Battlefield: Bad Company 2

[Thrik]

I think in Battlefield's particular case a bit of streamlining was warranted. To be fair Battlefield 2142 did the class reduction before BC2, and it worked really well in that game — the unlock complexity more than made up for it, effectively turning each class into multiple classes.

The squad system was really good in BF2 and BF2142 so I'm not sure how I feel about the changes. It tended to work really well having squad commanders as the members would kind of just go wherever he said, so even if the squad commander was a bit shit at least they were properly coordinated. I'd imagine the new system requires more discipline from each member to be effective.

I've never been that keen on the commander role so I'm kind of pleased to see that gone. I experienced far too many moronic/shit/useless commanders in Battlefield 2 and 2142, which to be honest was worse than having no commander at all. It also made stealth gameplay a bit less interesting when you kept being 'spotted' by the more observant commanders.

[dpp]

OK, I've played until level 10, which translates to ~10h of gameplay, give or take. My impressions so far, keep in mind the last BF game I played was 1942.

-Scoreboard, Squad Menu and other UI stuff bring my computer to a grinding halt. Interface in general is really slow, especially the server browser. Yes, I know this is a BETA, these will be the only nitpicky beta complaints I'll have.

-Gameplay-wise, I find Modern Warfare far superior. Hit detection (and notification), movement, latency prediction. I don't know if I have to develop a new set of skills as an FPS player to be better in this game, but I've always done pretty well and most games (namely Quake, CS, TF2, MW).

-Teamplay doesn't happen AT ALL. I don't know how many of each class my team has. I wish I could know if a Medic is in range to decide whether I'll use a reinforcement ticket or not. I wish someone used the microphone for a change. Probably this will become a lesser issue after launch.

I have to say I'm tempted to buy this game, but if I have to spend 50 bucks on something I would buy MW2 before this.

[Brannigan]

My only complaints are that medic is way OP. I ran into a team running like 4 medics in one squad and all they did was defib each other repeatedly so it was insanely hard to get rid of them. Also, I don't really dig the whole "strap a vehicle with c4 and drive it into the mcom so it blows up instantly.

As far as this vs. MW...I prefer bad company. I like the bigger feel to it. In MW I constantly felt like i was in a deathmatch map, rather than an area in which there is a battle. Destructible objects also add alot. As far as teamwork goes I have run into it alot more now that people seem to have played it a bit. Though it REALLY helps to play with friends, which I normally do.

[Patters]

-Scoreboard, Squad Menu and other UI stuff bring my computer to a grinding halt. Interface in general is really slow, especially the server browser. Yes, I know this is a BETA, these will be the only nitpicky beta complaints I'll have.

-Teamplay doesn't happen AT ALL. I don't know how many of each class my team has. I wish I could know if a Medic is in range to decide whether I'll use a reinforcement ticket or not. I wish someone used the microphone for a change. Probably this will become a lesser issue after launch.

These parts I think are those that haven't been finished, particularly on the server browser and scoreboard, there is no information on latency given despite the space being available.

I have had one occurrence of full on team work happening, the other team got completely raped.

[Thrik]

I think Conquest will go some way towards encouraging better teamplay and really highlighting the vehicle/infantry relationship, not just because of the nature of the mode but also because of its requirement for bigger, more open mas.

I've not played BC2 that much but I'm not too impressed by the Rush game mode and will likely not play it that much, just like I rarely played the Titan game mode in BF2142. For me the proper Battlefield experience is literally reliant on Conquest.

[Tibz]

I miss the console, my friends list keeps clearing its self. It would be nice to tell what server/ip/lag and what not all ingame. oh also were missing the abilty to stop loading servers in the server list like valve games and stop loading a map when you want to quit the game with out joining the next round.

Wasn't medic squads always a problem in bf games?

[Patters]

Pushing more into team work, I tend to quit if I get a weak team who play it as a deathmatch I hope there is a squad play mode (the players form a team, and go kill some guys, etc),I expect they will as it's already in the console version of 1943. Thus far, there are people who are proper BF people, though few and far between. I expect this will settle down after the game is released so those that want to can find a tactical type server. Earlier today I played a game with a couple of tactical gamers on my squad, proper tactical advancement proceeded, unfortunately we lost as we started late in the game.

I already love this game, it feels like the BF I want, it fills the gap between CoD, CounterStrike and Rainbow Six. Of course due to it being in Beta the chance of getting a good set up is minute, in a way it seems that it is a demo above a beta with the lack of a ton of general features in PC shooters.

[Lu]

Man, some attackers apparently don't know the definition of attacking. 6 snipers on a ridge is not attacking. Standing in your base, shooting to the other side of the map with a tank is not attacking. On the plus side, I joined a good squad and we racked up some serious points. We should play sometime, Patters.

I thought that this time around that DICE cleaned up their tech a bit. It seemed that way from the trailers and such, but it still looks messy. Plus, every time I play a Battlefield game, I am reminded of why I eventually stopped playing Battlefield. Walking for some time before getting butt-raped by something you can't even see. Getting killed by the same douchebag spawn-camping tank like 10 times in a row. I prefer infantry only nowadays, I think.

