Musings on the Battlefield: Getting Max Points WITHOUT Joining a Clan, and FINALLY, a Look at the Dragon's Teeth

LET’S FACE IT a decent clan will kick the crap out of a non-clan team nine times out of ten. It’s true. Find a clan of players who know their positions and are able to work together effectively. Wire them up with Bluetooth headsets and turn them loose. If you are in a non-clan team or a team made up of non-clan and clan members, I don’t care if you are all 120 colonels, you are probably going to lose. It’s the law of teams.

www.bf4clans.com

Thus, the chances of winning games are much better if you join a clan, especially one that works together as a team and communicates.

But that doesn’t mean that you have to join a clan to get maximum points. Your individual score and how often you level-up have a lot more to do with your individual talents than your team.

Don’t get me wrong. Having a clan at your back will definitely help to increase your score significantly, even if it is just two of you. But what if you aren’t interested in joining a clan? How do you get maximum points without having to add [INSERT CLEVER ACRONYM HERE] to your PSN handle?

As someone who has NEVER JOINED A CLAN, I have had to develop strategies of play that are highly adaptable and require the ability to play at least two loadouts competently. I have three that I use frequently enough that I can play any one of them and feel confident.

Of the three, two are my strongest and one is my favorite: the blessed “REVIVE AND SURVIVE” loadout, also known as ASSAULT.

My first experience with this particular kit was in BF3. A friend of mine used it like he was a surgeon, no pun intended. He would decimate squads and at the same time keep his alive.  I almost never used it. I don’t know why but it just seemed so advanced that I couldn’t get the hang of it, not until BF4. Now, it is practically all I ever use.

Just to be clear, I am referring to the Assault kit that includes the DEFIB and MEDIC BAG with the COMBAT MEDIC mod on top. The weapon you use is up to you and it almost doesn’t matter. Your role is support mostly and because of that handy medic bag, you immediately have an edge over the kits that don’t.

It is the most lethal loadout of them all.

Which of the other loadouts can you heal yourself and kill the enemy with ease?

“INCLUDING THE SNIPER?”

Yes, including the SNIPER SHADOWED. There is a reason they don’t let the medic have the PDW and I am convinced it’s because it would give the kit an unfair advantage over everyone else. Can you imagine the damage you could do with this loadout and an SR-2 or an MP7 in your hands? It wouldn’t be a fair fight.

The only ONLY downside to the kit is that it takes time to become proficient, and that means you are probably going to DIE MORE. Still if you play it right, and you choose the right maps/modes, there is nothing better for racking up the points.

As to maps and modes, personal favorites are RUSH and CONQUEST anywhere that has more close combat like say OPERATION LOCKER or DAWNBREAKER, GOLMUD is pretty good too.

“BUT WHAT IF EVERYONE IS A MEDIC?”

Yeah that’s been happening a LOT more lately. It’s like the SNIPER situation: TOO DAMN MANY. That’s why you need a second loadout handy. It all depends on the situation and what the TEAM needs. If you follow the needs of the team, you will always score points.

Of the two modes, CONQUEST is your best bet for max score because you can play the entire game and almost never see anyone and yet still rack-up some decent points. Not that I am advocating you do that. Being a CONQUEST FLAG HOPPER is not the way to go if you want to level-up fast.

The way you do that requires, and I hate to say it, a PREMIUM MEMBERSHIP. Yep, hate all you want. I have leveled up four times in a couple of hours using my XP bonus awards during the PREMIUM MEMBER DOUBLE-XP days. It’s the only way to get through the higher levels.

EVEN IF you are a LEGEND of the game, without the PREMIUM it will take you FOREVER TO GET BEYOND 110.

I know I know, you don’t have $50. All I can say is, if you want to level-up fast, you are going to need to do two things: save your XP bonus awards, and get a Premium membership. Then when the DOUBLE XP days come, cash in. OR, you can wait until DICE decides to have a system wide XP bonus.

You may be waiting for a while.

Dragon's Teeth: Propaganda

ONE of the things I like to do whenever there is a new DLC, like DRAGON’S TEETH, is to find a game with NO ONE IN IT, and spend some time getting to know the layout. I find it is very useful to spend a little time in the map free of the threat of combat. For one thing, I can RECONNOITER THE RIM sans harassment.

Let's just call this the ALLEY OF DEATH.

Secondly, it allows me to see where the targets are and plan my strategies of attack or defense.

Sometimes you get some jerk who doesn’t realize you are just checkin things out and he kills you over and over again. When that happens, I just switch maps. Any way, try it and see if it doesn’t help you to hit the ground running when the live fire comes.

Took me FOREVER to find this one.

Next blog I will give you my initial thoughts on the new mode CHAINLINK (hint: Pappa like) and the epic DLC, DRAGON’S TEETH. Till then, don’t let them throw C4 on you from a skyscraper, and don’t forget to come find me at PSN>JOHNDAVIDFLORES.

Musings on the Battlefield: Throwing Your Last Grenade.

