**OFFICIAL** AT Battlefield 3 FAQ and News Thread

[GullyFoyle]

Options are indeed king, but BC2 requires you to use Hardcore mode in order to turn off 3D spotting and killcam. It doesn't allow you to select those options individually.

Also, assuming you actually want Hardcore mode's other changes, what if you just don't want "3D" spotting? There is no option to reduce it to minimap spotting only.

But if there were specific individual BF3 options for 3d spotting, minimap spotting, or no spotting at all? That would be awesome.

There are options for minimap spotting only in BFBC2. I ran a server in what I called "BF2 mode":

I've set up a somewhat different Bad Company 2 Server, if any of you want to try it out.
It's a 16 player server, located in Dallas Texas, USA. If there are eight or less players on the server, it will cycle through all the Conquest and Squad Deathmatch maps. If there are more than eight players, it will cycle through ALL of the Conquest, Rush, and Squad Deathmatch maps.

I call it "Maximum Variety". It's alternating Conquest (1 round, and Rush (2 rounds, attack/defend), with a Squad Deathmatch map thrown in every 4th map.

The server is not standard Hardcore (minimap & crosshairs, etc., are enabled), but has several settings that DICE considers "Hardcore":

Friendly Fire is On. If you shoot your team mate, they will die. That's just the the way I think it should be played.
Hopefully, this being on will affect some of the standard strategies people have been using in Rush, ie, mortaring or lobbing grenades or Gustavs in to the Mcoms while several of your team mates are guarding it, impervious to your mayhem.
I don't think this affects how mines work. I haven't tested how this affects C4 on the UAV/jeeps/choppers, but I assume it will destroy the vehicle now.
Tank drivers will have to learn to sit still in their tank while it's being repaired, and not run over their engineer team mates, or they won't be repaired.

3D spotting is Off. Spotting works like it did in BF2. Spotted players will show up on the minimap, and the main map, but will not show up in the main view with triangles over their head!

Everything else on this server is set at default ("core"). Like a lot of people, I would have been happy if they had recreated the BF2 experience with a new engine. This is one of the goals I had in mind when setting up this server. If the server becomes popular, upping the player count to max is certainly a possibility.

Additional settings:

Killcam is On. I know this one is controversial to some people. Especially for noobs, but even for some veteran players that I know, spawn...die, spawn...die a few times without ever seeing your shooter = rage-quit. Not fun. Turning the tables and getting revenge on the guy that killed you five times in a row? Fun! Good for you that you know some great sniping spots...find a few of them and learn to rotate through them. Also, this setting means the server is teabag enabled! (Important to some people I know!)

Teams are randomized on every map change. A third party program is being utilized to shuffle the teams, preserving squads. If you are in a squad with your buddies, your whole group is moved together. Squads and players are ranked based on their performance in the previous round, and an attempt is made to evenly distribute the skill across the teams. Hopefully, this keeps the games competitive and prevents one side from dominating across several rounds, until all the people on the other side just leave in disgust!

See the latest server admin docs here

 

[maniacalpha1-1]

There are options for minimap spotting only in BFBC2. I ran a server in what I called "BF2 mode":



See the latest server admin docs here

Interesting. Is that done by third party programs then? (It probably says that on your link but I have no idea what I'm looking at, whether it's DICE proprietary or third party). Do server owners have to pay extra for those programs? Though generally I consider third party programs to be EULA violations because of autokicks for uncap rules, class limitations which is DEFINITELY against BF ROE.

 

[GullyFoyle]

Interesting. Is that done by third party programs then? (It probably says that on your link but I have no idea what I'm looking at, whether it's DICE proprietary or third party). Do server owners have to pay extra for those programs? Though generally I consider third party programs to be EULA violations because of autokicks for uncap rules, class limitations which is DEFINITELY against BF ROE.

The 3D spotting settings are part of DICE's server software.
Several of the settings I had means the server must run un-ranked. One of the pitfalls.

There are several 3rd party server admin programs available for free. I used Procon.

 

[maniacalpha1-1]

The 3D spotting settings are part of DICE's server software.
Several of the settings I had means the server must run un-ranked. One of the pitfalls.

There are several 3rd party server admin programs available for free. I used Procon.

What? Which of those settings causes it to be unranked?

