Inside DICE: Tweets from the Battlefield
The latest Inside DICE is out! Today they talk with Alan Kertz about “Tweets from the Battlefield”.
Alan Kertz is the Core Gameplay Designer behind a lot of great in-depth blog posts published here at the Battlefield Blog. In this episode of “Inside DICE”, he takes a handful of your most tweeted questions and answers them personally.
Keep the questions coming here on the blog (or send them to @battlefield) and we’ll do more round-ups like this. Now let’s dig into the questions and some answers we think you will find illuminating.
1. Where did you start before working for DICE?
(Asked by @minikanelive)
Alan answers: “I was actually quite lucky to enter the industry directly working for DICE on Battlefield 2142. Of course, I didn’t just start cold turkey, I’d previously been a member of the Battlefield 1942 modding community where I developed tools, levels, and mods. Some of my work was featured in mods like Eve of Destruction, Desert Combat, and Point of Existence. Scholastically my background is a Computer Science degree from a university in the US where I grew up. While the CS degree wasn’t a real influence on me getting the job, I do find that understanding the concepts of coding is a definitive edge when working as a game designer.”2. SKS bullet drop is very pronounced. Bug or intended? It ruins my immersion whenever i see it.
(Asked by @shimme01)
Alan answers: “The SKS has a relatively low velocity round when compared to other DMR and Sniper weapons. Over the same distances the SKS round will drop further and lose more energy since it’s a smaller caliber round. The SKS is range limited, though it makes up for this by being mobile, fast firing, and deadly in mid-range. For longer range engagements I would step up to something like the M39 EMR or the QBU-88 sniper from Back to Karkand.”3. In comparison to the P90, the MP7 is a bit outclassed. Maybe consider reducing the MP7′s first shot recoil and increasing the P90′s?
(Asked by @kryptikspaniard)
Alan answers: “The MP7 has a lower overall muzzle climb, a faster reload (especially from empty), and a higher rate of fire than the P90. Finally, the MP7 is rather easily obtained via COOP play, while the P90 comes later on at Rank40. Obviously they’re both similar weapons, and I feel the subtle differences between the two weapons makes it an interesting choice for players. Some players clearly prefer the P90, others prefer the MP7.“4. Do scopes have an effect on vertical recoil? Didn’t know if the weight of the scope factored in? It’s not in the descriptions.
(Asked by @friedpixels)
Alan answers: “Another great question. Scopes only change two variables: how much zoom they provide and how fast the weapon aims down the sights. A high zoom scope, like a 6x rifle scope, will be slow, and a low zoom sight, like a red dot sight, will be fast. There are no additionally effects on the weapons’ handling, no changes to recoil or accuracy.”5. So a gun that has just a suppressor and a sight has better aimed accuracy than one with a foregrip & suppressor?
(Asked by @KILLAnthonyMan)
Alan answers: “The short answer is Yes. The long answer is Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssssss. The explanation though, is more interesting. A foregrip carries a small aimed accuracy penalty, if you’re trying to get the best absolute accuracy you can with the weapon, a suppressor will give you better aimed accuracy. However, combining the Suppressor and the Foregrip will give the weapon the same accuracy as if you had no accessories, while also reducing recoil. It’s my recommendation that you only forgo a foregrip (see what I did there?) if you demand the absolute best accuracy you can obtain. Generally, inside 100m a weapon with a foregrip is still plenty accurate to hit consistently on target, and it will be easier to control.”That’s it for now! We hope you enjoyed this Q&A session. Once again, if you want similar questions answered right here on the blog, ask them below in the comments section. See you in the next episode of “Inside DICE”.
Battlefield 3 “Subway Zoom” T-shirt and signed Close Quarters lithograph now available on the DICE Store
The “Subway Zoom” T-Shirt is now in the Battlefield Store! Also a signed Close Quarters lithograph of “The Palace” is available.
Hi everyone! We hope you enjoyed yesterday’s new Close Quarters gameplay trailer. On that note, we just released a new cool litho for pre-order in the DICE Store. It’s a signed and numbered lithograph from DICE Concept Artist Eric Persson, showing the Donya Fortress map from Close Quarters. It’s available now in the EU DICE Store here, or the US store here.
We also have the winning T-shirt that you voted for earlier available in both the EU and US DICE Store right now. Visit the DICE Store for even more great Battlefield gear straight from us at DICE.
Accessorize It: Finding the Perfect Setup to Fit Your Playstyle
Accessorizing is one of the best features of Battlefield 3 and in this episode of “Inside Dice” the core gameplay designer Alan Kertz will talk about the best matches for your guns.
In this episode of “Inside DICE”, Core Gameplay Designer Alan Kertz returns with an in-depth look at how we balance and rebalance the game after launch. He will also help you realize some of the most significant changes in how the different accessories in Battlefield 3™ are tweaked in the latest patch – and how you can experiment to find a new and perfect setup to fit your personal playstyle.
Seek and destroy on the Donya Fortress map from the upcoming Close Quarters expansion pack.
Battlefield™ is a big game. Balancing a game as diverse as Battlefield 3 requires constant attention, multiple iterations, and both a detailed approach as well as a broad vision. To start, we begin with the broad vision: Rock, Paper, Scissors, Tank, Jet, Infantry, Boat, Helicopter. At the heart of “Battlefield Balance” is the idea that no single soldier can be all powerful. We believe this makes the choices presented in Battlefield more interesting, as the player is not simply advancing an ever steeper power curve, but rather the player is consistently presented with new choices. The choices a player makes, whether before spawn, at spawn, or when playing will determine which role he plays and what abilities he possesses.
No silver bullets
For example, on a vehicle level a jet can destroy a tank, but an AA vehicle can destroy a jet, but the tank can destroy the AA. Only through teamwork can the tank be protected from the AA and the AA protected from another tank. Each of the vehicles is powerful within its role, but no one vehicle can master everything. Teamwork though, trumps all. The attack helicopter is a great example of a situation where two players, cooperating in the same vehicle can greatly increase the power of the vehicle. With a gunner and a pilot the attack helicopter can engage both ground vehicles and infantry, as well as defend itself against other helicopters. However, even the attack helicopter is vulnerable to the jet, or an AA vehicle, or even infantry with a SAM launcher. It is when players find all powerful combinations that we need to do a balance update.Battlefield 3 made some major additions to game balance: vehicle disable, suppression, and deeper weapon customization all have a major impact on how Battlefield 3 is balanced. Suppression is an addition generally unique to Battlefield, as we felt that shooters really didn’t represent the unnerving fear that comes from being truly shot at in an authentic way. Suppression allowed us to better represent this psychological effect of being shot, while also adding to the gameplay. Being able to pin down and suppress a player so he cannot accurately return fire opens up new tactics and strategies for dealing with threats. A player with an SMG might not be able to put effective lethal fire on a sniper, but he can put enough rounds near the sniper to suppress him and get into cover.
