Sweet. I think both console camps could do with some solid info on how those versions are coming along, it would definitely be to your benefit if FFOW got some more direct exposure. I'm actually pretty curious to see where the PS3 version is at.. as someone noted recently, multiplatform PS3 development has been a little questionable, and UE3 delays have been noted as a serious problem on that platform.

You've got my attention, but as a BF player that was easy. I'm afraid for whatever reasons it's going to take more than 32 players and dedicated server support to capture the imagination of the console audience, you've got some tough competition there for sure.

So I'll continue to wish you good luck, and look forward to hearing some big console news :)

I am hoping I can maybe write something on FFOW :)

Btw, for those uninitiated, here are some reasons why you should be interested in FFOW:

#1. Kaos studios made one of the best mods ever--Desert Combat. Very few mods are played more than their counterparts. You have CounterStrike / Half-Life, and you have Desert Combat / Battlefield 1942. HL and BF1942 both sold milions (8M for HL, and 4M for BF1942), the fact mods on them were more successful tells you a lot. Desert Combat won a lot of "mod of the year" awards. It was an absolutely amazing total conversion.

#2. Kaos did a lot of work on Battlefield 2. BF2 had excellent sales and is routinely in the top 5 played PC games online--2 years after release.

#3. There are very few Team / Class games on the market, even fewer with objective/conquest driven gameplay. You have heard me rant about how team & class designed games open up more variability as well as allow more people to contribute in different ways--they aren't solely open to the top tier 10$ twitch masters. Being a role player and making an impact on winning and losing is a huge perk for the "other" 90% of gamers. Conquest (aka Territories) is where you have bases to "capture". You capture enough territories/control points, the other teams tickets bleed down. Once they are out the game is over and you win. So the fighting is over points on the map, which requires teamwork and ingenuity to win.

#4. Dedicated Servers. Dedicated servers get rid of that nasty host advantage, clean up latencies, and importantly...

#5. 32+ Players. Yep, this isn't your kiddies online console FPS. Kaos is bringing large online environments packed with players to the console space. While 16 players works for a lot of games, when you are looking at huge maps with team oriented gameplay simulating a war environment, the more can be better. There is something special about a Desert Combat & Battlefield match on a larger server--and now Xbox 360 gamers can get a taste of what PC gamers have been raving about for years.

#6. PC gamers have been loving this sort of games since 2002. A lot of companies have tried to immitate and one up Battlefield. But only 1 studio has been able to create a more popular "Battlefield" game: Kaos.

As Battlefield Bad Company isn't following the traditional Battlefield formula (hence it isn't Battlefield 3), if you are looking for authentic Battlefield/Team Conquest style gameplay on the consoles, right now your only option is Frontlines: Fuel Wars.

Now you are initiated in the basics. And that is just the surface as you have the whole team work, classes, upgrades, conquest, circle-of-death, modern combat, etc dynamics of the actual gameplay.

TeamXbox has a nice preview: http://previews.teamxbox.com/xbox-360/1747/Frontli...









Graphically the game has come a long ways. The maps with more lighting (and contrast) look really nice. There is also a new trailer up:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=xgmvHviWlNI

It looks like the game intro and lets you know the background: World conflict over energy resources. Parallax Story board style with some nice sketches and art. Reminds me of some of the Animatrix epiosodes. Some other cool little story snippet, this time with CGI (I am sure Grift posted these, but easy to get at youtube).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6Fo9PZqaL0&mode=re...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c28AduI09cQ&mode=re...

Finally, a nice summary of the game, especially talk about the non-linear gameplay and an emphasis on teamwork.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-E9oNiuFIg&NR=1

Wow... the big news for me is there are 2 flying modes for the Helos. In the Battlefield world there are 3 types of people: EoD/BF:V pilots, DC pilots, and non-pilots. Battlefield:Vientam has noobish controls. They work great, but have more assists. The side effect is you have less "uber" control. In DC... man, the helos were VERY responsive, but very easy to lose control of... unless you were like me and my clan (helo lovers). So they compromised... and offer BOTH styles! 0_o Totally slick. So newbs can fly, but us flyboys can really get up there and totally own a map! >:)

Also some talk about DC. I didn't know that EA said 30% of BF42 sales directly due to DC. I knew people bought BF42 just to play DC and at one point more servers hosted DC than BF42, but 30% of sales just for DC?!

