Battlefield 3

Overview

After a number of spin-offs including the infamous Bad Company games, Battlefield 3 is finally here; the successor to DICE's award-winning Battlefield 2. Like its predecessor, Battlefield 3 is a modern military first person shooter published by Electronic Arts, that features large scale vehicular military combat with land, sea, and air vehicles. In addition, the game also has a single player campaign as well as a separate co-op campaign. Battlefield 3 is released for Origin exclusively, not on Steam due to the services "restricting" their ability to "directly support" players.

Development

Battlefield 3 was confirmed to be in development by EA's chief operating officer, John Pleasants, at a Stock meeting in June, 2009.

I have had the luxury of looking at Battlefield 3 over at DICE in Sweden and was highly impressed by the way the team is working on the product. Of course, that's not [coming out] in the fiscal year, but that is a product that is looking very good.

Battlefield 3 was officially teased on February 4th, 2011. A 30-second teaser trailer was included, as well as some basic details regarding the highly anticipated sequel. In addition, Game Informer ran an exclusive Battlefield 3 preview in its March issue. It has been stated that the PC is the "lead platform" for development; with multiplayer matches featuring up to 64-players on PC, and 24 players on the PS3 & Xbox 360. EA also announced an iOS mobile port.

The game has been in development using the new in-house engine Frostbite 2.0 for three years. According to senior multiplayer designer Alan Kertz, the design direction, gameplay balance, and choices for Battlefield 3 are very similar to those of Battlefield 2142; a result of the senior designers' experience working primarily on that title. This is the first non- EA Sports game to utilize the ANT animation system for the character models.

47 E3 Awards Won

According to DICE, it took them several years to create Battlefield 3 simply because until now, they didn't have the technology and assets to create the game they wanted to create; therefore they have worked on the Frostbite 2 engine from scratch for years, experimenting with their technology in the console spin-off series Bad Company (using Frostbite versions 1.0 and 1.5), until they reached the level of technology needed to create Battlefield 3.

During E3 2011, Battlefield 3 has received 80 nominations for different awards, with 47 wins, including the Game Critics Awards for "Best Action Game" and "Best Mutliplayer."

Single Player

Marine SSgt Henry "Black" Blackburn

Set in 2014, U.S. coalition troops are engaged by the opposition force known as the People's Liberation and Resistance (PLR) as they patrol the Iran/ Iraq border to maintain security to the area. The storyline is revealed through a series of flashbacks as Marine Staff Sergeant Henry "Black" Blackburn races to prevent an attack on New York City by the PLR.

As Blackburn recalls key events leading up to the attack, the player will take control of several characters in a variety of missions across land, sea and air in many locations around the world, including Paris, New York, Rome and Tehran, which will empower the game's theme of an all-out war and a worldwide conflict. The playable soldier characters will be from various world factions, mainly Marine SSgt Henry Blackburn (1st Recon), as well as Corporal Jonathan "Jono" Miller (1st Marine Tank Battalion) and RU Special Forces operator Dmitri "Dima" Mayakovsky among others.

Singleplayer levels:

Battlefield 3: The Russian

Cover for The Russian

Media consultant and ex-SAS Operator-turned novelist Andy McNab, who wrote books such as "Bravo Two Zero" and "Immediate Action", co-wrote a 400-page novel entitled "Battlefield 3: The Russian" with author Peter Grimsdale, and with the assistance of DICE executive producer Patrick Bach.

The book tells the story of RU Special Forces operator Dmitri "Dima" Mayakovsky, aka The Cleaner, one of the playable characters in the game, in the events taking place after the events of the game. The book paints a picture of that legendary and pragmatic soldier struggling to do whatever it takes to keep himself, and his platoon, alive.

The book was published by Orion Publishing in Europe and Grand Central Publishing in North America, and was released alongside the game on October 25th for the price of 10$. It is available for purchase on several online stores including Amazon.com.

Co-op Mode

2-player co-op

Battlefield 3 features a co-operative mode campaign.

The co-op campaign consists of 6 long missions, featuring a full range of Battlefield gameplay, including land and air vehicle missions as well as tight urban warfare. The missions are separate from the single player campaign but will tie in to its story. This mode supports 2 players only, unlike Bad Company 2's co-op "Onslaught" which featured up to 4.