 

[Zargon]

all of this complaining and you didnt even know that stuff was customizable??

 

[GullyFoyle]

What? Which of those settings causes it to be unranked?

Both the 3D spotting off, and Friendly fire on. RTFM.

 

[maniacalpha1-1]

all of this complaining and you didnt even know that stuff was customizable??

Both the 3D spotting off, and Friendly fire on. RTFM.

If 3d spotting off makes it unranked, then it is not, in fact, customizable. I never thought I would have had to specify that I would intend for it to be customizable within the Ranked structure.

But if 3D spotting turned off makes it unranked, then uncap rules/autokick should definitely be relegated to the unranked system.

 

[GullyFoyle]

Battlefield 3 playable at Eurogamer Expo (September 22-25, 2011)

by Tom Bramwell
5/05/2011 @ 16:25

We've told you it's going to be bigger, and we've told you it's going to be longer, but so far we haven't been able to tell you about the games.

That changes today. We're delighted to reveal that Electronic Arts will be out in force at the Eurogamer Expo 2011, allowing you to go hands-on with its biggest games of the year before they come out – including the mighty Battlefield 3.

The Eurogamer Expo takes place at Earls Court in London from 22nd to 25th September, and tickets are on sale now at early-bird prices.

And of course it wouldn't be a Eurogamer Expo without some highly competitive multiplayer football action, so do make sure to leave time for FIFA 12, which is probably also where you will find Eurogamer staff during unauthorised "coffee breaks". (I will take on all comers.)

We'll also be announcing more EA games nearer showtime.

This year's Expo promises our best ever line-up of Developer Sessions too, and EA studios will be on hand to show you their latest games in our massive auditoriums. If you like hearing how things are made and finding out exclusive details, look out for the Developer Session line-up closer to the Expo.

EA is just the tip of the iceberg, too. Look out for more announcements in the coming weeks and months as we build up to our biggest Expo ever. We want you to play the biggest games as early as possible in the most comfortable conditions, and we can't wait to see you there!

 

[Zargon]

If 3d spotting off makes it unranked, then it is not, in fact, customizable. I never thought I would have had to specify that I would intend for it to be customizable within the Ranked structure.

But if 3D spotting turned off makes it unranked, then uncap rules/autokick should definitely be relegated to the unranked system.

who cares if its unranked?

 

[maniacalpha1-1]

I don't per se, but I do like to actually have other people to play against. And servers that are unranked are more likely to be ghost towns. And those options shouldn't have anything to do with ranked status.

 

[minmaster]

who cares if its unranked?

uh i think just about everyone cares...
would you want to play on unranked servers?
most people want their playing to count towards something.
there's a reason why people shell out money to rent ranked servers.

 

[GullyFoyle]

Wall Street Journal Blog - Peaceful Swedes Battle For Killer Game

By Sven Grundberg and Jens Hansegard

In Sweden, a country that has avoided military conflict the past 200 years, a group of game developers are engaged in fine tuning one of the most talked about war games in 2011, thereby launching what looks to be the biggest battle in the global gaming industry this year.

In one of the flashiest offices in the Swedish capital Stockholm, some 300 game developers are busy shaping the fate of giant videogame publisher Electronic Arts. After being taken over by EA in 2006, Swedish computer games developer DICE has become one of the major players in the first person shooter video games, a category which represents more than 12% of the $50 billion gaming industry.

DICE is preparing for the autumn release of its Battlefield 3, the sequel to its Battlefield franchise. The timing can’t be mistaken as anything else than a direct assault against its main U.S. rival Activision, the giant Vivendi-owned developer that is seen releasing the eighth installment of the Call of Duty franchise during the second half of 2011.

Until now, Call of Duty has been number one within the first person shooter category and is one of the highest grossing titles in computer history; the last installment, Black Ops, reached sales of 13.7 million units in March, according to an estimate from market research firm NDP, while the latest installment in the Battlefield franchise recently passed 7 million units. In aggregate, the Call of Duty franchise has achieved almost $5 billion life to date revenue. While other game developers usually try to avoid colliding with Call of Duty releases, DICE is actively seeking the challenge. By now, DICE General Manager Karl Magnus Troedsson and his team have been working for three years developing Battlefield 3, including building an entirely new graphics engine.

