Home > Videos

500: A Battlefield 3 Film by d0n7bl1nk

Celebrating his 500th YouTube video, Battlefielder d0n7bl1nk crafts a truly masterful short film showcasing the beauty of Battlefield 3. Not only does this film, fittingly titled “500,” feature emotional imagery accompanied by touching music, it almost tells a story – a story of strolling through the planes of Caspian Border, witnessing the destruction of Seine Crossing and walking through the burning wreckage of Tehran Highway.

All cheese aside, this Battlefield 3 clip is worth a watch. Congratulations, d0n7bl1nk!

[youtube id=”mwBjdMdQTkQ” width=”600″ height=”350″]

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > Videos

The Shotguns of Max Payne 3

Rockstar has released a new video breaking down all the shotguns in Max Payne 3. It’s still unknown whether all of these shotguns will be included in the multiplayer component of the game or not.

[youtube id=”E1DVPOiUVJQ” width=”600″ height=”350″]

A list of the shotguns shown above:

  • M4 Super 90 (semi-Auto)
  • M500 (Pump-Action)
  • Super Sport
  • Dual Swan-Off Shotguns
  • Spas-15

Fahed Jaradat

Senior Editor and Co-Founder. Multiplayer runs in my blood. Don't believe me? Ask for a sample! Subscriber

Home > News

Microsoft Picks Up Several ‘Halo Infinity’ and ‘Spartan Ops’ Domain Names

Microsoft has registered quite a few domain names revolving around ‘Halo Infinity’ and ‘Spartan Ops,’ according to Fusible.

It should be noted that Infinity was the name of a Halo Combat Evolved map released exclusively to PC version of the game. Several domains names were purchased by Microsoft containing ‘Halo Infinity,’ except for HaloInfinity.com, which seems to be a Japanese website for baldness treatment.

All the domains that have been registered (domains in bold stand out):

HaloInfinity.net, HaloInfinityMultiplayer.com, HaloInfinity.org, HaloInfinity.co.uk, HaloInfinity.mobi, HaloInfinity.de, HaloInfinityMultiplayer.net, HaloInfinityMultiplayer.org, HaloInfinityMultiplayer.co.uk, HaloInfinityMultiplayer.mobi, HaloInfinityMultiplayer.de, HaloInfinity.in, HaloInfinity.jp, HaloInfinity.tw, HaloInfinityMultiplayer.in, HaloInfinityMultiplayer.jp and HaloInfinityMultiplayer.tw, and MorethanJustamap.com.

Another batch of domains bought by Microsoft contain the phrase “Spartan Ops,’ which are as follows:

SpartanOps.net, SpartanOps.in, SpartanOps.jp, SpartanOps.tw, SpartanOps.co.uk, SpartanOps.mobi, and SpartanOps.de.

Microsoft issued the following statement to IGN on the matter, “Microsoft often acquires various domain names as part of its ongoing business strategy, but beyond that we have no comment.”

What do you think Microsoft is up to with these domains?

Fahed Jaradat

Senior Editor and Co-Founder. Multiplayer runs in my blood. Don't believe me? Ask for a sample! Subscriber

Home > News

Starhawk Gets a Vehicle Trailer – Ride, Die, and Fly

Sony and LightBox interactive have released a brand new trailer for PlayStation 3 exclusive Starhawk, which is set to release May 8th, showcasing four vehicles in the game, Sidewinder JetBike, Razorback, Ox Heavy Tank, and Hawk.

[youtube id=”b_YvyuhFOEE” width=”600″ height=”350″]

Fahed Jaradat

Senior Editor and Co-Founder. Multiplayer runs in my blood. Don't believe me? Ask for a sample! Subscriber

Home > News

Ghost Recon Future Soldier Beta Dated and Ghost Recon Network Revealed

Ubisoft announced today that the beta for Ghost Recon Future Soldier will drop on April 19th and will stay live until May 2nd on PS3 and Xbox 360.

As detailed on the official site, the beta will give you access to the following:

  • Three classes (Rifleman, Engineer and Scout) and unlock new gear to battle online on two selected maps, Mill and Pipeline (see images below).
  • Two game modes: Conflict is a mode where players battle to complete objectives located throughout the map and earn points, the team with the most points at the end of the round wins. Saboteur (available starting April 26th), a bomb spawns in a central location at the beginning of the round, and both teams then compete to retrieve the bomb and be the first to detonate it at the opposing team’s base

How to get into the beta:

  • Splinter Cell Conviction users who still own the game will get access through the game main menu on April 19th.
  • Selected Uplay members who have linked their account with their Xbox Live or Playstation account will automatically receive an invite. Find out how to link your account here.
  • People who have pre-ordered Ghost Recon Future Soldier at selected retailers will also receive VIP invites.
  • Winners of the Facebook sweepstakes will also get early access to the beta. Join the contest here.
  • PS plus subscribers, read more here.

A free companion service, Ghost Recon Network, was also announced. This service, which will be available on smartphones, tablets, and web browsers, will become a part of all Ghost Recon titles moving forward. The Ghost Recon Network site and v1.0 iOS & Android apps will go live along with when Ghost Recon: Future Soldier on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 releases on May 22nd.

Players who can access the beta will be to get an early glimpse into Ghost Recon Network (GRN). The beta version of the GRN will be accessible through the web and the Android app.

Ghost Recon Network key features:

Customize and share in-game weapons on the go

  • Use GunSmith mobile to customize weapons down to their inner parts in 3D and sync them to consoles
  • Publish weapons to the GunSmith Gallery and browse guns posted by the Ghost Recon Network community

Track player history and friends’ in-game status

  • Access personal player performance on Ghost Recon: Future Soldier & upcoming Ghost Recon games and compare stats on leaderboards
  • Receive challenges, friend activity reports and community updates via the website or push notifications on smartphones and tablets

Receive exclusive rewards

  • Download the free Ghost Recon Network app at launch to unlock additional attachment credits in Ghost Recon: Future Soldier
  • Earn weapons and weapon skins in Ghost Recon: Future Soldier by playing other Ghost Recon games or interacting with other Ghost Recon experiences

Become a better player

  • Study detailed game information and heatmaps to prepare for the next battle
  • Build and manage your squad, add recruits and search for competing squads
[youtube id=”SrZFdzJqUeo” width=”600″ height=”350″]

Ghost Recon Future Solder PC Specs and Release Dates Announced

Fahed Jaradat

Senior Editor and Co-Founder. Multiplayer runs in my blood. Don't believe me? Ask for a sample! Subscriber

Home > News

‘MP1st Official’ Battlefield 3 Xbox 360 Server is Now Live

A good day on the Battlefield! MP1st has officially gone live with our Xbox 360 Battlefield 3 server. Make sure to search ‘MP1ST OFFICIAL’ in the server browser and add it to your favorites. We will be featuring a mix of Conquest, Rush and TDM game modes but will also be mixing it up often for some fun times and special events.

What these special events might be, we don’t know yet. That’s why we want to hear from you, in the comments below. What kind of server set-ups would you like to see? TDM only? Epic, vehicular battles? Back to Karkand Conquest all day long? Let us know!

MP1ST OFFICIAL

Make sure to follow MP1st on Twitter and Facebook so we can let you know when we’ll be hopping on with readers or changing up server settings! We’ll definitely be starting up some fun games this Easter weekend, so keep an eye out. In addition to the comment section below, you can also send feedback or report issues to @N7Veselka on Twitter.

For our PS3 readers, make sure to check out TheEnd‘s PS3 Battlefield 3 server. Search ‘Rush ONLY | Large Maps ONLY’ and add to your favorites!

See you on the Battlefield!

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Brand New Far Cry 3 Multiplayer Details and Gameplay Footage

What has Ubisoft been up to lately, you ask? Why, showing off some Far Cry 3 multiplayer, of course. Brand new gameplay footage has begun to surface as has a good chunk of juicy new details, including new game modes.

Well, one of these game modes, Domination, isn’t so new to the FPS market, but is a tried-and-true experience loved by many. Check out the multiplayer footage below that details this game type as well as a number of other features included in Far Cry 3’s online MP goodness.

