Battlefield 3 Discussion Thread

[usapatriot]

Battlefield 3 aka BF3

Release Date: 10/25/11
Platforms: PC, Xbox 360, PS3

Battlefield 3 (commonly abbreviated to BF3) is a first-person shooter action video game, being developed by EA Digital Illusions CE and to be published by Electronic Arts. The game is set to be released on October 25, 2011 on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and EA Mobile confirmed a port for the iOS platform. It is a direct sequel to 2005's Battlefield 2, but the eleventh installment in the Battlefield franchise.

[HTWingNut]

I just really really really really really really hope that they don't botch this. Battlefield 2 is one of my all time favorite games ever. Bad Company 2 is fun, but it just doesn't seem to capture that same feeling of teamwork and overall battle experience.

[usapatriot]

DICE has said they have a special and dedicated team working on the BF3 version of the game. So hopefully it will not disappoint. DICE employees have let out a few tidbits or clues on their Twitter's about BF3 but nothing concrete yet.

Seems like we will have to wait till GDC or that German magazine that's supposed to feature BF3 next month.

[hakira]

New engine means new problems but also great advances... I'm guessing once the bugs are sorted it'll be better than BF2 and won't disappoint. Unless they are doing it backwards and making the console version firstm then porting it to pc :|, which results in something like CoDBO (BUGS!).

[bobbyb0322]

I hope there is a commander mode like in BF2 and 2142. I also hope we get 64 player games back.

[Mjolner]

I hope there is a commander mode like in BF2 and 2142. I also hope we get 64 player games back.

If this game doesn't have 64 OR MORE players I am going to be supremely annoyed. If they could do 64 players years ago in BF1942, why not now? Even with destruction it shouldn't be too bad given how powerful computers are these days. I would rather have more players and less destruction than only 32 players. Of course the problem with these multiplatform games is that (at least in the past) they have had essentially the same maps for PC and consoles, and it is very hard to have one map work for both 16 people and 64 people. COD4 had 50+ player limits, and then we had 52 people playing the tiny shipment map, which is cramped for 8 people. The map sizes in BC2 are pretty pathetic compared with BF2 and 2142 (1942 as well). Many of the maps in those games are just as long as the longest Rush mode maps, but much wider.

I also hope we get more team organization, and VOIP that people actually use. Some planes would be nice too, as well as PRONE FUNCTIONALITY!!!!! Seriously, if there is no prone in BF3 I am not buying it (ok, I probably still will since I have been waiting 3+ years for this game).

[usapatriot]

Game will apparently be running on Frostbite 2.0 vs 1.5 which is what BC2 runs on. I expect 2.0 to be pretty much an all new engine vs. 1.5 which was incremental from 1.0.

Let's hope they do a good job with it. Frostbite 1.5 already has excellent capabilities.

[narsnail]

I am pretty excited for this, I never played BF2, but I am most certainly a shoe-in to buy after I spent a combined total of $35 for BC2 and Vietnam, really can't think of anything that has yielded me so much "bang-for-your-buck" out of any purchase I have ever made.

Any details on a release, or is it still too early in development to say?

[HTWingNut]

"By October" is what has been reported. Don't have a link handy. Will do so when I find it.

[masterchef341]

If this game doesn't have 64 OR MORE players I am going to be supremely annoyed. If they could do 64 players years ago in BF1942, why not now? Even with destruction it shouldn't be too bad given how powerful computers are these days. I would rather have more players and less destruction than only 32 players. Of course the problem with these multiplatform games is that (at least in the past) they have had essentially the same maps for PC and consoles, and it is very hard to have one map work for both 16 people and 64 people. COD4 had 50+ player limits, and then we had 52 people playing the tiny shipment map, which is cramped for 8 people. The map sizes in BC2 are pretty pathetic compared with BF2 and 2142 (1942 as well). Many of the maps in those games are just as long as the longest Rush mode maps, but much wider.

I also hope we get more team organization, and VOIP that people actually use. Some planes would be nice too, as well as PRONE FUNCTIONALITY!!!!! Seriously, if there is no prone in BF3 I am not buying it (ok, I probably still will since I have been waiting 3+ years for this game).

You don't understand the problem. Computer speeds have been getting faster. A lot faster. And so, the engines are getting more complicated, including additional physics, and the result is that you need to keep all the clients in sync with a lot of additional information. But internet speeds have hardly changed. That's the problem. 64 players was reasonable when basically all you had to do was sync up everyone's location and orientation. There is so much more data that needs to be passed around in a game like BC2... We need faster internet to handle more players.