More Than 9 Million People Played The Battlefront Beta

[Steven Bogos]

More Than 9 Million People Played The Battlefront Beta

EA says that Battlefront was its biggest beta ever.

It's no question that Star Wars: Battlefront is one of the most highly anticipated releases of 2015, so when EA announced an stats [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/142562-Star-Wars-Battlefront-Beta-Announced], revealing that over 9 million unique players logged on to the beta, making it the biggest beta in EA history.

To be exact, 9.5 million players logged around 1.6 billion minutes of collective play time. Vader and Luke spawned around 6 million times each, which means that (in theory) every player should have had a chance to try one of them out at least once. Only 6 million players made it to rank 5, unlocking the jetpack - which in many player's opinion wildly changes the way the game plays, and is easily one of the strongest unlocks.

Indeed, the top three unlock cards used were the jetpack, the cycler rifle, and the thermal detonator. Interestingly, victory stats were not posted. I don't know about you guys, but I feel like The Empire won a lot more matches on Walker Assault than The Rebels...

What were your thoughts on the beta? I was really glad that they managed to nail the feel and sound of Star Wars, but disappointed that a lot of the team-based features of Battlefield, such as squads, multi-seat vehicles, and distinct combat roles, had been cut.

Soruce: EA Games [http://starwars.ea.com/starwars/battlefront/news/the-biggest-beta-in-ea-history?utm_campaign=swbf-social-us-ic-tw-swbf-infographic-10232015-tw-img-site-ramp&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&sourceid=swbf-social-us-ic-tw-swbf-infographic-10232015-tw-img-site-ramp&cid=45823&ts=1445620474218&sf41901687=1]

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[Squilookle]

What's that? Sorry EA.. I was a bit distracted playing something else.. constantly.. since 2005.

I expect I'll still be playing it long after your DLC ridden mess of a half-game has rolled over onto it's back and gone to meet it's maker.

 

[TorchofThanatos]

I can't help but wonder if the Empire's win rate was so high because new players didn't know how to actually damage the AT-AT's. I didn't play the beta but I did watch some youtube guys play it and I doesn't seems like it was never explained what the Y-wing did. They drop the At-AT's shield right? Then after the attack runs the Rebels could damage the AT-AT's. I wonder if it is not an issue of balance but actually an issue with the lack information/direction. The Empire just seemed to be playing a game of kill everyone to win while the rebels actually needed to play the objective to win.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

I can't help but wonder if the Empire's win rate was so high because new players didn't know how to actually damage the AT-AT's. I didn't play the beta but I did watch some youtube guys play it and I doesn't seems like it was never explained what the Y-wing did. They drop the At-AT's shield right? Then after the attack runs the Rebels could damage the AT-AT's. I wonder if it is not an issue of balance but actually an issue with the lack information/direction. The Empire just seemed to be playing a game of kill everyone to win while the rebels actually needed to play the objective to win.

I think it probably had more to do with how awful the spawn points for the Rebels were. You spawn out in the open rather than in a defensible position, and the moment someone got their AT-ST behind the spawns you were basically fucked.

 

[Gethsemani_v1legacy]

I can't help but wonder if the Empire's win rate was so high because new players didn't know how to actually damage the AT-AT's. I didn't play the beta but I did watch some youtube guys play it and I doesn't seems like it was never explained what the Y-wing did. They drop the At-AT's shield right? Then after the attack runs the Rebels could damage the AT-AT's. I wonder if it is not an issue of balance but actually an issue with the lack information/direction. The Empire just seemed to be playing a game of kill everyone to win while the rebels actually needed to play the objective to win.

Partially, absolutely. As Soviet Heavy says the poor Rebel spawns and the ease of spawn camping the Rebels was also a major factor, as was the fact that the Empire just got straight up more vehicles. But during the five days or so of the beta I noticed that in the first days the Rebels were losing badly, often with both AT-ATs over 90% health at the end. During the last day of the beta the AT-ATs were often down below 30% each or one down and the other just barely standing. No doubt it got better for the rebels once more people understood what to do and how to do it, since just having one or two guys hang on to their orbital strike to use on the AT-ATs was often enough to ensure a win for the rebels.

 

[Metalrocks]

i have never managed to play as vader or luke. have no idea how to get them. but i sure got killed by them.
but yes, it was pretty unclear what to do when playing as a rebel. something about the shields down, then we can shoot at the ATs. i have only won once as a rebel but then kept losing. i had a bit more fun with the capturing the pods. at least this was clear what to do.
now the other question would be; how many of these 9 million testers have actually enjoyed the game. i gave it a 3 when the game asked me about my rating with a rather limited reasons as to why. like maybe poor spawning would be one of them but was not available.

 

[fix-the-spade]

I can't help but wonder if the Empire's win rate was so high because new players didn't know how to actually damage the AT-AT's.

