DICE Response To Critics - The Campaign Is Training Ground For Multiplayer

Obviously, the multiplayer component of Battlefield 3 is the main reason the majority on gamers are picking up this title. DICE responds to single-player critics.

[gamer234]

they should have focused only on multiplayer, just like what rockstar does wit single player

[ATi_Elite]

Sorry but Battlefield is not a single player game. It never really had a single player component. Since 1942 BF has always been about online MP!

BF is not Half Life, Killzone, or Halo. Those are games that we expect a brilliant SP campaign and story along with a great MP.

Now Call of Duty at first had a very rich and robust single player experience but now it has made a transition to being all about the MP.

Single player is not dead.....Uncharted, Half Life, STALKER, Bioshock, Deus Ex etc. are all great SP Games. It's just that some people just do not recognize the difference in games and want to "lump" everything together.

"First Person, Guns, health paks, = instant comparison to almost any game ever

[DasBunker]

agreed.. but still they showed the SP too much.. like it was some amazing feature and something worth getting the game for..

[Grandclover]

Everyone gets games for different reasons, so great opinions but i agree with DICE. I have always played a single campaign and treated as just that "training". I am also not the only one who realizes the game is going to look 3X better on a single campaign then in MP right? From the 3 or 4 missions i have been on i am blown away by the graphics and the realism of the soilders, how they talk to eachother, how they move, just everything. I could care less about the story. There all the same by now, if its been thought about in military shooter it has been done but how they go about doing the single player is a hole different story and BF3 knocks it out of the park with great gameplay with amazing graphics along with predetermend theater (Buildings collapsing stuff like that). If you didn't play the campign your seriously missing out, again not because of the story but because of how they did it. After i finish it i will be a MP player from that point on but i will not easly forget what these eyes have seen and just the awww of wow, this is the best looking game i have seen to date.

[PRHB HYBRiiD]

but it SHOULD be a single player game also it has the potential of being a great single player they just need to come with a fresh story and good characters these russian/iraq/nukes/terrorists stories are getting old imo

[zeeshan]

No it's not. I highly disagree with this PR bullshit. Can I fly a plane? Can I fly a chopper in SP?

[Autodidactdystopia]

I dont give a S$%T I liked the campaign A-Lot

hate more if it makes you happy.

I dont know about you but when i bought the game i got BOTH single player and Multiplayer. they BOTH came with the game and if you don't like it don't play it.

[SilentNegotiator]

They marketed the crap out of the single player. BF3 should still be reviewed with the campaign in mind, especially with the perspective that they could have used those resources to make a more robust MP (Not to mention, they have paid DLC on the way, "year round").

This isn't valve we're talking about.....EA isn't going to give away big expansions to the multiplayer without you coughing up (probably) $15. It's your basic MP. I mean, 9 maps and 5 modes? For a game that's "all about" the multiplayer and costs $60 and won't be getting free additions?

Besides, it's a joke that DICE is trying to pawn the short, but not that short snoozefest campaign as "training". It's not quite THAT short. And what? Do they think this is 99% of the players' first time playing an FPS? That we need a multiple hour "training" session?

It's both a single player and multiplayer game. And they went and made a weak campaign and MP with single-digit maps and modes.

You can feed reviewers your hundreds of millions of marketing dollars and persuade the negative reviews to release last, but I don't run on quarters and don't feed my family with your ad revenue. So spare me the BS, DICE and EA.

[dantesparda]

Ugh! I for one love single player campaigns and far prefer them to multiplayer modes. I hate game that are just multiplayer like, UT3, Warhawk, etc. All multiplayer games are the same thing to me. If you've played one then you've played them all

[STONEY4]

I don't mind your opinion on multiplayer games, but don't be hatin on mah UT3. :O

[R6ex]

Exactly! I enjoyed Killzone 3 because of the well-choreographed single-player campaign.

I'm skipping BF3.

[dantesparda]

@STONEY4

Lol, ok, except for UT3. You know whats funny is i have both UT3 and Warhawk, But i just hate multiplayer only gsmes. I feel jipped, like im missing half the game.

