Showing posts with label Bad Company 2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bad Company 2. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Bad Company 2 taking shots at Modern Warfare 2 marketing

You might remember a viral internet ad that was done for Modern Warfare 2 sometime back. The ad in question involved the National League Championship pitcher, and professional dreamboat, Cole Hamels as a Fighter Against Grenade Spam. It turns out that F.A.G.S. was a hit with some, but most people found it offensive and juvenile for some reason...

So needless to say, when EA released their own ad starting CC Sabathia, star of a a well known professional baseball team based in New York metropolitan area, I was ready to put on my "Simpsons did it" hat. As it turns out, EA and the boys at DICE have a good grasp on satire.



Apparently EA and DICE are so confident of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 they are willing to directly call out Modern Warfare 2. I personally think their product is good enough to go head to head with the FPS giant, but what do you think? Let us know over on our forum

Monday, March 15, 2010

With new MW2 map pack announcement, it all becomes painfully clear...

Fresh off our show about Activision, the company gives us another reason to dislike them. When Infinity Ward announced the PC version of Modern Warfare 2 would not support private servers and wouldn't be releasing the development tools to the player created content community there was an outcry. These are both things that have been staples of the PC first person community and have been responsible for games living long lives beyond their console based siblings. One of the biggest factors that Activision and Infinity Ward sited for this changes was fairplay. The new IW.net was promoted as a place where people could play without worry of cheaters and hacks. Unfortunately, the game itself has many issues that can be exploited without the aid of additional programs, leading to what can be equated to state-supported cheating. So with the general failure of nearly every goal that IW.net set forth the most cynical of us are now having our point reinforced daily.

Activision, feeling my job as a video game industry muckraker and general loud mouth is too easy, announced it's first map pack for Modern Warfare 2 today. G4tv.com reported today that the new map pack, which includes 3 new maps and 2 recycled maps from the original Modern Warfare, will be released at a price of $15. That's right folks, the same thing that Valve and other companies often give you for free, Activision is charging you for. But not only charging, charging you 1/4th of the game's original value. A game who's multi-player has been fundamentally broken since day one.  It seems that the move to 100% IW.net was nothing more than a ploy to require all content come directly from Activision, and of course, at a price.

Maybe it's just the person I am, but I would think a map pack like this could be a "Thank you for making this the best selling game of all time" or "We're sorry the game has been broken and exploited." These maps could have been an olive branch for Activision to it's customers in a time that they really need it. I'm not sure if they read what people are saying, but the gaming community isn't really happy with them right now. But instead, of fostering goodwill with the very people that keep them in business, they decided to twist the knife and gouge for a few more dollars.

It seems that Activision is hell bent on alienating the fans and developers of one of the most popular franchises of all time. Just remember though, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 has tanks, destructible environments and is releasing some free maps shortly. Not saying you should stop playing Call of Duty games and jump onto Battlefield, I'm just saying...

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 tips for new players

While hello there little Billy/Janey. I understand that you are interested in playing Battlefield: Bad Company 2, but are afraid you'll look like a complete n00b. Well, of course there is always a learning curve when you start playing a new game, but there are a few tips I can give you that will make your score and self-confidence rise! A lot of the tips I am about to give you are covered on loading screens in some way or another, but I am listing them here because apparently a lot of you don't read them or need them explained more clearly. So here are just a few basic things to help you and your team.

Socialize, socialize, socialize- No, I don't mean use team chat to talk about what toppings you should get on your pizza or asking that guy you just shot if he's mad. There is actually a "socialize" button (default binding "q") that will help you, your team and your score. It is the by far the most overlooked way of getting easy points in the game. It's quite simple though and I have faith you can use it. Any time you have an enemy in your sights, simply press "q." This will actually make your character shout out that he has a target. At that point, a nice little red triangle will appear above his head which not only makes him easier for you and your teammates to spot, but makes him appear on mini-map making it harder to sneak up on people. Not only is this a useful tool in team tactics, but you also get skill points as a reward. If you spot a target and it is killed, you will receive a spot assist bonus. So even if you don't do a lick of damage to the target, you're still getting points. You can also use this button to set objectives for your squad, which will allow you to get squad objective bonus points. So in short, shout out every bad guy you see!

When in doubt, blow it up- One of the key features in Bad Company 2 is the destructible maps. This can really be used to your advantage, especially if you're an engineer or recon solider with mortar strike. If you think you saw movement in a building, blow it up. If you don't see any friendly triangles in the area, just let loose a mortar strike or blow the roof off the house with some RPGs. This is also handing when attacking in a conquest map. If the objective is in a building and the enemy is bunkered down, simply bring down the building. A few well placed rockets or mortars will completely knock down the structure, destroying your objective and usually anyone unlucky enough to be in the building.

