Battlefield 1 and historical accuracy.

[Zhukov]

Okay, so I'm having trouble getting these thoughts into a coherent order. This might get a little rambling. You've been warned.

Let me be clear about one thing right away. I think Battlefield 1 looks pretty good. I intend to by it upon release and I think I will enjoy it.

However the game's approach to a historical conflict is getting on my nerves a little.

Now, I'm not a hardcore stickler for historical accuracy. I'm fine with a work of entertainment playing a bit fast and loose with the truth in service to a good time. For example, I'm am totally down with fictional stories being set against the backdrop of real historical events. Assassin's Creed taking place in various periods of history? Great! There are limits though. Assassin's Creed hijacking every notable person in history as either an Assassin or Templar? Not so great. Pretty fucking dumb actually.

So here we have Battlefield 1, a game set in a war where the standard infantry weapons were overwhelmingly bolt action rifles, but which will feature one class using SMGs and shotguns (assault), another using mobile LMGs (support), another using automatic/semi-automatic rifles (medic) and only one using bolt action rifles (recon, AKA sniper).

They justify this by pointing to various weapons that did in fact exist at the time but were generally only prototypes or incredibly rare weapons that only saw action toward the tail end of the war.

In effect, they've just taken standard Battlefield gameplay and painted it with a coat of WWI. Now, this on its own doesn't make me angry or disappointed or whatever. I understand why they would want to do this. It's what they're used to, it has a proven audience and it's what a large portion of said audience presumably expects. There's nothing wrong with a new coat of paint on an old model and, as I said at the start, I personally expect that I will enjoy this particular model-paint combination.

However I feel an opportunity has been missed to change up the gameplay formula. Had it been up to me I would have removed the SMGs and made shotguns and grenades the defining weapons of the assault class, as befits their close quarters role. I would have made LMGs hopelessly inaccurate except when fired from a stationary set up position, defining the support class as a defensive point-hold role. I would have made handguns, bayonets and melee weapons the go-to close range options for non-assault classes.

Basically, I would have used the change in setting to both deliver something at least a little more authentic and shake up the BF formula a bit. Granted, it's possible my ideas would have made for terrible gameplay, but I guess we'll never know.

On the other hand, if they were really committed to giving out automatic weapons like anachronistic candy then between the old-timey outfits, airships and early industrial warfare technology I think I would have preferred if they just called it Battlefield: Steampunk, said it was partly inspired by WWI and went all out. Would have at least saved them the effort of looking up all those obscure prototype guns.

 

[TheSapphireKnight]

I understand how you feel. I am certainly a little disappointed that they didn't go farther with the setting. The rest of the game already feels like such a return to form that I can accept the compromises that they implemented.

It could very well change with the full release, but as it is now I am still loving how restrained it seems to be. After the disorganized bloated mess that have been the last few Battlefield games(and to a degree Battlefront) I can't help but be happy about how toned down it is compared to those games.

Classes are more specialized in with both equipment and effective ranges(including dedicated pilot/driver classes). No god awful all-kits ruining class balance, weapon variants are varied without adding 12 million different attachments, a plethora of team based vehicles that are more than glorified taxis. Even the first map they showed off gave me quite a bit of hope that provides opportunities for all classes and vehicles to shine with enough deconstruction(and weather) to be dynamic while retaining enough structure to keep things interesting even if the rest of the map is leveled. Compare that to the first map they showed off for BF3(OP Metro *shudders*)

Long story short for the first time it feels like I am getting some of that old DICE back so I can forgive them for not going all the way with the WWI setting.

 

[Erttheking]

Unlike you, I really was disappointed. I was really hoping for a AAA game in the style of Verdun, because the limited nature of weapons in WW I was one of the reasons I find it so brutal. You can't mow down people like an action hero unless you're shooting at people who are charging at trench, and at that point you'd feel more shitty than heroic.

But the thing that really bugs me is that I think they're going to try and make WW I heroic with their emphasis on more satisfying weapons. Now you could get away with that in WW II because you were kicking in the shit of Nazis, which everyone agrees is a good thing. WW I was just a massive mess, started by a clusterfuck of alliances and political fuck ups in which no one was really the bad guy. It earned the name "seminal catastrophe".

But no. It's just more of the gorram same. Just another fresh coat of paint. We're not going to be exploring how tragic it was, because France is DLC and Russia doesn't exist. Because why have a game about one of the greatest tragedies in human existance when you can have AMERICA FUCK YEAH! I know that Britian is still in there but why not France!? For fuck's sake, the western front half fought in France!

Don't get me wrong, it'll probably still be a fun game...just not the type I was looking for.

 

[Zhukov]

We're not going to be exploring how tragic it was...

You were expecting an exploration of tragedy from a Battlefield multiplayer shooter?

