Star Wars Battlefront (XB1, PS4, PC)

[Kalyx triaD]

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZwWLns7-xN8?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

- 40plyrs
- Space battles not returning.
- Focus on original trilogy; Rebels vs Empire.
- Will feature Eps. 7's new planet, Jakku.
- Hero Characters return.

[Requiem]

Looks sexy. Can't wait to see some actual gameplay.

[Kalyx triaD]

IGN says the laser spark effects look cheap and practical like the original effects. I got excited about that for some reason.

[Fignuts]

40 players seems sparse.

Going to miss space battles. They were a lot of fun.

Lack of Clone Wars hurts a lot. Especially considering all the content they have to pull from now, with the animated series.

[Fignuts]

Not too happy with some of this stuff, but I'm still pumped to get a new battlefield.

[Kalyx triaD]

Well I hear the game is starting out fairly small, with new modes and maps rolling out post launch. If it's full price that may be an issue, as the pricing should reflect the 'low barrier entry' content.

Aside from that, I can see expansions that take place in the prequel era as well as adding stuff seen in the new movie and comics. And space battles have to come back. They can transplant their Carrier Assault mode to Star Destroyer Assault.

[Fignuts]

I can completely see EA releasing it at full price.

[Kalyx triaD]

sigh Yeah.

[Emperor Smeat]

The design director recently had a Q&A session on Twitter regarding the game.

A couple of the new details revealed include Heroes have difference entrances depending on the mode being played and the game doesn't support splitscreen co-op for online play.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>You will have great freedom in customizing your own playstyle, essentially creating your own playstyle <a href="https://t.co/UMu71NxLfU">https://t.co/UMu71NxLfU</a></p>&mdash; Niklas Fegraeus (@DICEfigge) <a href="https://twitter.com/DICEfigge/status/589220434102456320">April 18, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2015/04/17/star-wars-battlefront-developers-dish-some-dirt.aspx

[Kalyx triaD]

No you will not be able to 'create your own playstyle'. It's custom classes with likely balance limitations. Hate PR language.

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

Whatever. We're getting a game that was long thought of being dead.

[Kalyx triaD]

Not above scrutiny. It's because I loved the Battlefront games that I'm gonna be a total dick about anything they're doing sideways. My expectations are completely unfair and they're going to have to deal.

[drave]

Face it Kalyx, you will find something to bitch about in this game because

[Fignuts]

I actually share Kalyx's views on this. One of those things where you've been waiting for a game so long that any fuck ups just stand out 10 times more.

[Requiem]

I know it's just "in-engine" footage, which doesn't mean much, but I fucking love their art direction. The style they're going for is beautiful.

I have no idea how they're going to do the speeder bikes. Like, you're just moving so fast but they show them weaving in and out of trees, going under shit. With how lush the tree map looked, I can only imagine how intense that will be.

[Fignuts]

I just hope the maps are big enough.

[drave]

I actually share Kalyx's views on this. One of those things where you've been waiting for a game so long that any fuck ups just stand out 10 times more.

Definitely. Just saying, it's the Kalyx way xD


Feels kinda reminiscent of the Diablo III hype train. Have they actually been developing it all that time? Server issues are guaranteed day 1, especially for such a hotly anticipated title.

[Requiem]

I just hope the maps are big enough.

Definitely. If they're gonna be using flying vehicles that move as fast as the ones in that video, they're gonna need some huge maps. Even for 40 player limits. That limit could eventually be raised too, so who knows.

[Kalyx triaD]

Some of you are a strange bunch. On one hand I'm some sort of fanboy who can't find fault in games I like and then I'm a downer who just hates on any little thing.

I'm balanced. I'm far easier on movies because they're cheaper, and what I want would benefit all you people. And on top of that we're talking my favorite Star Wars game series. I'm going to be a nazi.

lol I don't have to 'face' anything. I have a standard and I call out devs who fall short.

[Frank Drebin]

Man of Steel sucked. Face it.

[Frank Drebin]

I don't know how anyone can complain this early on. Let it breathe. Its not even September. Battlefront was an awesome game, we all know this and want the best for the next incarnation, but just chill yo. It's not like they said Howard the Duck is a playable Jedi.

[Kalyx triaD]

And what am I complaining about?

[Frank Drebin]

Wasn't talking about you. The operative word was "anyone"

[Kalyx triaD]

Well after drave's posts you certainly seemed like you were co-signing and referencing me. I'll forget about it in this case.

[Emperor Smeat]

Definitely. Just saying, it's the Kalyx way xD


Feels kinda reminiscent of the Diablo III hype train. Have they actually been developing it all that time? Server issues are guaranteed day 1, especially for such a hotly anticipated title.

Should be coming close to 2 years worth of development considering EA got the Star Wars rights in mid 2013 and wasn't until lats year that stuff started to be teased and shown.

Believe EA had to convince Disney to make several concessions to their deal since EA didn't want to release Star Wars games on a lot of platforms. Disney wanted as many platforms as possible initially.

[Fignuts]

2 years?

lol no

Maybe not this specific version, but Battlefront 3 has been vaporware for years.

[Extreme Angle]

Pretty sure DICE started with a clean slate

[Fignuts]

Doesn't matter. It's still the 3rd console Battlefront game, and everyone has been waiting for it for almost a decade.

The start-stops inbetween then and now have just made the wait even worse.

[drave]

Well after drave's posts you certainly seemed like you were co-signing and referencing me. I'll forget about it in this case.

Thought I should clarify, so you didn't think I was "taking a dig".


You already have a high standard for games, as you should, being a critic and what not, nothing wrong with that.

I was alluding to the "hype train" causing more disappointment than anything else. It just feels that when an entertainment medium is hotly anticipated, it is that much easier to pick out the flaws rather than enjoy what is made, that's all.

[Kalyx triaD]

Oh believe me I'm excited about a new Battlefront. But don't think I'm throwing the auto-fail card at any little thing. At this point it's just annoyances at certain marketing tropes and details that urk a bit (like the game being light on content and how EA tends to do business).

But I trust Dice as game devs and their A-team doing a Battlefront is still the best possible outcome for a nearly ten year silence on a great game concept (Star Wars + Battlefield). I'm realistic about what's coming s'all.

[Extreme Angle]

I trust Dice to make an amazing game. I don't trust them being able to reach the expectations for this though, given their deadline to release before Episode 7.
It'll be a good game regardless, it just won't reach the hype. I don't think anything anticipated for 8+ years can ever reach "the hype" tbh...
Any examples?

[Kalyx triaD]

The answer is to be realistic. This game wasn't developed for that span of time, the current version was only recently built. Take this as a game built recently.

Generally speaking I wanted a Battlefront game for a long time. But I'm not gonna bestow any expectations inherent from Pandemic or Free Radical. Hype and expectations are completely consumer side.

[drave]

I trust Dice to make an amazing game. I don't trust them being able to reach the expectations for this though, given their deadline to release before Episode 7.
It'll be a good game regardless, it just won't reach the hype. I don't think anything anticipated for 8+ years can ever reach "the hype" tbh...
Any examples?

Diablo III - for those in that crowd. Took nearly 10 years and was bastardized @ launch as well as a good amount after.

[Kalyx triaD]

Duke Nukem Forever was a curious thing. After a decade of waiting and multiple console generations, the game launched. Now as far as Duke Nukem games go, it delivered. Let's be real it wasn't a franchise that evolved anything about shooters. Forever played and presented itself inline with the series, only in HD. But people shat on it because they changed, not the game. The FPS genre changed and their expectations effected how they perceived what supposed to be an HD 90's game.

So in a sense that game delivered after a long wait, the only problem was the gamers' expectations.

[rad dggy dg]

Kalyx what comic book character would you most like to see get a video game that has not had one yet and is female?

[Fignuts]

Only 4 planets, but with multiple maps on each one.

So, Hoth, Endor, Jakku, and Tatooine I guess.

the fuck

[Kalyx triaD]

Aside from ditching classes, this game will also ditch modern shooters' Aim-Down-Sight mechanics to feel more like classical shooters (and in particular past Battlefront games). Guns with scopes still allow zooming obviously. Also gone is Squads as Dice does with their other shooter. In place of that is a 'Partners' system where you can spawn on other players and even share their unlocks (guessing for that particular match).

