BF4: Client patch #1 is live (1GB)

[JohnnyK]

Restart Origin or check for updates for BF4

No changelog yet, but we know live scoreboard is coming back and some network and crash issues are adressed.

http://battlelog.battlefield.com/bf4/forum/threadview/2955065217944685108/

 

[Solo4114]

I'll be curious to see how well they support this game. In pretty much every prior iteration of BF, glaring balance issues and bugs have been allowed to fester for ages until fixed months down the road. The M26 DART bug, the IRNV, and USAS-12G + Frags were all examples of major problems in BF3. The PP-2000 and M-60 were horribly balanced in BFBC2 until fixed, etc. The AC-130 in Rush mode in BF3 Armored Kill was another one. Historically, DICE has just let this stuff sit for at least a month if not longer, which really just made it a drag to play these games in the meantime.

I'm hopeful that this rapid patch so soon after release will signal a transition to a more active patching/hotfixing approach to resolving obvious problems.

 

[Kenadian]

I don't believe it's Dice that has anything to do with this, remember they just make the game but they have nothing to do with Publishing; that's all on EA.

The excuse given is making said changes across all platforms takes time and it's the consoles and their validation process that apparently slows things down, or so I've read.

Lastly, there is a lot going on in any BF Server; probably more than most games with the exception of MMORPG's and the like. It's probably very simple to inadvertently break something when trying to fix something else in a game this complex (of course Mondo would know more).

What would help is proper Server Management Tools allowing Servers to kick automatically if known exploits are being used. Policing via Admin only works when one is present which is rare on most Servers.

Hopefully the kerfuffle that arose from the XBOX1 Team USA vs Team Europe Venue helps bring some of these issues to the forefront of this franchise.

...for those not in the know, Wiggetybear for Team USA was "flare glitching" in the match and Team Europe cried fowl (which they had a right to do). This is a known exploit and Team USA actually cleared it's usage prior to the match.

This glitch means the Scout Helicopters can literally never be shot down as the Pilot only has to switch seats after dumping his first flare for them to instantly recharge rendering lock on weaponry useless.

 

[Solo4114]

Oh good. So we have a "SKY IS GOD" glitch already? This is what i'm talking about. This is the kind of thing that DICE should hotfix. It's obviously not what's intended by the game, so just fucking fix it fast, instead of doing some mega-patch down the road that fixes that plus the APCs-can-drive-up-walls (or whatever) plus "rebalances to NATO 5.56mm weapons ballistics" and the latest content drop all in one. Just fix the shit that's obviously broken and fix it fast.

Alternatively, give servers the ability to deal with this stuff somehow.

 

[Kitlope]

Update #12 (Nov 14-3)
PC Client Patch Notes

NOVEMBER 14 PC GAME UPDATE PATCH NOTES
In the November 14 PC game update, we fixed a number of issues that we have been seeing in the game. The main focus in this update is on crash fixes, and you can find a detailed list of the fixes below. We will continue our efforts to eliminate issues we find in the game, so stay tuned for more updates. Let us know how this update works for you.


CRASHES & FREEZES
-Fixed a crash that would occur randomly during gameplay.
-Fixed a crash that would occur when an object is destroyed.
-Every time that a player exited a vehicle, there was a small chance that the server would crash. This has been fixed.
-Fixed an occasional crash during SP gameplay.
-Fixed a crash that would occur during level loading.
-Sometimes the game would attempt to load a model at the same time as it was being thrown out of memory. This has been fixed.
-Sometimes the game would crash after removing old bullet holes/scratch marks in the world. This has been fixed.
-Sometimes when a player or enemy was sitting in the jeep gunner entry and got killed, his body would rest on the vehicle in such a way that the physics simulation would require lots of CPU usage. This has been solved.
-Fixed a crash occurring on Flood Zone when playing Conquest Large.
-Fixed a common crash relating to surface shaders.
-Fixed a crash on Test Range that could occur when using sniper rifles.
-Fixed a common crash that occurred during map transition.
-Fixed a crash that occurred when bringing up Battlescreen in-game on the Test Range.
-Fixed a memory allocation bug that could lead to crashing.
-Fixed a single player crash that could sometimes occur when being killed by AI enemies.
-Fixed an issue where the game would get stuck in infinite loading if you got disconnected while trying to access online content.
-Fixed an issue in single player in the South China Sea mission where the game would crash when idle for more than 60 minutes.
-Fixed an issue where the game would get stuck in infinite loading if you used Win+L to lock your PC during loading.

