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[ColonialRaptor]

Update 4:

Patch Notes

Major client update for the PC version Battlefield 3 as well as a server-side update for all platforms.

The update will be made on Nov. 22nd 7:00 AM UTC / Nov. 21st 11:00 PM PST.

We’ll share release timing on the console patches as soon as we are clear on the timing, these take a bit longer due to console certification process.


---- Client-Side Changes:

-- Visuals, Stability and Performance Fixes:

• General performance and loading time improvements
• “Black Screen” fix for an issue occurring on some PC Configurations
• Stereo and Rendering Support for Nvidia and AMD Graphics Cards
• Adjusted the “stuttering” encountered on some PC configurations.
• Fixed several Crashes when joining MP and Co-Op sessions
• Fixed multiple problems when using multiple monitors (Eyefinity / Surround).
• Fixed visual corruption issues on certain Nvidia Cards
• Improved loading times for certain textures
• Added console command “GameTime.MaxVariableFps” to limit max FPS
• Added console command “UI.DrawEnable” to hide UI for screenshots / videos

-- Balance and Gameplay Adjustments (PC)

• Fixed a problem with high speed mouse movement
• Added back some missing Growlers on Kharg Island Conquest Large
• Added back EOR sound for SQDM and TDM
• You should no longer be able to damage a friendly vehicle when sitting in an open position
• Grenades now drop to ground if you get killed while attempting to throw it(note the affect this will have on Hardcore mode!)
• Spawn protection now should work in Conquest. You should no longer spawn on points too close to enemies
• You should no longer spawn too close to enemies in TDM and SQDM
• Combat areas on Kharg Rush tweaked in order to disallow defenders to access the carrier ship after 1st base is taken and being able to enter the AA gun
• Fixed a problem with revived players not suffering suppression
• Fixed a problem with the camera when being revived in COOP
• Added joystick deadzone setting
• Fixed sound for when climbing ladders
• Fixed an issue with some weapon sounds in first person
• Fixed a swim sound loop error
• Increased the damage of Helicopter Miniguns, AA guns, and Jet Cannons against infantry
• Increased the damage of Helicopter Miniguns against jeeps.
• Reduced the physics impact of AA guns and Jet Cannons, players under attack from these weapons should no longer lose control.
• Increased the damage of the 44 Magnum slightly.
• Increased the range and minimum damage of the .357 Round from the MP412 Rex.
• Increased the range of all .45cal and 9mm weapons.
• Slightly increased the range of the P90 and MP7 and PDW-R.
• Slightly increased the range of the 5.56mm PDW-R and decreased the minimum damage at long range.
• Slightly increased the minimum range of the Mk11, SVD, and M39 EMR 7.62mm rifles.
• Decreased the maximum damage and maximum range of the G3 and SCAR-H 7.62mm weapons.
• Reduced the damage from FIM-92 and SA-18 IGLA missiles against aircraft.
• Increased the damage and range of the 40mm BUCK rounds.
• Reduced the damage .50cal weapons do against Helicopters.
• Updated T90 canister shell tweaks to match Abrams canister shells
UI Changes (PC)
• Added round duration and ticket summary at EOR
• Advanced squad polish – should be more intuitive
• Significant changes to the Join Squad functionality (see below)
• Fixed a problem regarding keybindings while playing
• You should now get a better error message when being disconnected via Battlelog

---- Server Update Highlights

• EOD Bot exploit fix
• Several crash fixes
• Anti-stat padding measures taken, disallowing ranked servers to run obscure settings
• Improved team kill kick configuration
• Support for unranked servers. Unranked servers do not report players' scores to Battlelog, but server administrators can freely control all settings


-- Share your profile and stats with new Battlelog functionality

• Ability to share your Profile and Stats pages to Facebook, Google+, and Twitter
• User Profile and Stats pages on Battlelog can now be accessed without being signed in to Battlelog if you know a user's URL
• Single sign on from Battlelog to Origin. If you're not logged in to Origin and join a game server, Battlelog will automatically sign you in to Origin in the background and join the game server


-- Quick notes on Squad changes in the Nov 22 update

• Removed FIND ME A SQUAD option
• Allow players to join empty Squads alone, thus having 1/4 squad members
• Change order of options to LEAVE SQUAD, INV A FRIEND, SWITCH TEAM
• Disable Privacy flag when 1 man squad
• Reset Privacy flag from Private to Public when squad drops to 1 player
• All occupied Squads will now show up colored blue on the Squad Selection screen
• Players who choose not to join squads will also show up as Blue in the "Not in a Squad” line
• Squads that are currently empty will display as white -- if you wish to join an empty Squad, you can choose the first one marked with white text


-- A detailed look at Squad refinements

A detailed look at Squad refinements

Today's PC client patch features numerous tweaks to Squad functionality and is part of our ongoing efforts to make it easier to play with friends and Platoon mates. These changes will also be implemented for consoles when we release the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 updates shortly. Stay tuned for the exact date of the console updates.

First, we need to look at how joining with Squads and Platoons affects the balance of teams. Initially, servers are commanded to equal out each side, so joining with friends can impact that balance while joining with Platoons further hinders this. As a result we have made some adjustments to the in-game Squad management screen.

For PC, you are now able to highlight the various Squads and select which one you wish to join by selecting a Squad and then clicking the Join Squad button. Please note that the Squad Privacy option still allows 2 man Squads which, during 64 player sessions, can lead to players with no squad position –- the number of people with no Squads will be shown at the bottom of the Squad selection list.

After the patch is applied to consoles (in the near future) you will be able to join Squads by cycling through the list and selecting which Squad you wish to join.

I dont understand why they couldnt add some extra squads. If you join a full game you cant get into a squad with your friends.

