Suggestions!
I don't know if half of this stuff is even possible, but I thought it could be beneficial to post the results of my brainstorming; maybe it'll give someone an idea as to how the game can be improved.
1. Great number of buildings to explore - Everyone loves urban warfare, and everyone loves ambushing everyone else from two or three stories up. If more buildings were opened up for exploration, the fun to be had on urban maps could be increased exponentially (except for tankers, they'd have to worry about anti-tank attacks from above as well as every other direction).
2. Ability to drag teammates - This would solve the problem of getting critically wounded in front of an enemy APC or tank, and being shot down every time a medic revives you. Implementation could include pressing "G" or "E" on someone who is critically wounded or maybe drain stamina from the person doing the dragging so it could only be done short distances. In addition, this would add a great deal of camaraderie.
3. Additional positions on vehicles – This could give vehicles less of a lone wolf stereotype and feel; it could even make the game more enjoyable. Here’s what I suggest:
a) tank loader – it could be sort of a minigame. Click on a shell, move, click on the breech, etc. While requiring tanks to have someone occupying this position in order to fire would be unworkable, having a loader could give benefits that the tank wouldn’t otherwise have, such as an increased firing rate. For those who like realism, the difference in rate of fire could be explained by the speed of an autoloader vs. a human loader.
b) artillery – I loved the artillery in ’42 and Vietnam. There was the teamwork factor between the scout and the arty operator, and it was also a fun minigame, kinda like Battleship (“Yeah! I so sunk your panzer, fool!”). In addition, human controlled artillery could potentially keep arty from being the stupid insta-kill that some players think it is. Instead of the commander actually “firing” the artillery himself, he would act more like a spotter for wherever he wants it, and the arty crews could respond appropriately.
c) informal passengers – What I’m going for here is having a dedicated spot on tanks for a few infantry to hitch a ride on the hull, sort of like how they did things back in the day (WWII). This would foster a little more camaraderie, as well as benefit the tank by having the infantry to protect its flank.
4. Additional vehicles – More vehicles. Everyone loves vehicles:
a) Fixed wing bombers – Think of the B-17 from ’42. I don’t know about you, but I love big ‘ole airplanes; guess it’s just the romantic in me. You could plausibly add the B-52, maybe the Badger or the Bear for the MEC and the Chinese equivalent of either for the PLA. In my opinion, there is nothing more awe inspiring than calling for air support and having a friendly pilot carpet bomb the whole city block for you. And think of the fun you could have with stealth bombers that wouldn’t show up on the enemy’s radar; not even the commanders!
b) utility planes – Now I’m thinking about the C-47 from ’42. Everyone loves to be a paratrooper, as well as have a spawn point in the sky. You could have a C-130, or a C-5 here, a Badger would work for the MEC and the PLA. With modern technology, you could even load up an APC, HUMVEE, or a tank and drop it off somewhere on the battlefield; kinda like what the helicopters could do in BFV, except faster.
Soldier: “I need a ride!”
[buggy lands in front of soldier]
Soldier: “Nevermind.”
c) MRLS artillery – Could operate like a mix between the TV guided missiles and artillery. Someone calls for arty, TV screen pops up instead of the usual grid and wherever you click a couple hundred pounds of highly explosive material descends. It’s arty for the new era!
d) civilian vehicles – I don’t know about you, but if my neighborhood ever becomes a warzone, I’m packin’ my family into a car and getting’ the heck outta Dodge. I’m willing to bet that I’m not the only one who would react that way; meaning that there would realistically be lots of ordinary cars, trucks, and SUVs left behind in a warzone, available for any soldier who wants to use them. I realize they put a pickup truck on SF, but seriously. Outside of the southern United States, who puts a machine gun on their Tacoma?
5. Bayonets – though arguably their last effective use in modern warfare was on Little Round Top, they’re still pretty darn cool.
6. Radios in vehicles – I have a lot of fond memories swooping low over the jungles of (Battlefield) Vietnam with “War” blaring over my speakers, occasionally accented by the staccato bark of gunfire from below. Surely soldiers nowadays have iPods, MP3s or something; even if they don’t listen to them during actual combat (due to the obvious necessity of being able to hear the squad leader’s orders). Of course, the radios should be limited to US vehicles only. I just can’t see a Chinese APC driving by blaring Linkin Park. That would be SO uncommunist.
7. Ability to throw knife – This was perhaps my favorite thing about Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons. Nothing says “commando” like taking down a Nazi with a flick of the wrist. Such a feature wouldn’t have to be an insta-kill, it could be just a last resort.
