PC Battlefield 3 Lacks Key FPS Feature

[Vigormortis]

This is where EA should step in and offer a solution that Steam doesn't have: An overlay with a server browser.

Um...what? Steam has had a server/web browser within it's overlay and friends/community menu for quite a while.

Everything is controlled through the Battlelog website, VoIP, server browser, friends list, community forums, stats...everything.

You're not making their case any better with this statement.

Exactly. It's either shoddy game design or lazy game design to require your players to use a multitude of programs and web browsers to do something as simple as find a server to play on.

Some of you may be saying, "It's not that hard to use Battlelog." And, you may be right. However, there's no excuse, none whats so ever, that the Battlelog site features could not be integrated into the game via a menu or overlay.

It's stupid. It's lazy. And it leaves me with the feeling that it's EA's attempt at something they've yet to announce. (something counter-productive to the consumers)

I swear, this love/hate relationship I'm having with this game is starting to grate on me. DICE shows off a game-play trailer that looks absolutely phenomenal. Trailers that actually get me excited at the prospect of playing this game. (something that doesn't happen to me that often) But then, EA comes out immediately after a "reveal" and announces some new layer of bullshit they're adding to this game. Showing me yet another hurdle I have to go over just to play the God damn game. It's like they're trying to find ways to not take my cash.

 

[beef623]

This is where EA should step in and offer a solution that Steam doesn't have: An overlay with a server browser.

Um...what? Steam has had a server/web browser within it's overlay and friends/community menu for quite a while.

Never seen this on Killing Floor. Source engine only?

All of the indie games (including Killing Floor) that were in the potato sack pack a few months ago opened a web browser when certain conditions were met in-game. Or you can just open the interface yourself and do it.

 

[Takuanuva]

This is where EA should step in and offer a solution that Steam doesn't have: An overlay with a server browser.

Um...what? Steam has had a server/web browser within it's overlay and friends/community menu for quite a while.

Never seen this on Killing Floor. Source engine only?

Nope. You just press Shift+Tab to open the Steam overlay, and from there you can find and join servers from ... well, quite a lot of games.

 

[Worgen]

Why are people so angry about this? You people are never happy with anything, are you? Seriously, you spend weeks talking good about the game, then one thing comes up that you don't like and suddenly you refuse to buy it. Seems very childish to me.

because Im already annoyed at the amount of control ea is attempting to exert over it and this is just more of that, besides, there are lots of games coming out this holiday season, its not hard to ignore one of them

 

[TeeBs]

Does Origin have a web browser overlay?

Seriously?

 

[Nazulu]

Can't they just make it so you choose either as an extra option? Is it really that hard to add a fucking in game menu/status page?

Bloody hell! I hate what they do with games these days.

 

[joe22]

Could you please do some research before posting this sensationalist crap & causing people to react as above?

BF3 doesn't have a server browser because BF3 doesn't have a main menu.

Everything is controlled through the Battlelog website, VoIP, server browser, friends list, community forums, stats...everything.

Battlelog is fucking awesome. Seriously.

PS. You don't need to close the game and open it again to change server, simply alt+tab (which is super quick) to Battlelog & find a new one.

i don't see why people are defending this stupid idea.

battlelog is a facebook clone. EA/DICE aren't happy with your $60 - they want to monetize you every fucking time you connect to a server.

i'm sure millions of people are ok with that but i canceled my pre-order. it was bad enough being forced to install and run Origin to play BF3 - being forced to jump through two hoops just to play a game i paid for is too insulting.

and for the people saying "battlelog is awesome" - no it's not. it's the same as all the stats sites that already exist for other BF3 games, plus a slow and clumsy server browser and a facebook style social networking portal. it's idiotic and it's malware as far as i'm concerned

Why are people so angry about this? You people are never happy with anything, are you? Seriously, you spend weeks talking good about the game, then one thing comes up that you don't like and suddenly you refuse to buy it. Seems very childish to me.

because when i pay $60 for a game, i don't want it to force me to use their social networking website every time i want to change servers. it's incredibly intrusive of them. not to mention a variety of other problems:

1) a lot of people have PC's that freeze or crash when you alt-tab from a game
2) it just seems stupid to have to restart the game to switch servers. it's like having to go inside your house and come back out to restart your car in the driveway
3) a lot of people don't use facebook or don't like facebook and battlelog is basically a facebook clone
4) a lot of people don't like being forced to use silly "social" features that are added for marketing purposes and don't benefit the user
5) an in-game server browser can have a lot more functionality than something limited to a browser - realtime refresh, kiosk-style ui, integration with game features such as graphics resolution or using 2nd monitor, etc.
6) if you have a browser problem, you can't play the game?
7) it's none of dice's/EA's business what browser i use or what plugins I have or what my browser history is or what browser cookies i have, etc. all info that can be pulled from a browser page. it's a violation of my privacy!
8) it's a first-person shooter game, i don't want to waste time fooling around with a web page, i want to start the game and play.
9) obfuscating app control behind browser UI is frustrating to users and harder for end users to diagnose/troubleshoot/fix problems because of the extra layers of complexity

 

[pyrrhic victory]

Why are people so angry about this? You people are never happy with anything, are you? Seriously, you spend weeks talking good about the game, then one thing comes up that you don't like and suddenly you refuse to buy it. Seems very childish to me.

Well, here's the way I see it.

Imagine if this new restaurant is coming to town. Man, it looks good; everyone's talking about it. You see ads for it, and it's your favorite type of food too! You can't wait, you think you're going to be there opening day. You're going to line up with your friends and eat an amazing meal at this new kick ass restaurant.

