Battlefield 2

Battlefield 2
Battlefield 2 logo
Studio	DICE
Publisher	Electronic Arts
Erstveröffent- lichung	June 23, 2005
platform	Windows XP or higher
Game engine	Refractor 2
genre	Tactical shooter
Game mode	Single player (limited), multiplayer (Internet and LAN )
control	Mouse , keyboard , joystick (optional, better control in aircraft)
system advantages preconditions	Windows XP (32bit version) Processor : 1.7 GHz RAM: 512 MB Graphics card : 128 MB RAM and shader model 1.4 Hard disk: 2.3 GB of free space DirectX version 9.0c
medium	1 DVD , 3 CDs (USA only), Internet download
language	German
Current version	1.50
copy protection	SafeDisc 4.5
Age rating	USK PEGI
information	No official support for Windows 2000 , but also works in some cases; unofficial patch for graphics cards with ShaderModel 1.3 available online

Battlefield 2 is the third title in the Battlefield computer game series and was released on June 23, 2005. It belongs to the first person and tactical shooter genre. The previous games were Battlefield 1942 and Battlefield Vietnam , the successor is Battlefield 3 . The number 2 in the title stands for the second part of the series, which was developed by DICE Sweden ( Battlefield Vietnam was developed by DICE Canada).

The graphics engine has been heavily revised and further developed.

Due to the discontinuation of GameSpy in May 2014, Electronic Arts announced the end of online support for Battlefield 2 . The servers were shut down on June 30, 2014.

Gameplay

Battlefield 2 takes place mainly in the Middle and Far East of the present, in the booster pack "Armored Fury" the plot has been moved to the American continent. The “Euro Force” booster pack includes the European Union in the fictitious war events in the Middle East. The game has more modern graphics than the previous parts of the Battlefield series and more emphasis is placed on tactics and teamwork . Battlefield 2 is about the struggle of three warring parties ( USA with the USMC , China with the PLA , and a fictional coalition of the Middle East, the Middle Eastern Coalition - MEC for short), which are equipped with modern weapon systems such as. B. the M1A2 or the SU-34 fight against each other. Up to 64 players can compete against each other on 13 cards, each of which is available in 16, 32 and 64 player variants. The 13th map "Wake Island 2007" was added with patch 1.3 and, geographically speaking, corresponds to the map of the same name "Wake Island" from Battlefield 1942 (and its multiplayer demo). Furthermore, the 14th map "Road to Jalalabad" has been available since patch 1.4. Independent of the patches, the 15th map with the name "Highway Tampa" appeared in June 2007. With patch 1.5 from September 1st, 2009, Battlefield 2 will be expanded to include the 16th map "Operation Blue Pearl". The patch also includes the “Armored Fury” and “Euro Force” booster packs free of charge, which increases the number of cards to 22.

Important innovations

• the commander mode
• the squad system
• the communication quick selection (Commo-Rose)
• the ranking system
• VoIP

Battlefield 2 also contains the anti-cheat tool PunkBuster .

Commander mode and squad system

One of the important innovations compared to its predecessors is the post of commander. Players can apply to be Commander at the beginning of the round; the candidate with the highest military rank occupies the post. The commander can still actively participate in the game, but there are also a lot of additional functions available to him. So he can z. B. direct other players (only squad leaders, see below) on an overview map to a deployment point or give them orders, which they can then pass on to their squad members. In addition, the Commander can be a reconnaissance drone (English UAV. U nmanned A erial V ehicle, in German "Drone") start that monitors an area of the battlefield for a few seconds and the position of opponents every player displays of their own team. Furthermore, the Commander can drop supply boxes (and from version 1.3 also vehicles) by parachute, which other players can use to heal themselves and refill their ammunition. In addition, the commander has the option to fire artillery at any point on the map at certain time intervals. It is also possible for the commander to closely observe every single point on the map and to zoom the overview map so far that he can warn his fellow combatants of individual enemy soldiers. Furthermore, he has the option of completely scanning the map for opponents and informing his team of their positions. However, the opposing teammates can restrict the Commander's freedom of action by destroying his radar station, his UAV trailer or his artillery pieces.

A squad is a smaller association within a team that consists of up to six players (a squad leader and up to five squad members). Only the squad leader can communicate directly with the commander (e.g. he can request commands or one of the above-mentioned commander functions). He can also give orders to his squad members (eg “Attack here!”, “Advance to this position!” Or “Repair here!”). In addition, it serves as a mobile entry point for its squad members. However, this is only possible as long as the team has at least one flag under control. For tactical reasons, the squad leader usually remains hidden and lets the squad members work for them. The squad leader has the option of inviting other players into his squad or removing them from the squad again.

