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GC 2009: Battlefield: Bad Company 2
DICE outlines the six components that will make the sequel the best online shooter you'll ever play.
by Steve Butts
August 19, 2009 - The gang at DICE know something about making multiplayer shooters. Having dominated the genre with the successful Battlefield franchise, they're currently hard at work on Bad Company 2, the sequel to their modern-setting game. Patrick Bach, senior producer of the project, gave us some insight today into how the team is hoping to make the new game the best in the series' history thanks to six key components -- sandbox gameplay, vehicle combat, squad based tactics, destructible environments, kit customization and achievements.
The sandbox appeal of the game relies on large landscapes but Patrick is quick to point out that size isn't the only factor that matters; lots of games can have big maps, but the challenge is to pack them with enough interesting detail to give players interesting places to play. There need to be houses and villages for the infantry, large open spaces for the vehicles and no golden routes that force players into predictable paths. Still, there do need to be balanced pressure points for the maps, particularly with modes that focus on controlling key areas.
The size of the maps also supports vehicle play. The game will include 15 vehicles that run the gamut from tanks to boats to helicopters to ATVs. 15 isn't just an arbitrary number, though; the team wants to make sure that each vehicle has a purpose and a unique tactical impact on the game. The Black Hawk helicopter, for instance, can transport up to four soldiers to distant parts of the battlefield, which makes it a crucial tool in your armory.
Squad elements have been substantially improved since the original Bad Company. Players can now spawn next to their four-person teams and use special push-to-speak controls to send commands to specific members of the fire team. There were also be unique achievements and rewards for team play. Best of all, the game has done away with the global spotting system, so now you'll have to spot each enemy individually and even get close enough to see whether or not they're a friendly or an enemy. The final two of the game's four total modes will also rely heavily on squads but DICE didn't reveal more details.
In terms of destruction, Bad Company 2 is miles beyond what we've already seen. The tactical advantages of cover are much less certain now as tanks, grenades and even rifle fire can tear through objects in the game world. The upside is that blowing up walls and buildings can help players create their own fire points and open up new lines of sight. The potential for this to completely change each battle is huge, and we're hoping it doesn't just all end up with players climbing over endless fields of rubble by the end.
Kit customization is another integral part of the experience. With four classes -- assault, recon, engineer and medic --, more than 40 weapons (including three classics for 1943 owners), 200 weapon customization options, 15 gadgets, and your choice of two of 13 different specializations, players can really equip themselves according to their own needs and not the expectations of the designers. So if you want to be a medic with an M1 Garand, a defibrillator, a stamina boost and a few extra clips, you can do it. Or you might be an engineer with mortar strikes and improved armor. Or a recon soldier with motion sensors and red dot scopes.
The new achievements are grouped into four broad categories. 50 ranks measure your overall score and progress through every stage of the game. 40 pins provide rewards for performance within an individual round, like getting a certain number of kills. 228 stars rank your performance with each individual weapon, so you can see where you and your opponents are strongest. Finally, 40 insignias reward the long term investment of players with recognition of things like the length of time played overall.
Fans of the game can try it out on the show floor or wait until the upcoming beta is launched, which was announced during our demo.
DICE outlines the six components that will make the sequel the best online shooter you'll ever play.
by Steve Butts
August 19, 2009 - The gang at DICE know something about making multiplayer shooters. Having dominated the genre with the successful Battlefield franchise, they're currently hard at work on Bad Company 2, the sequel to their modern-setting game. Patrick Bach, senior producer of the project, gave us some insight today into how the team is hoping to make the new game the best in the series' history thanks to six key components -- sandbox gameplay, vehicle combat, squad based tactics, destructible environments, kit customization and achievements.
The sandbox appeal of the game relies on large landscapes but Patrick is quick to point out that size isn't the only factor that matters; lots of games can have big maps, but the challenge is to pack them with enough interesting detail to give players interesting places to play. There need to be houses and villages for the infantry, large open spaces for the vehicles and no golden routes that force players into predictable paths. Still, there do need to be balanced pressure points for the maps, particularly with modes that focus on controlling key areas.
The size of the maps also supports vehicle play. The game will include 15 vehicles that run the gamut from tanks to boats to helicopters to ATVs. 15 isn't just an arbitrary number, though; the team wants to make sure that each vehicle has a purpose and a unique tactical impact on the game. The Black Hawk helicopter, for instance, can transport up to four soldiers to distant parts of the battlefield, which makes it a crucial tool in your armory.
Squad elements have been substantially improved since the original Bad Company. Players can now spawn next to their four-person teams and use special push-to-speak controls to send commands to specific members of the fire team. There were also be unique achievements and rewards for team play. Best of all, the game has done away with the global spotting system, so now you'll have to spot each enemy individually and even get close enough to see whether or not they're a friendly or an enemy. The final two of the game's four total modes will also rely heavily on squads but DICE didn't reveal more details.
In terms of destruction, Bad Company 2 is miles beyond what we've already seen. The tactical advantages of cover are much less certain now as tanks, grenades and even rifle fire can tear through objects in the game world. The upside is that blowing up walls and buildings can help players create their own fire points and open up new lines of sight. The potential for this to completely change each battle is huge, and we're hoping it doesn't just all end up with players climbing over endless fields of rubble by the end.
Kit customization is another integral part of the experience. With four classes -- assault, recon, engineer and medic --, more than 40 weapons (including three classics for 1943 owners), 200 weapon customization options, 15 gadgets, and your choice of two of 13 different specializations, players can really equip themselves according to their own needs and not the expectations of the designers. So if you want to be a medic with an M1 Garand, a defibrillator, a stamina boost and a few extra clips, you can do it. Or you might be an engineer with mortar strikes and improved armor. Or a recon soldier with motion sensors and red dot scopes.
The new achievements are grouped into four broad categories. 50 ranks measure your overall score and progress through every stage of the game. 40 pins provide rewards for performance within an individual round, like getting a certain number of kills. 228 stars rank your performance with each individual weapon, so you can see where you and your opponents are strongest. Finally, 40 insignias reward the long term investment of players with recognition of things like the length of time played overall.
Fans of the game can try it out on the show floor or wait until the upcoming beta is launched, which was announced during our demo.
