Battlefield 3

[Windedprism]

Crazy list eh, now where the hell is that dlc!

[BackupLight]

Crazy list eh, now where the hell is that dlc!

I know right, I wonder if they're delaying because they're trying to put together something to rival MW3. I'd even pay the kind of subscription people paid for Elite for BF3 stuff - though I really can't see them not doing some kind of season pass deal. They're taking their sweet time about it.

[zerosum]

That list =

[spoiler][/spoiler]

[Mojo Red]

I need to get back into BF3. I don't think I've played it since Christmas as I got sucked into Skyrim and KoA after that. Those RPG's suck away your life.

[BackupLight]

I need to get back into BF3. I don't think I've played it since Christmas as I got sucked into Skyrim and KoA after that. Those RPG's suck away your life.

Amen to that, I've not played a great deal in a while either - a few matches a couple of weeks ago. I haven't actually picked up KoA, it was too close after Skyrim and ME3 is too soon for me to want another heavy RPG experience. Might get in some BF3 before ME3 hits!

[GamerMan316]

Three New Battlefield 3 Expansions Coming From This June

Back to Karkand isn't the only downloadable expansion you'll be able to grab for Battlefield 3, as EA has today revealed that there's a further three expansion pack add-ons that'll be coming from this June onwards.

The first pack will be Battlefield 3: Close Quarters, which will add new weapons, assignments and dog tags to an infantry-only mode. That will be arriving in June, while the next expansion packs will be Armored Kill and End Game, coming in autumn and winter, respectively.

Here's the complete details for all three upcoming Battlefield 3 expansion packs:

Battlefield 3: Close Quarters â€" In Battlefield 3: Close Quarters, players are dropped into a frantic, infantry-only theatre of war. Frostbite 2 high definition destruction makes the environment come alive as everything from furniture to plaster gets shot to pieces. Players will feel the intensity of the world exploding around them as rubble and broken pieces pile up on the floor, while tight level design and vertical gameplay create a highly competitive environment. Battlefield 3: Close Quarters also introduces new weapons, assignments and unique dog tags to bring back to the base game.
   
Battlefield 3: Armored Kill â€" Following the tight infantry gameplay of Battlefield 3: Close Quarters, DICE will release Battlefield 3: Armored Kill that ups the ante for vehicular mayhem as only Battlefield can do. Featuring new driveable tanks, ATVs, mobile artillery and more, Battlefield 3: Armored Kill also delivers huge battlefields for an all-out vehicle assault, including the biggest map in Battlefield history.
   
Battlefield 3: End Game â€" The fourth expansion pack will ship in the winter but details remain tightly guarded.

If you're looking to expand your Battlefield 3 multiplayer game, then the Back to Karkand expansion is out now for 1200 Microsoft Points. Battlefield 3: Close Quarters is out in June.

[Windedprism]

3 new packs nice, Armored Kill: I hope this is El Alamein and End Game is New York.

[BackupLight]

Seems like they underestimated how powerful MW3's DLC was going to be, my attention span does mean I like new maps often - and with the whole concept of season passes being pretty common now I'm fine with buying them outright. Still they look like they're pushing a LOT of content this year and from the look of things Battlefield is a long haul release rather than something they push every year (which is sad considering how the campaign ends ). Good though, looking forward to June. I'll be finally finished with my evening classes so will fit in some proper BF3 time with you guys then.

[HurricanE 184]

Let me know when you guys start playing it...I've been playing it every other day and I need some teammates that actually go near the flag in conquest mode.

[Windedprism]

I must get back in for another round of pew pew, Undisputed 3  has had my attention since launch, I think the only other thing I've played is Tekken 6.

[AnalogReflex]

I just picked up BF3 a week ago and am having a blast. Just trying to get used to the controlls but at least am
familiar with the maps from playing on the PC.

[BackupLight]

So since I've been suckered back into this big time lately, I shall share the new Armored Kill video:

Looks pretty great, eager for more maps! I was eager for maps right after Karkand came out mind you. Here's hoping they make this premium membership worth the price of admission.

