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[TalesOfWin]

Yea but it's still 2011 tech on pc. It's not pushing pcs to its potential.

If DICE wanted to they surely have the talent they could make all of the e3 next gen tech demos look like trash by pushing a PC to its limit atm.

the game is developed with cross-gen in mind considering PS3/360 releases.

 

[Anton Sugar]

New blog:

Class reunion with a twist
The four playable kits from Battlefield 3 will be back in Battlefield 4: Engineer, Recon, Support, and Assault. While keeping these core kits intact, we are increasing the ability for players to more strongly specialize their combat role while also increasing flexibility and catering to different play styles. At the same time, we’re maintaining a distinct flavor in the different kits and building more meaningful interactions between them. We will go more in-depth on the specific classes in the next blog post.

No matter your play style, we have an extremely deep collection of features in Battlefield 4, and we want to make sure that you can experience that wide array of options available to you. Looking at Battlefield 3, I think only a fraction of our players have tried all available gadgets or vehicles in multiplayer. Of course you don’t have to use everything in the game, but I think we can do a better job in BF4 of letting players make more educated choices in their kit loadouts and combat roles.

I think some players in Battlefield 3 stuck with the default Assault loadout. That’s fine – there’s a reason why it’s the default – but I think they’re missing out on so much amazing variety. In Battlefield 4, we’re clearly displaying what gadgets can do for you, how different weapons compare, and how they affect your options on the Battlefield.

Great team play = great perks
We have this new concept called Field Upgrades. If you’re a long term fan that played Battlefield 2142, you will already have an idea what these are, but we have tweaked them for Battlefield 4. In short, Field Upgrades are chained boosts that can affect a number of gameplay mechanics for your player. Similar to the specializations in Battlefield 3, these can for example provide you with faster sprint speed, stronger personal armor, or expanded ammo capacity.

The idea behind Field Upgrades is to give individual rewards for squad based team play performance. You earn them through squad scoring such as squad healing, completing objectives with your squad members, squad resupplies, squad repairs, and other squad actions. Instead of one single specialization like in Battlefield 3, you can now pick from different upgrades paths, each containing four specializations. Keep the squad alive, and you will move through the accumulative upgrade path. But watch out! If your entire squad is eliminated, you will lose some of your progress.

Showing you how team play gives you the edge in the bigger battle is paramount for us, and it involves all elements of the game: audiovisual feedback, user interface, gameplay mechanics, and the way the entire persistence system is designed. When we tie all of these elements together with the tweaked team-based scoring, we have a game where I think everyone will find it satisfying and deeply engrossing to truly be part of a team.

Creating a positive feedback loop
I’ve always been fascinated by creating interconnected systems and seeing how players use them. A great example in Battlefield 4 is the reward cycle incorporating every link in the chain of command. For example: The Commander issues an order (example: “Capture Base A!”), the Squad Leader passes it on to his squad mates, and the squad gets the work done. This executed order will reward everyone in the command chain and also open up ways for the Commander to further reward his team. This creates an eco-system that I believe will take team play in Battlefield 4 to new heights.

In the next episode of “The Road to Battlefield 4”, we’ll be taking a much closer look at exactly how Field Upgrades and the upgrade paths work, as well as revealing some of the all-new specializations we’re introducing in the game.

Levolution: The perfect storm
Watching our fans play Battlefield 3 has taught us a lot about player behavior. As developers, we tend to play our games one way, while fans try a lot of interesting things that we never thought of. Take the antenna on Caspian Border, for example. After players had seen it fall once, we could see them using everything in their arsenal to try and bring it down themselves. It might sound like a simple example, but it was one of the factors that initially made us think about incorporating bigger player-triggered destruction in Battlefield 4 – and that in turn led us to the game-changing concept that is Levolution.

Levolution is an overarching design concept incorporating a lot of features both big and small, that all affect gameplay in some way. You’ve probably already seen what it can do to skyscrapers but it also includes features like changing weather conditions that affects visibility, car alarms and metal detectors alerting players of enemy presence, or the ability to completely shroud a building in darkness and take out the enemies within using your IRNV scopes. Much more than just massive feats of destruction or pretty graphics, the exciting thing about Levolution is how it affects gameplay. From bringing down a skyscraper to securing a zone from enemy vehicles by raising bollards to block entry, Levolution will let you dynamically shape every game. And like so many other elements in Battlefield 4, Levolution also ties into the team play aspect of the game.

