It seems a number of updates are being planned for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Robert Bowling, Creative Strategist at Infinity Ward has recently stated that there are “lots of MW3 updates planned this week. We’ll be addressing “laggy” games, stat loss prevention, & more. Pushing for pre-Holiday release!” So far, this “lag” that many players have been experiencing since launch is “the” major issue holding back Modern Warfare 3 from really shining. On top of this, some players stats and ranks have been rolled back or simply disappeared. While this is being looked into, ATVIMikey had this to say: “Rank roll backs are usually caused by an interruption in connection while the game and servers are communicating. This can happen.”
Bowling also added that “once we have all the substantial updates in the pipeline for release, I’ll draft up some patch notes for what all is changing.” Make sure to stay tuned to MP1st where you will be able to find all Modern Warfare 3 patch notes in one convenient place! For now, why not follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook?!
Activision forces YouTuber to take down his videos.
Stuart Brown, or XboxAhoy, is a well known YouTube commentator that makes some of the most impressive weapon guides for the Call of Duty community. The combination of his soothing voice and high production in his videos makes for an great way to learn about the guns. We even featured his first 10 MW3 videos here on MP1st, Guide 1 and Guide 2, as we are fans of his work. He’s been making guide videos since Modern Warfare 2, and the quality of his work made Activision take notice. So, during the lead up to Modern Warfare 3’s release, the publisher signed Stuart to produce the official weapon guides for Elite TV. Of course, these videos are only accessible to premium members, which left Stuart’s fans worried about his YouTube series. He assured his YouTube fans that he had a series in mind for YouTube as well when he promised “I’ll be doing a series for YouTube as well as for Elite.” It turned out that the Express series was for YouTube and the longer, more fleshed out series was for Elite TV. The Elite videos are little over 3 minutes long, whereas the YouTube “Express” videos hover around 1 min and 45 seconds. The two series have different formats and layovers.
Although this might have angered some fans for not being able to watch Stuart’s longer videos, it was understandable for him to go that route. He still didn’t forget his fans with the Express series. This was all well until last Friday when Activision requested “the removal of Weapon Guide Express. It was complied with on [Stuart’s] behalf by Machinima.” It’s worth noting that Activision waited after Stuart released 10 videos to remove them. We hope Stuart will get the express guide back on his channel.
Don’t forget to follow MP1st on Twitter and Facebook for the latest Modern Warfare 3 news.
With the highly anticipated release of Max Payne 3 finally on the horizon, Rockstar Games reveals in an interview with Gamasutra what aspects they believe are important in order to build a strong multiplayer community.
Rockstar’s latest multiplayer effort in Red Dead Redemption saw a great deal of post-launch support, something they believe played a large role in its success. “The two key lessons we learned were that if you want a vibrant multiplayer community, you have got to provide content frequently and fairly quickly after release, which we tried to do with Red Dead.” When asked what is in the works for Max Payne 3’s MP in terms of post-launch support, Rockstar’s Co-founder and Vice-president, Dan Houser explains, “We’ll see something, but I don’t know what it will be yet.” He continued, “We are often not as organized or cynical — you can see it either way — as people think we are going to be with plans laid out this far out with everything. We will get those plans in order in the next few month, but they are just not sorted out yet.”
Looking back on DLC they have provided in the past, Houser mentions, “I think the two GTA episodes, from a creative standpoint, were absolutely fantastic. We are very, very, very proud of them. And we are kind of compelled due to various other business factors to make them that size — but something at $20 for DLC, maybe $10 is a more exciting price point.
Of course, many would agree that Rockstar’s greatest strengths lie in their story telling. It’s this attention to immersion and narrative over mindless action that has elevated games like GTA, Red Dead Redemption and L.A. Noir above many other in its genre. Houser considers its implementation into multiplayer: “So I believe that we wanted to put some elements of single play into the multiplayer, so the multiplayer will have a lot more detail and have elements of story in it and have a sort of an immersive quality. We think that’s something that is under-explored in multiplayer.”
What would you like to see Rockstar Games include in the multiplayer of Max Payne 3? Let us know in the comments below!
For more on Max Payne 3’s multiplayer and other great MP games, make sure to follow MP1st on Twitter or Facebook!
After much needed patch fixes the matchmaking, I am finally ready to give you my two cents.
Somewhat lost in the videogame madness that has become Fall 2011 came a downloadable title called Payday: The Heist which is currently available for the PC (via steam) and the PS3 (via PSN).
Payday is a co-operative multiplayer (no split-screen) game in which 4 criminals work together on various jobs to get in, get the goods and get out.
