Off Duty Gamers Battlefield Interview – Part Two
By Alex Co | May 21, 2011 | Interviews | No comments | Share
Here’s part two of DeltaGamer’s exclusive interview with the crew from Off Duty Gamers!
This time around we go into detail about the inaccuracies of the trailers DICE has released so far as well as what they got right.
If you haven’t read part one, what are you waiting for? Go do it now.
(Disclaimer: Aside from style and spelling, all answers are left unedited)
DeltaGamer: Biggest inaccuracy you’ve seen from the trailers so far?
Rigger82: Muzzle awareness is a pet peeve, when troops walk around with live ammunition loaded you’re very serious about trigger, safety and where your point the muzzle of your weapon. In a few places we see muzzles up (in the LAV where a bump could discharge a loaded weapon into you or your buddy) and then crossing your squad mates. Now, to DICE’s credit this isnt something handled in games very often if at all but they are working to such a detail degree that we actually NOTICED it.
Givens: The explosions… some seem underpowered and some seem like a small tactical nuke went off. It highlights the power of the engine, but it’s like getting a taco when you expect a pizza. But that is an inaccuracy that is a part of most games. Very few get explosions right, and you would have to have an explosives expert on board just to explain the math and the “how” of things.
x_STiLETTO_x: Right off the bat, I can tell you that many of us will probably point out that muzzle awareness is the biggest inaccuracy we’ve seen so far. It has been beaten into our heads since basic training that you don’t point your weapon at anything you don’t intend to kill. When in a vehicle, like the LAV for example, muzzles should be pointed towards the floor so accidental discharges have a smaller chance of killing someone. When moving with a team or squad, you should always be aware of the positions of your teammates. Your weapon should be lowered when a friendly is walking past to ensure you don’t accidentally injure or kill him/her.
It highlights the power of the engine, but it’s like getting a taco when you expect a pizza.Givens
DeltaGamer: Most accurate/best thing you’ve seen?
Rigger82: Tactical movement and move to cover mechanics. Nobody seen so far is off picking flowers and all are keeping low, tight and covering sectors. Even the rear guard is pointed to the rear (something we almost never see) to cover your teams backside.
Givens: The equipment. Little details like brass raining down, mostly uniforms, movements are pretty good.
x_STiLETTO_x: There are so many great things to point out that it’s hard to choose just one to discuss. Tactical maneuvering is definitely one of the best things I’ve seen in these videos. Covering specific sectors, rushing from cover to cover, and staying low are excellent points.
DeltaGamer: Now that we’ve seen a glimpse of what Frostbite 2 can do, what is the most interesting aspect that you think the tech should be able to accomplish?
Rigger82: Make players choose cover and concealment locations smarter, faster and pay dearly for making poor choices. Hiding behind something that could be shot down or through but acts like a solid sheet of granite is old tech, but let me shoot through the pickets in a fence or put holes in someone who thinks that if they can’t be seen, they can’t be shot.
Givens: -I could see the potential for its use in simulations, like the sort used by law enforcement and military. It’s hard to feel fully immersed in a training simulator when your opponent looks like a cartoon character.
x_STiLETTO_x: I really hate when I can be shot through a concrete barrier but the enemy can stand on the other side of a piece of plywood and there is no bullet penetration whatsoever. Basically, I’m hoping that with Frostbite 2, bullet mechanics will be properly executed.
DeltaGamer: What made you decide you do a dissection on every trailer so far? Your thoughts on how most people have done the same thing?
I really hate when I can be shot through a concrete barrier but the enemy can stand on the other side of a piece of plywood and there is no bullet penetration whatsoever.x_STiLETTO_x
Rigger82: Frankly, we started when we felt what was being presented was on average pretty weak. Some things were just flat out wrong and others were just not as knowledgeable on this subject matter. We felt that our skillset lends itself nicely to this type of analysis and we took a shot. Turns out that while some people feel its a little extreme, most appreciate it including some of the devs we’ve heard from at DICE.
Givens: It’s a natural; we know what we are looking at for the most part. The thing that got me wanting to get involved were some glaring inaccuracies and mislabeling by other parties. Someone said, “Well, do your own then.” Here you go, done.
x_STiLETTO_x: We felt that given our backgrounds, we could lend a helping hand and point out things that other people may not notice, things that are glaringly obvious to us. Some people tend to think we have a little too much time on our hands but attention to detail is grilled into our minds from day one and I think we’re doing a pretty good job at lending some guidance to the devs.
DeltaGamer: Speaking of dissections, what made you decide to team-up with GamerSpawn regarding it? Will you continue doing dissections even after they reveal the multiplayer?
Rigger82: A few places have come to us including G4 to get our notes and we were aware of GamerSpawn doing its own analysis and liked what they were doing even though we felt it didnt go deep enough for our tastes. As fate would have it, GS came and asked us to consider working together and since our main mission is to provide the industry the military point of view it was just another great outlet to get the word out and seemed like a win/win all around.
As far as continuing, we havent gone into any details but I wouldnt be opposed to continuing the relationship.
Givens: If there is material out there, that is new and not something we have talked about, then I am all for it, but I would have to defer that question to Rigger.
x_STiLETTO_x: I think I remember GamerSpawn getting in contact with us about joining forces for the next Battlefield 3 video because they liked the way we conducted the analyses. It was a great way for us to gain more exposure and provide the military point of view. Whether or not we will continue doing dissections all depends on the boss man, Rigger82.
