I've been getting some fun times in BF2142 lately but I have a few gripes, and what better to do with them than to share them with the group.

• When logging in the first time, the game gives no indication that it is going to permanently lock your serial number to your EA logon. This sucks because I have two EA logons (I wish I didn't, but apparently I do) and I didn't know it was going to do this and I inadvertently locked BF2142 to the wrong one. It isn't a big deal, but it kind of sucks not to be able to use my name from BF2 (which is locked to the other account, and can't be used.)
• The games increase in firepower has created a lot more 'one shot, one kill' situations. I know they want to model the cool new weapons in the future, but this doesn't necessarily make for a great game. When a firefight is essential over in one second, it isn't necessarily that fun. Being one-shotted by a sniper is the worst. I give that guy credit for nailing me, but waiting 15 seconds, dying on respawn, and having to wait 15 more is really lame.
• I miss the near constant action of BF2 sometimes. Maybe I just haven't found the best maps yet, but except for the battles on the Titans, it can feel pretty lonely out there.
• Some Assault maps are terrible - with such natural choke points the attackers can never get past them. I was on the defensive end of this twice - we just stood there with a full compliment of armor, air cover, and infantry as the enemy just threw themselves against us over and over again. Yes, they should have geared up and attacked as a unit - but that's just impossible with a group of players who don't know each other.
• The worst offense - the lack of a real game manual in the box. The one it comes with is written for BF2 players (pity the poor soul who is coming to the series for the first time.) Except, critical information is left out. There isn't any mention of battlefield upgrades in there. In fact, while the booklet alludes to upgrades in general, there isn't any explanation of the way the system works. I frankly had to make mistakes (permanent mistakes) before I figured out that the upgrade system was a tree. I'm afraid that isn't obvious from the graphic. The fact that the forums are filled with questions like 'how do I do this?' and 'what is this?' should make it obvious they missed the boat here.

OK, I guess that's enough ranting for now. None of these things are keeping me from playing, but it's too bad the game couldn't have been that much better.

Posted by scottsh at Tuesday October 24, 2006 - 11:45 AM | TrackBack (0) | Category: PC Games | © 2006 Gaming Signal

Hey Scott, I had the dual account problem. I promise you it can get worse than your issue. With the EA downloader I had one BF2 expansion on one EA account and a different BF2 expansion on another account. It will take you a little email effort (ok, A LOT OF EFFORT) but if you get nasty with EA they will marry the two accounts together for you.

I should post the 4 cases I opened with EA here just so you can get a taste of the incompetence of EA support. The hardest part was getting past the "canned" database responses.

On your one shot one kill issue. Are you playing classes with or without armor. My Assault guy has full armor and can sustain quite a few hits before death.

If the sniper gets a head shot, its a one shot kill, as it should be I think.

I do agree with you whole heartedly on the "choke point" issue. There are a lot of them. Console 2 on the Titan is a doozy because of the longer hallway on console 2. Console 1's hallway is half the length and an attainable goal.

Posted by Trent on Tuesday October 24, 2006 at 1:57 PM

I don't know about the EA server thing, but I managed to only have a single account.

As to the choke point things? Um, If I was designing a titan with reactor panels - I would ensure they are defendable.

One shot kills? Yep had them all the time in BF2 and here too - but I also have been able to survive lesser wounds. The 15 second thing is lame, but it is the mechanism of the game.

Conquest maps are out for me - I have no desire to play that mode. I like Titan mode and for some reason I never feel lonely - maybe its cuz I have my sniper rifle with me and it speaks to me... It sez "Shoot Scott" - I tend to ignore those impulses I would also say that the size of the maps tend to lead to more driving although the Suez map seems the most fun with bunkers and other spots that really work for infantry.

The manual is the worst - why even include it. Heck give everyone a pdf file on the disc that they can print out with information how the unlocks work and all that...

Another gripe I have is the simple fact of moving the damned titan is a lagfest. I know I have seen multiple server intros that state about reducing lag by not moving the titan. Forgive me but that is the point of the giant flying platform is battlefield control.

But I keep playing....

Posted by tim on Wednesday October 25, 2006 at 12:44 AM

I wasn't talking about choke points on the Titans - those are well designed and fun to play. No, I was talking about the maps, especially the mode where you have to assault the entrenched enemy positions and take all the control points from them (is this Conquest?) On one of those maps, the defense has it WAY too easy in an unorganized pickup game - just sit back and collect the kills.

Remember me picking off those guys on top of the building in your tank Tim? Imagine that for an entire level, and you know what this is like. It's good for the points and kill totals if you are on defense, but a total joke on offense. Maybe those maps should be avoided on open servers, but instead reserved for clans working together in matches or tournaments.

