BF1942 with BFV Graphics

[Ryan101st]

If you have been wondering what BF1942 would look like if it's graphics matched the quality of those in Battlefield Vietnam, your wait is almost over. EA has recently announced that it has been working on a WWII mod for Battlefield Vietnam. This mod will take the empty landscape of the BF1942 maps and transform them into thick, heavily vegetated jungles. So far the maps known to be included in the first version of this mod are Wake Island, Iwo Jima, and Invasion of the Philippines.


Below I posted some before and after screenshots of maps to be included.



Wake Island Before:

[Ryan101st]

Wake Island After

[Ryan101st]

Iwo Jima Before

[Ryan101st]

Iwo Jima After

[gobeavs]

Links?

[Ryan101st]

http://www.eagames.com/official/battlefield/vietnam/us/editorial.jsp?src=community_update_14


Forgot about that, sorry.

[Overseer]

That's awesome!

[Patrocles]

the "after" shots look very nice!

Did EA fix the "no vegetation" bug? The bug where the vegetation disappears to long-distance spotting (think snipers). So a player if hiding in vegetation he will not be spotted if the enemy is close due to the dense foilage. However, to an enemy sniper far away there is no vegetation and the "hiding" player will be clearly visible.

[Ryan101st]

Here is a full list of features:

World War II Mod Features:
-Three Pacific Theatre maps: Iwo Jima, Wake Island and Invasion of the Philippines.

-Improved player customization using the Battlefield Vietnam-style kit, body and head selection interface.

-Flamethrower kits can be picked up by any soldier and used to wreak havoc on bunkers and exposed infantry.

-All Battlefield weapons and vehicles from the Pacific Theatre have been rebuilt to take advantage of the Battlefield Vietnam engine.

-New animations for all kit weapons, to bring them up to the standards set with the Vietnam-era weapons in BFV.

-Battlefield Vietnam gameplay tweaks: 3D Map, capture timer, and use of kit weapons from open positions. World War II Mod

Go to http://www.eagames.com/official/battlefield/vietnam/us/editorial.jsp?src=ww2mod to view more before and after screenshots.

[scuud]

Will this mod be free?

[Ryan101st]

Originally posted by scuud
Will this mod be free?

Yes

[Ryan101st]

8/19/04 - WWII Mod Q&A

Q: Why did you decide to create this Mod?
A: EA approached us with the idea, and DICE agreed that bringing some Battlefield 1942 (BF1942)content up to par with Battlefield Vietnam (BFV) would be a great way to show the modding community just how powerful the BFV engine is. After realizing the kind of impact the overgrowth system in BFV had on the gameplay, everyone in the studio began imagining how cool some of the original BF1942 levels would look and play. The Pacific maps really show off the improvements in visual quality and level design potential that the new rendering engine and overgrowth systems provide.

Q: How soon after release of BFV did work begin?
A: Work began on the WWII Mod in early April of '04, so less than a month after BFV launched.

Q: What do you think the BFV engine brings to the classic BF1942 maps you’re including?
A: Well, the rendering engine allowed us to create some beautiful new vehicle, weapon, and soldier textures, making the battlefield really come alive. But the biggest impact here has got to be the overgrowth system. The grass and trees make for a much more immersive experience, but they also have a big impact on the gameplay. There's a lot more cover for infantry, making it really dangerous for armoured vehicles to go off-roading. You never know when a landmine is hiding in the bush! The trees not only give extra cover during infantry fire fights, but they give the ground pounders a little more protection against aircraft fire. In BFV, you have essentially 8 different kits to choose from, compared to only 5 in BF1942. We have created an interesting mix of kits that should really expand on the core BF1942 balance without stretching it too much. For instance, we’ve added the mortar to a kit, which really opens up a ton of new strategies on the Pacific maps. And of course, adding armed passengers to vehicles like the jeeps, landing craft, and PT boat rafts makes these vehicles much more fun to use. The radios blasting out the BF1942 themes we’ve all come to love is a really fun addition!

