Whereas I love hardline, but I did skip 4 entirely. I have been having a blast with my buddy. Just about to unlock the last weapon I need for the multiplayer trophies so I can get my platinum trophy.
Whereas I love hardline, but I did skip 4 entirely. I have been having a blast with my buddy. Just about to unlock the last weapon I need for the multiplayer trophies so I can get my platinum trophy.
I really enjoy Hardline - SP was fun, playing a cop as opposed to another soldier was a nice change, and the MP has some really fun game modes.
And it plays well enough on PS4 that I'm tempted to get BF5, when it arrives, on console, instead of PC where i have BF 2-4.
So I got banned from a server for spawn camping
With a helicopter
The Transport helicopter
And I was flying it
Apparently admins get pissy if you fly the transport into the enemy carrier and then spin it around killing people who are spawning, but if you're in one of the three attack boats firing into their spawn its peachy.
So I got banned from a server for spawn camping
With a helicopter
The Transport helicopter
And I was flying it
Apparently admins get pissy if you fly the transport into the enemy carrier and then spin it around killing people who are spawning, but if you're in one of the three attack boats firing into their spawn its peachy.
The idea of flying the transport helo into the carrier and spinning it for roadkills sounds hilarious. And not easy
It isn't that bad except at the end of the round you have the waves that at the entrance to the carrier (paracel) it can eject you if its at full swell as you're entering. Once you hit the entrance at speed just keep it low enough to barely clear the RHIBs or else you'll clip this invisible beam that's 3/4 of the way back and hangs down something like 4-5 feet lower than what the visible girders appear as. You will need to aim for dead center initially but once you're clear you can throw it around as long as you keep it low. Once you hit that landing and start spinning you will push spawn influence to the ramp and you will only get people spawning down there if people are spawning multiple at once and the ramp point is being used or stood on. As long as no one figures out to spawn on a RHIB or jetski and minigun you or RPG you and you keep rotating (while rocking the heli or else it will just push people and not roadkill) without hitting things you should be golden.
I mean not that I've done this numerous times before.
Who doesn't love the feeling of doing really well all round, and then noticing that one didn't get the MVP coin/ribbon after all. Some hacker/commander has successfully used all the abilities on cooldown, and had an ungodly SPM for something that's about as exciting as filling-out an excell spreadsheet, only it required even less skill. The players who make the game worse for everyone else also get rewarded the most. Blech!
I'll never get over it, that the bloody commander mode made it into yet another iteration of Battlefield. Just horrid.
My favorite situation though is when two evenly matched high skilled teams fight each other, but only one side has a commander/hacker. You wonder why you're struggling to keep your K/D above 1 in that round, why it seems like everybody is always a step ahead. Guess why. Whenever you do anything of note, you'll be lit-up on the minimap like a christmas tree, and you never knew. I only do things of note, at least I try to - so guess what, commanders doing their jobs half well are the bane of my Battlefield life. I estimate my K/D to be about double to triple on average, when no hacker/commander is on the enemy team. Evidently hackers/commanders half my personal enjoyment of the game - for when most my deaths feel undeserved, I call bullshit on the mechanics that caused them.
After 198 hours and 36 minutes I finally hit lvl cap. Still tons of weapons to master. Unlocking the kit mastery guns is taking forever without boosting too. They better patch that tier 4 reputation nonsense soon. Here's my current stats, if anybody cares...
Consoles finally get CTE support, at least the Xbox One is. I hope Sony wakes the fuck up and sees the community building benefits such a thing has, aside of the primary intent of improving the game. I'd flippin' love to participate on more of the crazy CTE stuff DICE LA has been cooking up as of late - like the Christmas Event or the nighttime maps.
Tried playing CTE on my PC (Premium users of all platforms are allowed to play on the CTE client on PC), but it shit the bed. BF4 is just a hair's width out of reach for my box. BF3 still ran okay'ish.
Either way, hopefully Microsoft's acceptance of the CTE concept means that Sony will eventually allow their costumers to opt into similar programs soon. There's lots of *living online games* that just don't work optimally with the stringent certification process of console manufacturers. As long as players opt into it, and are made aware that such games might break every now and then, these things should be fine.
I thought the ps4 user base is the highest? If so I imagine Sony would want to jump on the cte wagon as fast as possible. But who knows with the certifications the games have to go through.
I thought the ps4 user base is the highest? If so I imagine Sony would want to jump on the cte wagon as fast as possible. But who knows with the certifications the games have to go through.
That's the point. Microsoft had to agree to allow EA and DICE LA to update the CTE client as much as they want to, which could be multiple times a day. Anybody who plays the CTE version of BF4 does so at his or her own risk (the risk being that the game might not work properly). As of yet, Sony seems to be unwilling to allow that kind of practice, no matter what the circumstance, which is a shame, and more than just a bit patronizing.
I guess they're afraid of liability and bad publicity, in the absolutely fringe scenario that a CTE build would brick the console. Nothing that can't easily be covered by a *at your own risk* kinda EULA-pop-up thingy. Why shouldn't Sony allow their users to opt into something like Battlefield's CTE? There's also lots of genres that don't quite work perfectly, if the patching process is hindered by rigorous certification processes.
The success of early access on STEAM also shows that there is a market for buying into games very early in the production process. Millions of people are willing to do so. Personally, many of my most memorable gaming experiences have been with betas and such. The betas for WoW and Guild Wars 1 come to mind. The PS3 beta of Bad Company 2.
I'm sure Sony'll come to their senses eventually. There's just too many benefits to allowing this sort of thing on their platform. As long as the risks involved are clearly communicated with the audience, and people opt into that kind of *quick iteration*/*early access* environment, they can easily protect themselves from litigation and bad press, if anything would ever go catastrophically wrong. Why do I think so? Because there's significant money to made. Games like DayZ and H1Z1 have certainly proven that.
So apparently the upcoming Spring Patch fixes headglitching. Many a salty tear was shed because of the cheap feeling *Dr. Manhattan* killed me with his forehead situations that came with headglitching. I never understood why DICE has seemingly produced so many assets with the perfect height for headglitching, like headglitching was something that went into their leveldesign process (the crate in the tunnel from the helipad to objective bravo on Final Stand's Hammerhead map comes to mind), as if they felt headglitching was a legitimately good mechanic. Good thing that's over now. I hope they'll roll all the incredible improvements from BF4 into BF Hardline soon as well. It certainly deserves all the support it can get, for it's pretty darn sharp in its own right.
Some nice variation on those map themes, hopefully that'll also be evident in how the maps play. The vanilla maps were pretty good that way, so I'm hopeful. I'm still only halfway there to earning my wolf and raptor mask (need to hort 10 millions for it), wonder what I'll have to do for these new ones.
Also - do we already know, what the mask do, other than looking rad?
Here is the detailed list of changes and improvements included in the Spring Patch. All changes apply to all platforms unless explicitly stated otherwise.
