PC Beta Sept. 29th, 27th with Origin pre-order

[Bad^Hat]

Also their server browser. :v

 

[unozero]

Frankly, this is just an exacerbated problem that all PC games have, and another reason why fast-paced MP games don't appeal to me. If things are done client-side, then you always hit what you're looking at, but your position as it appears to other players is lagging behind your actual position due to latency, so they can still shoot and kill you when you've just ducked into cover, because to them, you're still not behind it yet. On the flip-side, if its done on the server's side, and you have a lot of latency, you can aim and shoot directly at someone without actually hitting them, because, again, what you see is actually a few milliseconds in the past.

In the last-case he shows on the video, my assumption is that, the other player actually got first hit and in fact killed him before he shot. However, the latency issue meant his computer was delayed in receiving that info, and so his computer let him play out a situation that didn't actually happen in the server's world.

But yeah, there's definitely something bogging down the netcode for the game, because it should not be that pronounced.

Krynn do you think there is something Dice can do to fix or will we just have to put it with it?
Just like in the Video 'v been experiencing the same thing like getting shot after ducking to cover etc.
And I have a 45Mbit line :-\

 

[Eejit]

200 is pretty damn bright, by the way. Considering the standard commercial flashlight is about 50 average.

Pretty certain some of the higher-end diving torches I've handled have been well over 200 lumens, they're far from blinding in good light conditions even above the surface.

 

[Dynasty]

I believe the beta went down today for patching or whatever.

And my first game after work, I fell through the floor at A in the gardens near those rocks on the other side of the radar, worse than ever before. Hasn't happened again though.

As much as I know DICE arent stupid enough to fix all these things before retail (well in a patch anyway on release), if they release it with alot of problems resembling the beta, BF3 is going to fail, as people will rage quit, demanding refunds etc etc and DICE's reputation will be tarnished.

 

[ray_MAN]

I can see a day one patch, like most games nowadays... :\

I also unlocked the M320 Smoke Grenade launcher and I've got to say that it makes Rush so much more viable. And when I'm with a good squad, we can arm all of the M-COM's with relative ease. It's such a great tactic that I'm surprised I really haven't seen at all after seeing it a ton in BC2.

 

[PvtRyan]

I can see a day one patch, like most games nowadays... :\

I also unlocked the M320 Smoke Grenade launcher and I've got to say that it makes Rush so much more viable. And when I'm with a good squad, we can arm all of the M-COM's with relative ease. It's such a great tactic that I'm surprised I really haven't seen at all after seeing it a ton in BC2.

You can control the battlefield all by yourself in BC2 by using a smoke launcher + extra grenades + ammo box. I've used that tactic a lot, especially after they nerfed the explosive 40mm into oblivion.

I haven't seen any of those yet in BF3, I guess you unlock them pretty late?

And while BF3 will have a lot of bugs by launch, even in the beta I haven't seen any besides some annoying Battlelog errors when trying to join/find a server that are game-breaking. They have already said they have a proper fix for the terrain clipping issue, which is the only one that's caused any real problems for me so far.

 

[knut]

i unlocked the underslung grenade launcher, but i cannot find it in my unlocks for the life of me. i haven't looked very hard, mind, and am i even right in that is actually an underslung rifle grenade launcher, even though the picture depicts it with it's range-finder and butt? i would of preferred it as a stand-alone grenade launcher for supporting explosive fire, if just because it looks cooler.

 

[Ennui]

No, it occupies a different slot, it's not a weapon customization. It replaces your medkit in slot 3. It will be equipped as a standalone launcher unless you have the underslung rail attachment on your rifle (instead of a tac light or laser sight or whatever).

BTW I just realized that contrary to my earlier belief, the c4/ammo/medkit jump throw physics oddity still exists in BF3, so you can fling C4 quite far if you time it right with a jump. I found one spot where you can absolutely ABUSE C4 - as defender on the 3rd area of Metro, where the 3 chokepoints are the two escalators and the side stairs. If you get on top of and behind the second set of elevators, you can just drop C4 over the edge to the floor at the foot of the elevators below (where enemies tend to cluster) and trigger it the instant one of them starts moving up the stairs. I got tons of C4 kills doing this earlier today.

 

[repiV]

Got a new bug today - no markers indicating who's on my team. Quit the game and relaunched - bug still there.

How irritating.

 

[ray_MAN]

i unlocked the underslung grenade launcher, but i cannot find it in my unlocks for the life of me. i haven't looked very hard, mind, and am i even right in that is actually an underslung rifle grenade launcher, even though the picture depicts it with it's range-finder and butt? i would of preferred it as a stand-alone grenade launcher for supporting explosive fire, if just because it looks cooler.

