Battlefield 2 Patch 1.03 a few days away

[rob j]

and from the EA website

Battlefield 2 1.03 Update Enters Final QA Pass

That's right, troops. Barring any last minute issues, the 1.03 Update is only a few days from release now. We thought this occasion warranted a post covering the major features and fixes coming in 1.03, so settle back and enjoy.

Wake Island 2007

That's right, the 1.03 update bundles the first Official map release from EA and DICE. In this case the map is a modern-era update of one of the most popular maps from Battlefield 1942 -- Wake Island. The People's Liberation Army has invaded Wake to threaten American supply lines. In response the US Marine Corps has been dispatched to reclaim the island.

The new Wake Island map comes to you free of charge thanks to Fileplanet’s new Battlefield 2 Channel. Visit it at http://www.fileplanet.com/battlefield2.shtml

New Features

Stats compare - view the extended stats details for any other player in your BFHQ simply by double-clicking on their name on the leader board or using the new search feature
Server Favorites and History - find your favorite servers that much easier. No more searching for them through the main server list
Nickname Prefix - Add and change your clan tag to your account name at will. No more creating alternate account names to cover the changes in your competitive lifestyle
Supply Drop Icons - Supply drops now appear on the main map and within the 3D Map. Find that elusive supply drop much, much quicker
Points for Destroying Command Objects - players now receive points for destroying the commander's toys. Special Forces players rejoice
Server Reserved Slots - Server Operators can now set aside slots for their admins to join a full server at any time
Vehicle Passengers - the names of players in a vehicle with you are now displayed when you enter or change seats
Countermeasures - a reload bar has been added for vehicle countermeasures. You'll always know now when you can set off that next flare

Tweaks

Point Farming changes - DICE has implemented functionality that makes it significantly harder to point farm on Ranked Servers
Mod Support - Mods now work properly with the Dedicated Server! Additionally, the game will automatically switch mods when joining a server that is running a mod you have installed but do not have activated
Map tweaks - Spawn menu map and Commander maps now scale based on the size of the level being played (16, 32 or 64 players). Mini-map also scales automatically based on the vehicle type you are using (manual changes to zoom levels are remembered as well)
Commander scoring - No more TKs from Artillery
Vehicle tweaks - No more accidental kills from bumping a friend with your tank (try to avoid hitting him at speed though) and no more struggling uphill in an APC. Also no more improper TK allocation from vehicle explosions
Auto Team Balance tweaks - Commanders and Squad Leaders now immune to team switch
Anti-Air Missiles - These are now much more effective against fast-movers

…and, of course, more. Look for the patch soon.

 

[AML]

Its about bloody time!! Im glad they fixed things like Spec ops not geting points for blowing up enemy artillery and such . It always felt so pointles to do so as you got nothing for it.

I wonder how they intend to stop point farming!?

 

[Mr THX]

The changes / additions sound great

 

[Synchronicity]

Everthying sounds good in that list,only thing Im a little dissapointed about is the lack of extra material,would have been nice to have a couple of new maps ,and a vehicle or 2,but hey ho, every BF game has been the same so why expect any different now.

A little concerned that theres no mention of the Blackhawk,hopefully it still wont be a flying tank

 

[AML]

Well, I like tha BH, and thanks to it i managed to score 340+ points on Shongua Stalemate!!!
I havent met many that have such a high score on a single map!

The way i did it was to be my teams leader, be a medic/pilot, have 2 gunners (one being a medic and the other being support (thus re-arming everyone) 2 engeneers fixing her up and one RPG guy shooting at tanks and APCs.

We kept jumping from flag to flag and scoring sooo many points and earning flight points too. heal points too.

Of course we won the match and points got doubled and such. Best round EVER! If you dont beleive me, head over to BF2S.com and look my profile up. "OGY01"

 

[Synchronicity]

Well, I like tha BH, and thanks to it i managed to score 340+ points on Shongua Stalemate!!!
I havent met many that have such a high score on a single map!

The way i did it was to be my teams leader, be a medic/pilot, have 2 gunners (one being a medic and the other being support (thus re-arming everyone) 2 engeneers fixing her up and one RPG guy shooting at tanks and APCs.

We kept jumping from flag to flag and scoring sooo many points and earning flight points too. heal points too.