[youtube id=”4-jo-AX_7V4″ width=”600″ height=”350″]

Some notable features you may have noticed were the battle cries, a disorienting orange haze, barrel bombs and fire!

Battle cries boost nearby teammates by buffing attributes like health or speed. From this video, it looks like the orange haze dropped from overhead airplanes confuses all engulfed to believe that anyone on the field is an enemy, friend or foe, essentially tricking players into team killing each other. Barrel bombs and other team support actions like the scout support can be called in by gaining experience points. Much like Far Cry 2, it seems that fire will also be playing a large role in this entry, which leads us to the second game type introduced by Ubisoft.

In Firestorm, teams are tasked with attacking and setting fire to the enemy’s supply depots. If one team can successfully manage to get both of the opposing team’s depots blazing at the same time, a radio comm-link will appear on the map. If the attacking team can successfully capture this objective, a friendly airplane will be called in to pour gasoline on the enemy’s burning depots, thus ending the round in a fiery wake of destruction. If the defending team manages to capture it first, their friendly pilot will fly overhead dropping petrol over the depots, calming the flames and restarting the round.

You may have also noticed an interesting feature in the video above activated at the end of each round in Far Cry 3’s multiplayer. Here, a cutscene will ensue featuring the top players of the winning team as well as the top player of the losing team. As the top achiever of the winning team, you will be granted the choice to either beat your enemy to death for all to see, or allow him to go free. The choice is yours. Similarly, an optional cutscene is included at the beginning of each round giving a quick tutorial of the chosen map, voiced the evil and crazy antagonist of Far Cry 3, Vaas.

Far Cry 3’s multiplayer seems to be shaping up quite nicely. Based off of this gameplay footage and these details, what do you think of the multiplayer so far? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

Make sure to check out some the Far Cry 3 pre-order bonuses!

Thanks, VG24/7

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Ghost Recon Future Soldier PC Specs and Release Dates Announced

Ubisoft has finally announced a release dates and specs for the PC version of their latest entry into the Tom Clancy series.

Ghost Recon Future Soldier will release on the PC on June 12th in NA and on June 15th in the UK. Xbox 360 and PS3 versions are set to release in NA on May 22nd. On top of all the features included in the Xbox 360 and PS3 version of GRFS, Ubisoft is also “working on several improvements in order to take full advantage of the PC platform,” including DirectX 11 support.

These improvements, as listed on the official Ghost Recon Future Soldier website, include:

  • Improved visuals: new Hi-Quality textures, new Post Processing Effects, multi-screen support, TriDef stereoscopic 3D display support.
  • DirectX 11 features: Tessellation (for soft 3D models), Shaders-based realistic lighting (for Global Illumination), volumetric fog.
  • Online Widget: Party, Friends and Ghost Feed functionality can be accessed at any moment from any screen.
  • Extended party functionality: simplified and more flexible invitation system. Party text Chat.
  • Uplay Friends system
  • Fully customizable controls for localized keyboards

Ubisoft has also included a statement regarding the DRM system they will have in place.

For those of you wondering about the Digital Rights Management (DRM) system for the game, here is the answer. A temporary broadband connection will be required for one-time product registration at first launch using the player Uplay account. From that point on, no permanent connection is required, except for online modes.

Onto the system requirements:

Recommended Configuration:

  • CPU: Intel Core2 Quad Q9450/ AMD Phenom II X4 940 or higher
  • RAM: 2 GB Windows® XP / 3 GB Windows Vista® & 7®
  • Graphics Card: 1024 MB DirectX–compliant, Shader 4.0–enabled video card based on nVidia *GeForce GTX 460 or AMD/ATi HD 5850 or better

Minimum hardware requirements:

Supported Operating Systems: Windows® XP (with Service Pack 3)/Windows Vista® (with Service Pack 2) / Windows 7® (with Service pack 1), both 32 bit & 64 bit versions

  • PROCESSOR: Intel Pentium D 3.0 Ghz or AMD Athlon64 X2 4400+ 2.2Ghz
  • RAM: 1GB Windows XP / 2GB Windows Vista or Windows 7
  • VIDEO CARD: 256 MB DirectX–compliant, Shader 4.0–enabled video card
  • DIRECT X®: DirectX 9.0c
  • DVD-ROM DRIVE: DVD-ROM speed 4x, dual-layer drive
  • SOUND CARD: DirectX 9.0c – compliant sound card
  • HDD space : 25 GB

For more news about the Ghost Recon Future Soldier Beta, read here.

Also check out a brand new PC screen that we’ve included as the featured image. So, there you have it. Will you be picking up Ghost Recon Future Soldier on the PC?

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Bungie Releases Staggering Halo Multiplayer Stats

With Bungie working on an unannounced project to be published by Activision, the studio has released an epic Halo infographic to reflect on over a decade of multiplayer goodness.

As of March 31st, Bungie.net no longer tracks Halo multiplayer statistics. You will now need to head over to halo.xbox.com in order to access live Halo data. However, Bungie has detailed what Halo fans have been up to in the game’s universe for all of those years up to now. Check out the infograhic below and let us know what is your dearest Halo memory in the comments below!

Click on the image for a larger size.

Source: Bungie.net

MP1st

MP1st Staff

Home > News

Battlefield 3 Rent A Server Trailer, Additional Xbox 360 Patch Notes

In celebration of Battlefield 3 private servers making their way to consoles, DICE has released a brand new trailer highlighting all of the features that can be tweaked to make your very own private server.

[youtube id=”7ya-gNE16-8″ width=”600″ height=”350″]

Also, additional patch notes for the Xbox 360 have been posted on the Battlelog wich you can view below. Xbox 360 users can also check out the original patch notes right here.

PC players should also be aware of a brand new update coming to the Battlelog. Read more about the Live Scoreboard here.

Additional Xbox 360 patch notes as seen on the Battlelog:

Beep beep! We have horns!

Yes! We have added horns to all jeeps in the game! Nothing says “Get in and man the machine gun so we can take back the airfield!” like three short beeps of the horn. Just press [LB] to make your presence known to friendly forces. Warning: Beeping also heard by opposition. Suggest limiting beeping when in enemy territory to keep vehicle in working order. This feature is also present in the PC and PlayStation 3 updates that are live.

Giving all players IR flares

To balance the battlefield and give budding pilots a fighting chance from day 1, we are now giving IR flares to all players. These will be automatically available to you in all air vehicles in the game. So if you’ve had a hard time staying up in the air previously, it should be easier to dodge incoming threats from now on. We hope this small but significant change will mean more players take to the skies and mix up their play style. This feature is also present in the PC and PlayStation 3 updates that are live.

More awards for skillful heli flying

One of the balancing items we have done in this game update is to better reward skillful heli pilots. To do this, we have increased the pilot’s score for transporting passengers who make kills from the heli. The assist score for heli pilots is now 50 points/kill. In a fully loaded transport, four passengers who make 1 kill each will give the pilot a sum total of 200 points. This balancing change is also present in the PC and PlayStation 3 updates that are live.

Making the SOFLAM a passive income gadget

The Recon gadget SOFLAM (laser target painter) has been given a new feature. Now, when a Recon player places it and then leaves it, it will continue to paint targets entering its area of control, continuously giving the Recon player a passive points income. This means a Recon player can place a SOFLAM in a strategic position, then leave it to find a good sniping spot. Combined with fixing a few scoring error in the SOFLAM, it should now be a much more viable source of experience points for Recons. This balancing change is also present in the PC and PlayStation 3 update that are live.

Suppressing is team play, too!

Another balancing change that reflects how we want every player to be able to contribute to the overall effort is the lowered threshold for achieving the Suppression Ribbon. From a previous requirement of 7, players now only need to perform 3 suppressions in a game to be rewarded the Suppression Ribbon. This means the Support Kit player can rack up scores by skillful use of his LMG. We’ve always know suppression helps  – now we are more generously rewarding those team players who help disorient the enemy so we can move in for the kill. This balancing change is also present in the PC and PlayStation 3 update that are live.

