My experience with BF:BC2 at PAX

mclaren777 · 09-09-2009, 06:30 PM

Some backstory first. I love BC1 and I still play it regularly. It's my favorite FPS of all time and, in my opinion, one of the best games of this current generation. I also downloaded BF1943 at launch and have enjoyed it greatly, though not as much as BC1.

Anyway, I was able to play four matches at PAX and I even impressed the guys from DICE enough that they gave me a free download code for BF1943. But the real highlight of my time there was the 10-15 minutes I spent talking with Gordon Van Dyke, the game's producer. He's one of those rare developers who seemingly can't sugar-coat things. He talks straight from the heart without any corporate spin or PR double-speak.

We talked about a number of topics but one thing stood out more than anything else: DICE doesn't have some master plan, apart from making the game fun.

Their goal is to keep iterating until everything just clicks. Those icons you see on the far right of the weapon select screen? They're just placeholders at this point. Kit customizations are still up in the air. The controller layout? Not set in stone yet.

So let me make this crystal clear: many of the things we're seeing in these videos/images may be totally different in the final game, but DICE is committed to making BC2 a great game.

And speaking of great games, I asked Gordon about COD4 and whether it influenced their direction. In short, "hell no". Gordon was almost anti-COD4, though he clearly respected Infinity Ward's talent. Contrary to all of the conspiracy theories out there, EA hasn't been pressuring DICE to make a COD4 clone either.

And now for the stuff you've been waiting for. I've been passionately anti-killcam since it was first announced but it didn't bother me at all. That shocked me quite a bit and it was interesting talking to Gordon because he loves playing Recon and the killcam doesn't bother him either. Also, the regenerative health (which I used to oppose) didn't even register because it happens so slowly. Those fearing that BC2 is a n00b-friendly version of BC1 need to put down their pitchforks and chill out, myself included.

Other random things: the build we played was from E3 so the game already looks noticeably better according to Gordon. The explosions were definitely improved over BC1 and the only negative thing was ugly tree branches--they were heavily dithered for some reason.

Also, I really disliked the new controller layout because you couldn't walk and select your gadgets at the same time. But remember what I said earlier about this being a work-in-progress. Furthermore, in the four games I played (and the four I watched while standing in line) the defenders never won a match, but I'm sure that'll be sorted out with time.

And finally, a quick word on vehicles. The Black Hawk is a terrifying thing to behold. I was never in one but it shot at my tank once and that gatling gun is a genuine menace. Also, there's a new APC-ish vehicle with AA guns on the roof. It's a fantastic addition to the game and it counteracts the Black Hawn nicely.

And it you have any questions, feel free to ask.

mclaren777 · 09-09-2009, 06:31 PM

And here's a video I shot and the pictures that go with it...

YouTube - Battlefield: Bad Company 2 @ PAX '09

M0t0rBreath89 · 09-09-2009, 06:49 PM

Gordon is the best! As far as defenders never winning, maybe it's because of noobs playing the game. I mean it's a new map that ppl played for 15 minutes, I sure not all of them new the map layout. I bet they didn't even care about who won, all they cares was about shooting ppl and seeing the new things in the game.

The game is looking great so far, keep up the great work DICE. Lets just hope that everymap is awesome.

Ronin0ni · 09-09-2009, 06:53 PM

hopefully a lot of what you said will ease peoples fears.... though I have been saying much the same for a while, it's nice to have someone who actually played it and talked with GVD confirm it.

domme1983 · 09-09-2009, 07:13 PM

Mhhm hoped u asked him about server browser system and clans / match making.

For the rest, i hope u enjoyed playing the game :-)

bunsenbeaker27 · 09-09-2009, 07:16 PM

Nice photos and video. Thanks for sharing!

SAS_Soilder · 09-09-2009, 07:43 PM

M1 Garand and Thompson

vijx · 09-09-2009, 07:52 PM

Nice job. Too bad there wasn't any gameplay in that vid, but it was informative nonetheless.

Just one thing...