[Fignuts]

I like Aim-Dowm-Sights mechanics.

This deal is getting worse every time.

[Kalyx triaD]

I can go either way. It's definitely gonna be a shock for modern players when even Halo buckled to the trend. Maybe a soft zoom like Gears can meet halfway.

[The Destroyer]

Shame. I could really have fallen in love with Battlefield: Star Wars, but they seem to be trying to make this its own distinct thing.

[drave]

Also prefer ADS :(

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

No Space Battles is rough. It was the best part of 2.

[Kalyx triaD]

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[Emperor Smeat]

Team Deathmatch mode revealed to be called Blast mode. All maps for the mode are smallish in size while the win requirements is first team to 100 kills or most kills after the 10 minute limit.

That's what Star Wars Battlefront's Blast mode is all about -- our base desires to kill the opposition without any extraneous objective nonsense getting in the way. More briefly put, it's team deathmatch.

Battlefront's take on the well-known mode is a simple one: Rebels versus Imperials, ten against ten, first team to 100 kills wins (or whoever's ahead after the ten-minute time limit). EA Dice designers say that all the Blast maps will be small in size so as to facilitate action. Some levels that were mentioned are the interiors of Endor, the canyons of Tatooine, and the ice caves of Hoth.
http://www.destructoid.com/star-wars-battlefront-has-a-team-deathmatch-mode-too-296920.phtml

[Kalyx triaD]

"extraneous objective nonsense"

[drave]

:nono:

[Emperor Smeat]

EA recently teased 3 new modes for the game.
There are three new modes to add to the ever-expanding list of those available for Star Wars Battlefront multiplayer, according to a new updated on the game’s official website.

According to the blurb, three new modes called Supremacy, Drop Zone, and Cargo will be joining the already-revealed modes, though no more information has been released on the three new modes at this time.

Gamers have already been privy to three of the modes to come with the game which include Walker Assault, Blast, and Fighter Squadron. Walker Assualt is a 20-on-20 attack/defend mode, Blast is a simple 1- on-10 death match, and Fighter Squadron is a 20-on-20 aerial combat mode. Many of the multiplayer modes will include NPC controlled bots, with Fighter Squadron, for example, featuring an addition 10 computer controlled ships filling out the action.
http://www.egmnow.com/articles/news/ea-teases-three-new-star-wars-battlefront-modes/


Some people involved in the alpha testing for the PC version managed to discover a bunch of info hidden away after doing some file digging. Actual names for some of the modes and weapons may or may not be changed before the game gets released though.

Leaked files from the PC alpha code of Star Wars Battlefront were sifted through by users and divulge potential game modes and available weapons ...

“All the Gamemodes with Player count found in Alpha Code:

Name Supremacy
PlayerCount 40

Name WalkerAssault
PlayerCount 40

Name DropZone
PlayerCount 16

Name TeamDeathMatch
PlayerCount 40

Name Cargo
PlayerCount 12

Name FighterSquadron
PlayerCount 20

Name HeroHunt
PlayerCount 10

Name Domination
PlayerCount 16″

The top comment on the Reddit post by user jmario99 also noticed new weapons “DLT20A, CA87, DL44, RT97C, SE14C, T21” and the possible use of “Flashbangs, Smoke Grenades, Probe Droids, Viper Droids
http://www.egmnow.com/articles/news/star-wars-battlefront-modes-weapons-more-exposed-in-pc-alpha-files/

[Emperor Smeat]

According to EA, the official reason why Star Wars Battlefront doesn't have a campaign/story mode is due to them not wanting to spend dev time and resources working on a mode that very few people would play.

During a wide-ranging interview with GameSpot, Electronic Arts COO Peter Moore commented on the lack of a campaign mode in Star Wars Battlefront, saying, "very few people actually play the single-player on these kinds of games. That's what the data points to." I believe it.

DICE themselves later revealed they never had any plans for such a mode to be included in the game.

"single-player was never in the plan," according to DICE's Patrick Bach. "It was never the concept."
http://www.destructoid.com/ea-on-star-wars-battlefront-most-people-would-ve-skipped-single-player-305011.phtml

[Kalyx triaD]

Thank you. Apply this to Battlefield.

[VSG]

I don't buy it, I feel that a single player Star Wars campaign would have been a big success. But if they feel they can't actually do it, then good on them. Just don't use that excuse.

Battlefield single player campaigns can go die in a fire though.

[Kalyx triaD]

Oh they can do it, they're just being smart here.

[VSG]

Agree to disagree, then. I still feel like a single player campaign as simple as that in Battlefront 2 would have gotten more sales.

[Emperor Smeat]

According to DICE, in theory its possible to have Supremacy mode be unwinnable due to the way they designed the multiplayer mode. Has to do with how points are tied to the match's timer and close matches not allowing the timer to reach zero.

Fans were confused, then, when a blog from the developers indicated that Supremacy matches would only be about 10 minutes long. However, a tweet from DICE Lead Multiplayer Designer Dennis Brännvall has clarified a few things about how the clock works, and from the sound of it well-matched games could go on for a long time.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Clarification on the Supremacy blog: each time a control point is claimed, time is added. A close Supremacy match can go on forever</p>&mdash; Dennis Brännvall (@DICE_FireWall) <a href="https://twitter.com/DICE_FireWall/status/631872771732164608">August 13, 2015</a></blockquote>
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http://www.egmnow.com/platforms/star-wars-battlefronts-supremacy-matches-could-go-on-forever/

[Kalyx triaD]

Embarrassing oversight, though they seem oddly accepting of it.

[Emperor Smeat]

The desert planet of Jakku is set to make its film debut in Star Wars: The Force Awakens later this year. But it's also making its game debut earlier in December, once Star Wars: Battlefront hits.

EA has shared some news regarding the map, which is billed as a pre-order bonus that's arriving after launch on December 1. It's described as a "pivotal moment" when the New Republic confronted the Imperials on this "remote desert planet." The battle takes place in the aftermath of the Battle of Endor, complete with a crashed Star Destroyer backdrop.

Debris will apparently be falling down constantly to set the scene.

http://www.destructoid.com/ea-shares-first-details-for-star-wars-battlefront-s-new-planet-308142.phtml

[Emperor Smeat]

Online multiplayer beta arriving this October for Xbox One, PC, and PS4. EA's currently accepting signups for the beta.

It'll be available in early October on the PC, PS4, and Xbox One platforms, and is a technical test that will feature 40-person battles on Hoth, pitting Rebels against the Empire, as well as a survival mission on Tatooine (horde mode, basically). A new mode, "Drop Zone," has also been announced, and will debut in the beta. Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker will be playable.
http://www.destructoid.com/ea-provides-details-for-star-wars-battlefront-october-beta-308765.phtml

[Fignuts]

No server browser.

Booooooo wendie testaberger. Booooooo

[Kalyx triaD]

Eh. It'll live.

[Emperor Smeat]

Star Wars Battlefront's equivalent to King of the Hill will be a game mode called Drop Zone.

The mode -- which can be played on planets such as Endor, Hoth, Sullust and Tatooine -- will feature eight vs. eight PvP combat, where Rebel and Empire teams must compete to capture and keep the drop pod zones.

Your team will win if you capture all five zones, or have the most possession at the end of the 10-minute match.

"This goes hand in hand with our design philosophy behind many of the game modes in Star Wars Battlefront," said lead level designer Dennis Brännvall. "We're promoting the idea of a fast, action-packed game where you need to be mobile and think on your feet. Camping doesn't really pay off."

http://www.destructoid.com/drop-zone-will-be-star-wars-battlefront-s-take-on-king-of-the-hill-309950.phtml

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

Star Wars Battlefront 1 and 2 had good Campaign modes. :n:

[Kalyx triaD]

Their campaign modes were the multiplayer modes with voiceover bookends. Nothing of value was lost.

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

If its just multiplayer than in my eyes it's half a game. The price should be 30. We pay 60 a year for online already.

[Kalyx triaD]

You're 100% right. I've argued in the past that these games should come in three flavors; Full-$60, Campaign Only-$30, Multiplayer Only-$30.

