Blog Archives
BF3: Post Patch Analysis
Wondering how the latest Battlefield 3 patch (1.04) affects gameplay?
- Battlefield 3: F-35 Lighting Patch Changes and Jet Changes by LevelCapGaming
- Battlefield 3 PATCH 1.04 Details – FLAK Specialization by TheRealMossi
- Battlefield 3 PATCH 1.04 Details – Coaxial HMG by TheRealMossi
- Battlefield 3 PATCH 1.04 Details – Tank Cannon by TheRealMossi
- Battlefield 3 PATCH 1.04 Details – RPG vs. TANK by TheRealMossi
- Battlefield 3 PATCH 1.04 Details – JAVELIN vs. TANK by TheRealMossi
- How suppression really works post patch and what it EXACTLY does by rivaLxfactor
- BF3: Bring Your X Game – Suppression Tactics by DCRU Colin and rivaLxfactor
- Battlefield 3 Heavy Barrel Vs Flash Suppressor Post Patch by 1WINDSHEAR
- BF3: What happened to the Attachments? A G36 Study! by CANjamin000
- Battlefield 3: Foregrip Guide (After Patch) by LevelCapGaming
- Battlefield 3 The Best Guns Post Patch by 1WINDSHEAR
- Battlefield 3-AK-74M Post Patch: A Brand New Gun by cloudedtruth
- AK74M assault rifle gameplay thoughts and setup by rivaLxfactor
- AKS-74U Engineer gameplay and weapon setup with thoughts and advice by rivaL xfactor
- Battlefield 3: RPK-74M Weapon Review by LevelCapGaming
- Support and RPK Review Post Patch by 1WINDSHEAR
- Magnum post patch gameplay featuring a breakdown info and tips by rivaL xfactor
- Favorite 3 assault weapons and specific attachments post balance patch by rivaL xfactor
- Battlefield 3: AEK-971 Heavy Barrel, Foregrip (Patch Changes) by LevelCapGaming
- BF3: Patch Thoughts and Server Update by SHuSTYBANG
- Battlefield 3 New Patch Analysis by 1WINDSHEAR
- BF3 Server Rental Guide & Features – Walkthrough Tutorial by TWTHEREDDRAGON
b33m3R’s Thoughts
Overall the patch makes some great changes to the dynamics of the game. Ground forces are a bit more effective against vehicles. No more USuckAtShooting Frag round spamming and people seem to be switching things up a bit now. The game feels more tactical and less run-n-gun.
While I am thrilled that we can now rent private servers I am a little dismayed that EA and DICE have apparently implemented this system at the expense of official [DICE] servers. It is near impossible to find an empty enough DICE server to get a 4 man squad into. It’s starting to seem like DICE and EA have figured out yet another way to make you pay additional fees for something they should be providing as part of the package. The general population servers that once seemed so plentiful are now being allocated as subscription servers.
The other caveat with the private servers is the sometimes idiotic and insane setups you can stumble into. 3,000 ticket Operation Metro servers and if you’re not careful you could end up playing a 3 hour long round of Conquest.
They have now unlocked flares for jets right away. That’s fine. But I already unlocked flares for my jet. Shouldn’t I have the next item unlocked in consolation for my now pointless efforts? No? Oh, that’s right, they want me to pay to unlock it. Yeah, once again, FUCK YOU EA.
As far as what loadouts I’m using now. I’m kind of partial to the G3A3 (with Heavy Barrel, mostly because I haven’t unlocked Flash Suppressor for it yet) with a Masterkey setup (DART rounds) or smoke if I’m playing Rush for my Medic class. I’m undecided on what gun to ride with on my Support class. LMG’s seem to be only good for suppression these days so I think I’ll stick with the M240B I’ve been using or maybe go back to the QBB-95. I’ve gone back to the SG553 on my Engineer class but I haven’t really settled on attachments for this gun yet. I may just set up the SG553 for long range encounters (Heavy Barrel and Bipod) and set up the A-91 for close range encounters (Laser, Grip) so I can adjust to the SITREP faster. I like both guns, but I have not used the A-91 much post patch so this may change. As for Recon, I’ve been using the SKS a lot. For my sidearm I’ve been going with the .44 Magnum as per DCRU Colin and rivaL xfactor’s advice.
All this is bound to change as I put more hours into post patch play and the community adjusts to the patch and inevitably figures out how to manipulate it. After watching some of the review videos above I may go back to my beloved AEK-971. But first I want to finish unlocking the rest of the attachments on the G3A3, just so I have that long range ‘ooomph‘ for the larger maps available.
