Battlefield Premium

[MisterBubbles]

oops edit , should be know not no, me bad.

[englishbob]

I think you'll find most posts aren't the most accurate or most informed, especially coming from me. They are mostly what-if's. I don't know what the future holds more than anyone else, its purely speculation.

Although servers are still switched on years later, in the current climate/business model it would not be unforseen that this would only continue on a subscription basis only in future.

I have the vanilla game of BF3 (with the Karkland pack) but it would surely not suprise anyone if all EA servers got switched off, and the only way (via a patch) to play online was for another fee?

Peace.

[MisterBubbles]

Plus it just doesn't make sense for EA to provide a premium service and then think about closing it, if anything they'd be wanting to expand it and keep taking money off us, premium and DLC customers, i dont see DICE going down the pay to play route any time soon, ie with 3- 5 years, and im pretty sure if they tried the BF community would be pi$$ed. So the status quo is good for EA and DICE, if it aint broke... and all that.

[MartyG]

EA only recently shut the servers for Battlefield 2: Modern Combat, so there's a few years in it yet I should think (list here).

That said, the BF3 Premium Pack comes across like a money grab cashing in on the CoD Elite success (even if it will work out cheaper in the long run). I guess we've got the 2 million odd gamers who decided, yup an additional ?40 a year is fine for me, at the root of it. Why would EA pass on that if enough people are prepared to pay the extra?

[EvilBoris]

I guess we've got the 2 million odd gamers who decided, yup an additional ?40 a year is fine for me, at the root of it. Why would EA pass on that if enough people are prepared to pay the extra?

Exactly, if people can see value in what is being offered (whether or not it is , is a different argument altogether) and they purchase it and EA can make a profit from this, then it has done exactly what it needs to.

You'd be pretty silly to buy it if you have no interest in the game or have only played an hour of the game and aren't sure if you like it.

[englishbob]

I need help with this.

I downloaded the 2.3+ GB patch and started to try and find a match (I haven't bought the Premium stuff). While using the server browser I just could not find any "normal" DICE or EA servers at all, either in the EU or the US. Every single match seem to be a custom one, 200% or 500% this and that.

Found a sort of normal-ish one and played it for about 30 minutes. As things started to get close to the end, we where winning and I was 2nd of the old scoresheet. Just after I shot an opposing force, the game ended with the message "You have been banned from this server"

Does this mean that I have been booted off by the host for some reason? Because I potentially shot him? Am I to understand that, if all of the EA and DICE normal servers are no more, then this could happen every single time.

The 2GB patch and the 30 minute match that ended in nothing has been a waste of my gaming window tonight.

[englishbob]

Answered my own question, thanks anyway.

http://venturebeat.com/2012/05/14/ea-returns-official-dice-servers-to-battlefield-3/

Will do this tomorrow. I guess that if they do finally kill these off, you could be screwed in a match at the last minute by Mr-13year-dudebros who don't like you shooting them. In a shooting game.

[charlesr]

I've only ever been booted off while mucking about, but I'm sure what you describe happens.
If this is a worry, there are plenty of servers that say "all glitches, anything goes".

May I suggest searching for servers that concentrate on one particular level e.g. metro, in the title? These are great because you really get to learn the level and tactics.

[englishbob]

I think from what I have read there seems to be a bit of a threat of DICE/EA withdrawing dedicated "normal" server support in the future. They mention somewhere that these are currently "dynamic" and will either exist or not, depending on load.

If normal DICE servers vanish for good, personally, spending another ?40 for the online component of this game with the posibility that I could be kicked out of a game at any time, for any reason, does not appeal.

[charlesr]

When you find a decent server and add it to your favourites. If you are getting kicked for no reason than being good, you just got unlucky.

Once the initial shock of all the custom servers passed, I've had LOADS of fun on them.

[englishbob]

Once the initial shock of all the custom servers passed, I've had LOADS of fun on them.

Thanks, with your positivity I will continue to try, cheers!

[englishbob]

So, on the 360 its 4000 MSPs, or in money terms its ?34. (each MSP is worth 0.85p). I bought loads of cheap points recently (mostly for Pinball Arcade, hoho) and have more than enough.

I don't mind shelling out for map packs, but the detail on the remaining unreleased DLC is not clear what you are going to get. If you get 4 maps per pack each thats not too bad and as their website says "20 new maps" on the Premium content, its safe to assume!!?? (4 new maps per pack, including Karkland obviously)

http://www.battlefield.com/battlefield3/1/premium

[englishbob]

In fact, if you shop around you can get 4200 MSP packs for under ?30,

eg

http://www.simplygames.com/info/19503/Official-Xbox-360-Xbox-Live-4200-Points-Card-Xbox-360/

[originalbadboy]

There have been a couple of bargins on the microsoft store for M$ points recently, however both times I have waited at least 2 weeks to get them. I did however get Battlefield Premium for ?24 so not complaining.

Still waiting for the last lot I ordered.