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Going Back to Karkand #4: The design idea behind the themed expansion pack

BY: HBrun
POSTED: Nov 11, 2011, 12:00AM

Are you ready to take a closer look at our first upcoming expansion pack, Battlefield 3: Back to Karkand? Read on for the first Back to Karkand trailer and the Lead Designer's thoughts on the idea behind this themed expansion pack.

As you may or may not know, there will be even more Battlefield 3 goodness coming your way this December. Right now, a separate team here at DICE is hard at work wrapping up the first expansion pack Battlefield 3: Back to Karkand. Utilizing the power of the Frostbite 2 engine, the Back to Karkand expansion pack remasters four of the greatest Battlefield maps in the franchise: Strike at Karkand, Wake Island, Gulf of Oman and Sharqi Peninsula. Last week, we released the first gameplay trailer from Back to Karkand, and you can watch it again above.

First Back to Karkand previews online
Also, the first Back to Karkand media previews have started to appear online, so keep your eyes peeled. Here's a great preview by IGN, aptly named "BF3's Back to Karkand Destroys the Classics." And we also have Gamespot's impressions of playing on Gulf of Oman and Strike at Karkand, with some explosive footage to go with it.

Strike at Karkand, we meet again.

Lead Designer Niklas Fegraeus on the design
The design idea for the expansion pack was to let players revisit these classic maps as if time had passed by since they last played them in Battlefield 2. This will be apparent on all maps, but one prime example is on Gulf of Oman. Close to the beach, this new version of the all-time classic map sees a group of luxury villas erected by someone who wants to turn this piece of land into a paradise for vacationers. Now that war is once again coming to the region, those plans are likely to be ground quickly to a halt. Another example is Wake Island. Next to the airport, a conference building has been constructed. But the only conferences held there this Winter will likely be of the highly destructive kind. We met with Back to Karkand Lead Designer Niklas Fegraeus for a chat on his vision for these reimagined maps:

"I want returning players to get the sense that these are cool new maps, and then suddenly realize they know them by heart. The feeling should be new, but the actual map layout the same as before. For newcomers, these are simply four brilliant maps", said Niklas.

Besides getting an artistic makeover, the Back to Karkand team is also making sure the new maps take full advantage of Frostbite 2, including the ability to turn most of the maps into rubble. Do you think you are safe hiding inside the buildings of these classic maps? Think again!

But Back to Karkand is much more than just remastered maps. This expansion pack also includes five new dog tags, five new achievements/trophies (if you’re on 360 or PS3), three new vehicles, 10 classic Battlefield weapons and a new persistence system where players complete assignments to earn their rewards. We will return once a week starting now to give you more details on these additions together with more images and videos.

The artistic direction in Battlefield 3: Back to Karkand has been to reimagine these all-time classic maps as if time has passed a few years since we last visited them. That, and to add crazy amounts of destruction.

As always, if you pre-ordered your copy of Battlefield 3: Limited Edition, you are entitled to Back to Karkand at no extra charge and will be notified once it is available for download and play in December. Anyone else can buy it on the very same launch day for $14.99/1200 Microsoft Points, or the equivalent in their local currency. PlayStation 3 players will have exclusive 1 week early access to Back to Karkand.

Come back next week for more details on Back to Karkand.

Did you miss the earlier stories in this blog series?

#3: Introducing Gulf of Oman and Sharqi Peninsula

#2: “Wake Island has a special place in my heart”

#1: Your chance to relive the greatest Battlefield maps ever

Multiplayer Demo Dominates at E3

Battlefield 3 earned 60+ nominations and came away with 40+ wins from E3. (Electronic Entertainment Expo). The annual video game conference and show at the Los Angeles Convention center.

Including:

1UP.com � Best PC Game
1UP.com � Best Shooter
Attack of the Fanboy � Best of E3 PC
Big Picture Big Sound � Top 10 Best Games of E3 2011, 1st
Digital Trends � Best FPS
Digital Trends � Best Graphics
EEDAR''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s Most Promising Retail Titles of E3 2011 � 2nd Place
FPS Guru � Best Multiplayer
G4TV X-Play � Best Shooter
Game Critics Awards � Best Action Game
Game Critics Awards � Best Online Multiplayer
Game Informer � Best Shooter
GamePro � Best First-Person Shooter
GamerRevolution � Best of E3
GameSpot � Best Shooter
GameSpot � Best Graphics
GameSpy � Best First-Person Shooter
GameSpy � Best Graphics
GameSpy � Best Audio
GameSpy � Best MP
Gamingexcellence.com � Best Shooter
Gamingexcellence.com � Best Graphics
Gamingexcellence.com � Best of Show
INC Gamers � Best Shooter
INC Gamers � Best Trailer
Jeuxvideo.com (France) � Best PC Game of E3
Machinima � Best Shooter
Meristation (Spain) � Best PC Game
Meristation (Spain) � Best Shooter
Meristation (Spain) � Best Graphics
Playstation Lifestyle � Best of E3 2011
Realidad 2.0 � Best Graphics
Realidad 2.0 � Best Shooter
Ripten � Best FPS
Shortlist (UK) � Best Game
Shortlist.com � Best Shooter
Spaziogames.it (Italy) � Best Shooter
Spaziogames.it (Italy) � Best Multiplayer
The BitBag � Best Graphics
The BitBag � Best Sound Design
The BitBag � Best Multiplayer
The BitBag � Best FPS
The BitBag � Best Game of E3
What If Gaming � Best Graphics Technology
What If Gaming � Most Gracious Technological Excellence
What If Gaming � Revolutionary Design
What If Gaming � Best FPS
Yahoo! Games � Best of E3 2011
Zoo (UK) � Best in Show

Watch video and read more here - http://www.battlefield.com/battlefield3/blog/e3-awards-nominations-battlefield-3?sourceid

New Battlefield 3 footage in this review.

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/29/battlefield-3-footage-and-back-to-karkand-comparison-courtesy/ Yes there is now prone!

Battlefield 3 News!

Going Back to Karkand #3: Introducing Gulf of Oman and Sharqi Peninsula

From the Battlefield 3 Blog
POSTED: May 25, 2011, 12:00AM

Yours at no extra charge on pre-order.

Part III in a behind the scenes series on Battlefield 3: Back to Karkand

We've covered off two of the maps in the pre-order bonus Battlefield 3: Back to Karkand. Today, we have some early concepts from the two remaining maps for you, as well as some clarification on how to get your hands on them. Read on.

Battlefield 3: Back to Karkand contains four classic Battlefield maps reimagined with the power of the new Frostbite 2 game engine. We've covered off Strike at Karkand and Wake Island in our previous blog posts, which leaves Gulf of Oman and Sharqi Peninsula.

Below, you can see some very early concept art that we designed here at DICE to get a feel for what these new versions could feel like. Don't read too much into them, though, as concept art will never be proof of features, content, or even final visual design.

By the way, there's absolutely no way you can pre-order Battlefield 3 and not end up with the Limited Edition (with the exception of Italy, where the cut-off date for the Limited Edition is September 30th). Battlefield 3: Limited Edition in turn entitles you to the expansion pack Battlefield 3: Back to Karkand once it is released (after launch, date to be confirmed). If you pre-order, this bonus content will be yours at no extra charge. If you do not pre-order, you will still be able to buy it when it is released (price to be confirmed). The goal from the separate development team behind it is to make it every bit as ambitious and full of content as Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam. Closer to the launch of the base game, we will be able to show you just what that means.

On another note, if you want a chance to play on three of these classic Battlefield maps (namely Strike at Karkand, Gulf of Oman, and Sharqi Peninsula), they are all available in the excellent Battlefield Play4Free.

Stay tuned for more details on Back to Karkand.

For more information on Battlefield 3, visit the Official Site.

For the latest news on everything Battlefield, follow us on Twitter.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam -- Join the Battle for Hastings

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam -- Join the Battle for Hastings on December 21! (18th if you preorder so... preorder!)

BY: H Brun
POSTED: Dec 03, 2010, 12:00AM

Today, we are happy to announce a fifth multiplayer bonus map in our upcoming expansion pack Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam!

Concentrated awesomeness. You have to earn this map, though.

This bonus map joins the previously announced Hill 137, Vantage Point, Phu Bai Valley and Cao Son Temple for a total of five maps in Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam. Some of you might recognize the setting, as this is the classic Operation Hastings map made famous in our PC game Battlefield: Vietnam from 2004.

If you didn’t play it back then, it’s one of the favorites among our fans, featuring everything awesome in one fantastic arena: boats, helicopters, tanks, jeeps, temples, and the signature bridge dividing the map into two strategic areas. To make things a little more interesting, we’re giving you, the players, the power to unlock this fifth map!

So what do you need to do? Easy. You and all your friends playing on PS3, PC, or Xbox 360 need to perform 69 million team actions across Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam. So what’s a team action? Well, it’s any and all of these: resupply, revive, heal, spot, and repair. We start counting on December 21st, so make sure you contribute from the start!

This is how we roll.

For an action packed preview of the map and this community challenge, just watch the video at the top of this post.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam is out December 18 on EA Store and Steam (PC version). December 21 world-wide on Xbox 360. December 21 on PS3 in North America, and December 22 on PS3 in Europe.