STABILITY
Fixed multi platform crash related to audio
Fixed several multi platform server crashes
Fixed Server crash that would happen in some cases when players were switching teams
Fixed an issue where users were left in an Infinite loading screen when attempting to connect to a server
Fixed a multi platform single player crash
Fixed a bug which caused 2% of joins into an empty game server to fail
PC: Several client and server crash fixes
PC: Fix for a crash that occurs when exiting the game client (AMD cards)
PS4: Fixed a common crash on PS4
GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS
Fixed a situation where the player has an auto-throw gadget equipped in the LEFT gadget slot and use it while holding the sidearm, the gadget will stay in the players hands.
Fixed an issue where the player would sometimes get stuck in the kill cam if receiving damaged from multiple enemies
Terrain and model destruction now sync better with explosion effects
Added advanced gameplay options to toggle Parachute Auto deploy, Auto Peek Over and Auto Side Lean
Small vehicles now can get unstuck by melee just like the boats and jet skis
Several Netcode improvements (see detailed description above)
Passive spotting distance reduced from 1200m to 100m * Spotting cone angle reduced from 3 degrees anywhere to starting at 3 degrees and narrowing down to 0.15 degrees at 1200m
Currently highlighted objective retained when commo-rose gets active so it is easier to select Attack/Defend for it
Fixed an issue where the stairs would disappear if players were revived on them. This would happen on multiple levels.
Fix an issue where claymore kills were not being counted for recon for stats
Fixed an issue where if the user plays a couple of MP Hardcore rounds prior to entering the Campaign, the single player campaign would not regain health after being hit
PC: Removed the friendly fire lock on the preset for CLASSIC
Fixed an issue where the user receives an inaccurate killcard when killed by a remote-controlled vehicle (e.g. EOD bot, Mortar)
PC: Added functionality for users to move both the CPU/GPU overlay graph and the network performance graph
Fixed an issue were the kill assist dog tag shows the wrong kill number in "My soldier"
Console: Fixed a bug where a player will remain stuck in the main menu indefinitely if the controller they are using is assigned to anything other than Controller 1
Fixed an issue with mastery dog tags showing up twice once they're unlocked
Several fixes for exploits on multiple levels
Squad Obliteration: Fixed issue where a bomb that was forced reset could be "re-dropped" resulting in multiple bombs showing up.
Squad Obliteration: Disabled round time extension. Now the round time will pause whenever a bomb is planted if time has expired instead of extending only if the score is tied or if the losing team plants a bomb if they are down a point.
AUDIO
Unique sound for headshots added
Bullet impact sounds on soldiers improved (using a silencer helps a lot here)
So called “Random callouts” improved for own team
Optimized the Lumphini Garden levolution mudslide sounds
Destruction sound added for WeatherStation buildings on Arctic
ART
Fixed an issue where some camos would not display properly in 1st person
Fixed a graphical issue with the sheets/flags etc. affected by wind which were moving a bit too much
USER INTERFACE
We’ve added stats to 49 existing dog tags including many favorites from BF3. Show off your skills!
Fixed an issue where the player shoots an enemy with a vehicle weapon, the hit indicator was displayed again when exiting the vehicle
Enabled network performance overlay on XBOX One. It can be enabled/disabled in the menu options.
Moved the 3 new playlists added in the Winter Patch to the top of the list and added highlighted them in yellow
Fixed the levels in the server browser filter list to be sorted in order per release
Improved HUD clarity for red dot sights based on CTE feedback.
Fixed duplicate Dog tag names that were present in some languages
Tweaked and updated the "Help me" icons (need ammo, need health etc) – icon now shows only if you can actually help.
Fixed an issue where the user was unable to see changes from HUD option screen for "Soldier Optics Reticle”, Helicopter and Jet Pilot Hud" and "Vehicle Driver and Vehicle Gunner Hud"
Increased size of jet ALT, Speed and PMS displays
Fixed an issue where the Misc HUD transparency advanced gameplay option would affect the customization screen weapon/gadget info element
Removed 'ID_M_SERVERTYPE_RANKED' from the left bottom corner of the loading screen in multiplayer
Removed incorrect burst UI indication for CBJ PDW as the weapon does not support burst fire
Fixed an issue where Soldier camo would be reset after each round transition
Added squad obliteration to the squad join settings
Fixed an issue where a damage indicator appears over the initial cut scene when starting a new Campaign
VEHICLES
Masters of all jets get special Battlefield themed contrails when wearing any of the jet master dog tags or the Jet Fighter medal dog tag
Fixed an issue where the grey vision present when a user is at low health is also present after the user exits a vehicle in which he regains his health.
Fixed an issue where the user is unable to kill an enemy that is located inside a Jeep or a Stationary Weapon with the defibrillator
Fixed an issue with the options where turning ON the "Decouple aiming from turning" the "Vehicle aim relative control" has no functionality
WEAPONS
Added 5 new weapons
Adjusted the ADS scaling and FOV controls to make the optics not magnify more than their default
“Headglitch” fix: Weapon down state using cover peek system in combination with the proper bullet spawn positions (from weapon instead of eye)
Updated night vision optics (see above for details)
Fixed an issue with the ACOG scope where its leftmost bar stretched to a solid black block when aiming down sights.
Fixed the tactical light on the MTAR-21
Fixed an issue on some sniper rifles where the range finder used in combination with the flash hider would cause issues with the range finder functionality
Fixed issues with the Belt Feeder/Autoloader not functioning on certain weapons.
Full weapons balance pass and suppression mechanic update (see above for details)
Sniper weapon tracer/Impact improvement to make it visible for longer distances
Fixed an issue with the M16A4 where the laser sight accessories would appear when ADS with FLIR/IRNV
Fixed bug with flashbang that was preventing it from reaching intended brightness and duration.
Fixed the UI for weapons and accessories to reflect correct values in the customize screen
Updated all weapon tracers to make them more clear and visible
Added overheating message to some stationary weapons that were previously missing those messages
GAME MODE
Added Gun Master game mode to the 10 base game maps
BATTLELOG
Implemented and adapted Battlelog for Battlefield 4 Spring Patch
Additional underlying preparations for deprecation of need to install Battlelog web plugin
Minor improvements to new Chat system
Fixed Premium calendar progress indicator to show correct progress
MAPS
SIEGE OF SHANGHAI
Added cover areas on Siege of Shanghai for Squad Obliteration
Fixed an issue where the user could see out of game world through a building wall
Moved attack helicopter that was stuck inside wall on Siege of Shanghai
ROGUE TRANSMISSION
Fixed an issue where the destroyed dish parts would cause occlusion issues.
Grenade launchers now properly explode on the Concrete around the Research Facility
OPERATION METRO 2014
Adjusted the TDM/SQDM/DOM, addressing issues with teams spawning too close together at the start of a match.
GULF OF OMAN 2014
Adjusted the TDM/SQDM/DOM, addressing issues with teams spawning too close together at the start of a match.
