Battlefield 6 Open Beta Part 2
I spent several hours today trying Battlefield 6 during its first Open Beta weekend. Trying being an apt word as I experienced some technical difficulties during that time. There were server queues as there often are during test periods, which took 5-10 minutes to clear. I also found that when a multiplayer game ended the client would often freeze, requiring me to use the task manager to shutdown the .exe file . As I then had to restart the entire game it meant having to rejoin the server queue again. Furthermore, despite various methods, I could not get Battlefield 6 to display on my second monitor. Although there is a clear option within the graphics settings, I could not get the game to output to my Dell S2421H monitor. If I used the Windows + Shift + → key combination, the game would briefly appear on the second monitor then instantly snap back to the first. I also could not take any screen captures or use OBS to capture video. I believe this is down to the game’s anticheat software.
I spent several hours today trying Battlefield 6 during its first Open Beta weekend. Trying being an apt word as I experienced some technical difficulties during that time. There were server queues as there often are during test periods, which took 5-10 minutes to clear. I also found that when a multiplayer game ended the client would often freeze, requiring me to use the task manager to shutdown the .exe file . As I then had to restart the entire game it meant having to rejoin the server queue again. Furthermore, despite various methods, I could not get Battlefield 6 to display on my second monitor. Although there is a clear option within the graphics settings, I could not get the game to output to my Dell S2421H monitor. If I used the Windows + Shift + → key combination, the game would briefly appear on the second monitor then instantly snap back to the first. I also could not take any screen captures or use OBS to capture video. I believe this is down to the game’s anticheat software.
I wanted the game to run Battlefield 6 on my second monitor as it is FHD and so any recordings or screen captures would be in the standard 16:9 ratio. However, I had to use my main monitor which is a Dell U2412M which has a slightly larger 1920x1200 resolution which is an aspect ratio of 16:10. A minor problem when it comes to uploading to YouTube. However, my current GPU, an AMD Radeon RX 6650XT, seemed to handle the game’s graphics adequately and I certainly didn’t encounter any visual issues during my gameplay. As with previous versions of the game, Battlefield 6, continues to use a colour scheme that features muted, desaturated tones, with a focus on browns, greens, and greys. This aesthetic is done to enhance realism and immersion, as these colours are commonly found in military camouflage and environments. However I do find it rather drab and at times a visual impediment when it comes to identifying distant objects.
The first multiplayer game that I joined was in Breakthrough mode. This is a large-scale battle where attackers have to advance and claim territory. The rounds last between 20 and 40 minutes. Set in a mountainous village in Tajikistan, Liberation Peak is a substantive and craggy map, with terrain that is ideal for vehicles. I spawned into the game and moved forward with my squad, only to get immediately shot by a sniper. It was a very Battlefield moment, to say the least and one that highlights a common issue arising from games with large maps. Although in open beta, players have already established where the optimal sniper points are on specific maps. Hence players spawning into the game with no prior knowledge are easy pickings. However, this is a foible of the larger maps. The next game was set in an urban area of Cairo and the densely packed streets offered greater protection.
The amount of time I spent in Battlefield 6 today was insufficient for me to make a definitive personal opinion on the game at present. My overriding impression so far, especially in the smaller urban maps, is one of functional chaos. The destructible environment is a major factor in all engagements, as you cannot really dig in and hold a position in the traditional sense. Squads have to continuously move around capture points, laying down suppressing fire, rather than remain static. Vehicles can be used effectively, if adequately supported by infantry. The lone wolf that tries to take a tank deep into enemy territory is extremely vulnerable. The guns feel well balanced with regard to firing and recoil. However, I find that the amount of hits it takes, especially with SMGs, to kill other players is a little high. I appreciate the necessity of “bullet sponge mechanics” but this does at times kill immersion.
Perhaps the most interesting addition to Battlefield 6 is the ability to drag an injured player to cover to revive them. This really does impact upon the ebb and flow of the game, as it reduces the amount of time spent respawning and returning to your last position on the map. However, for this mechanic to work, just like re-arming players or repairing vehicles it requires players to embrace the role of the class that they’ve chosen. Spotting is another ability that is key to effective squad gameplay. Speaking of classes, I prefer maps where weapons are locked to specific classes, although in this iteration of Battlefield, there is support for multiplayer games that allow you to “mix and match”. I like the fact that Battlefield embraces the fact that not all players have the same level of skill or wish to do the same things. Hence the clear class distinctions allow players to find a role that suits them. Altering the loadouts for classes, diminishes that philosophy.