There's no real documentation on this, but you unlock the M320 as the third(?) Assault unlock. 10 kills with it will get you the DART launcher and 10 more kills will get you the smoke launcher.

 

[Dynasty]

I swear some servers make it impossible to attack the first A mcom. Weird how some servers have you falling through the floor there and most dont.

But damn its annoying.

[edit]

Today, DICE responded to the public about the Beta on their official blog:

DICE General Manager Karl Magnus Troedesson has made a blog post on Battlefields Official Website detailing why there are such an abundant amount of bugs throughout the beta.

[Direct Quote from Karl Magnus Troedesson]

We want to give you an overview of how the Open Beta is helping us shape a fantastic final game, what we are implementing based on your feedback, and how the Open Beta will help us deliver a robust gaming environment from day one.

The Open Beta is a true Beta

The Battlefield 3 Open Beta is based on software that is more than one month old. We need to test the new back end dedicated server structure we’ve built. Not only have we built a new game engine, but an entirely new back end system so that everyone can enjoy the benefits of dedicated servers on all platforms.

Just like normal procedure when releasing a game, the Open Beta has had long lead times due to testing, certification, and setting up. This means that the code you are now playing is actually quite early and not representative of the final game.

We had to do this in order to have as many people testing as possible, in order to ensure a top quality experience when the game is released. However, we’re confident in the Battlefield formula and confident that our fans will support us in order to make Battlefield 3 better.

Dedicated servers require dedicated testing

The biggest reason for running the Open Beta is to stress test our servers and back end. Already, we are seeing 6 times the number of simultaneous players in the Battlefield 3 Open Beta compared to the Beta for Battlefield: Bad Company 2! The fact that Battlefield 3 is clearly our biggest game launch ever by a magnitude of 6 makes it doubly important to test everything.

We are constantly updating the News section on Battlelog with information on what we are fixing from Open Beta to final. We appreciate your time and your feedback. The data and feedback from the Open Beta will not only directly affect the final game of Battlefield 3, but its future development and support.

We’re heading out on the road this week to let journalists experience all aspects of Battlefield 3. Stay tuned for their previews, and stay tuned for the final game on October 25th. The final game will look, play and sound better than the Open Beta. You have helped making sure of that.

Karl Magnus Troedsson

General Manager, DICE

http://gamingirresponsibly.com/dice-addresses-complaints-against-battlefield-3-beta

 

[ray_MAN]

I would be very surprised if they didn't let us play Caspian Border. This map and game mode is just not an accurate representation of the game. If they want to test every aspect of the game, then just giving us Métro on Rush is not accomplishing that.

But as I think about it, it's probably completely wishful thinking since all signs point toward them not actually letting us play Caspian.

 

[PvtRyan]

Does anyone know if equipping the ACOG sights on a sniper rifle also causes the glare? Might be a worthy trade-off if not, for maps where very long range is not a necessity like Metro.

 

[ray_MAN]

Does anyone know if equipping the ACOG sights on a sniper rifle also causes the glare? Might be a worthy trade-off if not, for maps where very long range is not a necessity like Metro.

No, it doesn't as far as I know.

 

[Krynn72]

Karl Magnus Troedsson is such an awesome name.

Krynn do you think there is something Dice can do to fix or will we just have to put it with it?
Just like in the Video 'v been experiencing the same thing like getting shot after ducking to cover etc.
And I have a 45Mbit line :-\

I'm no programmer, but from what I know, it seems possible. I don't know what their code looks like obviously, so I don't know what kind of information or how much information its having to send back and forth from server to clients. Its possible they have some diagnostic code for testing purposes in there that will bog down the system, and that it will be removed for the final game. Its also possible there's some redundancy in it that's sending unnecessary information which slows it down, or some left-over code bits from old builds, etc.

The biggest question I have is how much information it needs to send around due to the new features like the destructible environment with physics based damage models on the rubble. If there's a lot there, then this may be a problem that's unavoidable without everyone on the server having an excellent connection with the server and low latency values that are under, say, 100ms.

 

[knut]

having a LOT of fun with the shotgun right now. i enjoy it for the same reason i enjoyed playing a shotgun/defensive medic/support in BC2 - having a weapon with such a tiny range really forces you to play a supporting role and not to throw yourself into the combat all of the time, something i wish a lot of other players would do sometimes. i dominated the scoreboards tonight just by playing the ammo guy. i felt a bit like upham at the end of saving private ryan, running between our defensive pockets with packs of ammo as i was literally the only guy doing this. got a shit load of points though, and when i stumbled upon someone who had breached our lines i had the shotgun for some tight-quater house cleaning. extended mags really helps, too.

