If I Made Battlefield 4.......

[Paragon Fury]

So I've been thinking on and off for a few days about what I would do if I were able to make changes to BF4 I wanted. (I got to thinking about it after watching someone's Youtube video about game design)

And call me a masochist, but I thought it might be fun to see how many of my ideas would wind up offended/surprising/pleasing and otherwise riling up the BF community. (Not like that takes much effort though) While by no means a comprehensive list, here is what I thought of. Also note I don't into specifics of weapon or vehicle balance, etc.

General
- I'd lose the "super serious most realistic game ever" approach that seems to have driven Battlefield 3. Instead I'd opt for an approach that was halfway between the silly lighthearted fun of Bad Company 1 and the "serious" tone of of Battlefield 2/2142. The game is supposed about fun....not constant doom and gloom "world is ending again" stuff like that other series.

- No color filters. I would use slightly stylized graphics (thing BC1 or BC2), but the graphics and colors would be what they are. The only exception to this would be for maps where a color filter is needed to complete the tone of the map, IE: Tehran Highway and Death Valley.

- In-game launcher, that incorporates Battlelog.

Campaign

- While I obviously can't come up with the details of a campaign story, I would make it be silly and fun like the BC1 campaign was. The goal would be to have the player laughing a good chunk of the time. This should be one of the main things setting it apart from its competition.

- I would make it less linear than other Battlefields - rather I would take the wide open "Do it how you want to" approach that Battlefield 2: Modern Combat took. Basically "Here's the start, and a whole bunch of toys. Finish line is over there. There are a lot of people who want to kill you. Get to the finish line."

- It should be playable in co-op the whole way through. Tied to previous point.

- Every situation encountered in MP should be encountered in the Campaign in order to let people use Campaign as a sort of training for MP.

- Re-match VS. The Rat

Multiplayer

- I would use the "16, 32, 64" player approach to designing maps (where each map had 2/3 versions of it depending on player sizes) like Battlefield 2 and 2142 did, so that all consoles and tastes can be catered to.

- Weapon balance would be a key focus. I would take the Battlefield 2142 approach of "Each weapon must do something unique and different to be included". To that end, there would likely only be 5/6 weapons for each class (and a faction equivalent of the basic weapon for each class), and the general weapons.

- All weapons except Launchers would be customizable.

- I would keep the 4 class approach of BF2142 and BF3. It works well, and only needs a few minor adjustments to be better balanced.
- The four classes would be: Assault, Support, Engineer and Recon just like before. Each class would have its primary weapon, a sidearm, a Frag and the player's choice of 2 equipment pieces.

Assault Kit includes: Assault Rifle
Sidearm
Frag Grenade
Possible Equipment - Medic Bag, Defib, M320 Launcher/Shotgun, Smoke Grenade

Support Kit includes: LMG
Sidearm
Frag Grenade
Possible Equipment -Ammo Bag,Explosives Bag,Mortar Designator,Portable Cover Shield, Claymore

Engineer Kit Includes: Carbine
Sidearm
Frag Grenade
Possible Equipment - RPG/SMAW (Dumb Fire), Stinger (Anti-Air Only), Javelin (Laser Designation Only), Repair Tool, Anti-Tank Mines, Defuse Kit

Recon Kit Includes: Sniper Rifle OR Battle Rifle
Sidearm
Frag Grenade
Possible Equipment: Sensor Grenade, C4, Electronics Jammer, Hand-held Laser Designator (Like SOFLAM, but with shorter range and hand-held), Ghillie Suit

- Each class could also choose from a small selection of PDWs and Shotguns to replace their Primary

- Keep suppression. However, non-LMGs can only cause a bit of screen blur - LMGs would be the only weapons capable of providing true suppression (Greatly blurred vision and accuracy affected). This is to give LMGs a more definitive role and more accurately reflect their real-life use for suppressive fire and cover.

- No Perks of any kind

- Squads would be 5 man teams - 1 Squad Leader, 4 Members

- In-Squad VOIP standard for all platforms

- Vehicles would have the same set-up that they do in BF3, with one exception - all vehicles would have a built-in counter-measure that no one has to unlock. IE: Flares for Helicoters/Jets, Missile Defeat for Tanks etc.

