Why Battlefield 4's Controls Are Significantly Different

[IanDavis]

Why Battlefield 4's Controls Are Significantly Different

DICE overhauled the controls to place more emphasis on team play.

If you booted up the Battlefield 4 beta, the first thing you likely noticed were the shiny, new graphics. The second thing were the different controls. Some of the changes are a bit more jarring than others. According to DICE, the controls changed to place more emphasis on teamplay and to make an overall more intuitive control scheme.

"When we looked at controls in Battlefield 4 we placed the teamplay aspect of our controls as the highest priority," Battlefield 4 executive producer Patrick Bach [a href=http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2013/10/27/dice-discusses-changes-coming-to-battlefield-4-console-controls.aspx]told Game Informer[/a]. "We wanted players to be familiar with using spotting and the communication rose in multiplayer as well as the engage and tactical visor in single player. To accomplish this we needed a button that allowed players quick access while also enabling the player to still perform all the necessary functions of Battlefield, like shooting, aiming, moving, and melee... With this in mind, we moved our teamplay functions to a bumper button, which required us to make additional changes, all to highlight one of Battlefield's key strengths."

Moving all the vehicle controls to the left analog stick is the change that's mostly likely to throw returning players for a loop. According to Bach, the change was for consistency. "We wanted to have a more intuitive control scheme as the default for Battlefield 4," he said. "Since you are moving your character with the analog stick it made sense to have similar controls for vehicles. If you prefer to use the triggers for acceleration and breaking you can change to that layout in the options menu."

Don't like the changes? Well, you'll just have to adapt, because according to Bach, there's just no easy way to keep the old controls. " We continue to see teamplay as a key area for Battlefield, and that meant that we could not purely duplicate the old setup."

Battlefield 4 charges forth on the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC on October 29th, with Xbox One and Playstation 4 versions coming later this year.

Source: [a href=http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2013/10/27/dice-discusses-changes-coming-to-battlefield-4-console-controls.aspx]Game Informer[/a]

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[josemlopes]

Thats really dumb, there is barely any new inputs and commands so all they did was switch them around, to say that they cant let you use the old setup is just a lie.

 

[omega 616]

You are solo player? Well fuck you, you can't have your old control scheme.

I made a thread about this a while ago, about how solo (not single) gaming is being shunned for co-op or team play. Just sucks for us lone wolves

 

[Single Shot]

You are solo player? Well fuck you, you can't have your old control scheme.

I made a thread about this a while ago, about how solo (not single) gaming is being shunned for co-op or team play. Just sucks for us lone wolves

For fucks sake dude, this is BATTLEFIELD! the game series that really made team based multiplayer work. In the early games trying to work alone as anything but a sniper would get you skullfucked by even the most disorganized team. you want solo run-n-gun action get CoD.

I for one couldn't be happier if this works. BF3 was too solo focused.

 

[fix-the-spade]

Ah lazy console development, you think customisable controls would benefit all users? You are mistaken citizen, the central party will decide the most efficient controls for the benefit of all, only the subversive and the malcontent would choose any other way.

It's amazing to think that way back in the days of Timesplitters custom button mapping was just taken for granted, it's also astounding how readily players and developers have abandoned it.

 

[The White Hunter]

We needed a button?

Just one?

I have a keyboard for these things y'know it was actually kinda fucking annoying in the beta having everything on one damn key.

Also the helicopters still control like shit.

 

[rofltehcat]

What else would be on that bumper button? I didn't play the beta but it really sounds like this wouldn't be much of an issue for anyone and if it really allows console BF4 players to use the comm rose more easily in action, this is a good thing.

However, people barely bother using it at all (in BF3 and BFBC2) even on the PC, where pushing Q really isn't a huge issue. Especially snipers/scouts tend to be a bit guilty of that because they are afraid someone might "steal" their kill if they spot. Overall, I think spotting should give more points (compared to BF3/BFBC2). Maybe even give your own shots a slight accuracy bonus or just additional bonus points when you kill a target you spotted yourself.

 

[omega 616]

snip

Played a good number of hours, 100 or so, I never played with a squad and I never camped.