 

[Stigmata]

I'm starting to think that any non-iron sights should give off glare, with the brightness/size scaled against the level of zoom the sights provide.

 

[PvtRyan]

I'm starting to think that any non-iron sights should give off glare, with the brightness/size scaled against the level of zoom the sights provide.

That's funny, as I was thinking the glare should be toned down massively. It's just silly being able to see someone who is fully obscured by thick smoke. Ironically, snipers are the most visible people in the game.

 

[Ennui]

That's funny, as I was thinking the glare should be toned down massively. It's just silly being able to see someone who is fully obscured by thick smoke. Ironically, snipers are the most visible people in the game.

Only scoped-in snipers using scopes with magnifications higher than 4x. I think it's a great and novel mechanic actually.

It forces snipers to not just sit there scoped in on a spot all day - it's much safer to watch an area with normal vision, and scope only when you are about to take a shot on a visible target. Snipers would be practically invisible otherwise - without the scope glint you wouldn't ever be able to see where the sniper firing at you is. As it is, if you scope just before shooting, the brief appearance of the glint combined with the suppression/damage effect is enough to obscure your position most of the time (at least for a few shots) before you relocate like any intelligent sniper.

Plus, a 4x scope is really plenty to be an effective sniper ANYWHERE in the Metro map... on the bigger Conquest maps though the 12x scopes and stuff will be crucial (Caspian is like 1300m or 1400m across).

Karl Magnus Troedsson is such an awesome name.


I'm no programmer, but from what I know, it seems possible. I don't know what their code looks like obviously, so I don't know what kind of information or how much information its having to send back and forth from server to clients. Its possible they have some diagnostic code for testing purposes in there that will bog down the system, and that it will be removed for the final game. Its also possible there's some redundancy in it that's sending unnecessary information which slows it down, or some left-over code bits from old builds, etc.

The biggest question I have is how much information it needs to send around due to the new features like the destructible environment with physics based damage models on the rubble. If there's a lot there, then this may be a problem that's unavoidable without everyone on the server having an excellent connection with the server and low latency values that are under, say, 100ms.

I think the rubble is more prescribed than that - I think you can probably only be killed by falling rubble in specific areas, like underneath the sides of the second floor buildings in the last area of Metro which can be taken down. Probably most of the environmental destruction and physics is client side with only simple variables being toggled serverside.

From what I've heard most of the netcode is concerned with projectile modeling, player movement and hit detection, and from what I understand it is very prediction heavy. There are some highly technical articles/lectures about various aspects of the FB2 engine floating around out there.

 

[PvtRyan]

Only scoped-in snipers using scopes with magnifications higher than 4x. I think it's a great and novel mechanic actually.

It forces snipers to not just sit there scoped in on a spot all day - it's much safer to watch an area with normal vision, and scope only when you are about to take a shot on a visible target. Snipers would be practically invisible otherwise - without the scope glint you wouldn't ever be able to see where the sniper firing at you is. As it is, if you scope just before shooting, the brief appearance of the glint combined with the suppression/damage effect is enough to obscure your position most of the time (at least for a few shots) before you relocate like any intelligent sniper.

I agree that the glare is necessary, I just feel like there should be somewhat of a delay before it kicks in and maybe some more restrictions like it only does it when you're not standing up and only at a distance > 30 meters. I already use the "normal vision first, then scope" when playing recon, but it feels like a cheap workaround. Maybe give recon binoculars that take on the order of 0.5s - 1 second to switch to your rifle? That's not gonna happen, but I just want skill to factor in, rather than a sniper doing what he should be doing (scouting for targets, zoomed in) automatically lighting up like a Christmas tree. You should be able to avoid it if you play smart, but doing so should have a cost that prevents you from camping in a single spot, prone, zoomed in all match long.

I'm not even sure why BF3 does this. I never thought snipers were impossible to spot in BC2 and I don't see how BF3 is that different, other than the ability to go prone. But the glare also shows up when you're not prone, so it's not just that.

I'll just ACOG for now in Metro, seems to work well enough.

When you say that scopes with magnifications higher than 4x have the glare, does it mean that the M16 rifle scope (6x) has a glare too? If not, that may be my sniper rifle of choice, with the heavy barrel and bipod!

