Am I the only person who thinks Battlefield 3 is overdoing it?

[Windcaler]

Paying for servers, paying to unlock stuff, and now paying for Battlefield Premium which gives you new weapons and such you can't get otherwise?

Am I the only person thinking they are going a little money crazy with all this? I love the game but it just seem like their money grubbing. What do you guys think?

Well lets get some perspective here. This is the first game I can ever think of where console players had the ability to rent servers while PC has had that for...since PC gaming began? The closer consoles get to PC the more theyre going to have to offer the same experience as PCs, this is just one of those options and honestly I thought it was needed back with Bad Company 2.

Paying to unlock is paying for convienance. Its not buying power since you can get every other thing in the game by just playing it. Its very similar to the League of legends business model. Now I think that this is fair because someone whos coming to the game now, months after its release is going to hit a brick wall against practiced players with better setups. Let's even toss out the fact that people who get in helicopters/jets without unlocks are seen as detrimental to the team. Now theres 2 options to counteract this. 1. soldier through it till they get their unlocks or 2. pay for the unlocks. I dont think thats such a bad thing and keep in mind that the payed for unlocks dont go away either

Finally theres battlefield premium. I believe its cheaper to get it then buy all the DLC down the road so on that basis alone I wouldnt call it money grubbing. I dont think anything is specific to BFP though if Im mistaken please point it out to me. What you've been seeing is the stuff from the close quarters DLC accessed with BFP. Now to be fair, I have one major problem with BFP and that is the "exclusivity" with guides and other learning tools. Right now the game does an abysmal job of teaching people how to play and I think guides/strategies should be part of the core experience. There really needs to be a tutorial for people and I would even go so far as to say people need to complete it before they can enter multiplayer

On the server business. They have handled it so that DICE owned servers are a rarity and you must queue to get in. It has created alack of convenience because youhave to wait for definite normal multiplayer or take a gamble with the player owned stuff, which is so damn cheap to partake in there are many, many crap servers of all different shapes and shades of bullshit. Paying for unlocks is buying power, more importantly unlocking things for vehicles is stupid and shouldnt be there in the first place. Its luck even getting one for starters and the fact that they are team property means, as you said, lower ranking people are even more of a hindrance. However its become a situation where the only way to really advance is to pay, which is not the desirable outcome. By this point they should just start new players off with the unlocks to put them on the same footing.

You are incorrect. Buying power is when you pay real money for something that is statistically better which non-paying players can not get. By definition the pay for unlocks is not buying power since every non-paying player can get them. Paying is not the only way to advance though, yesterday I spent about 2 games trying to get a single kill with the EOD bot to get the Mtar-21. During those games I was completely useless but I kept at it and persistence and luck made it happen. Likewise persistence with helicopters/jets can get you your unlocks, you are only stopped by giving up

Now with the servers, i havnt played on DICE's servers for a long time so maybe there's a que. I dont know for sure but I kind of doubt it with the vast number of servers out there now. I agree that there are a lot of servers I dont care for but that doesnt necessarily mean they're bad. Owners have a right to dictate what does and does not go on on their server and they have a right to dictate who does and does not play on their server. Just as you would if you were to buy a server. For me, Ive found some really good servers and I continue to play on them because Ive made friends there, the admins are fair, and I can generally find good games on them. I had to go through servers that I didnt care for to find the ones I like, it is a crap shoot but trial and error seems to be the only way to find good servers. On that note, good servers is a subjective term. For example I have a friend who hates playing with less then 300 tickets in any mode but Im more comfortable with a 75-150 ticket count. He hates shotguns and claymores but Im the kind of person that says use anything as long as it can be countered in some way. With that in mind, how else would you suggest finding good servers then trial and error?

 

[wooty]

Might just be the PS3 version, I've just played about with the filters and still all I'm seeing is 4/6 pages of mostly Op Metro......with "6000% ticketszszs lololol". Does put me off at times.

Well assuming it's the same as Xbox (no idea if it is) don't use the filters, do a search for -[DICE]- and find the official servers, then just favorite them. Just have to weed through the unofficial ones pretending to be official ones.

