SW: Battlefront (X-Box) Impressions...

Teal · Post by **Teal** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 8:05 am

Spook:
You are the Battlefront prophet, my friend. This game is just so cool on so many levels. Jumping into online with people I know just sent it over the top. With the exception of Kashyyk, it played beautifully. ( Man, I got a lot of lag on that level!)
I've gotta agree, sean, the offline has been underrated by the reviewers. I set to hard last night, and got my tail kicked several times.

The wife and kids and I are gonna be watching the Trilogy this weekend, so I'm guessing the game is just going to get nothing but better after that...

mixdj1 · Post by **mixdj1** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 8:28 am

Yeah, last night was a ton of fun. I had the same experience on Kashyyk so I don't know if it was that map or just a temporary internet burp. And it did improve some as the round went on.

I also think the AI issue has been overblown. I'm playing through the single player game on hard and am losing a fair share of battles. I think most of the people complaining are used to the AI in something like RS or SC where the computer only has to manage 3 - 4 enemies at a time. Considering the game is running 16 or more bots at one time I think it does pretty damn good. But I also use the bot commands a ton too. Even in Live play you'll rarely see me running around with fewer than 2 or 3 AI bots backing me up.

mixdj1

Sully · Post by **Sully** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 8:39 am

I'm picking it up either today or tomorrow at lunch. Hopefully, we can get some guys together this weekend to play.

webdanzer · Post by **webdanzer** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 8:51 am

mixdj1 wrote:I think most of the people complaining are used to the AI in something like RS or SC where the computer only has to manage 3 - 4 enemies at a time. Considering the game is running 16 or more bots at one time I think it does pretty damn good.

Not me. Unreal tournament consistently runs many bots that do a better job then Battlefront. Almost all the pc games, Call of Duty, Far Cry, etc.

The real problem is not necessarily the AI of the grunt soldier, though, because they do tend to blend in...and they will guard and hold positions well enough. Where you really notice the AI problem is in the 'heroes' and vehicles. The Darth Vaders and Lukes et al,while mowing down lots of bots, don't really move with any purpose. The AI controlled vehicles are even worse...have you ever seen them doing anything worthwhile? AT-STs, tanks, fighters, whathave you, if it is an AI controlling it it just kinda ambles around the battlefield. Maybe It's just me, but as a rebel when I see the AT-STs marching toward the base on Yavin, I want to be afraid a little bit...either for my life or over the fact that they're a danger to my base. Nope. You can pretty much ignore them. They're mostly harmless.

I hate to sound like I'm crapping on the game, because I like it and had fun with it on live yesterday, but I really can't think of a shooter like this -yes, even with lots of bots- that has worse AI.

I liked Brute Force too, seanmac! We must have been the only two...

Murph · Post by **Murph** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 9:00 am

This morning, I feel ashamed. I killed many an Ewok last night. Those soft, cuddly little creatures...

Oh well. Tonight, I shall kill many more!

Great games last night, guys.

Spooky · Post by **Spooky** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 9:49 am

You know what it is about this game, it's the maps!

The freakin' maps are just SO awesome. I mean, Kamino, come on! Rushing those platforms while tons of clones are running and gunning at you. Too cool!

I am so ready to play more tonight. You know what would rule...? A night of this and then capping it off with some BO:3. Now that's some online gaming.

mixdj1 · Post by **mixdj1** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 9:54 am

Count me in.

mixdj1

Zeppo · Post by **Zeppo** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 10:01 am

I had a lot of fun last night too. But I have to say, the lack of a lobby is nuts! It asks me to choose what side I want, but I can't see what side anyone else is on. I think the first game we played last night, web myself and spooky were all on the same team, playing against all bots. That's nothing short of lame.

On that super-laggy level, I think we had 9 or 10 guys in the game. I had hoped that with this game supporting 24 max, maybe an average hoster could hold 16, but it doesn't look like it from last night. With 8 it seemed pretty smooth to me, although I did have difficlty sniping things that were waaay far away.

All that stuff aside, I really had fun last night. It is chaotic to me still, I am lost half the time. I try to get bots to 'follow me' but I can't tell if they're responding or not. I think i will get more used to that, though. And heck, it took me like 5 levels to figure out that the med-bots were med-bots! So I've got a ways to go.

I found the flying vehicles to be little more than useless. The maps are pretty small from that perspective, and I didn't know whether to be dogfighting or strafing. I stuck to strafing. The AT-STs, though, are tons of fun. They are so clunky and difficult to maneuver, but can be very powerful. And I love how 2 guys can be in a lot of the vehicles. I was a gunner in an AT-ST piloted by Spooky for a while, and it was pretty fun.

