BF2142 Demo - Out 10/5 for Preorders

[MJCfromCT]

http://battlefield2142.ea.com/battlefield/bf/BF2142_News_100406.aspx

We would like to formally welcome you to the Battlefield 2142 Demo featuring the Sidi Power Plant Map! This Thursday (10/5/06) you can begin your exploration of the next step in the Battlefield World while battling with your friends in both our new Titan Game Mode and classic Conquest Game Mode. As a benefit to those players who have pre-ordered their copy of Battlefield 2142 from EA the demo will be available exclusively through the EA Downloader for the first 24 hours! Sign on and immerse yourself into the new Battlefield Experience and prepare for the next age of online Warfare!

If you didn't preorder, you'll have to wait 'till the next day to get your hands on the demo. Luckily, I did. :)

[germanNiklas]

i played the beta for 1 day, was enough for me http://www.100megsfree3.com/fwc493/SmileyDirectory5/E/BulletPukeL.gif

[MJCfromCT]

New info from bf2142fever.com:

First on Thurdsay the 5th October 9am CET, the users who preordered with the EA Downloader will be able to download it.
On Friday the 6th October 9am CET, subscribers to Gamespot complete will be able to start downloading it.
On Saturday the 7th October 9am CET, everyone else will be able to get the demo and play it.

Interesting..."normal" people need to wait two days...

[_Mystical_Night]

bf2142 improves too little over bf2, you can dl a mod thats almost the same thing as bf2142 for bf2 and thats free

the only games im really looking forward to in Q4 2006 are

- Gothic III
- Medieval 2: Total War

[Rabbitrunner51]

I can wait till Saturday... whats the big deal there??/ Very excellent gamesite. They have done an excellent job with thier game portals and all.. and everything else.

If not for monies.. this is the one gamesite i would pay to join.... Was just visting there, and shcking out the new Crysis videos and screenies... Now.. that game is going to be HUGE. Best game overall i have seen come out to date.. Just amzing stuff... ( sorry.. wasn't trying to hijack the thread LOL )

[kpm547]

BF2 is a good game, but it is just too much of a resource hog. It also take too long to long to load. The load times are so long on my computer (2-3 minutes) that I hate playing it. I want to be able to jump right into the game. If BF2142 hasn't chnaged that at all, which I doubt it has, I won't be getting it.

I think it is still too soon to release a sequel for BF2 anyways. They haven't exhausted the possibilities with BF2 yet.

So not really looking forward to it either.

[MJCfromCT]

Well, I played the demo a bit before I went to work today, initially it seems pretty decent. Didn't have any problems with the install, and forcing widescreen is possible in the same way you do for BF2. I found it interesting that not even 1280x1024 was listed as a possible resolution in the demo too...

I set everything to max, and was getting a bit of a low framerate while within the Titan...I'm not sure if its buggy code or not, but the framerate actually seemed to improve when I went from 2xAA to 4xAA...I'll have to experiment with that more later.

There aren't any unlocks in the demo, which is a bit of a disappointment. There are two game modes, Conquest and Titan, both using the same map, Sidi Power Plant.

Unfortunately, since there aren't any unlocks, there isn't much of a point as playing as Recon or Support, as they seem to be at a bit of a disadvantage without any unlocks.

I'll try and take some screenshots later today.

[MadPistol]

I'll try the demo. If the game runs like BF2 and it plays well, I will more than likely get it for giggles. If not, well BF2 is still good, so I won't be getting bored of it anytime soon.

[Rabbitrunner51]

I'm just the curious sort.. but knowing the specs as i know they are... this game is going to play ...not very well for me ,with my low end video card and all... BF2 actaully plays OK for me.. but i think thats because i got a better CPU now. Even in that game it played chppy in alot of sectors at times and FPS were obviously not very good. That is where the newer video cards come in... same goes for the upcoming game Crysis.
If a game getws to the point of just bad FPS and all tht, I agree with kpm. I don't have much patience with how a game runs or settings untold controls to do so.

EA is notorious for settings game specs on their porducts, knowing full well they will not run very good at those.... Comeon... Just be logical and set them at min. where the game runs good... after all.. If you invest money... it must be disappointing to find out it runs badly.