The missions:

There are also seven weapons which can be unlocked for multiplayer kits by earning co-op points (points needed to unlock weapons were significantly reduced following a patch):

Multiplayer

Operation Metro screenshot

Battlefield 3 is bringing back the franchise's trademark all-out-war vehicular warfare multiplayer experience that brought the series to the top with Battlefield 2. The game features a similar persistent multiplayer model seen in recent Battlefield games, while bringing back the overall essence and gameplay aspects of the older games of the franchise. The multiplayer's persistence system consists of gaining experience points by killing enemies, performing supporting actions for the team and accomplishing objectives. As the player gains more XP, they go up in rank (top rank is 145), earn ribbons and medals that award them for specific actions on the battlefield, as well as unlocking better weaponry for the various kits and unlocking several weapon attachments, player gadgets/tools, performance-enhancing perks and vehicle specializations.

The multiplayer component features 9 maps on the disc, and five different game modes for each map (with different pacing, objectives and player count for each mode).

Health regeneration has been significantly tweaked. In Battlefield 3, where after taking damage, health regeneration is delayed for up to 20 seconds before it kicks in, and it takes a good while before reaching 100%. Furthermore, when the player is under enemy suppression, health regeneration is paused. The ability to go prone also makes a return, but is balanced by making the action a slow process, and also slowing the movement in prone position.

DICE's executive producer Patrick Bach stated in an interview that they have slowed down the pace of leveling up after the studio underestimated the popularity of Bad Company 2. Unlike BC2, the top ranks will become an incentive and carry bonuses.

Game Modes

The game modes from previous Battlefield games return (conquest, rush and team deathmatch), with additional modes and options to choose from. Hardcore Mode returns from Bad Company 2, which is an alternative version to the "normal mode" of regulars servers. Any game mode can be toggled to be Hardcore Mode, which removes a lot of the HUD elements and raises bullet damage, and any map can be selected to be infantry-only, with no attack vehicles (transport vehicles will still spawn in):

• Conquest - (32 players PC, 24 consoles)
• Conquest Large - Exclusive to PC, this conquest mode supports 64 players.
• Rush (32 players PC, 24 consoles)
• Squad Rush (8 players)
• Team Deathmatch (32 players PC, 24 consoles)
• Squad Deathmatch (16 players)
• Conquest Domination

Classes

Battlefield 3 has four player classes (kits) to choose from in the multiplayer, which are similar to those found in Battlefield 2142. Each class gets its own exclusive special equipment and gear, which consist of the Commander mode's assets from Battlefield 2 (i.e. UAV, artillery), in addition to brand new equipment to the franchise.

Class Lineup

• Assault (Combat Medic) - The normal Battlefield assault class (carrying assault rifles) has been combined with the medic class and is able to heal & revive teammates with medic kits & defibrillators. Should the player choose to play as assault, they can replace the med-pack with an underslung grenade launcher on their assault rifle. According to senior multiplayer designer Lars Gustavsson,

"The reason for this class fusion is because the assault class serves at the frontlines, so it only makes sense to give those frontline players the ability to revive downed teammates".

• Engineer - This class carries carbines & anti-vehicle rocket launchers. They are able to repair vehicles with a repair torch, or can remotely arm and disarm MCOMs with a Explosive Ordinance Disposal robot (EOD bot). Anti-tank mines can replace the repair torch.
• Support - This class carries light machine guns (LMG), and has the ability to mount their LMG using the bipod on the front of the gun for better accuracy. They have the ability to throw out ammo packs to resupply teammates, and also have access to explosives such as C4, Claymores, and mortars. An effective support player can help drive the Assault players forward with more ammunition and mortar fire to suppress the enemy.
• Recon - This class is equipped with long range sniper rifles, in addition to other reconnaissance equipment such as motion sensors and Micro Air Vehicles (MAV). Rifle sway has been added to the game, forcing snipers to actively hold their breath before taking a shot for the best accuracy, and can be augmented with bipods. Quick scoping will be much more inaccurate. An addition to this class is a radio beacon that the player can drop and acts as an additional spawn point for their squadmates to use. In order to counter snipers who lay down in the grass (prone position), a new feature has been added where if the player lays in the grass for too long, a glint will appear on their sniper rifle scope (sun reflection), giving away their position. This forces them to not camp but rather stay on the move.

