DICE Gameplay Designer Gustav Halling, settles concerns of the upcoming Battlefield 3 DLC, Close Quarters. If you’ve missed it, make sure to check out the announcement and more details right here.
The big question on some of the Battlefield 3 community’s mind is why DICE is focusing on infantry-based, close-quarter combat gameplay in their upcoming DLC, something that goes against what many fans would argue the Battlefield franchise has become known for. The simple answer is that Armored Kill, a DLC focused completely on large-scale warfare, is set to release shortly after Close Quarters and should provide a nice contrast, but also familiar Battlefield gameplay. The other answer is that statistics prove this close quarters play-style is, indeed, popular.
“We looked at what people are playing and the result is a tighter infantry experience with CQ…” stated Halling. It might also be surprising to know that in-game stats differ from various polls about the subject. Halling stressed that “polls say one thing, our real statistics say another. What players actually are playing not what some click.” It was also recently discovered that Operation Metro, a map that leans heavily on the CQB style of gameplay, was proven to be the most popular Battlefield 3 map. You can read more about it here. However, Halling admits, “it’s a interesting challenge for me because its not what is expected by us.” Even though, “its still BF3 gameplay, not any other game!”
Halling was also asked if team deathmatch would be the only game-mode featured on these maps. Logistically, this would make most sense considering their size. Take this map here for example. His answer, “we will release more details about the levels and game modes later,” suggests that the inclusion of other, or perhaps new game modes, is a possibility.
Halling would like fans to know that “it’s the same game. We are giving BF3 TDM players some more awesome maps. If you only play vehicles, Armored Kill is coming.”
Yesterday, Counter-Strike GO beta players were treated to a major update that includes both a new game mode and map, along with numerous other changes.
In addition to Arsenal mode and new map, de_lake, 10,000 new players were lucky enough to gain access to the beta, developer announced in a recent blog post. The new mode, Arsenal: Demolition, is “based on the Gun Game mod,” which will be coming back in its “traditional” form in CS:GO as Arsenal: Arms Race at some point later.
Arsenal: Demolition Description:
Arsenal Demolition is a fast paced mix of bomb planting and gun progression.
There are no buy menus, you start with a rifle and if you get a kill that round – you get a progressively weaker weapon in the next round.
After 5 rounds the sides switch and you do it again, for a total of 10 rounds.
Here are the notes for yesterday’s update:
New
Enabled Arsenal Mode: Demolition ( Gungame-objective ).
Set quickmatch to Arsenal Demolition, de_lake.
Graphics
Replaced Source shadow engine.
Added support for Intel integrated graphics chipsets.
Added FXAA.
Sound
Radically reduced dsp on 3rd person footsteps to address directionality problems.
Remixed ladder footsteps to prevent players thinking someone was right next to them when they weren’t.
Decreased weapon shot volumes relative to footsteps. This should cause one to increase their volume locally to the level they are used to playing, thereby loudening footsteps in the mix.
Reduced number of dynamic audio channels, thereby increasing the number of static ones. This is to counter the overrunning of static audio channels and dropping sounds.
Updated win round music.
Remixed deathcam music.
Added round start and team auto select countdown beeps.
Adjusted soundscapes on most maps.
Game
Edited existing knife hit wall/world to be more universal for all surfaces. Added three more variations.
Lowered AK47 position to match m4.
Fixed crouch/jump-crouch seeing through the ceiling.
Casual mode limit changed from 30 minutes to 10 rounds.
Fixed exagerated neck hitbox that made headshots much easier.
Refined most hitboxes to better match player geometry.
Fixed one-way smoke grenades.
UI
Implemented achievement medals.
Dynamically resizing the pause menu panels to match the number of options present. Fixing the back button on the subpanel to swap to a button hint string for console/controller.
Fixed renaming of files when pressing F5 for death cam.
Fixed overlap between Health/Armor panel and spectator panel.
Adding playing joing messages and playing as bot message to mini scoreboard
Adding hud alerts panel for telling you match state
Changed art and animation for alert, achievement, info and defuse panels.
Added icon for defusing without a defuse kit to defuse panel.
