The Battlefield franchise is a key element of the PC gaming culture, having been around for something like two decades now. BF4 is arguably the best in the franchise - and I use the word "arguably" in a literal sense because we've discussed this in BZ1 chat on numerous occasions. I mean clearly the answer is the BF2 Special Forces Expansion Pack, but some of ya'll choose 2142 and BF3's map design as honourable mentions. Remember when supporting releases were called "expansion packs" and not **vomits in mouth a little bit** "DLCs"?
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There are a few reasons why BF2042 is trash, a major reason being the lack of a chat function. Truth be told, many gamers enter into online games not just to play the game, but to engage with other players who share a hobby/passion/vice. I've bought a bunch of games this past year as I've decided to relive some youthful experiences and post-COVID complications have reduced my physical or mental desire to engage in other activities which for me overtook gaming for many years. Diablo, Stray, Insurgency: Sandstorm, Alien: Isolation, Ancestors, Civilization 5 and 6, and a crap ton of others; with child-like wonderment I fire these games up, excited for either lost nostalgia or new experiences and novelty. I dabble in them for minutes at a time before excitement wanes and I abruptly close the game to rejoin BZ1. Am I craving the same 7 maps, the same routes, the same tank shell-APS-repair routine, the same P90-Magnum-RPG loadout day after day? No, I crave the human engagement. I crave the bonding with regulars and the novelty of new players getting UCAVed for the first time. I come for serious conversations and hilarious shit-posting stupidity. I come to hear others' opinions and experiences. I come for the chat.
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Chatting while Battlefielding is the reduced-grass version of tossing the pigskin around while talking about difficult subjects. With your mind on the ball, on the cadence, and the catch and the throw, your speech is less filtered, less guarded. This is therapy and insight. In a world of echo chambers and circle jerks, where your "tribe" can be found in any dark corner of the internet, I believe it is valuable to be exposed to unfettered tossing-the-ball-around type speech (save for racism, discrimination, fanaticism, and other disgusting things). I have been exposed to novel ideas in this chat-room-with-a-game-attached, and I rather enjoy the wide and varying opinions that we have on BZ1.
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A prominent player has been banned for a second time for political chat. Yes, I am aware of the server rules. I for one have never been offended by any of his chat, nor would I define it as political in nature. I think his chat is more accurately defined as economic and historic. No, I am not asking for some players to receive special privileges. I am asking for a clear definition of what constitutes "political chat"? We live in a society, not exclusive of it, and nearly any dialogue can approach the political label with enough digging. Maybe I am asking for a rule change. An allowance if dialogue ends up down the political road. I mean, H is always an option. We are encouraged to press H for profanity and some other offensive words. Can this approach not be expanded when the "red team better; no blue team better" crowd start their tantrums? Again, I have never even seen the player go down this road - his schtick is economic and historic in nature. He's not a trouble maker and has a play style that is unique and very fun to engage with.
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Another player mentioned that if players continue to get banned for arguably minor things, then the game and the servers will die. Yet another player mentioned that time-on-server should have some weight in the punishment process. Perhaps the rules need a weighting system? Cheating, racism, base-rape, griefing - punishment is swift and severe. These things have clear definitions. Politics and pseudo-politics - perhaps more kicks are warranted before a ban. I do have a bias, and that bias is that I don't really care who the president or prime minister is. They are all the same. Red Team, Blue Team, Left side, Right side, it's all the same shit. Death and taxes, my friends. Complaint culture, I'm Offended culture, Everything is Annoying culture, these things will end us fast. H button should be part of this crowd's tool kit. I think there is a delineation between keeping the servers clean and fun versus reporting and acting on every minor infraction to the point of collapse.
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Anyway, to wrap it all up: can we have a clear, comprehensive, non-circular definition of political chat? At what point does economic and historic chat become political? I believe it can only benefit all of us to know the boundaries and the premise.
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There are a few reasons why BF2042 is trash, a major reason being the lack of a chat function. Truth be told, many gamers enter into online games not just to play the game, but to engage with other players who share a hobby/passion/vice. I've bought a bunch of games this past year as I've decided to relive some youthful experiences and post-COVID complications have reduced my physical or mental desire to engage in other activities which for me overtook gaming for many years. Diablo, Stray, Insurgency: Sandstorm, Alien: Isolation, Ancestors, Civilization 5 and 6, and a crap ton of others; with child-like wonderment I fire these games up, excited for either lost nostalgia or new experiences and novelty. I dabble in them for minutes at a time before excitement wanes and I abruptly close the game to rejoin BZ1. Am I craving the same 7 maps, the same routes, the same tank shell-APS-repair routine, the same P90-Magnum-RPG loadout day after day? No, I crave the human engagement. I crave the bonding with regulars and the novelty of new players getting UCAVed for the first time. I come for serious conversations and hilarious shit-posting stupidity. I come to hear others' opinions and experiences. I come for the chat.
-
-
Chatting while Battlefielding is the reduced-grass version of tossing the pigskin around while talking about difficult subjects. With your mind on the ball, on the cadence, and the catch and the throw, your speech is less filtered, less guarded. This is therapy and insight. In a world of echo chambers and circle jerks, where your "tribe" can be found in any dark corner of the internet, I believe it is valuable to be exposed to unfettered tossing-the-ball-around type speech (save for racism, discrimination, fanaticism, and other disgusting things). I have been exposed to novel ideas in this chat-room-with-a-game-attached, and I rather enjoy the wide and varying opinions that we have on BZ1.
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A prominent player has been banned for a second time for political chat. Yes, I am aware of the server rules. I for one have never been offended by any of his chat, nor would I define it as political in nature. I think his chat is more accurately defined as economic and historic. No, I am not asking for some players to receive special privileges. I am asking for a clear definition of what constitutes "political chat"? We live in a society, not exclusive of it, and nearly any dialogue can approach the political label with enough digging. Maybe I am asking for a rule change. An allowance if dialogue ends up down the political road. I mean, H is always an option. We are encouraged to press H for profanity and some other offensive words. Can this approach not be expanded when the "red team better; no blue team better" crowd start their tantrums? Again, I have never even seen the player go down this road - his schtick is economic and historic in nature. He's not a trouble maker and has a play style that is unique and very fun to engage with.
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Another player mentioned that if players continue to get banned for arguably minor things, then the game and the servers will die. Yet another player mentioned that time-on-server should have some weight in the punishment process. Perhaps the rules need a weighting system? Cheating, racism, base-rape, griefing - punishment is swift and severe. These things have clear definitions. Politics and pseudo-politics - perhaps more kicks are warranted before a ban. I do have a bias, and that bias is that I don't really care who the president or prime minister is. They are all the same. Red Team, Blue Team, Left side, Right side, it's all the same shit. Death and taxes, my friends. Complaint culture, I'm Offended culture, Everything is Annoying culture, these things will end us fast. H button should be part of this crowd's tool kit. I think there is a delineation between keeping the servers clean and fun versus reporting and acting on every minor infraction to the point of collapse.
-
-
Anyway, to wrap it all up: can we have a clear, comprehensive, non-circular definition of political chat? At what point does economic and historic chat become political? I believe it can only benefit all of us to know the boundaries and the premise.
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