Alas, everything I select is situational these days, more so after the patch. I’m not afraid to waste a few extra seconds prepping a different loadout after I die. If the enemy is letting me flank them too easy, I’ll throw a silencer on the gun. Enemy air a pain in the ass? Pull out the Stinger. If we have plenty of missiles flying upwards, pull out the SOLFLAM. And I think this is where the patch shines. The game now seems to be rewarding you for making tactical decisions like this, where as before it seemed to punish you for it.
BF3: Competative Gamer Critiques DCRU Colin
In the following video DCRU Colin gets his gameplay critiqued by rivaL xfactor, a competitive gamer. Keep in mind these guys are playing on PC but you can easily apply the wisdom to console gaming. Positional awareness and spawn locations, situational awareness and the mini-map, using prone defensively, peeking around corners are all covered in this video.
This is another tutorial video that’s worth watching a few times.
BF3: Do You Know Where You Are?
Do you know why you’re there? How much can the mini-map tell you? If you haven’t clued into how important situational awareness is in BF3 by now you should probably go back to playing Skyrim!
In another wonderfully informative video from rivaLxfactor we learn about positional and map awareness. Filling holes, labeling everything on the maps (callouts,) hot spots, cover, knowing your angles, covering yourself during reloads and more are discussed.
BF3: How to Effectively Communicate with Your Team
In the following video, rivaLxfactor from Rival Gaming talks about the basics of voice communication in BF3. He’s going to help you with what to say, when to say it and what not to say. If you want to win those matches you better listen up.
RECAP:
Some vitally important things to communicate:
- Enemy location using callouts (one in store, two in front locker, etc.) Use your own callouts that you and your regular teammates are familiar with.
- When you die and how it happened. Is the enemy far away? Are they rushing your body? Are they standing on your dead body?
- I’m dead, PICKED: You got ‘picked off’ from a distance. Indicates to the teammate behind you he has a good chance of getting a revive off.
- I’m dead, RUSHED: Indicates to the teammate behind you to come in with guns blazing before going for the revive.
- BREACH! BREACH! BREACH! Inform team when defensive positions are left open and where.
- When and where you get hit markers from explosives. “HIT COIN, HIT COIN, right side.”
This is an example of something constructive and useful to say when you die;
“I’m down. Two left. One on body, it’s a pick come rez (revive) me, it’s clear, it’s clear, it’s clear. Nope, coming, coming, coming.”
The following are examples of completely useless things to say when you die;
“USAS SUCKS, F—tard bastard…”
“I have a lovely pair of coconuts!”
The following video is how it should all come together in a match;
MORE LINGO:
- The BURN: The flag capture area.
- CLOWN CAR: A fully loaded enemy vehicle.
BF3: How we should be playing Battlefield 3
The following is a superb video about all the of things you need to be conscious of while playing BF3. Luetin09 succinctly explains what you should be doing as a team and why you should be doing it. While this video is on Wake Island the strategies can easily be applied to all the maps. This video is worth watching a few times.
A quick note: A Javelin Team capable of taking out an enemy chopper is basically at least two Engineers with Javelins AND a Recon guy with a SOFLAM. The SOFLAM is what enables the Javelin to target aircraft. A tank with CITV Station equipped will do the job as well. The fourth spot on the Javelin Team should be Support for resupply. You could go with another Engineer and the choppers would stand no chance but if you’re talented and stay alive too long and the rest of your team is not savvy enough to put down a supply box, you’re going to run out of ammo. Staying alive too long is usually not a problem for me!
BF3: Operation Metro Conquest Strategy by 1WINDSHEAR
In this video 1WINDSHEAR talks about strategies he uses on Metro in conquest games. Things like when to switch up your class and the perfect spot to place your TUGS or MAV that will almost always turn the tables in your teams favor if you spawn on the US side. I prefer to place it further into the right side tunnel (when facing the A flag) under the B flag because I feel it gives a better range into the direction the enemy is coming from.
You can do the same for your team if on the Russian side but your MAV or TUGS will be more in the open. A quick safe spot when moving forward would be in that cranny the MCOM station is normally in, right before that long hallway to the left of the B flag (when facing C.) Once your team has a foothold in the area a better spot for it is at the end of that hallway, right next to the B flag (so it marks the enemy coming up that side set of steps.)
Visit 1WINDSHEAR’s YouTube channel when you get a chance and check out his other vids, he’s definitely one of my favorite gaming directors. And don’t forget to give his vids a thumbs up (like) and subscribe to his channel. And if you have a YouTube account, tell him I sent ya!
