we can do with our multiplayer engine," Lamia said, "You can start to think about how we might be looking at this." Okay then!
Zombies are the only confirmed co-op aspect of Black Ops II. The campaign and strike-force modes do not appear to feature co-op.
Yes, it's that time of year again
Last year Kotaku got it's hands on the first major info on MW3 and a lot of doubt was cast upon it. This year we have some rather detailed forum posts from Activisions own site.
All threads of which were quickly deleted but the internet does not forget
This could be all true or half truths or complete falicy, but the same was said about Kotakus leak last year.
Either way it's the best info yet, and it's bassed on a lot more than the last BLack Ops 2 thread, which I see was itself deleted.
Well, Acti has been busy deleting more forum posts again. This time an image was found on their servers pointing towards an April 28 announcement for BO2. Its since been removed. Originally was located at http://www.callofduty.com/bo2/images
Release Date TBC: 6th of November 2012
Quote:
The following information, claiming to reveal the game's release date and a load of multiplayer features, was first posted on the official Black Ops forums in a thread that was later taken down, and its cached version is unavailable. It was then reposted in another thread on Activision's forums, which was also killed off by the publisher.
This year, Call of Duty will return with it’s ninth installment with Black Ops 2. As expected it will be following Treyarch’s previous game Black Ops. It’s release date is set for the 6th of November.
Game Modes
Escort, a new game mode similar to Search and Destroy however a live player must be escorted to one of three areas (or two depending on the map) without being killed. The match will have rounds, consisting of one life only.
Drop Zone and Kill Confirmed will return
Team Defender and Infected will not return
Pointstreaks
Will follow from Modern Warfare 3's system
Larger emphasis on objectives
A bomb plant is worth 2 points
A neutral flag is worth 1, however an enemy flag is worth 2
flag assist capture is worth 1, a capture is worth 2
The Specialist Pointstreak has be modified. 2 kills now gets you 1 perk. The 4th kill gets you 2 more perks. The 6th kill gets you 3 more perks. The 8th Kill gets you 4 more perks. You do not get every perk when you reach 8 kills. Perks only become "Pro" when you have them Pro
RC XD will not return
Heat vision is a new Pointstreak reward. When you get the required points, you can activate this Pointstreak and your player pulls out a scope and attaches it to your weapon. This scopes main advantage is it's ability to detect enemies through most walls. Note, the scope can only be attached to primaries not including shotguns
Item Packages requires 5 points. Fall along side care packages and air drop traps. Features a list of package items only including ammo, mini gun, grenade launcher, rocket launcher, and body armor
Prestiges
There will be 15 prestiges
There will be 50 ranks
Every two prestiges there is a 5 rank increase
The final prestige has 90 levels
ELITE 2.0
ELITE is being fully incorporated into Black Ops 2
Combat record has been modified and re-named as ELITE Stats
There will be a specific lobby for clan matches (new way of leveling clans)
Clan Tournaments can now be implemented
Removed
No MOAB or Nuke
No last stand
No death streaks
No flame thrower attachment
Map Design
Map design and size will be following Black Ops not Modern Warfare 3
Sniper Rifles
Improved sniper rifle usage.
No aim assist for any sniper rifle.
Less sway
Customization
No longer just perk 1 chooses the players appearance
Appearance is a combination of all perks and type of Pointstreak being used.
Hardcore
Larger emphasis on hardcore than ever before
No grenade launchers
Only vehicle guided rocket launchers permitted
Respawn timings decreased (for most modes)
1 bullet in the foot will no longer kill a person, a head or chest shot is usually required.
A person will now bleed out if severely injured.
Perk System 2.0
The Perk Pro system has been upgraded
There is now 2 options a perk can advance to.
Both require different challenges to unlock
Once the desired Pro version is unlocked, the player can select that as their "Perk Pro".
Once selected, the only way to choose the other option is by entering prestige mode.
For example Perk slot 1 has the perk called Speed
Speed - Reduces the time taken to aim down the sight. Pro I - Swaps weapons faster. Pro II - Throws equipment faster
Combat Training
Will be returning with vast improvements.
Difficulty is no longer based on how long the bots take to start shooting.
Bots now have an advance AI system
Similar to the behavior seen in the MW3 Spec Ops survival
Quote:
Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg has said of this year's Call of Duty: "This year we expect to further expand our presence with the launch of an all-new epic first-person shooter title under the Call of Duty brand. From what we've seen to date, the game already looks fantastic and will bring meaningful innovations to the franchise."
Item Packages requires 5 points. Fall along side care packages and air drop traps. Features a list of package items only including ammo, mini gun, grenade launcher, rocket launcher, and body armor
Wonder does that mean ONLY those listed items are in a care package?
Would suck if they removed the good killstreaks from a care package
ELITE 2.0
ELITE is being fully incorporated into Black Ops 2
Combat record has been modified and re-named as ELITE Stats
There will be a specific lobby for clan matches (new way of leveling clans)
Clan Tournaments can now be implemented
At this point, I couldn't give a flying f_uck!
Removed
No MOAB or Nuke
No last stand
No death streaks
No flame thrower attachment
All good news!!!
Map Design
Map design and size will be following Black Ops not Modern Warfare 3
Hell yeah. MW3 maps kinda suck compared to BLOPS
I don't care if Zombies returns or not because I don't really care for it.
But, if zombies did return, you'd think they'd bring Infected back.
