For the Battlefield Players

[KenM]

OK, now that the retail has been out for a few days, a couple of gripes:
1. They need to fix the server browser ASAP. It is really slow, does not update sometimes.
2. They need to get faster on the updating of the stats to BFHQ. Right now they have a 12 hour back up becuase EA basaclly said. "we did not think that there would be a demand for this after we hype up a game for over a year."
3. Most inportant, they need to fix the game so it will run on servers with large number of people. Most people, including myself have major issues if we are in a server with over 40 people. EA said it would run 64 players no problem. What I think happened here was the same thing that happened with Battlefield Vietnam last year. When that came out, servers that had lots of people were laggy. EA after a couple of months said "sorry, we screwed up on the server specs. You REALLY need 2x the CPU and RAM for the number of people you are running." If this is true, this is the second time in a row EA did this. BF2 was suposted to come out in March. It got pushed back for tweeking. They did not have time to test the server settings in real internet condtions? They just tested on LAN it looks like.

 

[Hatchling Dragon]

Yet another typical EA release, half done and no doubt they'll jump right on the support tortise to get things fixxed.

Server browser is the worst yet. The first day I could acutaly expect the filters to work, now they're totaly useless, I select most options but it'll list empty servers as well as full servers, and non-full servers that turn out to be full as soon as I try to log in.

The ping listings are 100% unreliable, I've lost count of how many times I've logged into a server that listed under 100ms ping, only to find that my in-game ping is well over 150 (unplayable).

Then again, there's no real point to thier putting in an accurate Ping rating, as the servers all apparently suffer from not only a lack of ping restrictions (ie: keep those with 150+ off), but they're usualy suffering from a nasty (and oh-so-typical) memory leak issue that nobody seems to want to fix with an occational reboot.

I don't know if it's a pitty or a good thing that I got the game right away on release day. The first night was fun, before everyone had a copy and the servers were totaly over-crowded. Not to mention before the memory leak issue had time to make most servers simply unplayable.

Anyone want to buy a very slightly used copy of BF2? I don't know if I'll live to see EA pull thier heads out far enough to get this crap fixxed (I may only live another 40 years). Well it's not like didn't see it coming when thier first two BF titles had the very same damned troubles when they were released. Nice to see EA's learning from thier mistakes... <sigh>

 

[Lazybones]

I agree with some of the complaints folks here and elsewhere have made.

• Server browser is probably the worst for any online FPS I've ever played. No favorites, lots of hangs, filters don't work, no friend search.
• Ranked servers all lag to hell, slow stats updates.
• Bugs (allies showing up red being prominent), occasional CTDs.
• Woefully understated specs. I have a P4 3.4ghz, 2 gigs of RAM and a 256MB 6800GT card, but even on my machine the game gets a bit choppy when riding vehicles (medium settings). I think a lot of the poor performance people are getting is due to machines that meet or even slightly exceed the minimum specs.
• Some poor design choices. E.g. instant kill by being tapped by a vehicle, the ability to "heal" artillery by dropping a supply crate on it (essentially nerfing the spec ops class). I do prefer weak snipers myself, but I know a lot of people gripe about this choice as well.
• Helicopters that can take 122mm sabot shells or AT rocket hits without flinching.

Even with all that given, when it works right, BF2 is the greatest MP FPS experience I've ever had. Just the built in voice and the squad/commander functionality pushes this beyond anything I've played before. The other day I was part of an efficient 6-man team in one of the urban maps (the one with a dry riverbed in the middle). We were running all over, taking out the enemy arty, hopping into a Blackhawk and dominating the battlefield, setting up and holding a last flag and cutting down platoons of the enemy while medics rushed about healing people. The ebb and flow was insane; over a half-hour the tide of battle rushed back and forth, with each team reduced to only one flag several times. I remember at one point we were pinned down behind a low wall, with red dots all around us; it was intense. I ended up with over a hundred points, only about 3/4 of which were from kills. Other times I've gotten over a hundred with only a dozen or so kills.

