Battlefield 4 Latest News

**CAG CheechDogg** · August 18th, 2013

In this second post in “The Road to Battlefield 4” blog series, we dive deeper into the Field Upgrade system and how we are tweaking the core gameplay to allow for more diversity in combat roles. Also: Vote for your favorite upgrade path and we’ll build it and submit it so it makes it into Battlefield 4 at launch!

Last week, we discussed how nearly all elements In Battlefield 4’s multiplayer work to bring out the best team player in you. This week, we’ll take an in-depth look at the Field Upgrades and discuss how we’re tweaking Battlefield 4 based on the massive amounts of feedback and data that 1 billion hours of Battlefield 3 play time has given us. Here to take you through the nitty-gritty of these mechanics is Core Gameplay Designer Alan Kertz.
Meet the crew

Allow us to proudly present the first group shot of Battlefield 4’s multiplayer kits, showing the Assault, Recon, Engineer, and Support kits from the Russian, U.S. and Chinese armies. Based on the multiplayer map in question, you’ll be able to choose from two of these three factions (and if you run your own server, we’ll let you pick and choose the opposing teams at your leisure.)

Meet the Chinese squad from Battlefield 4 with a sample setup of weapons and gear.

Going into Battlefield 4, we knew we wanted to take the four playable classes from Battlefield 3 as a starting point. We’ve tweaked them to be more versatile and more highly specialized within their fields. Now more than ever, you can explore a wide range of combat roles and sub-roles when picking your load out and kit.

The Russian Support, Engineer, Recon, and Assault Kit are waiting for you in Battlefield 4

For example, this time around the Engineer has a lot more variation in anti-vehicle weapons. We’ve also revamped the way we do vehicle disables and guided weapon systems to give the Engineer a broader set of tactics at his disposal. This includes everything from high damage weapons that may be more challenging to use (like RPG-7V2) to fire-and-forget smart weapons with low damage (like the MBT LAW), and the fan favorite Wire Guided Engineer Missile (the FGM-172 SRAW) that you might recognize from Battlefield 2.

Meet the U.S. playable kits from Battlefield 4, showcasing a sample of gear and weapons

The Support kit has a few more offensive options, and thanks to community feedback will retain his C4 and Claymores from Battlefield 3. The XM25 gives him some nice indirect suppressive fire, a redesigned remote mortar allows him to use indirect fire from a distance, and the ability to equip carbines and DMRs gives him an added versatility in combat roles.

Recon has gotten a much needed boost to mobility, as well as the return of the Spec Ops play style from Battlefield 2. Pack a carbine, C4 (or Claymores), and Motion Sensors and you’re good to go behind enemy lines. Fans of more traditional sniping roles will enjoy our revamped sniping mechanics with rebalanced Sniper Rifles, the ability to zero your sights (set an aiming distance), and additional optics and accessories. Finally, the Recon players can still utilize the MAV, T-UGS, and Radio Beacon to help out their team.

Assault is still the frontline run-and-gun kit that also serves the role of combat medic. This was one of the major changes in Battlefield 3 compared to Battlefield 2, and one that players have really appreciated. Assault is still the go-to kit with med kits and defibrillators but has picked up some additional mobility with the First Aid Pack, which heals a single soldier over time, or the 40mm Flash Bang rounds to help clear rooms.
The Quest for Mobility

One of the main quests for the team when developing Battlefield 4 was to create a more mobile Battlefield. Squad players became very mobile in Battlefield 3 and we saw a gap where some of the more team play focused gadgets required players to sit still. We adjusted this by tailoring the kits, the gadgets, and the available specializations.

As far as gadgets go, we’re allowing for stronger team play on the move by introducing all-new gadgets like the Portable Laser Designator, and adding new portable First Aid and Ammo Packs. These packs now allow Assault and Support players to top off a single teammate’s health or ammo on the move, while the traditional Ammo Box and Med Kit keep their stationary area heal and resupply roles. In the case of the Portable Laser Designator, it’s designed as a SOFLAM for the Recon on the run – allowing you to quickly laser designate targets without the longer setup time of a SOFLAM (with the tradeoff of not being able to deploy it and have it auto-designate targets for you.)
Suppressing Fire!