OPERATION LOCKER
Fixed collision issues
X360: Optimized memory to reduce crashes
HAINAN RESORT
Fixed collision issues
GOLMUD RAILWAY
Fixed a stone fence near the north edge of the map that was misaligned with the ground, making it appearing like it was floating.
TEST RANGE
Added hit indicators to the targets
Various smaller bug fixes
Patch is 900mb
Not mentioned in patchnotes:
UCAV nerf (reload nerf [no more OMA] and spawn nerf [cooldown]
SRAW nerf (range is now 10.5ish seconds of flight, speed nerf (feels good for guiding vs point and hold)
Grip nerf (of sorts with the rebalancing of weapons it now has cons on things)
SMART rocket buff (pretty much all around)
Zuni semi-nerf (speed)
TV Nerf/Buff (range down, speed and damage up)
AH TOW change (1+1 instead of 2+0, faster reload?, and speed increase [feelsgoodmen])
and some other stuff I'll post when I find
Just played a full rotation of Final Stand. First round of Battlefield 4 in about two months. Players who say Hardline is but a simple reskin of BF4 are flippin' nuts and must be blinded by mad bias. Aside from being Battlefield at their core and using the same engine, they're nothing alike. Hardline's average engagement ranges are shorter, the objectives are closer by each other, and the overall focus lies squarly on infantry combat, and instead of BF4's feature bloat, it's comparatively simple and elegant (admittedly a double edged sword). Hardline also has tons of little improvements over BF4. Personally, I'm missing the minimap ones the most, like showing the outline of capture zones in Conquest, and especially scaling Doritos to show if an enemy blip on the minimap is on the same elevation level as myself or not. I'm pretty mad at how petty some subsections of the Battlefield community are about Hardline, namely the PC guys. Blind as moles, stubborn as mules, simply the worst. We can't have nice things, can we?
Anyways, the Spring Patch is pretty darn rad. Can't wait to finally manage my first 10 kills with the Mare's Leg, for its ironsights are a nightmare. Extremely stylish weapon though. Gonna be immensely satisfying to use, once I get the hang of it. The AN-94 is darn powerful in burst fire mode, especially at medium to medium-long ranges. Didn't try the other guns yet.
Noticed some new bugs too. On PS4, gyro-sensors don't work for leaning anymore at all. I love being enabled to lean anywhere, even when not strictly in cover. The context sensitive default leaning feels so restrictive in comparison. I also noticed I can't customize vehicle types anymore, if that type doesn't spawn in homebase. At least the game didn't allow me to customize the Attack Choppers on Hammerfall, since those spawn at objectives (I assume that's the why).
Anyways, if you have been holding out on BF4, whatever caveats you had, by now there's literally no excuse anymore to not give it a go, at least if Battlefield is in your wheelhouse. EA and DICE LA have polished the shit off this 100 carat gem, and with the upcoming myriad of free maps and further tweaks, it's only going to get better yet. Also - play Hardline, you crazy people!
Can't stress enough how important it is to get past 10 kills with the Mare's Leg. The moment the game lets you move on from those extremely blocky iron sights to an ACOG, the gun comes into its own. Shame the one-hit headshot killrange is rather low, or it would be an amazing weapon besides its style as well. That said, popping a camping sniper in the head, see the camper start running like a headless chicken, and then wing him for a kill - tremendously satisfying. It feels great to countersnipe with that thing, respectively to return pinpoint accurate fire in siege situations.
I got to say though, BF4 in Conquest Large feels almost too slow on most maps now, after having played so much Hardline recently. There's way more downtime and farther commutes (also no music while doing so). BF4's Dragon's Teeth is the most similar in scale and scope and pacing and feel to what Hardline offers. That said, I'm still a sucker for Naval Strike. I love how focused its maps feel, due to how the water separates infantry combat from vehicular combat. Each works in itself, and with each other - better than on most maps.
I got to say though, BF4 in Conquest Large feels almost too slow on most maps now, after having played so much Hardline recently. There's way more downtime and farther commutes (also no music while doing so). BF4's Dragon's Teeth is the most similar in scale and scope and pacing and feel to what Hardline offers. That said, I'm still a sucker for Naval Strike. I love how focused its maps feel, due to how the water separates infantry combat from vehicular combat. Each works in itself, and with each other - better than on most maps.
If you were on PC, I'd say you need to spawn on tibbly, PD, or me. You'd never be bored. If your screen isn't shaking with explosions for half the round, it's a slow day.
I got to say though, BF4 in Conquest Large feels almost too slow on most maps now, after having played so much Hardline recently. There's way more downtime and farther commutes (also no music while doing so). BF4's Dragon's Teeth is the most similar in scale and scope and pacing and feel to what Hardline offers. That said, I'm still a sucker for Naval Strike. I love how focused its maps feel, due to how the water separates infantry combat from vehicular combat. Each works in itself, and with each other - better than on most maps.
If you were on PC, I'd say you need to spawn on tibbly, PD, or me. You'd never be bored. If your screen isn't shaking with explosions for half the round, it's a slow day.
There's a tank going to Foxtrot Nope there's two tank now
Actually make the thrBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM nope just two tanks going to F now.
After having played lots with the Mare's Leg, my assessement of it being capable of *pinpoint accurate fire* was a complete fallacy.
That thing has so low accuracy that the standard deviation makes any shot beyond like 25 meters a complete and utter gamble. I can have perfect aim at a static target 30 meters out, shoot thrice, and hit it once. Other times, I take potshots at moving targets 100 meters away, and get two headshots in a row. The Mare's Leg is a total lottery - and I hate random deviation.
In Bad Company 2, the first shot of every volley was always perfectly true, regardless of the gun - I loved that about it. Of course, that allowed for some insane trick shots, like pistol whipping from half a mile away (as in shooting with a bolty, get a body shot, and instantly follow up with a volley from the sidearm, killing targets half a mile away), or the artillery-like shotguns with slugs, which were headshot machines rivaling sniper rifles due to shooting perfectly true.
Dunno man, it just feels like garbage not hitting something despite my aim being perfectly true. It may be unrealistic for all guns to shoot equally and perfectly true on the first shot, but it sure feels better to me than true aim not yielding a hitmarker.
How many people are participating in that car chase in Fury Road? I'd wager it's something like 64 people. That got me thinking.
I'm a Battlefield veteran of many thousands of hours. Quite frenquently, thanks to my expertise and skill at it, Battlefield rewards me by making me Mad Max relatively to my competition and allies. I guess that's what I'm seeking the most in online multiplayer games. Becoming the equivalent of Mad Max for a run.
A while ago I had a flawless infantry game on Derailed Conquest 64 (back in the 300 ticket days). A flawless run of 32 kills to nil deaths (I might have bought the farm in the last 10 seconds). The entire round was as if it was a staged movie. Everything fell into place, as if everybody fell effortlessly into my sword. Truly, it was just videogame Ares and videogame Fortuna granting me all my wishes.
