[Megathread] Battlefield 3

[Deleted]

It's just a pre-load. You can download the game if you pre-ordered but you still can't play it til the 25th. It just lets you play as soon as it releases rather than having to wait for download or getting a physical copy at midnight.

I see, thanks for clearing that up Sleep is saved!

[Sackman]

Yeah someone just has to crack Origin and then they can play all they like =\

Probs already have tbh, why oh why is EA's pathetic ego so big. Steam is 10x better.

---------- Post added 2011-10-18 at 10:10 AM ----------

I'm so friggin excited now, getting my i5 2500k on wednesday then ill pick up my second GTX 580 a few days before launch.

Gonna be EPIC!

Ouch, wish I could afford a second. That being said I might buy one anyway, overdraft ftw.

[Deleted]

Probs already have tbh, why oh why is EA's pathetic ego so big. Steam is 10x better.

Because Steam isn't cracked? <.<

[Sackman]

Because Steam isn't cracked? <.<

Steam is 10x better.

There are cracked versions of steam, which when connecting to real servers - steam very readily bans you. There are cracked versions that connect via their own localhosted steam server, and use a separate browser, and torrented source files, and there are cracked versions that operate explicitly offline, that ghost.

What Steam has that Origin doesn't, is a gigantic community behind it, and VAC2, which at this present day is not cracked to my knowledge. The community is very happy NOT to crack and generally when games are cracked they are cracked in Russia... where no adjective can describe their level of inhospitality to the web community. Steam has a much more accessible interface (hence why Origin tried to copy without being obvious), it has a much more relevant friend and uniform server browser, it has a much more extensible launch engine that allows for extra launch commands. It provides news from multiple sources including the main developer and direct updates for all games from all of its developers - and provides access to non Valve games. It provides help to indie developers with marketing power 100 fold over their own. It has a much larger following and has had many years of experience to iron out initial problems. It encapsulates the ideal and idea of a motivated and functional gaming and web community into one easy to use application. Origin functions right now as a library and online shop, with poor download speeds, arguably confusing interface and a sincere bloated sense of its own ability to succeed.

For clarity, if you re-read what I wrote, "Probs already have tbh, why oh why is EA's pathetic ego so big. Steam is 10x better."

There is a period, between big and Steam. This period separates two sentences/phrases/statements.

They were three separate ideas within my post. Steam being 10x better is the conclusion of my thoughts and feelings towards EA and Origin. It is also my feelings towards Steam, I separated it with a period because it is in reference to Steam more than it is EA and Origin where it has only a secondary implied reference. Whereas the first sentence is in reference to Origin, and EA. "Probs already have tbh," is where I state that Origin is likely already cracked in response to the post I quoted. "why oh why is EA's pathetic ego so big." Is where I ponder why EA has decided to take on Steam instead of using them [Steam].

Hope this helps - I didn't put the punctuation in there for fun.

[Lusitan]

What Steam has that Origin doesn't, is a gigantic community behind it

Steam is on the web for how long? 4/5years now and it was pretty shit when it got released. im not here defending Origins cause the service is pretty abysmal but its new and it will improve.

and when SWTOR releases and it will be required to have Origins to play, the number of user will skyrocket and the service will and must improve.

[Sackman]

Steam is on the web for how long? 4/5years now and it was pretty shit when it got released. im not here defending Origins cause the service is pretty abysmal but its new and it will improve.

and when SWTOR releases and it will be required to have Origins to play, the number of user will skyrocket and the service will and must improve.

Steam was not shit when it started (about 9 years ago btw), Steam was amazing when it started, compared to what was previous. When patches were released for Counter Strike 1.6 back in the day - everyone would be offline for ages, uncommunicable, except for the forums which they lay - segregated from each other. Alongside that, connecting to Counter Strike and hacking/cracking it was not a tough job in the slightest, even skiddies could do it.

Enter Steam, programmed by Valve when companies like Microsoft and Yahoo turned them down, a digital distribution network first envisioned to provide content to their own games, and it worked. It connected everyone into a community, and while there were a few people that made efforts to smudge Steam's reputation, such as the infamous steam installation gif, Steam grew and grew and now has over 35 million active accounts, and at one point had over 4 million concurrent users online. Their server infrastructure can send over 400Gbps, (50GBps approx), required to send the 1,300+ games that are distributed in their network.

