Battlefield 3

  • Thread starter Thread starter The Bman
  • 14,126 comments
  • 664,404 views
Did a game of Rush and Team Deathmatch today. Completely sucked, I tried using the M16A4 (just unlocked) but I didn't really get along.

Alos, is the AEK-971 a stable weapon? Haven't used it much but I'm looking for a gun with low amounts of recoil. Sorry if I'm being a noob :dunce:
 
I didn't have my mic on....

Neither did I :lol:, was trying to be slightly more social to my gf.

See the thing is that's what I thought at first which is why I didn't quit right away, but I sometimes heard short bits of talking, maybe a second or two so I guessed you do indeed have your mics. Ah well. :lol:
I do wonder what the talking was though. Or maybe I was just imagining it. :boggled:
 
See the thing is that's what I thought at first which is why I didn't quit right away, but I sometimes heard short bits of talking, maybe a second or two so I guessed you do indeed have your mics. Ah well. :lol:
I do wonder what the talking was though. Or maybe I was just imagining it. :boggled:

You can hear people who are on the loading screen regardless of squad voice chat and such, which is very annoying when they have stupid loud music on...
 
You can hear people who are on the loading screen regardless of squad voice chat and such, which is very annoying when they have stupid loud music on...

Yeah Battlefield 3 does generally seem like a bit of a mess in the sound department.
It's great when it all works, but when it doesn't and all I hear is bullets hitting and not getting fired for example it's not that great. :irked:
 
Indeed, the sound is messy, mine is always dropping out during rounds.

The aforementioned game at Caspian (http://battlelog.battlefield.com/bf3/battlereport/show/44516795/4/209949149/) was a bit of a cracker. We seemed to never hold more than 2 flags and with about 70-80 tickets left we just held it up at C, sometimes taking B, holding D/A in alternate times. Really enjoyable game, really had to work for it. I accidentally spawned with the SKS, normally a engi map, but it worked quite well there.

Also, mortars, do these work at all? Whenever I try to use them, it won't deploy. I know you can't use them in base, but they never seem to be deployable on open ground.
 
Alos, is the AEK-971 a stable weapon? Haven't used it much but I'm looking for a gun with low amounts of recoil. Sorry if I'm being a noob :dunce:

I find the AEK-971 to be fairly stable. The weapon fires very quickly and you will expend a magazine before you know it if you do not watch your trigger finger.
 
Sureboss
Indeed, the sound is messy, mine is always dropping out during rounds.

The aforementioned game at Caspian (http://battlelog.battlefield.com/bf3/battlereport/show/44516795/4/209949149/) was a bit of a cracker. We seemed to never hold more than 2 flags and with about 70-80 tickets left we just held it up at C, sometimes taking B, holding D/A in alternate times. Really enjoyable game, really had to work for it. I accidentally spawned with the SKS, normally a engi map, but it worked quite well there.

Also, mortars, do these work at all? Whenever I try to use them, it won't deploy. I know you can't use them in base, but they never seem to be deployable on open ground.

Yes, sound is a problem; especially on consoles. I have yet to have a significant problem with sound on PC. On XBOX, however, it would constantly cut out. Very annoying when in a vehicle and listening for audio cues.

You can't deploy the mortars at all? on any server? Try going into multiple empty servers and deploying it all over the map. If you can't I suggest a fresh install of the game. It is possible you could have a corrupted file and it has rendered your mortar useless.

For whatever reason (most likely unstable OC) my brother has a small corruption in his BF3 install on PC. However, his is a bit of the opposite: various vehicle mounted machine guns will not over heat and continue firing indefinitely (like the HMG on various land attack vehicles). It goes without saying he never "fixed" this lol.
 
Indeed, the sound is messy, mine is always dropping out during rounds.

The aforementioned game at Caspian (http://battlelog.battlefield.com/bf3/battlereport/show/44516795/4/209949149/) was a bit of a cracker. We seemed to never hold more than 2 flags and with about 70-80 tickets left we just held it up at C, sometimes taking B, holding D/A in alternate times. Really enjoyable game, really had to work for it. I accidentally spawned with the SKS, normally a engi map, but it worked quite well there.

Also, mortars, do these work at all? Whenever I try to use them, it won't deploy. I know you can't use them in base, but they never seem to be deployable on open ground.