I think, it might be time for my daily Battlefield prayer! May the gods grant me flawless victory!
P.S. A Fury Road inspired mode for Hardline would be amazing. Chasing a War Rig-like vehicle around a map sounds like awesome fun. Kinda like Hotwire, but there's only one mobile capture point. A heavily fortified semi that's built to withstand almost anything.
He doesn't say much about them, it mostly looks like he's cut together a preview of the things added. I'm pretty excited for the new Bounty Hunter mode. In CoD: Ghosts, I really liked Kill Confirmed, and Bounty Hunter looks to be identical to that.
| Origin/R*SC: Ein7919 | Battle.net: Erlkonig#1448 | XBL: Lexicanum | Steam: Der Erlkönig (the umlaut is important) |
Hate to double post, but holy crap...waiting for the DLC to drop is painful. Starting to seriously consider picking up Hardline for my PS4 now. Damn you PC version delays!
| Origin/R*SC: Ein7919 | Battle.net: Erlkonig#1448 | XBL: Lexicanum | Steam: Der Erlkönig (the umlaut is important) |
BF4 Classic map pack drops on the 22nd of this month*. Now enjoy dusting on vehicles, killtrades, being shot around corners, and being one shotted by a shotgun from four miles out on brand new maps!
My first impressions of the DLC maps and the new mode after my first session with Criminal Activity... (mostly played Conquest 64, and some Bounty Hunter)
Backwoods - easily my new Hardline favorite. Instant classic, in my opinion. It manages to feel wholly unique, yet still very traditional largescale Battlefield. I don't think we had this type of woodlands environment in Battlefield ever, with like Redwood-type of giant trees, which also give good hard cover practically everywhere, so the setting's great. Love the lighting on this thing too. It's a rather flat map, but it's full of small soft elevation changes, which gives both long lines of sight and handy ways of ducking for cover everywhere. It also gives a good sense of verticality, without actually making it a multistory madhouse. Ziplines are flippin' amazing on this one, and flying a chopper through such dense woods is a new and amazing experience for seasoned pilots.
Black Friday - perfect Metro/Locker-style map. None of their flaws, all of their strenghts. It works perfectly even for 64-player conquest. It's a two story map, each story is a lane, and these lanes are serpentine. On the ground floor there's a third lane crossing straight through the map. The center objective is a circular foodcourt, offering a similar situation to the Operation Locker's central point, but with many more points of entry. Thanks to lots and lots individual small side paths within the lanes, and just as many stairs to change levels, I don't think this will ever devolve into an utter chokepoint meatgrinder. Great stuff for friends of dense infantry warfare with occasional entrenched frontline siege situations.
The Beat - great mix of a TDM-clusterfuck in the middle, and more orderly house to house across open streets skirmishing. Got to play it some more, but I loved what I've played of it.
Code Blue - aka THE TURD. I hate this map so fucking much. Objective zones needlessly small, leaving PTFO-players completely exposed. The center objective is all about run and gun action, no good way to approach the objective tactically. Way too much verticality. One is constantly exposed to an insane amount of angles, one can get shot from anywhere at any time. Worst thing about the verticality, most of it seems completely unimportant to the objectives, turning every kill into a perceived act of trolling. Everything about this map feels like it's made for trolling. A map for trolls, made by trolls, to make my life miserable. Ugh.
The Kill Confirmed-style twist on TDM is tons of fun. Definitely going to play it for a couple of rounds every now and then.
P.S. Hipfiring the tommygun is pretty darn badass. If only there weren't weapon's balance issues with the game. God guns like the K10 make most guns kinda unviable competitively. It's high time that shit gets addressed more thoroughly.
I literally (okay, figuratively) can't wait to play Criminal Activity tomorrow.
Damn PC delays.
EDIT - well, PC Criminal Activity was released today...but apparently it crashes to a white screen if you try to join any server that is running the DLC maps. Dammit Visceral/DICE...you are such a tease!
Erlkönig on
| Origin/R*SC: Ein7919 | Battle.net: Erlkonig#1448 | XBL: Lexicanum | Steam: Der Erlkönig (the umlaut is important) |
Played a bunch more. Still absolutely love Backwoods. The Beat is quite amazing too. As far as Metro/Locker maps go, I still think Black Friday is the best of that map type to date.
Code Blue, which at first felt like a total turd to me, well, I warmed up to its brand of trolling goodness. At A and C, the rooftops have pretty much clear lines of sights at the entire capture zones, which made it feel super shit at first - however, once one knows all the best ways of how to get on these roofs, and gets into the spirit of rooftop trolling oneself, it's quite nice. The center spot is also not as bad as I initially thought, once I learnt the flow of things at the capture zone. The rooftop at the Club is the highest, so one can zipline from there directly to the rooftops above the other capture points, and there's plenty of ways onto that center roof too. The whole thing almost feels like a micro-Siege of Shanghai in that way, respectively like mini-Downtown. Still probably my least favorite out of the bunch, but much better than my first impression of it.
In conclusion, I think Criminal Activity is a winner.
P.S. The serverbrowser is on the fritz on PS4 too. Only matchmaking works. Once I've matchmade into the servers, I can later see and access them directly in the history tab of the server browser.
And it seems I can't even play vanilla Hardline. Basically at map transition, the game locks up and I have to hit up task manager to close. On the bright side, this does give me a chance to try out more games in my Steam backlog (ugh...summer sales are my kryptonite) and play more BF4.
| Origin/R*SC: Ein7919 | Battle.net: Erlkonig#1448 | XBL: Lexicanum | Steam: Der Erlkönig (the umlaut is important) |
So the DLC maps have been working on PC earlier today. Got a chance to play each of the maps a few times, and I have to say the following:
I do not like Backwoods. If anybody is familiar with the Neebs Gaming channel, I am basically a step above Simon in terms of effectiveness when it comes to seeing what's killing me...and Backwoods just feels too cluttered, which makes finding a target even harder.
I love Code Blue solely because of the implicit agreement between the two teams that if anybody is jumping around the dance floor, you do NOT shoot that person but instead MUST join in with the dancing. Otherwise, I feel the map is pretty decent - not my favorite, but I don't hate it.
Black Friday is awesome for a person like me. I play Battlefield like I'm playing the SAS sections in CoD4: Modern Warfare: I play a sneaky bastard who prefers finding a way to shoot the enemy team in the back. Because of all the nooks and crannies and side passages and floors other than ground-level, I am fully able to be as much a sneaky bastard as my sneaky bastard heart desires. Results may change if I ever get on a full-up 64-person CQL Black Friday match...but so far, I've done pretty decently on half-empty 64-person servers.
The Beat is probably my favorite map so far. Sneaky times, door-dodging and reversing on people who are pursuing me (which results in them getting bullets in their back), back-capping, and multi-leveled capture points all tickle me in ways that none of the other maps have (so far).