I reason that this would teach CoD, Battlefield and such what players really want and where the budget should go. And if they're going for an exclusively PvP multiplayer game and still wanna charge $60, they better make it full fledged. Halo 3's multiplayer suite by itself was worth $60.

[Emperor Smeat]

New special edition was announced for $130 which includes a mini-fridge along with the game.

http://cdn.destructoid.com//ul/310938-h1.jpg
http://www.destructoid.com/there-s-a-star-wars-battlefront-mini-fridge-too-310938.phtml

[Emperor Smeat]

In two weeks, Battlefront's beta goes live between October 8 and October 12 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. No need to register or anything; just queue it up if you feel like it.

Three maps and game modes will be highlighted in Battlefront's beta. Walker Assault can be played on Hoth, Drop Zone is available on Sullust, and Survival Mission is featured on Tatooine. Walker Assault is the largest the beta will get, with 40-player battles; those looking for less scale will find comfort in Survival Mission's solo and cooperative play.

http://www.destructoid.com/star-wars-battlefront-has-a-beta-in-two-weeks-and-it-s-easy-to-get-into-312318.phtml

[Emperor Smeat]

Specs for the PC version was recently revealed by EA.

Here's the baseline setup you'll need for an ideal experience in Star Wars Battlefront:

OS: 64-bit Windows 10 or later
Processor (Intel): Intel i5 6600 or equivalent
Memory: 16GB RAM
Hard Drive: At least 40 GB of free space
Graphics card (NVIDIA): nVidia GeForce GTX 970 4GB
Graphics card (AMD): AMD Radeon R9 290 4GB
DirectX: 11.1 Compatible video card or equivalent
Online Connection Requirements: 512 KBPS or faster Internet connection

Of course, everything's dialed back a bit for the minimum requirements. The bare minimum to run Battlefront is:

OS: 64-bit Windows 7 or later
Processor (Intel): Intel i3 6300T or equivalent
Memory: 8GB RAM
Hard Drive: At least 40 GB of free space
Graphics card (NVIDIA): nVidia GeForce GTX 660 2GB
Graphics card (ATI): ATI Radeon HD 7850 2GB
DirectX: 11.0 Compatible video card or equivalent
Online Connection Requirements: 512 KBPS or faster Internet connection

http://www.destructoid.com/why-the-hell-does-star-wars-battlefront-recommend-16gb-of-ram-on-pc--314142.phtml

[Emperor Smeat]

Some details regarding the public beta and how to join:
Getting in is easy enough. If you're on Xbox One, just queue it up from here (https://store.xbox.com/en-US/Xbox-One/Games/Star-Wars-Battlefront-Beta/84dbe98e-302e-4597-9ea7-0082afb8cf68). Those on PS4 can access the beta at this link (https://store.playstation.com/#!/en-us/games/star-wars-battlefront-beta/cid=UP0006-CUSA02941_00-BATTLEFRONTBETA0). PC is slightly trickier. Origin has a page to order the beta (https://www.origin.com/en-us/store/free-games/demos-betas). Clicking that will send the Battlefront beta to your Origin library. The catch is that you have to have Origin running and installed on your computer to play the beta. Once all that is done, you should be able to fire it up with no problem.

While the full game will take up somewhere around 40GB of hard drive space, the beta requires a fraction of that. On PS4 and Xbox One, it clocks in at a bit over 7GB; PC players have to allocate a little more room, as that platform requires around 11GB.

Battlefront's half-beta, half-demo has three distinct offerings. Walker Assault on Hoth features 40-player battles, Drop Zone mode shows off the Sullust map, and Survival Mission on Tatooine is for solo and cooperative play.
http://www.destructoid.com/the-star-wars-battlefront-beta-starts-today-here-s-how-to-get-in-314587.phtml


A hacker recently managed to find some stuff hidden within the beta which implies at least three more hero tier characters will be playable the game.
Thanks to a dedicated dataminer, we now know that Star Wars: Battlefront will sport three additional heroes -- Princess Leia, Han Solo, and the Emperor. Files have been located similar to the other announced heroes so far (such as Darth Vader), and SoundCloud clips have been unearthed.
http://www.destructoid.com/han-solo-emperor-and-leia-heroes-datamined-through-star-wars-battlefront-beta-314554.phtml

[drave]

The Emperor as a playable character has the potential to be awesome.

[alvarado52]

Welp, I was kinda on the fence with this...but two games in and im sold.

[drave]

Get to try mine later this evening. Based on what I have saw thus far, it looks pretty damn fun.

[drave]

Nice short videos of some awesome gameplay

http://kotaku.com/eight-players-who-killed-it-in-the-star-wars-battlefron-1735641858

[Kalyx triaD]

I would hesitate to call this Battlefront 3, it's certainly Battlefront-ish but a far cry from days of yore. The Time To Kill is way too harsh and doesn't allow the personality of the blasters to shine, you see em you got em. I understand the kiddies love short TTKs and it's even source material accurate with people falling down from laser sparks but fuck.

Anyway Walker Assault is confusing and weird and the map is kinda bad. The drop pod zone thing would be better if the TTK wasn't quite as crazy as I mentioned.

The fucking Destiny radar it adopted has to change right fucking now. It's scrubby as fuck in Destiny and here we'll dealing with even more frantic firefights where you won't last a second if you don't shoot first. There's no sense of pre-planning and counter measure with such a low TTK combined with that radar.

The card thing they got going is cute.

The Partner system is bad and they should feel bad. Use the squad system. There is no reason not to use the squad system.

[drave]

I don't need no stinkin squad system

[Emperor Smeat]

PC version getting more servers added for the beta due to the overwhelming numbers of players at the moment. If anyone had issues playing the beta on the PC, that was the official reason why.

http://www.destructoid.com/ea-opens-more-stars-wars-battlefront-pc-servers-314686.phtml

[Kalyx triaD]

I don't need no stinkin squad system

That's the best part - Battlefield allows you to ignore the squad system.

So again, why not use a superior system to this Partner thing? Nobody loses in its implementation.

[VergilD]

Actual gameplay from Walker Assault, this one is great!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJdOawHtnJw

[alvarado52]

You know what I enjoy about this game the most? Is that it delivers on the crazy footage they show. I love Battlefield, but the one thing is they always show some intense action in footage, and when you actually play the game its mostly small skirmishes off in the distance.

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

When does the beta end? DLing now.

[Fignuts]

This game is a blast.

[Kalyx triaD]

Kinda disappointing, honestly. Definitely a $40-50 buy, tho.

[Fignuts]

Walker Assault seems noticably unbalanced in favor of the imperials. Played a bunch of matches and the empire always won.

Still fun though, even on the rebel side.

[Emperor Smeat]

Beta's been extended for one more day. Was meant to end today but EA decided to give an extra 24 hours for "extreme scenario" testing which was implied to be them purposely crashing the servers and connection issues to sort any problems before launch.
http://www.destructoid.com/the-star-wars-battlefront-beta-has-been-extended-by-a-day-315005.phtml


Season Pass revealed to cost $50 while another collector's edition was announced.
According to EA, the season pass is good for four expansions, two-week early access to each of the pieces of DLC, and a "shoot first" emote -- an on-the-nose testament to your blind consumerism. Of course, we currently have no idea what any of the add-ons will be. We don't know if they're single-player campaigns or multiplayer maps or Batmobile skins.