Currently there are six missions which include:
A standard get in – get out bank robbery
A prisoner extraction from a prison transport on a rainy bridge
A chase through the streets after a double cross
A somewhat sneaky diamond heist in a highrise building
An elaborate heist in a five-story drug den
A gold heist gone wrong in a slaughterhouse
Before each match, players choose from a modest collection of primary, secondary and sidearm weapons, which must be unlocked. On top of this, players also must choose deployable items like med-kits, ammo bags, trip mines, and extra cable ties; “perks” like extra body armor, extra ammo etc; and a team boost, such as better accuracy, faster reloading, and so on.
Gameplay-wise, there is a definite Left 4 Dead feel. Think of it as L4D with objectives. Four players run around completing objectives such as tying up hostages (which can be used as trading chips for downed teammates), drilling through safes, finding keys, collecting cash, setting C4, and sawing through floors all the while fighting police.
Certain objectives require some time to complete and will sometimes stall out and require you to go and fix them. Although there is no clear mention of how long these tasks take, both the drills and saws do display a timer on them which can be easily read and communicated to teammates.
The police will gradually increase their presence from street cops to swat units and eventually send in an all-out assault wave full of a mix of generic swat units and special units which include:
The Cloaker – a Sam Fisher-esque special ops unit which usually travels in groups and are able take you down in one hit if they manage to sneak up on you
The troublesome Taser – he will zap you and clear out your current clip until one of your teammates shoots him off you. If your skilled enough, you may be able to shoot him off yourself before your ammo’s gone
The hulking Bulldozer – packs a strong shotgun punch and can take quite a shelling before finally collapsing
The always pesky Riot Shield – requires a little more strategy as someone must sneak around and take him from the sides or back while one person keeps his attention.
Taking too much damage causes you to become incapacitated (just like L4D), at which point a teammate must revive you within a certain amount of time before you’re sent to jail. Jailed players are still able to return via a spawn or by trading hostages when the police are in between assault waves.
Finally there is a robust reputation system (147 levels!) which acts as the leveling system for Payday. By clicking the Select button on the PS3, a screen pops up showing you your next available upgrade in three separate categories; Assault, Support and Sharpshooter. Pressing the corresponding button will net you that upgrade on your next level up. Each category offers unique weapons and abilities so I recommend looking at the upgrades section on the main menu to better plan which areas to level up.
Now, to the numbers
Gameplay
4.5 – You’ll have plenty of fun running around the levels grabbing cash and rounding up hostages but stray too far from your teammates and the game goes downhill fast.
Graphics
3.5 – There’s nothing special here, especially on the PS3 version. For a downloadable game, it’s respectable.
Balance
4 – In my opinion, the balance category is better suited for competitive multiplayer games, but since it’s here, I’d say that the cops have a slight advantage over our anti-heroes if only because of the Cloakers and the Taser’s.
Depth
5 – The system may be a bit confusing since they never really explain it to you. However, this game has a reputation system that spans all the way to level 147 spread across 3 streams; Assault, Sharpshooter and Support. More DLC on the way promises to increase the reputation level even further. There’s plenty to keep you interested.
Community
4 – Thanks to the new patch, any problems you may have had connecting to and finding games have been remedied. There is always a healthy amount of games available at any normal hour. Being a cooperative game, microphones are encouraged and those without may have a harder time staying in games.
So, you just suffered a heart-wrenching break-up, and feel as if the entire world has turned its back on you. Your universe has melted into a horrific existence comprised of tears, emotionally draining memories of happier times, and jars of peanut butter, scooped out and eaten with your tear-drenched fingers. It’s okay. I know how you feel. When I was 16, I was unceremoniously dumped by a beautiful girl I was sure would be my soulmate. I bought a case of creamy Peter Pan. There were no survivors.
You won’t be coming back from the hell my broken heart and chubby fingers are about to send you to, Peter Pan.
But all was not lost. I dove into a new video game (Winback, for the Nintendo 64), and was shocked at how fast my body and mind were recovering from such a tragic loss of love. As my spirit slowly repaired itself, I realized how effective games could be in calming a troubled heart. And so, dear readers, I would like to offer my help to you, both as a lover of games and a compassionate friend, seeking to soothe your troubled heart. Here are five games that will help you recover from even the worst break-up. Warning: Spoilers (both major and minor) ahead.
Red Dead Redemption
The Wild West. A true no-man’s land and uncivilized frontier. After a bad break-up, a man feels as if he’ll never love again. He’s alone, and suffering from a crushing alienation. While this seems like the worst possible way to live after being ripped from the company of a lover, John Marston proves that going it alone is an entirely viable lifestyle (just ignore the fact that his wife was kidnapped). The majority of my time with RDR was spent wandering the countryside, slaughtering helplessly cute animals and camping underneath the open sky. No cuddling, no chatting, and no lover to side-saddle behind you. It’s a great thing to realize that an individual can strike out alone and survive. For this game to help, though, you have to refuse to finish it. Dawdle around the wild west, and get in touch with your individualistic, animalistic, isolationist side.