Overall, I'm really happy with the DLC and I'm looking forward to the next pack. Also, I am in love with the FN FAL.
Erlkönig on
| Origin/R*SC: Ein7919 | Battle.net: Erlkonig#1448 | XBL: Lexicanum | Steam: Der Erlkönig (the umlaut is important) |
I love the new official *all maps including DLC* rotation for Conquest Large, especially because they actually mean ALL MAPS - including The Block CQ64 and Growhouse CQ64, which are both surprisingly fun.
The Block CQ64 surprised me the most, because unlike Metro and Locker, it remains kinda dynamic despite being one gigantic chokepoint. One isn't limited to playing the same handful of corners. There's lots and lots of viable horizontal cover to chose from (which is a lot more fun than peeking corners), and if one gets a good streak going on any given angle, and one possesses the brass balls to do so, one can go on epic backrage flanking sprees more regularly.
Hopefully the PSN community for Hardline keeps growing. With the regular sales for game (and the eventual Premium Edition), it should. I'm hopeful, because once one gets over all the negative preconceptions, Hardline is a pretty unique and absolutely fun Battlefield game. People will stick around.
It's pretty neat juggling multiple flavors of Battlefield. Between the meaty Battlefield 4 patches and Hardline Premium content drops, I always have a fresh Battlefield experience to look forward to - and soon that'll be enriched with Battlefront too.
My dream scenario is that EA/DICE ports all Frostbite-era Battlefield games to current gen consoles (and PC, if need be), releases an iteration agnostic Battlefield serverbrowser, and gives away the games and all maps for free to everyone, but only gives each kit one basic loadout free2play, and selling all the other guns and gadgets with microtransaction, individually and in bundles, as well as the option to buy all of the content of each game seperately for like 30$ flat. I'd love to mix in some Bad Company 1, BF1943, BF:BC2 Vietnam with my BF4 and Hardline, and that's how that might happen.
Ugh. Something's really off with the early adopter Dualshock 4's. First, I managed to tear off the rubberization on the sticks playing OlliOlli, and now the R2 triggers don't respond properly anymore. It's still fine for 99% of games, but in BF4 and Hardline, some guns require me to pull and hold down the trigger for a split-second, before it registers my input. At first it was only Hardline's Deagle, but now it's also various bolt action rifles in both games. The flippin' Scout Elite in Hardline? On one of my two day 1 pads, I can't properly fire it anymore. On the other one it still works perfectly fine, whilst the Deagle doesn't.
Dunno if I should be mad at Sony for the shoddy quality of the day 1 dualshock 4's, or if I should be angry at DICE and EA for coding some guns this way, since I literally have zero issues with trigger responsiveness in other games, or even with most other guns in BF4 and Hardline. Apparently it's a known issue too, and has since been corrected hardware-wise, yet for some reason DICE keeps making guns that have finicky trigger action, that don't work with these pads. It's silly to code the trigger action of a gun in a way, that just regular usage wear and tear breaks the gunplay. They're the only ones doing it too. Ugh.
I'm not going to buy another Dualshock 4 just because of this issue, but since I'm hardly alone with this, EA DICE should really fix that. Still managed to go MVP playing aggressive recon on Backwoods with the R700 & Magnum Ammo, I just had to pull the trigger extremely deliberately. Might even have helped me up my game. *humble brag*
P.S. If somebody knows a fix outside of buying a new gamepad or switching aim/shoot onto L1/R1, I'd be glad to hear it.
P.P.S. An official *Elite Dualshock 4* similar to Microsoft's new pad, that'd be the perfect fix right now. At least throwing money at the problem would feel right then.
Posts
PSN:Furlion
I really enjoy Hardline - SP was fun, playing a cop as opposed to another soldier was a nice change, and the MP has some really fun game modes.
And it plays well enough on PS4 that I'm tempted to get BF5, when it arrives, on console, instead of PC where i have BF 2-4.
With a helicopter
The Transport helicopter
And I was flying it
Apparently admins get pissy if you fly the transport into the enemy carrier and then spin it around killing people who are spawning, but if you're in one of the three attack boats firing into their spawn its peachy.
#thatbattlefeel
no one fucks with the bully bus
Shogun Streams Vidya
It isn't that bad except at the end of the round you have the waves that at the entrance to the carrier (paracel) it can eject you if its at full swell as you're entering. Once you hit the entrance at speed just keep it low enough to barely clear the RHIBs or else you'll clip this invisible beam that's 3/4 of the way back and hangs down something like 4-5 feet lower than what the visible girders appear as. You will need to aim for dead center initially but once you're clear you can throw it around as long as you keep it low. Once you hit that landing and start spinning you will push spawn influence to the ramp and you will only get people spawning down there if people are spawning multiple at once and the ramp point is being used or stood on. As long as no one figures out to spawn on a RHIB or jetski and minigun you or RPG you and you keep rotating (while rocking the heli or else it will just push people and not roadkill) without hitting things you should be golden.
I mean not that I've done this numerous times before.
Also the other guns:
http://imgur.com/a/HlrqX#thh4oRr
EDIT:
Yes I want to punt a baby for the way they modeled the hold on the rifle
I'll never get over it, that the bloody commander mode made it into yet another iteration of Battlefield. Just horrid.
My favorite situation though is when two evenly matched high skilled teams fight each other, but only one side has a commander/hacker. You wonder why you're struggling to keep your K/D above 1 in that round, why it seems like everybody is always a step ahead. Guess why. Whenever you do anything of note, you'll be lit-up on the minimap like a christmas tree, and you never knew. I only do things of note, at least I try to - so guess what, commanders doing their jobs half well are the bane of my Battlefield life. I estimate my K/D to be about double to triple on average, when no hacker/commander is on the enemy team. Evidently hackers/commanders half my personal enjoyment of the game - for when most my deaths feel undeserved, I call bullshit on the mechanics that caused them.
http://bfhstats.com/ps4/ExMaloBonum
As per usual, I've devolved from a player playing every mode semi-equally, to pretty much running CQ64 all day, every day.
Consoles finally get CTE support, at least the Xbox One is. I hope Sony wakes the fuck up and sees the community building benefits such a thing has, aside of the primary intent of improving the game. I'd flippin' love to participate on more of the crazy CTE stuff DICE LA has been cooking up as of late - like the Christmas Event or the nighttime maps.
Tried playing CTE on my PC (Premium users of all platforms are allowed to play on the CTE client on PC), but it shit the bed. BF4 is just a hair's width out of reach for my box. BF3 still ran okay'ish.
Either way, hopefully Microsoft's acceptance of the CTE concept means that Sony will eventually allow their costumers to opt into similar programs soon. There's lots of *living online games* that just don't work optimally with the stringent certification process of console manufacturers. As long as players opt into it, and are made aware that such games might break every now and then, these things should be fine.