8. Weather effects – While just a minor environmental effect, it could add a great deal of atmosphere. A gun fight in a downpour, or a tank battle in a blinding snow storm, would be quite memorable. Of course, there is always the sonic aspect. Waiting for a burst of thunder to mask the sound of your shot would be sheer genius. It would add so much more strategy and depth to the gameplay.
9. Snipers get points for spotting – This would promote the idea that the primary job of snipers is to observe and report the enemy’s movements. The potential for abuse could be reduced by limiting the number of points that could be earned in a certain time frame. That way, spam spotting wouldn’t be as effective to stat pad.
10. Streamline commander mode – There could a few additions and improvements to the existing communication capabilities that would greatly improve the game:
a) unit type communication – this would be useful if, say, you just wanted to communicate with all the flyboys on the map, or all the armor on the map. It would be great for coordinating attacks, defenses, and whathaveyou.
b) improve ability to communicate with lone wolves – there are times when a lone wolf (under the commander’s guidance, of course) is more useful than a squad (a sniper or a pilot, for instance). A greater ability to communicate with these types of players would vastly improve the potential for intricate strategies.
11. Thermal vision for tanks – This would be very useful to counteract smokescreens (as they are in real life) as well as improve target acquisition. Because the human body gives off much less heat than the engine of a vehicle, it would be perfectly consistent for infantry to not show up on said vision.
12. Ability to repel out of helicopters – There could be sometimes when parachuting out of a chopper is too dangerous, and landing a chopper is suicide. But all of the time, repelling from a helicopter looks freakin’ cool; it practically screams “commando”.
13. More gameplay options – A Capture the Flag would be nice, as would a dedicated Co-op mode with options to adjust the number of compies, the size of the maps, etc. An objective based mode would also be quite fun (Leviathan could be the perfect map).
14. SCUBA kits – RIBs can be easy targets for choppers and snipers, and jet skis are rather limited in supply. Individuals could pick up these kits and it would open up a great deal more gameplay options. A whole new dimension of attack could be produced if infantry were given the ability to infiltrate via the rivers and lakes. Script writing costs: $100. Production costs: $25. Comin’ up from the swamp behind a sniper whose back is turned: priceless.
15. Flare gun – Because of the limited viewing range of the map, and the usual necessity of hitting the “M” button, thus taking away from your situational awareness, a more visual cue is needed. It would be much easier for pilots and infantry alike to know where support is need from seeing a flare signal than having to risk checking their map.
16. More “backpacking” opportunities – Larger maps with less unclimbable hills has the potential to bring great new tactics and experiences. Example: on Operation Battleaxe (BF1942), the fighting is concentrated in a very small cauldron; but the map itself is enormous and rarely explored. I grabbed an APC with some buddies and headed out all the way around the map to the back door of the fascist base. Using the canyons and mountains as cover, we weren’t even spotted by German aircraft. They never suspected we would attack their rear, and we made one of the best comebacks ever (okay, so we may have spawn camped a little, but that’s not the point).
17. More destructible environments – Yeah, bridges are nice and all, but there could be more. Imagine if some of the buildings were destructible. Now imagine if some pesky infantry where holed up in there and sniping off your teammates. Tank shot and *BOOM*, the whole thing comes down on their heads. Fun stuff!
18. More in-vehicle views – This one is a bit hard to explain. Okay, you know how you can move your head around to a certain degree when you are in the back of the APC or a transport helicopter? That’s the kind of view I’m talking about. It immerses you into the game in a powerful, yet subtle way. You should be able to have that freedom of viewing more often.
19. Add gas consumption – This could keep things like tanks and helicopters from being the cheap arse juggernauts that some players make them out to be. I’m not going for realism here, just looking for a gameplay mechanic that could better balance the game and make everyone happy.
20. Manually speed up flag capture – This could be accomplished by running up to the flag pole and pressing “E” to “enter” it kinda like a vehicle. The animation would show you lowering and raising the flag, but you would be vulnerable and unable to shoot while this animation was occurring. It could sort of give that Iwo Jima feel to the game.
21. Laser-guided bombs – I thought this was going to be one of the features when I first heard of BF2 coming out. Guess I was wrong, that feature was given to Modern Combat. But it would be really cool if they could implement it here. It would add that teamwork feeling that I was describing awhile back with the spotter and the artillery. Plus, it could make bombing runs a great deal more accurate.