Once players got the hang of the Y-Wing, Orbital Strike combo it evened out quite rapidly. But the map suffered from typical DICEplz spawn points for the Rebels.

DICE is in something of a slump at the moment, the Battlefront Beta convinced me not to bother with Battlefront. Maybe when the cheap complete edition rolls around, as is they seem to have topped out with Bad Company 2 and BF3, those two game were and still are fantastic.

So everybody go buy those on the cheap and I'll see you online, on PC of course...

 

[Something Amyss]

Partially, absolutely. As Soviet Heavy says the poor Rebel spawns and the ease of spawn camping the Rebels was also a major factor, as was the fact that the Empire just got straight up more vehicles. But during the five days or so of the beta I noticed that in the first days the Rebels were losing badly, often with both AT-ATs over 90% health at the end. During the last day of the beta the AT-ATs were often down below 30% each or one down and the other just barely standing. No doubt it got better for the rebels once more people understood what to do and how to do it, since just having one or two guys hang on to their orbital strike to use on the AT-ATs was often enough to ensure a win for the rebels.

Unfortunately, this still comes down to an issue of bad information being a factor. It got easier, but even on the final day of the beta a good chunk of people seemed clueless.

Which kind of made the mode zero fun for me.

 

[Loonyyy]

i have never managed to play as vader or luke. have no idea how to get them. but i sure got killed by them.

They're more on ground tokens. They spawn at the same spot as the vehicle turret ones, there was one in the hangar on the far side, and one in the ice hallway heading up. I think, like vehicle tokens, you have to use them in that life.

OT: The Imperials winning on Hoth has become a thing, but I'm still not sure of it. The AT-ATs go down real easily to Tow Cables, and Orbital Strikes, the turrets, EMP weaponry etc can do a lot damage. The spawn killing's a nuisance on Rebels (Especially stolen friendly turrets behind the first spawn-nightmare), and the placement of their vehicles seems... extreme? Like, getting those tokens is a little ridiculous sometimes. But I think like has been said, the thing is information.

If rebels knew what the Y-Wing did, to watch for the shields, that they needed the Y-Wing beacons, and used Orbital Strike and Thermal Imploders on the AT-ATs, you'd see them win more, and I found that people gradually learnt this, and Rebels begun winning (A tad easily in a lot of cases). DICE say they're rebalancing it, but I'm fairly sure we'll see it become Rebel-sided. Either way, not the end of the world for me, I don't mind playing an enjoyable losing game, though preferably without being shot in spawn by either a spawn camping turret, or an AT AT

The Imperials seem to have one big advantage: They don't have to do anything to win. If both teams are made of relatively new players, many of whom aren't playing the objective, and are aiming for kills, then the Imperials will win. But those AT-ATs really have a glass jaw when you lay into them.

 

[Veldel]

I played it for about 5 hours

only twice did the rebels win. I also used tow cables to score one of those wins and thus I did everything I wanted and no longer need to play the game further that's all I wanted and im satisfied.

 

[John the Gamer]

I'm sorry, but aren't the Rebels supposed to lose that battle? Just like how the Empire is supposed to lose on Endor?

The battle should be a delaying action for the Rebels until their ships get away right?

 

[Lightspeaker]

To be honest all these people citing tow cables...

I don't think I EVER saw tow cables bring down an AT-AT in all my time playing the beta, at best there might have been one that I missed. I certainly never managed it myself (because god knows those snowspeeders flew like bricks and you could never get the token at the right time in my experience).


Although I did rack up a fair number of Rebel side wins by just pummeling the hell out of the AT-ATs with X-wings, A-wings and orbital strikes. It was undeniably easier for the Empire but it was definitely doable as Rebels.

But yeah, biggest failure of the beta were the awful, awful spawns. I mean it was painfully bad in some cases.

 

[The White Hunter]

I can't help but wonder if the Empire's win rate was so high because new players didn't know how to actually damage the AT-AT's.

Once players got the hang of the Y-Wing, Orbital Strike combo it evened out quite rapidly. But the map suffered from typical DICEplz spawn points for the Rebels.

DICE is in something of a slump at the moment, the Battlefront Beta convinced me not to bother with Battlefront. Maybe when the cheap complete edition rolls around, as is they seem to have topped out with Bad Company 2 and BF3, those two game were and still are fantastic.

So everybody go buy those on the cheap and I'll see you online, on PC of course...

I'd argue Battlefield 3 was the first step down the slope, frankly. The map design just wasn't as good as Bad Company 2, it wasn't as balanced and vehicles went from being easy to pickup and play with and tough to master to being awkward as all fuck to fly helicopters in 3 and 4.

Also you couldn't drop buildings on suckers.