DeltaGamer: While the actual meat and bones of the multiplayer is still a mystery to almost everyone, we do know a couple of things, PC will have 64 players, we will have prone, etc. From all the info we know so far, which one excites you more?
Rigger82: I’d have to go with prone if I’m forced to choose between those two, 64 players is nice but until we get a sense of the size maps we’ll be on the number of players could be a good or bad thing since there is nothing worse in my book than endless tiny maps where there’s little or no chance to react, plan and execute.
Givens: Nothing I have seen has failed to excite me, all the details known, make me even more so. Hard to nail it down to one, there are many for me.
x_STiLETTO_x: I’m pretty excited about the fact that we’ll be able to go prone. Being a PS3 gamer, I don’t mind that we’ll only have a 24-player limit. It’s not quantity that counts. I can have 100 people on my team, but if I have less than mediocre players, that won’t do me any good. The lack of communication and cooperation between large teams is such a hindrance that the larger player capacity isn’t always worth it.
DeltaGamer: Having asked that, I also know some of the ODG crew plays on consoles, do you think the 24 player limit will severely limit the playability of the console version or are you confident that DICE can pull this off?
I dont think authenticity is a qualifier for fun since it really is up to the game players as to what level they find fun and how much authenticity they will accept.Rigger82
Rigger82: Console gamers are used to that number and while they yearn for more (and rightfully so) I think it won’t be a big deal in the end if the rest of the game pulls off properly. Who knows, DICE may surprise us all.
Givens: 24 is still a lot, not as big as 64 true, but I play on PC games that have 16 man servers, and I am still there.
x_STiLETTO_x: I’m primarily a PS3 gamer and I don’t think it’d be a big deal with consoles having a 24-player cap. Like I mentioned earlier, more people does not necessarily mean a higher chance of mission success. The more people there are on your team, the more chances there are of someone messing up and ruining the entire mission.
DeltaGamer: While DICE is striving to make everything as authentic as possible, they clearly have to balance authenticity to fun. What do you think of this and how they can properly manage it to make it both authentic, and fun?
Rigger82: It’s always the challenge and its the fine line between FPS and SIM. I dont think authenticity is a qualifier for fun since it really is up to the game players as to what level they find fun and how much authenticity they will accept. The real military can get pretty boring at times so as long as DICE stays clear of ridiculous stuff then they have a lot of room between authentic and fun.
Givens: They’re already doing a good job in my opinion, by engaging the community, asking questions and bringing experts on board, they are making the best effort. There’s a wealth of knowledge out there, and they seem to be tapping it pretty nicely.
x_STiLETTO_x: If DICE wanted it to be completely authentic, that would make for an extremely boring video game. In the military, there is a lot of “hurry up and wait”. There would be a bunch of troops sitting around, smoking cigarettes, talking, and joking around. When it comes to shooters, you can only make it so authentic before it’s no longer fun. Balancing the two elements is hard work but I think DICE can pull it off.
DeltaGamer: Name one thing that you hope DICE will implement in Battlefield 3, be it for single-player or multiplayer.
Rigger82: For me, as a Desert Combat fanatic way back when, I start getting giddy when I see Little Bird Helo’s in these new trailers. Hopefully they’ll be playable AND they’ll have ditched the ‘everyone can fly’ control system and go back to the DC style where it took some skill and finesse to get it done.
Givens: I would like to see a realistic small force vs. large force gameplay; similar to a tactical or elite unit going in for one purpose, and getting out. Think of a raid or a hit and run guerilla operation. One side is there to prevent it, one side has to succeed, and still make it out.
I would also like to see secondary explosions, when you strike a target with a warhead for example, sometimes the heat and pressure will cook off ammo. Hitting an armored vehicle with a HEAT round might have some spectacular side effects, and might discourage someone from using it too closely.
Here’s one, how about a deployable indirect fire weapon. We have a Mortarman on staff, and I am sure he would eat that up…
DG: Anything you’d like to say to the people who read/watch your dissections and ODG readers in general?
I would like to see a realistic small force vs. large force gameplay; similar to a tactical or elite unit going in for one purpose, and getting out.Givens
Rigger82: Our job isn’t to make a dev cringe or be embarrassed when things aren’t right, our job is to hold the studio to the standard that they themselves set as well as insure that the military community is portrayed accurately and with the honor and integrity that these professional men and women deserve and earn each day. You wouldn’t like it if they made a game about your job and made a mockery of the hard work, training and dedication you have and neither do we.
Givens: Thank you for your input, many have pointed out things we have missed, or provided additional information. I think we have the best crew for the job, but we are not infallible, and some of us are many years removed from Active Service. Keep up the comments, keep up the information, and we will keep delivering.
x_STiLETTO_x: The staff at Off Duty Gamers are all current and prior service members of the military and we pride ourselves in being able to relay information from the video game industry to other members in terms that we understand so well. It feels great being able to share my experiences and training to help create a better video game.
That concludes our interview. I’d like to give a big thank you shout-out to the guys at Off Duty Gamers for making this all possible.
To read more about them and their military dissection of games head on over to OffDutyGamers.com
Be sure to give our dissection with Off Duty Gamers a look. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