Also, there's not much better than being a Droideka!

So far, I'm frustrated but mostly in a good way, that is, I need to learn the maps better, I need to learn the different classes and their weapons, I need to use the bots better, and so on. So all that just makes me want to play it more- that's a good kind of game frustration!

Maybe next time we should switch the team choice option off, and let the game distribute the players evenly. I hate checking the players list and seeing that it's four on 2 or something. Although, it's chaotic and broad enough that I wouldn't be able to tell without checking the players list!

Zeppo · Post by **Zeppo** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 10:04 am

I should also mention that the voice comm issues are bugging me a lot. Seems like it only works some 30% of the time. If that could get ironed out, then I think I would have a ton more fun. When we could communicate, it felt a lot more like teamwork. Otherwise, I sort of randomly would run into another human teammate and try to stick together.

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 10:08 am

This game is truly everything I hoped it would be. I joined right at the tail end of the last battle you guys fought last night so I missed out on a lot of the fun with you guys. I will definitely be on this weekend and hope to hook up with you guys.

Teal · Post by **Teal** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 10:17 am

"Also, there's not much better than being a Droideka!"

Especially when you consistently cap some poor shmuck clone trooper named tealboy3...

you were ON me, dude!

I'll be on tonight for some SW and BO3...

mixdj1 · Post by **mixdj1** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 10:25 am

Zeppo wrote:I had a lot of fun last night too. But I have to say, the lack of a lobby is nuts! It asks me to choose what side I want, but I can't see what side anyone else is on.

If you hit the start button at the "Choose your side" screen you can view a list of the players and it will show you which side everyone is on at that moment. Not a lobby but it gets the job done. I think based on what I saw that it tries to split the human players evenly if you take the side it defaults to when the "Choose your side" screen pops up.

mixdj1

Spooky · Post by **Spooky** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 10:36 am

Great points Zeppo!

I think you are absolutely right about turning off the player choosing side option. That will make a difference in a good way. Too bad there seems like no way to change that once the game is launched short of starting a whole new session. Yeah, the online options and interface with no lobby kind of suck, BUT, is also nice in a simplistic kind of ‘keep the game moving’ and ‘don’t let anyone stick just to one side or team the whole night’ way. IT mixes it up and keeps things at a fast pace. It is more arcadey that way.

The other things as far as control, use of vehicles, strategy, ect. Are getting much more clear to me every game. I probably had about 4 ½ hours head start on this game than you and for my first night of gaming I was lost! I was just enjoying the presentation. Last night (my 3rd night of playing it) it starting clicking and made it even more enjoyable and I know you’ll get there too!

Sh*t, I didn’t even know there were med bots until I just read your post!?!?! Hell, I couldn’t even figure out wheat the hell the little canisters were that were left behind when a player died until about 2 hours into it last night (they are health and ammo, DUH!). The manual is pretty lame.

One thing I am undecided on is the ‘Hero’s’. Are they cool? I like having Darth Vader or Mace Windu running around making things a bit more difficult. Plus it just looks cool and adds to the overall SW theme. I can tell that they are not the smartest, but they still will f*ck you up if you get too close and add an element of panic. I can see others thinking they are useless though.

I am curious to see if we can get an 8 on 8 game going with someone that has a decent connection. I think a slightly better than average connection should be able to do a 6 on 6 without too much lag.

Zeppo · Post by **Zeppo** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 11:27 am

tealboy03 wrote:"Also, there's not much better than being a Droideka!"

Especially when you consistently cap some poor shmuck clone trooper named tealboy3... you were ON me, dude!

I'll be on tonight for some SW and BO3...

LOL!! I think I only killed you twice, but those things are monsters. The planet of the cloners, the one in the rain, web and spooky both were droidekas up at the top of the ramps there at one stage, and that was pretty intimidating stuff. Just as I could peek over the crest, one or the other would start turning in my direction. . . . Something about those things with a height advantage makes them pretty tough. Of course, then I switched to a heavy-weapons dude and spanked 'em but good with the ol' grenade launcher!! Fun stuff!!

And spooky, mix's info on the choose-a-side stuff is new to me. Maybe we should try it that way again, now that I know you can find that info (and that the default selection is set to even the teams), I think it will be better. Although I personally don't mind being randomly put on one side or the other, both sides in both 'eras' are pretty fun.

