Note: This observation took place over the Contingency, Loose Ends, and J ust like Old Times missions.
Background Information: The observations that I took happened in Petropavlovsk Russia, on the Georgian-Russia border, and in Afghanistan. The objective of Contingency is to infiltrate the Rybachiy naval base and launch a nuclear warhead to assist the allies in America. The objective of Loose Ends is to obtain information on a Russian terrorist. Just like Old Times objective is to track down a corrupt US General in order to kill him. Most of the enemies that appear in the observations are Russian soldiers. They are under the impression that Americans have committed a massacre at a Russian Airport. The other enemies are American soldiers who are loyal to a us general who wants revenge for the loss of his soldiers prior to the event of this game.
Figured World: A certain social space with their own rules pertaining to that one space
My figured world is Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2. You follow two characters named Roach and Ramirez as you try to stop a corrupt US General set on getting revenge while also fighting against the Russian army who is being used by a terrorist named Makarov. The game takes place in major places such as Afghanistan, Russia, USA, and South America. The story follows guidelines used by our army today. Certain protocols and rules are expected to be followed by all soldiers. Theres a chain of command and you follow all orders given to you. You set out on missions in either 4 man teams or a full on assault. While doing more covert missions you tend to be stealthier. Keeping noise to a minimum and staying out of sight is key. On the other hand missions that take place in a full on assault require more shouting to get through all the explosions on the battlefield. In this particular mission Task Force 141 was infiltrating an enemy naval base. Due to these circumstance being extremely quiet and stealthy was the appropriate behavior here. The group had to keep noise to a minimum and they had to move carefully and quietly so they would not be seen or heard. Later on in the mission the task force was discovered and resorted to force to complete their objective. This called for them to be completely opposite of how they were a few minutes prior. There was more shouting to get orders to other soldiers across the field.
Actors: People who fill certain roles within a figured world
"There's a simplicity to war. Attacking is the only secret. Dare, and the world yields. How quickly they forget that all it takes to change the course of history is the will of a single man."
Cpt. John Price: Price fills the role of Captain of Task Force 141. There isnt any time for games when he is around. When he has a mission he gets it done without fail. Even though he follows all orders given to him, if there is a time where he thinks its wrong he 1will do things his way.
John Soap MacTavish: Soaps role is second-in-command of Task Force 141. Whenever Price isnt relaying orders he is the one giving them. Soap is a lot like Price in many ways, but also different. He isnt as serious and is seen cracking the occasional joke here and there. When things get serious though, so does he. He is also one of the three playable characters in the game only being playable in the last two missions.
Gary Roach Sanderson: Roachs role is one of the three main playable characters in the game. He is seen amongst his fellow comrades on all missions. On his last mission he Ghost were betrayed by their superior Shepherd. He and Ghost were shot down and burned. Unlike Ghost, Roach was still conscious at the time he was being burned alive.
Simon Ghost Riley: Ghost is another familiar face in Task Force 141. He is always there to assist his squad mates when there is danger. He fills a supporting character role. He and Roach were killed on their last mission to recover information about the Russian terrorist Makarov. They both were shot, Ghost killed instantly, and burned.
James Ramirez: Ramirez is a private in the US Army. He and his squad were usually on the front lines most of the time in the United States. Even though Ramirez was not a part of this observation he is still a vital element to the success of the American army. He is also one of the three playable character in the game.
Lieutenant General Shepherd: Shepherd fills the role of the Primary Antagonist. He views the world in a negative view after he lost 30,000 soldiers after a nuke was detonated years ago and no one did anything. His only goal is to get revenge for all the live that were lost all those years ago. He kills Ghost and Roach and has them burned. He dies at the hands of Price and Soap.
Vladimir Makarov: Makarov fills the role of secondary antagonist. He is a Russian Ultranationalist who was voted out of the party by the Russian president along with several other supporters. This along with the death of his mentor Zakhaev fuel his rage and insanity and his thirst for revenge against America and Russia. He is a ruthless man who do anything to get what he wants.