It was a close game but I could only enjoy the latter half, though that was the most tense.

Mortars are often broken, not sure on the conditions, but avoid them for now until patch.
 
Yes, sound is a problem; especially on consoles. I have yet to have a significant problem with sound on PC. On XBOX, however, it would constantly cut out. Very annoying when in a vehicle and listening for audio cues.

You can't deploy the mortars at all? on any server? Try going into multiple empty servers and deploying it all over the map. If you can't I suggest a fresh install of the game. It is possible you could have a corrupted file and it has rendered your mortar useless.

For whatever reason (most likely unstable OC) my brother has a small corruption in his BF3 install on PC. However, his is a bit of the opposite: various vehicle mounted machine guns will not over heat and continue firing indefinitely (like the HMG on various land attack vehicles). It goes without saying he never "fixed" this lol.

Well, I've not tried them on all maps, as they are relatively redundant (seeing you can't use them in your base any more, great move that was!) in 99% of scenarios.
 
DICE really needs to fix mortars. Someone got a direct hit on me with one the other day and the suppression was worse than the damage!
 
hywelkidd
DICE really needs to fix mortars. Someone got a direct hit on me with one the other day and the suppression was worse than the damage!

I agree.They should have more splash damage, I hate that it must be a direct hit to kill and even then it's not a sure thing.
 
I agree.They should have more splash damage, I hate that it must be a direct hit to kill and even then it's not a sure thing.

Careful what you wish for, mortars pre-nerf made Rush unplayable as they could spam the MCOM sites to either defend them or stop a defuse and similarly any choke point became easy kills for the mortar user. The way I see it a guy sitting in a position where they can't even see me and has no real risk of death if they position themselves smartly shouldn't be able to kill me with ease. When the mortar works now it can be used very tactically with the suppression and smoke effects, softening the enemy for your team rather then allowing the mortar to totally dominate. I've managed to turn Rush attack games around by using smoke and suppression to pin the enemy team back and limit their sightlines to our advance, allowing my team to get the tricky final MCOM on Seine, but I wasn't rewarded with risk free kills and that's right on the money to me.

Smoke, M320 and Mortar, is one of the most underestimated resources in the game. A losing battle can be turned by some well placed smoke and is a great anti-camper method (smoke right on their position and suddenly their great vantage point is useless.
 
You know, I've never thought to use smoke. The other day on Kharg my squad was coming under a load of fire from some snipers up where B is in CQ large (PC only), i.e. the hills with the radio tower between the petrol station and building site, and I reacted by switching to Recon and sniping them from a much longer range than they were sniping everyone else (they were watching the construction site and offices, I was just outside the Russian uncap), but I could've used smoke to hide us and stayed in the fight. Still, it was satisfying to see them panic and keep their head down whilst trying to spot me, and we still won anyway, so...

I might start using smoke, though, I wonder if it could be combined with a shotgun to make it actually useful at longer ranges. This is why BF3 is awesome, if you get bored of playing one way you can always try something else.
 
Smoke is best used by hitting the enemy in the face if you can, so you can still see ahead but they can't see at all but it works well to generally cause confusion on hot spots as well or shield a view point as you cross as you say. It's a shame you can't use IRNV scopes to see through the smoke (I think it's IR smoke so it disrupts thermal and IRNV, anybody know for sure?).

I tried out Slugs on the 870MCS last night again, not to bad really. I only got a brief go with them on Caspian but I managed some really cheeky headshots with an ACOG on it and the close range one-shot ability was nice. It made the gun usable at range but certainly not better than an assault rifle, whilst retaining the vital ability to one shot a guy at close range. I'm also converted from my beloved 870 for buckshot use on maps like Seine, the lack of semi-auto fires makes taking down multiple enemies when storming a room etc. frustrating and difficult as if you come face to face with 2 guys you have no chance usually where I now use the M1014 and spray 12 gauge at them with half a chance of victory, not entirely sure if this is a good decision overall or not though as it sacrifices range to the 870. Also tried slugs on the M1014 with meh success, needs further tests at range as I was on Seine for that and found myself just swapping to buckshot and using the .44 at range.

Edit 2: Might try out the .44 scoped, might make using a buckshot shotty on an open map more bearable for the purpose of lols.
 
