dmcdonagh
2013-11-12
Battlefield 4 Executive Producer Patrick Bach the Test Range in the latest FTW interview.
Practice makes perfect when it comes to mastering the controls on Battlefield 4 and it can be difficult to train when numerous enemies are around. To assist, a new Test Range has been added to the game which provides players with an offline environment containing all vehicles and no threats. With this feature players can get to grips with infantry and vehicle controls in a safe environment, whilst honing their skills.
The Test Range maps are littered with targets which again are designed for both infantry and vehicles alike so that players get unlimited time for combat training. Newcomers to Battlefield will be encouraged to not shy away from the tricky and powerful vehicles and instead have been given the tools to become a pro on land, sea or in the air.
Matt Cuttle: Patrick, you’ve seen it, I’ve seen it, people get into a helicopter, they take off and they nose dive straight into the ground. But you guys at DICE have actually got a solution to put an end to that, or at least hopefully to have a practice.
Patrick Bach: Absolutely. We have two solutions, one is of course to keep working with the fine tuning of the controls of the helicopters and vehicles in general, so hopefully more people will be able to enjoy the flying of a helicopter. But on top that we also adding a Test Range to the game, which means that you can jump into this offline component - which is a map that has all the vehicles from the game, where you can, in a safe environment try them out and make sure that you know them before you go into a live server with 64 very aggressive players.
Matt : So this peaceful test area where you don’t come across any aggressive AI, but there is a landscape and targets for you to practice around. How varied is that? Is there landscapes and targets for all circumstances in battle.
Patrick Bach: Yes absolutely, we want both target practice for both guns, normal guns and then also target practise for the vehicle combat which is of course very important. Either you’re using a boat or a tank or a helicopter or a jet there is things to shoot at to practice before going into a live server.
Matt : Because when getting into vehicles, particularly piloting jets and helicopters it can be frustrating that you get up into the sky and even if you know how to fly, you can get shot down by advanced pilots can’t you?
Patrick Bach: Well of course, so that’s the whole point of adding the Test Range. A lot of people feel daunted by jumping into a helicopter and then four more people jump into that helicopter and then you take off and crash and everyone dies. So, we wanted to create a very safe, but still exciting environment for people to try these things out.
Matt : I’m a fairly experienced Battlefield player. I’ve been playing it since 1942, but I’ve never managed to shoot anyone down in a jet, so for me particularly, I’m really looking forward to playing in the Test Range
Patrick Bach: I think that’s a perfect example, they just don’t do it because it feels unsafe and a bit jarring to pick up that super powerful jet from someone that is more experienced, getting into it and then crashing it two seconds later. It feels like a waste, so you’re the perfect type of player to use the Test Range.
Matt :Well, thank you for putting that in. It’s such a big world as well, it’s a shame that some might not try flying a jet simply because they feel like they can’t.
Patrick Bach: Yes, and again we have noticed that some people are so used to not being able to fly that they don’t even try it, and this is the perfect environment for them to try it out in.