The Dilemma

[Shooter]

Well... where do I begin?

The name's Shooter and I've proudly been a member here on CoDz for two years next month. If you joined before BO2, you probably already know me, and if you came after BO2's release, you probably don't. I admittedly have not been actively posting on the forum lately, and I felt it necessary to let you guys know what's been going on with me. First, let me say I never left. I'm still logging on multiple times daily and reading the majority of posts throughout the day. For the last month and half, I just haven't been posting or working on my threads, for reasons I'll go into below.

A very small part of it is my hectic work schedule as of late. We've began our transition to summer preparation in the warehouse, meaning I've been working 50-60 hour weeks. I'm on salary as well, so there's pretty much no choice on the matter. I don't go home until the works done, regardless of what time it is. There was also a lost in the family a couple weeks ago which drew me away from the forum for a few days, right as Die Rise was coming to light.

     But it's not just the members, the staff also has very little to no presence on the actual forum. Look thrugh the active topics, and you will see maybe one staff member post, if any, for every page. Now I do understand the staff has other things to do on the site, as well as a life of their own. But the lack of any staff posting on the forum is a major downer. When I joined CoDz, it was my number #1 reason for sticking around. When a moderator or dweller would make a positive comment on my thread or gave me brains, it was such a rewarding feeling. Here's this guy that clearly knows his Zombies, and he liked MY idea. It was such a cool thing, the staff right there, hanging out with the members. That connection is completely severed, as I fear it would months ago. Speaking of dwellers, remember when we had those? No, not the Dwellers we have now (AKA Way and Chopper), but actual Forum Dwellers.

"CoDz members who are on the forums a lot, posting great ideas. They are respected members of the community and are role models for other members. This is a CoDZ Vip group and members are selected by the admin. This is a closed group, new members can only join upon invitation of a group leader."

Yeah, those dwellers. The group that acted as the connection between staff and member. A member that's posting on the forum and acting as a medium between the members and the staff, relaying information between the two as needed. Was I the only one that thought this connected us all? The perfect example. Eye. When he was a dweller, (and now as mod) he was a direct tie to the staff. He was right there on the forum hearing all the problems, addressing the issues, and reenforcing a sense of community. He was the ideal staff member in my opinion. I know not all of the staff are capable of doing this, but we need that connection. That sense of community. We need it desperately.

     You know what I loved most about the W@W and BO storyline? The historical connections. WWII, Nazis, Soviets, rockets, the Moon. It was all directly related to actual events (and in my opinion the BO campaign). I mean it doesn't get cooler than that. That is what interests me the most by far when doing research, the things I learn along the way. I can honestly say I've given myself a feakin' history lesson the last year and half. I recall Tac's Kurt Blome thread. In the thread, Tac was able to directly connect real-life German WWII scientist Kurt Blome to the Zombies storyline after discovering his name on posters found within the Der Riese facility. Now that's sweet.

     The German Army Weapons Agency was the center of research and development for Germany and also during the Third Reich for weapons, ammunition and army equipment to the German forces. It is my belief that Group 935 was funded at this point by the Nazi Party and the German Army Weapons Agency to help produce atomic weapons, as well as experimental weaponry such as the DG2 and an Undead Army for the German forces. We know they were funded very early in it's development by the Nazis at the beginning of the war, and this may just be more of a confirmation of such. The Uranium Club program eventually expanded into three main efforts: the Uranmaschine (nuclear reactor), uranium and heavy water production, and uranium isotope separation.

     The date of "The Uranium Club" aspect of the Wunderwaffe Program ending in 1942 and splitting into small factions could indicate the date that the work at the Der Riese facility was moved to other locations such as the base at Call of the Dead and Kino Der Toten. It states that the directors of research at the indiviual locations "set their own objectives" and began to "apply their talents to more pressing war-time demands", demands such as the DG2, an Undead army, and a working teleporter.