[RamonGTP]

I've been playing the demo and I don't think i'll be buying the full game. Titan mode is pretty cool but not cool enough for me to buy the game. It is very similar to Onslaught in UT2004. Infact, the entire game has a UT2004 feel to it. Conquest mode works the same way as BF2, although I prefer the gameplay in BF2 many times over that in 2142.

[MadPistol]

The Gameplay in this is pretty good. It's different, but it's not bad in my opinion.

The Graphics have a very healthy upgrade to them. I also found that just overclocking my video card a little from stock fixes any kind of lag issues I've had. Honestly, I haven't gotten to play it enough yet to decide if I'm going to buy it or not. Only time will tell.

[Rabbitrunner51]

Well there goes another GB of HD space.. DL'ing it now .... I'm with you MP.. i might OC my card just for this game to check it out... I'm sure i'll like it OK. its just that i liked BF2 just fine, but my specs don't match what one should have to play it... You got a better card than me... LOL

[Rabbitrunner51]

Well, i'm having porblems.. seemed to install fine and everything is there in the folder. I hit the play exe. and i got that i am missing this .dll : d3dx9_29.dll

Does anybody know what that pertaiins to?? I noticed they have the DX installer also in the folder and that is up to date. Figure... I just have more problems with EA games. Also, i find it strange that all the codecs it says that cannot support renderer are alot of the most common. My system uses realtrek AC 850 for muti channel ... Nuts! All that time waiting for this to download and i can't even get it to open. NO other game i have period has any problems whatsoever... :confused:

[MadPistol]

and i got that i am missing this .dll : d3dx9_29.dll

Use this link.

http://www.shdon.com/view?doc=d3dx

Download the link that says "All versions". I had the exact same problem. I downloaded this file from the internet and it fixed the problem. I didn't even have to restart my computer once I installed the files. :t

[Rabbitrunner51]

Thanks MP.. in the back of my miind i think i thought that might be the case....

Darn.. i have to DL the whole demo again as i deleted it.. but now theres hope. LOL

[Rabbitrunner51]

Yep.. should have kept it.. Last night it was DL'ing at around 190KB/sec. now it is like 45kb/sec. going to take about six hours.... sigh! LOL


college football baby.. oh yeah! ;)

[Rabbitrunner51]

Just played on this one server for quite a while.. and in truth i liked what i saw very muich. This game runs a whole lot smoother and has less bugs than BF 2. That impresses me right there. Look at my system.. ( sig. ) , and i must say i set it on hihg settings, with 1024 X768 at 70MHZ and it ran very smooth. I was surprised to say the least.
I got to check out and operate all vehicles....and they run super also... I think this game is going to be a bigger winer than BF 2. it should have more to offer.. and is alot of fun in a general sort of way. Of course , being new, I didn't get that many kills but i did well enough..... LIke all these types of games, it will take awhile to know what does what with all th goodies . operation of same is not very difficult, esp. the flyer... that is fun stuff.... ( a whole lot easier than Blackhawk in BF 2 ) ;)

[RamonGTP]

If anyone is interested, I am hosting a demo server (titan) at 209.246.234.89

[germanNiklas]

I think this game is going to be a bigger winer than BF 2.

it will sell " good " ( which i cant understand :rolleyes: ) but it will never ever sell as good as bf2 did

bf2 was like " wow " when it came out, it was very different than the other bf games and the graphics were ( are ) awesome

bf 2142 ist like bf vietnam, a " addon " which is sold as a full price game, nothing really new, plays in the future, new weopons/vehicles and maps, thats it! bf 2142 could be a MOD but not a " new " game!

alot of people are angry about this ( like me ) and dont see a point in buying this game where bf2 still has some bugs.

[Rabbitrunner51]

Yeah.. i really can see your point GN.. The mapping style and all that is similar if not the same.. and overall you described it about right...

Remember when they put out Desrt Combat for BF 1942?? I mean the mod was actually bigger than the original game.. and it cost nothing. Good point there. That game mod ws and still is my favorite mod. Everybody was playing it.. I used to play just that all night sometimes... MP was really good and the game was good...

Wonder why BF 2 plays liike snot and this game plays very fluidly?? I mean, i did not have any quirks at allplaying . and its a demo too. Hats off for that much.
Your right.. Why can't they fix BF2 by using whatever worked for this game,as far as programming and all??

