Caspian Border Gameplay

Even though DICE/EA saw fit to have most people in the beta playing the linear, infantry-focused Operation Metro, there were about 30 servers running a much bigger, much awesomer map: Caspian Border. This one is the real Battlefield deal, a gigantic, 64-player expanse with enough room for dozens of vehicles, including jets (and that’s not the biggest map in the game). Despite the servers being password-protected, everyone and their mother was trying to get in, thanks to the code words being leaked everywhere, including the Battlelog forums. Succeeding was like winning the lottery, and boy, the jackpot sure was sweet.

If you’re wondering why I’m referring to it in the past tense, that’s because all the Caspian Border servers were closed down today, with the announcement that its “testing has been completed.” What’s worse is that, once you get a taste of the true BF3 experience with 48 or 64 players and vehicles, Operation Metro seems so crappy in comparison! I couldn’t even begin to tell you how long I spent sitting here refreshing the server browser and trying over and over to join a full server that had a slot open just half a second ago... Like an addict trying to get a fix, the slim chance of getting into a laggy game of Conquest was a far better use of time than playing the same old Rush.




Luckily, I was able to play a few hours of Caspian Border over the past couple days, and I have to say it was fan-effing-tastic. It’s the map they’ve shown in screenshots with the jets and towering antenna, plus rolling green hills and a forest complete with babbling brook. The map is so big that you need to use a vehicle to get around, at least from the spawn to the central area where all the control points are clustered together. Yes, this is Conquest, so the point is to capture and hold the flags, not stand around the runway waiting for the planes to spawn, you bastards… On the bright side, everyone wanting to fly means there’s plenty of stuff to shoot down with AA guns and missiles. I had a few lovely rounds where I spent the whole time in a Tunguska or stationary gatling gun, racking up points for “disabling” (I don’t know what that actually means, if they can still fly and shoot) and destroying jets and helos.





More conventional fun is certainly available if you’re set to looking after those flags. As I mentioned, there are dozens of vehicles on this map, including tanks, LAV/APCs, jeeps, mobile AA, attack helicopters, and jets. Each one has its use, but the real strength lies in numbers of boots on the ground, capping and defending flags. With all the foliage, clutter, and buildings, there is no shortage of places to hunker down. Stealthy players will love the ability to hide in the bushes or the shadowy corners of a building, where you can sit quietly while enemies move all around you. It helps that they neutered the “Spot Enemy” spam, and infantry markers will disappear if you don’t have line of sight. Almost makes me feel sorry for the guy in the tank that just couldn’t get a bead on me, despite laying RPG after RPG into him. If he had the sense to know when he’s outmatched and run away, his armor would regenerate just like my health does. Sounds controversial, I know, but it takes about 20-30 seconds after you’ve taken damage to start slowly increasing by about 2 HP/sec.




Though the classes are the same four from Battlefield 2142, with the assault medics and resupplying supports, character progression in BF3 has grown immensely. You’re used to unlocking new weapons and gadgets for each class by playing them, but you also gain new universal equipment and perks by ranking up. Additionally, every primary weapon has its own progression, netting you a wide variety of attachments including scopes, silencers, flashlights, bipods, and laser sights for the weapons you use the most. Add all of that to the usual award ribbons for stuff like kill streaks, reviving lots of teammates, and winning the round, and your post-match report screen will make you feel really good about yourself. The sheer volume of unlockables means the obsessive completionists will take longer than a week to “finish” the game, while normal players might not ever do so.

Needless to say, anybody that is looking forward to the release of Battlefield 3 shouldn’t miss this chance to get an early look at the game. If you’re not dedicated enough to weather the glitches and lagginess, at least experience the technical prowess of Frostbite 2.0 for a round or two. Plus it’s a good opportunity to see if your gaming rig is up to snuff, which it probably will be so long as you’re DirectX 10-capable. You have until October 10th to try it, and after that it’s only a couple more weeks until the full game releases. Even though I’m sad to see Caspian Border go away (those console saps never got a chance at that one), I still plan to play some more throughout the weekend, so maybe I’ll see you out there, soldier!