NETWORK PERFORMANCE
Eliminated a network sync bug
If you’ve been experiencing situations in multiplayer where it appears that you are taking damage from enemies through walls, you might have been the victim of a network sync bug. In this game update, we have identified and eliminated one such bug that caused this type of gameplay experience. We are continuing to work on more multiplayer optimizations concerning network performance.

Improved Network Smoothing
We have made some improvements to the ”Network Smoothing” functionality that you can find in the OPTIONS>GAMEPLAY menu. The Network Smoothing slider governs a group of settings that aim to produce a tighter multiplayer experience based on your specific packet loss situation.

Removed network lag
In certain specific situations, network lag would be introduced when interacting with objects in the game. This has been experienced by some players during melee combat, when climbing ladders, and when operating stationary weapons. The cause for these specific network lag situations has been solved.

GAMEPLAY BALANCING
-Removed the scout helicopter at the final base for the defenders in Rush mode on Siege of Shanghai
-Adjusted a Conquest flag position on Zavod 311 that was obstructing vehicles.
-At Hainan Resort in Rush mode, defenders were given too much armor at the first base. We have removed the defender IFV at the first base, added an attacker IFV at the first base, and increased the spawn delay on the defender IFV at the third base.
-Fixed so that there is 1 revive per round Defuse, as opposed to 1 per set.
-Removed all previously placed C4 and mines after a round of Defuse to eliminate the possibility to affect the next round.

GRAPHICS
-Fixed a minor graphical error on Operation Locker.
-Fixed an issue where the in-game Battlelog would get distorted when a Commander launched an EMP attack.
-Fixed a floating container on Golmud Railway near flag C in Domination.
-Fixed an issue with the minimap in Rush mode.
-Fixed an issue in Obliteration mode where the red light flash and beep sound was not played when the bomb carrier was moving.
-Fixed an issue in Defuse where the bomb model sometimes did not display on the bomb carrier.
-Fixed minor graphical alignment issues in the Spectator Mode camera layout.
-Fixed an issue in Spectator Mode where the spectator's view incorrectly would get distorted during an EMP deployment from a Commander.

MISCELLANEOUS
-Fixed a bug that occasionally killed all sounds on the server if you fired the QBU-88 with an attached silencer.
-Fixed the issue where pressing B would bring up the console.
-Fixed an issue where the EMP effect lasted for too long on soldiers.
-Fixed an issue with an area you couldn't traverse near one of the M-COM stations in Rush mode on Siege of Shanghai.
-Fixed an issue relating to player skill levels. -Fixed an issue in Obliteration mode where the bomb would temporarily be placed in the sky after the bomb carrier was killed when swimming or in a water-based vehicle.
-Fixed an occasional jitter in the kill camera.
-Fixed so that Russian special characters are displayed properly in the chat window.
-Fixed so that the System Performance Test option is working as expected.
-Fixed a bug where a rank-up message would loop in-game
-Moved a machine gun position on Lancang Dam that was placed on top of a building that can collapse.
-Added sound when navigating the scoreboard in the End of Round screen.
-Fixed a broken ladder in Siege of Shanghai.
-Adjusted vehicle spawn locations on Dawnbreaker in Conquest mode to alleviate traffic jam.
-Fixed a flickering-issue on Siege of Shanghai when using NVidia drivers 331.52.
-Fixed a bug on Golmud Railway where a destroyed house at flag A would block gunfire.
-Fixed a Ticket count issue in Rush mode.
-Commanders can no longer erroneously try to get match-made into a game of Domination.
-If the user restarts checkpoint during the End Scene , he will receive an old objective along with the credits.
-Fixed a destruction issue on Flood Zone.
-Fixed a Rhib boat issue in one of the single player missions.
-Fixed an issue where players would respawn after getting killed and have no main weapon available.
-Fixed so you won't see the emblem of a user that you have blocked.
-Fixed an issue where you couldn't smash through the railings with a quad bike on the Dawnbreaker map.
-Added clickable buttons to the in-game Battlelog.
-Fixed a bug in single player where the player is killed if he climbs after Irish too fast up the ladder in one of the missions.
-Various other minor issues.

 

[Kenadian]

It actually seemed a lot better for me today and the micro-stuttering seems to be much better as well.

Overall I'm liking the patch so far.

 

[D.O.A.]

Well , it seems the crash fixes did f-all , crashed the first round after installing the patch .
Also didnt notice any change in the get-shot-through-a-wall situation .
And did they change the sprinting speed or is it just me , it feels really slow now .

 

[Solo4114]

Jesus! Did this thing go through ANY QA? It sounds like the gameplay itself is pretty fun, but that list of crashes that shipped live... That's really jawdropping.