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Incoming Battlefield 3 Battlelog Update – the Live Scoreboard

Gone are the days of joining a server at its last five tickets or last five seconds! In the coming weeks, the Battlelog will be receiving an interesting update called the Live Scoreboard.

The Live Scoreboard is exactly what it sounds like, a scoreboard that can be viewed live – at the same time as a match is being played. This means that PC players, before entering into a server, will now be able to view the progress of the match in real-time while on the Battlelog. It will detail how many tickets or kills are left before the end of the match or round, which team is winning, as well as how many points, kills and deaths each player has.

Check out some of the images below:

 

If you’re not yet seeing the update on your Battlelog yet, Elton Muuga, Web Software Engineer at DICE tells users not to worry: “We are rolling it out to more users every day to gather performance data and community feedback before releasing it for everyone.”

Let us know what you think of this new feature in the comments below and make sure to check out some other updates coming to Battlefield 3.

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Battlefield 3 Xbox 360 Patch Now Live, Fix for Heat Seekers and TV-missiles on PS3 and 360

DICE has released latest Battlefield 3 patch for Xbox 360 bringing a slew of fixes and tweaks. Also, there will be a server side fix for both Xbox 360 and PS3 to iron out problems with heat seekers and TV-missles.

Update: Gustav Halling has asked via Twitter, “PS3 and Xbox players, is there any improvement with heatseekers on any servers? It can take time before they are running the new software.” This indicates that the server side fixes for consoles mentioned below have begun rolling out.

Once you fire up Battlefield 3 on Xbox 360, you will be greeted to a 172MB mandatory update. This patch seems to lay down the ground work for the major patch that you will be prompted to download at the main menu in form of a free Xbox LIVE Marketplace transaction. The patch, which is named “Rent a Server Update” will set you back 1.02GB in memory (excluding the 172MB prior).

You can find the official patch notes here, and the unannounced changes here.

The server rentals pricing in Microsoft points:

  • 1 day 120 MSP ($1.49)
  • 7 days 560 MSP ($6.99)
  • 30 days  2000 MSP ($24.99)
  • 90 days 4800 MSP ($59.99)

Along with today’s patch for Xbox 360, all three platform (PC, PS3, and Xbox 360) will be getting a server side fix for a couple of issues (only on consoles). The official Battlefield twitter account  stated that the server update to take place between 8 am UTC (4 am EST/1 am PST) and 4 pm UTC (12pm EST/4am PST). During this time, “you may be kicked from your game, but should be able to rejoin.” Gustav Halling explained, “we are rolling out a server-fix for Heat seekers and TV-missiles bugs today.” He went on to explain how TV-missiles are being tweaked, “we are nerfing it down, it was not intentional to 1-hit kill all 100% healthy vehicles in the game.” However, he noted, “Small notice. The server side fixes today is consoles only. PC will follow shortly since they have their own update days.”

Fahed Jaradat

Senior Editor and Co-Founder. Multiplayer runs in my blood. Don't believe me? Ask for a sample! Subscriber

Home > News

Battlefield 3 Xbox 360 Patch Announced To Release April 3rd, Patch Notes Included

DICE has announced on the Official Battlefield 3 Blog that the Battlefield 3 Xbox 360 patch will be available to download on the April 3rd. Release times are as follows:

Between 9 AM UTC – 1 PM UTC

Between 5 AM EST – 9 AM EST

Between 2 AM PST – 6 AM PST

On top of all of the fixes included below, the Rent a Server function will also be included with the patch. Additionally, the list of unadvertised fixes that we discovered for the PS3 will also most likely be included in the Xbox 360 version. You can check out this list here.

GENERAL GAMEPLAY FIXES

  • Players should no longer take fall damage from short falls.
  • Players now get up from Prone slightly faster, allowing better odds of getting away from a grenade or threat when prone.
  • Fixed some situations that would unintentionally make a player unrevivable.
  • Reduced the black screen fade in time on spawn. The fade is still necessary for properly streaming in loading content at spawn, but it has been substantially reduced.
  • Increased the spawn protection time from 1sec to 2sec. The protection will still be immediately canceled as soon as the player moves or shoots.
  • Spawn protection will no longer be canceled by the player looking around.
  • Increased the speed at which a player regains accuracy when aiming after moving for a more responsive experience. Firing before fully zoomed will still result inaccurate fire.
  • Increased the inaccuracy and recoil added when a player is fully suppressed.
  • Shotgun Buck and Flechette rounds now have a less suppressive effect at medium to long range.
  • Tweaked the damage levels of Buck and Flechette rounds to balance them with other weapons.
  • Improved the suppression of the .44 magnum, .357 magnum, and the 5.8x42mm DAP88 rounds from the Type88 sniper.
  • Attempting to Crouch (like Prone) will now properly interrupt Sprint.
  • Increased the effectiveness of Suppression Resist Specialization.
  • Parachutes now respond to turn and throttle inputs more quickly.
  • Switching from primary weapons to sidearms and back now takes less time.
  • Increased the effectiveness of explosive resistance.
  • Tweaked bipod deploy settings so players can no longer deploy a bipod in places higher than chin level.
  • The bipod should now be more reliable when deploying on top of sloped objects like cars and rocks.
  • Fixed several issues with vaulting objects, especially for thin railings.
  • The Knife now only takes two swipes to kill when attacking from a position where a takedown is not possible.
  • CRAM weapons on Carriers now count towards stationary weapon awards.