Steams server launch was unanticpatedly huge, and as with all launches things grinded to a halt for a while, past that, Steam is flawless by design, with only the occasional hitch now and again - rectified expeditiously. Owning possibly 70% or more of the digital distribution industry for a reason.

Origin, can provide nothing against steam, and is just another rebranding of the EA store, that was useless in the first place, and has far more issues even now.

[Dakia]

Steam is on the web for how long? 4/5years now and it was pretty shit when it got released. im not here defending Origins cause the service is pretty abysmal but its new and it will improve.

and when SWTOR releases and it will be required to have Origins to play, the number of user will skyrocket and the service will and must improve.

The problem with Origin is that is pretty much just a(nother) repackaging of GFWL.

[Sackman]

The problem with Origin is that is pretty much just a(nother) repackaging of GFWL.

Wrong company, its a repackage of EA store, EA link, EA accounts.

And the main problem is this one as outlined in their EULA - copied from Wiki for ease of reading:

Sharing Of Personal Information

EA's Origin has recently come under criticism for deciding to share any and all available information they collect from your PC to third party vendors, as long as you agree to install their application. The two specific sections of the EULA drawing criticism were sections 2 and 3.

Section 2 was interpreted to grant EA the right to log data on application usage, IP addresses, operating system usage, installation and removal of software, and usage of software and peripheral hardware.

Section 3 stated that using the software allowed them to monitor your activity: “EA reserves the right to monitor communications on the Application and disclose any information EA deems necessary to (i) ensure your compliance with this License; (ii) satisfy any applicable law, regulation or legal process; (iii) protect the rights, property and interests of EA, its employees or the public. EA also reserves the right to edit, refuse to transfer and/or to remove any information or materials, in whole or in part, in EA’s sole discretion.”

On August 24 2011, EA revised its End User License Agreement, removing several of the controversial sections. They released a statement saying that they had no intention to sell marketing data to third parties, nor install software akin to spyware on its customers PCs. The specific changes to the EULA removed EA's right to transfer collected personally identifiable data to third party users. However, Origin's EULA states that if there is a conflict with EA's Privacy Policy, the terms of the Privacy Policy shall control. EA's Privacy Policy gives EA rights to share anonymous non personal information with third parties.

[Dakia]

Wrong company, its a repackage of EA store, EA link, EA accounts.

Bah, I knew I needed another cup of coffee this morning. Oh well, only a few more days!

[Deleted]

VAC2, which at this present day is not cracked to my knowledge.

For clarity, if you re-read what I wrote, "Probs already have tbh, why oh why is EA's pathetic ego so big. Steam is 10x better."

There is a period, between big and Steam. This period separates two sentences/phrases/statements.

VAC2 wouldn't be cracked as it is hack detection tool. There are memory injections that are made to get around it, and they get updated constantly to get around the updates. Heck, even some hacks get round it in more ingenious ways than memory injections.


With regards to your sentence(s), what you are quouting is a guy talking about Origin being cracked. You state that it already has which leads onto EA's big ego. The only thing that 'Steam is 10x better' can possibly be about with what you are quoting and what you said prior, is Origin probably being cracked already.


Also Origin is not perfect, I accept that, but Steam isn't '10x better'. An example you have is about privacy with Origin. Let me link you the Valve privacy policy that Steam references in it's EULA: http://www.valvesoftware.com/privacy.html


Nice quote here for you:

Valve may allow third parties performing services under contract with Valve to access stored information but such access shall only be to the extent necessary to provide those services. In those instances, the third party will be bound by the terms of this privacy policy. In some situations, personally identifiable information you input in connection with Steam may be made available to other users of Steam. For example, during registration of Steam, Valve collects a user's email address and nickname, and at the user's option, first and last name. Some of this information is searchable and available to other users within Steam. Valve has no obligation to keep the privacy of personally identifiable information that a user makes available to other users via Steam or other Valve software, such as in multiplayer or other public functions.

Basically we like steam because we are tied down into (all our games are there), it is convenient and it has awesome offers. If Origin has a better deal, I will get it from Origin. If GOG has a better deal, I will go to GOG.