For example, depending on your team strengths, collapsing the skyscraper on our E3 map “Siege of Shanghai” can be either a positive or a negative. When you’ve knocked out its four main pillars, the skyscraper will fall in a massive cloud of dust and debris, killing all players unfortunate to be trapped inside. The base that used to be capture point C at the very top of the skyscraper will now be found at ground level, amidst the jarring blocks of concrete and rubble. This new infantry battleground will be clouded by dust, making navigation hard and often seeing players switch to infrared night vision scopes or FLIR. What used to be sniper heaven and the ideal paradrop base has suddenly turned into a low-visibility close quarters combat arena. This is great if you’re all about infantry combat, but if you have a team of great pilots, you will probably want the skyscraper to stay intact.

We’ll go more in-depth on the design process that led up to Levolution, as well as showcasing more examples of what this powerful concept can do in a future post. If there is one thing I wanted to focus on for multiplayer in Battlefield 4, it’s the idea of an open-ended design — We are creating a dynamic and complex “sandbox” where YOU decide what you want to do with it. That’s an emergent type of gameplay that we pride ourselves upon here at DICE.

With the release of Battlefield 4 fast approaching, we are anxious to start exploring the game together with you. Stay tuned here on the Battlefield Blog for more updates soon, and let us know what you think in the poll below.
-Thomas Andersson

 

[ExoHazMatt]

"Levolution" sounds like such a gimmick but that doesn't make it look any less cool.

So it sounds like there is kind of a support scorestreak thing going on here? This may have been rolled out before now but this is the first I've heard of it. I'm curious to know more about this. I hope it doesn't end up giving one player the ability to use all support actions (like ammo, med kits, defrib, repair, etc.). That kind of feels like they're defeating the purpose of individual classes if so. But, as with all things BF4, we'll just have to wait and see. No use making assumptions.

 

[Anton Sugar]

"Levolution" sounds like such a gimmick but that doesn't make it look any less cool.

So it sounds like there is kind of a support scorestreak thing going on here? This may have been rolled out before now but this is the first I've heard of it. I'm curious to know more about this. I hope it doesn't end up giving one player the ability to use all support actions (like ammo, med kits, defrib, repair, etc.). That kind of feels like they're defeating the purpose of individual classes if so. But, as with all things BF4, we'll just have to wait and see. No use making assumptions.

It's a scorestreak, but it doesn't give access to support actions. Specializations in BF3 (extra ammo, grenades, decreased suppression, etc.) are just in a tiered system for the entire squad now. So, technicality not abilities, but perks.

 

[ExoHazMatt]

It's a scorestreak, but it doesn't give access to support actions. Specializations in BF3 (extra ammo, grenades, decreased suppression, etc.) are just in a tiered system for the entire squad now. So, technicality not abilities, but perks.

That sounds good. Thanks!

 

[TalesOfWin]

but it also includes features like changing weather conditions

dynamic weather confirmed!

 

[opensource]

BC2 still not topped. Sad.

 

[Mahonay]

I'll never understand the general dislike for BF3 on GAF amongst some Battlefield players. When someone shits on it, with out fail they almost always bring up BC2 to compare it against.

I loved the living hell out of Bad Company 2 and put many hours into it, but I also think Battlefield 3 was fantastic. For sure it wasn't a perfect game, but it's definitely still Battlefield. A long night of BF3 with some friends is still a really fun time.

But what do I know? Apparently I love a well made shit sandwich.

 

[TalesOfWin]

BC2 still not topped. Sad.

lol in terms of what? it has been topped in terms of features thats for sure.

 

[The Faceless Master]

First crate of that really shitty Vietnam one where you start down in the river valley... that was like a precursor to Metro. I bet the person(s) responsible for both those maps are the same.

that one section was close but the rest of the map wasn't!

 

[IdiotMyshkin]

That would definitely be incredibly dumb. In BC2 you might as well not bother protecting M-COMs in collapsible buildings since they're so easy to take down.

Atacama goes down within a minute

 

[IdiotMyshkin]

All you people whining about metro never played Damavand conquest

 

[Mahonay]

Atacama goes down within a minute

Those first M-COM points on Nelson Bay were the fucking worst to defend. It was pretty much impossible.