Updated some weapon images.
Added element to the team miniscoreboard that displays when you’re currently controlling a bot as well as what team you are playing on every time you spawn.
Added alerts for last round of first half, last round of match, and match-point.
Fixed some defuse panel data.
Added CT defusing state to player ID.
General
Fixed bug where spectating player’s view would pop back up when observed player was in full duck.
Reducing the latency between bomb defuse thinks, which causes the defuse HUD to feel laggy and allows a non-fixed duration of time where you can let go of the defuse button and still be counted as defusing as long as you press defuse again before the next c4 think.
Input lag on the PlayStation 3 has been affecting Battlefield 3 PS3 players differently. Some experience a lot, while others, only a little. It depends on a number of factors including your TV set up, or perhaps even the controller you’re using. Then of course, there is the issue with the game itself. Most likely, you’ve read numerous reports on the issue as it has been apparent since the launch of Battlefield 3. Though DICE has yet to announce a fix, they have suggested a number of things to help improve the situation.
However, there are still those who aren’t sure what input lag looks like, or if it even exists. Thankfully, our friend TheEnd004500 has crafted a video demonstration of the differences between Battlefield 3 and Battlefield: Bad Company 2, clearly showing that Battlefield 3 dose indeed suffer on the PS3.
Check it out below, and make sure to subscribe to his channel for some amazing Battlefield content, including Bad Company 2 and 1943. Afterwards, make sure to leave your thoughts in the comment section below.
More and more Battlefield. That’s exactly what fans need. It seems that they are in no short supply with the recent DLC announcements as well as a newly leaked Battlefield title. Also, check out some screens of the upcoming DLC.
UK-based retailer Hight Street listed an entirely new Battlefield 3 title on their 2012 release schedule. According to trading site MCV, who were able to obtain a copy of this list, this release will be titled Battlefield: Evolved. Of course, no other details are currently available. While a brand new Battlefield title seems unlikely this year, what with EA’s release of Medal of Honor: Warfighter, perhaps the upcoming Battlefield 3 DLCs will be gathered into a single bundle pack later this year. For those interested, it was also mentioned that Grand Theft Auto V will be seeing a Fall release.
Also recently discovered was a new image featuring covers of each new piece of Battlefield 3 DLC: Close Quarters, Armored Kill, and End Game. According to MTV Multiplayer, there are still no details regarding End Game other than what DICE General Manager Karl Magnus Troedsson had to say: “Only a few people in Stockholm actually know what this is.”
Lastly, a few days ago, Redditor, ExOAte, was able to capture the image below of a map to be featured in the upcoming Close Quarters DLC. As you can see, it is quite small and features both indoor and outdoor environments.
So much to be speculated! What do you think Battlefield: Evolved really is? What do you think Battlefield 3: End Game is all about? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
The first Rainbow Six game that I picked up this generation was Rainbow Six: Vegas. Despite having some balancing issues and bugs, the game was perhaps one of the best multiplayer experiences that I have ever had in a long time. The sequel later released and came with some disappointments as it did little to add new features and lacked support from Ubisoft. Now, with the announcement of Rainbow Six: Patriots, I have decided to compile a short list of things I’d like to see in the game.
Gameplay:
Probably the biggest thing here. Gameplay was excellent in the last two titles. I do want to see some improvements, but overall, I found the formula to be a perfect blend between first-person and tactical playing. The cover system worked excellent and the switch from third-person (cover) to first-person ran smoothly.
The Return of Custom Armor and Camouflage:
The one thing I loved most about Rainbow Six Vegas series was the ability to create your own personal character. At first, the majority of players only seemed to care about whether they had too much or too little armor on. For every piece of armor, you either sacrificed speed or protection. So, being able to build your character the way you want to was a huge feature.
The camos were just as fun too. Like everyone, you probably started out with your basic colors. Maybe you had all black or maybe you had a white helmet and a blue vest with everything else black. The more you played the game though, the more camouflage you unlocked, eventually leading to the custom sets. This is where true creativity came in. I’ve seen many creative costumes over the time I spent with Rainbow Six Vegas 1 and 2, and the amount of creativity in some of these costumes are just insanely cool.