“Frankly, I don’t think this game can fail. But of course that depends on what you define as a failure,” Mr. Troedsson says.

In gaming, the most widely used measure of quality is the score at Metacritic, a web-based service that compiles and aggregates game reviews on a 1 to 100 scale. Mr. Troedsson said the difference between a game that gets a 70 and one that gets 90 is enormous.

We have no political or glorifying agenda as regards to war

“Among buyers, there is no longer any tolerance against 70-rated games, and that is especially true in the first person shooter category. For us, a failure for Battlefield 3 would be a markedly lower Metacritic-score than we have had for our previous games, meaning that we will have to score around 90,” he says.

The players takes on the role of Sergeant Black, a U.S. Marine, fighting an ugly battle through dusty and painfully realistic streets in a Middle Eastern city, following a U.S. intervention in Iran. But DICE, which even claims to have a couple of conscientious objectors among its staff, does not reflect upon the political sensitiveness in describing a U.S. intervention in Iran.

“We have no political or glorifying agenda as regards to war. We simply want to tell a story that engages people. That goes back to childhood playing too, kids playing cowboys and indians or cops and robbers. That’s what gaming is at heart. Nobody is the bad guy, just because he plays the robber,” Mr. Troedsson says.

After EA bought DICE in 2006, the Stockholm-based developer has largely managed to retain its original culture and values.

“We do it very differently here and we want to keep our different type of climate. More Swedish,” he says. One of the chief characteristics of game making in Sweden is the primacy of consensus-thinking:

“We work seriously on the premise that the best idea wins. It’s never about who presents the idea, but simply what the best idea is. That is a very Swedish thing. No guru stands on a pedestal and tells people what to do here. This consensus approach is a culture we want to preserve,” he says.

Rising costs have been the main challenge for developers in the last four years

Another cornerstone is the country’s generous labor laws, which includes that working parents are entitled to 16 months paid parental leave per child, the cost being shared between employer and the state.

“Job safety and generous parental leave create a positive work environment and are actually really good for making people do great work. We joke about this and call it the ‘Socialist Revolution of Game Development’, he says.

Battlefield 3 will be sold over-the-counter at the established price of $60, a price that Mr. Troedsson says is tough to budge. But while price levels remain steady, development costs for blockbuster games have skyrocketed since the arrival of the PS3 and the Xbox 360.

“Rising costs have been the main challenge for developers in the last four years. Meanwhile, sales are flat or even falling in some markets. So big publishers are cutting costs and are hesitant to develop new concepts. They scale down their catalogue to spend proportionally more on big products. I believe this is sound. ”

Aside from development costs, DICE sees increasing costs in maintaining its servers around the world. It has been suggested that subscription could be a way to contend with server costs, but Mr. Troedsson remains skeptical.

“Subscription was a hot topic about two years ago. But it’s much harder than many people think. If you’re just counting the beans, subscription could be a cash cow. But it’s really not that simple and relates to deep consumer patterns”

So while subscription fees appear to remain a pipe dream and the $60 price tag to stick for the foreseeable future, Mr. Troedsson says alternatives are flourishing.

“You can break away and try something completely different, like free-to-play or mobile phone games, and so on. So while the $60 games will remain we may collaborate with other partners to develop Battlefield 3 to other platforms like mobile games in the future as a means of getting revenue and broadening awareness of the franchise.

“But the bread-and -butter will still be the $60 game. For the time being.”

 

[maniacalpha1-1]

"Aside from development costs, DICE sees increasing costs in maintaining its servers around the world. It has been suggested that subscription could be a way to contend with server costs, but Mr. Troedsson remains skeptical."

What's that about? Does DICE provide the servers for consoles?

Every time I hear the word subscription though I think Battlefield MMO ala WW2 OL.

 

[GullyFoyle]

"Aside from development costs, DICE sees increasing costs in maintaining its servers around the world. It has been suggested that subscription could be a way to contend with server costs, but Mr. Troedsson remains skeptical."

What's that about? Does DICE provide the servers for consoles?

Every time I hear the word subscription though I think Battlefield MMO ala WW2 OL.

Yes, EA/DICE provides all of the dedicated servers for consoles. And at the beginning, at least, a bunch for the PC too.

 

[maniacalpha1-1]

I don't see why you can't rent, and administrate though the pc, servers for console.