“Bitches be crazy. Am I right?”
Braid
Braid is a quirky and esoteric platformer that messes with time almost as much as it messes with your head. Basically, you are tasked with manipulating time and environments to solve a series of puzzles in order to get to your princess girlfriend, who represents or embodies some sort of awful mistake you have made. After you have traversed the game’s many worlds, and finally come close to reaching your objective, you are met with a very different ending than you are accustomed to. The princess you have been chasing is the atomic bomb. You, Tim, created the atomic bomb, fell in love with it, and now are racing against time to negate the horror you are about to release upon the world. After completing the game, you will realize how close you were to utter disaster. That girl you thought you loved? The dreamy guy who broke up with you on Valentine’s Day? Atomic bombs. Metaphorically. By separating from them, you may have saved the lives of thousands of unwitting citizens. With this mindset, every break-up will result in relief and joy. Just assume that your ex-lover is capable of mass murder and devastation. Distancing yourself will be the smartest and easiest course of action.
“If you meet up with my bomb-princess-girlfriend, could you tell her we should see other people?”
Warhammer 40K: Space Marine
Do you know what Space Marines have? Sword-chainsaw hybrid weapons, genetic enhancements, and combat boots as big as station wagons. Do you know what they don’t have? Dinner date reservations with their hubbies. There are far more important things in this world than your failed relationship. Like Orks. Ever think about that? Space Marine will help put your life in perspective. No, you probably aren’t tasked with fighting off aliens or monsters to save the human race, but there are important matters out there that dwarf your love life issues. Strap on a pair of size 31 combat boots, grab your heavy bolter, stop feeling sorry for yourself, and boldly step back into life to take on something serious.
“This is my biz-cas date attire!”
Uncharted 2
Uncharted 2 is a great game on many accounts, one of them being the beautiful and smart female coconspirators of Nathan Drake. As he solves supernatural mysteries, and trots across the globe in search of ancient treasures, Drake often finds himself entangled in steamy situations with Chloe and Elena. Both incredibly brainy and dead sexy, Chloe and Elena are great foils for Drake, as well as enticing love interests. I’ve played through the game numerous times, and still can’t decide who I want Drake to fall head-over-heels in love with. After a bad break-up, it’s nice to be reminded that there are other fish in the sea, and all is not lost. The concept of “soul mates” is embarrassingly juvenile; take comfort knowing that as long as you clean the peanut butter off your fingers and bathe this week, there are many potential girlfriends and boyfriends out there. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps and go on a quest for love!
Although, if you’re out to meet and seduce a Chloe, you might want to stop eating entire jars of peanut butter altogether.
God of War
The God of War series will both entertain you with its blood, brawn, and breasts, and remind you that sometimes “moving on” is the best option. Kratos refuses to stop bitterly obsessing over his past love (of course, his was killed, but it’s the same sentiment). The result of his acerbic fixation? Thousands of murdered people, gods, and creatures. Now, some obviously deserved it, but there were many caught in the crossfire. Had Kratos mourned and then moved on with life, countless men’s lives would have been spared, and families remained together. If you obsess with a past girlfriend or boyfriend, you are asking for trouble. Yes, there should be a time of sorrow and mourning, but it should last a short time, and then you should lose the sweatpants and Crocs, and rejoin the land of the living. You probably won’t go on a revenge-fueled killing spree, but still, there is nothing good to come of an infatuation with someone you can’t be with.
“Give me your Goober, your Jif, and your Reese’s. I will not ask twice…”
What game got you through an emotional break-up? Let me know in the comments.
We hope you enjoyed this article. Today is MP1st’s 3-month birthday so we thought we’d try something a little different. Also, we need your help to get to 1,000 followers on Twitter. We’re almost there! Click here to follow!
An interesting thread on the Battlelog reports some problems Xbox 360 users are experiencing when having both the HD texture pack and the Battlefield 3 discs installed onto the hard drive at the same time.
User doctor3d has noticed that “If you install the game disc, it will screw up some of the HD textures. No matter which way you do it, first or after installing the HD pack, you lose some of the textures. For whatever reason this game looks MUCH better when you only have the HD pack installed.”
According to this thread, others are experiencing the same problem as well. It seems that the installation of the Battlefield 3 discs to the 360 hard drive interferes with the HD texture pack. “This is caused by your hard drive having to do extra work to produce both the base textures and HD textures simultaneously from the same source. The reason it looks better when the Disc is used instead of being installed is that SD material and game entities stream from disc while HD textures exclusively stream from the hard drive. This increases the bandwidth available to the drive and everything appears on your screen faster, so you don’t have to be near something for as long for it to fully materialize,” explains doctor3d. DICE’s official response so far: “Thanks for reporting this issue, we’ll look into it.”