Better graphics:
I was happy with what we got in the first Rainbow Six game this gen. The game released pretty early, which is a good excuse for the graphics it had at the time. However, when Ubisoft announced Rainbow Six Vegas 2 along side a CGI trailer, fans of the series had high expectations of what the game would look like. But sadly, with release of Vegas 2 came fans’ disappointment to see that the sequel didn’t look much better. In some cases, it looked worse than the previous installment. Certain assets of the game seemed to have been reused with little to no improvements at all.
In Patriots, we want to see this change; new assets, new environment, and improvements to the lighting. Already we have seen two trailers for the game. One of them is full CGI trailer while the other features gameplay. Well, it’s not actual gameplay. This “fake” gameplay footage that was shown off was quiet impressive and is something that we would love to see come true.
A Real Clan System:
For a something that just seemed all too perfect for a team base game, both Rainbow 6 Vegas titles were missing out on one key, important feature: A clan system. Currently, the system is just your basic clan tags. This is something that I have grown tired of using. If your not really familiar with this system, it’s pretty much just you typing in four letters or numbers and having it displayed over your name; very similar to the Call of Duty system. During the late years of playing Vegas 1 and 2, I would always use systems like game battles to organize clan matches. It’s a pretty awesome system, but it’s something that I would love to see the game actually support.
No Service Tags Please
I would also love to see something along the line of Warhawk’s or Resistance: Fall of Man’s clan system. These systems allowed the leader and other clan members to keep an in-game tracking record of all the clan members. There were also different roles that leaders could assign to other clan members. So having a few seconds in command to help run the clan and recruit other members is always a useful way to expand. Also, a way to track our clan progress and matches we won fighting against other clans is something I have not seen in console games yet. I would like some sort of clan leader boards and a scheduling system. I think this idea should really apply to nearly all multiplayer games that still use the standard “Tags” system.
Online Co-op:
No doubt that this was one of the most popular modes in Vegas 1 and 2. Though I didn’t quiet enjoy the story co-op in Vegas 2, I did, however, enjoy Terrorist Hunt Mode. Terrorist Hunt Mode was featured in both Vegas 1 and 2 and supported up to 3-4 players. I don’t want to see this player count increase to anything over that as the game mode played excellent with just a small amount of players.
Anyway, I want this mode to make a return as it really was one of the most played modes in the game. It allowed easy XP and was quite challenging and fun when trying to complete. This was one of those game modes that I can honestly say was perfect, despite some bug issues it had. Adrenaline rushed when knowing that you were the last of your teammates fighting against hordes of A.I. I don’t think I have ever felt so engaged in a co-op FPS mode in a long time since Rainbow Six.
Downloadable Content:
I am one of those guys who absolutely hate hearing about downloadable content, especially in a game that seems so incomplete. Frankly, this is how I felt like when I was playing Vegas 2. The game felt more like a DLC rather than a completely new game or sequel. It had some old maps and some new ones. Perhaps the best term to describe it is an expansion pack. It’s not really the sequel that many had hoped for.
The DLC I want to see for the game though has to be completely new and not just old maps, like they did in Vegas 2, though it was free. I want to see the support that Ubisoft lacked in the previous two installments. But one thing I don’t want to see is day one DLC. DLC has to be unique and feel like they weren’t just taken out of the game to be charged for.
So, what do you guys want to see in Rainbow Six: Patriots? Let me know in the comments below.
A gamer at heart, James has been working for MP1st for the last decade to do exactly what he loves, writing about video games and having fun doing it. Growing up in the 90's gaming has been in his DNA since the days of NES. One day he hopes to develop his own game.
In case you missed it, Rob Riggle mentioned, in the latest Call of Duty Elite trailer, that players can expect “24 Modern Warfare 3 maps, missions, and more.” The official content calendar hasn’t updated to include the two newest additions, so we still don’t know on which month(s) they will be added. However, with 24 drops and four DLC collections a year, we can safely predict that each collection will pack in six drops, such as the first DLC collection coming on March 20th.