Last edited:
Slugs do not make the shotguns better than assault rifles at range. Slugs do increase the overall effectiveness of the weapon and provide the ability to engage at ranges that are not normally viable for a shotgun, especially if you are plinking headshots.

Slugs on the M1014 do not hit as hard as Slugs on the 870MCS; I believe half the amount of damage per shell. The thought behind the design is that the M1014 (and all non-pump action shotguns) will be able to fire at least two slugs in the same amount of time as one on the 870MCS and thus less damage per shell is needed to balance the different types of shotguns. So when you are using the M1014 with Slugs, be prepared to fire twice as many shots to kill an opponent. I would suggest switching between the two weapons based on the map. Use the 870 MCS on maps with mostly longer engagements, where the pump action is less likely to cause issues, and the M1014 on maps with a mix of ranges, where semi-auto is a huge benefit in close range.

I do not think this has been done in this thread, but how about listing your favorite weapon(s) for each weapon type.

  • Assault Rifles:
    1. G3A3 - The stopping power of the 7.62x51mm NATO round is awesome.
    2. M416 - Just an effective weapon.
    3. M16A4 - The burst is starting to somewhat grow on me, though this opinion could quickly change.
    4. Really any weapon in this category can be very good, though I am not a huge fan of the F2000 or FAMAS.
  • Carbines:
    1. SCAR-H - See G3A3.
    2. G36C/G53 - Nearly the same weapons and both are quite good.
  • Light Machine Guns:
    1. Not sure at this point, the latest patch has me trying many of the weapons, with none standing out over the others. Each has pluses and minuses.
  • Sniper Rifles:
    1. M40A5 - The L96 has an issue with shooting high at the moment and because of that, M40A5 it is.
    2. SKS - A monster at mid range.
  • Shotguns:
    1. M1014/870MCS - A tie. Both are good weapons and the appropriate time to use either should depend on the map.
  • Personal Defense Weapons:
    1. Eh, I guess the P90. I have not used any of the PDWs long enough in the latest patch to have an opinion.
  • Handguns:
    1. M1911 Suppressed - This pistol is a boss.

EDIT: Revised assault rifle section in next post here.
 
Last edited:
I'll bite on the weapons discussion.

Assault rifles:

The M16A3 is the best all-purpose weapon, for me. I'll use an M416 once in a while if I'm having aiming issues, just as a clear-the-mind change of pace. The G3A1 hits hard but isn't a great CQB weapon. Really the only weapons in this class without a role at the moment are the FAMAs and the M16A4; the FAMAS doesn't do anything that the F2000 doesn't do as well, likewise the M16A4 is inferior to the M16A3 (I tap-fire so the A4's burst feature adds nothing for me). The KH2002 is the sleeper weapon, it's super accurate and holds its own in close. I don't get along with the AN-94 but run into guys who are able to make it work.

Carbines:

The M4A1 is again my primary go-to, as it handles more or less the same as the M16A3. The carbine seems to do better than the assault rifle in CQB. The G36C is a fave of some of my teammates but I've had mixed success with it. The SG553 is fine close-medium but doesn't seem to hit long. The SCAR-H I'm not a fan of. It kicks like a mule. The G53 is right up there with the M4A1 as an all-purpose weapon and can pull off some surprisingly long shots. I find a distinct difference in the way it handles vs. the G36C, with the G53 feeling smoother to me. The M4 burst-fire is redundant given my playstyle.

LMGs:

Go-tos are the PKP, M27 and RPK. The RPK with the 200-round mag is a wrecking machine. The PKP isn't quite the death-laser as BFBC2's PKM, but post-patch it's more accurate and easier to keep on target. The M60E4 is useful but the PKP fits my playstyle better. The M249 has its adherents but I'm not one; it's harder to keep on target than the PKP. The M240 I consider flat-out useless -- it has so much kick any kills I get with it are an accident.

PDWs:

A weak class, but the UMP-45 and P90 have their uses. The UMP is my current go-to for Kharg TDM because it offers a good mix of up-close hitting power and ability in the mid-range. The P90 is strictly an up-close weapon but does great at defending M-COMs in Rush. The PDW-R is its poor cousin and the PP-2000 doesn't seem as good as the UMP. The PP-19 I haven't used in a while; pre-patch it was a peashooter. The MP7 isn't like any of the others and you really need extended mags/laser sight to be competitive with it.