Edited February 4, 2010 by PiratePooAndHisBattleship

[toblix]

It's interesting that games still have unwritten rules that players have to follow in order to make it fun for everyone. It's like the Geneva Convention... for gamerz. Only instead of telling you to not shooting Red Cross guys it tells you to not camp, or not use specific features and bugs.

A lot of it is understandable -- if a bug is discovered, it shouldn't be abused, so that the developers can get it fixed and issue a patch. A lot of it, though, I don't get. If you're playing the game within its limitations and not exploiting bugs, etc., and as long as a particular session doesn't have some specific gentleman's agreement, like only knives, how can what you're doing be wrong? For example, if the game allows you to camp, and it gives you an advantage, why shouldn't you? If it's "wrong," the game designers should be the ones to decide, and then not let you do that.

Of course, this argument is based on a naïve model that assumes everyone plays to win and not to annoy or spoil the game for someone else.

[Thrik]

Haha.

See, this is another reason why the Conquest game mode is superior. Because it's not really based on the concept of there being strict attackers and defenders, if you camp somewhere you'll just end up alone once that capture point has been taken. And if you do choose to camp, you'll be defending it.

But for fast, aggressive gameplay Rush certainly seems to fit the bill. I can see people loyally sticking to both.

[Patters]

Man, some attackers apparently don't know the definition of attacking. 6 snipers on a ridge is not attacking. Standing in your base, shooting to the other side of the map with your map is not attacking. On the plus side, I joined a good squad and we racked up some serious points. We should play sometime, Patters.

I thought that this time around that DICE cleaned up their tech a bit. It seemed that way from the trailers and such, but it still looks messy. Plus, every time I play a Battlefield game, I am reminded of why I eventually stopped playing Battlefield. Walking for some time before getting butt-raped by something you can't even see. Getting killed by the same douchebag spawn-camping tank like 10 times in a row. I prefer infantry only nowadays, I think.

Tanks are a lot easier to take out now, though the assault class will have a tough time against them, with no heavy weapons.

[Squid Division]

This game also deals with camping in a fairly good way by just letting you destroy whatever cover he was hiding behind.

[Lu]

That's probably one of my favourite things about it. The enemies planted a bomb on one of the points. Where the rest of the team seemed to be slacking off playing deathmatch, my squad blasted through the walls of one 2nd floor house, to the one next to it. Caught the bastards completely by surprise. Aaah, fun times.

[Tibz]

That's probably one of my favourite things about it. The enemies planted a bomb on one of the points. Where the rest of the team seemed to be slacking off playing deathmatch, my squad blasted through the walls of one 2nd floor house, to the one next to it. Caught the bastards completely by surprise. Aaah, fun times.

I know the point your talking about base 2 objective B. This has been my fav defense tactic, get in the top of the none objective building blow holes in the walls so you can see the bomb and throw nades into planting foes

I hope we get a map editor I want dense housing maps so this kind of building to building stalingradish combat can happen on a larger scale.

[Garple]

Yeah BC2 is frostbite v2, the main strengths of which are:

Real-Time Procedural Shading

Texturing Techniques

Large Destruction Landscapes

Destructable Objects (Buildings, Vehicles, Trees, etc.)

Dynamic Skies

Dynamic Lighting

The lighting is utterly fantastic, Also it was further optimised to support quad cores fully.

You're such a computer nerd these days.

[Brannigan]

I know the point your talking about base 2 objective B. This has been my fav defense tactic, get in the top of the none objective building blow holes in the walls so you can see the bomb and throw nades into planting foes

I hope we get a map editor I want dense housing maps so this kind of building to building stalingradish combat can happen on a larger scale.

Amusingly enough I use the same tactic to cover people arming the mcom when attacking

[miffy495]

It's actually that sort of thing that turns me off of games like this. Things that were awesome in isolation ("Holy sht I just blew through a wall at the last second to prevent a bomb detonation! This is amazing!") become tactics ("make sure you blow a hole in that wall so you can watch the place they need to plant a bomb") which just sucks all the fun and spontaneity out of it. I don't like when a game gets so formalized as to remove the improvisation from it. As a result, most multiplayer games quickly become dull for me in proportion to people's familiarity with the maps and mechanics increasing. For whatever reason, Battlefield has always been a particularly egregious example of this.

[Brannigan]

It's actually that sort of thing that turns me off of games like this. Things that were awesome in isolation ("Holy sht I just blew through a wall at the last second to prevent a bomb detonation! This is amazing!") become tactics ("make sure you blow a hole in that wall so you can watch the place they need to plant a bomb") which just sucks all the fun and spontaneity out of it. I don't like when a game gets so formalized as to remove the improvisation from it. As a result, most multiplayer games quickly become dull for me in proportion to people's familiarity with the maps and mechanics increasing. For whatever reason, Battlefield has always been a particularly egregious example of this.

