The Great Jet Debate

Episode 10: The Great Jet Debate

Released on September 13, 2015

Length: 1 hour & 8min

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HIGHLIGHTS:

1. Battlefield Hardline: Robbery DLC & Mod Events

• DLC Release: Announced for September 16 for Premium users, two weeks later for everyone else.

• Free Content: Non-premium players receive 7 weapons for free.

• Community Events: "Saturday Night Hardline" organized by EA Ireland mods to encourage community play.

  
  

2. 60Hz Server Test for Battlefield 4

• First Retail Use: First time 60Hz servers were tested on the retail version of BF4.

• Performance Improvements: Better hit registration and reduced “dying behind cover.”

• Potential Rollout:

  • Might only be for private server owners.

  • Could introduce tiered tick rates (e.g., 30Hz standard, 45Hz premium).

  • May affect server rental pricing.

    
    

3. Jet Dusting Issue and Upcoming Fixes

• Explanation of Dusting: Server-client desync causes shots (mainly from jets) to visually hit but deal no damage.

• Summer Patch Effects: Made jet dusting worse.

• Technical Diagnosis: “Frame Time History” value too narrow for fast vehicles.

• Fix Plans:

  • Patch planned via server-side update (Delta patch).

  • Fix expected without requiring full client update.

  • Potentially live by upcoming Tuesday (per Dice developer Julian).

    
    

4. Community Map Development Progress

• Alpha Stage: Now focused on bug fixing, performance, and polish.

• Game Modes Confirmed: Includes Conquest (large/small), Domination, TDM, Gun Master, Rush, Obliteration, Chain Link, CTF.

  • Rush: Not playing well currently, needs rework.

  • Capture The Flag: Focus on infantry-based flag runs, reduced vehicle dependency.

• Map Name Vote:

  • Finalist Names: Operation Outbreak (likely winner), Harau Falls, Ruins of Harau.

    
    

5. Air Vehicle Gameplay Updates (CTE Patch)

• General Aircraft Changes:

  • Rework of passive radar and lock-on mechanics.

  • Buffed manpads (Stingers/Igla) to 55 damage; 2-shot kills now possible.

• Below Radar Returns:

  • Now triggers below 25m (helicopters) / 50m (jets).

  • Works only against heat-seekers from other jets, not ground-based AA.

  • HVM missiles now high-velocity but no longer one-shot kill.

    
    

• Balance Discussions:

  • Rebalancing stealth vs. attack jets:

    • Debate over whether jets should be multi-role or specialized.

    • Concerns about attack jets becoming too dominant due to versatility.

    • Multiple community perspectives discussed (e.g., Battlefield 2-style jets vs. BF4's split roles).

  • Jet physics from spring patch scrapped for BF4, but may appear in next Battlefield title.

    
    

6. Jet Meta and Gameplay Philosophy

• Debate on Jet Specialization:

  • Should attack jets dominate ground and stealth jets dominate air?

  • Problem: stealth jets lack meaningful targets, become passive.

  • Attack jets often used more due to broader versatility.

• Proposed Solutions:

  • Unified jet class with customizable loadouts (BF3-style).

  • Map-dependent jet selection (e.g., stealth for Conquest, attack for Rush).

  • Reduce steep learning curve for new jet players.

• Calls to Action:

  • Community urged to test changes via CTE (Community Test Environment).