2008-03-25 18:04:46 In reply to TheBeagle (2008-03-25 15:46:27)

ugh? the game is broken or it's just experiencing lag problems? two different things no?!

2008-03-25 18:38:32

Well, many people are reporting the issue of not being able to join games. I'd say that's pretty broken. When you do finally get into a game it lags like shit.

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Strange memories on this nervous night in Las Vegas. Has it been five years? Six? It seems like a lifetime.

2008-03-25 19:28:36

I haven't had any lag, but I got kicked out of a match once. The ticker already says that they're having a problem meeting demand. My experience recently has been nothing but positive. Pretty fun so far. I like the feeling of being put directly in combat. You're enemies don't instantly die like in COD4, so its a bit more challenging. The audio is incredible. Really captured the sounds that make combat exciting. Vehicles are a blast.

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Hey, I'm just like you. I put my pants on one leg at a - dammit, I knew I forgot something today.

2008-03-25 19:42:09

You can't really complain on the first day of a beta test. After all that is the point of the whole thing.

The fact that the beta appears to be all over filesharing scene isn't going to help either, they restricted the number of keys for a reason.

2008-03-25 21:04:57

hmm, ok so i'm not the only one, been trying to join a match, but cannot. but that doesn't make the game broken. it's a beta test, the first hours...thats the hole purpose of the thing no?
looking forward still. hope i can get a taste of it still today

2008-03-25 21:47:56

EA seemed not prepared for this, poor planning.

2008-03-26 02:58:39

Poor planning is no file protection on the beta. WTF were they thinking?

The impressions I've read from people who have been able to play so far have been a bit mixed/concerning. I guess this really is MC2--only this time they pulled a 2142 and critical kit equipment has been made into unlocks. I hope DICE learns that this isn't good game design by the time BF3 rolls around. If I have to unlock frag grenades again (or worse yet medic packs, etc), I'm going to be pissed. This isn't a fuck'n RPG. I also read that there's no minimap on the hud which is also discouraging news (this is BF after all).

Oh well, I still haven't tried it myself so these are only second hand impressions. Like I've said before, I want to give this game a fair shake for what it is.. and if that's MC2 with destructible environments.. well I think there's an obvious market for that.

2008-03-26 03:46:19 In reply to GriftGFX (2008-03-26 02:58:39)

To me, i like the game for the most part and the people ive played with, we were laughing our ass half the time. Some crazy stuff was happening, helicopter crashing into a tanks blowing both up. People being blown clear out of building at the top floor. Stuff like that. I thought the grenade launching would be overpowering like it is in COD4 but it really isnt, it can be a negative at times against people. Overall i like what EA has done to the game so far. Oasis is a dope map.

The controls themselves, i had to adjust a little but that seems fine and responsive to me. The only thing is the screen tear, you can definitely see it a times, but it doesnt bother me really like i thought it would.

Now saying this, BF fateful fans probably say something different, im a BF fan myself but im open to what they've done with this.

2008-03-26 09:37:19 In reply to GriftGFX (2008-03-26 02:58:39)

finally managed to get in a game last night, played for an hour. I've never played MC, so this is my first BF on the consoles, and something i was dying for (being that i was playing the hell out BF2 and 2142 on PC before migrating to the 360). I have to say the first impressions were great. Controls feel quite good, almost CoD4ish. Sprinting works exactly the same way as CoD and i'm glad it does. Knifing is a bit weird — Y key — but other than that, is just matter of getting used to it. But my impression was that they felt right, just like CoD. Sprinting as a very cool camera wobbling.

What i most liked was the sound, its fucking incredible. Never heard anything like it. Very realistic, reverbed, echoed, supressed, distant it all feels really right! That said, some other sounds appeared to be missing, like when you run, or fall from a big height, but i guessed (hope) it's an early build.

Graphics are quite good, with a bit of tearing occasionaly but nothing as worrying as i've seen on the videos before. The water was quite crappy though, don't know what happened to that. And yeah Grift, there's in fact a minimap on the hud, don't know where you read that.

Also, something that got me a bit worried/concerned (maybe i've missed it) was lack of squad control. Like when you respawn you choose squad or outpost, but didn't see anywhere controls on creating a squad, or any squad commands. Old build or is it giong to be like this?! Sure hope not.

All in all, i loved it. I'm completely sold, truly felt like a Battlefield game, which came as a big surprise.

2008-03-26 10:58:41

Hotkeys for melee attacks. Oooh boy.

I was under the impression that sprinting wasn't a toggle, a la COD4.

Sounds like BF-Lite: ADHD edition.

2008-03-26 11:29:29 In reply to GriftGFX (2008-03-26 10:58:41)

Uh?! You press Y, and simultaneously draw the knife and attack. Then you have to press fire to attack again. Then press Rbumper to go back to you gun. It works quite alright. But i would prefer CoD4 style, right thumbstick press.Sprinting works just like CoD4. Forward on the left thumbstick you walk. Froward+Press you run. Simple and effective.ADHD?

Read elsewhere that the party system is missing from the beta and is going to be on the retail version. Don't know if they meant the squading system as well. so hope so.

2008-03-26 11:33:02

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. As in, it's for people who don't want a game with a steep learning curve as seen in a game like BF2.

I honestly wouldn't be surprised at all if you couldn't manually create your squads in this game, but hopefully if you join a game with a party you're automatically thrown in the same squad. It would be ridiculous to forcefully separate you and your buddies.

