The AT Battlefield 4 F.A.Q., News, and Discussion thread

[lozina]

Was playing long session tonight and at first it was all downhill, I was mostly assault w/ my AEK on the server I usually go on and I was just getting slaughtered. It was embarrassing. But I noticed that despite my ping being so low (under 10) I was noticing that something was not right. I would run across a street and notice someone is firing at me but I make it to some stairwell ducking behind the concrete wall and I think I am safe but then I immediately die. The death cam shows I was killed by the guy who was shooting at me as I ran across, and I should have been safe behind that wall.

Then I switched servers and noticed an immediate improvement, even though my pings now were in the 20s to low 30s. It just felt like my bullets were now actually hitting where I was aiming and I was starting to get some good kills. I then switched to the AUG gun or whatever it is called, one right before M16 as I grew tired of the AEK's kick. I am loving this gun and my kills are just rolling in now. Great way to cap the night.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

Sigh.. Beyond annoying. I always get stuck on really really really bad teams. Im talking about my score being about 5k on my team and the number two guy having 700. Then I get disconnected.

 

[satsau]

Question about the voice chat. Is that only with your squad or is it the whole team?

Maybe my headset is broken or something, like I was talking to myself with no responses.

Harrod, did you hear me on the mic? I was squadded up with you earlier?

 

[AznAnarchy99]

Squad.

Also a 5 year old could write a better story for the campaign.

"Introduce random Russian prisoner"
"Russian prisoner dead"

 

[Anubis]

so i was playing some TDM last night just to get used to playing this on the PC. seemed the easiest way, not having to deal with vehicle rape. im all over the place. some rounds ill go 20-5 and feel pretty good. the next round im 2-30 and i die seemingly seconds after i spawn in with people coming out of nowhere

played some of the campaign, got to the boat part, and it locked up my computer

 

[QuantumPion]

so i was playing some TDM last night just to get used to playing this on the PC. seemed the easiest way, not having to deal with vehicle rape. im all over the place. some rounds ill go 20-5 and feel pretty good. the next round im 2-30 and i die seemingly seconds after i spawn in with people coming out of nowhere

played some of the campaign, got to the boat part, and it locked up my computer

Yup seems like everyone is having this experience. I think it is a combination of two issues: a) the horribad netcode and b) the horribad design/spawning system, especially in team DM or domination. For the smaller maps if you don't own a flag you spawn in the parking lot, which has no cover and lets the enemy team in defensive positions just spawn rape over and over again. It's like there is a slippery slope for team balance, if one team is just slightly better they utterly spawn rape the other team into oblivion.

 

[velillen]

so i was playing some TDM last night just to get used to playing this on the PC. seemed the easiest way, not having to deal with vehicle rape. im all over the place. some rounds ill go 20-5 and feel pretty good. the next round im 2-30 and i die seemingly seconds after i spawn in with people coming out of nowhere

played some of the campaign, got to the boat part, and it locked up my computer

Thats how i have been. One map i'll do well on and go 10-2 or so then the next i go 2-10. I would say some of it is just the maps. Im not a rush into the middle and try to grab 2-3 kills. Im more of the go slow around the outskirts.

But yes i do complain about the spawns even in TDM. Seems like Ill die and sometimes it will spawn me right next to an enemy. Same with I will be alive and have an enemy spawn right next to me

 

[B-Riz]

I am curious about your guys network topography that are having issues.

I run an Intel Gigabit PCI-X NIC with gigabit cat 5e --> gigabit switch --> gigabit router --> ATT uVerse.

The Intel NIC was used during BF3 and ping dropped a few ms with it; a friend that I gave one too also noticed a difference from the onboard NIC.

I always play on servers that are under 100 ms ping.

 

[Anubis]

my ping is almost always under 50, most times under 40

my chain is mobo NIC (intel gigabit i assume) - gigE hub - linksys router -> linksys router -> Time warner cable

yes i have a router into another router as i needed to connect wired devices together that are 3 floor apart in a house, both are also wireless routers so i can get coverage everywhere, i ran a simple extension through the wall from floors 1-3 to chain them together

TBH i could prob ditch the 2nd router if i got a 16 port GigE Hub however then i would loose wireless coverage up here

 

[darkewaffle]

C4 trigger still has noticeable [animation] delay

Spawning can put you in some shit locations, but I think in general it's still mildly improved from BF3. Maybe that's because people don't know where they are just yet though.