Squads

Though DICE decided to remove the chain of command from the game's multiplayer (used in Battlefield 2- A commander and squad leaders), in order to achieve their new design philosophy "Lowering the threshold, making the game easy to play, hard to master", the squad leader position has returned to the game. Every squad consists of four players max (as seen in Bad Company 2), one of whom is the squad leader (the person who created the squad). All squad members can spawn on each other. The squad leader has a star by his name and over his head in-game, indicating that he's a squad leader. Squad leaders are able to set attack/defend orders on objectives which give bonus points to squad members who follow the order.

Mod Tools

Battlefield 3 did not release with an SDK. However, after several months of demands for mod tools by the Battlefield modding scene, DICE stated that they are considering releasing mod tools after the game's release.

Battlerecorder

The classic in-game video capturing feature Battlerecorder returns from Battlefield 2, which allows players to record their gameplay without having to use third party programs. Battlerecorder 2.0 is promised to have a multitude of features to meet the needs of e-Sports and clan activities.

Battlerecorder is not available at launch, but was promised as a post-launch addition.

New Additions

Suppressive Fire

Battlefield 3 features a new multiplayer combat mechanic called Suppressive Fire. When someone takes heavy fire, their vision will become blurred and their accuracy will decrease. A single shot from a sniper rifle will instantly suppress an enemy as it whizzes by their head, due to its size and power.

Alternative Firing Modes

The option of switching firing modes on the fly returns from Battlefield 2. Although only certain weapons have this ability, it allows for a significant change in gameplay if the player so chooses. Firing on semi-automatic reduces recoil and increases accuracy, but can mean less damage being dealt to an enemy due to a smaller number of shots.

There are three different firing modes in Battlefield 3:

• Fully Automatic (default firing mode on all primary weapons)
• Semi Automatic (default firing mode for secondary weapons; available for all primary weapons)
• Burst Fire (only available on a few select weapons)
• Bolt Action (Single shot, sniper rifles only)

Bipods

Another new mechanic in Battlefield 3 is the ability to use bipods on weapons. This provides added stability for the gun, decreasing kick and recoil, and increasing accuracy. Deploying a sniper rifle on a bipod eliminates scope sway. Bipods can be deployed anywhere while the player is prone or when in front of certain objects, such as a window sill or cement barricade. The Bipod is available for all weapons except for PDWs and shotguns.

Battlelog

The game launched with a social networking website called Battlelog, which will serve as the game's only menu and server browser, featuring extensive stat tracking, instant messaging, and an activity feed. Everything you do on the battlefield is shared on your wall amongst your friends, and (like most current social network apps) players can "like", comment, and post messages.

Players can form platoons with other players using Battlelog.

Game Servers

Much like past Battlefield titles, Battlefield 3 has strong dedicated server support, where anyone can rent and operate their own server. According to KM Troedsson, Battlefield 3 did not ship with LAN support for security reasons. DICE will consider adding it post-release.

Battlefield 3 supports both ranked and unranked servers. Renting a ranked server gives you the restricted freedom to set the game map/mode etc. since Ranked servers will track player progression EAs master servers (much like in past Battlefield games). Whereas renting an unranked server gives the owners/administrators a lot more freedom to do as they will with their servers, allowing them to select specific things such as which weapons are available to players etc. The unranked server option is suited for tournaments because everyone has a level playing field (no ranks/unlocks). You cannot rank up or unlock new weapons on unranked servers.

According to DICE's Mikael Kalms, renting servers will not be available in every country in the world, because the servers will be provided by select Ranked Server Providers (RSPs) around the world. Since Battlefield 3 requires more processor power per player than Bad Company 2, the pricing for server rental will be higher for Battlefield 3. Unlike Battlefield 2, Players won’t be able to create their own servers running on their own machines.