For now it is suggested that curious 360 users try uninstalling everything from the hard drive and only re-instal the HD texture pack when prompted to upon first inserting the disc.
doctor3d outlines the steps he’s taken:
Delete Disc 1
Delete Disc 2
Delete Update
Delete HD Textures
Clear System Cache
Restart Xbox
Launch BF3
Install Update when Prompted
Install HD Textures
Play
He’s also ordered the quality of the visuals as follows:
Everything Installed – Good Quality (Some HD Textures are missing and\or less Sharp)
Only HD Installed – Highest Quality (Walls, Floors, and entities have a sharper appearance)
Alternatively, for the best possible quality, it is also possible to first install the HD texture pack to the 360 hard drive and then install both Battlefield 3 discs to a flash or USB drive that is at least as fast or faster than the 360’s DVD player.
Following these steps, we didn’t see much of a difference when it came the loading times or definition of textures on objects in-game; however, character textures were loaded instantaneously. This was especially noticeable when viewing your killer in the killcam. Also, keep in mind that though it may be possible to achieve better performance by following the above steps, keeping the Battlefield 3 discs installed to your hard drive (if you do not have a flash/USB drive) will reduce mechanical noise and general wear-and-tear of your system. If you are satisfied with your current Battlefield 3 experience, we recommend simply playing the game as is. We also recommend you do not take this as hard proof until DICE officially clarifies.
For anyone who has tried these steps, please let us know in the comments if you notice any differences. We will make sure to keep you updated with any further responses from DICE. Make sure to stay tuned to MP1st!
Thanks to Gunny017 for bringing this to our attention.
Robert Bowling, also known as Four Zero Two, shed some light on what we can expect from the developers behind Modern Warfare 3 in terms of patches and hot fixes.
Modern Warfare 3 received patch 1.03 recently, but as players have been experiencing other issues not addressed by the patch, Bowling clarifies that there are more updates to come. When asked by Hutch on whether the spawn system is being addressed, Robert assured that spawns are being worked on, and he went on to explain that there are “lots of updates in [the] works and daily hot fixes happening. [We] will continue to address and update.” Apparently, the map “Outpost”, which received a hot fix yesterday, is still exposed to glitching. One fan complained to Robert that he was killed by a cheater underneath the map, Bowling clarified “hot fix already in the works, please report that player so that we can stop him from playing”. Click here to learn more about the banning process. Another major exploit that’s becoming more popular is the unlimited Stealth Bomber glitch, which Robert addressed by promising that it will be ironed out through a hot fix that will go live soon, and of course anyone abusing the glitch will be banned. As we recently reported, PS3 players are experiencing more issues than the other systems, Robert reassured that Infinity Ward is indeed “working on [PS3 framerate issues, lag,..etc]. Daily meetings are [being held to] investigate cause and solutions. We will get [the problems] resolved for you.”
Robert Bowling talks about Modern Warfare 3’s banning process.
As we reported earlier, Infinity Ward is doing everything in its power to keep cheaters and boosters from ruining the game. Infinity Ward’s Creative Strategist, Robert Bowling, reassures that boosters who turn recording off to fly under the radar can still be banned by the security team. Robert explains “[player] stats are always recorded, we can verify and detect cheating without video proof.” All players have to do is to “report them [cheaters and boosters] in game via the Report a Player option in the lobby when selecting their name.” After they abusers get reported, the security team behind MW3 can “issue the bans directly after verifying”. A few days ago, Robert issued a warning by saying “any attempt to cheat, hack, or glitch in MW3 will not be tolerated. 1600+ bans issued.” It turns out that those 1600 banned players were only on consoles, and the security team “did a massive amount of PC specific bans shortly after that post. We’ll keeping banning.” Robert assures that the team behind Modern Warfare 3 “will stay vigilant”.
Have you seen any cheaters or boosters in Modern Warfare 3? I, unfortunately, came across a pair of booster on Interchange. Luckily, I ruined their party before they got to the M.O.A.B.
Be sure to follow MP1st on Twitter and Facebook for the latest Modern Warfare 3 News.
After working on Modern Warfare 3, Sledgehammer Games ponders its future.
Though we reported earlier that CoD developer, Sledgehammer Games showed interest in developing a Call of Duty of their own, it now seems like developing a completely new IP (intellectual property) might be on their agenda. In an interview with industrygamers, co-founder of Sledgehammer Games, Glen Schofield, gave a small glimpse into their future.
When asked how they felt about creating a new IP, Schofield answered “We’d like to do both [create another CoD] or either. Truthfully, how could you go wrong with making either another CoD game or a new IP.” He continued, “both will push you as a developer and both are fun to create and develop. Activision is definitely open to new ideas. Just take a look at the Action/Adventure game we were initially working on that – Sledgehammer Games canceled it for the opportunity to work on MW3.” Schofield couldn’t give any specific plans as to what the team will be working on next; though, he did mention now that MW3 has launched, “we will all need some time to recharge the batteries and come back refreshed and ready to give 110%… I know Activision wants us to work on what we’re passionate about, that’s why they asked us to work on MW3, not forced us.”