IF ONLY I HAD THROWN MY GRENADE!

This past weekend, I spent part of my days watching the World Cup and part padding my score on BF4 with the Premium Member's 100% Bonus thing. I thought it interesting that during the Colombia v. Uruguay match there were comparatively few players on multiplayer. Maybe there is a relationship.

My goal was to break into 115 (I needed about a million points) but, alas, the gaming gods were not on my side. Instead the entire day was a stutter step of glitch/freezing and hard rebooting (see my post on the subject regarding Lancang Dam for insight into my continued trouble with the game's instability). It was during a particularly long session of Conquest/Operation Locker that the above was captured.

First, the timing couldn't have been better as you can plainly see (just to add insult to injury, this was a 1400 ticket match that I had been playing for God knows how long). But what may not be so readily evident is also the inspiration behind today's post: I didn't throw my last grenade.

I know. It seems like such a small thing to forget and in actual size it most definitely is, HOWEVER, it is because of its size that it is EASILY forgotten, case in point: the picture above.

A little backstory: I KNEW THIS LUCKY SLOB was hiding in the tunnel and could have put an end to his MISERABLE LIFE if only I had THROWN MY GRENADE. But I didn't, and that's the point.

So often we are in the heat of battle that we don't stop and think, "hey idiot, throw your grenade". I do it all the time too. Still, a helpful reminder to focus on the little things is always a good idea, so here you go: ALWAYS THROW YOUR LAST GRENADE.

Try to keep that in mind the next time you play and see if it doesn't pay off.

On to more serious issues. One of the big questions I have had about the game is its fidelity when it crashes. "Are my game totals accurately accounted for when the game freezes and I have to reboot?" is something I worry about given the high number of software/system failures I experience per gaming session. WELL, I AM HERE TO TELL YOU THAT MY FEARS seem to have been assuaged.

Yeah, I know, I hate to admit it, but I cannot argue with hard data. After each crash, I made note of my numbers immediately afterwards. My running tally showed that I was definitely getting my points and that they were reasonably, if not completely, accurate.

This is comforting on many levels, but most importantly it demonstrates that EA and team recognize that there is a problem with system instability and they have developed a means of dumping the score to memory before it's lost.

Now if they could only fix the cause and not treat the symptom, what a world it would be.

I was just getting started.

Musings on the Battlefield: BLOW UP THE DAMN BUILDINGS!

Today I was playing Golmud Railway. I love that map. I love the fact that it is the ONLY map of the first series that doesn't have a lick of water, nada. Dry as a witch's ... I also love the fact that tanks are a main feature, OBLITERATION especially, (RUSH kinda pisses me off because they give the attacking team THREE tanks AND A HELICOPTER and leave the defending squads with only one tank and their good looks).

I dropped into it on the offensive and we had already secured the first two bases but were now getting hammered as we approached the sniper friendly buildings and 30 foot sheer faced walls of rock. For whatever reason, my team had allowed all the buildings to stand including those that were 100 meters behind our target objectives.

This gave the unfriendly snipers and SMAW junkies a turkey shoot as our tanks and men approached the main street and ground zero. 30 seconds later, I was driving through smoke and rubble in my tank, thinking, "I am glad I came". It took me two tanks but I finally brought all the buildings down. After that it didn't take long before we took the last objectives.

Did I really make that much of a difference? You bet I did. Once the buildings and protective walls surrounding the targets were demolished, the enemy had nowhere to hide. They were totally exposed, defeat was imminent. And yet, I often see teams get there asses handed to them because they allow a half dozen or more snipers to sit on rooftops and pick off players one by one, an unfortunate and totally unnecessary situation.

After the game, I decided I would give my faithful readers some tactical and strategic tips that I have found make it easier to win. With that in mind, below I am compiling a list of things that I am certain will aid you in your success as a player and the murderer of those that deserve it: animated humans in video games.

TIP NUMER UNO: BLOW UP THE GODDAMN BUILDINGS! Sorry, that probably sounded a little harsh. It's the father in me. Still, please WOULD YOU KINDLY blow up the damn buildings and walls? In fact, BLOW IT ALL TO HELL!

One of the things I LOVE ABOUT the game is the fact that the designers intentionally created an environment which, if you can hit it with an explosive, chances are it is COMING DOWN. Operation Firestorm is a classic example.

Operation Firestorm is from the BF3 maps and is a huge sandbox filled with things that turn into twisted metal and dust when they are hit with a SABOT or a SMAW or an RPG, etc, etc, you get the point. Even better, the grass burns and the big gas tanks explode fire. BLOW IT ALL TO HELL!

BUT WHAT ABOUT MY MEN THAT ARE HIDING IN THERE? Keep the structures up until the enemy overruns you and then BLOW THEM TO HELL! Some buildings, you should blow up whether your personnel are in there or not, for instance, CASPIAN BORDER. If you are playing RUSH in CB, and you are defending, I say, blow up ALL the buildings. I have yet to play a game where having the buildings up in CB, or any map for that matter, was worth it.

