Armory Staff

We want to take this opportunity to thank everyone that has played the Battlefield 4 Beta! Your feedback has been crucial in testing the underlying infrastructure and reporting both bugs and balancing issues to ensure a smooth launch on October 29. In this blog post, we want to bring up some of the key findings and how we’re addressing these for the launch of Battlefield 4. Thanks again for playing and keep the feedback coming on the Battlelog Beta forums. Low frame rate/stuttering PC players may have experienced trouble in the Beta getting the game running at a good frame rate. Rest assured that we’re using the information we received to optimize the performance for the launch of the game. We also released three game client updates and a number of game server updates during the Beta to address some of these issues and to gather more information to ensure a smoother launch. Stuck on loading screen We have identified some of the reasons why players, mainly on PC, were getting stuck on the loading screen and are currently working around the clock to decrease the rate at which this occurs. The latest PC patch for the Beta helped for some players and we are confident we will be able to minimize this issue for launch. High CPU usage during the Beta CPU usage could sometimes skyrocket for dual, quad and six-core processors. We identified some of the reasons and released three patches with fixes that went live during the Beta, to address the problems. This was a true Beta, and as such all the crash reports that were generated during this period will actually help us make a better game. Controller layouts (X360/PS3) We’ve increased the available controller options in Battlefield 4, including the new controller layout and multiple alternatives that we hope will make you feel right at home. If you’re more comfortable with the controls from Battlefield 3, we’ve got you covered. Just by bringing up the options menu, you can choose the “Legacy†layout, which is similar to that in Battlefield 3. Empty server listings (X360/PS3) While in the Server Browser you may have seen lists of empty servers. By changing the filter options, you’ll be able to find populated servers that you can join. You can also use the “Quick Match†function to quickly get into the action. The elevator catapult (All platforms) Although an interesting concept, elevators were never designed to act as a catapult or teleporter. The bug where the elevator button would catapult you up into the air is fixed for the final game. But we did enjoy all the crazy videos you’ve posted. Thanks! Gameplay balancing We are still balancing gameplay, and in true DICE fashion will continue to do so well after the release of Battlefield 4. Below are just some of the gameplay changes based on your feedback that we’re making in time for the launch of the game. Infantry Changes -Fixed how the player only receives a single local damage sound effect if he or she was the victim of a quick, clean kill. The sound and camera impact effect had too long a cool down between hits. This should improve the responsiveness of being killed and taking damage. -Reduced the fire rate of the AK12 in burst from 1000rpm to 750rpm. The rate of fire was too high when combined with the low recoil of the weapon, making it more powerful than intended in burst mode. -Tweaked the compensator and muzzle brake so they’re properly less accurate in sustained automatic fire. -Reduced and rebalanced full auto accuracy based on rate of fire for all automatic weapons to balance low ROF weapons. Low ROF weapons were remaining accurate long enough to get easy kills outside of their intended optimal range. -Increased the default throw distance of the portable ammo and med packs. This makes it easier to throw these packs to teammates. -Portable ammo packs now reload 2 magazines of bullets instantly and up a total of 4 magazines per pack over time. The player must stay on top of the ammo pack in order to benefit from all of the ammo reloading. Grenades, RPG’s, and other explosive launchers do not benefit from the instant reload function of the Ammo Pack. -Increased the muzzle flash of the 25mm and 40mm launchers to make their threat position more visible. -Fixed an issue where the knife stab didn’t align with the kill event. -The revive time has been increased from 7s to 10s. Vehicle Changes -Fixed some descriptions of weapons for vehicles that incorrectly described the function of the weapon. -Increased the damage of the Stinger and IGLA to 3 hits to kill attack choppers (was 25%, now 35%). -Increased the speed of all TOW guided missiles to 75m/s from 50m/s so they can catch-up to fast vehicles like the Quad bike. -Increased the sustained fire accuracy of the Coaxial LMG on armored vehicles because it was underpowered. -Reduced the damage the 40mm and 25mm infantry weapons do to armored vehicles to highlight their anti-infantry role. -Reduced the damage main gun on the IFVs against other armor to highlight their primarily anti-infantry role. -Fixed an issue where the tank main gun did not correctly hit the center of the crosshair at all times. -Multiple options are now available for controlling how your vehicles steer with a joystick on all platforms, as well as improved the responsiveness of steering while accelerating. Locking Weapon Changes -RPG7 and SMAW can no longer lock on to Laser Designated Targets. It was inauthentic and not balanced. -Fixed some projectiles not warning vehicles when they were fired on a Laser Designated target. Reduced the lock on distance for RPGs, SMAW, and MBT LAW missiles to 350m from 500m. This gives the IGLA the clear long range AA role for soldiers, and keeps the team play element of Laser Designation. -All Laser Designated missiles now do a maximum of 90% damage to Attack and Scout helicopters (down from 100%). This was done to give helicopters a chance to use their Fire Extinguisher countermeasure even against Laser Designated weapons. General Changes -The kill string in the score log now appears sooner, making the UI more responsive to a kill event. -The aim assist on X360/PS3 has been tweaked to be more consistent at all ranges. The assist was over powerful at close range, and not powerful enough at medium range. Players should now find that close combat requires much more player input and the snap to a target is far less forgiving. At medium range the player should experience a bit more assistance tracking targets, but generally still reduced aim assist effectiveness. PC Specific Changes -Fixed a string in On Foot PC key bindings that should have read “CROUCH (TOGGLE) / PRONE (HOLD)â€. -Removed an unused “Underslung†key binding on PC, the “Select Gadget 1″ key binding now controls both of these actions as expected. View the full article

Sweat drips down my face. We stand in a parking lot in Culver City, and it’s so hot we can feel the asphalt through our shoes. In a few days this lot will fade back into the featureless sprawl of Los Angeles, but for now this slab of tarmac is home to a charming little tent city that comprises the IndieCade festival. Independent games, both digital and tabletop, are on display here, but it’s actually a piece of hardware that has the longest line. It obstructs the walkway, curling back beyond the confines of a blue tent, hiding the line’s real length. People really want to play with the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here View the full article

In this in-depth “Road to Battlefield 4†blog post we tackle a highly anticipated feature for Battlefield 4: Spectator Mode. The team at DICE explains how being able to view Battlefield matches in the engaging Spectator Mode will gratify curious fans, competitive gamers, and ambitious YouTube video makers alike. With the crazy moments that happen only in Battlefield, the impressive skills of top players, and the amazing Frostbite 3 visuals, we really wanted to give everyone a chance to view Battlefield 4 matches – not just those participating in the battles themselves. That is why Spectator Mode was created, to give everyone front row seats to the all-out war of Battlefield 4′s multiplayer. Here to take us through Spectator Mode are two of its creators: Daniel Matros (Assistant Producer) and Dennis Brännvall (Junior Gameplay Designer). The duo will discuss the different camera views in Spectator Mode, the many display options for those who spectate, how the mode ties into competitive gaming – and more. Take it away, guys! Get Some Perspective: The Views of Spectator Mode We are very excited that Spectator Mode is returning in Battlefield 4, and this time around we are challenging and expanding upon the concept of spectating in a first person shooter. Our goal has been to give spectators the best possible views of the Battlefield, and the ability to quickly switch between both camera types and players – without toggling through an entire team to get what they want. So how does Spectator Mode in Battlefield 4 work? It all starts with Battlelog. When you find a BF4 server, you can choose to join as a Spectator. If spectating is enabled, there are four Spectator slots per server, and those four slots are excluded from the number of players the game mode allows. So on PC and next-gen consoles, you could have 64 players + 2 Commanders + 4 Spectators. http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/tabletop-view1.jpg Tabletop View gives you a bird’s-eye view on the action, but thanks to the picture-in-picture screen you can also keep an eye on the action on the streets, in the air or at sea. Once inside Spectator Mode, you can observe the matches in four different views: First Person, Third Person, Tabletop and Freecam View. Each view comes with its own merits, and our goal is for players to find the perfect views for the situation at hand – and to easily switch between them. The first view you will see in Spectator Mode is the Tabletop View. This is visually similar to the Commander Mode screen, and here you will have a UI with icons for the starting points, players, vehicles, and so on. From this position, you can then select anything that has a camera – players and all the vehicles – and you see their actions in a smaller picture-in-picture screen. Using Tabletop View and its smaller screen gives you a great overview of both the big and the small aspects of the battle. Switching to First Person View puts you in the heat of the battle and is visually reminiscent of actually playing Battlefield 4 yourself. Third Person View also follows one specific player, but from an overhead perspective. This gives the Spectator a wider view of the surroundings, and captures the chaos of all-out war in a more cinematic way. Finally we have Freecam View, where you have five different cameras that you can switch between. These cameras are placed on the map by us from the beginning, but you can move them anywhere you want – an ideal setup if you are creating your own Battlefield 4 movies. You can capture all the action from different angles to get that cinematic feel, like the one you see in our own Battlefield 4 trailers. One cool thing is that the video team here at DICE actually use the Spectator Mode themselves to capture those cinematic camera angles. http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/BF4_Spectator_1P.jpg Spectating in First Person View throws you right in the chaos of all-out war and lets you analyze in detail how other players take on the Battlefield. We looked at having just one Freecam but quickly realized that it wouldn’t cover the entire Battlefield. So one criteria for making a great Spectator Mode for Battlefield 4 was to have several Freecams, since you need the ability to fly around and switch positions quickly. This is also true for the competitive world, where having just one Freecam can easily make you miss parts of the action. If you look at shoutcasting of competitive gaming, you can’t always see where the action is. Sure, you get information based on the kill feed, but you can’t always see what’s going on around the corner. So in the Battlefield 4 Spectator Mode, you will get a combination of many different view modes and camera angles – making it great for competitive games. See What You Want to See: Spectator Display Options At the top of your screen you will find the controls for moving between players, and switching between the four camera modes. You can see every player in the squad you are currently spectating. You can also see where the five cameras are, the score for the two teams, the remaining time, and the objectives (like flags in Conquest mode). There are squad bars on the two sides of the screen to keep track of the squad member’s health and classes. In addition to that, the Player Card shows the player’s current weapons, attachments, gadgets and vehicle customizations (if you are spectating a vehicle). http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/BF4_Spectator_FreeCam.jpg Navigation with the Freecam is done with the same basic controls that are used for your soldier in-game. An adjustable speed of the camera enables you to move around both fast and precise. We want to give you as much information as possible in the Spectator Mode interface, like squad bars, ticket count, objectives and team names. But you should also be to toggle the different layers on and off, because let’s face it: Battlefield 4 is a beautiful game, and sometimes you want to view it without distractions. Another thing that was important to us when designing the third person camera is that it should never clip through buildings and walls, because that takes you out of the experience. Our programmers worked hard on making it look great in third person, even in narrow situations like crawling through a tunnel. You don’t have to be that “active†in the Spectator Mode’s third person view; it should take care of itself and not wind up in weird places. Spectator Mode and Competitive Gaming Spectator Mode will tie into competitive gaming in many ways. There’s been a lot of buzz in the pro league world since we revealed Spectator Mode at E3, and we hope to see Battlefield 4 played at more competitive events in the future. The broadcasting-friendly features of Spectator mode, along with the depth of gameplay and improved teamplay mechanics, will allow BF4 to take a big step into the competitive gaming scene. To make a game interesting in the world of competitive gaming, you have to be able to have spectators. We want to give people a chance to view players that are really good at Battlefield 4, and for anyone to share their experiences. While no one can say exactly when, we at DICE are convinced that e-sports will someday become the most popular sport on the planet, and we’d like Battlefield to be one of the games that makes that happen. That’s another reason why we need a Spectator Mode, and a really good one as well. http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/BF4_Spectator_3P.jpg Third-Person View gives you a wider view on the surrondings, and lets you follow the selected player in a more cinematic fashion. All the game modes are great to spectate, but we’re really excited about Obliteration. By design, this game mode focuses the action into a single point of interest – namely where the bomb is and what’s happening to it – which makes for exciting and easy to follow spectator experiences, not to mention plenty of crazy Battlefield moments. Challenges and Color Coding The biggest challenge with creating Spectator Mode was to make sense of developing it for such a vast game. We struggled with that a lot: how do we support having both a big overview and a detailed view – and make it work well? This required a lot of thought, and we had to hammer out many edge cases. How would we support Squad Deathmatch that has 4 different teams, for instance? The Battlefield 4 mentality of “all game modes, all maps†was something we felt was needed for Spectator Mode too. Early on though, we considered whether to just not allow Spectators on servers with 64 players, due to all the challenges that would mean for developing it. But we realized we had to support it – and it had to be a good experience. The color coding was another challenge. Initially, there was some confusion at E3 and gamescom when we used the same colors as the active players see in-game. For instance, one of our producers had this “moment†on the gamescom live stream where he thought the player was shooting at his team mate. That made us realize we weren’t there yet. We knew we had to distance ourselves from the colors in-game since the spectator is supposed to be a neutral entity on the Battlefield. We finally decided on what the team colors in Spectator Mode should be: deep red and deep blue. An Exciting New Feature To round off, we asked our Spectator Mode developers what part of the new feature they are most excited about. DM: — I want to see how people will shoutcast Battlefield 4 with the help of Spectator Mode. Will they use the first person view fusioned with a real-time strategy point of view, or will they use third person only? It’s going to be very interesting to see how our tool is going to be used. DB: — Spectating a 64-player Conquest match lets you fully appreciate all the different multiplayer narratives that our game consist of. You get the awesome vistas when all the vehicles come rolling out of the HQ’s, you get the close quarters infantry fighting, the pesky snipers on top of a roof and then the helicopters that take them out. And it all happens at the same time, and you’re able to capture it all as a spectator. That’s when I’m the most happy that we didn’t scale down or compromise – Spectator is an awesome feature and I can’t wait to hand it off to our very capable fans and see what they make of it. We hope you have enjoyed this post. Spectator Mode will be available on PC and next-gen consoles, but you can try it out now in the on-going Battlefield 4 Beta. Remember to give us your comments and thoughts on this blog post. Let us also know what you think about Spectator Mode in our poll below and stay tuned for more The Road to Battlefield 4! Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. View the full article

http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/socialsharing3.jpgClick “enable†to let the world know you’re a #BF4 fan. We are happy to announce the new Facebook Sharing in Battlelog! Now, our Battlefield fans can choose to share their in-game progression with friends automatically. Some example of stories that can be posted to your activity feed (and in some instances your wall) are ranking up, joining games, and winning rounds. Players clicking your story can be taken to either the Battlefield 4 Beta page, your Facebook profile, or the Open Beta server browser (depending on which item they click). Let your friends know you are a true Battlefield fan by enabling Facebook Sharing now. You can switch it on by going to your profile and setting â€Facbook Sharing†to on. You can turn it off again at any time. This is our first iteration of Facebook Sharing from Battlefield, and like always we appreciate your feedback. What kind of stories would you like to see in Battlefield 4? Let us know in the comments section below. Head to Battlelog to enable Facebook Sharing. Join the Battlefield 4 Open Beta and help us make the game better! View the full article

