Battlefield 2

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Battlefield 2
Developer(s)	Digital Illusions CE
Publisher(s)	EA Games
Engine	Battlefield 2 Engine
Latest version	1.41
Release date(s)	June 21, 2005 () June 22, 2005 () June 24, 2005 ()
Genre(s)	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single player, Multiplayer, Conquest, Co-op
Rating(s)	ESRB: Teen (T) PEGI: 16+ OFLC: M
Platform(s)	Windows XP
Media	DVD (1) or CD (3) (both same features)
System requirements	see Official system requirements
Input	Keyboard, mouse, joystick (optional)

Battlefield 2 (abbreviated to BF2) is a computer game where players fight in a present battlefield using state of the art firearms and vehicles.^[1] BF2 represents a first-person shooter with some strategy and RPG (Role-Playing-Game) elements.^[2]

BF2 was developed by Digital Illusions CE (DICE) with a custom engine for gameplay, physics, and graphics. BF2 is published by Electronic Arts as the third game of the Battlefield series, released in late June of 2005.^[2]

BF2 includes a single-player mode with three difficulty levels and a multi-player mode via the Internet or a LAN. Both player modes use the same maps and use Battlefield's conquest game mode. Single-player mode allows 15 computer controlled players,^[3] while Internet mode allows up to 64 players.

The game received an average score of 90% from reviewers^[4] and topped the PC game sales charts from June to August 2005. Also, the highly respected PC Gamer (UK) called BF2 the third best game of all time. Battlefield 2 is often compared with the popular Desert Combat mod for Battlefield 1942. Both games take place in similar eras and, after the acquisition of Desert Combat developer Trauma Studios by Digital Illusions CE, developers that worked on Desert Combat went to work on Battlefield 2.^[5]

A console branded version also exists (for Xbox, Xbox 360 and PS2), named Battlefield 2: Modern Combat,^[6] although the game differs quite considerably in execution, content, and gameplay from the PC version.

Contents 1 Gameplay 1.1 Infantry classes 1.2 Weapons 1.3 Vehicles 2 Features 2.1 Squads 2.2 Commo rose 2.3 Commanders 2.4 Minimap 2.5 Global ranking 2.6 Awards and unlockable weapons 2.7 Battlefield recorder 2.8 Maps 3 Reception 4 Criticism 5 Awards 6 Demo 7 Official system requirements 8 Patches 9 Official expansion packs 9.1 Battlefield 2: Special Forces 9.1.1 New features 9.2 Booster packs 9.2.1 Euro Force 9.2.2 Armored Fury 10 References 11 See also 12 External links

[edit] Gameplay

The ultimate objective of "Conquest" (Battlefield 2's only officially ranked game mode) is to reduce the opposing team's "tickets", an indicator of how many respawns are available to that team. Players speed up the loss of the opposing team's tickets by capturing "flags". These are spawn points for the team that controls them. Tickets will decline by one for every player on a team who has been "killed" only once that player respawns. This allows for cooperative gameplay, wherein a 'dying' teammate may be revived by a fellow teammate, thereby avoiding ticket loss. Tickets can also be reduced if more than a certain number of flags are captured (usually half or more of the total number of flags, depending on the map). This creates what is known as "ticket bleed," wherein the opposing team's tickets will start declining over time in addition to their players being "killed". Once a team's ticket count reaches zero, the other team automatically wins the round. Alternatively, it is possible to win a round by capturing all the flags, thereby depriving the other team of spawn points. This is known as a "cap-out". If neither of these win scenarios occur, the team which has more tickets when that round's time limit expires wins that round.^[7]

The various infantry classes and vehicles provide a variety of methods to attack and counter the opposing team's forces, and in this way, the gameplay resembles a complex game of rock, paper, scissors. This balance is still not quite perfect, for example there is no way for infantry to counter air power other than with stationary anti-air missile sites, but the patches for the game are being made to address the various issues.

