The Battlefield Series

[SSJBlastoise]

As the title suggests, this thread is all about the Battlefield series. Now, the main reason I wanted to start this thread because I am interested in buying Battlefield 2 and BC2 while they are on sale (hoping they are part of the last day's sales so they become even cheaper).

First question is are there many people playing these games still? Or are most servers dead? I am also interested in how 2142 is regarding the number of current players. Is it worth getting these games?

Last question, one that will hopefully provide more discussion, what is your favourite Battlefield game and do you have any good stories from in game experiences?

I remember going to an internet lounge and playing 1942 most Saturday nights with my friends when I was younger and it was always a blast. In saying that though, my favourite game would probably be Bad Company 2; mainly because of the destruction mechanics.

 

[sextus the crazy]

As the title suggests, this thread is all about the Battlefield series. Now, the main reason I wanted to start this thread because I am interested in buying Battlefield 2 and BC2 while they are on sale (hoping they are part of the last day's sales so they become even cheaper).

First question is are there many people playing these games still? Or are most servers dead? I am also interested in how 2142 is regarding the number of current players. Is it worth getting these games?

Last question, one that will hopefully provide more discussion, what is your favourite Battlefield game and do you have any good stories from in game experiences?

I remember going to an internet lounge and playing 1942 most Saturday nights with my friends when I was younger and it was always a blast. In saying that though, my favourite game would probably be Bad Company 2; mainly because of the destruction mechanics.

I still play BC2 on PC; it's not necessarily dead, but there only like 2 or 3 full servers at a time (and they're all Heavy Metal and Atacoma desert *grrr*), but if you and some friends start playing in a server people will join eventually.

Can't say for BF2, as I haven't played it in years.

EDIT: oh, right a story. Here's one from Bad Company 2, about the great BC2 space program.

My friends and I were screwing around on an emptyish server (the 4 of us on one side vs. 2 or 3 on the other). We decided to pile as many explosives as possible use them to launch a humvee with one of our friends in it into the air. WE piled like 10-12 AT mines and used C4 to detonate and were able to get some good air, although our enemies eventually started shelling us with the T-90 and we had to leave.

We went to an empty server and started all over again. Hostiles started spawning again in this server. However, something amazing happened. Like the with WWI Christmas truce, our enemies became our friends, and came to watch the space program in all of its glory. It was a sight to behold. And then some asshole killed everyone with the Bradley's autocannon and we left.

Spoiler: one giant step for Battlefield kind

 

[DazZ.]

http://www.serverbrowser.net/

Seems to be a good amount of BF2 servers still going, that doesn't show BC2 and I don't own it so can't help with that one.

 

[josemlopes]

I think I ended up playing all of them with the exception of the one in the future. The campaign of the BF2:MC (console version of BF2) is the best for that feeling that you belong in an army. The campaign of the BC games are fun but nothing all that new and the ones of the old games are basicly bot matches that while it is something that I would really like seeing coming back it isnt all that great for a single-player mode.

BF2 still has some life in it with the mods like Forgotten Hope 2 and Project Reality, BC2 on the other hand is probably dying by now. BC2 was very fun back then, the Vietnam DLC was very substantional and the Onslaught gave the game a co-op mode that even though short it was very fun.

BF2 for 9,99$ as it is now on Steam I think its worth it, even if you dont play much online there is a lot of fun to be had with bots.

BC2 for 14,99$ can be worth it if you find enjoyment in its campaign. Just for the multiplayer I dont know if its worth it, maybe with a friend in co-op although that may get tiring after 3 hours.

 

[SSJBlastoise]

BF2 for 9,99$ as it is now on Steam I think its worth it, even if you dont play much online there is a lot of fun to be had with bots.

BC2 for 14,99$ can be worth it if you find enjoyment in its campaign. Just for the multiplayer I dont know if its worth it, maybe with a friend in co-op although that may get tiring after 3 hours.

Well for the next 23 and a half hours BF2 (without Vietnam) is $7.49 and BC2 is $9.99. Though I'm tempted to buy them on origin because BF2 is only $5 and BC2 (with Vietnam) is $9.99

 

[josemlopes]

BF2 for 9,99$ as it is now on Steam I think its worth it, even if you dont play much online there is a lot of fun to be had with bots.

BC2 for 14,99$ can be worth it if you find enjoyment in its campaign. Just for the multiplayer I dont know if its worth it, maybe with a friend in co-op although that may get tiring after 3 hours.

Well for the next 23 and a half hours BF2 (without Vietnam) is $7.49 and BC2 is $9.99. Though I'm tempted to buy them on origin because BF2 is only $5 and BC2 (with Vietnam) is $9.99

For 5$ I think you should take the chance, for BC2 I think that 9,99$ is probably worth it since you are a Battlefield fan

 

[Thedutchjelle]

I had a ton of fun with Battlefield 3, still play it atleast once every few days.

