DICE Team
Feedback 1:
For Portal Maps, i think that 128 players (64vs64) is just too much and it does not play well in 64 player designed maps (such as BF3 and BC2 maps). With 128 players it is hard to play strategic and impossible to defend a position. The reason for this is that objectives become swarmed with players. And moving from
objective to objective is near impossible. As a result, every objective feels like a mindless Call of Duty game.
Feedback 2:
2042 All Out Warfare map sizes are alright, but DICE really has to scale it back to 100 player (50vs50). This would be a perfect player count for the current map sizes and allow player to play it strategically. 128 players does not allow player to capture and hold objectives and its most certainly not possible to move from flag to flag without coming across 20 enemy players or vehicles that try to kill you.
From my experience this is the first Battlefield that does not allow players to move from flag to flag without a vehicle (or else they die). Again, even though the maps are larger, 128 players feels like a mindless Call of Duty game around every other objective.
(NOTE: Armored Kill DLC from BF3 also included 4 large maps (Some even larger than BF2042), but still played perfect with 64 players).
Feedback 3 (unrelated but important):
Lower player count will also free up some CPU resources which will improve stability and performance across all systems. Furthermore, DICE can also choose to allocate the free CPU resources toward better graphics for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series consoles.
Currently, the graphics have been a huge let down and I personally have never experienced so much pop-in in a modern Battlefield game since BF3. This is especially true on the PS5 and Series X where the graphics have been downgraded since the BETA.
Here are some distracting graphical problems with the game on the Series X and PS5:
Shadow Pop-in within 15-20meter distance:
Walking from 20m to 15m massively pops in shadows:
Shadow Pop-in within 15-20meter distance:
Walking from 20m to 15m massively pops in shadows:
Foliage pop-in (constantly popping in!!!):
Going from 18m to 13 massively pops-in foliage short grass: this is evident in all foliage rich maps such as Orbital, and did not exist in the BETA in PS5 and Xbox Series X:
A solution to the PS5 and Series X graphics can be solved as follows:
- The currently available mode can be called "balanced mode" which aims something in between performance and graphics. (Nothing has to be changed here as it is now on the PS5 and Series X. Based on our testing, a PC equivalent of LOW, MEDIUM AND HIGH settings are currently used on the PS5 and Series X).
- For those who love graphics, an optional "Fidelity mode" can be used that targets a very slightly higher internal resolution and graphical fidelity targeting 45-60fps on the PS5 and Series X. Here some graphical settings such as shadow draw distance, terrain and undergrowth quality can set to PC equivalent to HIGH and ULTRA (as the performance hit between High and ULTRA is only 10% on PC).
Balanced and Fidelity modes are almost an industry standard on next gen consoles and are present in 90% of the games released post 2021. If other studios and games allow it, so can DICE. Options are good and allow players to experience their games to their liking.
NOTE: graphics in the BETA were significantly higher on the Series X and PS5 and have been downgraded since launch. In particular, shadow quality, terrain quality, undergrowth and internal rendering resolution have been hit significantly.