Would you like to see a third studio working on the Call of Duty franchise? Or, would you like to see Sledgehammer Games try out a new IP? Let us know in the comments below.
In other news, Modern Warfare 3 has recently seen an update. So far, this hotfix has corrected a known glitch on the map Outpost which allowed players to roam underneath the map getting free kills. Humorously, IW/SHG even went as far as getting the player killed if they tried to do so any further.
Reddit user fpeltwkqrjt has compiled a full list of weapon damage in Battlefield 3. Each weapon is organized by class and shows its rate of fire, magazine size and damage at distances of up to 100 meters.
In addition to the newly released Strike at Karkand gameplay trailer, DICE also gives us a look into their new “extended persistance” system.
This system is being introduced in DICE’s new expansion pack in the form of “assignments.” These assignments are basically tasks the player must complete in order to unlock 1 of the 10 brand new weapons being included in Back to Karkand. If you haven’t yet, make sure to check out all 10 weapons here. They are organized into two weapons per kit; assault, support, engineer, recon, and all-kit weapons. You will be able to view your progress towards these assignments and weapons under the ‘My Solder’ tab in the main menu.
An example given in the picture below details the “Let it rain” assignment, wich requires the player to achieve 20 light machine gun kills and two mortar kills. It should also be noted that Battlefield 3 keeps track of your progress in both the Back to Karkand maps and the original maps. These 10 new weapons can also be used across all maps.
Let it rain.
What weapon or weapons are you most looking forward to in Back to Karkand? Let us know in the comments!
Though a patch is in the works for Battlefield 3, Daniel Matros has stated that he “can’t reveal anything right now except that it is being based on community feedback we’ve collected. This isn’t the final update though. We will keep working on the game.” You can check out a list of bugs and glitches that are confirmed by DICE to be looked into here. As Matros stated above, though this will be a large patch that should fix many issues, it will not be the last.
Many fans have been asking for certain conquest maps on console to be enlarged or to have the flags spaced out further on the current Battlefield 3 maps. Alan Kertz, senior gameplay designer had this to say: “We tried a larger setup. It was boring. Needs more players, which isn’t possible on console.” Basically, it is possible, but consoles simply can’t support the number of players needed for exciting gameplay. However, if private servers are eventually implemented, perhaps larger conquest maps could be an option.
If you haven’t yet, make sure to follow MP1st on Twitter and Facebook so we can keep you up to date on all things Battlefield 3!
EA and DICE has revealed yet another Back to Karkand gameplay trailer. This time showing off some of the new weapons and revealing seven-flag conquest on the classic map, Strike at Karkand. All this and more is included in DICE’s Battlefield 3 expansion pack due out in December.
XboxAhoy makes some of the best weapon guides you’ll ever see. In fact he was hired to produce some videos for Call of Duty’s Elite service, which you can find under the “Elite TV”. In today’s guide, we feature the last 5 unlocks in the assault rifles tier, G36C, ACR 6.8, MK14, AK-47, and FAD. Click here in case you missed the first 5 assualt rifles, M4A1, M16A4, SCAR, CM901, and Type 95.
Ian Torny, Battlefield 3’s Community Manager, highlights some of the problems and tweaks DICE is currently working on. We have covered a good portion of these issues and much more in our daily BF3 reports. Keep in mind, many of the “DICE is investigating” comments mean that either the issues are already included in the patch or still being investigated. For instance, the negative mouse acceleration issue has been confirmed to be in the patch.
Be sure to follow MP1st on Twitter and Facebook for the latest BF3 coverage.
In-Game VOIP – Known request. DICE is investigating
Spawning on teammate who dies – Been seeing more about this lately. Have passed to dev team.
Squads and Spawning (cont.) – Noted
Minimap Changes – Known request. DICE is investigating
Text Chat Window – Known request. DICE is investigating
Score Screen/Between Games – Known request. DICE is investigating
Fix Negative Mouse Acceleration – Known request. DICE is investigating
Server crashes rob us of all points gained in those games – Known issue. DICE is investigating
Redesign Commo Rose – Known request. DICE is investigating
Provide a visible number for mouse sensitivity, not just a slider bar – Noted
Bring back Server Queuing – Known request. DICE is investigating
Horns on vehicles! – Will be added in a future patch
Colorblind support – Known request. DICE is investigating
Jet shaking – How prevalent is this issue? I’ve only seen it come up recently and seems to be a latency issue.
The way the current Flight Ceiling works is really jarring and frustrating – Known request. DICE is investigating
BattleRecorder would be nice – Agreed. Known request. DICE is investigating
Standing near an ammo crate after deploying EOD bot or MAV destroys the currently deployed version – Can you rephrase this? I don’t understand.