I was a very team focused player, throwing ammo and health, spamming the spot button jumping in the second or third seat in tanks.

Nothing wrong with lone wolves, everything wrong with bad/selfish players

snip

Games should be accessible for everyone, not excluding people based on preferences. I know you bf guys like to say "well just get cod" in a very decisive way but I want to drive a big ass tank, I want to fly a jet, I want to blow a wall apart, I want a slower style of play.... Why do I get punished for not having a squad?

 

[Single Shot]

snip

Played a good number of hours, 100 or so, I never played with a squad and I never camped.

I was a very team focused player, throwing ammo and health, spamming the spot button jumping in the second or third seat in tanks.

Nothing wrong with lone wolves, everything wrong with bad/selfish players

snip

Games should be accessible for everyone, not excluding people based on preferences. I know you bf guys like to say "well just get cod" in a very decisive way but I want to drive a big ass tank, I want to fly a jet, I want to blow a wall apart, I want a slower style of play.... Why do I get punished for not having a squad?

And why should I get a piss poor bastardization of a once great series because people like you want simple accessible solo friendly game that removes most of the teamwork?
You want simple solo run-n-gun shooty flashy action MP? I seriously recommend CoD, Blacklight Retribution, or maybe even planetside 2. all of those games cater, in at least some capacity, for lone wolf types who want to do it on their own. But if you want team based tactical action then the BF series is almost the last bastion in the Triple-A scene.
And slower style of play? Teamwork is usually slightly slowed than lone gun because you have to move as a unit while the lone warrior has to keep moving to stay alive, so i'm not quite sure what you're talking about there.

From what you've said I'll make a final recommendation. Try Planetside 2. it's a giant map with plenty of opportunity for solo gamers. It has tanks and jets. and you can play it at your own pace. But before you imply I'm impeding on your right to a slower/solo playstyle explain to me why you have priority over my teamwork/tactical one. I don't say Go to X casually. I'm reading what you clearly want in a game and recommending games designed with that in mind. The Battlefield games, at their best, are not solo player friendly. but they are fun to a different type of player.

P.S

for when you join Planetside can I just remind you NC rules all!

 

[weirdee]

planetside 2 actually punishes trying to go solo also since it really limits the supply of ammunition

 

[omega 616]

snip

You do realize bf and cod are almost identical? Just bf has nice extras like, tanks, planes and destruction. The team work is crowbarred in, at least in 3.... Everybody can play totally lone wolf but you get shoved together with other people into nice little groups of 4 and you get a nice handful of points for helping them out more.

I know about planet side 2, it's all about massive 2000+ player wars... What is a lone wolf going to do against that? Toodle around capturing the odd facility? Pick off the odd random person?

I'm not against co-op or team work gaming or games, I just want a solo option and not be forced into ganging up with randoms. I'm not even just attacking bf, just look at gta! Crew this, crew that, join the social club, go to the social club for 90% of everything.

 

[Single Shot]

planetside 2 actually punishes trying to go solo also since it really limits the supply of ammunition

Not really. I've played it lone wolf a lot and had a lot of fun with my long range machine gun. 400 rounds when it takes about 30-100 to put someone down give a lot of killing power. You can't go near the bigger battles, but try grabbing a plane and dropping somewhere quieter just behind the lines. you get some really good small battles and I don't have to worry about ammo unless I go full spray-and-prey. I guess it's personal styles.

snip

You do realize bf and cod are almost identical? Just bf has nice extras like, tanks, planes and destruction. The team work is crowbarred in, at least in 3.... Everybody can play totally lone wolf but you get shoved together with other people into nice little groups of 4 and you get a nice handful of points for helping them out more.

I know about planet side 2, it's all about massive 2000+ player wars... What is a lone wolf going to do against that? Toodle around capturing the odd facility? Pick off the odd random person?

I'm not against co-op or team work gaming or games, I just want a solo option and not be forced into ganging up with randoms. I'm not even just attacking bf, just look at gta! Crew this, crew that, join the social club, go to the social club for 90% of everything.

