How to Play Call of Duty Black Ops

Goal of the Game

The goal of the game is to reach a certain point in the level (the exfiltration point). Opposing you are the opposing forces. They are armed and will do what they can to prevent you from advancing, chiefly by killing you. To prevent that, you must survive enemy gunfire by neutralizing them before they kill you.

Neutralizing Hostile Threats

You have a wide variety of weapons to pick and choose from; take what you want, and leave the rest (just like Kim Catrall's salad bar in Big Trouble in Little China). Some weapons come attached with multiple attachments (generally the optimal weapon for story mode) while others come with a single attachment.

In story mode, only the weapons you start with have multiple attachments; enemy weapons have no attachments or single attachments.

Story Mode Attachment - IR / Infrared

A special scope is attached to this weapon which highlights organic objects, chiefly human beings. Note that in real life, IR doesn't work in desert terrain until the temperature has dropped off (typically two hours or more after sunset) as humans will be camouflaged by the hot ground.

When this attachment is available, it is generally for night-time missions with poor normal visibility. Use FLIR to actively locate and identify threats you otherwise couldn't see in the first place.

Story Mode Attachment - ACOG

Advanced combat optical gear. Generally applied to rifle sights and scopes built for rugged battlefield use. The ACOG in the game gives you a slightly enlarged view of the targeted spot, allowing you to snipe enemies from longer than normal ranges. Unless you're in a rush to finish the game (or there's a G—D— time limit), you should stick with an ACOG weapon and shoot enemies from afar.

Story Mode Attachment - Scope

A high magnification hunting scope for distance shooting. Generally attached to rifles like the M14 (essentially changing it to the USMC DMR or the Ghost Recon EBR). Scopes are almost always attached to marksman rifles in the story mode, although occasionally, you will find one without a scope.

Story Mode Attachment - Red Dot Sight & Reflex Scope

A close range sighting system that puts a red dot at where the target will be hit. The red dot operates in dusty, foggy, and low light conditions, making target acquisition easy and painless. While the "zoom" using this targeting add-on isn't great, it is a good system for close-up fighting.

Story Mode Attachment - Suppressor

This is a sound suppressor (not a muzzle brake). Sound suppressors reduce the "pop" of a bullet exiting the muzzle by channeling air through its body. For a weapon to be truly silent, both a sound suppressor and sub-sonic ammunition are used, otherwise, the bullet will make a sonic boom when it travels faster than the speed of sound.

Sub-sonic ammunition has less power, hence it will not travel very far (if it does, it will also not have enough penetration to injure or kill anyone). Hence, silenced weapons are chiefly used at close range, when surprise and stealth are paramount to give the attacker the luxury of first-strike against the enemy.

Story Mode Attachment - Extended or Drum Magazine

A larger magazine for a weapon, generally done by extending the ends of the box magazine. For some weapons, a snail or drum magazine is used where the ammunition is wound around in a coil. Infamous weapons like the PPSh-41 (Пистолет Пулемйот Схпагина) have drum magazines to increase their killing potential.

Story Mode Attachment - Dual Magazines

Two standard magazines taped together to allow for faster reloading. Reloading time is reduced by half for ever other reload you do, as every other reload requires a new pairing of dual magazines. Handy for close quarters battles, but not much else.

Story Mode Attachment - Speed Loader

A faster reload for revolvers. Cartridges are pre-loaded into a plastic assembly which is then dumped into the revolver's cylinders, quickly reloading the weapon. Made for various revolver calibers and gun models.

Story Mode Attachment - Granade Launcher

An under-rifle explosive launcher (Kosteyer or M203) designed to give the average infantryman an anti-materiel attack. This weapon is being replaced by HEAB (high-explosive airburst) ammunition in the U.S., with a planned roll-out by 2015, depending on budgetary constraints.

Story Mode Attachment - Flamethrower

An under-rifle incendiary substance emitter, designed to give the average infantryman a means of defoliating difficult brush. As an impromptu weapon, it can be used to inflict 3rd degree burns on organic flesh. Along with the need for immediate medical treatment, the psychological injury inflicted on the enemy may reduce his combat effectiveness when returned to active duty.

Story Mode Attachment - Dual-Wield

Not really an attachment, but an option for certain single-handed weapons to be wielded in each hand, like an action movie. Accuracy for aiming is severely reduced at the cost of greater short range firepower.

Story Mode Attachment - Multiple Attachments

Weapons with one or more attachments will have this listing. You will need to find out which attachments are used from the weapon's performance or appearance.

Lethals vs. Non-lethals

Your operator has access to lethal devices and LTL (less than lethal) devices. For hostage-sensitive situations, LTLDs are used to incapacitate all targets without injury, allowing the team to sort out the friendlies from unfriendlies (some counter-terror units never learn this and are piss poor examples of true CT practitioners).

Lethal devices will kill everything in range (especially on veteran) and are used when enemy concentrations are proof-positive present (and engagement is authorized). You can throw either type of device instantly with the shoulder buttons, giving you a quick way to respond to developing situations.