- On larger maps or the 32/64 player versions of maps a slightly bigger focus on vehicles, with a greater number of them per side, particularly Transport vehicles.

- Spend a significant amount of time ensuring that bottleneck maps like Operation Metro are revised to avoid said bottlenecks, or include alternate versions or higher player counts.

- Make sure to launch with at least 1 Snow Map, and try to launch with at least 10 maps on-disc.

- Mini-map spotting only

Sidenotes

- I wouldn't use the "Online Pass" for BF4. Instead I would take the Dragon Age: Origins route, and reward everyone who buys the game new with a free DLC, like a map pack or extra skins etc. This is a much more customer-friendly way to get people to buy the game new/not pirate it - "Buy the game new and we'll reward you!" (Free DLC) works better than "Buy the game used/pirate it and we'll punish you!" (Online Pass)

- I would make no exclusivity agreements with any console. Either you let your console compete in the open and on fair ground vs. the others on its own merit, or it doesn't get to compete at all. End of story.

 

[Violator[xL]]

I'd remake BF1942 with big ships. Just look at War Thunder's new showcase of the Imperial Japanese Fleet to get a clue of how that'd work.

And I totally disagree with the op, BC was the odd kid in the BF family. If anything it should be less like that.

BC was the kid that couldn't go in prone position. Weak knees.

 

[BBboy20]

I'd make well into the next generation to take advantage of all the next-gen experience and also gain new research into what latest military stuff that are being used by our troops.

 

[Dawns Gate]

I would have:
The Commander position from BF2 back in the game.
The night vision and gas(+masks) from the BF2: Special Forces DLC
The fully controllable ships from 1942.
The giant-ass maps from 1942 and BF2.
More Titans would be cool too.
Fully controllable AC-130's like the Desert Combat 1942 Mod.
Bayonets like in Forgotten Hope/ BFV: Arsenal.
Helicopters to pick up vehicles (over rough terrain) and spawn points like in BFV.

 

[Mr. Omega]

If there could just be one thing, it'd be this: the destruction physics from Bad Company 2. I will take whatever stupid things BF3 added if I can make building collapse on top of people.

 

[IBlackKiteI]

For the most part, I'd just take BF3 and remove all the crap.

Spoiler: Classes and class related stuff

- For class unlocks, let players choose what they want to unlock at every 'however many points' with each class, no more playing the hell of out a class, unlocking crap you'll never use to get the one gun you want. The most important class-specific items, (stuff like the defibrillator for instance), should be available by default. Starting off with essentially half a class, unable to do your job, is just silly.

- No attachments (for vehicles or weapons) should be flat out upgrades, ie autoloader and reactive armour for tanks, extended magazines for certain firearms. Each attachment should have it's benefits as well as drawbacks, even if they're minute. Autoloader gives the main gun significantly increased recoil, reactive armour slows a tank down, extended mags makes reloads longer, stuff like that. No more flat-out, no-brainer upgrades. This might give more merit to not having attachments at all, allowing for a greater number of viable styles of play and preventing new players from being as disadvantaged.

- Support class now has a smoke grenade in addition to a frag.

- Assault can use HE rounds for their launcher which do more damage but have a pitiful blast radius, making them better against vehicles but crap against infantry.

- No perks.

This admittedly might seriously screw up the game depending on how it's done, but I'd really like to see a Medic class. Having the Assault class run around with the most versatile and overall best guns in the game and shooting out grenades or medkits everywhere in addition to being able to revive teammates really doesn't feel right to me. On non-vehicle maps or modes in BF3, you really need nothing but Assault players.
I reckon it was best in BF2 when the Medic was essentially an Assault guy minus the grenade launcher with a defib, medkits and less ammo. This made it so being a Medic was their job rather than just an addition to being able to kill the shit out of everything like it is in BF3. Of course, doing this would mess up the 4 classes, 4 man squad set-up (not that anyone tries to follow this anyway), so squads would either have to be made up of 5 guys or a couple of the classes will have to be merged. I think it would be interesting if Assault lost it's med gear, which is given to the new Medic class, but instead uses Support-class items and has a choice between either grenade launcher equipped Assault Rifles or LMG's.