EA is also selling an "ultimate" edition of Battlefront. It's the deluxe edition with the season pass tacked-on. It's going for $120 -- no savings considering deluxe is already $70
http://www.destructoid.com/star-wars-battlefront-has-a-50-season-pass-315101.phtml

[Emperor Smeat]

PC version announced to not have in-game voice chat support. Neither will the console version but it still supports party chat.
http://www.destructoid.com/star-wars-battlefront-won-t-have-any-voip-on-pc-315378.phtml


For those interested in the PC version, Green Man Gaming is having a pre-launch 25% Off sale for the game and lasts till October 27th.
http://www.destructoid.com/25-off-star-wars-battlefront-pc-deal-closes-in-as-beta-ends-315334.phtml


According to the gang at Electronic Arts, over 9 million people played last week's Star Wars Battlefront open beta. The beta worked exactly as intended -- a legitimate concern for players after 2013's disastrous Battlefield 4 launch. DICE will continue to refine the game based on feedback, but I have to imagine it's all but feature-locked at this point.
http://www.destructoid.com/over-9-million-people-played-the-star-wars-battlefront-beta-315289.phtml

[Emperor Smeat]

Playstation blog confirmed rumors of Leia, Han, and Palpatine being playable charcters in the game. Originally were discovered as part of a datamine hackers did with the beta's files.

http://cdn.destructoid.com//ul/316531-starwar.jpg
Leia one-hit kills troopers with her blaster and is, "very much about support play, buffing team members, and holding positions." She can also call in supply drops for her team. Han is about, "offensive output, damage, and mobility." His Rapid Fire blaster lets you shooter as much as you want without overheating and he has a barreling "Shoulder Charge." Palpatine has Force Lightning and Chain Lightning, plus a dash, though he is the main Villain support character.
http://www.destructoid.com/star-wars-battlefront-introduces-playable-leia-han-and-palpatine-316531.phtml

[Jura]

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<blockquote class="twitter-video" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">AAAA I'M DYING <a href="http://t.co/kEuEgmgzZd">pic.twitter.com/kEuEgmgzZd</a></p>&mdash; the real young thong (@thatbitchlando) <a href="https://twitter.com/thatbitchlando/status/652550432003334144">October 9, 2015</a></blockquote>
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[Emperor Smeat]

EA currently targeting 13 million for the game's sales goal and expectations. Recent beta just added more to the huge expectations EA has for this game.

Would need a Call of Duty like launch and sales to reach it if the idea is to get those 13 million as quickly as possible. For some comparison, CoD Advanced Warfare sold 11.4 million in its first month while prior Battlefront games averaged 9 million overall in sales.
http://www.destructoid.com/ea-shoots-first-for-13m-star-wars-battlefront-sales-318285.phtml

[Emperor Smeat]

EA revealed the install sizes for the game and its pretty small compared to recent games on consoles at least.

According to the EA Star Wars Twitter account, Battlefront is at its tiniest on Xbox One (19GB) and at its largest on PC (27GB); PS4 weighs in at 23GB. Regardless of platform, that's about half the size of a lot of current-gen games. The October beta was a 7GB download on consoles and 11GB on PC.
http://www.destructoid.com/star-wars-battlefront-has-a-surprisingly-small-file-size-319901.phtml

[Kalyx triaD]

Well there's not a lot to download.

[Emperor Smeat]

For those with an Xbox One and/or are considering getting the game for the console, best to check your console inbox for any message from EA. They've been sending out free trial EA Access accounts to random Xbox Live members as part of the celebrations leading to the game's launch.

Some Xbox Live users are finding that they suddenly have access to way more EA games than they own. That's the nature of the appropriately-named EA Access -- it's a service that allows unlimited playing of certain titles that are in the "Vault" and limited sessions with new games. EA is granting some free trials of the program in hopes that it'll convert into a few sales.

As reported on the Xbox One subreddit, some Xbox Live members are finding messages in their inbox with free month-long trials to EA Access. That's just in time for next week's release of Star Wars Battlefront. The trial comes with ten hours of playtime on Battlefront prior to the game's launch date.
http://www.destructoid.com/random-xbox-live-members-are-getting-free-ea-access-codes-320100.phtml

[Emperor Smeat]

For those getting the PC version from online retailer Green Man Gaming, it was recently revealed they got denied as an official seller for the game.

Bunch of other publishers have recently gone after them as well to deny them official selling rights for their games.

Reddit's gaming sales board pulled support for Green Man Gaming deals since its no longer guaranteed those keys would be legit for customers.

https://www.reddit.com/r/GameDealsMeta/comments/3t0p9m/rgamedeals_and_greenmangaming/
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1140995

[Emperor Smeat]

EA revealed what will be covered by the game's Season Pass.

Those who do go for the season pass will get four future expansions—two weeks earlier than non-season pass holders—as well as an exclusive “Shoot First” emote.

So what’ll be in those four expansions? Here’s the rundown from the official Star Wars Battlefront site:

Over 20 new pieces of galactic tech including weapons, vehicles, and Star Cards for both Rebels and Imperials
4 more heroes and villains for you to fight as or against
16 additional multiplayer maps featuring new locations
4 exciting new game modes

http://www.egmnow.com/articles/news/ea-reveals-full-details-of-star-wars-battlefronts-season-pass/

[drave]

For a game that is (for the most part) strictly multiplayer, it sucks they would lock new modes behind a season pass :(

[The Destroyer]

Pretty standard practice for EA, sounds almost identical to the Premium setup for Battlefield 3 and 4 and that was all multiplayer content too.

[Emperor Smeat]

DICE teasing all the DLC maps covered in the Season Pass will be based on the original trilogy of films.

When EA updated the Star Wars Battlefront Season Pass details over the weekend, they revealed that the first expansion (of four) would arrive in early 2016, with the full Season Pass including four more Heroes/Villains and 16 maps “featuring new locations.”

In a recent interview with Metro, DICE Senior Producer Sigurlína Ingvarsdottir suggested those new locations will be set during the original trilogy timeline:

I think that if you think about what we’re doing with the Battle of Jakku [the free DLC set on the planet Jakku from The Force Awakens that takes place before the events of Episode VII] we’re sticking to the original trilogy timeline. So we’re bringing you to this planet that you know from Episode VII but it’s within the timeline of our game. And I think that gives a pretty good indication.

http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2015/11/17/star-wars-battlefront-dlc-set-original-trilogy-timeline-dice-teases/

[Fignuts]

Spent a few hours playing this at a friend's house. Think I'm going to pass for now. It's fun and all, but like I said during the beta, its very shallow gameplay. Like baby's first fps. Once the luster of the fantastic star wars presentation wears off, it gets boring and repetitive pretty quick. Was hoping the other game modes would help it's longevity, but none of them really stand out. They're all just typical fps fare. Walker assault is still tne most fun, imo.

Still might pick this up eventually but I'm definitely not paying 60 bones for it.

[Disturbed316]

Wish this had a campaign mode, multiplayer only is a real turn off for me.

[Kalyx triaD]

Passing on this as well. Extremely scrubby gameplay and a major let down not because of my usual standards, but compared to Battlefront 2.

[The Rogerer]

DICE games are difficult to master. When people say scrubby do they mean, not like Halo?

[#BROKEN Hasney]

There's currently a glitch where if you crash into the ground while piloting a ship, you're invincible for the rest of the match.
DICE games are difficult to master. When people say scrubby do they mean, not like Halo?

It's nothing like Battlefield really. It's very simple and aimed at a more casual crowd.

[The Rogerer]

It's still got the same fundamentals

[Kalyx triaD]

DICE games are difficult to master. When people say scrubby do they mean, not like Halo?

No I mean scrubby. Casual. Lacking mechanics that reward strategic play. It will not have a meaningful skill gap. This is to Battlefield 4 what Mario Kart is to Need For Speed. So no, it's not that it isn't Halo.

And DICE games aren't difficult to master by virtue of being DICE games, it depends on the game. Hardline is slightly easier to play than Battlefield 4 for instance. But whether or not we're talking DICE games in particular, this is an especially scrubby shooter. And that's compared to CoD and Splatoon.

I can elaborate if you wish.

[Kalyx triaD]

It's still got the same fundamentals

You do not know what you're talking about. Walk away.

[Kalyx triaD]

You do not know what you're talking about. Walk away.

I'm half joking here. I really wouldn't mind explaining to you what makes this game casual versus other shooters. I don't think you get the difference.

[The Rogerer]

The fundamentals are shooting other people and that's pretty difficult in itself. The real tactics are more in the bigger picture where you have to be very protective of yourself with the amount of exposure you have, and yet be quite offensive.

Random power ups get dropped in and it seems that's all anyone can see. I'm well aware of the arguments that people make, and in my experience 'scrubbiness' comes down to people describing a low TTK and any sort of asymmetry and/or random element. Those factors, I think, don't have the biggest impact on the game. I've seen scrubby basically thrown at every game that isn't Halo usually. I think I saw you say it about the destiny radar once.

Edit: sorry forgot the dick measuring contest I've been playing battlefield since the first one

[Kalyx triaD]

I had a feeling you had a problem with the word rather than the principle of what we were saying. And it does seem you don't really get what's wrong with the game (perhaps not 'wrong', but not our cup of tea in regard to competitive balance). So I'm gonna respond to without using any spicy terms that may turn you off.

