Battlefield 2
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| _ | | | | | | / _(_) | | | | |__
| |_) | __ _| |_| |_| | ___| |_ _ ___| | __| | ) |
| _ < / _` | __| __| |/ _ _| |/ _ |/ _` | / /
| |_) | (_| | |_| |_| | __/ | | | __/ | (_| | / /_
|____/ __,_|__|__|_|___|_| |_|___|_|__,_| |____|
FAQ/Strategy Guide
>>==<<==>>==<<==>>==<<==>>==<<==>>==<<==>>==<<==>>==<<==>>==<<==>>==
For PC
Version 1.41
By Chris Zawada
User: antseezee
E-mail: antseezee@epix.net
Website: www.antseezee.com
Created: 10/22/05
Last Update: 11/19/06
Copyright 2006 Chris Zawada
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Author's Note
----------------------------
Ever wonder how it would feel if you could take all the elements of modern war,
and shove them into one game? A few years ago, Battlefield 1942 was one of the
first games to incorporate a full 3D FPS inside a realm with useable vehicles,
troops that could gun fight, and attempt to represent most aspects of war.
Battlefield 2 is the sequel to Battlefield 1942, except it places almost
everything from the Gulf War / modern era in an updated engine. With
particularly sharp graphics, seven classes to choose from, and over twelve
maps, how can you not indulge your gaming taste at a stab with this game?
Battlefield 2 was one of the most highly-anticipated PC games of the year,
mainly because it's based around free first-person shooting multiplayer, with
all of the fun aspects other games lack. Combine this with quality
presentation, and the ability to warrant ranks as you play. This is the
ultimate war simulator at the moment.
Contributing/Feedback
----------------------------
If you have any contributions, feedback, or strategies you'd like to have
added to the guide, contact me via e-mail or on GameFAQs. I'll be more than
content to add your segment of information, and will also provide credit. If
you have any questions you'd like added to the Common Questions section, ask.
I simply don't have the time to sit around thinking of questions. Provide me
with what you want to know!
Updates
----------------------------
=11/19/06= v1.41
There were 2 patches released since this guide was last updated. The v1.4 patch
was released and this actually added a new map, Road to Jalalabad, and fixed
some crashing issues. Patch v1.41 was released a few days ago and this fixed
stability issues for servers. Unfortunately, it was released as a standalone
patch, and not an incremental meaning it has a large file size.
- The new 1.4 patch adds the map, Road to Jalalabad
- The new 1.41 patch fixes stability issues
> Added map strategy for Road to Jalalabad
> Updated the Modifications list with more information
=6/08/06= v1.3
Hardly any changes to add for patch 1.3 except the new commander options. I
have primarily sticking to beta mods being released, such as Project Reality
Mini-Mod, and US Intervention. More mods are being released as the summer moves
along, so hopefully the FAQ will progress as well.
- The new 1.3 patch adds a new commander ability (Vehicle Drop). Other
items were tweaked for balancing issues. Few medals were tweaked for
requirements, however, I did not update the requirements in the
guide. SQUAD HOPPING has been removed, along with joining squads when
dead.
> Added PRMM, USI, OPK mod reviews
> Added few more Q&A on mods & general BF2 gaming in Common Questions
> Armored Fury was released recently. Euro Force was released a few
months ago.
=3/07/06= v1.2
Added a tad amount of changes due to the 1.2 patch a few weeks ago. Patch 1.21
is coming out on the 10th supposedly, so expect another guide update to
compensate for it:
> Added new weapons to Chapter 4 (2 available in the patch)
> Added mods to modifications chapter
> Updated ranking requirements
=11/28/05= v1.1
Updating the FAQ according to the recent v1.12 patch released for the
combination of Special Forces & BF2. Interestingly enough, I like the concept
of how some expansion weapons were implemented for SF owners. However,
flashbangs have been the biggest complaint by most players. Added the following
details:
> Added new weapons to Chapter 4 (5 available in the patch)
> Also added SF Weapons section in Chapter 4 (thanks Black_Duck_1)
> Added few questions to Common Questions section
=10/29/05= v1.0
Finished the FAQ. Took a good week of continual typing, but I got through most
of it. I do plan on adding plenty of strategies and user submissions as they
come in.
=10/22/05= v1.0
Started the FAQ. I've owned this game since mid-July, and even bought a $1250
Dell laptop just to play this game. I tried to hold back from writing a FAQ,
but there's no reason not to at this point.
- I've now added a Quick Search function to the guide. Press CTRL + F, and
type in the designated (#.#) to be quickly forwarded to that specific section
of the guide.
============================
- Table of Contents -
============================
1) Introduction
2) Game Basics
> Controls
> Screen HUD
3) Maps (3.1)
> Strategies
4) Classes/Weapons (4.1)
> Strategies
> SF Weapons
5) Vehicles (5.1)
> Strategies
6) Features
> Awards
> Ranks
> Stats
> Recording Videos
> Making Mods
> Single-Player
7) Modifications (7.1)
> Descriptions
8) Common Questions
> Troubleshooting
9) Copyright/Distribution/Reproduction Guidelines
10) Proper Credits
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============================
- 1) Introduction -
============================
Few gaming titles have managed to combine first-person genres with elements of
navigating, engaging targets, and managing a strategic aspect on the conflict
at hand. If a game has done all three of those elements, it probably did not
incorporate great multiplayer support, suffered from fairly bad graphics, or
simply did not perform up to expectations. Battlefield 2 is one of the games
that does perform up to expectations, simply because of the amount of depth
behind the project, and the amount of fun that results from it. The Battlefield
series originated with BF1942, which employed the same elements, except on the
primitive WWII front. While it was not as detailed, the game was simply awesome
to play online with friends, as you grunted it out from building to building in
numerous areas.
BF2 is the sequel to 1942, except it takes time in the present day era. You'll
find many common modern weapons (not super-modern, but Gulf War eraish),
recognizeable vehicles/boats/helicopters/jets, and scenarios that could
"almost" happen in our current situation. The practical idea is that you spawn
as a lone soldier on either one of three coalitions (USA Forces, Chinese PLA,
or Middle-East Coalition), and must proceed to eliminate the tickets of your
opponents. Tickets act as reinforcements, or the amount of lives your team has
in reserve before you run out. If you have 245 tickets left, your team can only
accept 245 deaths before you run out of reinforcements and lose. On each map,
there are several flag points that must be captured. If you have more than 50%
of the points, the rate of your opponent's tickets decrease faster. These flag
points also act as spawn points. Capturing a spawn point that holds a tank or
airbase is essential to victory, and will often help more than holding two
minor flag points with no vehicles. The idea is to capture all, or hold a
majority so the other team runs dry on reinforcements.
Ideally, the game is set from a gameplay element. You can ride small transport
vehicles, fire mounted machine guns, use anti-aircraft stingers, or simply run-
n-gun on foot. With classes to choose from, this will alter your playing
strategy. Will you setup an ambush with C4 charges as a Spec Ops, or clear out
urban buildings as a default Assault man? This is why Battlefield 2 is quite
popular, and more specifically, it was designed for practical online play. The
game supports up to 64 players on one server, and single-player is quite weak.
Only buy this game if you plan to play online.
----------------------------
_____________________
##### GAME INFO #####
//////////|\\\\\
Players: 1-64 (w/ online support)
Developer: DICE
Released: 2005
Rarity: common
Special Features: Voice, Online, Account-kept Stats/Awards/Ranking
ESRB: Teen
Cover Art on box:
- Shows soldier holding rifle in air with several vehicles in background
Requirements:
> Windows XP
> Intel Celeron D / P4 1.7ghz or better
(Pentium M's & AMD's work fine, P-M's are faster than P4)
> 512MB RAM +
(Recommended is 2 GB from my experience. 1 GB makes
improvements but stutter lag occurs on high settings)
> 8x or faster CD/DVD drive (depends on which version you buy)
> 2.3 GB free HD space (recommend 7200 RPM HD to prevent stutter lag)
> DirectX 9.0c
> nVidia GeForce 5700 or better, ATI Radeon 8500 or better
(There is an official list of supported video cards available
via google. People have managed to get it to work on some
lower-end mobile version cards, but the graphics were so bad I
could splatter a chalupa and not tell the difference. MX
series or GeForce 3+ do not work with this. I know for a fact
that someone got it to work with a 64MB video card, not sure
which brand. 128MB or better is recommended.)
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============================
- 2) Game Basics -
============================
What I have always loved about PC games is the fact that you can use a keyboard
and mouse. The amount of keys gives you an overwhelming amount of options to
choose from when selecting what goes where. This section will go over the
involved controls, the screen setup, and an overview of the game modes.
____________________________
/Controls - General Gameplay/
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
E - Enter/exit vehicle
J - Say chat all
K - Say chat team
L - Say chat squad
V - Talk to commander (only if squad leader)
B - Talk to squadmates (only if in squad)
Page Up - Vote yes during poll
Page Down - Vote no during poll
Caps Lock - Bring up squad management screen
Tab - Shows scoreboard
Prnt Scrn - Takes screenshot and puts in My Documents/BF2/Screenshots
Enter - Bring up spawn management screen
- VOIP must be enabled, and you must have a MIC plugged in to talk to
teammates. You can only hear people in your squad (you must join one), or as a
squad leader, you can talk to the commander on a direct line. There is no way
to hear everyone on the same team or in the same game. Voting yes or no during
polls is usually done for kicking players or voting on a map. You can restrict
polls from popping up via the Options menu. The squad management screen let's
you create your own squad, join another, or view who is in what squad. It also
shows what vehicles are grayed out and available on the map. The spawn
management screen let's you pick a new spawn point after you die to spawn at.
______________________
/Controls - Navigation/
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
M - Show or hide big map
N - Zoom on big map or your mini-map
Q - Brings up spotter menu
T - Brings up squad order/spotter menu
C - Cycles camera views
- The big map basically fills your entire screen with the navigation map. It's
useful for seeing what your enemy has, and where to go next. The spotter menu
is probably the most useful in terms of recon. Aim your mouse over an enemy
target, or fairly close to it. Hold Q and left click the mouse. You will
publicly spot an enemy for your teammates, and it should show up as a flashing
icon on their radar. This is useful for spotting air vehicles, tanks, or
snipers. The squad order/spotter menu is specialized for giving orders to
squadmates. Waypoints can be set. The camera cycler is useful for changing
views in vehicles, or at certain positions.
____________________
/Controls - Infantry/
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
W - Move forward
S - Move backward
A - Strafe left
D - Strafe right
Left Click - Fire weapon, use item
Right Click - Zoom with weapon, secondary function
Space - Jumps
Double-tap W - Sprints
G - Picks up kit
R - Reloads
Mouse Wheel - Cycles weapons, used to change firing modes
Left Control - Crouches
Z - Prones
- I highly recommend sticking with the W,S,A,D moving configuration. These four
keys are used to move your character, while the mouse is used to look around
and aim. Use them in conjunction for maximum performance. Sprinting takes away
stamina faster, and you cannot use a weapon, however, you move quickly and can
evade bullets easier. Proning lays you flat on the ground, and makes it tougher
to hit you, but your upper-body is more exposed to hits. Crouching makes you
semi-accurate, but you're still a hunched target. When reloading, the entire
clip is used to reload, regardless of your current ammo amount. It's better to
reload once you are low on ammo, rather than reloading and wasting a good 20
bullets if you only wasted 8. To pick a different firing mode, re-select your
primary weapon, and left-click. Some guns only have one firing mode though.
Certain weapons have scopes that zoom a great distance when right-clicked.
________________________
/Controls - Land and Sea/
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
W - Accelerate
S - Decelerate/Reverse
A - Steer left
D - Steer right
Mouse - Move aiming turret
Left Click - Fires main weapon
Right Click - Fires secondary weapon
Left CTRL - Ducks in turret hatch
X - Dispenses smoke
F1-F6 - Switches from position 1 to 6
- Controlling land and sea vehicles is simple. Move the actual vehicle with the
W,S,A,D configuration, and rotate the turret using the mouse. Aim with the
mouse and fire, or if under fire, dispense smoke to take the aiming abilities
of an opposing force away. If you're in a turret hatch, you can hold down the
left control to duck for cover. You'll only be exposed from hits above you.
Vehicles have seating positions to sit in. The F buttons rotate from slot to
slot.
_______________
/Controls - Air/
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
W - Accelerate
S - Decelerate/Reverse, Hovers (Harrier only)
A - Steer left
D - Steer right
Mouse - Pitch forward/back, Roll left/right
Left Click - Fires main weapon
Right Click - Fires secondary weapon
Left CTRL - Ducks in turret hatch
X - Dispenses flares
F1-F6 - Switches from position 1 to 6
Double-tap - Afterburners
- Air vehicles work almost exactly the same as ground vehicles. The W,S,A,D
configuration controls the navigation of the vehicle, but not as you'd think.
Accelerate increases the engine speed or rotating power. In order to move
forward in a helicopter, you must tilt the mouse forward and hold down W to
accelerate forward. If you want to hover, tilt the mouse to an even level
vertically, and hold W for a bit. As for flying jets, hold down W to keep the
engine speed fast and steady. Pull the mouse up & down to dive the jet up or
down. Tilting the mouse in the left direction cause the jet to turn left.
Tilting the mouse in a diagonal direction will pull in that direction while
turning, but remember to hold down the arrow keys to keep the engine steady.
Letting go of your engine acceleration can cause stalls or fallouts.
Afterburners are a little known feature, but they boost the engine on a jet to
maximum capacity. Use them for tight maneuvers, avoiding enemy jets, or taking
off. Landing can be difficult. Try to use the slowdown key about five seconds
before landing, then let go, let it land evenly on the ground, and hold down S
to brake. The harrier, or F-35 jet, can hover by changing the engine position.
Hold down S, and it will levitate in the air. It's a very non-responsive
control when hovering though, so do it with clear surroundings.
_____________________
/Controls - Commander/
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Caps Lock - Brings up Commander screen
1-9 - Picks squads 1 through 9
Left CTRL - Hold down to select multiple squads
- Use the mouse for everything under the commander screen. Use keyboard
shortcuts when selecting squads. Right-clicking on a squad tab allows you to
issue direct voice commands telling them of their status.
>> Commanders can lay down ARTILLERY (explosive killer)
RADAR (sweeps to show enemies/vehicles)
UAV (shows enemies/vehicles to players)
SUPPLIES (drops supply crate)
VEHICLE DROP (drops portable vehicle)
___________
/Screen HUD/
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
_______________________________________________________
|[ ] / |
|[ 1 ] / |
|[ ] | [2] | |
| / |
| _____/ |
|[ 3 ] |
| |
| | |
| - - |
| | [4] |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|_______ _______|
|[5] | | [7] |
|[6] | ||||[8]||
|_______________________________________________________|
Meaning KEY:
[1] - Status Indicator - Shows who got killed by what or whom
[2] - Minimap / Ticket Indicator - Shows amount of tickets left for
each team, who has a depletion
rate on their tickets, and also
displays your mini-map with all
icons, flag points, and what not.
Useful for navigation.
[3] - Text Indicator - Shows typed messages, enemy spotted commands,
or green text for squad issued orders.
[4] - Aiming Indicator - Your crosshair
[5] - Health Meter - Shows your health bar with white vertical bars.
You die when the meter runs empty.
[6] - Stamina Meter - Shows your stamina bar with white vertical
bars. When you run out, you'll run slow, and it
must regenerate naturally past the flashing mark.
[7] - Ammo Indicator - Shows your ammo bar with white vertical bars.
When you run out, you'll automatically reload.
[8] - Overheat indicator - Shows your weapon heating status. If this
reaches full, the weapon will cease to work
for a short time interval. You can also see
the firing mode the weapon is in.
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============================
- 3) Maps (3.1) -
============================
The territories you constantly engage throughout the game are called maps.
Battlefield 2 comes with a flurry of maps ranging from rural areas, coastal
sweeps, isolated islands, and desert settings to provide a partially universal
setting. The recent patch added Wake Island as one new map to the default
bunch. This section will cover the various maps, with some key strategies to
try.
NOTE: All maps will be based off of the assumed 64-player versions.
______________
__________________________________/ DALIAN PLANT ____________________________
> Conflict: USA vs. China
> Rating: ***
> Description: "Dalian Plant is practically a nuclear plant facility near the
coast of China. The U.S. are attempting to take over the area
for control of the power grid for a majority of northern
China."
:> Key Bases (USA):
- Holding the two south bases right on the beachline are crucial to success
on this one. The middle beach base will spawn an additional attack
helicopter for your team, along with a tank. You'll also receive another
tank if you get the point to the south of this. Control these two points,
and resistance should not be that tough with armor & air superiority. If
anything, pound all you got on the central Chinese base to the left, as this
is where they will get their 2nd helicopter.
:> Key Bases (China):
- Holding the central base closest to your non-cap spawn is essential, as
you'll get a boost with another attack helo. Make use of the fast moving
transport vehicles to race to the surrounding points. You'll have a tough
time defending the flanks, especially the beachline where Blackhawks, boats,
and enemy jets will approach. It's nice to grab the south beach point, but
is extremely difficult due to artillery strikes.
- The problem with this map is that it can go lopsided for either team. A
majority of the time, you'll find the Chinese to be the strong team at hand,
simply because they have ground control thanks to their local base. Americans
have to race across a few hundreds meters of ocean water before they can reach
the shoreline. If the Chinese can rush and hold all points, it's practically
impossible to breach any area. If you find yourself getting pinched in as the
Chinese, try to take a transport helo from your main base, and sneak it behind
to the north beach point. This is often unguarded.
:> Sniper Spots
- If you find yourself getting stuffed in by the Americans, get on the
mountain to the right of your main spawn, and snipe down on the Americans
closest to you. There are 2-3 cranes on this map and cylinders you can use
for height advantages. Unfortunately, this is an armor-dominant map, so
you'll find few infantry targets unless a team is down to their last capture
point. Try sniping pilots who try to fly away with an abandoned helicopter.
__________________
_______________________________/ DAQING OILFIELDS ____________________________
> Conflict: USA vs. China
> Rating: **
> Description: "Daqing Oilfields is a resource-crucial point, as it contains
numerous oil refineries and points of interest that could
benefit either faction in the conflict."
:> Key Bases (USA):
- I've found that holding the point to the south & right of the main
refineries is what you need to do to succeed. These two points are
practicaly chokeholds that lead to the rest of the points. Not only that,
but tanks spawn at these points that can really alter the ground gameplan in
the end. There's an additional helopad to the northeast corner, but it's
isolated, and truly insignificant.
:> Key Bases (China):
- Holding the main and upper right helopad will be crucial to success. You
need additional air support on this one to deal with the armored threats
that the Americans have. The main central point, while providing nothing
else than common grounds is essential to boost morale. It's difficult to
take back, which is why you want to grab it first, and protect it at all
costs.
- This one tends to go either way. Since both non-cap spawns are on the ground,
either team can get ambushed by eager soldiers. You'll find both airbases to be
under attack extensively, hence why there are so many mounted AAs on this one.
Whoever controls your bomber will most likely be the combat leader on this one,
so make sure you have a good pilot. The point to the south of the refinery is
crucial as it has 3 spawning armors inside it, along with a refueling helopad,
and tall cylinders to snipe from. If you can hold this point on either team,
you'll probably control a majority of the points. Don't forget about the
additional helopad to the upper right. It gives a boost against the armor
beneficiaries of the US.
:> Sniper Spots
- No cranes on this one, but the ground is dark and moist. There are forests
that border some of the points. Make use of the treelines to prone and snipe
away. You'll be very hard to detect. Also, you can try infiltrating their
main base, and sniping pilots who hop in the choppers or aircraft. If
anything though, you'll find a useful sniper spot on the three tall steam
cylinders at the point to the south of the main point. If this doesn't work,
bail out of a transport helo above one of the large oil drums at the center
point for an authentic height advantage.
_______________
__________________________________/ DRAGON VALLEY ____________________________
> Conflict: USA vs. China
> Rating: ***
> Description: "Dragon Valley is a historic region of China, but also contains
a crucial refinery with strategy military points that can lead
to victory."
