Battlefield 2 Booster Pack Pricing and Release Dates Confirmed

[fitbabits]

Gamecloud (http://www.gamecloud.com) has all you need to know on this one (http://www.gamecloud.com/article.php?article_id=3008).

Last month Digital Illusions announced they had cancelled plans for a second retail expansion pack for their hit multiplayer shooter Battlefield 2 in favor of two smaller downloadable expansions. Now the official Battlefield 2 web site has posted up more info on the upcoming "Booster Packs". Here is a snip:

Euro Force will be released on February 8th and sees the introduction of the all-new European Army in 3 new maps. Each Euro soldier will come equipped with a new primary weapon, from the FNP90 to the Benelli Tactical Shotgun. There will also be 4 new vehicles, including the (in)famous Eurofighter. The 3 maps are “Operation Smoke Screen”, “The Great Wall of China” and “Taraba Quarry”.

Armored Fury will be released on March 28th and the focus is on large mechanized battles, harking back to the El Alamein style maps on BF1942. There will be 3 new maps – “Midnight Sun”, “Operation Harvest” and “Operation Road Rage” – but also 2 new vehicle classes. Attack Jets and Recon Helicopters, which can spot nearby enemy units, will make their debut.

Both packs will be available exclusively online at www.downloader.ea.com at $9.99 each (€9.99 in Europe and £5.99 in the UK).
Ka-ching! What do all you BF2 players think of the content and pricing scheme?

[Nite_Moogle]

Thanks EA for the $20 expansion pack.

Honestly this is probably their best venue to try the download-only booster pack idea. I can't say that it's outrageously priced, but it doesn't seem like a deal either. If I still played BF2 I wouldn't see any reason to pass it up on its own merit (other than the whole EA-is-the-evil-empire).

Edit: I would just like to say that EA Games does deserve some credit for pushing its download-to-own model instead of relying on box sales for an exclusively online game anyway. These boosters are reasonably priced and it's nice to see them giving people what they want, how they want it. You're still the evil empire but it's a step in the right direction.

[The Iron Weasel]

I'd rather have another expantion. I don't know why but I just like having the box, cd and manual. I can't explain it, but I do. Although HL2 off Steam worked for me. So I might do this.

Edit: Also I hope the gun models in this are better then the ones from Special Forces, seriously they were TOO SMALL.

[TheKeck]

I'm not planning on getting any of the expansions. The core game works for me.

[fitbabits]

I'm not planning on getting any of the expansions. The core game works for me.
I wonder if the only way to get the latest patches for BF2 is to buy the booster packs given that the patches are bundled with the packs?

[Nite_Moogle]

No, the last big BF2 patch had all of the data for the new guns and whatnot in it. You could pick the kits off of other corpses. The booster packs are really just unlocks for that content.

[TheKeck]

I wonder if the only way to get the latest patches for BF2 is to buy the booster packs given that the patches are bundled with the packs?

That would SUCK, but in Nite_Moogle we trust.

[Nite_Moogle]

I don't trust myself, I don't know why you would want to :)

[UnderHero5]

Well, personally think they should work on further fixing the core game than more expansions already. The server browser is still horrible. A friends list would be nice. And I still get some weird performance problems (where if I turn in a certain direction the game gets extremely choppy.... the whole round... with 2gb PC3200 ram and an Athlon 64 3700, 6800GT @ Ultra speeds)... and a friend of mine can't connect to the account server when starting Special Forces unless he first starts vanilla BF2 and connect through that, quits, then starts SF and it works fine. Pretty messed up, but it happens like that every time.

Not to mention the glitch where enemies show up as friends and vice versa is STILL in the game.

Call be bitter, but I won't be buying any more expnasions until they fix at least those problems.

[mpsmith]

The price is right. A sniper unlock will be nice, too (although its part of the next patch apparently). One intriguing thing that Im hoping for in the "attack jet" category is the A-10. I think that it has a strong possibility of happening, too. Plus Ive just always dreamed of large-scale tank battles...

One thing left out of this news post that were in my proposed post was that EA highlights some of the changes in the next patch. Some of my favorites:

-Grenade launcher projectiles now have a minimum time before arming.
-Added unlocks for Sniper and AT kits
-All mines (Claymore, Anti-vehicle, C4) can now be picked up by the same class that dropped it by using the “G” key.

