Battlefield 3

[Edward Yee]

Note: Apparently a squad specialization actually overrides and doesn't stack with the personal version of that specialization, found that interesting.

Funny thing is, while 64 player Metro Conquest is pretty much just an everyone-but-recon grindfest (albeit with engineers it's ONLY a grindfest in the sense of rocket spam), 32 player Metro Conquest is actually... fun? And interesting? Mind you, that's only if the US team is competent enough to actually bypass C for the most part and rush B at the beginning. I haven't tested the "fun factor" of 40 or 48 player Metro Conquest yet.

[Losonti Tokash]

Recon is actually really useful on Metro. I roll with a DAO-12, motion sensor, and cleverly placed spawn beacons.

[CaptHawkeye]

That's because a flexible class system is basically superior in every way to "this guy has headshot gun/this guy has vehicle killing gun/this guy has all the grenades".

[Edward Yee]

I'd only say semi-flexible due to some of the gadget choices DICE made for BF3, but at least suppressed weapons are no longer the sole preserve of the Engineer.

Recon is actually really useful on Metro. I roll with a DAO-12, motion sensor, and cleverly placed spawn beacons.

In your case, T-UGS or MAV? The T-UGS just feels SO nerfed compared to BC2 back when the Motion Sensor was part and parcel of leveling Recon (even if you still had to use a sniper rifle, you could at least toss it into obvious firefight areas from "grenade tossing range"), and its limited detection capability -- not to mention its destructibility -- make it something that I usually "park" behind cover. In contrast, Seine Crossing as US? Got behind a minivan, deployed the MAV, got a Surveillance Efficiency Ribbon (whereas I was used to constant "Motion Mine Assists" in BC2).

Agreed though re: the value of cleverly placed spawn beacons -- in fact, one strategy I've heard on Metro Conquest is for a Recon to sneak through to the other team's "near" flag, then plant a spawn beacon so that the squad can all capture that flag, either then charging back towards their own side (and the ticket hall flag B) from behind the opposing team, attempting to hold that flag, or at the very least forcing some of the opposing team to fall back to defend/retake that flag. It doesn't work on 64 player Conquest simply due to the sheer amount of explosives exchanged between the two teams at the escalators and that one stairwell, but on smaller matches...

Unfortunately due to my Impulse/Origin experience and having no idea where the Physical Warfare Pack code was supposed to be (although my order history on Impulse shows both a BF3 LE redemption and a Physical Warfare Pack redemption, I can't find the PWP code anywhere on their site or in my e-mail) I didn't get a DAO-12 or T88, so for recon I'm using one of the semiauto rifles-that-isn't-SKS (that's my next Recon unlock), the 870MCS or the UMP-45.

[weemadando]

Your PW pack code would have been emailed to you prior to release.

[Edward Yee]

Nope, never got a Physical Warfare code from either EA/Origin or Impulse. Thank gosh it's only supposed to unlock in a few weeks for free download.

[CaptHawkeye]

In your case, T-UGS or MAV? The T-UGS just feels SO nerfed compared to BC2 back when the Motion Sensor was part and parcel of leveling Recon (even if you still had to use a sniper rifle, you could at least toss it into obvious firefight areas from "grenade tossing range"), and its limited detection capability -- not to mention its destructibility -- make it something that I usually "park" behind cover. In contrast, Seine Crossing as US? Got behind a minivan, deployed the MAV, got a Surveillance Efficiency Ribbon (whereas I was used to constant "Motion Mine Assists" in BC2).

I actually find T-UGS great for stopping guys from knifing me or if you drop it in a choke point like near a rush point. It doesn't expire like the motion beacons and you can pick it up again.

[Pint0 Xtreme]

Back to Karkand Trailer

[Edward Yee]

I actually find T-UGS great for stopping guys from knifing me or if you drop it in a choke point like near a rush point. It doesn't expire like the motion beacons and you can pick it up again.

Again, with the destructibility and "plant" requirement, I'd rather put up with the BC2 motion sensor's time limit, especially if they were refillable by ammo boxes (as I vaguely recall them being).