A Delicate Balancing Act
Of course all of this is a delicate balancing act, and based on community feedback in the last update we made some tweaks to how suppression is calculated. We increased the size of the suppression sphere (bullets going through or impacting in this sphere cause suppression) in order to allow better suppression of targets in windows or behind some kinds of cover. Previously players would have to shoot over the cover, and this change allows the bullets that hit the cover to provide some suppressive effect. Of course, the closer a bullet passes to the player the more suppression he receives, and some tweaks were made to how close a bullet must be to fully suppress. I’m generally happy with the larger sphere, as it makes suppression clearer (and was a small adjustment), though community sentiment is clear that while divided a significant number of players dislike the changes made to suppression. We look forward to continued community feedback on how these changes are affecting Battlefield 3. Based on that feedback we may make additional adjustments in the future.Finding the Perfect Accessory Combo for YOU
For weapon customization, we did an in-depth analysis of how players were customizing their weapons and found that players, especially high level players who have many unlocks, were generally gravitating to a single combo: Foregrip and Suppressor. When we see many players gravitating towards a single setup, as game designers we can conclude that the other choices are not interesting enough to give players reason to try them out. We want players to experience the width of the game, and for this reason we concluded it was time to make a change. I think it’s been an overall improvement for the game. There’s some confusion that comes when a system wide change comes, as players find their go to combo suddenly is not as good as it was. It’s time to try out some new combinations! Which playstyle do you want to go for below?Jack of All Trades
Primary accessory: Foregrip
Secondary accessory: Flash Suppressor
Kertz’ Comments: To be blunt, previously the Flash Suppressor was worthless. Post update it has received a huge buff: It now substantially reduces the muzzle climb of a weapon, making it much more controllable. Pairing the Foregrip and the Flash Suppressor together will give your weapon a huge boost in controllability, and this will especially help with high rate of fire weapons like the F2000, AEK-971, A-91 and FAMAS.Short Range Stealth
Primary accessory: Foregrip
Secondary accessory: Suppressor
Kertz’ Comments: The Foregrip’s muzzle drift reduction works well at short range and pairs well with the Suppressor’s minor muzzle climb reduction. You’ll be invisible on the minimap, you’ll have a significantly reduced muzzle signature, and your weapon will be more controllable. Finally by pairing the Suppressor and the Foregrip together the Suppressor’s minor accuracy bonus fully offsets the accuracy penalty of the Foregrip — your gun will be just as accurate as if you had no accessories at all.Hip Fire Run and Gun
Primary accessory: Foregrip
Secondary accessory: Laser Sight
Kertz’ Comments: The Laser Sight gives a massive bonus to accuracy from the hip and will allow you to be much more accurate while mobile. Since most of your fire will be from the hip, adding a Foregrip will reduce muzzle drift and make your fire more controllable without feeling any of the downsides of the Foregrip. You can also toggle your laser sight on and off to afford a bit more stealth if the situation requires. Remember, the laser sight only helps from the hip, so turn it off when you’re aiming down the sights to increase your stealth!Medium Range Marksman
Primary accessory: Foregrip
Secondary accessory: Heavy Barrel
Kertz’ Comments: This has been a clear source of confusion in the community. Should I pair a Foregrip with my Heavy Barrel after the update? My answer is a definite yes. Although the Foregrip decreases Aimed Accuracy, the Heavy Barrel’s Aimed Accuracy bonus has been increased to offset the Foregrip’s penalty. Pairing the two will still give you much greater Aimed Accuracy than a stock weapon, as well as reducing your muzzle drift. You will see some increased muzzle climb, however you’ll also be getting increased range out of the Heavy Barrel so your hits will have more impact at Medium Range.Long Range Marksman
Primary accessory: Bipod
Secondary accessory: Heavy Barrel
Kertz’ Comments: If you want to get the absolute best accuracy out of your weapon, this is the setup for you. The bipod has absolutely no downsides when undeployed, and when deployed it gives a huge boost to accuracy both aimed and from the hip as well as substantially reducing muzzle climb and drift. You’ll also get the increased range of the heavy barrel making you a threat to even snipers when using your deployed bipod and a high zoom optic.These are my recommendations. There are several combinations that haven’t been covered here, so experiment to find your best post update accessory combo. There’s at least one combo that’s perfect for your unique playstyle, so try a few and you’ll likely find not just a new accessory combo, but a whole new playstyle. You can find a handy guide below so you always know what to expect when experimenting with the different accessories discussed above. Have fun, and let me know in the poll below how you like to play!
Alan Kertz
Core Gameplay Designer
New gameplay trailer from Close Quarters live, new Donya Fortress map and Conquest Domination mode revealed
Another trailer was released today for the themed expansion pack Close Quarters.
As you may already know, we are gearing up for a June release of our upcoming themed expansion pack Battlefield 3™: Close Quarters. If you’ve followed us lately here on the Battlefield Blog, you know this is an expansion pack where we move the battlefield indoors to present relentless infantry action with unprecedented HD Destruction.
Having recently held a European and U.S. media event, we are proud to present the second of four maps included in Close Quarters, dubbed Donya Fortress (internally called simply “Palace” after its working name). In today’s new gameplay trailer, you’ll see more of the gameplay changing HD Destruction, plus a glimpse of the new game mode Conquest Domination. Conquest Domination is basically a clever mix of the tactical Conquest mode and the instant action gameplay approach in Close Quarters, tailored to the tight level design and frantic close quarters combat.
Check out the trailer below, and look out for media coverage from Donya Fortress starting to hit the web today.
Frostbite 2 Powers the Next Medal of Honor
The next Medal of Honor (Medal of Honor Warfigher) will be powered by the dice engine Frostbite 2!
Battlefield 3 and Medal of Honor Warfighter, the upcoming title in the Medal of Honor series, share the same DNA. Both games are powered by the mighty Frostbite 2 engine that DICE developed originally for Battlefield 3, and DICE team members are collaborating with Medal of Honor developer Danger Close Games. Armed with this powerful piece of technology, Danger Close is delivering the most authentic Medal of Honor experience since the series started almost 13 years ago.
Medal of Honor Warfighter tells a unique single player story written by Tier 1 Operators while deployed overseas and introduces global multiplayer competition based on real military units from around the world, from the renowned SAS and Navy SEALs to the less familiar Swedish SOG and Polish GROM.
Missions in Medal of Honor Warfighter will take players to locales as diverse as the tropical climate of the Philippines, the rough waters surrounding Somalia, and other far flung locations around the world. The first Medal of Honor Warfighter gameplay trailer shows a rescue operation of hostages taken by the Abu Sayyaf, a real terrorist group based in the Philippines.
DICE and Danger Close are working together to combine the revolutionary technology of Frostbite 2 with real-world detail to deliver a truly authentic action experience in Medal of Honor Warfighter.
Medal of Honor Warfighter is available October 23. Visit www.medalofhonor.com for more information.
“The most common misconception about QA work is that it means simply playing games”
Today the Battlefield blog posted an interview with one of there QA tester.