PSN:Furlion
That's the point. Microsoft had to agree to allow EA and DICE LA to update the CTE client as much as they want to, which could be multiple times a day. Anybody who plays the CTE version of BF4 does so at his or her own risk (the risk being that the game might not work properly). As of yet, Sony seems to be unwilling to allow that kind of practice, no matter what the circumstance, which is a shame, and more than just a bit patronizing.
I guess they're afraid of liability and bad publicity, in the absolutely fringe scenario that a CTE build would brick the console. Nothing that can't easily be covered by a *at your own risk* kinda EULA-pop-up thingy. Why shouldn't Sony allow their users to opt into something like Battlefield's CTE? There's also lots of genres that don't quite work perfectly, if the patching process is hindered by rigorous certification processes.
The success of early access on STEAM also shows that there is a market for buying into games very early in the production process. Millions of people are willing to do so. Personally, many of my most memorable gaming experiences have been with betas and such. The betas for WoW and Guild Wars 1 come to mind. The PS3 beta of Bad Company 2.
I'm sure Sony'll come to their senses eventually. There's just too many benefits to allowing this sort of thing on their platform. As long as the risks involved are clearly communicated with the audience, and people opt into that kind of *quick iteration*/*early access* environment, they can easily protect themselves from litigation and bad press, if anything would ever go catastrophically wrong. Why do I think so? Because there's significant money to made. Games like DayZ and H1Z1 have certainly proven that.
So apparently the upcoming Spring Patch fixes headglitching. Many a salty tear was shed because of the cheap feeling *Dr. Manhattan* killed me with his forehead situations that came with headglitching. I never understood why DICE has seemingly produced so many assets with the perfect height for headglitching, like headglitching was something that went into their leveldesign process (the crate in the tunnel from the helipad to objective bravo on Final Stand's Hammerhead map comes to mind), as if they felt headglitching was a legitimately good mechanic. Good thing that's over now. I hope they'll roll all the incredible improvements from BF4 into BF Hardline soon as well. It certainly deserves all the support it can get, for it's pretty darn sharp in its own right.
Also...
Some nice variation on those map themes, hopefully that'll also be evident in how the maps play. The vanilla maps were pretty good that way, so I'm hopeful. I'm still only halfway there to earning my wolf and raptor mask (need to hort 10 millions for it), wonder what I'll have to do for these new ones.
Also - do we already know, what the mask do, other than looking rad?
Here is the detailed list of changes and improvements included in the Spring Patch. All changes apply to all platforms unless explicitly stated otherwise.
STABILITY
Fixed multi platform crash related to audio
Fixed several multi platform server crashes
Fixed Server crash that would happen in some cases when players were switching teams
Fixed an issue where users were left in an Infinite loading screen when attempting to connect to a server
Fixed a multi platform single player crash
Fixed a bug which caused 2% of joins into an empty game server to fail
PC: Several client and server crash fixes
PC: Fix for a crash that occurs when exiting the game client (AMD cards)
PS4: Fixed a common crash on PS4
GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS
Fixed a situation where the player has an auto-throw gadget equipped in the LEFT gadget slot and use it while holding the sidearm, the gadget will stay in the players hands.
Fixed an issue where the player would sometimes get stuck in the kill cam if receiving damaged from multiple enemies
Terrain and model destruction now sync better with explosion effects
Added advanced gameplay options to toggle Parachute Auto deploy, Auto Peek Over and Auto Side Lean
Small vehicles now can get unstuck by melee just like the boats and jet skis
Several Netcode improvements (see detailed description above)
Passive spotting distance reduced from 1200m to 100m * Spotting cone angle reduced from 3 degrees anywhere to starting at 3 degrees and narrowing down to 0.15 degrees at 1200m
Currently highlighted objective retained when commo-rose gets active so it is easier to select Attack/Defend for it
Fixed an issue where the stairs would disappear if players were revived on them. This would happen on multiple levels.
Fix an issue where claymore kills were not being counted for recon for stats
Fixed an issue where if the user plays a couple of MP Hardcore rounds prior to entering the Campaign, the single player campaign would not regain health after being hit
PC: Removed the friendly fire lock on the preset for CLASSIC
Fixed an issue where the user receives an inaccurate killcard when killed by a remote-controlled vehicle (e.g. EOD bot, Mortar)
PC: Added functionality for users to move both the CPU/GPU overlay graph and the network performance graph
Fixed an issue were the kill assist dog tag shows the wrong kill number in "My soldier"
Console: Fixed a bug where a player will remain stuck in the main menu indefinitely if the controller they are using is assigned to anything other than Controller 1
Fixed an issue with mastery dog tags showing up twice once they're unlocked
Several fixes for exploits on multiple levels
Squad Obliteration: Fixed issue where a bomb that was forced reset could be "re-dropped" resulting in multiple bombs showing up.
Squad Obliteration: Disabled round time extension. Now the round time will pause whenever a bomb is planted if time has expired instead of extending only if the score is tied or if the losing team plants a bomb if they are down a point.
AUDIO
Unique sound for headshots added
Bullet impact sounds on soldiers improved (using a silencer helps a lot here)
So called “Random callouts” improved for own team
Optimized the Lumphini Garden levolution mudslide sounds
Destruction sound added for WeatherStation buildings on Arctic
ART
Fixed an issue where some camos would not display properly in 1st person
Fixed a graphical issue with the sheets/flags etc. affected by wind which were moving a bit too much
USER INTERFACE
We’ve added stats to 49 existing dog tags including many favorites from BF3. Show off your skills!
Fixed an issue where the player shoots an enemy with a vehicle weapon, the hit indicator was displayed again when exiting the vehicle
Enabled network performance overlay on XBOX One. It can be enabled/disabled in the menu options.
Moved the 3 new playlists added in the Winter Patch to the top of the list and added highlighted them in yellow
Fixed the levels in the server browser filter list to be sorted in order per release
Improved HUD clarity for red dot sights based on CTE feedback.
Fixed duplicate Dog tag names that were present in some languages
Tweaked and updated the "Help me" icons (need ammo, need health etc) – icon now shows only if you can actually help.
Fixed an issue where the user was unable to see changes from HUD option screen for "Soldier Optics Reticle”, Helicopter and Jet Pilot Hud" and "Vehicle Driver and Vehicle Gunner Hud"
Increased size of jet ALT, Speed and PMS displays
Fixed an issue where the Misc HUD transparency advanced gameplay option would affect the customization screen weapon/gadget info element
Removed 'ID_M_SERVERTYPE_RANKED' from the left bottom corner of the loading screen in multiplayer
Removed incorrect burst UI indication for CBJ PDW as the weapon does not support burst fire
Fixed an issue where Soldier camo would be reset after each round transition
Added squad obliteration to the squad join settings
Fixed an issue where a damage indicator appears over the initial cut scene when starting a new Campaign
VEHICLES
Masters of all jets get special Battlefield themed contrails when wearing any of the jet master dog tags or the Jet Fighter medal dog tag
Fixed an issue where the grey vision present when a user is at low health is also present after the user exits a vehicle in which he regains his health.
