Post by gaius on Oct 5, 2011 1:11:39 GMT -5
Hey all -- long time lurker, first time poster. Figured I'd give my impressions; feel free to tell me to shut up.
Regarding the heavy barrel, I have a question:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the impression (in BC2, at any rate) that the first shot when you aim down the sights goes pretty much where you want it to; after that, recoil and spread kick in. Spread gives you a slightly random trajectory, and recoil moves your sights around, making you fight to keep the (now slightly spread) crosshairs on the target.
Presuming it works the same way in BF3, how does a heavy barrel benefit you if you ADS (which I do ALL THE TIME?)
******
Regarding my beta impressions:
I've been playing mostly Assault and Support (I like giving ammo to people and i like assault rifles ). In my experience, aside from the damage bugs, it takes anywhere from 2 (headshots) to 6 body shots to kill someone at 50 meters with both assault rifles and LMGs.
The assault rifle configuration I've found works best for my playstyle is:
* Suppressor
* Bipod
* 4x or 3.4x scope
Basically, I use this build to crawl into position and take folks out before they know what hit them; the suppressor and the 4x scope allow me to compete with snipers at most ranges (in my experience, all but the best snipers get tunnel vision, and the suppressor makes it especially hard for them to find you in time), and in case of emergency, you can switch to full auto and let 'em have it.
So far, I've experimented with the M16, the M416, the AKM, and the AEK. I can't tell if the AEK and the M416 are just all-faction clones of the AKM and M16 (respectively), since they seem to have similar stats.
I've noticed that bullet drop is actually noticeable on assault rifles with or without the suppressor -- aiming at someone 100 meters away, I actually had to position the aiming reticule approximately a headlength ABOVE the target. That was a pretty thrilling moment for me! I never had to do that as Assault in BC2.
I've found that the bipod works very well as long as you don't ask too much of it. By this I mean that once you know what surfaces it will attach to, it's pretty easy to pick out bipod setup positions that will yield optimum results. The trick, I've found, is to slot up in a spot that gives you maximum coverage, as well as head placement that doesn't make you stick out like a sore thumb. Hiding your head and weapon among debris is useful.
In fact, the principal advantage I've noticed with the bipod is that you can set up and attack from positions people don't expect -- over walls and such that a person would normally have to stand up to fire over. In other words, it allows you to keep a low profile and still attack. The fact that it cuts recoil to almost nothing is just icing on the cake.
*****
My impression of the LMGs are as follows:
They feel like assault rifles with a wider base spread and larger magazines. This means that they have fewer conditions under which they can fire for effect, since you have to crouch or go prone for reliable accuracy (meaning you have to choose your positions BETTER than you do with ARs, and you have to move more purposefully), but they cut enemies down just as effectively. They're devilishly effective on the DEFENSIVE, when you're often forced to deal with large mobs of enemy at any given time -- not needing to reload is wonderful. And with the bipod, they're essentially a highly mobile turret gun. Fun times!
(I've noticed that LMGs seem to receive more spread reduction benefit from bipods than assault rifles do when not aimed down sights -- can anyone confirm?)
I've also noticed that LMGs tend to have less bullet drop than ARs; can anyone confirm?
One particularly devilish trick I've found: if you're on the defending team and the enemy makes it past the first pair of M-Com stations, run into the corridor on the far right -- the service corridor that drops into the subway tunnels proper. If you have C4, plant charges near the entrance; then run like the dickens down to the end of the corridor and lie in wait. When the enemy drops down into the corridor, simply detonate the C4 and then open fire in semiautomatic mode (or in short bursts, if you can't switch fire modes). Using a flash suppressor makes it extremely difficult for them to see you, so they can't easily pinpoint you for target practice; you have infinite ammo and regenerate health. I went on a 12-kill spree this way before they finally brought in an engineer to RPG me.
****
I tooled around with the Recon class as soon as I heard that you could equip iron sights with sniper rifles, and my impressions are as follows:
Semi-auto sniper rifles are ****ing BROKEN.
I am, by definition, a terrible player. Though I tend to be in the top 5 on my team, and though I support my team whenever I can, I'm all heart and all aggression, so my k/d ratio is no more than 1.3 to 1 -- for every match in which I go 22 and 7, there's a match in which I go 7 in 15, so it evens out over time.
Nevertheless, even a player as bad as I am can own face using the semi-auto sniper rifles over iron sights. You can reliably get one-hit kills on solitary targets, and you can rapidly tap the trigger while aiming down the sights to effectively deal with large numbers of enemies.
My first time out, I went 11 and 1 with the SVD. Since then, I've sworn off the recon class. It's simply too good. I honestly feel that these weapons should do no more than twice the damage of assault rifles, maybe even 1.5x or 1.25x.
******
Overall balance impressions:
1). Recon deployable spawn point ought to have a set number of charges (i.e. people should be able to spawn no more than X times before the spawn point breaks); it also should be planted, not thrown, to prevent min-maxers from abusing exploits.
2). I can't help but feel that explosives should not be able to be planted on the MAVs; leastwise, you should at least be able to SPOT them. They're deucedly hard to hit, in any case, which makes C4 divebombs problematic.
(Question: can Stingers lock on to MAVs?)
I've actually been killed by RPGs no more than a handful of times, so it doesn't appear to be a problem anywhere NEAR the order of Carl Gustav spam. Far more problematic to me are the semi-auto sniper rifles, which have killed me countless times.
Though I'm thankful for the scope glare (which allows me to spot snipers with ease), I do feel it should be more like the flash that comes off your wristwatch, and not the mini-flashlight it currently is.
On the few occasions I've encountered shotguns, they've killed me before I had a chance to react. I lack sufficient data to comment, though.
The UMP45 seems to be the gun of choice for running-and-gunning.
