official Battlefield: Bad Company 2

[gkl]

Patch seems to be postponed to next week. Meh.

http://twitter.com/Bazajaytee/status/13796478951

[trag3dy]

Bummer. I was looking forward to the patch this week. I have been taking a break from the game for the last week or so until the patch comes out.

[Hedon]

How many patches do we need? I am getting tired of being a beta tester and paying $60 to be in the test.

[rajputwarrior]

How many patches do we need? I am getting tired of being a beta tester and paying $60 to be in the test.

hence the irony of the beta testing stage...

[trag3dy]

The beta was just a marketing tool. Way to close to the retail release for it to matter.

[rajputwarrior]

The beta was just a marketing tool. Way to close to the retail release for it to matter.

definitely seems that way...

[Hedon]

We are playing the RETAIL version of the game and getting multiple patches. It's a beta.

[Skulltrail]

Honestly, every class has its ups and downs. Assault-ers have infinite ammo, Engineers have infinite play time with vehicles, Medics have infinite health, and Recon-ers have infinite mortar strikes. It's the way you take advantage of such perks that makes you unbeatable.

I tend to be a medic when there aren't any other medics on my team (or if I'm getting my ass handed to myself). If there is a large group of medics on my team I often use the Assault or Engineer classes (depending on the circumstances, no good with sniper rifles).

[trag3dy]

I have another code for the xbox 360 dlc. Pm me if interested...first come first served.

Edit: Code given away.

[SkyDX]

My best round so far ever^^:

[John Freeman]

We are playing the RETAIL version of the game and getting multiple patches. It's a beta.

What is the last game you played that didnt need any patches or updates? Plus hey! Updates are fun - http://www.teamfortress.com/119/ :D

[LOC Veteran]

EA and DICE have announced a co-op survival mode for the console editions of Battlefield: Bad Company 2, pairing you and three others against waves of AI drones on rejigged multiplayer maps:

DICE, an Electronic Arts Inc. studio, today announced that Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is expanding its award-winning multiplayer experience with the introduction of an all-new mode called ?Onslaught?. This mode brings co-op gameplay to the Battlefield franchise for the first time ever on console. Coming soon, Onslaught mode will be available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace and on the PlayStation Network, creating more reasons for players to check out the game that Seth Schiesel of The New York Times says ?is a better game than Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.?

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Onslaught mode can be played with up to four players across four multiplayer maps ? Valparaiso, Atacama Desert, Isla Inocentes, and Nelson Bay ? redesigned with new lighting, time of day, added vehicles and other effects. Each map has a dedicated gameplay focus, requiring different levels of teamwork in order to complete the objectives against an onslaught of enemy AI. Vehicle warfare comes to the forefront in Atacama Desert while Nelson Bay focuses squarely on infantry assault. Players can compete in squads and check individual progress via the dedicated Onslaught leaderboards.

Onslaught is bringing co-op gameplay to Battlefield for the first time on console. The new game mode puts you and up to three friends against the enemy on Valparaiso, Atacama Desert, Isla Inocentes and Nelson Bay ? redesigned with new lighting, time of day, added vehicles and other effects. Each map has a dedicated gameplay focus, requiring different levels of teamwork in order to complete the objectives against an onslaught of enemy AI. Vehicle warfare comes to the forefront in Atacama Desert while Nelson Bay focuses squarely on infantry assault. Players can compete in squads and check individual progress via the dedicated Onslaught leaderboards.

?We?re thrilled to bring something new and fresh to Battlefield: Bad Company 2 while still keeping Battlefield?s signature gameplay intact,? says Patrick Bach, Senior Producer at DICE. ?We want to consistently support the over 4 million fans playing the game with new ways to get into multiplayer and also challenge the elite players with new experiences to improve their performance online. Effective squad play is the key to success in Battlefield: Bad Company 2 multiplayer and this new mode will provide players with a dedicated environment to test their team skills and rank against the competition.?

Realising there would be a backlash from envious PC users left out in the cold, EA prepared a statement:

No, we haven't signed away rights to console on this. The problem we have on PC is that all our servers are dedicated with providers. Changing a server from Conquest 32 players to Onslaught 4 players cuts out 28 player slots from the total ammount available. This could have a dramatic affect on the PC online environment if enough servers changed to Onslaught.

We aren't ruling out Onslaught on PC but at this time we are researching how to bring it to PC without affecting players who don't have Onslaught or their own server to run it on.

