Battlefield 3 Clubhouse

[CDdude55]

So how/when do we get a key for the Beta if you already have it preorded?

The Beta starts this month, but those that preordered get it earlier, but i don't even know when the damn day is that it starts cause they haven't said anything.

[Wrigleyvillain]

Nope if EA is consistent in any way it's in not communicating this kind of stuff. I expect it to just show up in my inbox some day hopefully very soon like the Alpha email did.

[Black Haru]

Originally Posted by CDdude55

So how/when do we get a key for the Beta if you already have it preorded?

The Beta starts this month, but those that preordered get it earlier, but i don't even know when the damn day is that it starts cause they haven't said anything.

Originally Posted by Wrigleyvillain

Nope if EA is consistent in any way it's in not communicating this kind of stuff. I expect it to just show up in my inbox some day hopefully very soon like the Alpha email did.

yeah, I would be willing to bet that a beta download will suddenly be available in Origin.

EDIT* new blog post

this made my day.

Disabling means you no longer have to chase a vehicle that’s low on health to repair

[newbsandwich]

I hope its not like the alpha, were I got a code 2 days before it ended. And a friend who has only played BC2 on the PS3 had a code for days before he told me, thought it was junk email.

Yeah, hate it when the guy you are trying to help fix drives off half way fixed and leaves you in the open.

[1Kurgan1]

Originally Posted by newbsandwich

I hope its not like the alpha, were I got a code 2 days before it ended. And a friend who has only played BC2 on the PS3 had a code for days before he told me, thought it was junk email.

Yeah, hate it when the guy you are trying to help fix drives off half way fixed and leaves you in the open.

Thats how beta/alpha's go, it's all random.

[GullyFoyle]

BattlefieldO - PAX 2011 RECAP PART 1

Spoiler

AUG 29TH - PAX 2011 RECAP PART 1

A few weeks ago, I got an email from Seeson, a EA Community Manager at EA Redwood shores about PAX and a Battlefield 3 Community event. How Could I resist the offer? Last thursday the plane departed from Montreal to Seattle. Mid flight, my Iphone crashed with most of my details on hotel and directions. Through perseverance I managed to find my way to the hotel and check in. With limited wifi accessed I managed to get a hold of Jay from Pixel Enemy and we had a awesome meal before meeting up with Chris aka Redd_dragons from Pixel Enemy. Overall the weekend was an absolutely amazing time, not only did we play some BF3 but spent the time in a new city with friends from DICE, EA and the Community was a huge reminder that this video game is going to rock. While I put together a full article of the 4 days at PAX, here is a short overview of what was shown to the public at PAX this year

At PAX there were a total of 2 Battlefield 3 areas setup. The Main BF3 Booth had Playstation 3 stations with Coop mode and then upstairs, 24 Nvidia PC’s rocking 2x580s with Operation Metro TDM. I mainly spent my time at the show at the Nvidia setup. Unlike previous show builds, this had All unlocks available which allowed me to play with things such as the EOD Bot, MAV and various attachments. You are all going to be blown away by the amount of customization in this game. Not only do you get tons of options per weapon, but there many different variants for pistols and attachments. When DICE say that this game will take include tons of options, they really mean it. Another note is that the graphics were mind blowing. It seemed as though the textures were even higher res then most videos we’ve seen. Even little particle effects all over the place. It made the fault line trailers look like a early version compared to what it’s like now.

From the fact sheets at Gamescom, we learned about the EOD Bot, Radio Beacon, Micro UAV, Radar Beacon and Smoke Grenades. All of these could be destroyed by the enemy. When you exited the Camera view for the EOD Bot/ UAV, it seemed like they stayed there stationary, so you could use it again later.

EOD Bot
- Can be placed on the ground
- Player switches to camera view on EOD Bot
- Capable of Arming/Defusing MCOMS
- Can repair vehicles or torch players/vehicles

Radio Beacon
- Acts as a spawn point
- Model looks like a little radio
- Can be placed anywhere

Micro UAV
- Is thrown onto the ground
- Play switches to UAV Camera
- can push the EOD Bot around
- Used for spotting enemies
- No Weapons but to be added?