I hope the MP is much more improved than Black Ops even though it was a joy playing that MP. MW3 has proven much better MP than BO so expectations are always high...
I'm not sure about that. I do enjoy the faster pace and the kill streaks of MW3 but if they had Hardcore mode equal to what MW3 has now, I wouldn't be struggling to finish these last 2 prestiges in BOPS. Although I guess it is more than just the game mode setup, the drop in population has made a huge impact in playability for me as well.
No normal screen could contain the explosive action and sheer breadth of generation-spanning Black Ops 2 reveals this morning at E3. It demanded every square foot of the massive Activision booth screen to treat convention attendees to their first look at previously unannounced locales that players will get to experience in Black Ops 2.
After an introduction by Frank Woods, the video took the audience to 2025 Los Angeles and the dramatic opening of the "Protect P.O.T.U.S." mission. Expanded to panoramic extremes, the devastation wreaked upon the urban sprawl of downtown L.A. felt all the more real to the gathered crowd. After all, they stood well within striking distance of the scene unfolding before them.
From there, the video whipped between 2025 and the mid-80s at a breakneck pace. Stepping backwards in time, the rubble of L.A. gave way to the dry, sun-baked plateaus of Angola. Across the distant plain, the assembled forces charged headlong towards each others with chattering machine guns and swinging machetes.
Back in 2025, the scene shifted to the cerulean waters of the Cayman Trench. Rising from beneath the waves shone a man-made island. A resplendent edifice of chrome and glass, the island oasis was filled with vacationing party-goers blissfully ignorant of simmering international tensions. Little did they know that their paradise would quickly devolve into a chaotic cacophony of gunfire on the dance floor.
Taken to Afghanistan in 1986, small villages nestled in the mountainous terrain set the stage for warfare between the upstart mujahideen and the foreign Soviets. Bolstered by the resources and training provided by the C.I.A., the Afghan fighters resist the Soviet military intervention despite overwhelming odds. Nowhere was this more evident than when a haras of horses steadfastly galloped at full gait in the face of superior Soviet air power.
In a final return to the near-future of 2025, we got a look at the chaos of combat in Singapore, as seen in the E3 demos of the brand new Strike Force missions. Sparks flew from the heavy amounts of drone warfare, as troops from both sides maneuvered the narrow spaces of the shipyard. In a dramatic ending, a missile was directed straight at the heart of a nearby cargo ship.
As the Black Ops 2 logo appeared on-screen to close the video experience, applause and shouts of approval sounded throughout the crowd. But just as they prepared to disperse, a familiarly chilling laugh echoed throughout the exhibition hall and a splash of blood covered the screen. The crowd's most dedicated undead-slayers instantly yearned for more.
Not a fan of the series but this looks epic I doubt it will look like the previews on the ps3, though
All things considering the previews certainly have mirrored exactly like how the game is supposed to look on previous COD releases...from what I observed anyway!
This year, Call of Duty will return with it’s ninth installment with Black Ops 2. As expected it will be following Treyarch’s previous game Black Ops. It’s release date is set for the 6th of November.
Game Modes
[*]Escort, a new game mode similar to Search and Destroy however a live player must be escorted to one of three areas (or two depending on the map) without being killed. The match will have rounds, consisting of one life only.
cool I think it promotes teamwork
Pointstreaks
Pointstreaks suck because it gives people that can't kill ways to kill those that can
Prestiges
There will be 15 prestiges
There will be 50 ranks
Every two prestiges there is a 5 rank increase
The final prestige has 90 levels
Nice upgrade to the prestige system
ELITE 2.0 Stats are nice and there are some good features in Elite, but if the game sucks doesn't matter
Removed
No MOAB or Nuke
No last stand
No death streaks
No flame thrower attachment
Wasn't impressed with MW3's MOAB anyway, 25 kills with the spawn system, and somewhat questionable map layout which prevented this from being a routine thing the way Nukes were in MW2 made this a chore. Everything else is good to be removed.
Map Design
Map design and size will be following Black Ops not Modern Warfare 3
Anything that can fix the mess that wasn't just maps, but spawning is 10000000% ok in my opinion
Sniper Rifles
Improved sniper rifle usage.
No aim assist for any sniper rifle.
Less sway
Funny, that looks like an omission they botched it in Blackops, again these changes only matter if the maps/layouts don't suck
Customization
No longer just perk 1 chooses the players appearance
Appearance is a combination of all perks and type of Pointstreak being used.
Hardcore
Some cool upgrades to Hardcore
Perk System 2.0
The Perk Pro system has been upgraded
There is now 2 options a perk can advance to.
Both require different challenges to unlock
Once the desired Pro version is unlocked, the player can select that as their "Perk Pro".
Once selected, the only way to choose the other option is by entering prestige mode.
For example Perk slot 1 has the perk called Speed
Speed - Reduces the time taken to aim down the sight. Pro I - Swaps weapons faster. Pro II - Throws equipment faster
love this idea! instead of having to pick and choose like with mw3, having to earn them almost takes it back to cod4 where the perk did multiple things
Combat Training
Fine little side gametype for when nobodies on
All countries
Argentina
Austria
Belgium
Brazil
Bulgaria
Chile
China
Colombia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Estonia
Denmark
Finland
Greece
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
Indonesia
Ireland
Israel
India
Latvia
Lithuania
Malaysia
New Zealand
Norway
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Singapore
South Africa
South Korea
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Thailand
Turkey
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2
I doubt it will look like the previews on the ps3, though
Hybrid Mode