:> Key Bases (USA):
- To be honest, there are 3 bases you need on this one to succeed. The first
is the Chinese airport. While it's not necessary to grab it, doing so will
make it SO EASY to win on this map. Try sneaking a Blackhawk along the far
perimeter to cap the flag. This airport contains numerous armor vehicles,
jets, helicopters, more than you can ask for. However, the two realistic
points to capture are the base on the left yellow road that has a mounted
AA, a dock, two garage slots, a TOW, and a building perimeter enclosure.
This is great for making advancements into Chinese territory. The second
point is the second Chinese main base, which has their transport helicopter
and several houses. Taking this limits their air superiority.
:> Key Bases (China):
- Simply hold the high points on the map. Hold the top mountain spot to
prevent reinforcements from flooding through. Really, you don't even need to
push the Americans off of the land, just hold the highest points and your
airfield on this one.
- Chinese win this about 70% of the time, simply because they have such a
starting advantage. You can easily sneak a transport helo in on the lone
American ground base, and take it immediately at the beginning. Chinese have
too many armor bases, which let's them push through and take any American
advancements. The only time I see the Chinese lose is when the Americans take
and hold their airbase. No air support really turns the Chinese team into a
split rival. Try sneaking up along the left ridge that inlets to cover with a
Blackhawk.
:> Sniper Spots
- On both sides of Dragon Valley are tall mountains that can be sniped down
from upon. Try doing this. Make use of the height points to look down and
snipe on the opposition. You can snipe men on the carrier from the high
point as well. There are several cylinders and steam stacks you can climb at
the Chinese airbase if you manage to infiltrate that perimeter. There are
also partial rural forests in the steppes which can be used for ghille
cover.
____________
__________________________________/ FUSHE PASS ____________________________
> Conflict: USA vs. China
> Rating: **
> Description: "FuShe Pass is a mining crucial area containing uranium
deposits, critical ores, and items of interest to either side."
:> Key Bases (USA):
- Get the highest point closest to the non-cap American base. This location
spawns out armor including AA. Then, take all points south of the river.
This will practically give you complete control of the map, both air &
ground wise.
:> Key Bases (China):
- Get the point directly north of the main spawn, as this village center
contains armor and extra helicopter support. Then, try to take over some
points on the southern ridge. Points to the south of the river are difficult
to take back, which is why it's essential to grab them early and make sure
no one grabs them back.
- Honestly, I find this to be a split map. Sometimes Chinese will push the
Americans back to where they cannot take over on the offensive front. On the
other hand, the Americans will simply dominate, pushing the Chinese back to the
village center. If anything, air support has the biggest effect on this one.
Jets tend to shoot down opposing helicopters and opposing bombers. Try using as
much armor as possible on this one, and this is one of the few maps where AA
has a huge effect on the outcome.
:> Sniper Spots
- If you find yourself getting stuffed in by the Americans, get on the
mountain to the right of your main spawn, and snipe down on the Americans
closest to you. There are 2-3 cranes on this map and cylinders you can use
for height advantages. Unfortunately, this is an armor-dominant map, so
you'll find few infantry targets unless a team is down to their last capture
point. Try sniping pilots who try to fly away with an abandoned helicopter.
______________
__________________________________/ GULF OF OMAN ____________________________
> Conflict: USA vs. MEC
> Rating: ****
> Description: "The MEC forces possess a key airport near the gulf that could
be used to fuel counter-attacks. The Americans want to take
this beach-head, and control the area to prevent the MEC from
doing so."
:> Key Bases (USA):
- If anything, you need at least one beach base to keep the MEC distracted.
I find it best to take the one on the far left where a lone tank spawns.
While it is an isolated location, it's close to your artillery (if repairs
are needed), has a stinger, and a boat for an alternate route through the
map. Once you have one beach point, try to get the center construction area
with the giant crane. This is another isolated location that rarely gets
captured back and forth which could be a strong rear flanking point against
the other MEC positions. You'll find the coastal points along the right and
near the hotel too tough to take with one assault.
:> Key Bases (MEC):
- If anything, the MEC absolutely need a majority of the beach points, and
at least the hotel area on the right. The hotel area is such a key position
as it gives you the most armor to counter-attack. It also has isolated lanes
which can be defended easily against American attacks. The beach points will
hold your anti-air defenses, which is what you'll need to shoot down the
incoming Blackhawks. They're also heavy casualty areas where you can sweep
back and forth racking up kills.
- A split map that depends on who gets the best start. Both teams have fairly
average air capabilities. However, you've got to remember that the Americans
are isolated with their base carrier on this map. Even though they start off
with a split amount of beach points, they'll lose them quickly due to MEC
rushes. Focus on capturing or holding the Hotel point based on which team you
are. Really, holding that point decides the match, as you get armor, closeness
to the opposing spawns, and a nice established base all at the cost of one
point. I find boats to merely useless on this map. Stick with the choppers, or
traverse on foot. Armor is the best way to go, but there are usually lots of
Anti-Tank or Engineers on this one.
:> Sniper Spots
- If you have patience, head to the center crane near the middle point of
the map. There's little action to engage here, but if you're lucky, the
Americans will capture this point, and you'll stack kills like you're making
a triple decker Wendy's Burger. The hotel roof has a ladder on the south
side that gives a very useful, but tough to get up to point. Americans
always tend to pick me off before I can reach the top. Other than that,
you're not gonna find many height advantages. The entire area is practically
coastal, or very smooth. You can bail out of an air vehicle and try to land
on an oil drum in the non-cappable MEC spawn. You can also access a
warehouse roof on the left portion of the map north of the left beach point.
This point, while useful, sees little action unless down to your last point.
Finally, you can always harass poor innocent souls that spawn onto the
carrier deck.
___________
__________________________________/ KUBRA DAM ____________________________
> Conflict: USA vs. MEC
> Rating: *****
> Description: "A current dam-in-construction happens to be a key chokehold
for advancement for either the USA or MEC forces. Whoever holds
this point can flood the opposing forces like a dock on the
bayou."
:> Key Bases (USA):
- You need to take the MEC airbase regardless. You may be able to hold most
of the points except that one, but taking that literally crushes their
ability to operate. Try sneaking a Blackhawk along the flanking ridge, close
to the boundary lines. You can manage to get one in there, drop your troops,
cap the point, and then limit the MEC air capabilities. There's a neutral
chopper in the center that can be taken by capturing the center point
through the dam tunnel. This point is difficult to take, but there is a
sewage tunnel beneath that is actually right underneath the flag, and counts
as a capture zone. Stand here, take the point, let some reinforcements
spawn, then flood the remaining MEC points. You may want to try taking the
secondary base where the AA spawns with a double-slot garage about two
clicks to the west. You'll get several armor vehicles here and also provide
access to a majority of the points.
:> Key Bases (MEC):
- Hold the upper right building that is under construction with no windows.
A TOW, AA, and jeep should spawn here. It's the only true building that
provides access to all other points because it has a triple-roadway segment.
It branches out to every point, and you can parachute or drop down for the
points near ground level. I highly recommend destroying the bridge near the
first neutral point right next to the US non-cap spawn. You don't want armor
crossing easily to your height positions. Make it difficult, or make the
Americans traverse in their Blackhawks so your jets can shoot them down.
Don't forget; your airbase means everything on this one.
- This is my personal favorite map out of every one in BF2. It has detailing,
height, tunnels, lots of armor, lots of places to snipe, and key areas that act
as chokehold points. It can go either way, based on who pushes further or who
infiltrates the rear positions. It's slightly tougher on the MEC side since you
gotta deal with holding your rear airbase from sneak attacks. You'll have
moderate air superiority in terms firepower, but don't expect extreme
navigational abilities. There are narrow tunnels on the MEC side of the dam
that lead to dead ends. You'll find one neat one you can fly through (only
perform during emergencies) if you have the elite skills. If you have snipers,
I recommend defending the low points by positioning themselves on highground
spots. There are several cranes on this one, one near the central, one on the
dam, one near the airbase. Pick one that is closest to the action. If anything
though, attack helicopters will do the most damage on this one. You can access
the neutral center one by climbing the rear stairwell & ladder by the center
point, or dropping down from the dam road on top over the left ledge. There is
also a secret tunnel underneath the central "ground-level" capture point. Go
into either large turbine tunnel near the base of the dam, and cut a right/left
into the inlet tunnel that connects both turbine tunnels. If you stand in the
center of this tunnel, you can actually lower & capture the central flag a few
meters above your head. This way, you won't even be seen or equated in the
picture!
:> Sniper Spots
- Three cranes to choose from, and two mountain valleys that aim downward at
ground points. This map is a sniper's dream. There are mountain valleys in
the American spawn as well, and a farther range to deal with near the MEC
airbase. Personally, any of these points are fine. DO NOT prone on top of
the mountains. Prone where the bushy grass is. The sun horizon tends to
reveal your position as a sniper on this one, and people will usually spot
you for other snipers to deal with. If you can hold the Americans back,
snipe across the destroyed bridge. You can also try dropping into the
wreckage of the destroyed bridge, and proning on a twisted steel beam.
_______________
__________________________________/ MASHTUUR CITY ____________________________
> Conflict: USA vs. MEC
> Rating: ****
> Description: "A key city is about to be occupied by USA forces. The MEC rally
together like Bravehearts in an attempt to defend the city."
:> Key Bases (USA):
- Blackhawk, Blackhawk, Blackhawk. Hold your main airbase, and closest tank
spawn point for domination. Despite blackhawks getting nerfed in the patch,
have your helo circle a MEC point a few times laying down Vulcan fire. Drop
out 2-3 troops to capture the point, let them hop back in, and move to the
next point. There are lots of Anti-Tank players on this map, but the
Blackhawk should be able to gun down infantry easily. The center mosque
position goes back and forth between teams, so I wouldn't worry about it too
much. Focus on the MEC building spawn as this is where most players choose
to go. It also is close to their key commander assets, artillery, and
provides lots of relative position in terms of mass destruction.
:> Key Bases (MEC):
- All I can say is hold your main building base, and helopad. Other than
that, it honestly comes down to luck. The MEC transport helo is not a very
good mobile device, even though it can be used for transporting. You'll find
the American's Blackhawk to be the real threat to deal with on this map. As
long as you hold both of these points, you can try to push onward into
American territory. The transformer power complex to the south which has
your tank is actually a critical point but not necessary to hold. Try
destroying the bridge closest to your hotel position, and only make use of
the southern bridge.
- Another enjoyable city map. You'll get into many close encounters. Luckily,
there are only two tanks on this one, no APCs, and lots of transport vehicles.
Mount a vehicle somewhere in the distance, get on the .50 CAL, and gun down
infantry/helicopters. Snipers are somewhat prevalent on this map, so try to
move at all costs. Believe it or not, the Stingers are highly effective for
either team on this one. It's just that there are few patient players willing
to sit in a Stinger to shoot down a transport helo that attempts to capture the
opposing spawn. I've also found that mining one of the bridges can be a smart
idea as long as your team is not in the lead flag-wise. The tanks should be
your main weapons into breaching opposing territory. Lead them slowly and
efficiently, dropping supplies for automatic repairs. Whatever you do, DO NOT
let one team get two tank spawns. This spells disaster, as you're just handing
them the ability to rape and conquer.
:> Sniper Spots
- There are lots on this one. Both airbases are on top of hills where
snipers can defend against infantry rushes with ease. Both tank spawns have
tall mountains that overlook the positions, meaning snipers can pick off
spawning soldiers. If anything though, you'll find a useful sniping point
via a ladder near the USA tank spawn. The ladder leads up to a roof, where
you can climb to a very top aclove that overlooks all the buildings on the
map (including the busy mosque area). There are 3-4 roofs you can climb to
via ladders on the MEC side of the dried river. If none of these places
please you, try climbing the ladder to the water reservoir green drum near
the American main base. If you're desparate for innovation, bail out of a
chopper and land on the mosque roof. This spot is so unstoppable it's not
even funny.
_______________________
_________________________/ OPERATION CLEAN SWEEP ____________________________
> Conflict: USA vs. MEC
> Rating: **
> Description: "A grouping of MEC-occupied islands must be overtaken by a
nearby USA airbase. Unfortunately, the toughest challenge will
be navigating to these lone isles without getting blown to
pieces."
:> Key Bases (USA):
- Taking either air strip of the MEC should be your ideal goal. The MEC's
bomber spawns at the closest airstrip with its own garage. Take the nearby
middle segment point if possible, but be forewarned that there is tons of
nearby armor to deal with. You need to reduce MEC air superiority at all
costs, since this will be their main counter weapon against your armor
advancement. Make use of the Blackhawk, but try to sneak capture the rear
points if possible. Most troops will either stay near the middle portion of
the island, or near the frontal part. As for your attack helicopters, they
should try to pelt key positions. For the most part, you should try to sweep
left-right with the islands, or from the rear and close in on the middle
points like a swallowing herd.
:> Key Bases (MEC):
- Hold your airbases. It seems ideal, but few MEC teams manage to hold both
air bases without losing one in the process. You have to remember that the
only defense you have against American jets, helicopters, and aerial
assaults is your own air support. Make use of the firepower advantages on
the MIG & chopper. Roam back and forth across the island in your tanks,
relaying support whenever it is needed. Hell, jump on a jeep and gun down
the Blackhawks that try to fly in low for a drop-off. All I can say is do
your best to defend the island. Everything on island capturing is done like
bunny hopping. Everyone flocks to one point, and everyone flocks to the
next. Flank and capture a recent flocked position for little resistance.
Repeat.
- I'm not too fond of this map, mainly since it's air-designed, and MEC tends
to win a majority of the time. The Americans have to breach the initial
defense, which is tough on the front portion. There are TOWs that prevent APCs
from simply plowing through, and most people may even bring a tank to the
forefront to shoot boats. The only hope the Americans have is landing a
Blackhawk somewhere, capping a point, then letting reinforcements spawn
through. If you lose an airbase on this one, you really lose a chunk of your
tickets. It takes so much sacrificing to try and take back an airbase, after it
has been stolen. You'll find spawn camping to be a big priority on this one,
specifically against the Americans who will all be crunched at the helopad
waiting for a chopper or jet. Artillery strikes make a difference on this one.
:> Sniper Spots
- Unfortunately, the range of islands and water limits sniping advantages.
There is a fairly high peak between the MEC helopad & establishment base,
but it's nothing major to make a difference. This map has few troops that go
on the ground, unless you're at a major base. Do your best to use the side
hills for height advantages, or the treeline near the forefront of the
mountain to snipe downward. It doesn't have sniping spots, but a good sniper
can treat this map like a ghille suit.
___________________
_________________________/ ROAD TO JALALABAD ____________________________
> Conflict: USA vs. MEC
> Rating: *****
> Description: "A nearby MEC town is being threatened by a roaming U.S.
attack. Before the actual town can be reached, one must
traverse the long dusty plane full of snipers and legitimate
threats."
:> Key Bases (USA):
- The US will start off with one uncappable base that has several vehicles,
and a few guard towers to protect their establishment. You may notice that
the design of Road to Jalalabad is actually sniper friendly. The first half
of the map starts off with a rolling hill that ends up near a coastal oasis,
with some occasional boulder stacks here and there. What you want to do is
sneak a transport vehicle into the main town, and capture one of the
interior points (the Hotel is a GREAT spot to snatch up) or the Town center.
Taking the rear mosque is challenging but also worth the effort as a tank
spawns here. Once you have an interior point, the rest of the flags should
fall with ease, and your kill count will increase.
:> Key Bases (MEC):
- Don't let them get a rear flag. Rush the Lake flag, and flank from the
southern army base so that you can trap the Americans inside their own
uncappable zone. Simply guard this long plane with multiple snipers, and
spam grenades at some of the large rock quarries where other Americans may
be hiding inside. Watch the boundary flanks for squads trying to sneak by.
If this map is played with No Vehicles mode on, your chances of victory are
much higher. If there are vehicles, landlock them with AT mines at key
pathways (the water access route from Lake to the town).
- What makes Road to Jalalabad such a successful map is the fact that it's big,
it's one of the few sniper-friendly maps, and it gets to be one heck of a
hellish fight if both teams are combating in the long desert plane. If one team
does manage to infiltrate the town, it gets even more interesting as more close
quarter battles occur. Nonetheless, this is one of the best maps along with
Wake Island, and Strike of Karkand due to its unique yet refreshing design.
Many servers play this map with No Vehicles mode on due to the sniper wars that
go on.
:> Sniper Spots
- If the town has been breached, there is a ladder on the south side of the
burning hotel that can be climbed for a VERY high view. There are also
multiple adjacent buildings with ladders that give you a medium height
sniping point. You will find 2 tall buildings that can be climbed south of
the mosque area, and these buildings give great shots to anyone approaching
from the Lake flag or from the Town Center flag. There is one elevated
garage with ladder access in between the Lake flag point and well flag point
to the south. This spot is decent for protecting the interior of the town.
Otherwise, you can actually snipe very good on just the long flat plane that
leads to the US's uncappable zone. Use the rock quarries for cover, or hide
behind palm trees.
___________________
______________________________/ SHARQI PENNINSULA ____________________________
> Conflict: USA vs. MEC
> Rating: ****
> Description: "USA forces have seized a key television station that was
boasting propoganda. The MEC wants to take it back so they can
send out more eroding brainwaves."
:> Key Bases (USA):
- All you need to hold on this one is the tall TV station. It has a helopad
spawn and a wide point of view. You can easily defend it against the
ground, and sabotage the inner stairwells in case you do get overrun. While
you may eventually lose due to a loss of reinforcements, hold the TV station
at all costs for the best chance to win. I do recommend capturing the
building in construction to the west as your secondary spawn point. Few MEC
forces will breach this area, and if they do, will most likely be gunned
down. Other than that, this map comes down to counter-rushing, taking a
point, defending it for a bit, and then repeating to rack up lots of kills.
Artillery should be your friend to counter the mass rushes of the MEC
troops.
:> Key Bases (MEC):
- You're going to want to capture bases sort of like you're pinching a taco
shell. Get a point on the south/north, then work inward. The support points
are generally easier to take over, and you can spawn your reinforcements
closer to the battlefield. I found it too difficult doing a head-on assault
into the triple spawn point to the west, or the TV station to the east. The
support positions lack armor support, but they do have lots of navigating
treadways that head off to the rest of the city.
- Sharqi is similar to Mashtuur City, except the conflicts on the ground are
more close-combat based. Both teams only have one attack helicopter spawn, and
it does make a difference how you utilize them. Remember to abuse and cruise
with the MEC chopper. AA stations are mounted across the map, but few players
utilize them to full potential. You can take the TV station easily with the
help of the MEC chopper, laying gunner grenades on the infantry below. It can
also spawn camp the American helo when it respawns, which means your infantry
can rush in towards the ground to capture the point. Taking the TV station
eliminates most chances of a victory for the USA. From a vice versa point of
view, the Americans have to hold the TV station. It's the only point that is
based on one-side. The other side is bordered by a cliff and the ocean. Hence,
you truly only have one side of a threat to deal with, and you get the superior
height advantage for your snipers, plus a tank spawn by the TOW. Your commander
can make a world of difference on this one, specifically where he/she lays down
artillery fire. Try to check it over the center positions, especially the
commonly taken point that only has one stone wall bordering it.
:> Sniper Spots
- There are several on this one. If you're playing the USA, spawn at the
centered hollow building, and make your way up to the top of the yellow
crane. This position will be extremely efficient as it overlooks the busiest
sections of the map. Be careful not to give away your position though as
players do check the top of the crane out for snipers. There are about 5-6
building tops you can also utilize across the map by climbing the base
ladders on each. An interest spot to note is by the south point near the
water edge. Climb up to the corner building that looks towards this flag.
This is a common flanking point for troops, and your position is rarely
revealed as an American (or MEC). Another great USA sniper position is on
top of the TV station spawn. It may be a common artillery point, but you can
bail out. To make your accuracy better, jump and prone onto the railing edge
before it slants downward. You'll be exposed, but be extremely accurate and
capable of picking off MEC troops that rush your position.
___________________
______________________________/ SONGHUA STALEMATE ____________________________
> Conflict: USA vs. China
> Rating: ***
> Description: "A key chokehold has reached a standstill between the USA &
Chinese forces. A dense fog covers the field like liquor on a
grumpy drunk."
:> Key Bases (USA):
- Keep the two closest bases where you spawn. You need the two transport
helicopters spawn simply because you're rewarded with two shiny Blackhawks.