Same goes for mobile spawn – I’m guessing this is balance related. If you’re going to chuck it down 90% of the time, then do so. I think that this allows people who have located the mobile spawn to put some suppressing fire on that spot and prevent the re-deploy. Either way – noted.
Let us know when someone destroys our equipment! – Noted
Accepting a revive shouldn’t require standing up – Known request. DICE is investigating
When trying to join a game as a group, friends are often split to different teams. This should never happen – Known request. DICE is investigating
Ability to set an FPS cap in – Noted
Consider giving pilots of helicopters with no main guns – Noted
Various Bugs, including but not limited to: frequent client crashes; locking aircraft not showing red box, but making lock sounds; inconsistency/difficulty getting knife/defib to register on target; C4 sometimes won’t detonate and instead deploys infinitely; claymores not properly detecting movement; stacked crosshairs (m320 crosshairs showing when primary weapon equipped); – All Noted
Fix TV Missiles from Choppers – Known request. DICE is investigating
Allow independent sensitivity/inversion settings for each vehicle – Known request. DICE is investigating
If you want to learn more about what’s going to be in the upcoming patch, please visit out our Battlefield 3 section.
In our continuing coverage of Senior Alan Kert’s dialog with Battlefield fans, he reveals DICE’s thoughts behind the implementation of destruction in Battlefield 3.
In terms of sound and visuals, the destruction in Battlefield 3 has seem much improvement since Battlefield: Bad Company 2. However, many fans are commenting on the noticeable step backwards in terms of scale. You may remember that almost any building in BFBC2 could be completely levelled. While there are many buildings in BF3 that can be completely demolished as well, it is not to the same extent as recent, previous titles. While talking to fans on reddit, Mr. Kertz revealed DICE’s thoughts behind their decisions made in Battlefield 3.
“With Battlefield 3 we wanted to get back to some of the Urban fighting that we had in 1942 and BF2, that requires a shift of focus on destruction from taking down a building to taking down the Facade of the building. I think it has worked quite well, and in the open environments there’s a larger scale of destruction similar to BC2. Of course, we’d love to see more and better destruction.”
Brought up in the ongoing discussions were issues of the javelin unable to consistently hit tanks, even under the guidance of a SOFLAM. Additionally noted was its seemingly weak damage output. Kertz answered briefly but clearly, “both will be addressed.”
Also mentioned was the status of the input lag/response time bug that PS3 users are currently experiencing when it comes to aiming. Kertz answered that “we’re aware of it, and smarter people than me are looking at it. I don’t have more info than that.”
What do you think about the destruction in Battlefield 3? Would you like to see changes made to it? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to follow MP1st on Twitter and Facebook for more Battlefield 3 coverage.
Modern Warfare 3 has had a dodgy launch on all consoles; however, PS3 players have had the shortest end of the stick.
A few days ago, Infinity Ward released a patch for consoles that addressed several issues. The main fix for the PS3 was the ‘Out of Memory 14′ errors. While this problem might have been ironed out, there are still a number of issues, mainly with lag, hit notification, and crashes. Fans have been hitting up the Official MW3 Forums and developers’ Twitter accounts to get answers on whether Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games are fixing these issues. Luckily for PS3 users, Glen Schofield has acknowledged the PS3 issues. Activision customer support a step further and suggested one fix for the PS3 crashing issue; Mikey explained “[you can] try clearing your game data utility and let the game reinstall to your console again. See if that makes a difference.” Also, we recently reported on Voice Chat is being looked at.
Senior Gameplay Designer, Alan Kertz, answers questions from fans and reveals possible future DLC.
Recently, Mr. Kertz took to reddit to begin some dialog with Battlefield 3 fans. Here, he answered many questions, one pertaining particularly to DLC. One fan asked if “there may be a chance of a BF 2143…” making it in as future DLC for Battlefield 3. Kertz answered, “It’s definitely a popular topic in the office. That and Mirrors Edge and even Codename Eagle! There’s never a shortage of ideas, just time.” Global Community Manager, Daniel Matros, mentioned in a recent podcast that fan feedback will have a big influence on future DLC. If this is indeed true, then it seems there is a good chance of BF2143 getting a shot at being a downloadable expansion to Battlefield 3.
Another hot topic among the Battlefield community is mod tools. DICE stated earlier that they were not releasing any due to complications with their newly created Frostbite 2 engine. Kertz explains further: “I don’t think it’s the complexity of the tools that is the problem, but rather the complexity of middleware and licensing that goes on. No one writes all their own stuff any more, a lot of the software we use we cannot release to the community for legal reasons.”
Are you still dying for mod tools? And, would you like to see Battlefield 2143 come to fruition as a downloadable expansion pack for Battlefield 3? Let us know your thoughts in the comments and make sure to follow MP1st on Twitter and Facebook for all the latest Battlefield 3 news!
