Time To Kill - Optics

Second episode of 'Time To Kill', a series devoted to the inner workings and mechanics of Call of Duty's multiplayer.

Episode two focuses on optical attachments - and the effect they'll have on your precision.

It was Call of Duty 4 that first introduced weapon attachments to the series, and with it 2 optical options: the Red Dot Sight and ACOG Scope.
Modern Warfare 2 expanded this to incorporate both an Eotech holographic sight, and a infra-red thermal scope, that highlights enemies in white.
Now, in Modern Warfare 3 there are more options than ever - with the introduction of versatile hybrid scopes for both the assault rifles and SMGs.
Of course, these attachments are optional - and most weapons can perform just as well without the addition of an optical attachment.
Most come with iron sights, a cruder, more mechanical way of indicating your point of aim - but sufficient nonetheless.
Iron sights are innate to the weapon, and usually quite distinctive - they contribute much to a weapon's character, from the occlusive sights of the G36 - to the wide open if slightly-unusual sights seen on the FAD.
Aiming down your sight with most weapons will zoom in your view slightly - some more so than others, and naturally the optical attachments will affect this too.

When aiming with iron sights, typically your view will zoom to about 1.2x magnification, providing a marginal benefit to your accuracy.
This 1.2x magnification applies to SMGs, LMGs, Shotguns and Machine Pistols.
Assault Rifles are an exception - they benefit from a slightly elevated zoom level, at about 1.35x magnification.
This gives them the edge in precision when used without an optic, but enhanced magnification does come at the cost of reduced peripheral vision when aiming.

Pistols are another exception, as they gain no magnification whatsoever when aiming - making long-range precision tricky, and limiting the pistols to close-range engagements only.

Unlike most other weapons, sniper rifles don't come equipped with iron sights - instead, by default, they come equipped with a high-magnification scope.
Default magnification is a hefty 4.8x, granting better precision over the longer sightlines the snipers excel at, at the cost of blacking out your peripheral vision.
The AS-50 is an exception, with a lower-powered scope providing 2.4x magnification instead - less effective at range, but allowing for greater situation awareness and more effective use up close.

The Launcher category has an assortment of oddballs - the SMAW and RPG being the least unusual, with the standard 1.2x iron sights magnification.
The M320 GLM has no magnification whatsoever, much like a handgun might.
The XM25's unique rangefinding scope has a magnification of 1.7x
And the Javelin and Stinger have the highest degree of magnification, at 2.8x - with both of these taking the longest time to aim.

The Red Dot Sight is an optical attachment available for most weapons - the assault rifles, SMGs, shotguns, LMGs and machine pistols all have access to this optic.
Unlike previous instalments of Call of Duty, where the red dot sight was functionally equivalent to the weapon's iron sights, in Modern Warfare 3 this optic will affect your weapon's magnification.
Any weapon equipped with the red dot will have 1.35x magnification - this is the same as the default for the iron sights on the assault rifles, but for all other weapons, this will increase magnification - and thus give you a better view on target.

It also used to be the case that the holographic sight was functionally identical to the red dot sight - this is no longer the case, with the difference extending beyond the cosmetic.
The Holographic will now increase your weapon's magnification to 1.5x - providing a zoom advantage even to the assault rifles, and is balanced by the holographic's occlusive frame - and the loss in peripheral vision associated with the higher magnification.
Use this sight on the weapons suited to longer-range engagements, for an advantage in precision while retaining much of your close-range ability.

Should you choose to embrace a long-range role, there are a few long-ranged options which will increase magnification even further.

The ACOG scope offers 2.4x magnification, doubling the size of targets when compared to the default iron sight zoom level.
Unfortunately, this better view on target comes with a couple of downsides, in an effort to preserve balance amongst the attachments.
Unlike the two close-range attachments, where aim speed depends on weapon class, the ACOG is slower to aim - taking up to 400 millseconds to scope in fully.
In addition, recoil recovery speed is reduced - meaning that automatic fire will quickly become less accurate.

Prossimo episodio

S01E71 - Time To Kill - Hipfire