[edit] Infantry classes

Battlefield 2 has seven classes per team, up from Battlefield 1942's five, and Battlefield Vietnam's four. The classes are: in order

• Assault troops carry an assault rifle with an attached grenade launcher. An unlockable weapon, the G3A3, lacks a grenade launcher, therefore the player is instead equipped with Frag Grenades. The Assault class can also throw a single smoke grenade to cover friendly forces. When equipped with the unlockable F2000, 3 Flashbang grenades replace the Smoke Grenade. Assault soldiers are equipped with body armor and perform well in most all-out combat situations, capable of holding their own against infantry and transport vehicles.
• Snipers take out enemies from long range with a sniper rifle, and they can plant Claymore anti-personnel mines. Snipers wear a ghillie suit which camouflages their figure amongst tall grass or bushes, although it is less useful in urban combat. Sniper hits are less damaging than in real life due to balancing reasons, requiring a direct hit to the head with any rifle to kill a completely healthy target in one shot. However, a body shot from any sniper rifle will reduce a target's health by up to 95%. If the target has been shot once with any weapon at close range, and then takes a hit from a sniper, it is a guaranteed death.
• Spec Ops carry 5 sticky C-4 explosive charges that can be used to destroy commander assets, bridges, vehicles, and even other soldiers. These charges have a small blast radius in order to avoid killing surrounding teammates, but are fatal to all infantry within seven meters of any C-4 explosions. They wield accurate and compact carbines with red dot sights and suppressed pistols. Spec Ops also have more stamina than other classes, meaning they can sprint for longer distances. This is offset however by light, but weak body armor.
• Engineers have a "magic wrench," which allows them to repair damaged vehicles and strategic locations, such as artillery, bridges and UAV trailers. The wrench can also be used to disarm friendly and enemy AT mines and claymores, the latter only if approached from behind. Disarmed AT mines can be re-used, but disarmed claymores disappear, being unable to be reused by the engineer. Engineers can repair their own transport if they ride in a seat that allows them to use their personal weapons. An engineer in a vehicle also repairs any friendly vehicles in close proximity, regardless of whether or not he is in a seat where he can access his wrench. They can also deploy anti-vehicle mines, one of which can destroy any enemy vehicle which travels over it and defend themselves with an extremely powerful but short-ranged shotgun (the Special Forces Expansion pack upgrade weapon: the H&K MP7 is a SMG capable of a much longer range & is more accurate if used properly).
• Medics are armed with a M-16A2, AK-101, AK-47, FAMAS, or an L85A1(when the player earns it in standard Battlefield 2); and with the Special Forces Expansion Pack, the G36E; all these resemble the Assault kit's default weapon but without the grenade launcher. They have the ability to heal teammates by either holding their medic bag in hand (thus healing all friendly infantry, mounted or dismounted, within a 5-10m radius) or by tossing medpacks which instantly restore a teammate to full health (this option is temporarily limited by the medic's current amount of bags, however). Medics can also revive "critically wounded" teammates to full health with a defibrillator, however, if the teammate was killed instantly, as is the case if he was blown up inside a vehicle, taken heavy or continuous damage after being wounded (going off the course and getting wounded there, for example), or directly hit by artillery, the medic cannot revive them. The defibrillator can also be used to shock enemy soldiers. Whether the knife or defibrillator is more effective in close combat varies per player preference. The advantage of the defibrillator is that it has a slightly longer attack range while the knife has a shorter attack animation and no need to recharge after each use, during which time, if the player misses, the enemy could notice and/or kill the player. Medics also have the ability to convert any vehicle in which they are travelling into an ambulance, healing any player near to or inside the vehicle, including themselves.
• Support troops wield a "squad automatic weapon" that can provide heavy covering fire, and replenish allies' supplies with ammunition packs (despite having 4 packs instead of 3, they are temporarily limited like First Aid for Medics). Like Assault, this class has body armor. Support soldiers have essentially infinite ammunition, as once they run out all they need to do is equip their ammo bag to automatically replenish themselves. Ammo bags, like Medic bags and Engineer wrenches, are inexhaustible, though they do require some recharge time after extended use. A support soldier in a vehicle is useful as a rolling ammo resupply.
• Anti-tank soldiers have heavy body armor, a submachine gun for personal defense and a short-range, anti-tank rocket which excel at destroying light transports in one/two hits and can heavily damage armored tanks and APCs. With careful targeting, the rockets can be used as anti-aircraft weapons which can also damage or destroy helicopters, although jets once in flight remain practically invulnerable to any ground fire which is not heat-seeking. The anti-tank projectile has a near non-existent blast radius (less than a meter) and deals very little splash damage. A carefully placed anti-tank rocket can be used as a one-hit-kill weapon against infantry opponents (but only if it is a direct hit.) This class comes equipped with a light SMG, for close quarters defense, so it is not recommended to engage the enemy at close quarters unless you have an unlockable such as the P90 or DAO-12.