Where does it let you select attachments, or does it not in this build? From the pic you have, there seems to be no option to select any attachments for the weapons.

mclaren777 · 09-09-2009, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vijx

Where does it let you select attachments, or does it not in this build?

This build didn't include selectable customizations. You only had a primary/secondary weapon (non-selectable) and the two default gadgets for each class. Everything you see on the right is just a placeholder for now.

mclaren777 · 09-09-2009, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by domme1983

Mhhm hoped u asked him about server browser system and clans / match making.

I started to ask that question but we got sidetracked talking about BF1943's server issues, though I learned that none of the BC1 servers were taken down to support BF1943. That made me happy.

Tituin1 · 09-09-2009, 08:38 PM

i got a question why the defenders never won??? it is the crates are very easy to take like blow up the building with the crate inside or is just the crate are very visible to the enemy?????

Tituin1 · 09-09-2009, 08:43 PM

i like those attachments and the stuff i dont know what to call it but looks cool thats customization

Twinblade · 09-09-2009, 09:17 PM

lol the TC was quoted on planetbattlefield

Planet Battlefield - Maps, News, Battlefield 2, Videos, Downloads

Congrats :P

Ronin0ni · 09-09-2009, 09:31 PM

^^ ROFL, quoted with the "lala" too! LOL

People reading that will be like "wut the hell? What does 'lala' mean??"

TTeddy988 · 09-09-2009, 09:55 PM

Good to see it coming together. The customization looks sweet.

ExMaloBonum · 09-09-2009, 09:57 PM

Thx for sharing.

How was the weapons damage? Did you die a lot quicker?

Spartan117nTN · 09-09-2009, 10:32 PM

Did you get to pilot any helicopter?
If so how were the controls and etc compared to BC?

norm360 · 09-09-2009, 10:35 PM

Did you ask anybody from DICE why they decided to include a kill-cam in the game?

So far this has been completely overlooked.

Tituin1 · 09-09-2009, 10:36 PM

i got a question why the defenders never won??? it is the crates are very easy to take like blow up the building with the crate inside or is just the crate are very visible to the enemy?????

SHOTDOWN210 · 09-09-2009, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ExMaloBonum

Thx for sharing.

How was the weapons damage? Did you die a lot quicker?

Ya this is my main concern. What was the damage like?

BIG_BOYY · 09-09-2009, 10:51 PM

Cool video. Thanks for posting this.

renneyg · 09-09-2009, 10:57 PM

thx 4 the info cant thank u enuf.could you tell me a bit about the gadgets you seen and also i seen 4 handguns do you know the type?

Ronin0ni · 09-09-2009, 11:09 PM

I saw a revolver icon, They currently had no choices (If you read he said all they had were defaults, all the icons were placeholders) but I can pretty much guarantee that the revolver is probably the best handgun

ScifiSpartan · 09-09-2009, 11:14 PM

I agree the revolver will be my secondary through and through

ZuluZuluZulu · 09-09-2009, 11:57 PM

Thanks for sharing, but I feel I must try to mention that the killcam will not be a problem for some time. To say that you didn't mind it means only that it wasn't properly used by your enemies.

Thanks for the info, just wanted to add my 2c

EDIT: Sorry, I just wrote a longer post about this in the Killcam thread poll, so I didn't want to go into too much detail here as well.