Battlefield has always been about those unbelievable moments – the ones that are unscripted and you, the players, create by simply playing the game. What you have created in the past always seems to amaze us, like taking out the pilot of a helicopter, jumping off a skyscraper, and jumping in the pilot’s seat in mid-air. These are the kind moments you can have Only in Battlefield and we want to help you make even more. Now that the Battlefield 4 Open Beta is live, we want to see your best Only in Battlefield 4 moments. To give your moments even more of that Battlefield feeling, we’re releasing our official video template. Click to download the Only in Battlefield 4 video toolkit. After you make your own Only in Battlefield 4 videos, send your YouTube Video ID to battlefieldsocial@ea.com for a chance to get your video shown on Battlefield.com! We’re looking forward to seeing your most amazing Only in Battlefield 4 moments. Good luck – we’ll see you on the Battlefield. Learn how to join the Battlefield 4 Open Beta on PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. View the full article

Battlefield has always brought out the competitive side in people. So it’s no surprise that on November 1, Europe and the USA are going head-to-head in Battlefield 4 to finally find out who’s best – and you have a chance to join the fight. Tune into the live stream on Xbox Live on November 1 at 10:00AM PDT to find out who will win the “Battlefield 4: Showdown Live – Europe vs USA†match-up. Xbox Live’s Major Nelson and AceyBongos will each command their own team of 32 players on Xbox One. You’ll get the first look at the Battlefield 4 Second Assault expansion pack, which debuts at the Showdown and brings four re-imagined Battlefield 3 maps to Battlefield 4. http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Second-Assault-Key-Art-640x435.png One lucky player from the USA will get the chance to be on Major Nelson’s team by entering Xbox’s “Play and Win†sweepstakes. Download the Battlefield 4 Gamer Pic and play the Battlefield 4 beta on Xbox Live this weekend for a chance to win a trip for two to London, two passes to the event, a seat on the USA team and a $500 gift card. Play while you can – the sweepstakes ends on October 6. Check out the full details from Microsoft at www.xbox.com/bf4pw to learn more about the “Play and Win†sweepstakes. View the full article

With the Exclusive Battlefield 4 Beta in full swing, have a look at our new Beta Overview Video for a run-down of the playable map and available game modes. The Open Beta available to all players opens up on October 4. Learn more about the Battlefield 4 Beta. Pre-order Battleifeld 4 Digital Deluxe Edition on PC from Origin to join the Exclusive Beta that runs through October 3. View the full article

The feedback we’ve received following our in-depth blog post on the return of Commander Mode has been tremendous, and we’re listening! The team at DICE is hard at work putting the final touches on Battlefield 4, but we managed to get some time with Valerian Noghin, Multiplayer Designer on Commander Mode. High Value Targets One of the primary objectives for a Commander will be to identify threats. In Battlefield 4, we are giving the Commander the ability to identify High Value Targets, turning up the intensity on the battlefield even more. When a player has reached a kill streak of six, they will appear as a selectable unit on the Commander Screen. Once this happens, the opposing teams Commander can choose to reveal the HVT’s location on the map. Once they do that, a timer begins to count down and a message will appear on-screen letting that Commanders team know where that HVT is via the mini map. If the HVT takes down an enemy while the timer is counting down, they will receive bonus points for each kill. If you’re good, racking up great amounts of points during a match will be easier, but don’t expect it to be easy if you’re playing against a well-coordinated team. Rewarding skilled players is really important for us, as we don’t want them to feel as if this is a punishment, but rather something that they should be proud about. When a player eliminates a HVT they will receive a one-time bonus, and the Commander that issued the order will also receive a bonus based on the total amount of kills the HVT had during their kill streak. Taking down a HVT isn’t an easy task, especially if the opposing Commander utilizes assets such as the EMP or even supply drops to help his team out. When the countdown ends, there will be a cool down before a Commander can choose a new target, so it won’t be possible to HVT spam. Becoming a Commander You’ve been on the battlefield and now you’re ready to lead your team to victory. Players that have reached Rank 10, will be able to join matches as a Commander on a first-come, first-served basis. This rank requirement will also be required for Commanders playing on tablets, meaning they will need PC/console experience before leading their teams while on the move. PC players will use Battlelog to join, while console players will be able to do this through the in-game menus. Commander Mutiny Think you can be a better Commander? If so, start a mutiny. Squad leaders who disapprove of the Commanders performance will be able to vote for a mutiny against the Commander. When a Commander reaches the munity threshold, all players on the team will be informed and a countdown timer of 2 minutes will appear on the Commander Screen (and those of the squad leaders). The Commander will be able to directly see which leaders disapprove and will have some time to turn the tide of the battle, showing that they are worthy to be in the position. Unlike normal voting, squad leaders can at any point change their minds and show that they now approve of how the Commander plays. If a mutiny does occur, new Commanders will have a couple of minutes’ grace period when taking the seat before a mutiny can be started against them. Until next time… Check back here at the Battlefield blog next week for a special BF4 Beta edition of Ask DICE. Next time we’ll be answering questions about the Battlefield 4 Beta as well as any other burning questions. What questions do you have? Let us know in the comments below. Battlefield 4 begins its release on October 29, 2013 and will be available for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. Pre-order the Digital Deluxe Edition and get access to the exclusive Battlefield 4 Beta on Oct 1. View the full article

Powered by our advanced Frostbite 3 engine, Battlefield 4 represents the pinnacle of this generation. It brings together the most stunning visuals ever seen on a PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360, the most varied gameplay with the most chaotic, dramatic experience of all-our war breaking loose around you. No other game can do what Battlefield 4 does. With less than 6 weeks until the launch of Battlefield 4 on Xbox 360 and PS3, let us count the ways that Battlefield 4 will blow you away on October 29. http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/01.pngPREPARE 4 NEXT-GENBRING YOUR UNLOCKS WHEN YOU MAKE THE JUMP TO NEXT-GEN Be the best you can be on Day 1 on next-gen. If you start playing Battlefield 4 on the current generation of consoles and make the jump to next-gen, you can bring all of your stats and unlocks. Don’t start from scratch when Battlefield 4 launches on Xbox One and PS4. You could join the next generation battle armed to the teeth and with a massive amount of unlocks, camos, and paints already unlocked. Learn more http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/02.pngPLAY NOW, UPGRADE LATERPAY AS LOW AS $10 FOR BATTLEFIELD 4 ON NEXT-GEN If you’re not ready to make the jump to next-gen just yet, get the full Battlefield experience on PS3 and Xbox 360 – and when you do, it’ll only cost you as low as $10/£10/10€ to upgrade to Xbox One or PS4. Learn more http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/03.pngLEVOLUTIONBRING DOWN A SKYSCRAPER. DESTROY AN ISLAND is about dynamic environments; how you affect the world, and how the world affects you back. But it’s not just about epic moments like the skyscraper falling down in a massive cloud of dust. It’s also the little things, like being alerted to enemy presence using metal detectors. It’s taking out the lights to be able to pick off enemies using your IRNV scope. It’s about trapping your foes inside a room with your cooked grenade. Levolution will change you how you play the game. Learn morehttp://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/04.pngSIEGE OF SHANGHAITRY THE GAME EARLY IN THE OPEN BETA Battlefield 4 is going into Beta soon so get into the action early! Join us on the map and help us bring down the skyscraper. The Open Beta will be available on PC, PS3, and X360, starting October 4. Learn morehttp://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/05.pngCOMMANDER MODETURN THE TIDE OF BATTLE Take command and turn the tide of Battle in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgZTeVnM5Sw. Playable directly on your PS3, X360, and PC (or on-the-go on your tablets), Commander Mode lets you take a strategic overview of the map to survey the Battlefield, send orders to team mates, deliver critical war assets, and support your troops with gunships and missile strikes. Learn more http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/06.pngAMPHIBIOUS ASSAULTTACTICAL AND CHALLENGING WATER-BASED COMBAT You’ve seen the gameplay from our map. One of the ways we’re bringing more diversity to Battlefield 4 is to increase the importance of naval combat. We’re doing this by increasing the number and types of naval units available to you. The other way is to create networked waves in multiplayer – this means all players in an online match will experience the same treacherous seas. This lets you hide between waves creating a cat-and-mouse type gameplay with enemies. You can engage in both challenging and tactically deep water-based combat like never before. Where water-based combat used to be played on a mostly flat water surface, it’s now played on anything from calm waters to raging oceans. Learn morehttp://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/07.pngEMBLEMSENTER THE BATTLEFIELD IN STYLE In Battlefield 4, create your own emblems and have them appear on your soldier, weapons, and vehicles. Customizable emblems let you to enter the Battlefield in style and allow you to show your gaming allegiance in new ways. Who do you want to be on the Battlefield? Learn more http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/08.pngCUSTOMIZATIONBUILD YOUR WEAPON OF CHOICE The customization options in Battlefield 4 are our deepest yet. Enhanced by a clear and easy to read interface, you can quickly gauge what the addition of a new accessory does to the handling of your weapon. With rotating 3D models you can inspect your weapons from any angle and verify they look cool enough to bring to the Battlefield. Learn more http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/09.pngALL-OUT WARALL MAPS, ALL MODES, ALL PLATFORMS Battlefield 4 comes with 10 vast and distinct maps that are designed to house all 7 available game modes. From frantic infantry only combat in Defuse to the all-out vehicle warfare in Conquest, Battlefield 4 offers the greatest variety in game modes and maps in Battlefield history. Learn more http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/101.pngBATTLELOGTHE BATTLE AT YOUR FINGERTIPS With for Battlefield 4, we’re creating a social experience on your console. Whether you’re creating custom Missions to challenge your friends, changing your loadout on the fly, or remote joining a server from the Battlelog app, we’ve got you covered. Learn moreBattlefield 4™ launches on Xbox 360 and PS3 Oct 29, Xbox One starting Nov 19/22 in North America/Europe, PS4 starting Nov 12/29 in North America/Europe, respectively. Learn more about Battlefield 4. View the full article

Battlefield 4 is just about a month away and we couldn’t wait any longer to reveal the full map list that you’ll get to experience in the game. You’ll be able to choose from 10 maps, playable on all seven game modes. The maps vary from the open Chinese metropolis in Siege of Shanghai and the violent seas of Paracel Storm to the flooded inner city streets of Flood Zone. Another map, Zavod 311, takes the fight in a completely different direction, which we wanted to highlight here as we unveiled it this week at the Eurogamer Expo in London. http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/BF4-Zavod-311_WM-640x360.jpg Zavod 311 puts players in a Soviet tank factory that dates back to the Cold War era. Long abandoned, Mother Nature has completely taken over the facility and now overgrown trees and bushes cover the compound. Deep within the factory is an active warhead, which players can detonate to send a towering chimney crashing to the ground. Doing this opens up gameplay paths and routes previously not available while closing others, and making the use of ground vehicles extremely difficult in the area. Players will also find munitions depots filled with highly explosive materials spread across the map that they can use to their advantage. Check out the full list of maps coming on October 29: - Siege of Shanghai - Paracel Storm - Zavod 311 - Lancang Dam - Flood Zone - Rogue Transmission - Hainan Resort - Dawnbreaker - Operation Locker - Golmud Railway What do you think the experience will be like in the other new maps? Let us know in the comments. Battlefield 4 begins its release on October 29, 2013 and will be available for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. Pre-order the Digital Deluxe Edition and get access to the exclusive Battlefield 4 Beta on Oct 1. View the full article