VE3D Story (with a trailer)

[jelli]

We aren't ruling out Onslaught on PC but at this time we are researching how to bring it to PC without affecting players who don't have Onslaught or their own server to run it on.

Couldn't they just create Onslaught only servers and prevent servers from switching to Onslaught if in another mode?

[Hedon]

What is the last game you played that didnt need any patches or updates? Plus hey! Updates are fun - http://www.teamfortress.com/119/ :D

This Gen? I can't think of one game that hasn't been patched, sometimes multiple times. It's an era of beta games. Sad but true.

[SimplySchizo]

So cause a game gets patched it automatically makes it a beta? Ummm K. :pinch:

More like an era of exploiters to me. You know what I think is sad, fools pushing up against walls till they slip through.

[gkl]

Also, you have to take in account the fact that games are getting more and more complex, technically.

@SkyDX

Recently started to use the XM8 LMG. A very nice gun I must say, having good iron-sights allows the use of some valuable specs. other than red dot (M60 has terrible iron-sights :().

[Hedon]

So cause a game gets patched it automatically makes it a beta?

Yup.

[SimplySchizo]

Yup.

Games aren't released any more/less beta/final than any piece of software you use. No software is bug-free and not all patches consist of fixes. Just cause of their potential to download fixes and add more content for our ongoing entertainment doesn't make it a beta. You might want to rethink your logic.

[Hedon]

Games aren't released any more/less beta/final than any piece of software you use. No software is bug-free and not all patches consist of fixes. Just cause of their potential to download fixes and add more content for our ongoing entertainment doesn't make it a beta. You might want to rethink your logic.

I would rather not rethink my logic, but thank you for the concern. Most of these companies are releasing buggy, glitched products and are relying on the internet as their bandaid, and the users and the community as their beta testers on their final product. It's unacceptable to be honest. Under no circumstance should we be spending $60 on an unfinished product. It's not MY concern that ANY piece of software isn't bug free or glitch free. That is the developers concern. They need to do better testing of their products prior to release. I should be receiving a 100% solid, bug free product. I am the consumer, and I am allowed to expect that. We are all allowed to expect that.

If you think it's acceptable to have an unfinished, buggy or glitched product, that is your perogative. The majority of us consumers expect much more for our money.

[Duality]

I recently read in a well respected PC Gaming publication that broadband internet appears to have "made developers lazy". The ease at which patches and updates can be pushed out to users mean that game studios nowadays can rush out games early for the Christmas rush or whatever, safe in the knowledge that they can just "fix it later". I am inclined to agree. The number of interface bugs in release for example just back this up - I like my software to be polished if nothing else. That means no niggling little bugs or issues, and certainly no game breaking bugs. It certainly seems to me that BFBC2 was rushed out of the door well before anyone could call it "finished". Making balance changes is good - but fixes for large and noticeable bugs should have been done before release.

[DirtyLarry Veteran]

I recently read in a well respected PC Gaming publication that broadband internet appears to have "made developers lazy". The ease at which patches and updates can be pushed out to users mean that game studios nowadays can rush out games early for the Christmas rush or whatever, safe in the knowledge that they can just "fix it later". I am inclined to agree. The number of interface bugs in release for example just back this up - I like my software to be polished if nothing else. That means no niggling little bugs or issues, and certainly no game breaking bugs. It certainly seems to me that BFBC2 was rushed out of the door well before anyone could call it "finished". Making balance changes is good - but fixes for large and noticeable bugs should have been done before release.

While I don't necessarily disagree with this, I do think there are some factors to conisder. Main one being development is more complex then ever. The other is that it is rare these when a AAA title game is also not multiplatform. I think these are two larger points as to why games may indeed to appear more buggy.

Not only that the truth is back when consoles were not connected, the truth is every single game released had tons of bugs. That is always the case. It is just they were what they were due to the fact there was no way to patch them. Sure retail versions of games were patched behind the scenes, but no online connection meant no ability to update the game via a patch.

Literally every single PC game I've ever played has had at least one patch. Pretty much the same for all console games this generation as well. My point being is no game ever, ever ships perfect.

Finally I see nothing wrong at all personally and actually see it as a positive when games that are primarily MP based receive frequent patches. It means exploits are being addressed and balancing is continually being tweaked. Sure, something like changing the ui with a patch I'll also admit should not be happening, so no.excuse for that. Otherwise I see nothing wrong personally with releasing frequent patches.