[BackupLight]

 Looks like they're releasing a "Premium" edition of the game that includes the main game, premium membership (so, all DLC - existing and planned), plus the multiplayer "headstart" pack that lets you catch up with people's unlocks who have been playing since release. Could only see the Origins (PC) price, but it looks like it's going to cost how much a new title releases for - £40/$60 or so. Not a bad deal if you want a new FPS and missed out on BF3, but seems like they're struggling to push the franchise after they let slip they were already releasing BF4 on current gen consoles.

[GamerMan316]

Finally started playing this online over the weekend, not that good at it (it's not Gears!) but loving it nonetheless, got Premium yesterday too.   

Anyway, more news:

Next Battlefield 3 patch due 4th September - full tweak and fix list released
Oodles of nips and tucks to accompany Armored Kill launch

When Battlefield 4 was announced for release next year, there were some who feared that on-going Battlefield 3 development would be quietly abandoned. Gentlemen, ladies - may I direct your anxious peepers to the bullet points below? They're for the next Battlefield 3 patch, which lands tomorrow on Xbox 360. As far as I can see, no stone has been left unturned.

Last week, DICE quadrupled the number of Battlefield 3 servers - have you noticed any subsequent acceleration on the match-making front? And which of the upcoming tweaks is most necessary, in your eyes?



Battlefield 3's next DLC pack is Armored Kill, which goes loud on 11th September. It's got tanks in it, plus other angry things with wheels on.

WEAPONS BALANCING

Reload timer adjustments

A number of weapons have had their reload timers adjusted to better fit their animations and gameplay balance. For most of these weapons the gameplay timers were slightly out of sync with the actual reload animation, meaning the player could either fire before the animation was done, or had to wait longer than the animation played. Primarily this is a cosmetic change (around 0.1sec); however for a few weapons (M416, F2000, FAMAS, KH2002, MK3A1, JNG90, MG36 QBU-88, SVD, Pecheneg, SCAR-H, AN-94) this should also improve the performance of the weapon. Full details below:

Short and Long reload reduced: SCAR-L, AEK-971, F2000, AN-94, AK-74, PP2000, G3A3, SKS, MG36, JNG-90, MK3A1, SCAR-H, SVD, QBZ-95B

Long reload reduced: AUG A3, 44 Magnum, KH2002, Pecheneg, L85A2, QBB-95, M1911, MP7

Short reload reduced: M417, FAMAS, M39 EBR, M416, PP-19, QBU-88

Short and long reload increased: ASVal

Long reload reduced, shot reload increased: M4A1

Long reload increased: P90

Damage output/range adjustments

UMP: Increased the close range damage of the UMP but reduced its damage over range. The UMP now has a sweet spot in CQB but suffers compared to the PP2000 at longer ranges.

PP2000: Increased the long range damage of the PP2000 to highlight its role as a mid-range, low recoil PDW.

M1911: Increased the minimum damage of the M1911 to make it fit better between the Magnums and the M9/MP443

M93: Reduced the M93R's damage and range, as it was an obvious go to pistol compared to the M9/MP443. Its recoil has been reduced for a smoother burst action to counter the reduced damage.

12G Frag rounds: These rounds have been adjusted to do their damage in a smaller area but to be more consistently apply the maximum possible damage.

AA: Slightly increased the damage of the AA against infantry, the AA was simply over nerfed in a previous update. The AA guns now also properly do damage to MBTs again.

12 Gauge buckshot close range damage has been slightly increased.

Slightly reduced the range penalty for the suppressor on the SCAR-H.

Increased bullet velocity for the coaxial HMG, making it easier to hit targets over longer ranges.

Increased the minimum range of the 40mm Flechette and tightened the cone of fire for more consistent damage levels.

Slightly reduced the range bonus added by the heavy barrel on the 5.56mm, 5.45mm, 6.5mm Assault Rifles.

Slightly reduced the range penalty for the suppressor on 5.56mm, 5.45mm, and 6.5mm weapons: AR, Carbine, and LMG.