I have tried my best not to read too much about the ongoing beta test, as I want my opinions to be based directly upon my experience. That said, I am aware that there have been concerns raised over the size of the maps available in this latest round of testing as well as the TTK, that I have already discussed. However, this is a beta test and as such, I expect aspects of the game to be adjusted in accordance to player feedback. I certainly hope that Battlefield Studios addresses the veracity of their anticheat software as it is a problem that I can’t record any game footage or take screen captures. So far, I have enjoyed what I have seen and experienced of Battlefield 6 and it certainly does seem like a welcome return to the halcyon days of Battlefield 3 and 4. I look forward to next weekend’s test to see what else the game has to offer.
Update: I managed to take some screen captures using AMD Adrenalin software.
Running Around Shooting Things
I took advantage of the current summer sales and pre-ordered the next instalment of Call of Duty, succinctly named WWII, due to be released in Autumn. After straying far from the established model, it’s nice to see CoD returning to its roots. The Second World War is a tried and tested formula and will no doubt be well received by fans of the franchise. As I have said before, COD is not a revolutionary product and as far as I know has never claimed to be. It provides a standard formula with sufficient variation, which is commercially viable and demonstrably popular. Those gamers that constantly rail against these games are on a hiding to nothing. You might as well complain about pop music being mainstream and accessible.
I took advantage of the current summer sales and pre-ordered the next instalment of Call of Duty, succinctly named WWII, due to be released in Autumn. After straying far from the established model, it’s nice to see CoD returning to its roots. The Second World War is a tried and tested formula and will no doubt be well received by fans of the franchise. As I have said before, COD is not a revolutionary product and as far as I know has never claimed to be. It provides a standard formula with sufficient variation, which is commercially viable and demonstrably popular. Those gamers that constantly rail against these games are on a hiding to nothing. You might as well complain about pop music being mainstream and accessible.
Over the years I played numerous FPS franchises such as Doom, Quake and Battlefield. Recently I’ve strayed in to cooperative variants such as Overwatch and For Honor. They all have their respective merits and downsides. But they all have to be offset against my relative lack of skill with the FPS genre. Map familiarity, optimising your load out and effective tactics are required skills if you want to get the most from the games. Skills that I lack. As a result, many of these titles have never fully satisfied me and lived up to the frenetic experience that the marketing depicted. However, COD, particularly the Treyarch produced instalments, have not fallen into this category.
The barriers to success are lower due to the mechanics of the game. Weapons physics and map designs are less esoteric and there is also an opportunity for luck. Even the most myopic of players will be presented with a chance to get kill sooner or later, even if it is simply by a player spawning in front of you. What some see as dumbing down is the foundation of the games appeal. For those that want a more challenging experience there are harder game modes. But for those that don't want a strict learning curve or the intricacies of more sophisticated games, COD provides a quick fix. There is also the offline multiplayer option in some instalment for those who wish to play against bots.
I have spent time in various incarnations of Battlefield where the multiplayer experience has been very good. But that has often been dependent on the server I was playing on. I have also had times when endless running across the map only to be shot the moment I arrived at the action, became very trying. The way certain players monopolise some of the vehicles is also a pain at times. Simply put, being a poor player inhibits your enjoyment of the game. With CoD, this simply doesn't arise as often. You may at times chance across some tedious troll but this can be addressed with the judicious use of the mute button. Overall you can jump into the action and quickly start enjoying the game without having to think to hard or worry about tactics. Overwatch has a similar accessibility about it. If you desire a greater challenge you can always find it with the variety of options these games offer.
The FPS genre provides a variety of products, catering to a broad range of tastes. Each has its place in the market and arguing that one is better than another seems as senseless to me as saying apples are better than oranges. There are times when I will knuckle down and attempt to up my game when playing something like Red Orchestra 2 Heroes of Stalingrad. It often helps in a more complex environment to be part of an organised team. On other occasions, I am happy to take a more leisurely approach because sometimes, all I want to do is run around and shoot things. It is then that I recapture that enjoyment I had when playing Unreal Tournament, back in 1999. Because isn't having fun what gaming is supposed to be about?
