Today, PS3 users should be able to enjoy an update that should fix a number of major issues …
The official Battlefield 3 Twitter account this morning announced plans to launch the PlayStation 3 iteration of its latest title update (dubbed a "client update") for BF3 tomorrow. Additionally, it seems that the Xbox 360 will be getting the same update in the near future, as the post on Battlelog states it'll "follow shortly" after tomorrow's PS3 update. PC players already got the update last week, which improves a variety of issues with the game across campaign and multiplayer.
Like with the PC update, the patch notes don't indicate that the the tactical light has been altered, but plenty of other major issues have. For instance, now, if you're holding a SOFLAM (which is, of course, so fly), and an enemy tries running you over, you'll totally live. After the patch? No more!
What got done? Stuff like this …
General fixes
- Significant improvements to the Squad Join interface, full details in this earlier blog post
- Removed FIND ME A SQUAD option
- Allow players to join empty Squads alone, thus having 1/4 Squad members
- Change order of options to LEAVE SQUAD, INV A FRIEND, SWITCH TEAM
- Disable Privacy flag when 1 man Squad
- Reset Privacy flag from Private to Public when Squad drops to 1 player
- All occupied Squads will now show up colored blue on the Squad selection screen
- Players who choose not to join Squads will also show up as Blue in the "Not in a Squad" line
- Squads that are currently empty will display as white — if you wish to join an empty Squad, you can choose the first one marked with white text
- Added round duration and ticket summary at end of round screen
- Fixed sound for when climbing ladders
- Fixed and issue with some weapons' sounds in first person view
- Fixed a swim sound loop error
- You should no longer be able to damage a friendly vehicle when sitting in an open position
- Grenades now drop to ground if you get killed while attempting to throw it
- Spawn protection now should work in Conquest so you no longer should spawn too close to enemies
- You should no longer spawn too close to enemies in TDM and SQDM
- Fix for missing input restriction during intro movie, causing players to potentially fall and die while watching movie if moving controller (or having a controller with a bad stick zone)
- Combat areas on Kharg Island in Rush mode tweaked in order to disallow defenders to access the carrier ship after first base is taken and being able to enter the AA gun
- Fixed a problem with revived players not being able to get suppressed
- Fixed a problem with the camera when being revived in co-op
- Spotting VO now plays when spotting from MAV/EOD bot
- Fixed several issues regarding the kill card, including showing wrong weapons used for the kill
- Fixed that sometimes you would be stuck on a black screen when kicked from server
- Fixed so when a team captures two flags at the same time, the UI does not show wrong owner of the flag
- Fixed a problem where the capture progress bar was shown as friendly when the enemy was capturing
- Fixed a problem with the bipod deploy sound
- Fixed a problem that you could be spawned in with no weapons after being killed while using the EOD bot
- Fixed problems with health bars not displaying health properly when using EOD bots
- Fixed a problem with flickering name tags
- Fixed a problem where you could damage friendly helicopters
- Fixed a problem where you could get stuck in the co-op menu when attempting to join the session twice
- You should now be able to spot explosives
- You should no longer spawn in home base if your selected spawn point is disabled while waiting to spawn (e.g. if your teammate dies right before you are about to spawn)
- Damage from bullets will now continue to cause damage even after the firing user is dead
- Fixed several client crashes
- Fixed a problem where players could get stuck in the join queue
- Fixed the repair icon on the minimap
- Fixed a problem with changing camera on certain vehicles
- Fixed a problem with the grenade indicator when in guided missile mode
- Fixed a problem where the machine could hard lock when joining a public coop game
- Fixed a problem where the headset attached icon would not show up in the UI
- Fixed a problem with the falling antenna on Caspian Border. It should now more instantly kill anyone in its falling path
- Fixed a problem where tank turrets would turn too slow
- Fixed a bug on co-op mission "Exfiltration" where you could end up outside the vehicle and not being able to enter it again, thus blocking the mission
- Fixed a problem where a user can become invulnerable after being resurrected
- Fixed a problem with the M60 reload sound
- Fixed a hang in terrain streaming, causing the user to get stuck on black screen under special circumstances in single player
- Fixed a problem where the enemy would not be able to get a road kill on a user that was using the SOFLAM
- Fixed soldiers disappearing in the mortar kill cam
- Fix for Type88 and MG36 zoom in animation offset when in supported shooting mode (using bipods)
Balance changes
- Increased the damage of helicopter miniguns, AA guns, and jet cannons against infantry
- Increased the damage of helicopter miniguns against jeeps
- Reduced the physics impact of AA guns and jet cannons so players under attack from these weapons no longer should lose control
- Increased the damage of the 44 Magnum slightly
- Increased the range and minimum damage of the .357 Round from the MP412 Rex
- Increased the range of all .45cal and 9mm weapons
- Slightly increased the range of the P90 and MP7 and PDW-R
- Slightly increased the range of the 5.56mm PDW-R and decreased the minimum damage at long range
- Slightly increased the minimum range of the Mk11, SVD, and M39 EMR 7.62mm rifles
- Decreased the maximum damage and maximum range of the G3 and SCAR-H 7.62mm weapons
- Reduced the damage from FIM-92 and SA-18 IGLA missiles against aircraft
- Increased the damage and range of the 40mm BUCK rounds
- Reduced the damage .50cal weapons do against helicopters
- Updated T90 canister shell tweaks to match Abrams canister shells
Meanwhile, the powers that be in Iran don't seem so pleased that a video game is training Americans how to deploy through Tehran, and have taken steps against it …
Iran has banned a popular computer game, Battlefield 3, depicting US armor and aircraft launching an assault on Tehran, an Iranian IT magazine reported.
"All computer stores are prohibited from selling this illegal game," an unnamed deputy with the security and intelligence division of Iran's police said in a statement carried by the Asr-e Ertebat weekly.
A Tehran-based IT union warned all shops to abide by the ban.
The Iran scenario sees US forces fighting hostile militia near the Iraq-Iran border then moving on to Tehran under a looming nuclear threat.
Intense gunfights are depicted in various military, industrial and urban locations in the capital, including Tehran's historic Grand Bazaar.
According to EA, five million copies of Battlefield 3 were sold within a week of it hitting the market on October 25. The game is available on DVD-ROM and as for download from the Internet.
EA has no resellers in Iran. But pirated copies of all major videogames and computer software are widely available.
It is the first time an official ban on the game was reported. But some computer store owners said they had declined to stock Battlefield 3 since its release, anticipating the crackdown on it.
"I do not have any copy of the game," said Hamid, a shop owner who requested his last name not be used.
Iranian police overseeing public places "raided (some shops) and arrested owners for selling the game secretly" even before the ban became public, he said.
AFP was unable to confirm the claim.
The Fars news agency said the game had prompted an online protest by a group of "Iranian youths."
"We understand that the story of a videogame is hypothetical … (but) we believe the game is purposely released at a time when the US is pushing the international community into fearing Iran," the group said in an online petition, with more than 5,000 signatories so far.
The fight continues.
[Source: Joystiq, The Lebanon Daily Star]