A player becomes a squad member as soon as he joins the squad of a squad leader. Now he has the opportunity to communicate with the other squad members via VoIP and, in the event of death, to join the squad leader again. After the so-called spawn (new entry), the squad member orients himself according to his squad leader.

This squad system helps to focus the game more on teamwork and strategy, as these squads can operate effectively and independently in combat as small groups. Thus, the player can fight much more effectively if he does not act alone, but in a group.

The last option to play is the Lone Wolf. These players do not belong to any squad. So they can act independently and sabotage the equipment of the enemy commander, for example. Often snipers choose this option to prevent squad members from exposing them in their hiding place.

Further innovations

The so-called "Commo-Rose" is used for non-verbal communication. At the touch of a button, several communication options (such as "enemy contact", "need support", "need ammunition replenishment" or "please pick up") are listed around the player's crosshairs, which the player can then select with the mouse and click on this way can provide information or request assistance to other team members.

With the statistics, all actions of a player are now stored on a central server, which are carried out on an official ranked server. This means that data such as playing time, kills, time on certain cards, etc. v. a. view on the internet. With the achievement of certain points (Global Score) the player is promoted to the next rank. Here, depending on their rank, players can unlock new weapons (in single player, however, you cannot play with unlocked weapons). Through various activities, e.g. B. after completing a certain season, it is possible to acquire various awards. These awards (medals, ribbons, badges) are modeled after the available ranks, real military ranks and awards. This system of promotions creates competition between the players that goes beyond the individual rounds and is therefore partly responsible for the appeal of the game.

The game also has VoIP , a built-in function for communication between the players (similar to Teamspeak ). Even casual gamers can discuss strategies with one another or call for help - microphone required - without having to install additional programs. The developers also made sure that there was a certain degree of reality in the radio conversation. The following restrictions were made:

• Squadless players cannot talk.
• Players in a squad can only talk to their squad.
• Squad leaders can speak to both their squad and the commander.
• The commander can only talk to squad leaders.

Current

Although these innovations were very well received by the players, neither VoIP nor the Commander were adopted in the successor Battlefield 3 , Squads and Commo-Rose only to a very limited extent. This means that Battlefield 2 remains the most modern game in the main series in terms of team play.

This is one of the reasons why the game, and even its first release, the multiplayer demo, has been actively played to this day.

Class system

In Battlefield 2 there is - as in Battlefield 1942 - the class system. To this end, soldiers are divided into task categories.

There are the same classes in every team. However, they are characterized by different weapons (you cannot unlock a weapon in the lowest rank). So it happens that the soldiers in different teams also differ in their weapons. However, these are balanced in such a way that the same class has the same penetrating power in all teams.

Special forces

The Special Forces (so-called “Spec Ops” for Special Operations) tend to operate in the background and are not intended for use on the front lines. Due to the lack of armor, they can sprint over longer distances. As a result, however, they are rather helpless against more heavily armored units or even vehicles. While they have an extremely precise rifle as their primary weapon, their real destructive power lies in the C4 . This allows enemy bases to be blown up if necessary, but the C4 is mainly intended for the destruction of strategically important points. These include primarily the UAV control center, artillery or radar of the enemy, but bridges and vehicles can also be effectively destroyed. He can detonate the charges with his remote detonator from anywhere on the map - provided he hasn't died in the meantime. When he dies, team members or enemies can pick up his equipment and detonate the explosive devices.

sniper

The sniper is also assigned a role in the background. He also has a ghillie suit , which makes him difficult to recognize in his surroundings together with plants (grasses, trees and bushes) in order to remain as undiscovered as possible. He should not only switch off enemy infantry units from a distance, but also "sight" enemy vehicles and radio them through to his comrades. He can also secure tactically important points such as checkpoints against infantry with two Claymore anti-personnel mines. Since it is weakly armored like the Special Forces class, it can sprint longer, but is inferior to stronger units in close combat.

Assault soldier

The storm soldier is the actual combat unit in the game. It is equipped with strong armor, but apart from the usual equipment (knife, pistol and grenades) it has no noteworthy weapon accessories, except for flash or smoke grenades and an integrated grenade launcher, which kills the enemy unit immediately if it hits the bull's eye.