The fundamentals are shooting other people and that's pretty difficult in itself. The real tactics are more in the bigger picture where you have to be very protective of yourself with the amount of exposure you have, and yet be quite offensive.

Okay; what you're talking about aren't the real tactics of the matter. Yes, you just described the most basic tenet of shooters in that you shoot things while not getting shot, but it also a kind of low-balling how shooters are played. Map control, movement, range, cover, health and ammo management, and many elements that are exclusive to a game are at play. These elements combine to form the game's meta, sub-tactics in the general game.

So while you have to shoot things while not getting shot, there are a ton of things you have to do to maintain that general goal. Like how basketball is putting a ball in a hoop while preventing the other team from doing the same. It isn't a false description, but it's almost a disingenuously basic overview of the game. There's more to it.

Those details you are glossing over are the details that make a shooter. Understanding these details helps you determine the overall balance of a game, giving you mastery of its meta. It is also these details that tell us if a game is balanced, broken, hardcore, or casual. Battlefront, as it is right now, is designed to be a casual shooter.

Random power ups get dropped in and it seems that's all anyone can see.

It has more problems than this, but let's chat about it.

Do you know why competitive Smash players turn off Items? It's not because they're killjoys out to exterminate fun at all costs. It's to remove as many random elements as possible. That is: gameplay elements beyond player agency that could affect the outcome of a match. It is majorly agreed upon that a game with as little random elements as possible offers the most player agency, and thus offers the most undisputed outcome. Though the term isn't accurate to the definition, most gamers call this 'competitive'. Removing items from Smash makes it 'competitive'. Games with more random elements out of player control are called 'casual'. Mario Kart and Mario Party are 'casual'. They have many elements out of player control that determine the outcome of a match.

The distinction between casual and competitive is not analogous to 'good game vs bad game'.

Now in Battlefront we have random items on the map that are not acquired by any in-game action other than being lucky enough to find it. Your skill and positioning had nothing to do with it. This makes it a casual game element. That is not a bad thing, only if you are expecting competitive elements, and wish to have agency over in-game actions.

Those factors, I think, don't have the biggest impact on the game.

They do.

- Low TTK removes the personality of every firearm making their individual stats and handling less prominent and forming a CoD-like 'who sees who first' situation. On one hand you can argue this kinda balances all firearms if it doesn't matter what you choose, but on the other you make player choice pointless. And while low TTK increases the chance of nearly anyone getting kills and feeling great, and usually ends up punishing casual gamers most since they often do not understand the most basic fundamentals of shooters. It screws over the people it means to help the most.
- Since the blasters are all quick to kill, that makes map traversing the key aspect of the game. Map mastery is extremely important as you claim and control strategic areas of a map. However, the maps I've played and seen don't seem to be designed with any rhyme or reason (it's not that they're asymmetrical either). There are no obvious kill-boxes, lanes, power points, etc. They are just... areas. This was deliberate, as combined with the nonsensical spawn system they made sure to remove any player agency in map control. Run around, shoot things. Casual. Not bad, again, but casual.
- The Destiny inspired 'danger zone' radar is one of the worst design ideas I've ever seen in a shooter. It mostly removes player awareness so you're not in full control of your encounters, removing the skill gap between players. There is no argument that could support this kind of radar that isn't support of casual play. And just like low TTK, this ends up screwing over lower tier players the most since a guy like me still has years of experience predicting enemy movement at the very least. Number of enemies, are they flanking, is he rushing or retreating - who knows! Here's a red quadrant, good luck.
- Jokes on them about the simplified aerial controls - they feel unnatural and Battlefront 2 had a much better grasps on it (among other things). While trying to make them accessible for everybody they ended up giving us the least amount of control with its unintuitive set-up. At least with this a simple control change can fix it easy.
- The 'card' system goes beyond simplifying loadouts to remove classes. I wouldn't have had an issue with this except they didn't institute a working ratio system to balance it out. There will absolutely be a 'perfect hand' eventually. Another casual decision that really leads to shallow meta. Not even gonna talk about what some of these cards can do. It is, literally, the Mario Kart of shooters with some of them. Great if you're down for that, not my cup of tea.
- The Partner system is nonsense. There is no logical reason not to simply transplant the squad system, unless they didn't want a good player providing strategic spawns to too many squadmates. Which perfectly ties with every other decision to keep this game casual.

DICE set out to do two things based on what they released, a) An authentic Star Wars experience that looks and sounds incredible and b) Making sure sure every Star Wars fan can actually play it. This makes perfect sense. Not every Star Wars fan is a guy like me who can talk about the nuances of an assault rifle's damage drop-off post-patch all nerdy day. A lot of people are going to buy this because it's Star Wars, and maybe you don't wanna throw them in a pit with fuckers like me. So they make every decision something that defangs me a tad while giving casuals a fighting chance. I totally get it.

But casual shooters don't pan out the way, say, casual racers do. There's a reason we've never seen a shooter take it this far. Even Splatoon, which looks like a Nicktoon, has a great deal of depth that has a notable skill gap. The shooter genre simply rarely got something on this level, and people are calling it out. Just remember they're not making a 'good/bad' judgment call per se. It's about something being casual or competitive, and judging it by their preference. Battlefront is casual, people are judging accordingly.

Don't think we're calling it casual or scrubby out of thin air, tho. There are demonstrable mechanics to showcase one way or the other. This game is casual. That's not bad. Just not our thing.

[Kalyx triaD]

And I love Battlefield. May redownload BF4.

[The Rogerer]

You said scrubby which is a perjorative and you didn't say casual. They are two different qualities, so thanks for the stereotypical explanation of what casual means.

I don't understand your point about radars because you say that it's for casuals, then you say it hurts lower tier players.

From what I've used of the blasters, there's.a fair difference in range and distance that doesn't result in a uniformly low TTK. Simulation games like ARMA or Operation Flashpoint back in the day have extremely low TTK so it's not inherently casual. As I said, the only game I think of with a high TTK is Halo, which as we all know is for console baby bros who chug the Dew

[Kalyx triaD]

You said scrubby which is a perjorative and you didn't say casual. They are two different qualities, so thanks for the stereotypical explanation of what casual means.

It's just habit for me to use it that way. From my point of view, as a competitive player, casual/scrubby is something I don't wanna play in a shooter. I was explaining why the game is casual, avoiding 'scrubby' because you obviously have an issue with it. It is objectively casual based on its elements, and for players like me that makes it scrubby.

That's not a stereotypical explanation... like shit, what would be an interesting explanation? Did you just need something/anything to poke at?

I don't understand your point about radars because you say that it's for casuals, then you say it hurts lower tier players.

Something that hurts casuals doesn't make it suddenly competitive. So when I say the radar and the low TTK ends up hurting casuals it's like grading on curve. Because it still doesn't make for an interesting skill gap. I don't actually want a system where casuals can't make strategic plays on their own.

This may sound crazy to you, but competitive players want competition.

From what I've used of the blasters, there's.a fair difference in range and distance that doesn't result in a uniformly low TTK.

You do not know what you just said made no sense here. But I will humor this:

Distance between players makes the range of blasters relevant in most shooters. Range in shooters is usually the level before damage/accuracy drops off as to be useless at a certain range. So if you have this:

http://s3.amazonaws.com/gameskinnyop/4/a/5/4a539099bdae66c802b86ea40b6071fc.png

Yeah this gun will be useless at long range; unless I'm shooting it. In an environment where the spawning is bonkers and there's no sense of map control. Where you can't conceivably control the distance between you and the enemy. The range stat disparity means nothing. Experienced players can use the weapon outside of its range by placing well shots, killing anybody instantly because the low TTK doesn't give the target enough time to react and use the distance to his advantage.

This is the folly of low TTK; the removal of weapon personality I mentioned in the last post. The weapons have stats and perform slightly different, but there will never be a way to really see a difference. In such an environment over long enough period of time something called "Power Creep" occurs, which is something Destiny is trying to avoid at all costs with their recent updates.