Multiplayer Maps

Battlefield 3 launched with 9 multiplayer maps, taken from the single player campaign. They are set in France and Iran. All of the game modes are playable on all of the maps. The maps do not have real-time day and night/weather cycles during the matches, however there are both day and night maps.

Original Game

Name	Description	Image
Operation Métro	Operation Metro is set in downtown Paris. The battlefields range from spacious parks to the Paris metro station, finally moving up to the streets of Paris.
Seine Crossing	Seine Crossing is a fairly large map with open roads and tight spaces in between buildings.
Caspian Border	Caspian Border is a large map littered with plains, hills, and small towns. This map features all the vehicles in Battlefield 3. Caspian Border appeared in the PC beta of the game but was not available on the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 version at the time. The map is presumably set in Iran, with four points to capture in Conquest.
Operation Firestorm	(Iran)
Grand Bazaar	(Iran)
Tehran Highway	Tehran Highway is the only night map in the core game, taking place along a stretch of the highway in the Iranian capital of Tehran. The map focuses on blending infantry and vehicular combat. The map is well known due to the relatively easy nature of 'spawn trapping' in Conquest, since the linearity of points A and C to their initial spawns make player movements highly predictable.
Kharg Island	(Iran)
Damavand Peak	(Iran)
Noshahr Canals	Noshahr Canal begins with the American team on an aircraft carrier, and the Russian team at a gas station during Conquest. Each area of the map is varied in its design, with the teams having to make their way to each of the different points using a variety of vehicles. Jets appear on this map along with the AA gun on the aircraft carrier supposedly only spawning on the PC version of the game. An area of shipping containers makes a shotgun's paradise, with enemies rushing to the next flag becoming prime targets in the urban jungle of the crates.

Back to Karkand DLC Maps

Name	Description	Screenshot
Wake Island	This is a remake of the classic Battlefield 1942 map, Wake Island. Attackers can come from the air or by sea. Once on the island, the multiple roads and different attack options will keep the defenders on their toes. This map also appeared in Battlefield 1943 on the Xbox LIVE Arcade and PSN Store, so players can get a taste of how the map looked sixty in-game years before.	Wake Island
Strike at Karkand	Strike at Karkand is a large map built for close quarter combat and tank battles taking place on the main streets.	Strike at Karkand
Gulf of Oman	Gulf of Oman is a desert map with open areas for vehicle combat and urban districts for infantry fighting.	Gulf of Oman
Sharqi Peninsula	Another map that has a dense urban environment with tight quarters and multiple firing vantage points.	Sharqi Peninsula

Close Quarters DLC

Weapons, Items & Customization

Customizations

Customization & Loadout Screen

• Weapon Accessories: The game has an extensive amount of weapon add-ons, which can be used in thousands of combinations.
• Player Specialization: Performance-enhancing perks for things such as sprint and ammo.

Weapons

In Battlefield 3, the weapons are divided into 3 groups:

• Class & team exclusive weapons: Weapon exclusivity for the default primary in each class is only fixed until a certain amount of XP is earned using that class. When that amount is earned the other team's initial primary for that class will be available.
• Class-bound weapons: The unlockable primary weapons of each kit can be used for said kit on both teams, and only those.
• Universal weapons: The sidearms in the game, as well as a number of unlockable primary weapons, can be used by any team and any kit.

Weapon Accessories

Every primary weapon of every class gets 3 different unlockable add-on slots: Optics, Primary (grip or bipods), Secondary (barrel). After getting a sufficient number of kills with a gun it becomes possible to mount the other team sights upon it. For example, the Russian Kobra Red Dot Sight can be mounted on an American M16A3 rifle and so on.

Gadgets

Gadgets are the soldier equipment (secondary weapons and/or tools that each class carries)

Dog Tags

Dog Tags have returned in BF3, though their usage has changed slightly. The tags are collectable by stabbing another player, but can be customized with a variety of different pieces of information, such as a player's total number of kills with assault rifles and so on. Some collectables are also limited in their availability, due to pre-order offers or other promotional items. Certain tags were limited only to certain retailers, such as Amazon, and some tags are given only to those who have registered on the Battlefield Veteran program and verified they have played previous games in the series.

