Battlefield 4 Dragon's Teeth expansion includes ballistic shield

[Sledgstone 8,672]

An EA DICE animator revealed that the new Battlefield 4 expansion pack "Dragon's Teeth" will include a two handed ballistic shield. DICE was going to make the shield one handed and work in conjunction with a hand pistol, but limitations on the older gen systems made it impossible across all platforms. Because this game is on the PS3 and Xbox 360, all versions of BF4 will be limited to weapon and gadget functionality based on what those systems can handle.

"We didn't have enough memory," Duffin said. "It added about a megabyte, but a megabyte on a 2006 console is a lot, so it didn't work out."

After working through three approaches, the team started looking at the possibility of having a shield that would be wielded with two hands, making it impossible to use a handgun at the same time. While a gun can't be wielded at the same time, players will be able to melee with the shield with an attack range of about one meter.

"There was a lot of resistance at first," he said. "But the more we assessed it, the more we realized it was a better feature."

Its a shame they released this game on the older consoles. Now we'll have a Call of Duty style shield instead of something unique to Battlefield. Although, this shield when used by a couple squad mates at the same time could really change Operation Metro and Operation Locker matches, assuming an M320 LVG grenade could bounce off the shield.

Source: Polygon

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[DeathscytheX 9,732]

Its really sad, I read Titanfall wont even run in 720p and struggle to maintain 30fps. I can only wonder how this might limit Destiny... I hope they don't take this route that just becasue it doesn't work on older consoles, new consoles get left out.

[Sledgstone 8,672]

I bet the PC elitists are even more annoyed. They can run BF4 in 2280p or some craziness but they can't have a gun / shield combo because it can't work on a 2006 console.

 

I really hope Bungie doesn't dumb down Destiny's features because of this same issue.

[Strider Hiryu 2,704]

Meh, I guess I understand in all fairness why they're doing it this way but honestly this game shouldn't of come out on the 360/PS3. These limitations should of been known prior to making the game for the older generation which should of been a flag not to do so. /sigh, the almighty dollar makes developers make stupid decisions.

 

I highly doubt Bungie will limit Destiny but thats only speculation. This is their first multi-platform title and their first multi-generation title, who knows what will happen.

 

On the topic at hand I'm happy to see a riot shield coming into play. If it's anything like the MW2 shield I'll be more then happy to be the damage sponge for any squad. The shield was so broken in MW2 it wasn't even funny, I went up 12 levels in a single match by just being the target dummy. I'd assume the M320 LVG grenade would bounce off, they bounce off of everything else (god I hate those damn things).

Edited March 19, 2014 by Strider Hiryu

[Sledgstone 8,672]

Did you get points for blocking bullets? Or did you only get points for kills with shield bashing? Getting points for blocking bullets would definitely inspire more people to be a shield man.

[Strider Hiryu 2,704]

I don't know the exact numbers but every few seconds of fire you took you got 5 xp, which if you can manage not to die for awhile you can wrack up a huge amount of xp. The best way to do it in MW2 was to hope an enemy spawned a sentry turret. Since that thing lasted till destroyed you could stand in front of it all day and wrack up series amounts of xp (it's how I got those 12 levels). As you got higher the rewards diminished as the xp needed to level increased but it was the easiest way to get from 1-12 or even 1-20 in a very short amount of time.

 

Highly doubt BF4's will work the same way, especially since combat also includes vehicles which will decimate a poor guy trying to protect themselves with a shield. Maps like Metro and Locker would be ideal for the type of tactic listed above but I highly doubt Dice will introduce something so broken into their otherwise pretty solid game. Would give people to much of an edge in the earlier levels to gain required xp. However, I only see that working in a TD scenario as Conquest would be rather difficult to find a place to gain xp especially since Conquest matches are always on the move and you're never staying in once place long enough to take advantage of an xp gain like that (though as I said Metro and Locker would be the exceptions since matches always bottleneck at the same locations).

[Sledgstone 8,672]

 

OMG.. An EOD bot with a machine gun and grenade launcher. That MAARS was a beast in the Medal of Honor Warfighter game.. this thing could be overkill. I will love using this bot.

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

The SIG MPX looks like it has zero muzzle drift or rise with its minor recoil. the Desert Eagle looks beast. The MacMillian bolt pull is super fast.. I wonder what the specs on it are. I think the MAARS is going to get some serious nerfing soon after it starts. Its armor will probably be lowered. It will thrive in Metro and Locker.

[Sledgstone 8,672]

That bot would completely change metro and locker. And if it resupplies as fast as the eod bot, then there could be endless waves of them.

[Strider Hiryu 2,704]

God I'm going to hate Metro and Locker after this is released because the MAARS is going to be a huge pain in the ass and you know everyone is going to use the damn thing. I'm really going to like the new guns.

[Sledgstone 8,672]

The MAARS / RAWR battle bot is going to be a battle pick up only in the dragons teeth maps and will not be an equipable gadget. I guess we won't have to worry about it getting nerfed for metro.

http://www.battlefield.com/battlefield-4/expansion-packs/dragons-teeth

[Strider Hiryu 2,704]

So if the leak is true apparently this is releasing on the 15th of this month. Am I the only one thinking this is a bad move since the Destiny beta starts up for PS3/4 users on the 17th and the 360/One users a few days after? I know they have a huge fan base for this game but honestly do you think those of us in the Destiny beta are going to drop that to come play a DLC that I honestly think should of been released last month.

[Sledgstone 8,672]

I agree with that statement. Honestly, I'll be playing the Destiny Beta. Every time we get a BF4 DLC 2 weeks early with premium, its almost always runs like garbage anyway. We'd mostly be beta testing that DLC anyway. I'd rather beta test Destiny. I'm definitely looking forward to playing the new Dragons Teeth maps, but I'll wait a week or so later after DICE releases another patch. I say this, because Naval Strike was unplayable except for domination in that first couple weeks of premium early access.

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

It's going to be hard to compete with Destiny on any level. I don't think there is a major release in September outside of it. Have you seen how many games come out in October? I doubt that's a coincidence.

[Sledgstone 8,672]

I noticed that too. I doubt any developer wants to release their game in the same month as Destiny.

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

I'm hoping Destiny does a living world event the week COD:AV comes out.

[Sledgstone 8,672]

Looks like DICE was celebrating the fourth of July on their public test server yesterday. Pretty cool fireworks.