VEHICLE FIXES

  • The A10 properly gives Jet score again.
  • Unguided tank rounds and RPGs will now instantly destroy Jets, Attack Helicopters, and Scout Helicopters.
  • Increased the damage the MBT’s primary weapon does to the front and side armor of other main battle tanks. Primarily this means 1 less shot to the front, and very good hits to the side can result in a 1 hit to disable.
  • Slightly reduced the repair speed of the repair tool.
  • Increased the damage done by TOW weapons to armored vehicles.
  • Increased the rate of fire and minimum damage of the Coax HMG.
  • Increased the damage mounted gunner .50cal HMGs do at long range.
  • Increased the power of the repair tool when killing soldiers or destroying vehicles slightly.
  • Fixed a problem when locking on to two nearby targets, the locking should no longer jump rapidly between multiple targets. This applies to all locking weapons and Laser Designators.
  • Increased the damage of the Javelin and Air to Ground missiles against laser designated targets.
  • Javelin missiles fired without Laser targeting now do more damage to the side and rear of MBTs.
  • Slightly reduced the locking time of all weapons vs Laser Designated targets.
  • Laser Guided missiles can now be distracted by Flares.
  • Increased the locking distance for AGM Missiles for Jets when locking on laser designated targets.
  • Reduced the locking time for the AGM Missiles for Jets to make them more viable against ground targets.
  • Reduced the locking time for AA Missiles for Jets to make them more viable against air targets.
  • Flares will no longer break the lock of a vehicle that is locked on, it will only distract the missiles.
  • Flares now more reliably distract missiles, especially for Helicopters.
  • Flares for Jets and Choppers now reload at 11 seconds again, except for the gunner, which remains unchanged at 20sec.
  • AA Missiles are more difficult to dodge in Jets, this was unintended behavior that created an imbalance against skilled pilots.
  • AA Missiles should no longer kill the pilot instead of the vehicle.
  • AA Missiles should no longer detonate before hitting their target or a Flare/ECM chaff cloud.
  • Reduced the damage AA missiles do to jets to 45%.
  • Fixed the SU-35 firing Air to Air missiles at a lower rate of fire than other vehicles.
  • The IGLA and Stinger now lock on much more quickly and disable an attack aircraft in 1 hit, but have significantly reduced range. This should allow Stingers to mount an effective close range point defense, without dominating an entire airspace.
  • Increased the speed of the Helicopter AA missiles lock on to reduce the tedious nature of Helicopter dogfights and improve the Helicopter’s defensive abilities vs Jets.
  • Slightly reduced the damage of Jet cannons against Aircraft. Damage is now only slightly higher than it was originally at launch.
  • Increased RPG and SMAW damage against aircraft.
  • Guided Rockets will now only track ground targets, as originally intended.
  • Reduced the direct damage done by Attack Helicopter gunners vs Armor.
  • Helicopter guns should now suppress correctly.
  • Improved the accuracy of the Attack Helicopter’s Rocket Pods, both guided and unguided.
  • Slightly increased the damage of Attack Helicopter’s Rocket Pods vs Infantry and other Helicopters.
  • Additional fixes have been made to the TV missile to prevent it from blowing up the lauching vehicle.
  • The Mi28 has received upgrades to its climbing and yawing abilities.
  • Fixed an issue where guided rockets from the Mi28 did not follow the crosshair properly.
  • Improved the accuracy of the Mi28 gun to match the AH1 gun.
  • Increased the direct hit damage of the APFSDS rounds for the IFVs.
  • Decreased the locking time of the IFV Guided Missile to make it more viable as an unlock.
  • Miniguns and Helicopter Gunners now more quickly destroy parked cars.
  • Increased the power of explosions from cars and other explosive static objects.
  • Dying from the explosion of a car or other explosive static object should now correctly credit the player who caused the explosion.
  • Adjusted the F35′s Center of Mass and Hover Engine for more stable, level flight in all flight modes.
  • Updated the F35 weapon systems to be consistent with the other Jets.
  • The F35 will now only attempt to enter Hover at low altitudes, though it will maintain the hover until forward flight is resumed, even if it reaches high altitude.
  • The F35 and SU35 now properly have Ejection seats to prevent players from being killed when exiting the vehicle.
  • Changed the Kornets to TOW launchers on Wake Island and moved the spawn position of the AAV to a more level position.
  • Fixed several bugs with air vehicles colliding with objects at high speeds and taking no damage.
  • Players will no longer receive suicides or team kills if they crash their vehicle (dying is punishment enough).
  • The MAV will no longer destroy vehicles that run into it, instead it should be destroyed.
  • Jet and Helicopter collisions should now properly result in the death of both vehicles.
  • You can now spot with the EOD bot.
  • Increased the base accuracy for AA guns and added a decrease in accuracy over the course of a burst.
  • Reduced the damage AA guns (both mobile and stationary) do to infantry.
  • The carrier based CRAM stations are now properly tracked as stationary weapons.
  • CRAM and Pantsir stationary AA weapons now have Air Radar equipped by default.
  • Improved the sound feedback for damage to help players better understand the amount of damage their vehicle is taking.
  • The A10′s extinguisher should now function properly.
  • Disabled vehicles now have an increased reverse speed to help escape to cover after being disabled.
  • The T90′s crosshair now more accurately represents the trajectory of the main gun.
  • Toggle and Hold zoom settings now also apply to soldier controlled turrets on jeeps, transport helicopters, boats, and IFVs port guns.
  • The AAV now has zoom and a 3P camera when using the turret.
  • Tweaked the AAV’s turret controls to be more useful when the vehicle is moving.
  • The Z11w now properly functions with Below Radar.
  • Below Radar will now also prevent the lock on of Stinger and IGLA missiles.
  • Added Horns to all Jeeps.
  • Tanks can no longer drive into the water and cross the Wake Island lagoon completely submerged.