[edit] Weapons

Battlefield 2 uses a number of different real-world weapons, however, they do not always perform the same as their real-world counterparts. Weapons are organized according to country and kit, and special unlockable weapons can be used by any country - however, the player must obtain a certain rank to spawn one or more of them. It is possible for a player of any rank to use unlocks by picking them up off dead soldiers.

All classes carry a basic pistol (the pistols of Spec Ops and Sniper classes are suppressed), combat knife and hand grenades,with the exception of Anti-Tank, which forgoes the grenades in order to accommodate a shoulder-mounted missile launcher, and Assault, which is equipped with a grenade launcher on their default kit weapons. After enough points are earned, players can unlock alternate weapons for each class. For instance, snipers may choose the bulletproof glass-piercing M95 sniper rifle (firing .50 BMG ammunition), and Spec Ops can use a highly accurateH&K G36C carbine, or Support the extremely powerful PKM. Different classes are able to sprint for different lengths of time than others and have different amounts of body armour. Support and Assault classes have heavy body armour and can sprint for 8 seconds. The Anti-Tank class has heavy body armour as well and can sprint for 9 seconds. All other classes can sprint for 10 seconds, but have no armor protection.

Locational damage is a returning feature of the game, meaning that certain bodyparts on infantry classes (like the head) are weaker than others. Despite the fact locational damage is implemented, the damage model itself remains very unrealistic. For example, a 7.62x51mm Nato bullet will deal significantly more damage (95) than a 7.62x54R bullet (45). Apart from that, weapon portrayal also remains questionable, with recoil close to non existent on some rifles and accuracy on a carbine variant with shorter barrel higher compared to that of the standard variant with a barrel nearly twice as long. In reality, although barrel length does not solely determine accuracy, it results in a higher muzzle velocity that flattens trajectory. Infantry classes can also be momentarily stunned by nearby explosions (by flashbang, grenade, a nearby tank firing, or artillery), temporarily resulting in blurred vision, hearing loss, and slower movement.

[edit] Vehicles

The various forces still use the trademark feature of the Battlefield series - the large stable of vehicles that any player, regardless of faction, specialty or experience, can climb into and control. There are many different types of vehicles playable in Battlefield 2. They are all based on real-life vehicles used by the militaries of different countries. However, certain vehicles are incorrectly portrayed. For example, in reality the USMC use the [HMMWV] or humvee as their assault vehicle , whilst the Desert Patrol Vehicle (DPV) is only used by the Navy SEALs.

All pilotable vehicles take damage from guns, missiles, rough terrain and crashes, and catch fire and explode when they become submerged in water (with the exception of the APCs and RIBs). All vehicles have a damage meter which is lowered with successive damage, and can be replenished by a supply crate or Engineer kit. Helicopters and jets can also be repaired by returning to a friendly helipad or airstrip. Once a vehicle reaches a certain damage level (2.5 bars), it catches on fire and its damage meter automatically lowers until it explodes or is repaired to a safe level (if a hit lowers the damage meter to zero before this, the vehicle explodes instantly). Unlike Battlefield 1942, there are no ground vehicle repair pads. This means that the only methods of repair are via engineer, or the comparatively slow supply drop. All aircraft and helicopters explode or are severely damaged if they crash into any terrain object at a high enough speed, even trees or poles. Being damaged does not affect the vehicles' performance, although it does make them more vulnerable to destruction and causes them to spout blackish-grey smoke. If a player is standing close enough to a vehicle when it explodes, they will take damage or be killed by the explosion, depending on the size and type of the vehicle. Standing next to the vehicle's charred wreckage when it explodes a second time will also cause damage, and even kill nearby players, in which case the player who destroyed the vehicle will be given credit for the kill.

[edit] Features

Even though Battlefield 2 is a sequel to Battlefield 1942, there are many changes to the popular gameplay of the original. Many of these new gameplay features were added to the game with teamwork and collaboration in mind. The upgraded game engine includes improved physics, dynamic lighting, and more realistic material penetration. The main feature for this game though is the massive multiplayer content.