 

[fix-the-spade]

I'd argue Battlefield 3 was the first step down the slope, frankly. The map design just wasn't as good as Bad Company 2, it wasn't as balanced and vehicles went from being easy to pickup and play with and tough to master to being awkward as all fuck to fly helicopters in 3 and 4.

Some buildings can be dropped.

I think the vehicles in BF3 were an improvement, they're faster and did more damage but at the same time more like glass cannons. Tanks in BC2 were especially nasty without the disabling mechanic.

BF3's real strength is the maps, they go from Call of Duty style arenas to traditional gigantic Battlefield maps with steps in between. BF4 in particular lacks maps like Grand Bazarr and Noshar Canals that are small-ish. Movement and sniping are the best they've been in BF3 too, BC's sniper was over powered while BF4's sniper is nerfed into 3 hit kill oblivion.

 

[martyrdrebel27]

I've been a battlefront doomsayer since details started to emerge, and i'm sad to say that I was right. fucking EA... you had one job, make battlefront 2 shinier. and they managed to fuck that up. long after this is forgotten, battlefront 2 will still be played.

DICE and EA made one hell of a camel here.

 

[The White Hunter]

Spoiler: snip

I can't help but wonder if the Empire's win rate was so high because new players didn't know how to actually damage the AT-AT's.

Once players got the hang of the Y-Wing, Orbital Strike combo it evened out quite rapidly. But the map suffered from typical DICEplz spawn points for the Rebels.

DICE is in something of a slump at the moment, the Battlefront Beta convinced me not to bother with Battlefront. Maybe when the cheap complete edition rolls around, as is they seem to have topped out with Bad Company 2 and BF3, those two game were and still are fantastic.

So everybody go buy those on the cheap and I'll see you online, on PC of course...

I'd argue Battlefield 3 was the first step down the slope, frankly. The map design just wasn't as good as Bad Company 2, it wasn't as balanced and vehicles went from being easy to pickup and play with and tough to master to being awkward as all fuck to fly helicopters in 3 and 4.

Also you couldn't drop buildings on suckers.

That really was a good feeling, although I won't lie, I enjoyed becoming a master pilot in 3 and 4. Being good with the scout helicopter in 4 is essentially the same thing as in-game godhood. Still, you're lucky to end up with one good piloting match up out of 20.

I think the closest you could get was blowing up the hotel roof in Hanoi, in 4. It's not the same as dropping a whole parking structure on a fool though.

It sort of resolved the ease of swinging a helicopter around in a circle firing wildly to win in BC2 but that was easily solved with a decent engineer with an RPG-7, or a really pissed off sniper with an SV98 and a steady hand, I felt the controls were made too loose and it was too easy to mess up beyond salvation, and the balance of air vs engineer in 3 and 4 is terrible, the speed flares reload was always messy but the rate at which AA goes after your ass is horrendous.

There's a balance somewhere. For me being able to mouse and key on foot then use my gamepad for vehicles would go a long way to making it better for me on PC (the gamepad helicopter controls got shit to but less so).

Spoiler: snip

I'd argue Battlefield 3 was the first step down the slope, frankly. The map design just wasn't as good as Bad Company 2, it wasn't as balanced and vehicles went from being easy to pickup and play with and tough to master to being awkward as all fuck to fly helicopters in 3 and 4.

Some buildings can be dropped.

I think the vehicles in BF3 were an improvement, they're faster and did more damage but at the same time more like glass cannons. Tanks in BC2 were especially nasty without the disabling mechanic.

BF3's real strength is the maps, they go from Call of Duty style arenas to traditional gigantic Battlefield maps with steps in between. BF4 in particular lacks maps like Grand Bazarr and Noshar Canals that are small-ish. Movement and sniping are the best they've been in BF3 too, BC's sniper was over powered while BF4's sniper is nerfed into 3 hit kill oblivion.

Tanks are better in 3 onwards but helicopters are too unwieldy imo, frailer but the flimsy control is just gross. Helicopters also got flares to deal with lock-on rockets but you end up in this messy stalemate unless you have more than one halfway competent engineer (good luck with that)

BF3's maps are hit and miss. Grand Bazaar and Noshar Canal as you mention were excellent, but then we have operation meatgrinder, wherein you slam your face against a wall of M60's until the wall of M60's kills you enough that the server cycles back to... operation meatgrinder.......

Snipers in BC2 are a bit overpowered (the auto-spotting scope is bullshit), well balanced imo in 3, you had more range to play with and could get creative. I found BF3 shone bright at times but it had nasty lows, a lot of weapon balance issues, e.g. the Famas being utterly broken for weeks.

I agree sniping in 4 is shite. The ballistics are finnicky as hell, you start with shit options on the class, unless you hit the (I swear they shrunk the hitbox) head you'll never kill anyone. The maps are often too fucking big for the player count (even on PC some are just too big, the engine can't actually draw it all) and on many, for example the satelite array thing, it's all about bugging your way up high and camping doing fuck all for your own K/D till your team loses.