Colorblind mode is awesome. Finally zero confusion between enemy and squad, though squad and team are a little close in the setting I've chosen but that's pretty much a non-issue.

I hate them for allowing everyone access to "marksman rifles" or whatever they are.

 

[jackstar7]

"Introduce random Russian prisoner"
"Russian prisoner dead"

Dima was from BF3 (and maybe before?).

I think he was meant to be for those people who played the BF3 campaign... like an easter egg... but dumber.

 

[smackababy]

so i was playing some TDM last night just to get used to playing this on the PC. seemed the easiest way, not having to deal with vehicle rape. im all over the place. some rounds ill go 20-5 and feel pretty good. the next round im 2-30 and i die seemingly seconds after i spawn in with people coming out of nowhere

played some of the campaign, got to the boat part, and it locked up my computer

The spawn "system" is terrible. Your model loads into the game a few seconds before you actually load, and with how there is seemingly no check for hostiles, they always get the drop on you when you spawn in.

I am terribly inconsistent in this game. =( It is probably mostly due to my playstyle. I refuse to wait around. I "man up" as I like to refer to it. I charge headfirst into all situations. This means I do amazing some games and awful some others.

Thankfully, I only play on servers hosted in Chicago, so my ping is always sub 20.

I am thinking of hosting my own hardcore server (It's only like $80 a month) and I could have it boot anyone that uses a sniper rifle... I hate playing domination and half the other team is off on the edges of the map sniping while they have 0 capture points.

 

[TheAdvocate]

Ever since the patch last week, I lock up very quickly in gameplay. It's a certainty. Screen freezes and whatever sound effect repeats endlessly until I force a shutdown.

I tried the 32 bit client and it locked up even faster than the x64.

Using the lastest nvidia driver & latest sound driver.

Game is basically unplayable for me at this point.

Any news on patches or fixes?

 

[lozina]

Ouch that sucks!

I've been having consistent crashing ever since I started playing this past weekend. It is either after playing on a server for 3 map rotations I get a crash during the new map loading process or while in game I sometimes crash when I'm in the middle of very intense action- explosions and gun fire like crazy then my screen freezes. Then of course the Shanghai tower demolition always crashes me.

But the good thing is all of my crashes are the type that allow me to CTRL ALT DEL and shut the process down gracefully, and then reload the game and start playing again relatively quickly

 

[smackababy]

I wouldn't really call shutting down the process in task manager graceful. >_>


I failed to connect to a server last night for some reason (after the game started loading) and my Battlelog actually said for me to close the process in task manager because it couldn't communicate with the client. That was, at least from a developer perspective, a pleasant surprise. Most applications just ignore stuff like that.

Other than that instance, I haven't experienced any crashes since the latest update, nor have I been on a server that has crashed.

 

[GullyFoyle]

EA Help - Troubleshooting Info for Battlefield 4

Updated: 11/4/2013


While storming across the battlefield, you may run into an occasional hiccup, issue, glitch, or problem that could interrupt or prohibit your gameplay.

Below, find all the gameplay affecting issues we’re currently aware of and tracking, and any workarounds or troubleshooting for issues we may have confirmed or discovered:

To be proactive, always be sure you've updated your system, especially your graphics card's drivers, in order to ensure the best performance out of your gameplay--unless noted otherwise below. The most common cards are from NVIDIA and AMD, while you can find the specifics of your system by following these instructions.

The following are issues you may run in to when playing Battlefield 4:
Note: If you're encountering an issue not listed below, check this Battlelog post tracking further issues and workarounds.
My game freezes while spawning in a multiplayer match on PS3 while running in 1080p
"Missions" won't open whenever I select it from the My Soldier menu on Xbox 360

• My game freezes while I'm using the Indirect Fire Perk on the Support Class
• I'm running Windows Vista and do not have the latest AMD drivers (13.9) available to improve Battlefield 4 performance
• I can't download Battlefield 4 through Origin until October 30th, even though it has been release in my region
• Why does my Battlefield 4 purchase receipt/info say "Warsaw" followed by numbers?
• Battlefield 4 crashes into a red screen on my Windows 8 PC with an AMD graphics card
• I receive an error saying my Key is Already in Use when trying to install Battlefield 4
• My soldier's picture and emblem in the Battlelog App doesn't match my soldier on Battlelog.com
• I’m told my Punkbuster version is out of date or not installed
• I added a friend on Battlelog, but they aren’t showing up as a friend in Origin
• I receive an error whenever trying to launch Battlefield 4
• I’m trying to stream using Twitch, but my game is extremely laggy
• I'm told "An Error was Reported by EA Online" when trying to play Battlefield 4