So Group 935 members under the Wunderwaffe program were working on Nuclear Fussion and researching V2 Rockets in the beginning of it's inception. Was Element 115 the source behind this nuclear energy being studied by Group 935? It seems possible. A note found in Der Reise seems to point to the fact they had been testing the nuclear properties of 115, so it seems plausible that Group 935 had been working on these things.

Note from Der Riese. Thanks to BlackOpsTiger

Germany and the Wunderwaffe program had some of the brightest minds working on nuclear fussion and on rockets at the beginning of the war, and America knew they had the best. America and Britain had been tracking the German Nuclear Energy Project and the Wunderwaffe program at Der Riese since the beginning of the war. It was through the infiltration of these programs that America hoped to acquire the scientists and research needed to propel themselves to the front of nuclear energy research before Germany, Russia, and the rest of the world.

     But the first step in the project was to obtain access to the information that German Scientists from the "Uranium Club" aka Der Riese Group 935 members had, and what better way to do that than capturing the scientists themselves. And so began the Alsos Mission, which was put under direct order of Leslie Groves and the Manhatttan Project. The search for nuclear physcists and rocket engineers from The Uranium Club and Wunderwaffe program by the Americans had begun.

The Alsos Mission. 1943-1945.

The Alsos Mission was the effort during World War II by the Allies, principally the United States to capture German scientists and data, such as members of the Wunderwaffe program. During the mission, Manhattan Project personnel served in Europe, sometimes behind enemy lines, where they sucessfully gathered nuclear materials and rounded up German and Wunderwaffe scientists.

     It was confirmed in the Project Nova intel that data and personal were indeed recovered from the Wunderwaffe program by the Americans after the raid of Der Riese and sent to the US. This is where the Americans learned all about Element 115, it's properties, and the V2 rockets that would be produced in the decades following.

The Alsos Mission lasted all the way up until October 1945, leading into Operation Epsilon at the conclusion of the war. It was through the captured scientist and data from things like the Alsos Mission and Operation Paperclip that the America's Manhattan Project really took shape. The result of successfully aquiring all these brilliant minds and priceless data from the Wunderwaffe program lead to quick advancments at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, and America was on their way to being the first ones to build an atomic weapon.

The Los Alamos National Laboratory was founded during World War II as a secret, centralized facility to coordinate the scientific research of the Manhattan Project. General Leslie Groves wanted a central laboratory at an isolated location for safety, and to keep the scientists away from the populace. Manhattan Project scientific director J. Robert Oppenheimer had spent much time in his youth in the New Mexico area, and suggested the Los Alamos Ranch School on the mesa. Oppenheimer became the laboratory's first director.

     The first facility at Oak Ridge, Tennessee was the original headquarters for the Manhattan Project in 1942 before relocating to the Los Alamos base, but it remained an important site throughout the project. The Oak Ridge facility was the main production plant for the uranium that would be used in the nuclear weapons. While it was in a relatively secluded area, the proximity to Knoxville began to raise some concerns, and the search started for another site. Manhattan Project directors eventually settled on a small agricultural community in Southern Washington. The Hanford Site in Hanford, Washington was officially commisioned in the first months of 1943 to begin plutonium production.

Hanford Site. 1943-1945.

     The Hanford Site would go on to create the first full-scale plutonium production reactor in the world, the B Reactor. It consisted of a 28-by-36-foot, 1,200 ton graphite cylinder lying on its side with uranium slugs running through the middle. Construction on B Reactor began in August 1943 and was completed just over a year later, on September 13, 1944. The reactor went critical in late September and, after overcoming nuclear poisoning, produced its first plutonium on November 6, 1944. The irradiated fuel slugs were transported by rail to three huge remotely operated chemical separation plants called "canyons" that were located about 10 miles away. A series of chemical processing steps separated the small amount of plutonium that was produced from the remaining uranium and the fission waste products. This first batch of plutonium was refined from December 26, 1944, to February 2, 1945, and delivered to the Los Alamos National Laboratory on February 5, 1945.