Sniper rifles:

I'm not much of a sniper, so when I snipe, it's generally with the MK 11. I'll also run a naked SKS from time to time on Caspian TDM. Haven't done much with any of the others.
 
Given that I'm including my personal favourites in my guide, I'll not bother reposting them here. I've only managed to do 2.5 classes so far though, still haven't even touched on vehicle use and I'm starting to realise doing everything I want is going to take time and I'm not sure it'll be worth the wait for users.

Edit: Just finished Support, leaving Recon as the final remaining kit. Decided I will finish Recon and do general intro + some advanced gameplay tips and make the thread before coming back later for vehicles.
 
Last edited:
Thinking about this a little more, I need to revise the Assault Rifle section.

  • Assault Rifles:
    1. G3A3 - The stopping power of the 7.62x51mm NATO round is awesome.
    2. M416 - Just an effective weapon.
    3. M16A4 - The burst is starting to somewhat grow on me, though this opinion could quickly change. While I have had some fun messing around with the M16A4 and am finally somewhat getting the burst fire, my third assault rifle would actually be the AEK-971. The AEK-971 does everything better than F2000 and is marginally worse than the FAMAS in close quarters.
    4. M16A4 - If only because I have a love/hate relationship with burst fire weapons.
    5. Really any weapon in this category can be very good, though I am not a huge fan of the F2000 or FAMAS. This class is my favorite to play. Nearly all of the weapons have spent a good amount of time in my virtual hands. The F2000, FAMAS, and KH-2002 are the lowest on the list.
 
The AEK-971 does everything better than F2000 and is marginally worse than the FAMAS in close quarters.

I get along OK with the AEK but it's really more of a specialty weapon. It works in the same situations a P90 or UMP-45 would, but has a bit more reach and hitting power than either. So given its presence, there's no reason I can see to run a PDW with the assault class. The F2000 post-patch is probably a bit better in CQB than the AEK but ranks below it in all other aspects.
 
I love the kh2002. Just started using it over the weekend.

Also got the straight pull bolt for my m98b, so much better
.
 
One interesting combination for SQR or TDM or SQD: M98B+Holo+Straight pull bolt+Suppressor. Why Holo instead of Kobra or Reflex? Because its got 1.5x zoom instead of just 1x. Why no Agoc? Because it have 4x scope its too much. Havent tried that one woth 3.4x scope yet. Maybe it will work?
 
It's a shame you can't use IRNV scopes to see through the smoke (I think it's IR smoke so it disrupts thermal and IRNV, anybody know for sure?).

Once smoke is popped it disrupts IRNV too, but, only for a brief period. After 2-3 secs one can see through the smoke again, or at least, see enemies sooner through it than without IR.

Anybody else encountering DAO spammers at CQC maps lately?
 
The DAO-12 is practically made for Op. Metro. Anytime there's a crowded hallway, it's almost guaranteed that the DAO-12 can tear through everyone standing in it without being reloaded.
 
I'm encountering alot more shotgun users in general on more open maps as well and I'm one of them :lol:. I've been playing alot of CQB stuff tonight with the M1014, buckshot and ext mags, on Support with a .44 in my back pocket and a bag full of boom (C4). Placing my surprise packages around objectives to defend and generally getting on peoples nerves with that and the shotty.

Magnum is working out great for giving a beat of much needed reach. It's a really decent sidearm for a shotty kit, packs one hell of a punch when you need it which gives it the best range of any handgun even without the scope.

Tried out the slugs some more for the M1014, still meh results I find myself using buckshot even on larger maps and just getting in peoples faces and using the .44 everywhere else. Clever movement is key though of course, and you usually are limited to specific areas of maps for maximum effectiveness such as B/C on Caspian due to the small run between the 2. I still want to try Slugs now I have the sight I want, I need to give them a real chance but the way games have been going it's been super hectic and the buckshot has been the way to go as I've had chances to move around the action and get behind squads who soon hit the floor with the buck where slugs would fail me.

Also ticked over 10,000 kills in a struggle to keep my KDR rising (stuck at 3.1 ish at the moment after storming up to that point from 2.9X fairly recently).
 
Back