 

[The Faceless Master]

All you people whining about metro never played Damavand conquest

well, that map has helicopters

Those first M-COM points on Nelson Bay were the fucking worst to defend. It was pretty much impossible.

nah, not really. though usually a few peeps would set up for 2nd set defense instead of defending.

 

[JJD]

lol in terms of what? it has been topped in terms of features thats for sure.

In therms of destructibility. You could destroy almost every building and tree in most maps and change the flow of the game immensely.

PS3 GAF was amazing with it's scorched earth tactics.

On many maps 1 or 2 players would fall back and destroy with C4 the whole forest and all buildings between the first and second base while the rest of the team defended the objective. We would take out all cover and make enemy progress to the second base almost impossible.

It was fun as hell!!! There is nothing comparable in BF3 and I hope Dice bumps up the destruction.

 

[TalesOfWin]

All you people whining about metro never played Damavand conquest

too much focus on one map when there are several others to play. I dont understand this as some people seem to think that bf3 is shipping only with one map.

every fps has atleast one bad map. I remember some shitty maps in quake and counter-strike. (those were my fav fps back in the day) those shitty maps didnt take away from the fantastic maps though.

In therms of destructibility. You could destroy almost every building and tree in most maps and change the flow of the game immensely

uh as someone mentioned earlier. most buildings were small cube sheds that looked the same. BC2 didnt had any urban combat with large scaled buildings, and thats the difference in design philosolphy in BF3. I am not defending the lack of destruction in BF3, but it is easy to see why it is harder to do in BF3.

 

[The Faceless Master]

i can only imagine some of the people's faces when (if) they got past the first set... they would be like "fuck yeah! let's move out... wait.. where are the trees!?!?"

 

[Mahonay]

well, that map has helicopters





nah, not really. though usually a few peeps would set up for 2nd set defense instead of defending.

One M-COM was in a tiny building that was easily collapsed, the other was sitting out in the open where the tank would just shell it, or someone would bomb it with C4 a couple times.

It happened constantly from my memory.

 

[No_Style]

In therms of destructibility. You could destroy almost every building and tree in most maps and change the flow of the game immensely.

PS3 GAF was amazing with it's scorched earth tactics.

On many maps 1 or 2 players would fall back and destroy with C4 the whole forest and all buildings between the first and second base while the rest of the team defended the objective. We would take out all cover and make enemy progress to the second base almost impossible.

It was fun as hell!!! There is nothing comparable in BF3 and I hope Dice bumps up the destruction.

It made shit too easy though. Then again, playing with PS3 GAF always made games too easy.

 

[Riggs]

Maybe PC BF4 will have in game fucking voice chat ... that BL chat was a joke. Total nightmare to talk to people if you are pubbing around.

Couldn't believe PS3 / 360 had in game chat but PC version got gimped. Probably will be the same in BF4.

 

[The Faceless Master]

One M-COM was in a tiny building that was easily collapsed, the other was sitting out in the open where the tank would just shell it, or someone would bomb it with C4 a couple times.

It happened constantly from my memory.

you must be thinking of Port Valdez.

 

[Silly.Mikey]

Metro, the worst Battlefield map!?
Great

Of all the fucking maps...they bring back the one i fucking hate, and that was in the last game....thats still recent. Wow. If their goal was to kill my hype, they did a wonderful job.

 

[IdiotMyshkin]

too much focus on one map when there are several others to play. I dont understand this as some people seem to think that bf3 is shipping only with one map.

every fps has atleast one bad map. I remember some shitty maps in quake and counter-strike. (those were my fav fps back in the day) those shitty maps didnt take away from the fantastic maps though.



uh as someone mentioned earlier. most buildings were small cube sheds that looked the same. BC2 didnt had any urban combat with large scaled buildings, and thats the difference in design philosolphy in BF3. I am not defending the lack of destruction in BF3, but it is easy to see why it is harder to do in BF3.