Spoiler: Weapons

- No automatic or burst-fire sidearms

- Alternate ammo should compliment default ammo, rather than replace it entirely. Having slugs on your shotgun will give you 20 or so slug rounds plus a reduced amount of buckshot. Players can swap ammo types whenever they want. (Alternate ammo for other weapons might work out too, say heavier rounds for LMG's and Assault Rifles which cause more recoil but fly faster and further, and lower powered rounds for carbines which quieten the whizzby effect but have less range.)

- Once unlocked weapons will have a small assortment of attachments already available in addition to the option to have none. That way players will have a few things to try out and switch out as soon as they get their new toys. Having nothing to fiddle around with when you first get a gun is a little boring.

- Headshotting and killing an enemy at over 100 metres with a non sniper rifle now gives you a marksman bonus, however the bonus is half that of what a sniper would get. (200 metre headshot with an M16 = 100 points) This is mainly just to get a better idea of how far away you're hitting stuff, and perhaps encourage long-range shooting a bit.

- Reduce headshot damage bonus with weapons on automatic or burst fire, but increase headshot damage bonus when the weapon is set to semi-auto. (I'm not sure about this one)

Spoiler: Vehicles

- All vehicles should have built in countermeasures by default not tied to the other attachments. Vehicle unlocks should keep the staged approach but none of them will have stupidly high XP requirements.

- Aerial units now have weak points which when hit by high-caliber rounds deal a little extra damage.

- Transport helos have better resistance to explosives, can carry two more passengers and now have the ability to hover in place close to the ground and occupants can quickly rappel out while doing so, but can now take a small amount of damage from all small-arms.

Spoiler: Other stuff

- Engineers have to face the damaged area of a vehicle to repair it.

- Suppression no longer directly affects accuracy. Instead, in addition to the blur heavy suppression will make HUD elements disappear and at it's highest stage (say 5 seconds of continuous LMG fire) causes shellshock.

- Laser designation is removed. Having guided weapons, which are very deadly already, have massive buffs against particular vehicles just because someone tagged them for a couple seconds seems wrong, and we've all seen how it completely screws up Rush mode. Instead, bring back the tracer dart gun as a replacement for the Recon's SOFLAM, and instead of the MBT's CITV station have an external HMG players can jump on and use available as an MBT attachment.

- Have both Tank and Jet Superiority modes.

- Maps are made with specific modes in mind and are only playable on those modes. No more crap like playing a broken Conquest match on a map obviously designed for Rush.

- Add a few new ribbons for certain actions, for instance shooting down an enemy jet with your jets main gun gives you a Dogfighter ribbon. Using a tank to kill another tank gives you a Tank Combat ribbon.

- More than two playable factions. Was a nice little thing which makes me miss the BF2: Special Forces days.

 

[Joccaren]

Well...
General:
-Bring back Single Player Skirmishes against AI.
-Keep graphics as realistic, but remove the blue colour filter and apply the same effects that the mod that they're presently banning people for using applies, unless a map does truly look better with the filter. I do not agree with their staff's "Too much colour" statement. That is stupid IMO, more colour is better.
-Control points on maps are more spaced out, and there is a mix of terrain between each control point. Some have just hills or plains, some have buildings and streets, some have forests.
-More factions
-Replace level unlocks with purchase unlocks. Your points count as currency you can use to buy things like scopes or heavy barrels for your weapons.

Weapons:
-Nerf Engineer weapons slightly. As is they're slightly worse than Assault, but not enough to make a major difference in most confrontations. This gives Engineers good anti personnel and good anti-vehicle, making them the best choice on any map that has vehicles.
-Add Flashbangs to Assault grenade set.
-Add back in Ziplines from Special Forces

Vehicles:
-Drivable ships with big guns
-All ships have countermeasures installed by default to counter missiles
-You no longer need to switch weapons to use alternate fire. Still disables main gun whilst shooting with the machine gun in the tank, for example, but you don't need to swap between the two. Your secondary is mapped to right click.