Update 3:

12/11/2011: New Nvidia Beta Drivers 285.79

Read these for tons of patch details including a flashlight nerf.

http://mp1st.com/2011/11/10/more-bf3-patch-details-tactical-light-jets-choppers-and-weapon-recoil/

http://mp1st.com/2011/11/09/bf3-pri...-reservation-on-pc-and-dealing-with-cheaters/

New:

http://mp1st.com/2011/11/12/bf3-pat...tions-irnv-glitch-and-other-bugs-to-be-fixed/

Update 2:
10/31/2011 - New Graphics Drivers Available

AMD Auto Detect Link

Nvidia Auto Detect Link

Gun Damage Over Distances List

-------------------------------------------------

Update:

Patch/Balance Details:

According to Fredrik Thylander, Senior Designer at DICE, a future patch is already being worked on. When asked when we will be seeing a bug fix, Thylander responded yesterday, “it’s the day after release here, so I do not for the life of me have a schedule, but the fix has gone in to the patch-code.” There are a few fixes that we can speculate will make it into the incoming patch.

DICE has reported that they are “aware of the issues that are affecting users’ ability to activate BF3 and to redeem game codes. [They'll] update once fixed.”

Regarding some problems PC players have been experiencing with the mouse, it seems DICE has “found the issue thanks to your guys’ threads. Sneaky bug.” Apparently, “it’s a code thing, not a setting. When [the mouse] hit the cap for movement it interpolated time of movement instead of distance.”

Many fans on the PC and PS3 have reported issues of look sensitivity. On PC, it probably has much to do with the problem noted above. However, Ian Tornay has stated that “we’ve heard similar concerns regarding the sensitivity and control for PC and PS3. We’ve forwarded all of these concerns along to the DICE team who is looking at this issue."

http://mp1st.com/2011/10/27/battlefield-3-incoming-fixes-and-patch-confirmed/

Now that a patch has been confirmed for Battlefield 3, we’re getting more information on which weapons and vehicles will be affected and what issues will be ironed out.
Balance

Alan Kerts, Battlefield 3′s Gameplay Designer, reveals that “pistols will be getting a bit of love in the near future.” A slight improvement in the damage department for pistols is certainly welcome. After nerfing the UMP since the beta, Kerts admitted ”it [UMP] got the nerf bat pretty hard. Gave it back some power today. I’ll be playing to monitor balance.” The UMP is unlocked at level 16 and can be used on all kits.

Some fans have been outspoken about the effectivity of the jets asking for improvement. One fan expressed his concerns to Fredrik Thylander demanding “they [jets] need a buff.” Thylander, Senior Designer at DICE, confirmed “they [jets] are getting it [the buff].”

Issues

DICE is looking into the following issues, besides the usual server problems:

-PS3 users communication problems.
-BF3.exe has stopped responding on PC.
-Teaming up with friends and getting into the same side.
-PS3 input lag.
-Other issues in yesterday’s post.

DLC Timeframe/Details/Screenshots:

Back To Karkand: December.
"Robust Set" Of Expansion Packs: Within the next six months.

Karkand Screenshots:

http://www.abload.de/img/battefield-3-back-to-k9149.jpg
http://www.abload.de/img/battefield-3-back-to-km10w.jpg
http://www.abload.de/img/battefield-3-back-to-ko14v.jpg
http://www.abload.de/img/battefield-3-back-to-k64w6.jpg
http://www.abload.de/img/battefield-3-back-to-kxwdh.jpg
http://www.abload.de/img/battefield-3-back-to-k50pt.jpg

Karkand Details:

-Strike At Karkand, Wake Island, Gulf Of Oman, Sharqi Peninsula
-5 New Dog Tags
-5 New Achievements/Trophies
-3 New Vehicles: DPV, BTR-90, F-35B STOVL Jet Fighter
-10 Iconic Battlefield Weapons
-New persistence system where players complete assignments to earn their rewards.
-Releasing December

Frame Stutter On PC:

Ultra takes ~1.4 GB of VRAM. If you're getting framerate stuttering, try lowering your settings to high as it is probably a VRAM issue. Remember, two graphics cards with 1 GB each will just clone the data for each graphics card, so it is *not* equivalent to having 2 GB of VRAM. This is also true of a single graphics card that has 2 GB of VRAM, but has two GPUs on the card.

Original:

Minimum System Requirements
OS: WINDOWS VISTA (SERVICE PACK 2) 32-BIT
PROCESSOR: 2 GHZ DUAL CORE (CORE 2 DUO 2.4 GHZ OR ATHLON X2 2.7 GHZ)
MEMORY: 2 GB
HARD DRIVE: 20 GB
GRAPHICS CARD (AMD): DIRECTX 10.1 COMPATIBLE WITH 512 MB RAM
(ATI RADEON 3000, 4000, 5000 OR 6000 SERIES, WITH ATI RADEON 3870 OR HIGHER PERFORMANCE)
GRAPHICS CARD (NVIDIA): DIRECTX 10.0 COMPATIBLE WITH 512 MB RAM
(NVIDIA GEFORCE 8, 9, 200, 300, 400 OR 500 SERIES WITH NVIDIA GEFORCE 8800 GT OR HIGHER PERFORMANCE)
SOUND CARD: DIRECTX COMPATIBLE
KEYBOARD AND MOUSE
DVD ROM DRIVE

Recommended System Requirements
OS: WINDOWS 7 64-BIT
PROCESSOR: QUAD-CORE CPU
MEMORY: 4 GB
HARD DRIVE: 20 GB
GRAPHICS CARD: DIRECTX 11 COMPATIBLE WITH 1024 MB RAM
(NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 560 OR ATI RADEON 6950)
SOUND CARD: DIRECTX COMPATIBLE
KEYBOARD AND MOUSE
DVD ROM DRIVE

 

[ColonialRaptor]

The next generation of Frostbite will debut with Battlefield 3. It will take full advantage of the DirectX 11 API and 64-bit processors, with no support for DirectX 9 (which means no Windows XP support, sorry suckers).