Well, those are my thoughts. Most of them are probably not practical or possible, but my hope is that at least one of these will inspire someone to make BF2 an even better game!
1. Great number of buildings to explore - Everyone loves urban warfare, and everyone loves ambushing everyone else from two or three stories up. If more buildings were opened up for exploration, the fun to be had on urban maps could be increased exponentially (except for tankers, they'd have to worry about anti-tank attacks from above as well as every other direction).
2. Ability to drag teammates - This would solve the problem of getting critically wounded in front of an enemy APC or tank, and being shot down every time a medic revives you. Implementation could include pressing "G" or "E" on someone who is critically wounded or maybe drain stamina from the person doing the dragging so it could only be done short distances. In addition, this would add a great deal of camaraderie.
3. Additional positions on vehicles – This could give vehicles less of a lone wolf stereotype and feel; it could even make the game more enjoyable. Here’s what I suggest:
a) tank loader – it could be sort of a minigame. Click on a shell, move, click on the breech, etc. While requiring tanks to have someone occupying this position in order to fire would be unworkable, having a loader could give benefits that the tank wouldn’t otherwise have, such as an increased firing rate. For those who like realism, the difference in rate of fire could be explained by the speed of an autoloader vs. a human loader.
b) artillery – I loved the artillery in ’42 and Vietnam. There was the teamwork factor between the scout and the arty operator, and it was also a fun minigame, kinda like Battleship (“Yeah! I so sunk your panzer, fool!”). In addition, human controlled artillery could potentially keep arty from being the stupid insta-kill that some players think it is. Instead of the commander actually “firing” the artillery himself, he would act more like a spotter for wherever he wants it, and the arty crews could respond appropriately.
c) informal passengers – What I’m going for here is having a dedicated spot on tanks for a few infantry to hitch a ride on the hull, sort of like how they did things back in the day (WWII). This would foster a little more camaraderie, as well as benefit the tank by having the infantry to protect its flank.
4. Additional vehicles – More vehicles. Everyone loves vehicles:
a) Fixed wing bombers – Think of the B-17 from ’42. I don’t know about you, but I love big ‘ole airplanes; guess it’s just the romantic in me. You could plausibly add the B-52, maybe the Badger or the Bear for the MEC and the Chinese equivalent of either for the PLA. In my opinion, there is nothing more awe inspiring than calling for air support and having a friendly pilot carpet bomb the whole city block for you. And think of the fun you could have with stealth bombers that wouldn’t show up on the enemy’s radar; not even the commanders!
b) utility planes – Now I’m thinking about the C-47 from ’42. Everyone loves to be a paratrooper, as well as have a spawn point in the sky. You could have a C-130, or a C-5 here, a Badger would work for the MEC and the PLA. With modern technology, you could even load up an APC, HUMVEE, or a tank and drop it off somewhere on the battlefield; kinda like what the helicopters could do in BFV, except faster.
Soldier: “I need a ride!”
[buggy lands in front of soldier]
Soldier: “Nevermind.”
c) MRLS artillery – Could operate like a mix between the TV guided missiles and artillery. Someone calls for arty, TV screen pops up instead of the usual grid and wherever you click a couple hundred pounds of highly explosive material descends. It’s arty for the new era!
d) civilian vehicles – I don’t know about you, but if my neighborhood ever becomes a warzone, I’m packin’ my family into a car and getting’ the heck outta Dodge. I’m willing to bet that I’m not the only one who would react that way; meaning that there would realistically be lots of ordinary cars, trucks, and SUVs left behind in a warzone, available for any soldier who wants to use them. I realize they put a pickup truck on SF, but seriously. Outside of the southern United States, who puts a machine gun on their Tacoma?
5. Bayonets – though arguably their last effective use in modern warfare was on Little Round Top, they’re still pretty darn cool.
6. Radios in vehicles – I have a lot of fond memories swooping low over the jungles of (Battlefield) Vietnam with “War” blaring over my speakers, occasionally accented by the staccato bark of gunfire from below. Surely soldiers nowadays have iPods, MP3s or something; even if they don’t listen to them during actual combat (due to the obvious necessity of being able to hear the squad leader’s orders). Of course, the radios should be limited to US vehicles only. I just can’t see a Chinese APC driving by blaring Linkin Park. That would be SO uncommunist.
7. Ability to throw knife – This was perhaps my favorite thing about Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons. Nothing says “commando” like taking down a Nazi with a flick of the wrist. Such a feature wouldn’t have to be an insta-kill, it could be just a last resort.