Artifacts: An object that is relevant to the culture of a figured world
AGM: This was available to Task Force 141 near the end of the mission. AGM stands for Air-To-Ground Missile. It was a crucial element to the success of the mission. The missile strikes were able to clear heavy resistance that was blocking the way to the objective. Nuclear Warhead: Ending the mission was the launch of a nuclear missile. It detonated over the United States which was currently under attack from the Russian army. Upon being detonated an EMP was sent out that disabled all electronics. This caused many casualties on the Russians side. The EMP was a key factor in the US Army pushing back the Russians. EMP: The EMP is a very important part to the success of the war. The EMP completely disabled all of the Russian vehicles and communications. This was especially important to Ramirez and his squad. They were pinned down and completely surrounded by the Russians. With the EMP all of the Russian vehicles fell on the Russian troops and they were all killed. This gave the small unit time to get to a safe place and regroup. It also gave the whole army time to come together and form a counterattack.
Communities of Practice: People with the same views and interests in a community.
Task Force 141: Price, Soap, Ghost, and Roach. These four men started out with one single goal. They wanted to bring down Makarov and end the war that he started. After witnessing Shepherds betrayal that all changed. Their focus shifted on avenging their fallen comrades, saving their own lives from Shepherds forces, and bringing an end corrupt man at all costs. Ultranationalists: Makarov. Makarov is continuing the communistic ideals passed down from his old mentor Zakhaev. He wants all countries to kneel to Russia and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. Makarov went as far as firing on his own people in a Russian airport to frame America. With this incident he was able to receive support from Russia and their army to invade America to further his own plans. Russia: Russian Army. All of Russia has fell into Makarovs hands. He tricked them into thinking the US went in and massacred all of the people in the airport. Nonetheless as soon as word got out all of Russia cried for war. They didnt hesitate at the chance to invade America. Shadow Company: Shepherd. Their only goal is to make them look like the heroes. To do this they will take down anyone in their way even if they were allies. Shepherd was the one in charge of Task Force 141. He had them do all types of things to further his own goals. When they werent needed anymore he killed them. The US Army: The Army. Their goal is to put an end to the war. They had got put into a corner and all seemed lost, but the EMP was their ray of light. With that small chance they were able to push back the Russian army.
Domain: A domain is what the community as a whole is striving towards. I t shows how the community works and grows together.
The War: The obvious domain is the war. Many people contribute to it like the US Army and Task Force 141. All of them are coming together as one trying to put an end to the war. On the other side is the Russian army. All of Russia is uniting to take down America and avenge all of the lives that were lost at the airport. Revenge: This is the main goal of Makarov and Russia. Makarov wants revenge for the death of his mentor and the Russian government not helping him achieve his goals. Russia, still believing that Americans committed the massacre at Zakhaev International Airport, wants revenge for all the lives that were lost.
Practices of the Community: People coming together and engaging in an activity countless times that help achieve a common goal
Completing Missions: One of these practices is going on and completing missions. Everyone realizes that by doing this they further complete their goal of winning the war against the Russians.
Literacy Practices: A type of practice that deals with written, verbal, and nonverbal aspects of a community.
Commands: The most common literacy practice throughout the mission is commands. These are mostly said by Price, but they are given to everyone. Commands are very important in order to complete the game. These need to be followed by the main character in order for the game to continue. If a command is not met this will result in a failure and ultimately the player will have to restart from the beginning of that command. Examples of command can be as simple as going to open a door or access a computer. More difficult commands could be completing a certain portion of the mission without being detected or eliminating a certain amount of enemies within a certain time limit. This is a very common social norm amongst soldiers to receive commands from their superiors.
Observation One: Contingency
3:00mins: The mission starts off with Price and Roach meeting in the woods somewhere in Russia. They start to advance to down the path to their current objective. When they come to the road theyre stopped by a Russian convoy. They let the pass then proceed to take out the remaining guards at the front of a bridge. Once the pair cross the bridge they are met with an enemy BTR (a small tank) and have to escape into the nearby woods.
6:00mins: After the run in with the BTR the Russians are now looking for the pair. As they move through the woods they pass multiple groups of soldiers looking for them. At two points Roach is instructed to take out guards. After that they come to a clearing with a large group of guards patrolling up a hill. The two chose to let them pass and silently moved up the hill behind them.
