If you’re going to place a game in a historical time period you’ve got to make sure that it’s accurate as there are many, in this case, that were there or that have a deep interest in the period and will know the difference. Here’s a look at some of what’s gone into making the upcoming Vietnam expansion for Battlefield: Bad Company 2.
So when going back to the 60’s, DICE obviously doesn’t want the soldiers running around with motion sensors, tracer dart guns, automatic spotting scopes, and all those other newfangled gizmos we are used to from the original Bad Company 2 setting. To make the new Vietnam expansion feel fresh, they peeled off a layer of high tech and replaced it with iron sights, blowtorches, and dynamite sticks. Here are some of the things they are doing to make our expansion pack a veritable travel back in time.
Removed High Tech Gadgets
So there are a number of high tech gadgets from the base game that we simply removed from the multiplayer game when we designed Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam. These are the motion sensors (both vehicle-based and for infantry), the tracer dart gun, and the spotting scope.
Retro Designed Other Gadgets
We want to keep the same team play abilities as in the base game, but give the tools an older look. So the auto repair tool from the base game is now a blowtorch, but with the same functionality. The C4 explosives have been replaced by sticks of dynamite, while the defibrillator is replaced with a syringe filled with adrenaline. These tools all function the same as their modern counterparts, but the new look, sound, and feel mean that they give a whole new flair to this expansion. The retro approach goes for the actual weapons as well [The topic of a later blog post -- Editor’s note]. Overall, this setting has a much grittier, up close and personal tone to it. That’s why Game Designer Gustav Halling calls it "more hardcore."
Added Curious Needle-based Navigation Device
We thought you might need a compass to navigate the jungles of Vietnam, so we added one and integrated it with your minimap. Now you can call out where the enemies are without having to add "My left, not your left!"
As always, check back Fridays to get the very latest info on everything Vietnam. We leave you this weekend with a quick tutorial on how to handle the dynamite charge and detonator, issued in Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam to Recon class soldiers of both camps.
1. Place dynamite charge on offending vehicle.
2. Take cover.
3. Press down on detonator handle. Sorry, tuk-tuk, it was either you or the chopper -- and I think we know who wins that fight.Heh.
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