Battlefield Updates: Bad Company 2, Heroes

 Free 2 play Battlefield Heroes has announced a new map, new game mode, and new jet pack widgets.  Rock, Paper, Shotgun even has a post about it:

In this fast paced game mode you and your allies must capture and hold the rocket and keep it from enemy hands. Jump in with gusto or rocket fuel and make sure your enemies do not get the upper hand and claim the rocket for themselves.

For the non-readers, here is a video:

Meanwhile Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is gearing up for a patch tomorrow. The PCGamer Blog has posted the entire set of patch notes here and I've coped it below for posterity.

* MP - New Server browser
* MP - Added 15 second spawn timer for Conquest/Rush gamemodes at the start of round to prevent high end machines getting the upper hand before other machines load in.
* MP - Crash fixes relating to ALT+TAB at different times throughout the game
* MP - Hang fix when trying to connect to a full server multiple times
* MP - Deletion of soldiers now possible through the account pages in game
* MP - Removed screen flash during loading
* MP - Added support for colour blind players
* MP - Fixed crashes relating to faulty server banners
* MP - Servers closing during connection no longer cause the client to hang
* MP - Auto team swap reflects correctly in the scoreboard
* MP - Fixed scoreboards when switching teams before spawning
* MP - Rush scoreboards fixed
* MP - Veteran ranks no longer display as "12"
* MP - Isla Innocentes MCOM building fixed where knifing the fence would destroy the building
* MP - Logout/Login button correctly reflects the player status
* MP - Added minimum number of players needed to start a round (you can play and take objectives but you will get no score until 4 or more players join the server)
* MP - Isla Inocentes welcome message on the loading screen now fits the text box area
* MP - Reduced the brightness in Russian vehicles
* MP - Medic gadgets now display correctly if the defib is not unlocked
* MP - Server filter options are remembered
* MP - Punkbuster filter now works as intended
* MP - Scroll bar no longer overlays the Join Server button in the friends list panel
* MP - CANCEL server refresh is implemented
* MP - Zooming in on a friendly using the SAIGA no longer causes the crosshair to disappear
* MP - The chat no longer displays the incorrect player name when appearing
* MP - FoV switches to the default value of 55 when entering vehicles to prevent graphical glitches caused by wider FoV settings. The custom FoV returns when exiting vehicles.
* MP - FoV no longer causes the UAV station to rotate
* MP - Fix to correctly display the unlock progression at the end of round
* MP - Chat functionality will no longer freeze after writing a partial message at the end of round
* MP - One account can no longer connect to the same server multiple times
* MP - Squad Death Match is correctly named during loading
* MP - Server browser no longer gets a bad FPS when filtering Conquest
* MP - Server info banners correctly clear between displays
* MP - Setting display settings which the system hardware can not handle no longer makes the game unusable
* MP - Correct camera collision for vehicles' heavy machine gun
* MP - Game no longer crashes if the player sends a message in the loading screen
* MP - Trying to join a full server no longer causes the game to hang on Please Wait message
* MP - Most server filter options are remembered it doesn't remember the setting in dropdowns
* MP - Kit/gadget loadout saved between sessions
* SP - Fixed crashes when patching and trying to resume a campaign (there is now a message that you need to re-play the latest mission from the beginning)
* SP - Fixed a crash after the "Upriver" mission end cinematic
* SP - Supply create at "Resupply at Flynn's create" objective now supplies weapon ammo
* SP - Hang fix when reaching the objective "Destroy Enemy Zu23"
* SP - Fixed hang after "Storm Cockpit" objective
* SP - Changed melee attack raycast to be detailed
* SP - Game no longer crashes when transitioning between SP_03B to SP_04A when installed in Polish
* SP - Game no longer crashes when killed by the first two enemies in the trenches on SP_01 when installed in Italian
* SP - Updating to R7 will invalidate your single player save game. If you update you will need to play your last mission from the start. If you do not update you will not be able to play multiplayer.

Server changelist

o Punkbuster is required ON for ranked servers
o Ranked servers cannot be started with a password
o Autobalance message goes to text-chat instead of in the middle of the screen
o Added weapon balance tweaks to a number of weapons - we are eagerly awaiting feedback!

Lord of Ultima, browser MMO?

I received an interesting email from EA this morning.  It was a closed beta invite for a new browser game titled Lord of Ultima.  I received the email as a newsletter from Battlefield: Heroes. 

Has anyone else received an invite or even know what this game is all about?

Micro-transactions and Battlefield Heroes Beta

EA Dice made some unpopular changes to the pricing model in the free-to-play (F2P), but supported by micro-transactions Battlefield: Heroes. Ars Technica has an article with the basics:

You could buy certain items to give yourself an edge, sure, but it was just as easy to earn in-game Valor Points (VP) to purchase weapons and widgets for use in the game. Many gamers did just this, earning VP in their regular gaming session without ever paying a dime. Others made a few purchases here and there to round out their items.

With micro-transactions all the rage right now, this has created a shit-storm around the blog-o-sphere. I find myself having to step in and defend the unpopular view.



The game is still in BETA and changes are to be expected. Overall, these changes were GOOD for Battlefield: Heroes. However, they were POORLY communicated (as in no players knew they were coming). Also, the developers originally stated players wouldn't be able to buy items that would make them more powerful, which is a promise now breached.