Blackhawks will be your main transport, do lots of killing damage, and help
capture points a tad easier. Many of the oddball outposts may have APCs you
can make use of, but this map is primarily dominated by holding your own two
helicopter bases. Matter of fact, purposely defend them as others will try
to take them back.
:> Key Bases (China):
- I hate to say it, but the MEC strategy is the same on this one. Hold the
two points that posses chopper spawns, try to make use of the jalopie
helicopters, and defend the points from American captures. The only other
hint I can give is to man the mounted AAs more frequently as Blackhawks are
fairly tough to take down. It may also benefit you to try and sneak-flank an
American helopad and take it over. The only problem is that you'll probably
lose a rear base in the same effort.
- Personally, Songhua has always been a favorite of mine, but a map that I'd
only play for an hour before getting bored. It's one of the most balanced ones
with the addition of the recent patch, as Blackhawks don't dominate it anymore.
Seems like transport helicopters are even now that personnel have to bail out
to increase the capture time. Stingers are also more capable of shooting down
the helos, so you'll find more infantry battles in the distance. Mines are
highly effective on this one, especially on the roadways that dip slightly into
the water. Make use of an APC that spawns nearby if you hear a chopper flying
overhead. There are a few spots on this one that you can flank from the rear
via tall hill points. Both secondary helopads have these reinforced positions
that are great for looking down on the valley ahead. If you find yourself
getting dominated in the ground game, capture a few side flanking points to
surround the base positions near the center of the map.
:> Sniper Spots
- In terms of sniping points, there are not many. To be honest, there are no
roofs you can climb on this one with exception to the large fish factory on
one side of the map. Treat this map like a mobile sniper type, as you're
going to have to move around to actually find infantry. If possible, camp on
one of the hills overlooking a popular spawn point, aka the secondary
helopads. If not, position yourself near the center in one of the dense
bamboo jungles. You'll be nearly impossible to see, at the sacrifice of some
added height for more targets to sight. Other than that, avoid being a
sniper on this one. Heck, the enhanced fog makes it tough to see at a far
range too, decreasing the ability of this class.
___________________
______________________________/ STRIKE AT KARKAND ____________________________
> Conflict: USA vs. MEC
> Rating: *****
> Description: "USA and MEC forces clash in the urban setting of a tightely
wound city, with a key bridge and river to cross. This battle
will determine who controls a majority of the territory."
:> Key Bases (USA):
- Thankfully you have a non-cap spawn on this one. I've found the two best
points to have is the point in the farthest northwest corner, and the bridge
point. Holding the bridge allows you to completely shut off the MEC's
ability to bring armor over (assuming you also have units covering the river
crosswalk to the south). The point in the northeast only relays
reinforcements, and can flank the other points from the north. The ideal
plan is to completely takeover every point to the left of the bridge. Then,
sneak a few soldiers across the crosswalk, and slowly but surely take over
each point on the right side. The MEC will have the advantage of more armor
initially, but this tab will be overrided as you take over more and more
points. In order to get the northwest spawn from where you initially start,
flank along the west, and go behind the buildings along the left to make it
up to this position. From here, it's just like taking candy from a baby.
:> Key Bases (MEC):
- You need three points on this one to hold. Keep control of the first point
right next to the USA's non-cap spawn. While it serves no usefulness, it
makes a GREAT distraction for USA forces, and acts like a MEC barrier that
is tough to pass by (assuming balanced defenses along all perimeters). The
second point to hold is the point directly above this. If the USA forces
take the force, just push downward. Not to mention, but this second point
also has a sniper's roof on top, and acts as a key distribution point near
the center. Finally, it would be best if you could hold onto the home base
that spawns your APCs, Tank, and vehicles.
- Strike at Karkand is a fun map mainly because it has no air support, all
ground-based, and feels like Vietnam in some sort of alternate universe with a
desert setting. The initial strike pits the USA at a disadvantage, but the
battle sometimes turns over to reveal a unique standstill at the key bridge.
The map is very condensed, has lots of close encounters, and also seems easiest
to accumulate the most points in the least amount of time. This is why you will
find many players who only play Strike at Karkand just to earn points at a
faster time rate. Vehicle whoring is a common normality on this map, so don't
complain. Often, engineers will hop into Tanks or APCs, ask for a supply drop,
then camp next to the supply drop while firing numerous rounds into a spawn. If
this occurs, take out the supply crate first next to the vehicle, then work on
destroying it before the engineer can repair it efficiently. Snipers may exist
on this map, and if they do, it's either on a rooftop or bushy hill. Look for
both. Watch for Assaulters, as they'll try to grenade launch you. Making use of
.50 CALs on this one can make a difference, especially in the jeeps. Just
remember to bail out when the heat gets sizzling. Medics are the best class to
utilize on this map simply because lots of people die from infantry fire, which
means there are more possible revives available.
:> Sniper Spots
- There are a few buildings with rooftops that have ladders to access them.
I won't describe them in particular since they're fairly common sense. If
you're pinched across the river, just launch bullets from the ridgeline.
There's a tall sniper spot on a tower across the river at the point directly
west of the MEC home base. This spot rarely goes noticed, and you can hop
down onto some cylinders if you wish as well. If USA forces are rushing the
left flank, mount yourself on the hill, and snipe down towards the non-cap
spawn. The left side of Karkand also has a height advantage over the middle
sections. A busy spot to snipe down from is on top of the roof at the point
above the initial MEC barrier spot. While you'll most likely get shelled
out, the spot will have lots of USA forces trying to sneak up on it, and
you'll get a 360 degree view as well.
__________________
______________________________/ WAKE ISLAND 2007 ____________________________
> Conflict: USA vs. China
> Rating: ****
> Description: "Chinese forces have occupied a key island with a strategically
located airbase. The USA forces want to take it down to
Chinatown."
:> Key Bases (USA):
- Chinese airbase, plain and simple. This is the only point you need on the
island to isolate Chinese superiority, as EVERYTHING practically spawns at
their airbase. You'll gain the advantage of a tank, extra helopad, their
airstrip, several vehicles, mounted MG towers to defend against a Chinese
counter-rush, and practically a mission complete status. All you have to do
is hold this point and allow your air support to shell down on the isolated
tips of the Chinese island.
:> Key Bases (China):
- Best strategy I've witnessed is to immediately grab the tanks on the two
tips of the island, get them near the edge where the brown bunkers are, and
fire at any boats or choppers that approach. The only infiltration tactic
the Americans will be forced to use is via air support, which can be shot
down with mounted AAs, or a mere AT rockets. However, watch for bombing
raids near the tips of the islands where Americans will try to destroy your
valiant tanks. If you happen to lose one side of the island, simply
chokehold them via the central airbase, and send reinforcements to disperse
out. Whatever you do, don't all flock to one side of the island. Since the
shape is much like a giant "U", the idea is to manage equal defense on both
sides without losing the central airbase. If you happen to get the chinese
transport helicopter, load it up, and try to land on their carrier. Cause
distractions, chaos, whatever you can do to prevent the Americans from
advancing to the island. Also, make sure your tanks gun and fire shells at
the artillery island that's in close proximity to your position. You'll
accumulate many points by simply firing in this direction.
- Wake Island was the only expansion map released via the patch to this date.
It is essentially a U-shaped island dominated by Chinese control, in which the
Americans must take back either from a small artillery isle, or their central
carrier. All I can say is that this map does NOT look balanced, although it
tends to balance out after a few minutes. Sometimes, the Chinese will dominate
and not even permit American captures on their island using the two-tip tank
approach. Sometimes Americans will sneak behind, capture the central airbase,
and spawn so many reinforcements that the Chinese are left isolated at the tips
of their islands for the rest of the game. All I can say is to make use of the
transport vehicles to rush from place to place. Use the two-tip approach
initially, then scramble the tanks as necessary to isolate American
advancement. As the Americans, use a Blackhawk at high altitude to infiltrate
behind enemy lines. Anti-Tanks are useful on this map since a lot of players
tend to use vehicles, or fly around. The Chinese artillery is right near the
inner hub of the U on a beachline, and can easily be accessed, so try to take
it out early and quickly. Sneak as American to the airbase; be brute as a
Chinese towards the advancement.
:> Sniper Spots
- There aren't too many on this one, because there are hardly any height
advantages on this one. Try going on the north tip, proning on the beach,
and sniping tangos on the artillery island. If you're near your airbase,
you'll find a few protruding hills with foilage you can use for moderate
cover. Unfortunately, the firing angles are fairly bad. One interesting spot
to snipe from that hardly goes noticed is on the downed WWII planes. Jump-
prone onto the bent wings of them, and get slightly in the air. You can now
sniper with a partial height advantage, enclosed behind a fighter wing that
looks like natural scenery. Unfortunately, these are positioned at spots
where there are little encounters until one team captures a point near them.
________________
______________________________/ ZATAR WETLANDS ____________________________
> Conflict: USA vs. MEC
> Rating: **
> Description: "The moggy, mushy wetlands of this humid sector is a key
location for either the USA or MEC forces. Not to mention a key
pipeline runs through this location."
:> Key Bases (USA):
- You'll want to hold the second airbase location (aside from your carrier),
and snatch the central point if possible. The second airbase location will
reward you with a useful jet bomber, as opposed to light fighters from your
carrier. Use the Blackhawks on your carrier deck, and load a squad up. Flank
along the north side going parallel with the river. You can usually take a
point or two behind the central point of MEC territory using the Blackhawks,
but you must go undetected. Other than that, use APCs or DPVs to move
quickly from point to point. Remember that the center point yields the
advantage of an extra attack chopper, but you'll be the main target of
artillery strikes.
:> Key Bases (MEC):
- Center point is required in this battle. It's the only way to capture 50%
of the points for a standstill. You'll have to earn kills afterwards to get
the advantage. Most of the time, the Americans will push forward, or even
take this hill, so it's imperative that you take it at all costs. Your
pilots will be essential on this one to bomb the American squads as they
rush towards this central point. Mount some snipers on the hilltops to fire
down on the infantry. Place a sniper or two in the oil pipeline towers as
well. You may have less armor than desired on this, so make use of C4
ambushes and/or mines on the dirt paths on the AMERICAN side of this point.
Make use of the attack helicopter that spawns in the center, and blast your
grenade rounds on the units below. It's very difficult to play as MEC on
this map, so be forewarned.
- If anything, this is the worst map in the game. It has a decent design, but
the way everything is molded together feels quite awkward. The Americans have
an advantage on this one with slightly more armor, and two airbases. MEC only
has one. The central point on the map is what you'd expect the break-or-make
point to be, but is isn't. It's suppose to be a MEC-occupied territory, but the
Americans usually are closer to it than they should be. The Americans easily
get 3 points right off the bat, while the MEC struggle for the third one. It
just seems too biased for the Americans, which is why I felt this map is
horribly designed. Granted the soggy marshes are fun to jog through once in
awhile, but the landscape takes too long to reach from point to point. There
are no forests on this one, practically made of long steppes. I highly
recommend using only armor or transport vehicles on this one. If you get air
support, make the most of it, as this is usually the highest scorer on this
one. Try to man the mounted AAs to shoot down Blackhawk rushes.
:> Sniper Spots
- There are oil pipeline towers every so many meters that have ladders.
Climb to the top level, prone, and snipe down on infantry rushes. There are
several hilltops you can prone onto for a height advantage. Other than that,
I have not found any remotely dominating sniper positions. There are a few
points on the map where a bundle of rocks group together with some brush.
Try proning behind the brush at these rock groupings for some excellent
background coverage.
-<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>-
============================
- 4) Classes/Weapons (4.1) -
============================
Probably the most fun you'll have in Battlefield 2 comes down to choosing what
class you want to be, the weapons you use, and how you execute both traits in
the combat area. This section will review the seven different classes in the
game, while providing what weapons are best for that class, and also general
strategies on how to perform in a most efficient manner.
++++++++++++++
} SPECIAL OPS ______________________________________________________________
--------------\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
| (USA) | (Chinese) | (MEC) | (Unlock)
======================================================================
Name: M4A1 Carbine | Type 95 Rifle | AKS-74U Carbine | G-36C
Power: **** | *** | **** | ****
Range: **** | *** | **** | ****
Accuracy: **** | **** | *** | *****
Overall: **** | *** | *** | *****
| (Unlock - SF)
======================================================================
Name: SCAR-L
Power: ****
Range: ***
Accuracy: ****
Overall: ***
+ The Special Ops class was one of the first widely used classes, mainly
because it has balance, power, and explosive capabilities. The Carbines
generally on all three teams have great long-range power, not as much as a
rifle per say, but almost equivalent to. They can be considered partial
snipers, but also have C4 in their equipment stash. The C4 has many uses. It
takes 2 charges to detonate the strongest armored vehicle (tanks), and
generally only one for light-armored vehicles. The idea is to drop the C4
charges (they stick to elongated surfaces), then right-click to pull out the
detonator. Left-click again to detonate the charges. There doesn't seem to be a
limit on the range. Spec Ops are by far one of the best classes in the game.
- The M4A1 outrules the other two teams in terms of a base setup. The M4A1 has
a high-zoom scope, but also provides little recoil with efficient power. The
Ak74 & M4 have red-dot scopes, which may make it easier to aim at targets. The
Type 95 is an above average carbine, but has no special qualities. The G36C
unlock is the best unlock in the game, in my opinion. It gives you the best
unlock for a class, simply because this thing is as accurate as a sniper rifle
(has iron sights though). You can easily take down 2-3 at a distance compared
to the base models. G36 should be taken as a top 3 unlock regardless of what
classes you play.
> The SCAR-L, a recent addition to the patch, is the new Special Forces unlock
that can be used during normal play. Unfortunately, this combination of a rifle
& futuristic carbine brings nothing new to the table. There is a slight boost
to overall damage, but not as critical as the AKS-74. The accuracy is far from
the superiority of the G36C, and for the most part, this is just an average
weapon. Stay away from this one, and just stick with the G36C.
Rest of Setup: Knife, (S) Pistol, Frag Grenades, C4 x 5
~ General Strategies ~
======================
- Spec Ops are your second best solution for taking out armored vehicles.
Sprint towards an APC or tank while it is distracted. Quickly toss two charges
on the vehicle, then retreat, and detonate. This will kill it instantly. In
certain cases, it destroys armor much quicker than a few anti-tank missiles,
but you have to get close. Make sure you are not squished by a moving vehicle.
- If a vehicle approaches towards you, drop two charges on the ground, and run
straight backwards. Detonate them as the vehicle runs over the area where the
dropped charges are.
- If you know a vehicle is passing through a chokehold, plant the charges ahead
of time, find some bushes for cover, and detonate as it passes over.
- If there is an unused transport vehicle nearby (or transport helicopter),
plant 4 charges on the vehicle - 2 on the front, 1 on each side. This strategy
is often called "jihad" or "suicide" since you generally commit suicide at the
cost of several kills. Once the charges are in place, pull out your detonator,
and get in the vehicle. Charge into a heavily enemy-infested area, press E (or
use key) to jump out, and left-click to detonate the charges. You will maximize
the explosion radius with charges on three sides, and most likely kill several
infantry troops. You will lose -2 overall points for committing suicide, but
will most likely net 4 points for killing at least 3 people. You can also move
next to armored targets, beep your horn, and let them kill you. This works best
when around large groups of people. You will not receive a (-2) for suiciding;
you will just be killed. The advantage is that you'll rack up more points for
killing a group of people.
- Spec Ops work best as alone, or as a squad. They're quite interchangeable.
- Prone and use the scopes on the weapons to take out targets long-range. Use
semi-fire or moderate auto fire in close situations. The 30-round clips can
usually engage several targets at once.
++++++++++++++
} SNIPER ______________________________________________________________
--------------\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
| (USA) | (Chinese) | (MEC) | (Unlock)
======================================================================
Name: M24 Rifle | Type 88 Rifle | Dragunov SVD | M95 Barrett
Power: **** | *** | *** | *****
Range: ***** | **** | **** | *****
Accuracy: ***** | **** | **** | ****
Overall: ***** | *** | *** | ****
| (Unlock - 1.2 Patch)
======================================================================
Name: L96A1
Power: ****
Range: *****
Accuracy: *****
Overall: *****
+ The Sniper class is primarily the least-used in BF2, and for good reasoning.
In most first-person shooters, snipers are overpowered one-shot killers. In
BF2, it's difficult to snipe because they rarely capture flag points, and only
the USA can generally snipe with efficiency. Granted, snipers are a nuisance,
but they don't really alter the situation on the battlefield except kill-to-
death ratio. The biggest problem with the sniper class is that hardly any of
their rifles perform one-shot kills, and if they do, it's because the enemy was
already injured. Essentially, crisp headshots are the only way to earn a one-
shot kill, and it's quite difficult as the netcode engine takes some time to
get use to. Claymores are very useful, but unfortunately, also cause for
numerous TKs. Often, you'll find snipers under-utilizing claymores, unless
they're on an isolated position.
- Believe it or not, this is one of the few classes where the base USA rifle
outmatches the unlock. The M24 is more accurate than the M95 Barrett, at the
cost of "armor-piercing" damage. Basically, the M95 unlock has the advantage of
doing 95 damage regardless of whether or not the target has body armor. Let's
assume you shoot someone in the chest with the M24. The damage will be cut in
half, while the M95 does the full 95 damage. Other than that, you'll sometimes
miss using the M95 unlock. The M95 can also pierce glass on vehicles, such as
helicopters. Determine which is more important to you, accuracy, or two unique
advantages. The Type 88 and SVD are both clip-fired sniper rifles, as opposed
to bolt-action reload types. These rifles generally have less damage/accuracy
characteristics, but are more useful for close encounters.
> The L96A1 is by far the most beneficial weapon released in the 1.2 patch. The
L96A1 is essentially the "AWP" from the Counter-Strike games, although the
weapon sound and firing mechanism would seem very unlike its realistic
counterpart. Compared to the M24, it's practically identical in accuracy and
damage. However, its scope tends to zoom in farther, and since it is an unlock,
it is available to all 3 regimes. It's such a huge improvement over the SVD &
Type 88, and a moderate improvement if you want accuracy over the power of the
M95. This is the gun to get from the 1.2 patch.
Rest of Setup: Knife, (S) Pistol, Frag Grenades, Claymore x 2
~ General Strategies ~
======================
- Snipers are reserved for primarily loners, squad leaders at unique spawn
points, or fire support from an odd angle. The basic idea is to have the best
kill:death ratio. Take down as many opponents as you can without dying as much
yourself. Find great spots on maps such as rooftops, bushes on hills, crane
tops, tiny window enclosures, or simply matching in with the background.
Snipers have a natural ghille suit mounted on their default skin, which makes
it easier to hide in brush.
- The netcode for aiming with a sniper rifle accounts for slight bullet drop
over a certain distance. A given rule in my book is to utilize the #'s on the
scope of the sniper rifle you're using. The one-digit numbers represent the
first # of 100 meters. For example, if you aim at a target using the #2 notch,
the center of the scope should be a slight millimeter above the intended
target. After the shot is fired, the bullet should slightly drop over the
distance and hit the target. You need to estimate on targets that are 2.5 to
3.0 away (250 to 300 meters away). It's possible to hit these targets, but your
graphical settings also determine whether or not you will see the targets at
those ranges. You need a good graphics card, and fairly fast computer in order
to get a view distance of 100%. Make sure it is preset in the graphical options
menu.
- Use Claymores to seal the only path up to your position. If you're at an
isolated position where no teammates are nearby, place the claymore at the top
of a ladder. This way, any enemy who tries to climb up will get exploded, or
will simply be stuck from climbing up. It's also efficient to plant claymores
facing opponents that you know are rushing up a hill. If you're spotted, plant
the two clays as you retreat, and you'll hopefully get two free kills. Remember
though, avoid using them in heavily populated areas where both teams are
fighting. Claymores will now not trip against your own teammates. They will
only blow up if an enemy walks in front of them.
- If you hit a target but it does not die, quickly switch to your silenced
pistol, and take potshots at the target. Sometimes you'll do 95 damage, but
won't kill the target. One pistol hit will instantly kill the target. This is
useful for ensuring enemies go down.