 

[Ennui]

I'm not sure. I suspect it does have a glare but I don't know for certain. For scopes with glares, it should say so in the item description in the weapon customization menu.

 

[knut]

snipers in bush suits were never difficult to find in BC2 because there were no bushes, whereas in this there is plenty of foliage and a crazy amount of tree shadow in the early stages of operation metro, making it difficult to find some people regardless of the fact there are no more ghilli-suits. i think for the bushes alone the glare is good for people playing non-recon classes, but for everything else... meh, i'm not too sure how big a problem it would be for me. like i said, i had absolutely no problem finding a sniper in BC2. hell, killcam removes that anyway.

 

[ricera10]

There's also the fact that there isn't any proning in BC2.

I feel like the game would be far more frustrating if they took the glare out.

 

[Rico]

Metro is already sniper heaven... no glint and I wouldn't bother even picking up the game, since the game would be all people prone in bushes in recon kits.

 

[Bakurei]

Metro is already sniper heaven... no glint and I wouldn't bother even picking up the game, since the game would be all people prone in bushes in recon kits.

Sounds like a free win to me.

The game sure is demanding. I currently have: ATI 4870, intel e8x00 @ 4,1GHz and 4Gb of ram. It's playable when almost everything is low with 1680*1050 resolution. It's not smooth, constantly choppy, I haven't used fraps but I guess it's in the range of 10-40. The game set the settings to medium/high but those were only playable when looking at the ground or at the start of metro, maybe usable in SP but out of the question in MP.

Edit: There definitely is something wrong with the hit registration. I just chased a recon and emptied 4-5 shotgun blasts to the back (standing right behind him). One strange thing was that he was missing the red thingy above him, then he just turned and killed me :<

 

[Viperidae]

So, similarly bad hit detection that BF2 had 6 years ago. Cool.

 

[Bakurei]

I just noticed that the server filters don't work when using "quick match". It was giving me US servers, that might be the cause of bad hit registration for me (ping around 300ms).

 

[Escaep]

 

[xcellerate]

I like how sniper rifles are 2 hit body shot kills, but they really need to slow down the time it takes to recenter/reload the rifle after each shot. Right now it's too easy for a recon to fire two quick shots in succession for a kill.

To have a class that can effectively kill at a range outside of every other class, there needs to have serious downsides to it, like extremely limited rifle ammo so they would be dependent on support classes to be close, or they'd have to leave their spot to find ammo, or kill themselves to get restocked.

Or spotting a sniper should make them permanently visible on the mini-map until they move like 25ft or die. I just feel like sniping should be much more difficult than it is right now.

 

[Quixoticism]

Metro is a horrible map. Rush seems like it's a bad idea too. I would like to play Caspian to see what it's like as it looks to play more like I would expect Battlefield to play.
It also give me a headache to play this game. I think it has a little to do with the heavy view bob but mostly with the overlay/desaturation effects(at least in Metro). It's like someone is using a camera and taking video of someone else playing the game on an LCD and then pasting it directly on my monitor.
Unreal Tournament 3 has the same thing only much worse. I like to see stuff in my games and BF3 feels so hazy.

 

[Stigmata]

I'm starting to like Metro more, but sometimes it's just too damn hard to push your way to the first set of MCOMs. The Russian side could do with a tiny bit less flora-cover advantage.

Two things I really, really want from the end release:

1. Persistent debris, e.g. fallen trees. I can't count the number of times (6?) I've been using fallen trees for cover, only to have them blink out of existence. It sucks. Cull some ****ing bricks and stones instead of things that can actually block line of sight and movement, especially when the collision model is literally a cylinder. The network overhead from that can't possibly be bad enough to have to cull every single tree that falls.
2. Let us play out a round until everyone's dead, rather than ending the round at 0 tickets. At least in Hardcore mode.

 

[ray_MAN]

I want falling trees to kill people. I shot an RPG at a tree with someone behind it, the tree fell, and the guy continued to shoot me into oblivion.

In regards to your number two point, everyone being dead won't work, because that just turns into a giant game of hide and seek. My opinion is that if the M-COM is armed with zero tickets left, then the opposing team must disarm it for the round to end. I think this happened once as a bug in one of the games I played, and it was good.

Also, I'm the exact opposite at this point, Stig. I'm sick of Metro. It's been the same rinse and repeat for me for almost 15 hours of gameplay - run to bravo, get alpha, sprint to bravo, get alpha, get alpha, sprint to bravo, and win because no one can defend that last point. On defense, just prevent bravo getting armed within 30 seconds of the round starting and you can hold that first point pretty easily.