You can find helpful information on these issues in their own individual articles:

• I purchased Battlefield 4 Premium, why can't I play Battlefield 4?
• I'm having problems installing Battlefield 4 on Xbox 360
• I get stuck on the Battlefield 4 loading screen on Xbox 360
• There are two Battlefield 4 shortcuts on my desktop after installation, and I'm not sure which one to use
• I haven't yet received my Veteran Battlepack
• All of my Polish-region PC Battlefield 4 discs claim to be Disc 1
• Battlefield 4 times-out when trying to launch on my PC
• I redeemed a Battlepack code in-game on PS3, but didn't get my pack

Aside from these issues, some players may experience...
My game freezes while spawning in a multiplayer match on PS3 while running in 1080p
Some players have reported success in troubleshooting freezing issues when spawning-in during a multiplayer match by reducing their PlayStation 3's video output to 720p from 1080p.

If you've been encountering problems involving your game freezing while playing multiplayer with you resolution in 1080p, try following these instructions from PlayStation to lower your video output to 720p to potentially ease this issue.


"Missions" won't open whenever I select it from the My Soldier menu on Xbox 360
Currently, when Xbox 360 players select Missions from the My Soldier menu in order to select challenges, the Mission menu does not open.

We're currently investigating this issue and will provide updates as soon as possible.


My game freezes while I'm using the Indirect Fire Perk on the Support Class
Some players have reported success in troubleshooting gameplay freezes after removing the Indirect Fire perk while playing the Support Class.

If you've been experiencing problems with your game freezing, try removing the Indirect Fire perk to solve your freezing issue.


I'm running Windows Vista and do not have the latest AMD drivers (13.9) available to improve Battlefield 4 performance
AMD has released new graphics drivers, version 13.9, that fix some graphical issues in Battlefield 4.

While AMD doesn't have Windows Vista drivers past version 13.4, Vista users can actually install and use the Windows 7 version 13.9 drivers on their Vista system.

I can't download Battlefield 4 through Origin until October 30th, even though it has been release in my region
If Battlefield 4 has been released in your region but the release date in Origin reads October 30th, this means your connection wasn't recognized by our GeoIP locating services and given the October 30th release date rather than the correct one for your region.

If you've been affected by this issue, you should now be able to pre-load and be able to jump into the game soon.


Why do I have a purchase receipt/info that says "Warsaw:" followed by numbers?
Don't worry, this is simply your Battlefield 4 purchase under an alternate invoice-name.

So if you're looking for information, or are confused, about your purchase, it may be listed as "Warsaw:#####:#########."


Battlefield 4 crashes into a red screen on my Windows 8 PC with an AMD graphics card
Windows 8 players running Battlefield 4 using an AMD graphics card may experience a crash to a red screen when Battlefield 4 changes maps between matches or games, and then must restart their PC in order to play again.

Some players have reported that running Battlefield 4 in Compatibility Mode for Windows 7 provides some help, but may still result in a red-screen-crash in between matches.

As noted above, AMD has released new drivers that should help solve these issues.


I receive an error saying my Key is Already in Use when trying to install Battlefield 4
If you're being told that your key is already in use while trying to install Battlefield 4 for the first time, it is most likely because you still have the Battlefield 4 Beta installed.

To install Battlefield 4, simply make sure you have uninstalled the Battlefield 4 Beta from your Origin My Games Library.

My soldier's picture and emblem in the Battlelog App doesn't match my soldier on Battlelog.com
If you change your Soldier or emblem at Battlelog.com, these changes may not be reflected or immediately visible in the Battlelog app for iOS and Android.

We're investigating this issue and will provide further updates as soon as possible.


I’m told my Punkbuster version is out of date or not installed
If you receive an error telling you that your Punkbuster is either out of date or not installed when trying to start your game:
Head to the Battlefield 4 installation folder, C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\Battlefield 4 by default, then find the _Installer folder.
In _Installer, find and navigate into the Punkbuster folder, and from there, into the redist folder.
Find and run pbsvc.exe to update or repair your Punkbuster installation.

If the above folders don’t exist in your installation:
Head to punkbuster.com and click the Download PBSetup button, and select the option “For All Windows Games."
Open pbsetup.zip, then run pbsetup.exe. Accept the EULA, follow the instructions, update PunkBuster, and then click Add a Game.
In the drop down menu, select Battlefield 4, then Add Game, and finally, before trying to run Battlefield 4 again, Check for Updates.