Lets face it. Game companies are like MS. They will milk us and the game till there ain't any more to milk out of the ole cow...

For some reason.. I have not played BF Vietnam for a long time.. If thats the case.. ;usually with me, its bewcause i'm dis-interested for some reason. I'm like that. Once bored.. I just quit playing something..,maybe forever. That game ws pretty good actually. Really liked flying the Helos , jets and planes. That's alot of fun.

Most of you younger people probably have more of a feel for these things than I. Its either i like something or I don't. Pretty simple. LOL

[germanNiklas]

EA is worse than MS!

they are milking bf in a way i havent seen it
just look at the veteran program, pathetic! " reserve your nickname now and get a free unlock " . . . thats how you make money. ok, lets be honest, if we would work for ea we would like the idea, money is always good isnt it :rolleyes: but i hope you know what i mean and ea is extreme when it comes to this

this week they bought dice, dice no longer exists and is EA now.

and guess what EA did right after they bought DICE!? they closed a studio in canada, that studio programmed battlefield vietnam and battlefield 2: special forces
now 28 people are unemployed or have to move somewher else! thats ea politics!

but lets face it. ea are *******s but we will buy their games! and i will too . . . but NOT bf 2142

[MJCfromCT]

For those wondering what the game looks like:

http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/4695/untitled0144218cm3.th.jpg (http://img516.imageshack.us/my.php?image=untitled0144218cm3.jpg)

[Rabbitrunner51]

LOL Thats about the way it looks for me too.. except my refresh screen res. is alot lower.. I take it you like the game OK?? Thoughts?

[MadPistol]

More High-res Screenshot Action!
http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=3626013

Gah! The pic was taken @ 2048x1536 res, but it got downsized. :(

[MJCfromCT]

LOL Thats about the way it looks for me too.. except my refresh screen res. is alot lower.. I take it you like the game OK?? Thoughts?

I'm actually disappointed because it isn't performing as well as BF2 does on my machine...I think there are a lot of graphics performance enchancements that need to be made...I get flawless performance of BF2, and with this, I'm lucky if I can get 25 FPS in the heat of a battle... :(

[_Mystical_Night]

I get flawless performance of BF2, and with this, I'm lucky if I can get 25 FPS in the heat of a battle... :(

ouch with an X1900XT too, one of the fastest cards out now

are you running AA with it ?

[RamonGTP]

I guess it's hit and miss then. I'm running a 1900XTX and have played on 64 player conquest maps as well as 48 player titan maps with very good frame rates. I've forced 1280x1024 resolution and running the maximum settings for everything else including 6xAA and 8xAF

I ran the same settings on a 7600GT except with 4xAA and no AF and got solid performance from that as well.

[Rabbitrunner51]

Don't feel bad MJ.. yu gots a good card.. I took a couple of screenies..but whats the point. Yours look better than mine..,although they never seem to come out as good as in game looks... I get around 15-25 myself .. I OC this card some.. I have it on 425 and 850 bus speeds. I wonder what is the right setup to go with?? In games i usaully just add about 2X AA and AF both and run them at quality settings..

Personally, i don't care much for these kind of graphics anyways.. Just too much brown and orange to get any idea of how the graphics would look.

[MJCfromCT]

Maybe I'll try some different resolutions...I'm running at 1680x1050, with 2xAA. It seems whenever the Titan is moving or whenever there are a lot of particle effects on the screen, my framerate drops a lot. I really wouldn't expect it to, as BF2 runs fine even with tons of action on the screen, and this game is BF2 essentially. :)

[RamonGTP]

Well I can tell you that server side, this game is WAY more demanding than BF2. I was hosting a 64 player BF2 server on an A64 3200+ and CPU usage was between 70-80% when full. Versus 90-100% for a 48 player BF2142 titan mode.

[Rabbitrunner51]

I think with so much grahical stuff encodded in agame like this..,along with the action..and MP involved... it just puts alot of demand on a game.. I also think players should be a bit more relaistic as to how high resolutions can play out.., regardless of how good a video card you have. I did not have any real slowdowns when playing with such a past gen. card as mine. No real artifacting either. For the record i am using the 93.47 drivers.. last out from Nvidia.