And yes steam was crap when it first started. It was just better than the way Valve previously updated their games prior (which was even crapper).

[Sackman]

VAC2 wouldn't be cracked as it is hack detection tool. There are memory injections that are made to get around it, and they get updated constantly to get around the updates. Heck, even some hacks get round it in more ingenious ways than memory injections.


With regards to your sentence(s), what you are quouting is a guy talking about Origin being cracked. You state that it already has which leads onto EA's big ego. The only thing that 'Steam is 10x better' can possibly be about with what you are quoting and what you said prior, is Origin probably being cracked already.


Also Origin is not perfect, I accept that, but Steam isn't '10x better'. An example you have is about privacy with Origin. Let me link you the Valve privacy policy that Steam references in it's EULA: http://www.valvesoftware.com/privacy.html


Nice quote here for you:



Basically we like steam because we are tied down into (all our games are there), it is convenient and it has awesome offers. If Origin has a better deal, I will get it from Origin. If GOG has a better deal, I will go to GOG.

And yes steam was crap when it first started. It was just better than the way Valve previously updated their games prior (which was even crapper).

No it isn't, the period shows that it is a separate statement, and following the progression of my post you could discern that I was providing bad press for something that I myself, and the 4 or 5 local friends that have used it alongside me, have had a lot of hassle using. I dislike Origin, especially when there is much much better out there, and Origin is an attempt by a greedy company to "force" people to buy its products through a much shoddier service - and a service that bloats our computers further.

The quote you linked shows that Valve's privacy policy is fair, user controlled and that the policy states that information is gathered only when required for the service being operated.

Steam wasn't crap, it was not as good as it is now, in hindsight, but there were no better methods.

The way most games updated were that you had to realise you didn't have the latest version, then go to the official site - and find the file and download it through the browser, then update the game using a binary or patcher.

Saying that Steam had a natural progression of improvement (and one that actually was ahead of its competitors in digital distribution industry considering scale), is one thing, where by it has improved exponentially over time. But comparing now to then and saying it's crap is another, and is wrong.

Origin better now than steam was back then? I should hope so, all they have to do is copy Steam. But Origin starting now is not the start of Origin at all, it's been through many iterations of the EA store. With many criticisms for such.


Eitherway, you are welcome to interpret either as you wish, I have backed up my opinion with data and personal experience (which to me is emperical and as one poster here has already shown for them too), but we are digressing, let's keep this topic about BF3, rather than Origin vs Steam.

[Mega Gengar]

Not sure if anyone posted this: http://blogs.battlefield.ea.com/batt...you-fired.aspx

It's some stats from the beta

[Dakia]

Not sure if anyone posted this: http://blogs.battlefield.ea.com/batt...you-fired.aspx

It's some stats from the beta

I kind of chuckled at the comparatively low number of MCOMs actually captured.

[K1boRG]

can someone help me out? where should I purchase preorder? AMAZON UK, GameStop or Origin? who has more features included for preorder stuff?

[Dtloweca]

can someone help me out? where should I purchase preorder? AMAZON UK, GameStop or Origin? who has more features included for preorder stuff?

Preordering from dif vendors give dif things so the choice is really yours just do some trolling on the internet and see which one gives you what you like best

[Deleted]

can someone help me out? where should I purchase preorder? AMAZON UK, GameStop or Origin? who has more features included for preorder stuff?

Amazon has quite a nice deal iirc, and if you are looking into digital retailers Gamersgate has BF3+Karakand expansion on preorder for 35 pounds.

[K1boRG]

idk people keep talking about these dog tags and some warfare xpacs, cant find any for UK

[Dakia]

idk people keep talking about these dog tags and some warfare xpacs, cant find any for UK

TBH, they are completely unnecessary. As long as you have Karkand, you're good.

[Migey]

Whats Karkand? And is it really worth paying extra to get?

[Torched]

Whats Karkand? And is it really worth paying extra to get?

Return to Karkand is a 4 map pack, you get it for free if you pre order Bf3. It will be released sometime in Dec.
The 4 maps are old maps from Bf2 and Bf1942 (Wake Island)