I added a friend on Battlelog, but they aren’t showing up as a friend in Origin
To make sure the friends you add on Battlelog get added to your Origin friends, simply log out then log back in to the Origin client.
Any recently added friends should now be in your friends list.

I receive an error whenever trying to launch Battlefield 4
If you receive an error when trying to launch Battlefield 4:
Head to the Battlefield 4 installation folder, C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\Battlefield 4 by default, then find the _Installer folder.
In _Installer, navigate into the VC folder, then into vc2012Update3, and finally redist.
In redist, find both the x86 and x64 versions of VCredist.exe.
Run and install both versions, and your game should now launch without error.

I’m trying to stream using Twitch, but my game is extremely laggy
Lowering your Broadcast Resolution, your Picture Quality, or both can result in a better gameplay experience when broadcasting your online play through Twitch:
Launch Battlefield 4 and open Origin In-Game by pressing Shift and F1.
Select the Camera icon to open your Twitch menu and login to your account.
Select the Advanced Settings tab to find the Broadcast Resolution and Picture Quality settings.

I'm unable to play Battlefield 4 on my 32-bit PC
PC Players trying to run Battlefield 4 on a 32-bit version of Windows must download and install the Day 1 Patch in order to play Battlefield 4.


I'm told "An Error was Reported by EA Online" when trying to play Battlefield 4
If you receive the message, "An Error was Reported by EA Online" when attempting to play Battlefield 4, it's likely due to having multiple IDs on the same account.

Try the following workaround to get in the game:

• Head to Battlelog and click the Profile in the top-right corner.
• Select "Change Soldier," and you should see a list of soldiers associated with your account, one of which will be Active and highlighted in green.
• Click the Active button next to one of your non-Active soldiers to set it as your primary, and then try to play Battlefield 4.
• If you still receive the above error, try setting different soldiers to active and attempting to play again.

Aside from these issues, some players may experience the following:

• Some players have reported that after saving in the single player campaign and then restarting their game, their save does not exist and must start over. We're investigating this issue and will provide updates as soon as possible.
• Your game, or the game's title screen may display in Fullscreen, even if you have windowed mode selected in your options
• You may experience a black screen when launching Battlefield 4 while using the Windows Aero theme with DPI scaling set to 150% or 200%
• PlayStation players who sign out of, or are dropped by, the PlayStation Network will become stuck at an infinite loading screen and must restart their game to continue.

 

[GullyFoyle]

Battlelog - Known BF4 Issues and Next Steps

(Nov 7) Known BF4 Issues and Next Steps

edited 2013-11-07 10:37 by trydling
UPDATE #5 (Nov 7):

R8 Server Update in the Works
We are working hard to deliver the next server update as quickly as possible to improve stability.

Client Update in the Works
We are also working on upcoming client patches for Battlefield 4 on all platforms. These will contain fixes for crashes and address a number of other issues that you have been feedbacking to us. Patch notes will be posted as we get closer to releasing these updates.

UPDATE #4 (Nov 6):
R7 Server Update Rolled Out
We just rolled out a new server update for Battlefield 4 that should fix some of the most common server crashes across all platforms. Let us know if this patch improves server stability for you. Patch notes below:
-Fixed two of the most common server crashes (All platforms)
-The "admin.say" command should now work properly (PC)
-The "vars.preset" command should now work better in conjunction with other vars settings (PC) (It is now easier for server admins to set a server preset)
-Fixed a bug in the queue system regarding GUID (PC)
-Fixed various minor bugs (PC)

UPDATE #3 (Nov 4):
Fixing server crashes
New server update (R6) was rolled out across all platforms to fix the most common server crash.

UPDATE #2 (Nov 3):
Fixing the server queues on PC
We're rolling out a server update on PC with a fix for the join queue. As this new server version starts to populate servers, you will notice that server queues on PC will be available again in Battlefield 4. Note that it might take some time before the majority of PC servers are equipped with this fix (up to 24h).

UPDATE #1 (Nov 3):
Server crashes
We have identified an issue where the game server will crash and disconnect players, causing them to lose any stats gathered during that specific round. We have a fix in progress to address this issue in a server update and will let you know once it's ready to roll out.

Since the launch of Battlefield 4, some fans playing online have been experiencing various issues with the game. Thanks to your feedback, many of these problems have been resolved, but there are still a number of bugs that we are actively working on. Below you will find a list of some of the resolved issues, as well as some of the issues we are prioritizing at the moment and what we’re doing to address them.