 

[Zargon]

uh i think just about everyone cares...
would you want to play on unranked servers?
most people want their playing to count towards something.
there's a reason why people shell out money to rent ranked servers.

mine counts towards having fun

though I really think I have been on 'softcore' servers with no 3d spotting that I found and were listed as ranked servers

 

[GullyFoyle]

Rumor mill:

"EA is attacking Battlefield 3 fan-sites for Copyright Infringement – aka BF3Nation"

EA takes the Sony Approach:

EA takes the Sony Approach
Published by OGNewsNet on Fri, 2011-05-06 13:21

"EA d$#%$$## attack Battlefield 3 fan-sites for Copyright Infringement – aka BF3Nation"

Yep, thats the latest news article headline from the fan site bf3nation.com and well, they are a bit upset.

If you believe that EA went to far get on over and support these guys. http://bf3nation.com/

Do you think this will hurt sales?

The corresponding e-mail reads:

Re: Electronic Arts Copyright Infringement
To Whom It May Concern:
I write on behalf of Electronic Arts Inc. (“EA”). It has come to our attention that a website hosted by you, http://bf3nation.com/, (the “Site”) contains material that infringes copyrights owned or controlled by EA.
The Site is an exact replica of a copyrighted website owned by EA and thus infringes EA’s copyright in its own website. We demand that you immediately and permanently disable and/or block access to the infringing materials on the Site. The infringing material is located at:
http://bf3nation.com/
Under penalty of perjury, I hereby affirm that I have a good faith belief that the information in this notice is accurate and that I am authorized to act on behalf of EA whose exclusive copyright rights I believe to be infringed as described herein.
This letter is not intended to be a full statement of the facts, and it does not prejudice or waive any claim, whether in law or in equity, that EA may have with respect to this matter or any other matter.
If you have any questions concerning this matter please contact our IP enforcement group at IPenforcement@ea.com.
Very truly yours,
Tomi Watanabe
Paralegal, IP Enforcement
Electronic Arts Inc.

The truth:

twitter.com/zh1nt0: "A website offering "beta keys" with no real info and also offering hacks to an unreleased title, yea, better off if it's down."

 

[Fanatical Meat]

So I wonder if there will be an hunt for Osama map/DLC where is estate & neighborhood is recreated?

 

[HybridSquirrel]

So I wonder if there will be an hunt for Osama map/DLC where is estate & neighborhood is recreated?

they already have a cs:source map for it.

 

[GullyFoyle]

Another Interview with Patrick Bach (tbreakTV - Youtube).

 

[GullyFoyle]

x360aNews - Battlefield 3 Interview: Patrick Bach, DICE (YouTube)

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twitter.com/Battlefield: "Stay tuned tomorrow for the very first images and new info on the Battlefield 3: Back to Karkand expansion pack! #BF3"

 

[GullyFoyle]

New Battlefield Blog Post: Going Back to Karkand #1: Your chance to relive the greatest Battlefield maps ever

BY: H Brun
POSTED : May 10, 2011, 12:00AM

Meaty expansion pack. Click for meaty wallpaper in Full HD.


Part I in a behind the scenes series on Battlefield 3: Back to Karkand

Containing four of the best Battlefield maps ever created by DICE, the first expansion pack for Battlefield 3 will be a treat both for returning fans and newcomers. Read on for more in-depth details on Battlefield 3: Back to Karkand and how to get it at no extra charge.

Anyone who preorders Battlefield 3 will receive our first themed expansion pack at no extra charge. When Lead Designer Niklas Fegraeus got the assignment to lead the expansion pack, his thoughts immediately went to the four most played and loved maps in the history of Battlefield: Strike at Karkand, Wake Island, Gulf of Oman, and Sharqi Peninsula. Combined, these four maps have been played for an incredible 25,000 man years!

It’s obvious returning Battlefield fans should be excited. What does the expansion pack offer to those new to Battlefield?
-- It’s pretty simple, really. These are evidently some of the very best maps we have ever built. We have unquestionable data and feedback from the community saying so. You would be crazy turning down the chance to boost your game with these classic multiplayer maps.

An early piece of concept art for the Frostbite 2 reimagining of a true classic. Meant to represent lighting and color palette only. Actual map layout will be very similar to the original. Click for 1920 x 1080 version.