In COD4 you don't have to hold the stick down to keep sprinting--you click once, and you will continue to sprint until you manually stop or run out of steam. I was under the impression that in this game it was not a toggle, but you had to hold the button down. Keep in mind I'm still basing this off of second hand information, as I probably won't have the opportunity to play this until the weekend.That seemed a bit too arcadey to me at first, but lets face it.. quickly switching equipment on a gamepad is pretty difficult, so I suppose it makes perfect sense.

2008-03-26 12:02:35

^^
i'm guessing you're talking PC, because on the pad you don't toggle. You run as long as you have the thumbstick pressed. Both CoD4 and BF:MC.

Yeah, and i'm keeping my fingers crossed the squad creation and ordering commands. Otherwise, will suck big time.

2008-03-26 12:09:08

on the topic, one thing that stroke me was that the Dpad didn't have any functionality. maybe reserved for the squad commands (attack, deffend, etc)?
Sure hope so.

2008-03-26 12:13:24 In reply to mt_sabao (2008-03-26 12:02:35)

I'm fairly sure that in COD4 for the PS3/360, sprint is indeed a toggle. Go ahead and try it--you don't need to hold down the thumb stick. On the PC you can have it set either way. The default is still a toggle.

2008-03-26 12:29:41 In reply to GriftGFX (2008-03-26 12:13:24)

dude, i'm well over 50h on the game. maybe that's an option i've missed, but the default is run while pressed, and not toggle.

Regarding playing with buddies, no party system, but is it possible in any other way to meet a friend in game? Join game in progress or something?

2008-03-26 12:56:34 In reply to mt_sabao (2008-03-26 12:29:41)

Are you sure you're not just holding it down because you think you have to? Go ahead, load it up and try just clicking once and tell me you don't continue to sprint until the input is interrupted. I dare you.

I'm not trying to like, call you out for not knowing how to play a game you've spent 50h playing or anything. I probably spent 50h playing the beta, and almost 400h with the retail game (I aint braggin, it's sorta a sad addiction).. and I'm pretty sure you're wrong.

edit: You can't prone in BFBC? lol? Parachutes?

2008-03-26 13:46:37 In reply to GriftGFX (2008-03-26 12:56:34)

A game you played 400h on THE PC. dude, you have to hold it to sprint by default! stop being stubborn.

and no, you cannot prone. can't understand why. diving?could it be?

2008-03-26 14:10:22

mt_sabao. You're the stubborn one. I'm 100% sure it's click to run in COD4. And I haven't messed up with the setups. And I've played it at 3 of my friends too and it's the same. Don't be stupid and just admit that you were wrong. Oh, and we all got it on Xbox 360.

2008-03-26 16:25:31

I'm afraid he is right, mt_sabao. You only have to click it once.

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Strange memories on this nervous night in Las Vegas. Has it been five years? Six? It seems like a lifetime.

2008-03-26 16:54:08 In reply to TheBeagle (2008-03-26 16:25:31)

interesting, my bad then. i apologize Grift, sorry i called you stubborn. maybe out of habit i always looked down the ironsight or something else everytime i stopped running (let go of the thumbstick) and got that feeling. anyways, now i'm not sure if in BF:BC is the same way or not. it feels the same way anyway

2008-03-26 17:06:58

At first I thought it was hold to sprint as well. I'm glad it isn't, because holding the stick down, while pushing it forward AND trying to navigate terrain at the same time is very difficult.

About the beta. I wasn't complaining as such about the problems. I know it's a beta and I expected these exact things to happen. Modern Combat worked fine for the most part so I see no reason why this game won't function properly by launch. I'll give it a go again today. I still don't think this will take me away from COD though. There is stuff I like about it but something just doesn't click for me.

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Strange memories on this nervous night in Las Vegas. Has it been five years? Six? It seems like a lifetime.

2008-03-26 23:27:49 In reply to TheBeagle (2008-03-26 17:06:58)

Eugh, this game is so doomed unless there are major gameplay upgrades, it feels exactly like modern combat, slow, unresponsive and oversimplified.

COD4 has set the bar for all FPS games to aim for, it controls so well and feels so much more responsive than anything else.

Problems with BC:
Falling any distance whatsoever will cut your health by a random amount, fall damage should be remove or seriously reduced getting off the top of buildings should not penalise you, especially as your health doesnt regen.

The wait timer between spawns is rediculously annoying, yes i know its a standard battlefield feature but it just doesnt work on a console especially with the new spawn functionality where you spawn on top of a grenade or under an airstrike a huge chunk of the time.

Ironsites are hideously big and obscure a good chunk of the screen which is made worse by the visual effects of low health, smoke when firing rounds and size of tracer rounds.

Weapon accuracy, it just seems completely random, ive emptied entire clips of support class weapons into a group of enemies 5ft away and ended up with no kills.

Weapon switching, the inability to switch weapons when sprinting and the general slowness of weapon switching is again very annoying.

Overall, it needs a lot of work to bring it upto scratch, it's fun at times i will give it that, the ability to obliterate buildings and terrain is awesome and the vehicles are great (bar the helicopter which is a pain to control), but the infantry combat is so far behind COD4 that i can't see it really gaining any market share.
Shame really, was hoping for a change of scenery...

2008-03-27 00:10:25

Well, gameplay looks much more promissing than CoD4. I will certainly love this game. The weapon models seems to look as great as CoD4 weapon models. But the overall visuals of BF BC is much better than CoD4. The only annoying thing is this terrible tearing. I hope they will fix this issue.