As a long time Battlefield: Heroes player (since early beta), I stand firmly in my belief that players DO NOT need more than the default weapons to be successful. I routinely place in the top three during matches with nothing more than the default weapons (the proof is on my BF:H profile page). I could continue playing my way, unaffected by these changes, but I won't.

I originally limited myself to $20 worth of battlefunds to play dress up, because there was nothing else worth spending money on. Now, spending real money on the game is more about convenience and enhancement. I buy funds now and NO LONGER have to spend my time as well to win VP! I can easily purchase the items outright that will help me enjoy the time I spend playing. This is a win-win for my time and offers value for the money spent.

All while free players STILL have access to the majority of the arsenal they previously had via VP, albeit not nearly as easily. Outside of the changes to bandages, the other questionable move was adding battlefund-only weapons that are more powerful than the VP weapons. Again, this was NOT supposed to happen per the developer's own statements.

How does shooter drama spill over into the MMO blog-o-sphere?

As micro-transaction business models begin flooding the MMOG market, certain MMO bloggers are looking for any excuse to attack them, which means they reach outside of MMOGs. I was once on that side of things, but I've come to realize that micro-transactions are a valid business model and offer a great value when combined with F2P.

F2P games are routinely misconstrued as altruistic projects where the developers aren't allowed to make a profit operating the game. F2P games are a different means to the same goal: operating a sustainable business. They are no different in the need to generate revenue than are subscription MMOGs. Both F2P and subscription games make game-related changes to sustain the bottom line.

Subscription games feature many time sinks (lock out timers, progression gating mechanics, etc.) to increase the amount of time players need to pour into the game, therefore increasing revenue. Also, subscription games often come with a box price and they release expansions which often invalidate everything that existed before.

F2P games operate similarly, but with a more "car salesman" approach. They already can keep players playing by being F2P, so the subscription model's tricks don't work. F2P games have to sell something to the players. This means they have to balance being free with making money, and the line has to be drawn somewhere as we've seen with Battlefield Heroes and Free Realms recently. Yes, changes will scare away players in F2P games. The same as patches/nerfs will drive away players in a subscription MMO.

Lessons Learned

Wrapping this whole mess up, it amazes me how people lose perspective so quickly when micro-transactions get involved. They let subscription games get away with murder, but god forbid a F2P game charges $10 for a horse or limits the free riders.

I think the most valuable lesson for EA Dice that can be learned here is simple: don't charge real money for micro-transactions when a game is still in BETA and changes are being planned to the pricing model. For the players, don't expect a free ride indefinitely. Finally, F2P combined with micro-transactions is a means to the same end: making money.

Did I mention this game is still in BETA?

On Monetizing MMO Blogs

Recently, I asked for some feedback on the site, as well as opinions on MMO bloggers monetizing their blogs.

First, I run advertisements in three forms on this blog currently: in-line text ads, search traffic only ads, and referral links. The first two are powered by Chitika and pay per click. The referral links are to Amazon.com and pay a percentage of any purchases made via that link.

What do you need the money for?

The biggest question that people ask me is what I do with the money I earn. The blog is free to host on Google's Blogger, so there are no web costs (outside of an annual $10 domain registration fee). And it's pretty obvious I don't make my living doing this.

I use the money to pay for some of my gaming. When my blog was more popular (my traffic is down 50%+ this year), I made enough for a monthly subscription to an MMO. Recently, I have used it to micro-transact in games like Battlefield Heroes and Domain of Heroes.

However, since I've not played a subscription game in a while, I have pocketed a good amount of the money made (actually its sitting in my Paypal account). My most recent game purchases have been covered by bonuses I've gotten from work.

The Amazon.com referral links pay out via Amazon gift certificates. When I earn enough for my first gift certificate there, I will purchase more games, books, and movies to write about on this blog.

For the most part, the money earned here can be viewed as an investment back into the blog. However, it still leaves me sitting on a pile of cash that I haven't spent and I am going to work out a percentage to donate to Child's Play (my favorite charity). Going forward, charity will have a lot to do with the money made here after my minimal new web costs are covered (I am bringing some new stuff online in the near future).

Feedback

Surprisingly, most people that left feedback were fine with bloggers monetizing their blogs as long as it wasn't intrusive or contradicting(for example, gold seller ads when I am against gold selling). Chitika has been good about running legit advertisements, but they rarely match search ads to anything my readers would be interested in.

The Amazon.com referral links are more targeted. If I talk about a game, I will usually link to the games page on Amazon. If I review a book or movie, I will also link to Amazon. Or when Amazon runs deals like $3 in FREE MP3s, I will link to the promotional page and collect referrals as people cash in the free codes. This is hit or miss, but is the least intrusive of all advertising and the most honest.

With the feedback gathered, I think I am going to move towards straight Amazon.com referral-based advertising and be more open about my links. Along with the charitable giving, I am hoping this honesty will spur some purchases!

Lastly, I am going to take down the in-line text ads, as well as the search based ads from Chitika on the main page. I'm always open to advertising opportunities, so some form of automated advertising may return in the future.

Oct 2009: What I'm Playing/What I'm Paying

Previous months: Sept 2009
Check out the "What I'm Playing/What I'm Paying" Google Spreadsheet.



Commentary:

The first note I would like to make is that I moved gaming-related computer hardware to its own line and placed Batman:AA at $0 since it was free with the video card I purchased in September.

I spent October waiting for Borderlands, which released on the 26th. I paid just shy of $34 for the game as part of a Steam 4-pack (splitting the extra copies with friends). I do not feel comfortable paying $50 for new games any longer. The $30-$35 range feels right to me.