Edit: Not enough buildings can be dropped imo. It's too scripted. I much prefer being able to knock down most buildings tbh.

 

[The White Hunter]

Spoiler: snip

I can't help but wonder if the Empire's win rate was so high because new players didn't know how to actually damage the AT-AT's.

Once players got the hang of the Y-Wing, Orbital Strike combo it evened out quite rapidly. But the map suffered from typical DICEplz spawn points for the Rebels.

DICE is in something of a slump at the moment, the Battlefront Beta convinced me not to bother with Battlefront. Maybe when the cheap complete edition rolls around, as is they seem to have topped out with Bad Company 2 and BF3, those two game were and still are fantastic.

So everybody go buy those on the cheap and I'll see you online, on PC of course...

I'd argue Battlefield 3 was the first step down the slope, frankly. The map design just wasn't as good as Bad Company 2, it wasn't as balanced and vehicles went from being easy to pickup and play with and tough to master to being awkward as all fuck to fly helicopters in 3 and 4.

Also you couldn't drop buildings on suckers.

That really was a good feeling, although I won't lie, I enjoyed becoming a master pilot in 3 and 4. Being good with the scout helicopter in 4 is essentially the same thing as in-game godhood. Still, you're lucky to end up with one good piloting match up out of 20.

I think the closest you could get was blowing up the hotel roof in Hanoi, in 4. It's not the same as dropping a whole parking structure on a fool though.

It sort of resolved the ease of swinging a helicopter around in a circle firing wildly to win in BC2 but that was easily solved with a decent engineer with an RPG-7, or a really pissed off sniper with an SV98 and a steady hand, I felt the controls were made too loose and it was too easy to mess up beyond salvation, and the balance of air vs engineer in 3 and 4 is terrible, the speed flares reload was always messy but the rate at which AA goes after your ass is horrendous.

There's a balance somewhere. For me being able to mouse and key on foot then use my gamepad for vehicles would go a long way to making it better for me on PC (the gamepad helicopter controls got shit to but less so).

You're right, but I've found that the scout helicopter can use its machine guns with a fast reload to kill most lone threats before they can kill you. I'll grant that it took a stupid amount of practice to get there, and you end up only using the missile system to take out other aircraft. Worse, what you said about flares or ECM is right, so the enemy team playing as a team can always take down aircraft.

Still, it's a fun dance that I got addicted to, but I think like you're saying, it was a step back for the series as a whole. My hope for BF5 (wild, desperate, unlikely hope) is that they take a hard look at vehicle controls and balance, and rework it. As it stands, the tweaks for controls need to be major, balance could be done with a subtle touch. I think there is always a tendency to dumb the whole system down though, which tends to make flying well more complex, rather than less so.

Edit: In response to your edit, what I'd like to see is the battlefield team take a page from Red Faction and just go wild. Lets make environmental destruction a real thing, make roads totally impassible for some vehicles, destroy runways, and of course fuck up the ALL of the buildings.

Not even a full team co-operating is needed. You need 2 engineers with stingers, on voice chat, both lock on, stagger y our shots, win. You could have fun in helicopters but an undue amount of energy and player attention is focused on keeping the chopper level rather than dodging things and focusing on enemy vehicles, whereas in BC2 it was pretty hard to outright flip and crash (hell I could do barrell rolls in the HIND pretty easily) and instead you knew a good pilot when strafing runs on tanks happened consistently. It's like reinventing the wheel every time, I found BC2 had great control on vehicles, BF3 I adapted to, 4 I just crash over and over and then got like "fuck it" and I now just engineer about the place. I agree; they need to sit down and concentrate on those controls and the way vehicles interact, and let me hotswap methods on the fly if I prefer to do so (which I do, keyboards are not intuitive for helicopters to me and I don't need the accuracy of a mouse for gun pods).

Another balance issue is that they need to either give you more options to start (accessories and stuff) or rethink the way they litter things in progression. This was a big issue even in BC2 imo, where barring the sniper class (M24 can easily be the only rifle you need, SV98 having a better scope and bigger magazine) the early unlocks choke balls. In BF3 the starting stuff was flat out underpowered or more difficult to use in varied scenarios, the battle rifles the recon class started with being utterly terrible at anything over 200m or so. Or make unlocks for weapons xp based to the loadout rather than with kills to encourage riskier objective play. So I think the progression needs looking at to, but I doubt they will, and vehicles definately need re-tooling and balancing out.

Some aspects of classes feel nerfed to me to, sniping was better overall in 3 but I desperately missed having C4 or some option for covering my ass or sabotaging enemy vehicles and such.