Fixed an issue where the user is unable to kill an enemy that is located inside a Jeep or a Stationary Weapon with the defibrillator
Fixed an issue with the options where turning ON the "Decouple aiming from turning" the "Vehicle aim relative control" has no functionality
WEAPONS
Added 5 new weapons
Adjusted the ADS scaling and FOV controls to make the optics not magnify more than their default
“Headglitch” fix: Weapon down state using cover peek system in combination with the proper bullet spawn positions (from weapon instead of eye)
Updated night vision optics (see above for details)
Fixed an issue with the ACOG scope where its leftmost bar stretched to a solid black block when aiming down sights.
Fixed the tactical light on the MTAR-21
Fixed an issue on some sniper rifles where the range finder used in combination with the flash hider would cause issues with the range finder functionality
Fixed issues with the Belt Feeder/Autoloader not functioning on certain weapons.
Full weapons balance pass and suppression mechanic update (see above for details)
Sniper weapon tracer/Impact improvement to make it visible for longer distances
Fixed an issue with the M16A4 where the laser sight accessories would appear when ADS with FLIR/IRNV
Fixed bug with flashbang that was preventing it from reaching intended brightness and duration.
Fixed the UI for weapons and accessories to reflect correct values in the customize screen
Updated all weapon tracers to make them more clear and visible
Added overheating message to some stationary weapons that were previously missing those messages
GAME MODE
Added Gun Master game mode to the 10 base game maps
BATTLELOG
Implemented and adapted Battlelog for Battlefield 4 Spring Patch
Additional underlying preparations for deprecation of need to install Battlelog web plugin
Minor improvements to new Chat system
Fixed Premium calendar progress indicator to show correct progress
MAPS
SIEGE OF SHANGHAI
Added cover areas on Siege of Shanghai for Squad Obliteration
Fixed an issue where the user could see out of game world through a building wall
Moved attack helicopter that was stuck inside wall on Siege of Shanghai
ROGUE TRANSMISSION
Fixed an issue where the destroyed dish parts would cause occlusion issues.
Grenade launchers now properly explode on the Concrete around the Research Facility
OPERATION METRO 2014
Adjusted the TDM/SQDM/DOM, addressing issues with teams spawning too close together at the start of a match.
GULF OF OMAN 2014
Adjusted the TDM/SQDM/DOM, addressing issues with teams spawning too close together at the start of a match.
OPERATION LOCKER
Fixed collision issues
X360: Optimized memory to reduce crashes
HAINAN RESORT
Fixed collision issues
GOLMUD RAILWAY
Fixed a stone fence near the north edge of the map that was misaligned with the ground, making it appearing like it was floating.
TEST RANGE
Added hit indicators to the targets
Various smaller bug fixes
Patch is 900mb
Not mentioned in patchnotes:
UCAV nerf (reload nerf [no more OMA] and spawn nerf [cooldown]
SRAW nerf (range is now 10.5ish seconds of flight, speed nerf (feels good for guiding vs point and hold)
Grip nerf (of sorts with the rebalancing of weapons it now has cons on things)
SMART rocket buff (pretty much all around)
Zuni semi-nerf (speed)
TV Nerf/Buff (range down, speed and damage up)
AH TOW change (1+1 instead of 2+0, faster reload?, and speed increase [feelsgoodmen])
and some other stuff I'll post when I find
Anyways, the Spring Patch is pretty darn rad. Can't wait to finally manage my first 10 kills with the Mare's Leg, for its ironsights are a nightmare. Extremely stylish weapon though. Gonna be immensely satisfying to use, once I get the hang of it. The AN-94 is darn powerful in burst fire mode, especially at medium to medium-long ranges. Didn't try the other guns yet.
Noticed some new bugs too. On PS4, gyro-sensors don't work for leaning anymore at all. I love being enabled to lean anywhere, even when not strictly in cover. The context sensitive default leaning feels so restrictive in comparison. I also noticed I can't customize vehicle types anymore, if that type doesn't spawn in homebase. At least the game didn't allow me to customize the Attack Choppers on Hammerfall, since those spawn at objectives (I assume that's the why).
Anyways, if you have been holding out on BF4, whatever caveats you had, by now there's literally no excuse anymore to not give it a go, at least if Battlefield is in your wheelhouse. EA and DICE LA have polished the shit off this 100 carat gem, and with the upcoming myriad of free maps and further tweaks, it's only going to get better yet. Also - play Hardline, you crazy people!
AN-94 is life
Also a TON more kill trades with this patch and framerate seems to have taken a hit.
I got to say though, BF4 in Conquest Large feels almost too slow on most maps now, after having played so much Hardline recently. There's way more downtime and farther commutes (also no music while doing so). BF4's Dragon's Teeth is the most similar in scale and scope and pacing and feel to what Hardline offers. That said, I'm still a sucker for Naval Strike. I love how focused its maps feel, due to how the water separates infantry combat from vehicular combat. Each works in itself, and with each other - better than on most maps.
If you were on PC, I'd say you need to spawn on tibbly, PD, or me. You'd never be bored.
There's a tank going to Foxtrot
Nope there's two tank now
Actually make the thrBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM nope just two tanks going to F now.
That thing has so low accuracy that the standard deviation makes any shot beyond like 25 meters a complete and utter gamble. I can have perfect aim at a static target 30 meters out, shoot thrice, and hit it once. Other times, I take potshots at moving targets 100 meters away, and get two headshots in a row. The Mare's Leg is a total lottery - and I hate random deviation.
In Bad Company 2, the first shot of every volley was always perfectly true, regardless of the gun - I loved that about it. Of course, that allowed for some insane trick shots, like pistol whipping from half a mile away (as in shooting with a bolty, get a body shot, and instantly follow up with a volley from the sidearm, killing targets half a mile away), or the artillery-like shotguns with slugs, which were headshot machines rivaling sniper rifles due to shooting perfectly true.
Dunno man, it just feels like garbage not hitting something despite my aim being perfectly true. It may be unrealistic for all guns to shoot equally and perfectly true on the first shot, but it sure feels better to me than true aim not yielding a hitmarker.
I'm a Battlefield veteran of many thousands of hours. Quite frenquently, thanks to my expertise and skill at it, Battlefield rewards me by making me Mad Max relatively to my competition and allies. I guess that's what I'm seeking the most in online multiplayer games. Becoming the equivalent of Mad Max for a run.
A while ago I had a flawless infantry game on Derailed Conquest 64 (back in the 300 ticket days). A flawless run of 32 kills to nil deaths (I might have bought the farm in the last 10 seconds). The entire round was as if it was a staged movie. Everything fell into place, as if everybody fell effortlessly into my sword. Truly, it was just videogame Ares and videogame Fortuna granting me all my wishes.
I think, it might be time for my daily Battlefield prayer! May the gods grant me flawless victory!