I'll be posting more about my thoughts on Borderlands this week.

Next, I spent another $10 on Battlefield Heroes to dress up my Royal Soldier, BrettFavre. The end result:


Heroes still remains a great game, but leveling past 14 seems to be a little bit grindy and I constantly debate whether I should just pay for an experience boost to help get one of my Heroes to level 20+. Fortunately, they gave away a 3-day XP boost to all players for Halloween, so that sated my appetite for faster leveling. Plus, I got to play as a zombie-head for a few days! I'll probably put another $10 into this game at some point to finish up my Heroes' customizations.

I am still working on beating Batman:AA. Its a great game, but with so many games to play, I find it hard to dedicate time to it. I'm only 5% done with the game.

I was fairly quiet in the MMOG department:

I knocked out a few quests on my Sorcerer in DDO:EU, but am still only level 1 and sitting on the starter island. The dungeons can be set to solo, but they truly shine when grouped. I have never had a steady play group, so this may not be the game for me. I'll have to investigate the pick-up group scene a bit more.

I hit level 5 in The Chronicles of Spellborn on my Spellcaster, Favre. I need to determine which class I want to go with from level 5 onwards. Any thoughts out there? Still enjoying the combat system, even if its hard to pick up at first.

On a side note, not listed on the spreadsheet is Killing Floor. I played a bit during the recent Free Weekend on Steam. Its a quasi-pro, but way over the top, Left 4 Dead co-op zombie shooter. Personally, it made me miss Left 4 Dead and with L4D2 right around the corner, I didn't really care for it.

Conclusion:

Free MMOs still reign in my play list. While at heart (ha!) I would like to be a completely Free Gamer, there are too many good games out there that I would miss, Borderlands being one of them. Deals such as the Steam 4-pack give me value and I reward them for that with a purchase on a game I wouldn't have spent $50 for. My purchase and playing decisions remain with value: is the game and the time I will invest worth the costs?

Reaction: How NOT to do Microtransactions

Cuppy posted a "how NOT to do Microtransactions" post and I felt my response was worth re-posting here:

I agree with a lot of what you said. However, I think you are taking micro too literally. A $20 (or even $50) transaction is MICRO in comparison of the whole revenue stream for a single game. That is where the term originated (not because the transactions were ever small couple'o'buckers).

Yes, there needs to be enough $1-$2 purchases, but if that is ALL you ever stick with, you are losing out on a TON of people willing to spend more. Raph made this point not too long ago and I agree 100% with what he said then (I just can't find the link).

My number one complaint with microtransaction games is that some are just god damn confusing. RoM, outside of a mount, was tiring to figure out and prevented me from ever spending money (I was always holding off thinking I would get X for free and pay for Z later). Also Free Realms didn't get any money from me because I was lost between figuring out if I just needed to pay a sub or just float for free and pay for tit and tat here and there. DDO is OK, but still confusing, especially considering a lot of what can be bought can be gotten for free and it isn't very clear.

Right now, I prefer Battlefield Heroes model, which is actually a dual currency system. Pay for the good stuff, like UNIQUE character customizations and non-game-balance-affecting boosts. While they have an in game currency (VP) that is earned via playing and allows you to purchase the BASICS like weapons and healing widgets.

Be a Better Hero: Sharing is Caring! Gunnner, Soldier, and Commando Tips

Battlefield Heroes is a solo friendly game. At the same time, it is a team-based game. There is no free-for-all or deathmatch game modes. Each round focuses on team vs team capture-the-points gameplay. So, while a good solo player can do well, a few team players can dominate. The key to this domination is making sure to share all of the Heroes different group abilities.

Soldier

Soldiers are the pen-ultimate team player in BF:H. They provide the healing! A Soldiers healing ability is great by itself, but when it hits multiple injured team mates, the healing is increased and the points gained for healing are increased. This is a great incentive for EVERY soldier to be a team player. Soldiers are the cornerstone of BF:H grouping.

Gunner

If Soldiers are the cornerstone, Gunners are the brick walls, roof, and bell tower. With the recent Heroes of the Fall update, Gunners received a couple boosts to their team play. First, their shield ability is now shareable for those around the Gunner. Never charge into an enemy hornet nest without a shield up and running.

Secondly, a Gunners explosive keg now has a slow-down attached to any enemy it hits. Since commandos and enemy Gunners are always trying to sprint away, slowing them with a keg is invaluable when trying to lock down an area.

Also of importance is the Gunner's Leg It ability. Once used, the gunner and everyone around him will gain a boost of speed. Since vehicles are first come, first serve, a team will always need a speed boost to get where they are going. Once in combat, speed kills and makes for frustratingly hard targets to hit.

Lastly, Gunners are the best tank killers. I recommend that any Gunner spends a few dollars and buy a permanent rocket launcher in the BF:H store. Yes, spend money on a free game! Save those VP for band aids!

Commando

Out of all the classes, the Commando is by far the weakest team player. They are stealthy assassins, not hard charging knuckle-draggers! However, there are some abilities they can use to assist the team.

First off, mark target is invaluable for outing hard to find enemy commandos. Once lite up, the team can easily take care of the rest. At the minimum, it will make most enemy Commandos retreat while the mark wears off. A marked and dead Commando is better, but a retreating one isn't too bad either.