No one single gameplay mechanic has been as frequently discussed as the suppression system in Battlefield 3. Suppression will return in Battlefield 4, but we’re redesigning it based on your extensive feedback while keeping the intense feeling of being under fire that a system like Suppression provides.

We’re increasing the suppression effect of Light Machine Guns, exclusive to the Support kit, while other weapons are less suppressive. Additionally, we’ve decreased suppression at close range to ensure that close quarters battles always focus sharply on player skill. Besides changing the visual effects of suppression, we’re also replacing the accuracy penalty in Battlefield 3 with a scope sway effect – similar to what snipers get in Battlefield 3 while suppressed. A skilled, focused player can keep his aim on target and get hits, even while under the effects of Suppression.

Overall, we believe we have a great-performing suppression system in Battlefield 4 that doesn’t interfere in close quarters combat, while at the same time allowing for skilled players of the Support kit to really make a difference. Laying down covering fire as Support means your frontline runners can gain a crucial momentum in medium-range combat and still allows you to combat the improved long-range options we’ve given players who prefer to stay back at long range.
Choose your path – Field Upgrades and you

Last week on the blog, you could read about how Field Upgrades are the new specializations in Battlefield 4. You pick a set path of four upgrades which unlock in order as you perform squad actions like resupplies, repairs, healing, and following orders. You can track your progress in the Field Upgrade Progress Bar – or the “Bro Bar” as it has become known internally at DICE.
BroBar 640x222

The focus on specifically squad-related actions means that the biggest rewards come from sticking with your squad and being a great team player. However, if your entire squad is wiped out, you will lose some of your progress in the upgrade path. Finally, Lone Wolves can still benefit from the base specialization since it’s always unlocked and available.

Each of the playable kits: Engineer, Recon, Assault, and Support, have four upgrade careers to choose between. Two of these are global and usable for any kit – one of them focusing on Offense and one on Defense. Offense starts with SPRINT and goes through AMMO, MORE GRENADES, and REDUCED FALL. These give you quicker sprint speed, more available ammo magazines, one extra hand grenade, and allows you to fall from greater heights without taking any damage, respectively. This universal upgrade path is great for players who enjoy being at the front lines and leading the charge.

Meanwhile, the Defense path will net you ARMOR, COVER, FLAK, and QUICK REGEN. These grant you increased protection from shots to the chest, a decreased rate of being suppressed, decreased damage from explosions, and a shorter time span before the out-of-combat health regeneration kicks in. If you are more defensive-minded, perhaps playing as Support from the sidelines, this can be an excellent choice.
Besides the two universal Offense and Defense Field Upgrade careers, you will also be able to choose between two upgrade paths that are unique to your class and allow an increased specialization in specific combat roles. So while the Assault kit has the unique Combat Medic and Grenadier upgrade paths, Engineer can choose between specializing in the roles of either a Mechanic or Anti-Tank soldier. The first of these is all about repairing your own vehicles, while the latter deals with taking out enemy armor.

While the path you choose will allow for different types of roles on the Battlefield, you’re never stuck with your first choice for the rest of the round. Whenever you wish, you can simple reselect. Doing this will never set you back in your current level of progress, so if you’re currently at level three out of four, you will keep that level and have it applied even if you change kit and/or upgrade path from the customization screen. Should you choose to leave a squad without entering a new squad, your current progress will be saved. So if you later in the same round join a new squad, you won’t have to start from scratch.

We have greatly increased the number of unique specializations available in the game from Battlefield 3’s seven to over 25 in Battlefield 4. It’s a conscious design decision to allow for greater variety in any kit’s battlefield role – and here’s your chance to impact the design of these for the launch of the game.
Vote – Get your favorite path included in BF4!

Now that you know a bit more about Field Upgrades and upgrade career paths – what would YOU like to see in Battlefield 4 when it launches? We still have the possibility to add one additional universal upgrade career based on your feedback!

Below, we have four different types of universal upgrade careers depending on your preferred style of play and what combat role you’d want to explore. Vote for your favorite in the poll and we’ll make sure it makes it into the game as the third and final universal career upgrade path.