“As a kid of roughly eight years old, one of the most mind-blowing realizations I had was that you can actually make games for a living. Since that day, more or less all of my planning for the future was with game development in mind.
My experience as a Quality Assurance Tester (or just “QA Tester” or “QA” for short) here at DICE has really given me an understanding of what working in the games industry is really like. I got this job by a combination of luck and dedication, I guess. It all started with my high school through which I managed to get a three week internship at DICE where I got to do very basic QA stuff on Battlefield 1943.
During this time I got to know a couple of people, luckily also the man who is my boss today. Some time passed without any real connection to DICE, but after a while I started to contact them quite fiercely. I signed up for every focus test, I signed up for every video shoot and more or less did everything in my power to spend as much time as possible in the DICE office. After a while I also yet again on sheer luck started to run in to my current boss out in my free time and started to really bug him about giving me any job within my field of knowledge when I graduated.
In the end it turned that all those hours of free work and time spent yelling “I don’t care what it is, I can clean the office or whatever!” had paid off. About three months after my graduation I received a phone call telling me I had a job. And thus my time as a QA Tester had started, starting as a tester on Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam.
A Hunter of Bugs
As a Quality Assurance Tester, my goal is basically to together with our team of testers make sure the game provides proper quality compared to our plans. This mostly comes down to hunting down and reporting bugs to the right people in order to keep the game functional. However, it also includes having a good view of our project plan and being able to provide feedback to the development team both when asked for specifics and on a whim. How does a recently added feature play? Or what’s simply my general experience playing the game as a whole? As such, QA are without a doubt the ones who spend the most time in our games pre-launch”.
“QA work is based around finding flaws
and reporting them to the right people
so they can fix it”
The general flow of functional QA work is based around finding flaws and then reporting them to the right people so they can fix it. When I just had been hired, I thought that being a QA
Tester would be considered the very bottom of the game dev food chain. Spending time here at DICE, I have however realized that QA truly is a vital part of the development process, even though there is no actual development going on.The most general (and still very common) misconception is that testing a game is the same as playing it. Surely some of our work resembles actual play, but in order to be an effective tester one has to obtain a certain view and mindset and get an understanding of how the game actually is built.
When I launch a build (basically a version of the game) that I need to test I have a general idea of what may be broken. I would know this considering which state the project is currently in and what has been fixed or added since my last go at it. Early on in a project it might be a challenge to even be able to play the game for one minute without the game crashing or freezing. In this case it is our duty to gather all the data needed so that the programmers may analyze it, find the source of the problem, and fix it.
I think working with QA in general is a great way to get a better understanding for how games are built. Having constant interaction with all the different disciplines that make up a development team, as well as having access to the development tools means you learn new things almost on a daily basis. Over time, this helps you grow as a tester and can prepare you for other areas of game development.
A Juggler of Tasks
There are always a whole lot of different things to keep track of during one day, as we currently have three different main platforms (PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3) as well as multiple project branches to attend. An essential ability within QA is to be able to juggle several tasks. I need to organize and communicate properly within the team, as it can be quite challenging making sure that all the correct info gets sent to the right people. All the while, I need to test all the different fixes as soon as possible, and I also schedule and gather the people needed for those urgent play tests. Getting organized is a valuable skill I have developed entirely here on the job, and I am sure it will come in handy in any future employment.A regular day for me could have one of the designers coming to QA saying ”Hey, I would like to try this new spawn layout for TDM on Kharg Island, could we try this out today?” (Diego asked this???), in which case it would be up to me to find a suitable build of the game containing the new layout, give it a test run to make sure it’s not broken in any way, and then send out an invite to the dev team and make sure that we get a full server so that we can test the new layout properly.
Another recent example would be the audio team trying out some potential tweaks in the way audio is streamed in the game. The way all the different sounds in the game stack are prioritized to create the right feel, and they wanted to try out some new ideas. In this case we organized a play testing session on Caspian Border where all fighting was to take place in one particular area (we picked the Checkpoint base for this purpose). With the server full and the team running around playing as if an actual match was going, this allowed for the audio team to check whether all their tweaks were properly in place or if they had to tweak it further. During development of a game, we run several hundred play tests.
A Slayer of Accidental Monsters
When testing early content hilarious stuff will occur. If you were in the Battlefield 3™ beta you might remember the “long-necks” — disturbing looking characters indeed. They were nothing compared to the first time I encountered something similar in Battlefield 3.We killed it with fire.
It all happened pretty quickly. I was running fearlessly across the streets of Seine Crossing, turned around and saw a creature looking much like a praying mantis: About twice my size with a freakishly long neck, crooked back and distorted arms, and it came charging at me holding a knife! I was quite startled and quickly ended its miserable life with a panicky SV-98 bullet to the neck and saw it fall. Let’s just say that when we found out what triggered soldiers to take that shape, we had some good fun with that during the next play test before the fix for it had been checked in.
My personal goal at work is that our games should be as enjoyable as possible with as few hiccups as possible. It’s probably impossible to ship a game with zero bugs, but I still silently curse myself when I hear about things that have slipped by during testing — even if it’s a real long-shot bug. I want to help bring our games to a state of near perfection in terms of functionality.
A lot of people ask me how to get into the industry. On a QA level it is sort of hard to give any straight-up tips in how to get here. Unlike programming, modeling or design, I don’t think there is a general line of education for the work. I do however think that the best way to go about it is to go for education that is generally required for the line of work you think you’d like to do after a few years in the business.
I know that one of my current colleagues simply saw that we were looking for new QA on Twitter and applied and got the job! I think the best way to go about is simply to push good and push hard when opportunities arise and show the company you want to work for that you are the one they would want, not necessarily by past QA knowledge but by a general interest for game development and an urge to learn. Again, there are few things other than QA that actually teaches you how to do QA. At any rate, it is a great way to take a first step into the industry.
I must however admit that my work has ruined my personal enjoyment of playing games just a bit. I now find myself challenging a lot of the games I play on my spare time. I want to see if I can see if I can break them or trigger some funky issues.”
Zeke Lugmair
QA TesterYou can read other stories from people here at DICE on the official DICE site. Check it out at http://dice.se/about
The Official Battlelog Application for iOS – Now Available and Free!
The OFFICIAL Battlelog app is now out for the iOS!
That means any iPhone, iPod, iPad, and i Device can use it as long as it meets the requirements.
Pondering that next unlock while you’re out and about? On the go and wondering if your friends are online and playing? Want to see who’s topping the leaderboards while you’re away from your computer? With the Battlelog application for iOS you can get all of this intel and more while you’re AFK and mobile.
The official Battlelog application ties directly into the Battlelog social platform bringing the best features and information to your phone.
Features in v1.0.0
Battle Feed: See what awards and weapons your friends are unlocking and get notification. Comment and “Hooah!” on their posts.
Com Center: Thinking about logging in to play? See which of your friends are online and playing. Plan for tonight’s session by leaving wall messages.
Stats & Unlocks: Keep track of your persona stats and progress. Everything from dog tags to weapons, gadgets, vehicle upgrades, and specializations is tracked and available for your perusal.