[edit] Squads

Players are able to form themselves into two-to-six-man squads, for better versatility and survivability on the battlefield. Members of a squad have the added ability to communicate to players within their squad via Voice-over IP (VoIP), a method of voice communication integrated into BF2.

The squad leader is tasked with providing objectives to his squad members (such as moving, attacking, defending, repairing an objective) which will appear on their interface as waypoints or coloured smoke markers. The squad leader is also the only person in the team that has full access to the T menu, which consists of the ability to request orders, artillery, UAV support, and supply/vehicle drops from the commander, as well as the only player that is able to communicate directly to the commander via VoIP.

The members of the squad have the option of "spawning" on their squad leader instead of the flag. This can present considerable advantage, for as long as the squad leader is alive, the squad members can keep spawning on him and continue their attack until their objective is achieved.

A maximum of nine squads per side is allowed. Players may be invited to join a squad, and if they accept, they are then moved into that squad. Squads can be locked so that people can only join if they have been invited. Squad members, not leaders, have a minimal T key menu for requesting orders, artillery, and a supply/vehicle drop.

[edit] Commo rose

Players can send preset messages to their teams by way of an in-game popup menu (called a "Commo Rose"). By pressing the Q or T keys, the crosshair is replaced with a "rose" with radio commands arranged in a circle. There are two radio sections; global radio, controlled by the Q key (spotted, need medic, need backup, follow me, etc.) and squad radio, controlled by the T key, which allows squad members to send requests to their squad leader. The squad leader receives an expanded list of squad radio commands, and can give orders to their squad or make requests to the commander.

If a menu is activated while aiming at an object such as a tank and "spotted" is clicked, it recognizes the tank and sends out an "enemy armor spotted" radio message. Units spotted this way are displayed on teammates' mini-maps for several seconds. This function can be overridden by holding the right mouse button, which shows a list of the types of enemies that can be spotted.

[edit] Commanders

The Team Commander position is an exclusive role in the team that is assigned via player application according to online rankings. The Commander plays the strategic role of a battlefield commander, assigning objectives to squad leaders and providing artillery, satellite scan, RQ-1 Predator UAV reconnaissance, supply and vehicle drops. When Patch 1.3 was released, vehicle drops were frequently used as "cartillery," as commanders dropped them on top of waiting infantry (killing them on contact), vehicles, such as tanks, jets and helicopters, to which the falling vehicle damaged significantly or destroyed, and enemy commander assets, which could also be destroyed with a well-placed vehicle drop. This has now been fixed in the 1.4 patch.^[8] The Team Commander is like any other soldier on the battlefield in that he chooses a kit, spawns in, can die, etc. The Commander can resign at any time and become a regular soldier, letting others apply for the commander position. If players feel that their current commander is not doing a good job of commanding, there is an option to vote for a mutiny. If an overwhelming majority of teammates vote "yes," the mutiny succeeds and the Commander will be forced to relinquish his role as commander and become a lone wolf.

Commanders don't gain points from flag captures, kills or teamwork. Commanders only earn points equal to the average accrued when his allied team members earn points. The commander that wins the game earns double his calculated points when the game round ends.

[edit] Minimap

The minimap shows a white triangle at its centerpoint, representing the player's field of view. It will show the location of nearby friendly units, as well as any spotted enemies. Minimap also displays the kit of nearby players if that kit is requested (i.e. if a medic is requested, a red cross will appear as an icon for nearby medics). Commander abilities (artillery, UAV, vehicle and supply drop) are displayed on the minimap.

[edit] Global ranking

A log of all players' activities, kills, weapon usage, and other achievements on "official" ranked servers is kept, and organized into a ranking system. Rankings are based on USMC military ranks, ranging from Private all the way to General. Once a player's global points reach a certain level they will gain a rank, giving them precedence when applying for the team commander position. These ranks become harder to achieve the higher up the hierarchy. A player's point standing and rank can be viewed at the B.F.2.S. website