Bullets are heavy- Unlike other games that apparently assume that you're in a vacuum without gravity, the rounds fired in Bad Company 2 have weight and friction. This is especially important for low level recon snipers without unlocked scopes. Simply put, the further away the target is, the higher you have to aim. With some practice, you will find the sweet spot for your sniper rifle and be able to drop a bullet on some poor schmoe's head from halfway across the map using your stock scope. This is also important to keep in mind with explosive rounds like tank fire and RPGs. Many times you will have to aim slightly above your target so you don't drop the round a few feet in front of your target.

Tanks have armor- This seems like a no brainer. Of course tanks are armored. The important thing to keep in mind though is the armor isn't the same thickness all the way around. Armored vehicles are designed for a face to face exchange of fire, so the front of these death machines have more armor than the sides or back. So if you want to get the most bang for your buck, attempt to approach the tank from the side or back, then let loose your rocket. This will greatly increase your damage and unless they are paying close attention, it will make it harder for them to locate you for a counter attack. Be sneaky, the game will reward you for it.

Don't be Rambo- You are not a one man army. Sure, if you go lone wolf you might get some cool kills from sneaking up behind people and knifing them in the back, but it will catch up with you. There is strength in numbers. Overwhelm your enemy with shear force if possible. If you need more reason to stick together, nearly every action that is rewarded with skill points has a squad bonus. This means if you assist a squad mate with a kill, heal them or achieve an objective with them, you will receive more skill points. Not only is it a good tactic to stick together, but the game rewards you for sticking together.

Catch up with old friends- Again, in the spirit of sticking together, there are more benefits to be had from squad mates. Not only can they heal you or assist you in a kill, but each one of your squad mates is a walking respawn point. Not only can you spawn from your team's starting point or any control points you might control, but you can actually select a squad mate and spawn right next to them. This allows you to get further behind enemy lines in less time. Just be careful not to spawn into the middle of a mortar strike...

There you have it. These are all very basic tips, but they are easy to overlook and the benefits aren't always spelled out. Hopefully now you will be spotting enemies and bringing down buildings like a pro. Or at the very least, hopefully I will have less reason to curse at my teammates...

Episode 58: Activision all acts the fool


In this episode, Ali Baker makes her Kneel Before Pod debut as a guest host while joining Ryan and Carl as they discuss recent shake ups at Infinity Ward. Is this the nail in the Activision coffin, or will they be able to stay afloat with that sweet, sweet Blizzard money? Listen and find out what we really think of Bobby Kotick...


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Friday, March 12, 2010

EA schedules upgrade to hardware, but asks you turn your server off for now.

Since it's European launch, Bad Company 2 has completely destroyed EA's master servers. In a recent post on the Battlefield blog, it was revealed that players in game have already collected 34 billion xp points with over 400 million kills being made, 1.3 million of which were people being ran over by a vehicle. Apparently the game is proving to be popular.

EA and DICE have been struggling to keep players online. The most recent strategy is an unprecedented one. They were actually requesting players renting server space from Multiplay.co.uk to actually opt into a list that would allow their server be shut down when it was sitting idle and empty of players. It is a bold move to actually ask people voluntarily to shut down servers, but hopefully it won't matter much longer.

Tomorrow there is a planned hardware update that should improve performance and matchmaking across all platforms. EA is planning on taking down the servers starting around midnight PST and return about four hours later with the promise of a better online experience for everyone. On the PC specific end of things, DICE is also working on a client fix to improve server browsing speeds and increase the available player slots from it's current 150,000 players concurrently. So if you've been having problems connecting to Battlefield: Bad Company 2's multiplayer, there might be some relief in sight.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Trouble still plaguing Bad Company 2's Online Multiplayer



In our review for Battlefield: Bad Company 2, we stated that the online multiplayer is amazing. Now might be the time to go back and add an asterisk, stating the online multiplayer is amazing... if you can ever connect.

We previously reported on the PC connectivity issues, well it only seems to be getting worse. If console players were jealous of PC players because of their exclusive, they should now be satisfied. Yesterday they had an issue that not only affected PC users, but PS3 customers as well. Now before you Xbox fanboys start your relentless schoolyard teasing... Just minutes ago, the following tweet appeared on Bad Company 2's official twitter.