In addition the DLC drops, 23 and 24, here’s the release schedule for the other 22 (on Xbox 360, add one month for PS3):
January: Pizza and Liberation
February: Overwatch
March 13th: Black Box (Map), Black Ice (Mission), and Negotiator (Mission)
EA Community Manager Daniel Matros, talks about the upcoming patch’s release date while Gameplay Designer Alan Kertz, explains the process and why DICE opts for bigger patches.
Many Battlefield 3 fans are asking for a more specific release date for the upcoming “Spring” patch, said to include some brand new game features. Matros was unable to give an exact date, but he did state the “game update will drop before DLC.” He assures that “when there is an ETA I will post it.” Luckily, it seems that we can expect it sooner than later as he admits, “dropping an update in June [same month as DLC] is crazy.” He mentioned the update should be released “very much closer to now.” He added that “with a bit of luck, there is a tentative date coming end of next week. *crossing fingers*”
In response to those upset at DICE’s decision to release a Close Quartes expansion pack, focusing on tight, infantry-based gameplay (more info here), Matros simply and humorously answers, “Armored Kill.” Remember, the second expansion pack, release date TBA, will focus on vehicle warfare and will feature extremely large maps. In fact, it will include “the biggest map in Battlefield history.” So, fans should get a good taste of both worlds in the upcoming DLCs.
You may remember a month or so back we reported on rumors of an All American DLC. Though the source was correct in terms of a release time-frame, Matros has recently confirmed the rumor to be “Fake.”
Alan Kertz was recently asked why DICE opts to release big, spaced-out patches, rather than releasing smaller, more frequent ones, once the bug in question has been fixed. He explains that it is “not possible due to the overhead of the patch process and the interdependency of patch fixes.”
EA and Danger Close have recently detailed the pre-order bonuses that will available for their upcoming shooter, Medal of Honor: Warfighter.
It looks like this pre-order bonus will give players a slight edge in multiplayer combat, especially at range. Those who pre-order the Limited Edition will have day-1 access to the multiplayer U.S. Navy SEAL Tier 1 Sniper. This unlock would, otherwise, normally require roughly 40 hours of game-time to achieve. If this interests you, head on over to Origin to pre-order.
If you missed the official Medal of Honor: Warfighter reveal trailer, make sure to check it out here.
I don’t know about you guys, but something tells me that we can expect a lot of ranged engagements in Medal of Honor: Warfighter’s multiplayer. Let us know what you think in the comments below!
Battlefield 3 is back in the spotlight with the recent announcement of not only one, but three expansion packs. If you missed it, check it out right here. The first DLC to be released this June will be titled Close Quarters and will focused on tight, infantry-based gameplay. Below we’ve gathered what we know so far plus some unseen gameplay footage.
The official Battlefield 3 website describes Battlefield 3: Close Quarters as a “themed expansion pack bringing the team play of Battlefield 3 to tight indoor environments. The frantic close quarters infantry combat is amplified by unprecedented high definition destruction, new ways to play, more weapons and added persistence.”
Key Features Include:
Get plunged intofrantic and relentless infantry combat
Check your corners as death can come from any angle
HD destruction lets you reduce entire locales to ruin
Earn new weapons and bring them back to the base game
Complete new assignments and equip unique dog tags
Play in new ways, mixing team play andinstant action
Check out some off-screen footage from GDC below thanks to Dutch gaming site videogameszone.de:
Modern Warfare 3 players with paid Elite subscription can enroll in the next big event, King of the Hill, in Call of Duty Elite.
It’s a Lone Wolf Operations event, where players can compete in Free-for-All, and the player with the Highest Total Kills will be become the proud owner of a Yamaha FX Nytro Snowmobile.
Beachhead Studios revealed that on Saturday, March 10th that Elite players will be able to “compete for over $100,000 [an approximate value] in prizes across all eligible regions.” The prizes will include, “Snowmobile, ATV, and SCUBA Adventure Trip to Hawaii with Pearl Harbor Battleship Tour.”