[edit] Awards and unlockable weapons

One can earn awards (ribbons, badges, and medals) for certain tasks accomplished. Badges and ribbons are the easiest to obtain, and medals are much harder, requiring dedication and prolonged play. As players ascend through the ranks they will gain the ability to unlock certain weapons. For each rank gained after the rank of private first class, a player will be granted the ability to unlock one of seven unlockable weapons, one for each class. Players who have the Special Forces expansion have the option to unlock another 7 weapons, and can unlock a total of 2 weapons after each promotion. This system has the effect of punishing players who have not purchased the expansion by putting them at a disadvantage with regard to weapon availability on servers which allow use of unlocked weapons, which most do. For each kit, however, in order to unlock the Special Forces weapon one must first unlock the "Vanilla" weapon. For instance, If the player wanted to unlock the L96A1 Sniper rifle, they would first have to unlock the M95. The ranking system and unlockables can be used on all servers which allow them, but only "official" (ranked) servers record and send back stats.

[edit] Battlefield recorder

A built-in game recorder records battles for subsequent replay. These files can be downloaded off a server which supports BattleRecorder directly after their respective game. Recorded battle files are around 1MB to 5MB in size and are played within the Battlefield 2 engine. Camera angles can be changed (free roaming & selected player), as well as the speed, though it cannot be rewound. Files can be exported to AVI format. The Battlefield Recorder has enabled the creation of various machinima

[edit] Maps

Main article: List of maps in Battlefield 2

BF2 originally shipped with 12 maps, with Wake Island 2007 being added from the 1.03 patch onwards, and Road to Jalalabad being added from the 1.4 patch onward. Depending on the number of people the server is configured to accommodate, the scope and objectives of maps change. However, servers can be set up to support more or less than the map is designed for(EX. 64 players on a 16-man map or 56 on a 64-man map)

Single-player mode only allows access to a selection of the 16 player version maps, and several maps are not available at all for single-player, such as the "Kubra Dam" map.

List of maps in Battlefield 2
Battlefield 2	Special Forces	Euro Force
Dalian Plant Daqing Oilfields Dragon Valley FuShe Pass Gulf of Oman Kubra Dam Mashtuur City Operation Clean Sweep Road to Jalalabad Sharqi Peninsula Songhua Stalemate Strike at Karkand Wake Island 2007 Zatar Wetlands	Devil's Perch Ghost Town Iron Gator Leviathan Mass Destruction Night Flight Surge Warlord	Great Wall Operation Smoke Screen Taraba Quarry
		Armored Fury
		Midnight Sun Operation Harvest Operation Road Rage

[edit] Reception

Battlefield 2 has sold 2,250,000 copies worldwide, as of July 2006.^[9]

The game gained widespread approval from critics, receiving an aggregate score of 91% from 55 reviews,^[10] including five stars out of five from large reviewing organizations Yahoo! Games, GameSpy, and Computer Gaming World. PC Gamer awarded it 94%, stating, "Its finely tuned maps and balanced gameplay prove that you CAN improve on perfection", later on PC Gamer gave it its Game of the Year award.^[11]

Some of the lower scores were reactions to the large amount of bugs and glitches in the initial release. For example, Gaming Nexus (who awarded the game an 8.7 out of 10) reported, "I’ve had many cool experiences playing it and a lot of 'did I just see that' moments but all of that is crapped on by the bugs and quirks in the game."^[12] (These problems have been mostly addressed in the post-release patches; however, new, sometimes more severe problems have materialized in their place.) In reaction to the BF2 community's outrage at some areas of gameplay, EA and DICE have added free content such as maps in some patches. They have also started to use a system of open beta patches to better the overall testing of new patches. Games Radar approved of the game, awarding a 90%, but added a disclaimer that the gaming experience is best "if your machine is up to it". ^[13](See System requirements) Also, many websites have stated the long load times that the game requires to start up when loading a new map as a weak point.

[edit] Criticism

There are many things that the game itself, EA and DICE have been criticized for. As already touched on, the game has been criticized by many fans for having a lot of bugs and glitches present, some of which have never been properly fixed. EA has come under fire many times through the game's history by fans for their apparent lackluster attempts at providing support for the game, and many people even went as far as to say the game was released a Beta rather than a fully finished product.

In relation to these issues, people have criticized EA and DICE for not releasing any new free content for the game regularly, citing that while their was an ever growing mod community providing custom maps, none of these were allowed to be played on ranked servers, and since the majority of players only used ranked servers, the majority of players could only play on the official maps. EA released the booster packs, probably in response to this, but because it was not free content it just upset a lot of people even more; though it is true that the new content was viewed by many as a step in the right direction.