[Stark]

Ae you seriously complaining they made it more about informing people than pegging them into battles and getting points for nothing?

BF3 has waaaaaay too many problems to focus on crybaby shit like that.

[Losonti Tokash]

Plus, you still get assist points if teammates kill someone in the sensor range, and they are in fact refillable by ammo boxes.

[Edward Yee]

pegging them into battles and getting points for nothing?

That's certainly how I leveled BC2 Recon!

Losonti Tokash, are you talking about the T-UGS or the Motion Sensor?

Humorously to me, I actually found that I was unable to "remotely" use one of my surveillance gadgets (i.e. position it and then operate it from around a corner) because ammo boxes were actually continually replenishing said gadget, forcing me to continually replant/replace the existing one. I also had a bum time of trying to "pilot" the MAV, but once I got the hang of it (or so I thought) I actually managed two roadkills and a Surveillance Efficiency Ribbon; I don't recall getting "spot assists" from T-UGS, but I certainly got assists from the MAV that had a different name.

[Stark]

BF3 class levelling is uneven largely because there's so little balance. 30 SAW kills vs half a dozen kills with smaller mag weapons isn't helping recon be less boring.

[Vendetta]

Kills aren't even slightly relevant to levelling some of the classes.

It's only Recon that relies on heavy kills to get points. Assault gets them from revives and heals, engineer from standing behind a tank repairing it forever, and support from dropping ammo packs.

The problem is that spot bonuses, which are the Recon Thing, are only ever 10 points once per kill, whereas healz and ammos and repairs get the 10 point bonus if one of your squad is on the receiving end and can tick up over and over.

So the only way to get big point bonuses as recon is marksman bonuses.

[Stark]

Beyond the first few unlocks the score-based stuff is secondary anyway. When snipers need hundreds of kills per weapon to get their business, that's a great way to encourage long-distance slow-pace bullshit.

Even worse than BC2 :v. At least the designator is a fairly hands-off way to get vehicle assists,Megan if it's nothing like throwing a health kit and getting 500 points of useless.

[Losonti Tokash]

pegging them into battles and getting points for nothing?

That's certainly how I leveled BC2 Recon!

Losonti Tokash, are you talking about the T-UGS or the Motion Sensor?

T-UGS. It gives spot assists. I haven't unlocked the MAV so I don't know what its assist would be called. And both the T-UGS and the motion mine from BC2 can be refilled by ammo boxes.

[Stark]

Christ you people are mendacious. If you keep that up you'll turn into Zak.

The drone has a pretty hilarious number of hit points. More than a man. More than several men even!

[Losonti Tokash]

What am I lying about?

Also, yes. That stupid fucking robot needs two hits from a stinger. aghhghagfajhflgh

[Stark]

I meant excessively accurate. Fucking 'T hyphen UGS' geez. :p

The robot is also pretty ridulous for what is basically an RC car. But whereas the unlock system will probably never be fixed, the drones will probably be on the nerf seesaw forever.

[Edward Yee]

So the only way to get big point bonuses as recon is marksman bonuses.

That's actually a pretty depressing example of Recon class "design," since encouraging long-distance sniping is counter to how the Recon class was claimed to have been redesigned.

[weemadando]

Recon w/SKS, foregrip and a non sniper sight is a dangerous mid to short range guy.

[Stark]

SKS with no sight at all is decent, but then so is a shotgun. If they think recon is set up to encourage recon players to do more than sit way out on the underpopulated maps and kill the pace, they're idiots.

[weemadando]

I've found that the scope flash has made snipers a bit less of a long distance threat. Scope flash tends to draw fire. But more importantly it gives you that fraction of a second of warning to change direction or dive into cover or something, rather than just getting headshotted out of nowhere.

They still suck though.

But I can't wait until I unlock Mortar for Support, drop an ammo kit, deploy my mortar in the spawn zone (where I can't be attacked) and then just mortar the fuck out people. BECAUSE I CAN.

[Stark]

Particpating in broken yet also kinda useless play = good on you.

[Jordie]

If someone else has a mortar equipped and you fire yours you appear as an icon on their targeting map, setting you up to be counter-mortared.