The winning criteria, in what is dubbed as the “100K Day,” is the following:
With Halo 4’s multiplayer having only been revealed just a couple days ago, controversy has already managed to find its place among the Halo community. Yesterday, it was revealed that Halo 4 would include some sort of “perk” system which many fans instinctively compare directly to the Call of Duty franchise. Understandably, it would be disappointing for die-hard fans of the Halo universe to see their franchise adopt gameplay similar to that of another, losing its unique identity. However, Franchise Director, Frank O’Connor, urges fans to avoid jumping to conclusions.
O’Connor recently clarified on the NeoGaf forums that “there aren’t ‘perks’ in the game as being described here. And classic Halo is still there. But there are things we will be rolling out soon to put all of this discussion in a much better perspective and I suspect calm frayed nerves.” He later added, “…we didn’t mention them. That’s why I put it in quotes. That term was coined by someone else to interpret stuff they saw in the UI [User Interface]. Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things and to be expected during announce fervor. And yes, it’s partly our fault since we re rolling out more information about this stuff at a later time.”
So it looks like Halo fans can be assured that Halo 4 will not become a Call of Duty knock-off. What’s your take on this new gameplay mechanic? Make sure to stay tuned to MP1st for more Halo 4 details!
It has been revealed thanks to a listing on Xbox.com that Assassin’s Creed III will included a four-player cooperative mode.
It’s not clear as to what exactly the co-op will entail as Ubisoft has yet to reveal specifics for any sort of online play. It is also listed that competitive multiplayer of up to eight players will be making a return once again, most likely building on previous Assassin’s Creed titles.
The listing has recently been removed from the official webpage as it was most likely a slip-up on Microsoft’s part. For now, we’ll have to wait for Ubisoft’s official reveal for more info.
What type of co-op would you prefer in Assassin’s Creed III? Co-op campaign, or a completely separate game-type? Let us know in the comments below!
Those anticipating Ubisoft’s 3rd entry into the Far Cry series now have something a little extra to look forward to.
Coming out of this year’s GDC, the word is that Far Cry 3 will, in fact, include a multiplayer aspect, according to Kotaku Editor-in-chief, Stephen Totilo. This was also confirmed by Far Cry 3’s official Twitter handle, stating, “we’ll have multiplayer information soon. Stay tuned.”
According to Brian Crecente over at VoxGames, Massive, a Ubisoft studio, will be developing an “online universe” for FarCry 3 and will be “adding elements from the indie scene and social games.” No further details were given so it looks like we’ll just have to wait on Ubisoft to dish out the goods.
Massive is a Swedish-based developer who is known for titles like Ground Control and World in Conflict, as well as for lending a hand in the development for Assassin’s Creed: Revelation’s multiplayer.
Are you excited about the addition of an “online universe” in Far Cry 3? Let us know in the comments below!
Activision has released a new trailer for Modern Warfare 3’s March Elite drops, which consist of one multiplayer map and two spec ops missions, Black Ice and Negotiator.
Paid Elite subscribers on Xbox 360 can expect the drops to hit Xbox Live on March 13th. PS3 Elite subscribers will have access to the drops in April. Non-Elite Xbox 360 users will be able to purchase the first content collection on March 20th, which includes the aforementioned Elite drops along what’s been released for Elite so far.
EA announced today that Battlefield 3 will receive three expansion packs throughout the year; the expansion packs are subtitled, Close Quarters, Armored Kill, and End Game.
After going Back to Karkand, Battlefield 3 players can expect three more expansion packs for Battlefield 3. As Patrick Bach reiterate DICE’s desire to make expansion packs rather than map pack by stating, “instead of delivering piecemeal map packs, we’re giving players a completely new experience with every themed expansion pack to keep the action fresh. Our expansions are designed to excite our large and active fan base while attracting new recruits with gameplay that is dynamic and unpredictable every time.” The first expansion pack, Close Quarters, will release in June, and will be focused on infantry combat. The second expansion pack, Armored Kill, will drop in the fall, and as the name suggests, vehicles will play a prominent role. In the winter, Battlefield 3 players will be treated to the third expansion pack, the End Game.