++++++++++++++
} ASSAULT ______________________________________________________________
--------------\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
| (USA) | (Chinese) | (MEC) | (Unlock)
======================================================================
Name: M16A2 / M203 | Type 56 / GP-25 | AK-101 / GP-30 | G3
Power: **** | **** | **** | *****
Range: **** | **** | **** | ****
Accuracy: **** | *** | *** | ***
Overall: **** | **** | **** | ***
| (Unlock - SF)
======================================================================
Name: F2000 / F2000 GL / Flashbangs
Power: ****
Range: ****
Accuracy: ***
Overall: ****
+ The Assault class is a fairly used class mainly because it acts as the grunt
of the team. Assault is designed for infantry combat, but also possesses the
unique capability of an attachable grenade launcher. Grenade launcher whoring
as it is called has become a frequent habit. To be frank, you instantly kill
infantry with one grenade shot, and there is considerable splash damage. It's
easy to run around, and simply fire one grenade shot as opposed to firing
several bullets at an opponent. Nonetheless, Assault are great when used on
several smaller urban maps, such as Strike at Karkand, or Mashtuur City. Their
smoke grenade is only used for cover, and does no actual damage. Really, the
only reason to use this class is for the combination of a good rifle and body
armor. Spec Ops beat it in every category and even have anti-tank capabilities.
- After careful consideration, the MEC's version is probably best fit for any
environment. The AK-101 does great damage, at the cost of some accuracy during
long-range shots. However, it has an auto/semi-auto firing modes, while the
M16A2 only has three-burst/semi-auto. The AK-101 can be used for clearing
buildings or long-range. The GP-30 and M203 seem to do similar damage. The Type
56 is really just a modified AK-47, with a default grenade launcher. Nothing
special. Believe it or not, the G3 is a worse unlock than the three base
weapons. It only has a 20-round clip, no grenade launcher attachment, and the
accuracy is not as good as one would expect. While I use the G3 extensively
with this class, you'd be better off sticking with the base weapons.
> The F2000 has probably caused the biggest uproar in the normal BF2 community.
This new Special Forces unlock gives you a nice scoped assault rifle, with an
additional F2000 Grenade Launcher as a side accessory. From a technical
standpoint, I've found the F2000 to be LESS accurate than most of the base
rifles used. While it does have a crosshaired scope, recoil seems extensive,
and the weak firing sounds often lays out a non-intensive means of
repricussion. To be frank, you will not put fear in the eyes of your enemies.
The fact that the grenade launcher is separate means you simply cannot right
click for an easy kill. You have to switch weapons, which provides a slight
changeover delay in time. The biggest advantage with the F2000 unlock is that
it replaces hand grenades with flashbangs. Flashbangs are small stun devices
which protrude a loud bang, and blinding white screen of light. The effects on
the blinding can last up to 8 seconds, which is a LONG time not to see on
Battlefield 2.
>> The problem gets even worse. Flashbangs can blind players in armored
vehicles. This means you can be flying a helicopter and get blinded by a
flashbang. You simply have to look in the direction of a flashbang to receive
the stun effects. Turn your head 180 degrees to avoid the harmful features. On
a side note, it seems as if flashbangs have a reduced throwing radius due to
their heavy weight. Nonetheless, FBs have caused an uproar in the BF2 community
as the Assault kit has turned into a literal assault mechanism. No other class
has an equipment change like the SF Assault kit.
Rest of Setup: Knife, Pistol, Smoke Grenade, GL x 5, (Frag Grenades with G3)
Body Armor
~ General Strategies ~
======================
- The grenade launcher attachment must be aimed above the intended target like
an arc. The farther the distance, the higher is must be aimed. Do this
accordingly. There is no real estimation on where the grenade will hit. I
suggest using the class for several hours to get accustomed to the drop height.
- If an armored vehicle approaches, throw a smoke grenade, and use the smoke to
hide. Assault has no weaponry to deal with armored vehicles. Leave it to Spec
Ops & Anti-Tank. Your grenade launcher does minor damage to armored vehicles,
and moderate damage to air vehicles.
- When playing Assault, I often think of Assault as the base class. A neat
strategy is to start out as Assault, join a squad, and stick with them. If one
guy goes down, pick up any class kits on the ground, and play that class.
Switch to another class as the situation deems necessary. Think of Assault as
your base, then switch off to specialized classes. You'd be surprised how many
points you'll accumulate, how cool it will feel to alternate, and how fitting
you will be to your team.
++++++++++++++
} SUPPORT ______________________________________________________________
--------------\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
| (USA) | (Chinese) | (MEC) | (Unlock)
======================================================================
Name: M249 SAW | Type 95 MG | RPK-74 MG | PKM
Power: *** | *** | **** | *****
Range: *** | *** | *** | ***
Accuracy: ** | *** | *** | ***
Overall: *** | *** | **** | *****
| (Unlock - SF)
======================================================================
Name: MG36
Power: ****
Range: ***
Accuracy: ***
Overall: ****
+ The Support class was originally my favorite class, since it was the "Rambo"
of Battlefield 2. Ideally, Support is designed to lay down suppressive fire and
attempt to accumulate kills, but also has the ability to gather teamwork points
by supplying other soldiers with ammo bags. Ammo bags replenish a soldier's
ammo stash to their default spawn amount. Unfortunately, their primary weapon
which happens to be an automatic machine gun suffers from horrible accuracy.
The inability to switch to a semi-auto firing mode turns the support class into
a spray-n-pray type. While this is awesome in close encounters, most of your
encounters in BF2 are long-range, where you WILL suffer.
- The best base weapon is the RPK-74. It's sort of like a rubbed down version
of the PKM. It has the best power out of the machine guns, a nice barrel clip,
and a controllable rate of fire. The Type 95 has a very fast firing rate, which
makes it awesome in defensive positions. The clip tends to go out fast, and it
doesn't offer much in terms of accuracy. The M249 SAW is not the worst, but it
doesn't have any positive qualities for long-range events. Its accuracy is bad,
often spreading out immediately upon extrusion from the weapon barrel. It has a
200-round clip and very fast firing rate which makes up for this downside, but
not a favorite for my support class. Instead, Support has one of the top 3
unlocks in the game, and the most powerful weapon attainable - the PKM. This
Russian-made machine gun fires at a fast rate, and the bullets don't have much
velocity. However, they do about 45 damage per hit, it has a 100-round clip,
and does moderate damage to vehicles. Simply put, the PKM is an infantry-
killing machine thanks to high damage.
> I'm a personal fan of the new MG36. While its ratings come similar, if not
worse than the PKM, the rate of fire, damage, and accuracy are balanced just
enough to make it a dangerous threat. Unlike the PKM which is subdued by a slow
rate of fire, or the SAW which has horrible accuracy, the MG36 just seems to
fine-tint them to the sixth degree. Still, few players who even play Support
will both to use this weapon during normal BF2 play. If I had a choice though,
this would be my favorite SF unlock.
Rest of Setup: Knife, Pistol, Frag Grenades, Ammo Bag (Regen)
Body Armor
~ General Strategies ~
======================
- Support is primarily a defensive class. Prone somewhere and just fire away.
If you are on offense, I highly suggest using a squad spawn, and laying down
fire while squadmates move. Supply ammo bags specifically to Spec Ops, Anti-
Tank, and Assault class characters.
- Your Support weapon should be fired in full-auto, or auto-bursts. I found it
most effective just to hold down and guide the recoil fire. Burst firing will
take longer unless a majority of your shots actually hit the intended targets
(which they probably won't).
- The recent patch has increased accuracy of ALL machine guns. You will be able
to hit targets more consistently. The PKM is now a wielder of death on the
battlefield.
++++++++++++++
} ENGINEER ______________________________________________________________
--------------\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
| (USA) | (Chinese) | (MEC) | (Unlock)
======================================================================
Name: R11-87 | N-98 | S-12K | Jackhammer
Power: *** | *** | *** | ****
Range: ** | ** | ** | **
Accuracy: *** | *** | ** | **
Overall: ** | ** | *** | ***
| (Unlock - SF)
======================================================================
Name: MP7
Power: ***
Range: ***
Accuracy: ****
Overall: ***
+ The Engineer is my favorite class, and a top-played one amongst many high
ranked players. The reason is for the simple ability to repair armored
vehicles, which no other class can do (besides a supply crate). In a sense, the
engineer was made to live inside armored vehicles. They do not possess armor,
have shotguns, and look like they're hiking the Appalachian Trail. Nonetheless,
Engineers also have the ability to drop mines, which can instantly disable any
vehicle of any sort. However, they're difficult to drop onto or in the path of
a vehicle ahead of time, making them the third and final anti-tank class.
- In terms of weaponry, the Engineer has limited potential. The N-98 & R11-87
are practically equivalent pump-action shotguns. The S-12K has a slight
advantage that it is clip-reloaded, and is fired in automatic mode. The
Jackhammer is a slightly powerful version of the S-12K with an enhanced design.
Still, none of the shotguns are useful for average range, which is where your
pistol MUST come into use.
> If there's any unlock that was seemingly useless via the SF patch, then it's
definitely the MP7. The only reason I could see this was implemented was for
armor-loving engineers who simply hate shotguns - plain and simple. The MP7 is
an upgraded version of the MP5, featuring a more linear base build. It's a tad
more constricted for short waist-side firing. The advantage of the MP7 is that
it's quite accurate, but just the same old submachine gun in a different build.
Plus, it only has a 20-round clip, so you'll be running dry on ammo much like
the slow reload times on the shotgun. Granted, it's a nice threat when you need
to automatic fire in a closed room, but a shotgun can lay down the same effects
with one close range shell. Honestly, I'd stay away from this gun.
Rest of Setup: Knife, Pistol, Frag Grenades, Mines x 5
~ General Strategies ~
======================
- Engineers can go offense, defense, or just reap kill-wise across a map. Your
best strategy is to pick a spawn point where you can visibly see the gray
etching of an empty vehicle. Look for APCs, tanks, AA, or even aircraft if
possible. If you don't see any on your map, press CAPS LOCK to see if it brings
up the squad commander menu, then perhaps you'll see the gray etchings of
vehicles.
- Repair your armor after an engagement with another armor. If you hit
red/critical, bail out, go behind the armor (so the opposing armor doesn't see
you), and repair it. If you're lucky, your opponent may stop firing since
he/she will note the gray icon on his radar (means the vehicle is not
occupied). Once you're at adequate health, hop back in, continue firing, and so
forth.
- Use the pistol for long range, shotgun for short range.
- Mine bridges that are NOT interconnecting between a friendly and enemy base.
Mine key entrances to enemy occupied bases. Also, a neat trick is to infiltrate
a base, and toss mines on top of the empty vehicles. When the enemies hop in
their vehicles, they will instantly explode and not notice the mine at all.
- The recent patch has added the inability for your teammates to trip over your
own mines. This is a huge plus since you can mine key roadways and not have to
worry about friendlies blowing themselves up.
++++++++++++++
} MEDIC ______________________________________________________________
--------------\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
| (USA) | (Chinese) | (MEC) | (Unlock)
======================================================================
Name: M16A2 | Type 56 | AK-101 | L85A1
Power: **** | **** | **** | ***
Range: *** | *** | *** | *****
Accuracy: **** | *** | *** | ****
Overall: **** | *** | **** | ****
| (Unlock - SF)
======================================================================
Name: G36E
Power: ****
Range: *****
Accuracy: *****
Overall: *****
+ The Medic class is easily the most useful type on the front, simply because
they conserve your team's supply of reinforcements (revivals prevent deaths
from taking away your tickets). Count this with the ability to survive by
themselves by healing with a medkit, or helping other players through medical
aid. Even their base weapon is on equivalency with the Assault class, except
there is no grenade launcher. Despite no body armor, the medic is the perfect
squad class, and EXTREMELY effective on small maps aka urban-style. A squad of
medics can be nearly unstoppable. Medic bags work exactly like ammo bags, they
are dropped, can be held, and regenerate automatically.
- The best base weapon for the Medics is the AK-101. It has great power,
slightly less accuracy, but outduels the M-16's limited three-burst mode. The
Type 56 is slightly more primitive, but a great semi-auto firing rifle. Put
these aside, the highly acclaimed L85 is not as great as it sounds. It's
suppose to have precise accuracy, but seems to have actual inaccuracy problems
when hitting in close range. The scope is VERY efficient for sniping purposes,
but this is not an ideal weapon on the move. You may find it easier to take
down targets using the M16 or AK-101, while performing assisting duties.
> If you love playing medics, start to love using the G36E as your base weapon.
The new SF unlock is by far the best addition to normal BF2 play, unless you
love the Assault kit. The G36E is the full-stock version of the cut-down G36C.
Much like the elite Spec Ops weapon, the G36E features above average damage,
superb accuracy, and a nice well-rounded clip to finish things off. The G36E
continues the same trendline, and fits perfectly into the theme of a medic.
This gun is by far my second favorite. The AK-47 technically outperforms the
G36E in the damage department, but this gun just owns the L85A1 in every
outright.
Rest of Setup: Knife, Pistol, Frag Grenades, Health Bag (Regen)
~ General Strategies ~
======================
- Medic is probably the best offensive class in the game. When I say offensive,
I don't just mean limited to combat. The Medic can revive or heal your
attackers, which is where you will find the Medic's usefulness maximized. Get
to a front line, revive some squadmates, and your team will keep pushing on.
This is why they rock as offensive players. Not to mention they have assault-
like rifles, and possess the qualities of assaultsmen, except no body armor.
- Crouch behind a wall, and keep reviving your attackers who get sniped/gunned
down. Mass reviving will accumulate a ton of points. Dropping health bags will
heal friendly soldiers much quicker than the holding technique.
++++++++++++++
} ANTI-TANK ______________________________________________________________
--------------\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
| (USA) | (Chinese) | (MEC) | (Unlock)
======================================================================
Name: MP-5 | Type 85 SMG | PP-19 | DAO-12
Power: ** | ** | ** | ***
Range: *** | *** | *** | ***
Accuracy: *** | ** | *** | ***
Overall: *** | ** | *** | ****
| (Unlock - 1.2 Patch)
======================================================================
Name: P90
Power: ***
Range: ***
Accuracy: ***
Overall: ***
+ The Anti-Tank class is probably one of the best classes to play for a feeling
of indifference. You're practically a guy who runs around with a minor primary
weapon and a bazooka. However, the Anti-Tank class is designed for taking out
slow-moving jets/helicopters, tanks, APCs, and even light transport vehicles.
The key to using Anti-Tank is getting use to guiding their designated rocket
launcher to the destination, knowing when & where to fire the rocket, and also
how to be an effective combat troop. They get the bonuses of body armor as
well.
- The best base weapon is the PP-19. It has damage equivalency to that of the
MP5, but it has a clip almost twice as large. This can help when facing
multiple opponents, or if you need to spray-n-pray just a tad longer. The
DAO-12 is the best unlock if you want to make the biggest drastic difference,
weapon-wise. This semi-auto shotgun has twelve rounds that fire out with
moderate power, range, and a 12-round limit. It has a slow reload, but the DAO
can be used to charge area, unload 3-4 shells to down a target, then quickly
repeat for another poor soul. It really changes the SMGs into a sub-shotgun
sort.
> The P90 is yet another unlock from the 1.2 patch that seemingly is not a
great addition. While its huge 50 round magazine and rate of fire seem to be
great, the recoil is fairly bad for this neat Belgium creation. The gun is too
troublesome to walk around and engage targets with on an automatic basis.
Despite the semi-auto mode, the damage is not enough to suffice. Granted, the
gun has its ups and downs, but don't create a new account just to get this
weapon. You only get (2) reload magazines as well, which limits the 50+ bullets
you receive in your primary supply. I would just use the DAO-12 personally.
Rest of Setup: Knife, Pistol, Rocket Launcher (practically all same stats)
Body Armor
~ General Strategies ~
======================
- Anti-Tank can be used an infantry killer, armor damager, or ranged threat.
For starters, let's talk about taking down armor. Armored vehicles are weakest
in the rear, or on the top side. Try guiding missiles to these positions. In
order to guide the missile, fire a rocket and hold down the left mouse button.
Now, move the scope while holding down the trigger towards where you want the
rocket to go. The rockets lose propulsion after a certain range, so be quick in
navigating the fiend. Whenever a rocket heads towards an armored vehicle, that
armored vehicle receives a red warning light. It can be better to misfire a
rocket above or to the side of a target, and then curve-guide it into the
target during the last few seconds for maximal damage.
- For tanks/APCs/AAs, aim at the top turret or rear side. You can do enhanced
damage by hitting the tracts of the tank. There are also key spots on the front
right below the turret that are equivalent to "one-shot" kill spots. They're
hard to hit though.
- For helicopters, hitting the rear rotor, the open carriage section of the
chopper, or topside does the best damage. You'd be best firing these rockets
off the target, and guiding them in for the warning light at the last second.
Remember that helicopters have flares.
- For transport vehicles, the rocket will often go through the vehicle if you
fired straight at it from the ground. Try jumping and firing the rocket, or
firing from a height downward. Transport vehicles explode with one hit from a
rocket.
- Rockets can be used for long-range infantry sniping. Guide the rocket
straight on towards the target, and if it direct hits, you'll score an instant
kill. Unfortunately, splash damage is REDUCED on rockets that head towards
soldiers.
___________
/SF Weapons/
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
I'd like to thank Black_Duck_1 for providing a weapons chart that helped me
rate some of the new SF guns.
In the recent v1.12 patch, EA decided to combine some of the Special Forces
unlocks into normal BF2 play so that players would get a sense of how the new
weapons felt - to an extent. The problem is that only Special Forces owners can
spawn with these new weapons (they must play one official ranked round in a
Special Forces server to unlock the weapons). Normal Battlefield 2 players
cannot spawn with these weapons; they can only pick them off the ground of a
class kit.
- The neat thing about the new SF weapons is that they balance quite evenly, if
not worse than some of the base & unlockables in normal BF2. Players looking to
purchase Special Forces for the weapons alone should be cautioned. Only one
gadget was shifted over from SF, aka flashbangs. Flashbangs are only attainable
for the Assault kit of a SF player who has unlocked the F2000. These have
caused quite an uproar since they blind any player who looks at an exploding
FB, and also anyone inside a vehicle visibly looking at the area.
-- To unlock the 5 new SF weapons, play one official ranked round of Special
Forces play in a Special Forces server. When you logout, and re-login to normal
Battlefield 2, you will have all 5 weapons accessible. You should be able to
pick them much like a normal unlockable, by clicking the vertical arrow next to
each class in the selection menu during a game. Rumors have said that the new
SF unlocks replace the base country weapons (I have not confirmed this though).
--- If you do not have SF, but want to use the SF unlockables, there's an
exception. You can only use them by finding someone who has spawned with the
weapon, then picking up their kit when they die. Don't go out and start
teamkilling teammates for these weapons.
** NOTE: I do not condone this, however, there has been a new activity
passing around which let's normal BF2 players unlock the SF
unlockables. Find a truly "good" friend, and have them sign-in
under your account name and password. Have them play one round
under your name, then let them logout. Re-login to your name a few
minutes later, and you'll have access to the new weapons. You do
not have to pay for SF, and will have access to the weapons. Still,
EA will most likely find a way to fix this.
--> If you're looking for a description and ratings of the new SF weapons,
please check the above section. I've listed the new SF weapon under the default
weapon ratings.
-<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>-
============================
- 5) Vehicles (5.1) -
============================
The element that adds depth to Battlefield 2 is the ability as a soldier to hop
into any empty/operated vehicle, and proceed to kick ass in it like John
McClane on an increased amount of steroids. Simply put, vehicles give you
bullet protection at the benefit of increased firepower or navigational
abilities. This section will discuss the various types of vehicles for each
faction, their strategies, advantages, and so forth.
++++++++++++++
} TANK _________________________________________________
--------------\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
| (USA) | (Chinese) | (MEC) |
========================================================
Name: M1A2 | Type 98 | T-90 |
Power: ***** | ***** | ***** |
Range: ***** | ***** | ***** |
Speed: *** | *** | *** |
Overall: ***** | ***** | ***** |
+ The Tank is the best armored vehicle in the game. Any player with good or
horrible skill can look good in a tank, plain and simple. The tank provides
bullet protection armor, and is only exposed to mines, anti-tank rockets, or C4
charges. It possesses a mounted tank cannon, and a secondary machine gun
turret. Tanks rape as infantry killers, and do extreme damage to flying,
transport, or other armor vehicles. The weakness with tanks is that they have
moderate speed, are exposed to C4 charges, and are the PRIMARY target on the
battlefield. Everyone hates tanks because they're such a dangerous foe, and
hence you'll have to watch for air strikes, suiciders, and rushing Spec Ops.