[mpsmith]

Also in my original post was the link that had a link to screenshots.

Original link:
http://eagames.co.uk/news.read.asp?id=6200

Screenshots:
http://eagames.co.uk/products.view.asp?id=8048

[Nite_Moogle]

Call be bitter, but I won't be buying any more expnasions until they fix at least those problems.

Not that this is Nite_Moogle falls in love with EA day, but the team that works on the expansion content isn't the same one that works on the server browser and whatnot. The PC Gamer podcast had one of the developers on as a guest before the Special Forces release and his frustration at the game sucking the proverbial fat cock when it came to the server browser and associated features was pretty thinly veiled. I really respect the DC/BF2 design guys, I think they made a great game, but they're being terribly screwed over in their inability to get the game fixed and working like they want it to be.

Also, what are those 2 new jets in the last screenshot mpsmith posted?

[jacktion]

Not going to buy them. If you noticed, no one bought the previous expansion(special forces). And no one bought the last couple of expansions for BF1. That is why this announcement was made and the expansion was canceled. They are trying this new model to make money. I am tired of giving EA money. No more from me.

On a side note, why do newer games look worse? What I mean to say is, why does BF1 on my computer look good, and BF2 look bad? Isn't it an odd phenomenon that the newer the game, the worse it looks? I'm referring of course to the more strenuous system requirements of newer games. I understand that these new games need new components to really show off the bump maps of characters. But If I can have shadows underneath my tank in BF1, then why can't I have the same shadows in BF2? Why does my BF2 game have to look like I am running Quake 3 back in 1998? If it is so new and fancy shouldn't it at least look as good as BF1 on the same hardware? And then if the user has new hot hardware it can look extra special good? What other industry exists where the consumer pays for the newest hottest thing and it performs worse than the old version they just had? I ask you.

[Captain Awesome]

This content should have been a free patch, easily.

Valve, Epic and Id release tons of well done content for free and have been for years.

[ÜberJumper]

I quite like this idea of releasing new kit and equipment, although I'm concerned if these two X-packs are going to be additional mods (IE: BF2, BF2SF, BF2EF, BF2AF), which will require us to pick and choose the mod we want to play on, and the servers will be limited to those mods.

In a perfect world, you'd be able to mix and match Xpack maps with BF2 maps to have the ultimate server rotation. Karkand, Ghost Town, Warlord, Dragon Valley, Surge etc on one server, although I can see it makes sense to limit it if a person doesn't have the xpack required for that map. I just *hate* having to load up different "mods" to play SF vs BF2. *sigh* maybe release the maps and kit for everyone, but allow people to only observe until they buy the expansion?

Oh, and this is annoying...


APC Update – “Chinese and MEC APCs can now shoot through penetrable materials”. This fix was a miscommunication to the patch team. Chinese and MEC APC’s have been reverted and the LAV25 now no longer shoots through penetrable materials


More stuff needs to be able to shoot through concealment, not less! (Note: Concealment is NOT cover. Cover protects you from fire, Concealment hides you from observation.)

[51|RandoM]

Not that this is Nite_Moogle falls in love with EA day, but the team that works on the expansion content isn't the same one that works on the server browser and whatnot.

As a consumer, I shouldn't have to worry about how EA and its devs divide up their teams.

If they can add new helicopters, but can't fix the ingame browser, they've got a problem. Some of the filters don't work. If you pick 6 or more filters, it breaks the browser, interrupting a browser update/refresh can lock up your session, etc. etc. etc.

I don't see much point in paying for booster packs, until they do a bit more work on the core game, at the very least fixing the most obvious bugs, bugs that have been screamed about from day one.

[Hg-203]

As someone who still can't get BF2:SF to run with out crashing... I've got to say no to anything EA wants to put out

[mpsmith]

Also, what are those 2 new jets in the last screenshot mpsmith posted?

I think those are just the SU-34 and F-15. However I cant figure out why theyd both be bombing the same target.

New content visible in screens:
-maps
-new player models (the Europeans)
-new tank

And here's a picture of the Eurofighter:
http://www2.arnes.si/~ttomsi5/eurofighter-2.jpg

[Nite_Moogle]

As a consumer, I shouldn't have to worry about how EA and its devs divide up their teams.
I agree. But the fact that EA does have two seperate teams explains why they keep putting new stuff out without fixing the old stuff. There's no reason to be upset at the people that are doing their jobs well (pack team) when it's a smaller group of people that aren't doing their job (server team).