Leaderboards: View worldwide, global leaderboards or compare your standing among friends.
News: Get the latest information on Battlefield 3 direct from DICE, the developers of Battlefield 3.
And best of all? The app is free! There’s no excuse not to be connected to the Battlefield wherever you are. Download the Battlelog app for iPhone now:
Designing the new Wake Island 5-flag layout for Xbox 360 and PS3
EA/DICE has been hard at working turning the PS3 and XBOX 360 3 flag wake island into 5 flags.
Since the release of Battlefield 3: Back to Karkand, a very popular subject has been the be or not to be of a 5 flag Wake Island for consoles. Here’s Gameplay Designer Gustav Halling with the inside story on how the new 5-flag layout came into existence.
Hi all. My name is Gustav Halling, 26 years old, also known by my nickname “cmd” or “cmd85” on Battlelog.
I have worked at DICE since 2006 as Gameplay Designer and have been involved in designing Battlefield: Bad Company, Battlefield 1943, Medal of Honor, and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam. My latest project is Battlefield 3, and most of my time is put into the expansion packs such as Back to Karkand, Close Quarters, and now most recently turning Lead Designer for Battlefield 3: Armored Kill that launches this autumn (which I’m very excited about!)
In this “Inside DICE” post, I’ll explain the reasoning behind adding the new 5-flag layout to Wake Island on consoles. I hope you like the new layout and that you find this post interesting.
Why didn’t we have 5 flags from the start?
So why didn’t we have a 5-flag layout for Wake Island Conquest on consoles to begin with? There is no simple straight answer, but it was a mix of design decisions and technical challenges. When we decided to make a remake of the classic Wake Island map, we wanted it to be the same scale as it was back in Battlefield 2, not the 30% smaller variant that I designed for Battlefield 1943. The reason Battlefield 1943 shipped with 5 flags was because the game was a standalone game where all air and land vehicles and distances could be tweaked specifically for those distances.
This time, we wanted to keep the epic scale that Wake Island is on all platforms, and we play tested the map a lot with 24 players and found that the gameplay was suffering by the big spread of players that occurred over 5 flags. It easily turned into us just going around capturing the bases in a circular pattern, without really seeing any enemies – that was not very fun.
That was when I designed the new variant instead, where the US started on the two capes instead of on the carrier — and at the same time focusing the gameplay down to 3 flags. The gameplay based on this flag layout turned out much better with a lot more action and awesome tank battles.
An excellent byproduct of our latest patches is that we found a way to fit even more content into console memory – primarily vehicles — which made it possible to look into the original 5-flag layout again. So we did!
Designing the new 5-flag Wake Island
After the release of Back to Karkand, we received a lot of feedback from you, our community, that you wanted to have a 5-flag variant on Wake Island. The feedback was very much focused on that it wasn’t a true Wake Island without 5 flags and also that it worked in Battlefield 1943 on consoles already. It wasn’t a big surprise for me but I also felt that many players didn’t see the whole picture on why this happened and why it provided a more intense battlefield so I did a big post on reddit about my design decisions behind Wake Island 3 flag and got a good response from that.
I was actually already looking at the possibilities how a 5-flag Wake Island on consoles would work, both from a gameplay perspective and the technical challenges it would present. I knew that we had a big patch coming out at the end of March/beginning of April. This would give us the time needed to add the new design layout, playtest it on consoles, and make sure it was to quality and get it into the patch before heading into the certification process with first party.
So I set the project up and started to look at it from a technical angle to make sure it was possible to do in the first place. Next step was to playtest the new layout with 24 players and adjust the experience to make sure each base had a valuable asset that the team wanted to own.
After play testing, the in-house feedback at DICE was clearly that the best layout was the same as the one we use on PC. I went with that as a basis, but made some tweaks to both the PC and console layout. Perhaps the most important change being that we moved the mobile anti-air to the Beach capture point instead of having it at Airfield – this makes Beach a more strategic base to own.
Two layouts – two experiences
I personally like both variants of Wake Island on console, and having the two to choose from, you can make sure you get the experience you want for each session:3-flag Wake Island provides the more action orientated experience for when you want to get into the action fast! It’s less about travelling and more about fighting, with a good mix of infantry and vehicles.
5-flag Wake Island is the more strategic choice and the more vehicle focused experience! It will give you more choices on how to tackle the battlefield – making a head on assault on airfield or slowly working towards it from the bases surrounding it, one flag at a time.
With the Spring game update being live on all platforms, PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 players alike can finally enjoy a 5 flag variant of Wake Island. We hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think in the poll below!
Gustav Halling
Designer
Massive Battlefield 3 update on Xbox 360 goes live today, includes the possibility to rent your own server!
Attention all Battlefield 3 Xbox 360 players the update has been released!
The Battlefield 3 update for Xbox 360 goes live today and includes plenty of fixes, balancing tweaks, and the possibility to rent your own server! Read on for the full details.
As you are reading this, the Battlefield 3 game update for Xbox 360 should be rolling out. This update is identical to the PlayStation 3 update that went live the other week. That means you get a lot of fixes, balancing tweaks, and some new functionality – including the addition of horns in all jeeps! You can find the change list in this previous blog post.
Below are some of the highlights in this massive game update. If you have studied the update on PS3 or PC previously, a lot of this information will be familiar to you.
Your server, your rules!
Like the PlayStation 3 update, this also marks the start of the Rent a Server functionality on Xbox 360. This means you can rent your own server and create your personal gaming experience. Check out the trailer below for an idea of the possibilities of this program. To ensure a robust experience, we are launching this feature at a limited capacity and ramping up in the coming days. If you are unable to rent a server, try again at a later date.Beep beep! We have horns!
Yes! We have added horns to all jeeps in the game! Nothing says “Get in and man the machine gun so we can take back the airfield!” like three short beeps of the horn. Just press [LB] to make your presence known to friendly forces. Warning: Beeping also heard by opposition. Suggest limiting beeping when in enemy territory to keep vehicle in working order. This feature is also present in the PC and PlayStation 3 updates that are live.Giving all players IR flares
To balance the battlefield and give budding pilots a fighting chance from day 1, we are now giving IR flares to all players. These will be automatically available to you in all air vehicles in the game. So if you’ve had a hard time staying up in the air previously, it should be easier to dodge incoming threats from now on. We hope this small but significant change will mean more players take to the skies and mix up their play style. This feature is also present in the PC and PlayStation 3 updates that are live.More awards for skillful heli flying
One of the balancing items we have done in this game update is to better reward skillful heli pilots. To do this, we have increased the pilot’s score for transporting passengers who make kills from the heli. The assist score for heli pilots is now 50 points/kill. In a fully loaded transport, four passengers who make 1 kill each will give the pilot a sum total of 200 points. This balancing change is also present in the PC and PlayStation 3 updates that are live.Making the SOFLAM a passive income gadget
The Recon gadget SOFLAM (laser target painter) has been given a new feature. Now, when a Recon player places it and then leaves it, it will continue to paint targets entering its area of control, continuously giving the Recon player a passive points income. This means a Recon player can place a SOFLAM in a strategic position, then leave it to find a good sniping spot. Combined with fixing a few scoring error in the SOFLAM, it should now be a much more viable source of experience points for Recons. This balancing change is also present in the PC and PlayStation 3 update that are live.Suppressing is team play, too!