That's all for now. Sorry if I said too much.
rubionubio: your avatar is hypnotic.
Regarding the heavy barrel, I have a question:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the impression (in BC2, at any rate) that the first shot when you aim down the sights goes pretty much where you want it to; after that, recoil and spread kick in. Spread gives you a slightly random trajectory, and recoil moves your sights around, making you fight to keep the (now slightly spread) crosshairs on the target.
Presuming it works the same way in BF3, how does a heavy barrel benefit you if you ADS (which I do ALL THE TIME?)
******
Regarding my beta impressions:
I've been playing mostly Assault and Support (I like giving ammo to people and i like assault rifles ). In my experience, aside from the damage bugs, it takes anywhere from 2 (headshots) to 6 body shots to kill someone at 50 meters with both assault rifles and LMGs.
The assault rifle configuration I've found works best for my playstyle is:
* Suppressor
* Bipod
* 4x or 3.4x scope
Basically, I use this build to crawl into position and take folks out before they know what hit them; the suppressor and the 4x scope allow me to compete with snipers at most ranges (in my experience, all but the best snipers get tunnel vision, and the suppressor makes it especially hard for them to find you in time), and in case of emergency, you can switch to full auto and let 'em have it.
So far, I've experimented with the M16, the M416, the AKM, and the AEK. I can't tell if the AEK and the M416 are just all-faction clones of the AKM and M16 (respectively), since they seem to have similar stats.
I've noticed that bullet drop is actually noticeable on assault rifles with or without the suppressor -- aiming at someone 100 meters away, I actually had to position the aiming reticule approximately a headlength ABOVE the target. That was a pretty thrilling moment for me! I never had to do that as Assault in BC2.
I've found that the bipod works very well as long as you don't ask too much of it. By this I mean that once you know what surfaces it will attach to, it's pretty easy to pick out bipod setup positions that will yield optimum results. The trick, I've found, is to slot up in a spot that gives you maximum coverage, as well as head placement that doesn't make you stick out like a sore thumb. Hiding your head and weapon among debris is useful.
In fact, the principal advantage I've noticed with the bipod is that you can set up and attack from positions people don't expect -- over walls and such that a person would normally have to stand up to fire over. In other words, it allows you to keep a low profile and still attack. The fact that it cuts recoil to almost nothing is just icing on the cake.
*****
My impression of the LMGs are as follows:
They feel like assault rifles with a wider base spread and larger magazines. This means that they have fewer conditions under which they can fire for effect, since you have to crouch or go prone for reliable accuracy (meaning you have to choose your positions BETTER than you do with ARs, and you have to move more purposefully), but they cut enemies down just as effectively. They're devilishly effective on the DEFENSIVE, when you're often forced to deal with large mobs of enemy at any given time -- not needing to reload is wonderful. And with the bipod, they're essentially a highly mobile turret gun. Fun times!
(I've noticed that LMGs seem to receive more spread reduction benefit from bipods than assault rifles do when not aimed down sights -- can anyone confirm?)
I've also noticed that LMGs tend to have less bullet drop than ARs; can anyone confirm?
One particularly devilish trick I've found: if you're on the defending team and the enemy makes it past the first pair of M-Com stations, run into the corridor on the far right -- the service corridor that drops into the subway tunnels proper. If you have C4, plant charges near the entrance; then run like the dickens down to the end of the corridor and lie in wait. When the enemy drops down into the corridor, simply detonate the C4 and then open fire in semiautomatic mode (or in short bursts, if you can't switch fire modes). Using a flash suppressor makes it extremely difficult for them to see you, so they can't easily pinpoint you for target practice; you have infinite ammo and regenerate health. I went on a 12-kill spree this way before they finally brought in an engineer to RPG me.
****
I tooled around with the Recon class as soon as I heard that you could equip iron sights with sniper rifles, and my impressions are as follows:
Semi-auto sniper rifles are ****ing BROKEN.
I am, by definition, a terrible player. Though I tend to be in the top 5 on my team, and though I support my team whenever I can, I'm all heart and all aggression, so my k/d ratio is no more than 1.3 to 1 -- for every match in which I go 22 and 7, there's a match in which I go 7 in 15, so it evens out over time.
Nevertheless, even a player as bad as I am can own face using the semi-auto sniper rifles over iron sights. You can reliably get one-hit kills on solitary targets, and you can rapidly tap the trigger while aiming down the sights to effectively deal with large numbers of enemies.
My first time out, I went 11 and 1 with the SVD. Since then, I've sworn off the recon class. It's simply too good. I honestly feel that these weapons should do no more than twice the damage of assault rifles, maybe even 1.5x or 1.25x.
******
Overall balance impressions:
1). Recon deployable spawn point ought to have a set number of charges (i.e. people should be able to spawn no more than X times before the spawn point breaks); it also should be planted, not thrown, to prevent min-maxers from abusing exploits.
2). I can't help but feel that explosives should not be able to be planted on the MAVs; leastwise, you should at least be able to SPOT them. They're deucedly hard to hit, in any case, which makes C4 divebombs problematic.
(Question: can Stingers lock on to MAVs?)
I've actually been killed by RPGs no more than a handful of times, so it doesn't appear to be a problem anywhere NEAR the order of Carl Gustav spam. Far more problematic to me are the semi-auto sniper rifles, which have killed me countless times.
Though I'm thankful for the scope glare (which allows me to spot snipers with ease), I do feel it should be more like the flash that comes off your wristwatch, and not the mini-flashlight it currently is.
On the few occasions I've encountered shotguns, they've killed me before I had a chance to react. I lack sufficient data to comment, though.
The UMP45 seems to be the gun of choice for running-and-gunning.
That's all for now. Sorry if I said too much.
rubionubio: your avatar is hypnotic.