Community Career Path 1: Shockwave
Specializations: AMMO>ARMOR>GRENADES>SUPPRESSION
This is the career for players who want to wreak havoc at the frontlines. Built to promote offensive play and gung-ho attitude, you’ll need all the extra AMMO you can get. ARMOR gives you that increased protection that means you could walk away from chance encounters at zero range when rounding a corner, while an added GRENADE lets you clear out enemy camps more freely. Lastly, that extra SUPPRESSION boost comes in handy when you find out you’ve run into a hornet’s nest.

Community Career Path 2: Survivor
Specializations: REDUCED FALL>AMMO>QUICK REGEN>COVER
Fortune favors the brave. Or in the case of the “SURVIVOR” career, fortune favors players who have bolstered their survival capabilities by picking the right specializations. REDUCED FALL means you can jump off rooftops when enemies are blasting RPG into your building, while extra AMMO always helps when trying to shoot yourself out of a pinch. QUICK REGEN means you only need a short period of time before your soldier starts to auto heal, while COVER effectively means enemy suppression will not have as much effect on your ability to return fire with accuracy.

Community Career Path 3: Shadow
Specializations: QUICK UNSPOT>SPRINT>REDUCED FALL>STEALTH
Inspired by the fabled shadow warriors of the Orient, the “SHADOW” career grants you the mystical powers you need to infiltrate enemy territory without being seen. Okay, not really, but it grants you some perks that accumulated will give you an edge when going behind enemy lines. QUICK UNSPOT means you’ll disappear more quickly from enemy radars when you’ve been spotted, while SPRINT lets you move quickly from cover to cover. REDUCED FALL lets you jump from your favorite hiding places without taking damage, while STEALTH grants you the ability to remain undetected when passing within range of enemy motion sensors.

Community Career Path 4: Hunter
Specializations: ADVANCED SPOT>SPRINT>AMMO>GRENADES
So you want to be a big game hunter? ADVANCED SPOT grants you the ability to have targets spotted for extended periods of time – they can run, but they can’t hide. While they’re cowering behind cover thinking that they’ve escaped detection, SPRINT up to them and use your extra AMMO and GRENADE to flush them out! Sometimes, playing Battlefield is almost too easy.
And there you have them: Your choice of four custom-created community upgrade paths to choose between. Vote for your favorite and we’ll include the winner in the final game. Remember to cast your vote no later than August 22 so we can implement the necessary changes in time for launch.

Plan your career

Below is the full list of specializations that will be available in Battlefield 4. Note that we are still in Alpha stage, so all names, designs, and fine-tuning are subject to change. This will give you an idea about the type and variety of specializations in the game. Some of these are universal, some of them are tied to one of the specific playable soldier types – and most of them are all-new to Battlefield 4.

SPEC	IN-GAME EFFECT
SPRINT	Increases maximum sprint speed
AMMO	Increases maximum inventory of bullets
C4 EXPLOSIVES	Increases maximum inventory of C4 explosives
COVER	Decreases amount of incoming suppression
SUPPRESSION	Increases the amount of outgoing suppression
FLAK	Decreases explosion damage
GRENADES	Increases maximum inventory of hand grenades
(NEW) ROCKETS	Increases maximum inventory of AT (anti-tank) and AA (anti-air) ammo
(NEW) MINES	Increases maximum inventory of AT Mines or M2 SLAM
(NEW) STEALTH	Player is undetected by Motion Sensors except when sprinting
(NEW) HOLD BREATH	Increases time you can Steady your scope
(NEW) FAST REPAIR	Increases speed and sabotage of Repairs
(NEW) DEFIB UPGRADE	Increases charge up speed of the defibrillators
(NEW) 40mm GRENADES	Increases maximum inventory of 40mm grenades
(NEW) ADVANCED SPOT	Increases time your targets are Spotted
(NEW) MEDKITS UPGRADE	Increases maximum deployed medic bags and packs
(NEW) MOTION SENSORS UPGRADE	Increases the maximum inventory of Motion Sensors. Increases the range of T-UGS and MAV
(NEW) MORE DEPLOYED EXPLOSIVES	Increases maximum deployed Explosives
(NEW) AMMO BAG UPGRADE	Increases maximum deployed ammo boxes and packs
(NEW) ARMOR	Reduces incoming damage to the chest
(NEW) QUICK UNSPOT	Reduces time you are spotted
(NEW) MEDICAL UNIT	Occupied vehicles will slowly heal nearby soldiers
(NEW) SUPPLY UNIT	Occupied vehicles will slowly resupply nearby soldiers
(NEW) REPAIR UNIT	Occupied vehicles will slowly repair nearby vehicles
(NEW) REDUCED FALL	Increases height you can fall without damage
(NEW) QUICK REGEN	Decreases time before out of combat heal
(NEW) MP-APS UPGRADE	Longer uptime on MP APS
(NEW) INDIRECT FIRE UPGRADE	Increases maximum M224 ammo. Increases maximum XM25 magazines
(NEW) CLAYMORES	Increases the maxium inventory of claymores