It's a well-done shooter. If you like modern FPSes on big maps with vehicles thrown in, you'll like BF3.

 

[purf]

Yeah, go for it. Don't know Battlefield 2, but 3 and BC2 are plain good fun, whereas I somehow prefer the latter. And while I don't have stories to tell [footnote]Moments, yes. Or that one time when... But I don't want to bore you or anyone else[/footnote], these games do have a nice tendency to produce memorable incidents.

edit: oh. Don't ask me about the campaign. There, I have only vague memories of BC2 and I think it didn't insult me.

 

[Strelok]

Battlefield BC2 is still going strong, wish there was more activity in the Vietnam activity. They just did a retro even a few weeks ago for Battlefield 2142, was busy before that too.

 

[MysticSlayer]

Been a long time since I played any of the Battlefield games, but the last I heard there were still some good active servers on BF2. Some of the popular ones that kept people playing have been shut down in favor of Battlefield 3, but not all of them did. Besides, I hear a lot of BF2 players were rather upset at DICE over the dumbing down of BF3, and that's part of the reason why I didn't make the transition. Not sure how long BF2 will be active, though, especially with Battlefield 4 right around the corner.

As for my favorite Battlefield game, probably Battlefield 1942. The maps were more open in that game, but it still offered some of the most intense battles I've played in the series. Not to mention, it was just a lot of fun to play. Battlefield 2 definitely improved on the series, and if you got two good teams playing against each other then the experience is simply unmatched, but DICE didn't encourage team play as much as they could have, so the game very often never reached its full potential. Not to mention, the autobalance and stat tracking were broken beyond belief. I really haven't been into the series since BF2. BF2142 just seemed like BF2 in the future, and the Bad Company spin-off games just never appealed to me. Battlefield 3 was a step in the right direction, but it still lacked the same level of depth and enjoyment that BF2, or even BF1942, had.

As for stories, man, there are way too many. Playing as a medic in BF2 can offer a lot of memorable moments of running out through enemy fire to revive a guy, and if you can both get to safety, it only makes it better. I've played some very nasty games with tanks as well, hiding and maneuvering through city streets, primarily in Berlin and Karkand, so that I single-handedly rendered a tank useless, even without taking it out. Probably the most memorable was in 1942 when I joined the Germans in Tobruk and our team was finding it impossible to break through the enemy's defenses on the front line. I ended up picking a sniper, found a nice bush to hide in, and ended up picking off the British effectively enough that many of them retreated to the second line, allowing us to start establishing bases in their territory. In BF2, it had to be the time that our team was getting decimated until I realized we didn't have a Commander, so I put in for Commander and got the position. The battle was a close one, but we still managed to pull off a victory. That was also the first time I played Commander. Oh yeah, and I also had to deal with some guy who kept trying to take out all our assets.

As for funniest story, one time a guy decided he was going to try to run me over with a jeep in BF1942 on Wake Island. I ended up killing him before he did it, but the jeep had just enough momentum to run me over. However, even that has to compete with the time that I was scaling a cliff on Guadalcanal and ended up jumping over the rocket some guy shot at me. Needless to say, he stopped shooting rockets after that.

 

[fix-the-spade]

First question is are there many people playing these games still? Or are most servers dead? I am also interested in how 2142 is regarding the number of current players. Is it worth getting these games?

1942 is free on Origin (I know, ORIGIN!), plenty of players.
Road to Rome/Secret Weapons is pretty dead.
Vietnam is a bit dead.

2 is still very active, more so than most modern games as it's still seen as 'the' BF game. The full version (BF2 + Expansion, is free with update 1.5 now as well, you have no excuse!)

2142 has a small but loyal following, servers outside of US/Western Europe are hard to find.

BC2, still played, not as much as 2 or 3.

BF3, still played.

2 is my favourite, but it's also much harder than 3. Imagine BF3 hardcore mode, only more so, it takes quite a lot of play time to get good at surviving, then you can focus on effectively fighting objectives.

Taking down a chopper in 2 will have you hopping up and down in delight.

 

[ShinyCharizard]

Bad Company 2 is definitely my favourite in the series. I've put over 400 hours into the multiplayer along with a few mates and it's easily the most fun military shooter I've played.

 

[rasputin0009]

Definitely worth the money. 2142 is worth it just to experience Titan mode. Damn, that is good multiplayer. Every little thing you do in that mode, no matter how insignificant, makes you feel like a hero saving your team. Even if you're just jumping in front of bullets.

They could do a return of Titan in BF4 if DICE wasn't so keen on keeping the series grounded in reality lately. Or they could do it again, but with underground bunkers instead. Or they could just do a 2143 expansion. With walkers, and jetpacks, and hover tanks! The possibilities are endless! Only if they get creative again!

