*sigh*
Close Quarters got me back into Battlefield. I've given those maps a pretty hefty play over the last couple of weeks, so I figured it was time to play the real Battlefield. In all honesty, I don't think I'm worse at any other shooter than Battlefield 3. It's absolutely baffling. I'm not a pro player, I'm not highly skilled, but years of experience playing shooters (including the Battlefield series) have left me with skills to hold my own in another other FPS. Team Fortress 2? Great. Call of Duty? I'll clean up a server. Quake 3? Those twitch reflexes got me into the genre.
Battlefield 3? My bolt loading sniper rifle will be bested, from a mile away, by a scoped AK on automatic. My tank will be obliterated after being behind the wheel for thirty second, but the enemy's will power through all my rockets. I haven't landed an anti-air missile in forever. I'll unload round after round at close range in your face, but it will only take you a burst of two or three shots to kill me.
Every once in awhile I'll have a good round, or a good run. I'll manage to one-up the enemy. My squad won't be full of morons, and actually understand the value of spotting. But no matter how hard I try to shape my skill when I fail, and no matter how I analyse my faults and look to improve, I will on average be one of the worst players on a server. It makes me so sad because I love so much about Battlefield, but too often I just want to rage quit, uninstall, and never play the game again.
It honestly feels like me with a pea shooter versus an entire army armed to the teeth with weapons that shooter faster, more accurate, and deal more damage. And that entire army is focused squarely on killing me.