They also talk about their work on BF2 how they did a lot of work on commander mode, squads, supply crates, etc. Some of the best additions to BF2 to be honest. They have grown from 14 people 18 months ago to 70 people now, so they aren't uber small.

Most surprising is that SP isn't just a MP variant. SP was designed from day 1. SP isn't downplayed or ignored but central to the game. You still get the BF style online gameplay, but this time with a real SP.

For those looking for team based / class based / objective based multiplayer this is gonna be a game you have to check out. Especially since BFBC isn't a "real" BF game in the sense of conquest mode and team/objective/class gameplay.

There aren't many games that focus on:

- Team Based Multiplayer -- you must work as a team

- Objective Based Multiplayer -- the game is more than run&gun, but work together to achieve goals

- Class Based Multiplayer -- Pick a role and support your squad by using your skills the right way

To me, these are the best games. That is why Battlefield 1942/DC are among my 3 favorite games of all time (right next to Mario Kart SNES and Battlezone PC). Large battles (32 people) online, with dedicated servers, is a real treat.

There are a LOT of run&gun shooters out there.

Consoles really lack UT/Q3A style shooters and shooters like Battlefield. So I am excited for you console peeps who will get a chance to see what all the fuss is ;)

Of course if Grift and I don't tell you, you guys won't know what you are missing.

Btw, the "FrontLines Mechanic" video, #2 on the play list below, really explains the game really well. Not just a BF game, but a progressing battle line.

http://www.burningtruth.com/

The non-Linear video is very cool too. Especially when you die: You come back as a squad member in SP. Cool.

Watch the videos. The gameplay is a lot deeper than I first had expected. They need to do

A. Some longish videos showcasing each of the features; especially the sandbox non-linear battlefront. Sounds very cool

B. Some BF2 style videos... little "story" videos. BF2 had a couple cool ones, like a Chinese assault on a base, only for a sniper in a helo to spot them, call in arty from the commander, and BANG! Very cinematic and cool.

Damn straight! Glad someone is starting to take notice. I don't care if it is one gamer at a time.

Sad, I posted the preview to my old clan and only 1 guy was even aware of it and no one knew they had tied to DC (were were as DC focused clan). But now they know :)

A demo on the consoles and PCs -- 2 even, one SP and on MP -- is going to be pretty important for this game. And a good demo, paced right, that shows a bit.

Better to give out a large demo (3 maps or so; small map, large vehicle map, and the "best" map overall) to really pique people's attention than to give them a rough sampling.

While I agree that a demo is essential, Battlefield has shown me that one map can do the trick. Wake Island, and Gulf of Oman are not the best maps that the franchise has ever offered, but they do enough to showcase the gameplay, and were very addictive.People just don't know much about it, or what to think about it.. which is one of the reasons that this game needs a demo. As a BF2 player, I am hopeful that KAOS will be successful in achieving their goals, and I have faith in their game design.. but most people don't even know who they are. Marketing needs to pick up the pace.

True Grift, although I think Wake Island is one of the best maps ever created. It isn't my favorite (I love El Al, Gazala, Bocage and a couple DC ones) but Wake Island was beautiful for gamplay purposes. Air craft carriers, 5 points on a horse shoe, the ability to traverse the small bay, and so forth. It was the perfect size. Aircraft zoomed over, AA going crazy, tanks pushing the battleline, very "push" oriented without forcing a push map, ships pounding the island, and crazy infantry stuff all over the place.

Where is my BF1942 v.II?? :D

I think I will have to storm up some marketing ideas ;)

Consider myself tuned.. finely tuned.

Well seems like the trailer had an effect, someone asked me about this out of the blue yesterday and lit up at the phrase "dedicated servers" :)

Indeed. And I encourage anyone who is interested to check it out. The game still needs a lot of polish, but I don't think it's hard to see its potential either.. I hope people who do participate give them valuable and honest feedback directly by joining their forums over at Fileplanet.

I'm a little surprised that they opened the beta up as much as they have already, to be honest.. just keep in mind that this isn't a "beta" like Call of Duty or Halo had -- games that were already finely balanced and polished and delivered what wound up being glorified demos.. this is the real deal, a game that is still very much in progress.

I continue to wish the guys over at KAOS the best of luck, and hope their game continues on its path to becoming a great multiplayer shooter with a solidly founded campaign. I know that they're willing to put in the hours, and they have the dedication.. so I hope they listen to what the community has to say and follow some of what is bound to be very valuable input from the BF2 compeditive community. Don't let them be "yes men" either.