Other criticisms arose from the number of patches the game has had, compared to the number of bugs that have been fixed. Many in the community claim more bugs were apparently introduced to the game than were actually fixed in some cases, and other things that seemed too obvious to overlook suggested the patches hadn't undergone vigorous testing. Much of this remains simple aggravation on the part of fans though, who have encountered problems and apparently came up against a brick wall when trying to find out answers. But it doesn't end there.

If one were to take a passing glance at the amount of complaining that went on with the various things that happened to BF2, it is quite possible to believe the apparent media black out that occurred with EA on relating to the fans exactly what was being fixed what was not, and why, would only cause more aggravation and uproar. But, in true catch 22 style, not doing so caused many to complain about the lack of information being provided about the game patching process. DICE at one point introduced a community manager charged with the task of collecting information on issues that were common among the community, as well as relaying information back.

This attempt at creating public relations apparently failed, though, when an a continued lack of appearance by the manager simply worsened tensions between the community and EA/DICE. This attitude towards a lack of information on the patch process carried on until after 1.3 when EA decided to allow an open beta of the patches in response. But there was little this could do it would seem to alleviate the rising tempers; hundreds of people participated in both beta versions and were later appalled by the finish patch for not doing what they had expected.

In relation to all this, news that Battlefield 2142 was around the corner sparked uproar from loyal fans who were afraid the BF2 patch cycle would come to an abrupt end as soon as the new game was released, regardless of if any major bugs remained in the game. As it was, a new patch was released after the new game's release, though much to the dismay of the fans, having only apparently fixed one issue.

No official word has yet been stated from any EA employee if the BF2 patch process is still on-going, but it currently appears not - with DICE Canada shut down (whom were the developers of the patches and expansions but not the original game), and all development handed back over to DICE Sweden, with them busy working on the new Battlefield: 2142 many feel that regardless of a lack of any official commentary on the subject, BF2 has indeed reached the end of it's support cycle.

[edit] Awards

E3 2005 Game Critics Awards: Best Online Multiplayer.^[14]

PC Gamer: 2005 Game of the Year

PC Powerplay: 2005 Game of the Year

[edit] Demo

A demo is available for download from major game sites featuring a single map (Gulf of Oman) for both single-player and multi-player. The 16-person version of the map has a time limit of 10 minutes; the 32-person version has a time limit of 12 minutes. The 64-person version is unavailable in the demo, though up to 64 players can still play on the 32-person map. EA Games shut down all of its demo servers on November 28, 2005. However, demo client and demo server software are still available for download from BF2 website should players and server operators wish to host the game themselves.^[15]

Some aspects of gameplay, such as jet combat, are markedly different in the demo compared with the current game. This is due to changes made in recent patches. The demo does not feature rankings.

[edit] Official system requirements

• Windows XP (32-bit) with Admin rights
• 1.7 GHz Intel Celeron D / Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon XP/ Sempron or greater
• 512 MB of RAM or more
• 8x or faster CD/DVD drive
• 2.3 GB free hard drive space or more
• Video: DirectX 9.0c compatible, must have 128 MB or more memory, be AGP or PCI-E, and one of the following chipsets:
  • NVIDIA GeForce FX 5700 or greater
  • ATI Radeon 8500 or greater
• Sound: DirectX 9.0c compatible (Sound Blaster X-Fi series recommended)
• Multiplayer requires 1 set of discs per PC and a broadband (Cable, DSL, or a faster) connection.

[edit] Patches

There have been a number of patches and updates made available since the release of Battlefield 2 to address certain issues and add support for the franchise's expansion and booster packs. For comparison between official updates, a current bug list maintained by the BF2 community can be found here.