You my boy are wonderful. Never thought of doing the DICE search, finally back to enjoying BF3. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Tannhausyr]

On the server business. They have handled it so that DICE owned servers are a rarity and you must queue to get in. It has created alack of convenience because youhave to wait for definite normal multiplayer or take a gamble with the player owned stuff, which is so damn cheap to partake in there are many, many crap servers of all different shapes and shades of bullshit. Paying for unlocks is buying power, more importantly unlocking things for vehicles is stupid and shouldnt be there in the first place. Its luck even getting one for starters and the fact that they are team property means, as you said, lower ranking people are even more of a hindrance. However its become a situation where the only way to really advance is to pay, which is not the desirable outcome. By this point they should just start new players off with the unlocks to put them on the same footing.

By letting people rent servers, will obviously mean there will be a lower percentage of DICE owned servers - this is great! What's not to like? Allowing people to finally customise the mp experience to what they want on console? No longer the lol-fest that was the quick match system. Finding a decent server isn't hard - the provided server browser is great. You have just as much a chance of getting a crappy server in the previous 'quick match' method, except you had way less control.

I'm glad that servers can finally be rented on console; it's such a backward idea to not provide the option. Console gaming is slowly moving in the right direction where it might actually have a chance of competing with the quality of pc gaming.

Unlike other franchises, pretty much all of the initial weapons you have are great - you can do just as well with those as with any other, so theres no "paying to win" per se. I do agree that some of the vehicles were ridiculously hard initially, but after the updates (jets!), they have all been put on a more even footing.

I feel like Dice are making the right move overall with their announcement of ALL the dlc and their custom servers. Personally the closer console gaming gets to customisation available to pc gaming, the better.

 

[ShindoL Shill]

Spoiler: Obligatory

OT: No you are not.

 

[octafish]

Paying for servers, paying to unlock stuff, and now paying for Battlefield Premium which gives you new weapons and such you can't get otherwise?

Premium does not give you new weapons. It gives you early access to the DLC and all those weapons included sure, but regular users will get them once the DLC comes out properly anyway.

Only reason I got premium was because I intended to get all the DLC anyway and doing it this way was cheaper.

As for paying so unlock stuff, that is completely optional. Play the game and you unlock it all anyway, I never felt the need to buy extra shit for my kits, or vehicles. It's just an option for people who can't be bothered waiting.

I'll admit I bought the co-op stuff because I like battle rifles (G3A3) and co-op sucks arse. The premium knife is a re-skin everything else is DLC. Including guns in the DLC is pretty sneaky. It's the only reason I wanted Close Quarters. Then again I picked up CQ for $5 thanks to Premium. I do eagerly look forward to all the content in the other new DLC.

 

[anthony87]

Paying for servers, paying to unlock stuff, and now paying for Battlefield Premium which gives you new weapons and such you can't get otherwise?

Premium does not give you new weapons. It gives you early access to the DLC and all those weapons included sure, but regular users will get them once the DLC comes out properly anyway.

Only reason I got premium was because I intended to get all the DLC anyway and doing it this way was cheaper.

As for paying so unlock stuff, that is completely optional. Play the game and you unlock it all anyway, I never felt the need to buy extra shit for my kits, or vehicles. It's just an option for people who can't be bothered waiting.

I'll admit I bought the co-op stuff because I like battle rifles (G3A3) and co-op sucks arse. The premium knife is a re-skin everything else is DLC. Including guns in the DLC is pretty sneaky. It's the only reason I wanted Close Quarters. Then again I picked up CQ for $5 thanks to Premium. I do eagerly look forward to all the content in the other new DLC.

Is it really sneaky though? I mean one of the things I find great about the Battlefield 3 multiplayer is that no gun is inherently better than another.

Look at all the people who've unlocked all the Back to Karkland guns as well as the guns you get simply by ranking up, yet sticking with the default weapon simply because of how the prefer the feel of it.

 

[WaysideMaze]

I'll admit I bought the co-op stuff because I like battle rifles (G3A3) and co-op sucks arse. The premium knife is a re-skin everything else is DLC. Including guns in the DLC is pretty sneaky. It's the only reason I wanted Close Quarters. Then again I picked up CQ for $5 thanks to Premium. I do eagerly look forward to all the content in the other new DLC.

Is it really sneaky though? I mean one of the things I find great about the Battlefield 3 multiplayer is that no gun is inherently better than another.

Look at all the people who've unlocked all the Back to Karkland guns as well as the guns you get simply by ranking up, yet sticking with the default weapon simply because of how the prefer the feel of it.

Summed it up nicely.

I personally love the L85 from karkand. Think its the best assault rifle I've tried. However, on smaller maps I much prefer the faster F2000, a vanilla AR. I also refuse to use the FAMAS since its a big pile of wank.

