TG_Snap

http://esports.ampednews.com/?page=articles&id=5665

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breakdancing since the 80's

Maranhao

Yeah it's definitely a completely different style of gaming than CSS and those sort of games.

TG_Snap

Looks like the page for the full article dosent always load properly this evening, Ill just post it here:


Call it hitboxes, netcode, or what you will, the infantry in the Battlefield series has always been a touchy subject and a hotly debate topic since the BF42 demo. Most players do seem to adapt, but for some it's a long and hard road to change almost everything they know about First Person Shooters. Battlefield2 is no exception, as DICE has extended their style of infantry tactics into this newer and more polished game. Those who master it can be gods during matches, taking out other players with ease and securing wins for their teams using tactics only found in Battlefield 2.

As we see players come from other games into CAL and TWL BF2 competition, the transition in infantry can be daunting. Even for Desert Combat, Vanilla BF42 and Vietnam teams, it's an interesting switch from infantry play in the previous game to that in BF2. Jamison from [20ID] explains, "The primary difference results from Battlefield Vietnam gun accuracy and BF2 gun accuracy. I don't really mean the base accuracy, but the movement accuracy. For example, going prone or crouched is nearly required in BF2 while in BFV you could sidestep and still fire fairly accurately." He adds, "It seems like most BF2 infantry weapons are somewhat weaker. However, I prefer BF2 infantry combat over BFV." I also had a chance to speak with Huggable from The Final Stand to get a viewpoint from a former DC player. "In my opinion, the main difference between DC and BF2 is the zoom / line of sight (LOS). In DC, most weapons just zoomed in the crosshair. In BF2, zooming most weapons brings up a LOS. BF2 infantry weapons seem more realistic as far as video games go." He continues, "Certain weapons still seem a bit overpowered, but not to the same extent as DC weapons, such as the VSS and Saiga for example."

Of course the change in weapon damage can have a huge impact on whether or not you win that 1v1 gunfight. With the addition of all types of weapons in BF2, the type of firearm you have can make or break the infantry battles, as is the ability to switch from auto to one shot. For example, the USMC M16A2 comes in semi-auto with a 3 shot burst as opposed to the MEC's full-auto AK-101. I spoke with Liquid Tension, former main infantry for Rebels of Mankind [ROM] in Battlefield:1942 to expand on this. "The bursting aspect of the M16 is good for some people and bad for others. Personally, I don't like it, as I like to hold down and shoot people such as in BF42 with the Thompson SMG or STG-44. Others find it easier to get headshots with it, so it's useful for some and not as useful for others." Jamison continues from a Battlefield Vietnam perspective: "I love it. I wanted BFV and BF42 to have fire mode selection, and finally BF2 has it. Semi-automatic is great for medium to long range, and 3 round burst is ideal for accurate short to medium range fire." Huggable adds, "Burst fire selection as automatic - I love it. Helps you slow down your ROF and control your aim. I personally like the single shot at range. Close up, I think it is great. I'm sure alot of guys prefer to spray, but fire control and ammo conservation is imperative to successful infantry work."

The high-spread shotguns can be devastating up close, whereas they're almost useless from long range. Conversely, the medic and assault rifles have an all-around impact and are the main infantry player's weapon of choice, but with the addition of vehicles, using other classes is mandatory to win the match.

Another tactic that's tried and true in the Battlefield series is "bunny hopping," essentially jumping around while either healing yourself or attacking. It's been known to infuriate, confuse, and just plain annoy opponents, such as Huggabale who adds "It is much worse -it really wasn't an issue in DC, as guys couldn't jump 6 ft in the air or dance around bullets. Anyway, I am hoping they patch it right away."

Bunny hopping does seem to be a natural reaction to some as they enter a 1v1 gunfight. The fact that every time a player jumps, his sprint meter gets almost cut by one quarter proves that maybe DICE addressed this tactic by giving it some limitation. In Battlefield 1942, a medic was known to simply heal himself while jumping around or "bunny hopping" while his opponent wasted a clip of ammunition. The medic would then attack his opponent while the latter was reloading. "I think it's worse in BF2 than it is was in [Battlefield] 1942. The faster combat aspect of BF2 is what makes it worse," adds Liquid Tension. He continues, "You can be killed before the guy hits the ground, whereas in 42, you know you can take a couple bullets before finally going down, and that gives you enough time to kill your opponent." [20ID]Jamison offers a technical perspective: "The movement in BF2 allows for more effective bunny hopping, as the 1-2 jumps you make can present a harder target in close to medium range encounters. I find myself using sidestep, jump, and prone in multiple combinations."

With the commerical success of BF2, many clans that originally were founded on other games have found their way over to CAL and TWL to compete in what is in reality a completely different type of game. Many players come from the CounterStrike, Americas Army, Call of Duty, and Ravenshield communities. Some have found the transition easy, while some othesr have found it difficult to adapt to vehicles, bullet spread, and overall movement that DICE has incorporated in its infantry combat. When asked about how non-BF based teams will adapt, Jamison added "any player that has no experience in the BF series will take a while to adapt. Their aim can be better, but they have a hard time adjusting to a game that isn't a straight up FPS. I have seen players from other games do well and develop, but straight into the game, they were well behind people like Speedy (from 20ID) because of their backgrounds." The learning curve is also huge when switching from game to game, be it weapon accuracy, freedom of movent, using obstacles to your advantage, etc. The players that adapt and change their style completely are the ones that will be successful come match time. "Any team from any game, including BF42, has a big learning curve ahead of them," says Liquid Tension. "The teams from Battlefield 1942 don't have as steep of a curve than others coming from CSS and Ravenshield or AA." He continues, "If each team/person practices enough at it, then they will adopt fine, but if they are going strictly with what they know from their previous games, then other teams will just thank them for the easy wins and move up the leagues and ladders."

As mentionned before, the addition of vehicles can make even the most skilled Counterstrike team end up at the bottom of the rankings. It is a completely different style of game, parting from the usual infantry vs. infantry FPS games that dominate the video game market. Huggable explains, "This game requires a lot of vehicle experience first of all. Second, spawns occur in waves and conquest based gaming is a departure as well. Heck, it is a different way of playing. I wouldn't expect much form RvS or CSS players initially, but they will probably be real decent infantry players though."

For all the hype that comes with this game, adapting to BF2 infantry will make for some great firefights and will prove to be useful in mods to come. The TWL & CAL 8v8 League players especially will have to be on top of their game as every kill in that format counts. We're also keeping a close eye on TWL's 5v5 Infantry ladder, which proved to be one of the most competitive arenas in the BF42 days. Whether you're from BF42, DC, Vietnam, or a new player to the Battlefield series, infantry players are getting ready for some massive firefights in the near future.

Source: http://esports.ampednews.com
Author: Stepside, New Century Gamers, www.ncgamers.com
Thursday, July 28, 2005

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breakdancing since the 80's