PC Battlefield 3 Lacks Key FPS Feature

[scott91575]

How about everyone here who hasn't used it wait for beta (not far off) and then try it before complaining. It's an open beta. You will get your chance to try it out for free.

 

[Couch Radish]

What's wrong with a Facebook-esque way to check stats and join games? Really, what's wrong?

Isn't saying you're going to cancel a pre-order a little hasty, by something you haven't even seen or used?

It's a cleaner and simpler way to do that. It's just that.

And they have to have a server browser on the consoles because viewing a Webpage and even using it is a damn nightmare. I owned a PS3 once.

Wow do people have low standards.

OK let me explain what in development circles a web page UI translates to "laziest bodge job known to man", only seen in the shittiest of indie games, a triple A title with that... there was none before this.

I have low standards for having a different opinion. Wow.

But really, I can see this as an improvement. BF3's Battlelog (from what I've seen) is the website where your stats are recorded, where you can talk to your BF3 friends, and where you start the game. Doing this lets you be able to search for a game while doing other things. Hell, Team Fortress 2 uses an almost exact same thing.

And once more, consoles have to have a server browser because it's damn near impossible to effectively use a browser without an external mouse to use.

I'd like to say one more thing to a part of you reply:

OK let me explain what in development circles a web page UI translates to "laziest bodge job known to man", only seen in the shittiest of indie games, a triple A title with that... there was none before this.

You say that this has never been done before, so isn't it good they're trying to expand and try different things?

And don't you blame Activision for not trying anything else in the Call of Duty series and only sticking to what works?

 

[Smooth Operator]

You say that this has never been done before, so isn't it good they're trying to expand and try different things?

It's good when the "new thing" is good.
You wouldn't call a steak dinner good when they smear it with pigshit, even tho they tried something new.

If you want to like it I really can't convince you otherwise, but from an engineering standpoint this is the laziest UI production ever seen in triple A titles.

 

[IKWerewolf]

There's a fine line between good and bad and its clear EA are walking it.

Personally, I've played on TF2 and Counter Strike servers and they are all brilliant. The difference between Valve and EA is that Valve have already integrated personal server's into their lists of games 'in game' and they are also not afraid to give people rights well beyond the normal publisher.

Could this just be EAs way of allowing personal servers without having to integrate it into main game. If so then they are well behind Valve.

 

[SpAc3man]

How about we add a Battlefield 3 shortcut to Steam then use the Steam overlay browser?

 

[GeorgW]

That settles it then. Can I hear everyone say boycott?

Mate. http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition/3857-BOYCOTT

This sounds stupid, however a lot of the alpha testers actually didn't mind it. I think it's a little early to call boycott.

The dumbest thing here is that EA/DICE haven't explained this properly. They should release a video demonstrating the system in action rather than just leaving us with "no in game server browser".


I for one am buying this game regardless of this rather stupid development because DICE still retains some of my loyalty and the game looks godamn awesome. No IG server browser may be a barrier to the gameplay but so long as there are dedicated servers it won't actually EFFECT gameplay and that's the primary concern here.

Also to all those people who keep saying "Welp, that's it back to CoD" I'll remind you that there was an actual boycott of Modern Warfare 2 because it didn't have dedicated servers and that fell to pieces because those guys actually liked the game (for some reason). If something like this can really turn you off you probably weren't all that interested in the first place.

I saw that episode and I agree that boycotts are generally mishandled. However, I do think this is cause for a boycott. And it's not just the no ingame browser, it's all the other stuff as well. It's downloading Origin (whose EULA states that it has every right to scan your computer for pirated games and reporting back to EA), and no mod support. I love DICE and I think this game will be awesome, but because of all this I'll be boycotting the PC version and getting it on console.

 

[Nesco Nomen]

In TF2 u have the ability of using Steam to search for server without even starting a game.

Once u are connected and have entered the server map, if u don't like the particular game, you can search for servers while being still connected to a server - with an INGAME server browser.

You can use predefined filters or custom string based.
Or you can just hit PLAY NOW, and be taken to a server chosen according to Source
matchmaking criteria.

You have LAN,favorites, history, list of blacklisted servers, you can connect directly to a particular IP.
When server is FULL, u can chose to be alerted when slot is available, or just join immediately etc etc,

so please don't compare TF2 server browser with... this.

 

[Alexnader]

That settles it then. Can I hear everyone say boycott?

Mate. http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition/3857-BOYCOTT

This sounds stupid, however a lot of the alpha testers actually didn't mind it. I think it's a little early to call boycott.

The dumbest thing here is that EA/DICE haven't explained this properly. They should release a video demonstrating the system in action rather than just leaving us with "no in game server browser".