@R6ex

Exactly, i am mainly interested in BF3 because of the single player campaign, if it was MP only, i would not be interested in it at all. Dont get me wrong i dont hate multiplayer modes. I just dont like multiplayer mode only games. I feel like i am only getting half the game. For me its the overall package of the two that i like

[ironfist92]

i'm probably the only one who buys FPS for their single players, even Call of Duty and Battlefield.

[overlorduk]

No you're not. I agree with you and dantesparda. All FPS multiplayer games seem pointless to me without a story and a context for doing things.

Multiplayer games are just running (driving or flying) around in circles for no reason except bragging rights and points towards bigger guns with which to do the same thing. And they look rediculous to me too, with the bunny hopping and the unrealistically fast running around...it's like watching a movie on fast forward.

[R6ex]

Never liked MP 'coz there's no story.

[ATi_Elite]

"The SP in BF3 is a Bonus and way to get you BF newbies ready for the butt kicking your about to get on the MP! You should be happy that we even wasted our time making a SP seeing how Battlefield since 1942 has never had a SP campaign story but just a SP mode that allowed for you to play/practice against bots".

"Once we start adding more maps and content through DLC, patches, and really ramping up the full BF3 MP experience you will quickly forget about the SP".

I think people should really realize that Battlefield 3 may have a "questionable" SP but in reality Battlefield has always been a MP online experience.

Battlefield "No Single Player" since 1942!

[Imalwaysright]

Why should DICE get a free pass when other games get slammed for having bad singleplayer campaigns or bad online portions? DICE didnt do good singleplayer campaign. Deal with it. Its a part of the game and whether you like it or not BF3 should be judged by it just as much as the online and if DICE werent even trying they shouldnt have done it all.

[Grandclover]

"deal with it" coming from someone clearly not "dealing with it" ohhh classic. haha.

[ATi_Elite]

Personally I wish BF3 was a PC Exclusive but because it's now on the consoles EA/DICE made a bad decision to include a SP campaign.

BF1942 BF2 BF2142 were PC Exclusives and had No Sp campaign story mode cause BF has always been about online MP.

This SP crap only acts as a distraction from the greatness that is BF3 online MP. All everyone is talking about is how bad or mediocre the SP mode is and then they give BF3 a low score or say BF3 is just OK although MW2 SP was short and mediocre MW2 got all the media love. Go figure?

BF3 MP is absolutely awesome and as a veteran BF Gamer i hope DICE just says screw the SP and concentrates on the MP cause MP is what BF is all about.

[WolfLeBlack]

The problem is that if you include a singleplayer component to your game then you have to be ready for it to be compared to other singleplayer experiences on the market. So in that respect I think the reviews were entirely fair. Maybe DICE should have stuck up a notice at the start of the singleplayer explaining it was a training mode :D

Of course a singleplayer component of any type is still a welcome addition to the series and I'm looking forward to blasting through it :)

[Ramses3]

That's a terrible excuse, "a training ground for multiplayer".
I bet they spent a good chunk of time developing single player, time that could have been used to refine multiplayer or at least add a couple new maps.

[C_Menz]

Dice is large enough to where it most likely wasn't an issue. Sure it may have taken up sometime but in the end they needed some sort of SP to make the average consumer buy it over CoD.

Plus they got to show off the graphical power of their engine(graphics are slightly better in SP) and just chuck in different places to keep things somewhat interesting.

[belal]

i actually like the single player, not done yet but not far off. the game is not like crysis or kz3 sp but it is entertaining.

[BakedGoods]

Yeah, Crysis 2 was excellent.

[a_bro]

yea, i've been playing it so far. it has some great set pieces.

[TrevorPhillips]

They should have not added single player to this game, but only Multiplayer. That's my opinion.

[Neckbear]

Nah, not really. It's not Chromehounds campaign tier. Now, that WAS a tutorial for the multiplayer.

[BeOneWithTheGun]

What I wouldn't give for a Chromehounds 2!

[swishersweets20031]

I cant believe people needed this spelled out to them. I knew this, but then again i am a BF vet:p

I loved Sp. It was fun and action packed. I dont play every shooter under the sun so to me it was cool.

