So, following in tradition of the last 3 pages; here is what I noticed after 5 or so games tonight.....
The weapons all reset, and it took me a while to get what I wanted, as when I went to the selection screens, the gun would always default before I started choosing suppressors and bits for it. Frustrating.
Got there in the end, and then wondered why my Famas was so 🤬.
Apparently, I want to take that suppressor off, add a flash sup. and then get rid of the foregrip.
Which I didn't know.
M98B is not so powerful.
Havoc is awesome!!
Finally, I can rival or even beat the Viper pilots!
ANYTHING using a laser designator, will have the SOFLAM's bright red shiny light coming out of it.
This includes Tanx using CITV, the Viper and Havoc when they are locking on, or Joe-snipeez up on the crane at Gulf, using a SOFLAM itself.
This means spinning around trying to find the thing locking onto you is a bit easier, but initially it was a bit off-putting.
The Havoc is awesome.
Whilst up in it over Gulf earlier, the pilot locked onto the Viper with a laser painter of some description, and I was able to lock onto it using the guided missile normally reserved for ground targets, all from the gunner's seat.
All vehicles will start to be painted by the laser painter in the Choppers/Tanks, regardless of whether there is anyone in them or not.
Gets a bit confusing in the sky, when you start locking onto the Buggies that are sitting at deployment, or just lying around on the map in various places.
I was revived at Metro (bit pointless as it turned out; but nevermind that) about 5 mins into my first game, and the spawn screen, complete with all options relating to changing squad or selecting different weapons etc, was still plastered all over my screen when I stood up.
The only way to get it off was to hit start to pause the game, then hit O to go back/resume.
Everything feels a little different.
I got caught out at Tehran when I tried to drive around the back of the monument to go to C flag on the back roads, as I would do normally.
This is now out of bounds, and before I could right the Tank, all 3 occupants died.
Just a case of learning the new edges I suppose.
I have been killed by my own team twice tonight by them jumping in jeeps, and jumping out as they come straight at me.
The second time, the guy used a Jeep to hit the Viper I was about to jump into, which in turn rolled over and killed me.
He then jumped in the Viper and flew off.
Into a tree.
CITV range seems shorter now. If the Havoc/Tank/Viper/Kasatka isn't quite close by, then you can't get a lock-on.
Fire is killing the Heli's as soon as they are lit.
Extinguisher is nearly essential, as is the gunner being on mic, and having flares!
Once you have taken a substantial hit, the chopper will keep burning unless you put it out, or land and repair it FULLY.
Game seems smoother to me. In every department. Except the 🤬 root menu.....
OK.
Now that that is all out of the way.....
My downloading hell.....
It took 6 attempts, during which I tried all sorts of things.
My advice for Hywelkidd and waffles is only what I think has helped.
I downloaded the patch using my main account, which is the account I FIRST installed BF3 onto. It is NOT the account I PLAY BF3 on.
That was the only way I could get the patch to come down and install.
When I tried to install it onto the newer account which I have been using solely for BF3, it crashed on install. So I downloaded to the main account I use for GT5 and everything else (🤬 EA), but can only
actually use it on my BF-VEXD account for BF3.
Then I tried to download the B2K game pack again.
No chance.
Tried all sorts of ways.
Nothing was working.
Eventually, I figured this out.
The game was initially installed onto my main account, right?
Then I had to create a new account to play it on, due to EA/Hotmail incompatibility issues, so I made one, and then I installed the B2K game pack onto that, at a later date; THE FIRST TIME ROUND.
Trying to install B2K onto the main account, after I'd just installed the patch onto my main account, gave me a crash on install.
Trying to go through the game menu to the main account; crashed on install.
Trying to go through the PS Store onto the main account; crashed on install.
Trying to go through the main account to download from the game menu, but then installing on the newer BF-VEXD account; crashed on install.
Trying the same, but direct from PS Store; crashed on install.
In the end, I went to the newer account (BF-VEXD), didn't boot BF3, went to the PS Store, went to download history, re-downloaded to the XMB, by downloading in background. This took ages. Like, 4 times the time it had been doing; which may point to the initial crash/corruption issues.
Then I got the bubble icon appear in the XMB.
Left that for 10-20 mins to cool.

Installed it to the newer account.
It worx!
Spent 20 mins dying and trying to change all my weapons back to somewhere where they used to be......
In short (yeah right) if you are having issues with your downloads for this game, then consider which account you originally downloaded the game to, which account you have linked to Battlelog/EA, and do things the slowest and safest way, direct from the store, without switching off the console in between, using a previously downloaded download.
Any game data, such as the patch or online code, needs to be stuck to the original account you installed the game onto.
Any add-ons, such as the B2K pack, need to be installed to the account that you play the game on.
Hope that helps.
The Havoc is awesome.
Woops I wrote a book........

👍