Another balancing change that reflects how we want every player to be able to contribute to the overall effort is the lowered threshold for achieving the Suppression Ribbon. From a previous requirement of 7, players now only need to perform 3 suppressions in a game to be rewarded the Suppression Ribbon. This means the Support Kit player can rack up scores by skillful use of his LMG. We’ve always know suppression helps – now we are more generously rewarding those team players who help disorient the enemy so we can move in for the kill. This balancing change is also present in the PC and PlayStation 3 update that are live.
Xbox 360 Patch Going Live April 3rd
The next update for Battlefield 3 on the xbox is coming tomorrow!
We are happy to report that the latest Battlefield 3 patch will be released for Xbox 360 on the 3rd of April between 9 AM UTC – 1 PM UTC.
This patch includes gameplay tweaks, improvements, and balances, many suggested by you, our loyal community. The full list of changes and updates is as follows. This update will also bring the Rent a Server functionality to Xbox 360 .
GENERAL GAMEPLAY FIXES
-Players should no longer take fall damage from short falls.
-Players now get up from Prone slightly faster, allowing better odds of getting away from a grenade or threat when prone.
-Fixed some situations that would unintentionally make a player unrevivable.
-Reduced the black screen fade in time on spawn. The fade is still necessary for properly streaming in loading content at spawn, but it has been substantially reduced.
-Increased the spawn protection time from 1sec to 2sec. The protection will still be immediately canceled as soon as the player moves or shoots.
-Spawn protection will no longer be canceled by the player looking around.
-Increased the speed at which a player regains accuracy when aiming after moving for a more responsive experience. Firing before fully zoomed will still result inaccurate fire.
-Increased the inaccuracy and recoil added when a player is fully suppressed.
-Shotgun Buck and Flechette rounds now have a less suppressive effect at medium to long range.
-Tweaked the damage levels of Buck and Flechette rounds to balance them with other weapons.
-Improved the suppression of the .44 magnum, .357 magnum, and the 5.8x42mm DAP88 rounds from the Type88 sniper.
-Attempting to Crouch (like Prone) will now properly interrupt Sprint.
-Increased the effectiveness of Suppression Resist Specialization.
-Parachutes now respond to turn and throttle inputs more quickly.
-Switching from primary weapons to sidearms and back now takes less time.
-Increased the effectiveness of explosive resistance.
-Tweaked bipod deploy settings so players can no longer deploy a bipod in places higher than chin level.
-The bipod should now be more reliable when deploying on top of sloped objects like cars and rocks.
-Fixed several issues with vaulting objects, especially for thin railings.
-The Knife now only takes two swipes to kill when attacking from a position where a takedown is not possible.
-CRAM weapons on Carriers now count towards stationary weapon awards.VEHICLE FIXES
-The A10 properly gives Jet score again.
-Unguided tank rounds and RPGs will now instantly destroy Jets, Attack Helicopters, and Scout Helicopters.
-Increased the damage the MBT’s primary weapon does to the front and side armor of other main battle tanks. Primarily this means 1 less shot to the front, and very good hits to the side can result in a 1 hit to disable.
-Slightly reduced the repair speed of the repair tool.
-Increased the damage done by TOW weapons to armored vehicles.
-Increased the rate of fire and minimum damage of the Coax HMG.
-Increased the damage mounted gunner .50cal HMGs do at long range.
-Increased the power of the repair tool when killing soldiers or destroying vehicles slightly.
-Fixed a problem when locking on to two nearby targets, the locking should no longer jump rapidly between multiple targets. This applies to all locking weapons and Laser Designators.
-Increased the damage of the Javelin and Air to Ground missiles against laser designated targets.
-Javelin missiles fired without Laser targeting now do more damage to the side and rear of MBTs.
-Slightly reduced the locking time of all weapons vs Laser Designated targets.
-Laser Guided missiles can now be distracted by Flares.
-Increased the locking distance for AGM Missiles for Jets when locking on laser designated targets.
-Reduced the locking time for the AGM Missiles for Jets to make them more viable against ground targets.
-Reduced the locking time for AA Missiles for Jets to make them more viable against air targets.
-Flares will no longer break the lock of a vehicle that is locked on, it will only distract the missiles.
-Flares now more reliably distract missiles, especially for Helicopters.
-Flares for Jets and Choppers now reload at 11 seconds again, except for the gunner, which remains unchanged at 20sec.
-AA Missiles are more difficult to dodge in Jets, this was unintended behavior that created an imbalance against skilled pilots.
-AA Missiles should no longer kill the pilot instead of the vehicle.
-AA Missiles should no longer detonate before hitting their target or a Flare/ECM chaff cloud.
-Reduced the damage AA missiles do to jets to 45%.
-Fixed the SU-35 firing Air to Air missiles at a lower rate of fire than other vehicles.
-The IGLA and Stinger now lock on much more quickly and disable an attack aircraft in 1 hit, but have significantly reduced range. This should allow Stingers to mount an effective close range point defense, without dominating an entire airspace.
-Increased the speed of the Helicopter AA missiles lock on to reduce the tedious nature of Helicopter dogfights and improve the Helicopter’s defensive abilities vs Jets.
-Slightly reduced the damage of Jet cannons against Aircraft. Damage is now only slightly higher than it was originally at launch.
-Increased RPG and SMAW damage against aircraft.
-Guided Rockets will now only track ground targets, as originally intended.
-Reduced the direct damage done by Attack Helicopter gunners vs Armor.
-Helicopter guns should now suppress correctly.
-Improved the accuracy of the Attack Helicopter’s Rocket Pods, both guided and unguided.
-Slightly increased the damage of Attack Helicopter’s Rocket Pods vs Infantry and other Helicopters.
-Additional fixes have been made to the TV missile to prevent it from blowing up the lauching vehicle.
-The Mi28 has received upgrades to its climbing and yawing abilities.
-Fixed an issue where guided rockets from the Mi28 did not follow the crosshair properly.
-Improved the accuracy of the Mi28 gun to match the AH1 gun.
-Increased the direct hit damage of the APFSDS rounds for the IFVs.
-Decreased the locking time of the IFV Guided Missile to make it more viable as an unlock.
-Miniguns and Helicopter Gunners now more quickly destroy parked cars.
-Increased the power of explosions from cars and other explosive static objects.
-Dying from the explosion of a car or other explosive static object should now correctly credit the player who caused the explosion.
-Adjusted the F35′s Center of Mass and Hover Engine for more stable, level flight in all flight modes.
-Updated the F35 weapon systems to be consistent with the other Jets.