However, a week before it opens news breaks: all food in this restaurant will turn your shit neon blue. Some people? They won't care at all. They figure "hey, I shit alone and no one sees my shit but me. It just doesn't matter to me." Others, they're just horrified at the very thought.

It's kinda like that.

Except some people genuinely believe that shitting neon blue would be cool. Maybe a few individuals will actually go to the restaurant just because of that fact.

*cough*

 

[Quellan Thyde]

Given recent trends, it's easy to believe that "PC gamer" now equates to "leprosy" in the minds of the big development houses. Are they in fact so completely traumatized by the slightest possibility of piracy that they're willing to cast a large portion of their consumer base into the darkness?

Yeah, maybe so. Well, at least there's always Minecraft.

 

[Troublesome Lagomorph]

How practical. Quit the game every fucking time you want to play on a different server. Brilliant, EA, brilliant.
Edit:

Given recent trends, it's easy to believe that "PC gamer" now equates to "leprosy" in the minds of the big development houses. Are they in fact so completely traumatized by the slightest possibility of piracy that they're willing to cast a large portion of their consumer base into the darkness?

Yeah, maybe so. Well, at least there's always Minecraft.

Seriously. Can't agree more.
Edit:

Battlelog is a completely streamlined thing, Stats, friends, a social thing, server browser, drag and drop parties and inviting.

So does the Steam overlay, which can be accessed ingame from nearly every Steam game.
INGAME.
And you can still BROWSE FUCKING SERVERS IN GAME.

 

[Takuanuva]

This is where EA should step in and offer a solution that Steam doesn't have: An overlay with a server browser.

Um...what? Steam has had a server/web browser within it's overlay and friends/community menu for quite a while.

Never seen this on Killing Floor. Source engine only?

Nope. You just press Shift+Tab to open the Steam overlay, and from there you can find and join servers from ... well, quite a lot of games.

Spoiler: Image

Looked through the settings and couldn't find an option to show a server browser in the overlay, and google wasn't much help in finding an option to turn it on.
-

Hmm... I remember it was possible to do so... oh well, I might just be derp.

 

[Bobbity]

Is this a way of making it up to console gamers for the lesser player limit? If so, it's pretty stupid...

Understandably, the consoles can't support as many players, but trying to make up for it by taking out something that the PC can very well support just seems... stupid. Very, very stupid.

 

[Idocreating]

While i'm risking my NDA, I can safely say that the browser system in the alpha wasn't really too much of an issue. However that was heavily limited by nature of being an alpha so i'd rather wait until release to give a solid opinion on whether this change is good.

That said, i'm pretty sure Dice and EA wouldn't do this if it didn't work well.

 

[Ziadaine_v1legacy]

Rather then join the Rage-Wagon, I will say this:

Right about now, gaming shops like GAME, EA etc are probably waiting each day counting down, counting the amount of people coming back to cancel a pre-order while whispering to their mind "Fuck you EA.... Fuck you.."

Glad I didn't pre-order. Looks like im joining the MW3 Band Wagon for once, at least it hasn't got a retarded connection system.

EDIT: For those saying "Oh, it'll be a quick load." How the hell do you know? Unless you somehow cracked or got your hands on BF3 and played it and shit, and have multiple computers from most latest generations to test, you have NO idea if it will be fast or not. SO far all we have is the "trust" on EA that it is. And from these latest moves, I dont trust that statement.

 

[Worgen]

I just realized what I hate about this, its a slightly different version of the always on drm that ubisoft has, to play the game you have to be online and it doesnt sound like there is a normal executable so you cant play it thought steam

 

[Superior Mind]

I'm sure running it from a website will work. I don't particularly like it but I think it's probably the way things will go. It's outside most peoples' comfort zones, (myself included as I would far prefer a menu,) but there's no reason it can't work.

Got to say, they're taking an awful lot of risks with a game that previously they just wanted to use to de-throne Call of Duty.

To be honest it feels a lot like the Origin thing, we're having EA's "great new thing" thrust on us whether we want it or not. While Origin is aiming to shield it from competition like Steam, Battlelog is shielding it from... I don't know, community websites like Bf2s.com that sprung up in response to a need EA didn't fill with BF2 maybe. You know I like community websites and forums, they seem far more friendly than the ones attached to organisations and generally they're far more dedicated to a game than the company is.

Whatever. Still getting the game, I'm just confused at EA's actions with this one.

Edit: I also agree very much with many of Joe22's points.

 

[AGenericHero]

Seriously? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard of! You don't do that for the PC!

I guess I won't buy it. Not putting it on steam and putting it on a service called origin is one thing. Being completely cocky towards your competition is another. Removing the key feature and making it to consoles? Forget it. You're losing profit fast EA.

 

[Xpheyel]

They're going for that old school "The Gaming Zone" feeling?

 

[McNinja]

What if you come into a game halfway through? What if the game you join turns out to be garbage? What if you randomly disconnet? What if you get booted? Oh well. close the game, go on the internet, find a server, start game, repeat.

How about no?

 

[Xigageshi]

I've no doubt that what those in the alpha said is true, and that battlelog streamlines this and makes an ingame browser superfluous and all that. what gets me is that DICE didn't explain all this in the announcement, not to mention perhaps take a bit of a lighter approach to the announcement rather than, "hey so you know how consoles have server browsers now? well PC doesn't, isn't that funny? lol we thought so."

I mean, seriously how did they think people would react, given the way they announced it without explanation or qualification?