Battlefield 3 is easily one of my favorite multiplayer games of this console generation; it’s quickly moving up the ranks in my “all-time favorites” as well. With a hundred hours playtime at rank 49, I’ve put enough time in to really get a hang of the game and its unique elements. I’ve also seen more than a few issues crop up that should be remedied either via patches and updates, or for future Battlefield installments. Some of these might seem minor, and I’m sure I’ll be accused of nitpicking, but for long-term and heavily invested players, they can really add up to an annoying (at best) or frustrating (at worst) gaming experience.
Server Browsers
Server browsers are an oft-requested feature of multiplayer games, and fans were thrilled to hear they would be implemented into Battlefield 3. Unfortunately, they’re kind of pointless. Yes, you can choose a server currently hosting the map you want to play on, but it’s still a normal cycle of maps. That means if you want to play Siene Crossing, and go to the server browser to select a server hosting Siene Crossing, you will only play that map once (at best), and then the cycle will continue. I say “at best” because you might join into a game in progress; you might be plunked down in the game with only 5 kills remaining, and not even get to play the map you chose. Then it’s off to the next random map. The console server browser needs to have dedicated map servers. I could spend entire evening gaming sessions playing nothing but Grand Bazaar. I’m sure other gamers have their favorite maps they’d like to play in a continuous loop. DICE need to make the browsers more like the standard PC gaming servers. They could even look to see what the most popular maps are, and test the waters with them first to see what the community’s reaction would be.
Great news in theory; mediocre news in execution.
Ranking
My mind was blown when I read that Battlefield would feature 145 levels. Unfortunately, my buzz was harshed by the fact that there are really only 45 levels, and then 100 “service stars,” which give you no items or unlocks outside of some rather generic-looking dog tags. To be honest, it feels like an artificially extended ranking system to compete with the likes of Call of Duty’s “Prestige” options. DICE should have either spread out the unlocks or just had rank 45 the highest rank. Having 99 levels of Colonel seems a little redundant. They could remedy this short-term by creating Colonel-only servers, or offering some goodies on the Battlelog or something, but in future games, I hope they rethink their ranking strategy.
Weapon Attachments
For the most part, weapon attachments are an absolute blast to unlock and equip. Unfortunately, many of them are completely worthless for the weapon at hand. A massive long-range rifle scope for a pump shotgun? Really? It seems bizarre to me that shotguns have so many useless scopes, and yet lack foregrips, a pretty standard attachment for gaming shotguns. It would have been nice to see some more unique attachments for specific weapons outside of the heavy barrels for assault, bipods for support, etc.
I don't think I'll be doing any sniping with this anytime soon...
TDM Spawns
The spawns in Team Deathmatch, while not as “meat-grindy” as, say, Modern Warfare 3, can be pretty ridiculous. There are two maps with infamous “instakill” spawns at the beginning of the game. Noshahr Canals and Damavand Peak each feature an opening spawn point that, for some inexplicable reason, spawns a player from each team in the exact same spot. This gives the player looking in the right direction a free kill less than a second into the match. Unfortunately, it doesn’t stop at opening spawns. Many maps feature spawn points inside buildings or structures. That’s fine and dandy except that those buildings and structures can be destroyed as the match progresses. Then the game might spawn you inside what it thinks is a “safe zone,” but is really a crumbled building out in the middle of everything, with no cover around. The opposing team can just sit outside the area and rack up the kills. It seems as if there are “safe zones,” and if an enemy isn’t in one, the game will choose it as a viable spawn point for the player. This can get ugly when enemies are outside, but looking into, the safe zones, and can get free shots on a spawning player. Canals also has a few of these spots. I maintained a killstreak and a high Nemesis count on one single player who the game kept spawning by a crate on the docks. I wasn’t near the docks, but I had an open shot into them. It’s definitely a balancing issue that needs some effort spent by DICE rectifying.
Spawnkill in 3...2...1...Spawn kill is a go.
Is Battlefield a great game? For sure. Despite a predictable hairy launch week, the game runs like a dream now, and I would easily count this as the multiplayer game of the year, no question. That being said, I really hope DICE continues to balance and tweak the balancing, and adds a more specific server functionality.
We’ve had almost a month with BF3. Leave your thoughts on the game in the comments and make sure to follow MP1st on Twitter and Facebook!
To get your Battlefield 3 fix, visit our dedicated page!
More details about Back to Karkand and color-bind mode in Battlefield 3 have been revealed. Also, DICE shares it’s response to recent development rumors.
