EA’s wisely been using state of the art PCs to show off Battlefield 3 so far, with the console versions mostly out of the limelight.
Developers DICE have just started discussing the differences between PC and console versions, with head Patrick Bach confirming today that the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions will be limited to 24 players online (down from 64 on PC) but that the rest is “more or less” the same.
[drop2]”We use the same engine, the same technology, the same animation system, the same lighting system,” he said to Gamezone. “Our aim is to give the player the exact same experience and not try to dumb down the console version.”He admits though that if players want the “same quality of game” it’s going to be “really, really hard.” Bach says that they tried to add in more players, but were forced to “scale down the graphics” and the destructibility, and in some cases even the size of the maps. “Everything is a compromise on: where do you cut?”
“It’s not that we’re evil or stupid,” he told the German site. “We didn’t choose not to have more players – we would love to do 64 players on console but then we would have to cut away so much; people would get very upset that it looked worse, played worse and wasn’t as fun as the PC version. We would never do that because the fun is always more important.”
At least there’ll be jets in the console versions, even though the maps will be somewhat smaller. “It’s not that we have cut them in half,” he said, “but we tried to compact them slightly to keep the action up. If you compare it to Battlefield: Bad Company 2, the maps weren’t really small on console.”
“We want to create the same experience for PC as for consoles.”
The Lone Steven
I hope the smaller console maps will be very detailed. I wonder if it is due to the consoles not being able to handle the bigger maps or if it is a size issue? I am glad that most of it will still be the same as the PC version. But i am sure that the PS3 can handle 64 players in one match. I don’t know about the xbox but that may be able to handle it as well.
Anyway,it still looks good and hopefully will be very fun to play. And i want to crash a jet into Yogdog and AG.:p
monty2k
The smaller maps are down to RAM I think. Apparently the recommended specs for the PC is 4Gbs of RAM. The XBox and PS3 only have 512Mb, so that means smaller levels.
The lower player count is probably down to the smaller levels because you wouldn’t want 64 people playing on a map that can’t accomodate that many players. It’d also probably cut down on lag.
Link (for BF3 specs): http://bf3blog.com/2011/07/battlefield-3-alpha-trial-and-recommended-system-specs/
DJ Judas
Server’s are the main reason: The console versions rely on there being a player host, not many people could support 64 players through their connection’s let alone with strain that destruction will put on the servers; it’s impressive they can squeeze 24 players out of consoles, and I’m sure the experience will be excellent.
monty2k
Are you sure? Didn’t Bad Company 2 and Medal of Honor both have dedicated servers (or at least client-servers)?
It sounds like you’re describing peer2peer connections like Halo or CoD. I’ve played a lot of BC2 and MoH and never once encountered a “host migration” or “selecting new host” message.
DJ Judas
As per your post below, I wasn’t aware they’re using dedi-servers now.
Either way, interpreting that much data and displaying it in parallel is a little out of reach for current consoles. All in good time though with the next batch :)
Reality Check
Lets hope it looks as good as KillZone 3? Hmm…can’t see it myself.
DJ Judas
It may well do as DiCE are using the PS3 as it is meant to be used.
Take a look at this presentation from GDC:
http://www.slideshare.net/DICEStudio/spubased-deferred-shading-in-battlefield-3-for-playstation-3
hol
Only 24? Still, it’ll do I guess, maybe they should have spoke to Zipper about how they did MAG ;)
DJ Judas
Dedicated servers. PS3 has them for first party titles but 360 has no such thing for any of its titles.
Until consoles have dedi-servers as standard or connections/console power goes through the roof, console games with lots of simultaneous players will be a rare thing.
monty2k
Er… Section 8 and Left4Dead on the 360 have dedicated servers. There are others but I can’t remember them off the top of my head.
Also Dice use dedicated servers for Bad Company 2 and MoH.
monty2k
Here’s a link about 360 servers for Left4Dead 2:
http://www.l4d.com/blog/post.php?id=3160
DJ Judas
Cheers for that, I wasn’t aware and stand corrected :)
HDNdk
still getting it for both PC and PS3 :P
Mr-Flame-Head
so want to play this, got invited to the alpha test but my computer is bust so I can’t participate as it was pc only, oh well the MoH beta starts in September so at least I have that to look forward to
gaffers101
I think 24 players is a sensible compromise. I don’t think people will notice the impact on game play, but you can bet you life they would have noticed sub-standard graphics or slowdown.
Smallville2106
I don’t think any of this will matter. Roll on release day.
SpikeyMikey23
24 is plenty for me. Killzone 2’s 32 players was a bit mental at times. never had any problems woth the team sizes on Bad company. Really cant wait for this game!! this and MW3
InternationalGamer
I’d still prefer a bit of dubbed down graphics, the same level of destructible enviroments with a 32 player MP mode. Of course if the graphics were not dubbed down a whole lot.
DJ Judas
Anyone who fancies the ALpha and has an EA account of any kind try and get into the Alpha site today:
https://bf3alpha.battlefield.com
It would seem despite what they’ve said, access to the alpha is now completely randomly allocated to EA accounts, there are plenty of people out there with redundant accounts that have access and plenty with high-use accounts that don’t.
mw999
Sold mine on ebay ;D