     Trinity was a test of an implosion-design plutonium device. The same design was used on the Atomic Bomb that was detonated over Nagasaki, Japan, on August 9, 1945 at the end of WWII. The Trinity detonation produced the explosive power of 20 kilotons of TNT.

Thanks to the quick seizure of the most prominent scientists and research from the Wunderwaffe program during the Alsos Mission, as well as early research and development, the Americans had beaten the Russians at being the first one to successfully detonate a nuclear weapon. The power of the atomic bomb was capable of single-handedly stopping the war with the Japan. The Soviets quickly took notice and nuclear weapon production became priority one.

Rivalry between America and the Soviets begins to build. 1946.

Following the Trinity Test and the bombings that ended the war with Japan, America was on top of the pack. They were the only sperpower at the time who posessed nuclear weapons, giving them a total advantage over every other country in the world. In July of 1946, the US began conducting more nuclear tests with the help of research and development at the Los Alamos National Laboratory as well as the production facility in Hanford, Washington. The tests of Operation Crossroads were performed at Bikini Atoll, a chain of 23 islands within the Marshall Islands in the remote northern Pacific Ocean. The purpose was to investigate the effect of nuclear weapons on naval ships. Crossroads consisted of two detonations, each with a yield of 23 kilotons of TNT.

The continued nuclear testing brought up concerns among members of the United Nations Atomic Energy Commision. The UNAEC was formed in January of 1946, shortly after the end of WWII. The purpose of the commision was to deal with the problems raised by the discovery of atomic energy. It was meant to reduce the use of nuclear energy and production to peaceful and non-wartime uses. A month following Operation Crossroads, the UNAEC and the United States came to agreement to end America's nuclear weapons testing, and soon after the Baruch Plan was introduced by the US.

     Furthermore, the AEC was in charge of developing the United States' nuclear arsenal, taking over these responsibilities from the wartime Manhattan Project. Over the course of its first decade, the AEC oversaw all operations of Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory devoted primarily to weapons development. The AEC was basically the American's version of the Ascension group. Their goals are the same, development nuclear weaponry.

     The AEC would go on to host a variety of nuclear tests and experiments in the following decades, including tests done in both the Pacific Proving Grounds and at the Nevada Test Site. They would be found responsible for the events taken place in decades following, including the testing at the Nuketown site and the Green Run incident at the Hanford Site.

With the passing of the Atomic Energy Act, a terrifying and unprecedented new system of secret-keeping emerged. The presidential system was governed by presidential executive orders regarding national security information. But the newly created Atomic Energy Commission, formerly known as the Manhattan Project, was now in charge of regulating the classification of all nuclear weapons information in a system that was totally separate from the president's system. In other words, for the first time in American history, a federal agency run by civilians, the Atomic Energy Commission, would maintain a body of secrets classified based on factors other than presidential executive orders. It is from the Atomic Energy Act of 1946 that the concept "born classified" came to be, and it was the Atomic Energy Commission that would oversee the building of seventy thousand nuclear bombs in sixty-five different sizes and styles. Atomic Energy was the first entity to control Area 51 — a fact previously undisclosed — and it did so with terrifying and unprecedented power. One simply cannot consider Area 51's uncensored history without addressing this cold, hard, and ultimately devastating truth behind the AEC.

[tab][/tab]Throughout the 1960's, the AEC would fall under scrutiny for limited regulation in several important areas, including radiation protection standards, nuclear reactor safety, plant siting, and environmental protection. The fact that the AEC was in charge of both nuclear development and safety regulations regarding the testing, led to many tests that exposed civilians to lethal doses of radiation.

After the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) came into being in 1947 as a civilian agency in control of nuclear research and weapons issues, Oppenheimer was appointed as the Chairman of its General Advisory Committee (GAC). From this position he advised on a number of nuclear-related issues, including project funding, laboratory construction and even international policy—though the GAC's advice was not always heeded.