Slightly reduced the range penalty for the suppressor on the SCAR-H.

Slightly reduced the range penalty for the suppressor on 5.56mm, 5.45mm, and 6.5mm weapons: AR, Carbine, and LMG.

Slightly reduced the range bonus added by the heavy barrel on the 5.56mm, 5.45mm, 6.5mm Assault Rifles.

Increased the damage of the M5K.

A select set of weapons have had their recoil adjusted based on joint community feedback and statistical analysis to provide greater balance in the weapon choices players make. Specifically, the M16A3 and M4A1 have increased recoil to make them less attractive in all situations. Competing weapons like the SG553, G36C and M416 have been improved to also increase viable player choice in primary weapons.

SG553: Horizontal recoil reduced to help make this weapon more controllable.

MG36: Vertical recoil reduced to make this weapon more controllable.

M416: Vertical, Horizontal, and First Shot recoil have all been reduced to make this weapon clearly different from the M16A3.

M16A3: Recoil amounts slightly increased.

M4A1: Recoil amounts slightly increased.

G36C: Vertical and First Shot recoil amounts reduced.

M16A4 and M4: These weapons have been adjusted for the increased recoil they now have. The burst versions of these weapons give the player a reduction in horizontal recoil for greater control.

Miscellaneous weapons changes

FIM92 and IGLA now lock on to air vehicles at both lower altitudes and longer distances.

Added Burst Fire to the M5K as an available fire mode.

Increased the bonuses provided by a number of bipods: F2000, G3A3, M27, M416, Pecheneg, Type88, FAMAS, MG36

Belt Fed Machine guns are now more accurate when standing and firing while aiming. This affects the M240, M249, Type88, Pecheneg, and LSAT.

44 Magnum: Rate of fire reduced slightly to highlight this side arm's role as a slow firing heavy hitter and differentiate it from the MP412 REX.

Increased the fire rate and reload time of the MP412 REX to better highlight the improved CQB performance over the 44 Magnum.

Removed burst fire from the L85 and added Single Shot to the L86 as is authentic for these weapons.

Slightly increased the radius for maximum damage of the 40mm LVG. While the overall damage level remains the same, the LVG will be lethal over a larger area.

Reduced the aimed accuracy bonus of the M417 with a suppressor to balance it with the other weapons in the game.

Increased the aimed accuracy bonus of the ACW-R, L86 LSW, LSAT, MP5K and MTAR with a suppressor to balance with the other weapons in the game.

Weapons fixes

Underslung weapons on the AUG and SCAR-L now properly benefit from the hip accuracy bonus of an attached laser sight.

The SOFLAM will no longer lock onto your own vehicle if deployed and not immediately activated by the player.

SCAR-L: Fixed the heavy barrel not increasing recoil when zoomed and standing.

Corrected some incorrect descriptions of clip sizes and bullet types for weapons added in Close Quarters: M5K, LSAT, and ACW-R

The PKS-07 is now available on QBB-95

The M417's foregrip was incorrectly reducing horizontal recoil by too large an amount. It has been adjusted to be balanced with other foregrips.

The ACR Foregrip, MG36, QBB-95 and RPK Extended magazines as well as the RPK and SKS Heavy Barrel are now able to be unlocked and equipped in the accessory screen.

Fixed an issue with incorrect damage for the M320 buck when used with certain attachments.

MK3A1 now uses flechette rounds instead of Frag rounds in Gun Master mode (in Close Quarters).

VEHICLE RELATED TWEAKS & FIXES

Removed flares from gunner position in helicopters. With the right combination of unlocks, an attack helicopter could be effectively invulnerable to lock on missiles. Removing the flares from the gunner balances the attack helicopter against ground fire.

Air Radar now shows friendly vehicles as well.

Helicopter weapons can now destroy equipment with splash damage.

The Laser Designator unlock on the Scout Helicopters has been changed from a Pilot Upgrade to a new stance in the Copilot seat (position 4). Like the CITV turret on the Main Battle Tanks, the Scout Helicopter's Laser Designator is permanently available to players who have received the unlock.