DICE has given several presentations on advances in their rendering technology, if you feel like you'd like to know the technical details behind just how BF3 is looking so damn good on your screen, then I suggest you give these presentations a look.

This session presents a detailed overview of the new lighting system implemented in DICEs Frostbite 2 engine and how it enables us to stretch the boundaries of lighting in BATTLEFIELD 3 with its highly dynamic, varied and destructible environments. BATTLEFIELD 3 goes beyond the lighting limitations found in our previous battlefield games, while avoiding costly and static prebaked lighting without compromising quality. We discuss the technical implementation of the art direction in BATTLEFIELD 3, the workflows we created for it as well as how all the individual lighting components fit together: deferred rendering, HDR, dynamic radiosity and particle lighting.

Presentation about bloated executables due to large code size, how it happens and how we can fight it.

A technical deep dive into the DX11 rendering in Battlefield 3, the first title to use the new Frostbite 2 Engine. Topics covered include DX11 optimization techniques, efficient deferred shading, high-quality rendering and resource streaming for creating large and highly-detailed dynamic environments on modern PCs.

With the assistance Frostbite 2, Battlefield 3 introduces Destruction 3.0. The next step in improvement over Bad Company 2's Destruction 2.0, version 3.0 allows for a much larger range of destructible objects alongside buildings and more realistic destruction. For example, when the player fires the AT4 into the hotel in the Fault Line trailer, the front of the building exploders and falls to the ground. Plus, I’m sure most of you have seen the rest of that trailer and can’t wait to experience what happens during the earthquake .

Audio is another focus for the game. There will be audio cues that, for example, will let the player know if a tank is moving towards or away from them, or if it is having trouble climbing a slope. The developers have recorded real life sounds of vehicles and weapons from a military training exercise with their goal being to create "cleaner and brighter audio." Voice acting will also be extremely varied. As stated by Thomas Danko, voice over producer at DICE: "No FPS ever had this large amount of Voice Over variations for Multi Play, not even close. Over 300 for the "Man down" event alone."

To be added later.

Battlefield 3 has been built on top of Frostbite 1.5 and there are a number of new and/or improved features to be excited about:

• Destruction 3.0: With Frostbite 2.0 comes the Destruction 3.0 engine. This engine allows debris that can injure/kill players and micro-destruction, as well.
  Suppressive Fire: When you fire at an enemy and your shots go near him, the enemy's health regeneration stops and resets, their accuracy drops, and the edges of their screen become blurred. While suppression is most effective with the Support class and their LMG's, any weapon is capable of suppressing an enemy.
• Disable Vehicles: Vehicles can now be disabled before they are destroyed. This makes land vehicles immobile (but turrets are still operable), while air vehicles become extremely difficult to control. When a vehicle is disabled, it can be repaired, but will also slowly bleed health.
• Vehicle Health Regeneration: Vehicles will now slowly regenerate health when damaged. Repairs from an Engineer are still far more effective, and regen is canceled if the vehicle is disabled. Vehicles will start regenerating when it is under 75% health (server option).
  Console Server Browser: At Gamescom 2011, DICE confirmed that all consoles will have a server browser option.
  Immense Customization System: DICE claims that there will be years worth of unlocks and specializations to use in multiplayer.
  • Each kit (all weapons, gadgets, attachments, etc.) will take roughly 100 hours to unlock
  • Over 80 vehicle specializations (one secondary weapon slot, one gadget slot, and one upgrade slot)
  • Pistol variations available
• Weapon Fire Modes: Returning from Battlefield 2, we have the option of choosing what fire-mode some weapons can fire in, instead of a single fixed mode. Press V to change fire mode from Automatic, to Burst, to Single shot if the weapon supports various fire modes.
• Prone: The ability to go prone returns from Battlefield 2. The player is also able to dive, though there is a delay in the ability to fire as the player does so.
• Scope Glare: If a high power (6x and above) and is aimed in the direction of a player, a visible glare/glint shines off of the scope. This was added to balance the addition of the prone position.
• Commo-Rose: The Commo-Rose is back! Fans have been crying for it, and DICE have listened, aren't we just lucky sods us PC elitists (I should probably mention that the Commo-Rose or communication rose is PC only.
• BattleRecorder:A feature to record gameplay and screenshots.

EA have released the Manual in PDF form on the internet, so get in early and read all about the game before it's released (well, only JUST before it's released now since my OT is so damn late. Click on the platform boxart of your choice to go to the manual that you require.

• One lighting probe from Frostbite 2's lighting system "...contain(s) more lighting information than an entire level from Bad Company 2."
• This is the first non-EA Sports game to utilize ANT, an animation program that powers EA games like FIFA, to create realistic third person animations and smoother transitions for AI and multiplayer characters.
• Sounds such as weapons firing will be unique in different environments, at different angles, and at different distances.
• A dev console will be present.
• When selected weapons are reloaded before the magazine is emptied, there will be an extra round in the weapon when reloaded. Reloads of the weapon also differ between when the changed magazine is empty or when it still has rounds in it.
• For the first time in the Battlefield franchise, the player is able to see their body.
• According to a GamersSpot article, the dinosaur at the beginning of the E3 demo and Thunder Run trailer was placed in response to a 4chan thread in which a supposed Activision sales manager wondered why their Call of Duty game didn't sell as well on PC as it did on consoles, with several responses saying it was due to a lack of dinosaurs. Gustav Halling, a gameplay designer for Back to Karkand, tweeted about it.
• Battlefield 3 will be the first Battlefield game released on a Nintendo system.
• A tweet by senior gameplay designer Alan Kertz says the detail in the shell casings will be different based on US and RU weapons.
• Confirmed in the Multiplayer of Battlefield 3, the player can actually engage in a small kill animation when attacking an enemy with his knife. If successful, the player will stab the enemy, and continue to snag his dogtag, that is hanging around the victim's neck.
• Vaulting, and the player being able to see their own legs and arms, was inspired by Mirror's Edge, a game that was also developed by DICE.