I for one am buying this game regardless of this rather stupid development because DICE still retains some of my loyalty and the game looks godamn awesome. No IG server browser may be a barrier to the gameplay but so long as there are dedicated servers it won't actually EFFECT gameplay and that's the primary concern here.

Also to all those people who keep saying "Welp, that's it back to CoD" I'll remind you that there was an actual boycott of Modern Warfare 2 because it didn't have dedicated servers and that fell to pieces because those guys actually liked the game (for some reason). If something like this can really turn you off you probably weren't all that interested in the first place.

I saw that episode and I agree that boycotts are generally mishandled. However, I do think this is cause for a boycott. And it's not just the no ingame browser, it's all the other stuff as well. It's downloading Origin (whose EULA states that it has every right to scan your computer for pirated games and reporting back to EA), and no mod support. I love DICE and I think this game will be awesome, but because of all this I'll be boycotting the PC version and getting it on console.

Sounds counter productive to buy the game on console to me. If everyone did that the numbers would be; console market is huge even though they're getting a gimped product while the PC market is small even though they have the "best" version of the game.

By "gimped" I don't mean you're playing on a console without a mouse so it sucks (even though I think a mouse is more fun for FPSes), I mean you don't get 64p maps which are a hall mark of Battlefield in my mind.

As for mods I'm pretty sure most of the recent Battlefield games had no mod support. This doesn't mean mods won't exist, just that the devs aren't going out of their way to make it easy for people.

The Origin scanning thing if that's true is ridiculous and deserves a boycott all on its own. I won't be boycotting though because I'm weak and need my airplane shooting action stuff. Also all my friends are getting it.

 

[tgcPheonix]

Frostbite Engine +1
Amazing game play trailer +1
Forced to use origin -1
Forced to restart game every time you have to find a server -2

and it looked so promising ....

 

[matt87_50]

O. M. F. G... how could they be so stupid...

the game could load instantly, and the browser based server system could be God's gift to man. BUT YOU WERE STILL INEVITABLY GOING TO HAVE THIS NEGATIVE PUBLICITY!!!!

they even MOCKED COD over their beating for similar issues! how the F*** could they be so stupid.

just put it in there. just do it. ffs. why create the headache for yourselves?

I would like to clarify that I'm not saying their idea is bad, it may indeed prove to be the better way of doing it for some reason - why bother implementing a gimped in game browser when people already have a full featured browser? - but, it was just not worth the PR headache...

honestly, It sounds a bit dubious anyway... some way for EA to dig more claws into you. it is one of the most iconic MULTIPLAYER FPSs in the world. just give it the features people expect..


ffs...

just do it...
what the hell is wrong with developers...

I remember back in the day when developers would make games with 'customer satisfaction' first, and money making a distant second... (actually, fun and challenging work environment probably came first)

and you know what? I don't remember too many devs going broke... they were always well paid, and the only thing that would send a big name broke was shit games... as it should...

ironically, most of the big devs that are now screwing us apparently in such a desperate grab for money, were born and grew in this golden age environment of FUN!

financials and investors have been nothing but a liability to games...

 

[Danny Ocean]

Oh stop whining you whiney whiners.

I've googled for actual experience of this battlelog feature, and it actually looks pretty good. You don't need to close the game, just alt-tab, and you get lots of other features too.

Plus you can use the origin in-game browser to open that shit up in game anyway. Origin [http://nogamenotalk.com/2011/08/15/everything-you-need-to-know-before-buying-your-next-game-from-ea-origin/] is actually pretty good, both in my experience and that of others.

All this vitriol is totally baseless and stupid, as are those who choose to miss out on one of the biggest games in years, with so much entertainment potential, because its developer is daring to challenge the almighty monopoly that is steam. That is not, of course, saying that I don't like steam (it's awesome for me), I'm just not a throw-shit-at-the-walls unthinking fanboy.

Hell, I say MORE POWER to EA for taking that behemoth on.

 

[Amishdemon]

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

Thats still kinda dumb becuase then you still have to open the overlay.

 

[Nesco Nomen]

All this vitriol is totally baseless and stupid, as are those who choose to miss out on one of the biggest games in years, with so much entertainment potential, because its developer is daring to challenge the almighty monopoly that is steam. That is not, of course, saying that I don't like steam (it's awesome for me), I'm just not a throw-shit-at-the-walls unthinking fanboy.

Hell, I say MORE POWER to EA for taking that behemoth on.

ye.... wait. WHAT?

Who's the behemoth here?

 

[GeorgW]

That settles it then. Can I hear everyone say boycott?