 

[TheYellowCellPhone]

1942 probably still has its little following going.

2142 is probably dead by now. Wasn't a fan of it.

Battlefield 2 has quite a good amount of players still going on it, mostly because the game refuses to die through mods. Not a fan of it.

Bad Company 1 probably is getting abandoned. I think the balancing is at times the best in the series (all classes fill niches instead of Assault or Engineer being able to do everything) and at times the worst. (Helicopters are impossible to shoot down and are incredibly powerful). I love the humor and the openness of the campaign.

I imagine Bad Company 2 still has a good amount of people going for it, but by now a lot of them have moved on to Battlefield 3 or elsewhere. Unless they like Bad Company's balancing or the Vietnam DLC. Didn't like the progression of using level ups and perks.

Battlefield 3, I absolutely detest that the game wanted to be a Call of Duty killer by copying Call of Duty with its rank system and perks. And a campaign that, frankly, blew copious amounts of dick compared to Bad Company 1 or even Bad Company 2.

...

Man, I loved Bad Company 1 when it came out. Its campaign was one of the most hands-off experiences ever, and it was a lot of fun and very replayable because of that. Most games go, "Here's a tank, immediately take this RPG a teammate hands you and shoot it, watch this two minute cutscene of you climbing the tank and beating out the pilot, listen to your teammates swear and immediately run into the next encounter."

Bad Company was more like, "Here's a tank. You could find an RPG, you could get in an armored car and gun it down, you could drive around to a flak gun and point it down, or you could find a mortar designator, or you could find a laser designator and call down a JDAM, or you could find another tank and blow it up, or you could grab some C4, or you could find an artillery position. Whatever works, man." It was a game all about big open spaces and open opportunities, constantly saying "This is what multiplayer is like, but a little different!" Then Battlefield 3 said, "We must be more like CoD! No open spaces, let's force them down narrow alleyways and trap them on rooftops! No freedom to encounter enemies at their pace, let's force them to attack enemies because the teammates will not wait for you and there is no transition of moving from one encounter to another, all one big fight! And if you disobey my rules and stand up when the game tells you to crouch, you die, because that's what CoD did!"

And Battlefield 3 was about Russians and nukes and terrorist groups, Bad Company 1 was about a hilarious dictator and a squad of Americans who go AWOL for the sake of chasing gold.

 

[Gatx]

If you were going to play Battlefield 2, couldn't you just play Battlefield Play4Free? It's not exactly the same obviously but it's my understanding that at least some of the maps carry over.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

First question is are there many people playing these games still? Or are most servers dead? I am also interested in how 2142 is regarding the number of current players. Is it worth getting these games?

1942 is free on Origin (I know, ORIGIN!), plenty of players.
Road to Rome/Secret Weapons is pretty dead.
Vietnam is a bit dead.

2 is still very active, more so than most modern games as it's still seen as 'the' BF game. The full version (BF2 + Expansion, is free with update 1.5 now as well, you have no excuse!)

2142 has a small but loyal following, servers outside of US/Western Europe are hard to find.

BC2, still played, not as much as 2 or 3.

BF3, still played.

2 is my favourite, but it's also much harder than 3. Imagine BF3 hardcore mode, only more so, it takes quite a lot of play time to get good at surviving, then you can focus on effectively fighting objectives.

Taking down a chopper in 2 will have you hopping up and down in delight.

1942 is /free/ on Origin? Dang, man. I have a hard copy, but I might just take EA up on that offer. It came on 8[footnote]Yes, 8. That's two more than the case can even hold without some of the discs coming loose in the box.[/footnote] CD-ROMs instead of one or two DVDs like you'd expect a complete collection released in 2004 or 2005 to do, and it's a pain in the butt both to install and to make sure you've got the right disc in the drive when you want to play.

Also, I'd imagine that has greatly increased the playerbase, which was impressively large the last time I checked, a couple years ago now. That game is an example of what I mean when I say if a multiplayer game on the PC is even halfway decent, the community will keep it alive for /at least/ 10 years, unlike console games where the publisher will pull the plug after a couple years in an attempt to get people to upgrade.

 

[fix-the-spade]

Also, I'd imagine that has greatly increased the playerbase,

Ea, in that typically EA way, segregate Origin and non- Origin players. It could have been a good way to increase players, as it is it's sort of split them, still plenty on both though.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

Also, I'd imagine that has greatly increased the playerbase,

Ea, in that typically EA way, segregate Origin and non- Origin players. It could have been a good way to increase players, as it is it's sort of split them, still plenty on both though.

...once again proving the old adage that you shouldn't attribute malice to an action when stupidity would explain it just as well. Or in EA's case, an entire career of bad actions that somehow still haven't driven them out of business.

It's especially weird since you can still buy new hardcopies of 1942, it's $10 anywhere that has a large enough selection of PC games to have old and oddball titles in stock.