A little more than a year after the AEC's formation, they would go on to begin their first nuclear test, Operation Sandstone.

AEC's First Test: Operation Sandstone. 1947.

Operation Sandstone was a series of nuclear weapon tests conducted in 1948. The tests were first authorized by President Harry S. Truman June 27, 1947. Research and development and other technical aspects would be handled by the Los Alamos National Laboratory like previous nuclear tests. It was the third series of American tests, following Trinity in 1945 and Crossroads in 1946. Like the Crossroads tests, the Sandstone tests were carried out at the Pacific Proving Grounds, although at Enewetak Atoll rather than Bikini Atoll. They differed from Crossroads in that they were conducted by the Atomic Energy Commission, with the armed forces having only a supporting role. The purpose of the Sandstone tests was also different, in that they were primarily tests of new bomb designs rather than of the effects of nuclear weapons.

The successful testing of the new cores in the Operation Sandstone tests rendered every component of the old weapons obsolete. Even before the third test had been carried out, production of the old cores was halted, and all effort concentrated on the new Mark 4 nuclear bomb, which would become the first mass-produced nuclear weapon. More efficient use of fissionable material as a result of Operation Sandstone would increase the U.S. nuclear stockpile from 56 bombs in June 1948 to 169 in June 1949.

- US operation crossroads 1946

-roswell 1947 majestic 12 started 1947

-first soviet nuke rds-1 1949

Green run months later detect radiation 1949

-first soviet rocket sputnick 1956

-project rover 1957

-

Another technology that emerged from the ruins of the Second World War was advanced rocketry, to be more specific, Rockets powered by liquified fuels (chemical rockets). It was Nazi Germany who made the biggest technological contribution with the V-2, the world's first ICBM (Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile). It's designer Werner Von Braun envisaged his machines carrying satellites and eventually man into orbit around the earth and beyond. But at the time, if he wanted to see his ideas developed, there would have to be a military application. So despite his best intentions, unless his devices could be used militarily, his ideas would have never got off the ground (pardon the pun there!). When he, and a group of german scientists who worked with him surrendered to the americans, not only did america have the most destructive weapon known to mankind, but also a delivery system with the potential to deliver the deadly payload.

Unfortunately for Von Braun, the american military lost interest in his rockets as a missile delivery system, in favour of using long distance bombers. But the Russians had other ideas. After WWII the allies (UK, USA, France, USSR) decided to divide Germany in two, with the Soviet Union (Russia) taking possession of the east, while the rest shared the west. A underground V-2 development site at Mittlewerk fell under the jurisdiction of the russians, and with the help of their foremost rocket scientist Sergei Korolev it wasn't long before the russians had their own version of the V-2.

It wasn't until the Soviets launched their first man-made satellite Sputnik did america sit up and take notice. The Space Race had begun, and america was losing!. After Sputnik the russians saw the huge propoganda value of these rockets and the Space Race served as a distraction away from the frightening realities of the Cold War. Here we had two countries of differing ideoligies threatening each other, each one having enough nuclear firepower to not only destroy each other, but the entire planet!

The americans were now playing catch up, and with the russians being well on their way to the next step, putting a man in low earth orbit, they had challenging times ahead. But that's when the americans work best, when faced with a challenge. And with the original designer of the V-2 on their team it wasn't going to be long before they were 'back in the game'.

Russia beat the americans again, to put the first man into orbit Yuri Gagarin in 1961, but after that it was america all the way. It was during John F Kennedy's presidency when he set a goal that before the 60's came to a close that america would have a man on the moon. And they did!.

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Back on-topic.....

Sadly, President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 but the Apollo moon program continued and nearly 6 years after his death Apollo 11 became the first manned spacecraft to land on the moon.