WHAT’S IN A TICKET? Tickets are a shared team resource for respawning. 1 ticket = 1 respawn. So if your team has 100 tickets to share, after you have received 100 kills your team will be down to zero and lose the match. You can also continually bleed tickets in most game modes if the enemy controls more flags than you. From the all-out vehicle warfare of Conquest to the frantic warfare found in the all-new Obliteration mode, Battlefield 4 offers the most diverse and fun multiplayer experience yet. As we prepare for launch, we wanted to tell you about the modes you’ll be playing in the Battlefield 4 Beta, as well as the other modes you will get to experience when Battlefield 4 launches later this year. Battlefield 4 brings seven distinct game modes all playable on the ten exciting multiplayer maps – and all modes will be playable on all maps. By carefully zoning the playable combat areas, adapting flag layouts, and catering for a variety of gameplay styles, each map will accomodate any game mode you wish to play. Read on for details on each of the game modes in Battlefield 4! CONQUEST (Playable in the Battlefield 4 Beta)http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Conquest_720_text-640x360.jpg TIME IS UP! Most game modes have a default time limit to prevent matches from going on for too long without a conclusion. In game modes like Team Deathmatch and Squad Deathmatch, we also have an overtime feature to make sure that they don’t end in a draw and that a winner is declared. Combat type: The definitive Battlefield mode – All-out vehicle warfare mixed with intense infantry action across land, air and sea Designed for: 24 players (X360, PS3) / 64 players (Xbox One, PS4, PC) Commander mode: Optional Conquest is the quintessential Battlefield mode and includes all-out vehicle warfare across land, air and sea. Engage in dogfights with jets, lay waste to the battlefield with tanks, patrol the rivers in attack boats, and engage in intense infantry combat. With its vast maps and wide array of available vehicles, Conquest truly lets you play your way. THIS is Battlefield! The goal is simple; capture flags, eliminate enemy soldiers, and bring the enemy’s ticket count down to zero. The best way to do that is to make sure you own a majority of the available flags on the map. To capture flags you must be within a specific range. The more flags your team controls the faster your enemies’ respawn tickets will reduce. But be advised, your enemy can capture your flags at any time, turning the table and putting you on the offensive. The first team to bleed their opponent’s respawn tickets to zero are the victors. DOMINATION (Playable in the Battlefield 4 Beta)Combat type: Fast-paced infantry variant of Conquest Designed for: 20 players (all platforms) Commander mode: No Domination is an intense, infantry only game mode that made its debut in Battlefield 3: Close Quarters. While sharing many of the elements of Conquest (capturing flags, bleeding your enemies’ tickets to zero), Domination is tighter and more focused. You’ll never be far from a flag, which means you’ll be constantly on the move and constantly in the thick of the action. In contrast to Conquest, capturing flags is much quicker in Domination, and the ticket count is lower than in Conquest. You also lose tickets more slowly if you own a minority of the bases. This means that every kill made in Domination means much more for the outcome of the entire match than it does in Conquest. OBLITERATIONhttp://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Obliteration_720_text-640x360.jpg COMMANDER MODE Turn the tide in the strategic Commander Mode. Learn more about how to direct your troops, scan the Battlefield, and deliver critical war assets in this blog post. Combat type: Mad dash in vehicles and on foot to deliver explosives Designed for: 24 (X360, PS3) 32 (Xbox One, PS4, PC) Commander mode: Optional We call this the â€Battlefield Moments Generatorâ€. One of the two new game modes in Battlefield 4, Obliteration is definitely the most explosive! In Obliteration, a bomb spawns at a random location on the map. Both teams must fight to pick up the bomb, drop it off at one of their opponent’s three objectives, arm it, and destroy the objective. Once a bomb has detonated, the next one randomly spawns in a new location and the chaos starts all over. The game lasts until one team has detonated the other team’s three objectives. Obliteration can be devastatingly quick or a harrowing tug of war depending on how good your team is at staying together and delivering the bomb. Like most other game modes, there is usually also a time limit in place to make sure the match does not go on for too long. Compared to Conquest, the action in Obliteration tends to be heavily focused on wherever the bomb is located. Since there’s only one bomb at a time, you will often find yourself going from attacker to defender in the blink of an eye. You need to be able to predict enemy movement to defend at the right place at the right time and reclaim the offensive – or intercept the enemy to reclaim possession of the bomb. The constantly shifting playing field from offense to defense is partly inspired by American football – with the detonation of an enemy installation being the Battlefield equivalent of scoring a touchdown. Learn more about Obliteration in this blog post. DEFUSECombat type: Competitive close quarters combat Designed for: 5 vs. 5 players (all platforms) Commander mode: No The other new game mode making its debut in Battlefield 4, Defuse is a highly competitive and lethal. Each player is given a single life per round, every shot fired having the potential to drastically change the outcome. Teams can win by eliminating the enemy squad, or arming and detonating a military objective that they own (similar to the M-COM stations in Rush mode.) Built from the ground up and designed to cater to the most competitive Battlefield players, Defuse provides a distinctly new flavor to Battlefield that stands in stark contrast to other modes like Rush and Conquest. Each player can only be revived once per round, and players who have been eliminated will be following the rest of the showdown from the sidelines. TEAM DEATHMATCHhttp://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/TDM_720_text-640x360.jpg Combat type: The classic shooter mode, Battlefield 4 style Designed for: 20 players (all platforms) Commander mode: No Few game modes are as instantly recognizable as Team Deathmatch. The setup is deliciously simple: two teams face off in combat, with the first team to reach a preset number of kills emerging victorious. There’s nothing more to it – it’s the perfect game mode for when you’re short on time and crave instant action. RUSHhttp://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Rush_720_text-640x360.jpg Combat type: Fight deep into enemy territory by detonating their M-COM stations Designed for: 24 players (X360, PS3) 32 players (Xbox One, PS4, PC) Commander mode: Optional Another signature Battlefield multiplayer mode, Rush is an asymmetrical struggle between Attackers and Defenders. The goal is for the attacking team to arm and destroy two MCOM stations in each zone of the map. The defending team must stop this from happening before the run out of respawns. If the attacking team is successful, two more MCOM stations are spawned deeper on the map. Rush continues until the attacking team has destroyed all six of their enemies MCOMs, or when the defending team has successfully bled the attacking team’s respawn tickets dry. Often, a game of Rush will take you through a number of different environments, each asking you to reconsider your tactics and your loadout. SQUAD DEATHMATCHCombat type: Four squads fight on the ground with limited vehicle support in a race to the top of the leaderboard Designed for: 16 players (all platforms) Commander mode: Optional In Squad Deathmatch, four squads face off in a battle to the top of the leaderboard. The first squad to reach the preset number of kills in each round is declared the winner. Squad Death Match is a mode that takes the immediate action from Team Deathmatch and doubles the number of participating teams to deliver an intense battle to see who will emerge victorious. Stay tuned to “The Road to Battlefield 4â€, where we’ll continue the journey towards the release of Battlefield 4 by diving deeper in to the biggest Battlefield game ever. Until then, let us know what you think about this blog post, and what questions you want us to answer in the upcoming posts. Thanks for reading! View the full article

Welcome to the Battlefield 4 Beta: Everything you need to knowAfter two years of hard work we are finally getting ready to roll out Battlefield 4! Please join us next week in the Battlefield 4 Beta to help us make the launch a smoother experience. In this personal blog post, DICE General Manager Karl Magnus Troedsson explains this exciting milestone for Battlefield in detail and how you can help us make the game better. This is a very exciting time for me and everyone at DICE. After years of hard work and passion, we are in the final stages of preparing for our biggest game yet. This beta marks one of the final milestones before Battlefield 4 launches October 29, and I couldn’t be more proud of what the team has accomplished. http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Battlefield-4-Siege-on-Shanghai-Multiplayer-Screens_1-WM-640x360.jpg Take part in the Siege of ShanghaiIn this beta, you’ll be able to play the Siege of Shanghai map – perhaps our most ambitious and “Battlefield-y†map ever. Never before have we combined a dense urban environment with full infantry and vehicular combat. You’ll zigzag between the skyscrapers in helicopters or engage enemies right in the center of the city in our all-new attack boats. We’re also including the entire concept of Levolution, from the epic player-triggered moment where you can bring down an entire skyscraper, to all of the little things like raising bollards to stop advancing armor, car alarms going off, and being able to lower shutter gates to fortify your position. In many ways, this map perfectly encapsulates the ideas we have for Battlefield 4 overall – the notion of all-out vehicle warfare with an increased focus on water-based combat and the game-changing concept of Levolution. We can’t wait for you to experience it, both in the Conquest and Domination game mode. As a small token of appreciation, all players who take part in the Beta will be awarded a unique dog tag for use in Battlefield 4 (when the full game is out). http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Beta-Tag.png Help us make the game betterWhile the release of Battlefield 4 is relatively close, I wanted to underline that this is, in every respect, a true Beta test. We still have time to implement changes based on your feedback. Some of these changes will happen in time for launch; some feedback will be addressed after launch in our extensive ongoing support of the game. As long-term fans will know, we are also passionate about tweaking and balancing gameplay based on player feedback once the game is live – expect our commitment for Battlefield 4 to be equally strong. We take pride in listening to our fans so do make yourself heard. If you have any feedback on the Beta, please submit it to us in the Battlefield 4 Beta forums that we will set up on Battlelog. We will provide regular updates on the beta itself in Battlelog News posts, in the Battlelog forums, and in news posts inside the game (on console). While we are eager to hear your feedback on the actual gameplay, the beta is first and foremost an opportunity for us to test the underlying infrastructure – server loads, matchmaking systems, server browsers, and game mode rotations are now going to be tested at high capacity for the first time in a public environment. The data that we will receive during the beta period will be of great value to us when configuring the game for launch. Simply by joining the beta, you are helping us tweak very important details in the multiplayer components for our biggest and most ambitious game yet. What to expect from the BetaDuring the beta, we are aiming to be live 24/7. However, we will regularly restart servers on short notice or take down the beta for periods of time if needed for technical reasons. This is because we are still optimizing net code, updating the dedicated server code, updating the server infrastructure, and doing database work. You can always check the notice bar on Battlelog for up to date information on server status for all platforms (PC, X360, PS3). I would also like to point out that gameplay is still being balanced, and that the beta is not representative of the final quality of the game. The beta version of the game is actually older than the version we are currently working on at the DICE office, since the beta had to be submitted for testing and certification before it can go live. How to join the Battlefield 4 BetaI am happy to invite all of our fans to try the open beta. There is also an exclusive beta three days prior that is open for a select group of players including Battlefield 3 Premium members and fans who have pre-ordered the Battlefield 4 Digital Deluxe Edition on Origin. See below how and when you can join. The most up to date information on how to find and download the Beta for all platforms will be published on this Beta page. Ways to get into the BetaEligible forPre-order the Battlefield 4 PC Digital Deluxe Edition (Available on Origin)The Exclusive Beta starting October 1* and the Open Beta starting October 4* through October 15Be a Battlefield 3 Premium memberThe Exclusive Beta starting October 1* and the Open Beta starting October 4* through October 15Be a registered owner of Medal of Honor Warfighter Limited Edition or Digital Deluxe EditionThe Exclusive Beta starting October 1* and the Open Beta starting October 4* through October 15Download the Open Beta on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, or PC from Xbox Live, PSN and Origin.comThe Open Beta October 4* through October 15*Date subject to change You can start pre-loading the exclusive Beta on PC on Sept. 29 at 10AM PDT (click for global time). 64-bit OS required on PCNote that you are required to run a 64-bit OS to join the Battlefield 4 Beta on PC. As a studio, we wanted to focus our efforts on testing the 64-bit version of the game. The full version of the game will also run on 32-bit Windows OS. Keeping the Battlefield fairAt DICE, we are always striving to keep the Battlefield fair. We are happy to let you know that we have increased our protection against cheaters to not only use PunkBuster, but we will also work side by side with Gameblocks, who will provide us with their anti-cheat engine FairFight. We believe that the FairFight engine will be a great complement to the anti-cheat measures already in play. During the Beta we will try out both FairFight and PunkBuster to make the experience as good as possible for our players. You will notice information about the two anti-cheat measures on the server browser pages on Battlelog, and you will also potentially see messaging in the chat box in-game when a cheater is caught. We will get back to you later with more detail on how we are improving our anti-cheat measures in Battlefield 4. To our fans: We salute youFinally, I wanted to take the time to personally thank our millions of fans for making Battlefield what it is today. With Battlefield 4, we are making great new strides in the series and I am happy to have you along for the ride. Please let us know if you have any questions on the beta below and we’ll do our best to answer them. Now, all I have to do is to complete my three outstanding Assignments in Battlefield 3 before we launch Battlefield 4! /Karl Magnus Troedsson General Manager, DICE Learn more about the Battlefield 4 Beta. Learn more about Levolution. Learn more about FairFight. Learn more about PunkBuster. View the full article