Supply soldier

Since, in contrast to its predecessors, there are no more permanently installed and indestructible ammunition boxes, the supply soldier was assigned the role of ammunition replenishment. In addition, he has ammunition packs (English. Ammo-Packs), which he can toss his comrades and ammunition them and himself again or is in a vehicle and can supply team members in the vicinity with ammunition. He can also distribute the packages in the area. If a player walks over it, his ammunition supply is completely refilled. It doesn't matter which class the comrade belongs to. The person who laid out the ammo pack receives one team point for adding ammunition.

Because the supply soldier also has to supply his team members with ammunition at the front, he is equipped with strong armor and a light machine gun, which, however, make him lose power more quickly when sprinting and jumping.

pioneer

The pioneer is responsible for repairs to destructible objects with his wrench: regardless of whether they are vehicles, bridges, artillery guns, radar or UAV vehicles. By repairing these objects, the pioneer receives a team point, depending on the scope of the repair. However, he only receives this if it is his own vehicle or his own commander means. There are no repair points for repairing neutral objects (including destroyed bridges and unmanned vehicles). The more pioneers repair an object, the less time it takes to repair it. If a pioneer is in a vehicle, damaged objects and other vehicles nearby are automatically repaired.

Equally important is the laying out of anti-tank mines (AT mines, anti-tank mines). To do this, he can lay the mines on the ground. If a vehicle drives over it, it and its occupants are blown up and eliminated. Useful for "blocking" certain driveways. Infantrymen cannot trigger these mines.

The pioneer can clear mines (regardless of whether they are enemy or his own) of any kind (this also includes claymores laid by the sniper) by removing them with the wrench.

However, due to the lack of armor, the pioneer must be careful that he is well protected by his team.

paramedic

As in Battlefield 1942, the medic is back in Battlefield 2. However, the defibrillator gives him a very powerful accessory: he can reanimate seriously injured comrades. In most cases, comrades are "only" critically wounded by projectiles and "only" die after 15 seconds (time set by the server - on a ranked server: 15 seconds). This is the time window for the paramedic to rush to the wounded man and resuscitate him with the help of the defibrillator. If this succeeds, the reanimated has full health points again and can continue fighting. The paramedic receives two team points for this.

However, certain circumstances lead to the immediate death of the soldier, so that he can no longer be reanimated - he is then eliminated (which is also displayed to the player): direct hit by artillery, anti-tank or anti-tank projectiles, if he died in a vehicle, himself was in a stationary defensive position or on a ladder when he died or when he was run over by a vehicle. Grenades cannot eliminate players when hit. However, if several grenades explode in the immediate vicinity of a seriously wounded soldier, this leads to his elimination and he can no longer be reanimated.

The paramedic in a vehicle can also heal team members in the vicinity or distribute medipacks. The players who walk over it will be completely healed. In this way the medic keeps the advance of his troops alive and also receives a team point. He can also heal himself, which is why the medic is a popular class.

The medic should also not be used in direct frontline operations, as they are just as weakly armored as the pioneer, the sniper or the spec-op.

The community often criticizes the paramedic's considerable strength. This is with the weapons knife, pistol, grenades, strong and very precise assault rifles, as well as defibrillator (which can also be used as a weapon, has an astonishingly long range and if hit leads to the immediate death of the victim), which makes him one makes very dangerous opponents. The weaker armor compared to certain other classes is more than made up for by the ability to heal himself and with the defibrillator he can quickly bring his fallen comrades back to life and thus secure considerable support in a short time. He also has great endurance, i.e. e. he can sprint longer than z. B. the storm soldier.

Anti-tank gunner

The anti-tank gunner can actively endanger tanks , armored transport vehicles and light transport vehicles such as jeeps through portable rocket launchers and their heavy armor. The fired rockets can be precisely controlled by a steering wire until they hit, so that moving objects can also be hit. If the shooter uses the zoom , a warning tone sounds on the targeted vehicle so that the driver can take countermeasures - for example, the driver of an armored vehicle can fire smoke batteries to make aiming more difficult and, if necessary, to withdraw.

In contrast to other first-person shooters , the rocket launcher has very little scatter damage, so that the rocket launcher must be used precisely.

The anti-tank gunner can defend himself against infantry with a light submachine gun or an unlockable shotgun.