 

[knut]

i thought the game was meant to be doing ray_MAN's point about the ticket counting reaching zero and the defending team having until they can disarm before the round ends? i could swear i read that on one of the FAQ's with a developer.

i haven't seen it happen in any games i've played, at least.

 

[Bakurei]

Less than month from release and there sure seems to be a lot of bugs. What I've found constantly

- Iron sight becomes unavailable, I have to switch weapons to make it work again.
- Getting stuck on stupid places.
- Won't always jump on to the trains in metro.
- You'll get better odds at trying to find electrons coordinates than making revive work.
- (might be an option) Pressing 3, for med pack, throws it. I don't want to throw it automatically. I want to do it manually.
- Some times when you throw a grenade you'll see it fly away and when it explodes you die. Maybe it respawns back to you if it flies to some odd place?
- Crashes and freezes A LOT. Freezes during start up constantly.
- You can only get to the menus when you are deployed (really, WTF).
- Imo you should be able to easily walk over people who are prone.

 

[TwwIX]

I have canceled my pre-order. Yep, even after receiving a free copy of Dead Space 2 and a 25% off coupon. This game just isn't worth it for me atm. Maybe if they heavily patched it but that remains to be seen. This is EA after all. My expectations are very low. I can perfectly understand the technical issues but this game's filled with way too many terrible design decisions. Way too much frustration for me than i can handle. From the Battlelog to the spawn and squad system. Apparently, there will be a proper in-game squad system in the retail release. Well, see.

Yes, i have tried both maps. The close combat in the Subway Station on Operation Metro can be fun at times but the overall map design of the map is terrible. It's very linear and doesn't feel like Battlefield to me at all. It feels and plays like Medal of Honor. Not even Bad Company felt this linear even though i regularly played it on the Rush mode. I don't like the look nor the functionality of the in-game interface. Or rather, the lack thereof. The overall aesthetics of the game just don't appeal very much to me. The visuals are flashy and hazy. The entire game feels like the Sun is constantly in my eyes. And, no. I don't just mean the tactical flashlights. It appears that EA and DICE put more money and effort into the marketing of the game than the actual design of it. Even though Bad Company 2 lacked a lot of aspects from Battlefield 2, it certainly is more fun to play than this.

 

[Stigmata]

I don't believe you've played Caspian Border, because every single person I know who played that has had their negative opinion of the game completely reverse But if you did, and still hated it, you should know that it's been confirmed that in-game BF2-style squad management will be in retail (source), as will using the escape menu while dead (source). There is still hope!

 

[repiV]

Obviously they listened to the torrent of entirely negative feedback, as they had until I read this specifically stated there would be no in-game squad management.

 

[ray_MAN]

They're absolutely listening and that's very encouraging.

 

[knut]

i think what's quite interesting is that prior to contrary belief over the norm of the industry releasing a beta so close to release as nothing more than a glorified demo might actually be wrong in this circumstance, as there is a lot of shit wrong with this game that you wouldn't normally find in a beta. i'm hoping to the high heavens that all of this is being furiously worked on right now, but worryingly it's only approximately 20 or so days till release - they're going to be sending final retail copies off for print and distribution soon, meaning they must be incredibly close to a zero-bug release, or thereabouts. they have a lot on their plate, let's just hope it's going to all come to fruition just fine.

edit: i have equipped the UMP three possibly four times since unlocking it the other day just to try it out, see how overpowered it is - i have no interest in using it if it is as overpowered as people make it out to be but i thought i'd give it a shot as it's a new bit of kit - and man, i think it ****ing sucks. i don't think i have a kill with it yet because every time i open fire i seem to get an assist or suppression points only which is perhaps just bad timing, or i just cannot get used to it. i also can't quite get familiar with the smg type weapons that in BC2 felt light and quiet, whereas now the UMP and PP2000 are ****in' noisy clunky weapons. i preferred them in BC2 personally, used the PP2000 a lot but now... eh.

i said i wouldn't play tonight as i've work to do but bah, looks like i might go have a few rounds now.

 

[xcellerate]

I still have absolutely no reason to use origin though. I get all my pc games from steam, all the new release information from steam, my friends are on steam, my games are steam, steam sales are better (so far). So to me origin is basically bloatware EA forces users to install if they want to play BF3.

Honestly, who here would keep origin if EA made it so you could play BF3 just normally without it? I seriously doubt anybody would. Personally, I'm really reconsidering even buying BF3 simply because of origin + ****ing plugin based web browser server browsers, wtf is that shit?