Of course we won the match and points got doubled and such. Best round EVER! If you dont beleive me, head over to BF2S.com and look my profile up. "OGY01"

That is EXACTLY what is wrong with the Black hawk!Does the fact that you were able to score so many points and fly around,practically untouchable not suggest to you that just possibly there might be balance issues there and the BH is way too over powered?

The Black hawk is supposed to be a transport vehicle not a flying invincible tank with lethal mini guns which is capable of capping flags in about 2 seconds.No other vehicle can be repaired by passengers whilst they are still in the vehicle,why should the BH be different?

Some maps are severley lacking AA weapons and with a decent pilot the Blackhawk can roam from 1 flag to the next,engineers happily just sitting there gaining points by repairing and the gunners killing anyone remotley near wherever they point their cursor with their stupidly overpowered spray guns.

How anyone can argue that the BH isnt overpowered baffles me,AML's post above describes exactly how it can ruin a game

 

[Mr THX]

Have to agree with Jason B all the way...............

TBH the AA weapons on most of the map IMO are rubbish anyway , fire anyway other than where you want the bloody thing to go.

I have to say though if you have two Anti Tank people stationed under a flag - the Blackhawk has to be very quick before you start to knock it out of the sky. Its just keeping out of the way of the chain gun thats the hard part.

 

[ELV]

Agree with Jason, the BH ruins quite a few maps, they should change the system so either flags can't be capped or so that only one occupant can cap a flag, taking longer.I personaly think the points system needs looked at as people become obsessed with them as in AML'S case rather than having a good fight, which is what some of us actually bought the game for in the first place!!

 

[AML]

I dont agree. All I hear is whining.
Theres nothing stoping the oposite team from doing exactly the same thing.

In fact on the day I scored those points, they were doing the same thing. Thats why I had to keep flying from flag to flag, in order to retake what we had just taken 2 minutes ago!

What perhaps they should do is to stop engeneers from being able to fix it while its in the air. Its not like you can fix a tank or APC from the inside!

Dont blame me, Its not like you are always lucky enough to get a perfect team like that anyway.

Im also not obsesed with points, it just happens that i scored a massive score on that one map. I dont usually get that much on a single map.

I also bought this game to have fun, but I have to say that at least this game has some sort of goal.
Most games ive played in the last few years are just mindless shooting and killing. At least in this games teams have to work together and achieve a goal together. Thats what im into.

Scoring points which leads to unlocks is also an incentive to play.

Look at a game like DOD or CS. What is the point to play those games when you get nothing in return?

 

[Mr THX]

I dont agree. All I hear is whining.

That's due to spending too long sat along side the chain gun fella.

Theres nothing stoping the oposite team from doing exactly the same thing. .

Disagree - I think you find on the Mashtuur City map as a starting point only one side gets a Blackhawk.............granted as things change through a game either side can take hold of one. But its not really even is it.

 

[Synchronicity]

I dont agree. All I hear is whining.
Theres nothing stoping the oposite team from doing exactly the same thing.

As MrTHX has already said,there is quite a bit stopping the other team doing exactly the same,1 of the main factors is the other team doesnt get a blackhawk!They do get the MEC equivalent which is p!ss poor in comparison,hmmm,lets see a lethal chaingun which can kill everything in the vicinity or a mg which has kill zone of a dot.

Im also a bit confused cos you say you dont agree and we are just whining and then go on to agree with a lot of our points:

stop engeneers from being able to fix it while its in the air. Its not like you can fix a tank or APC from the inside!

and regarding this :

Dont blame me, Its not like you are always lucky enough to get a perfect team like that anyway.

PLEASE....all you have to do is start a squad,and say "ok folks Im gonna get us loads of points,I need 2 eng,2 med maybe a AT guy,then sit in your flying tank racking up easy points.

Look at a game like DOD or CS. What is the point to play those games when you get nothing in return?

.... exactly the same reason we play BF2,for fun!

Dont get me wrong,BF2 has many good points,and sometimes the gaming experience you can have when playing it is second to none,but there are some things like the BlackHawk which need need serious attention and I cannot see how anyone can deny that.I just hope that if they arent addressed in this patch,they will be looked at soon

 

[ELV]

I'm not obsessed with points?

We kept jumping from flag to flag and scoring sooo many points and earning flight points too. heal points too.
Of course we won the match and points got doubled and such

I do think you need to read your second post again mate!