Each gun feels different, and I don't think any gun (dlc or vanilla) is inherently better. They just suit different playstyles.

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

Well, of course I think it's f***ing ridiculous. But it's going to keep happening until people stop buying the s***. I've done all I can do, I didn't even buy the game in the first place. But there seems to be a hidden country full of people with no sense that will pay whatever is offered, and they are outnumbering the people who actually care. And it pisses me off to no end because it's going to keep happening because of these people. I still think eventually we will have to pay for every component of a game we buy, and even then it'll only be renting it. We'll have to return the single player component after a month, and pay an extra 40 dollars to unlock all the guns. I just hope there aren't so many sheep by that time.

 

[WaysideMaze]

Rentals?
Most renters didn't play BF3 online because of the stupid online pass. I know because I was one of those renters. And even if it didn't, only one person can play a rental at a time.

You can rent servers to play with your friends (or the public) with the settings and map rotation you like. This has nothing to do with renting the game from a store.

Really?
So they try and make like real war: if you have the money to spend on it, you win.
How....
innovative.

Oh please elaborate upon this. I would love to see you try to justify that line of thought.

 

[ChildishLegacy]

This for once is an overreaction and just an assumption that anything EA does is evil gaming nazism thats being used to steal our money and build a massive death ray on the moon that can be aimed at Valve HQ.

Renting servers- People already do that, they're offering the same service but directly from EA/DICE. Good servers and communities is what makes a decent multiplayer PC game a fucking brilliant one, and they're trying to extend that.

Season Pass - Saves people money if they know they will end up buying all the DLC on release anyway. Don't see a problem, if people don't want the DLC, nothing happens to them, they just stick with the full game they bought on release. Nobody will end up being against people with access to weapons that they don't.

There aren't pay to win weapons, there aren't pay to win upgrades, read what the actual service does before complaining about how "they broke their game", because I doubt that DICE, bless them, would stand for EA making their game pay to win. Granted they've let them get way with a lot, but they haven't let them actually break anything, or force people to pay out the nose so that they can enjoy their own game.

Rentals?
Most renters didn't play BF3 online because of the stupid online pass. I know because I was one of those renters. And even if it didn't, only one person can play a rental at a time.

You can rent servers to play with your friends (or the public) with the settings and map rotation you like. This has nothing to do with renting the game from a store.

Really?
So they try and make like real war: if you have the money to spend on it, you win.
How....
innovative.

Just quit before you say something that is more than 99% wrong...

 

[octafish]

Paying for servers, paying to unlock stuff, and now paying for Battlefield Premium which gives you new weapons and such you can't get otherwise?

Premium does not give you new weapons. It gives you early access to the DLC and all those weapons included sure, but regular users will get them once the DLC comes out properly anyway.

Only reason I got premium was because I intended to get all the DLC anyway and doing it this way was cheaper.

As for paying so unlock stuff, that is completely optional. Play the game and you unlock it all anyway, I never felt the need to buy extra shit for my kits, or vehicles. It's just an option for people who can't be bothered waiting.

I'll admit I bought the co-op stuff because I like battle rifles (G3A3) and co-op sucks arse. The premium knife is a re-skin everything else is DLC. Including guns in the DLC is pretty sneaky. It's the only reason I wanted Close Quarters. Then again I picked up CQ for $5 thanks to Premium. I do eagerly look forward to all the content in the other new DLC.

Is it really sneaky though? I mean one of the things I find great about the Battlefield 3 multiplayer is that no gun is inherently better than another.

Look at all the people who've unlocked all the Back to Karkland guns as well as the guns you get simply by ranking up, yet sticking with the default weapon simply because of how the prefer the feel of it.

True, you don't need the new guns. Indeed, the m16 is probably the best all round rifle in the game. However if CQ was a map pack I wouldn't have looked twice at it, but they included the Steyr Aug so I had to have it (Australian, so I would have preferred the f88 variant). Then they threw in another BR for the Recon class and CQ became a must buy. I hope more BRs are coming in the future DLC, I still have my fingers crossed for the ancient but still occasionally in use FN-FAL to rear its head for the Assault class one day.

 

[WaysideMaze]

Good thing I never bought BF3. Why exactly do people put up with this?