Secondly, with improvements to troop trap recently, Commandos can be very useful while staying completely stealthed. A good commando can skirt the outside of a battle and drop troop traps behind enemy players. Then team mates can try and force the enemy towards the troop trap. All of this, without the commando having to unstealth.

Don't forget, commandos are great at sneaking up on tanks and planting TNT! Combine this with a Gunners rockets and tanks are nothing more than easy kills.

Remember, sharing is caring!

Be A Better Hero: Heroes of the Fall Update, List of Ranks and More

First off, another congrats is in order as two million Heroes have marched out upon the Field of Battle:

EA has announced that free-to-play online shooter Battlefield Heroes has two million users, sauntering past the milestone in three months.

This is a great sign for a game still technically in beta (one of the better betas I have been in). Secondly, a new game update was released as well:

To celebrate, the publisher has a meaty update planned for next week, Heroes of the Fall, which we partly told you about earlier this month when we discussed a Gunner revamp and a new ranking system.

With the recent update, a new map was introduced: Riverside Rush. It is an infantry-focused map and offers a closed quarter action balanced by open transitional areas. While the initial rush of the map is not hell-bent on a single target ala Victory Village’s Road Block or Church Square, some importance does need to be placed on where a Hero ventures after their initial capture point.

The middle of the map is fairly wide open and ripe for camping commandos to collect a few kills. Fortunately, trenches are available to duck into. I strongly recommend the use of these trenches for Gunners and Soldiers when attempting to move across the middle portion of the map. Caution needs to be used, as a Hero can be trapped by enemies from above the trenches. However, the risk is worth the reward when needing to avoid pesky sniper bullets or the times an enemy can be caught unaware.

Also included in the update are Ranks. However, the exact way in which Ranks work is unknown. What we do know is that doing damage and gaining points contribute to gaining rank and that ranks start after reaching level 10 with a Hero. They give no bonuses other than a fancy title in game that other players can see.

The only way to see your Hero’s current rank is to go to the main website, log in, and check your Hero’s profile. It will be listed to the right. Below, for example, on my Gunner, Column, I have reached the rank of Specialist:


Rumor has it that these are the Ranks available in the game:

Player_Prestige_Level_1 [Private]
Player_Prestige_Level_2 [Specialist]
Player_Prestige_Level_3 [Corporal]
Player_Prestige_Level_4 [Sergeant]
Player_Prestige_Level_5 [Lieutenant]
Player_Prestige_Level_6 [Captain]
Player_Prestige_Level_7 [Major]
Player_Prestige_Level_8 [LT.Colonel]
Player_Prestige_Level_9 [Colonel ]
Player_Prestige_Level_10 [Brigadier General]
Player_Prestige_Level_11 [Major General]
Player_Prestige_Level_12 [LT.General]
Player_Prestige_Level_13 [General]
Player_Prestige_Level_14 Lazy Lackey
Player_Prestige_Level_15 Merry Mercenary
Player_Prestige_Level_16 Narcoleptic Nemesis
Player_Prestige_Level_17 Inadequate Opponent
Player_Prestige_Level_18 Heroic Protagonist
Player_Prestige_Level_19 Querulist Contender
Player_Prestige_Level_20 Rabble Rouser
Player_Prestige_Level_21 Salted Seargant
Player_Prestige_Level_22 Tactical Error
Player_Prestige_Level_23 Ursine Aggressor
Player_Prestige_Level_24 Vitriolic Victor
Player_Prestige_Level_25 Wayside Wanderer
Player_Prestige_Level_26 Wartime Wonder
Player_Prestige_Level_27 Eager Beaver
Player_Prestige_Level_28 Spring Chicken
Player_Prestige_Level_29 Fully Functional
Player_Prestige_Level_30 Pesky Private
Player_Prestige_Level_31 Strapping Specialist
Player_Prestige_Level_32 Cool Corporal
Player_Prestige_Level_33 Loony Lieutenant
Player_Prestige_Level_34 Crazed Captain
Player_Prestige_Level_35 Misunderstood Major
Player_Prestige_Level_36 Loopy Lieutenant Colonel
Player_Prestige_Level_37 Crafty Colonel
Player_Prestige_Level_38 Big Bad Brigadier General
Player_Prestige_Level_39 Mighty Major General
Player_Prestige_Level_40 Lucky Lieutenant General
Player_Prestige_Level_41 Generous General
Player_Prestige_Level_42 Zany Xenophobe
Player_Prestige_Level_43 Infamous Infiltrator
Player_Prestige_Level_44 Artful Dodger
Player_Prestige_Level_45 Combat Artist
Player_Prestige_Level_46 Gastral Gladiator
Player_Prestige_Level_47 Armchair Admiral
Player_Prestige_Level_48 Naughty Novice
Player_Prestige_Level_49 Wayward Warrior
Player_Prestige_Level_50 Not So Mr. Nice Guy

I have no confirmation that these are correct, but this list has been continually quoted on the fan sites.

Gunners also received a sweeping update. Explosive Keg now slows down enemies that are caught in the blast range. Frenzy Fire now returns health points to the Hero if a target is hit (even vehicle hits return health, so shoot those easy to hit planes and jeeps). Lastly, the Gunner’s shield ability can now be shared with teammates. Remember, sharing is caring!

Overall, the update has been a smashing success. Riverside Rush is a great map. I feel well rounded and team-focused on my Gunner now. So much so, that the Gunner has now overtaken my Soldier in both level and playtime.
As always, check it out for yourself. Battlefield Heroes is 100% free-to-play.