At the time of creation of this thread, there are currently five confirmed game modes and it has been confirmed that all modes will be available in all nine multiplayer maps.

Rush

• Players: 32 (PC), 24 (Consoles)
• Focus: Objective-based all-out Warfare.
• Goal: Attack/defend M-COM stations
• Victory conditions:
  • Attackers - Destroy all M-COM stations
  • Defenders - Deplete the attackers' respawn tickets
• Description - The Rush game-mode was confirmed at E3, where the Operation Métro trailer/map was revealed. The main essense of the game-mode has changed very little, with attackers trying to destroy M-COM stations and defenders trying to kill the attackers. However, in Battlefield 3 there are three main changes to the game-mode - only the M-COM charge can destroy the station, instead of the charge and explosives; if the attackers run out of tickets while the M-COM charge is still active, the game will continue until the charge is disarmed or the M-COM destroyed; and if the timer on an armed M-COM charge runs out when a defender is disarming the charge, the charge will continue until the defender disarms it or is killed. As an all-out warfare mode, Rush features a large variety of vehicle setups tuned specifically to that map’s landscape and features. Players can find all types of vehicles on Rush maps, including transport vehicles, armored vehicles, helicopters, and of course, jets. Rush offers a compelling objective based all-out warfare game mode for Battlefield veterans.

Squad Rush

• Players: 8 (4 vs 4)
• Focus: Squad-based Infantry Combat
• Goal: Attack/defend M-COM stations
• Victory Conditions:
  • Attackers - Destroy all M-COM stations
  • Defenders - Deplete the attackers tickets
• Description: Returning from Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Squad Rush is a test to show which of two squads is the superior unit. Squad Rush is an extremely tight duel between two squads that borrows the main rules from the normal Rush mode, but in a much more confined setting. In Squad Rush there are only 2 bases with 1 M-COM station per base, meaning that every M-COM taken or defended in Squad Rush is vital to the victory or defeat of the game. There are no vehicles in Squad Rush, making the game-mode more about infantry skills and tactics rather than brute force and firepower.

Conquest

• Players: 24/32/64 (PC), 24 (Consoles)
• Focus: Objective-based all-out warfare.
• Goal: Capture and hold flags.
• Victory Conditions: Deplete the opposing team's ticket.
• Description: Conquest is the most classic of Battlefield game modes. Introduced in Battlefield 1942, Conquest has been as staple of the entire Battlefield series throughout it's entirety. Set over a series of large-scale maps, Conquest is the game mode best suited for the experience of all-out vehicle warfare. In Conquest, two teams fight for control of a number of flags by being the dominant force in the vicinity of each base. Capture and keep control of a majority of the flags and the enemy team will bleed tickets. Killing enemies will also reduce their ticket count, and the first team to run out of tickets loses. Conquest is a strategic and tactical game that often asks players to make important decisions on whether to attack an enemy base or defend one of your own. The limited forces available to each side will rarely be enough to hold each and every flag in the map, so in-game communication and quick thinking is necessary to be victorious.

Squad Deathmatch

• Players: 16 (4 squads of 4)
• Squad-based Infantry Combat
• Goal: Eliminate a set number of enemy combatants
• Victory Conditions: The squad that reaches the designated number of kills first wins.
• Infantry Fighting Vehicle is an advantage for team who aquires it.
• Description: Squad Deathmatch is a larger and more dynamic variety of deathmatch that also features the inclusion of an Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV). The IFV can help break any stalemate in the game, as long as a squad keep it alive. The 4 squad setup means that there is a constant battle throughout the game to gain and maintain the lead. Sticking together, keeping squad members healed up, supplied, and vehicles repaired are the keys to victory. The squad that can combine the potent Battlefield mix of team play and combat prowess will be proven the winner.

Team Deathmatch

• Players (PC and Consoles): 24
• Focus: Team-based Infantry combat
• Goal: Eliminate a set number of enemy combatants
• Victory Conditions: The team that reaches the designated number of kills first is declared winner.
• Description: Team Deathmatch is of the true classics when it comes to multiplayer game modes, and a game mode that makes its first appearance in the Battlefield series. In Team Deathmatch, two teams of 12 players fight it out on tight knit maps with a distinct infantry focus – there are no vehicles available in Team Deathmatch. For that quick instant action fix, this is the perfect game mode. For players new to Battlefield, this is a good place to start. Once players get the hang of the infantry gameplay, they can move on to deeper modes that include the signature vehicle warfare for which Battlefield is known and loved. Attack and fighter jets will be avaliable in Rush as well as in Conquest. DICE plans to have all maps available for all modes at launch. At launch, there will be no "Air Superiority" (jets-only) mode, though it may be added at a later date. Also hardcore and infantry-only options are present.
  
  Note: The infantry-only option only removes all classes of vehicles except transports, such as the HMMWV, RIB, etc.