Radar Beacon
- Can be placed on the ground
- Scans area for enemies
- Only available to Recon Class

Smoke Grenades
- Could be used to cover a choke point entirely
- Should be used to hide a wave of EOD Bots attacking.

More details to come soon!

Don'tRevieMeBro - Podcast Episode 23 - Battlefield 3 talk from PAX Prime

Unofficial Battlefield 3 trailer by killat0n

[1Kurgan1]

Interesting, I thought the radar beacon did everything, but there is a radar and a radio beacon? Does Recon get both?

[GullyFoyle]

Originally Posted by 1Kurgan1

Interesting, I thought the radar beacon did everything, but there is a radar and a radio beacon? Does Recon get both?

The radio beacon is a mobile spawn point. Just listened to the DRMB podcast and they said Recon had UG sensors (Motion Sensor), and Radio Beacon, and MAV Micro UAV.

[raptori]

do anyone know the music in this Extended Footage is related to certain version of BF or its just a remix ??

[GullyFoyle]

Originally Posted by raptori

do anyone know the music in this Extended Footage is related to certain version of BF or its just a remix ??

Original production inspired by the Battlefield themes.

[Killer_Rubber_Ducky]

Hey all, I'm looking into renting a BF3 server for the TPU clan (I know we are not a clan). I already know it is going to be like $100/mo so, I gotta start saving. ^_^

[1Kurgan1]

New trailer



DAO12 looks mean as hell.

[TheMailMan78]

Originally Posted by 1Kurgan1

New trailer

not broke anymore lol

[1Kurgan1]

Yeah, the video just got posted and the link is the weirdest youtube link I ever seen, had to actually click the "link" option at the end to get one that made a bit more sense.

[raptori]

Originally Posted by GullyFoyle

Original production inspired by the Battlefield themes.

I just found my ringtone for the next year

[GullyFoyle]

Pixel Enemy - BATTLEFIELD 3: Top Secret Event Recap [New TDM & Co-Op Information]

Spoiler

[Wrigleyvillain]

Originally Posted by Killer_Rubber_Ducky

Hey all, I'm looking into renting a BF3 server for the TPU clan (I know we are not a clan). I already know it is going to be like $100/mo so, I gotta start saving. ^_^

Cool. Some of us such as myself will help out, surely.

[Killer_Rubber_Ducky]

Originally Posted by Wrigleyvillain

Cool. Some of us such as myself will help out, surely.

yeah, I would have a donate link for it on either both the website and my sig. I just have to find the right server. Does anyone know the approved server groups from EA?

[Abe504]

Originally Posted by Killer_Rubber_Ducky

Hey all, I'm looking into renting a BF3 server for the TPU clan (I know we are not a clan). I already know it is going to be like $100/mo so, I gotta start saving. ^_^

I wouldn't mind chippin in on this as well

[Killer_Rubber_Ducky]

Well, I major thing for me here is how many would actually use it as we had like 5 servers going when BC2 came out. I don't want to be renting at ~100 bucks /mo and no one use it.



So: here is a make shift poll:

If you would use it and help keep it going, post your answer with Poll in the subject line.

Thanks ^_^

[Wyverex]

Originally Posted by Killer_Rubber_Ducky

So: here is a make shift poll:

If you would use it and help keep it going, post your answer with Poll in the subject line.

Thanks ^_^

Unfortunately, I would not be supporting it as I'm in a bit of a sticky situation (even the acquisition of BF3 is in question )
But, if I do manage to get BF3, playing on the server primarily depends on its location, I wouldn't play on it if my ping would be high... and with me being from Europe and most of you from the US... I doubt you'd see me on that server

There, I hope my answer to your poll is satisfactory

[Killer_Rubber_Ducky]

Originally Posted by Wyverex

Unfortunately, I would not be supporting it as I'm in a bit of a sticky situation (even the acquisition of BF3 is in question )
But, if I do manage to get BF3, playing on the server primarily depends on its location, I wouldn't play on it if my ping would be high... and with me being from Europe and most of you from the US... I doubt you'd see me on that server

There, I hope my answer to your poll is satisfactory

Primarily it would be based in the central US either Dallas or Chicago

[Wrigleyvillain]

Chicago! Wooo

[CDdude55]

Originally Posted by Wrigleyvillain

Chicago! Wooo

Hells ya!, i'm from Chicago.