Sept 2009: What I'm Playing/What I'm Paying

As a born again Value Gamer, I've decided to put together a monthly post detailing what I'm playing and what monetary investment I am putting into them. With the raw data dumped, I can check to see if it has been worth it.

Check out the "What I'm Playing/What I'm Paying" Google Spreadsheet.



Commentary:

Now the first number that should jump out at anyone is $150 for Batman: Arkham Asylum. In an attempt to be honest with myself, I included the cost of a new video card which came with a free copy of Batman:AA. So, I paid $150 for the video card and received a kick-ass game for free. That's value.

Secondly, I am including $10 that was spent on the still-in-open-beta Battlefield Heroes. That $10 resulted in this fine looking fella:


Lastly, I am still spending my MMO time in both Dungeons and Dragons Online and The Chronicles of Spellborn. With my very limited time lately (due to the baby), I am finding it hard to justify having even FREE MMOGs on my hard drive. I feel guilty not playing them enough. So, one of these two MMOs may need to be cut off at some point, but as they are both free-to-play, it should be an easy decision to make (or not make!).

For the month of September, my gaming has cost me $160, but a new video card is ALWAYS a great investment in my book. Especially when a great game like Batman:AA is included! Oh, and maybe its easier to chew on since it will ease my ability to edit high definition video of Heartless_ Jr.

The Great GAME Purge of 2009

Ardwulf purged the MMOs installed on his PC:

That time has come again, to free my overloaded hard drive of games (MMO and otherwise) and software that I’m not playing, and won’t be, for the foreseeable future.

Since I am no longer MMO-centric, I am going to list my GAME purge of 2009. As a bonus, hard drive space is super valuable to me currently as I am shooting a ton of high def video of little Heartless_.

Action Games

Battlefield Heroes: Staying. Its free-to-play and I've spent a few bucks to customize my heroes. Its easy to get into and offers casual FPS game play.

Team Fortress 2: Staying. Every time I think about removing this game, Valve releases an update that pulls me back in. Also, I still want a damn hat!

Left 4 Dead: Uninstalled. I haven't played in months and the friend I played with from work switched to a night shift and is never online when I am. It was a fun romp while it lasted. Also, as the game was downloaded via Steam, it is a simple 1-click reinstall.

Call of Duty 4: Reinstalled. I want to play through the single-player campaign again, and I have to admit that the CoD4:Modern Warfare 2 videos have me drooling for some CoD4 multi-player action.

Quake Live: Staying. Its contained in a browser plug-in and easy to jump into. I may suck at it, but its completely free and worth keeping around.

MMOGs

The Chronicles of Spellborn: Staying, but only if I can fix it crashing my PC. I purchased a new video card and now when I boot up TCoS, it BSODs my computer. If I can't fix this, I will have to remove the game. I don't want to, but TCoS is frozen in development, so no fixes are likely to come down the line. This is the only game that crashes with my new video card.

Runes of Magic: Uninstalled. Since the WoW Cataclysm announcements, I feel dirty playing RoM. For $15 a month, I could be having a much better experience in WoW. RoM is fun and well developed, but I have five years of WoW bias to fight every time I'm logged in. Plus, the PvP in RoM sucks.

Maple Story: Uninstalled. I said I was going to try the game that 90+ million people have tried, but outside of the card game I've lost interest. The iTCG is out of beta, so it now costs money and I doubt I'll be going back to it anytime soon.

Free Realms: Uninstalled. While some people are treating Free Realms as the next coming of Jesus, I see through its thinly veiled exterior. Its a bunch of mini-games in a world where players can interact with each other. All of the good stuff is locked behind the pay wall. I will only admit that it is well executed and offers a quality experience, but it is nothing special. Kongregate, I'm coming back.

Domain of Heroes: Bookmark deleted. Yes, I spent $10 on this lackluster game and then promptly stopped playing. It was after the $10 that I realized how hopeless the development of the game was. Changes were either slow or completely out of left field. It could be a great and fun game, but the balancing act required seems out of reach for the developers.

Dungeons and Dragons Online: Possible new install. I have to wait and see how the game reviews in its new free-to-play form. I never agreed with the fundamental design of DDO, but it could turn out to be a decent freebie that is worthy of a few hours.

Miscellaneous Games

The Path: Staying. I still haven't unlocked everything in this little gem of an indie-game. Plus, I think if I uninstall the game, strange things start happening in real life.

Metaplace: Staying. I don't know what to think of Metaplace. I don't believe it can be a gaming platform of any kind in its current state, but I'm curious to see where it goes. Plus, it takes up no room on my hard drive, so it makes the decision easier.

Be A Better Hero: Victory in Victory Village

Victory Village is arguably the best map in Battlefield Heroes. It's my personal favorite and seems to come up most of the time when I hit Play Now. Victory Village is an infantry focused map, with plenty of cover and only two vehicles total (1 jeep for each side). This makes for some wonderful street to street fighting moments and some not-so-wonderful camped in your spawn moments. Fortunately, I'm going to share a tip that will ensure you stay on the wonderful side of things.

Victory Village is comprised of four capture points: Guardpost, Church Square, Road Block, and Orchard. Three of these points provide respawn locations once captured; Church Square being the one that does NOT. However, Church Square lays smack dab in the middle of the first two capture points, making it a tempting target to strike.