I don't think there will be a lack of spontaneous awesome destruction moments. Certainly there are certain areas that are SUPER prone to "step 1) destroy thing Step 2) ??? Step 3) Profit!", but I still run into random stuff mid fight that is pretty exciting. For example the other night I accidentally found where the other team was spawning in and setting up their forward base of sorts. By some miracle of god I wasn't spotted and managed to run around behind, c4 the wall and bust through guns blazing. It's also a nice "OH GOD I CRAPPED MY PANTS" when someone pulls the same thing on you.

By far the best spontaneous thing that happened to me was when i was hiding in some trees sniping. I see an explosion in the sky barely through the brush. I think nothing of it. Then all of a sudden a fucking helicopter comes flying in on fire knocking over ALL of the trees around me, skims my head and blows up behind me. It took me a bit to realize I actually hadn't died. Then I immediately thought "man fuck cod4 scripted crap, this was WAY better." Those crazy moments are what really make the game.

[Patters]

It's actually that sort of thing that turns me off of games like this. Things that were awesome in isolation ("Holy sht I just blew through a wall at the last second to prevent a bomb detonation! This is amazing!") become tactics ("make sure you blow a hole in that wall so you can watch the place they need to plant a bomb") which just sucks all the fun and spontaneity out of it. I don't like when a game gets so formalized as to remove the improvisation from it. As a result, most multiplayer games quickly become dull for me in proportion to people's familiarity with the maps and mechanics increasing. For whatever reason, Battlefield has always been a particularly egregious example of this.

It's a double edged sword, if you blow a hole in the building then the structural integrity is weaker, the building falls and the defence objective is lost.

By far the best spontaneous thing that happened to me was when i was hiding in some trees sniping. I see an explosion in the sky barely through the brush. I think nothing of it. Then all of a sudden a fucking helicopter comes flying in on fire knocking over ALL of the trees around me, skims my head and blows up behind me. It took me a bit to realize I actually hadn't died. Then I immediately thought "man fuck cod4 scripted crap, this was WAY better." Those crazy moments are what really make the game.

I had something similar, I was assaulting the naval base, with the giant shipping containers you can run through, then as I left one I walked less than 5 metres and a fucking Helicopter hit the ground and exploded in my face, killing one of the opposing team around the corner and leaving me with a metaphorical brown stain in my pants.

[Patters]

Had the most intense games I have had yet, JamesM, two random people and I completely destroyed a team when on defence. I was rocking the semi automatic shotgun, rocketeer blowing the crap out of people trying to bomb our base. Fantastic fun!

[toblix]

So I guess I should buy this or what?

[toblix]

Well that was fun. It felt very much like an improved sequel to BF2142. It still had a bit of that special "barely-working," "on-the-verge-of-blue-screening" feeling that the Battlefields have had from day one, although it seems they're managing to squeeze in a little bit more of polish-time between each release.

I've always been a fan of the soundscape of the Battlefields, and this one was also great. At first, I'm thinking "ah, typical battlefield ambience," just like in, say, the Call of Duties, but then it hits me that all the sounds are actual combat noise from around me, and that's pretty cool.

I didn't get to experience the destructable buildings, but I saw a weird house that had every wall section blown in with the exact same hole. Only the wooden girders between each hole held up the floors above. I guess it's not exactly a house demolition simulator.

[Patters]

Well that was fun. It felt very much like an improved sequel to BF2142. It still had a bit of that special "barely-working," "on-the-verge-of-blue-screening" feeling that the Battlefields have had from day one, although it seems they're managing to squeeze in a little bit more of polish-time between each release.

I've always been a fan of the soundscape of the Battlefields, and this one was also great. At first, I'm thinking "ah, typical battlefield ambience," just like in, say, the Call of Duties, but then it hits me that all the sounds are actual combat noise from around me, and that's pretty cool.

I didn't get to experience the destructable buildings, but I saw a weird house that had every wall section blown in with the exact same hole. Only the wooden girders between each hole held up the floors above. I guess it's not exactly a house demolition simulator.

I like that, to take out a building, you have to take out the key pillars and a decent amount of the walls. With 1943 you could take out most of building with 3 grenades. In the buildings that I have been in while collapsing have given a slight indication before the roof falls on you and you die.

[toblix]

I like that, to take out a building, you have to take out the key pillars and a decent amount of the walls. With 1943 you could take out most of building with 3 grenades. In the buildings that I have been in while collapsing have given a slight indication before the roof falls on you and you die.

Oh, so buildings can actually collapse? It seemed to me that every discrete wall section could be blown up, and that's that.

That reminds me of that awesome turn-based squad shooter from WW2 that was awesome and let you blow up entire buildings but then sucked when they introduced robot pants. "Metal"... something? No.

[Brannigan]

Oh, so buildings can actually collapse? It seemed to me that every discrete wall section could be blown up, and that's that.

That reminds me of that awesome turn-based squad shooter from WW2 that was awesome and let you blow up entire buildings but then sucked when they introduced robot pants. "Metal"... something? No.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with robot pants. I mean how could there be?!

There are some buildings that simply don't go down, more so towards the end of the map. Probably a way of increasing the difficulty of taking the objective, since you can't just bombard them with tanks till the building blows up.