NeXus LAN

It looks like all dedicated servers will be unranked so you will not be able to level up.  This make sense on LAN dedicated but all?  Sucks
So looks like it will be peer to peer to level up?  I am confused.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/113791-Modern-Warfare-3-Dedicated-Servers-Leave-Out-the-Leveling-Up

Only way to lvl up is via rented servers to guarantee they are not altered.

All local dedicated, or dedicated not run via rental are unranked.   

That article says all dedicated servers so I assumed rental ones too?

I am finding articles that say all are unranked then seeing hositng companies saying that dedicated servers through hosting are ranked and that is only way you can get a ranked server.  EG the local server that comes with the game for all will be unranked but you can unlock anything you want.   

This seems to be fair since local can be hacked really easy, and dedicated server hosting is not near as hackable to rank up fast etc.

But honestly I see so much conflicting info I am unsure.   But to be honest it does not bother me.    Let me use all the options all the time, the game is more about winning match against others vs ranking up.  I so hate the rank up process in FPS games anymore.

Well it seems to be official all dedicated servers will be unranked. So just like MW2 u will need to connect via the match making services and play peer to peer to rank.

More info: http://community.callofduty.com/thread/4682

This sucks because when I tried P2P with MW2 it was a lag mess where the host player had the advantage.

I really do not understand why they can not just do it like BF3 does and have both ranked and unranked dedicated servers. I seriously smell console port just like MW2. At least it has dedicated servers for LAN play. That is something BF3 doesn't have well at least not yet.

Grr... this is what I was afraid of with pre-ordering MW3... I didn't buy MW2 because of this crap. Game hasn't even come out yet and I want to return it for a refund.  >:( I don't understand, I saw very very very few exploited ranked servers with Black ops.
So are we going to be running an unlocked server for the LAN or what?

The local server at the lan will be fully unlocked yes.

And there are conflicting stories on if rented dedicated servers are ranked or not.

Yay! I don't have to level grind for a week an a half straight then! I hope they are ranked, I refuse to play on the peer to peer system, it is just flat out not worth the frustration that comes with it.

Can you link these conflicting stories?  As the link I posted above is official straight from the developers.  Of course we will all find out in about 6 hours.

This was straight from that community post...

"Are Dedicated Servers Ranked or UnRanked?

Only matchmaking to public games are Ranked (meaning, you have to rank up to unlock weapons to rank on the leaderboards), choosing to play on a Dedicated Server is UnRanked. Meaning unlocks are completely controlled by the Server Admin. They can choose to unlock everything or limit class restrictions to whatever they like to fully customize the experience. You do not have to rank up in Public games to have access to weapons in Dedicated Servers, you have complete control over what is unlocked for you in a Unranked Dedicated Server."

LAME.

This really does not bother me.   If you wanna try an get on the ranking boards etc play the matchmaking.   If you wanna play with all the weapons, etc in the game play on an unlocked server.  Also anyone with a decent connection can run a server this way, and of course fully unlocked matches at LAN parties.

I am one that hates lvling up anyway, so this is fine with me.   I also wanna play the solo as cod has always had the best story and solo game of them all, as well as the new co-op spec ops mode looks cool.

I as well as I would think the majority of players enjoy ranking up.  I think it is just absolutely silly they do not allow ranking on dedicated servers at least on rented servers.

I guess I'm still not understanding why this is a bad thing.  I had to stop and think about each scenario carefully to pull each one apart to make sure I was clear on each side of the issue: I asked myself the question, why would I want to level up? For points? Well, yes. For prestige amongst fellow players who get to look at my stats w/ envy? Not really. To unlock weapons and perks? Absolutely yes. And then it dawned on me...the purpose of leveling up was to unlock more and more wonderfully clever ways to blow up other players in the game...aha! I thought...this is it! Eureka! I've found it!!! Or, so I thought...for now, it seems my topsy-turvy world of common sense has been turned on its side, and the real reality is that playing in a server where everyone has the same opportunity to play the same weapons that you do in a private LAN is actually bad.  It is actually better to go online on the internet and play against total strangers, so I can level up properly and unlock weapons and perks one painstakingly slow step at a time...

Ok, it all makes sense now.  ;D

Ultimately, I'd covert to BF3 if DICE wasn't involved.  Activision, Infinity Ward, and Treyarch have all made their fumbles & foibles when it comes to the COD series, but DICE has always struck me as a "we don't give a flying fig newton what you think because we're going to do what we want anyway" kind of a team of developers, and combined with EA's lack or foresight and vision with regards to the potential gold mine of the PC gaming community, it's like Frick and Frack have joined forces to create a new (old) FPS game that's totally unlike anything you've seen before (mostly what you saw before), and with incredible cutting-edge graphics (how do you design a game that's ported to work with a console system that's 7 years old? answer: dumb it down a bit)...and so on and so forth. Unfortunately, the COD series is just as guilty in the arena of graphics, AI and game engine infrastructure, so I can't say too much about that.

I will say this, though...DICE's new engine Frostbite 2 has a marked improvement in their in-game AI responsiveness; granted I haven't played the game myself and I was too late on the uptake to join the beta (sucks being in school full-time), but from what I have seen from the gameplay videos, that part I am impressed with. But that's all.  ;D

Lincoln, your problems with BC2 was probably punk buster.  If I recall correctly, your symptoms all pointed to that.

Anyone else seeing a problem with pre-ordering through steam/Amazon? hmm. I wanted to play NOW!

Not impressed .... I don't see anything special about the game and peer-to-peer sucks.  :(  I will play it at the LAN but after that I will just go back to BF3, way better game.

You're probably right.  Although anytime I checked at PB's website and ran an update/check, it showed I had the most recent version for BC2 and all my games were up to date.  I just assumed it was an issue w/ my router.  What bugged me was that none of my other games had the same issue and I hadn't changed anything, so that's why it bothered me that after following their instructions for opening the ports and everything else they suggested that it still didn't work and I could only play the single player campaign. Long, old, worn-out story.  ;D

Lincoln's issue was his router from what I looked up way back.   Router said it was the game, game said it was the router.    If he by passed router it worked fine, and it worked fine at the store at mini lan's

Yeppers.

Unless your blocking all outgoing ports or going to run a server or something you never should have to open ports.  Oh well yeah game is old now. BF3 is much better and I see no reason I would ever play BC2 again.

By the way now that MW2 is out, I was right more P2P lagfest :)  And I am extremely unimpressed by the graphics.  BF3 compared to it is like night and day.  It just feels so 2 years ago and an obvious console port.  But I'll still play it and it does seem like LAN play will be just like COD4 which is a good thing. BF3 is just a much better game.

I think there is room for both games to be honest.   And each one is not the same thing, where MW3 is more close tight fast paced combat, and bf3 is more open, squad, work together game.    I am not unhappy I bought both to be honest, and with MW3 and local lan it will be the new mw3 especially once mods start coming out.

HOMEFRONT! HOMEFRONT! HOMEFRONT! HOMEFRONT! HOMEFR...

Oh...sorry.  ;D

Played MW3 for 20 minutes finally today... want my money back...