Lets talk about balance. This is my initial impression so far. When playing, I generally use subs and run&gun.

Sniper rifles:
I almost never get sniped and when I do I don't die.(I am always on the move). I don't snipe however, the lack of snipers and deaths from snipers has led me to believe somthing is wrong with them.

Subs:
Subs with steady aim are way to accurate.
Subs generally hit much harder than assault rifles(self explanitory problem IMO).
Everybody uses the AK74U including me. I wonder why?
Maybe assault rifles need a rapid fire option too?
I'd love to mix it up with some assault rifles however, why would I? I kill a twice as fast with subs from the hip.

Equipment:
Clays seem a little OP.
Why do flashbangs take forever to throw and cuncussion grenades are nearly instant?
Yes of course, I always use concussion.

Maps:
Everybody plays 24/7 nuketown CTF or TDM. You can earn great XP in 1/2 to 1/3 the time it takes to play games on other maps. Should somthing be done about this? Its getting hard to find a regular game on a different map. Maybe we just need a couple more tiny maps.

This is just my opinion. I'm far from an expert on these things. This is not meant to be a cry post. I usually run&gun with subs even when the weapons are not OP. That's how I play. It just feels too easy in BO. I'm sure there is a lot more issues however, these seem to be at the top of my list.

Your thoughts?

I've found snipers only useful with the adjustable zoom. I don't know what about it makes it though. Also, is it just me, or are smgs more accurate with hip fire and steady aim than they are with ironsights?

Game types:
DOM,CTF,DEM,SAB all end up being played the same way, just like TDM (or should that read as Tedium), with no players going for flags or attacking objectives, few players are playing the game types the way they are meant to be played, and the reason why this happens?, I think there is a lack of any real punishment for being killed, the respawn times are just so low, that dying in game isnt a hindrance at all. When you die, your team should be weakened by the fact that you are unable to help your team mates, but with only a few seconds of waiting, you are thrown back into the action after a few short seconds, I've said before that only S&D and HQ game types play with a much more tactical pace, maybe its because the punishment of sitting out for longer periods of time is the reason for that

Maps:
Only WMD and Array are the stand out maps in Black Ops for me, all the other maps just play exactly the same, the game needs a far more diverse selection of maps, they are all far too small with too many choke points, maybe a better selection of maps will appear in the DLC map packs
I know custom maps would be a much better option thou

The reason WMD and Array play better than all the other maps is that you have the ability to flank the opposing team, and you are not forced down the opposing teams throat at every turn, giving a much more enjoyable gaming experience

Weapons:
I only play Hardcore, so they all do the same thing. kill

I think all the weapons are balanced,there is no op weapon and servers I play you find ppl using all sorts of weaponry not like in COD 4 where AK was the choice.Nuketown ...yes here in Australia when you jump on late at night that is all you find Nuketown 24/7 servers mostly domination.regarding XP you probably get more XP on HQ server then on DOM Nuketown and gameplay is less spamy and ppl generally play objective and don't take it as a TDM least here in Aus

i only use rifles really i haven't found a game breaking gun yet like there were in BFBC2

I find the submachine guns to be weak including the AK74u, I think it is entirely overrated. I use ARs and never die to Ak74u or subs because of the fact that I need to hit them 1-2 bullets less at all ranges. Assault rifles running lightweight and marathon and then steady aim or sleight of hand can run and gun just as effectively as subs while beating them at every range range in shoot outs. I hardly ever used anything but subs in WAW and Mw2 because they dominated so hard in those games with and without stopping power, cod4 I used Ak74, M16, Ak 47 equally. I feel ARs dominate in this game.


Here is my tier list
S Famas, M14(grip)
1 Commando(Best ranged AR), Ak47(best CQC AR), Aug, G11, Ak 74u(Flak jacket only and only in objective games)
2 Ak 74u(best All around Sub), CZ 75
3 M14 (no grip), Fal, Python, Every other Submachine guns, Snipers, M60
4 Machine guns

Claymores are the only reason I ever run Flak Jacket and the only thing stopping me from making it behind the enemy lines 9 out of 10 times. It's the only reason I would take Flak jacket over Light weight. Ghost is niche and situational and I get plenty of kills by baiting without it when I realize the enemy has a uav up.

Flash has way more range than a concussion and work better versus groups while concussion is single target. Then Gas is for blocking off chock points.

My classes are

M14(grip) Lightweight, Steady Aim, Marathon- Also works in Barebones quiet well (need to get headshots to really take advantage of the 1.5 modifier)
Ak 74U Flak Jacket, Sleight of Hand, Marathon- good for flag running and bomb defusing/planting
Ak 47 Lightweight, Sleight of Hand, Marathon/Hacker- Best CQC setup almost a guaranteed dogs
Commando Silencer
Famas Silencer

My problems with balance and gameplay are 1. knifing, knifing and knifing. 2. Tactical Mask non pro is extremely weak. 3. Why unlimited sprint and not faster mantling I rather climb faster than run all day

i honestly thing that SMGs with steady aim are over powered.. now i say its balanced AND unblanaced..

1) balanced: it is true not many people use the same guns so there is a large variety on every server you join

2)balanced: they do very very nice on damage from distances. and AR is much stronger than a SMG from long distance and vise versa the smg is stronger cuz of the higher rate of fire at close distance.

3)Balanced: Shotguns imo are balanced ALMOST perfectly. maybe a tad little less range. their power is well rounded and distance well... you saw what i just put lol. Although it would be nice if they lower the Spas' RoF.


3)unbalanced: Snipers.. ive gotten way too many point blank head shots and they just run around again killing me and from long distance it seems i can kill some1 with a foot shot from a sniper so thats messed up

4)unbalnaced: Perks + weapons + attachments, if u use the Galil or the Famas with a silencer its almost mimicing the UMP silenced from MW2 which always makes me mad lol. SMGs with Extended mags/rapid fire with steady aim is very unfair.. its way too accurate and kills too fast sometimes even at long distance

although they are having major problems trying to patch the game... at least they did some what well with weapons in BO.. they get a 3.75/5 for weapons in this game for me

5) you opinion: do you guys think Semtexs are over powered? i think they way too powerful and should be switched with the damage of a frag. it seems the frag is somewhat weak compared to the semtex. the blast radius of a semtex is big too.. i hate it lol. i persoanlly use a tomohawk :p

using stoner ,famas and ak74u , i like the stoner because you can use it as a classic light machine gun and when you have to pick it up and run and gun you do'nt have the bipods to remind you the accuracy deficit. ak74u is an amazing weapon ,i think its steady aim that is making it overpowered and feel a bit easy.The scorpion is the only other one i've liked because it makes you play strategically to get close enough for the 2 bullet kill. The Famas by its stats say its overpowered (mostly its fire rate) but its a harder gun imo to use than ak commando or Galil , Aug is similar to Famas in this respect.

the stoner is definitly a OP gun lol... as a LMG its SUPPOSED to be inaccurate cuz of the recoil... obviously to overrule that a LMG is a very powerful weapon... but being able to run and gun with it is op.. and for the famas... it has practically no recoil lol and is very very powerful and with those combined it is definitly OP and your ak-74 statement is true. and the skorpion... i can snipe people with that thing..

All assault rifles have way too little recoil...hence making Black Ops a noob-friendly game.

Raise the recoil on all AR's by 50% and then people will have to actually try and control their recoil to get kills.

It's the truth people.