On this blog and on some community sites in which I troll I’ve been posting about playing casual, semi-tactical style in Battlefield 3, and I’ve been getting a lot of responses like, “Doc what the hell are you talking about? Seems somewhat oxymoronic.” Truth is, due to the fast-paced nature of BF3, I do believe the essence of this particular play-style is what will separate those who play with big W’s and those that play with the small ones.
Unless you’re memorizing maps and fire angles all day, every day, then playing the lone wolf in this game is just not an option. Even a sniper on his/her own is bound to get snatched by a wandering enemy without proper backup or oversight. This game is about team action, pure and simple. If you’re looking to enjoy your experience on any serious level then you best be sure to have at least a battle buddy or two on a stable line. This isn’t COD; this is a game that’s design literally dictates community gaming in one aspect or another.
So what do I mean when I say semi-tac? Simply, I’m just referring to a play-style and mentality that is low-stress and enjoyable, yet mature and competitive in nature. The casual prefix just means that within the context of this conversation, I’m not talking about or referring to official competitions or regulated matches; free play if you will.
Due to the design of BF3 multiplayer, those that are connected with other like-minded individuals via voice and take each experience seriously and cautiously, almost like Role Play, will prevail in a firefight nine times out of ten. And anyone who takes it any step above by utilizing practice sessions, services like GTactix, or short-hand code will just have that edge over groups and most importantly consistent, yet enjoyable, performances that garner notoriety.
What kind of surprises me about this whole Battelog service coupled with the game is that those kinds of tools don’t come on board. In fact, there seems to very little that supports and/or encourages that semi-tac mentality that community gamers enjoy. Like most shooters today, there is a way to create a clan, or Platoon in this case, and a symbol creator that is quite simply awful. Free To Play, APB: Reloaded, even makes it easier than this. The one thing that was done right was the freedom given to players to join multiple Platoons and choose which they are representing per match. That was smart.
It would make sense that as multiplayer games gravitate to designs that dictate dependency on other players, the tools that come standard would alleviate that burden of making the connection. To combat the issue of overwhelming the wide range of players, and play-styles that compliment, with globs of options is to stratify tools by play-style or desired experience with an intuitive user interface.
AAA keeps pumping out these games that are picked up by competition holders and community leaders, but keep forgetting to throw in the tools that are almost necessary to make them competition worthy. Or in some cases, like Modern Warfare 2 which was, in my opinion, just short of expertly crafted in-game, the user interface is designed in a way that makes you think that designers didn’t want this game being played by anyone’s standard other than their own. That mentality becomes frustrating for organizers and clan members as they fight to stay relevant and alive in an atmosphere that dictates a new game purchase every October or November, depending what side of the fence you’re on.
Then this morning I read this, and a warm fuzzy ball of hope emerges in the pit of my icy core. Some things pop out of this article that truly make me think that there are some out there willing to make the first steps in the right direction. Granted BF3 and MWO are different in nature and design, they share a similarity in that they are both dependent on match-based outcomes – at least now I’m assuming so for the latter.
Definitely interested in what other information will come along in regards to the revival of the Mech Warrior Universe but, what I see so far has me optimistic. Keen to remember that what we know is minute and that the little we do know indicates but only a step. There’s still so much that can be done in the form of tools, services, and methods of delivery that would reignite the community gamer. I hope Piranha continue to capitalize on this mentality.
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