That's a bit bananas dude. I mean, I'm all for a tragic WWI game, but I think you were looking in the wrong place.

If you're against action hero hijinks being set in historical wars period then fine. I don't necessarily agree, but it's a position I can understand and respect. But drawing the line at WWI specifically because it was The Tragic War, as opposed to all the other wars which were a barrel of laughs for all involved because Nazis, strikes me as... I dunno, pedantic at the very least.

 

[Erttheking]

We're not going to be exploring how tragic it was...

You were expecting an exploration of tragedy from a Battlefield multiplayer shooter?

That's a bit bananas dude. I mean, I'm all for a tragic WWI game, but I think you were looking in the wrong place.

If you're against action hero hijinks being set in historical wars period then fine. I don't necessarily agree, but it's a position I can understand and respect. But drawing the line at WWI specifically because it was The Tragic War, as opposed to all the other wars which were a barrel of laughs for all involved because Nazis, strikes me as... I dunno, pedantic at the very least.

Less expecting and more hoping. Vainky.

Eh...truth be told I guess we're just heading into uncharted territory and I'm not sure I like where we're going. I'm so used to WW I being treated as a somber affair that making it more actiony just feels...weird.

 

[SweetShark]

Sadly the majority of people who don't care about the accuracy of the weapons or how often they had been used in WW1, they just want to play a Battlefield/Call of Duty game. Fast and Exciting.
I hope even they go overboard with the presentation, at least to show us more "weird" weapons/armors/vehicles we can use in the game:

*taken from different sites*

Spoiler

This German audio-visual apparatus was designed to enhance the boom and flash of enemy artillery and, thus, help pinpoint gun positions.

Unwieldy and cumbersome, but the Brewster Body Shield could still stop a machine gun bullet.

A German spy pigeon wearing a time-delay camera on an aluminium breast harness.

The British Army Camouflage School in Kensington, where cutout soldiers were designed to mislead the enemy during attacks

Shield on Foot or with wheels.

 

[Mutant1988]

Yeah, it's pretty disappointing. I remember the rifle only servers of CoD2 being really fun, and it'd been really cool to have a game being primarily based around rifles. But, it's a Battlefield game, so it understandably has to play like a Battlefield game. It's not like the gameplay ever was the problem with Battlefield games, so there isn't really an impetus to spice up the formula, just the aesthetic.

But hey, atleast I get to see a bunch of weapon models I newer knew existed. I really like the look of those old-timey WW1 and 2 guns.

Check out the Forgotten Weapons youtube channel. They cover quite a lot of the guns that will be featured in the game and a lot of other WW1 guns, as well as other "forgotten" weapons.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Basically they're pulling a dieselpunk version of WWI, without the benefit of a Da Vinci or a Tesla to back up the anachronisms.

 

[Worgen]

I had a feeling they would do this. I mean as much fun as using a bolt action is, its really not for a more arcady shooter like battlefield. But it does beg the question of why bother with ww1 if they were just going to do this, at least it made some sense in ww2.

 

[DefunctTheory]

Well, we're basically seeing why WWI games aren't very common - The historical equipment list lacks variety. And while there is a subset of people who are interested in that periods weaponry (Me included), the majority don't particularly care, and just want that sweet life spice, variety.

To be honest, I'll just be happy if they pull a MASH and goof up the specifics, but capture the spirit.

That being said, I do like your suggestions. Having a class where the shotgun is the primary weapon, without the choice for a bullet hose, would have been nice. Particularly since, during WWI, the trench gun was basically the sub-machine gun/carbine - A (Relatively) short, light, easily maneuvered, easily handled short range weapon used to great effect in confined spaces.

Another bit of trivia - The German's HATED trench guns, and thought of them like modern people think of chemical or biological weapons. They even went so far as to threaten to execute any prisoner they found that had one on his person.

 

[Something Amyss]

Historical accuracy is basically the excuse to exclude things I don't want.

Also, if I were going Steampunk, BF is not the series I would do it in.

You can't mow down people like an action hero unless you're shooting at people who are charging at trench, and at that point you'd feel more shitty than heroic.

I don't know. Based on my experiences with online shooter gameplay, I imagine a good number of people would enjoy that.

Well, we're basically seeing why WWI games aren't very common - The historical equipment list lacks variety.

I wouldn't mind seeing a Sniper Elite game in WW1--or any war other than WW2--and the equipment list is already fairly limited. Hell, several of the rifles in Sniper Elites 1-3 date back to or before WW1.

Of course, even sniping in WW1 was largely relegated to trench warfare and you would have to make allowances, but fewer than for the pew pew gameplay of a BF or COD. In fact, Sniper Elite is pretty punishing to players who decide to rely on SMGs and the like. You can use them, but...they kind of suck.

Or would could skip it entirely. There are plenty of more exciting wars that can be exploited.