- To be honest, I hardly notice any difference between the three tanks for each
faction. The M1A2 & T-90 do the most damage in terms of weaponry, although
practically all of them are equal. The M1A2 has the best design for combat, has
excellent mobility, and seems equal armor-wise. The Type 98 has a very boxy
design, while the T-90 has a fairly large firing cannon. Really, I'd say all 3
tanks are equal.
~ General Strategies ~
======================
- Spawn camping should be the first and foremost technique of any tank driver.
The biggest mistake a tank operator makes is trying to capture a point. Often,
you'll have a Spec Ops guy sneak up on you and plant some charges, or Anti-Tank
rockets flying from every direction. If you're smart, you should camp outside a
flag point, and rack as many kills as possible. Call in for reinforcements to
flood the area while you lay down suppressive fire. Use the machine gun for
infantry killing, and the cannon for groups.
- You have about 35 tank shells, so feel free to fire as much as you deserve.
The advantage of tank shells is that they have an extremely high firing
velocity. Make use of this advantage to take out helicopters, other armored
vehicles from a distance, and the splash damage to hurt infantry. The tank
cannon only has a limited vertical firing angle. When a chopper moves in, aim
slightly above the intended path, and fire. Let the tank shell arc downward
into the path of the chopper. Two tank shells takes out a transport helicopter.
There is no warning light flashed when tank shells approach air vehicles. Make
use of this advantage.
- When engaging other armored vehicles, press X to flash your smoke. While the
smoke gets displayed, fire shots with estimation through the smoke, or popping
in/out. Angle your shots since there is slight droppage on tank shells.
- The second spot on the tank is the gunner position. This top-hatch soldier
must fire a mounted MG at infantry troops. A great tip is to pop up, fire, and
crouch down. To do this, fire away, then hold down CTRL to duck. You'll only be
exposed to fire that comes directly from above, which is a rarity in this game.
You can stay ducked for as long as you want.
++++++++++++++
} APC _________________________________________________
--------------\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
| (USA) | (Chinese) | (MEC) |
========================================================
Name: LAV-25 | WZ551 | BTR-90 |
Power: *** | *** | **** |
Range: **** | **** | **** |
Speed: **** | *** | *** |
Overall: *** | *** | **** |
+ APCs are typically armored personnel carriers, designed to transport large
amounts of troops to destinations. The advantage of APCs in BF2 is that they do
transport troops, but also smoke booty while doing so. They have a fairly small
cannon on top that fires enhanced splash-damage shells. These are effective
against infantry, and slightly effective against armor. However, a secondary
missile launcher works great against armor. It has a slow reload time which
means it can only be used once every so many seconds. Ideally, APCs do not fare
well against other tanks, unless the tank is injured.
- All 3 APCs "seem" like the same, but there are noticeable differences
visually in terms of damage, armor, and speed. The USA version, aka the LAV-25,
is the smallest out of the 3 APCs. It has the best speed, but this comes at the
cost of thick armor. These are the best transport version, but should be
promptly bailed out of during hairy situations. The WZ551 is the heaviest when
it comes to thick armor, but it possesses no other special qualities. The
BTR-90 seems to do the most damage (hardly more than the LAV-25), and has
gigantic wheels which makes it great for tight turning.
~ General Strategies ~
======================
- APCs have additional slots for up to 4 people. There are weak, but slightly
efficient machine guns in each of these mounting slots. Change slots depending
on where the enemies are positioned in accordance with your APC.
- When engaging other armored vehicles, your key damaging weapon will be the
secondary rocket. It is crucial that this weapon hits the opposing target.
After it fires, move the turret towards the direction you want the missile to
go. You don't have to hold down the firing button; it does it automatically.
Smoke your position, move out, fire a rocket, ensure it hits, and retreat
backwards. Often, opposing APCs/Tanks will try to counter-fire, but you're a
tad more agile inside an APC.
- APCs are great for scaring off transport helicopters or attack choppers. Fire
your base cannon at them to do minor but significant damage. Fire the secondary
rocket if they hover or start to lower.
++++++++++++++
} AA _________________________________________________
--------------\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
| (USA) | (Chinese) | (MEC) |
========================================================
Name: Linebacker | Type 95 AA | Tunguska |
Power: *** | **** | *** |
Range: **** | **** | **** |
Speed: ** | ** | ** |
Overall: *** | **** | *** |
+ AAs, also known as anti-aircraft vehicles, are one of the few mobile threats
you have against helicopters and aircraft. AAs practically have anti-aircraft
specific cannons mounted on top with a faster firing rate. There is also a
secondary missile control on them that fires up to 8 missiles. Unfortunately,
AAs are not particularly effective against fast moving jets (this is where
stingers or mounted AAs come into effect). There armor is the weakest of all
armored vehicles, so they can easily be taken out as well.
- All 3 AAs are identical, except for the Type 95 of the Chinese. It has the
best dual machine gun cannon on top, and also the best interface with a very
high-tech digital layout. If anything, you'll find the Chinese AA vehicle to be
the best, but only because of the enhanced topside cannons.
~ General Strategies ~
======================
- Sadly enough, the only way to take down jets with an AA is most likely via
the secondary missiles. The key to taking out the jets are to wait for them to
toss their flares, then fire as many as you can at the target after it passes
you overhead. The missiles are not as strong as mounted AAs, so be prepared to
fire up to 3 & 4 to take down a stationary target.
- For downing helicopters, repeat the same procedure, but also use the mounted
cannons. Try to fire at the interior of the vehicle to cause for easy infantry
kills.
- On most maps, you'll want the height advantage in order to see most of the
flying vehicles overhead. Get on a high point, and preferably behind some
trees. Most bombers will try to take you out, so getting behind a
tree/rock/building is very beneficial. You can score efficiently high on some
of the Chinese maps where there are lots of airfields.
- The secondary slot on the AA is just a mounted soldier. There is no machine
gun to use. This is a good thing though. Get an engineer to hop on your top,
and have him repair your vehicle as helicopters and jets try to take you out.
++++++++++++++
} Transport _________________________________________________
--------------\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
| (USA) | (Chinese) | (MEC) |
========================================================
Name: HMMWV / DPV | NJ-2046 | Gaz 39371 / FAV |
Power: ** | ** | ** |
Range: *** | *** | *** |
Speed: **** | **** | **** |
Overall: ** | ** | ** |
+ Transport vehicles are practically the jeeps and dune buggies of the game.
They're technically not armored as bullets do damage to these vehicles. The
advantage of transport vehicles is to transport characters, plain and simple.
However, all 3 transport vehicles possess a mounted .50 CAL machine gun in the
secondary slot. The advantage of this MG is that it does damage to jets,
helicopters, transport helicopters, other vehicles, boats, and a heck of a lot
of damage to infantry. I love using Transports because there are plenty that
spawn on the map, you can road kill others easily, and you just have to worry
about bailing out when facing armor / lots of Anti-Tank soldiers.
- There is no difference between the HMMWV, NJ-2046, and Gaz 39371. Besides the
difference in design, they practically all go the same speed, with equal armor,
and just cosmetic differences. All 3 base vehicles hold up to 4 passengers
total. The DPV & FAV are alternate versions of transports. These are faster
versions, except they hold up to 3 people, and there is a third machine gun in
both on the passenger side (not a .50 CAL version). You'll find these of much
more use because they zip around the map quicker. Note that the DPV has a .50
CAL which CANNOT be rotated 360 degrees. This is the only reason I rarely use
that vehicle, since it sucks against taking down opposing threats from the
rear.
~ General Strategies ~
======================
- Use transports for road kills, moving quickly from point-to-point, and the
.50 CAL for taking down Blackhawks, helicopters, other vehicles, or lots of
infantry. Think of it as a mobile mounted machine gun.
- Transports can be used as C4 disguises. Plant 4 charges on it, rush into a
heavily-populated area, and boom.
- One AT rocket can take out a transport depending on the type. The 3 base
heavy models may take up to 2 rockets.
++++++++++++++
} Jets _________________________________________________________
--------------\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
| (USA) | (Chinese) | (MEC) |
================================================================
Name: F-18 / F-15 / JSF-35 | J-10 / SU-30 | MIG-29 / SU-34 |
Power: **** | **** | ***** |
Range: ***** | ***** | ***** |
Speed: **** | ***** | **** |
Overall: **** | ***** | ***** |
+ Jets are one of the most fun aspects of BF2, since you get the need for speed
and explosiveness combined into one. They also tend to ruin the classic base of
the game as jets are extremely hard to bring down. The recent patch has
increased the velocity of AA missiles, but even so, you'll find yourself
getting raped by good flying pilots. Most jets come with two different firing
modes; air-to-air & air-to-ground. You can switch between the two with your
mousewheel. Air-to-air missiles are designed for taking out aerial threats with
a signal lock-on. This includes helicopters, opposing jets, or any flying
vehicle. You must keep your crosshair as close as possible to the icon, and it
will lock on. Fire, and it should track the target unless they launch out
flares. The air-to-ground attack consists of bombing targets. On the ground, a
hollox box will show any enemy vehicles currently occupied, or soldiers
occupying AA stations. To bomb something, approach it straight on, and release
the bombs at a slower speed when the vertical down arrow & hollow box just
about hit the top of your control panel in your aircraft. It's tough to explain
and requires practice for a few hours.
- In terms of differences between aircraft for the 3 factions, there are
noticeable differences. You would think that the US possesses the best
aircraft, but they do not. USA has 3 different types of aircraft, your bomber,
your typical fighter, and a harrier-fighter jet. The harrier has the ability of
hovering or shifting to a straight-forward approach. The Chinese jets are the
fastest in the game, and have the best turning capabilities. The MEC jets have
the best explosive firepower. Their bombs for example are cluster bombs that
have more explosive radius. A Chinese or MEC jet can typically outduel an
American one depending on the pilot's skills.
~ General Strategies ~
======================
- Bomb whoring is the best approach. Take off, go to a heavily populated area
based off of UAV support, or where there are no friendlies, and drop an array
of bombs. You'll do significant damage. Fly back to your base, and slow down
over your airport for a refillment of ammunition. Repeat.
- One of the key advantages of jets is that there is only two ways to take them
down, a lucky AA shot, or an opposing jet. Use this advantage to drop from the
skies above to knock out large armored columns. The default machine gun on jets
is useful for doing ground or air damage. It does damage to tanks, APCs, and
AAs even though it may not show the "hit" crosshairs. Go to ground mode and
fire at a tank with your MG. Sometimes it will explode yielding a kill.
- A common mistake of new jet pilots is to use air-to-air missiles to kill
other jets. Instead, find a jet, and track behind it. Stay in air-to-ground
mode, but fire your machine gun at the plane. The opposing pilot will not
receive any warnings, although they may see the stray vectors of the missed
shots going past his plane. This is useful for taking down fairly experienced
pilots. Better yet, switch to air-to-air mode, and fire missiles after he has
taken some damage or recently used the flares.
- If you're using the heavy bomber planes of any faction, get a co-pilot. The
co-pilot can lay down air-to-ground laser-guided missiles that automatically
lock on or are manually guided. These do tremendous damage, but you need a good
main pilot to sort of head straight-in on a target.
- To shake an opposing jet, use your flares by pressing X, and try various
loopy/risky maneuvers. Go under bridges, twist sideways through cranes, go
through tunnels. You can also attempt to slow down, but this poses the risk of
stalling out or dive-crashing.
- The advantage of the US harrier is that you can hover. Few people make use of
this key trait. Try going to an enemy base, then hovering off in the distance.
Fire away whenever they spawn or attempt to board their own air vehicles.
- I highly recommend zooming your radar to the farthest setting (press N to do
so). Jet bombing is prone to lots of TKs, especially if you hit a friendly-
infested area. By zooming out, you'll be able to move fast while seeing your
friendlies move across the radar. Bomb areas that have few or no potential for
TKs. Make use of your commander's UAV to find the hot spots.
++++++++++++++
} Helicopter _________________________________________________
--------------\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
| (USA) | (Chinese) | (MEC) |
========================================================
Name: AH-IZ | Z-10 | MI-28 |
Power: *** | *** | ***** |
Range: **** | **** | **** |
Speed: **** | **** | **** |
Overall: **** | **** | ***** |
+ Helicopters are the only other vehicle that can attack via the air, and the
only other one that does it well. Also known as attack choppers, these babies
come equipped with ground-designed missiles as a base weapon. There are mounted
machine gun cannons on them as well, but you need a co-pilot to control the
mounted cannons. There is also a third TV-missile weapon which acts very much
like the laser-guided jet missile. A co-pilot must guide these too, by clicking
the mouse after it has fired to change the direction of intention. Helicopters
are rare on maps, but sometimes you'll find a third/fourth spawn point for
them. They're the ultimate duo weapon for engaging multiple threats.
- The American & Chinese versions of the helicopters are practically the same.
They have the 3 base weapons, and good navigational skills. The MEC version
simply rocks though. As opposed to having a simple machine gun turret as a
secondary weapon, it has a grenade launching turret that does splash damage.
The damage increase is so much that you can do damage to vehicles, kill
infantry in a matter of one hit from a shell, and become the ultimate threat on
the battlefield. MEC attack helicopters rule.
~ General Strategies ~
======================
- TV missiles are extremely underused on attack choppers. Get a co-gunner to
right click his mouse to enter the TV-mode. Now, the tip of the chopper must be
elevated to a certain extent where the missile can be fired straight ahead.
After the missile is fired, the co-gunner must click their mouse to change the
path of the missile. Essentially, it must be guided into ground targets, air
targets, or anything that seems threatening.
- Make use of the MEC's grenade launcher cannon by hovering over populated
areas. Let the co-gunner do the killing while you accumulate assist points.
- If you run into another enemy chopper, prepare for a dog fight. Try to
estimate on when to fire your ground rockets at the opposing chopper so they
hit it with significant damage. Ground missiles are slightly slower than normal
missiles, so you have to fire ahead of the path of the vehicle.
- Attack choppers have fairly good navigational skills. If you're getting
attacks from behind, tilt the chopper slightly backwards and you'll really
accelerate backwards. Sometimes over-aggressive threats will pass by you. Be
careful though as it is tougher to recover from flying backwards than it is
from flying forwards. Use the low hover or high hover to proceed through
underground tunnels or tight areas.
++++++++++++++
} Trans. Helo _________________________________________________
--------------\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
| (USA) | (Chinese) | (MEC) |
========================================================
Name: Blackhawk | Z-8 | MI-17 |
Power: **** | ** | ** |
Range: **** | *** | *** |
Speed: *** | *** | *** |
Overall: **** | ** | ** |
+ Transport helicopters are another common occurrance on most maps, but only
fairly useful if used in conjunction with teammates. The only weapons on
transport helicopters are either (2) mounted .50 cals in slots 2 & 3, or (2)
Vulcan cannons mounted in slots 2 & 3. Other than that, these fairly slow
moving air vehicles are exposed to other air attacks, AT missiles, mounted AA
stations, and just random fire from the ground. The advantage of transport
helos is that they can navigate from place to place without having to use
roads, and possess the ability to capture points like a bunnyhopper. The patch
recently fixed the problems with mass capping in transport helicopters.
- The USA's Blackhawk rapes, plain and simple. The two Vulcan cannons shoot at
one of the fastest firing rates in the game of any weapon, and have enhanced
phasor damage. The disadvantage is that it has an exposed hull from the sides
for half of the infantry load, where snipers can pick you off. The two other
choppers are almost identical. They're sort of like slow-moving jalopies. They
have mere .50 CALs that are difficult to aim while mobile in the air. The only
exposures are windows, but they lack the ultimate power of the Vulcan cannons
which even do damage to armored vehicles.
~ General Strategies ~
======================
- Load a squad into a Blackhawk, and hop from flag to flag across the city.
Have your passengers bail out, capture the flag, then receive a pick-up from
the Blackhawk. Repeat for the next point. The patch prevents players from mass
capping flags with ease, as you will only count as one capper when inside a
transport helo.
- Another strategy is to simply circle around a populated area, laying down
Vulcan fire to easily amass kills. You simply have to aim the cannon right
through a guy to rip him to shreds for the kill.
- Transport helos are useful for reaching impossible-to-reach places. Try
bailing out over an American carrier, then finding a position near the top to
snipe people on the deck. Use them to reach the top of 300 meter cylinders for
sniping locations.
-<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>-
============================
- 6) Features -
============================
Thankfully, DICE tossed in several features to enhance the gameplay elements of
BF2 beyond the typical realm of infantry combat. The ability to log into an
account, check out your stats, and see your ranking is amazing. DICE also
implemented an in-game demo recorder, the ability to use custom mods, a
modification editor, and a few unknown elements for a majority of BF2 gamers
out there. This section will review a majority of those features.
_______
/Awards/
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
One of the excellent features of BF2 is the ability to track your stats and
awards earned on one account. Awards are essentially compiled into 3 different
types - Medals, Badges, and Ribbons. Medals exhibit the most amount of
dedication, usually involving hundreds of hours of playing time, and a minimum
# of certain skill points earned. They're also quite rare. Badges are
specialist awards for playing a certain class for a certain amount of time, and
doing enough damage with that class in one round. These show how much time has
been put into playing a certain class, and usually signify your specialties.
Finally, Ribbons are "easier-to-get" versions of Medals, as they represent
items accomplished from total playing time, or accomplished during a round.
This section will briefly go over the requirements for each, along with a
rating for each. I'd like to give credit to:
http://www.totalbf2.com/
- for providing these requirement listings.
_+ MEDALS +_
^^^^^^^^^^^^
-> The Gold Star <-
###################
- 1st overall place ranking at end of round
"Having more gold stars generally tends to mean you're an excellent point
accumulator, and understand how to help your team. Engineers, Medics, or
Commanders most typically earn this medal. You'll find several gamers with
plenty of them, as all you need is a first place ranking to warrant the
earning of one. Very common."
-> The Silver Star <-
#####################
- 2nd overall place ranking at end of round
"Having a good relation between gold and silver stars means you're a
consistent top scorer regardless of the situation at hands. You may have
kicked butt during a round, but a Commander might have had a doubled score
that simply was higher than yours. Regardless, I place silver & gold stars
on an almost equal plateau. Very common."
-> The Bronze Star <-
#####################
- 3rd overall place ranking at end of round
"Bronze stars tend to show a good combination between combat and teamwork
skills. You're either a balanced player, you score a lot by accumulating a
lot of skills, or you simply got lucky by scoring third overall. Bronze
stars tend to be much more common than silver and gold stars. They're
nothing special, but you're earning a medal for accomplishing something
during a round. Very, very common."
-> The Purple Heart <-
######################
- 1:4 Kill to Death Ratio (must be minimum of 5:20 k:d)
"The worst medal you can earn, although it signifies you sacrificed your life
multiple times for your country. The Purple Heart is practically a
rememberance medal, and is earned in this game when you have a K:D ratio of
1:4 (min 5 kills, 20 deaths). Note that this ratio must stay the same till
the end of the round. If you see that you've earned it, don't start kicking
butt, otherwise the medal is revoked from your record. While this medal is
common, some players will purposely not earn it since it's a disgrace to
your stats."
-> The Meritorious Service Medal<-
##################################
- 250 Global Hours played, 1000 Global Heals, 1000 Global Repairs,
1000 Global Resupplies
"Quite a rare medal, although the near-easiest one you'll have a chance to
get. This medal represents dedication and merit to the task at hand, and
also suggests minor teamwork capabilities. The toughest portion with this
medal is getting 1000 repairs, considering repair points are yielded at such
a slow rate. If you do get this medal though, it looks fancy, and obviously
is unique compared to the base 3."
-> The Combat Action Medal <-
#############################
- 250 Global Hours played, 25000 Global Kills, 25 Kills (Kill Streak),
33 minutes played in one server
"This medal has a tougher requirement to earn, but it is also the most common
combat medal you will find on the higher players. The toughest requirement
is 25000 kills which frankly takes about 500 hours to earn, unless you Engy
whore vehicles, and what not. Heck, I've played for 200 hours and only have
about 8000 kills (a good ratio though, heh). The 25 kill streak is
manageable, and the other two requirements are almost laughable. If you do
get this medal, feel proud, and let that medal shine on your uniform."