WEAPONS

  • Several weapons have had recoil or accuracy adjusted in orer to balance these weapons in effectiveness and also increase the feeling of individuality in each gun
  • Added Extended Mags to the ASVAL. The Extended Mags can be unlocked at 200 kills with the AS VAL.
  • Reduced the recoil of the SKS rifle and increased its maximum damage at close range.
  • Fixed aimed firing max accuracy on the Pecheneg to be consistent with other LMGs.
  • Semiautomatic and automatic shotguns firing FRAG rounds now do slightly less splash damage.
  • The M26 MASS frag and slug rounds are now the more effective pump action versions.
  • The M26 MASS and M320 now benefit from the Laser Sight when mounted with an Underslung Rail.
  • Fixed the bolt action timer on the L96 that would cause an animation glitch.
  • 9x39mm rounds no longer benefit from the Sniper headshot bonus.
  • Increased the damage of the 9x39mm rounds at long range.
  • Fixed the AKS74u damage at max range, it was incorrectly higher than other carbines.
  • Increased the damage of the .357 and .44 magnum rounds at max range.
  • All semiautomatic and bolt weapons, including all shotgun slugs, now have their maximum damage out to 15m.
  • Semiautomatic weapons will no longer “jam” if the player presses fire faster than the weapon is capable of shooting. Some semi-automatic weapons have had their rates of fire adjusted to fit this change.
  • Bolt action sniper rounds now have a chance to kill at close range if the player is hit in the upper chest.
  • Semiautomatic sniper rifles, Assault Rifles, LMGs, and shotgun slugs now have more consistent damage over long range. At maximum range shots to the legs will not require more hits to kill.
  • The spread for Flechette rounds has been reduced slightly on all shotguns.
  • The spread for Buckshot has been reduced on the M1014, DAO-12, and S12k. These weapons have an accuracy advantage over the USAS12 but are not as accurate as the 870.
  • Zooming shotguns with Buckshot and Flechette loads will now result in a slightly tighter cone for the pellets.
  • Reduced the delay time between quick knife attempts slightly. Attacks with the knife drawn are still significantly faster.
  • Fixed the Rate of Fire when the USAS and MK3A1 are equipped with FRAG rounds. All other shotguns correctly had a reduced rate of fire with frags, except the USAS and MK3A1.
  • Fixed an Accuracy bug when the MK3A1 shotgun is equipped with FRAG or Slug rounds.
  • Shotguns equipped with slugs will no longer automatically begin reloading if the weapon is zoomed when the clip is empty. This allows players to see where the slug lands before reloading.
  • Fixed 12g FRAG rounds not breaking glass at long range.
  • Players can now earn the shotgun Ribbon using the M26 MASS.
  • The underslung grenade launchers for Russian rifles now properly report GP30 in the kill log.
  • Fixed the AEK971 40mm shotgun round listing itself as FRAG in the kill log.
  • Fixed the 40mm smoke grenade so it no longer passes through soldiers and unbroken objects before it detonates.
  • M27 IAR: No change. The M27 is a heavier version of the M416, giving it good all-around performance though it has worse performance on the move.
  • RPK-74M: Reduced the initial recoil and vertical recoil. The RPK-74M is a more stable firing platform than the comparable M27, though it lacks the M27′s higher rate of fire.
  • M249: Added an initial recoil. The M249 is the fastest firing belt fed LMG, giving it superior suppressive and damage abilities. The initial recoil makes it a bit harder to run and gun, while making little overall impact on performance.
  • Type-88: Slightly increased the initial recoil, reduced muzzle drift. The Type88 fires the slowest of the medium caliber LMGs, though what it lacks in rate of fire it makes up for in controllability.
  • PKP: Reduced recoil but added a slight initial recoil, increased damage at max range. The Pecheneg has a heavy vertical recoil with a hard hitting round and little drift, this makes it excellent at sustained fire.
  • M60: Reduced the initial recoil, increased damage at all ranges. The M60 has a very low rate of fire that makes it the most controllable with the powerful 7.62x51mm round.
  • M240B: Added an initial recoil, increased damage at all ranges. The fastest firing medium MG, the M240 has a substantial muzzle kick and drift that makes all that power difficult to control.
  • QBB-95: Reduced the total recoil but increased muzzle drift and initial recoil. The QBB-95 should now kick harder but settle into full auto fire better, combined with the bullpup hip fire bonus this makes the QBB-95 a highly mobile LMG.
  • MG36: Added an initial recoil. The MG36 fires at a fast 750rpm and makes a nice middle ground between the controllability of a clip LMG and the sustained firepower of a belt fed LMG.
  • 870: No change. The 870 is a popular and highly effective weapon.
  • DAO-12: Reduced the total pellets fired from 12 to 9. The DAO-12 has a high magazine capacity with a slow reload that makes it a solid all around shotgun.
  • M1014: Increased the rate of fire from 200 max to 210 max. Reduced the total pellets fired from 12 to 9. The M1014 was underperforming compared to the USAS12 and 870, it should now be more viable in CQB thanks to a higher rate of fire.
  • S12k: Increased extended mag from 8 rounds to 10 rounds. Reduced the total pellets fired from 12 to 9. The S12k larger extended magazine but slower rate of fire should make it stand out against the M1014, while the DAO-12 has a higher capacity over all, but a slowe reload.
  • MK3A1: Increased magazine capacity to 8 and 12 for normal and extended mag respectively. Reduced the total pellets fired from 12 to 9. The MK3A1 has a lower ROF than the USAS12, giving it slightly more ammo makes this an edge vs the USAS.
  • USAS-12: Increased the initial recoil. Reduced the total pellets fired from 12 to 9. The USAS 12 has a higher ROF than other shotguns, this recoil change better balances that advantage and the pellets balance its damage output.
  • M4A1: No Change. Well-rounded carbine, with good rate of fire and controllable recoil.
  • M4: Increased vertical recoil, reduced horizontal recoil. The Burst only M4 should now feel different to its automatic sibling, the reduced horizontal recoil emphasizes the greater control you have in burst fire.
  • AKS-74U: Reduced initial recoil and vertical recoil. The AKS-74u’s low rate of fire is paired with great controllability. The overall increase in sustained fire control should help this carbine stand out, while the first kick gives it character.
  • SG553: Reduced initial recoil and vertical recoil. The SG553 is a lower rate of fire carbine with greater controllability than the G36C. The change to initial recoil should better highlight this difference.
  • A91: No Change. The A91′s high rate of fire and bullpup from the hip accuracy is offset by a poor controllability on full auto.
  • G36C: Reduced initial recoil. The G36C is a well-rounded carbine, with a medium rate of fire and a medium recoil. The 2 round burst mode gives this weapon an edge at mid-range.
  • SCAR-H: Increased damage at maximum range and increased max range. The SCAR-H fires a heavier round than all other carbines, giving it better stopping power at range at the cost of a low fire rate that penalizes it in CQB.
  • G53: Reduced recoil and drift, recoil settle times now similar to other carbines. The HK53 is a short carbine with a lot of initial kick but a stable recoil pattern and a medium rate of fire. The changes give it more character compared to the G36.
  • QBZ-95B: Reduced muzzle sway, recoil settle times now similar to other carbines. A bullpup like the A91, the QBZ-95B is steady on the move with a lower rate of fire for controllable shots at longer range. The built in foregrip is now properly reflected in the weapon’s stats.
  • AK-74M: Reduced initial recoil and vertical recoil. The AK-74M sacrifices rate of fire for controllable automatic fire, the initial recoil was negatively affecting the feeling of controllability.
  • M16A3: No Change. The M16 (both A3 and A4) provide a well-rounded stable firing platform with a high rate of fire that is relatively controllable.
  • M16A4: Increased vertical recoil, reduced horizontal recoil. The Burst only M16A4 should now feel different to its automatic sibling, the reduced horizontal recoil emphasizes the greater control you have in burst fire.
  • M416: No change. The M416 is the middle ground AR, blending a medium recoil and rate of fire.
  • AEK-971: Increased initial recoil, reduced aimed accuracy slightly. The AEK has a very high rate of fire, and also a large muzzle drift that makes control difficult. The low initial recoil allowed a player to kill before the weapon’s weaknesses kicked in while the reduced accuracy highlights its close range role.
  • F2000: Reduced vertical recoil, increased zoomed accuracy slightly. As a bullpup, the F2000 has a bonus to accuracy on the move and from the hip while its high rate of fire sacrifices controllability for saturation. The previous changes were an overreaction, this is a corrective update.
  • AN94: Reduced vertical recoil. The AN94′s 2 round burst mode is incredibly accurate, but it suffers from a low rate of fire on fully automatic. The recoil in full auto has been reduced somewhat to offset this penalty and make the AN94 more attractive.
  • G3A3: Increased damage at all ranges, reduced vertical recoil. The G3A3′s heavy recoil and heavy round are offset by a low rate of fire and a small magazine. The G3A3 was clearly outclassed at all ranges.
  • KH2002: No Change. The KH2002 is locked to burst fire, with a high rate of fire and a large muzzle drift the weapon favors accurate mid-range fire.
  • L85A2: Increased accuracy, reduced muzzle drift. The L85 differs from other bullpup style ARs by having a low rate of fire, the accuracy and controllability were too low to offset the rate of fire.
  • FAMAS: The FAMAS combines an extreme rate of fire with extreme recoil making it very difficult to use at anything other than close quarters combat. Due to update restrictions, the FAMAS had different stats on all 3 platforms. The FAMAS is now uniform on all platforms and now has the correct 25 round magazine.
  • PP2000: Reduced the initial recoil. The PP2000 has a lower ROF than other PDWs and needed the controllability to be balanced.
  • UMP45: Reduced accuracy loss during full auto. The UMP45 hits hard and has a controllable recoil at the cost of a heavy initial recoil kick.
  • MP7: No Change. The MP7 has a very low recoil and a high muzzle drift that favors longer bursts than the P90.
  • AS VAL: Increased vertical recoil, reduced first shot recoil, reduced accuracy on the move. The AS VAL fires a long range, highly accurate, high damage projectile that favors short bursts or single fire when stationary. While still quite good from the hip, the AS VAL will suffer if fired while moving and aimed.
  • PDW-R: Reduced the initial recoil. The PDW-R has high recoil and favors burst fire, the added initial recoil was making it less effective in small bursts.
  • P90: Reduced the initial recoil. The P90 favors a run and gun play style using long bursts to control muzzle drift, the initial recoil was making bursting ineffective.
  • PP-19: Slightly reduced the initial recoil when firing, increased base damage. The PP-19′s high initial recoil was over penalizing the burst fire needed to be effective on the low damage, high capacity weapon.

SCOPES

  • Fixed the 7x scope not zooming to the full 7x on all weapons.
  • Corrected the M39′s laser sight so it points at the point of impact and aligns with scopes when zoomed.
  • Fixed a misaligned scope crosshair on the G3A3 using the Rifle Scope 6x.
  • Fixed the PKA and PKA-S scopes on the M416 having swapped zoom levels.
  • The L96 Straight Pull bolt now functions properly.
  • The L96 ironsights have been adjusted for a clearer aiming picture and correct use of the integral front sight.
  • The L96 now properly shows scope glint when using the 8x, and 12x scopes.
  • Tweaked IRNV to be more consistent across all levels.
  • Fixed a rendering issue with IRNV view when taking damage.
  • Tweaked the IRNV zoom times and scope visible areas to be the same across all weapons (some were faster than others).
  • Fixed the QBU-88 sniper and the L96 IRNV scopes to use the proper sniper reticule

BIPOD

  • The Accuracy increase and Recoil reduction of the Bipod has been significantly improved for Assault Rifles and Carbines.
  • The Bipod now provides similar Accuracy and Recoil benefits no matter if the weapon is fired while aiming or without aiming for all weapons. Previously only LMGs were worked this way. This especially improves the speed at which snipers can make follow up shots, and also allows effective unaimed suppressive fire with Assault Rifles and Carbines.
  • Increased the Speed at which a bipod is deployed, allowing the user to obtain the bipod’s bonus sooner after the deploy has started and allowing the weapon to be aimed in a far shorter time. The speed has been increased 40-50%, depending on the weapon and animation.

HEAVY BARREL

  • The Vertical Recoil penalty of the Heavy Barrel has been reduced. The value has been changed from a global percent increase to a weapon specific value.
  • A small Hip Accuracy penalty has been added to the Heavy Barrel to represent the added weight of the accessory, as well as focus the attachment on accurate mid and long range fire. The exact penalty amount is a weapon specific value.
  • Several weapons with low default bullet speed now have their bullet speed increased when the Heavy Barrel is equipped. This is in effect for the A91, G3A3, AKS-74u, G36C, M4A1, SCAR-H, SG553, G53, and QBZ-95B.
  • The Heavy Barrel is now also paired with Match Rounds which increase the maximum range of the weapon. The minimum and maximum damage are unchanged, weapons with the Heavy Barrel will be more effective in mid range.
  • The Aimed Accuracy bonus provided by the Heavy Barrel has been increased. This will increase the effectiveness of the Heavy Barrel for small bursts, as originally intended.

