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Battlefield 4
Vehicular combat has been one of the things that sets the Battlefield series apart from its contemporaries. A new developer blog post outlines some of the major changes that players encounter when they take a ride in Battlefield 4.
According to Patrick O'Shaughnessy, the game's senior vehicles designer, special attention has been paid to the naval warfare. As he explains in the post, naval combat is fundamentally different from the rest of the game. For one, it can be difficult to get other players into naval units. People have a tendency to get inside a vehicle and stay inside; they don't often swim around in open water hoping for a ride. To help solve the problem, the team leaned on the game's transport helicopters. The vehicles act as spawn points, and players can easily leave (thanks to parachutes) if they realize the pilot isn't going where they need to be.
The post also delves into changes in vehicle customization. Unlike in Battlefield 3, optics and countermeasure unlocks are in their own slots. O'Shaughnessy says that should encourage players to use both, instead of relying on countermeasure protections as a default means of survival. Other topics include tweaks to the way vehicles are disabled and how combat-oriented tanks are now vulnerable to attacks from above.
It's a long read, but well worth the time for Battlefield 4 gearheads. For more details on the game's multiplayer kits, read our earlier preview on the game.
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