Games We Cannot Play
I have written in the past about how certain games can be very appealing conceptually but the reality is quite different. Often the fundamental disappointment doesn't lie with the game itself but with our inability to play them. For me the Battlefield franchise is a prime example of this and more recently For Honor. The trailers for these games are frenetic, focusing on action and spectacle. The associated marketing certainly sells the idea of “awesome action”. Sadly, my personal experience of Battlefield has usually been running across an inordinately large map, only to arrive at the hot spot to get one-shotted. As for the planes, helicopters and vehicles; I can't fly them or drive them effectively so team mates tend to abandon me. I can only describe my experience in For Honor as being a flesh piñata for other players. The fun experience depicted in the advertising was as elusive as a good, odd numbered Star Trek movie.
I have written in the past about how certain games can be very appealing conceptually but the reality is quite different. Often the fundamental disappointment doesn't lie with the game itself but with our inability to play them. For me the Battlefield franchise is a prime example of this and more recently For Honor. The trailers for these games are frenetic, focusing on action and spectacle. The associated marketing certainly sells the idea of “awesome action”. Sadly, my personal experience of Battlefield has usually been running across an inordinately large map, only to arrive at the hot spot to get one-shotted. As for the planes, helicopters and vehicles; I can't fly them or drive them effectively so team mates tend to abandon me. I can only describe my experience in For Honor as being a flesh piñata for other players. The fun experience depicted in the advertising was as elusive as a good, odd numbered Star Trek movie.
This is one of the reasons I gave up on EVE Online after a fortnight free trial. I simply could not progress in the game through a lack of skill and a chronic tolerance and patience deficit. With other game genres such as first person shooters or massive online battle arenas, I broadly have the same lack of success. Often with titles such as Overwatch and Guardians of Middle-earth it boils down to twitch gaming. Sadly, this is the prerogative of youth. For someone my age, by the time I’ve adjusted my Pince-nez, taken a sip of Madeira and pondered on the matter in hand, I find that I’ve been defeated. And don’t even get me started on flight simulators. What could possibly be cooler than flying a classic warplane or an iconic commercial airliner? Yet the complexity of such titles is beyond me. Nope, with the best will in the world, these sorts of games are not for me. As Harry Callahan said in Magnum Force, "A man's got to know his limitations".
I think most gamers of sound mind eventually arrive at a similar conclusion. Through trial and error, we establish what we can and cannot play. There are a few alleged renaissance men and women that claim otherwise, although most of these are delusional. As for those who genuinely can succeed with all game genres, well they deserve nothing more than a slap for making the rest of us look bad. Yet despite this reality, as humans we like to occasionally take leave of our senses and buy a game that’s sale that we have no hope in hell of succeeding at. I did this several years ago when I bought Ace Combat Assault Horizon Enhanced Edition for the PC. In my defense one of the first reviews that I skimmed through described it as "Call of Duty takes to the skies". At the time my first play through was a dismal failure and I didn’t reach the end. This weekend, I dusted off Ace Combat Assault Horizon Enhanced Edition for round two.
In many respects the CoD analogy is quite accurate. The game has a scaled back control system for the various planes and helicopters and is designed to be used with a game controller. The central campaign storyline is like Modern Warfare in so far as it has a generic World War III narrative filled with caricatures. There's then co-op and multiplayer online missions to be played in various permutations. The thing is, even with the game difficulty dropped to the lowest setting, I still found controlling the planes exceptionally taxing. At one point, I felt I may gain better results if I put a bag over my head and trusted to luck. It took hours before I realised that the on-screen messages that I was berating for blocking my view, were giving me hints. Upon taking the advice there was a significant improvement. However, I still found myself struggling with such things as orientation and situational awareness. For a second time, I have abandoned Ace Combat Assault Horizon Enhanced Edition only half completed.
It's an odd thing, coming to terms with the fact that there are some games that just aren't for you. We quickly learn while growing up that we can't be good at everything in life. Music, art, academia or sport are not for everyone. By and large we get over these things. Well, most of us do. Furthermore, we adapt. If you can't hold a tune, it’s no big deal. If you find yourself in a situation that requires you to sing, just mime. Half your church congregation does this regularly. Not especially good at sports? No worries; you can still enjoy them on TV and your lack of ability certainly is no impediment to being an armchair expert. But the notion that you can't be good at a game is troubling to some. I wonder exactly how many titles fill the average gamer's library that remain uncompleted, abandoned and forgotten; due to the realisation that they were crap at playing them? I’d hazard a guess it’s far more common place than you think.