-> The Air Combat Medal <-
##########################
- 200 Global Hours in an Airplane, 10000 Global Kills in an Airplane,
25 Kills during 1 round with Airplane
"This is a tough medal to get, since you have to spend 200 hours in a
jet. To be honest, that is friggin' insane. Given the fact that jets are
such a rarity in this game unless you're playing on low-player servers, and
you must accumulate 10000 kills, this one will take awhile to get. It might
be a medal to earn on 32-player servers, but you won't earn kills as quickly
compared to a 64-player server. Consider yourself an expert with this
medal."
-> The Armor Combat Medal <-
############################
- 250 Global Hours in an Armor-type, 10000 Global Kills in an Armor-type,
25 kills in 1 round with Armor-type
"This medal is easier to attain since it is extremely easy to utilize tanks
to their fullest potential. Kills are easy to earn, they can be taken from
place to place, and tanks are much more common. Don't be surprised if a few
top engineers already have this medal. Even the global hours requirement is
moderately low, given a large portion of players use tanks every round they
play."
-> The Helicopter Combat Medal <-
#################################
- 250 Global Hours in Helicopter, 25000 Global Kills in Helicopter,
30 kills in 1 round with Helicopter
"Another mid-range medal that can be earned, but with patience and
dedication. Obviously, flying a helo for 250 hours is the first requirement
to meet. The kills requirement is high, but a measure that can be earned
through good piloting skills. Still, probably one that few will earn, and
only the most elite pilots will have both air & helicopter combat medals."
-> The Good Conduct Medal <-
############################
- 250 Global Hours played, 27 kills in 1 round, No TKs in that round,
No team damage in that round, No team vehicle damage in that round
"This medal is probably one of the easiest to earn, granted you have a near
perfection round with no TKs. Ideal for the setting of Karkand to earn on,
or something of that sorty. Practically an upgraded version of the Good
Conduct Ribbon, but it does look fairly unique."
-> The Combat Infantry Medal <-
###############################
- 500 Global Hours played, Basic Knife/Pistol/Assault/
Anti-Tank/Sniper/Support/Engineer/Medic badges earned,
34 minutes played in one server
"This is one of the most respected combat medals you'll find on a player's
stat page. It practically represents that the player knows how to fight, and
is also quite a common medal. While the 500 hours requirement is extreme,
nearly anyone can earn basic badges, and you only need the basic class
badges (plus pistol & knife) to get this one. It also looks cool with a
skull face."
-> The Marksman Infantry Medal <-
#################################
- Combat Infantry Medal earned, Veteran version of above Badges,
34 minutes played in one server
"Practically an enhanced Combat Infantry medal, the Marksman Infantry medal
shows your dedication to BF2 is ungodly. You've spent nearly 40 hours
playing each class, and you earned the respective veteran badges on each. To
be honest, this one takes precious aim of well-balanced players. The
toughest part is just getting the base Combat Infantry medal, not to mention
awesome rounds as each class for those veteran badges."
-> The Sharpshooter Infantry Medal <-
#####################################
- Marksman Infantry Medal earned, Expert version of above Badges,
34 minutes played in one server
"This is one of the toughest medals to find. If anyone has it, then bow at
at their kness. Just earning the expert versions of each of those badges
takes lot of time dedication, lots of kill dedication, and good round
dedication. This means you're a god at BF2, plain and simple. You'll rarely
see this medal unless it is announced on the forums to have been spotted on
another account or something."
-> The Medal of Valor <-
########################
- 250 Global Hours played, 5000 Driver Ability Points,
1000 Global Defend Flag Points, 30000 Global Teamwork Score
"Unless you suck at combat, this is the ideal medic or support medal. It
means you absolutely rock when it comes to helping out your teammates. The
toughest element is getting 30000 teamwork points, since that is practically
twice as much teamwork compared to earning combat kills. Still, it's the
coolest medal out of the bunch."
-> The Distinguished Service Medal <-
#####################################
- 100 Global Hours as Commander/Squad Leader/Squad Member,
Team Score of 53 in 1 round
"This is practically a participation medal, although it requires one round of
extremely high scoring in terms of teamwork. Try being a medic on one of the
urban maps and simply reviving till you hit that range. Really, the toughest
element is accumulating 100 hours as a commander, since there can only be
one commander on each team. This is an excellent medal to earn in
conjunction with the War College Ribbon."
-> The Navy Cross <-
####################
- Requirements fairly unknown, 100 minimum wins as USA,
### hours played as USA
"The specific hour requirements are not known for this medal. However, it
shows that you have won a lot as the USA team, and tend to know how to excel
in the face of danger with the USA team. An obvious medal to be honored
with, although it does not necessarily mean you're a great player. It just
shows you have dedicated a lot of time with one team."
-> The Golden Scimitar <-
#########################
- Requirements fairly unknown, 100 minimum wins as MEC,
### hours played as MEC
"I actually consider this medal a great honor since it is tough to get a good
amount of winning rounds with the MEC team. Granted, it's possible, but the
USA team usually beats MEC on most maps, which means you'll have a bad
winning ratio as MEC. Still, another time dedication medal."
-> The People's Medallion <-
############################
- Requirements fairly unknown, 100 minimum wins as China,
### hours played as China
"A time dedication medal that I rate in-between. Few of the great maps
feature China, so a handful of players will rarely play them to their best
extent. However, it's possible to get a decent amount of wins with China
when facing the USA. Not a critical medal."
_+ BADGES +_
^^^^^^^^^^^^
-> Knife Combat <-
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
- Basic = 7 Knife Kills in 1 round
- Veteran = 7 Knife Kills in 1 round + 50 Global Knife Kills
- Expert = 18 Knife Kills in 1 round + 100 Global Knife Kills
"This is the toughest of the badges to obtain, in terms of weaponry. To
be quite frank, the knife badge is difficult since you have to kill people
with a close-range weapon by sprinting up and hitting them (generally from
behind, luckily from the front). If anything, try snatching this badge on
Karkand by hanging around corners in enemy-spawns. Stab, hide, repeat. The
basic and veteran versions aren't so bad, but the expert version is plain
silly to earn. EA was resetting account stats on players who were detected
in pistol/knife only servers just to earn these badges. For those of you who
knew eXp.elektrik, his stats were resetted for this reason."
-> Pistol Combat <-
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
- Basic = 5 Pistol Kills in 1 round
- Veteran = 7 Pistol Kills in 1 round + 50 Global Knife Kills
- Expert = 18 Pistol Kills in 1 round + 500 Global Knife Kills
"Probably the first and easiest badge you can obtain during BF2. Pistols
are highly accurate weapons, and can be fired from long-range to hit
targets. The only problem is accumulating enough overall kills for the
expert badge. On a side note, be careful not to earn the Veteran version of
this badge BEFORE the basic version. There has been a nasty glitch running
around that will not recognize the basic version of the pistol badge if you
instantly earned the veteran version first. This glitch can prevent you from
getting the First Sergeant rank (requires a basic pistol badge)."
-> Assault Combat <-
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
- Basic = 10 Kills in 1 round
- Veteran = 20 Kills in 1 round + 15 Global Hours as Assault
- Expert = 40 Kills in 1 round + 100 Global Hours as Assault
"Believe it or not, this badge is a mediocre one that is rarely attained.
Since Assault is sort of a bland class, few people will even aim for the
Expert version. Still, the classical grunt version shows your skills with
precise rifles, and your ability to rack kills under pressure. Another badge
designed for inner-street combat."
-> Anti-Tank Combat <-
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
- Basic = 10 Kills in 1 round
- Veteran = 20 Kills in 1 round + 15 Global Hours as Anti-Tank
- Expert = 40 Kills in 1 round + 100 Global Hours as Anti-Tank
"The best way to earn this badge is to find a heavily-attacked position, and
just camp it out hoping to shoot down transport helicopters. Otherwise,
rocket fire as many infantry as you can by aiming the rockets at them. This
badge is extremely difficult to earn on the expert version since Anti-Tank
tends to lack long-range concentration. Make use of your pistol if you must
to earn the kills."
-> Sniper Combat <-
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
- Basic = 5 Kills in 1 round
- Veteran = 15 Kills in 1 round + 15 Global Hours as Sniper
- Expert = 35 Kills in 1 round + 100 Global Hours as Sniper
"This badge is easy to earn, simply because the kill totals are lowered.
They did this since sniping is one of the worst classes in the game, and it
can be tough to accumulate high kill totals. The expert version takes a ton
of dedication to earn, although the veteran version is almost a basic type.
Not a highly respected badge though."
-> Spec-Ops Combat <-
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
- Basic = 5 Kills in 1 round
- Veteran = 20 Kills in 1 round + 15 Global Hours as Spec-Ops
- Expert = 40 Kills in 1 round + 100 Global Hours as Spec-Ops
"Since Spec-Ops tend to earn a ton of kills, this one will be sort of an
easy badge to obtain. Make use of C4 for multiple kills or armor takedowns.
Use the highly accurate carbines for partial sniping."
-> Support Combat <-
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
- Basic = 10 Kills in 1 round
- Veteran = 20 Kills in 1 round + 15 Global Hours as Support
- Expert = 40 Kills in 1 round + 100 Global Hours as Support
"Support is another underplayed class which is why few people find this badge
useful even on their stat page. The veteran one has low hour requirements
thankfully, but it can be tough accumulating kills with the highly
inaccurate MGs. Try sticking with squads and laying down fire on heavily-
concentrated positions. Remember, resupplying has no input on whether or not
you get this badge."
-> Engineer Combat <-
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
- Basic = 10 Kills in 1 round
- Veteran = 20 Kills in 1 round + 15 Global Hours as Engineer
- Expert = 40 Kills in 1 round + 100 Global Hours as Sniper
"I really have no problems earning kills as an Engineer, although others may
tend to struggle with the Shotguns. Don't forget to make extensive use of
your mines, and all should be expended before you die."
-> Medic Combat <-
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
- Basic = 10 Kills in 1 round
- Veteran = 20 Kills in 1 round + 15 Global Hours as Medic
- Expert = 40 Kills in 1 round + 100 Global Hours as Medic
"This badge isn't too tough to earn since you tend to live longer as a medic
with their self-healing abilities. Their rifles are almost equivalent to the
Assault's version, which means you have some power to the punch. This badge
can easily be earned on Karkand, Sharqi, or Mashtuur."
-> Ground Defense <-
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
- Basic = 5 Minutes in TOW/Mounted MG
- Veteran = 15 Global Hours in TOW/Mounted MG + 12 Kills in 1 round
- Expert = 60 Global Hours in TOW/Mounted MG + 24 Kills in 1 round
"The expert version of this badge is a rarity to see, given the fact that 24
TOW/Mounted MG kills in one round is tough to do. Few maps have a well-
positioned TOW with lots of activity. Fewer maps will allow you to go on
killing streaks on a mounted MG before you get picked off by a sniper.
However, it's a plausible method, and the toughest element is sitting in one
of these ground defenses for over 60 hours!"
-> Explosives Ordinance <-
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
- Basic = 13 kills with C4, Mines, or Claymores in 1 round
- Veteran = 23 kills with C4, Mines, or Claymores in 1 round, 50 Global Kills
- Expert = 37 kills with C4, Mines, or Claymores in 1 round, 300 Global Kills
"Explosives Ordinance badges are rare to obtain since you won't get many C4
or explosive-based kills during a round. The best manner to effectively
accumulate a lot of kills with explosives is to perform suicide tactics.
Toss C4 onto a transport vehicle, pull the detonator out, jump in the
vehicle, drive into a territory, and jump out. Hit the detonator button and
you'll blast numerous tangos around your position. This is the best manner
I've found to get the most kills in a round, but the expert version of this
badge is beyond sanity."
-> First Aid <-
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
- Basic = 5 Heal Points in 1 round
- Veteran = 10 Heal Points in 1 round, 15 Global Hours as Medic
- Expert = 25 Heal Points in 1 round, 100 Global Hours as Medic,
750 Global Healing Points
"Believe it or not, this a fairly easy badge to obtain. Just play Medic for
several hours, ensuring to heal downed teammates. Really, just managing 25
healing points in one round will be your toughest goal, but this badge is
certainly attainable for even mediocre-skilled players."
-> Engineer <-
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
- Basic = 5 Repair Points in 1 round
- Veteran = 10 Repair Points in 1 round, 15 Global Hours as Engineer
- Expert = 25 Repairs Point in 1 round, 100 Global Hours as Engineer,
250 Global Repair Points
"The engineer badge can be tough to earn for the average combatant, or
easy for the top players. Most high scorers play engy a majority of the
time, so accumulating the 100 hour requirement is merely nothing. Getting 25
repair points in one round is overwhelmingly high, but possible given you're
on a map where commander assets are constantly being destroyed. This would
be the only fitting situation where I could see them earning a ton of repair
points. Try playing Mashtuur City."
-> Resupply <-
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
- Basic = 5 Resupplies in 1 round
- Veteran = 10 Resupplies in 1 round, 15 Global Hours as Support
- Expert = 25 Resupplies in 1 round, 100 Global Hours as Support,
500 Global Resupply Points
"Since few people play Support extensively, few will also earn the Resupply
version of this badge. Earning the badge is easy in respect to accumulating
the points, but unfortunately, this underplayed class will rarely give a
player a chance to earn the badge."
-> Command <-
@@@@@@@@@@@@@
- Basic = 40 Commander Points in 1 round
- Veteran = 25 Minutes as Commander in 1 round, 1000 Global Commander Points
- Expert = 30 Minutes as Commander in 1 round, 10000 Global Commander Points
"This is a rare badge to earn, even though its requirements appear to be
fairly low. The key trait is earning a lot of commander points, which only
comes from playing the commander slot. This should be earned in conjunction
with the War College ribbon if possible."
-> Armor <-
@@@@@@@@@@@
- Basic = 10 Minutes in Armor-type
- Veteran = 12 Kills in Armor-type in 1 round, 100 Global Hours in Armor
- Expert = 24 Kills in Armor-type in 1 round, 400 Global Hours in Armor
"This one is a manageable badge, but hard to attain, especially given the
hour requirements necessary. Anyone can rarely spend 400 global hours
playing this game, especially 400 hours in a tank. The kill requirements are
acceptable though, and quite possible."
-> Transport <-
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
- Basic = 10 Minutes transporting players in 1 round
- Veteran = 5 Road Kills in 1 round, 50 Global Transport Hours,
200 Driver Points
- Expert = 10 Road Kills in 1 round, 150 Global Transport Hours,
2000 Driver Points
"The great thing about this badge is that tons of players use transport
vehicles to get from place to place. Some even sit in them and rack up
kills. The veteran version of this badge is easy to obtain, just ensure that
you get the road kill requirement in one round to recognize an awardment of
the badge. The expert version just has a few more parameters, including the
extra 100 hours of transport time."
-> Helicopter <-
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
- Basic = 15 Minutes in Helicopter
- Veteran = 12 Helicopter Kills in 1 round, 100 Global Hours in Helicopter
- Expert = 24 Helicopter Kills in 1 round, 400 Global Hours in Helicopter
"Another badge designed for pilots only. The Helicopter badge is probably
one you will only obtain in the basic version, since few people meet the
hours requirement. Aside from that, it's a nice, cozy badge to earn on a
violent, brutal day."
-> Aviator <-
@@@@@@@@@@@@@
- Basic = 10 Minutes in Airplane in 1 round
- Veteran = 12 Airplane Kills in 1 round, 100 Global Hours in Airplane
- Expert = 24 Airplane Kills in 1 round, 300 Global Hours in Airplane
"Another mirror image of the helicopter badge, the Aviator badge should
represent specialized skills in using jets. One positive element is that the
expert version has reduced requirements since jets are fairly rare to obtain
on maps."
-> Air Defense <-
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
- Basic = 5 Minutes in AA/Stinger
- Veteran = 30 Global Hours in AA/Stinger + 12 Kills in 1 round
- Expert = 100 Global Hours in AA/Stinger + 24 Kills in 1 round
"Equivalent to the ground defense badge, try your best to meet those insane
hour requirements by sitting in little turret spots. Not much to say about
these badges except that you enjoy wasting time in these trashy things."
_+ RIBBONS +_
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
-> The Mid-East Service Ribbon <-
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
- Fairly unknown, 24 Global Hours as MEC
"A simple dedication ribbon that is awarded for playing a concentrated amount
of time as one team. I'm pretty sure the hour requirements are that low, but
there may be a secondary condition. Feel honored to serve the MEC with this
one, although you probably lose more than half the time."
-> The Far East Service Ribbon <-
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
- Fairly unknown, 24 Global Hours as China
"Another dedication ribbon, although this one is tougher to earn. Since few
people play as China, or even play China maps, it reduces their overall
effectiveness. Nonetheless, with the addition of Wake Island, you're surely
to be earning this within a matter of time."
-> The Combat Action Ribbon <-
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
- 10 Global Kill Streak, 18 Kills in 1 round
"This represents that you have enough consistency to rip it up once in
awhile. I found it best to earn this badge in a tank, especially for the
killing streak."
-> The Meritorious Unit Ribbon <-
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
- 26 Minutes in a Squad, Team Score of 40+ in 1 round
"A tough, but typical medic-like badge, this one can be earned by simply
getting a high score and sticking with one squad for an entire round. Found
it easy to earn on the urban maps as Medic or Support. Do the same."
-> The Infantry Officer Ribbon <-
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
- 25 Minutes as Squad Leader in 1 round, 250 Global Teamwork Points
"One of the simpler badges to earn. Just create your own squad, play the game
for a bit to accumulate 250 teamwork points, and voila. You will have to do
the squad leader thing after the 250 teamwork points have been earned."
-> The Staff Officer Ribbon <-
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
- 28 Minutes as Commander in 1 round, Commander Score of 50 in 1 round
"This one is fairly tough since you have to command the ENTIRE game, and
do it for a practical victory to earn the 50 points. I believe both must be
accumulated in the same round. Try performing it on a 32-player server where
the rounds last longer."
-> The Distinguished Service Ribbon <-
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
- 10 Global Hours as Squad Member/Squad Leader/Commander,
Team Score of 15 in 1 round
"Another simple teamwork badge, just make sure that you meet the hour
requirements on each type of player. The toughest one will be playing
commander for ten hours, but a well-earned ribbon for a majority of the
players out there."
-> The War College Ribbon <-
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
- Commander Score of 45 in 1 round, 50 Global Hours as Commander,
Global W:L ratio must be greater than 3:1
"This is hands down the toughest ribbon to earn. The 3:1 win ratio
requirement is impossible for the average player. This badge must be earned
first in my opinion. Specifically play on non-autobalance servers, and pick
teams that appear to be dominating. Ensure that you win 3 out of every 4
games, otherwise you will never have a chance to earn this one."
-> The Valorous Unit Ribbon <-
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
- 25 Global Hours as Squad Member/Squad Leader, Team Score of 45 in 1 round
"Sort of like an enhanced version of the Distinguished Service Ribbon, the
Valorous Unit Ribbon shows your ability to contribute to teammates while
under fire. Also a downgraded version of the Medal of Honor, this one takes
some time to earn, but is worth the wait."
-> The Legion of Merit Ribbon <-
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
- 200 Global Hours Played, Kill Streak of 10+, Death Streak of 8+,
Team Score of 50 in 1 round
"While this ribbon is earned by the few, few remember the requirements to
earn it. Try getting 50 teamwork points after you've accumulated the 200
hour requriement, and you'll be appreciated for all of your time invested
with BF2."
-> The Crew Service Ribbon <-
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
- 1 Driver Ability Point in 1 round, 13 Driver Kill Assists in 1 round,
5 kills in same round
"This is an especially odd ribbon given the fact that you need 13 driver
kill assists. My best recommendation is to hop into a Blackhawk, and simply
repair it or help resupply it. You'll receive a high amount of kill assists.
The driver ability point will come when you are piloting a vehicle and
someone kills something, so do your best to earn one during the round. It's
an easy badge to obtain, but the requirements are so out-of-place that it
feels awkward to put the effort to earn it on purpose."
