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[Machina]

WORTH NOTING FIRST: Of course this is an Alpha, so everything you're about to read either from myself or others is subject to change before launch.

First of all, I can say that the first word that comes to mind so far is "Optimistic". It does appear as though DICE have taken people's quibbles with the first game very seriously and have dramatically improved the gameplay as such. Shooting mechanics feel much better, the visuals are drop dead gorgeous, and the new class system seems well thought out.

In regards to the star cards and loot crates, unless the amount of credits you earn in game is scaled up for the Alpha, it doesn't appear that they're skimping on how much you can earn. I've been playing for about 2 hours and I've already opened about 4 loot crates: 1 rare, 2 uncommon and 1 common, the contents of which seem to be primarily upgraded star cards with small improvements here and there, such as cooldown and duration. Also it's worth noting that whatever you can get in the crates star card wise, you can craft yourself using in game crafting materials which you also can get from crates, so if there is a specific card you want/need but can't seem to get in a crate outright, you can just unlock yourself once you have enough materials.

So all in all, I'm pretty happy with what I've played so far. Reasonably confident this will be received well in the holiday season. Any questions you might have that I didn't cover, please feel free to throw them my way in the thread and I will endeavour to answer.

 

[Lifejumper]

How do the heroes feel? Old and new?

 

[ChaosSmurf]

What did you think of the NDA?

EDIT: Added a link to help explain for some extra-studious Gaffers.

 

[Karak]

...wait I thought the NDA restricted all this.

 

[ItsTheNew]

What did you think of the NDA?

Why do you care if they post their opinions?

 

[Eggiem]

Reported.

Spoiler

 

[Ooccoo]

RNG and crates mean this game will be ruined

 

[b0bbyJ03]

Thanks for the impressions. I'm optimistic about this game myself. I thought that the first one was a big disappointment so I'm hoping this one makes up for that.

How is the time to kill? I felt that it was too long on the first one. I'm hoping they tighten it up.

 

[Sanjay]

Why do you care if they post their opinions?

A forum for developers not gamers. For the few not the many.

 

[netBuff]

What did you think of the NDA?

He played it on a friend's computer. Done.

 

[mcrommert]

NDA ain't nothing apparently

 

[netBuff]

NDA ain't nothing apparently

It pretty much is, they're not going to sue players for spreading the word about an alpha version that's widely available.

 

[BrettHeazy]

I'm off to EA tonight, maybe that's what they want me to play.

 

[killroy87]

How do you get into vehicles in this game? Pleeeeease tell me you get into them on the ground and take off, none of that stupid coin collecting shit.

 

[RoboPlato]

What did you think of the NDA?

I never understand why random GAF users would care about someone breaking an NDA to share info.

 

[Starviper]

How do you get into vehicles in this game? Pleeeeease tell me you get into them on the ground and take off, none of that stupid coin collecting shit.

Hoping for this as well.

 

[LastNac]

What did you think of the NDA?

Well aren't you the citizen solider...

 

[Birbo]

How do you get into vehicles in this game? Pleeeeease tell me you get into them on the ground and take off, none of that stupid coin collecting shit.

Glad I'm not the only one bothered by this.

 

[TangoAlphaLima]

It pretty much is, they're not going to sue players for spreading the word about an alpha version that's widely available.

Especially when the impressions are positive.

 

[Hispanic! At the Disco]

How do you get into vehicles in this game? Pleeeeease tell me you get into them on the ground and take off, none of that stupid coin collecting shit.

This is also my only real pressing issue so far. I must know if the tokens are still in or not.

 

[CopperPuppy]

What did you think of the NDA?

...wait I thought the NDA restricted all this.

NDA ain't nothing apparently

There are people in here whose first thought is to put some random gamer on blast for breaking a publisher's non-disclosure agreement to share benign - indeed, positive - impressions of a video game they just played and thought was fun.

They don't even know the circumstances under which the person played the game or whether/how the NDA applies. They just want to make sure that, if someone arguably broke it, they're called to task for it.

Think about that.

 

[BrettHeazy]

some guy has been streaming the alpha for the last 2 hours btw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNUZ-1Mk5xQ

 

[Machina]

How do you get into vehicles in this game? Pleeeeease tell me you get into them on the ground and take off, none of that stupid coin collecting shit.

Hoping for this as well.

Glad I'm not the only one bothered by this.

This is also my only real pressing issue so far. I must know if the tokens are still in or not.