Battlefield Bad Company 2 Map Pack 7 Goes Live Dec. 1st

Release dates set for VIP Map Pack 7 and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam

As soon as KOF receives word that the map pack has unlocked we will change the rotation to feature the new maps! The update is available now but the maps have not unlocked yet so get updated so you are ready!!!

BY: zh1nt0
POSTED: Nov 30, 2010, 08:32AM

You wanted release dates for VIP Map Pack 7 and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam? Why didn't you just say so? :)

No, seriously -- VIP Map Pack 7 goes live tomorrow! This is your chance to relive the awesomeness of fan favorite map Oasis, plus three more maps never before available in Battlefield: Bad Company 2 multiplayer. For a complete rundown of everything VIP Map Pack 7, here are some posts we prepared earlier.

Also: December 21. Save the date. That is when Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam will launch (December 22 for PS3 in Europe). If you prefer your battlefielding on PC, you can get a three day headstart on EA Store and Steam, where it will be available on December 18. Need a reminder on why you should be excited? Here's our latest trailer. It has flame-throwers.

So. Who's on for some serious VIP 7 multiplayer action tomorrow?

Note that in order to play VIP Map Pack 7, you need to update your game with Multiplayer Update 3. This update should be pretty automatic and straight-forward, but if you want more info on it, head to this blog post. For more info on Battlefield: Bad Company 2, visit the Official Site.

// www.twitter.com/OfficialBFBC2

// www.twitter.com/zh1nt0

Multiplayer Update 3 for Bad Company 2 -- PS3 tonight, other formats to follow

BY: zh1nt0
POSTED: Nov 23, 2010, 12:00AM

As the title suggests, there is an update for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 coming for the PS3 platform, and it contains multiple changes to the game. This update is also in preparation for our upcoming VIP Map Pack 7 and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam, which explains the size of it.

We are working hard on getting these fixes out for both PC and Xbox 360 as well, so in the coming days, look for updates on those platforms as well.

Sometime tomorrow the update will be deployed and will be downloadable for everyone starting up their PS3. PS3 players might encounter some temporary outages or suffer from lag during the server updates (between GMT 00:01 2010-11-24 and GMT 00:01 2010-11-25).

Here is a complete list of all the fixes in this update:
- Acog and Red dot scope now equippable on MK-14 and G3.
- Fixed a bug on PC where the G3 would do less damage than intended.
- Reduced VADS push back and damage to balance it with the ZU23.
- Fixed a bug where Vehicle Countermeasures would fail to remove tracer darts at high speed.
- Reduced the reload time for Vehicle Countermeasures.
- Slightly increased the AT4's damage vs armor to emphasize its anti vehicle role while keeping it balanced vs armor.
- Increased the AT4’s top speed and acceleration so users spend less time exposed when firing.
- Increased the AT4's splash damage so it competes with other AT weapons vs infantry. The AT4 still has the least splash damage of all AT weapons.
- Reduced the splash damage of the Carl Gustav to bring it in line with other explosive weapons. The Carl Gustav still has the most splash damage of all AT weapons.
- Increased the 1 shot kill range of the M95 body shot to counter its lower rate of fire.
- Fixed a bug with the SVU that gave it better close range damage than other semi auto weapons.
- Reduced all weapon damage to the MCOM by 50%.
- Fixed a C4 vs MCOM exploit on Atacama Desert.
- Fixed a bug with FOV when aiming the M1911.
- Lowered the close range damage of the AN94 to highlight its long range role.
- Increased the accuracy of the F2000 on the move to highlight its role as a mobile AR.
- Increased the close range damage of the shotguns to give them a greater advantage vs slugs.
- Slightly lowered the damage of the M60 to balance its accuracy advantage vs other LMGs. - Slightly lowered the damage of the MG3 at close range to balance it with other high rate of fire weapons. - Slightly increased the damage of the UH6

Holy Update Batman!

Bazajaytee of Dice Says: R7 Client and R10 Server Changelist

Our current plan is to allow Steam to test the patch tonight and all being well we will look to release R7 client and R10 servers on Wednesday morning European time. I''ll update more on that later once the details are finalised.

In the mean time here is the R7 client changelist.