-The F35 will now only attempt to enter Hover at low altitudes, though it will maintain the hover until forward flight is resumed, even if it reaches high altitude.
-The F35 and SU35 now properly have Ejection seats to prevent players from being killed when exiting the vehicle.
-Changed the Kornets to TOW launchers on Wake Island and moved the spawn position of the AAV to a more level position.
-Fixed several bugs with air vehicles colliding with objects at high speeds and taking no damage.
-Players will no longer receive suicides or team kills if they crash their vehicle (dying is punishment enough).
-The MAV will no longer destroy vehicles that run into it, instead it should be destroyed.
-Jet and Helicopter collisions should now properly result in the death of both vehicles.
-You can now spot with the EOD bot.
-Increased the base accuracy for AA guns and added a decrease in accuracy over the course of a burst.
-Reduced the damage AA guns (both mobile and stationary) do to infantry.
-The carrier based CRAM stations are now properly tracked as stationary weapons.
-CRAM and Pantsir stationary AA weapons now have Air Radar equipped by default.
-Improved the sound feedback for damage to help players better understand the amount of damage their vehicle is taking.
-The A10′s extinguisher should now function properly.
-Disabled vehicles now have an increased reverse speed to help escape to cover after being disabled.
-The T90′s crosshair now more accurately represents the trajectory of the main gun.
-Toggle and Hold zoom settings now also apply to soldier controlled turrets on jeeps, transport helicopters, boats, and IFVs port guns.
-The AAV now has zoom and a 3P camera when using the turret.
-Tweaked the AAV’s turret controls to be more useful when the vehicle is moving.
-The Z11w now properly functions with Below Radar.
-Below Radar will now also prevent the lock on of Stinger and IGLA missiles.
-Added Horns to all Jeeps.
-Tanks can no longer drive into the water and cross the Wake Island lagoon completely submerged.WEAPONS
Several weapons have had recoil or accuracy adjusted in orer to balance these weapons in effectiveness and also increase the feeling of individuality in each gun-Added Extended Mags to the ASVAL. The Extended Mags can be unlocked at 200 kills with the AS VAL.
-Reduced the recoil of the SKS rifle and increased its maximum damage at close range.
-Fixed aimed firing max accuracy on the Pecheneg to be consistent with other LMGs.
-Semiautomatic and automatic shotguns firing FRAG rounds now do slightly less splash damage.
-The M26 MASS frag and slug rounds are now the more effective pump action versions.
-The M26 MASS and M320 now benefit from the Laser Sight when mounted with an Underslung Rail.
-Fixed the bolt action timer on the L96 that would cause an animation glitch.
-9x39mm rounds no longer benefit from the Sniper headshot bonus.
-Increased the damage of the 9x39mm rounds at long range.
-Fixed the AKS74u damage at max range, it was incorrectly higher than other carbines.
-Increased the damage of the .357 and .44 magnum rounds at max range.
-All semiautomatic and bolt weapons, including all shotgun slugs, now have their maximum damage out to 15m.
-Semiautomatic weapons will no longer “jam” if the player presses fire faster than the weapon is capable of shooting. Some semi-automatic weapons have had their rates of fire adjusted to fit this change.
-Bolt action sniper rounds now have a chance to kill at close range if the player is hit in the upper chest.
-Semiautomatic sniper rifles, Assault Rifles, LMGs, and shotgun slugs now have more consistent damage over long range. At maximum range shots to the legs will not require more hits to kill.
-The spread for Flechette rounds has been reduced slightly on all shotguns.
-The spread for Buckshot has been reduced on the M1014, DAO-12, and S12k. These weapons have an accuracy advantage over the USAS12 but are not as accurate as the 870.
-Zooming shotguns with Buckshot and Flechette loads will now result in a slightly tighter cone for the pellets.
-Reduced the delay time between quick knife attempts slightly. Attacks with the knife drawn are still significantly faster.
-Fixed the Rate of Fire when the USAS and MK3A1 are equipped with FRAG rounds. All other shotguns correctly had a reduced rate of fire with frags, except the USAS and MK3A1.
-Fixed an Accuracy bug when the MK3A1 shotgun is equipped with FRAG or Slug rounds.
-Shotguns equipped with slugs will no longer automatically begin reloading if the weapon is zoomed when the clip is empty. This allows players to see where the slug lands before reloading.
-Fixed 12g FRAG rounds not breaking glass at long range.
-Players can now earn the shotgun Ribbon using the M26 MASS.
-The underslung grenade launchers for Russian rifles now properly report GP30 in the kill log.
-Fixed the AEK971 40mm shotgun round listing itself as FRAG in the kill log.
-Fixed the 40mm smoke grenade so it no longer passes through soldiers and unbroken objects before it detonates.
-M27 IAR: No change. The M27 is a heavier version of the M416, giving it good all-around performance though it has worse performance on the move.
-RPK-74M: Reduced the initial recoil and vertical recoil. The RPK-74M is a more stable firing platform than the comparable M27, though it lacks the M27′s higher rate of fire.
-M249: Added an initial recoil. The M249 is the fastest firing belt fed LMG, giving it superior suppressive and damage abilities. The initial recoil makes it a bit harder to run and gun, while making little overall impact on performance.
-Type-88: Slightly increased the initial recoil, reduced muzzle drift. The Type88 fires the slowest of the medium caliber LMGs, though what it lacks in rate of fire it makes up for in controllability.
-PKP: Reduced recoil but added a slight initial recoil, increased damage at max range. The Pecheneg has a heavy vertical recoil with a hard hitting round and little drift, this makes it excellent at sustained fire.
-M60: Reduced the initial recoil, increased damage at all ranges. The M60 has a very low rate of fire that makes it the most controllable with the powerful 7.62x51mm round.
-M240B: Added an initial recoil, increased damage at all ranges. The fastest firing medium MG, the M240 has a substantial muzzle kick and drift that makes all that power difficult to control.
-QBB-95: Reduced the total recoil but increased muzzle drift and initial recoil. The QBB-95 should now kick harder but settle into full auto fire better, combined with the bullpup hip fire bonus this makes the QBB-95 a highly mobile LMG.
-MG36: Added an initial recoil. The MG36 fires at a fast 750rpm and makes a nice middle ground between the controllability of a clip LMG and the sustained firepower of a belt fed LMG.
-870: No change. The 870 is a popular and highly effective weapon.
-DAO-12: Reduced the total pellets fired from 12 to 9. The DAO-12 has a high magazine capacity with a slow reload that makes it a solid all around shotgun.
M1014: Increased the rate of fire from 200 max to 210 max. Reduced the total pellets fired from 12 to 9. The M1014 was underperforming compared to the USAS12 and 870, it should now be more viable in CQB thanks to a higher rate of fire.
-S12k: Increased extended mag from 8 rounds to 10 rounds. Reduced the total pellets fired from 12 to 9. The S12k larger extended magazine but slower rate of fire should make it stand out against the M1014, while the DAO-12 has a higher capacity over all, but a slowe reload.