I dont really think either is a bad map, its just close quarters, high kill count, trying-to-make-a-montage-here, map. I like going behing on damavand and seeing how long i can stealth, or steal the heli

Edit pre nerf irscope and usas explo made em suck tho

 

[TalesOfWin]

Of all the fucking maps...they bring back the one i fucking hate, and that was in the last game....thats still recent. Wow. If their goal was to kill my hype, they did a wonderful job.

so dont play it? does one map hinder you from enjoying the rest of the game? btw metro is not included in BF4 vanilla.

 

[G_Berry]

Fuck yeah, Metro!

 

[Mahonay]

you must be thinking of Port Valdez.

Fuck. Hahah. Yes. I'm always terrible with map names.

 

[Astral/H3X]

No Rift support? Good, now I dont need to preorder.

 

[IdiotMyshkin]

No Rift support? Good, now I dont need to preorder.

Preorderings overrated. I want a good fucking vet bonus tho

 

[Evolved1]

that one section was close but the rest of the map wasn't!

Rest of the map was okay... kind of a really weird map honestly. That beginning though... lol.

i can only imagine some of the people's faces when (if) they got past the first set... they would be like "fuck yeah! let's move out... wait.. where are the trees!?!?"

It was karmic justice for using mortars (like wussies) to take down the crate buildings. It took so long we had tons of time to reduce second set forest to ashes.

 

[IdiotMyshkin]

I honestly want a ps4 xbone pc only dlc, with one full sized goddamn skyscraper that can be organically downed, sorrounded by bc2. God why is this game on current consoles?

 

[Raven77]

what BC1/BC2 map was as choketastic as Metro?

I never said any of them were.

 

[Silly.Mikey]

I honestly want a ps4 xbone pc only dlc, with one full sized goddamn skyscraper that can be organicallydowned, sorrounded by bc2. God why is this game on current consoles?

So that even they can suffer through more Metro.

 

[IdiotMyshkin]

I really hope theres more then just the RCB-90 and its counterparts. I'd like to see more variety..and subs...and Battleships. lol

Artillery in the next city...

 

[Raptor]

Does this game will have lobbies? for setting a party of friends then go into a match like CoD?

 

[The Faceless Master]

I never said any of them were.

it was implied. well, i mean, unless you weren't trying to pass off the Metro design onto the heads of Bad Company, then i apologize.

 

[ExoHazMatt]

Of all the fucking maps...they bring back the one i fucking hate, and that was in the last game....thats still recent. Wow. If their goal was to kill my hype, they did a wonderful job.

Dude, it's one map. And although it is loved by a lot of people online, a fair amount of people hate it, too. Meaning it's not that hard to find a server that takes it out of the rotation.

EDIT - I just took a quick peek at the server browser and checked all maps with the exception of Metro and there are hundreds of servers that have taken Metro out of the rotation. Including one of the most played maps from the previous game shouldn't ruin anyone's hype, especially since it's so easy to avoid.

 

[Soul Destroyer]

God why all the hate on BF3?

No one is forced to play Metro. There are loads of other maps with 'Battlefield' gameplay. I personally enjoyed Metro when playing with good players on either team. It's a constant struggle for supremacy which is fun.

Ontop of that BF:BC2 was just huts that could be collapsed. There are plenty of buildings to be collapsed in BF3, there isn't a more satisfying feeling than collapsing a building ontop of a squad of guys by pounding it with my wingman in a jet.(Yeah I'm one of those useless jet pilots )

The only problem I have with BF3 is the online hit detection. That shit needs fixed.

 

[FinKL]

Maybe PC BF4 will have in game fucking voice chat ... that BL chat was a joke. Total nightmare to talk to people if you are pubbing around.

Couldn't believe PS3 / 360 had in game chat but PC version got gimped. Probably will be the same in BF4.

I thought they confirmed VOIP in game now? After playing Planetside 2 recently, it's hard to go back when they accomplish platoon/team (4 squads), squad, and proximity chat all in different channels.

 

[fluffydelusions]

Ugh operation metro. I really hate that map.

 

[Mahonay]

Metro is okay in small doses honestly.

 

[VibratingDonkey]

Metro is okay in small doses honestly.

99% of Metro matches are the same. I have to try to change it up myself by throwing mines at people, trying to blow down trees so I can climb up them and whatnot.

The only thing that's somewhat interesting is making smoke corridors. Sometimes it actually works, but then of course no one else on your team bothered tagging along, opting instead to continue sitting on their asses in the eternal stalemate. Not that grabbing another base would do any difference. It's a grindy, spammy shitfest no matter where your team spawns or who's winning.