[Heptoid]

In one of the screen shots it looks like there is a Comanche Heli flying around. Might be part of the scout helicopter deal they're talking about?

If these packs end up being they're own mods like SF is I don't think I'll pick them up but if they end up being part of the orignal game that'd be good enough for me to snag'm.

[Maskatron]

As someone who still can't get BF2:SF to run with out crashing... I've got to say no to anything EA wants to put out

Yeah...it's really mixed feelings for me. I love these games, but for some reason I've had the disconnect problem that a lot of others have had for months, and it looks like there is no real soultion yet. Hence I am wary of giving EA more money.

[mister_slim]

I wonder how long it will take EA to extend the Sims expansion business method to every franchise? Looks like MS and probably Sony and maybe Nintendo will make it possible to do this with console games as well.

[trip1eX]

I like the idea of downloable xpacs. I'd pay some money for them, but you'd think making them online only that EA would pass some savings on to the customer. I mean now they have no retailer takinga cut. No box. No cd. No manual. No distributors. etc. Yet no, the price is equal to price they are charging for Special Forces.

And yeah you know BF42 in some respects looks better than BF2. Why? Well for starters I can run it at 1600x1200 with no problems on my rig. Second the trees look better for the most part. I don't know what it is, but since BF:V the trees look like crap. Third, smoothness. Things are much smoother in the old game which makes the gameplay all the better.

I guess I just wish they could have found a middle ground in between the two games. Bumped up the graphics just a tad. Kept the smooth performance that BF42 had finally achieved and added some of the kewl new features that are found in BF2. That's the game I think folks wanted.

[Vulture]

...

More stuff needs to be able to shoot through concealment, not less! (Note: Concealment is NOT cover. Cover protects you from fire, Concealment hides you from observation.)
:D Thank you UberJ for poiting out the BIG ASS flaw in BF2.

That a friggin' soldier with an ATGM can cover behind an Chain Link Fence while I sit in this ChiCom APC firing a friggin cannon at him just destroys me.

I routinely have to hop out and toss a nade at the bastard.

[bKangy]

Wellm, goddamn. I actually liked the idea of a Euro Army in addition to the others in the first place, and it's what I originally expected them to put out for the first expansion. Maybe I'll consider buying this and reinstalling BF2.

[bjornbarspingvinen]

I want them to make the jets and choppers less powerfull, the AAs are inefficent, and the Choppers are to good.

[LilEvilFish]

the 1.2 patch is gonna make the choppers less powerful and make the AA guns more powerful.. I'd like that first before any boosters.

And it looks like that's a Challenger 2 tank in the screen shots, excellent

[Morratut]

I like the thought of big armoured battles. I miss those since Desert Combat. Thats a step in the right direction.

For me though the browser and everything is terrible and should be fixed first. I want this to be a part of the original game. If so then i'm all over this. If these booster packs are not a part of the original game then it will fragment the servers even further.

I hope that is a Challenger 2 tank. If so then the UK would kick Yankee ass ;)

Best tank in the world the Challenger 2 :cool:

[SweetsGreen]

I'd buy the expansions/boosters if I didn't suck.

[f1sh3r]

didn't they used to release maps free as part of patches?

[ÜberJumper]

fisher:

They did release the Wake 2007 map with one of their earlier patches. And you *can* use the new unlocks in BF2 if you haven't purchased the expansion (you just have to pick them up).

[mpsmith]

After thinking about it, Id rather both packs be combined and released as one. Given that they probably wont be incorporated into either normal BF2 or BF2:SF, each will be its own mod. Two new mods with three maps each? Unless all the maps kick ass it seems that the packs are more for unlocks...

[Demize99]

Honestly, the server browser isn't our fault at all. Its Gamespy's, and its fixed in the patch.

[fitbabits]

Honestly, the server browser isn't our fault at all. Its Gamespy's, and its fixed in the patch.
Shooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooor! Spin another yarn, why don't you! :)

I keed, I keed!

[trip1eX]

EA probably had a choice of Gamespy server browsers. They could have paid Gamespy $x.xx for a full featured one, but instead they took the original BF42 alpha browser at no cost to them.