9:00mins: The pair has moved past the patrol and has now reached a ridge overlooking a small town. Price calls in to Soap for air support from an AGM. Once told Roach calls in the AGM, but I quickly shot down by a SAM turret (Surface-to-Air Missile that locks on to aircraft and shoots them down). The pair then moves down the ridge to while Price tells Soap to disable the SAM turret. After this the duo meet up with other soldiers after the SAM has been dealt with. Task Force 141 has now been found by the Russians and a firefight ensues. The group quickly eliminates the enemy soldiers and moves closer to the naval base. Once again Roach is instructed to use the AGM to lighten some of the enemys defenses.
12:00mins: By this point there is a full fight between the Task Force and the Russians. The group is slowly advancing towards the Russian submarine. The group is then stopped by an enemy helicopter. Roach is then instructed to use the AGM multiple after this to lighten the load. The group then reaches a vantage point to watch over Price as he enters the sub.
15:00mins: Now Task Force 141 is defending the sub from the oncoming enemies. Once again the AGM is being used multiple times. After the last AGM strike Ghost tell Price that the submarines missile silo is opening. After repeated cries of the missile silo being open the nuclear missile launches with Price stating that it was a good thing. The mission ends with Ghost telling command that there is a nuclear warhead in the air.
Observation Two: Loose Ends
3:00mins: The mission starts of as Roach and Ghost are told to invade Makarovs safe house on the Georgian-Russian border in the Caucasus Mountains. The team is looking for a computer to connect their DSM to so they can get valuable information about Makarov. As they move forward in the forest they are ambushed with landmines (commonly referred to as Bouncing Bettys) and Makarovs men on all sides. As they men make a push to the estate they witness vehicles driving away trying to escape. They were quickly taken down and deduced as nothing more than decoys. A quick firefight ensues then the team breaches the house and are met with more enemies.
6:00mins: After dispatching that small group of enemies Roach and Scarecrow are then instructed to search the rest of the house for remaining enemies. There a three separate breach points that have enemies hidden at them. One is upstairs and two are down below. There is an ammo cache in the located in a back room in the basement. After this Ghost contacts Shepherd and tells him Makarov isnt there. He then contacts Price and asks if things are going better on his side of things. Roach is then told to connect the DSM to Makarovs computer to start downloading all the information.
9:00mins: As youre connecting the DSM youre told by Ghost that enemy forces are converging on your positon. Once Roach is done Ghost tells him to prepare by setting up claymores around the perimeter and going to the ammo cache to restock on ammo. Once this is completed the download is started and multiple enemies from all sides start pushing towards the house to take out the team.
12:00mins: The firefight between sides continues as more enemies assault the team. The DSM starts off slowly downloading information, but soon starts downloading at a faster rate. Makarovs men are increasing in numbers and getting closer and closer. Just as a big group of enemies come the DSM finishes the download. Ghosts tells Roach to retrieve and the team makes way towards the extraction point.
15:00mins: The team is making an all-out dash to the extraction point. Along the way they are met with more of Makarovs men. Taking them out Roach comes to a clearing as the helicopter is arriving, but is injured by an RPG. Roach awakes from unconsciousness and is given a gun to hold back enemies as Ghost is dragging him away from the fight. Shepherd and his men arrive to assist as they help Roach to his feet. Shepherd asks if they have the DSM and once they responded yes he proceeds to shoot both Roach and Ghost. After he collects the DSM from Roach half-dead yet still conscious body Shepherd instructs his men to throw the bodies in a ditch. After dowsing them in gasoline Shepherd throws his cigar on the bodies then leaves as they burn.
Observation Three: Just Like Old Times
3:00mins: The mission start with Nikolai telling Price and Soap that he will be waiting at the extraction point in three hours. Price tells him not to bother because its a one-way trip. The two then advance to a ridge overlooking a patrol of Shepherds men known as Shadow Company. Price tells Soap to wait until they split up then they take them out. The two advance farther and take out the remaining men. The pair then rappels down a cliff killing two guards at the bottom. They enter a cave which is full of enemy forces. They advance but quickly hide as a large enemy patrol is heading towards them. The group notices that the previously killed guards cant be contacted and decides to send a small group to check it out. They then take down one more enemy the advance into a large opening filled with enemy soldiers.
