Since the release of the first installment in Infinity Ward’s historically popular “Call of Duty” series of first-person-shooter videogames, the online multiplayer mode has allowed players to take part in intense tactical firefights, the outcomes of which are determined not just by a player’s skill but also by their knowledge of the game. With the November release of “Modern Warfare 3,” it was no surprise to see the re-emergence of spawn traps, in which a player or team of players hold an advantageous position from which they can effectively eliminate newly spawned players without any risk of dying themselves.
Spawn trapping as a tactic greatly reduces the overall player enjoyment due to its game-breaking capabilities. By holding a position near or inside a spawn point, players are able to prevent other spawns from ever leaving that area, quickly eliminating them before they have a chance to fight back or move away. This in turn takes away much of the tactical element of the game, and it even affects game balance, with team-spawn trapping more effective than solo-spawn trapping.
Players have tried to both curb and implement spawn trapping in the past, with mixed results. In “Modern Warfare 2,” playing the Sabotage game mode could often be reduced to a spawn trap; by contrast, host migrations to new servers often caused players to be frequently shoved in and out of spawn points, thereby negating their effectiveness.
With “Modern Warfare 3,” developers Infinity Ward have made several changes to the way the game works in order to try and reduce the effectiveness of spawn trapping. Most notably, they increased the distance which incoming players can move before being hit by damage, and they also implemented a system of spawn camping prevention in games with a large number of players.
In spite of Infinity Ward’s attempts, spawn trapping has still found its way into “Modern Warfare 3.” For example, players with superior classes often find themselves camping inside or around spawn points due to their advantage in equipment. Although this issue can generally be avoided by playing on the other team, it can be a serious frustration for those stuck in the spawn trapping situation.
The debate over spawn trapping in “Modern Warfare 3” is sure to continue, as players debate the effectiveness of the new measures put in place by Infinity Ward. Ultimately, it will be up to the community to decide whether or not the spawn trapping menace is something they can live with, or if they will seek to find ways to eliminate this game-breaking tactic.