No there is no tokens, however you don't climb into a vehicle from the outside either. You earn points by killing and doing objectives that go towards a total which you can then use to "purchase" your way into a role. Aerial vehicles are the cheapest, followed by ground vehicles and then heroes.

How do the heroes feel? Old and new?

Han, Rey, Boba and Maul are playable in the alpha. Han is pretty much identical to BF1, and he is the only hero I've been able to play as so far. Maul is very popular as you can imagine. The one instance of the two Jedi meeting and fighting each other that I saw....Well lets just say the lightsaber duels aren't Jedi Knight 2 quality, that's for sure.

 

[SargerusBR]

Any new heroes besides the ones already known?
What planets/modes are available on the Alpha?

 

[Lifejumper]

Uuuh peeps there is enough gameplay footage out there to find out yourself if the token system is still in. Hint: its not: https://youtu.be/8jjGMSrnPgA

 

[Markitron]

No there is no tokens, however you don't climb into a vehicle from the outside either. You earn points by killing and doing objectives that go towards a total which you can then use to "purchase" your way into a role. Aerial vehicles are the cheapest, followed by ground vehicles and then heroes.

Not ideal but already better than the original. Once people memorised where everything was they would just rack up the kills.

Uuuh peeps there is enough gameplay footage out there to find out yourself if the token system is still in. Hint: its not: https://youtu.be/8jjGMSrnPgA

The OP asked for questions, not everyone will have been keeping up with it.

 

[fastford58]

What did you think of the NDA?

EDIT: Added a link to help explain for some extra-studious Gaffers.

Watch out...this guys probably on the horn to EA right now! oh noes, teh black helicopters are coming! Suited execs breaching the windows and taking you down with stacks of notarized papers!

AAAAAAAGH!

Anyway...thanks for the impressions. Very interested in getting this game. I'm hoping there is some VR content again.

 

[Sn4ke_911]

Any new heroes besides the ones already known?
What planets/modes are available on the Alpha?

Nope, honestly i don't know why this alpha is under NDA, it's basically the same shit from E3 but now you can open loot crates wow so NDA worthy.

Edit: On top of that these guys were allowed to upload some footage from the alpha.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEcAbn29DdA&feature=youtu.be

So what's even the point of this NDA? makes no sense but EA gotta EA i guess.

 

[Gator86]

There are people in here whose first thought is to put some random gamer on blast for breaking a publisher's non-disclosure agreement to share benign - indeed, positive - impressions of a video game they just played and thought was fun.

They don't even know the circumstances under which the person played the game or whether/how the NDA applies. They just want to make sure that, if someone arguably broke it, they're called to task for it.

Think about that.

Some people just really, really love companies that sell them the opportunity to purchase a randomized piece of loot.

Excited to hear this one plays better. The shooting in 1 was so bad I couldn't play it.

 

[Machina]

Any new heroes besides the ones already known?
What planets/modes are available on the Alpha?

Just Theed on Naboo, aka the E3 map

How is the time to kill? I felt that it was too long on the first one. I'm hoping they tighten it up.

You do need to be on the ball when it comes to your aim if you want to kill someone quickly. Headshots are what you want in the end, which can be pretty tough up against the skinny heads of the droids

 

[SuperEpicMan]

I know the battle points system has replaced the need for hero and vehicle tokens, but is it true there are still item pickup tokens?

 

[Tal Shiar Agent]

RNG and crates mean this game will be ruined

Not in the slightest. You can bypass the entire RNG.

I know the battle points system has replaced the need for hero and vehicle tokens, but is it true there are still item pickup tokens?

A few, but it's like the system in Battlefield 4 now. You pick up binoculars that spawn in the same location to use an original strike. That sort of thing.

 

[SargerusBR]

Nope, honestly i don't know why this alpha is under NDA, it's basically the same shit from E3 but now you can open loot crates wow so NDA worthy.

Edit: On top of that these guys were allowed to upload some footage from the alpha.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEcAbn29DdA&feature=youtu.be

So what's even the point of this NDA? makes no sense but EA gotta EA i guess.

Just Theed on Naboo, aka the E3 map

So its just the E3 build then, bummer

 

[killroy87]

No there is no tokens, however you don't climb into a vehicle from the outside either. You earn points by killing and doing objectives that go towards a total which you can then use to "purchase" your way into a role. Aerial vehicles are the cheapest, followed by ground vehicles and then heroes.

Man, fuck this game. I know it might sound hyperbolic, but that really bugged me in the first game. This sounds just as dumb.