Patches

Version number	Patch	Publication date
1.0.2442.0	1.0	June 23, 2005
1.1.2475.0	1.01	July 6, 2005
1.1.2484.0	1.02	July 16, 2005
1.1.2551.0	1.03	October 4, 2005
1.1.2552-344.0	1.1	-
1.1.2554-356.0	1.12	December 11, 2005
1.1.2696-528.0	1.2	February 14, 2006
1.1.2716-548.0	1.21	March 10, 2006
1.1.2720-552.0	1.22	April 5, 2006
1.1.2878-710.0	1.3	May 23, 2006
1.1.2963-795.0	1.4	September 5, 2006
1.1.2965-797.0	1.41	November 17, 2006
1.5.3153-802.0	1.5	September 1, 2009

After the last patch on September 1, 2009, the game is version number 1.50.

Before that, patch 1.4 was released on September 5, 2006, which fixed numerous bugs and with "Road to Jalalabad" another ranked additional card was presented. The biggest innovation is the so-called "infantry-only mode". This server option makes all vehicles (with the exception of boats ) disappear from the battlefield so that the soldiers can only be on the move "on foot". However, this mode is also criticized in the community because it removes the vehicle element typical of the Battlefield series.

Previously, the patch released in May with the version number 1.3 received severe criticism because it led to frequent server crashes. Patch 1.3 brought the following major innovations:

• The game mode COOP; a mixture of single and multiplayer, in which the human players are supported by computer-controlled players.
• The prevention of so-called squad hopping: Players can now only change their squad membership while they are alive.
• The Commander's parachute dropping of jeeps, similar to the supply function.

On June 28, 2007, DICE / EA released a new official ranked map called "Highway Tampa".

On June 23, 2008, DICE announced for the three-year anniversary of the game and the launch of the game Bad Company that they were working on a new update with a previous open beta phase.

Patch 1.5 has been available since September 1, 2009. This 2 GB incremental patch includes a new map (Operation Blue Pearl) and the booster packs free of charge, making them playable for everyone. Furthermore, small changes were made to the configurations and playing under Windows Vista is supported.

Modifications

A large number of free and unofficial modifications have been released for Battlefield 2 . These mods often contain completely new scenarios, armies or ages. There are both simple changes to the original game and completely new content.

Special Forces logo

Add-ons

In November 2005 the first add-on called Special Forces was released . This was developed by the studio DICE Canada, which was later dissolved, while the parent company in Stockholm is responsible for Battlefield 2. In this add-on are 8 new maps (Devil's Perch, Ghost Town, Leviathan, Mass Destruction, Night Flight, Surge, The Iron Gator, Warlord), of which only 6 can be played in single player, 10 new vehicles and 7 new realistic ones Weapons included. The focus is on infantry combat with special forces and rebels . For this purpose, two new nations were installed (Russia and Great Britain), as well as numerous tactical equipment such as night vision devices , grappling hooks , cables , tear gas , stun grenades and a respirator

Euro Force logo

Armored Fury logo

Booster packs

In the case of Battlefield 2, “booster packs” are small, chargeable downloadable add-ons that are not as extensive as the add-ons that appeared on DVD / CD-ROM. They can only be played online.

The first Euro Force booster pack was released on March 14, 2006 and brought the European Union with it as a new army, 7 new weapons, 4 new vehicles and 3 new maps (Taraba Quarry, Operation Smoke Screen and Great Wall) after the original Release scheduled for February 21st has been postponed after massive problems with patch 1.2. The two new weapons of the sniper classes ( L96A1 ) and anti-tank gunner ( P90 ) have already been activated as planned by this patch.

The second booster pack Armored Fury was released on June 8, 2006 and introduced two new vehicle classes in addition to three other cards. In addition, the battles were also moved to the American continent. Furthermore, more emphasis was placed on classic tank battles in the style of Battlefield 1942.

Both packs could be purchased as a download from the EA Store for a fee. Payment was made by credit card via the Internet payment system “ ClickandBuy ” or via giropay . In Germany, download keys are alternatively available in normal DVD cases.

Both booster packs are now included in patch 1.5 for free.

criticism

Account

For multiplayer games on the Internet, a central GameSpy account is required, to which the CD key is linked. If the EA account server fails or is switched off, online play is no longer possible (this was last the case in spring 2007 for several days).

In addition, the account determines the player name chosen in the online game and cannot be changed directly afterwards. You can, however, create a new account under a new name (and enter a different e-mail address).

Players who used their clan tag in their name could not change it even after changing clans. Only with a patch did EA introduce the option to freely choose a prefix in front of the name.