"We are aware of the connectivity issues that are happening on PC and 360 right now. We are sorry for this and working on solving the problem"

It seems that the popularity of the game might be partially to blame. On the Battlefield: Bad Company's European forums DICE associate producer Barrie Tingle states that within only a matter of days, Bad Company 2 has already surpassed Battlefield 2 in concurrent players. According to EA, Battlefield 2 has remained in the top 5 most played FPS games since it's launch in 2005.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Review

The recent trend in first person shooter games has been a heavy focus on multi-player and RPG like experience/reward systems. With a market that is quickly becoming saturated with "the next Modern Warfare," it's easy to write off many of these games a shovelware. But EA's Battlefield series is no Johnny Come-lately. Will Bad Company 2 stand out from the crowd or disappear into the mist of mediocre games?

Lets just get this out of the way. Yes, Bad Company 2 looks a bit like Modern Warfare 2. Yes, they both take place in a more modern setting compared to both franchises firm past in WWII games. Yes, there is a leveling system in place that rewards you with ranks and unlockables. But despite these differences, the two games stand miles apart.

A prime example is Bad Company's single player game. The story for BC2 is a much more light hearted approach. DICE doesn't beat you over the head with ham-handed attempts at drama or attempt to illicit some sort of knee jerk reaction to shock and awe. There is no walking through a crowded airport gunning down innocent people, there is no taking the role of a soon to be executed political leader. BC2 instead focuses on the return cast of military misfits that are not fit to serve. While not quite the "brofest" that Army of Two was, you will get plenty of these guys telling jokes, calling their helicopter pilot a hippie and half-hearted requests for you not to shoot them.

Another area where Battlefield steps out of the giant Modern Warfare shadow is in environments. BC2's environments are more or less completely destructible, it's just a matter of finding a weapon powerful enough to do the job. This will cause problems for people not used to such a game feature. I can recount many times where I thought I was taking cover in a secure building, only to find myself completely exposed after a rocket propelled grenade does a little impromptu redecorating.

The destructible environments become even more prominent when multi-players vehicles are added to the mix. It's not unusual for a player in a tank or a helicopter to completely bring down a building. Have a sniper hiding in the trees? Well all you need to do is use a mounted machine gun like a chainsaw and cut those suckers down. Fences, concrete walls and crates are no match for the more powerful weapons in the game. All this adds to making BC2 a fast paced action-fest where there's no time to stand still.

The vehicles add a incredibly fun and add another level of depth to the game. You can use helicopters to supply air calvary support, drive in a tank to completely level the battlefield or even hop on an ATV to quickly move into enemy territory. The vehicles also encourage more teamwork, as all the vehicles have multiple seats allowing for gunners and secondary weapon firing.

The leveling system is fun, but slightly frustrating. You often find yourself having weapons much weaker than your enemy, making it near impossible to kill anyone without getting the drop on them. You sometimes also find yourself lacking the tools or skills to be a productive member of your team. A prime example is the medic class. As a starting medic, you will have no healing devices of any sort which seems to be the item that would define "medic" as a class. But once you do start unlocking items, you will find the classes get more and more distinct. Sticking with the medic class, as you level up you will work your way up from health packs all the way to defib paddles which actually revive a fallen teammate.

In the end, Bad Company 2 has a fun single player and offers up a multi-player experience with large destructible maps and an engaging leveling system. If you like shooters and aren't afraid of multi-player, this game just might be the one you're looking for.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Friday, March 5, 2010

Bad Company Servers? Battlefield: BC2 Master PC servers go down

Just days after it's North American release and on the day of it's European launch, the PC version of EA's new Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is already hitting a snag. Players that have the PC version of the game are finding they are not able to connect to EA's online service and are unable to join multiplayer.

On Battlefield: Bad Company 2's official European forums, DICE associate producer Barrie Tingle posted the official reason;

"We are sending out new servers to our providers called "R5". They will be testing them out and changing over the servers by tomorrow evening. This server contains some fixes for the "Connection to the server has been lost" message that a lot of you will have seen.

We are also working on making another new server over the weekend as EA has set up some dedicated front-end boxes just for Battlefield Bad Company 2 which we will update the server to use and should work to improve the stability of connections to EA for everyone."

and in another thread tech "gimp" [MPUK]Killing reports;
"There are currently problems with the master servers that handle Bad Company 2.

EA are aware of the problem and are working as quickly as possible to resolve the problems."

Timing doesn't seem like it could get much worse as the woes of the former heads of Infinity Ward, developers of Bad Company's primary rival Modern Warfare, have overshadowed the title's launch.

At this time it appears console versions of the title are unaffected, and the problem is isolated to PC gamers only.

**Update 7:15pm**

Apparently, it's not just Bad Company 2 that is effected by this outage. The following was posted on Battlefield: Bad Company 2's official twitter feed;

"EA Online is currently investigating an outage of the servers that affects a number of EA games. A fix will be done as soon as possible."