Unfortunately, a lot of time is wasted and many lives are lost attempting to take and keep control at Church Square. All of this for little gain as there is no spawn point attached. The lack of respawn combined with a wide open area makes the Square nearly impossible to defend without over-committing players to the area. Not to mention the potential devastation that can be rained down from the Church bell tower and roof overhead.



Most Victory Village matches are won or lost based on whether a team pushes Church Square or Road Block first. Road Block is easily the most important point on the map. It is, distance wise, the farthest point from both starting points. Secondly, when captured it provides an invaluable respawn point. From Road Block, access to the "back alleys" can be controlled via the myriad of tiny bottle necks. Not to mention, Church Square can easily be seen and dominated by sniping Commando's on the hills at Road Block.

The best strategy for securing Road Block early on is to rush to it in a jeep. Unfortunately, access to the jeep is "first come, first serve" and rushing players often times take off solo or rush Church Square. However, in the case you secure a jeep, load up with three players and drive on over to Road Block (best combo being a Soldier and two Gunners). Ditch the jeep short of Road Block and use the crates and walls for cover from incoming enemies.

Once Road Block is secure, defense is fairly straight forward: control the back alley ways! This means Troop Traps at the "doorways" and Gunners and Soldiers behind the walls. Keep an eye on Church Square for Commandos. As players respawn at Road Block, they have far better options on which routes to take and often times a match is all but over after Road Block is controlled successfully.

To recap, Church Square is a nightmare to capture and defend, with little benefit. Road Block is far more important, can easily be reached by a jeep rush, and provides an invaluable respawn point that often determines who achieves victory in the village of victory.

Battlefield Heroes: Be A Better Hero: Gunner Equipment Tip

First, congrats to EA/Dice: 1 million Hero's have stepped onto the Battlefield.

EA is quickly discovering the joys of free-to-play games as web-based Battlefield Heroes surpasses the one million player mark right out of the gate.

Now, as a long time beta player, I would like to take a few minutes to share some tips I've learned.

For today, a tip about equipping the Gunner.

A lot of players are unaware that a class can carry two of their primary weapon types. For example, a Gunner can carry both a default machine gun and a specialized machine gun purchased with Victory Points (such as Wolfgang's Wonderful).

The benefit to this practice is two-fold. First, it saves from having to reload, as a quick weapon swap to the second primary weapon means another full clip of ammo. Second, it allows for a player to use the benefits of the various ranges and firing rates of the specialized weapons. Having a weapon for both short and long range situations can prove very fruitful.

This is particularly useful for Gunners, who are most effective when they are firing. Gunner's machine guns have large amounts of ammo available, so once the first one is empty, switching to the other one (instead of reloading) with another 100 or so rounds available ensures a Gunner can keep the pressure up.

I currently run my Gunner, Column, with the following setup:

Weapon 1: Default MG
Weapon 2: Wolfgang's Wonderful (Long/Slow)
*long/slow refers to the range (long) and rate of fire (slow)

I close on targets from a distance with Wolfgang's Wonderful. Then I hit Leg It (a sprint ability) and as I close in, I swap to the Default MG to finish the deal.

I hope this helps! Any questions, let me know in the comments.

Battlefield Heroes: Concluding Commentary

Part I
Part II

I explained in Part II how Battlefield Heroes' dual-currency system of Battlefunds (real life $$$) and Victory Points (in game $$$), was a smart system.

This is a very smart currency system in my book. It allows for the game to be supported by the fans, without destroying outsiders ability to come in and enjoy the game. Raw, real money spent does not buy any immediate advantage for a player.

To reiterate that point, players never have to spend a dime to compete. All in game weapons are purchased via Victory Points. All classes, skills, missions, and vehicles are available to everyone. A good player will never run short of Victory Points.

Now, lets move on to how the game actually plays.

First and foremost is performance. Battlefield Heroes is rock solid and has been since I first jumped into early closed beta. I am running Battlefield Heroes on Windows XP Pro 64-bit, 4 Gb RAM, a nVidia 9600 GT (overclocked), and Intel Core 2 Duo Q6600 (quad core). My rig may sound souped up, but it is average for today's PC gaming standards. I will report some results from my aging laptop when I get a chance to set it up.

Second to performance is solid game play. Battlefield Heroes' focus on unique classes and abilities makes for a very fun game. All of the abilities are useful in some manor and the balance has been tweaked non-stop since I've started playing. The balance isn't perfect, but its now to a point where the glaring problems are gone (burning bullets I'm looking at you). The icing on the cake is the fact that AT ANY TIME A CHARACTER'S SKILLS CAN BE RESET FOR FREE!

AT ANY TIME A CHARACTER'S SKILLS CAN BE RESET FOR FREE!

Sorry, I play a lot of MMOGs that fail hard at that concept.

Next is the ease of entrance for new players and the "soft" approach to damage. Most FPS games focus on quick kills. Battlefield Heroes' approaches killing in more of an RPGish way. There is a health meter and nothing in the game outside of getting run over by a vehicle causes a one-hit kill. Various skills and weapons offer advantages/disadvantages to drain or refill that health bar. This creates a dynamic team play aspect while helping less skilled players feel like they are contributing. Plus, the damage is not a hidden number. As players score damage, numbers pop-up RPG-style on their target showing how much damage was done.

Finally, the vehicles in game have kept to the Battlefield tradition of "stupid is as stupid does". Which is to say, players don't need to be real life pilots to fly or have a valid drivers license to navigate the streets in a beep-beep Jeep (seriously, stop beeping).