I just think more is made over patches and updates now due to gaming journalism is bigger than ever and all consoles are now online more or less. I also know games have and will continue to ship with plenty of bugs, it is par for the course when dealing with such complex software.

Sorry if these seems a bit disjointed posting from my phone.

[trag3dy]

@forsyth14 Yeah, last minute issues. SPECACT on PC will be available after the patch comes out. Current aim is next week for the patch.

About the onslaught game made...just give us those remade maps in a different mode. I'm not liking that the consolers get things we don't but whatever, par for the course I think.

[Hedon]

While I don't necessarily disagree with this, I do think there are some factors to conisder. Main one being development is more complex then ever. The other is that it is rare these when a AAA title game is also not multiplatform. I think these are two larger points as to why games may indeed to appear more buggy.

Not only that the truth is back when consoles were not connected, the truth is every single game released had tons of bugs. That is always the case. It is just they were what they were due to the fact there was no way to patch them. Sure retail versions of games were patched behind the scenes, but no online connection meant no ability to update the game via a patch.

Literally every single PC game I've ever played has had at least one patch. Pretty much the same for all console games this generation as well. My point being is no game ever, ever ships perfect.

Finally I see nothing wrong at all personally and actually see it as a positive when games that are primarily MP based receive frequent patches. It means exploits are being addressed and balancing is continually being tweaked. Sure, something like changing the ui with a patch I'll also admit should not be happening, so no.excuse for that. Otherwise I see nothing wrong personally with releasing frequent patches.

I just think more is made over patches and updates now due to gaming journalism is bigger than ever and all consoles are now online more or less. I also know games have and will continue to ship with plenty of bugs, it is par for the course when dealing with such complex software.

Sorry if these seems a bit disjointed posting from my phone.

All true, but that shouldn't be the case. It's a negative when we are given incomplete products or products that are not properly tested. It's not my fault it's complex. Just like a car that doesn't work, or a steak that is not done at a restaurant, I pay for a product, and I expect quality. Consumers should not "settle" because it's the "norm" to be broken.

Service has gone down hill in the past 50 years, and it seems to continue to do so. Never settle, and never "accept" it because that is "how it is". We deserve better.

Back on topic, I hope Onslaught is free for VIP members. If not, I am not dropping $15 for another mode on existing maps.

[Duality]

While I don't necessarily disagree with this, I do think there are some factors to conisder. Main one being development is more complex then ever. The other is that it is rare these when a AAA title game is also not multiplatform. I think these are two larger points as to why games may indeed to appear more buggy.

Not only that the truth is back when consoles were not connected, the truth is every single game released had tons of bugs. That is always the case. It is just they were what they were due to the fact there was no way to patch them. Sure retail versions of games were patched behind the scenes, but no online connection meant no ability to update the game via a patch.

Literally every single PC game I've ever played has had at least one patch. Pretty much the same for all console games this generation as well. My point being is no game ever, ever ships perfect.

Finally I see nothing wrong at all personally and actually see it as a positive when games that are primarily MP based receive frequent patches. It means exploits are being addressed and balancing is continually being tweaked. Sure, something like changing the ui with a patch I'll also admit should not be happening, so no.excuse for that. Otherwise I see nothing wrong personally with releasing frequent patches.

I just think more is made over patches and updates now due to gaming journalism is bigger than ever and all consoles are now online more or less. I also know games have and will continue to ship with plenty of bugs, it is par for the course when dealing with such complex software.

Sorry if these seems a bit disjointed posting from my phone.

I should probably elaborate that it was a "Devils Advocate" column - so it probably isn't the mainstream opinion anyway :) However I do believe that specifically some of the interface bugs in BFBC2 are unacceptable when it comes down to it. There were blatant problems that either should have been picked up in the beta or in QA testing.

Having said that though, I am very very happy that DICE are actually working to fix them.

[trag3dy]

All true, but that shouldn't be the case. It's a negative when we are given incomplete products or products that are not properly tested. It's not my fault it's complex. Just like a car that doesn't work, or a steak that is not done at a restaurant, I pay for a product, and I expect quality. Consumers should not "settle" because it's the "norm" to be broken.

Service has gone down hill in the past 50 years, and it seems to continue to do so. Never settle, and never "accept" it because that is "how it is". We deserve better.

Back on topic, I hope Onslaught is free for VIP members. If not, I am not dropping $15 for another mode on existing maps.

It's not free. That's straight from Bazajaytee.