6:00mins: The two quietly and quickly move by the group. When they get to the exit two guards come through. Price and Soap take them out and move to the next area which is full of steam from pipes and machinery. Another group of enemies come into the area looking for the pair. Price and Soap quickly take them out and move forward. Price takes out another guard as the radio turns on with an enemy soldier stating they lost all contact with one of their patrols. Soap is told to pick up a riot shield so the two can advance across a bridge. The radio comes on again and the pair learns that Shepherd is evacuating the base as enemy guards inform Shepherd of unknown hostiles in the base but Shepherd corrects them telling them its Price. Soap and Price move forward and engage in another firefight.
11:00mins: After moving past these enemies the two come to another open area. There are some more men in there and Price state that they are trying to buy time for Shepherd. They get past these enemies and come to a breaching point. When inside the two eliminate the remaining soldiers and see Shepherd has rigged the place to blow. The pair manually override the doors and make it out in time. Once outside Shepherd orders a Danger Close (meaning that there are friendlies nearby) airstrike in another attempt to kill the duo. Unaffected the two move forward and are met with another group of Shadow Company. They quickly eliminate them and head towards a door which leads to a Zodiac (a small boat) and they chase after Shepherd.
Interview: Xzavier Smith interviewing Capt. John Price
Background Information: Price was based off of British SAS soldier John McAleese. Price is also a reference to a similar looking character in the film A Bridge Too Far. His call sign, Bravo Six, is a direct reference to the 1986 war movie Platoon, where Captain Harris call sign is exactly the same.
1. How did it feel knowing Shepherd was using you and your men to achieve his own goals?
Price: I never trusted that man. There was just something about him that didnt sit right with me. Naturally I was angry at the thought of him betraying us and his own country for his own motives, but there was another feeling somewhere deep inside me. It couldnt have been sadness. Ive seen this happen plenty of times its nothing new. I might be feeling guilty. I sent those men there unknowingly to their deaths. It could have easily been me and Soap, but it wasnt and theres nothing we can do about it now.
2. Explain your reasoning behind intentionally firing a nuclear weapon on your allies.
Price: The enemies were pushing farther and farther into the United States. Every second thousands of good soldiers died because of our superiors indecisiveness. I was not about to sit around and let that continue. I am willing to do what is necessary. That missile saved thousands of lives and gave valuable time to soldiers to get back into the fight. I did what was right. Even if they wont admit it.
3. Tell me about what you were feeling going into your last mission.
Price: The same thing anyone feels. Fear was a big portion of it among a myriad of other feelings, but none of those mattered. The one feeling that mattered was the feeling of letting people down. Letting all the soldiers who gave their lives thinking that they were fighting for a good man with a just cause. Letting down two of my best men who gave their lives trying to put an end to this war and fought until the very end. That is the feeling I was feeling the most. That is the worst feeling of all.
4. Explain what went down at the old airfield.
Price: It was a classic tactic. Shepherd used Makarov as a cover so he could eliminate the rest of our team. Luckily for us we picked up on his true motives and defended ourselves. Halfway through the fight I got a hold of Makarov. Bitter enemies to the end we were, but in times of need the enemy of my enemy is my friend I guess. We were able to get Shepherds location and just barely escaped. Shepherd knew we were coming, and that was just the way I liked it.
5. How did it feel when Shepherd killed Roach and Ghost?
Price: Ive seen plenty of men go on the battlefield. Thats what happens its war. Im not saying it makes any easier to see another person just die like that, but after a while you get used to it. Thats the frightening part of war. Humans can used to killing and watching other be killed just like that, but when it happens to those who are closest it hurts. To answer your question I felt a little bit of everything really. Sadness at the loss of two good men. Anger at the man who killed them and was considered a hero for it. Frustration for not being able to stop him sooner. There were a lot of feelings, but one stood out the most. Determination. No matter how it happens. No matter when it happens. I. Will. Stop him.