Player Specialization

Player specializations are performance-enhancing perks a player can equip. Players can equip one specialization at a time (no multiple perks equipped at the same time).

Vehicles

Vehicle customization screen

Battlefield 3 features a large variety of usable vehicles, from tanks to buggies and helicopters to jets. Damage to vehicles has changed; this time the point of impact can decide what passenger(s) has been killed. Vehicle health has also been changed; they can now be immobilized with turrets intact.

This new "vehicle disablement" feature delays the explosion of vehicles, allowing passengers to exit the vehicle and have a chance to fight back. When a vehicle is disabled, it catches fire and its speed is dramatically reduced. The vehicle can still be repaired by an Engineer at this point.

Vehicle perks and points are based on the new vehicles classes. Vehicles will have secondary weapon slots, gadget slots, and upgrade slots. The player can use the vehicle specializations to customize the vehicle to their specifications.

Tanks

IFV

Transport

Mobile Anti-Air

Helicopters

Helicopters in the game will not have auto-stabilization like those in Bad Company 2 (hover mode that disallows maneuvers and agile piloting)

Jets

Jets have returned to Battlefield 3 after being taken out in the Bad Company series.

Boats

Vehicle Specializations

The game features 80 unlockable vehicle customizations, where players unlock customizations based on the vehicle class they play. Players can have 3 active vehicle perks.

Scout Helicopters

Attack Helicopters

Jets

Anti-Air

Tanks

Infantry Vehicles

Player Awards

Ribbons & Medals

Real military ranks, ribbons and medals returned from Battlefield 2.

As players progress in the game and unlock new weapons and customization items, they also rank up, receive ribbons rewarding them for the different tasks a soldier performs on the battlefield (both weapon usage/combat performance, and helping/supporting their team with teamwork actions), and also giving prestigious medals to the best achievers.

Ranks

The game featurse a large amount of military ranks, achieved by players as they progress in the game by gaining XP for teamwork and kills, and unlocking weapons and gadgets.

Ribbons

Medals

Multiplayer Point System

Availability

Battlefield 3 boxed version is available at retailers around the world in a variety of editions. The game is available as a digital edition on several digital distribution services, except for Steam.

Limited Edition

Limited Edition

Includes the full game as well as free access to the Back to Karkand DLC when it is released in December 2011. In addition to the Back to Karkand DLC, the Limited Edition pre-order also includes bonus item packages. Those packages were available at select retailers all over the world (each retailer had their own package to offer).

A list of all Limited Edition pre-order bonus packages:

• SPECACT Kit Upgrade: A set of 8 multiplayer skins, one for each class and side in Battlefield 3.
• Dog Tag Pack: A set of 5 unique in-game dog tags to choose from (for more information about Dog Tags, read above)
• Avatar Battlefield 3 Gear: Battlefield 3 gear for your Xbox 360 avatar
• Shotgun and Beret for Battlefield Play4Free: An 870S shotgun and a beret for in-game use in the play-for-free title Battlefield Play4Free. This pack could only be acquired by pre-ordering Battlefield 3 Limited Edition from Origin (ODM)

Limited Edition: Physical Warfare Pack

Physical Warfare Pack

Includes the Physical Warfare Pack (PWP), which consists of a set of three time-based exclusive items and one early weapon unlock for Battlefield 3. The items: The Type 88 LMG, a Flash Suppressor for the SKS sniper rifle, Flechette Ammo and an early unlock of the DAO-12 shotgun (returning from Battlefield 2). The pack was available at select retailers all over the world. It was available on day 1 for pre-orders, and 30 days later (November 25th) at no extra charge for non pre-orders.

Steelbook Edition

Steelbook Edition

The Steelbook edition was originally only announced within Sweden, though this was changed and it was released worldwide. The game comes with all the bonuses of the aforementioned Limited Editions, but with a steelbook case.

Standard Edition

Standard Edition

Includes the full game only, without any multiplayer bonuses or free future DLC.

Downloadable Content

Back to Karkand

Back to Karkand DLC

The Limited Edition (pre-order only) included a code for the themed "Back to Karkand" expansion pack, which will be the size of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam. The expansion pack will only be available in December 2011 at no extra charge for Limited Edition pre-orders, and one month after its release for the rest of the players, for a $15.00. The expansion pack will also include classic weapons and vehicles from Battlefield 2.