Posted by Scott on Wednesday October 25, 2006 at 10:43 AM

I like all the other choke points on the Titan. But 1 or 2 guys successfully holding console 2 against 15+ attackers is not right.

Last night I watched as about 15 or more guys all attempted to rush console 2 with smoke cover and they were all dropped by a support guy and a recon guy.

Admittedly, I got mad revive points at the entry way so I wasn't complaining too much but that hallway is just too damn long.

Got any ideas on taking console 2? I'm open to suggestion. Let try to figure this one out because its the toughest spot in the game so far I have run in to.

On the conquest mode: I think I have played conquest mode twice. That is all.

Posted by Trent on Wednesday October 25, 2006 at 11:05 AM

I really can't comment on Conquest mode since I feel that was best done in BF2. I like Titan mode for my money and that is really what makes the game for me. Now, that map where you were shooting at the top of the building was interesting since they were pretty much impervious until we pulled forward enough to give your gun the angle on the roof - and if they had just 1 engineer - we would have been toast.

As for console 2, no clue - I am better on defense or hiding in a corner to let you assault the Titan

Posted by Tim on Wednesday October 25, 2006 at 11:08 AM

It's funny - the one time I've been involved on an assault on console 2 I killed the one guy there (got the drop on him) and then had to solo the console by throwing grenades and rockets at it. It went down eventually - but I was out of ammo afterwards.

What I find fun is being an engineer and teaming up with somebody in a tank or walker. I can repair the vehicle between fights, and have fun fighting as the anti-infantry guy.

Posted by Scott on Wednesday October 25, 2006 at 1:33 PM

More on console 2...

As a defender on console 2, I've noticed that attackers with the right weapons have a much easier time - that support unlock HMG for example, along with the defense shields.

As an attacker, I was able to spam grenades down the corridor and make a good assault along with 3 others versus a couple of defenders (they did make it back on respawn a couple times, but we got them.) The corridor isn't so long that grenades won't go down it, and if they defenders hide to avoid the grenade, you can then advance down the corridor.

Posted by Scott on Thursday October 26, 2006 at 12:02 PM

Well I agree a little as we were able to successfully take console 2 from 4 defenders with 7 people last night in one of the rounds. They were weak defenders though who didn't have any of the unlocks needed to secure the hallway. But then I have to also acknowledge that once our team began to defend our Titans console 2 last night the opposing team never even made it past the freakin' door to the hallway much less in to the hall at all.

Now that I have read the Prima guide and actually understand how to use the undercarriage rocket launcher for the Baur I could probably defend that hall with just a Support guy feeding me ammo. I can heal myself.

Not changing my opinion on Console 2 though, its still too long a hall in my opinion. Especially if you get a sniper low on the other extreme far end of the hall to assist. Then its practically an unattainable goal. So much that I think when we hear that our teams Titan shield goes down our squad should immediately spawn on our own Titan in the garage, use the escape pods to jump on top of our own Titan and secure console 2 and use this incredibly long hall to our advantage.

Posted by Trent on Friday October 27, 2006 at 11:18 AM

Personally, I've done exactly that Trent to great success (well, first I try to defend corridor 1 just for the kills, but that's much harder to defense.) I had 10 grenade kills in a round by choosing Support and just resupplying myself there. If there are 2 people - one resupplying and one healing, you can hold that corridor against a few attackers. However, if the attackers are coordinated (throwing grenades and then advancing down the corridor after the explosions) you'll get overrun.

If there is a leader with the squad leader tracking device, or a support guy with his turret for the defense, things get much harder for the attackers. In fact, the only time I've lost in corridor 2 when defending a fully equipped group of 5 or 6 was when people get impatient and decide to try to push the perimeter out to the cargo bay (which can't be done because of the flanking options it provides.)

Honestly, I have to give the level designer of the Titan a lot of credit for 90% of it. Ultimately I agree that corridor 2 is too long and straight, but the rest of the Titan is very well designed. There are multiple ingress points, the cargo bay can't be a choke point, the reactor is high-intensity fun to defend or attack, and the other three corridors are just right.

If corridor 2 were a little shorter, or had a bend in the middle, it would be a totally different experience. Personally I'd like to see the corridor bent a little - it would make it unique from corridor 1 and yet not a barricade.

Posted by Scott on Friday October 27, 2006 at 2:44 PM

You much more elequently explained my exact issues with the console 2 corridor.

But then again, I have that whole insanity thing working against me, so I got that going for me.

Posted by Trent on Friday October 27, 2006 at 3:28 PM