It was during President Kennedy's term that he had his sights firmly set on Mars as the next objective after the manned moon landings. His idea was to have a man on Mars before 1980, and he was keen to explore the most efficient methods of getting there. He was very interested in Nuclear Rocket Propulsion and even paid a visit to Jackass Flats in 1962.

Much of the research and development on chemical rockets was carried out at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico whereas with nuclear powered rocketry it was decided that all research and testing was to be done within a 254 square mile area on the South-western fringe of the NNSS (Formerly NTS) designated Area 25 or Jackass Flats.

A number of experiments with Atomic power took place here:

•Project Rover (Nuclear Thermal Rocket) - cancelled in favour of....

•Project NERVA (Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application)

•Project Pluto (Nuclear Ramjet for cruise missiles)

Your pal,

Shooter

[Rissole25]

Hey Shooter man. I agree with you.

The Forum is just not the same as it used to be. And it's a fact we can't deny. Old friends leaving, new users not taking time to read the Code of Conduct. I've seen one, maybe two people act as role models the whole time, but their efforts are sometimes futile.

I do see some of that coming back with Strwysbob as Admin, but it is still a lot to work on. Brains were major factor in motivation for all of us (even if you deny it, you know you liked getting the yummy brains), but they're coming back hopefully!

We are not completely at fault though. Black Ops 2 is just not up there with its former titles. And I know it's only the first map. But the first map shouldn't be lacking or bad in terms of gameplay and story. Really, how can we expect the story and gameplay to get better from the first map? Green Run is so dull, and the Easter Egg is lacking. Heck even the Fly Trap was more interesting. Hide & Seek is always fun.

I think it will get better. But my point is, how can they expect us to think that with Green Run as the first map? I do think it is partially why the forum is not like it's former self.

I do hope you stay Shooter. You're one of the best theorists in Zombies, and it would be shame to see you go. But like you said, it all depends on our adventures in China.

The thread looks great. I'll be sure to read it all, can't right now cause I'm on an iPod.

[Mr. Jay]

You are not alone in this my friend, many regulars have expressed displeasure over the same issues. I lost count how many times I brought up the leadership issue and completely ignored.

I also said the same thing about Pinnaz's China thread. Great work, but the story line is just so boring and totally uncorrelated with the zombie story we have learned from the game. It is not his fault, it is CarbonFibah's.

About the staff situation, maybe you should fill Eye's role. Put in a request to be on staff, and have a hand in the direction of the forum you have grown to love. Your popularity among the community will ensure this to be unanimous.

About the users come and go, we cannot control it or force it on people. There are some notable new faces who are doing their parts, we just have to give them the opportunities to develope into the new Shooter or EyeCntSpel. A rebound from good long relationships are never easy, but must be done. You look back a year ago the stretch we had with you, eye, tom, super, and way winning UOTM and see where we are today. That stretch will never be duplicated, but some guys have the potential to step up and lead.

You have always been one of my favorites, and any world is better with Shooter. Keep your head up.

Edit: completely off topic but you are the expert.

I'm in the market for a new vehicle, perhaps this summer. Been driving G37x for almost 4 years now, and love it. I might go up to M37X, but LOVE the Audi S4. I wanted the convertible before I got my Z4 35i, and now have the chance to own an Audi. What is your expert opinion on it?

[Riot]

Wow, the emotion and sincerity in this post is mind blowing, you obviously have a special place in this community. Something that tomatoface12 did was he posted a video about HIMSELF. A video of him in real life, and what he loved to do other then play zombies. I think that is what we need to do, post a video about ourselves so we don't have to be afraid of other people knowing who we really are. There are alot of great guys in this community that it would be a pleasure getting to know, and I think the only way we could really get to know each other is by exposing ourselves. Those who don't let people get to know them are obviously too fake to let other people see themselves in real life, just sitting behind a computer screen making other people feel bad. Thanks Shooter, I have a lot of respect for you.