I was actually quite surprised on my end at how well it played... compared to BF2. In that game i was like slow mo alot of the time in and out of the game. My card was the obvious culprit there however.

Wonder how this would run and play out with a dual SLI setup?? Like possibly two FX7950's in SLI mode for example.

[MJCfromCT]

I don't think I am being unrealistic. I can play G.R.A.W. at 1680x1050 with every option set as high as possible. This game is nowhere near as graphically intense as G.R.A.W. I should have no problem running it.

[MadPistol]

I have no problems running BF2 on my 6800GT. for that reason alone, a X1900XT and an X2 4600+ should be able to rip through BF2142 like it's nothing.

All of your specs are right. I don't see any reason as to why your computer isn't plowing through this game like it's nothing.

[MJCfromCT]

Hopefully it is something that one of the early patches will take care of, or possibly a driver update from ATi. *crosses fingers*

[RamonGTP]

MJC, have you atleast tried using lower resolutions to see if that speeds things up at all?

[MJCfromCT]

I've tried running at 1280x1024, instead of 1680x1050, and I get roughly the same FPS, which leads me to believe the issue is with the game and not my computer...I've tried various levels of AA and AF as well, but again, no drastic changes or improvements. I get a pretty consistent 50-60FPS when not much is going on, and ~20-30 FPS when there is a lot of action on the screen.

[MadPistol]

Has anyone posted any sorts of problems with the X2 processors? If it's exactly the same from one resolution to another, that tells me that it's a processor problem. Check EA's forums.

[MJCfromCT]

Well, one "problem" is that the game isn't dual core optimized, but that's another story.

BF2 runs fine, yet BF2142 doesn't, at the same settings. Since they are basically the same game, that means they screwed something up (suprise suprise). I guess I'll be waiting for the 1.1 patch and see what that has to offer.

[Rabbitrunner51]

Recently, i downloaded the AMD dual core optimization drivers.. and of course i use a Nvidia card.. but i'm not knowledgeable to know why a card and sytem lke that is not doing better ..,in game. Even at my low FPS, which is constantl;y a bit lower than yours.., the game still seems pretty smoth overall. I go right along flying,riding any vehicles and shooting... Not much slo mo like in BF2 so far.

Possibly, its someting in yourt system running in the background,drawing some graphical CPU or memory?? or the CPU itself??? I wouldn't waste much time worrying about it though, if other games do well... EA is just wierd alot of the time, in the way they make thier games..
Any intensive HL2 game engine runs great for most anybody, and that also includes alot of grahical goings on...

Have you looked up any postings of others with similar specs as yourself for comparisons..?

[MJCfromCT]

Howdy Rabbit,

I've talked to a few people with similar specs, and a few of them are experiencing something similar to me, so I take comfort in that. As for CPU/GPU load, I'm pretty sure that isn't what the problem is here, but it is a good thing to investigate. Like I said, I'll just hope that the big bugs will be ironed out in the 1.1 patch. Right now, I've set just about everything to "Medium" in-game, and that seems to help somewhat with my framerate. :)

[RamonGTP]

Has anyone posted any sorts of problems with the X2 processors? If it's exactly the same from one resolution to another, that tells me that it's a processor problem. Check EA's forums.

Just yesterday I upgraded my single core Opteron 146 @ 2.8GHz to an X2 4400+ @ 2.5GHz but I have not yet played BF2142 on the X2 yet. I probably won't get the chance to mess with it until Friday, but when I do i'll post my results.

MJC, one quick way to determine wether or not you're being CPU limited is to temporarily overclock your processor and see if it speeds things up. I know not everyone likes to OC their CPU, but it may help you pin point the problem.

[MJCfromCT]

Good point, RamonGTP. I've got a decent HSF on my CPU, so I could probably give that a whirl.

[NetFerret]

Is it just me or are any of you guys still a bit annoyed with the way they still havent sorted out a lot of bugs in BF2. I still get several issues with it, even with the 1.4 patch. Fake ping times and also there are times when your teams colour doesnt show and you end up shooting them or on the other end of the spectrum you try to see if they are on your team and then get shot(talk about annoying)

EA are not getting any more cash of me, especially for a partially reworked game.