Mate. http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition/3857-BOYCOTT

This sounds stupid, however a lot of the alpha testers actually didn't mind it. I think it's a little early to call boycott.

The dumbest thing here is that EA/DICE haven't explained this properly. They should release a video demonstrating the system in action rather than just leaving us with "no in game server browser".


I for one am buying this game regardless of this rather stupid development because DICE still retains some of my loyalty and the game looks godamn awesome. No IG server browser may be a barrier to the gameplay but so long as there are dedicated servers it won't actually EFFECT gameplay and that's the primary concern here.

Also to all those people who keep saying "Welp, that's it back to CoD" I'll remind you that there was an actual boycott of Modern Warfare 2 because it didn't have dedicated servers and that fell to pieces because those guys actually liked the game (for some reason). If something like this can really turn you off you probably weren't all that interested in the first place.

I saw that episode and I agree that boycotts are generally mishandled. However, I do think this is cause for a boycott. And it's not just the no ingame browser, it's all the other stuff as well. It's downloading Origin (whose EULA states that it has every right to scan your computer for pirated games and reporting back to EA), and no mod support. I love DICE and I think this game will be awesome, but because of all this I'll be boycotting the PC version and getting it on console.

Sounds counter productive to buy the game on console to me. If everyone did that the numbers would be; console market is huge even though they're getting a gimped product while the PC market is small even though they have the "best" version of the game.

By "gimped" I don't mean you're playing on a console without a mouse so it sucks (even though I think a mouse is more fun for FPSes), I mean you don't get 64p maps which are a hall mark of Battlefield in my mind.

As for mods I'm pretty sure most of the recent Battlefield games had no mod support. This doesn't mean mods won't exist, just that the devs aren't going out of their way to make it easy for people.

The Origin scanning thing if that's true is ridiculous and deserves a boycott all on its own. I won't be boycotting though because I'm weak and need my airplane shooting action stuff. Also all my friends are getting it.

Read the Origin EULA, it's scary. That's the big reason not to get it on PC, and even though I know it's gonna be better on PC, I just feel like I have to hold to my principles and get it on console.

 

[Hungry Donner]

Anybody else hear that? Its the sound of thousands of butt hurt PC elitists. This is not a big deal people.

How is wanting an in-game browser elitist? When console owners pine away for mod support does that make them console elitists?

 

[bjj hero]

How is wanting an in-game browser elitist? When console owners pine away for mod support does that make them console elitists?

There is a perfectly adequate alternative provided. It's not like gameplay has been cut. I don't hear console players complaining about mod support (with the exception of on valve games). You have to accept that if you play on console you don't get the mods.

 

[TheKmanofAwesometon]

Gonna have to quote Yahtzee on this one...

THERE IS NO MIDDLE FINGER BIG ENOUGH!

 

[n19h7m4r3]

How is wanting an in-game browser elitist? When console owners pine away for mod support does that make them console elitists?

There is a perfectly adequate alternative provided. It's not like gameplay has been cut. I don't hear console players complaining about mod support (with the exception of on valve games). You have to accept that if you play on console you don't get the mods.

Yet the console versions have an ingame browser.

This is either just laziness on their part or they just couldn't bother implementing something that's already in other versions.

 

[MonkeyPunch]

WTF is this... why do they keep making utterly retaaaarded decisions like this.
P2P instead of the well proven and loved dedicated server system, random game browser "features" like this one... what is it with developers taking things us PC gamers are perfectly happy with and which work perfectly well and which no one is complaining about and then turning them in to some crap like this?!
Why do consoles get server browsers and PC owners don't? I mean good for console owners but my question would be if it works for them - why not for PC users?

How are favourites going to work?

I can just see trying to join a game of 63/64 players, but by the time you get in-game it is full only for you to have to close the game again and do this all over again.
And "starts up REAL fast"? Like what? Compared to a Sloth on Valium?
If you have 12 gigs or RAM, the game installed on a SSD and have 4 top of the range GFX card running in unison?
What does that even mean and how is meant to appease us?
SSFIV AE starts up REAL quick but I can tell you I'd be mighty pissed off if I had to exit the game every time I wanted to look for a game.

Man... this does cheese me off. I'll tell my kids one day of the splendours of UT 2004 and BF2/2142 when all you had to do was open your in-game game browse for a server and just click join.
They'll rejoice at my tales of simplicity and marvel at these simpler times and wonder how the present has become so convoluted with stupidity.
meh to the max

 

[Yokai]

And in other news, both the y and x axis are permanently inverted on the mouse, and you have to hold tilde and SysRq to sprint, because fuck PC gamers!