Yeah, BF3 and the CoD series were similar. but I'd argue tat BF3 wasn't what Battlefield should be based on previous games in the series I'd love to get the really tactical team-play back into the series, but the more people that complain the series is returning to it's roots the less likely Dice is going to be allowed to do it. This is an EA game after all.
Read my above post for Plantside 2. yes that's exactly what you're meant to do. if you want to play as a lone wolf you can either snipe, pilot, drive, or find the smaller battles. I mean really, what do you expect, to just bulldoze over the larger battles and slaughter everyone? pick a fight you can actually fight and you'll have fun. 1V1, 1V2, 1V3 are all good if you know what you're doing and you can always get a good small fight going, or you could join the melee of a bigger battle with the knowledge a single player won't make much of a difference. Oh, and if you're answer was 'yes' you do want to steamroll through the huge battles I suggest something like Just Cause 2 because what you want is a power-trip, not real multi-player.

I know you're not against Co-op as a concept, but I think that wanting a solo option in every game can damage he gameplay of those that don't need it. I would argue that the lack of real team bonus's and objectives was the worst thing in BF's MP mode since it encouraged camping snipers, a lack of medic's (not helped even more by the removal of a pure medic class), players not near objectives, mortar spammers (slightly less of a problem now but some maps, the more urban ones in particular, were unplayable for months after launch), and stupidly high friendly fire where the option was enabled since nobody bothered checking where their teammates were. If you got more points by playing the objective and helping your team the above stated would be less of an issue.

I can't comment on GTA-V since I haven't played it yet and the online was buggered last time I looked into it, but I'm willing to bet you can still just drive around killing other players if you don't want the more scripted content, and if you want scripted content without crew's it has a single player mode too? Explain to me the system and I can comment, until then I can only guess.

At the end of the day I think you're just going to have to accept some games cater to solo play, others don't, and both are good, but they don't often mix. An organized team will always skullfuck a solo group of the same skill in a game with the ability to quickly communicate and organize defences or offensives, and a skilled group will always skullfuck an organized group in games without that feature by virtue of better speed (by not having to communicate).

 

[Pirakahunter788]

The driving wasn't what threw me through a loop, I actually got used to it. (Though I liked accelerating with the right bumper, it's what I'm used to.) What threw me through a loop, was their change of the spotting mechanic. I'm sorry, but if you played BF3 like I did, you spotted every single damn chance you got. You always wanted to see that orange triangle if you knew you couldn't kill the guy. That was done with the select button on my PS3 controller.

Now, they put the "Battlelog Menu" there. This isn't an isolated problem, my friends have dealt with it too. Imagine, massive firefight, skin of your teeth action. If you either have button training like I did, or unfortunate circumstance like others, (hitting it by accident), it brings up a menu that keeps you from doing ANYTHING until you quit out. In an FPS, seconds matter, and that button press just got you killed once, twice, five times, just because old habits die hard.


TLR - Damn You, Muscle Memory!

 

[bigbearboy144]

I don't believe the underlying issues created in BF3 can be undone with control rebinding. The sheer gameplay mechanics need a review. I'm not a dev, so I can't say for sure, but BC2 always carried this responsibility for your team. Teamwork just worked, and was suggestible, whereas BF3, and no doubt BF4, caused you to play like CoD. Battlefield used to be fun.

 

[Psychobabble]

I don't believe the underlying issues created in BF3 can be undone with control rebinding. The sheer gameplay mechanics need a review. I'm not a dev, so I can't say for sure, but BC2 always carried this responsibility for your team. Teamwork just worked, and was suggestible, whereas BF3, and no doubt BF4, caused you to play like CoD. Battlefield used to be fun.

Hey screw that man! Forced Teamplay is obviously "srs bznz". Apparently you either play it the way they want you to play or fuck off. Thanks DICE, I'll choose the later. And sadly it's this pack of dicks that are working on the next SW Battlefront game. Yeah that's gonna go well.

 

[Strazdas]

There are no different controls. you set your controls the way you want them. wait, did they seriuosly forgot the costumizable controls feature for a game like this? really? what is this i dont even....