Always at your fingertips, Battlelog for Battlefield 4 delivers an amazing array of detailed stats, game-connected features and new ways to compete. Jesper Nielsen, Assistant Producer for Battlelog, will walk you through new details for Battlelog, and how it will make your BF4 experience truly unique. Introducing Battlelog for Battlefield 4 We loved introducing Battlelog in Battlefield 3, but that was just the beginning. Since then, we’ve had some great ideas for how we could innovate and make it even better with Battlefield 4. The goal with Battlelog for BF4 is to create an enhanced experience for the player that allows them to be constantly connected to the game, whether it’s in front of their console or PC or on the go using their mobile device. We had to fundamentally change some features – like fully integrating Battlelog into the game on next-gen consoles and PC. By doing this, it has enabled us to give Battlelog a style and look that is much more in-tune with the game, introduce connected features to make it an even more powerful companion and provide new ways for you to customize your experience. In-Game Integration A core goal for the team was to deeply integrate the Battlelog experience within the game, utilizing the great platform we had already built for BF3. With seamless integration in mind, we’ve placed a widget in the top right corner of your interface, where you can see how many of your friends are currently playing BF4 or how many active Missions you have available(a new feature where you can create new challenges for you and your friends). This widget also gives you notifications for certain events. For example, Battlelog will let you know of Mission invites, if someone beat your score in a Mission or when a friend joins your server. We tried to balance it so it isn’t too intrusive, yet still gives you the information you want, when you want it. If you still prefer to go without it, you have the option to hide the widget. At any time in-game, you can bring up the Battlelog overlay. For PC and next-gen consoles we’ve built a new platform to ensure we could bring Battlelog to players in the best possible way while they are playing the game. This means that it is built on the same core technology as Battlelog is on the web, tablet and mobile devices, making it easier and faster for us to update, and keeping it tightly connected to the Battlelog experience outside the game. This in-game overlay will give you access to tons of Battlelog features. You can see what your friends are doing, check their stats and join their game. You can also see who is in your squad when playing multiplayer and look up their profile. Maybe you want to check your standings on the Geo Leaderboards, or create a Mission. It’s all available at any time during the game. You can even see how you’re progressing towards your next rank or unlocks in real-time! http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/ingame_overlay-640x400.jpg In-game overlay – work-in-progress image A Connected Experience With BF3 we realized that the game, Battlelog on the web, and Battlelog on mobile felt like separate pieces. With Battlelog for BF4 the design across the in-game, web, tablet, and mobile experiences are much more uniform. Going between the game and Battlelog on the various platforms will feel much smoother and connected. We’re also working hard to ensure the Battlelog experience for BF4 on console is on par with the deep interaction PC players have enjoyed since BF3. Another way we’ve bridged the gap between Battlelog and the game is with Emblems. You will now be able to create Emblems and take them into multiplayer to show off your style. Create an Emblem on Battlelog and then next time you join a multiplayer game, you will see this Emblem on both your gun and soldier – they even show upon vehicles as you enter them. We can’t wait to see all the creative emblems people will create and bring into the game. The Battlefield 4 Companion In addition to new levels of in-game integration, Battlelog is bringing both new and updated features through web and mobile devices. This extends Battlelog to be more than something you use while you’re not playing – Battlelog for BF4 is quite simply a full-fledged companion experience! With the Battlelog app (and on web as well), you can do a lot of things away from the game. You can view your stats, customize your Loadout, write in the forums, read the latest news, connect with friends, and more. Where the magic starts to happen is that Battlelog will now recognize when you’re playing the game. We’ve created something we call the Unified Game Manager, which will show up on Battlelog as you start playing on PC or console, and will offer you quick access to our game-connected features: Real-time Loadout, Remote Joining and BattleScreen. We’ve completely rebuilt the Loadout system on Battlelog, not only making it more user-friendly and intuitive, but also ensuring that it’s tightly integrated with the game. What this means is that you can customize your Loadout on Battlelog at any time and it’s automatically updated in-game. You just save it, and it’s applied. http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/web_loadout3-640x358.jpg Loadout – work-in-progress image Remote Joining is another really cool game-connected feature. Perhaps you’re playing on a server, but you’d like to join a different one or you want to join a friend somewhere else. Usually, you’d have to exit the game you’re currently in and then search for your next server in the menus. Now you can pull up the list of servers on Battlelog, find the one you want to play on, and press “Joinâ€. It’ll pull you right into that server. It’s extremely fast and fluid and a whole new way to find games on both console and PC. Another great feature for Battlelog on next-gen consoles and PC is BattleScreen, which is a real-time, interactive mini-map of the game that you’re currently playing in. Say you’re on your way to the fight as a passenger in a helicopter – if you’re the Squad Leader, you can grab the tablet next to you and set attack points for your pilot, prepping you and your squad for the battle to come. This all happens in real-time – there are no delays between what’s going on in-game and what you see on your device. It takes a bit of getting used to, having a second screen to look at, but once you get the hang of it you can use it your advantage. Gone are the days of bringing up the full-screen mini-map only to blur your view of the battle. http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/web_battlescreen-640x358.jpg BattleScreen – work-in-progress image In addition to this, we’ve done work to ensure that both the Battlelog and Commander Mode apps work well together. For example, once you find the server you want to play on from the Battlelog app, you just press “Join as Commanderâ€, and it will boot up the Commander app for you, automatically joining that server. We wanted BF4 to feel like one unified experience, and this is just one of the ways we’re doing that. Geo Leaderboards Our inspiration for Geo Leaderboards came from video game arcades, back when you stopped by the local arcade every day after school to see if you were still the top dog or if someone in neighborhood beat your high score. Taking this idea to heart, we looked at leaderboards in BF4 with a lot of scrutiny. When you’re number 127,842 in the global rankings for a game, it can feel defeating. That’s why we’ve brought Geo Leaderboards into the mix, where you can set your position to compete against people in your city, state, and country, as well as the world at large. http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tablet_leaderboards-640x467.jpg Geo Leaderboards on tablet – work-in-progress image We have leaderboards for weapons, vehicles, skill, kills, time played, and many more – allowing you to compete in a lot of different areas. We hope there’s a leaderboard that everyone feels they can compete in, no matter how they play the game. You can try to be the best assault player in your city, or the best reviver; you can go for getting the best Personal Record in your town. A Personal Record is getting the best score in a single round in some category, and it could be something like getting the most kills, best score or even destroying the most vehicles. http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tablet_leaderboardsspecific-640x467.jpg Leaderboards on tablet – work-in-progress image Be the Best Where It Counts Once you have your location set with Geo Leaderboards, you can take a look at how you’re doing. Zoom in and out of the city, state, country, and world. If you find that you’re number one in the city, you might want to step it up a notch and see how you compare to people in the state or country. Players will also be divided into Divisions, inspired by FIFA’s Seasons system. All players on a leaderboard are divided into 10 Divisions, depending on your skills and ranking in a wide range of areas such as Kill/Death Ratio, Score Per Minute, and more. This stretches across each level of zoom (city, state, country, and world) in the Geo Leaderboards as well so you might be Division 1 in your city, but only Division 3 in the world. You’ll be notified in-game when you make the jump from one division to the next, giving you an even better idea of how you stack up to other players. We’re trying to make it easier for you to sift through the many categories because we know there are a lot of leaderboards. Once you’ve put some time into multiplayer we’ll highlight the leaderboards you’re ranked the highest on so that you don’t have to dig through all the different options. You can still go and look at all of the leaderboards, but this is a way to get the most significant info to you as soon as possible. Missions Everyone knows that half the fun of multiplayer is showing off your skills to your friends, whether it’s that 20:1 kill/death ratio or getting a headshot from almost a kilometer away. It’s just not the same unless you know someone is witnessing your greatness. Now you can prove to your friends you’re the best on the battlefield with Missions. Missions are challenges you can set amongst you and up to four friends. They allow you to tailor your multiplayer experience and choose how to define victory outside of normal game objectives. People can create missions based on the same criteria as Personal Records, giving you a list of objectives we’ll continue to increase over time. http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/mobile_mission.jpg Missions on mobile device – work-in-progress image These Missions are always round-based, meaning each round is its own separate attempt to get the best score. While you’re setting up your Mission, you can choose which map should be used for the Mission (you can also pick “Any Mapâ€) and the amount of attempts each participant will get (with an option for unlimited attempts), and then you have 48 hours to compete and claim victory. Set a mission on Friday and now you have the weekend to try and be the best among your friends. You’ll get a notification on Battlelog when you are invited, when the lead in the mission has been taken from you, and when you or someone else wins. Notifications will be shown on Battlelog on all devices, including in-game notifications and even push notifications on mobile. We’ll make sure you won’t miss any of these important events. http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/ingame_notification_missionlead-640x392.jpg In-game notifications, upper right corner – work-in-progress image Missions were one thing we wanted to create keeps people on their toes. It adds a great new dimension to multiplayer, and it’s a fantastic way to compete with your friends even if you can’t all be online at the same time. Deep and Meaningful Stats Stats are a big part of Battlelog and something we constantly focus on and improve. We’re capturing even more data in BF4. This means we can go back and see how you progressed since the start of your BF4 career. When the game launches, this will ultimately manifest itself in the Profile Replay. On your stats overview page, you can drag this slider around so you can see how your core stats have changed, and hopefully improved, over time. You can see how you were at the beginning of your BF4 career and how you’ve progressed since then. Press “Start†at the beginning and see it all unfold in front of you! http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/web_soldieroverview-640x497.jpg Soldier overview with Profile Replay – work-in-progress image We have also improved Battle Reports, and I am particularly excited about the new dynamic prize system. We have around 40 different stats being analyzed, and if you are good enough, then you may be highlighted as a top player in that round. Even if you don’t get a Top Player award, there’s still a good chance that you’ve been the best at something, and we’ll make sure to tell you what that is. Even the small victories count, right? We really want to tell stories with Battlelog, and by highlighting what you’re great at with stats, Geo Leaderboards, Missions and more, Battlelog for BF4 will tell you exactly what kind of BF player you are and help you play to your strengths. Suggestions and Tracking BF4 is a huge game with countless things to unlock and complete, and it’s not always easy to see what you should, or could, unlock over time. That’s why we are introducing Suggestions and Tracking. Three prominent boxes called Suggestions are placed on the main Battlelog section on the web and mobile apps – even in-game! Our system will suggest unlocks, medals, assignments, service stars and more for you to complete, as well as those things you are already close to completing. If you don’t like what’s in the Suggestions boxes you can always hit the refresh button to get new Suggestions, or if you’re really aiming for something specific, you can choose to track it. Just find that special unlock you’re after, hit the “Track†button, and then it will show up in one of the Suggestion boxes. .There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing all of your Suggestions completed after a night of Battlefield 4 gaming. http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/web_assignments-640x358.jpg Assignments tracking – work-in-progress image Looking Forward Battlelog is a service that we plan on continuing to enhance and grow over time. That is why we’ve spent a lot of time building a shared, web-based technology platform for Battlelog on all devices as it will allow us to work faster, bring more features to the table, and deliver more frequent updates. We will actually be able to update Battlelog in-game without the need for downloading and installing any patches! This is also important because we, as a service, want to make sure we can listen to community feedback and make the right decisions and implementations based on that. When Battlefield 4 and the new Battlelog launch, that’s only the beginning for us. Everyone on the Battlelog team is really excited to see how people will respond and see what kind of ideas and suggestions our new features will bring. With a revamped look and feel, in-game integration, completely revamped mobile apps, companion features, Geo Leaderboards, Missions, and so much more, Battlelog will be an integral part to your Battlefield 4 experience. See you on the battlefield! -Jesper Nielsen Stay tuned to “The Road to Battlefield 4â€, where we’ll continue the journey towards launch by diving deeper and deeper into every nuance of the biggest Battlefield game ever developed at DICE. Next episode we’ll explore Game Modes in Battlefield 4. Until then, let us know what you think about this blog post, and what questions you want us to answer in the upcoming posts. Thanks for reading! View the full article

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The Battlefield 4 Beta is coming soon. You’ll be able to play the Siege of Shanghai map in Conquest Mode or Domination Mode. We’ve introduced a lot of new and exciting elements into Battlefield 4, like Levolution, Amphibious Assault, and much more. We can’t wait for everyone to try them out in the Beta! Looking to get into the beta? Here’s how: How to Join: - Pre-order the Battlefield 4 PC Digital Deluxe Edition (Available on Origin) October 1* - Battlefield 3 Premium member October 1* - Registered owner of Medal of Honor Warfighter Limited Edition or Digital Deluxe Edition October 1* - Open to all Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC players. Download from Xbox Live, PSN and Origin.com. October 4* *Date subject to change. *Gold membership required to participate in the Beta on Xbox Live For any other questions on the BF4 Beta, read up on our Beta FAQ. Buy now, upgrade later - Get a head start on next-gen. Start your progress on current-gen, bring it with you when you upgrade to next-gen for as low as $9.99. Battlefield 4 releases in North America on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC on October 29; PlayStation 4 on November 12 and Xbox One on November 19. In Europe Battlefield 4 launches on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC on October 31; PlayStation 4 on November 29 and Xbox One on November 22. Pre-order Digital Deluxe and get the exclusive Beta. We’ll see you on the Battlefield! View the full article