Though I think the more likely outcome is that we get an arms race to include other wars, until we actually see a published Call of Duty--Revolutionary Warfare with target finders and killstreaks that render your electronics useless.

And people will still argue over the historicity of women. >.<

 

[archvile93]

Well, we're basically seeing why WWI games aren't very common - The historical equipment list lacks variety. And while there is a subset of people who are interested in that periods weaponry (Me included), the majority don't particularly care, and just want that sweet life spice, variety.

To be honest, I'll just be happy if they pull a MASH and goof up the specifics, but capture the spirit.

That being said, I do like your suggestions. Having a class where the shotgun is the primary weapon, without the choice for a bullet hose, would have been nice. Particularly since, during WWI, the trench gun was basically the sub-machine gun/carbine - A (Relatively) short, light, easily maneuvered, easily handled short range weapon used to great effect in confined spaces.

Another bit of trivia - The German's HATED trench guns, and thought of them like modern people think of chemical or biological weapons. They even went so far as to threaten to execute any prisoner they found that had one on his person.

Eh not really. The whole "it's inhumane to kill someone like a deer" thing was just an excuse to try to restrict the use of a weapon that was highly effective. Notice they had nothing against the use of Mustard gas, a far more agonizing way to die than a face full of buckshot.

As for the game itself, I'm kind of dissapointed. If they're not going to use the setting to change up the gameplay then what's the point. Might as well just stick with battlefield 4, unless the gas weapons will mix it up that much.

 

[Erttheking]

Snip

Oh I know people would enjoy it, I myself am trying to get around to playing Verdun, but I don't think it's really going to appeal to the typical Battlefield crowd.

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

I understand what you're saying completeley. Maybe it was misguided, but I was really hoping for a WWI game with the Battlefield brand on it rather than a Battlefield game with a coat of WWI paint.

I got CoD 2 on the Steam sale for nostalgia and the most striking thing about it is how tasteful it all seems. The npcs you fight beside all have their names and rank pop up when you look at them as if this was a historical record and the quotes from prominent figures and speeches display a respect for the conflict and the time period that's been abandoned for Michael Bay-esqe AAA blockbusters. Not too mention that there are plenty of rifles to go around.

Now I know that CoD isn't anywhere close to being an accurate representation, but it seems a lot closer than Battlefield 1. And to be clear, I think BF1 looks great and I'll most likely buy it and enjoy it; but it does seems like a missed opportunity.

But, to be fair, it's hard to create an accurate and emotional experience in multiplayer. The single player portion of the game could be completely opposite to what we've seen so far and full of fun stuff like trench foot, starvation, and hopelessness.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

The thing about historic accuracy for me is that if a game has an authentic feel to it then they can play fast and loose with history as much as they want. But when historic inaccuracies start to affect the atmosphere of the game that's when we have a problem. I don't know if weapons in Battlefield 1 will have that effect. They very well might. It's a Battlefield game so at least we'll have a beta test to see for ourselves.

 

[Bob_McMillan]

Personally, I find they way they adapt all these weird technologies and weapons into the Battlefield formula more interesting than having a "realistic" WWI game. And honestly, a class that can only use shotguns sounds like it should be one of the rings of Hell.

Not to mention this is an installment in the main series of Battlefield, unlike Bad Company or Hardline. If there is going to be game that shakes up the formula, we will see it in those kinds of games.

 

[mrdude2010]

If you want good historical WWI accuracy, you could take a look at Verdun. There, I'm pretty sure you can't even fire an LMG unless you're stationary, and as far as I can tell, all of the rifles are bolt action.

I have no problem with more historical accuracy, but I guess they're trying to make it more accessible, and considering the godawful aim of most of the Battlefield/CoD crowd, giving everyone bolt action rifles that they actually have to aim would turn some people off.

 

[FirstNameLastName]

Well, we're basically seeing why WWI games aren't very common - The historical equipment list lacks variety. And while there is a subset of people who are interested in that periods weaponry (Me included), the majority don't particularly care, and just want that sweet life spice, variety.

...

I don't really buy that excuse. It seems strange to worry about a lack of variety in historical weapons if the solution to that problem is to simply use the exact same automatic weapons we've seen in every other game, just with a different gun model.

 

[CaitSeith]

On the other hand, if they were really committed to giving out automatic weapons like anachronistic candy then between the old-timey outfits, airships and early industrial warfare technology I think I would have preferred if they just called it Battlefield: Steampunk.

Or The Order: 1914. At the end of the day, BF1 is not only a game; it's fiction. It isn't a documentary that can't deviate from history or laws of physics (and we'll probably won't get one from a AAA publisher like EA). Don't get me wrong, your complains are valid.

EDIT: Sorry, the first part was a sketch I forgot to erase.