I do hope that EA listens to all of the legitimate complaints and patches swiftly, without ruining the balance of the game. But I think this one will have a long life on my hard drive.

 

[KenM]

When it works right and you are in a good server with no lag and in a good aquad with everyone working together, its the best FPS multiplayer game I have played. EA needs to fix it ASAP.

 

[Hatchling Dragon]

I agree with some of the complaints folks here and elsewhere have made.

• Woefully understated specs. I have a P4 3.4ghz, 2 gigs of RAM and a 256MB 6800GT card, but even on my machine the game gets a bit choppy when riding vehicles (medium settings). I think a lot of the poor performance people are getting is due to machines that meet or even slightly exceed the minimum specs.
• Some poor design choices. E.g. instant kill by being tapped by a vehicle, the ability to "heal" artillery by dropping a supply crate on it (essentially nerfing the spec ops class). I do prefer weak snipers myself, but I know a lot of people gripe about this choice as well.
• Helicopters that can take 122mm sabot shells or AT rocket hits without flinching.

I have a 2.8Ghz, 1 Gig of (DDR2) and approx the same card (at least 6800, not sure GT) as you and I have no graphics glitches that aren't related to serve-side issues.

I have to say that 'tapped' by a tank is a nasty proposition, so I can't gripe too much (otherwise too easy to get away).

The 'Crate at the Artillery' thing doesn't bug me TOO much, since I just load EVERYTHING with tons 'o C4, reload at the crate and then set it all off

I haven't had much luck with using the Sniper rifle, but I figured it was realy just inexperience as others have demonstrated time and time again how they can do a head-shot on me >.<

The rocket-to-kill ratio is always a problem in these sorts of games, mostly becuase making it accurate would essentialy alienate too many potential customers when they find out that they're not a l33t Battlefield Gawd in thier chopper. On the other hand I will point out that the AT kit has proven far more effective than in previous games. I've often killed 'fresh' Tanks with 2 rockets (in the right spots), and I've BEEN killed by single missles from helos overhead. Overall an improvement, and I quite honestly don't see it getting too much better outside a realism mod.

Just don't get me started on the M16A2's 3-round burst 'feature', as that's gotten me killed far too often for me to ever realy enjoy the US side's Assault kit again

When it works right and you are in a good server with no lag and in a good aquad with everyone working together, its the best FPS multiplayer game I have played. EA needs to fix it ASAP.

Amen

 

[KenM]

Just don't get me started on the M16A2's 3-round burst 'feature', as that's gotten me killed far too often for me to ever realy enjoy the US side's Assault kit again

I usally play spec ops. Yesterday I played US assult for the first time. I could not belive the assult class could not set they're main gun to full auto. I like full auto. Until I get more comfortable with the different guns, I NEDD full auto to make sure my target goes down. Surn my hit/ death ratio will be high, but I don't care. At least my enemy is down.

 

[Allanon]

[list[*]Woefully understated specs. I have a P4 3.4ghz, 2 gigs of RAM and a 256MB 6800GT card, but even on my machine the game gets a bit choppy when riding vehicles (medium settings). I think a lot of the poor performance people are getting is due to machines that meet or even slightly exceed the minimum specs.[/list]

A couple of posts above yours I posted my specs, and I can play smooth with an average fps of around 30 to 40. Have you enabled antialiasing or forced anisotropy in your drivers? Turning that down of off should help because your PC should beat the crap out of mine and play this game silky smooth.

 

[Hatchling Dragon]

Well I have found that playing on non-ranked servers lets me actualy PLAY! So if you're on a non-ranked (till they patch it) and run across CannonBait don't forget to say hi, be it with an ammo pack or grenade, depending on which side we're on

Hatchling Dragon

 

[Truth Seeker]

Well that seals it...I am not buying it, especially too...it is EA.

 

[KenM]

Well that seals it...I am not buying it, especially too...it is EA.

I'd at least wait for a patch or two.