-> The Armored Service Ribbon <-
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
- 20 Minutes in Armor-type in 1 round, 19 Kills in Armor-type in 1 round
"I hate earning this badge simply because of the 20 minute requirement. You
literally have to sit in a tank regardless of the conditions at hand to
ensure you reach the time requirement, not to mention actually kicking butt
during the round. Try utilizing this one on FuShe, or Karkand."
-> The Aerial Service Ribbon <-
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
- 15 Minutes in Airplane in 1 round, 19 Kills in Airplane in 1 round
"Again, these badges should be earned on 32-player servers, or 32-player
servers with 64-player size maps. You want to expend as much time as
possible in the round to meet the kill and time requirements."
-> The Helicopter Service Ribbon <-
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
- 15 Minutes in Helicopter in 1 round, 19 Kills in Helicopter in 1 round
"Do everything listed above, and you'll be proud to have earned what you
did during the battles that were fought. Use the filter to make it easier to
find a server that fits the type needed."
-> The Air-Defense Ribbon <-
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
- 3 Minutes in Air-Defense in 1 round, 11 Kills in Air-Defense in 1 round
"Another simple, but strenuous badge. The toughest portion is actually
sitting in one of these things just to earn the amount of kills needed. It'd
probably work best if you did it on an oversized map where there are lots of
air vehicles to shoot down. Dragon Valley comes to mind."
-> The Ground Defense Ribbon <-
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
- 3 Minutes in TOW/Mounted MG, 5 Kills in TOW/Mounted MG in 1 round
"a simpler version of the Air Defense badge, you'd probably do some good
if you sat in one of those RPK-74 MGs, and just gunned down some infantry.
A lot simpler than sitting in a TOW where you can be targetted by jet-
bombing units."
-> The Airborne Ribbon <-
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
- 10 seconds in a Parachute position
"The simplest of the badges, and almost laughable. Fly up really high in a
jet or helicopter, eject, and tap 9 to shoot out your parachute. Now, let
yourself float for 10 seconds and you'll be rewarded with the badge. I don't
know whether to cry or cut the cord out of simplicity."
-> The Good Conduct Ribbon <-
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
- 50 Global Hours played, 14 Kills in 1 round, No TKs/Team Damage in 1 round
"A simplified version of the Good Conduct Medal, just stick to your guns
and watch who you fire. I'd suggest using a tank for the kill amount in 1
round, then simply never firing against to hurt another teammate. Not that
tough to earn, but a nice eagle design on the ribbon."
______
/Ranks/
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
One of the very neat aspects of BF2 is the ability to earn and keep a rank
linked to your account. As you know, in most militaries, rank means everything.
It designates your paying salary, the order of command, how much respect is
received, and so forth. This section will describe the order of rankings, with
the point requirements for each.
- Every rank past Lance Corporal earns the ability to unlock a new specialty
weapon. These weapon ratings can be viewed under the Weapon/Classes section.
_________________
= PRIVATE (PVT) =
-----------------
Requirements: 0 pts
Description: The Private is essentially the lowly degraded grunt on the
battlefield. Most of them are typically newbs, or new accounts
that have just started playing. Their ranking symbol is
minimal, they do not get respect, and I'm not even sure they
can be trusted with smoke grenades.
_____________________________
= PRIVATE FIRST CLASS (PFC) =
-----------------------------
Requirements: 150 pts
Description: The Private First Class is the typical beginner you will see
during BF2. It usually means they've owned the game for a few
hours and are starting to get use to the basics. Be forewarned
though as their navigational skills are minimal, and their
valor has yet to be tested.
_________________________
= LANCE CORPORAL (LCpl) = (1st Unlock)
-------------------------
Requirements: 500 pts
Description: The Lance Corporal is essentially the typical grunt, who has
had experience on a few or most of the maps. They may start
getting use to where to run, and where to hide when under fire,
but their skills are nowhere near perfection to navigate
jets/helicopters. Still, I'd trust one with a gun by my side,
and chances are that they're using an enhanced gun from their
first unlock.
__________________
= CORPORAL (Cpl) = (2nd Unlock)
------------------
Requirements: 800 pts
Description: Not much of a difference between Lance and default Corporal,
given the fact that it's a measly 300 points. This is most
typically a player who has less than 50 hours of play, but is
beginning to understand the elements of teamwork. Joining
squads and uniting will lead them to victory.
__________________
= SERGEANT (Sgt) = (3rd Unlock)
------------------
Requirements: 2500 pts
Description: In most games, the Sergeant is the tough gritty guy who has
a clever saying for everything. In BF2, the Sergeant is sort of
like an under-experienced Private. Nonetheless, Sergeants
understand teamwork quite well, even though their actual combat
skills are untested.
_________________________
= STAFF SERGEANT (SSgt) = (4th Unlock)
-------------------------
Requirements: 5000 pts
Description: This is the rank where I truly start to respect players. It
shows that they have dedicated time to earning their rank, and
may even be skilled enough to go on killing sprees in tanks, or
turn out to be excellent pilots. If anything, this is the
second most common rank.
____________________________
= GUNNERY SERGEANT (GySgt) = (5th Unlock)
----------------------------
Requirements: 8000 pts
Description: By far the most common rank in the game, Gunnery Sergeants
are your typical veterans of the game. They may not be the best
skilled, but they usually do turn out high rounds once in
awhile. They understand how to pilot helicopters, transport
vehicles, tanks, and ground combat. Their jet skills may be
horrible, but don't let them down just yet. Gunnery Sergeants
make a majority of your army stand in rankage.
__________________________
= MASTER SERGEANT (MSgt) = (6th Unlock)
--------------------------
Requirements: 20000 pts
Description: My current rank, and the highest most players will earn in
this game without resorting to point specialized combat, the
Master Sergeant is as high as you can go without doing fancy
ceremonial shows for the public. It's the grunt who does it
all, and does it all well. These guys have the most crud
stuffed in their ranking icon as well.
___________________________
= FIRST SERGEANT (1stSgt) =
---------------------------
Requirements: 20000 pts,
Basic Knife/Pistol/Assault/Anti-Tank/Sniper/Support/Engy/Medic
Description: The First Sergeant is the rank that most Master Sergeants try
to aim for since it gives you a fancy diamond with a new black
BG icon. It's practically the same rank as the Master Sergeant,
except higher due to the ability to perform ceremonial
distributions. I weight Masters' & Firsts' on the same level
since the only difference is all of the basic badges. And to be
honest, if you have the Pistol Badge glitch (earned Veteran
before Basic), you can never earn First Sergeant (much like
myself).
____________________________________
= MASTER GUNNERY SERGEANT (MgySgt) =
------------------------------------
Requirements: 50000 pts
Description: The Master Gunnery Sergeant is essentially a rare rank that
few players have. It has a circle in the center of a black BG,
but is also like the Master Sergeant as it is a Sergeant Major
who has not gotten all of the veteran badges. Still, this rank
is highly respected due to its rarity, and I'd serve under one
of these vets any day. It takes around 500 hours though to
reach this rank, unless you tank whore extensively.
___________________________
= SERGEANT MAJOR (SgtMaj) =
---------------------------
Requirements: 50000 pts,
Basic Knife/Pistol/Assault/Anti-Tank/Sniper/Support/Engy/Medic
Basic Armor/Transport/Helicopter/Aviator/Ground/Air Defense
Description: The Sergeant Major was the highest player you would have seen
in the game until the recent patch. To face the truth, Sgt.
Majors are fairly common now. They're the highest non-officer
class you can attain, so think of them as the grunts who did it
all.
__________________________
= 2ND LIEUTENANT (2ndLt) =
--------------------------
Requirements: 60000 pts
Description: The recent patch has unlocked new ranks, and 2nd Lt. is not
such a bad class after all. One solid gold bar represents this
neat basic "officer" class, and you will feel unique on the
battlefield.
__________________________
= 1ST LIEUTENANT (1stLt) =
--------------------------
Requirements: 75000 pts
Description: Again, practically a slight upgrade with the advantage of more
unlocks, the 1st Lt. is represented with a solid silver bar.
You would think the appearance of the icon represents less
ranking, but it does not.
__________________
= CAPTAIN (Capt) =
------------------
Requirements: 90000 pts
Description: The Captain is a representation of the high echelon of BF2
players. Anyone above this rank generally flies aircraft,
commands tanks, or is a medic. The Captain is represented by
(2) solid silver bars.
_______________
= MAJOR (Maj) =
---------------
Requirements: 115000 pts
Description: The Major is a high ranking of superiority, and represented by
a golden hex star.
_______________________________
= LIEUTENANT COLONEL (Lt Col) =
-------------------------------
Requirements: 125000 pts
Description: The Lt. Colonel is the second highest ranking for officers, and
represented by a silver hex star.
_________________
= COLONEL (Col) =
-----------------
Requirements: 150000 pts
Description: The "Chuck Norris" of BF2, the Colonel is the elite ranking in
officer's terms. The only fitting icon would be that of a
silver eagle - hoorah.
________________________________
= BRIGADIER GENERAL (Brig Gen) =
--------------------------------
Requirements: 180000 pts
Expert Armor/Transport/Helicopter/Aviator/Air Defense/Ground
Defense
Description: The Brigadier General class is fairly rare in that not only
does it have a high points requirement, but it also requires
some fairly odd medal rankings just to attain. Most people
generally will skip over this rank simply by accident for not
having attained those certain medals. A silver star represents
the Brigadier General.
___________________________
= MAJOR GENERAL (Maj Gen) =
---------------------------
Requirements: 180000 pts
Expert Knife/Pistol/Assault/Anti-Tank/Support/Sniper/Spec
Ops/Engineer/Medic Combat
Description: The Major General class has the same points requirement as the
Brigadier General, except you have to earn a broader range of
medals just to get the valiant (2) silver stars. IMO, this one
is easier to ascertain if you have played all classes equally,
rather than the Brigadier General.
_______________________________
= LIEUTENANT GENERAL (Lt Gen) =
-------------------------------
Requirements: 200000 pts
Description: This is the most common general ranking for most players as it
is based solely off of points. No medals or awards are
required. Three silver stars show the importance of this class.
_________________
= GENERAL (Gen) =
-----------------
Requirements: 200000 pts
Description: The General is awarded to the highest rank of the month, much
like how EA did the "Sgt. Major of the Corps" things
previously. Four silver stars show the utmost importance that
the highest ranking player has on BF2. Seeing this guy is like
seeing Neil Diamond at an Indian restaurant.
______
/Stats/
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Since playing Battlefield 2 heavily relies on accounts, one of the most revered
features among stat-hungry player is the ability of the in-game engine to track
precise stats. Your most used kits, accuracy with each weapon, team score
stats, combat stats, and awards are all kept track of by logging into your
account. You can also view stats via stat tracker websites on the internet.
Here are a few sites you should check if interested in checking out stats via
an internet browser, or if you're looking for BF2 stat signature banners that
exhibit your statistics:
http://www.bf2s.com/
http://www.bf2tracker.com/
_________________
/Recording Videos/
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Inside the Battlefield 2 engine is a built-in demo recorder. A demo is
practically an in-game recording of all actions that occur during a game, which
can then be replayed via the in-game engine. It is not necessarily an in-game
video though, as a demo just resimulates every enemy, action, and movement that
occurred during the game. If you want to create videos from the BF2 engine, you
must record a demo, then use a program like FRAPs or Battle Recorder to
actually record a video of you operating the camera during the replay of a
DEMO.
- FRAPs is the easiest method in recording videos, as you don't even have to
record demos. More information about FRAPs can be found here:
http://www.fraps.com/
- Battle Recorder is the in-game name for the demo recorder. The following site
shows the designated list of commands needed to operate the demo recorder.
There are in-game commands that also record the sound inputs and video inputs
from the demos as well.
http://www.planetbattlefield.com/bf2/game/bfrecorder/
- When replaying demos, you can operate a universal 3D camera from any position
on the map. It can track players, be used in free-roaming mode or so forth.
Using the Battle Recorder commands is difficult as you'd have to retype the
commands to halt the recording of a video, as opposed to using FRAPs where you
simply have to tap a keyboard key. I highly suggest using FRAPs in conjunction
with the demo replay mode. On a side note, Battle Recorder compatible servers
will automatically log and give you the ability to download a demo of the match
from the server. Unfortunately, many Battle Recorder compatible servers have
been having trouble with their separate log servers that are suppose to host
these demo files. Nearly 90% of the servers out there will give you errors when
you try to download the respective demo file. Check out the Community tab for
more info on how to download demo files from a Battle Recorder server. It's in
the BF2 main menu system.
____________
/Making Mods/
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
DICE has released an editing tool called the BF2 Mod Editor, which allows you
to custom create your own mods. The tool requires technically no programming
experience, although you will most likely be lost without some knowledge of
entities, object placement, and scripting. DICE has PDF-offered tutorials if
you're interested. Check out the following site for more information:
http://www.totalbf2.com/
- The actual editor sort of opens up with several windows containing object
listings, the environment properties, and so forth. There are some key
essentials to understand about the actual mod editor, as opposed to map
editors, and model editors. There are essentially three essentials when making
your own custom mod - graphipcs, maps, & programming. The programming portion
is done via the mod editor. You can place vehicles, create vehicles and import
your own custom models/textures, put buildings here and here, or edit the
terrain. Your physical maps are usually done via an editor like Worldcraft, or
one compatible with BF2. Models and textures are done via a program like
AutoCAD, but you would pick a sub-program fitting to making game-type graphics
(3D Studio). Nonetheless, the mod editor has more options than just a typical
game engine editor, as it does allow you to place entities on maps, such as
spawn points.
______________
/Single-Player/
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
The single player section of BF2 on the computer is non-existant. While there
is a single-player mode, it only consists of 16 total players on a map, they're
all computerized bots, and there is no campaign mode. Unlike BF2: Modern Combat
for the consoles (which has a brief campaign mode), there is no mission to the
maps. You simply pick a map, pick the difficulty, and play against bots for no
apparent reason. There is nothing to talk about here, although you can increase
the amount of bots up to 64 total at once via some custom mods. Check out:
http://www.totalbf2.com/
- for a list of custom mods. You need a higher-end computer to play with more
bots on a map at once. The 64-player custom mod has been known to cause
slowdown issues since the amount of bots is so much for your CPU to handle at
once including your own game movements. Still, multiplayer is the main aspect
of BF2, not single-player, which is why many people don't bother with it.
-<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>-
============================
- 7) Modifications (7.1) -
============================
As with any release of a highly-publicized game comes modifications.
Modifications are custom versions of the base engine that incorporate new
graphics, new features, or new gameplay elements not in the original. They act
like expansion packs, but are generally free, made available to the public, and
game developers encourage mods as they publicize their game to a wider
audience. This section will cover a large listing of mods available for BF2,
along with my ratings/description of each.
**NOTE: This section will be small right now as there are not any solidly
good MODs for BF2. If they do exist, I probably have not played
them. I'm looking for quality mods, generally like Day of Defeat, or
ones that incorporate custom themes.
-=- Battlefield: Apocalypse -=-
===============================
Rating: n/a
Homepage: http://www.bfapocalypse.com/
Description: This mod looks to be about the future, after a post-apocalyptic
nuclear war that has left humanity in shambles. Some primitive
weapons are still in use, while others strive to fight for basic
resources to live. Looks to be a popular, high-quality mod of a
large community.
-=- Desert Combat -=-
=====================
Rating: n/a
Homepage: http://dc.totalbf2.com/
Description: The most popular mod for BF1942, Desert Combat is suppose to
take BF2 back a few years to the Desert Gulf era. The creators
will most likely port over the textures, graphics, and models to
re-create the engine using the BF2 engine. Probably won't be a
drastic difference though.
-=- First Strike -=-
====================
Rating: n/a
Homepage: http://www.totalbf2.com/firststrike/index.php
Description: A Star Wars mod. The team seems to have the vehicles and models
down, but they're still designing more concepts for map designs
and what not. Another promising mod in a few months.
-=- Flashpoint Balkans -=-
==========================
Rating: n/a
Homepage: http://www.fpbmod.com/
Description: Bosnian-based conflict. Suppose to include most of the forces
from the conflict, including a partially-changed engine to
represent more realism. Looks very interesting, but I'm waiting
for a full beta release.
-=- Forgotten Hope 2 -=-
========================
Rating: n/a
Homepage: http://forgottenhope.bf1942files.com/
Description: In my opinion, this is the mod that has the most promise and
certainly a huge potential for design capabilities. The game is
based around recreating BF1942, yet features submarines, new
aircraft, and practically anything WWIIish - cool.
-=- Frontlines -=-
==================
Rating: n/a
Homepage: http://www.flmod.com/
Description: This is suppose to be a realistic WWII mod, and it's definitely
shaping up to be one. Has plenty of original models too which
will make it interesting to those who love Medal of Honor, Day
of Defeat, and series of that sort.
-=- Operation Peacekeeper 2 -=-
===============================
Rating: ****
Homepage: http://www.opkmod.de/
Description: A German community mod that has a BETA released. This is the
first QUALITY total conversion mod. It basically features a
storyline pitting Germans against Serbians and occasional UN
threats here and there. Most of the weaponry & vehicles are
based off of modern versions, so no worry about futuristic
designs. The game is fairly fun to play, but some balancing
issues have to be worked out. Has a small amount of maps to play
from, but most are decent enough to have fun with. What makes
this mod shine is the new models, ALL NEW weapons, ALL NEW
vehicles, and practically no rehash of original BF2.
-=- Point of Existence 2 -=-
============================
Rating: *****
Homepage: http://www.pointofexistence.com/
Description: This is one of the few but complete modifications out there.
This mod pits the Germans versus Ukranians with ALL new weapons,
ALL new vehicles, ALL new maps, and has a generally more grassy
feel to it than BF2. The game itself is already a v1.0 release,
meaning it is complete and has been beta tested. There are some
neat easter eggs in it such as a katana, and nice tidbits here
and there. The game feels a lot like BF2, except totally
converted graphics wise and a few gameplay tweaks. This is by
far the best BF2 mod as of right now, and one of the earliest
completed mods to have been released.
-=- Project Reality -=-
=======================
Rating: ****
Homepage: http://www.realitymod.com/
Description: Project Reality Mini-Mod or PRMM, is one of the best mods
available in the community. To verify things, this is a mini-
mod, not a total conversion mod. However, its purpose is served
well. The game takes original BF2, and modifies it into
realistic circumstances. This basically means that you have no
crosshairs (unless zoomed in), no external camera views, no
life/ammo indicator, and a long respawn time (30 seconds
generally). You're most likely thinking it sounds boring. Well,
it's not, and it's realistic. This is a love-or-hate mod for
certain players, but I recommend everyone tries it. It also
features two unique game modes, Extraction & Single Objective.
Single OBJ has the goal to destroy opposing commander buildings,
while Extraction involves moving a SUV to the other side of a
city without being killed multiple times. This mod is fun since
it employs tactics of teamwork & strategy over typical arcade
gameplay styles.
> PRMM has recently updated their content. Their variety of
weapons and factions has greatly improved, but at the cost of
some gameplay elements. Snipers no longer exist as "dominant"
snipers, but rather were replaced by Rifleman and items of
that sort. Most of the maps are much larger now, but one of
them has a memory leak and causes lag for all players on it.
Extraction mode now has a president kit, which means this
person must be killed. There is also a SUV Extraction mode and
so forth. The game in terms of depth has greatly improved,
although some flaws still exist. Definitely a great mod if you
like realism.
-=- Red Alert: A Path Beyond -=-
================================
Rating: n/a
Homepage: http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~renalert/
Description: If anything, this mod looks to be the most innovative, as it's
going to incorporate some RTS characteristics with a first-
person shooter. I'm looking forward to this one as they have a
great idea set into place, although it may take some time to
execute.
-=- Rise of Kobol -=-
=====================
Rating: n/a
Homepage: http://www.bsgmod.com/
Description: Another high-promising mod, Rise of Kobol is based around the
Battlestar Galatica game if you've heard of it. This mod
features a ton of interactive spaceships, space stations, and
I'm sure plenty of futuristic combat.