Think of Power Creep as everyone suddenly becoming gods. You can drop people like flies, but you also drop in an instant. This is game balance hell and nobody, even other casual games, don't want this to happen. It's just something that can occur most prominently in a shooter. It's also why when shooters are re-balanced, you rarely hear about across the board buffs (unless pre-patch the game was... too Casual).

(And my experience is still marred because I'm not using the game elements to a controllable advantage. Do you see what I mean by something being casual while not really helping casuals? It still hurts them but doesn't make it competitive for me.)

Simulation games like ARMA or Operation Flashpoint back in the day have extremely low TTK so it's not inherently casual.

I'm glad you mentioned this. These games (and to an extent Rainbow 6) have gameplay elements that neutralize the fact they have extremely low TTK. Do these games play anything like Destiny, Halo, Battlefield, CoD? No, the players move drastically different. The maps are crafted drastically different.

The decisions you make between encounters is the meta in games like those. Like fencing.

Once the firefight starts, as in real life, it's quick. It's brutal. And the outcome depends on how you approach that pivotal moment. This is why nobody calls those games casual despite them having low TTK. Remember to take game elements into account. Battlefront is casual because its elements combined to make it so. See how I explained above how the TTK makes weapon stats moot. Battlefront is an arena shooter with a simulation's TTK.

As I said, the only game I think of with a high TTK is Halo, which as we all know is for console baby bros who chug the Dew

Sure.

I will return to this thread in a few months time to explain to you why DICE patched the game the way they will by then, as they attempt to course correct from how scrubby it is. When you have a handle on this you can predict what kinds of changes will come. It's how me and my buds knew the shotties in Destiny was gonna get nerfed a 3rd time. And it's gonna get nerfed a 4th time, because the problem with shotguns aren't the shotguns.

[Kalyx triaD]

Oh and here's a fun experiment; go play Halo 5 and try to play it based on the scrubby outcomes of the decisions Destiny and Battlefront made. Run around with a shotgun like in Destiny, just attack people with any weapon anywhere on the map like Battlefront.

See how that works out for you. And that's not to poke fun at people who enjoy casual games. I find that most of the time, people would prefer the competitive side of things if only they understood why they have difficultly in such games. You can feel talked down to or whatever the fuck you thinkin now but you now know more the average bear after all this shit I wrote. You will see Battlefront differently. You will see shooters in general differently.

I shoved the red pill down your throat. And as somebody who went through this most recently with Smash Bros two years ago, there is no going back. Next year our conversations on this matter will be very different.

[The Rogerer]

I don't think you educated me of very much, thanks. I don't expect you to give me an explanation of scrubby fps games because I don't think there is an explanation of scrubby except that it's typically used by someone of your persuasion as 'not Halo'. I think that's come out of this.

I would agree that range isn't a massive factor in Battlefront, but I think the overall impact of that is overstated. There's one thing to say it's an accessible game, and it is in some aspects, but calling it baby's first FPS as it was above is ridiculous hyperbole. It stands up with the other current shooters. I think theres more to it than CoD - at least Advanced Warfare, and I won't be playing Halo 5 because no one is.

What happened with Smash?

[Kalyx triaD]

I don't think you educated me of very much, thanks. I don't expect you to give me an explanation of scrubby fps games because I don't think there is an explanation of scrubby except that it's typically used by someone of your persuasion as 'not Halo'. I think that's come out of this.

That's on you.

I would agree that range isn't a massive factor in Battlefront, but I think the overall impact of that is overstated. There's one thing to say it's an accessible game, and it is in some aspects, but calling it baby's first FPS as it was above is ridiculous hyperbole.

Name me another game with such a deliberate combination of 'danger zone' radar, random spawns, random power-ups, low TTK, no squad system despite its large player count, and no effort to balance its loadout system. Go.

In the realm of AAA shooters, this is the most casual that's ever been released. But if you know a more casual leaning game lemme know.

It stands up with the other current shooters.

In what respects?

I think theres more to it than CoD - at least Advanced Warfare,

My feelings on CoD are very clear, but even I wouldn't put Battlefront on par with CoD. They're certainly in the class in terms of leveling the field, but Battlefront jumps into the abyss. CoD merely flirts with it. Everything's relative.

and I won't be playing Halo 5 because no one is.

You don't need to like Halo 5, but my point stands. Halo 5 will not excuse player actions with casual mechanics. Nor will Battlefield. Nor will Destiny (for the most part). Nor will Gears. Nor will Perfect Dark. These games have notable skill gaps, Battlefront so far does not.

What happened with Smash?

I only started getting serious with Smash around Brawl two years ago with my buddies. Before then I played sparringly using whatever basic fighting fundamentals I had. The guys crushed me. Took a lot of coaching from my buds (notably Khuntry) to understand the game's elements and keep from being the first to die quickly.

Now that I understand the meta I've gone from being 3-stocked in 2mins to lasting. And then from lasting longer to scoring wins. The 'fog of war' of not knowing why I was taking damage and getting caught in mix-ups was lifted. I understand competitive Smash now. I play very differently from my uploads on YouTube.

This can't happen if one dismisses the game's nuances when somebody tries to tell you how and why it works. The original of the scrub term came from people who refused uncomfortable truths about competitive games. FG icons David Sirlin and Seth Killian spoke at length about scrub mentality. Calling a game scrubby came to mean games that cater to people not willing to learn a game's meta. Destiny/Battlefront's radar keeps people from being dominated from people who use traditional radars well. Low TTK removes the disparity between good gun handlers and bad ones. Over the tip aim-assist maintains bad shooting habits. So on and so forth.

Changes were made in Brawl after Melee that were supposed to cater to people who didn't care for how hardcore Melee could get, and the community rejected it. SmashU reconciled the ease of life adjustments with less randomness in the core gameplay. It is a much better game that allows a skill gap, and casuals could still rock it and hang.

There's nothing inherently wrong with casual games, but people reject casual elements in core competitive titles. Even Mario Kart made very small changes that allow slightly more agency than past ones. It is better for it. I never make an argument to shut out casual gamers. My argument is design games that usher casuals into understanding what they're actually playing. Otherwise it's not gonna work out for them in the long run.

If somebody plays Battlefront as it is exclusively and then goes over to any other shooter, they're gonna be in for a rude awakening. This routinely happens when CoD players finally try Halo or Rainbow 6. They often conclude there's something wrong with those games, rather than the habits casual games instill. People who play honest games regularly can play CoD, it does not work the other way around.

I'm going on a mini-rant. So yeah that's my Smash experience and those are my issues with casual game design in shooters.

[The Rogerer]

The battlefront radar is far, far more vague than the Destiny one. The Destiny one had more of an impact on the game to. I don't think it's a bad system in itself and its the way shooters are going to go, I think it's been a sensible evolution for the genre.

Since you like prejudices so much you should be careful who you tell that you're into competitive smash. I read a lot about it back in the Melee days but I occasionally read something for a laugh.

Fighting games are a whole other thing and inherently very much a place to talk about 'scrubbiness'. A 20 vs 20 vehicle shooter has some very different factors going on, and that's down to why I think the casualness is overstated. Calling it a baby's game. If I was casting aspersions I would wonder about games that are more openly team based than relying on an individuals KDR, but I don't know.

Simplicity of Battlefront remains exaggerated

[Kalyx triaD]

The battlefront radar is far, far more vague than the Destiny one. The Destiny one had more of an impact on the game to. I don't think it's a bad system in itself and its the way shooters are going to go, I think it's been a sensible evolution for the genre.

You really think so? Explain to me the merits of this kind of radar. Never really heard an argument for.

Since you like prejudices so much you should be careful who you tell that you're into competitive smash. I read a lot about it back in the Melee days but I occasionally read something for a laugh.

I'm well aware about the rift between Smashers and traditional fighting gamers if that's what you mean. I play both so the rift is moot to me. I agree it's hilarious, tho.

Fighting games are a whole other thing and inherently very much a place to talk about 'scrubbiness'. A 20 vs 20 vehicle shooter has some very different factors going on, and that's down to why I think the casualness is overstated.

It's like you don't know how often Battlefield 4, a 60+plyr game, has been rebalanced to keep it competitive.

Calling it a baby's game.

I need you to stop saying this. You're the only person saying this. I went out of my way to clarify that I'm only explaining the difference between casual and competitive. I'm not making a positive/negative distinction unless I expressly state my opinion on the matter (I do not like casual shooters; casual shooters aren't 'bad').