We’ve been seeing questions pouring in from fans who are excited for the launch of Battlefield 4 – now less than 2 months away! In the spirit of keeping our fans informed and Prepared 4 Battle we’re continuing a new series called “Ask DICE,†featuring questions that we’ve received from Battlefield players with answers straight from the development team at DICE. Check back here at the Battlefield blog every other week for answers, exclusive info, and more. Battlefield 4 Q&A Today we’re answering your questions about weapons and vehicles, two pillars of the Battlefield series that we’re striving to improve every day. We’ll also answer other questions on the topics you’re interested in. Bonethepwn asked, “Will the weapon modifications be better balanced than in BF3, where most people relied on a couple of very strong modifications and discarded the rest?†We’ve always strived for great weapon balance and numerous customization possibilities over the years, and now you can expect an even greater amount of depth. Listening to our fans, we’ve worked with everything from perfecting that sense of “oomph†in our guns, to bringing back some favorite weapons to Battlefield 4 – all of which have been completely rebalanced. To that end, we wanted to let players know how modifications affect their weapons right away, hopefully encouraging people to play around with them more instead of just settling on one combination because you know it works. Browsing through the accessories, you’ll notice a handy visual guide on the right part of your screen. Here, weapon stats such as damage, accuracy, hip fire accuracy, range, and stability are displayed in easy to read bars so you can immediately gauge what effect equipping a certain accessory has. Slap on the Laser Sight, for instance, and you’ll see the hip fire (accuracy) bar go up. Attach an Angled Grip on a rifle and you’ll notice an increase in the weapon’s stability. This interface is designed to encourage experimentation and make your Battlefield 4 experience even more rewarding. Familysccrk asked, “What new vehicles will there be?†We’ll have a ton of new vehicles in BF4, including attack boats, personal watercraft, jets, and more. We’ll keep you updated as we go along, but here’s a teaser list of some new vehicles in the Chinese forces we’ll be introducing. → Type 99 MBT → ZFB-05 Armored Car → Z-10W Attack Heli More importantly, your vehicles will be customizable as Battlefield 4 introduces several new options for you to experiment with before reach round. Let’s say you want to customize the features of your main battle tanks. When picking your primary weapon you’re faced with the choice of a 120MM Armor Piercing Shell or a High Explosive Shell. The former is reasonably fast and deals a good amount of direct damage, but the latter spells heavy damage against armored targets at the cost of a slower flight speed of the shells. As always, it’s a matter of personal taste and what kind of resistance you expect on the Battlefield. In Battlefield 3 there were three vehicle customization slots; Secondary Weapons, Gadgets and Upgrades. In Battlefield 4, we’ve added customization options for the primary weapon slot, and split gadgets up into two new slots, Optics and Countermeasures. Unlocks for Optics and Countermeasures shared the same customization slot in Battlefield 3, which wasn’t optimal when it came to tanks. When you had to choose between optics modes and a protective countermeasure, the countermeasure is sort of a no-brainer, which takes player’s control out of that choice. So adding dedicated countermeasure and optic slots removes that problem and adds more customization options. Now tanks have more countermeasure options and they can be used at the same time as any optics unlock. AssassinPiggy12 asked, “How are you going to stop people from causing the big Levolution moments right off the bat in the beginning of the game?†Many of the big Levolution moments take time to trigger. For example, the skyscraper in Siege of Shanghai requires four big pillars to be destroyed; a task that isn’t so easy if your or another squad makes it their personal goal to stop someone from knocking them down. On Paracel Storm, you have to wait for the raging storm to roll in before you can really deal damage to it. Once lightning strikes the wind turbine, then players can work to take it down and free the destroyer next to it. And again, you’ll have to deal with other players getting in your way and trying to take you out while you destroy it. NWI_AZTEC asked, “What game modes will be available for the Siege of Shanghai Beta?†The Beta will feature the Conquest game mode. You can get into the Beta starting early October 2013 by pre-ordering the Battlefield 4™ Digital Deluxe Edition on Origin.com, by being a Battlefield 3: Premium member, and by being a registered owner of Medal of Honor Warfighter Limited Edition or Digital Deluxe Edition. The Beta will be exclusive to the aforementioned group for three days and then it will open up to all players on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. Excalibucreation stated, “System requirements would be nice so I can play the game.†Check them out, are you prepared for battle? http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/PC-Requirements-BF4-640x640.png Shams_123 asked, “Is the Commander Mode available for current-gen consoles?†Commander Mode is definitely available on current-gen. As the Commander, you’ll have a birds-eye view of the battlefield, and you’ll be able to support your team with a variety of assets – cruise missile strikes, EMPs, map scans, a gunship, and more. Players will also experience Levolution moments on current-gen including  a damaged destroyer ramming a beach, bringing down a massive skyscraper, and much more. Frostbite 3 is the tech that will deliver this, in addition to battling enemies in an all-new type of naval warfare, experiencing changing weather and stormy seas and even being a Commander on the go with your tablet. So don’t worry – you’ll still get the Battlefield 4 experience on current- gen consoles. We know a lot of our players will be playing on those systems, so we’re taking the time to make sure it’s just as great an experience as it will be on next-gen. Until next time… Check back here at the Battlefield blog every other Friday for answers, gameplay previews, and more. Next time we’ll be answering questions about Battlelog and Current/Next-Gen, as well as any other burning questions. What questions do you have? Let us know in the comments below. Battlefield 4 begins its release on October 29, 2013 and will be available for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. Pre-order now and get the China Rising expansion at no additional cost. View the full article

BUY BATTLEFIELD 4 ON CURRENT-GEN, UPGRADE LATER TO NEXT-GEN FOR AS LOW AS $9.99http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Upgrade-Graphic-640x327.png We want to make it easy for BF4 fans to upgrade from the current generation of consoles to the next generation of entertainment. That’s why today we are clarifying the offers that will make the transition effortless, saving you time and money. Read on for the full details. On October 29, we will launch Battlefield 4 on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Experience the pinnacle of this generation of gaming with best-in-class multiplayer warfare, spectacular visuals and massive destruction. A few weeks later, we’ll bring the ultimate all-out-war experience to the next generation of consoles. Battlefield 4 will be available for PlayStation 4 starting November 12 in North America and November 29 in Europe, and Xbox One starting November 19 in North America and November 22 in Europe. Don’t wait to get into the action. You can buy the game on current-gen and benefit from up to three weeks of play time – time that can be used to rank up, giving you a competitive advantage on the next-gen battlefield. We respect the time you will invest in playing and don’t want you to lose all of your effort when you upgrade to next-gen. That is why we are making it easy to carry forward your multiplayer stats and your Battlefield 4 Premium membership. No more worrying about starting all over again. Your rank, score, K/D ratio, wins, time played, service stars, dog tags taken, vehicles destroyed, repairs, revives, squad score, accuracy and more will all transfer to next-gen consoles at launch. Below are the details of how you can buy now and upgrade easily later. If you have any questions, please leave us a comment. Prepare 4 Battle! PlayStation OffersAll Retailers (EU, US) Inside marked copies of Battlefield 4 for PlayStation®3 there will be a voucher with a unique code printed on it. This code will allow you the one-time opportunity until March 28, 2014 to purchase a digital version of Battlefield 4 via the PlayStation®Store for only $9.99/£9.99/9.99€. Check back here soon for more details. GameStop (EMEA) Trade in your copy of Battlefield 4 on PS3 and buy the PS4 version of the game for €14.99. Offer valid until December 31, 2013 or until supply lasts. Ask in-store for more details. Amazon (Germany) Until December 31, 2103 or while supplies last, Battlefield 4 players can trade in their PS3 copy and get a 25 € bonus credit towards the game on PS4 in addition to their trade-in value of at least 25 €. For complete rules and details head on over to Amazon.de. GAME (UK) For Battlefield fans in the UK, GAME will be giving PS3 players approximately £40 in trade in value when you upgrade to Battlefield 4 on PS4. Offer valid until December 24, 2013. Head over to GAME for complete details and information. GAME (Spain) Trade in your copy of Battlefield 4 on PS3 and buy the PS4 version of the game for €14.99. Offer valid until December 31, 2013 or until supply lasts. Ask in-store for more details. Microsoft OffersGameStop (US)  GameStop Power Up Rewards members can trade in Battlefield 4 on Xbox 360 for the Battlefield 4 standard edition on Xbox One for only $9.99. Offer valid until December 31, 2013 or until supply lasts. Check out GameStop for complete rules and details regarding this offer. GameStop (EMEA) Trade in your copy of Battlefield 4 on Xbox 360 and buy the Xbox One version of the game for €14.99. Offer valid until December 31, 2013 or until supply lasts. Ask in-store for more details. Amazon (US) Until December 31, 2013 or while supplies last, Battlefield 4 players can trade in their Xbox 360 copy and get a $25 bonus credit towards the game on Xbox One in addition to their trade-in value of at least $25. For complete rules and details head on over to Amazon.com. Amazon (Germany) Until December 31, 2103 or while supplies last, Battlefield 4 players can trade in their Xbox 360 copy and get a 25 € bonus credit towards the game on Xbox One in addition to their trade-in value of at least 25 €. For complete rules and details head on over to Amazon.de. Best Buy (US) Purchase a copy of Battlefield 4 on Xbox 360 and trade up to Xbox One for as low as $9.99. Trade in of Xbox 360 edition and purchase of Xbox One edition must occur by December 31, 2013. For full details on the offer visit the Best Buy. GAME (UK) GAME will be giving Xbox 360 players approximately £40 in trade in value when you upgrade to Battlefield 4 on Xbox One. Offer ends December 24, 2013. Head over to GAME for complete details and information. GAME (Spain) Trade in your copy of Battlefield 4 on Xbox 360 and buy the Xbox One version of the game for €14.99. Offer valid until December 31, 2013 or until supply lasts. Ask in-store for more details. Microsoft Store (US) Buy Battlefield 4 on Xbox 360 and you can trade-in later for the Xbox One version for only $9.99. ​The offer is valid at Microsoft Store locations until December 31, 2013. Visit Microsoft.com for more details. Other participating retailers We’ll keep you posted on additional opportunities to make your Battlefield 4 transition from current-gen to next-gen easier, and feel free to check with your favorite local retailer to see if they are offering similar upgrade options. View the full article