 

[ColonialRaptor]

• Classes
  • Note: some weapons are faction specific but all can be unlocked for each side
  • Assault
    • Weapons (Assault Rifles)
      • M16A3
      • M16A4
      • AK74M
      • M416
      • AN94
      • KH2002
      • AEK971
      • F2000
      • G3
      • AS Val
    • Equipment
      • Medkit
      • Defibrillator
      • Underslung/underbarrel
        • M320
          • 40MM Grenades
          • Buckshot
          • Smoke grenade
        • M26 MASS
          • 12 gauge
          • Flechettes
          • Frag round
          • Solid slugs
  • Engineer
    • Weapons (Carbines)
      • M4A1
      • AKS74U
      • SCAR H CQB
      • G36C
      • A-91non-GL version
      • SG553LB
    • Rocket/Grenade Launchers
      • SMAW
      • RPG-7
      • Javelin
      • FIM-92 Stinger
      • SA-18 IGLA
      • M136 AT4
    • Equipment
      • M15 Anti-tank mine
      • Welding tool
      • EOD bot: can be used to arm crates and repair vehicles, and can be carried/deployed
  • Support
    • Weapons (Light Machine Guns)
      • M249
      • RPK-74M
      • M27 IAR
      • PKP Pecheneg
      • M60
      • M240
      • Type 88
    • Equipment
      • Ammo box
      • C4
      • M18 Claymore
  • Recon
    • Weapons (Sniper Rifles)
      • Mk11
      • SVD
      • SV98
      • M98B
      • M40A5
      • M82A3
    • Weapons (Battle Rifles - Can be used only by Recon)
      • M39 EMR
      • SKS
    • Equipment
      • MAV Micro UAV
      • UG Sensors: Deployed, not thrown, motion sensor. Larger, can be seen and destroyed. Beep when they beep when they detect movement. Recon can only have 1 deployed at a time. You can crouch or prone and move past a motion sensor without setting it off. Motion sensors will only show you briefly on the minimap (approximately 0.5sec). You can, therefore, easily walk into range of a sensor, get detected, crouch, sneak away and either destroy the beacon or move and ambush anyone nearby who goes to investigate your position.
      • Radio Beacon: Portable spawn point
  • All Classes/Unknown
    • Weapons
      • Submachineguns
        • P90
        • MP7
        • PDR
        • UMP-45
        • P90TR - Misprint
        • PP2000
      • Shotguns
        • 870 MCS
        • M1014
        • USAS-12
        • DAO-12
        • Saiga 20k
      • Pistols
        • M9
        • PTa MP443
        • G17
        • M1911
        • T44 (T33?)
        • MP412
        • G18
        • M93R
    • Weapon Accessories
      • Optics
        • M145
        • RDS Reflex
        • Kobra
        • Holographic
        • PKA-S
        • ACOG
        • PSO-1
        • PK-A
        • IRNV - Infrared Night Vision
        • PKS-07
        • 8x Rifle Scope
        • 12x Ballistic
      • Ergonomics
        • Foregrip
        • Bipod
      • Performance
        • Heavy barrel
        • Suppressor: causes minimal damage loss at long range
        • Tactical light
        • Laser sight
        • Flash suppressor
        • Straight pull bolt
    • Equipment
      • Knife
      • M67 Hand Grenade
      • M18 Smoke Grenades
      • 60mm Mortar: portable mortar that can be deployed on the map
      • SOF Laser Marker
    • Specializations
      • Every specialization has a Squad version as well but they cannot be stacked
      • Sprint boost
      • Flak vest
      • EOD EXPL vest
      • Suppression reduction
      • Marksman training
      • Extra grenades
      • Extra ammo
  
  • USMC
    • Land
      • Growler ITV
      • HMMWV
      • LAV-25
      • LAV-AD
      • M1 Abrams
    • Sea
    • Air
      • AH-6J Littlebird
      • UH-1Y Venom
      • AH-1Z Super Cobra
      • FA-18E Super Hornet
      • A-10 Thunderbolt
  • Russian
    • Land
      • VDV Buggy
      • G3937 Vodnik
      • BMP-2M
      • 9K22 Tunguska-M
      • T90
    • Sea
    • Air
      • Z-11 W
      • KA-60 Kasatka
      • MI-28 Havoc
      • SU-35BM Flanker-E
      • SU-39
  • All Factions/Unknown
    • Sea
      • RHIB
      • AAV-7A1
    • Vehicle Specializations
      • Coaxial MG
      • Coaxial HMG
      • Canister shells
      • Guided shells
      • Zoom optics
      • Thermal optics
      • IR smoke
      • Reactive armor
      • Maintenance
      • Belt speed
      • Thermal camo
      • Auto loader
      • Proximity scan
      • CITV station
      • ATGM (Anti-Tank Guided Missile) launcher
      • APFSDS-T shells
      • Guided Rockets
      • Air Radar
      • Heatseekers
      • Laser painter
      • TV missile
      • IR flares
      • Extinguisher
      • ECM jammer
      • Rocket guidance system
      • Below radar
      • Guided missile
      • Beam scanning

Welcome to duty soldier! No, not that "duty", but Battlefield 3, a game that rewards teamwork and achieving objectives. This isn't one of those panzy games that's all about kills so don't think you're any help if you sit in a corner and pick people off nowhere near the objective while your MRE heats up. If it were up to me, which it should be, you'd be put in the brig for playing like that if it isn't helping the team at all.

For those of you straight out of boot with no clue what you're doing, you better listen now! The multiplayer focuses around two main modes, Rush and Conquest. I'll give you a rundown of what to expect on both modes and how you can help your team slaughter your enemies.

Rush is a mode that focuses on intense action between two sides, the "Attackers" and "Defenders". The attacking side must try to arm and destroy two MCOMM stations while the defenders try to stop them from arming them and defusing the charges if they need to. Once both points are destroyed, the defenders are pushed back and the attackers now must arm two more MCOMM stations further along the map. The attackers have a limited amount of lives, known as tickets, that deplete every time one of them is killed. When the attackers advance to the next section, their tickets are restored as they try for the next group of stations. Once the attackers have no tickets (lives) left, the defenders win.

ATTACKERS:

As an attacker, you shouldn't sit there and go for kills unless you're guarding the MCOMMS from being defused. Continue to push up with your squad and arm those objectives! The smoke grenades from the Assault class's M320 launcher are perfect for concealing your team from enemy sniper fire. The key to this mode as an attacker is to attack as a group instead of going in one after another just to get picked off. Have a squad member stay somewhere safe near the objective so the rest of your squad can spawn right by the objective making it a lot easier for your team to advance. As a sniper, you can also drop a mobile spawnpoint once you unlock it which will give your squad another place to spawn even if you're all dead just as long as the spawnpoint doesn't get destroyed. Use any vehicles to your advantage by covering the MCOMMs and transporting friendlies directly to the action. Dropping a full squad off gives your teammates enough support for one guy to arm the objective since the defenders have multiple enemies to shoot. Sometimes being the decoy is just what the team needs to win so stop worrying about your KDR and do what needs to be done for the win!