P.S. A Fury Road inspired mode for Hardline would be amazing. Chasing a War Rig-like vehicle around a map sounds like awesome fun. Kinda like Hotwire, but there's only one mobile capture point. A heavily fortified semi that's built to withstand almost anything.
First look at the upcoming Criminal Activity expansion on Twitch in about 2 hours.
Backwoods looks like so much fun.
Guns
Maps
Bounty Hunter (Kill Confirmed)
Low-rider
He doesn't say much about them, it mostly looks like he's cut together a preview of the things added. I'm pretty excited for the new Bounty Hunter mode. In CoD: Ghosts, I really liked Kill Confirmed, and Bounty Hunter looks to be identical to that.
Backwoods - easily my new Hardline favorite. Instant classic, in my opinion. It manages to feel wholly unique, yet still very traditional largescale Battlefield. I don't think we had this type of woodlands environment in Battlefield ever, with like Redwood-type of giant trees, which also give good hard cover practically everywhere, so the setting's great. Love the lighting on this thing too. It's a rather flat map, but it's full of small soft elevation changes, which gives both long lines of sight and handy ways of ducking for cover everywhere. It also gives a good sense of verticality, without actually making it a multistory madhouse. Ziplines are flippin' amazing on this one, and flying a chopper through such dense woods is a new and amazing experience for seasoned pilots.
Black Friday - perfect Metro/Locker-style map. None of their flaws, all of their strenghts. It works perfectly even for 64-player conquest. It's a two story map, each story is a lane, and these lanes are serpentine. On the ground floor there's a third lane crossing straight through the map. The center objective is a circular foodcourt, offering a similar situation to the Operation Locker's central point, but with many more points of entry. Thanks to lots and lots individual small side paths within the lanes, and just as many stairs to change levels, I don't think this will ever devolve into an utter chokepoint meatgrinder. Great stuff for friends of dense infantry warfare with occasional entrenched frontline siege situations.
The Beat - great mix of a TDM-clusterfuck in the middle, and more orderly house to house across open streets skirmishing. Got to play it some more, but I loved what I've played of it.
Code Blue - aka THE TURD. I hate this map so fucking much. Objective zones needlessly small, leaving PTFO-players completely exposed. The center objective is all about run and gun action, no good way to approach the objective tactically. Way too much verticality. One is constantly exposed to an insane amount of angles, one can get shot from anywhere at any time. Worst thing about the verticality, most of it seems completely unimportant to the objectives, turning every kill into a perceived act of trolling. Everything about this map feels like it's made for trolling. A map for trolls, made by trolls, to make my life miserable. Ugh.
The Kill Confirmed-style twist on TDM is tons of fun. Definitely going to play it for a couple of rounds every now and then.
P.S. Hipfiring the tommygun is pretty darn badass. If only there weren't weapon's balance issues with the game. God guns like the K10 make most guns kinda unviable competitively. It's high time that shit gets addressed more thoroughly.
Damn PC delays.
EDIT - well, PC Criminal Activity was released today...but apparently it crashes to a white screen if you try to join any server that is running the DLC maps. Dammit Visceral/DICE...you are such a tease!
Code Blue, which at first felt like a total turd to me, well, I warmed up to its brand of trolling goodness. At A and C, the rooftops have pretty much clear lines of sights at the entire capture zones, which made it feel super shit at first - however, once one knows all the best ways of how to get on these roofs, and gets into the spirit of rooftop trolling oneself, it's quite nice. The center spot is also not as bad as I initially thought, once I learnt the flow of things at the capture zone. The rooftop at the Club is the highest, so one can zipline from there directly to the rooftops above the other capture points, and there's plenty of ways onto that center roof too. The whole thing almost feels like a micro-Siege of Shanghai in that way, respectively like mini-Downtown. Still probably my least favorite out of the bunch, but much better than my first impression of it.
In conclusion, I think Criminal Activity is a winner.
P.S. The serverbrowser is on the fritz on PS4 too. Only matchmaking works. Once I've matchmade into the servers, I can later see and access them directly in the history tab of the server browser.
And it seems I can't even play vanilla Hardline. Basically at map transition, the game locks up and I have to hit up task manager to close. On the bright side, this does give me a chance to try out more games in my Steam backlog (ugh...summer sales are my kryptonite) and play more BF4.
Here's some footage from the map.
Overall, I'm really happy with the DLC and I'm looking forward to the next pack. Also, I am in love with the FN FAL.
The Block CQ64 surprised me the most, because unlike Metro and Locker, it remains kinda dynamic despite being one gigantic chokepoint. One isn't limited to playing the same handful of corners. There's lots and lots of viable horizontal cover to chose from (which is a lot more fun than peeking corners), and if one gets a good streak going on any given angle, and one possesses the brass balls to do so, one can go on epic backrage flanking sprees more regularly.
Hopefully the PSN community for Hardline keeps growing. With the regular sales for game (and the eventual Premium Edition), it should. I'm hopeful, because once one gets over all the negative preconceptions, Hardline is a pretty unique and absolutely fun Battlefield game. People will stick around.
It's pretty neat juggling multiple flavors of Battlefield. Between the meaty Battlefield 4 patches and Hardline Premium content drops, I always have a fresh Battlefield experience to look forward to - and soon that'll be enriched with Battlefront too.
My dream scenario is that EA/DICE ports all Frostbite-era Battlefield games to current gen consoles (and PC, if need be), releases an iteration agnostic Battlefield serverbrowser, and gives away the games and all maps for free to everyone, but only gives each kit one basic loadout free2play, and selling all the other guns and gadgets with microtransaction, individually and in bundles, as well as the option to buy all of the content of each game seperately for like 30$ flat. I'd love to mix in some Bad Company 1, BF1943, BF:BC2 Vietnam with my BF4 and Hardline, and that's how that might happen.
Dunno if I should be mad at Sony for the shoddy quality of the day 1 dualshock 4's, or if I should be angry at DICE and EA for coding some guns this way, since I literally have zero issues with trigger responsiveness in other games, or even with most other guns in BF4 and Hardline. Apparently it's a known issue too, and has since been corrected hardware-wise, yet for some reason DICE keeps making guns that have finicky trigger action, that don't work with these pads. It's silly to code the trigger action of a gun in a way, that just regular usage wear and tear breaks the gunplay. They're the only ones doing it too. Ugh.
I'm not going to buy another Dualshock 4 just because of this issue, but since I'm hardly alone with this, EA DICE should really fix that. Still managed to go MVP playing aggressive recon on Backwoods with the R700 & Magnum Ammo, I just had to pull the trigger extremely deliberately. Might even have helped me up my game. *humble brag*
P.S. If somebody knows a fix outside of buying a new gamepad or switching aim/shoot onto L1/R1, I'd be glad to hear it.
P.P.S. An official *Elite Dualshock 4* similar to Microsoft's new pad, that'd be the perfect fix right now. At least throwing money at the problem would feel right then.