Metro is the worst Battlefield map ever. That it's popular is so god damned sad.

 

[The Janitor]

99% of Metro matches are the same. I have to try to change it up myself by throwing mines at people, trying to blow down trees so I can climb up them and whatnot.

The only thing that's somewhat interesting is making smoke corridors. Sometimes it actually works, but then of course no one else on your team bothered tagging along, opting instead to continue sitting on their asses in the eternal stalemate. Not that grabbing another base would do any difference. It's a grindy, spammy shitfest no matter where your team spawns or who's winning.

Metro is the worst Battlefield map ever. That it's popular is so god damned sad.

Glitching out of that map was pretty fun though, you were able to cap a flag from under the map and if you used frag rounds you could shoot people through the floor

 

[Evolved1]

Glitching out of that map was pretty fun though, you were able to cap a flag from under the map and if you used frag rounds you could shoot people through the floor

Yeah... so fun for everyone.

 

[IdiotMyshkin]

Glitching out of that map was pretty fun though, you were able to cap a flag from under the map and if you used frag rounds you could shoot people through the floor

You're one of THOSE guys eh?

 

[ExoHazMatt]

Glitching out of that map was pretty fun though, you were able to cap a flag from under the map and if you used frag rounds you could shoot people through the floor

Ugh, please don't buy BF4.

 

[Naked Lunch]

DICE seems to be doing everything right with BF4 (commander mode, 5 man squads, 64 players finally on consoles, etc) I couldn't be happier in almost every area, but still having only 4 classes is my biggest beef. Being that there are higher player counts - roles need to me more splintered. I hate that BF3/4 engineer both kills and repairs vehicles - should be a split like BF2, you should have to choose one or the other. Anti-tank class and a separate engineer class should have made a return. A medic and assault split makes sense too. Im wondering if this has to do with BF4 still being on current gen, with its 24 player count max.

So funny BC2 still gets so much praise (in the same way BC1 got all the praise post BC2 I suppose). Fully destructible maps ruined balance, esp in rush where you could eliminate the attackers' entire cover on maps like Base 1 of Valdez. Also in BC2 Rush, collapsible buildings with objectives made some bases un-defendable. Teams would just sit there and play deathmatch for 20 minutes - then easily collapse the objective buildings. It was a huge flaw and waste of time.

The over simplified gameplay/gunplay of BC2 was pretty lackluster too. Not being able to take cover behind a waist high fence because you physically could not go prone was stupid. Good riddance to the BC series - they were fun diversions for their time but I'm glad the real deal is back. BC will probably come back at some point but Stockholm DICE will likely never make it again.

 

[IdiotMyshkin]

So funny BC2 still gets so much praise (in the same way BC1 got all the praise post BC2 I suppose). Fully destructible maps ruined balance, esp in rush where you could eliminate the attackers' entire cover on maps like Base 1 of Valdez. Also in BC2 Rush, collapsible buildings with objectives made some bases un-defendable. Teams would just sit there and play deathmatch for 20 minutes - then easily collapse the objective buildings. It was a huge flaw and waste of time.

The over simplified gameplay/gunplay of BC2 was pretty lackluster too. Not being able to take cover behind a waist high fence because you physically could not go prone was stupid.

Not everything was collapsible in bc2 guys, and shelling an mcom took time. If your team is too worried about their kd to lay mines and c4, well, they should be playing metro.

Prone is stupid

 

[TalesOfWin]

Prone is stupid

not be able to prone is stupid. Hey I have sniper rifle but i cannot lie down!

 

[Naked Lunch]

Not everything was collapsible in bc2 guys, and shelling an mcom took time. If your team is too worried about their kd to lay mines and c4, well, they should be playing metro.

Prone is stupid

Arica Harbor Base 1. Attackers could collapse the left base housing the Mcom - and attackers could tank shell the left MCom from out of Bounds for the defenders. No way to c4, or mine. It was un-defendable. High level BC2 stat padders sat in rounds like this for 45+ minutes racking up points until deciding to move the bases forward. BC2 was riddled with bases like this. BC2 was an experiment for online multiplayer destruction and it was unbalanced as hell in higher level play.