DEFENDERS:

As a defender, it's pretty self explanatory but I don't expect a recruit like you to understand so here it goes anyway. You must stop those Rambo wannabes from arming the MCOMM stations by whatever means possible, except cheating so stop thinking that way. Having a squadmate or mobile spawnpoint near one of the objectives can prevent a loss since you can get to the charge quicker and defuse it with the help of your squadmates. Have your squad focus on just one of the stations since the attackers need to destroy both to advance. Sniping while defending is probably where this class helps the most since you can safely watch a station from afar and call out any other enemies you see, so use that "Q" button! Keep killing those persistent clowns until their ticket count reaches 0 and you've won!

Now to the mode that made Battlefield what it is, Conquest. In this mode, there are points scattered

around the map that your team must capture and hold to bleed your enemy's tickets. The more bases you hold, the faster those cowards lose so capture and hold those bases. Here's where your panzy camping tactics can actually be of use to the team. So your brave teammates have captured a point and your country's flag is flying high? Then spawn on that point and defend it from a corner where you feel safe. Want to play with the big boys? Then help take other flags with your squad and annoy the hell out of the enemy as they desperately try to take them back to avoid getting yelled at by some Armchair General on their team.

Conquest is also where you can find the most vehicular mayhem in a game. Some maps have everything from small transport vehicles to APCs, tanks, anti-air vehicles, transport and attack helicopters, and even jets in an intricate game of rock-paper-scissors. Having a good soldier in control of a vehicle can change the outcome of the battle. Having a tank roll in to support infantry at a flag can not only help in capturing that objective, but also stop the lowly infantry from shitting their pants during a firefight, and NO ONE likes a smelly soldier standing next to you in the heat of battle. Jets are important in gaining air superiority since they can keep friendly tanks from getting blown to bits by enemy choppers or jets, so having good pilots in the air help the troops on the ground without them even knowing it. Just don't be one of those guys who stand on the runway all day hoping to get a jet just to crash it two seconds later. We're still not sure how they passed basic training if they can't realize that you can spawn directly into the jets in BF3 instead of camping the runway, but let them learn the hard way as people beat them to the jets by spawning directly into the cockpit as they go back to waiting just to be disappointed again.

EXTRA OP'S NOTE: Please, for the love of all things that are worth loving in this world DO NOT STAND AND WAIT FOR JETS AT THE RUNWAY, if you REALLY REALLY want a Jet, just wait at the Deploy screen until one appears and Spawn directly into the Jet. I guarantee 99% of the time the guy spawning from the Deploy screen will beat you into the Plane, plus, personally nothing pisses me off more than seeing half my team not contributing to the ongoing battle because they are standing around in the base hoping to be the lucky one with the lowest ping at that particular moment so that they can shout "YAY I'M FLYING A JET" *BOOM* Shot Down.

Follow these basic instructions and you just might go from green to grizzled before the rest. Over and out.

Air:

• If you have an enemy jet on your tail during a dogfight and you can't shake 'em, fly as high as possible and do an Immelman turn at the last second and cut your engines so the guy flies straight up into the flight ceiling and stalls while you're now facing the other way and slowly start falling back down giving you a good chance to escape and re-engage.
  
• Remember that your cannon in your jet isn't always aimed at the center of the screen so follow the crosshair even if it's offcenter since turns affect where it's at on the HUD.
  
• When firing sidewinders at an enemy jet, always try to wait until you can fire the missiles behind him so the missiles have an easier flight path to follow to hit your target. Don't fire if you don't have a good angle of attack or if the enemy jet is in the middle of turning. The missiles in BF3 are very forgiving though as they can do crazy maneuvers and still hit your target.
  
• When piloting a chopper and you see an enemy chopper coming towards, ALWAYS try to gain as much altitude and get the high ground on them so you and your gunner can shoot at them while they have to keep pulling up to get shots off making it harder for them to hit you while you're consistently hitting them.

Ground:

• Vehicles can now drift making it easier to turn corners at high speeds so use powersliding to your advantage.
  
• Be careful trying to drive over shallow water because if it's deep enough, the game will kick everyone out of the vehicle as it goes through it. So just slight changes in the water depth can lead to death if enemies are shooting at you.
  
• Make sure to use smoke to your advantage when you have the M320 grenade launcher unlocked for Assault. Firing all of your smoke for your friends as they rush the objective might not net you any points, but it makes capturing the objective a lot easier since you're concealed from snipers.
  
• Use semi-auto or burst fire for long range shots by pressing "V" to select your fire mode. Semi-auto makes long range engagements a lot easier since you aren't fighting recoil the whole time. Semi-auto and burst helped a lot in BF2 and appear to be just as useful in BF3.
  
• BF3 is one of the few games where you have to lead your target if they're running. The weapons aren't laser guns in this game so adjust accordingly and remember that bullet drop will affect you at long ranges as well.