You keep acting as though I'm saying it's objectively bad for reasons I'm not clear. I'm not calling it a baby's game. Stop it.

If I was casting aspersions I would wonder about games that are more openly team based than relying on an individuals KDR, but I don't know.

Battlefield absolutely leans toward team play. A recent patch even increased team action point gain. Killing people out of an objective goal context yields you the least amount of points now, next to assists. battlefield has always been good rewarding team play. The Treyarch CoD's tend to find ways to reward team/supportive play as well. Mileage may vary there but points for the effort.

Of course this depends on certain modes as well. For instance Halo could be very lone wolf-y depending on the mode. Other modes demand teamwork, even though you're rewarded individually. Halo still mostly adheres to the 'W' being your reward. I'm 70-30 on that one. I believe in some cases a player on a losing team shouldn't share his team's outcome if he stood out. More XP or whatever. Something to mitigate the L.

Simplicity of Battlefront remains exaggerated

Sure.

[The Rogerer]

Further up the thread it was called Baby's First FPS. It's not all about you, baby. To me that implies some massive gulf that separates it from other shooters. To me, it's there, it's simplified, but not in all aspects. It's certainly not Halo, and it's less technical than Battlefield but I don't think the gap is massive. It's not as if it's aimed at people who don't play shooters. You still totally need the modern shooter skill set in its entirety.

I don't recall if Goldeneye had radar, and it's been there through Halo, CoD and the others. FPS have the issues of all 3D games in that you put in an abstraction that bridges the gap that it doesn't work like you're inside the game. I think the radar as it exists with Destiny is the result of just trying a different way to give you spacial awareness in a first person game, and also cope with the increasing complexity and verticality of battlefield layouts. I think that Destiny radar may catch on. New series of games will pick up these evolutions while legacy stuff has to stick to what it has to keep the fans on board. I remember all the furious letters to magazines about how Halo's regenerating health concept was poisoning the genre.

[Fignuts]

omfg it was a joke. Sorry I insulted your precious game with the baby comment.

[Kalyx triaD]

Further up the thread it was called Baby's First FPS.

I don't have anything to do with that. In this particular convo, you are the only one saying this. And you're saying it in regard to what I'm writing. The implications are there. Stop it.

It's not as if it's aimed at people who don't play shooters. You still totally need the modern shooter skill set in its entirety.

What does that mean, "modern shooter skill set in its entirety"? Being able to shoot things and not get shot at? That's every shooter ever. If this is your standard for a working shooter than yeah I suppose battlefront meets that quality.

It would also mean we're having two totally different conversations.

I don't recall if Goldeneye had radar,

The default settings had the radar for multiplayer.

http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/0/8381/1429494-goldeneye007_4player.jpg

And there was no way to get off it, either.

and it's been there through Halo, CoD and the others.

Halo has motion radar and CoD uses a variation of echo radar used in Perfect Dark Zero and now in Metal Gear Online. These radar types works vastly different and you shouldn't just nudge them together. And both are still better than danger zone radar.

FPS have the issues of all 3D games in that you put in an abstraction that bridges the gap that it doesn't work like you're inside the game.

Tracking objects in 3D space for tactical awareness? FPS games have answered this thru the HD era by highlighting objects above and below you (now that icons can render clear enough for you to tell). Battlefield allows you to even adjust radar size and icons. This is old, solved news. But let's move on.

I think the radar as it exists with Destiny is the result of just trying a different way to give you spacial awareness in a first person game, and also cope with the increasing complexity and verticality of battlefield layouts.

See above.

I think that Destiny radar may catch on.

Having corrected your belief that spatial awareness was an issue, do you have any other arguments for this kind of radar? Or will you rethink it?

I remember all the furious letters to magazines about how Halo's regenerating health concept was poisoning the genre.

CoD. CoD had regenerating health. Halo had health packs. They abandoned them in H2 to put emphasis on shield management - but there was still a 'healthbar' under the shield, that never recovered even if your shield returned. Halo 3 used a variation of this that introduced 'bleed' damage (damaging both shield and health) and Bungie spoke at length about it many years ago. Reach reintroduced health packs and a UI that kept players informed about their health standing when their shields took damage.

People did have beef with regenerating health and over all, it's a mechanic that appears to stay. The kneejerk reaction however subsided when games started accounting for the new pace of this kind of mechanic. Battlefield doesn't even recharge fast making use for medic class. Destiny bases their regen on classes. There were ways to make it work. And it removed the more archaic nature of fishing for health packs in a gun fight.

But the danger zone radar addresses nothing and improves nothing. At all. Unless you got something else to say about it other than the long addressed 3D awareness issue.

And listen to what you're even saying; Even given hypothetically that devs never improved radar for 3D, how on earth is removing detail any kind of solution to that? Oh I can't tell if a guy is above or below me, now make it so I can't tell if he's in shottie range or rifle range as well? On top of not knowing if he's above or below? What the fuck? lol

[Fignuts]

Do you enjoy the game Rogerer?

If you do, then why do you fucking care if it's a simpler shooter? It's a more casual game for a reason. Because the movie is going to sell an ungodly amount of tickets and a lot of those people are going to buy the game, who wouldn't have otherwise. It's meant to appeal to everybody, because everybody is going to be buying it, from kids, to casual gamers. And while they tried to cater to both casuals and more experienced gamers, it clearly leans towards the former. Again, still fun, but not enough depth or content for someone like me, who has played battlefield and rainbow six extensively.

But back to what what I was originally saying, why do you feel the need to argue so much about it? I enjoy CoD, which is a simpler shooter than most, while Kalyx repeatedly berates it. You don't see me posting these long tirades back and forth with him about it do you? No, because it's fun for me and I don't give a fuck if he doesn't like it. He likes what he likes, I like what I like. That's enough. I don't need to defend myself to anybody.

[Kalyx triaD]

CoD sux

...

STOP IGNORING ME

[Fignuts]

See?

[Kalyx triaD]

Seriously I was about to ask as well why Rog don't drop the mic and say he could give a fuck about skill gaps, competitive balance, etc. I won't deny the game can be fun. And if it works for you than do you.

But it's probably a bad idea to defend it's design decisions in competitive context. They are utterly indefensible. But I'd have nothing to say if you simply said you like it as it is. You clearly take issue with the baby/scrub/casual remarks, and I think it's a worthless hill to die on.

Enjoy your damn self.

[The Rogerer]

People getting angry. I'm just having a chat here. Some people don't like to be disagreed with. Outrage culture.

PS Kalyx sure loves teaching his grandmother to suck eggs. If he wants to be punchy then I might as well just go back to how stupid he is by not understanding the intention of the danger zone radar. I suppose it was designed by Bungie, what the fuck do they know. I also happen to really like to like it but I am not some fucking off the shelf neogaffer/redditor like Kalyx so I have to watch him explain games I've played to me at length. From someone who proffered that we were idiots for not shooting the walls in Splatoon that's a big fat lol. And Halo 1 came out before CoD but it popularised the regenerating idea, I know it wasn't literally regenerating health in Halo but it inspired the mechanic you poindexter

[Kalyx triaD]

Don't dodge.

Why did you take issue with the game being casual? What is me or Fig's approval worth?

[The Rogerer]

I know your memory is really bad but the posts are all still there. You can click back and read where ininitated discussion. Little did I know that a couple of wankers would start kicking off because someone disagreed with their hyperbole.

[Kalyx triaD]

What's your problem with a game being casual and why did me and Fig's commentary stir you so?

[The Rogerer]

Quote the post where you said "casual" thanks

[Kalyx triaD]

Later then.

[Kalyx triaD]

Forgot you added this.

Rog, this is the part where you kind of lose it. I'm not sure why you break down like this. It's not a good look. You shouldn't internalize this kind of convo. We were talking game mechanics, and somehow that led to you writing the following nonsense.

PS Kalyx sure loves teaching his grandmother to suck eggs.

Remember: Me and Rog were discussing game design. This is what he considers pertinent to a discussion like this. I dunno why.

If he wants to be punchy then I might as well just go back to how stupid he is by not understanding the intention of the danger zone radar.

Again, we were talking about game design and mechanics. I am 'stupid' now.