Battlefield 3: Close Quarters — In Battlefield 3: Close Quarters, players are dropped into a frantic, infantry-only theater of war. Frostbite 2 high definition destruction makes the environment come alive as everything from furniture to plaster gets shot to pieces. Players will feel the intensity of the world exploding around them as rubble and broken pieces pile up on the floor, while tight level design and vertical gameplay create a highly competitive environment. Battlefield 3:Close Quarters also introduces new weapons, assignments and unique dog tags to bring back to the base game.
Battlefield 3: Armored Kill — Following the tight infantry gameplay of Battlefield 3: Close Quarters, DICE will release Battlefield 3: Armored Kill that ups the ante for vehicular mayhem as only Battlefield can do. Featuring new driveable tanks, ATVs, mobile artillery and more, Battlefield 3: Armored Kill also delivers huge battlefields for an all-out vehicle assault, including the biggest map in Battlefield history.
Battlefield 3: End Game — The fourth expansion pack will ship in the winter but details remain tightly guarded.
On another note, private servers for consoles are indeed coming. After months of teasing, EA stated, “a fully integrated rent-a-server program for console players will be available for gamers to play online with friends the way they want to play in either private, public, ranked or unranked matches.”
New details regarding the next Battlefield 3 expansion pack have been leaked.
Before we dive into this DLC rumor, let’s recap what we have been hearing about the next Battlefield 3 expansion pack so far. One rumor we reported on earlier is the possibility of an All-American map pack, in which new maps would be set in American cities. DICE also commented on the possibility of a fan favorite, 2143 as well as snowy maps.
According to the Battlefieldo forums, an anonymous source has disclosed “some code” from what’s believed to be a “private Battlelog server,” which can only be accessed by DICE employees. The DLC is rumored to be titled “Close Quarters.”
Two weapons have been revealed:
CZ 75 Auto
CZ 750 Sniper Rifle
Also, two vehicles were leaked:
UH-60 BlackHawk Helicopter
Bradley Infantry Vehicle
Bare in mind, this is only a rumor at this point, so please take it with a grain of salt. We may hear more about the upcoming DLC in the next few hours during EA’s Game Changers event.
Update: Battlefield 3’s community manager, Ian Tornay, explained on the Battlefield 3 subreddit that tonight’s EA event isn’t “BF3 related.” However, we should expect “big news at GDC,” and he also noted that the “GDC news isn’t about the patch.”
Thanks Chris for the tip! In case we update this article any further, we’ll let you know on Facebook and Twitter.
The next Call of Duty is rumored to release in November, and EA, as it’s been the case in the last few years, wants to get the jump on Activision with an October 23rd release date for Medal of Honor Warfighter.
EA has released the debut trailer for Medal of Honor Warfighter. The trailer focuses on the single-player aspect of the game.
Details from the press release and retailers, thanks to VG247:
Dotted Line to Real World Events – From rescuing hostages in Abu Sayyaf’s stronghold in Basilan, Philippines to assaulting Al-Shabaab’s “Pirate Town” on the Somali Coast, gamers step into the boots of Tier 1 Operators as they hunt down the global threat of PETN. Medal of Honor Warfighter is the only game that gives players a view into these real world events and lets them experience the action as it might have unfolded.
The Power of Frostbite 2 – Leveraging the power of the ground-breaking Frostbite 2 engine, Medal of Honor Warfighter delivers incredible video and audio fidelity to enhance the intensity of the battle and deliver this year’s most authentic war experience.
War is Personal for the Entire Family – Medal of Honor Warfighter goes beyond the battlefield and reveals the heartbreaking side of war, told through the eyes of military families. With a story written by Operators from this community, Medal of Honor Warfighter unveils intimate insights into the sacrifices of the warriors on the ground – and their families.
National Pride Online with Global Tier 1 – Internationally, allied military forces also possess their own elite units with similar capabilities. With Medal of Honor Warfighter gamers can represent their nation’s Tier 1 Operators on the global battlefield. For the first time, the Medal of Honor brand introduces multi-national Tier 1 blue-vs-blue team play where the world’s best of the best warriors go head-to-head in combat. The game features 12 different Tier 1 units from a variety of nations including the British SAS, Australian SASR, German KSK and Polish GROM.