[GullyFoyle]

multiplayerblog.mtv - 'Battlefield 3' Co-op Features Random Events, Unlockable Gear

Spoiler

Posted 8/31/11 12:28 pm ET by Matt Clark in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360

A couple weeks ago in Cologne, Germany, EA and DICE showed off a few minutes of co-op mode in "Battlefield 3." The "Exfiltration" mission had the two-player team escorting a political defector out of hostile territory, and while it didn't appear to reinvent the wheel, the mode certainly looks like a lot of fun. Writing on the PlayStation Blog this morning, DICE junior product manager Tommy Rydling shared a few more details on what to expect in October.


While the GamesCom demo highlighted the use of teamwork in taking down enemies in tandem, you'll have to work closely with a partner in other ways to advance through "Battlefield 3" co-op successfully. Rydling pointed out a couple scenarios, like working a mounted gun while your pal flies a chopper, or covering their back while they disarm a bomb.

You're responsible for your teammate's life in the game, as well. If your buddy takes a bad hit and goes down, you can revive them with the "Man down!" mechanic. If both players go down, you'll end up with a game over. This sounds a lot like "Left 4 Dead," except in "Battlefield 3" – hopefully – your jerk friends don't leave you behind as zombie chow.

Rydling also mentioned that while the co-op mode story runs within the same scenario as the single-player campaign, the missions follow a unique series of events with an "explosive finish." Even more interesting, the co-op missions feature randomized events, so there could be quite a bit of replayability. That's not to mention that co-op playthroughs can land you unlockable gear rewards, usable in normal multiplayer matches.

"There are a number of weapons that you can unlock in co-op and take with you to the regular multiplayer modes," Rydling wrote. "These unlocks are based on your combined scores accumulated throughout the co-op campaign."

Those co-op scores will also show up on the new "Battlefield 3" social network, Battlelog. Leaderboard -type score tracking, random experiences, and weapon rewards could make the co-op mode a rather addicting proposition.

Why You Can’t Shoot Civilians In Battlefield 3

Spoiler

I’ve just come back from a fascinating and noisy day at EA DICE, seeing and playing Battlefield 3 with the winners of our recent competition. I have quite a few BF3-related posts due over the next couple of days as a result, but let’s start off with the game’s executive producer Patrick Bach talking about why he believes it can be tricky for games to present more authentic situations, such as a Battlefield level containing innocent, unarmed civilians. He reckons that, given the option, many gamers can’t resist an opportunity to be bad – and, he fears, game-makers would be the ones blamed for their players’ naughtier choices. For instance, shooting one of said innocent, unarmed civilians…

Responding to victorious RPS reader/compo entrant Joe O’Connor’s question as to whether Battlefield 3′s story would delve into the moral arguments around war, Bach argued that “Games are where movies were in the 30s or 40s, when it went from a technical spectacle to ‘hey, wait a minute we can actually use this to tell something, be political’ and things like that. I think we are on the verge of seeing things like that.”

However, potentially holding that back is that “if you put the player in front of a choice where they can do good things or bad things, they will do bad things, go dark side – because people think it’s cool to be naughty, they won’t be caught…

“In a game where it’s more authentic, when you have a gun in your hand and a child in front of you what would happen? Well the player would probably shoot that child.”

This is something Bach wants to avoid, because while the choice to do that ‘bad’ thing would have been the player’s, “We would be the ones to be blamed. We have to build our experiences so we don’t put the player in experiences where they can do bad things.” While not explicitly mentioned, the spectre of Modern Warfare 2 and its notorious ‘No Russian’ level seemed to this correspondent to loom large here.

So, Bach admitted that there was a degree of self-censoring necessary to limit potentially disagreeable player behaviour. “Me personally, I’m trying to stay away from civilians in games like BF because I think people will do bad. I don’t want to see videos on the internet where people shoot civilians. That’s something I will sanitise by removing that feature from the game.”

Importantly, “That doesn’t mean that I don’t want people to feel that war is not good,… We are trying to do something that is more mature. Mature not being gore –some people confuse the two. That’s childish actually, to want more blood.”