8. Weather effects – While just a minor environmental effect, it could add a great deal of atmosphere. A gun fight in a downpour, or a tank battle in a blinding snow storm, would be quite memorable. Of course, there is always the sonic aspect. Waiting for a burst of thunder to mask the sound of your shot would be sheer genius. It would add so much more strategy and depth to the gameplay.
9. Snipers get points for spotting – This would promote the idea that the primary job of snipers is to observe and report the enemy’s movements. The potential for abuse could be reduced by limiting the number of points that could be earned in a certain time frame. That way, spam spotting wouldn’t be as effective to stat pad.
10. Streamline commander mode – There could a few additions and improvements to the existing communication capabilities that would greatly improve the game:
a) unit type communication – this would be useful if, say, you just wanted to communicate with all the flyboys on the map, or all the armor on the map. It would be great for coordinating attacks, defenses, and whathaveyou.
b) improve ability to communicate with lone wolves – there are times when a lone wolf (under the commander’s guidance, of course) is more useful than a squad (a sniper or a pilot, for instance). A greater ability to communicate with these types of players would vastly improve the potential for intricate strategies.
11. Thermal vision for tanks – This would be very useful to counteract smokescreens (as they are in real life) as well as improve target acquisition. Because the human body gives off much less heat than the engine of a vehicle, it would be perfectly consistent for infantry to not show up on said vision.
12. Ability to repel out of helicopters – There could be sometimes when parachuting out of a chopper is too dangerous, and landing a chopper is suicide. But all of the time, repelling from a helicopter looks freakin’ cool; it practically screams “commando”.
13. More gameplay options – A Capture the Flag would be nice, as would a dedicated Co-op mode with options to adjust the number of compies, the size of the maps, etc. An objective based mode would also be quite fun (Leviathan could be the perfect map).
14. SCUBA kits – RIBs can be easy targets for choppers and snipers, and jet skis are rather limited in supply. Individuals could pick up these kits and it would open up a great deal more gameplay options. A whole new dimension of attack could be produced if infantry were given the ability to infiltrate via the rivers and lakes. Script writing costs: $100. Production costs: $25. Comin’ up from the swamp behind a sniper whose back is turned: priceless.
15. Flare gun – Because of the limited viewing range of the map, and the usual necessity of hitting the “M” button, thus taking away from your situational awareness, a more visual cue is needed. It would be much easier for pilots and infantry alike to know where support is need from seeing a flare signal than having to risk checking their map.
16. More “backpacking” opportunities – Larger maps with less unclimbable hills has the potential to bring great new tactics and experiences. Example: on Operation Battleaxe (BF1942), the fighting is concentrated in a very small cauldron; but the map itself is enormous and rarely explored. I grabbed an APC with some buddies and headed out all the way around the map to the back door of the fascist base. Using the canyons and mountains as cover, we weren’t even spotted by German aircraft. They never suspected we would attack their rear, and we made one of the best comebacks ever (okay, so we may have spawn camped a little, but that’s not the point).
17. More destructible environments – Yeah, bridges are nice and all, but there could be more. Imagine if some of the buildings were destructible. Now imagine if some pesky infantry where holed up in there and sniping off your teammates. Tank shot and *BOOM*, the whole thing comes down on their heads. Fun stuff!
18. More in-vehicle views – This one is a bit hard to explain. Okay, you know how you can move your head around to a certain degree when you are in the back of the APC or a transport helicopter? That’s the kind of view I’m talking about. It immerses you into the game in a powerful, yet subtle way. You should be able to have that freedom of viewing more often.
19. Add gas consumption – This could keep things like tanks and helicopters from being the cheap arse juggernauts that some players make them out to be. I’m not going for realism here, just looking for a gameplay mechanic that could better balance the game and make everyone happy.
20. Manually speed up flag capture – This could be accomplished by running up to the flag pole and pressing “E” to “enter” it kinda like a vehicle. The animation would show you lowering and raising the flag, but you would be vulnerable and unable to shoot while this animation was occurring. It could sort of give that Iwo Jima feel to the game.
21. Laser-guided bombs – I thought this was going to be one of the features when I first heard of BF2 coming out. Guess I was wrong, that feature was given to Modern Combat. But it would be really cool if they could implement it here. It would add that teamwork feeling that I was describing awhile back with the spotter and the artillery. Plus, it could make bombing runs a great deal more accurate.
Well, those are my thoughts. Most of them are probably not practical or possible, but my hope is that at least one of these will inspire someone to make BF2 an even better game!
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