What does the Frostbite 2 engine and the Battlefield 3 gameplay bring to the reimagined version of Strike at Karkand?
-- From a gameplay perspective, destruction is the biggest addition compared to the original map in Battlefield 2 back in 2005. I remember this particular building by the square in the original where players could defend very effectively. Now, with the destructive power of Frostbite 2, someone can just RPG that building and expose the defenders within. At the same time, we need to be careful not to add destruction that breaks the tried and tested game flow of the map.

You were also Lead Designer on last year’s expansion pack Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam. Do you see any similarities between that and Back to Karkand?
-- Certainly from the perspective of scope and ambition, they are very similar. This is no simple map pack. Back to Karkand will also include iconic Battlefield 2 weapons and vehicles to bring back to the base game, new unlocks and persistence, and more content that we will talk about later. They are also similar in that they are both strongly themed.

In your mind, what makes Strike at Karkand still great?
-- Strike at Karkand finds the perfect combination of tight urban infantry combat and traditional Battlefield vehicle combat, without any one side ever dominating the fight. I also think that the linear flag positions give you a clear idea of where you need to go, creating a strong sense of direction.

"It's well designed and well balanced. The best map ever made"
-- Twitter user @insane141 on why he loves Strike at Karkand


David Spinnier (formerly Göthberg) is currently Co-op Lead Designer for Battlefield 3 and the one who created the original Strike at Karkand map for Battlefield 2.

How do you feel now that your map is set for a reimagining in Battlefield 3?
-- I'm super happy and proud that it became such a classic. I'm excited to see it remade with a whole new level of graphics and destruction and have given the developers of the expansion pack a few pointers on the map.

What was your original design idea for Strike at Karkand?
-- I wanted almost to tell a story. In my mind when I started the design, I could see these tanks rolling downhill in a sandy desert into a city where defenders were scurrying around, setting up a defensive perimeter and then being pushed back further downtown. I also wanted to create an asymetric battlefield with a defensive focus. Infantry defenders meeting heavy armor. I just started painting the layout of the map in Photoshop and went from there.

What happened when you actually started play testing the design?
-- I remember one of the first play tests. People were behaving exactly as I had imagined: Placing mines and C4, climbing onto roofs to get a clear view and clear shot of the tanks rolling in. It all just fell into place. It was a fantastic feeling.

Do you have any original design docs for Strike at Karkand lying around that we could have a look at, just for fun?
-- Sure thing! Here is my original layout design, last saved in October 2004. If you know your Karkand, you realize that the layout here is mirrored from the actual in-game map. This was something I wasn’t aware of at the time, but when you entered your layout into the game editor, everything was reversed!

Bonus feature: The original design doc for Strike at Karkand from Battlefield 2!

To receive Battlefield 3: Back to Karkand at no extra charge, all you need to do is preorder Battlefield 3.

Come back next week for more in-depth details on Back to Karkand.
For more information on Battlefield 3, visit the Official Site.
For the latest news on everything Battlefield, follow us on Twitter.

 

[maniacalpha1-1]

Why would they call that map Karkand? No similarity at all. Perhaps the city lot outline may follow the same track, the buildings are too high to tell. But that would have to be all, I think.

Also I'm glad they are aware of the need to not "add destruction that breaks the tried and tested game flow of the map" but perhaps they could say HOW they are doing that? Reducing jet bomb damage? Or what?

Again I love how they introduce new info without introducing anything useful. BC3 with jets and prone incoming.

 

[GullyFoyle]

IGN - Battlefield 3: Entertainment & War (YouTube)

 

[Zargon]

Why would they call that map Karkand? No similarity at all. Perhaps the city lot outline may follow the same track, the buildings are too high to tell. But that would have to be all, I think.

Also I'm glad they are aware of the need to not "add destruction that breaks the tried and tested game flow of the map" but perhaps they could say HOW they are doing that? Reducing jet bomb damage? Or what?

Again I love how they introduce new info without introducing anything useful. BC3 with jets and prone incoming.

An early piece of concept art for the Frostbite 2 reimagining of a true classic. Meant to represent lighting and color palette only. Actual map layout will be very similar to the original. Click for 1920 x 1080 version.

did you actually read it?