Q: Tell us a little about the flamethrower. Which class can use this? Just how devastating is it in combat?
A: The flamethrower kit is a spawned object that can be picked up and used by any soldier, just like the jet pack in Secret Weapons of WWII. The flamethrower is devastating in close combat, but its range is also the main weakness. It’s the perfect weapon for clearing houses and bunkers, but not the best choice when out in the open. Any object the flame touches will burn for several seconds, making it useful for sealing the entrances and exits from key locations.

Do you have a planned date for the release of the Mod?
A: You bet we do! Check this web space tomorrow morning (8/20/04) and you'll be able to download it

Additional Info on the Mod (tips & hints)

Mortars
Just as they were important tools in BFV, mortars are just as deadly in the WWII Mod. Have a spotter give you a target (which is available via binoculars for assault and sniper classes), and hold back enemy advances. An example of this is holding the enemy down with mortars as they try to make their way down Iwo Jima’s Mount Suribayachi or across its Landing Beach.

Flamethrowers
These add a new dynamic to CP defense. A soldier can hide near the flag next to an ammo crate (like in a nearby house), and put down some good defense…via continual flaming of the flag (to avoid enemy capture). This can work against this tactic however, since flames do indeed travel through walls. Knowing this, an enemy flame throwing soldier can douse this building’s exterior and eliminate this particular defender. Flamethrowers must be used with caution. Their range is short and can easily kill fellow teammates if they are nearby your targeted area.

WWII Mod
The WWII Mod uses physics from BFV. With that, the Japanese Panzershrek and US Bazooka share splash physics with BFV’s RPG and LAW. Panzershrek and Bazooka can be shot at your enemies feet and send them flying in the air.

WWII Mod allows players to listen to classic BF1942 music in their vehicle via radio (or listen to their mp3’s). Knowing this, enemies can also hear this music. Avoid using radio upon stealth approaches in order to avoid giving your position away.

The WWII Mod bots react just as they did in BFV. Players have the ability to request bots to follow them, cover them, among other things.

All the classic stunts from BF1942 return (some of which were difficult to do in BFV). WWII Mod players can wing walk across plane wings, ride atop the hoods/roofs of vehicles, and pack TNT in the back of the Black Medal jeep for kamikaze approaches.

Landmines
BFV’s landmines would explode the moment they were placed on vehicles. In the WWII Mod, this has been changed as they didn’t do this in BF1942. You can once again booby trap vehicles as you did in BF1942…by placing mines on them.

Medic
The medic indicator function has returned, for players who missed out in BFV (only was available for BFV’s Special Forces team). Medic classes in the WWII Mod will see health number indicators above teammate nametags. If enabled on the server, soldier will get warnings on their minimap (and via voice over warning) indicating enemy flag capture attempts, just like BFV. This feature can be turned off on the server to get a true BF1942 emulation (not getting a warning when an enemy is trying to attack your flag).

Seeing as the medic class has a highly inaccurate weapon, and the Type 5/M1 Garand are slow firing…the work horse kit for your team will be the BAR and Type 99. These guns have decent range and aim when your soldier is stationary, and cause most damage to the enemy.

3D Map
The 3d map. This feature returns from BFV, and is helpful to see any kinds of traps to avoid that are set by your teammates. Make sure to enable this to avoid running over your teammate’s mines or TNT.

Vehicle
The jeeps (Black Medal and Willy) and transport boats (Daihatsu, Higgins, and US/Japanese life rafts) now include exposed passenger positions. In this case, its seat #2 for the Black Medal/Willy, seat #2 for the life rafts (which spawn upon sinking of the PT boats in Invasion of the Philippines), and seats #4 and #6 for the Daihatsu/Higgins. Soldiers sitting in these seats can repair them (via wrench), or put down cover fire (via BAR/Type 99) while the vehicle is moving.