The pack contains the following classic Battlefield maps recreated and re-imagined with the Frostbite 2 engine:

• Wake Island
• Strike at Karkand
• Gulf of Oman
• Sharqi Peninsula

Weapons included:

MP5, PP-19, L96A1, L85, FAMA S, Type 88, Jackhammer, MG36, Type 95, Type 97

Close Quarters

The second DLC, titled "Close Quarters" will focus on infantry-oriented combat on 4 new maps with ten new guns, ten new assignments, five new dogtags and a new gamemode called "Conquest Domination" which will adapt the conquest gameplay to smaller maps. "Close Quarters" is expected to be released in June 2012.

Two of the new maps are already announced as:

• Ziba Tower
• Donya Fortress

Soundtrack

The official Battlefield 3 soundtrack was released October 24, 2011. It was composed by Johan Skugge & Jukka Rintamaki.

Multiplayer Alpha and Beta

Alpha Trial

Official ALPHA TRIAL homepage

On July 20th, DICE launched an Alpha Trial for players at home to download and play, in order to test and debug the game. The trial runs on the same software used for the E3 2011 showcase floor demo, and on the same map (Operation Metro 32-player Rush).

Several waves of trial invitations were sent out in the weeks that followed. In order to be eligible to receive an invitation, the player has to subscribe to the EA newsletter, Battlefield 3 newsletter and have a Battlefield Veteran Status Rank.

Many Alpha participants broke the NDA agreement by capturing footage of the game and uploading it to YouTube, resulting in YouTube channel bans, and one EA lawsuit.

Alpha Trial Recommended System Requirements for PC:

• OS: Windows 7 or Vista (SP1)
• Installed: Origin
• CPU: Quadcore @ 2.0 GHz or faster
• RAM: 4 GB or more
• Hard Drive: 7.25 GB free disk space
• Video: 512 MB or greater
• DirectX 10 or 11 compatible card with latest drivers (AMD 11.5 or later, nVidia 275.33 or later)
• Sound: DirectX 10 or 11 compatible card
• Internet: broadband connection

Note that these do not necessarily represent the requirements for the final game.

Multiplayer Beta

The beta started on September 29th and ended on October 10th, and was available on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

Early beta access (48 hours) was available for those who pre-ordered the limited versions of Medal of Honor. The stipulation, however, was that the invite was only valid if the beta was opened within 12 months of MOH's release. Pre-orders on Origin got the same early access.

The beta was on the same map used in the Alpha Trial, Operation Metro, on the same game mode, Rush. Late in the beta Caspian Border was unlocked.

PC System Requirements

Xbox 360 HDD Install Requirement

Disc 1 of Battlefield 3 requires 7.3 GB to install on the Xbox 360's HDD, and Disc 2 requires 6.7 GB. The additional "HD-Texture Pack" which can be installed from Disc 1 requires 1.5 GB.

Reception

Battlefield 3's PC version received favorable reviews at launch, as most reviewers praised the multiplayer aspect of the game, while criticizing the single player for being too linear and dull. However, critics were harsher on the console version of the game and cited multiple graphical & matchmaking bugs as deterrents to the multiplayer experience.

EA's Review Code Controversy

EA's policy of sending review codes & copies only to selective press outlets caught flak from the gaming media and was criticized for trying to tilt the game's reception at launch.

Origin Privacy Controversy

According to German radio station 1live the intrusive Origin service has once again broken federal laws by supposedly acting in many ways like spyware. Being required by EA to play the game as a countermeasure to piracy, Origin scans hard- and software and is able to log IP addresses and thereby identifying Gamers on a personal level. Because it also requires login via real names, Thomas Schwenke, entertainment lawyer, claims that EA has overstepped several German privacy laws and can be traded in with a statement of that fact. The data protection office of the state of Northrhine-Westphalia is also said to be investigating Battlefield 3's terms of use. To be safe, the author concludes, it is recommended to try playing one of the console ports instead; a poor substitute most likely.