Battlefield 2: Modern Combat Interview

Okay folks, I think it might interest you to know that some of us here at ActionTrip are seriously keen on Battlefield. We've spent days and nights at the office, enjoying countless matches via LAN or Internet. Well, anyhow after spending a lot of time with the BF series on the PC, it is now time to dig deeper into DICE's soon-to-be-released Xbox 360 version of Battlefield 2: Modern Combat. If you are already a proud owner of an Xbox 360 console, then it wouldn't hurt to know a thing or two about one of the most popular multiplayer franchises on the market. EA and DICE were willing to divulge more information on the subject. Senior Producer, Dan Blackstone, discusses a few interesting topics and unveils what players can expect in Battlefield 2: Modern Combat (Xbox 360).

Enjoy!

Snow had it coming.

Zis is mein little tank.

ActionTrip: Give us some info on the people who are working on the Xbox 360 version of the game.

Dan Blackstone: We have a great group of people that were all involved with the previous version. So these are all Modern Combat veterans, who now got some more time to work on a game they loved. That being said, I think we're all looking forward to a break in a few weeks! If you come to our area, you'll see camouflage covering the cubes, model weapons, statues of soldiers, miniature tanks, etc. We all go crazy for that kind of stuff (That's good to know - Vader).

AT: Gameplay wise, what are the significant changes you've made over BF 2?

DB: The biggest addition is the single player campaign. It's the deepest story that the Battlefield franchise has ever known, and the revolutionary Hotswapping feature really changes the way that you play the game. At its core, the multiplayer is very similar, since we really wanted to be sure we kept that true to the great heritage of the franchise.

AT: Tell us a little bit about the new single-player campaign.

DB: You will fight on both sides of this war, switching between NATO and Chinese forces to accomplish a variety of objectives like destroying a bridge, protecting a critical base, or taking over an airfield. You'll get to see both sides of the story, and at the end you decide which army is right, and lead them to victory. The Hotswapping feature lets you take control of any soldier in your squad with the touch of a button, meaning you have instant access to your Snipers, Spec Ops soldiers, and Engineers, so you can use them and their skills in each mission.

AT: Explain to our readers about the conquest mode in BF 2: Modern Combat.

DB: We wanted to keep Conquest very close to the experience on PC, so it is all about vehicles, soldiers, and weapons in a big sandbox where just about anything can happen. Up to 24 players can be in the game at once, and if you've ever played Battlefield on PC you will instantly know what you are doing. Capturing and controlling flags is still the name of the game.

AT: What do you feel is the most important aspect when it comes to map design? Last we heard, you've developed 13 diverse maps available in the Xbox 360 version. Could you describe some of them?

DB: We actually have 16 maps now, since we include the three new maps that were released in the Warsome Booster pack. They range from arctic locations that contain armed snowmobiles, to lush tropical islands that would be considered paradise if not for the submarine base and helicopter swarms, to burned out cities full secrets and perfect for close quarters combat. The most important aspect is balance. We spend so much time playing, tuning, and tweaking our maps, to ensure that once you get into a battle in one of them, they just feel right.

A shower of bullets?

High grass is a bitch, ain't it?

AT: How will players be able to upgrade their units?

DB: In the single player campaign, players receive temporary upgrades in the field if they perform well. So rewards such as extra health, rapid fire, and even a short adrenaline-fueled period of invulnerability can give your soldiers the extra edge. After each successful mission, your squad will also unlock new weapons, and receive upgrades for weapons they already have, and these are permanent.

AT: What did the Xbox 360 technology allow you guys to do, in terms of visuals?

DB: We talk about the battlefield truly coming alive. If a copter flies overhead firing its miniguns, spent shells will rain down on you. You may notice that soldiers will grit their teeth when firing heavy weaponry, or close one eye to aim better. Bullets will score the environment and ricochet around you. There are a lot of things like this that we did to try to immerse players in the experience.

AT: Are there any features in the game that remain exclusive to the Xbox 360 version?

DB: In addition to fixing any issues that players have brought to our attention, we also give players complete control over their HUD. You can have a full readout on screen or a completely clean interface. You can also go somewhere in between and choose what info you want to display. This came about because the option to turn off the enemy indicators was a highly requested feature on the boards, since people wanted to be able to play a stealthy multiplayer match. We just took it one step further.