I am of 2 minds on the Jedis. They aren't smart, but they are so damn powerful, very intimidating. Since they're impossible to kill, my rection is to run away! But it's pretty frustrating when they are hanging around the command post you are trying to get. Actually, it's more frustrating when they are right there in your face when you spawn! OUCH! I guess I could go either way. I do think Dooku looks funny, in a good way!! That old mug!! Hey! It's Saruman!

webdanzer · Post by **webdanzer** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 11:34 am

Zeppo wrote: web and spooky both were droidekas up at the top of the ramps there at one stage, and that was pretty intimidating stuff. Just as I could peek over the crest, one or the other would start turning in my direction. . . . Something about those things with a height advantage makes them pretty tough. Of course, then I switched to a heavy-weapons dude and spanked 'em but good with the ol' grenade launcher!! Fun stuff!!

Yeah, that was a memorable showdown! I really like the way you guys regrouped and came at us with organized heavy firepower. Good Job! Thankfully (for us) we had stalled you just enough.

I also think turning off the team select is a good idea, providing that it is indeed random and you don't end up stuck on Rebel or Imperial through several maps...

Spooky · Post by **Spooky** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 11:47 am

webdanzer wrote:
Zeppo wrote: web and spooky both were droidekas up at the top of the ramps there at one stage, and that was pretty intimidating stuff. Just as I could peek over the crest, one or the other would start turning in my direction. . . . Something about those things with a height advantage makes them pretty tough. Of course, then I switched to a heavy-weapons dude and spanked 'em but good with the ol' grenade launcher!! Fun stuff!!
Yeah, that was a memorable showdown! I really like the way you guys regrouped and came at us with organized heavy firepower. Good Job! Thankfully (for us) we had stalled you just enough.

I also think turning off the team select is a good idea, providing that it is indeed random and you don't end up stuck on Rebel or Imperial through several maps...

Yeah! That was awesome!!! It was a HUGE standoff with you guys eventually taking us out so then we went around the back way. I remember rolling up the back side of the ramp to one of those landings and seeing Zepp and Mix there just kind of waiting, facing the other way. Needless to say I took full advantage of that.

mixdj1 · Post by **mixdj1** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 11:53 am

I'm all for the random team placement. Here's the reason:

I'm at the Choose a Side menu. I hit pause and bring up the player list. I see Zeppo is on the Republic team so I decide to switch to team with him. At the same time Zeppo is in the menu and he sees that I'm currently on the Droid Army side and decides to switch to join me. Now multiply that by all the people in the game. Who knows how people are going to end up grouped.

The way we handled issues like this at the LANs I used to host was to pick teams that we always stayed on (guys on this side of the room are always axis, guys on that side are always allies). But that does take away from the variety. I think random would be best.

mixdj1

Spooky · Post by **Spooky** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 12:00 pm

Yeah, random seems fine to me too since either side is a blast to play.

bkrich83 · Post by **bkrich83** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 12:55 pm

I picked up the game, hopped on with you guys for a bit, still don't know what the hell I am doing completely, but the game is an absolute blast so far. Sort of BF1942 meets Star Wars.

I'll be on tonight if anyone else is gonna play.

mgoblue · Post by **mgoblue** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 3:42 pm

I picked this up as well, so I should be ready to die often (hopefully with honor) tonight

marino · Post by **marino** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 3:54 pm

I will be on tonight too.

bphilipb · Post by **bphilipb** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 4:07 pm

I will be on tonight. Maybe this will be the new Ghost Recon for Poker Night. At least for a little while.

Gamertag: bubbaball

Murph · Post by **Murph** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 4:07 pm

Ditto. I'll be on tonight as well. I'll be in the 1-player game for a bit if someone wants to throw me an invite. That's another 'plus' that no one has mentioned yet: This game is 'Live Aware'.

XBL: Murph1

marino · Post by **marino** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 8:56 am

WOW.

What a blast last night.Those last couple battles were intense and no lag at all.The voice problems and interface were annoying but not at all damaging to my enjoyment of the game.We all just kept saying one more game and bam it was 1am.

Im up for more tonight.

Sully · Post by **Sully** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 8:57 am

marino wrote:WOW.

What a blast last night.Those last couple battles were intense and no lag at all.The voice problems and interface were annoying but not at all damaging to my enjoyment of the game.We all just kept saying one more game and bam is was 1am.

Im up for more tonight.

I have it also. I wasn't able to join you guys last night, but would love to tonight.