It wasn’t too long ago that online shooters offered up far less intimidating experiences for first-timers.  There was little to no customization as far as what you could bring in to battle with you.  You just chose a basic loadout and shot at other people who were using the same basic loadout.  It was simple.  It worked well.  Everyone had a fighting chance—even the noobs.  The only real advantage veteran players had over beginners was more practice.  They knew the maps well.  They knew all the good spots and maybe a few glitches—but that was all.  They didn’t have increased health and armor, airstrikes or choppers, martyrdom or any other seemingly magical abilities.  Just guns and nades—it was the good ‘ol days.

But Call of Duty changed all that.  In 2007 Modern Warfare exploded on to the scene, bringing with it a leveling system ripe with Perks and rewards that would become the standard for online FPS’s.

Because of Modern Warfare’s popularity, more and more games are following its formula for character leveling.  In this new generation of online shooters, players are rewarded with better equipment as their skills improve.  This deadly mix of more practice and better equipment further increases the gap between ‘leveled’ players and players just starting out.  The result is an environment where natural ability can only get you so far.  What was once a pick up and play experience for casual gamers has become a case of the haves and the have-nots.

Now, this system is a great idea from the standpoint of developers who want you to play their game for countless hours.  It gives the player a reason to keep playing; and it gives you a sense of progression that some earlier games have always been missing.  It’s also a great system for competitive gamers who join clans and love playing against other clans with similar skills.  The problem is that it’s unfair punishment for the players who aren’t playing every night.  It locks out casual gamers who don’t necessarily want to put in the time and rank up enough to become competitive.  Frankly, the noobs are suffering.  Frustrated and mal-equipped, casual gamers are likely to crawl back to single-player and non-competitive game modes and leave the competitive modes for the rest of us.

So, what do you guys think?  What can the developers do to level the playing field?  MW2 addressed the problem a little bit with “Death Streaks” and Halo keeps it even by only letting you customize your armor’s appearance.  What’s the answer?  How can the developers give hardcore gamers and casual gamers an equally fun experience?  Is it even possible?

Let your noob-flag fly!  Join the discussion in our Modern Warfare 2 forums.  We want to hear from both sides.

It’s pretty hard to keep a secret these days.  And with the insane amount of excitement surrounding Modern Warfare 2, it’s apparently impossible.  Leaked copies of MW2 have shown up all over the globe and spoilers are flying around like… something that flies around a lot.  The complete list of perks and kill streak rewards have recently been leaked, but Infinity Ward is still keeping mum over certain details of the game and won’t really confirm or deny much.

So without further ado, I give you the unofficial, but pretty much official, list of MW2 perks and kill streak rewards:

Note:  Three perk slots are available with each perk being upgradeable from “standard” to “pro.”

Perks:  Slot 1

Marathon - Standard: Unlimited Sprint - Pro: Get over obstacles faster
Sleight of Hand  - Standard: Faster Reload - Pro: Aim down sights faster
Scavenger - Standard: Retrieve ammo from dead bodies – Pro: Extra Mags
Bling - Standard: Dual attachments on primary weapon - Pro: Dual attachments on secondary weapon
One Man Army - Standard: Switch classes in game (no respawn needed) Pro: Same perk, but works faster

Perks:  Slot 2

Stopping Power - Standard: Increased bullet damage - Pro: Increased bullet damage to aircraft and choppers
Lightweight - Standard: Move faster – Pro: ?
Hardline - Standard: Killstreak rewards require 1 less kill - Pro: Deathstreaks require 1 less death
Cold Blooded - Standard: Undetectable by UAV, air support, sentries, and thermal – Pro: ?
Danger Close - Standard: Increases explosive weapons damage – Pro: ?

Perks:  Slot 3

Commando - Standard: Increased melee distance - Pro: Same as “standard” plus no falling damage
Steady Aim - Standard: Increased hip-fire accuracy – Pro: Hold breath while aiming longer
Scrambler - Standard: Scrambles the radar of nearby enemies – Pro: ?
Ninja - Standard: Invisible to heartbeat sensors - Pro: Move silently
SitRep - Standard: Insertions. Reveals enemy explosives and Tactical Insertions – Pro: Louder enemy footsteps
Last Stand - Standard: You remember this one… remain alive on the ground for 10 seconds after being killed, pistol equipped - Pro: Use grenades and equipment along with your pistol

Kill streak rewards:

Note:  Kill streak rewards can be unlocked in the order that you choose (except the default set).  You can also select your choice of 3 rewards to use for each character class.

3 Kills -- UAV
4 Kills -- Care Package
4 Kills -- Counter UAV
5 Kills -- Sentry Gun
5 Kills -- Predator Missile
6 Kills -- Precision Airstrike
7 Kills -- Strike
7 Kills -- Attack Chooper
8 Kills -- Emergency Airdrop
9 Kills -- Pave Low
9 Kills -- Stealth Bomber
11 Kills -- Chopper Gunner
11 Kills -- AC-130
15 Kills -- EMP
25 Kills – Tactical Nuke