Bach hinted that something in Battlefield 3′s singleplayer narrative would involve a more thoughtful look at the nature of war, but wouldn’t be drawn on any specifics as yet.

“I think games need to grow up a bit,” he felt, but was sure that “They will grow with gamers. There will always be games for children – I want games for grown-ups, games I can play. As long as I’m in the business I will make games that I want to play.”

More comments from Bach tomorrow, plus a preview or two of the stuff I’ve played and seen here.

DICE On Unlocks And Keeping Games Alive

Spoiler

By Alec Meer on September 1st, 2011 at 3:32 pm.

I have a frankly frightening amount of interview material from my trip to see Battlefield 3 at EA DICE HQ earlier this week, but before I lower myself into the tenth circle of hell that is transcribing the main hour of it, here’s an interesting side-discussion that came up when I asked Twitter for a few question suggestions. One of the first respondents was Minecraft-maker Notch, who asked us to ask DICE “What are some best practices and lessons learned when awarding long-term rewards in a highly competitive game like Battlefield 3?”

Here’s what BF3′s executive producer Patrick Bach had to say in response – which led to a discussion of best practice for creating in-game unlocks, how he thinks Bad Company 2 got it a bit wrong, and why he reckons devs should try and keep improving and expanding their games for several years after launch instead of putting out annual sequels. Whatever could he be referring to?

RPS: I have a question from your countryman Markus ‘Notch’ Persson, who asks “What are some best practices and lessons learned when awarding long-term rewards in a highly competitive game like Battlefield 3?”

Patrick Bach: Oh… Let’s see if I understand the question. Is he talking about the actual in-game rewards, or the development rewards?

RPS: I’m presuming it’s about the higher-end persistent unlocks.

Patrick Bach: I think the learning we’ve done is that if you make a good game, people spend a lot of time with it. If you make a great game, they will never leave. I think we maybe miscalculated with, for instance, Battlefield Bad Company, with a year. It’s been out for a year and a half, and we thought people would spend probably half a year playing it and then it would start to trend down. We’re actually at the same number of people playing today as we had three months after shipping. So it’s quite steady, how many people are playing the game. It actually went down slightly last Autumn when some other games were released, but it went right back up over Christmas when we released the Vietnam expansion pack.

So people are today playing the exact same amount of games as they did back then. So of course we miscalculated that, because we thought people would stop playing. And then people rank out and they unlock everything, and they start to feel fatigue for not getting more stuff. So I think the challenge is to figure out how long people will play this game for, and then make sure you have enough stuff for you to unlock. Because it’s not fun to have to play for ten years to unlock the last thing – that doesn’t make the game better, it makes it seem that there’s no point to continue. But then again, you still want that carrot, dangling in front of you.

For Battlefield 3, we known that people play even more than Battlefield Bad Company 2, so we’re planning for even longer unlocks, a bigger unlock tree. So I think, to us, it’s understand how long people will play the game for, who will play the game, and how they will play the game. Based on that, which is the only information you can speculate on, try and give as much as you can for that period of time. So what we’re doing is, for instance, is deepening the game, but also broadening the game. Depending on your play style, you can actually unlock stuff based on a specific weapon or a specific class, rather than have everyone unlock everything.

RPS: Do you consciously factor in wanting people to move onto whatever your next game is , rather than stick to the older game, when you plan the length and number of unlocks?

Patrick Bach: But maybe you don’t have to build the new game, do you? If people like the old one, then keep fixing that one, update it and make it even better. I think sometimes it turns too mechanical when people release new games every year, and just focus on ‘how can I sell another copy, another copy, another copy?’ Of course companies need to make money to survive, but you can actually provide for the title you already have out on the market. You don’t have to leave it, just because you’ve shipped it. You can go back to it and think ‘can we add something to this, can we change something, what do people want?’ And then if you keep doing for a longer period of time, why start building something new? Of course you can always plan for the big next step, but if that’s in two years, or three years, five years…

RPS: [About 20 other questions which we'll run next week].