09-09-2009, 06:30 PM	#1 (permalink)
mclaren777 Rookie Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Olympia, Washington Posts: 171	My experience with BF:BC2 at PAX Some backstory first. I love BC1 and I still play it regularly. It's my favorite FPS of all time and, in my opinion, one of the best games of this current generation. I also downloaded BF1943 at launch and have enjoyed it greatly, though not as much as BC1. Anyway, I was able to play four matches at PAX and I even impressed the guys from DICE enough that they gave me a free download code for BF1943. But the real highlight of my time there was the 10-15 minutes I spent talking with Gordon Van Dyke, the game's producer. He's one of those rare developers who seemingly can't sugar-coat things. He talks straight from the heart without any corporate spin or PR double-speak. We talked about a number of topics but one thing stood out more than anything else: DICE doesn't have some master plan, apart from making the game fun. Their goal is to keep iterating until everything just clicks. Those icons you see on the far right of the weapon select screen? They're just placeholders at this point. Kit customizations are still up in the air. The controller layout? Not set in stone yet. So let me make this crystal clear: many of the things we're seeing in these videos/images may be totally different in the final game, but DICE is committed to making BC2 a great game. And speaking of great games, I asked Gordon about COD4 and whether it influenced their direction. In short, "hell no". Gordon was almost anti-COD4, though he clearly respected Infinity Ward's talent. Contrary to all of the conspiracy theories out there, EA hasn't been pressuring DICE to make a COD4 clone either. And now for the stuff you've been waiting for. I've been passionately anti-killcam since it was first announced but it didn't bother me at all. That shocked me quite a bit and it was interesting talking to Gordon because he loves playing Recon and the killcam doesn't bother him either. Also, the regenerative health (which I used to oppose) didn't even register because it happens so slowly. Those fearing that BC2 is a n00b-friendly version of BC1 need to put down their pitchforks and chill out, myself included. Other random things: the build we played was from E3 so the game already looks noticeably better according to Gordon. The explosions were definitely improved over BC1 and the only negative thing was ugly tree branches--they were heavily dithered for some reason. Also, I really disliked the new controller layout because you couldn't walk and select your gadgets at the same time. But remember what I said earlier about this being a work-in-progress. Furthermore, in the four games I played (and the four I watched while standing in line) the defenders never won a match, but I'm sure that'll be sorted out with time. And finally, a quick word on vehicles. The Black Hawk is a terrifying thing to behold. I was never in one but it shot at my tank once and that gatling gun is a genuine menace. Also, there's a new APC-ish vehicle with AA guns on the roof. It's a fantastic addition to the game and it counteracts the Black Hawn nicely. And it you have any questions, feel free to ask. __________________ My request for DICE: please revert back to the spotting system from the PS3 beta! Last edited by mclaren777; 10-09-2009 at 12:29 AM.

09-09-2009, 06:31 PM	#2 (permalink)
mclaren777 Rookie Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Olympia, Washington Posts: 171	And here's a video I shot and the pictures that go with it... YouTube - Battlefield: Bad Company 2 @ PAX '09 __________________ My request for DICE: please revert back to the spotting system from the PS3 beta!

09-09-2009, 07:16 PM	#6 (permalink)
bunsenbeaker27 Rookie Join Date: May 2009 Location: North Carolina, USA Age: 36 Posts: 243	Nice photos and video. Thanks for sharing! __________________ 2Old2Play Geezer Gamers

09-09-2009, 09:55 PM	#15 (permalink)
TTeddy988 Forum Junkie Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: C to the anada Posts: 3,431	Good to see it coming together. The customization looks sweet. __________________ Charging blindly at tanks, with a silenced sub machine gun and a can do attitude. I am bringing the specialist back!

09-09-2009, 09:57 PM	#16 (permalink)
ExMaloBonum Forum Guru Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Switzerland Age: 30 Posts: 1,780	Thx for sharing. How was the weapons damage? Did you die a lot quicker? __________________

09-09-2009, 06:49 PM	#3 (permalink)
M0t0rBreath89 Forum Guru Join Date: Apr 2009 Age: 22 Posts: 1,619	Gordon is the best! As far as defenders never winning, maybe it's because of noobs playing the game. I mean it's a new map that ppl played for 15 minutes, I sure not all of them new the map layout. I bet they didn't even care about who won, all they cares was about shooting ppl and seeing the new things in the game. The game is looking great so far, keep up the great work DICE. Lets just hope that everymap is awesome.

09-09-2009, 06:53 PM	#4 (permalink)
Ronin0ni Banned Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Cali. In the United States of No More Rights Posts: 12,010	hopefully a lot of what you said will ease peoples fears.... though I have been saying much the same for a while, it's nice to have someone who actually played it and talked with GVD confirm it.