-MK3A1: Increased magazine capacity to 8 and 12 for normal and extended mag respectively. Reduced the total pellets fired from 12 to 9. The MK3A1 has a lower ROF than the USAS12, giving it slightly more ammo makes this an edge vs the USAS.
USAS-12: Increased the initial recoil. Reduced the total pellets fired from 12 to 9. The USAS 12 has a higher ROF than other shotguns, this recoil change better balances that advantage and the pellets balance its damage output.
-M4A1: No Change. Well-rounded carbine, with good rate of fire and controllable recoil.
-M4: Increased vertical recoil, reduced horizontal recoil. The Burst only M4 should now feel different to its automatic sibling, the reduced horizontal recoil emphasizes the greater control you have in burst fire.
-AKS-74U: Reduced initial recoil and vertical recoil. The AKS-74u’s low rate of fire is paired with great controllability. The overall increase in sustained fire control should help this carbine stand out, while the first kick gives it character.
-SG553: Reduced initial recoil and vertical recoil. The SG553 is a lower rate of fire carbine with greater controllability than the G36C. The change to initial recoil should better highlight this difference.
-A91: No Change. The A91′s high rate of fire and bullpup from the hip accuracy is offset by a poor controllability on full auto.
-G36C: Reduced initial recoil. The G36C is a well-rounded carbine, with a medium rate of fire and a medium recoil. The 2 round burst mode gives this weapon an edge at mid-range.
-SCAR-H: Increased damage at maximum range and increased max range. The SCAR-H fires a heavier round than all other carbines, giving it better stopping power at range at the cost of a low fire rate that penalizes it in CQB.
-G53: Reduced recoil and drift, recoil settle times now similar to other carbines. The HK53 is a short carbine with a lot of initial kick but a stable recoil pattern and a medium rate of fire. The changes give it more character compared to the G36.
-QBZ-95B: Reduced muzzle sway, recoil settle times now similar to other carbines. A bullpup like the A91, the QBZ-95B is steady on the move with a lower rate of fire for controllable shots at longer range. The built in foregrip is now properly reflected in the weapon’s stats.
-AK-74M: Reduced initial recoil and vertical recoil. The AK-74M sacrifices rate of fire for controllable automatic fire, the initial recoil was negatively affecting the feeling of controllability.
-M16A3: No Change. The M16 (both A3 and A4) provide a well-rounded stable firing platform with a high rate of fire that is relatively controllable.
-M16A4: Increased vertical recoil, reduced horizontal recoil. The Burst only M16A4 should now feel different to its automatic sibling, the reduced horizontal recoil emphasizes the greater control you have in burst fire.
-M416: No change. The M416 is the middle ground AR, blending a medium recoil and rate of fire.
AEK-971: Increased initial recoil, reduced aimed accuracy slightly. The AEK has a very high rate of fire, and also a large muzzle drift that makes control difficult. The low initial recoil allowed a player to kill before the weapon’s weaknesses kicked in while the reduced accuracy highlights its close range role.
-F2000: Reduced vertical recoil, increased zoomed accuracy slightly. As a bullpup, the F2000 has a bonus to accuracy on the move and from the hip while its high rate of fire sacrifices controllability for saturation. The previous changes were an overreaction, this is a corrective update.
-AN94: Reduced vertical recoil. The AN94′s 2 round burst mode is incredibly accurate, but it suffers from a low rate of fire on fully automatic. The recoil in full auto has been reduced somewhat to offset this penalty and make the AN94 more attractive.
-G3A3: Increased damage at all ranges, reduced vertical recoil. The G3A3′s heavy recoil and heavy round are offset by a low rate of fire and a small magazine. The G3A3 was clearly outclassed at all ranges.
-KH2002: No Change. The KH2002 is locked to burst fire, with a high rate of fire and a large muzzle drift the weapon favors accurate mid-range fire.
-L85A2: Increased accuracy, reduced muzzle drift. The L85 differs from other bullpup style ARs by having a low rate of fire, the accuracy and controllability were too low to offset the rate of fire.
-FAMAS: The FAMAS combines an extreme rate of fire with extreme recoil making it very difficult to use at anything other than close quarters combat. Due to update restrictions, the FAMAS had different stats on all 3 platforms. The FAMAS is now uniform on all platforms and now has the correct 25 round magazine.
-PP2000: Reduced the initial recoil. The PP2000 has a lower ROF than other PDWs and needed the controllability to be balanced.
-UMP45: Reduced accuracy loss during full auto. The UMP45 hits hard and has a controllable recoil at the cost of a heavy initial recoil kick.
-MP7: No Change. The MP7 has a very low recoil and a high muzzle drift that favors longer bursts than the P90.
-AS VAL: Increased vertical recoil, reduced first shot recoil, reduced accuracy on the move. The AS VAL fires a long range, highly accurate, high damage projectile that favors short bursts or single fire when stationary. While still quite good from the hip, the AS VAL will suffer if fired while moving and aimed.
-PDW-R: Reduced the initial recoil. The PDW-R has high recoil and favors burst fire, the added initial recoil was making it less effective in small bursts.
-P90: Reduced the initial recoil. The P90 favors a run and gun play style using long bursts to control muzzle drift, the initial recoil was making bursting ineffective.
-PP-19: Slightly reduced the initial recoil when firing, increased base damage. The PP-19′s high initial recoil was over penalizing the burst fire needed to be effective on the low damage, high capacity weapon.SCOPES
-Fixed the 7x scope not zooming to the full 7x on all weapons.
-Corrected the M39′s laser sight so it points at the point of impact and aligns with scopes when zoomed.
-Fixed a misaligned scope crosshair on the G3A3 using the Rifle Scope 6x.
-Fixed the PKA and PKA-S scopes on the M416 having swapped zoom levels.
-The L96 Straight Pull bolt now functions properly.
-The L96 ironsights have been adjusted for a clearer aiming picture and correct use of the integral front sight.
-The L96 now properly shows scope glint when using the 8x, and 12x scopes.
-Tweaked IRNV to be more consistent across all levels.
-Fixed a rendering issue with IRNV view when taking damage.
-Tweaked the IRNV zoom times and scope visible areas to be the same across all weapons (some were faster than others).
-Fixed the QBU-88 sniper and the L96 IRNV scopes to use the proper sniper reticuleBIPOD
-The Accuracy increase and Recoil reduction of the Bipod has been significantly improved for Assault Rifles and Carbines.
-The Bipod now provides similar Accuracy and Recoil benefits no matter if the weapon is fired while aiming or without aiming for all weapons. Previously only LMGs were worked this way. This especially improves the speed at which snipers can make follow up shots, and also allows effective unaimed suppressive fire with Assault Rifles and Carbines.
-Increased the Speed at which a bipod is deployed, allowing the user to obtain the bipod’s bonus sooner after the deploy has started and allowing the weapon to be aimed in a far shorter time. The speed has been increased 40-50%, depending on the weapon and animation.HEAVY BARREL
-The Vertical Recoil penalty of the Heavy Barrel has been reduced. The value has been changed from a global percent increase to a weapon specific value.