[Raven_Nomad]

Look at all the excuses for Battlefield...sheesh. Even though I'll get bashed for it here goes... Call Of Duty is known for it's addictive multiplayer aspect, yet I know a good majority of people who buy it strictly for it's epic campaigns.

Bad Company and Bad Company 2 both had terrible campaigns, it shouldn't take a genius to design a workable campaign. Online only games are a ripoff, especially server based ones because eventually you will never be able to go back and play those games once the servers are down.

[Pandamobile]

Lol, you don't think Activision can just turn off the master server for Call of Duty?

[Grandclover]

BF3's MP and COD MP is like a Lion and a cat saying there the samething....so keep your "epic" Campaign haha.

[rajman]

Sure mulitplayer is the main selling point for this game, but atleast put in a better/longer campaign in it to. It was probably the worst FPS campaign I played this year (compared to KZ3, Crysis 2 & R3) and the shortest at 4.5 hours

[pctrollv4]

ya crysis 2 was so revolutionary. I went to nyc to kick alien ass and on the last level of this invasion i was able to just walk right trough all the enemies without firing a single shot and beat the game that leaves me on a cliffhanger. Crysis 2 along with da2 and rage is one of this gens biggest disappointments. If you think the campaign was good on crysis 2 then we know were you are at. I agree with R3 and K3, but def not crysis 2.

[GraveLord]

Multiplayer is the main selling point for all Call of Duty games as well. You don't see Infinity Ward or Treyarch releasing lame/generic/boring campaigns. All COD campaigns are entertaining. You can tell they put A LOT of time into it so its good and keeps you on your feet.

[Pandamobile]

Single-player has always been part of Call of Duty, whereas it's still a relatively new thing for DICE.

Either way, BF3's campaign was still very enjoyable. It was pretty much exactly what I was expecting: 6 hours of beautiful graphics, explosions and awesome set-pieces.

[SH0CKW4VE]

Training? Oh rly? that why there isnt a misson were you actually fly the jet?

[SP3333D-O]

Better training would be to skip the story and let you play MP with bots and vehicles.

[Oldman100]

If you are going to do something, do it right and do it well. If i was limited on cash i would rather put my money towards something that excels at everything it has going for it, like uncharted 3. But thankfully, i can afford both.

[Bathyj]

I am buying this for SP only. I dont play online.

But even I know Battlefield is a MP game. None of the others even had a campaign as far a I know, but I could be wrong.

But thats what DICE get for trying to put a bit extra into the game and cater to SP players.

What thery really should have done, is hyped up Battlefield the MP game, never mentioning SP and not putting it on the disc, then about a month later, give the SP mode as free DLC.

That way no one would be able to complain because they would see it it for what it is, a bonus to the main event.

[RioKing]

Wait...did you just say you don't play online? Why?!

You're missing out :/

[Bathyj]

Because thats who I am.

I dont like tomatoes either.

[optimus]

My sentiments exactly; dice claims it's important because it makes newcomers interested in the multiplayer but for me if the single player sucks then I really don't have much of an incentive to try the multiplayer...for what, so I can hear a bunch of mindless jargon? And then if you mute them and don't feel like talking they bump you off. Gee, how fun.

[Dojan123]

People would yell about paying $60 for MP only.

[Pandamobile]

You get way more value from a multiplayer game, so I'd much rather spend $60 on an awesome multiplayer game that will last me for hundreds of hours than a $60 single player game that I might play through once or twice.

[Hazmat13]

i think all games need a great singleplayer just for fun and not just for you to get ready for multiplayer!

[smashcrashbash]

I think that the very reason why some people are complaining. You just treated the SP as a lengthy tutorial rather then a well done campaign. And now your practically admiting you did a half@$$ed job on SP to do the MP? Then you should get minus points for that. I don't see why a game should get lower scores for good SP and less then perfect MP but get high marks for lackluster SP but good MP.

[Tachyon_Nova]

If this was even remotely true and not just a bad excuse then the campaign would have featured open areas and actually required some tactics. As it is, the extreme linearity and simpleness of the campaign make it the worst possible training ground for BF3's multiplayer.