 

[Tal Shiar Agent]

Man, fuck this game. I know it might sound hyperbolic, but that really bugged me in the first game. This sounds just as dumb.

Its irrationally hyperbolic.

It's essentially the same as Battlefield 1. You spawn directly into the vehicles but if you bail out they explode so that the enemy team can't steal them.


Battlefront isn't a vehicle driven game, it never has been.

 

[Sn4ke_911]

Man, fuck this game. I know it might sound hyperbolic, but that really bugged me in the first game. This sounds just as dumb.

Eh no it really doesn't.

 

[TangoAlphaLima]

Man, fuck this game. I know it might sound hyperbolic, but that really bugged me in the first game. This sounds just as dumb.

It sounds a lot better, actually. Will need to try it myself to see how it pans out, but it seems like a reasonable compromise.

 

[Machina]

Man, fuck this game. I know it might sound hyperbolic, but that really bugged me in the first game. This sounds just as dumb.

I can understand you're disappointed from an immersion perspective but trust me, there is enough going on in this game visually to understand if they couldn't pile empty vehicles in without tanking performance. Particle effects are all over the place, e.g leaves swirling around in the wind and the sparks from blaster shots. This game is already a processors worst nightmare

 

[PBY]

Literally the only thing I cared about was actually taking off and starting up vehicles.

Welp, will wait for Battlefront 3 lol.

 

[FutureLarking]

Battlefront isn't a vehicle driven game, it never has been.

You wat, I only played Battlefront 2 to mess around in vehicles online. Best part of the game by far.

I can understand you're disappointed from an immersion perspective but trust me, there is enough going on in this game visually to understand if they couldn't pile empty vehicles in without tanking performance. Particle effects are all over the place, e.g leaves swirling around in the wind and the sparks from blaster shots. This game is already a processors worst nightmare

I mean,every developer in existence could go and prioritise graphics over game-play in any game. But making a game fun should be important than making it look like the best thing since sliced bread for any studio worth it's salt.

 

[Markitron]

Man, fuck this game. I know it might sound hyperbolic, but that really bugged me in the first game. This sounds just as dumb.

Which is why they completely changed it?

I don't think I follow you.

 

[Karak]

There are people in here whose first thought is to put some random gamer on blast for breaking a publisher's non-disclosure agreement to share benign - indeed, positive - impressions of a video game they just played and thought was fun.

They don't even know the circumstances under which the person played the game or whether/how the NDA applies. They just want to make sure that, if someone arguably broke it, they're called to task for it.

Think about that.

Nope. I had a very real question.

 

[Machina]

Nope. I had a very real question.

Did you?

 

[Karak]

Did you?

yes indeed

 

[Tal Shiar Agent]

You wat, I only played Battlefront 2 to mess around in vehicles online. Best part of the game by far.

More than half of the maps in the original 2005 Battlefront 2 did not have vehicles.


Hoth
Endor
Geonosis
Kashyyyk
Mygeeto
Theed
Yavin IV


Those were the only large scale vehicle maps in the game, the rest were infantry focused.

Mos Eisley
Tantive IV
Death Star
Dagobah
Jabba's Palace
Coruscant
Kamino
Mustafar
Utapau
Felucia
Polis Massa

 

[Machina]

yes indeed

...wait I thought the NDA restricted all this.

You mind putting in a question mark next time then?

 

[PBY]

Its irrationally hyperbolic.

It's essentially the same as Battlefield 1. You spawn directly into the vehicles but if you bail out they explode so that the enemy team can't steal them.


Battlefront isn't a vehicle driven game, it never has been.

Its not for me. Its literally a dealbreaker for me.

 

[Karak]

You mind putting in a question mark next time then?

You mean the question itself? Sure but not here maybe in a PM.
I myself was banned for a couple days for breaking NDA/impressions on neogaf Watchdogs original.
Ah memories of that thread lol. So I like to be clear when posting specific questions or answers is all.

 

[VonGreckler]

I mean,every developer in existence could go and prioritise graphics over game-play in any game. But making a game fun should be important than making it look like the best thing since sliced bread for any studio worth it's salt.

I think the Battle Points system is more fun because it encourages playing the objective to earn the points that allow you to spawn in as a vehicle or hero. People not playing the objective looking tokens in the first game was a real problem and I think this is a more fun solution than just replacing the tokens with the actual vehicles (which would change the gameplay zero)

 

[Symbiotx]

Its not for me. Its literally a dealbreaker for me.

Literally? What deal did you have that it broke?