09-09-2009, 07:13 PM	#5 (permalink)
domme1983 Rookie Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Denmark *settled over from germany Age: 28 Posts: 337	Mhhm hoped u asked him about server browser system and clans / match making. For the rest, i hope u enjoyed playing the game :-)

09-09-2009, 07:43 PM	#7 (permalink)
SAS_Soilder Rookie Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 6	M1 Garand and Thompson

09-09-2009, 07:52 PM	#8 (permalink)
vijx Forum Guru Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: A post-apocolyptic underground command center Posts: 2,432	Nice job. Too bad there wasn't any gameplay in that vid, but it was informative nonetheless. Just one thing... Where does it let you select attachments, or does it not in this build? From the pic you have, there seems to be no option to select any attachments for the weapons.

09-09-2009, 08:38 PM	#11 (permalink)
Tituin1 Rookie Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: in the Battlefield Posts: 317	i got a question why the defenders never won??? it is the crates are very easy to take like blow up the building with the crate inside or is just the crate are very visible to the enemy?????

09-09-2009, 08:43 PM	#12 (permalink)
Tituin1 Rookie Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: in the Battlefield Posts: 317	i like those attachments and the stuff i dont know what to call it but looks cool thats customization

09-09-2009, 09:17 PM	#13 (permalink)
Twinblade Forum Junkie Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 4,722	lol the TC was quoted on planetbattlefield Planet Battlefield - Maps, News, Battlefield 2, Videos, Downloads Congrats :P

09-09-2009, 09:31 PM	#14 (permalink)
Ronin0ni Banned Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Cali. In the United States of No More Rights Posts: 12,010	^^ ROFL, quoted with the "lala" too! LOL People reading that will be like "wut the hell? What does 'lala' mean??"

09-09-2009, 10:32 PM	#17 (permalink)
Spartan117nTN Forum Regular Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 947	Did you get to pilot any helicopter? If so how were the controls and etc compared to BC? __________________

09-09-2009, 10:35 PM	#18 (permalink)
norm360 Forum Guru Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 1,866	Did you ask anybody from DICE why they decided to include a kill-cam in the game? So far this has been completely overlooked.

09-09-2009, 10:36 PM	#19 (permalink)
Tituin1 Rookie Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: in the Battlefield Posts: 317	i got a question why the defenders never won??? it is the crates are very easy to take like blow up the building with the crate inside or is just the crate are very visible to the enemy?????

09-09-2009, 10:51 PM	#21 (permalink)
BIG_BOYY Banned Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Canada, LE Age: 16 Posts: 6,053	Cool video. Thanks for posting this.

09-09-2009, 10:57 PM	#22 (permalink)
renneyg Forum Guru Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: vancouver bc canada Posts: 1,374	thx 4 the info cant thank u enuf.could you tell me a bit about the gadgets you seen and also i seen 4 handguns do you know the type? __________________ DEATHDLR-DALTON Worst bf3 player on this forum

09-09-2009, 11:09 PM	#23 (permalink)
Ronin0ni Banned Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Cali. In the United States of No More Rights Posts: 12,010	I saw a revolver icon, They currently had no choices (If you read he said all they had were defaults, all the icons were placeholders) but I can pretty much guarantee that the revolver is probably the best handgun

09-09-2009, 11:14 PM	#24 (permalink)
ScifiSpartan Forum Guru Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: The States Age: 17 Posts: 1,266	I agree the revolver will be my secondary through and through __________________ A proud Assault/Engineer on the battlefield. Its actually wookiee, not wookie. Look it up

09-09-2009, 11:57 PM	#25 (permalink)
ZuluZuluZulu Banned Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 3,599 Blog Entries: 1	Thanks for sharing, but I feel I must try to mention that the killcam will not be a problem for some time. To say that you didn't mind it means only that it wasn't properly used by your enemies. Thanks for the info, just wanted to add my 2c EDIT: Sorry, I just wrote a longer post about this in the Killcam thread poll, so I didn't want to go into too much detail here as well. Last edited by ZuluZuluZulu; 10-09-2009 at 12:08 AM.