 

[ColonialRaptor]

Hey Raptor if you want to add the Trophies/Achievements list here it is:

Spoiler

Not on my watch
Protect Chaffin from the soldiers in the street in Operation Swordbreaker

Involuntary Euthanasia
Kill the 2 soldiers before the building falls on them in Uprising

The Professional
Complete the street chase in Comrades in under 2 minutes 30 seconds without dying

Army of Darkness
Shoot out the 4 lights with 4 bullets in Night Shift

Practice makes perfect
Headshot each of the targets in the gun range in Kaffarov

What the hell *are* you?
Take a russian Dog Tag in the forest ambush in Rock And A Hard Place (1)

Roadkill
Kick the car to kill the soldiers in Uprising

You can be my wingman anytime
Complete Going Hunting in a perfect run

Scrap Metal
Destroy 6 enemy tanks before reaching the fort in Thunder Run

Butterfly
Take down the jet in one attempt in Rock And A Hard Place

Twofor
Take down 2 enemies with 1 bullet in Night Shift

Ooh-rah!
Complete the campaign story

Between a rock and a hard place
Beat Solomon, flawlessly, in The Great Destroyer

Semper Fidelis
Complete the campaign story on Hard

Push On
Reach the garage without going into man-down state in Hit and Run

Two-rah!
Complete all co-op missions

Lock ‘n’ Load
Unlock all unique co-op weapons

Car Lover
Complete the mission without losing a humvee in Operation Exodus

In the nick of time
Disarm the bomb in under 20 seconds in The Eleventh Hour

Bullseye
Reach and save the hostages without alerting any enemies in Drop ‘em Like Liquid

Untouchable
Complete the mission without using the fire extinguisher in Fire From The Sky

Army of Two
Complete all co-op missions on Hard

Ninjas
Reach the VIP without setting off the alarm in Exfiltration

Vehicle Warfare
Obtain all 3 vehicle warfare ribbons

Infantry Efficiency
Obtain all 4 weapon efficiency ribbons

Decorated
Obtain one of each ribbon in the game

It’s better than nothing!
Finish as 3rd MVP in a ranked match

Support Efficiency
Obtain all 4 support efficiency ribbons

Colonel
Achieve rank 45

1st Loser
Finish as 2nd MVP in a ranked match

Most Valuable Player
Finish as MVP in a ranked match

M.I.A
Obtain your first enemy Dog Tag

I didn't saw in the OP and I thought someone might wanna take a look at that.

Vaelic was the original poster who found the new nvidia bf3 drivers, credit where credit's due. Sorry for being late.

New nvidia bf3 drivers released

https://twitter.com/battlefieldo/sta...36442719457280

New nVidia Drivers for Retail BF3! (released 10-24-2011)

-[148mb W7 64-bit] GeForce 285.62 WHQL
-[107mb W7 32-bit] GeForce 285.62 WHQL

Unlocking BF3 early via Korean Proxy.
1. Run/Login to Origin
2. Run Internet Explorer
2a. Internet Options
2b. Connections Tab
2c. Lan Settings
2d. Check the proxy box and input 211.53.208.28 into the IP box and 3128 into the Port.
2e. Save
3. Run BF3 via Origin (a date verification will run)
4. Once the verification is done go back to IE and disable the proxy so your internet traffic is not routed through it. If you do not disable it you risk your own security.
5. Play BF3

Do this at your own risk.

Let's do this.

Things to check first:
1) Update your video drivers – Ati: http://support.amd.com/us/Pages/AMDSupportHub.aspx [support.amd.com] Nividia: http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us [nvidia.com]
2) Update direct x - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/179113 [support.microsoft.com]
3) Update .net framework - http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=17851 [microsoft.com]
4) Make sure your other drivers are up to date – Sorry can’t really supply links for this as everyone’s set up is different
5) Update battlefield 3 – in origin right click on the battlefield 3 image, choose “check for update”


Game wont launch:

Remove trademark: Credit - xD3S1x
1) Goto the folder where Origin installed BF3 (C:\Program Files (x86)\Battlefield 3\ Battlefield 3™) (thats where mine was installed)
2) Rename the Battlefield 3™ folder to Battlefield 3 - (removing ™)
3) Start regedit , browse to the following key :
HKEY LOCAL MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WoW6432Node\EA Games
Change the GDFBinary & InstallDir paths to C:\Program Files (x86)\Battlefield 3\ Battlefield 3 - again removing ™

Set administrative: Credit - raze4
1) Go to C:\Program Files\Origin Games\Battlefield 3 or C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\Battlefield 3
2) Right click on bf3.exe> properties> compatibility> check “run this program as administrator”
3) Go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin or C:\Program Files \Origin
4) Right click on origin.exe> properties> compatibility> check “run this program as administrator”

Partial reinstall: Credit - o--Vantage--o
1) Go to Battlefield 3 folder and delete everything except the data folder and _installer.
2) In Origin right click on Battlefield 3 and choose repair install. When I did this the repair install scanned my game and took about 2 min to download stuff. Then after it was done it launched an update to BF3 that took 7 min to download.

Browser plugin issue: credit – lpjazzman220
1) Try using another browser such as Firefox, chrome or internet explorer. You will need to reinstall the game manager in your new browser

Remove beta client: Credit - Kasuyo
1) go to your control panel under windows, find “uninstall a program”
2) When it finishes loading it’s list look for “Battlefield 3 beta” and click remove
3) Go to C:\Program Files\Origin Games or C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games and delete the battlefield 3 beta folder

Repair install: Credit – me8myself
1) Open origin, go to your games tab and right click on the battlefield 3 image
2) Choose repair install and wait. Do not close the install window until it is completely done

Run campaign offline: Credit - BasiliskV
1) In origin click the gear> go offline
2) Click the play button on battlefield 3

Partial reinstall: Credit - o--Vantage--o
1) Go to Battlefield 3 folder and delete everything except the data folder and _installer.
2) In Origin right click on Battlefield 3 and choose repair install. When I did this the repair install scanned my game and took about 2 min to download stuff. Then after it was done it launched an update to BF3 that took 7 min to download.