We still have a lot more details to share with you about weapons, gadgets, and vehicles – but I think long time Battlefield fans can see how we’re really focused on responding to the torrent of feedback that passionate fans contribute to the series. Battlefield 4 aims to stay true to the best parts of Battlefield 3, while also pushing to expand the game in fresh directions. Keep your feedback coming, and don’t be afraid to Point At All The Things you’d like to see in Battlefield 4.

-Alan Kertz

**CAG CheechDogg** · August 18th, 2013

Welcome to “The Road to Battlefield 4”, a new blog series where we’ll explore every aspect of Battlefield 4 in great detail together with the developers at DICE. First out: How the new elements of Battlefield 4 multiplayer will bring out the best team player in you.

Lead Multiplayer Designer Thomas “Tompen” Andersson is one of the true veterans here at DICE. He’s been with the company for two decades now and knows Battlefield inside and out. When he accepted command of the development of Battlefield 4’s multiplayer campaign, he immediately knew what he wanted to achieve:

I think Battlefield 3’s multiplayer is incredible, but I can’t wait to hear what our fans think about Battlefield 4. We’re having a blast playing it at work in its current Alpha stage, and I think we’re onto something big. We want to build upon what makes Battlefield 3 great, and one of the areas where Battlefield shines is team play. The way we’re going about it in Battlefield 4 is to highly encourage team play – but never force it. We want to promote team play by creating great gameplay mechanics such as Field Upgrades, Commander Mode, and a new range of gadgets specifically designed to expand co-operation in the field. We have drastically expanded on the tools and benefits of efficient team play, and as a result we feel Battlefield 4’s multiplayer experience is the deepest, most rewarding, and fun experience in the series.

Class reunion with a twist

The four playable kits from Battlefield 3 will be back in Battlefield 4: Engineer, Recon, Support, and Assault. While keeping these core kits intact, we are increasing the ability for players to more strongly specialize their combat role while also increasing flexibility and catering to different play styles. At the same time, we’re maintaining a distinct flavor in the different kits and building more meaningful interactions between them. We will go more in-depth on the specific classes in the next blog post.

No matter your play style, we have an extremely deep collection of features in Battlefield 4, and we want to make sure that you can experience that wide array of options available to you. Looking at Battlefield 3, I think only a fraction of our players have tried all available gadgets or vehicles in multiplayer. Of course you don’t have to use everything in the game, but I think we can do a better job in BF4 of letting players make more educated choices in their kit loadouts and combat roles.

I think some players in Battlefield 3 stuck with the default Assault loadout. That’s fine – there’s a reason why it’s the default – but I think they’re missing out on so much amazing variety. In Battlefield 4, we’re clearly displaying what gadgets can do for you, how different weapons compare, and how they affect your options on the Battlefield.
Great team play = great perks

We have this new concept called Field Upgrades. If you’re a long term fan that played Battlefield 2142, you will already have an idea what these are, but we have tweaked them for Battlefield 4. In short, Field Upgrades are chained boosts that can affect a number of gameplay mechanics for your player. Similar to the specializations in Battlefield 3, these can for example provide you with faster sprint speed, stronger personal armor, or expanded ammo capacity.

