DICE Posts Bad Company 2 Dedicated Server FAQ

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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DICE Posts Bad Company 2 Dedicated Server FAQ


DICE [http://www.dice.se/] would like to take this opportunity to remind you that despite what certain other studios may or may not be doing, the PC version of the upcoming Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will most definitely feature dedicated servers.

The stinko that erupted when it came out that eschew dedicated servers [http://modernwarfare2.infinityward.com/] in favor of "console style" peer-to-peer matchmaking was, or at least should have been, entirely predictable. Regardless of the merits of the decision, stripping a well-established aspect of online PC gaming in order to make it more akin to consoles is nothing but a casual flip-off in the eyes of die-hard PC gamers and anyone who pretends to be surprised by the reaction is either being entirely disingenuous or just hasn't put more than two seconds of thought into it.

But Dedicated Server FAQ for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 [http://www.infinityward.com/], going as far as to call the announcement of the FAQ "Dedicated to our PC players!"

So what's the poop? DICE will be teaming with "trusted partners with datacenters worldwide" who will offer dedicated game servers for rent. Pricing will be variable based on region but the servers will offer all the tools PC gamers have come to expect: Full admin functionality, private matches and reserve lists, a proper server browser and more. "Rest assured PC players, Battlefield will stay true to its roots offering dedicated servers to all its players and continue the tradition of the ultimate FPS gaming experience!" the FAQ says.

I'm not laboring under the illusion that Bad Company 2 will steal the crown from Modern Warfare 2 and on a personal level I don't particularly care how matchmaking is handled since I have no intention of buying Modern Warfare 2 anyway. But where my associate Mr. Funk thinks server browsers are "clunky and unintuitive," I find them flexible and functional; ease of use and "accessibility" does not always translate into a better experience. The Modern Warfare 2 "experiment" may turn out to be a rousing success and set a new standard for online PC gaming, but unless and until that happens I'm happy to see DICE turn the screws a little bit more.

via: VE3D [http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/50982/Battlefield-Bad-Company-2-Dedicated-Server-FAQ-Makes-The-Most-Of-Infinity-Wards-PR-Blunder]


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Teh_Doomage

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Jan 11, 2009
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Bad Company 2 wins me for that reason alone....and I liked the first once.

Shame IW is too stubborn to realize what it's doing...
 

Kiutu

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Sep 27, 2008
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Bad Company also doesnt have game ruining perks, and lets you choose what weapons you want, so you can get snipers sooner if thats what you prefer, instead of what the game wants to give you. Also...blowing shit up!
 

Textbook Bobcat

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Sep 9, 2009
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Very intelligent PR.

I think this will sting the sales of Modern Warfare too much (mainly because the "shock" announcement came too late in the game for a mass change of opinion), but it will certainly aid Battlefield's sales.
 

Lordmarkus

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Jun 6, 2009
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Hah, here in Sweden that decision has been praised skywards for two very clear reasons.

- Dice = Sweden's pride and joy

- The majority of "hardcore gamers" in Sweden use PC instead of console.

We take pride in that our finest gaming labourers really understands us. Though I don't own a Battlefield game so I couldn't care less.
 

cainx10a

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May 17, 2008
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Much respect for these people. But I suppose I'll get both MW2 and BC2, since we PC-tards, I mean, PC Gods never had the chance to play Bad Company on the PC yet.
 

Fudgo

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I'll seriously laugh if they also decide to put some shoddy DRM in the game, seeing it's EA publishing it and all...
 

Count_ZeroOR

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mrfft said:
Bad Company 2 wins me for that reason alone....and I liked the first once.

Shame IW is too stubborn to realize what it's doing...
I suspect it was more of an order from the Activision Brass more than anything else - in that by eschewing dedicated servers they could make the series more profitable by allowing them to turn off multiplayer for certain games later to encourage people to buy the latest installment.

That said, I generally like the Battlefield games' multiplayer over Call of Duty 4s multiplayer, so I'll be sticking with the Battlefield series anyway.
 
Apr 28, 2008
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Hmm, I'm still a little skepticle on how a game engine made specifically for consoles will work on PC's.

But this is still a nice turn of events, way to give the finger to IW and Activision.

I may actually get it for the PC now. And maybe the 360 at a later date.
 

Tom Phoenix

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The Call of Duty series has had PC titles since it`s inception while the original Bad Company was console-only. Oh, the irony.

Although it is clear DICE is just trying to turn the situation to their own advantage, I hope this will make Infinity Ward think twice about their decision in order to prevent lost sales.
 

ryai458

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I think it is kinda of patchetic that they are doing this if they don't agree with what Modern Warfare 2 is doing thats fine but they don't have to go out of there way to be idiots about it.
DICE=fail
 

Chipperz

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ryai458 said:
I think it is kinda of patchetic that they are doing this if they don't agree with what Modern Warfare 2 is doing thats fine but they don't have to go out of there way to be idiots about it.
DICE=fail
Yup, this. I saw it coming, but I kinda hoped it was a developer I didn't at least slightly respect. Shame, that got me all disappointed.
 

Toty54

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Tom Phoenix said:
The Call of Duty series has had PC titles since it`s inception while the original Bad Company was console-only. Oh, the irony.
Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure that Call of Duty 3 was also not on PC.
 

Tom Phoenix

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Toty54 said:
Tom Phoenix said:
The Call of Duty series has had PC titles since it`s inception while the original Bad Company was console-only. Oh, the irony.
Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure that Call of Duty 3 was also not on PC.
That is correct, but that was not my point. My point was that while Call of Duty has traditionally been a PC franchise (CoD3 notwithstanding), Bad Company was never a PC game before. Yet DICE is showing more support to the PC demographic with BC2 then Infinity Ward is with MW2.