"Crashed when a player jumps next to a tank."
"Crashed when a player opens a parachute over a base."
"Crashed when a player spots a target inside a building."
"Crashed if the phrases 'please' was followed by 'thank you' in chat."
"Crashed when player lives in New Jersey."
"Crashed at 4:20pm server-time because 4:20, duuuuuuude!"

 

[little P]

Jesus! Did this thing go through ANY QA? It sounds like the gameplay itself is pretty fun, but that list of crashes that shipped live... That's really jawdropping.

"Crashed when a player jumps next to a tank."
"Crashed when a player opens a parachute over a base."
"Crashed when a player spots a target inside a building."
"Crashed if the phrases 'please' was followed by 'thank you' in chat."
"Crashed when player lives in New Jersey."
"Crashed at 4:20pm server-time because 4:20, duuuuuuude!"

:lol: I almost picked this up today, kind of glad I didn't now by the sounds of it. Going to wait it out until I hear it's actually finished. Too many games are being released like this it really is out of order.

 

[Kenadian]

I don't think it's that bad for everyone little P.

I haven't had one crash, lockup or any other major obvious issue since the patch was released. I'm sure hit detection is still dicey but that's likely to always be an issue with higher player counts/higher pings.

 

[Solo4114]

I don't think it's that bad for everyone little P.

I haven't had one crash, lockup or any other major obvious issue since the patch was released. I'm sure hit detection is still dicey but that's likely to always be an issue with higher player counts/higher pings.

Heh.

 

[Kitlope]

Client patch to be released tomorrow.

The upcoming PC game update will launch December 3, to coincide with the launch of the expansion pack Battlefield 4 China Rising for Premium members on all platforms.

The game update will start to roll out at 1AM PST/10AM UTC Dec 3, followed by the actual China Rising content around 2AM PST/11AM UTC. You can expect some downtime around these times as servers are being prepared to support this new content.

The change list for this PC game update is the same as previously announced (see below.)

As ususal, we will continue to iterate on stability and tweak the game based on your feedback. Stay tuned.

Dec 3 PC Game Update Notes

-Removed the blur effect on soldiers that appeared when Commanders were using EMP attacks
-Fixed the audio bug where audio sometimes randomly dropped out while playing on certain multiplayer maps (typically Golmud Railway and Hainan Resort)
-Fixed the "one-hit kill bug" where occasionally damage from a single bullet was applied multiple times
- Fixed a common crash that would occur when exiting from the Single Player Campaign to Main Menu
-Tweaked the network and computer performance screen to show proper values. Players can now test their computer and network connection and get recommendations if they need to adjust something to improve their gameplay experience

 

[Kenadian]

Dec 3 PC Game Update Notes:

-Removed the blur effect on soldiers that appeared when Commanders were using EMP attacks

Finally!!!

-Fixed the audio bug where audio sometimes randomly dropped out while playing on certain multiplayer maps (typically Golmud Railway and Hainan Resort)

What about Lancang Dam, aside from Golmud it's the worst for sound drop out?

-Tweaked the network and computer performance screen to show proper values. Players can now test their computer and network connection and get recommendations if they need to adjust something to improve their gameplay experience

So hit detection is going to improve and I won't be shot behind cover anymore?

...

If these things are truly fixed and no other issues introduced then I'll be truly happy.

 

[little P]

Finally!!!


What about Lancang Dam, aside from Golmud it's the worst for sound drop out?


So hit detection is going to improve and I won't be shot behind cover anymore?

...

If these things are truly fixed and no other issues introduced then I'll be truly happy.

I've never been more terrified of going online in a game before... weird. Might give it a try after patching

 

[Kitlope]

Another client patch! 888.35 MB

EDIT:
Inserted mention of the "Shot behind cover when changing stance" fix. This was missing in the original post.

Dec 9 PC Game Update Notes
Shot behind cover when changing stance
Sometimes the character stance could get into a multiple frame desync and be part of the problem where you got shot even though your character was actually behind cover. This would mostly affect players doing transitions into crouch and prone as well as moving when crouched. The impact was smaller in a standing stance. This bug fix eliminates this particular desync issue.

We have also increased the camera height when crouching and moving to more accurately reflect the actual height of your soldier in that stance (the first person camera was too low when crouching and moving, resulting in that you had a poor representation of how much of your soldier that was actually out of cover.)