• Patch Update Version 1.01 (officially released on July 6, 2005) was the first patch released for Battlefield 2.^[16] However, this patch was later recalled due to numerous bugs (specifically with the menu/browser) on July 8, 2005.^[17]

• Patch Update Version 1.02 (officially released on July 15, 2005).^[18]

• Patch Update Version 1.03 (officially released on October 4, 2005) added the map Wake Island 2007.^[19]

• Patch Update Version 1.12 (officially released on November 22, 2005) accommodated the release of Battlefield 2: Special Forces. There were only few undocumented changes for the original. This patch added the second tier unlocks to the game.^[20]

• Patch Update Version 1.2 (officially released on February 14, 2006) added two new unlockable weapons (the L96A1 and the P90) and nine new ranks (1st Lieutenant up to General).^[21] Patch 1.20 also readied clients for the new Euro Force booster pack.

• Patch Update Version 1.21 (officially released on March 9, 2006), this patch was followed by the release of the Euro Force Booster pack on March 14, 2006.

• Patch Update Version 1.22 (officially released on March 28, 2006), improved server stability, made balance adjustments and removed exploits in some maps.

• Patch Update Version 1.3 (officially released on May 23, 2006) this patch introduced a new gameplay mode known as Co-Op and reduced the time and difficulty for many of awards requirements. Vehicle drops (later called cartillery by community members after the manner in which it was exploited) were added. The controversial tactic of "squad hopping" was removed, by disallowing respawning players to join squads. Criticism has been heaped upon this patch for introducing a number of new glitches and bugs, one of the most prevalent being servers and clients crashing more than usual.^[22]

• Beta Patch Update Version 1.4 (BETA 1 released on July 7, 2006) allowed all Battlefield 2 players to test and provide feedback of this next Battlefield 2 patch. This version introduces a new map called Road To Jalalabad, new gameplay: No Vehicles, and various fixes and tweaks.

• Beta Patch Update Version 1.4 (BETA 2 released on July 14, 2006) tweaked the 'no vehicles' mode and made balance adjustments to Jalalabad prior to final release.

• Patch Update Version 1.4 (officially released on September 5, 2006). It increases server stability and adds the features included in the BETAs, including a delay when switching from prone to crouch, and a new urban map named 'Road to Jalalabad'. It adjusted the properties of vehicle drops to prevent commanders from using them as offensive weapons, nicknamed cartillery. Some players have reported installation trouble (most of whom used EA's downloading service)^{[citation needed]}.

• Patch Update Version 1.41 (officially released on November 16, 2006). The patch includes only one documented bug fix: "Fixed an extremely intermittent server crash bug." There is no incremental version of this patch. This patch would be the only patch for BF2 that was made by the original development team^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] Official expansion packs

[edit] Battlefield 2: Special Forces

Battlefield 2: Special Forces Expansion Pack
Developer(s)	Digital Illusions CE: Canada
Publisher(s)	EA Games
Designer(s)	Dice
Engine	Battlefield 2 Engine
Release date(s)	November 21, 2005 (SG) November 22, 2005 (NA) November 24, 2005 (JP) November 25, 2005 (EU), (AU)
Genre(s)	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: Teen (T) PEGI: 16+ OFLC: M
Platform(s)	Windows XP only
Media	1 DVD or 2 CDs (both same features) or Digital Download

Battlefield 2: Special Forces is an official expansion pack for the computer game Battlefield 2. It includes six new armies (compared to just three in Battlefield 2): U.S. Navy SEALs, British SAS, Russian Spetsnaz and MEC Special Forces, a Russian Rebel group and a Middle-Eastern Insurgent faction. These last two armies are apparently inspired by, respectively, Chechen rebels and insurgents in Iraq, but not named as such in the game. There are ten new vehicles, twelve new weapons, and eight new maps.

This expansion pack is available for purchase via EA's content delivery service, known as EA Downloader, in addition to retail copies. The expansion pack also includes new awards that players can earn, such as badges, ribbons and medals. The day of release of the expansion pack, EA/Dice released a new patch (version 1.12) which fixed a few bugs but mostly added art assets for the original Battlefield 2 game to support the new weapons from the expansion.