Full reinstall: Credit – me8myself
1) Go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games or C:\Program Files\Origin Games
2) Change the battlefield 3 folder name or if you are running low on room delete it entirely
3) Restart origin and reinstall your game (you might want to keep installer files just in case, do this by clicking the gear in origin>settings>check the box that says “keep game installers after games have been installed”)


Game launches but crashes(general fix):

Set to run on one core: credit – EA Tech support
1) Click ctrl+shift+esc task manager should start, if not try alt+ctrl+delete
2) Start battlefield 3
3) As soon as it start go to task manager >processes> right click on bf3.exe>set affinity> uncheck all but cpu 0


On-line fix:

Kicked by admin fix: Credit - Stevizo
1) First of you will need to download the latest punkbuster file here:
http://www.evenbalance.com/index.php?page=dl-bf3.php [evenbalance.com]

2) Look under PunkBuster (Battlefield 3) Player Client Files and download the Filename: “wc002279.htm” to:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\Battlefield 3\pb\htm Overwrite the existing file even if it's the same size.

Start non punkbuster game: Credit - Sebby360
1) turn punkbuster off under your search, and join a non pb req server


In game fix:

Shuttering fix: Credit - dem0critus
1) Disable HPET and Hyperthreading in BIOS (HT Link Tristate and Cluster Multi-threading for AMD - HAVEN'T TESTED ON AMD, so I don't know if it will work the same)
2)Disable Threaded Optimization in NVidia settings
roll back drivers to 285.38 beta drivers (For nvidia users obviously, if you're on ATI after trying everything else, try removing cap3.)


Specific event log fixes:

atidxx32.dll -- Update your video drivers – Ati: http://support.amd.com/us/Pages/AMDSupportHub.aspx [support.amd.com]

dx.dll -- Update direct x - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/179113 [support.microsoft.com]

bf3.exe -- Repair install

Further new Updates will be added to the top of Post 1

-----------------------------------------------------

Credit goes to Mendelevium for the Avatars and the Farewell Image - what a gun. He's a gun player as well, watch out for him and that silenced M9, he'll get you... quietly.

Credit also goes to Demolito for his fantastic help and support throughout the entire thread creation process, he helped by writing the Tips section and they are frikken brilliant. He's also an absolute gun of a dude, big props to you man, I couldn't have done it without you.

Nega-Credit goes to Shagg for all the moral support and sarcasm, thanks for all the feedback and ideas and distracting me so much during the last couple of days so that GAF had to wait so much longer for this OT.

I hope it lives up to everyone's expectations... I certainly don't think it hits mine :/

 

[Izayoi]

oh my fuck

 

[giant_frying_pan]

Nice work! Cant wait for this...although being in the UK, I'm going to have to

 

[Cuban Legend]

READING THIS |OT| WHILE LISTENING TO THE BF3 THEME:

 

[MGHA]

 

[XANDER CAGE]

Ah shit, didn't realize the OT wasn't done being posted when I first posted. It was already so damn big and awesome! Sorry duder.

 

[Ikuu]

OT is cool I guess, now just need to get past the first page so I don't need to load all these images.

 

[kuYuri]

My Best Buy preorder for midnight launch is ready. PC version all the way.

 

[rdrr gnr]

Somebody TAG this man!

 

[dysorder]

Epic.

 

[Hanmik]

it´s time for the mods to step in and make this a decent OT..

edit.. that was fast.. good work mods.

 

[Cheesecakebobby]

"Gulf of Omen"

Preorder cencelled.

 

[Biggest-Geek-Ever]

Holy shit. That wait was worth it for that last picture alone. :lol

Excellent work!

 

[lazybones18]

Reposting

Long and big as hell (I'll probably read all of it)

 

[NBtoaster]

Could 20+ people really not hold themselves?

 

[Interficium]

"Oh so ready"

....what?

 

[Snuggles]

crazy thread ColonialRaptor, a job well done

 

[JJD]

Great OT my friend, congratulations!

Spoiler

Yeah, it still haven't finished loading!

 

[ColonialRaptor]

I'm done now.

 

[Nekrono]

Nvm, I see them now.

Great job with the OT Raptor.

 

[Arment]

Good work, glad it's finally here. Next step, playable MP!

 

[mr_nothin]

 

[dLMN8R]

OH MY GOD YES

 

[demolitio]

No avatars?

Yea, they're up there. Look harder! lol

 

[Bruiserk]

Be Advised: 99 problems but an OT (finally) ain't one.

Spoiler

I waited all day for my 300th post to be in the OT. Worth it?

 

[Rygar 8 Bit]

God damn it took 3 posts to get it all in there well played

 

[Sn4ke_911]

I'm done now.

Fucking awesome. Great Job man.

 

[.nimrod]

dat OT

 

[Proxy]

Amazing, nice job ColonialRaptor.

 

[Soma]

man you weren't kidding when you said the OT was worth the wait


awesome job!

 

[XANDER CAGE]

Amazing OT, on the whole!

 

[GhostRidah]

Amazing OP

 

[vehn]

only 6 hours till releaseeeee

 

[BoobPhysics101]

Multiplayer game of the forever...

 

[Franklinator]

Whoops, sorry for posting too early. Anyway, well done. I now know everything I could possibly need to know about Battlefield 3

 

[throwawayname]

Awesome OP.

 

[Nekrono]

Grabbing this one:

 

[DimetappWUT]

Hype. Great OT.

 

[MRORANGE]

yes, yes and YES.

 

[IMACOMPUTA]

Thank god "my body is advised" wasn't used.

 

[Salsa]

oh no my first post bitchin about reviews is no more

 

[Conceptor]

Awesome OT, ColonialRaptor. Have had this preordered since E3 and gone though a full upgrade on my PC in preparation for the game. I seriously can't wait :>

 

[D23]

epic OT. well worth the wait

 

[Slayer-33]

I am now in here.


Body is prepared.

 

[TURNCLOAK]

Six hours and 40 minutes until the game unlocks!

Snipe you all later!

 

[Symphonic]

My eyes are bleeding.

In the good way.

 

[OdysseusVA]

FINALLY

Great job!