So to reiterate. If you are in GOLMUD or FIRESTORM, or ANY OTHER MAP and you have some serious explosives, blow stuff up.

TIP NUMERO DOS: The TEST RANGE.

Yeah I know. I have already sang its praises in a previous post BUT SO WHAT!? I am saying it again, "USE THE TEST RANGE." Even if it is just to try out your shiny new mod before stepping out into the field and costing you and your team tickets.

If you really want to have fun doing something you need to practice at it. Golf, basketball, bowling, darts, and BATTLEFIELD FOUR, all require a lot of practice to be able to play enjoyably. It sucks when you hit a golf ball into another green, just like it does to miss 20 free throws in a row. Only practice will fix what ails ya.

There are boats, helicopter, quads, tanks, LAVs, a complete firing range a'la BLACK OPS, AND a change station so you don't have to redeploy every time you want to change your kit. What more could a player ask for I say? Nothing, so take a few minutes before you jump in and check it out, BLOW STUFF UP (there are even flying targets).

I guarantee that the more time you spend in the TEST RANGE trying out the weapons and vehicles, the better you will play in the battlefield, and ULTIMATELY the more fun you will have.

TIP NUMERO TRES: DON'T FEAR THE RED ZONES. No doubt you've played BF3 or BF4 long enough to know about the RED ZONES, the off limit areas where you will die if you linger too long. These are NO MAN'S LAND and sometimes they can be a real pain the ass, BUT there are ways to use them to your advantage.

Just like in METRO in Battlefield 3, there are certain maps and certain missions where you can use the off-limit areas to decimate your enemy. The screen capture above shows one of my favorite tactics that you can use on almost any map in RUSH mode. This one is tricky but if done right, you will put your enemy on their heels and have the objectives blown to bits before they've even come back from that Hot Pocket break.

The key is to time how long it takes from the moment you see the "AWAIT FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS" notice to the unveiling of the new target objectives. Then, time how long it takes you to reach the objectives. This is where you might have to take a KIA. Since the distances are more or less the same for each new stage in the mission, you should only have to do this once.

Now, take the two data points and subtract the first number from the second, that's your delta. That's how long you should wait before you zoom into the RED ZONE during the next transition. Earlier today, I played Operation Locker and discovered that each transition took about 16 seconds before the RED ZONES receded and the new targets were revealed.

Running to the next objective took me about 13 seconds. That meant that I would have to wait at least 3 seconds before venturing into the RED ZONE and taking my enemies unawares. Which I did to great success.

To review. Figure out how long it takes you to get to the target area, the area around the hidden objectives. Then figure out how long the period is between the AWAIT FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS and when the RED ZONES are reset. Then subtract the two numbers and the next time you see the notice, count down the difference (for me the difference was three seconds), and then jump on in.

It may take a few times to get the hang of it, but once you do, look out. Your enemies and your team will be shocked to see how fast the alarm is sounded.

Another way to exploit the RED ZONE areas, as mentioned previously, comes from the BF3 days. Most RED ZONES protecting your enemy's spawn areas are accessible via multiple points on every map, meaning that there are a lot of ways to get in and out quickly enough that you don't commit suicide. For example, in OPERATION LOCKER-RUSH, the attackers have three routes to their objectives, one is via the stairs, another is through the main warehouse, and the last is from outside.

The two routes inside the building provide excellent opportunities to sneak up on the enemy and blow them away while they linger in the red. I like to start from the top floor. First make sure the enemy isn't waiting for you as you descend the stairs into their spawn area. Once you are all the way down the stairs and DEEP in enemy territory, keep heading towards the warehouse and shoot whatever moves. You won't be able to see very good because of the filter the game puts on your view but trust your instincts and shoot at will.

Again, it may take awhile to get the hang of it and YOU WILL DIE numerous times till you do, but you will also take a lot of your enemy with you while you learn. Sooner or later, you are going to figure it out and then, LET THE GAMES BEGIN! Your enemy won't know what hit them and your team will be praising your courage.

One final tip regarding the RED ZONES could save your game if your back is against the wall. Once again, I will refer to Operation Locker, but this time playing OBLITERATION.

As with all men, there are times when the enemy has reached deep into our territory with the BOMB. If ever you find yourself in a similar situation and you are deep in your own backyard and the enemy is coming hard at you, if you can get the bomb before they set it off, DON'T HEAD FOR THE ENEMY TARGET, RUN TO THE RED ZONE OUTSIDE!

BUT WON'T I DIE AND LOSE POSSESSION OF THE BOMB? Yep, but you will also put the bomb in a place where the enemy can't get to it easily and even if they try they will be perfect targets for you and your friends watching them. Eventually the mission will time out and a new bomb will appear in the map far away from you and your precious target.

It may not help you to win but it should buy your team time to re-organize and get to the new bomb before your enemy. In any case, it could stop them from taking all of your objectives and there is a certain amount of pride to be had with that. Good luck. Till next time, happy hunting.

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