Game crashes and freezes
ELIMINATED AS WE IDENTIFY THEM
Players on all formats have been experiencing game crashes and freezes while playing. We have logs of the most frequently occurring client crashes, and we are actively working to Obliterate the cause of these crashes in upcoming updates.

Note that crashes come in different types, and therefore this is technically not one single issue. There are two kinds of crashes and two types of updates that can address them: server-side updates that we can release on the fly (four of these have already been released since launch), and game client updates that require more in-depth testing and certification before they can go live.

We have found and eliminated some of the server-side crashes on PC in our server updates. There is also a planned client update on PC in the near future where we are aiming to eliminate as many of the client-related crashes as possible.

Progress in Multiplayer Lost
INVESTIGATING
Players have reported losing their progress in multiplayer. This is probably related to crashes stopping the game reports from being sent to Battlelog. We are still investigating this issue in more detail. Note that your progress sometimes can seem to be reset during server maintenance windows. In these cases, your stats will be just fine and reappear later.

Single Player Save File Corrupted
WORKING ON POTENTIAL FIX
We are still investigating the issue of single player save files being corrupted for some players. If you have experienced this problem, please describe below the steps leading up to the save file being corrupted, your platform (PC, PS3 or X360), and when the issue occurred. If you’re on PC, please also list your OS and system specs.

Miscellaneous Audio Bugs
FIX UPCOMING
We are aware of the issues with missing/corrupted audio in multiplayer and have created a fix for them. This fix is planned for release in the next PC client patch.

Magazine Reload Bug on Normal
FIXED
On all platforms, some players were experiencing a bug when playing on Normal servers. The bug caused the reload setting to incorrectly mimic the behavior from Hardcore servers. This was fixed in our fourth and latest server update.

Xbox 360 Missions not Working as Intended
FIXED
There was a bug preventing Xbox 360 players from creating MISSIONS. This should now work properly, as we made some necessary changes to the backend infrastructure.

Battlefield 4 Premium “Reset Stats” Feature Not Working
FIXED

Server Queues not Functioning
FIXED

Promotional Battlepack Items Not Appearing In-game and/or on Battlelog
INVESTIGATING
We are aware of this issue, and are working on a solution for it. Note that in some cases the Battlepack items will actually show up after a delay. If you’re still not seeing your items after 12 hours or so, please reach out to EA Help at https://help.ea.com/en/battlefield/battlefield-4 [help.ea.com].

Keep the Gameplay Feedback Coming!
We are hearing your feedback regarding gameplay balance and other tweaks to classes and weapons, and are actively discussing these with the designers.

One subject that’s been generating a lot of feedback is the controller layout in Battlefield 4. An in-depth look at the controller options in Battlefield 4 is published on the Battlefield Blog at http://blogs.battlefield.com/ [blogs.battlefield.com].

Thanks for your Patience
We would like to thank all players who have been reporting their issues to us – your feedback is invaluable when making sure we can deliver the Battlefield 4 experience you all deserve. In true DICE fashion, we will keep supporting Battlefield 4 for a long time, and we appreciate your feedback and patience as we work these issues out.

/The DICE team

 

[Kev]

New rule: don't buy games that are built for 5 separate platforms in a 2 year development window.

 

[Childs]

New rule: don't buy games that are built for 5 separate platforms in a 2 year development window.

So no new games in the next two years?

 

[Zargon]

I think you mean no games from major publishers

 

[xAlias]

The freezing up during gameplay has gone up to absurd levels since the server patch 2 days ago. Now every game or the other locks up on me and i have to ctl alt del it to load another game with the stats lost. Love the game but so frustrating..

 

[lozina]

I wouldn't really call shutting down the process in task manager graceful. >_>

Yeah well, the crashes I got playing Skyrim froze my computer so that the only thing I could do was power off my PC and then power it back on. So I do call being able to close it and start it up again without rebooting graceful

 

[AznAnarchy99]

The freezing up during gameplay has gone up to absurd levels since the server patch 2 days ago. Now every game or the other locks up on me and i have to ctl alt del it to load another game with the stats lost. Love the game but so frustrating..

You don't lose stats if you crash. Only if server crashes.

 

[Childs]

I think you mean no games from major publishers

Realistically, what else is there? Half the fun with these games is getting them to work! Troubleshooting is like free DLC. :biggrin:

 

[VashHT]

The newer patch actually helped a lot for me, played a couple games last night with no crashing and no lag.