Bugs

Known bugs from the demo were not fixed with the release either. The first patch caused serious problems, so Electronic Arts recommended reinstalling the game and waiting for a new patch. 1.3 fixed over 160 bugs, implemented features and changes requested by the community, but at the same time again created sometimes serious problems. Certain bugs like Name Bug or Karkand Glitch are not fixed in version 1.41 either. In the eyes of many players, Electronic Arts generally reacts too slowly to requests for improvement from the community. In Battlefield Vietnam it took months before the imbalance between the parties was improved, one of the main problems of the Battlefield engine, so-called no- clipping errors (the possibility of reaching inaccessible areas in the game due to incorrect collision query ) caused by Battlefield 1942 , to newer parts, like Battlefield 2142 for trouble.

balance

Many players still consider the game balance to be poor. The fighter jets in particular enjoy a quasi-immunity (except against other fighter jets) even in the current version, but this is always very dependent on the player who controls the fighter jet. This means that a significant part of the gaming community is limited to the few cards without the Air Force. In ground combat, the inadequate anti-tank defense and the powerful artillery strikes against the infantry cause riot. The balance between the individual character classes is also frequently criticized: snipers are generally weak and playfully pointless, special forces are all-rounders, and paramedics make assault soldiers fundamentally pointless.

Ranked server

With the statistics all playful actions of a player are saved on a central server, which are carried out on an official ranked server. This central server has been the target of DDoS attacks several times , which means that an important feature of the online game was not available. In addition, EA initially only licensed one server operator per country for its ranked server program, which drove the prices for such servers, which were necessary for collecting points, to a disproportionately high level. In Germany a ranked server for z. B. 32 players € 160 / month, while an unranked server of the same size was available for around € 30 / month depending on the provider.

Special forces and booster packs

With the add-on, Electronic Arts offered a game for pre-download for the first time, similar to Valve's Steam platform . At around US $ 30, the price was higher than the street price for the DVD, including the manual and packaging, in Germany, and the game was only released on November 24, 2005 at 9:00 a.m. PST . The booster packs contained relatively little content and only a note with a download license when sold directly in stores.

hardware

At the time, Battlefield 2 was considered to be a "resource hog", as games with decent graphics without stuttering were only possible with the most modern computers at the time. Owners of older PC systems could not play the game at all or only with considerable restrictions. The actual requirements are even higher for some later modifications; there are also delays, for example, if there are a particularly large number (more than the 64 planned at the time of publication) bots or opposing players on a server.

Battlefield 2: Modern Combat

Battlefield 2: Modern Combat
Studio	DICE
Publisher	Electronic Arts
Erstveröffent- lichung	November 17, 2005
platform	Game console ( PS2 , Xbox , Xbox 360 )
Game engine	RenderWare
genre	Tactical shooter
Game mode	Single player , multiplayer
control	Gamepad
system advantages preconditions	Playstation 2, Xbox, Xbox 360
medium	1 DVD-ROM
language	German
Current version	1.0
Age rating	USK PEGI

Battlefield 2: Modern Combat is designed for game consoles, and can be seen as a conversion of the PC version to console devices. Like Battlefield 2, it is set in the Middle East and China, with the addition of Kazakhstan , which serves as the battlefield for the Chinese PLA and EUFOR troops.

The game was released for the PlayStation 2 , Xbox 360 and Xbox in autumn 2005; a port to the PlayStation Portable was canceled.

A multiplayer mode is u. a. available through Xbox Live and GameSpy (PlayStation 2) services. The Xbox and Xbox 360 multiplayer servers were shut down in 2011.

Web links

• Battlefield 2 on the website of the publisher Electronic Arts
• Battlefield 2: Modern Combat on the website of the publisher Electronic Arts ( Memento from August 31, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ EA homepage: Update on EA Titles Hosted on GameSpy (English)
2. ↑ BattleField 2 Servers - Server / Player Search - Game-Monitor.com :: Server Search, Monitoring, Stats and more. (No longer available online.) In: game-monitor.com. Archived from the original on October 20, 2013 ; accessed on October 21, 2013 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
3. ↑ BattleField 2 Demo Servers - Server / Player Search - Game-Monitor.com :: Server Search, Monitoring, Stats and more. (No longer available online.) In: game-monitor.com. Archived from the original on October 20, 2013 ; accessed on October 21, 2013 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
4. ^ Battlefield (Official Site). (No longer available online.) In: battlefield.ea.com. Archived from the original on December 28, 2008 ; accessed on October 21, 2013 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
5. ↑ Battlefield 2 single player with 256 bots - YouTube. In: youtube.com. Retrieved on October 21, 2013 (German).