In this new entry in our “Road to Battlefield 4†blog series we roll out the vehicles! Read on and learn how to master the land, air and sea units as our vehicle expert dev tells you about new vehicle types, weaponry customization, and the focus on naval warfare. And of course: how to pimp your ride! Ever since Wake Island and Battlefield 1942, taking advantage of a wide selection of vehicles has been essential for the all-out war experience in Battlefield. With Battlefield 4, the vehicle gameplay options and customization possibilities are greater than ever, especially with the new emphasis on the hectic Naval Warfare. We now hand over the word to Senior Vehicles Designer Patrick “Posh†O’Shaughnessy for an in-depth look at the development of all the land, air and sea vehicles in Battlefield 4. BF4 Vehicle Design: A Matter of Personal Choice There was one basic design philosophy behind vehicles in Battlefield 4, an approach that is found throughout Battlefield’s history: to give players opportunities to make interesting choices and affect the game in a more personalized way. With vehicles, these choices happen when customizing your vehicle’s loadout, or even selecting which vehicle you spawn into. From an aesthetic point of view we try to make the experience of using the vehicles feel authentic and visceral, while at the same time avoiding unnecessary complexity. In other words: “easy to learn, hard to masterâ€. Our goal is to make them look and feel authentic to their real-world counterparts, but not complex and overbearing. With all the tweaks, new features and the convenient Test Range, we want to encourage players to try out the land, air, and sea vehicles in Battlefield 4, and of course the customizations that come with them. No matter what type of hardware you prefer, our goal is to turn our vehicles into thrilling tools for you to dominate the Battlefield – in your own way. Angry Seas: Dynamic Water-based Combat With Battlefield 4, we’ve put a lot of effort into giving Naval Combat the magnitude it deserves – and with the dynamic weather changes, fighting at sea becomes a constantly changing experience. At sea you get to control both attack craft like the Patrol Boats, and water transport vehicles like the Personal Water Craft, each with their own benefits. The bigger naval units are now basically “tanks on waterâ€, suitable for both attacking targets defending themselves with powerful guns and countermeasures. There were many challenges with designing the naval units in Battlefield 4. A big one was finding the right loadout for weapons, unlocks and other features for the attack boats. Naval units are unique on the Battlefield due to limited mobility, and that you are physically separated by the shoreline from both teammates and enemies. This is also true for the RHIB and Personal Water Craft, but transport vehicles are sort of disposable as you don’t spend as much time in them. We wanted the attack boats to hold value and have the same gameplay depth as a tank or a helicopter. Let’s say you’re battling it out for bomb possession in Obliteration Mode and you want to take your team to victory by mastering the sea. One idea is to enter a fast attack craft like the RCB-90 and patrol the coasts of the most intense islands. Heavily armed, these things allow you to deal with light vehicles, infantry and other boats, but also give armored vehicles, jets and helicopters a fight. Now you have the choice of maneuvering the craft, trying to find the most strategic places based on what’s happening in the round, or man the fast 30mm cannon and take out enemy infantry as they rush with the bomb on the mainland. In Conquest, you can also use these mobile gun platforms to support the capturing of bases near the water. If you want to speed things up at sea, the PWC (Personal Water Craft) is back for Battlefield 4. You might recognize this rapid ride from Battlefield 2: Special Forces and Battlefield: Bad Company 2, and those familiar with the Siege of Shanghai and Paracel Storm maps know the strength of it – swift movements from A to B in naval environments. Also: if you find yourself aboard an RCB patrol boat that’s close to exploding, two PWCs can come to the rescue by acting as escape vehicles. In other words, there’s no need to swim all the way to shore, which makes for non-stop action on the Battlefield. http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Battlefield-4-Paracel-Storm-3-640x360.jpg Cooperation with your teammates was a high priority when designing the naval units in Battlefield 4. Man the guns on a RHIB Boat and let your teammate steer the vehicle to the heat of the battle. The Challenges of the Sea One challenge with developing Battlefield 4’s naval combat was the difficulty to get other players in the vehicle with you. Unlike a tank or jeep, where you are likely close to friendly infantry, players don’t tend to hang out in the open water. And similarly, if you were a passenger in the boat and you wanted to go do something else, you’re pretty much screwed when the captain has taken you 300 meters from shore. Even as a passenger in a transport helicopter you can parachute down safely almost anywhere on a map. Ultimately it was the transport helicopter that we looked at when solving these problems. The gunner seats of the transport helicopters are one of the most fun places to be in the entire game. So we added those types of weapons for the passengers of the attack boat, and made the vehicle a team spawn point, like the transport helis, to make it easier and more attractive for people to get in the vehicle. Because the attack boat has more limited options when it comes to what types of enemies to engage, in a large part because of its necessity to be in water, we decided to give it a more varied set of customization options than other vehicles, so that you really can be versatile and engage many different types of targets depending on your choices when building your loadout. http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/BF4_Screen_03-640x360.png No matter how powerful the vehicle of your choice is, you will always have a natural enemy equipped with the right gear for taking you down. We still had the problem of feeling stranded out in the water as a passenger, though. We solved this after thinking back to the Patrol Boats featured in the Battlefield 1942 map Invasion of the Philippines, which could deploy LCRS Rafts when it was sunk. We added a similar feature to the attack boats, allowing any passenger the ability to deploy a Personal Water Carrier from the rear of the boat which you could see in our Siege of Shanghai multiplayer trailer at E3 earlier this year. Rock-Paper-Scissors Evolved Letting every type of unit have its natural prey and enemy, the signature rock-paper-scissors gameplay has always been core to our gameplay design. In Battlefield 4, it’s been greatly tweaked and enhanced. We looked over all of the vehicle classes and what their primary role on the Battlefield should be, and also what secondary role would be appropriate. For example, the Mobile Anti-Air Vehicle’s job is pretty obvious. However when you look at its customization options in Battlefield 3, there wasn’t a lot of choice when it came to how you could actually engage airborne enemies. So in this case we added more ammo options for the primary weapon slot and more types of AA missiles in the secondary weapon slot, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Now we can fine-tune our loadout to gain an edge in different situations. Is it helicopters we’ll encounter more often, or jets? Long range or short? Is there more cover for aircraft on this map or are they out in the open more often? So the biggest tweaks in the rock-paper-scissors gameplay come from what kinds of customization options are now available to each class. Pimping Your Ride Before going into battle with your vehicles of war, you’re going to want to make sure that they’re equipped just the way you like them. Battlefield 4 brings several vehicle customization options for you to experiment with, and this is done in a menu accessible before each round. Let’s say you want to customize the features of your main battle tanks. When picking your primary weapon you’re faced with the choice of a 120MM Armor Piercing Shell or a High Explosive Shell. The former is reasonably fast and deals a good amount of direct damage, but the latter spells heavy damage against armored targets, at the cost of a slower flight speed of the shells. As always, it’s a matter of personal taste and what kind of resistance you expect on the Battlefield. But vehicle customization is also about camos and looking good on the Battlefield – and choosing the right camouflage for the right map environment can even be a life-saver. There are many different color sets and patterns of camo, any combination of which are available to vehicles, weapons and soldiers. The Adaptive Camo is a color pattern that is picked on a level-by-level basis, which is tweaked to match the environment of whatever level you are playing on. http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/E3_MP_02-640x360.jpg Customization of the vehicles ties in to your expectations and experiences of the Battlefield. It’s up to you to decide what countermeasures and optics your tanks will be better off with. The Freedom of Customization In Battlefield 3 there were three vehicle customization slots; Secondary Weapons, Gadgets and Upgrades. In Battlefield 4 we’ve added customization options for the primary weapon slot, and split gadgets up into two new slots, Optics and Countermeasures. Unlocks for Optics and Countermeasures shared the same customization slot in Battlefield 3, which wasn’t optimal when it came to tanks. When you had to choose between optics modes and a protective countermeasure, the countermeasure is sort of a no-brainer, which takes player’s control out of that choice. So adding dedicated countermeasure and optic slots removes that problem and adds more customization options. Now tanks have more countermeasure options and they can be used at the same time as any optics unlock. Alongside Battlefield 3’s secondary weapon slot unlocks, we now have customization for the primary slot as well, including different ammo types and in some cases different weapon mechanics. Additionally, like helicopter gunners in Battlefield 3, tank remote gun stations now have their own optics slot and an upgrade slot as well, including functions like a laser designator and short-range incendiary grenades. Having all these customization options available will not only add longevity to the game, it will make your time on the Battlefield personal and deep. We truly hope and suspect you will enjoy figuring out what setup is right for you, for all the specific scenarios. Critical Hit! (and How to Recover from It) We’ve also applied some changes to the way that vehicles become disabled and how they recover. In Battlefield 3 your vehicle became disabled when its total health was depleted by a certain amount, rendering you basically immobile and in need of an Engineer to get it back up and running, otherwise the vehicle would burn away and explode. This changed a lot about vehicle combat in Battlefield for the better, but there were still some things about the system we didn’t like, based on how players reacted. Primarily, it always felt like you had to abandon the vehicle when becoming disabled, even though there’s always the possibility of still winning the fight. And if there’s no Engineer nearby, the vehicle is most likely going to explode anyway, so there’s not a lot of reason to stay in the vehicle. So in Battlefield 4 we’ve added a new mechanic we call the Critical Hit. Anytime a vehicle takes a hit, we check the amount of final damage that was dealt, after the angle and zone checks. If the damage was high enough, it’s a Critical Hit, and the vehicle acts much like they did in Battlefield 3, losing power in tanks or having loss of control in aircraft – but this effect is temporary, and the vehicle recovers automatically after a few seconds. The critical hit damage threshold is carefully tweaked alongside the damage zones and glancing-hit scaling on each vehicle, in a way that promotes playing smart as both a vehicle operator, and in an anti-vehicle role. This new concept of temporary critical hits means that we keep the sense of impending danger that a damaged vehicle brings – while still allowing for brave drivers to regain control and keep fighting. http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Battlefield-4-Paracel-Storm_6_Gamestop-640x360.jpg Piloting water-based vehicles will challenge you to adapt to stronger waves as the weather changes take effect on certain levels. Hit’em Where it Hurts: Mastering Vehicle Damage Key to taking down enemy vehicles in Battlefield 4 is of course to know the most effective ways to damage them. The vehicle damage systems are similar to those in Battlefield 3 but we’ve balanced and fine-tuned it and fixed some problems. Take MBTs (Main Battle Tanks) for instance. Just like in Battlefield 3, they have the strongest armor of any combat vehicle in the game, but only in the front of the vehicle, while the back of the MBT has the weakest armor of any combat vehicle. Then on the sides they have standard armor, the same as the other tanks have all around. Even though the MBT is the only tank with strong and weak spots like this, it still matters how you approach any tank with anti-tank weapons. A straight shot, perpendicular to the face of the vehicle where the impact occurs, will deal the most damage. A shot at a more “glancing†angle will deal less damage. So steady aim, ambushing and flanking heavy vehicles is the key to taking them down. In Battlefield 4 we’ve also added a new “top†zone to all of the combat-oriented tanks, which also takes into account at what angle the impact has occurred. The FGM-148 (Javelin) missile, and the vehicle-based laser guided missiles will all naturally achieve a devastating top-attack hit when responding to teammates laser-designated targets. You can also achieve this with an RPG if you are firing from the right position, like a strategic hiding place on a rooftop or by paradropping from above. http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Battlefield-4-Paracel-Storm-1-640x360.jpg Air units now have more clearly defined roles on the Battlefield, to emphasize their respective strenghts. Take to the Skies: Unique Air Combat Roles It wouldn’t be Battlefield without the ability to get into a jet or helicopter and help out your team from above. One challenge we faced when tweaking the airborne vehicles in Battlefield 4 was to clearly define their roles. For instance: in Battlefield 3, Fighter Jets and Attack Jets were fairly homogenous and shared the same unlocks. They were both practically the same class, with few differences. In Battlefield 4, we’ve updated the Fighter Jet class to Stealth Jets with two new vehicles not present in Battlefield before (including the Chinese J-20), and their customization options now focus on air-to-air fighting. Attack Jets now have their own set of unlocks which focus on air-to-ground capabilities. As for helicopters, the scout, transport and attack helicopters return and their unique roles are also defined in different ways. The scout helicopter is faster and more agile in Battlefield 4 and works well against infantry and light vehicles, and the attack helicopter can easily take out armored vehicles with the co-operation of a skilled co-pilot. The transport helicopter is, as always, the ultimate squad team play vehicle. Piloting the helicopters can perhaps be somewhat of a challenge, but is also very rewarding for those who dare take to the sky. And of course, you’ll always have the new Test Range to perfect your flying skills in, before taking on the all-out war. Get Behind the Wheel Come early October, when the exclusive and open Battlefield 4 beta kicks off, you’ll be able to try out the wide range of vehicles and all their customizations yourself. We hope you will find the Battlefield 4 vehicles better than ever, and that you enjoy that chaotic feeling of all-out war that comes with them. Until then, why not give us your comments and thoughts on this blog post. Let us also know what you think about the upcoming vehicles in our poll below and stay tuned for more The Road to Battlefield 4! THE DEPICTION OF ANY WEAPONS OR VEHICLE IN THIS GAME DOES NOT INDICATE AFFILIATION, SPONSORSHIP OR ENDORSEMENT BY ANY WEAPON OR VEHICLE MANUFACTURER. Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. View the full article

Whether you help your team by sniping from afar or run and gun with an assault rifle at the frontlines, choice is king. Weapon customization in Battlefield 4 will be deeper than ever, thanks to a powerful feature set that lets you adapt your gear to fit any combat role. In a new The Road to Battlefield 4 we cover these extreme customization options. As with many other aspects of Battlefield 4, fan feedback has been crucial in making the weapon options better than ever. We’ve always strived for great weapon balance and numerous customization possibilities over the years, and now you can expect an even greater amount of depth. Listening to our fans, we’ve worked with everything from perfecting that sense of “oomph†in our guns, to bringing back some favorite weapons to Battlefield 4 – all of which have been completely rebalanced. More weapon accessories, more accessory slots The first thing you’ll notice while choosing your weapons in Battlefield 4 is the sheer number of weapons and accessories we’ve packed the game with. This time around, we have more than tripled the number of available accessories and increased the number of available slots where you can install them. Coupled with the amount of available weapons in the game, the number of potential combinations of weapons and accessories is nothing short of astronomical. To give you a brief example of the vast amount of weapon variety you’ll get in Battlefield 4, let’s multiply the number of customization options you have on a single assault rifle. With everything from optics, other accessories and camos, you’ll end up with more than 240,000 variations – and that’s for one single weapon in your arsenal! http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/BF4_Screen_01_small.jpg No matter which weapon type and combat role you prefer, you’ll be able to deeply customize your firearms in Battlefield 4 to fit your play style. Notice the difference With this depth of customization, it’s a good thing we’ve greatly enhanced the feedback to players on exactly how each accessory affects the weapon’s in-game performance. Browsing through the accessories, you’ll notice a handy visual guide on the right part of your screen. Here, weapon stats such as damage, accuracy, hip fire accuracy, range, and stability are displayed in easy to read bars – so you can immediately gauge what effect equipping a certain accessory has. Slap on the Laser Sight, for instance, and you’ll see the hip fire (accuracy) bar go up. Attach an Angled Grip on a rifle and you’ll notice an increase in the weapon’s stability. This interface is designed to encourage experimentation and make your Battlefield 4 experience even more rewarding. Adaptive camos match your surroundings When it comes to weapon customization, the icing on the cake comes from the possibility to pick a camouflage for your firearms. In Battlefield 4 we’ve greatly increased the number of camos you can choose from, and divided them into different sections including Autumn, Desert, Naval, Snow, Urban and Woodland. These paints will in turn come in 16 different pattern variations each. Not only are you able to choose dozens of paints, we’re also introducing something new: adaptive camouflages. With one of these equipped, the paint adapts to the environment in the level you’re playing. Fighting at sea on the Paracel Storm map, the adaptive camo will make you blend in with the blues, greys and greens on the level. If you were to bring the same adaptive camo to a more urban map like Siege of Shanghai, the camo would be more grey/black in tone when you spawn into the map. http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/E3_MP_02_slider.jpg Recon players will find increased optics variety and the option to manuall zero his rifle to better judge the effects of bullet drop when engaging long range targets. From zero to hero and the new 40X sniper scope One new feature for all you Battlefield snipers out there is the ability to “zero†your rifle scope. When aiming at a remote enemy you can estimate the distance to your target. After you’ve figured out if your prey is 200, 500 or maybe even 1,000 meters away, you can calibrate your scope to compensate for the bullet drop that comes with long range shots. Zeroing your scope is an advanced technique and won’t make you perform perfect headshots every time, but for those skilled enough to approximate distance it will be a welcome strategic addition. To bring even more variety to all of our Recon players, we’ve also added a 40X zoom scope for extreme long-distance sniping, as well as a new 2X scope magnifier that you can bring to the front of existing 1X scopes to increase your optics options on the fly. Powerful Battle Pickups lets you try new hardware Aside from locating Conquest flags and Obliteration bombs there’s something new to keep an eye out for in Battlefield 4: Battle Pickups. These powerful weapons will be placed on specific parts of all the maps in most game modes, and knowledge of these can swing the battle in your favor. Take the .50 cal sniper rifle on the Paracel Storm map, for example. This Battle Pickup will affect both the battle and the player in certain ways. This sniper rifle can be found on the radar dish walkway high above the battlefield – the perfect spot for some sniping practice. The idea is to emphasize the strategic value of a specific position in question to the player, and to incite players to try out new types of gameplay. So even if you don’t spawn in on Paracel Storm as a Recon soldier, maybe the sniper rifle Battle Pickup will make you take the role of a sniper, at least momentarily. The area around Battle Pickups will also turn into minor hot spots for the map and create new and dynamic gameplay moments. But be advised: All Battle Pickups have limited ammo, so you need to make every shot count. Extreme Weapon Makeover – including your handgun! Here to give you an example of how you can customize two rifles in two totally different ways is Core Gameplay Lead Designer Alan Kertz. Alan will also reveal the ability to fully customize your hand gun in Battlefield 4, an all-new feature for the series. You can follow his customization tips in the below in-game footage from the game as well (captured from an Alpha version of Battlefield 4). Take it away, Alan! ALAN KERTZ: Okay. Let’s say I’m preparing for a round of Obliteration on the Paracel Storm map and I intend to run and gun and fire at close range on the central island. Then I could start off with the default Chinese assault rifle. First, I would want to attach a red dot sight to get that clear aim down the sight. Then I choose the canted iron sight, which lets me switch between two different sights on the same gun. Now I’ve got two different zoom options with the same gun. I also want to be stealthy and sneak up close on people, and for that I’d choose a Chinese suppressor, which will hide me on the minimap and make it harder for close range enemies to find and shoot back at me. I’d also go with the new Ergo Grip that makes me more accurate when I’m shooting while moving. Battlefield 4 has some pretty long range infantry combat, so one of the things we’ve done is to give each class access to some long range guns. So let’s say we start with one of the semi-automatic rifles that every class can get, that’s fitting for long range. I’ll attach a long range scope that gives me 4X magnification and choose the canted iron sight so I still can fight a little bit up close and tilt the gun 45 degrees. After that I’ll put a heavy barrel on it to bump up my accuracy and give me that reach to really touch somebody. I’ll use the angled grip in order to control recoil on that first shot – that’s going to put things on target at long range. And as a final touch, let’s put some flare on it by choosing the naval camo. Now I’m going to fit in with the environment in Paracel Storm. They won’t see me coming! Finally, this time around you can also customize your secondary weapon. This is another example of how everything is up to the player in Battlefield 4. Let’s say you pick up one of our many available pistols. Maybe you don’t like the default iron sight very much, then you can use a red dot scope to give you that clear sight picture. Throw on a tri-beam laser sight for more mobility and that Predator feel, and suppress it as well. Now your gun is different to everybody else’s, especially if you put your favorite paint on it. This way, each weapon in Battlefield 4 becomes a personal object. Prepared 4 Battle Battlefield 4 will give you endless creative and strategic possibilities while you’re customizing your weapon. You will be able to fine-tune your weapon loadout exactly the way you want it to maximize your chances of dominating the Battlefield and fitting your personal play style. All the while, we’ve made sure to make this incredibly deep customization comprehensible and accessible in new ways. In other words: just the thing you need when Preparing 4 Battle. Stay tuned to “The Road to Battlefield 4â€, where we’ll continue the journey towards launch by diving deeper and deeper into every nuance of the biggest Battlefield game ever developed at DICE. Until then, let us know what you think about this blog post, vote in the poll below, and tell us what questions you want us to answer in the upcoming posts. Thanks for reading! THE DEPICTION OF ANY WEAPONS OR VEHICLE IN THIS GAME DOES NOT INDICATE AFFILIATION, SPONSORSHIP OR ENDORSEMENT BY ANY WEAPON OR VEHICLE MANUFACTURER. Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. View the full article