Probably some more stuff, but I'm half asleep right now and can't think of it.

 

[Brendan Stepladder]

I like the OP's suggestions, but I would keep squad-wide perks, if only because BF3's were subtle, and having squad-wide perks encourages communication, or to at least glance at what your allies are doing.

 

[Aaron Sylvester]

- Delete suppression completely because even in real life it does NOT ruin the enemy's accuracy or increase their weapon's bullet spread + recoil.
Blur their screen slightly to make it more difficult to fire against suppression (LMG only)...but the weapon accuracy, bullet spread and recoil should remain unaffected.
Enough bullshit "realism" that takes the enemy's aiming skill out of their control. NOBODY enjoys that shit.

- Hit detection should be server side

That's all I want to see in BF4.

 

[Ickorus]

I'd scrap it and make 2143 instead.

EA are playing follow the leader so we'll probably see 2143 after Black ops 2 gets released.

 

[TephlonPrice]

Campaign-wise:

-Campaign that can be run alone or done co-op style with up to 4 players.
-Allow for HotSwapping mechanic a la BC2: MC that allowed ability to play different classes in-game.
-Campaign features same exact controls as MP game, including spotting & marking among other things.
-Large maps with 'solve-it-your-own-way' approaches.
-Allow for customizable weapons for each class before mission begins.

Other modes outside MP:

-Allow for a map creator thing. Far Cry 2 on all platforms had it; why not here?
-Challenge modes or something else (survival mode perhaps) with co-op/run it alone approach based on classes. Done on MP & campaign levels.

MP:

-Allow to be run off-line with bots or on some LAN party shit to learn the maps and vehicles without being completely trashed on.
-Maps in 16,24,32, & 64 player varieties to prevent excessive bullshit from getting in the way.
-Expand weapon customization to allow for full weapon customization but with their penalties worsened (excessive weapon weight, lowered power, etc.)
-Remove some of the realism that makes using a weapon more luck than anything (would apply to campaign & other modes)
-Mode that places multiple objectives to be completed around the map for both teams (defuse explosives, destroy radar jammer devices, capture location X, defend Y) at all times.

General:

-Parkour-style movement could use improvement.
-Graphics and levels need a serious boost in color for real and no blue hue effect over the screen.
-Sound design needs music to fit appropriately to the game.

 

[shrimpcel]

I would make it portray a conflict between two real-world countries, with neither of them being the USA. That's what I want to see in those annoying modern FPS games. I think Yathzee said something similar as well.

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

I think that all sounds pretty good, except I'm not a fan of suppression (LMG exclusive would be fine), I liked spotting on-screen and I like having one or two perks. I can understand not having them though.

So get to it, chap.

 

[clippen05]

I would make it a PC exclusive so it is not mired by console limitations BUT would make a new bad company game for consoles so they get to their fix as battlefield as well.

 

[The Rascal King]

I would set the game during the Great Gravy Wars. Players would control PFC Stoker, a Boston native who enlisted in Ladle Army's Thermalizer Division to combat the Incredibly Dry Biscuit Insurgency.

- Every fathomable detail of gravy has been photorealitically recreated to put gamers in shock and awe as they gawk at the uncanny realism of the viscosity and goopiness of the gravy. It makes the player want to reach out and a eat a bit of the gravy before their mother comes back into the kitchen to finish breakfast.

- On disc Day 0 DLC new buyable expansion map levels such as the Gravy Train, where two teams of players take turns attacking and defending the Gravy Train, a train in which the history books dictate as a transport of the United State's scarce supply of gravy during the dark era of Gravy Prohibition. It's so much fun you'll be saying "Good Gravy! Glad I paid 20 dollars extra for this!"


Sure, the gravy make look similar to the OTHER gravy war simulators on the market, but this one is slightly different, therefore totally different.

 

[spartandude]

i'd make it in to Star Wars Battlefront 3

 

[Shadowstar38]

I would nerf the fuck out of all sniper rifles in MP. Just because it would bring me laughter