[edit] New features

• 6 new forces: US Navy SEALs, British SAS, Russian Spetsnaz, Middle Eastern Coalition Special Forces, Chechnya Rebel Groups, and Insurgents.
• 8 new maps: Devil's Perch, Ghost Town, Iron Gator, Leviathan, Mass Destruction, Night Fight, Surge, and Warlord.
• 10 new vehicles: AH-64D Apache Longbow, MI-35 Hind, ATV, BMP-3, civilian car, technical, Desert Raider, HMMWV w/ TOW, jet ski, and Forklift.
• Night vision goggles, for use in night scenario maps.
• Crossbow-fired Ziplines are provided to the Special Operations and Sniper classes. They provide rapid movement from high locations to lower locations, that may be impossible to reach otherwise. Once in place, the zipline can be used by anyone. After use, the ziplines can be retrieved and reused by any Special Operations or Sniper class that has already used theirs.
• Grappling hooks are provided to the Assault and Anti-tank classes. They can be thrown onto rooftops to be used to reach places that are impossible to reach by conventional means. Alternatively, they can 'drop a line' while already on a rooftop by tapping the secondary fire key to safely climb down or help others to reach a rooftop. Once in place, the rope can be climbed by anyone. After use, the rope can be retrieved and reused by any Assault or Anti-tank class that has already used theirs.
• Tear gas launchers are provided to the Support class. Once deployed, the tear gas is released and creates a cloud that obscures sight, causes intense blurring of vision, and subjects coughing that can give away a soldier(s) position. Tear gas does not discriminate between hostile and friendly infantry, so players should always be prepared to equip their gas mask to protect themselves.
• Flashbangs replace the smoke grenade used by the Assault class. While flashbangs do not interfere with the sight of enemies at long ranges, anyone caught in the effect radius is blinded temporarily. Players are provided three flashbangs instead of one smoke grenade.
• RPG-7s are part of the new anti-tank weapons usable in Special Forces. They travel at a higher velocity than other anti-tank weapons, but cannot be guided in flight. They also do not trigger the lock-on warning when aimed at vehicles due to their lack of detectable guidance systems, making them perfect ambush weapons.
• New weapons:
  • FN SCAR-L and H&K G36K for Special Forces Kits
  • FN F2000 with a grenade launcher and an FN SCAR H For Assault Kits
  • H&K MG36 For Support Kit
  • MP7 for Engineer Kit
  • G36E for Medic Kit
  • RPG-7 for Rebel and Insurgent Anti tank Kits

[edit] Booster packs

Booster packs are additional content released for Battlefield 2 that can be downloaded via the EA Downloader for US$10, £6 or €10. The booster packs are now available in retail form as the "Booster Pack collection", which feature these packs.

Booster packs add a significant amount of content to the game, but are different from expansion packs because they are intended to add to the original gameplay and not stand on their own (such as Special Forces does). The booster packs include new maps, vehicles, and a new European Union faction.

[edit] Euro Force

Battlefield 2: Euro Force is the first booster pack, and was released on March 14, 2006. The booster pack allows players to play as a new European Union Army, armed with new weapons and vehicles from the various countries of the EU. It is only available for purchase online at the Electronic Arts download service. It was scheduled for release in February, but was delayed due to a substantial amount of new bugs caused by the release of patch 1.2. Euro Force is available to purchase and download (370 MB). It features a whole new army, 4 new vehicles, 3 new maps, including; 'The Great Wall of China', against the People's Liberation Army of China, And 7 new Weapons including The HK53, L96, L85A2, HK21, Benelli M4, FAMAS, And P90.

[edit] Armored Fury

Battlefield 2: Armored Fury is the second booster pack released for Battlefield 2 and was released on June 6, 2006. It added 3 new maps, as well as two new vehicle classes: attack jets for close air support and reconnaissance helicopters that automatically locate enemies. Operation Midnight Sun features the Chinese landing at the Alaskan port Valdez where they are trying to secure much needed fuel from the pipeline. Operation Road Rage is a MEC vs. USMC map, where the MEC are using US Highways to transport units to industrial areas. Operation Harvest sees the United States trying to stall the MEC on route to the capital from northwest, being blocked in a Pennsylvania Dutch farm, whilst waiting for reinforcements. New vehicles include the A-10 Thunderbolt II (part of the Attack Jet class) and the OH-6 Little Bird (as part of the recon helicopter class). However, the proposed AV-8B Harrier was cut from the addon due to balancing issues.^[23]

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• Battlefield (series)
• BF2Combat.net
• Battlefield 2 modifications

[edit] External links

Official

• Battlefield 2 website
• Battlefield 2: Special Forces Website
• Digital Illusions CE Website (Global)

Other

• Planet Battlefield
• Total Battlefield 2
• BF2Combat.net

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