When German singer Bina Bianca got tired of writing regular love songs, she started thinking. Could the video games she’d been playing all her life be a better source of inspiration? After a first song paying homage to Dragon Age, the number of Youtube followers grew. One year and many followers later, we met Bina at gamescom for a chat about her latest piece: a Battlefield 4 tribute. Hi Bina! What is your Battlefield 4 song about? - It’s inspired by the footage in the Fishing in Baku trailer. When I started working on the Battlefield 4 song, I didn’t know what to write about. I didn’t want to make a happy song, but when I saw the trailer something clicked. I got blown away of the footage, the motion capture, the music, the sound effects – it was all so real! I started writing immediately after that. How come you started singing video game tribute songs? - When I’m in a game I have so many emotions, and I want to capture that in a song. I want to take another person’s perspective and figure out what that character feels. After my first song about Dragon Age I noticed that people seemed to like it. And they liked the next song, and the next. So I couldn’t really stop! http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/bra-640x426.jpg At the EA community lounge, Bina Bianca found a piano and started playing some of her video game tribute songs. So you identify with the main character and write the song based on that? - Exactly, since usually I’m not a mage, and not in a Dragon Age universe… I also try to capture the feelings I have when I’m playing the game. I play the game, make notes and think about the character’s perspective before I write the songs. What kind of feedback have your videos received? - Internationally, it’s just amazing. When I published the Battlefield song, many real soldiers from America and Afghanistan actually wrote long messages to me. They told me they loved the music, and that they had started crying thinking about friends they’ve lost. Wow. How did that make you feel? - I makes me very proud. When you’re composing music, at first you do it only for yourself. But it’s amazing when people say you’ve made their days better. Of course I put my heart into my music, but it means a lot more when people say they really felt my music. It’s mindblowing! You’ve also done songs that aren’t game related. Are you aiming for a real music career? - It’s a dream, it would be great to make a living out of music. I don’t know if I’m good enough though, but maybe I’m being too realistic! You have roughly 90,000 views on your Battlefield 4 song. How many are you usually aiming for? - Well, it’s cool with many views and subscribers. But on the other hand… right now I’m able to answer every single comment and I don’t know if I could do that with like 100,000 subscribers. It’s really not about the likes anyway, it’s about the music and the hobby. http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/BScRqWsCUAAJu4W.jpg Not only did Bina steal our hearts with her Battlefield 4 tribute song. She stole our dog tags too. You’ve had the opportunity to play Battlefield 4 and our all-new game mode Obliteration. What are your impressions? - I’ve tried both Domination and Obliteration and it’s so much fun. Especially Obliteration, it’s like capture the flag but with bombs. It’s something I haven’t really seen before. It’s great that you guys still have new ideas for the series, you get better with every Battlefield! What was the first Battlefield game you tried? - My first Battlefield game was Battlefield Vietnam, and then I tried the very first one, Battlefield 1942. I had a break for a while but when Battlefield 3 came out, everyone kept telling me to play it. I soon got addicted again. What’s your play style in Battlefield? - I enjoy working as a team in a squad, and that’s what I like most with Battlefield: it’s not just about shooting all the time. I revive people, I capture flags, I throw medpacks and so on. I like the huge maps, where you can play tactical and sneak around if you want. That’s how I play, I like to sneak. Thanks a lot Bina, and hope you have enjoyed the gamescom week! - Thanks! It’s quite sad to see all this end, because it has been so unreal. It’s been amazing to be here. I’ve loved gaming since I was a little kid, and I’ve always wanted to go to gamescom. It’s been great hanging out with the Battlefield community and meet so many great and amazing people! Head to Bina’s Youtube channel for more video game tribute songs. Find all the official Battlefield trailers on our Youtube Channel. Subscribe if you don’t want to miss a thing! View the full article

Shoutcasters Corey Dunn and Alex Mendez spent the gamescom week commenting dozens of Battlefield 4 rounds played by eager fans. After an intense week of daily live streams, the duo told us about the crazy Battlefield Moments they experienced in the Obliteration and Conquest modes. http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/BShLy0XCMAA73aJ-640x448.jpgOne of Corey’s and Alex’s daily, two-hour long live streams. Apart from commenting Battlefield 4 rounds, the duo also interviewed the DICE team about design choices and intricate game details. Thanks for an amazing Battlefield 4 live stream! Having spent one week commenting the game, what are your lasting impressions? ALEX: I love it! It’s really fun, there’s always something going on in the matches. And that’s important; this time there’s no downtime like there can be in other shooters. This is actually the most fun I’ve had both commenting and playing a FPS in a long time. COREY: One unique thing from this experience has to be that naval warfare actually exists now. Before, the boats used to exist only as transport vehicles. In this though, especially on the Paracel Storm map, the attack boats, the RHIB boats and everything really has an impact – especially when the level dynamics kick in with Levolution. You must have seen tons of crazy occurrences during your live streams. Tell us about your best Battlefield Moments! COREY: One personal favorite was when we saw an attack boat being chased by a RHIB boat. This happened after the bad weather hit and the waves were really high. The attack boat went over one huge wave but then backed up once it landed. So the RHIB boat flew over the top of the attack boat, and suddenly the hunter had become the prey! The attack boat ended up picking up the kill and winning that fight. These crazy things seen to happen all the time. http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/coreyisready1.jpgCorey Dunn’s personal bodyguards protect the shoutcasting celebrity from hordes of fans. What are your impressions of commentating and playing the all-new game mode Obliteration? ALEX: It was very intense. Going into it, I anticipated there was going to be lots of action on that main island. But I didn’t expect it to be like this – basically non-stop excitement –  and it’s cool to bring this mode to the fans to show the craziness of it all. Obliteration has lots of potential to become a multiplayer favorite in Battlefield 4. It certainly has been a pleasant surprise and great addition to the game. COREY: Although Conquest is what we play time and time again, Obliteration really brings out something completely new. It’s a real focused gameplay and players who’ve tried Obliteration like the fact that they’re seeing the bomb all the time, which allows you to plan and focus. Fans also like the fact that the bomb timer is so short. You’re not able to disarm the bomb if you’re not right beside it and that’s a really good component: you shouldn’t be able to rush towards where that bomb was planted – but you’re always able to anticipate where the plant is going to occur. http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/IMG_0022-640x426.jpgCorey Dunn on a break after a day of shoutcasting, keeping an eye on the 64-player Battlefield 4 battles at gamescom. You have been interviewing a lot of DICE developers during the week. Who was the most interesting to talk to? COREY: I don’t know if there’s one person in particular, but the main thing they’ve all got in common is passion. I’m impressed by the love of the game, and the fact that the developers are such fans of the game. It doesn’t matter if you’re talking to an executive or a level designer, the main thing that they all portrayed in the interviews is passion. ALEX: I love working with DICE, especially in how open everything is. With other games, a lot of gamers complain that they don’t get that direct communication you get with this studio. During the live streams I really liked that feeling of community, to be able to forward a question from someone on Twitter directly to a developer. What are the fans’ most prominent questions that was answered on your live stream? COREY: I would say tiered reloading.* That’s a very specific issue that the community members and I weren’t too sure about earlier. It was awesome that we could explain something like that, and now everybody knows it and understands it. The community is so astute when it comes to these small details, so it’s great we took care of that question. ALEX: One good thing is that the community is so diverse. Battlefield can be so dense with all the classes, weapon systems or vehicle mechanics, but the community has such collective knowledge, which is great for us. To be a vessel and a voice for the community is great. http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/BSQ0lyGCYAA4VRH-640x480.jpgDICE veteran and Battlefield 4 Creative Director Lars Gustavsson going into detail about Obliteration Mode in BF4. After a week of hard work at gamescom, what’s next for you? COREY: For me, it’s kind of interesting. I’ve done a lot of events this year, shoutcasting and directing, and that has been for one reason: to put down money for a ring, and propose to my girlfriend. Gamescom was sort of the final piece of the puzzle before that. Congratulations! And what about you Alex? ALEX: I’m not going to do any of that! I’m already married so I’m going to save my money (laughs). * Tiered reloading is a feature in Battlefield 4 that makes reloading more efficient when switching between weapons. We will take you through tiered reloading in greater detail here at the Battlefield Blog soon. Stay tuned! Head to Twitch.tv for replays from the Battlefield 4 gamescom live stream. Pre-order BF4 Digital Deluxe Edition to get access to the exclusive beta, 12 Gold Battlepacks, and the China Rising expansion pack at no additional cost. View the full article