Besides the graphics, some of the biggest differences between the PC and console versions of Battlefield 3 are the map sizes, especially in the Conquest game type. Where you might find maps that include five flags on the PC, those same maps might include only three flags on console eg. Operation Firestorm. However, with the release of Back to Karkand this December, DICE is looking to change that. According to Global Community Manager, Daniel Matros, consoles will also be receiving five flag maps. However, recent GameSpot PS3 footage of Back to Karkand showed the maps Strike at Karkand and Gulf of Oman to be only three flag maps. We’ve yet to have seen console footage of Sharqi Peninsula or Wake Island, but if only one map were to include five flags on console, it would most likely be wake island with its lengthy U-shape design.
As a follow up to one of our recent articles detailing how they will be handling cheaters in Battlefield 3, DICE has recently announced that they have “banned hundreds of offending accounts and have stats-wiped additional accounts for exploiting (such as boosting).” Lookout for more!
Many fans are still on DICE’s tail regarding support for the color-blind. It’s something that is a must for Battlefield 3 considering the recent Modern Warfare 3 had color-blind support at launch. Thankfully, Tomas Danko, VO Producer at DICE, has some new info. He confirms color-blind mode “has not been forgotten, only postponed. This is an important issue to lots of people at DICE.” Expect updates as more details of the upcoming patchbecome available. Follow MP1st on Twitter and Facebook to stay informed!
Despite recent rumors of Battlefield 3 switching to consoles as the lead platform mid-development, Danko assures us this was not the case. “We spent years making the game on PC only, then ten months to fit it onto consoles AFTER the design was done,” he said in response to one distraught fan. Take from this what you will, but it’s important to recognize how much work DICE has put into the PC version of Battlefield 3.
It’s been ten years since gamers were first introduced to the Halo universe. How do you begin to write an article about one of the most iconic video game franchises of all time? I’ll admit, I thought it would be easy, but it turns out I was wrong.
Originally destined for the Mac operating system, Halo ended up becoming a launch title for the original Xbox. I doubt anyone at Microsoft or Bungie had any idea how popular Halo would become. Like PB&J, Halo and Xbox became an iconic pair. It could be argued that Xbox wouldn’t be where it was today without Halo, and Halo wouldn’t have made it this far without Xbox exclusivity.
Released before Xbox Live was even live (sorry for the bad pun), Halo: Combat Evolved easily allowed gamers to do something they had already been doing for years: host LAN parties. With two TVs and Xboxes, and a crossover cable it was a breeze to set up a LAN party for eight people. Before Halo, never before had it been this easy to play with friends in the same room. Xbox Live rolled out in 2002, and despite being a bit clunky, its support for voice was enough to have the ‘LAN party’ feel with your friends regardless of location.
Not to be overlooked, Bungie deserves a large portion of credit for fostering the multiplayer Halo community. Over the years Bungie has set the bar for not only producing high quality games, but for continuing their support years after launch. Much of this success can be attributed to their official website Bungie.net. Weekly updates from the studio, and forums to discuss the Halo universe provided fans a place to hang out when they were away from their consoles.
Perhaps the most important thing that brought gamers to the Bungie.net community was the gameplay stats. Halo 2, the first Halo title with official XBL support, launched with an amazing online component. Players could now relive the glory by accessing the “Postgame Carnage Report” and check game statistics, medals earned, etc. That was 2004, and while I don’t want to participate in fanboy mudslinging, consider the following statement: Call of Duty just released their eighth franchise game, but it’s the first one to support fully-featured, online stat tracking at launch. (Yes, I realize that CoD:BO stats are included in Elite, but that didn’t go live until recently. WaW also had a version of this after launch.)
As great as online stat tracking was, Bungie one-upped themselves with the theater in Halo 3. Now, it was possible to save videos of your gameplay. Gamers love to brag about their l33t skillz and the theater feature made it incredibly easy to show off their best moves. It was with Halo 3 that the internet exploded with all kinds of gameplay montages, many of which were extremely well-edited. Recently, other games have been released with similar features, but Bungie pioneered this on consoles years before.
Finally, as with any multiplayer community, playing the same maps repeatedly can lead to stagnation of style and boredom for everyone. Formerly, map editors were only available for PC players. Halo 3 shipped with ‘The Forge’ a tool that gave console players the ability to create endless new maps. Limited only by imagination and the item budget, many Halo enthusiasts built some pretty phenomenal multiplayer maps. Some of these maps even found their way into regular rotation in multiplayer matchmaking thus prolonging the experience.
So, there you have it. Over the past ten years, Bungie has been providing the tools to their multiplayer community to make the Halo franchise one of the most beloved of all time. Despite recently turning the intellectual property of Halo over to 343 Industries, I firmly believe that the support for the community will not change. Let’s continue to hope that the next ten years will be as great as the last.
Follow MP1st on Twitter and Facebook for more Halo coverage!
I'm currently a third year dental student. When I'm not gaming or studying, I enjoy cooking, listening to music, and photography/photo editing.
Subscriber