-Fixed one of the most frequently occurring client crashes
-Fixed broken collision on containers with open doors. The bug previously made grenades bounce back even though the doors were open.
-Fixed a bug in Defuse mode where defenders could win the round by killing all the attackers without disarming the bomb, if the bomb was disarmed in the previous round.
-Miscellaneous stability fixes further reducing the number of client crashes
-Fixed side gunner jitter when aiming in attack boats & transport helicopters
-Fixed some instances of frame rate drops when shooting at large Levolution objects after they have been destroyed (like the radar dish on Rogue Transmission)
-Fixed broken aiming for passengers on the China Rising dirt bike
-Fixed a bug where the sound when capturing a flag was not playing correctly
-Removed a bug that would double save during MP round transition and SP level transition. This fix will reduce the occurrence of corrupted save files.

http://battlelog.battlefield.com/bf4/forum/threadview/2955065670201033581/

 

[Solo4114]

I'll say this: I'm impressed at the speed with which they're pushing out known-bug patches.

Have there been any balance questions/issues that people have been talking about? I mean like the "IRNV = God mode" thing from BF3 or the "M26DART + G34 = Godmode" thing which was clearly a bug?

 

[Kitlope]

I'll say this: I'm impressed at the speed with which they're pushing out known-bug patches.

Yeah and it's because EA knows how borked the game is so they have invested all the manpower to fixes instead of other things that can wait, like expansions. More info here:

http://bf4central.com/2013/12/battlefield-4-expansions-halted/

I wouldn't call these bugs/game engine issues dealbreakers but it will be nice when fixed.

Have there been any balance questions/issues that people have been talking about? I mean like the "IRNV = God mode" thing from BF3 or the "M26DART + G34 = Godmode" thing which was clearly a bug?

I haven't heard about anything as obvious as these two in BF3. I remember the overpowered IRNV of BF3 them first couple months, when using it I actually felt a twinge of guilt.

But it went away quickly.

 

[Solo4114]

Ha, it took me forever to get to that point, but when I did, it was so clearly broken I was stunned that people could defend it with a straight face. Particularly when paired with the USAS-12 + 12g Frags which was basically a vision-hack-plus-automatic-grenade-launcher.

On the upside, I got a LOT better with the burst fire rifles at the time (just to show those bastards...) and when the change went through, they definitely had to adapt to life without "eh, aim thataway and you'll probably kill someone."


Anyway, I digress.

Glad to see they're fixing what's broken. I think this is pretty much how these kinds of huge titles get released anymore, although I can't speak for the COD series, since...um....I only play the single player games in those and then only when they're given to me for free.

 

[JohnnyK]

http://www.reddit.com/r/battlefield_4/comments/1skegz/solution_to_the_phantom_prospectzhong_kui_statues/cdyfoz3

 

[Kitlope]

And yet another patch! 881 Mb Dec 16 2013

The game update for PC is now live. Please read down below for change notes.
We’ve rolled out a new PC game update and will continue to make improvements based on your feedback. The update includes fixes with the aim to increase the general stability of the game, and eliminates bugs that you may have experienced. It also includes an improvement to the “Netcode”.

UPDATE: We have noticed that players who have SLI enabled on their graphics card may experience graphical flickering. Also, we're looking into the issue where the revive bar would get stuck on-screen in some instances. Both of these have our attention, and we're investigating them.

Dec 16 PC Game Update Notes

-Fix for a crash that would cause the game to stall, resulting in a sound loop. This should eliminate most of the problems relating to this.
-Fix for the SUAV (introduced in the China Rising expansion pack) not exploding when hitting enemy soldiers. While these indeed should be deadly, they were never designed for “roadkilling” opponents.
-Fixed one of the issues related to the so-called “Netcode” (see below for details).
-Fix for an issue where 4x the damage from a vehicle's minigun would be applied to the chest when a player had the Defense specialization equipped.
-Fix for player tags not always showing when needed to, resulting in players shooting team members.
-Fix for graphical flickering appearing on terrain.
-Fixed the instance where players suddenly would transition into Spectator Mode while playing the Defuse game mode.
-Fix for a Defuse bug where none of the teams would win a round by letting the timer run out.
-Fix for players getting stuck in the revive screen after being killed.
-Fix for players getting stuck in the kill camera after being revived.
-Fix for the game mode specific ribbons being counted twice in the multiplayer progression.
-Made NVidia 331.82 or later driver versions mandatory for all players.
-Disabled DirectX 11.1 on NVidia cards that have outdated drivers.
-Fixed driver version not being properly detected on NVidia Optimus systems.
-Fixed a minor crash that could occur when bringing up the scoreboard.
“Netcode” improvement
We’ve addressed the so-called “Kill trading”. This refers to when two players fire at each other and, seemingly, both die at the same time. The time window where a bullet could cause damage from an already dead player is now calculated as intended, decreasing the timeframe when players with high latency could get a kill, even though they should be dead according to the server.

http://battlelog.battlefield.com/bf4/forum/threadview/2955064770534426141/

Lots of reports of texture flickering with SLI/Crossfire systems after installing this patch.