VIP Map Pack 7 is on its way to Battlefield: Bad Company 2. This pack will include four maps never before available in Battlefield: Bad Company 2 multiplayer, two of them being fan favorites Oasis and Harvest Day. As always, this content is free for PC and console VIP players. Read on for the full story.
VIP Map Pack 7 is all about listening to the community. When we ask for your favorite maps from Battlefield: Bad Company, Oasis and Harvest Day always come out on top. We are happy to announce that in VIP Map Pack 7, these two much-loved maps have been reworked for Battlefield : Bad Company 2. This means full Destruction 2.0 (buildings collapsing and micro destruction), enhanced graphics and lighting, and remastered ambient sounds and backgrounds. Below is a full brief of what's included in VIP Map Pack 7:
Map 1: Oasis
Origin: Battlefield: Bad Company multiplayer
Game modes: Rush, Conquest, Squad Rush, Squad Deathmatch
Map 2: Harvest Day
Origin: Battlefield: Bad Company multiplayer
Game modes: Rush, Conquest, Squad Rush, Squad Deathmatch
Map 3: Cold War
Origin: Battlefield: Bad Company 2 singleplayer
Game modes: Rush, Squad Rush, Squad Deathmatch
Map 4: Heavy Metal
Origin: Battlefield: Bad Company 2 singleplayer
Game modes: Conquest, Squad Rush, Squad Deathmatch
We met with level designer Cristian Pavel to get his thoughts on the remastering process, and on the popularity of Oasis in particular.
Hi Cristian! As a level designer, what is it that you actually do?
-- In short, balancing multiplayer gameplay on roughly built levels.
-- In detail, I would start with writing on paper the premises for a battle, the location, the setting, and the game mode(s) which suits that location. Then I would set up the level in a rough state, and getting it ready for a playtest. With the help from an artist, the level starts to get nicely shaped and pimped out while I update the gameplay experience according to playtest feedback until we can lock the level. Then it is ready to ship!
How are you transforming Oasis from a BC1 map to a BC2 map?
-- We look back at what made the level appeal to such a large number of players in BC1 and then we add even more good stuff so we can deliver an even greater experience.
-- We first get a blueprint of the original level, then recreate it in the editor and start replacing the old BC1 assets with the new and optimized ones from BC2. Think about the full destruction buildings and micro destruction materials like wood fences and concrete covers, which I know players love to tear apart.
-- Then we dress it up with suitable ambient sounds for each part of the level, new weather settings, a variety of sand storm effects, and an overall war ambient setting around the combat zone to remind you that this is not a field trip -- that you are part of an ongoing war when you play.
Are you changing the map in any way? How is it different playing this new version of Oasis from the old one?
-- The map has not been changed drastically, so returning players will feel right at home the moment they step into this Oasis. The revised parts of the levels are minor. For example, the gold crates in BC1 were located on the rooftops, which we can't have now that entire buildings can collapse. So we had to put the crates on the ground in some places. Things like that.
-- The city part of the level was improved as well, around the main street where the center flag was located in BC1 Conquest. Rush mode keeps the same five bases, and Conquest has the same three flags setup in the center, although in BC2 the home bases cannot be captured like they could in BC1 [Where we had a total of five flags back then -- Editor's note]. We also introduced both Squad Deathmatch and Squad Rush in the city area to make the most of this part of the level.
Do you have a favorite feature in this new version of Oasis that you could tell us about?
-- When we looked at the last part of the level -- the city area -- it seemed a bit too flat, and we looked at ways to improve it without changing the layout of the buildings too much. We finally decided to raise the hillside of the city by a couple of meters, creating a terrace on one side of the main street. Think about the urban area in Arica Harbor. We tried the same recipe for Oasis now with great success, and I hope you will like it as much as I do.
Why do you think Oasis is so loved by so many Battlefield players out there?
-- Oasis contains what Battlefield is all about. A variety of vehicles, from helicopters to tanks, jeeps, and boats. It also has enough space to let players show their creativity when driving these vehicles. Oasis switches from open environment to close quarters urban combat in the last bases of the Rush game mode. This type of contrast in environment appeals to players, because it suits all four Battlefield classes, from sniper to assault.
And there you have it. Check back this Wednesday for an in-depth look at Heavy Metal, one of the largest multiplayer maps ever for Battlefield: Bad Company 2.
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