CoD2 vs. RO
March 7th, 2006 by 
D6Veteran
Arguing over which video game is better is always a stupid discussion that often leads to the even dumber arena of console-pc debating. These arguments never reveal what any player would have to gain from winning such an argument, except maybe having more friends play the game they tout as being superior. Enter the current battle between CoD2 (multiplayer) and RO fans. On the surface this is yet another lame ‘your game is teh suck’ argument being waged on every WW2 FPS clan board across the net; however look closer and there is something else going on here that is not typical of fan boy battles.
The battle of the better game in this case is fueled almost entirely by a disgruntled segment of the Call of Duty that is disappointed and angry at Infinity Ward for the abomination they are forced to play on a daily basis - Call of Duty 2. Entire CoD clans are looking to RO to save them from CoD (”clan leaves CoD2 for a game not yet released - story at 11″). This happened to some extent when Medal of Honor got stale with expansions while their core team of developers left Allied Assault to form Infinity Ward and produce the first CoD. But let’s face it, CoD was really a continuation of MoH, and WW2 shooter fans following key MoH developers over to CoD was the logical move. In some ways you could argue those players simply stuck with the same series.
The reason fans are leaving, or threatening to leave, CoD2 for RO is twofold. First, there is the long list of grievances with CoD2: no map editor, no patch, no vehicles, no sprint, no punkbuster, small maps, no new gameplay. These grievances come from fans who largely expect CoD2 to be CoD:UO2. That expectation is understandable, but illogical looking at it from a development point of view: CoD:UO was not made by Infinity Ward. CoD2 is the second generation game engine of the CoD (sans expansion) series. And what a second generation it is: no one can deny how beautiful the game is on a decent gaming rig — I still find myself impressed with the textures and details. But I digress.
The second reason fans are positioning to leave CoD2 for RO is lack of tactical realism. What I find most puzzling about this reasoning is that a majority of the players at the vanguard of this ‘movement’ (for lack of a better word) have never even played the released version of RO. The tactical realism of RO is hardcore when compared to stock CoD2, and still a notch above any CoD2 server running WRM for instance, no matter how much of a TR Nazi is admining the server. So how is that so many CoD2 players ranging the full spectrum of CoD2 tactical realism style, are wanting the next big thing in TR - Red Orchestra?
Don’t get me wrong, I would love nothing more than to see thousands of WW2 shooter fans migrate to a higher standard of TR. But I simply don’t believe what I am hearing. If it is true that the desire for hard core TR is so strong and widespread that you cannot keep track of the number of posts and CoD2 in game messages counting the days till RO is released because it has improved tactical realism, then why is it like pulling teeth to screw down TR modifications in the communities lining up for the tactical realism of RO?
It makes no sense to me. Just like the player base of BF2 made no sense to me. So I what I am left with is a game versus game battle that is less an argument but rather more wining and well orchestrated hype. My own opinion is that on one hand I welcome the new generation of TR gameplay that RO promises to bring, yet on the other hand I find myself already missing the beautiful textures and detail of CoD2. And yes, I too ask myself just when the f*&k is IW going to patch CoD2? My guess is a handful of days before RO releases . . . clock is ticking boys.
Original photo by [716ID]-[Leutnant]-Popov