Repair tool damage against enemy vehicles lowered by 10%.

Changed reload behavior on Tank / Tank Destroyer cannon weapons to prevent being able to fire 2 shots from different weapons quickly one right after another.

Firing mode can now be seen from the vehicle passenger seats where you are allowed to fire your own weapons.

Fixed the hit indicator showing when entering a vehicle after previously shooting a soldier.

Increased the damage helicopter and jet rockets do to helicopters, jets and infantry.

Increased the damage helicopter gunners and IFVs do to helicopters and jets.

Fixed Jets not getting top attack damage bonuses on Laser Designated targets.

PERSISTENCE RELATED TWEAKS & FIXES

Changed how MCOM station defend/attack kill score is calculated. Victim no longer needs to arm/disarm the crate but rather be in a 5 meter radius of the crate. Also increased kills needed for the Crate Defend Ribbon from 2 to 4. Overall, these changes should make it somewhat easier to get the ribbon, while increasing the opportunity for strategic play around MCOM stations.

Premium Engineer assignments are now counting all shotgun kills independent from the class using it.

Fixed so you can get score from awards in coop.

Accuracy dogtags now show the correct stats.

Coop Stars and dogtag are now properly unlockable and equip able.

Gun Master and Domination Winner ribbons and medals added.

Fix for assignment with multiple dependencies showing as unlocked in frontend. (Jack of All Trades & Only for the Dedicated)

UI RELATED TWEAKS & FIXES

Added letters to the capture point icons displayed directly over the mini-map.

Fixed the grenade counter acting strangely when entering a vehicle with a grenade in hand.

Fixed the damage indicator which showed the wrong direction if the damage dealer was dead.

Fixed the hit indicator showing when spawning or closing the in game menu.

PC specific: Fixed laser designator related icons disappearing from the screen when you enable the chat.

Fixed a bug where the clan tag sometimes shows as the player ID.

Added clan tags in nametags and kill card.

PC specific: Fixed the vehicle hit indicator being shown each time you re-enter the first person camera of a ground vehicle.

Fixed so commorose VO works when sitting in an AA vehicle.

Fixed so you get the critical health fullscreen color tint while in the post revive state.

Removed the join button in the server list for non-Premium users on Premium exclusive servers.

Fixed so the spawn menu always disappears when you are revived.

Bugfix the colorblind objectives showing the wrong icons and blinking with a black background.

Fixed M-Com distance not updating if user moves towards it with EOD Bot.

Mortar strike explosions are now shown on the HUD for the shooter.

MISCELLANEOUS TWEAKS & FIXES

Fixed so the MAV gadget will not remain floating in midair if the user exits it while still flying.

Fixed bug where it was possible to shoot while transitioning from sprint into prone.

Fixed so you can't revive a player who switched team since he died.

Fixed two exploits on Donya Fortress that allowed players to get on top of the level.

Fixed bug where you could get an incorrectly calculated longest headshot with the EOD bot.

PS3/Xbox 360 specific: Added map rotation settings to preset list in detailed server info. Players can now see all relevant settings that are being run on the server.

Xbox 360 specific: Introduced a clickable promotional spot on the main menu.

XBOX 360 SPECIFIC INFO

Patch goes live: September 4

Armored Kill goes live: September 11 for Premium members / September 25 for non-Premiums

Patch size: 1.44GB

Armored Kill size: 1.56GB

How to download patch: There will first be a small (184MB) Title Update automatically downloaded when you start the game. When restarting the game, you will get a popup notifying you that Multiplayer Update 4 is available. It is not mandatory to accept this, but we advise you to do so. Otherwise, you can find Multiplayer Update 4 both on Xbox Live Marketplace and in our in-game store as a manual download.

How to download Armored Kill: Armored Kill is available in our in-game store as a manual download. If you are a Premium member, this download will be available at 0 cost. If you are not a Premium member, you can also find Armored Kill on Xbox Live Marketplace.

[BackupLight]

I'm going to have inner conflict when this month's DLC comes out. Battlefield vs Guild Wars.