IRNV FIXES

  • Tweaked IRNV to be more consistent across all levels.
  • Fixed a rendering issue with IRNV view when taking damage.
  • Tweaked the IRNV zoom times and scope visible areas to be the same across all weapons (some were faster than others).
  • Fixed the QBU-88 sniper and the L96 IRNV scopes to use the proper sniper reticule.

FOREGRIP

  • The Horizontal Sway reduction has been changed from a global percent reduction to a weapon specific value reduction. For most guns this means very little change, for guns which have a large horizontal recoil the change is more substation. The FAMAS, F2000, and AEK971 are most effected, the AK-74, M16, and M416 are nearly unchanged.
  • A small long range Aimed Accuracy penalty has been added to the foregrip. Players who generally find themselves fighting at mid to long range may want to change their accessory, while players fighting in CQB will go largely unaffected. Combining the Foregrip with a Silencer or a Heavy Barrel will offset this penalty.

LASER SIGHT

  • The Hip Accuracy bonus provided by the Laser Sight has been increased. Some PDWs have had their crouch and prone base stats adjusted to prevent hip firing being more accurate than aimed fire when using a laser sight.
  • The bonus is now a weapon specific value instead of a global percentage, some guns receive larger or smaller bonuses, though all bonuses are better than they were previously.

SUPPRESSOR

  • The Suppressor no longer reduces the maximum damage of a weapon when equipped. Instead the Suppressor reduces the minimum and maximum range of the weapon, making it ideal for CQB and Stealth. This change will make the Suppressor slightly more effective at long range, where the bullet drop and speed makes shots difficult already, and reduces the power of the suppressor at mid range slightly.
  • The Suppressor’s recoil bonus remains unchanged at a global 10% decrease. This is less than the Flash Suppressor’s bonus for all weapons.
  • The Hip Accuracy penalty of the Suppressor has been changed from a global percentage to a per weapon value. Generally this penalty is higher now, but not for all weapons. Specifically, the belt LMGs and bolt Snipers do not have any additional hip fire penalty, as their penalty is already at the maximum possible value.
  • Reduced the Aimed Accuracy bonus of the Suppressor from 50% to 25%. A Suppressor and Foregrip combo will have similar accuracy to a weapon without any Accessories, at the penalty of worse Hip Fire Accuracy and Range and with the benefit of much improved Stealth and reduced Recoil.

FLASH SUPPRESSOR

  • The Flash Suppressor no longer reduces accuracy for Automatic Fire.
  • The Flash Suppressor now also works as a recoil compensator, reducing the Vertical Recoil by a weapon specific value. This bonus is larger than the bonus provided by the Suppressor.
  • A small Hip Accuracy penalty has been added to the Flash Suppressor to represent the added weight of the accessory. The exact penalty amount is a weapon specific value.

GADGETS

  • Reduced the spot times on C4 and Claymore projectiles from 30 to 15 sec.
  • Tweaked the controls and physics for the EOD bot to improve its handling and aiming capabilities.
  • The Radio Beacon, Mortar, MAV, EOD bot, T-UGS, and SOFLAM should now be much easier to deploy.
  • The MAV will now be destroyed when running into a soldier or vehicle at high speed. It is still possible to strategically sacrifice your MAV on a soldier; it will be destroyed in the process.
  • The MAV now properly shows up in the Kill Feed. Previously it simply displayed “KILLED.”
  • The MAV can no longer be used as an elevator.
  • Matched the motion sensor sweep frequency and range on the MAV to the TUGS.
  • Players will no longer auto enter SOFLAM, MAV, and EOD bots after they are deployed.
  • Players may now use their knife to destroy enemy equipment.
  • C4 will no longer be detonable after a player respawns, if the player is revived within 5 seconds he can still detonate his C4.
  • The player may now have a maximum number of mines which will persist after the player’s death. Deploying more than the maximum of 6 mines will remove a previous mine from the world.
  • Claymores now live up to 5 seconds after a player dies, the player can have a max 2 claymores planted at the same time.
  • Claymores can now detonate from vehicles and can be used to disable jeeps or kill the passengers in light jeeps. Claymores will not do any damage to heavy vehicles.
  • Ammobags now stay until the user redeploys them like Medkits.
  • Ammobags resupply bullets more quickly, but explosives resupply more slowly, especially 40mm grenades.
  • Slightly reduced the effective blast radius of the RPG, SMAW, and 40mm grenade projectiles against infantry.
  • Reduced the total number of RPG and SMAW missiles carried from 5 to 4. Players desiring more rockets will want to use the Explosive spec.
  • Slightly increased the heal rate of the Medical Crate.
  • The MAV now will also descend by pressing the Crouch Toggle key. (PC)
  • The M224 Mortar can no longer be deployed in an area that is out of combat for another team like a home base or other protected spawn.
  • Tweaked M224 exit points so the player faces in the direction of the mortar when he exits.
  • Mines, Claymores, C4 and other deployable items will now only appear on the minimap when spotted by a teammate.

TEAM DEATHMATCH

  • Fixed a bug where players would spawn close to the enemy team at the start of the round.
  • Tehran Highway playable area has been doubled and is now the same as the Squad Deathmatch set up. Spawn points have been tweaked, and an extra spawn zone has been added north of the footbridge.
  • Kharg Island has a new spawn zone layout, along with a bigger playable area and new cover objects. Spawn points have also been tweaked.
  • Strike at Karkand spawns zones have been tweaked to improve player flow. Spawn points have been tweaked to improve safety upon spawning.
  • Sharqi Peninsula spawn zones have been adjusted to optimize player movement. Spawn points have been tweaked so players spawn more safely.
  • Seine Crossing spawn zone set up has been improved. There is a new spawn zone by the alleyway to the northwest with additional spawn points.
  • Caspain Border spawn zones have been tweaked slightly.

SQUAD DEATHMATCH

  • Fixed a bug where players would spawn close to the enemy team at the start of the round.
  • Damavand Peak layout and spawn zones have been tightened to reduce the spread of players across the map
  • Tehran Highway now features an extra spawn zone north of the footbridge, along with tweaked spawn points.
  • Noshahr Canals spawn zones have been tweaked. Removed unsafe spawn points in the Northeast corner, and in the middle of the container area to the Southwest.

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Upcoming Battlefield 3 Tweaks to Suppression, Shotguns and Hopefully Vehicles – More News on Xbox 360 Patch

With the recent Battlefield 3 patch out and in the hands of controller squeezing, mouse grabbing, keyboard smashing Battlefielders, many are noticing faces of the good, the bad, and the ugly. DICE Senior Gameplay Designer Alan Kertz responds to fan feedback and reveals what’s in store for future tweaks.

Let’s start with the good: Shotgun tweaks. Battlefield fans across the world are holding hands and singing in joy with the recent nerf of the USAS and frag round combination. Well, not really. But it has been well received. According to Kertz’s statements in a recent podcast with Don’t Revive Me Bro, the USAS automatic shotgun was originally supposed to suffer a reduction in fire-rate when equipped with frag rounds. The same applies to the Jackhammer shotgun. That has been corrected in the latest patch, along with a decrease in splash damage.

Kertz explains in the latest issue of Inside DICE just before releasing the latest patches:

And what do I plan to do about [these issues]? Well, one very little, but very effective change will take place in the near future. On all other shotguns, using FRAG rounds reduces the effective rate of fire. For semiautomatic shotguns this rate drops from 200-220 rounds per minute to 180rpm, a 10% reduction. The USAS simply did not have this reduction in place. As of the next update, it will have its 275rpm reduced significantly to 200rpm. I’m actually a bit worried it’s too much, and I’m eager to hear how players react to the change.

However, Kertz is not finished with Shotgun tweaks just yet. He stresses its importance, especially with the upcoming Close Quarters DLC, which will focus on, as the title suggests, close quarters gameplay.