Well, of course I think it's f***ing ridiculous. But it's going to keep happening until people stop buying the s***. I've done all I can do, I didn't even buy the game in the first place. But there seems to be a hidden country full of people with no sense that will pay whatever is offered, and they are outnumbering the people who actually care. And it pisses me off to no end because it's going to keep happening because of these people. I still think eventually we will have to pay for every component of a game we buy, and even then it'll only be renting it. We'll have to return the single player component after a month, and pay an extra 40 dollars to unlock all the guns. I just hope there aren't so many sheep by that time.

I wanted a multiplayer shooter for my ps3, to chill out on with friends after work. I got BF3 for the price of £40. I got 9 maps, a selection of weapons for each class, and a few game modes aswell. I also got a single player campaign mode, and a co op mode, neither of which I have personally bothered with but they are part of that package.

I've had a lot of fun with the game, clocking in around 70 hours of gametime now, and I'm still enjoying it and not planning to stop soon.

I have now paid £40 for Premium as well. Assuming they stick with the 4 maps per expansion (which is pretty much a given) I will have 20 new maps to play by the time they all roll out, on top of my original 9. I also get a new selection of guns to play with, and some fun new game modes to try out.

What I haven't got, are any game breaking unique weapons available only to premium customers. Just some simple vanity items, that do not alter the gameplay in any way, and all the DLC for a discounted price, and early access aswell.

Please, tell me what is so evil and wrong about this.

 

[GonzoGamer]

Really?
So they try and make like real war: if you have the money to spend on it, you win.
How....
innovative.

What? Where are you getting this from rented servers?

If you got the server running out of your home, you're sure to have a good connection. I'm just surprised they lend out that kind of equipment.

 

[F4LL3N]

Being able to pay for your own dedicated servers is a good thing. Every FTS should have this. Being able to pay for unlocks is optional and not a bad thing. Premium saves you money on map packs, so that's a good thing.

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

-
Please, tell me what is so evil and wrong about this.

Didn't mean the DLC, I meant the paying for servers and that sort of thing. Although I do think DLC by itself is a bit immoral because whether vanity items or not, people who would have been perfectly happy without them are compelled to get them or they feel like they're missing out.

 

[WaysideMaze]

-
Please, tell me what is so evil and wrong about this.

Didn't mean the DLC, I meant the paying for servers and that sort of thing. Although I do think DLC by itself is a bit immoral because whether vanity items or not, people who would have been perfectly happy without them are compelled to get them or they feel like they're missing out.

I've clocked up many an hour on TF2 without buying any of the overpriced hats. They don't detract from the core gameplay experience, and neither do the BF3 vanity items.

If people feel the need to buy over priced vanity items on any game, then congratulations to the dev for making money for nothing.

Regarding the server issue, PC players have had that issue for years and no one was crusading for them.

You don't have to buy the servers, some people just like to have more control over their gameplay experience. I personally don't care. I play BF3 plenty, and I've yet to shell out a penny for servers.

The only thing I can take umbrance with regarding BF3 is the fact that they are renting servers and still charging for an online pass. Especially since they claimed the online pass was to pay for servers. I genuinely think that is a problem.

 

[Smithburg]

To the people saying I'm not the only one, Of Course I'm not. It's a common phrase that I used to make my point and your bitching about it just makes you look stupid for not understanding it.

Anyway. I don't really even take that much of an issue with all this, I just think that they are overdoing it.

 

[JoesshittyOs]

NO, you are NOT the only person who thinks that; you NEVER are. Please, never start a sentence Like that again.

It's a common figure of speech that has been around forever, learn to deal with it because the people that ***** about it are infinitely more annoying than the people who use it. It is beyond me why people choose to freak out about this phrase, yet leave some of the stupider one in tact.

You are not clever when you choose to complain about it.

It's clear to me that people on this site do not understand sarcasm and do not read critical miss.

Oh right. I forgot because it's just so easy to read sarcasm when it's in text format. And of course, a comic said it so it must be alright.




That was sarcasm.

 

[octafish]

snip
The only thing I can take umbrage with regarding BF3 is the fact that they are renting servers and still charging for an online pass. Especially since they claimed the online pass was to pay for servers. I genuinely think that is a problem.

Did people really believe that about the online pass? That's...incredibly naive...the online pass was always a way of making money out of second hand games, no matter what other reason they may have had. I can't blame them for it myself. Didn't everyone read between the lines? Was I the only one?

No skin of my nose, it isn't an issue if you buy new, and it isn't an issue if you play PC.