One Studio, One Vision – Developed by Danger Close Games in Los Angeles, California, Medal of Honor Warfighter sees the return of key development leads who helped reboot the multi-platinum hit in 2010. The core team is bolstered by industry veterans who hail from DICE, Treyarch and more. Together, this team is united behind a single vision for the game – authenticity, respect and honor for today’s warfighters, with real emotion, real threats and a game designed to highlight the extraordinary nature of the material.
Mass Effect 3 officially launches today in North America. If you’re planning on checking out the multiplayer and also happen to own a copy of Battlefield 3, then your in for a little treat.
According to the official Battlefield 3 Facebook page, those who own a copy of Battlefield 3 and have registered their online pass will find an exclusive human soldier kit to use Mass Effect 3’s multiplayer, a kit inspired by the aesthetics of Battlefield 3. It will be automatically rewarded upon logging into the multiplayer using the same Origin profile linked to your Battlefield 3 online pass.
Are you going to be checking out Mass Effect 3’s multiplayer day one? Let us know in the comments below!
Those enjoying the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Beta will be treated to an update this Friday according to developers.
“Big content update and changes Friday. We wanted people to play train after the change so they can compare,” stated developers recently.” The “change” they’re referring to in this case was the update made yesterday to the map de_train.
De_train is still going to be the map of choice for the next few days until developers decide to move on to something new this Friday. What has changed recently, however, is the atmospheric haze, something which, according do developers, drastically affects gameplay. The problem is as described on the official CS blog: “Counter-Strike players need to quickly identify their targets, so it’s important that those targets stand out. But as environments have become more richly detailed, it has gotten harder to separate a player from the background. This affects players by slowing their searches for targets, and can be the difference between life and death.”
To remedy this, developers explain that “atmospheric haze (‘fog’) is one of the tools we use to solve this problem. It reduces the visual impact of the distant environment, and when the appropriate amount is used in a map, players become far more distinguishable.” In yesterday’s update, developers “have adjusted the levels of haze in de_train. The adjustment balances the need to make out players at long distances with the benefit of separating players from the background.” They added, “it’s true that eliminating haze would allow snipers to see very distant targets more clearly. However, aside from helping in that isolated case, removing it entirely would slow searches in the vast majority of player interactions. Counter-intuitive as it may seem, a little fog can help you see much more clearly.”
Stay tuned to MP1st on Friday for a list of updates being made to the beta. For now, let us know in the comments below how you find the addition of atmospheric haze on de_train?
DICE Community Managers have updated Australian Battlefield 3 players on the situation regarding recent servers issues.
For those who may not know, Battlefield 3 servers in Australia have been scarce at best, an issue that seemingly began ever since the latest server maintenance. Many players complain that if they are even able to get into a game, it usually results in 1-bar ping. This thread on the Battlelog currently spans 77 pages of comments from a number of frustrated players.
However, things aren’t all doom-and-gloom for our Australian friends. Community Manager, Ian Tornay has stated that DICE/EA “is working on a permanent solution to server issues that have been affecting online play for Australian 3 Battlefield 3 players.” He adds that “it will take us some time to get these permanent solutions in place. We know that we’ve got to get our loyal Australian players up and running in the interim so we’re also putting a stop-gap solution into place; more servers, backend improvements, and keeping a close eye on the situation.” As for when players might see some improvements, “these short-term changes will be rolling out over the coming weeks and some players may notice improvements sooner than others as we work towards our goal. We will keep you updated on our progress.”
Additionally, Community Manager, Daniel Matros had this to say on the Battlelog: “I want to let you know that our team over here has been working very hard in order to solve these issues for you. We’ve done numerous improvements and of course, one of them being ramping up our server capacity in Australia. These short-term changes will be rolling out over the comings weeks and some players may notice improvements sooner than others as we work towards our goal. We will keep you updated on our progress. Do please remember that you will always have a line in to the Studio via me so if you encounter anything you wish to talk about or report, let me know on Twitter.”
Our best wishes go out to our Australian friends in hopes that these issues will be resolved and that they can properly enjoy Battlefield 3 as it should be. Let us know in the comments below if you’ve been noticing any improvements so far.