The Modern Warfare of Battlefield 3

Spoiler

By NuyoRiquena on Aug 31, 2011

A few months ago, while at E3, I saw a trailer for Battlefield 3. I turned to my cameraman and said, “Wow! This is going to better than Modern Warfare 3 if they make the story as powerful as that trailer was.”

In the interest of full disclosure, I have never played Battlefield. None of them. I have nothing against the franchise it was merely a matter of choice and time. However, after spending some quality time with Battlefield 3, I will be playing this game. A lot.

Let it be known, I love shooters. Let it be known, try as I may, I am not a skilled PC gamer. I may even go so far as to say I am slightly below novice-level in the PC arena. Let it be known, I am a control freak. When I lose control, well, let us say I don’t like it and it is obvious. While playing the PC build of Battlefield 3, I may have gotten a little on the frustrated side because while I looked down to see which key allowed me to change my weapon I was sniped. Suffice it to say, I was much better at dying. On the bright side, I was not the worst one on my team.

Once I got used to the basic controls of the PC multiplayer, I was able to fall in love with the beauty of the graphics and seamlessness of the actions. I was taken aback by the number of voices I heard coming through the Astro Gaming headsets as we fell into the groove of the 16v16 match. Strategy is the key and at first we continually dove down into the subway tunnels only to be met by a barrage of bullets. It helps to know the right people and with a little assistance (Thanks, Seeson!) we quickly started to flank right and make our way down towards the objective. Again full disclosure, we still lost. Despite all of this, the commentary coming out of the game was incredibly positive. We did not let our lack of skill taint the game experience.

The Playstation 3 co-op gameplay was, in a word, exciting. I am more comfortable with the PS3 controller so I was able to get into the game even more. As with everything in life, I jumped into my game late and was thrust into the action. My partner mentioned something about following him and I did…until he died. After a shooting anyone who looked like an enemy, I figured everything out and we started running through the building taking out bad guys and saving good guys. Turns out we were supposed to rescue the hostage. *Oops* Our mistake was in not communicating better. Once we started talking we were able to better suppress the enemy, working as a team. I must admit I thoroughly enjoyed jumping in the truck and handling the big guns. While I am NASCAR-level pro in real life, driving in a video game is not something I enjoy so I left the maneuvering to my partner. The heavy artillery tore through the enemies and buildings with equal ease. I find I still enjoy demolition and there is plenty of it in this game.

My chief complaint? I didn’t get enough time. I felt a little rushed through each preview. Or maybe, I just wanted more.

DICE is well-known for its multiplayer superiority and it was clear why when I was playing. The mission was challenging, yet another on the long list of reasons gamers will fall in love with Battlefield 3. No one wants to play a game they can run through in 4 hours and the only thing you return to is the store to trade in the game. We want replay value and socializing, hence the incredible popularity of great multiplayer options.

The game is true to the first-person shooter genre and the details are placing Battlefield 3 above its competitors. The storytelling will be a major factor in determining the final outcome and while I still don’t know what the plot is, I am dying to find out. And the Frostbite 2 game engine has set a new standard. I have to comment on the amazing sound effects in the game. It may seem trivial to some but I find attention to detail in such things enhance a game’s experience but are often overlooked. Trailers are supposed to look good but when you get up close and personal with the actual game, it is just so damned pretty!

Battlefield 3 is clearly the one sitting on the throne and whether the competition can execute a successful coup in the fall remains to be seen. Either way, the only loser in this battle will be the gamer who forgets to make this game a part of their collection.


* Thank you to EA for hosting the event and introducing me to Battlefield. Special thanks to Gunnar Optiks, Razer and Off Duty Gamers for coolest goodies this side of the Mississippi!

How Long is Battlefield 3's Single-Player Campaign?

Spoiler

It's slightly longer than MW2's, according to lead designer David Goldfarb.
US, August 31, 2011

by Colin Campbell
David Goldfarb, lead designer of Battlefield 3 has been talking about the game's single-player campaign, and facing questions on the shooter's length.

A VG247 interviewer said that he had spent six hours playing through 2009's Modern Warfare 2's single-player campaign, and asked if Battlefield 3 would be longer. Goldfarb replied, "I'd say it was probably slightly more than that. Based on our play-times it's probably more than that, but it's not twice as long. But, again, we'll see. When you play it on hard difficulty, it'll take a lot more time. It's all about making sure the experience is as awesome as possible. I'd rather have six hours of awesome than 12 hours of 'meh'."

