And the beginning is the least impressive when it comes to what visual delights the game has in store.
The game just isn't fun for newcomers. The chain of command system rewards dedicated players (and by dedicated, I mean people who have the time to devote 8 hours a fucking day to this shit) and gives them an unfair weapon advantage even on top of their refined skills. Spawn, die. Spawn, die. Spawn, die. Spawn, die. "Get off the server, noob!" some gleeful 12 year old with a thousand hours under his belt screams in my ear.
It doesn't help that servers can't be optimized to exclude certain ranks for a true Newbie gathering(at least, not that I've seen). Servers titled "Noob Only" are just bait to veterans who want to rack up 100 kills for a screenshot to show off on their clan's forum.
It would have helped, in a tutorial sense, if single player(with borked AI) wasn't so pointless.
Don't get me wrong. I welcome a steep challenge, and respect reward systems. But for me, BF2 just didn't find the right balance. Not even close. I thought for the longest time I just wasn't finding the right server.
But when a developer, like Splash Damage, points out all these flaws, and they are so enlightened as to suggest remedies that both regulars and newcomers can agree on, it gives my opinion weight.