Some Differences in old to new karkand.

Ok so I saw the videos release that I posted earlier and did some work and looked on youtube.com for some old shots of the old maps.  Here is a brief look and a little comparison of the different shots.

The first shot is an old overview of Karkand from BF2.  I don’t have the map overview for the new Back to Karkand in the expansion that will release in December.  But I do believe that the map will be very similar to the old map.

Here is a look at the Hotel check point flag area. This is the first flag closest to the US Deployment area.

And here is virtually the same look but from the Battlefield 2.

Here is a look from BF3 on a bridge.

here is a couple pics from BF2 in that same location.

new video from Dice

my video of bf3 a mesh of several videos

Videos of gameplay on Karkand and Oman

New Video release from DICE.

So this looks freaking sweet.  Here is the link to the rest of the ARTICLE posted by DICE.

Has with everyone else in the world that plays BF3.  I can not wait to fire a rocket into the hotel flag point an make it rain rubble on an enemy.  They have stated countless time that the destruction in the expansion will be greater.  From watching the video, I can see some increased destruction.  I just hope that with the upcoming expansion and the patch that is in the works (in my opinion I think that the patch will be to address issues with expansion and how it works with the current game version)  the destruction increase will carry over to the regular maps. 

DICE also released some detail on the new Assignments that will come with the expansion (I think the patch will address or get the game ready for the expansion).  Looks like you can set goals or pick a goal from a list, and when you reach that goal you will get an unlock.  I don't know about this.  First thought, cool something new to check out and keeps the game fresh.  Second thought, this will add the individual game experience taking away from team play.  The other thing about this assignments is that its not just for the expansion pack there will be assignments that work in the regular maps has will. So there is your re-play ability.

Update for BF3 to coming soon!!

I found this little blipp

In happier news, EA also says that a Battlefield 3 patch is on the way. Amongst the issues being tweaked, the patch will lessen the power of the tactical flashlight add-on. No word on when this patch will hit, but the Twitter account says it's "just around the corner."

here is the location where I found the above info ARTICLE

Get another free dog tag for BF3!

Goto alienwarearena.com and register for a free account. Then scroll down click the little battlefield 3 icon then on the right click on get key.

Watch video for some free Dog tags

Hey all watch this video trailer for an upcoming movie Act of Valor start Feb 17 2012.  at the end of the video you get to select what platform you play battlefield 3 on then you log in to EA then you will get the dog tags.

The movie looks pretty cool to.

Back to Karkand Gameplay and Preview.

EOD wants to play with a Tank.

The MAV for the Recon Class in BF3!!

Ok so this is a nice little gadget for the Recon Class.  I think I would use it for a quick Eye in the sky recon tool when your squad is moving in on a enemy control point, and you want to get a forward look ahead to see if there are any enemy soldiers there.  Its fast and you can spot with it. the down side is that it is load.  You don't have to be close to know that there is a MAV in the area.  You can also deploy the MAV use it for a quick look around go back to you main weapon and play the objective then go back in to the MAV view and watch the area for incoming enemies.
Very handy toy to have and with this gadget you are a great asset to your squad and team.

Operation Firestorm Conquest Map.

Ok so here we go again.  I will chat about my take on the Conquest map Operation Firestorm for BF3.  This map is one of the huge maps in BF3.

Let’s first talk about that the map in general.  First once you deploy to this area of operations you will notice that it is set in a very desilete place.  Not many trees or bushes.  There are a couple of mountains here.   The battlefield is centered on an oil refining plant in Middle East.  For being a very wide open destination there are pleanty of nooks and crannys to hide in with in the plant area it-self.

This map is a wonderful place to really fine tune you style with the different classes in BF3, due to the openness of the map and the variety of the fighting that will be going on here.  This is one of the maps that I can say that there will be multiple little fights between squads rather than team vs. team, not saying that Team v Team battles will not be going on.

I would like to look at the different Control areas on this map.

The first on we will look at is the Construction Flag Area.  This Capture Zone (Alpha) is made up of some new contruction building in the back of the flag area, this place will give an over watch of the Flag area.  The flag is positioned in the warehouse building that is centered in the Capture area.  But this has a big capture field so you don’t have to be in the warehouse to cap the flag.

This is just an over view of the Construction area.

Here is a view of the Contruction flag area from the US Deployment zone.

Lets look at the Warehouse Flag Zone (Bravo).  To me this is the great place to get points and hold. Because in my mind it seems to have the largest Capture field of all the other Flag Zones.  I think there are lot of places to hide and still be in the Capture field.  This is bad place to stay because it is in-between Alpha and Charlie so in theory this Capture zone is going to be in a lot of fights.

I have outlined what I think is the capture field for Bravo.

Here is view from a reveres angle of Bravo.

Charlie is labeled has the Filling Station. This is like Alpha in that this Zone has a couple of pertches where you can defend the flag from enemy soldiers trying to cap it.  Charlie is normally the first capture zone for the Russian Deployment .