MP � New Server browser
MP � Added 15 second spawn timer for Conquest/Rush gamemodes at the start of round to prevent high end machines getting the upper hand before other machines load in.
MP � Crash fixes relating to ALT+TAB at different times throughout the game
MP � Hang fix when trying to connect to a full server multiple times
MP � Deletion of soldiers now possible through the account pages in game
MP � Removed screen flash during loading
MP � Added support for colour blind players
MP � Fixed crashes relating to faulty server banners
MP � Servers closing during connection no longer cause the client to hang
MP � Auto team swap reflects correctly in the scoreboard
MP � Fixed scoreboards when switching teams before spawning
MP � Rush scoreboards fixed
MP � Veteran ranks no longer display as �12�
MP � Isla Innocentes MCOM building fixed where knifing the fence would destroy the building
MP � Logout/Login button correctly reflects the player status
MP � Added minimum number of players needed to start a round (you can still start playing and take objectives but you won''t get any score until 4 or more players join the server)
MP � Isla Inocentes welcome message on the loading screen now fits the text box area
MP � Reduced the brightness in Russian vehicles
MP � Medic gadgets now display correctly if the defib is not unlocked
MP � Server filter options are remembered
MP � Punkbuster filter now works as intended
MP � Scroll bar no longer overlays the Join Server button in the friends list panel
MP � CANCEL server refresh is implemented
MP � Zooming in on a friendly using the SAIGA no longer causes the crosshair to disappear
MP � The chat no longer displays the incorrect player name when appearing
MP � FoV switches to the default value of 55 when entering vehicles to prevent graphical glitches caused by wider FoV settings. The custom FoV returns when exiting vehicles.
MP � FoV no longer causes the UAV station to rotate
MP � Fix to correctly display the unlock progression at the end of round
MP � Chat functionality will no longer freeze after writing a partial message at the end of round
MP � One account can no longer connect to the same server multiple times
MP � Squad Death Match is correctly named during loading
MP � Server browser no longer gets a bad FPS when filtering Conquest
MP � Server info banners correctly clear between displays
MP � Setting display settings which the system hardware can not handle no longer makes the game unusable
MP � Correct camera collision for vehicles'' heavy machine gun
MP � Game no longer crashes if the player sends a message in the loading screen
MP � Trying to join a full server no longer causes the game to hang on Please Wait message
MP � Most server filter options are remembered it doesn''t remember the setting in dropdowns
MP � Kit/gadget loadout saved between sessions
MP � Window on static guns is now transparent on DirectX 9 systems
SP � Fixed crashes when patching and trying to resume a campaign (there is now a message that you need to re-play the latest mission from the beginning)
SP � Fixed a crash after the �Upriver� mission end cinematic
SP � Supply create at �Resupply at Flynn�s create� objective now supplies weapon ammo
SP � Hang fix when reaching the objective �Destroy Enemy Zu23�
SP � Fixed hang after �Storm *****pit� objective
SP � Changed melee attack raycast to be detailed
SP � Game no longer crashes when transitioning between SP_03B to SP_04A when installed in Polish
SP � Game no longer crashes when killed by the first two enemies in the trenches on SP_01 when installed in Italian
SP � Updating to R7 will invalidate your single player save game. If you update you will need to play your last mission from the start. If you do not update you will not be able to play multiplayer.

Here is the R10 Server changelist

Punkbuster is required ON for ranked servers
Ranked servers cannot be started with a password
Autobalance message goes to text-chat instead of in the middle of the screen
Added weapon balance tweaks to a number of weapons � we are eagerly awaiting feedback!

We aren''t going to tell you what weapon balance tweaks we have done, we want your unbiased views on the changes before we detail what has changed.

__________________
Associate Producer
Battlefield 1942, Battlefield Vietnam, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142, Battlefield 2: Modern Combat, Battlefield Bad Company, Battlefield 1943, Battlefield Bad Company 2
Follow Battlefield on Twitter at http://twitter.com/OfficialBF2 and http://twitter.com/OfficialBF2142 and http://twitter.com/OfficialBFBC2

Last edited by Bazajaytee; Yesterday at 04:38 PM.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Server Update (2010-03-07)

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Server Update (2010-03-07)

BY: GordonVanDyke of DICE/EA POSTED: Mar 07, 2010, 12:37PM

After optimizations and restarts yesterday, we had been stable across all platforms. Unfortunately, we encountered another outage at approximately 9:30 AM PST today.

X360 was severely impacted, and the service is being restarted. It should be back online and we are monitoring closely.

PC had an outage, but the service is offline currently and the service is being restarted. It should be back online and we are monitoring closely. We will then start checking the quality of the customer experience to determine possible next steps.

PS3 appeared to have a brief outage, but has quickly recovered and the services is functioning properly at this time.

All teams are actively engaged in diagnosis and remediation. We are adding additional services to alleviate load. Despite having a major infrastructure in place, the peak traffic this weekend has been huge, 400% higher than any other Battlefield''s peak simultaneous users. The teams will continue to monitor the services closely. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and will provide further updates on the latest developments as they are relevant.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 PC Walkthough Trailer

Bad Company 2 PC Walkthough Trailer

Yes it is built for the PC! :), support for superior PC hardware, unlocked frame rate, field of view will be configurable and much more...