We’ve been seeing questions pouring in from fans who are excited for the launch of Battlefield 4 – now just 2 months away! In the spirit of keeping our fans informed and Prepared 4 Battle we’re continuing a new series called “Ask DICE,†featuring questions that we’ve received from Battlefield players with answers straight from the development team at DICE. Check back here at the Battlefield blog every other Friday for answers, exclusive info, and more. Battlefield 4 Levolution and Commander Mode Q&A This week we’ll be answering your questions on Levolution and Commander Mode – both exciting aspects of the game that make Battlefield 4 incredibly unique and fun. Levolution is a game-changing concept where the environment reacts to your every move, both big and small. Now you can bring down a whole skyscraper like in the Siege of Shanghai map or raise bollards to stop a tank or jeep from entering a certain area in the same map. Commander Mode adds a new layer of strategic teamplay to the game by letting two additional players take the Commander seat with a birds-eye view of the map to deploy powerful intel and assets to assist your team on the ground.  Oliveira117 asked, “In Commander Mode if your commander is AFK or doing a very poor job will you be able to vote for him to be demoted (or kicked) from the game? A Mutiny can be instigated by the team’s squad leaders if they feel the Commander is doing a poor job. Mutiny will not be allowed for a period of time after a new Commander is chosen, so each Commander will get a chance to prove themselves. Lieutenant00 asked, “What kinds of features will Commander Mode have, like Tomahawk, supply/vehicle drop, etc.?†There’s a long list of things you can do as a Commander. From a birds-eye view, Commanders can control various support for their respective teams including cruise missile strikes, gunship, supply and vehicle drops, UAVs and more. As your team carries out your orders and captures objectives, more assets are unlocked for use. The Commander can also give you critical intelligence, calling out and pinpointing high value targets (players on a killstreak), and they can guide the troops on the ground to key objectives to win the battle. Andy0440 asked, “How does one become a Commander?†Players will queue into a server as a Commander and wait for their opening. We’re looking into giving players other options like going to Battlelog to customize their character/loadout and check out stats while they wait. Cphacker95 asked, “Will Commander Mode be usable on console, being able to use the mode while on PS3/Xbox or will we need to get a Tablet?†While you are able to use tablets for Commander Mode, you will also be able to use Commander Mode on current and next gen consoles as well as PC. Fird96 asked, “Will other maps have their own “special†Levolution? Will there be the same Levolution (falling building) or different Levolution in other maps?†Yes, Levolution occurs on every map. Some things are massive like reducing a skyscraper to rubble or flooding an entire level in real-time. Others are small but hugely impact the game like shooting fire extinguishers to distract enemies or cutting the power of a building to blind opponents. If you haven’t seen the Paracel Storm map we unveiled at Gamescom we encourage you to do so. There you can see how players have the option of taking down a turbine weakened by lightning in order to free the damaged destroyer stuck on it. If you manage to set the destroyer adrift, it will crash onto the island, changing the layout of the map and allowing your team to take control of the anti-air weapons on the ship. These moments are all triggered by the players – they aren’t just timed moments that will happen no matter what you do in the match. You and your teammates will have to decide if it would be a better tactical decision to radically change the map, or if it would be wiser and better for your play-style if you stopped the other team from triggering these events. NoVa X chopper asked, “Will the gameplay be different on next-gen consoles other than map size and amount of players? By this I mean will there still be Levolution on current gen consoles?†Levolution remains the same no matter what system you play Battlefield 4 on and the Levolution moments on current-gen consoles will be just as game-changing as on next-gen. The only difference is that for the first time on console, you can play 64-player matches on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 at 60 FPS. Until next time… Check back here at the Battlefield blog every other Friday for answers, gameplay previews, and more. Next time we’ll be answering questions about Weapon Customization and Vehicles. What questions do you have? Let us know in the comments below. Battlefield 4 begins its release on October 29, 2013 and will be available for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. Pre-order now and get the China Rising expansion at no additional cost. Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. View the full article

You’ve seen the Commander Mode video from E3, and you’ve seen it in action at gamescom in the live stream. In this in-depth blog post, learn everything about this fan favorite feature straight from the developers. We’ll also be going in-depth on the very beginning of Commander Mode when it was first introduced in Battlefield 2. You’ll see how it has evolved while staying true to its roots, hearing first from Lars Gustavsson as he gives a retrospective on it in BF2, and then from Multiplayer Designer Valerian Noghin with a look towards the future of Commander Mode in Battlefield 4. Commander Mode in Battlefield 2 After having made Battlefield 1942, many of us in the dev team felt that we didn’t really get the same experience online as we did when playing in the studio. The constant chatter, the orders screamed out, the confusion online in regards to what was being talked about…the magic wasn’t really there. That’s where we quickly realized that teamplay would become the foundation for Battlefield 2. Me, as the new lead designer for Battlefield 2, and Romain de Waubert de Genlis who was the lead designer for Battlefield 1942, sat down and spent months talking about how to push the boundaries for teamplay. Two of our programmers, Mattias Hörnlund and Christian Grass, had already done a first prototype for the “communication rose†and how to give orders, and from there we kept refining the concept. We started by splitting up the teams into squads with one squad leader on each side, which helped players get a better focus in the huge 64-player servers as they all knew what area to attack or defend. But we quickly saw that quite often many squads attacked the same base as it fell into enemy hands, leaving the rest of the bases free for the taking. That’s where the thoughts around Commander came in and the vision of one player per team that had an overall view of what happens on the battlefield. This meant that each squad could know that the orders that were given were usually based on additional information that they lacked. We wanted squad leaders to be 90% on the battlefield and just occasionally focused on ordering and communication with the commander, while the commander was intended to work the other way around – 90% focused on ordering and communication, and 10% focused on the battlefield. Early Mock-ups These are mockups that were created with the help of DICE New York at that time. This was the old Desert Combat team that had joined DICE and now helped us prototype our ideas in regards to teamplay. It was a great and hard-working team with good design thinking which made the weekly iterations on Commander and teamplay really fruitful. As you can see on these mockups, there are a lot of elements that made it in to the final version. http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/BF2-Protoype-640x480.jpg http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/BF2-Protoype2.jpg http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/BF2-Protoype3.jpg Having been part of the initial introduction of Commander Mode in BF2, I am super proud to finally bring it back to the battlefield where it belongs, just as the community so many times has reminded me of it. Battlefield 4 delivers so many unique experiences that quite frankly cannot be found in other games and to be able to top it off with two commanders, head-to-head, in the service of their forces, battling it out until one of them has been declared the winner makes this game the most complete Battlefield game ever. Commander Mode in Battlefield 4 Now, eight years after BF2’s release, Commander Mode is coming back. There were a variety of reasons why we wanted to bring it back to Battlefield – and not just including our own passion for it. Commander Mode was well-loved by fans in BF2. We realized just how much fans enjoyed it after all the positive feedback from the announcement we released at E3, which we were very glad to see. For us, Commander Mode is the ultimate level of teamplay. It takes you one step above the established squad leader chain of command and gives multiplayer matches something unique that you don’t see in your average shooter. We saw a great opportunity to innovate on a fantastic feature from the past and bring it into modern multiplayer. Making Changes http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/cmdr_conceptAnim.gif Battlefield 4 Commander Mode Prototypes Of course, we didn’t want to just take Commander Mode from BF2 and throw it into BF4. We went through a thorough process of updating and perfecting Commander Mode, keeping the core ideas and feel from BF2 while bringing it into the modern gaming era. In Battlefield 4, one of Lead Multiplayer Designer Thomas Andersson’s main goals was to create more Commander vs. Commander gameplay (similar to what can be seen in RTS games) than we’ve had before in the series. We also wanted to make it accessible on many platforms. When we had the technology to do real-time 3D and bring the hectic Battlefield to the Commander’s screen, we knew we wanted to focus on that and give the Commander live feedback on his actions in-game. More importantly, we wanted the Commander to be able to see his teams’ actions so the Commander could better support them. We also decided to make the very important change of making the role of Commander a full-time job. There is no possibility of going between 1st person and Commander Mode like in BF2. We wanted to ensure the Commander is dedicated to supporting the whole team, not just themselves. We all remembered the BF2 “Commander supporting himself while in a tank ignoring his team†worst case scenario, and that’s something we wanted to avoid happening again. Finally, we wanted to bring Commander Mode to mobile platforms. We made sure the mobile versions of it were on par with console and PC versions, to ensure any Commander can effectively support their team even when they’re away from home. Commander Mode in Effect There are basically two ecosystems/loops running in parallel when you play as the Commander: the squad loop and the main Commander assets loop. On top of these you always have a basic palette of assets available to support your ground troops. This basic palette includes UAVs for scanning and EMPs (jamming), as well as the Cruise Missile Warning, which designates an area where the enemy missile will strike, allowing your friendly troops to move out of harm’s way before it’s too late. In addition to this, you’ll also be able to designate High Value Targets, useful for pointing out especially dangerous enemies on the battlefield. An enemy on a kill streak of six or more will appear on the Commander’s screen as a selectable unit. This player’s location can be relayed to the entire team for a period of time (45 seconds at the moment). The Commander can add this aspect to a game where most players will shift focus for a while and hunt/protect this HVT player, as both teams are alerted about this Commander “promotion†when it happens. The attackers will receive additional bonuses when taking out said target, while the target will receive bonuses when performing kills while being HVT – thus both parties have something to gain from this. GTA’s classic “wanted stars†system is what we used as an inspiration for this, we think the highly skilled players will accept this challenge as the ultimate proof of becoming a lethal threat on the battlefield. As far as personal favorites go, the High Value Target is probably mine for the rush you get when you know that potentially the entire team is after you! Main Assets Loop These assets can be obtained by your team by owning the objectives and are gone once the objectives are lost/destroyed. The more aggressive and impact-heavy assets are located here. Depending on map and game mode, these are: -The Cruise Missile – launched from fixed positions on the map, they will fly at cruising altitude before dropping in an arc at the designated point, wiping out anything in the vicinity. Their power is substantial, and this is why a good Commander will use the Cruise Missile Warning asset whenever possible. -Two types of Map Scans – Vehicle and Infantry Scan, used for long-term highlighting of enemy units on the map for your team . -Finally, the AC-130 Gunship – as seen in the Commander Mode videos and in BF3’s Armored Kill, this powerful plane provides ground support from multiple weapons, as well as a mobile spawn point covering a large section of the map. Squad Loop These assets are earned in a similar way to Field Upgrades for your squad, so an experienced squad player will feel right at home with these: all the Commander scoring events are fed into the Squad Assets bar. Each asset costs 1, 2, 3 or 4 chunks of the bar. On a maxed bar, the Commander can use the most expensive asset or four of the least expensive asset, depending on the situation at hand. Similar to the Squad Wipe, a chunk of this bar will be depleted when the asset is used – again, having a similarity to the squad field upgrade bar was important for us when designing this. The assets available in this loop are: -Squad Promotion – boost the squad members’ individual field upgrade bars towards the next unlock. -Vehicle Drop – deploy a Quad Bike or a light Boat (depending on terrain) via parachute. -Rapid Deploy – cut the squad’s spawn time in half for a fixed period of time. -Supply Drop: deploy a large crate that will heal, resupply and repair friendly units. In addition, friendly units will be able to change kits on the field which we think is an interesting tactical addition to the game. Looking Forward We think both newcomers and long-term fans of the Battlefield series will enjoy the strategy layer Commander Mode brings to the table. We’ve added exciting new features such as the squad assets, the impressive top-down 3D view, and the long-term Commander career options (dog tags, medals, etc). Plus, interacting with your friends on the field and knowing the impact you can bring to the table is very cool. We can’t wait for you to try Commander Mode. This feature is where all systems in the game meet, collide and join forces. I sat down and realized that the only discipline missing from the mix is probably AI – everything else from graphics, sound, scripting, networking, etc. is involved. The challenge is to align all these disciplines and make sure they all push for the same goal – the best Commander in BF! Just like the rest of MP, this feature is a long-term investment from DICE and we truly look forward to seeing it in the hands of our community. -Lars Gustavsson and Valerian Noghin Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. Stay tuned to “The Road to Battlefield 4â€, where we’ll continue the journey towards launch by diving deeper and deeper into every nuance of the biggest Battlefield game ever developed at DICE. Next episode we’ll explore Weapon Customization in Battlefield 4. Until then, let us know what you think about this blog post, and what questions you want us to answer in the upcoming posts. Thanks for reading! View the full article

It’s been an exciting week for Battlefield at gamescom 2013. In case you missed any of the news, we’ve put together a brief recap. First up is the Battlefield 4: Official “Paracel Storm†Multiplayer Trailer, showing off a brand new map with tons of naval warfare, unique Levolution moments, and more. Pre-order Battlefield 4 Battlefield 4 Beta We also revealed that the Battlefield 4 Beta will launch in early October. The Beta will feature the Siege of Shanghai map in the classic Battlefield Conquest mode. Battlefield 3 Premium members, those who pre-order Battlefield 4 Digital Deluxe Edition and owners of Medal of Honor: Warfighter (Limited or Digital Deluxe Edition) will have access to the exclusive Beta early October for three days. Following that, the open Beta will kick off. This will be the perfect opportunity for everyone to Prepare 4 Battle before the October 29 launch. Pre-order the Digital Deluxe Edition for exclusive access to the Beta Levolution Trailer In addition to the Paracel Storm trailer, we also showed off Levolution, in ways both big and small. Learn more about Levolution Premium Announced Membership gives you early access to five future Battlefield 4 expansion packs, and much more. For the first details on Premium in Battlefield 4, check out the Premium Trailer. Learn more about Battlefield 4 Premium New Game Mode Revealed During the Battlefield 4 Live Stream, players tried out a new game mode, Obliteration. The goal in Obliteration is to destroy your enemies’ targets using bombs before they destroy yours. The catch? The bombs are placed in a central zone and it’s a race to pick it up. To get a feel for Obliteration, check out this short clip recorded live at gamescom 2013. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYIV5erokbw&fmt=18 Watch more Live Stream footage Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. View the full article

Gamescom is not just about big companies, huge booths and the latest games. It’s also about the excited visitors, ambitious cosplayers, zombies, roadtripping BF4 fans and youtubers pointing at things. Enjoy this montage of gamescom moments we’ve captured on camera. http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/IMG_01811.jpg A dozen VIP fans rush to their favorite games on the first day of gamescom. Last year saw 275,000 fans enjoying the show, and 2013 looks like another record year. http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/soldiers.jpg These guys stormed the Community Lounge and demanded to play Battlefield 4 Domination. Resistance was futile. http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/IMG_01061.jpg This German two-man squad enjoys soft air gun competitions and is looking forward to the Battlefield 4 single player campaign in particular. http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Bach-pris-mindre-croppad-WEB.jpg Bam! Executive producer Patrick Bach parades the Computec BÄM Award, one of many prizes Battlefield 4 earned at gamescom. http://blogscdn.battlefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/IMG_02771.jpg Nutrients at 12 o’clock! Youtube celeb jackfrags – creator of “Pointing at all the Things” and other Battlefield 4 videos - identifies a high-value snack target on his lunch break in the EA lounge. Go to page 2 for more photos View the full article