With all of the positives, and my comment about a "little hate" for the game, there has to be something to deride Battlefield Heroes for, right? My major concern in beta was around the real money shop. At the time, nothing could be purchased permanently. That meant players had to pay monthly to keep their unique outfits. Fortunately, DICE/EA listened and now items can be purchased for 1-month periods or permanently.

Also of concern is the limited number of maps. There were only three maps to start, with a fourth being added recently. All of the maps are visually similar and that can be a drag coming from games like Quake Live. However, the maps are well done and quality always counts more than quantity.

Another annoying feature is the lack of a server browser. Players hit Play Now and are transported to an available game. This makes it very hard to get onto a server that is running a map the player wants to play on. On the flip side, again, this reduces the barrier of entry for new players and casual players looking for quick in'n'out sessions. Fortunately, favorite servers can be bookmarked, somewhat alleviating the problem.

Now the conclusion!

Battlefield Heroes is fun. Go play, it's free.

Battlefield Heroes Commentary Part II

In Part I, I outlined how Battlefield Heroes is a bit different from the classic Battlefield series.

I'll start by saying its not my fathers Battlefield.

At a casual pace, the game is great. There are experience levels, customizable characters, and achievements (known as missions). They all provide great incentive for casual players to get the most out of a short play session.

The game is free to play, but supported by micro-transactions. It costs "battle funds", which are purchased with real money, to customize a Hero. There is everything from hats to shoulder monkeys to momentary game bonuses. Different versions, at different costs, last anywhere from a week to permanently. This allows a player to choose a crazy outfit for a week, at a cheaper cost, without the long term commitment attached.

On top of "battle funds", there is dual-currency in the form of Victory Points. Victory Points are earned via in-game mission completion and winning matches (don't worry, losers get a small amount as well). Victory Points are used to purchase weapons and extra goodies for use in game. However, these weapons/upgrades are no permanent and in order to maintain them, the player needs to continually earn Victory Points to afford the weapons they like.

This is a very smart currency system in my book. It allows for the game to be supported by the fans, without destroying outsiders ability to come in and enjoy the game. Raw, real money spent does not buy any immediate advantage for a player.

Plus, there is no need to ever pay real money for anything if a player decides they don't want to. There is no negative to this play style and only means a slight loss of uniqueness, but when bodies are dropping a dime a dozen, that monkey on that Gunner's shoulder isn't doing much anyways.

Stay tuned for Part III: The Conclusion!

Battlefield Heroes Open Beta, NDA Lifted, Commentary Abounds

Battlefield Heroes, free-to-play shooter extraordinaire, is now in open beta.

As of today, EA Digital Illusions CE has opened their newest game, Battlefield Heroes, for public play according to CinemaBlend Games. Users confirmed this morning on the Battlefield Heroes forums that a beta key is no longer needed to enter the free-to-play cartoon shooter.

Secondly, the NDA has been lifted, so I can finally talk about the game I've been playing casually for the last few months.

I'll start by saying its not my fathers Battlefield. For starters, its quasi web-based. Hit up their web page and hit the big old Play Now button. A browser plug-in download and installation later, the game downloads and from that point forward only the web page is of concern.

Heroes has its own unique style. The graphics are definitely cartoon inspired, but without this style, the game would be one giant "WTF dude"! Personally, I enjoy the cartoonist approach as I did with Team Fortress 2.

I also say "WTF dude!" because the game contains, as defaults, some of the craziest things Battlefield players have ever come up with. For example, wing riding on airplanes is automatic with no effort needed from the player. Character abilities include punching tanks and sending them flying through the sky and the showering of half a dozen grenades with the single stroke of a hot key.

There are three Hero classes at the core of the game:

Soldier - Classic Brett Favre. Never misses a game, is a son of a bitch to take down, and throws as many OH MY GOD touchdowns as interceptions.

Commando - Classic rogue from any game ever created. Knives, sniper rifle, and stealth. Do the math.

Gunner - Classic Arnold Schwarzenegger from the Predator days. Hold that trigger down until it goes click, click, click, and nothing exists within a hundred paces.

I have love for this game, but under that love is a little bit of hate. However, that will have to wait until my next post.

No Such Thing as a Free Puppy: FREEEEEEDOM!!!

Ever heard that there is no such thing as a free puppy (NSTaaFP)? Sure, the puppy is free, but the food is not, veterinarian bills don't pay themselves, and that poop in the back yard isn't going to clean itself up. Nothing is ever free; there is always a price to pay.

With my real life churning at an incredible rate (baby on the way, new job, new rank in the military reserves, and a less than stellar economy), I am having to adjust my gaming habits. Gone are the days of shelling $30+ monthly for multiple MMO accounts and having dozens of hours to play weekly. Arrived are the days of 30 minute gaming sessions and better-things-to-spend-my-money-on-than-games.

Fear not, for I will NEVER give up online gaming. What I am giving up are overpriced, bloated, and value-depressed gaming habits. An MMO subscription may be a bargain, but that same $0.50 per hour of gameplay is a lot more valuable put into chewing gum most of the time. Plus, in the long run, a good non-subscription game is going to prove far more value-profitable for my time spent.

That is not to say that a good subscription-based MMO isn't worth the money, but the B-rate subscription MMOs with half-ass launches and lackluster gameplay are now off the table for me. I can get the same crappy gameplay from free games that force no commitment upon me. Hell, I may even warm up to the idea of micro-transaction games.