Here is a general view of Charlie, And its capture field.

Here is a view from the Russian Deployment area depicting the filling station.

Delta also known has the Offices, is fairly small in comparison to the other capture zones.  This place is made up of one completed 3 story building and 2 uncompleted buildings, one of the uncompleted buildings does have a stationary Rocket launcher for vehicle defense.  Also at Delta is a construction Crane.  This is good for recon sniping and spotting.

Here is an over view of Delta.

here is a view of Delta from the Alpha.

The last capture zone is the Army Outpost.  This is Echo.  This is a remote Flag and rarelly I believe is a rearly changed flag in relation to capturing. 

here is just an over view of Echo.

Echo is placed on flat land.

Ok so there are the capture zones for Operation Firestorm.  Now I would like to share with everyone one Stratigic plan for both sides

First the US,  I think at the beginning of the round I think that the team should go for Echo, Thinking that the Russian team will first go for Charlie (being it the closest to their Deployment area) then work their way to Bravo and then alpha. After capping Echo I would head for either Bravo or Charlie.  Just choose on the path that the Russians use to recap Echo.  Doing this would put the Russians on the back track to recapture this position and then being on the chase to recap flag throughout the rest of the match.

Second the RU.  If I was commanding the Russian team I would look at capping Delta has this will provide a great over watch of the US deployment area, the mountain range just outside the US deployment area, Alpha flag, and Bravo Flag.  Just keep in mind that if you hold the office (delta) best believe that this will be the primary target of the US team. Defend will to keep battlefield supremacy.

Will that was my take of Operation Firestorm Conquest map. Please let me know what you think.

The SOFLAM in BF3!!!!

Hey all,  I just wanted to share with all of you about what I have unlocked and what I think about it.

So I have unlocked the SOFLAM for the Recon Class.

Here is the description that is in Battlelog.

“The AN/PEQ-1 SOFLAM allows the Recon soldier to designate enemy vehicles for precision strikes. The SOFLAM is semi-autonomous and will designate targets even when unattended.”

Now for my take of the SOFLAM and how I use it. 

I First just thought that this gadget was supposed to be used to just lock on the vehicles and that you had to dedicate your soldier to manning this gadget.  What I came to realize is that this is not true.  What I mean, you can deploy the SOFLAM then you will be in the view of the SOFLAM.  At this point you will hit the E key or the key that you have setup to enter or exit equipment.   Your SOFLAM will stay where you deployed it.  Know you can roam about the map, engage in another conflict on the map.  Keep in mind that if you are killed, your SOPFAM will be removed and would have to be re-deployed.  Anyway getting back to the point.  Once you deploy the SOFLAM you can leave it, go to a different point on the map and then go back to the gadget (hitting the 3 key) and your soldier will bring out a PDA.  You then will left click the mouse or preform the action of firing you weapon.  This will remotely connect you to your deployed SOFLAM.  Now you can rotate the SOFLAM, you can keep the center of the SOFLAM on an enemy vehicle to lock it so that that enemy vehicle can be taken out by your team, and you can spot enemy soldiers, vehicles has well.  Speaking of targeting vehicles, every time that you target (paint with laser) an enemy vehicle you get 10 points.

 I also want to state a couple limitations to the SOFLAM.  First the SOFLAM constantly is shooting a very strong laser hat whatever is in front of it.  So if you enemy is in the front of it hope that they don’t try to find what that laser is coming from. And second the range of the SOFLAM for targeting enemy vehicles is not that great.  But you can “Q” spot that enemy though.

I would like to give you a couple of examples of my use with the SOFLAM.  The first on was on Caspian Boarder.  Specifically at the Forest control Point.  What I did was, there was a rock formation overlooking the flag area, this point was in-between the flag and the boarder fencing, so that I can watch the open area behind, the Control Point flag area (Alpha flag) the Forest flag area forward, the Hill Flag area up on the hill, and the Gas station in the back ground.  Once I deployed the SOFLAM, I moved to a position that was also overlooking the flag area but from different angle, and overlooking the open area between the Forest flag area and the Gas station control point and the Hill in is in the back ground.  Positioning my SOFLAM and my-self in this manor would give me a great advantage for controlling a wider area then what I just in front of me.  If there was an enemy soldier moving on the Forest Flag area from the Gas Station area, I would see them walking or running in.  I then can “Q” spot them.  I would wait for the soldier to start to capture the Forest flag then move my soldier to take the enemy out giving me I think 50 extra points for defending the flag.

Another example of the SOFLAM.  I was playing on the map Operation Firestorm.  I was a Russian Soldier and our team was getting reamed by the other teams attach Helo.  So what I did was, got to the Office Flag area. There is a Construction crane boom there and I climbed to the top of it, deployed my SOFLAM to overlook the Office Flag, the Construction Flag, the Warehouse, the Army Outpost, and the US Deployment area.  Great advantage if you ask me.  So having deployed my SOFLAM here I was able to watch the US deployment area for the enemy attach Helo enter the battlefield, once it did I would laze the Helo and then when the target was acquired he would bug out.  Every time the Helo entered my SOFLAM range I would lock on again and he would bug out.  So from this point on in the match that Helo was removed from the battle not attacking my team any more.  We came back to win the match.

