BF6 Beta - Melee Combat Feedback

OVERALL

• Vast improvement over 2042, but still largely falls short of the improvements made between BF3/BF4 and BF1/BFV
• Little animation variety, poor melee handling, and animation length & "jank" are what mainly hold the system back
• I am concerned that this will be a system which sees a lot of monetisation at the cost of the player experience

STRENGTHS

• 1st person animations make a return and it is far and away for the better.
  
  • This became part of Battlefield's identity in BF3, was smoothed out in BF4 and became a staple feature in BF1 where it was used as a means to display the brutality of WW1. 
  • I appreciate that DICE refrained from "trend chasing" this time around and bringing 3rd-person animations back, which are largely criticised for pulling the player out of the experience and feeling like they only did it "because CoD was doing it".
• Increased running speed with a knife is an interesting addition.
  
  • I have seen the comparison to tactical sprint, but I feel the fact that you put yourself at risk in order to move faster is a fair means of disincentivising its use.
  • It does feel more intended for the battle royale mode, however, so perhaps the buff is better suited to an "assassin" sub-class in recon, for example.
  • For knife-only players, on the other hand, this is a fantastic change that enables their unique gameplay style in a way that has only somewhat previously been achieved by bunny-hopping or bayonet charges.

WEAKNESSES

• Variety in animations.
  
  • As a comparison: 
    
    • BF3 and BF4 each have 12 unique animations based on the position of the takedown, and BF4 has an additional 2 alternate animations for counter-knifing.
    • BF1 has a whopping 32 animations between the 3 weapon types and the bayonet, and had another 4 added to the cavalry spear takedown. Even with the loss of crouch takedowns it felt like endless variety. BFV added even more for prone players on their back.
  • BF6 having just 5 animations, which in reality feels mostly like 2 (1 backstab and 4 prone stabs which basically look the same) is a huge loss to the system.
  • Without the full product to compare, we can only assume how DICE plans to expand the animation portfolio of melee takedowns.
  • Given we've seen the sledgehammer used in the trailer, the current assumption is that the animation will be weapon-specific. 
  • Whilst I am largely neutral about monetising animations provided they don't provide a significant advantage, I still believe this is a step back from previous titles and I don't wish to see animation variety neutered by "unique weapons".
  • At a minimum, there should be 3 animations for the back and sides, and greater variety added to the prone takedowns (again, reference BF3, 4 and 1).
  • A true return to form would see us going back the BF3/BF4 formula of 12 total animations based on standing/crouch/prone directional takedowns.
• Melee damage & handling.
  
  • Battlefield has never really had a "panic knife" issue. The counter-knife mechanic was deliberately designed to deter this behaviour, and damage from the front is usually outpaced by gunfire. It was honestly worse in older titles like BFBC2.
  • With this in mind, the handling and swing speed of the knife seems far to punishing for what is already a suboptimal method of killing an opponent. Even in BF1 3 stabs would take longer than a firearm to kill.
  • The core issue is that, with the reduced takedown arc from behind, it is way too easy to stuff up a takedown and just stab instead which, combined with the poor handling, means you typically die because the recovery speed is pathetic.
  • This could easily be fixed with the addition of side takedowns and widening of the takedown arc
  • More importantly, however, the defibs are currently the best melee weapon in the game. They are absurdly strong compared to the actual knife! I think more than anything the defibs should have a slower use-time but that's another discussion
• Janky Animations.
  
  • Fairly simple issue, but the takedown animations as they are were pretty buggy, with character models jumping around, the player stabbing the wrong area (though the crotch shots were pretty funny), and the poor feedback when killing someone without an animation from the front (again, BF1 makes this feel satisfying and flows with the gameplay loop).
• A little too lengthy.
  
  • I think the main cause is the dog tag addition. It feels a little too "reference-y" with the character shoving them in their face for a good half second
  • Give the animations a bit more natural urgency, the dog tag steal is classic but if it looked more like BF4 where it blended with the end of the stabbing portion I think it would be perfect.

OPPORTUNITIES

• More animations PLEASE.
• Stabilise the animations that do exist so they're more consistent and less buggy.
• Faster reset with the knife swing, so players have a chance to recover from a bad swing - BF1's swing speed was a good sweet-spot.
• Maintain melee damage - it's in line with previous titles and has worked.
• Reconsider whether the faster knife running is suited to the core game's gameplay. It's cool but it might be better suited to being a specialisation rather than for all kits.

If some of these points are taken into consideration and/or implemented, this otherwise often-neglected aspect of the Battlefield series could seriously add to the variety of gameplay styles that already exist in the game. Thanks for your time!