I've been meaning to post this blog for a while now and truth be told I actually had it nearly written when I made a grievous error and inadvertently deleted it. Whenever I do something dumb like that I normally shelve it for a bit because rewriting it the following day is just a bitter pill to swallow. But it's been creeping back into my mind begging to be posted so it's finally time to try it again (actually I watched this new TV show called Stars Earn Stripes a day or two ago and it got me pumped up on firepower).

It wasn't too long ago I posted a blog about how firearms are represented in video games, and while I was working on that blog I had an idea for another. And then, as if a sign or confirmation, someone made a comment that really made me think this was decent enough to pursue.

The original blog was titled, The Evolution Of The Video Game Gun and the specific comment was from tj2424.

"I love the job bf 3 does with its guns. Myself for some reason in games I always like using the pistol not sure why but I love it. Nice blog as always saint." -tj2424

So, you've probably figured out from the title and that comment that this blog is going to talk about secondary weapons, which is true, but more than just that. What I'm going to talk about is when gamers stray from using their primary weapons for other...alternatives, and whether this is something the developers planned for or are surprised by.

First up in the discussion is when secondary weapons are used as primary weapons.

Oh sure, there are a number of reasons how and why this happens. We'd like to blame the developers for overpowering these weapons...and sometimes that's true. But not always. Sometimes, gamers and their craftiness find an advantage or sometimes practice practice practice pays off and a gamer masters a weapons. A powerful weapon. A weapon that rivals some of the primary weapons.

When you meet these people on the battlefield - you with your high tech state of the art weapon that you've worked diligently to equip with every imaginable feature and custom paint job you managed to unlock only after meeting every stringent achievement requirement, and them with their stock plane Jane secondary weapon with iron sights and regular ammo - and they dominate you, well that can be a little frustrating to say the least.

You cry foul and whether you accuse them or not (or believe it or not) the thought crosses your mind that they're cheating. Perhaps a time or two they are, but I've certainly faced a few friends who are unbelievably good with their secondary weapons (alas, I am not...at least in video game land).

I could probably come up with a longer list, but here are a few that just come to mind of the top of my head and without seriously thinking about it.

Counter-Strike

I used to be one of "those" players...obsessed with Counter-Strike and played it all of the time. I loved the game and the competitive nature it inspired, even though admittedly I was never great at it. I recall a time early in my history of playing the game when I accumulated a ton of money and noticed my teammate never bought a rifle - he was always equipped with the Desert Eagle (Deagle). I offered to buy him a weapon of his choice and he chuckled and responded with a "no thanks" or something along those lines. He then went on to nearly single handedly kill everyone on the other team and finished the top of the boards, round after round. He was amazing.

But what I discovered after playing the game more and more - he wasn't the only one who used this strategy and he wasn't the only one that was amazing. I used to get furious when I would spend nearly every cent I earned on purchasing body armor and either the M4A1 carbine or the SG-552 Commando and would lose it in seconds at the hand of the enemy outfitted the Desert Eagle (that's $3500 compared to $650).

I thought I'd give the Deagle a try and even practiced with it against bots. I was never able to achieve proficiency good enough to use it in combat so went back to saving my money, buying the rifles when I could afford it and hiding from the guys armed with the Desert Eagle.

Halo

Another game featuring a particularly powerful pistol, many argue that the pistol in the original Halo was overpowered. It featured a scope making it capable of being used as a ranged weapon, a fairly decent rate of fire for closer range and not too bad as a melee weapon. Now here is a gun I did master and was pretty decent with.

The pistol in Halo was just about as frustrating as the Desert Eagle in Counter-Strike. If someone had a bead on you and you didn't see where the rounds were coming from, you would be dead before you figured it out. The gun was dropped from follow on games and then came back, but it was never and I do mean never as awesome as it was in the original Halo. It was standard issue and all purpose. I'd use it in single player and multiplayer modes and against any opponent, human or otherwise.

I don't think when the developers were creating Halo they realized the significance and the attraction gamers would have with the pistol. But they did/do.

Now, I'm running out of room...but I want to add it isn't always limited to secondary weapons. I know, I know...that's what the title says...but it can also be equipment.