Kertz explains that “shotguns are easily the most difficult weapons to balance in Battlefield. Given the wide range of combat distances in Battlefield 3, shotguns must feel powerful up close, without being over powered, and weak at medium distance without being under powered.” However, he assures that “this won’t be the last update for balance issues in Battlefield 3. I’ll be monitoring the situation closely, and working directly with the team to make additional updates and tweaks to keep the Battlefield balanced.”

On to the bad: Suppression. Some major tweaks were added to suppression in the latest patch making it much more, let’s say, noticeable.

Speaking about this subject in the latest DRMB podcast, Kertz admits, “I think, and this is my opinion, that we probably found a place where it’s a bit too much and we had a place that was a bit too little and I would like to find the middle ground there.” Kertz explains further, “I think the biggest change… is actually the kind of incidental suppression where we did slightly increase the range around the player that he receives suppressive effects. And, that was as a direct counter to guys in windows, guys behind the small ‘protective thing.’ And, the rounds are hitting just infront of or around that window or whatever were giving no suppression.” He added, “and we adjusted the farther away bullets to be a little bit more effective.”

Admitting that it does need further tweaking, Kertz explains, “I think that’s gone too far. I’m happy with the radius or range around the player that they get the suppression. I think we’ll go back and take a step back in the future and those incidental hits will be less effective again.” Also, “you don’t get your accuracy back quite as fast as you did previously to the patch. And, I think that one is something that really needs to go. Once you start being not suppressed you need to be back in the fire fight and that’s taking too long and I can see why that’s frustrating.”

“I think that there’s a sweet spot there where getting that right is definitely something going forward and something we’ll look into,” Stated Kertz. Lastly, “I can’t really say right now when we’ll be making that change, but it’s definitely on the table.”

The ugly seems to be surrounding some of the latest vehicle tweaks in Battlefield 3, one of them being that tanks seem to act like “paper boxes” now.

Kertz explains that “there are somethings that have definitely changed and, unfortunately, most of those are accidental knock-ons.” Additionally, “there’s definitely been a shift in balance, which, I mean, air and tank, you know. Some of that is intentional – guided shells – and some of that is unintentional, which is to say that I think the attack helicopters have gotten some buffs in terms of their weaponry against the tanks that’s pushed things in their favor”

Unfortunately, Kertz couldn’t confirm any upcoming tweaks for many reasons, but he did mention:

What I can say to our community is it was not a month ago we announced 3 DLC packs. And, I think that’s an indicator of the level of support that we intend to continue to have for Battlefield, Battlefield 3 specifically. I think that we see such a lifetime on a Battlefield product that we want to make sure that players know that we are continuing to support and we have plans to support and we have a history supporting. And yes, we could always be better, we could be faster, we could turn a patch around every week, and maybe there’s some easy solutions for us looking forward in the future and there’s definitely discussions going up on how we can improve that process and improve the clarity to the player.

Going into specifics, he admitted, “the repair tool: Minus one too far in one direction. Maybe we bring it back a little bit. And I know some specific knock-ons with helicopter stuff that we need to address. The rockets have gone up in power because of another change to the way that they work that had a roll-on effect. Same thing with the TV missile. I think that that’s become incredibly powerful.”

A bug concerning heat seeking missiles equipped to the jets also came up in the discussion. “Now, we do have issues with the patch, we know that. And, going forward, obviously, we will try to minimize that and we’re looking at ways to do that. I’m aware of the heat seeker issue. It actually show ups more on really fast moving targets. And you now, for whatever reason, when we we’re play testing it inernally, we weren’t having a problem. And we put it live and it was like, ‘boom, wait, this, oh god, it’s out there all the time,'” stated Kertz.

Again, Kertz could not confirm if/when a patch for these issues would be released, but we can safely assume that DICE will be looking into fixing these problems in the, hopefully, near future.

Also in this podcast, Kertz spoke of the current status of the Battlerecorder, which in his words is “useless junk.” Read more here.

To end on some good news, DICE Community Manager Daniel Matros finally has some information regarding the elusive Xbox 360 Battlefield 3 patch. He recently told his twitter followers, “release date for X360 patch coming this week.” For PS3 users, Matros also stated, “we just increased the amount of PS3 servers to rent.”

Update: The Xbox 360 patch release date has been announced! Read here for more info plus patch notes.

Things are looking up for the Battlefield 3 community. Hopefully many of the recent patch issues will be cleared up soon. On the bright side, at least you no longer have to deal with USAS-frag wielding noobs!

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Team2Bit’s “Fist Puncher” Kickstarter Campaign Kicks Off

We’ve had the opportunity to chat with “The Next Game Boss” winners Team2Bit in the past, and the brothers Lewandowski are amping up their goals yet again with old school brawler Fist Puncher.

Fist Puncher, an 8-bit brawler featuring a slew of on-screen enemies, bosses, levels, secrets, and skills, is still an anticipated 2012 release, but Team2Bit has decided to follow in the successful footsteps of so many other independent developers in using crowd-sourcing website Kickstarter to give them the much-needed cash to bring their vision to Xbox Live Arcade and the PC later this year.

On the project homepage, Team2Bit details their plans for improvement, if a successful Kckstarter campaign is in the cards:

Even though Fist Puncher is fun and fully playable as it is, we want to make it amazing. This is what we plan to add and improve over the next few months:
• Better Boss Battles. We have bosses but we haven’t had the time to sit down and make them a real focus. Beat ‘em ups need to have memorable bosses and we intend to give Fist Puncher some of the best.
• Improved Level Design. Beat ‘em ups have not always been famous for level design, usually they just involve waves of enemies for you to button mash your way through. However, we’re committed to fine tuning the pacing and strategy needed to make our levels more interesting.
• Finish the RPG Elements. You can already gain experience, level up and assign skill points to each characters’ various categories, but making the RPG elements really shine takes time and balancing.
• More, More, More. We already plan on adding more levels, enemies and unlockables, but we want Fist Puncher to be deeper. Any funding we obtain in excess of our goal will be used to add as much content as we can.

Hella Fistgerald and Dr. Karate ambush three Jihadist Freemasons.

For those of you looking for a throwback multiplayer brawler with a few modern tweaks, head on over to Team2Bit’s official Fist Puncher campaign page and help bring this “new classic” to home console and PCs.

In addition to the game, there are a bevy of goodies and bonuses in store for backers. A one-dollar donation will net you a digital thank you card as well as your name in the credits. Do you have a great game idea, but aren’t a developer? Donate ten thousand dollars to the Fist Puncher project, and Team2Bit will develop your game!

For more information on the project and Team2Bit, head to Team2Bit’s official webpage.

Graham

I teach, and I game. That is all. Subscriber

Home > News

Battlefield 3 Dev Reveals Current Battlerecorder is “Useless Junk”

In the latest Battlefield 3 community podcast, Don’t Revive Me Bro was lucky enough to feature special guest, Alan Kertz, Senior Gameplay Designer at DICE. Speaking of many subjects, Kertz had some very interesting things to say regarding the much sought-after and highly anticipated Battlerecorder.

Part way through the podcast, Kertz was asked what the one thing he would include in a patch if he had unlimited time and resources to get it done is. Surprisingly, he answered, “a Battlerecorder.”

Paraphrasing, Kertz stated that “there is not one person at DICE that does not want a Battlerecorder.” He added that it’s tough for developers to have a community that all dearly want a Battlerecorder when they, themselves, want it as well but simply cannot implement it, at the moment, due to technical reasons.

Kertz revealed, much like we reported earlier, that a Battlerecorder does exist within DICE to some capacity. According to Kertz, DICE does have a simple, basic recorder that they have used to create trailers, much like the latest Close Quarters time-lapse trailer. The issue, however, is that it is currently not usable and not presentable to the general public. In fact, Kertz admitted that the current Battlerecorder is “useless junk” and it is simply not feasible to release it to the public yet.

On a side note, Dinosaurs will be in the next patch, according to Kertz…

Leave your thoughts in the comment below and happy April Fool’s Day!