Also, this probably means any game costing $50+ better be damn good if it wants my money (and they better not require hardware upgrades). When I can buy games like Team Fortress 2 for $20 ($10 when its on sale!), game developers will never again convince me to spend $50 for a game if there is any chance the game will falter. However, I hold the right to waffle on that statement as I am susceptible to hype (bad Heartless_, bad).

I am damn well sure that I am not upgrading my hardware for any game. The beauty of most free to play games is that they shoot for wide audiences and run on practically anything. Fortunately, some "real game developers" are getting the clue. For example: Valve does a great job with their Half Life engines, which run well on most up to date PCs. Epic Games does not with their Unreal engines, and some four year old games are still impossible to run on your average gaming PC today.

Here is my short list of Free to Play games I am going to hit up:

1. Quake Live
2. Maple Story
3. Battlefield Heroes

Any more suggestions? Hit up the comments.

No Such Thing as a Free Puppy: FREEEEEEDOM!!!

Ever heard that there is no such thing as a free puppy (NSTaaFP)? Sure, the puppy is free, but the food is not, veterinarian bills don't pay themselves, and that poop in the back yard isn't going to clean itself up. Nothing is ever free; there is always a price to pay.

With my real life churning at an incredible rate (baby on the way, new job, new rank in the military reserves, and a less than stellar economy), I am having to adjust my gaming habits. Gone are the days of shelling $30+ monthly for multiple MMO accounts and having dozens of hours to play weekly. Arrived are the days of 30 minute gaming sessions and better-things-to-spend-my-money-on-than-games.

Fear not, for I will NEVER give up online gaming. What I am giving up are overpriced, bloated, and value-depressed gaming habits. An MMO subscription may be a bargain, but that same $0.50 per hour of gameplay is a lot more valuable put into chewing gum most of the time. Plus, in the long run, a good non-subscription game is going to prove far more value-profitable for my time spent.

That is not to say that a good subscription-based MMO isn't worth the money, but the B-rate subscription MMOs with half-ass launches and lackluster gameplay are now off the table for me. I can get the same crappy gameplay from free games that force no commitment upon me. Hell, I may even warm up to the idea of micro-transaction games.

Also, this probably means any game costing $50+ better be damn good if it wants my money (and they better not require hardware upgrades). When I can buy games like Team Fortress 2 for $20 ($10 when its on sale!), game developers will never again convince me to spend $50 for a game if there is any chance the game will falter. However, I hold the right to waffle on that statement as I am susceptible to hype (bad Heartless_, bad).

I am damn well sure that I am not upgrading my hardware for any game. The beauty of most free to play games is that they shoot for wide audiences and run on practically anything. Fortunately, some "real game developers" are getting the clue. For example: Valve does a great job with their Half Life engines, which run well on most up to date PCs. Epic Games does not with their Unreal engines, and some four year old games are still impossible to run on your average gaming PC today.

Here is my short list of Free to Play games I am going to hit up:

1. Quake Live
2. Maple Story
3. Battlefield Heroes

Any more suggestions? Hit up the comments.

Battlefield Heroes Beta Sign-ups Soon

Battlefield Heroes, a free-to-play WWII shooter due out later this year, will soon be opening its doors for beta.

Battlefield Heroes is one of those titles that easily crosses a few genres. There's no question, however, that the game has a good chunk of free-to-play MMO shoved within its most gooiest bits.

Eurogamer has the news that sign-ups will be handled over on the official website on May 6th for anyone interested in playing this quirky-go-lucky online shooter. If you somehow haven't seen this inspiring trailer, you really need to check it out. The character screen features plenty of hard-points for character clothing options and the required level/experience-to-next-level indicator that completes the MMO addiction trifecta.

It goes without saying that we'll be tossing our hats into the beta ring. The gameplay looks exactly how you would imagine a WWII-cartoon-styled persistent online first person shooter -- or WW2CSPOFPS if you love acronyms -- would look like; strangely awesome.

Just for history's sake, this will most likely be the third Battlefield game I will play. What's funny about that is the fact that I skip every other one. I played Battlefield 1942, skipped Battlefield Vietnam, played Battlefield 2, skipped Battlefield 2142, and will probably be playing Battlefield Heroes.

Battlefield Heroes Beta Sign-ups Soon

Battlefield Heroes, a free-to-play WWII shooter due out later this year, will soon be opening its doors for beta.

Battlefield Heroes is one of those titles that easily crosses a few genres. There's no question, however, that the game has a good chunk of free-to-play MMO shoved within its most gooiest bits.

Eurogamer has the news that sign-ups will be handled over on the official website on May 6th for anyone interested in playing this quirky-go-lucky online shooter. If you somehow haven't seen this inspiring trailer, you really need to check it out. The character screen features plenty of hard-points for character clothing options and the required level/experience-to-next-level indicator that completes the MMO addiction trifecta.

It goes without saying that we'll be tossing our hats into the beta ring. The gameplay looks exactly how you would imagine a WWII-cartoon-styled persistent online first person shooter -- or WW2CSPOFPS if you love acronyms -- would look like; strangely awesome.

Just for history's sake, this will most likely be the third Battlefield game I will play. What's funny about that is the fact that I skip every other one. I played Battlefield 1942, skipped Battlefield Vietnam, played Battlefield 2, skipped Battlefield 2142, and will probably be playing Battlefield Heroes.