Geek Entry: Story of a CA Noob

I’ve been playing the online MMO game Runescape for four years. I think that game has lost its luster for me. I haven’t been spending nearly as much time playing that game as I used to. Part of the reason is that I ran across a FPS MMO game called Combat Arms last winter. It’s like crack. It’s fast paced, adrenaline rush PvP shooter.  It’s VERY addictive.
I’ve gotten pretty good at CA (Combat Arms) lately, owning noobs at every turn. However, I had a humbling experience last night.
When I started CA, I didn’t know what I was doing. I had never played a FPS MMO before, and I didn’t even know what a KDR was. A player’s KDR is their kills to death ratio. The higher your KDR is (e.g. kill more players than you die), the better of a player you’re regarded as. But when I started CA, I didn’t know that. I would stay in losing games trying to help out my team, though I’d be getting killed at every turn. My KDR quickly went into the toilet.
Once I realized what KDR was, and how important it was to my character in the game, I went on a personal quest to become a better CA player and to get my KDR up, running and gunning with the best. As I started to win more and make more in-game GP (gold pieces) with each win, I was able to buy better gear and weapons. I quickly realized just how advantageous that better gear was, especially the weapons and support gear (land mines FTW!).
And then one dark and dreary night I descended into the evil world of NX cash. NX cash is “special” in-game cash that you pay for with REAL money!  Yeah, I know. I’m shocked at myself. You see, most of the regular GP weapons come with a rank requirement. And early on, I didn’t have that high of a rank. But with NX cash, I could buy those special weapons that were out of my reach, and they were modded too! How could I resist?! Well, I couldn’t. So I dove right in. I have to say that they made a HUGE difference, and I’m now an (almost) pro player (CMS1, Command Master Sergeant 1st).
Now, back to my last night’s humbling. For fun, I created a second CA account with the intension of making him a GP-only player. No real life cash spent. I figured that now that I was pretty good at PvP in CA, I should own, especially playing on the beginner server (recruits only). Boy was I wrong. The gear makes all the difference. Not only that, but it seems that server is flooded with other pro players with the same idea as me. The movements and skill of those players were not beginner noobs, no siree. I got totally owned in three straight games, destroying my new character’s KDR. I quickly quit that character and went back to my old character for some ego boosting, playing a good game with a 35/14 result. I owned…or at least my gear did. lol

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