-=- Rising Conflicts -=-
========================
Rating: ***
Homepage: http://www.risingconflicts.com/
Description: This mod is actually very cool, adds decent amount of jets,
decent amounts of weapons, and so forth. Since its setting is in
the future by about 20 years, it's pretty much World War III
that's going on. However, the mod itself it still in a pre-beta
form, suffering from heavy imbalancing issues that must be
fixed. The game does have a sense of uniqueness about it, has
grappling hooks, and a few decently good maps. It just needs a
few more patches to tune it up until an official release.
-=- Shattered Faith -=-
=======================
Rating: n/a
Homepage: http://sf.prolificgames.com/
Description: Seems to be an interesting mod based around the survival of the
planet through an endeavor of various proportions. Another mod
with huge potential given some time.
-=- Silent Heroes -=-
=====================
Rating: n/a
Homepage: http://www.silentheroes.se/
Description: A foreign-made mode that looks to have a huge upcoming based on
the quality of the storyline and design process. Just may take
some time to compile.
-=- Surreal II -=-
==================
Rating: n/a
Homepage: http://surreal.totalbf2.com/
Description: One of the few mods that looks fun to play. The game has an odd
storyline, and has a lot of recreations using funky colors, and
TV-show antics. Looks to be promising given a complete release.
-=- Terranova -=-
=================
Rating: n/a
Homepage: http://www.tnmod.com/
Description: This is a Sci-Fi like mod that appears to be similar to Rise
of Kobol, although on a lesser production scale. Might take
awhile before a release as they're looking for members, although
it already has some base models and graphics to work with.
-=- US Intervention -=-
=======================
Rating: ****
Homepage: http://usi.jarhedz.com/
Description: The second popular BETA release mod that is a partial total
conversion. USI is based off of the 91' Gulf Conflict between
the Iraqis & US forces. This mod features similar skins to that
of original BF2, and many of the same weapons. However, the
choice of vehicles is absolutely immense. This mod is for
vehicle lovers. The developers place emphasis on using nearly 12
tanks on certain maps, and the inclusion of the A-10 Warthog.
The game itself is great for additions from a vehicle
standpoint, and has plenty of new sounds to keep things fresh.
Mod also features several maps for diversity.
-<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>-
============================
- 8) Common Questions -
============================
)) Gameplay ((
----------------------------
<< What is BF2: Armored Fury? >>
- It's a booster pack for Battlefield 2. All you need is original BF2, and the
booster pack acts like a mini-expansion pack. A few new vehicles including more
jets & armor was added. Armored Fury supposedly includes some of the best BF2
maps to date, which was the big hype around it. Unfortunately, the mod was
released around the gloom of the 1.3 patch problems, which has caused people to
question their decision to purchase Armored Fury. Would highly recommend this
booster pack to anyone who loved BF2.
<< What is BF2: Euro Force? >>
- It's a booster pack for Battlefield 2. All you need is original BF2, and the
booster pack acts like a mini-expansion pack. A few new choppers, vehicles, and
weapons were added in this booster pack. It also has 3 new maps. Was mainly
designed for the international community, and has a fair pickup of player
(although not a huge success). Costs roughly $10.
<< How do I unlock the new Special Forces weapons for normal BF2? >>
- Play one official ranked round under EA's new Special Forces expansion pack.
All five weapons should automatically be unlocked for normal BF2 play. If you
do not have SF, do not fear. There is an "alternate" way which you can check
out in Chapter 4.
<< What would you rate Battlefield 2? >>
- To be frank and simplistic, a [10/10]. This is the best game I have played
since Half-Life, and that is one of my top 10 favorite games of all-time.
Battlefield 2 combines elements of first-person shooters, strategy games, and
vehicular combat into one. It attempts to recreate a realistic environment with
action-paced fighting, lots of players in one server at a time, and excellent
graphics. Despite the fact that the game is multiplayer-only (well,
practically), it was darn well worth the purchase in my opinion. The best
feature is how it keeps track of stats, your awards, and specifically your
rank. You almost feel as if you're serving a tour of duty each time you log on
to kick some ass. The single-player was horrible in my opinion, non-existant.
This can be considered a slight downfall since all you do is play bots on each
map with no intended purpose. Nonetheless, the community is huge for this game,
there are ranked, unofficial, and custom servers for mods. It just does not get
any better than this.
<< How does the gameplay actually play out? >>
- Everyone must select a spawn point on the map. Spawn points are determined by
who holds a control point. Everyone spawns out as a default infantry soldier,
but you can interact with the environment to enhance your status. If you see an
empty tank, hop in, and you'll now be control of a tank. Air vehicles can be
used to bomb targets, while your opponents can counter by manning mounted
Stingers, and trying to shoot you down. Maps are designed for intensive
conflicts, while allowing each class to act as a balancing factor on the map.
Different classes serve different purposes. Only three classes have
capabilities to destroy armored vehicles, but they also have weaker primary
guns in the same process. Battlefield 2 combines the essentials that only a few
titles have managed to put together. Joint Ops was the classic example of a
title that almost breached the line, but couldn't meet the presentation
standards that BF2 offers.
<< Are there any other versions of Battlefield 2? >>
- Yes, Battlefield 2 was recently released for the consoles as BF2: Modern
Combat. This console version is essentially better than the PC version as it
includes new features, new maps, and a few new items. It has taken some
elements from the BF2: Special Forces expansion pack, and molded them into one
title. BF2 on the PC features plenty of depth, but a BF2: Special Forces
expansion pack is planned to be released at the end of November, 2005. This
plans to add more infantry-emphasis combat, grappling hooks, night maps, and so
forth. Think of it like a Splinter Cell type of game, but with more action and
arcadish movement. There will be a few custom mods coming out in the upcoming
months that completely alter the original BF2 game. They will make the gameplay
experience feel entirely new. There is also Battlefield 1942, which is the
prequel to this game. It's only a few years old, and still has a decent
community playing.
<< What's the difference between the CD & DVD version? >>
- The normal CD version of BF2 spans 3 CDs, while the DVD version is all
compiled onto one. The 3 CD one has two extra installation CDs, and you need to
always put the first CD in. With the DVD version, everything is compacted into
one, and it looks really nifty.
<< How good are you at this game? >>
- I'd say I'm better than 80% of the players out there. While ranking is mainly
determined by how much time you invest, I just simply understand how to play
nearly every class to maximum potential. The whole idea of BF2 is not to be
focused with one class, but to make use of kits on the ground, and constantly
change your identity to help your team during a given situation.
<< What's your account name? >>
- My account name is antseezee. I usually have a prefix on it though. Feel free
to say something if we fight each other on the battlefield.
<< Did you get Special Forces? >>
- Nope. I was tempted to, but the $30 price tag just didn't appeal to me. I
will not write a FAQ for Special Forces either. To be honest, I was hoping
there'd be more than just 5 new weapons. From what I've seen, Special Forces is
somewhat appealling, but I prefer to have armor and outside variables in my
gameplay. Restricting it to mainly civilian vehicles and infantry combat loses
some of that excitement.
)) Troubleshooting ((
---------------------
<< I'm getting a horrible FPS, or stuttering frames when playing online? >>
- I've narrowed it down to two physical hardware problems. The easiest
(although not 100% fix) method to solving this is to get 2 GB of RAM.
Battlefield 2 is a resource hog. The program eats up 850MB of RAM alone just to
work during operation. That's a heck of a lot of RAM for a mere game. Computers
with 1GB of RAM or less will suffer greatly as a Pagefile memory file must be
created to supply extra RAM. This eats space on your HD, and also causes
slowdown as the extra RAM is being loaded off of your hard-drive, putting more
stress when loading game files, textures, and new animations. People have
managed to hardly notice any slowdown when upgrading to 2 GBs. The only
solution is to get a faster RPM hard-drive. My base HD is only a 5400 RPM (most
computers have these types). You need a 7200 RPM or better to increase loading
speeds, and also to decrease stuttering lag during gameplay. Often, when
playing on a high texture setting, you'll see your "working" LED blinking a
lot. This means the HD is doing a ton of work. Getting a faster RPM HD means
the HD can load files faster without causing slowdown to the computer. There is
a third alternate solution to try. Change the audio output to Software, as
opposed to Hardware. Hardware may put more strain on the audio card, hence
causing lag.
<< How do I know if my video card works with this game? >>
- Read the official list. You gotta google for it. I know for a fact that those
GeForce 4's, 3's, and MXs don't work with this game. You gotta have at least
the FX series, preferably 5700 or better. Some people may have gotten it work
with a lower 5000 series. PCI-E cards work best, along with 256MB of video RAM,
although the difference really comes down to the quality build.
<< Are there any other ways to increase BF2 performance? >>
- Press CTRL + ALT + DEL, and get rid of any unnecessary programs. Quit any
programs in your taskbar, especially file sharers. Make sure your virus scan
programs aren't working in the background. Altering the in-game options can
also increase FPS, or reduce stutter lag. Try putting the textures setting on
Low, but put everything else on High, with exception to Shadows (turn them
off), and Lighting (Low). The game will work significantly well, despite cruddy
textures. You'll get great landscape and appearances for the most part.
Obviously, keeping the base resolution on prevents slowdown issues. Stretching
your resolution out can cause extra unnecessary slowdown.
<< How do I set a custom resolution? >>
- If you're using a laptop, or widescreen display, go to the Battlefield 2
shortcut, right-click, and look for the command line. After the normal mumbo
jumbo, put +szx (resolution in X, get rid of parentheses), put +szy (resolution
in Y, get rid of parentheses). While the game won't actually reinforce a custom
resolution per say, it will stretch the in-game setting display to match your
screen size. I did this for awhile but tuned it back since it looked awkward.
<< Why isn't my BFHQ updating? >>
- There are two reasons; you must complete a round to get your score recorded &
give it time. BFHQ only records stats on ranked servers. Make sure you did not
play on a non-ranked server. Secondly, you cannot quit during a round and
expect the score to be added. EA only records stats after a round has ended,
and you reach that goofy scoreboard screen. That brief loading process is
actually EA recording down the stats to the respective accounts. Finally, I
have noticed during busy times (a new patch or update) that BFHQ may take up to
two hours to update. Just check it out the next time you log in.
<< I bought the game. Where's the CD Key? >>
- It is located on the back of the instruction manual inside the BF2 case. You
should see a solid box with the CD key imprinted like a serial code. The reason
why others do not give their CD key to others is that it can cause conflict
issues. If 2 users with the same CD key log on at the same time, only one will
be permitted to play. The other one will get locked out with a CD key in use
message. Be careful when buying this game on eBay for that exact reason.
<< My ping is pretty bad. How do I lower it? >>
- Find a better server. Better yet, filter out filled servers, and then click
on the Ping tab at the top to order them from lowest to highest. Only join
servers that give a sub-100 ping, or sub-175. It also depends on your
connection. Broadband is recommended for this game. I highly suggest making the
best ping servers your favorites.
<< My aiming reticle bounces when I'm zoomed in. How do I fix it? >>
- Quit the server, and rejoin. I'm not sure what causes this bug, but it
appears to be some kind of latency issue. It seems like you move your mouse a
pixel, and your aiming reticle bounces several times. Has only happened a few
times to me in the past, but all turned out well after a rejoin.
<< BF2 starts up and immediately boots back to the desktop. >>
- This means your video card is not sufficient for the game. About 70% of the
time this is the cause. The brief black flash after startup means there's some
incompatibility issue. You most likely have an outdated video card, one not
supported, or possibly outdated drivers. Try updating the drivers. If it
doesn't work, reinstall the game.
<< BF2 boots to the desktop after playing for awhile. >>
- Not sure why this one happens. Only happened to me about 4 times. I would be
playing for 40 minutes, then it would load-lock, and boot to the desktop with
no error message. It's most likely an internal game conflict or something along
those lines. Shouldn't be a permanent problem. This problem has also been known
to be caused from incompatibility issues with new patches. Be weary.
<< How do I view my FPS? >>
- Type renderer.drawfps 1 in the console. It will show some red numbers in the
upper left corner. You can turn it off by pressing the same command but putting
in a 0.
)) Tips ((
----------
<< How do I play Spec-Ops efficiently? >>
- Long-range firing, C4ing armor, and flying are your main keys. Spec-Ops are
designed for all-around combat. Blow bridges at chokeholds you don't think you
can hold. If worst reaches worst, place some C4 on a jeep, and careen the jeep
into an enemy blockade for multiple kills.
<< How do I play Sniper efficiently? >>
- Camping at height-advantage spots overlooking enemy spawns is what you want.
Finding the oddest spot guarantees the highest % of survival. Claymore the rear
access routes so you don't get knifed on from behind. Claymore your front area
if you have a bunch of troops rushing up a hill after you.
<< How do I play Assault efficiently? >>
- Avoid using the G3, and stick with the base rifles. Grenade launch for easy
infantry kills, and when out, fire your base rifle for long-range kills. Smoke
grenade when a tank is in the area for a distraction or escape route.
<< How do I play Support efficiently? >>
- Stay in a mounted position at a key spot. Gun down in the prone position for
kills. Look for Spec-Ops, Anti-Tank, and Assault to resupply. The MGs are
inaccurate, but great the short to medium range for racking up kills.
<< How do I play Engineer efficiently? >>
- Use this class with armor, vehicles, or air-type. Avoid close combat on the
ground. Repair your armor after the engagement with armor is done. That, or
smoke screen, retreat, jump out, repair, and repeat. Mine key roads that are on
the enemy territory, and not linking to yours and anothere base. You can drop
mines in enemy bases on vehicles. They will have no idea that a mine is in the
area. Repair commander assets.
<< How do I play Medic efficiently? >>
- Stick to the frontlines, mass revive, and drop medkits for quick heal points.
Make use of your powerful sub-Assault rifle, and self-heal when there's nothing
else to do.
<< How do I play Anti-Tank efficiently? >>
- Use your pistol when your primary is out of range. Long shoot snipers and
campers with your rocket launcher. Misfire the rocket purposely not on the
target, then hold down the mouse button to guide it towards the target. This
prevents a last minute warning light from flashing. Attack armor from the rear,
the treads, or on the top area.
)) Mods ((
----------------------------
<< Any tips when playing PoE2? >>
- PoE 2 plays a lot like BF2. When sniping, find elevated spots as use the
naturally grassy textures as cover. Blow up bridges that lead to central
engagement points, and make use of the TV missiles in the second seat of the
APC for destroying enemy tanks. The vehicles are a bit more boxy in this game
and less responsive to turns so be appropriate with your actions. You can find
pick-up kits in the brown barracks at your home base, or in spawn-based
buildings. There are 3 pick-up kit types >> Better sniper rifle, AA rocket
launcher, or Better rocket launcher. Each of them has increased damage,
although the better sniper rifle can only be fired when prone. The Hind chopper
has less reponse than the Apache helicopter so adjust your navigation abilities
accordingly. To use artillery, spot the target by using the binoculars and
left-clicking the mouse. Then pull out the SATCOM and click it. You should see
an artillery icon on your minimap. Now, someone must man the artillery gun from
your base, and then get in the 2nd seat and switch to "global" firing mode.
They must manually adjust the aiming on the artillery gun and fire. An overhead
view will show where their round hit. They must readjust the angle and distance
so that it comes close to the marked target. This takes some practice to get
use to. The artillery gun can be fired manually with no mark but it becomes
difficult to judge where the round will hit with no estimated marker.
<< Any tips when playing OPK? >>
- Those helicopters are what you want to rape in. They have the ability to fire
manual missiles, guideless missiles, lock-on missiles, and even air-to-air
missiles. They can also barrel roll without much of a height loss, and can have
co-gunners or multiple people repairing in the back seats. On a side note
though, tanks have their usefulness. Anti-Aircraft vehicles are very useful in
this mod, and hard to take down. Sniping is moderately inaccurate. Avoid being
the Supply class, and stick to any other class. Some maps have great sniping
spots that are hard to pin down. Other maps have great camping spots inside
buildings. The swamp map is best done by staying mobile in a squad, and just
hopping from flag to flag. It is too difficult to defend a certain point with
the tall grass.
<< Any tips when playing USI? >>
- USI is a vehicle game, plain and simple. Trying to snipe on the ground is a
futile approach. You should be only 3 classes in this game - Engineer, Anti-
Tank, or Medic. Any other class is pointless. Make use of the Engineer's
Stinger to take down aircraft. Fire the rocket after their flares have been
dispensed. The RPGs are not guidable, but have a slight droop upon firing.
Anti-Tank also has mines, so make use of their ability to defend. Every map,
get a tank. The only maps you should not go for vehicles on are Basrah Streets
& the Docks. The RPG has a firing problem when you are zoomed in. DO NOT zoom
in with the RPG, just fire it from the zoomed out view in a crouched or prone
position. Stay with a squad of tanks, and have every vehicle repair each other.
Make use of the music vehicles to heal or repair you as well. You just need to
stand next to them. For the most part, use vehicles, and you will win. Play
like infantry on the small infantry maps, and you will win.
<< Any tips when playing PRMM? >>
- Squad play is essential. Join a squad, stick with them, and make sure your
squad has a medic. Snipers are VERY powerful in PRMM, as they are in the
realistic world. Watch out for the US silenced sniper; check your hit
indicators to find his position. You can bleed to death if you are injured
enough in battle. Find a medic immediately, or grab a kit off the ground and
heal yourself. To use ammo boxes, drop one, then stand over. You will gradually
gain ammo at a slow rate. To repair or resupply other vehicles, you TOO must be
in a vehicle (vehicle to vehicle to resupply a vehicle). Anti-Tank is a weak
class in the game, and only has 3 rockets. You are best reserved saving this
class for dire measures (being overrun by armor). Your respawn time is roughly
30 seconds, so avoid dying, and camp areas that are infested with troops. To
get the advantage, sneak behind enemy points where people would not normally
look, and earn kills. Ticket count is very key in this mod. The Spec Ops C4 is
not remote detonatable, but rather a 15-second timer. You will hear beeps to
let you know. The engineer has remote C4, but only one charge. It is powerful
though (enough to blow a bridge). Aside from that, any vehicle in the game has
reduced respawn times. DO NOT wait for them in a spawn as it will take a long
time. Only Spec Ops has a parachute to bail out, so don't try cutting shortcuts
like you did in Vanilla BF2. Just play it how you would in real life. Don't run
in the open.
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=====================================================
- 9) Copyright/Distribution/Reproduction Guidelines -
=====================================================
This FAQ/Strategy Guide/Walkthrough is my own published work, and copyrighted
by Christopher Zawada. Whatever you do, DO NOT edit this FAQ in any way. DO
NOT steal anything from this FAQ. If you want to use some information in your
own guide, simply ask me. If you want to place this guide on your website,
either link to the GameFAQs game page, or download the file and place it on
your own web server. Basically, you can post this on your website as long as
it's in ORIGINAL form, and not linking directly to GameFAQs. Aside from that,
all proper credit is due when necessary. Also, don't even think about selling
FAQs. Trying to prosper off of other people's work will get you in big time
trouble (coming from an eBay seller myself).
Any site out there has permission to host my FAQs (following the above terms),
however, these are a list of current sites that host my FAQs officially:
- http://www.gamefaqs.com/
- http://www.ign.com/
- http://www.neoseeker.com/
- http://www.cheatcc.com/
- http://www.cheatplanet.com/
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============================
- 10) Proper Credit -
============================
I'd like to thank the following people for their help in making this FAQ
possible:
)) CJayC (( for constantly updating GameFAQs, and dedicating his entire life
to it. Takes a lot of effort to keep a site going this long.
)) Rootsecure.net (( for letting me use an excellent ASCII generator, which
composed this typical-style art. Excellent.
)) DICE (( for creating one of the best games I've played on the PC since Half-
Life. An absolute masterpiece and a beautiful engine to work from for all of
the MODers out there.
)) Totalbf2.com (( for providing me with several shortcut links rather than
resourcing the material from the official site. This is the ultimate site for
anything related to BF2, and I highly suggest any BF2 player visit it
frequently. They have the best BF2 forums as well.
)) Black_Duck_1 (( for creating a weapons chart that compared the new SF
weapons, along with the original BF2 weapons. This is definitely a true
resource, and an excellent creation on his part.
"Some people make sacrifices to make other people happy." - Chris Zawada
"Freeeeeeddooommmmmmmmm!" - William Wallace (Braveheart)
Amazing Games. Many Cheats. Such Wow.
