Equipment gives some people an edge, although it's definitely not required since I know people who do well without it. Do you own a headset? If not, this will increase your overall stats infinitely. I honestly don't recommend playing CoD without a headset. Do you play on a hdtv, tube tv, or monitor. Monitors will give you the highest video quality with the lowest game delay. A scuf controller will enable you to knife equally as fast as you can dropshot..and although jumpshotting isn't best in IW games, you can also do that quick with a scuf controller. If you plan on getting an xbox one or PS4, then I wouldn't get one since they won't work with those consoles yet. Lastly, you can also use one or two FPS freeks, which are joystick extenders. These help with subtle movements for better accuracy. Dropshotting is always stronger in IW games, so I recommend changing your button layout to tactical. This means when you push down on your right joystick you will lay down. This will help you win a lot of gunfights.
Moving onto in-game changes.. I recommend using 4-6 sensitivity for SMG/ARs in Ghosts. This will give you greater accuracy at longer range. You will have slower pivot speed, so until you learn the maps you might get shot in the back, but since the kill time in Ghosts is so high, being able to turn fast isn't a huge issue anyway.
Use the following perks.. dead silence (makes you quieter while you move), focus (this will reduce your screen flinching while being shot), marathon (will help you traverse the large maps), ready up (will help you bring your gun up faster after coming out of sprint). If you're using a shotgun, then use steady aim instead of focus. After those perks are in place, you can use what you prefer next, and I use agility for even faster sprint, but you can use something like quickdraw or stalker. Also, I don't recommend using a secondary weapon, because if you take it off, then you can use more points towards perks.
Moving onto equipment.. I use C4 almost exclusively. Once you throw it, instead of hitting the button again, double tap X or square, depending on which console you're on. This will detonate the C4. If you're playing slower, which I don't recommend, then use IED to place at your flank to watch your back. Regarding tactical grenades.. I use stun or smoke. Using smoke will enable you to plant bombs, captures flags, or traverse open areas much easier. Stuns help stop certain people when you know where they're hiding.
Scorestreaks.. this is determined by which game mode you play the most. I personally use specialist the most and I unlock things like sitrep and blast shield, etc. If you have a hard time putting streaks together, then use support along with ballistic vests to help keep you alive longer.
Lastly, the guns.. the mtar is the best SMG in the game. It has the best accuracy and amazing range. The vector is a close second, so I'd stick with the mtar. Using a red dot sight will help you follow your target better with less abstruction. Using extended mags will also reduce the amount of time you need to spend reloading. You don't always have to reload after every kill, so try and get 2-5 kills before reloading. The MSBS is the best AR in the game, but if you have to use it, then equip the red dot sight and grip attachment. If you don't want to use a super cheap gun, then use the remington or ak12. The remington has great range and you can use whatever attachments you want. The ak12 is like a SMG/AR hybrid and I use ex mags and grip on it.
Edit: Forgot to talk about how to traverse the maps. You don't always have to sprint..you'll want to learn the maps and where and when to sprint, but sometimes it's better to sprint shorter portions, leaving time for your gun to come up, which will give you faster reaction times against campers. This is called twitching. You can do lots of quick juts of speed, which make you cover areas of the map while periodically picking your sights up for faster reactions. This does drain your overall energy while gaming and isn't possible to keep up over long gaming sessions, so I get sloppy after hours of gaming.
If you have any detailed questions, then reply here or pm me.
This post was edited by ericswanson_19 on Nov 12 2013 10:32am