-A small Hip Accuracy penalty has been added to the Heavy Barrel to represent the added weight of the accessory, as well as focus the attachment on accurate mid and long range fire. The exact penalty amount is a weapon specific value.
-Several weapons with low default bullet speed now have their bullet speed increased when the Heavy Barrel is equipped. This is in effect for the A91, G3A3, AKS-74u, G36C, M4A1, SCAR-H, SG553, G53, and QBZ-95B.
-The Heavy Barrel is now also paired with Match Rounds which increase the maximum range of the weapon. The minimum and maximum damage are unchanged, weapons with the Heavy Barrel will be more effective in mid range.
-The Aimed Accuracy bonus provided by the Heavy Barrel has been increased. This will increase the effectiveness of the Heavy Barrel for small bursts, as originally intended.IRNV FIXES
-Tweaked IRNV to be more consistent across all levels.
-Fixed a rendering issue with IRNV view when taking damage.
-Tweaked the IRNV zoom times and scope visible areas to be the same across all weapons (some were faster than others).
-Fixed the QBU-88 sniper and the L96 IRNV scopes to use the proper sniper reticule.FOREGRIP
-The Horizontal Sway reduction has been changed from a global percent reduction to a weapon specific value reduction. For most guns this means very little change, for guns which have a large horizontal recoil the change is more substation. The FAMAS, F2000, and AEK971 are most effected, the AK-74, M16, and M416 are nearly unchanged.
-A small long range Aimed Accuracy penalty has been added to the foregrip. Players who generally find themselves fighting at mid to long range may want to change their accessory, while players fighting in CQB will go largely unaffected. Combining the Foregrip with a Silencer or a Heavy Barrel will offset this penalty.LASER SIGHT
-The Hip Accuracy bonus provided by the Laser Sight has been increased. Some PDWs have had their crouch and prone base stats adjusted to prevent hip firing being more accurate than aimed fire when using a laser sight.
-The bonus is now a weapon specific value instead of a global percentage, some guns receive larger or smaller bonuses, though all bonuses are better than they were previously.SUPPRESSOR
-The Suppressor no longer reduces the maximum damage of a weapon when equipped. Instead the Suppressor reduces the minimum and maximum range of the weapon, making it ideal for CQB and Stealth. This change will make the Suppressor slightly more effective at long range, where the bullet drop and speed makes shots difficult already, and reduces the power of the suppressor at mid range slightly.
-The Suppressor’s recoil bonus remains unchanged at a global 10% decrease. This is less than the Flash Suppressor’s bonus for all weapons.
-The Hip Accuracy penalty of the Suppressor has been changed from a global percentage to a per weapon value. Generally this penalty is higher now, but not for all weapons. Specifically, the belt LMGs and bolt Snipers do not have any additional hip fire penalty, as their penalty is already at the maximum possible value.
-Reduced the Aimed Accuracy bonus of the Suppressor from 50% to 25%. A Suppressor and Foregrip combo will have similar accuracy to a weapon without any Accessories, at the penalty of worse Hip Fire Accuracy and Range and with the benefit of much improved Stealth and reduced Recoil.FLASH SUPPRESSOR
-The Flash Suppressor no longer reduces accuracy for Automatic Fire.
-The Flash Suppressor now also works as a recoil compensator, reducing the Vertical Recoil by a weapon specific value. This bonus is larger than the bonus provided by the Suppressor.
-A small Hip Accuracy penalty has been added to the Flash Suppressor to represent the added weight of the accessory. The exact penalty amount is a weapon specific value.GADGETS
-Reduced the spot times on C4 and Claymore projectiles from 30 to 15 sec.
-Tweaked the controls and physics for the EOD bot to improve its handling and aiming capabilities.
-The Radio Beacon, Mortar, MAV, EOD bot, T-UGS, and SOFLAM should now be much easier to deploy.
-The MAV will now be destroyed when running into a soldier or vehicle at high speed. It is still possible to strategically sacrifice your MAV on a soldier; it will be destroyed in the process.
-The MAV now properly shows up in the Kill Feed. Previously it simply displayed “KILLED.”
-The MAV can no longer be used as an elevator.
-Matched the motion sensor sweep frequency and range on the MAV to the TUGS.
-Players will no longer auto enter SOFLAM, MAV, and EOD bots after they are deployed.
-Players may now use their knife to destroy enemy equipment.
-C4 will no longer be detonable after a player respawns, if the player is revived within 5 seconds he can still detonate his C4.
-The player may now have a maximum number of mines which will persist after the player’s death. Deploying more than the maximum of 6 mines will remove a previous mine from the world.
-Claymores now live up to 5 seconds after a player dies, the player can have a max 2 claymores planted at the same time.
-Claymores can now detonate from vehicles and can be used to disable jeeps or kill the passengers in light jeeps. Claymores will not do any damage to heavy vehicles.
-Ammobags now stay until the user redeploys them like Medkits.
-Ammobags resupply bullets more quickly, but explosives resupply more slowly, especially 40mm grenades.
-Slightly reduced the effective blast radius of the RPG, SMAW, and 40mm grenade projectiles against infantry.
-Reduced the total number of RPG and SMAW missiles carried from 5 to 4. Players desiring more rockets will want to use the Explosive spec.
-Slightly increased the heal rate of the Medical Crate.
-The MAV now will also descend by pressing the Crouch Toggle key. (PC)
-The M224 Mortar can no longer be deployed in an area that is out of combat for another team like a home base or other protected spawn.
-Tweaked M224 exit points so the player faces in the direction of the mortar when he exits.
-Mines, Claymores, C4 and other deployable items will now only appear on the minimap when spotted by a teammate.TEAM DEATHMATCH
-Fixed a bug where players would spawn close to the enemy team at the start of the round.
-Tehran Highway playable area has been doubled and is now the same as the Squad Deathmatch set up. Spawn points have been tweaked, and an extra spawn zone has been added north of the footbridge.
-Kharg Island has a new spawn zone layout, along with a bigger playable area and new cover objects. Spawn points have also been tweaked.
-Strike at Karkand spawns zones have been tweaked to improve player flow. Spawn points have been tweaked to improve safety upon spawning.
-Sharqi Peninsula spawn zones have been adjusted to optimize player movement. Spawn points have been tweaked so players spawn more safely.
-Seine Crossing spawn zone set up has been improved. There is a new spawn zone by the alleyway to the northwest with additional spawn points.
-Caspain Border spawn zones have been tweaked slightly.SQUAD DEATHMATCH
-Fixed a bug where players would spawn close to the enemy team at the start of the round.
-Damavand Peak layout and spawn zones have been tightened to reduce the spread of players across the map
-Tehran Highway now features an extra spawn zone north of the footbridge, along with tweaked spawn points.
-Noshahr Canals spawn zones have been tweaked. Removed unsafe spawn points in the Northeast corner, and in the middle of the container area to the Southwest.