 

[AML]

Errr, a couple of sentences explaining how i did what I did on that particula map is hardly an obsesion.

Im sure im not the only who would be surprised if he had just scored that many points on a single map.

Anyway, so what If i enjoy adding up points. That is after all one of the main reasons to play this particular game. Many of those playing BF2 are in fact trying to reach higher ranks in order to unlock weapons and getting closer to being number one.

Perhaps you are all just jealous coz i got so many damn points!

 

[Mr THX]

Perhaps you are all just jealous coz i got so many damn points!

F F S

 

[AML]

Ok, now, can we have that in English please. English.

 

[Garrett]

MOD Comment keep it civil guys

 

[AML]

Sure thing, I just cant understand why these guys are getting on my case about earning points in a game where, well, you are supposed to.

I admit the game has its flaws, and untill these flaws are fixed, many people will exploit it. Complaining to the ones exploiting it wont solve the problem itself.

Im just glad the 3rd patch will fix some of the problems BF2 has.

Its also quite possible that EA and dice dont see the black hawk as a problem in itself.

It is just part of the game and if you are quick and clever enough, you will be one of the passangers rather than a target.

 

[ELV]

If only we were all as fast and clever as you.

F F S I H F R !!

 

[AML]

So uncalled for.
Im trying to keep things civil and this is the kind of response i get.

So anyone know the actual release day/time for the 3rd patch?

 

[rooney]

wood be nice if i could play the darn game without it switchin of

 

[AML]

Just yesterday I had it crash my PC! Still no idea why it does that.
Other games dont seem to do that. But thats just one of the many wonders of PC gaming!

 

[ELV]

Could be all the weight of the points in your BH or perhaps a well aimed anti tank missile, my weapon of choice...nothing personal i hate all the jets too! ,
Joking aside, the game does take a lot of tweaking to get it to run smooth, see the planet battlefield forums, i had constant small pauses every 4 secs and after doing the tweaks reccomended there and on tweakguide.com game runs as smooth a silk with everything but textures on high, only at the start of the map does it pause, think this is a ram issue as i only have 1 gig of pc3200

Good game though, now were are those BH'S

 

[amped2go]

Supposed to be released today according to IGN.
Let's hope it sorts out some of the major bugs with no stability problems.

http://pc.ign.com/articles/655/655507p1.html

 

[rob j]

Here we are...

NOW AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD!

 

[rob j]

And here's the list of tweeks Shame I'm can't get home to play it until tomorrow night!

NEW FEATURES

- Wake Island Map

Included a remade version of this popular BF1942 map.
Battlefield 2 version includes a 64 player layout and is
configured for multiplayer only.

- Server Favorites / History

There is a new tab in the MULTIPLAYER menu that holds a list of
the last 20 internet servers you have connected to, plus a list
of servers you have selected as favorites.

* Added a button to the other multiplayer tabs that adds the
currently highlighted server to your favorites list.
* Added buttons in the in-game server info menu (press TAB to
access) that will add or remove the server you are currently
playing on to / from your favorites list.

- Account Login Welcome Screen

After you login to an online account, a message appears that
contains BF2 news and information which updates periodically.

- Stat Compare

By clicking the COMPARE button in BFHQ, you can search for another
players name and load their current stats into BFHQ. Using the
arrow buttons next to the name in the top-left corner of the menu,
you can toggle between your stats and their stats.

You can also load a player's stats by double-clicking on their
name in any leaderboard.

- Nickname Prefix

You can add a 6-character prefix (such as a clan tag) to your
account nickname which will be displayed in-game next to your
nametag in the score menu, in game messages, and above your player
in the game world.

* This prefix does not change your account name or statistic
information (e.g. the prefix does not appear next to your name
on the leaderboards).
* You can change this prefix at any time at the account login
menu.

- Server Reserved Slots

You can define a list of player nicknames that will act as a
"reservation list" for your server.

* The list is located in mods\bf2\settings\ReservedSlots.con
* You can add player names to the list by editing the file and
adding the following text for each player :

reservedSlots.addNick <account name>

where <account name> is the player's registered account name,
not including a nickname prefix (see above).
* You can define the number of slots to set aside for reserved
players in the dedicated server launcher, or with the setting
sv.numReservedSlots <number> in your serverSettings.con file.
* The number of players on the list and the number of reserved
slots does not necessarily have to be the same.