He added that the company was aware that some players would want to go back and play the single-player campaign, rather than just playing multiplayer. "I think we have some pretty cool achievements that people will want to go back and get," he said. "It's not like an RPG in that way, but we have tried to incentivize people to come back and play on different difficulties, and so on."

Goldfarb also addressed the game's story-mode, and the political situations it would cover. Battlefield 3 is set in a modern-day Middle East combat setting, but developer DICE and publisher EA say they want to avoid "demonizing" any population groups.

He said, "It's not about religions, or populations of people and it's not about countries. It is fiction, and…we have to be very cautious about what it suggests because people will take it in a certain way. We're really trying to make it feel real, but at the same time we have an obligation to not demonize people or places, and I think that's something that's really important to us."

Setting the stage for 'Battlefield 3'

Spoiler

Thursday, September 01, 2011
By Max Parker
When "Battlefield 3" comes out Oct. 25, the military-based shooter will be taking aim at its rival, "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3," which hits shelves two weeks later. Patrick Bach, executive producer for "Battlefield 3," recently discussed what to expect from the game.

Does "Battlefield 3" have an all-new story line for the series? Is it linked to "Bad Company 2"?

The story line is completely unique and does not tie back into our Bad Company series. In "Battlefield: Bad Company 2," the tone is more light-hearted and fun, compared to "Battlefield 3's" storyline which is entirely new and more authentic. We are working with ex-SAS [Special Air Service] operator Andy McNab, who brings a wealth of military knowledge to the table. Andy has helped us in a few key areas, from the dialogue and helping us understand how soldiers speak to the [motion capture] of the characters and weapon interaction in the game.

How long a campaign can we expect?

This really depends on the difficulty setting and skill level of the player but we expect the campaign to take about 10 hours for the average player.

What aspects did you focus on when creating both the single player and multiplayer?

With "Battlefield 3" it all starts with our new engine Frostbite 2, which ... serves as the power center for the game by allowing us to deliver superior performance in character animation, visual rendering, destruction, audio and depth of scale.

Did you consider fan feedback about "Bad Company 2" when developing "Battlefield 3?"

We definitely take this into consideration when designing the game. A few examples of this is how we are bringing back [the prone option], which was missing from the "Battlefield: Bad Company" series. Another bit of feedback we've received from our console community is the request for server browsers on the console which allow them to select exactly what server they play on, so we're adding that to the console version as well.

There's been talk about the frame rate of the console version being less than its PC counterpart. Is "Battlefield 3" best experienced on PC?

"Battlefield 3" is the only game, regardless if you're on PC or console, that can deliver an all-out warfare experience complete with tanks, jets and more. ... We want players to feel the battle, the intensity of the fight. This is all made possible due to the power of Frostbite 2. We've made a conscious decision to stick with 30 FPS on console. This is not due to technical limitations but more of a design decision. With the number of players we support on our large-scale maps in addition to our signature vehicle warfare and destruction, "Battlefield 3" lends itself well to this frame-rate and is the right gameplay balance.

Are there any features that will be in the PC version that won't make it to console?

The PC version of Battlefield 3 will support up to 64 players in multiplayer whereas the console version supports up to 24. Another feature that will be specific to the PC version is the Command Rose, which allows you to use your keyboard to communicate with your fellow soldiers.

Subscriptions-based content is being discussed for a few online games on the horizon. What's your opinion on adding paid subscriptions for online multiplayer?

"Battlefield 3" is not subscription based. However, we are introducing a whole new feature called Battlelog. "Battlefield" has always been an incredibly social, team-based experience and we want to take that to the next level. Battlelog will be a completely free service that will give you a hub of social tools that will allow you to connect, communicate and play with friends in-game as well as on the web and your mobile devices. Through the network's news feed, called Battlefeed, you will be able to stay up-to-date on the current events going on in your own network. From players logging in, ranking up and receiving awards to friends unlocking achievements and new weapons, Battlelog keeps you in the know all in real-time, and it is entirely free.