This gadget will aid your team/squad, if properly used, to victory over your current conflict.

My Look at Operation Metro for BF3.

I would like to give my 2 cents about the maps in Battlefield 3.  So basically I want to give a detailed look to the maps that are in Battlefield 3 BF3 for short. I will do a map at a time so I don’t burn myself out talking about it, well just want to stop writing and just go play on the map.

The first map I would like to discuss is Operation Metro.

So let’s just jump on in to the map.  Operation Metro places the two teams, the United States and the Russians, in Paris France.  This map also was the map featured in the Alpha and in the Beta.  Keep in mind that the description that DICE gives for all the maps is that “All maps will feature all game types”.  Meaning Conquest, Conquest 64, Squad Rush and Team Death match.  Know I have only played Rush during the Beta, and I have to admit that it was a blast.  But after the release of the full game you are able to play all the other game modes, this map is so much better.  Right know I’ve been playing Conquest 64, and this in my opinion make this map so much more fun to play.  The map lay out is very unique in design and I have to hand it to the map DEV team on a fantastic map layout.  During the Rush game mode.  The US is the Attacking Team and the RU is the Defending Team.  The first set of MCOM’s are set in a nice scenic park what looks to me outside of a bustling Paris.  This to me is what sold me on the Frostbite 2 Engine.  I started on the US team, and you first see the trees swaying the grass and the bushes on in unison.  The lighting is so awesome and how that it affects your vision from running into the sun or away from the sun.  Then the next sensation is the sound.  Oh My Goodness.  The sound in this game is in another world.  You here bullets cracking past you ambient sound in the back ground.  The first real sound that made me say wow was a grenade going off next to me.  You know I have never heard or felt a grenade go off.  This made me feel like that I did.  The soldiers movements are so smooth and will animated it feels like it could be you out there in Paris.  I mean you don’t just jump over a bolder or a hand realign.  You hurdle it.  So like I stated before, the first set of MCOM’s are positioned outside in this park.  Once the US team destroys this there is a brief lull, a couple of seconds. Then you see 3 rockets come down in the rear of the RU Deployment location for the first MCOM’s.  These rockets stick the ground and the whole ground shakes. (Another great perk of the Frostbite 2 engine)  This opens up  2 access holes for the US to attach the second set of MCOM stations.  This access holes left from the rocket explosions lead into the beautiful subway station under the busy Paris streets.  The first time playing at this point in the game I took notice to the ceiling of the subway station, you can tell that there tiled and the lighting engine shows the shimmering of the light bounce off of them.  Here you have a couple crush subway cars some not crushed.  You know I don’t recall seeing much in this section that was able to be destroyed except some internal walls.  Once the US team destroys the MCOM stations the move to the next level, which is a floor above.  Here you have like the entrance from the streets to the subway turnstiles.  On this section of the rush contest you see little bit more of the frostbite 2 destructions features.  Walls get shredded.  There is a lot of cover for both sides of the battlefield here as well.  The next section is in the streets of Paris’s Business District.  Here you can see big buildings, and the damage that will happen to those big buildings.  All in all for the rush I think this was a fantastic way for DICE to show case the features in the Beta and to really carry it through to the full release.

Operation Metro Conquest.  Ok so I thought that Rush on this map was cool during the Beta, until I got to play the conquest game mode in the full release.  Conquest on this map utilizes 3 Flag capture areas.  Flag Alpha is called the Café, and it is located on in the streets of Paris just outside the entrance of the subway station.  From my opinion this Flag is always captured by the RU’s do to the fact that it is the first flag next to the RU deployment spawn.  The next flag capture area is Bravo I want to say it is labeled has the terminal.  This flag is positioned just at the top of the escalators in the subway station.  This flag in my mind is the turning point to winning the match. If you team can hold this position, your team will win.  The last flag Charlie is labeled the Platform.  This flag is positioned at the last platform in the where you would get on the subway train underground.  This flag is the closest flag to the US deployment area.  Going back to the Bravo Flag, this is where you will find almost all the fighting in this conquest battle.  There are really to major spots.  The first escalators and the side stairwell.  I personally go for the side stairs.  Because if you have a good group of guys or gals you can hold this stairs and push to the flag or use the flank to the hallway on the right that will put you out behind the Bravo flag in a good position to stage an attack on the Alpha flag.  From the RU view I think the all you would have to do is hold Bravo until the round is over and you will have a win.   

All in all I do like the design of the map.  The level of detail is great and the battles that go on here are fantastic.  This map is a fast paced, high scoring map.  Communication with the team or your squad is a must to overtake the stalemates that happen at Bravo. 

Please let me know what you think of this post. And there will be more on the other maps in later posts.