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > Videos

New Online Interactive Gaming Web Show SurvivorCraft Hits The Web

A few couple weeks back, YouTube channel YouAlwaysWin revealed its brand new interactive community series, SurvivorCraft. This ambitious community projects pits gamers from all over the world against each other in the virtual world of MineCraft to compete for some amazing prizes provided by ASUS North America. As the title suggests, this project is based on the CBS Realty TV show, Survivor, and will feature the same trials and challenges to put contestants to the test. The show has already successfully kicked off the first season with four intense episodes.

You can look for new episodes on their channel every Wednesday and Saturday. We will also be featuring episodes weekly right here on MP1st!

Check out the first 4 episodes below commentated by Gunns4Hire and MeatWagon22!

SurvivorCraft – The Jungle, Premier Episode: Part 1 of 2

[youtube id=”ApueGrtAUQI” width=”600″ height=”350″]

SurvivorCraft – The Jungle, Premier Episode: Part 2 of 2

[youtube id=”v2Qk-M5KBWw” width=”600″ height=”350″]

SurvivorCraft – The Jungle, Episode 2

[youtube id=”KTeIUC4AbXo” width=”600″ height=”350″]

SurvivorCraft – The Jungle, Episode 3

[youtube id=”ILp4k7u98Q4″ width=”600″ height=”350″]

SurvivorCraft – The Jungle, Episode 4: Part 1 of 2

[youtube id=”_i-wYoyuplk” width=”600″ height=”350″]

SurvivorCraft – The Jungle, Episode 4: Part 2 of 2

[youtube id=”DXBQmDhjRm8″ width=”600″ height=”350″]

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Battlefield 3 PS3 Private Servers Being Unexplainably Removed From Administrators

We have been receiving incoming reports of Battlefield 3 console players (limited to PS3 users at the moment) that private servers are being unexplainably removed from the hands players even after having paid for them.

Upon further investigation into the Battlelog forums, thanks in part to Mark for sending in the tip, it seems that there is indeed an issue surrounding these private servers. Battlelog user Marticus100 has compiled a post detailing some of the issues console players are facing as well as some potential reasons behind the disappearance of private servers.

It was originally thought that EA/DICE has been taking servers away from those who tweak the server rules to certain extremes or who kick players from the server too often. Speaking to an EA representative, Battlelog user lucas8181 learned that administrators are, in fact, allowed to be able to freely kick/ban players from their servers.

As for server rules, EA does reserve the right to remove servers from users who enforce rules that involve weapon restrictions, for example. However, this rule only applies to ranked servers. Nevertheless, it is important to read over the rules of conduct that pertain to these matters. This excerpt was taken from the EA’s official BF3 rules of conduct, thanks to Battlelog user miamiblue:

If you are an administrator of a ranked Battlefield 3 server (referred to below as a “Server Administrator”), you must also comply with the EA Online Terms and Conditions.

Server Administrators are in violation of the EA Online Terms and Conditions if they enforce server rules on ranked servers that prohibit or severely limit players from using any roles, kits, weapons, vehicles, or other features of the game while playing on their server. Examples of such rules that would violate the EA Online Terms and Conditions include:

  • Running knife / pistol-only servers
  • Preventing players from using certain weapons or items (such as flash bangs or C4) or enforcing a “pistol only” or “knife only” server rule

Server Administrators may implement and enforce rules that result in minor changes to gameplay behavior or styles as long as these are clearly stated before a player starts playing on a server. These rules typically introduce minor or limited restrictions on how a certain aspect of the game can be used, but do not create or promote an environment that would allow abuse of the scoring/award system. Examples of such rules that are acceptable are:

  • Disallowing repeated main base camping/attacking of bases that cannot be captured.
  • Limiting the use of mortars to a particular region of the map.

Server Administrators will also violate the EA Online Terms and Conditions if they (i) use offensive server names, server art or clan tags; or (ii) encourage other players to violate the EA Online Terms and Conditions while in game.

Additionally, it now seems that it is a technical issue plaguing these private servers, causing them to unintentionally disappear. EA has stated to be looking into the matter. Lucas8181 shares what he has learned after speaking with officials:

I don’t know that they are taking servers away due to people being kicked. At least, according to the security team we are allowed to, thus the kick/ban options. He told me that mine was down because of all of the changes I made. The servers go into a que and are restarted after major changes are made. That process took a while in my case so a temporary public server was in its place until it was back up. They are hoping to speed that process up over the next few weeks. This is also the reason that they are slowly introducing more servers instead of all at once. Its a new technology for consoles so they are still working out the details.

We’ve contacted DICE for an official word on the matter and will update if we receive any. At the moment, if the problem does lie in banning players for tweaking certain rules, we would hope that information like the rules of conduct would be more easily accessible to server administrators. If it is a technical issue, we hope to hear from DICE or EA in the near future and see some sort of improvements made.

For the moment, if you are planning on purchasing a server and heavily tweaking the settings, may we suggest holding off until these issues are resolved. We also suggest calling Electronic Arts Tech Support at 866-543-5435 if you believe your server has been unintentionally or unrightfully removed.

Have you been experiencing private server issues in Battlefield 3? Let us know in the comments below.

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > News

Last Day to Pitch In For Takedown, Hardcore Tactical Shooter From Serellan Studios

Developer Serellan’s hardcore tactical shooter project, working title Takedown, is in its final hours on Kickstarter, one of the world’s largest funding platforms. Their goal: $200,000 by Sunday, April 1st. Sitting at 18 hours left at the time of writing, they currently have $155,440 pledged towards the project.

The idea is fairly simple: To create a hardcore tactical shooter reminiscent of old school Rainbow Six games that focus on slower-paced, tactical and realistic gameplay, something seemingly missing in today’s trend of shooters. Serellan hopes to fill this gap with their studio made up of talented members from development teams like Red Storm, Monolith, Microsoft, Ubisoft and Bungie.

In their latest update, Serellan wrote, “At this point, things are coming in tight. If we continue at our current rate, we will be JUST short of our goal. BUT, if everyone that has pledged increased their pledge by $15, or got another person to pledge $15, we WILL make it.”

Please visit Serellan’s Kickstarter page to learn more about the project and to get your chance to donate to the cause. And of course, check out Pixel Enemy’s video below which includes an introduction by YouTuber d0n7bl1nk to Serellan’s creative pitch.

[youtube id=”fz9G7lbJGCQ” width=”600″ height=”350″]

If you got the cash, check out some of the higher end rewards for donating large sums of money:

$500 +

Get an in-game badge on your player model showing that you supported the project! Includes all previous rewards.

$1,000 +

Access to the Platinum Level community, where you will be able to participate in conference calls with dev team members to express your ideas. Includes all previous rewards.

$2,500 +

Get your face in the game, on one of the team members, and have them named after you. Includes all previous rewards. (3 of 8 remaining)

$5,000 +

Tour the dev studio and go on a shooting trip with dev team members for an afternoon, shooting a range of different guns, including full-auto fun (must be able to travel to Seattle, WA)! Includes all previous rewards. (5 of 5 remaining)

$7,500 +

Christian Allen, the creative director of the game, will fly to your hometown to host a LAN party for you and your friends. Lower 48 States only. Includes all previous rewards. (1 of 1 remaining)

What do you think about TAKEDOWN? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments below!

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber

Home > Videos

Battlefield 3 PS3 Patch Impressions By TheEnd

Our friend “TheEnd” provides Battlefield 3 players with his first impressions of the recently released PS3 patch. Luckily, PS3 users have been able to enjoy this patch for a few days now, with PC users not so far behind. We are still awaiting news of an Xbox 360 patch. Make sure to let us know in the comments below what you think about the patch!

A few days ago, we also featured some initial Battlefield 3 PC patch impressions by YouTuber d0n7bl1nk so make sure to check that out as well!

Lastly, don’t forget to check out a list of unadvertised PS3 patch notes.

Warning: Strong Language

[youtube id=”sUT4Bvo_jOg” width=”600″ height=”350″]

David Veselka

Musician, Gamer, Geek. Subscriber