- Mod Support

There are several new changes that improve support for mods.

* When connecting to a server that is running a mod that you have
installed but not activated, it will be automatically activated
and you will load into the server.
* Added a filter on the server browser for servers running the
currently activated mod.
* Fixed dedicated server launcher to properly handle launching mods.
* Improved support for mods sharing archives with bf2

- Improvements to in-game HUD / Map

* The viewable area of the spawn menu / commander map is now scaled
based on the out-of-bounds area so that only the playable area
takes up the majority of viewable map space.
* The names of CPs are now displayed on the spawn menu / commander
map and minimap
* The minimap zoom level now changes dynamically depending on the
type of vehicle you are in. If you zoom in or out manually, that
zoom level is remembered for that vehicle type next time you use
it.
* The names of players in your vehicle are displayed in the HUD
when someone enters the vehicle or switches positions.
* There is a new element in vehicle HUDs that displays the reload
time for countermeasures (smoke and flares).
* Flags for each team are now displayed below their ticket count
on the minimap to make it easier to tell what team you are assigned to.


GAMEPLAY CHANGES

- Many criteria for ranks and awards have changed. If you are immediately
eligible for a new promotion, unlock, badge, award, or ribbon, it will
be awarded the next time you receive points on a ranked server.
- Only 1 player in a vehicle will get credit for or speed up capturing
a flag at a CP. The other passengers must exit the vehicle to increase
the speed of capture or receive capture score.
- Commanders no longer accrue a TK when artillery hits
teammates.
- The commander's supply drop now has an icon on the minimap and a 3D-
map icon in the world.
- Auto team balance no longer moves players to the other team if they
are a team commander or a squad leader.
- The wrench repair rate on helicopters has been decreased.
- You now receive 1 support point for destroying an enemy commander's
artillery, UAV or Radar station.
- If you have received a point for healing, repairing, or resupplying
a teammate, you will not receive another point from them for the same
action for a set period of time.
- Singleplayer enemies use the knife more effectively.
- New engine sounds for the T98 tank.
- New engine sounds for the China/MEC light jeep.
- New cannon sounds on APCs.


BUG FIXES

- Fixed physics of vehicles against soldiers so that soldiers are not
killed so easily by moving vehicles.
- Fixed a physics issue that can cause you to be stuck when falling into
shallow water
- Fixed an issue with soldier armor when spawning on a squad leader in a
vehicle
- Fixed some objects that caused vehicles to take massive collision damage
- Fixed erroneous message stating that you punished a TK when auto-
punish is OFF on the server.
- When a vehicle explodes due to external forces, the driver is no longer
mis-credited for the kills.
- Added turret movement sounds to several vehicles.
- Fixed an issue that caused crosshairs to stay on the screen when
switching camera views.
- Fixed an issue that caused the time limit status of the server not to be
sent to clients when it is changed by the server.
- Fixed server setting sv.allowExternalViews. Setting this to 0 will
disallow external views.
- Added setting for interfaceIP to the server launcher
- Changed automatic TK banning to ban by cd-key instead of IP address
- Improved the stability of secondary position turrets to reduce jerkiness
during movement.
- Fixed spawning on squad leaders to prevent players from spawning where
they should not.
- Fixed issue with auto team balance not sending new players to the team
with less players.
- Set T90 top hatch armor to "Front Armor".
- Set some wheels on jets and helpcopters to stronger armor to prevent
them from being destroyed instantly by AT missiles.
- Adjusted wheeled vehicle engines on hills to improve climbing.
- Changed the Commo-rose behavior so that player does not leave crouch
when using it.
- Passwords entered to join password protected servers are now cleared
after use.
- Improved PLAY NOW functionality.
- Fixed some memory usage issues in the front end.
- Fixed an issue allowing color changes in player name text.
- When you click on a server in the server browser, the information
from that server is updated to be more accurate.
- Fixed a crash in the Ranked Linux server when communication with stats
back-end ceased.
- Improved the behavior of AA missiles when locked on an enemy.
- Fixed an issue where parachuting soldiers could not be healed.
- Added the server port to the SERVER INFO tab.
- Removed the SERVER INFO tab when playing singleplayer
- Fixed an issue causing some soldier & vehicle control keys to be used
for in-game menus.
- Added new soldier artwork in BFHQ
- Added name of video director to credits