The idea behind Field Upgrades is to give individual rewards for squad based team play performance. You earn them through squad scoring such as squad healing, completing objectives with your squad members, squad resupplies, squad repairs, and other squad actions. Instead of one single specialization like in Battlefield 3, you can now pick from different upgrades paths, each containing four specializations. Keep the squad alive, and you will move through the accumulative upgrade path. But watch out! If your entire squad is eliminated, you will lose some of your progress.

Showing you how team play gives you the edge in the bigger battle is paramount for us, and it involves all elements of the game: audiovisual feedback, user interface, gameplay mechanics, and the way the entire persistence system is designed. When we tie all of these elements together with the tweaked team-based scoring, we have a game where I think everyone will find it satisfying and deeply engrossing to truly be part of a team.
Creating a positive feedback loop

I’ve always been fascinated by creating interconnected systems and seeing how players use them. A great example in Battlefield 4 is the reward cycle incorporating every link in the chain of command. For example: The Commander issues an order (example: “Capture Base A!”), the Squad Leader passes it on to his squad mates, and the squad gets the work done. This executed order will reward everyone in the command chain and also open up ways for the Commander to further reward his team. This creates an eco-system that I believe will take team play in Battlefield 4 to new heights.

In the next episode of “The Road to Battlefield 4”, we’ll be taking a much closer look at exactly how Field Upgrades and the upgrade paths work, as well as revealing some of the all-new specializations we’re introducing in the game.
Levolution: The perfect storm

Watching our fans play Battlefield 3 has taught us a lot about player behavior. As developers, we tend to play our games one way, while fans try a lot of interesting things that we never thought of. Take the antenna on Caspian Border, for example. After players had seen it fall once, we could see them using everything in their arsenal to try and bring it down themselves. It might sound like a simple example, but it was one of the factors that initially made us think about incorporating bigger player-triggered destruction in Battlefield 4 – and that in turn led us to the game-changing concept that is Levolution.

Levolution is an overarching design concept incorporating a lot of features both big and small, that all affect gameplay in some way. You’ve probably already seen what it can do to skyscrapers but it also includes features like changing weather conditions that affects visibility, car alarms and metal detectors alerting players of enemy presence, or the ability to completely shroud a building in darkness and take out the enemies within using your IRNV scopes. Much more than just massive feats of destruction or pretty graphics, the exciting thing about Levolution is how it affects gameplay. From bringing down a skyscraper to securing a zone from enemy vehicles by raising bollards to block entry, Levolution will let you dynamically shape every game. And like so many other elements in Battlefield 4, Levolution also ties into the team play aspect of the game.
“Levolution will let you dynamically shape every game”

For example, depending on your team strengths, collapsing the skyscraper on our E3 map “Siege of Shanghai” can be either a positive or a negative. When you’ve knocked out its four main pillars, the skyscraper will fall in a massive cloud of dust and debris, killing all players unfortunate to be trapped inside. The base that used to be capture point C at the very top of the skyscraper will now be found at ground level, amidst the jarring blocks of concrete and rubble. This new infantry battleground will be clouded by dust, making navigation hard and often seeing players switch to infrared night vision scopes or FLIR. What used to be sniper heaven and the ideal paradrop base has suddenly turned into a low-visibility close quarters combat arena. This is great if you’re all about infantry combat, but if you have a team of great pilots, you will probably want the skyscraper to stay intact.

We’ll go more in-depth on the design process that led up to Levolution, as well as showcasing more examples of what this powerful concept can do in a future post. If there is one thing I wanted to focus on for multiplayer in Battlefield 4, it’s the idea of an open-ended design — We are creating a dynamic and complex “sandbox” where YOU decide what you want to do with it. That’s an emergent type of gameplay that we pride ourselves upon here at DICE.

With the release of Battlefield 4 fast approaching, we are anxious to start exploring the game together with you. Stay tuned here on the Battlefield Blog for more updates soon, and let us know what you think in the poll below.

-Thomas Andersson

**LONEWOLF** · August 18th, 2013

Looks like great stuff, Cheech

**AGC Rage** · August 18th, 2013

Sweet. Can't wait for it.

**CAG CheechDogg** · August 18th, 2013

Yes it does, CordedAbyss found this but only posted the link, I posted the actual articles so you guys can read them here. All that shit looks great so far.