[josephps3]

What verbal diarrhea! If SP was training for MP then SP would have emphasize the importance of each class, show the strength and benefits of each class, how working as a team has huge benefits, how to effective use vehicles etc. Did anyone see any of that cause I didn't.This attempt to save face makes them look stupid and childish.

Don't try and bullshit me. B3 is still a great game and I wish SP was better and will keep it and enjoy the MP for many months but don't try and feed me shit and say its a jamaican beef patty when I saw it come out of the dog's ass and its still steamy and stinky.

[GraveLord]

Is that their reason for releasing a half-assed campaign? Liars. The multiplayer is Disc 1. It means that's what they want you to play first. Traning Ground my as.....stop making excuses DICE.

[Hufandpuf]

Go play battlefield 1942 and bf2's campaign. Oh wait there were none.

[LOOK_AT_THIS_I]

One thing that Black Ops done great was the Combat Training. I played the hell out of that and hope the next game has it. Multiplayer Games would all benefit from a mode like this with humans against the bots. It was a great addition.

Is there a way to switch seats in the vehicles? In the Co-Op or online? I cant fly the helicoptor to save my life, and hate that if I am the only one in a vehicle after my partner (the gunner) jumps out I am now sitting there as a big ass target for RPGs or Explosives. PLEASE SOMEONE TELL ME HOW TO SWITCH SEATS IN THE VEHICLES. I find it unreal if there is no way to switch seats and idiotic on the part of Dice for doing that.

[OC_MurphysLaw]

switch seats with a key stroke or button press. just look at the control layout for the vehicles. It will be right there labeled. It's the "A" button on the 360 btw.

[LOOK_AT_THIS_I]

thanks....I looked right over it. Its X on the ps3 version, dont know how the hell I missed it.

[killa91606]

How about this- 2 Seperate companies working on the same game, one does Multiplayer and the other does single. Just like MOH, but better.

[optimus]

I am more than likely returning this game once I'm done with the singleplayer. I can still get a good return on it since it's all the rave right now. I'll take the money or credit and put it towards modern 3. Take that Dice.

[RBLAZE1988]

You guys are so miserable. What makes the bf3 campaign so much worse then killzone 2 or mw 1+2? I bet when mw3 comes out there won't be such an uproar over the single player even tho it'll probably be the same predictable regurgitated campaign as usual. You guys are all hypocrites...I played the campaign and it really doesn't deserve all this "outrage" if mw3 gets as much hate I'll be so surprised and pleased with you guys and ill eat my words.

[josephps3]

You're missing the whole point. The article is about how Dice is bullshitting us and saying the SP was just training for MP when it obviously wasn't. The lie is just so obvious and asinine that it makes ppl upset.

Like I said, I don't care if SP was good or bad. Personally I didn't mind it but I bought this game for MP and will enjoy it for many months/years and never regret spending money on it but don't try to bullshit me.

[RBLAZE1988]

Yea but no matter what they say people were jumping on them about the campaign even before they said that...I think some people are just vocally irrational.

[aman84r]

They can never do good single-player.It was the same problem with bad company 2.

[rattletop]

hahaha!!!

[PhantomT1412]

For a multiplayer-focused campaign, I think it has a good campaign with a never-before-seen level of immersion (at least on PC). It's just too much linear with too much QTE (hell, I don't even remember how "I" kill the big bad guy).

However I think it's pretty stupid from DICE to say single player is a training ground while we don't have any piloting mission (which is probably the aspect we all need to be trained the most) and instead we only have a rail-shooting sequence...

[xX-Jak-Xx]

in my opinion
BF3 campaign is better than most FPS games right now

Really amazing

[Kaos_Vll]

I mean what did dice expect? For the past several months they have done nothing but show SP and dogged COD. BF3 fans have been the worst as well yet BF3 seems to be copying cod. Take away the graphics and the destruction and what do u have?

[OC_MurphysLaw]

Training ground for mp? When was the last time you did a QTE in mp like they have littered through the SP game? What is that training me for? Sorry, that's a pretty poor excuse by DICE. I love BF3, definitely enjoying the MP more than the SP though.