GoldenEye 007

Long before we had C4 and Semtex we had remote mines in GoldenEye 007. There were probably games before this that had a similar weapon, but this was the game that started it all for me. I would try and play whole rounds with using only remote mines and no other weapons. Set a trap, lure your opponent in and take them out with an explosive surprise. After you take out the same opponent four, five, six times with nothing but remote mines after running around and hiding, you have to wonder if the developers planned on gamers abusing the power of remote mines and were aware of the level of frustration they could cause.

Rainbow Six

Not all equipment items are designed to kill. Some are designed to incapacitate and subdue which can be more annoying than just dying. Yes, I'm talking about the dreaded flashbang. Sure, lots of games feature them now, but Rainbow Six was one of the most frustrating. You didn't expect people to use them. Why would they when they could equip a fragmentation grenade instead? But I've ran into my share of gamers who use them, and use them rather effectively. There's nothing as annoying as a well-executed plan that goes south in the first seconds because the enemy tossed a flashbang in the room just as you charge it. What's worse is when your vision is about to return to normal, or at least enough for you to get a shot off and you're blasted with another one. You're left crawling around for what feels like minutes before finally getting eliminated. Yeah, grenade...give me the grenade any day.

Okay, so I covered secondary weapons...and then equipment. And now...tactics. Yes, tactics.

Modern Warfare

Modern Warfare changed the complexion of the First Person Shooter. It was innovative and creative...brilliantly designed and implemented. It honed the core elements present in all shooters but added enough extra features resulting in a spectacular game. The developers had to be pleased with their efforts and some of the extras they put in the game. When I first experienced the martyrdom and last stand perks, I couldn't help but think they were genius. Very creative and original. Little did I know these perks would evolve into "weapons"? Regardless of your skill level or weapon you were outfitted with, you could never seem to go a round without being taken out by players using these perks. Admittedly, last stand wasn't as bad as martyrdom, but martyrdom really kind of morphed into notorious tactic and somewhat of a homicidal bomber - just run into a room knowing you were going to get shot...but once you did, you would drop that final grenade and if you were lucky you would take out an enemy...but if you were real lucky...the room might have two or three guys stacked up in the room and you would take them all out. Yeah, I can't believe the developers predicted this perk would be abused to the point it was. It was so bad, many servers enacted a "no martyrdom perk" rule or the admins would kick you if you did use it.

And finally...

...the infamous...

Star Craft

Zerg Rush. The ole Zerg Rush has a spot on Wikipedia and even the Urban Dictionary.

A common strategy where a player mass builds a many weak units as he can, then rushes the enemy base. Usually works best early in the game. Taken from Starcraft, where often zerglings (really cheap unit that can be built in large droves quickly) would be sent at the start of the game to kill everyone in the first couple moments.

The premise behind the Zerg Rush is simple. While your opponent or opponents are off building their bases and developing more powerful units, the gamer who chooses to do a Zerg rush mass produces the cheapest and weakest unit with the idea of swarming a smaller force and overwhelming them with sheer numbers.

It's that whole "strength in numbers" concept.

Yes, you will suffer heavy losses, but the Zerg rush can be an effective tactic if your opponent is not expecting you to rush soon after the battle starts. It became such a wide spread tactic, its iconic status lives on and has become engrained in video game lore. Again, I definitely don't think the developers expected this practice to become a phenomenon.

Weapons...equipment...primary...secondary...perks...tactics - they are a means to an end. They are merely a tool or an implement to be used to achieve a goal, and that goal is usually the elimination of an opponent. The real weapon in any game is the mind of a gamer. It's what puts motion to the weapons, the equipment, the perks and the tactics; it's what guides how we play and how well we play; it's what tells us to throw caution to the wind and try anything and everything to find an advantage, and it's what motivates us to use that advantage to survive and win.

When you're facing an opponent and they have a more powerful weapon...or maybe they're using a cheap trick...or maybe they're storming the castle...

Don't give up.

Get up.

Don't give in to it.

Get into it.

"How long should you try? Until." -Jim Rohn

Happy Gaming.

P.S. How many of you will go to Google and search on Zerg Rush now? Hah, check it out.