Battlefield 4’s Night Operations update drops next month, finally giving many Battlefield fans what they’ve been asking for: a proper after-dark combat experience in DICE LA’s military shooter.
The new update features a completely revamped Zavod 311 map, now called Zavod: Graveyard Shift. Covered in darkness, it should provide ample opportunity for new gameplay opportunities, some of which DICE LA have listed in a recent blog post. Here are a couple ideas:
Destructible lights
“At night, the map is littered with destructible lights, which you can use to your advantage. Want to make sure you gain the upper hand using night vision scopes? Take all lights out in an area and prey on your enemies!”
Ground Level fog
“At night, the exterior areas are blanketed in a thick fog – this fog makes it very hard to spot players on the ground from above – unless you sport a night vision scope…”
Vehicle lights
“All vehicles have lights, which makes anyone inside an easy target – don’t use vehicles if you want to stay hidden!”
Flanking routes
“With darkness descending on the map, using flanking routes on the side of the map is a very viable tactic to get around the center area and take a backside objective from the enemy.”
Use new Gun Master to your advantage
“We’ve added a new Gun Master weapon preset with night vision and utility in mind – use to practice night time play if you haven’t unlocked all the needed gadgets yet. It really shines when played on the alternate Gun Master layout on Zavod: Graveyard Shift!”
Under the cover of darkness, players will find the need to be more careful about how they move and how visible they are to the enemy. Here are a few things to take note of:
Sprinting
“Gets you quickly from point A to B, but makes footstep sounds which makes you easy to pinpoint and prey on.”
Vehicle usage
“Being in a vehicle normally means relative safety, but headlights and engine sounds put a rather large target on your back.”
Flashlight, laser, and other weapon attachments
“While great help in an engagement, they draw attention to your position and exact location.”
Lastly, here are a few attachment and equipment combinations to consider when operating under darkness:
Smoke + Nightvision scopes
“An oldie but goodie, chuck a smoke grenade into an area and using your night vision scope to pick off unsuspecting enemies. This works best in narrow passages, like the underground tunnel between C & D for instance.”
Flare + LMG
“Used as a Smoke + Nightvision counter, Flares negate the positive aspects of night vision scopes, and you’ll be able to blanket the area with bullets as it’s engulfed in smoke.”
Flashbangs + Shotgun/PDW
“A tactic viable in both and nighttime play. Using a flashbang against a night scope user gives you a significant advantage in the dark, even more so than using a flashbang under normal conditions. Clean it up with a well-placed shotgun blast and you’re deadlier than ever.”
Dirty, dirty claymores & mines
“Claymores are very effective at nighttime, especially if you are being hunted. Remember to use sounds to your advantage, or why not your flashlight? AT Mines are also very effective in negating that pesky tank, but they do have a new little red blinky light attached to them, so you’re not all out of luck if you’re controlling a vehicle if you keep your eyes peeled!”
Look for Battlefield 4’s Night Operations update some time in September.