I suppose it was designed by Bungie, what the fuck do they know.

I don't subscribe to the notion that devs can do nothing wrong ever. Even one as celebrated as Bungie. Evident by their major patches. So in this case, yeah, they should have known better. It's also disappointing that after all this time you're deferring to an authority. Only two AAA games use this kind of radar.

Shall we play this 'defer to authority' game? Shall I raise you a few studios?

I also happen to really like to like it but I am not some fucking off the shelf neogaffer/redditor like Kalyx so I have to watch him explain games I've played to me at length.

I repeat: We were talking about game design. Rog has taken something personal and I'm not sure why.

Also, if you like it that could have been end of conversation. Instead you tried to defend it, which future readers of this thread will judge accordingly.

I'm sure you played a lot of shooters. But it is evident to me, that you aren't as far along in how FPS games actually work as I am. I'm not trying to pull rank or anything, but you haven't even once met my analysis with any substantive counter-argument/analysis. And instead of then making this a learning experience or an open discussion in competitive FPS design, you're calling me a neogaffer/redditor (neither sites I actually frequent), 'stupid', and... condescending, by your tone?

It speaks volumes that you're reacting like this. We were talking about game design. What are we doing here?

From someone who proffered that we were idiots for not shooting the walls in Splatoon that's a big fat lol.

Oh yes this launch period gaff certainly dismisses the fucking... pages of game analysis, commentary, review, advice, and generally chit-chatting in the VG forum.

Ignore everything Kalyx wrote in this thread. He thought painting the walls added to the score in Splatoon. Nay, The Rogerer is our man right here.

No.

And Halo 1 came out before CoD but it popularised the regenerating idea,

No it didn't. You're gonna have to do better than posit this. You have shown yourself to not fully understand this subject. You can't just say things.

I know it wasn't literally regenerating health in Halo but it inspired the mechanic you poindexter

No it didn't.

It is no longer a half joke; Walk away.

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

The game is unrealistic if any blaster bolts hit you.

[The Rogerer]

You say I'm wrong there Kalyx, but you're wrong, okay?

Let's have a walk down memory lane (I'll hold your hand). I asked what you meant by the word scrubby and you then went on to explain the word casual, talk about people who play Final Destination No Items on smash (smelly losers) and then go to repeatedly explain things, perhaps you're just filibustering? I remember when Halo 1 came out. COD didn't have regenerating health until 2 which came out in 2005. That's 4 years after Halo and 2 years after Halo 2.

[Kalyx triaD]

It's adorable how you went back to look up these games to find something I said erroneous about the regen health thing, didn't, but posted what you found anyway cause it sounds subversive to say. You're floundering.

And again; I don't know why you're going batshit about this.

[The Rogerer]

I looked up the release date of Halo 2 and CoD 2. I remember Halo 1and CoD 1 releases quite well. you made out that COD some how inspired other games to have regenerating health, or maybe you didnt, who knows what your were actually saying when you said no, but you're good at being wrong and then immediately denying what you just wrote so I am at your mercy here. And now you've painted me as batshit, I am reeling

Oh you used appeal to authority wrong. You constantly appeal to your own authority I suppose. And saying only 2 games have that radar doesn't counter what I said. I said I predict it will grow through new games. You probably forgot I said that though.

[Kalyx triaD]

I was telling you which game really set the standard on regen. And now you're tripping over yourself trying to prove me otherwise. All you have are release dates. You never addressed what I told you about how health worked in Halo. Ever. You just ignored it. It directly contradicted your initial post about how Halo popularized regen. Now you're talking about when CoD and Halo came out, as if that has anything to do with which one popularized health regen.

You are being batshit, because two guys said something about a game you liked. It's not fun anymore, and I think I can help by no longer carrying this on.

[The Rogerer]

Halo popularised health regen. It was a massive talking point when the game landed. Oh no sorry noibody noticed until cod4 came out 7 years later.

[alvarado52]

Halo introduced health regen to a wide audience, but CoD4 made it the standard, if for no other reason that it was multiplatform and with that had a wider audience.

[Emperor Smeat]

According to unofficial stat trackers, more people are rumored to have played the game on the PS4 than on the PC and Xbox One combined.

Traffic-reporting network P-Stats has posted statistics for all three of Battlefront‘s release platforms, and the numbers are skewed heavily in favor of Sony’s box. At press time, the peak concurrent players on PS4 over the past 24 hours tops 160,000, while Xbox One and PC have seen approximately 102,000 and 40,000 simultaneous players, respectively.

P-Stats, short for Player Stats Network, offers similar information on a number of EA games, as reported by the official servers. When announcing the launch of Battlefront tracking, a P-Stats admin noted that third-party access is more limited than with previous EA titles, meaning the service is unable to provide individual player statistics. Those limitations may mean these current player numbers aren’t entirely accurate, either.


Easter egg was recently discovered that pays homage to the idea of Stormtroopers being clumsy.
A snapshot of the Stormtroopers' blundering ways can be found in A New Hope when one of them cracks his head on the frame of a door. It's an innocuous moment, but one that lives on as proof positive of their frequent ineptitude. And, now it continues to live on through Star Wars Battlefront.

EA DICE memorialized the 38-year-old head knock with a quick easter egg in Battlefront. Watch this video courtesy of Eurogamer. In the introduction to the Overpower mission, a Stormtrooper in the background is suddenly seeing stars.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HATiFAjhZ3g" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Mercenary]

So I just got this game, and messing with the Speeder Bike chase on Endor........I just peed myself in excitement, and how overly great this is

[Mercenary]

Looks at season pass for dlc....50 bucks? Dafaq?

[drave]

You just got EA'd.

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

I got the game cheap it came with the Jakob stuff.

[Mercenary]

I had $30 in gift cards to Wal-Mart so I only spent $40

[Emperor Smeat]

EA recently revealed the DLC release schedule for the game.

Here's a summary of the upcoming free and premium content, as well as this month's patch

Free for all players

January 27, 2016

"The Tatooine Survival map will now support the Blast, Droid Run, Drop Zone, Hero Hunt, and Heroes vs. Villains multiplayer modes, and is called Raider Camp."
New Hoth-themed outfits for Luke Skywalker and Han Solo.
The option to create private matches.
Daily challenges and community events.
Balance adjustments for weapons and modes.


February 2016

A new Survival mission set on Hoth.
A "brand new" multiplayer map on Hoth for larger modes like Walker Assault and Supremacy.
Turning Point mode will work on "all maps that currently support Walker Assault and Supremacy."


March 2016

A Survival map for Tatooine.
A new multiplayer map on Endor for Walker Assault, Supremacy, and Turning Point.


Paid digital expansions (available standalone or in the season pass)

March 2016: Outer Rim - "Fight among the factories of Sullust and battle within Jabba the Hutt's palace on Tatooine."
Summer 2016: Bespin - "It's hunt or be hunted in this action-packed experience set in the Cloud City of Bespin."
Fall 2016: Death Star - "That's no moon! One of the most iconic locations in the Star Wars universe makes its debut in Star Wars Battlefront."
Early 2017: Untitled fourth expansion


http://www.destructoid.com/these-are-star-wars-battlefront-s-dlc-plans-336869.phtml

[Penner]

I kinda want to buy the DLC. Does anyone think it will be on sale at some point?

[Emperor Smeat]

As attentive fans predicted, Greedo (A New Hope) and Nien Nunb (Return of the Jedi) are indeed coming to Star Wars Battlefront as hero characters. This franchise sure loves its kooky names.

Greedo and Nien are part of this month's Outer Rim DLC which, among other things, introduces a mode called Extraction. Here's the setup: "Rebel forces have entered some of the most dangerous places in the Outer Rim in order to extract a valuable shipment of resources. Now they must bring the shipment to their transport ship before time runs out. The Empire has arrived to stop them from reaching the extraction point."

The expansion pack also adds gear -- the Relby V-10 rifle, DT-12 blaster pistol, Scatter Gun, Dioxis Grenade, and Adrenaline Stim -- plus a pair of maps. One is an industrial area on Sullust, while the other takes place around Jabba the Hutt's palace on Tatooine.
http://www.destructoid.com/star-wars-battlefront-s-outer-rim-dlc-sounds-decent-346030.phtml