Huge Battlefield 3 PC patch notes detailed

By Tom Phillips Published 22 November, 2011

New squad interface, Battlelog features.

A "major" client update for Battlefield 3 on PC is now live, as of 9am this morning, EA has confirmed.

Console versions of the patch are also due, but are taking longer due to the platforms' certification processes.

Highlights include an updated squad interface, designed to make playing with friends and Platoon chums easier. Players can now select Squads to join, allowing for servers to better balance teams.

The full change log lies below. There's still no sign of camaros.

Client-Side Changes:

Visuals, Stability and Performance Fixes:

  • General performance and loading time improvements
  • "Black Screen" fix for an issue occurring on some PC Configurations
  • Stereo and Rendering Support for Nvidia and AMD Graphics Cards
  • Adjusted the "stuttering" encountered on some PC configurations.
  • Fixed several Crashes when joining MP and Co-Op sessions
  • Fixed multiple problems when using multiple monitors (Eyefinity / Surround).
  • Fixed visual corruption issues on certain Nvidia Cards
  • Improved loading times for certain textures
  • Added console command "GameTime.MaxVariableFps" to limit max FPS
  • Added console command "UI.DrawEnable" to hide UI for screenshots / videos

Server Update Highlights

  • EOD Bot exploit fix
  • Several crash fixes
  • Anti-stat padding measures taken, disallowing ranked servers to run obscure settings
  • Improved team kill kick configuration
  • Support for unranked servers. Unranked servers do not report players' scores to Battlelog, but server administrators can freely control all settings

Balance and Gameplay Adjustments (PC)

  • Fixed a problem with high speed mouse movement
  • Added back some missing Growlers on Kharg Island Conquest Large
  • Added back EOR sound for SQDM and TDM
  • You should no longer be able to damage a friendly vehicle when sitting in an open position
  • Grenades now drop to ground if you get killed while attempting to throw it(note the affect this will have on Hardcore mode!)
  • Spawn protection now should work in Conquest. You should no longer spawn on points too close to enemies
  • You should no longer spawn too close to enemies in TDM and SQDM
  • Combat areas on Kharg Rush tweaked in order to disallow defenders to access the carrier ship after 1st base is taken and being able to enter the AA gun
  • Fixed a problem with revived players not suffering suppression
  • Fixed a problem with the camera when being revived in COOP
  • Added joystick deadzone setting
  • Fixed sound for when climbing ladders
  • Fixed an issue with some weapon sounds in first person
  • Fixed a swim sound loop error
  • Increased the damage of Helicopter Miniguns, AA guns, and Jet Cannons against infantry
  • Increased the damage of Helicopter Miniguns against jeeps.
  • Reduced the physics impact of AA guns and Jet Cannons, players under attack from these weapons should no longer lose control.
  • Increased the damage of the 44 Magnum slightly.
  • Increased the range and minimum damage of the .357 Round from the MP412 Rex.
  • Increased the range of all .45cal and 9mm weapons.
  • Slightly increased the range of the P90 and MP7 and PDW-R.
  • Slightly increased the range of the 5.56mm PDW-R and decreased the minimum damage at long range.
  • Slightly increased the minimum range of the Mk11, SVD, and M39 EMR 7.62mm rifles.
  • Decreased the maximum damage and maximum range of the G3 and SCAR-H 7.62mm weapons.
  • Reduced the damage from FIM-92 and SA-18 IGLA missiles against aircraft.
  • Increased the damage and range of the 40mm BUCK rounds.
  • Reduced the damage .50cal weapons do against Helicopters.
  • Updated T90 canister shell tweaks to match Abrams canister shells
  • Added round duration and ticket summary at EOR
  • Advanced squad polish - should be more intuitive
  • Significant changes to the Join Squad functionality (see below)
  • Fixed a problem regarding keybindings while playing
  • You should now get a better error message when being disconnected via Battlelog

Share your profile and stats with new Battlelog functionality

  • Ability to share your Profile and Stats pages to Facebook, Google+, and Twitter
  • User Profile and Stats pages on Battlelog can now be accessed without being signed in to Battlelog if you know a user's URL
  • Single sign on from Battlelog to Origin. If you're not logged in to Origin and join a game server, Battlelog will automatically sign you in to Origin in the background and join the game server

Quick notes on Squad changes in the Nov 22 update

  • Removed FIND ME A SQUAD option
  • Allow players to join empty Squads alone, thus having 1/4 squad members
  • Change order of options to LEAVE SQUAD, INV A FRIEND, SWITCH TEAM
  • Disable Privacy flag when 1 man squad
  • Reset Privacy flag from Private to Public when squad drops to 1 player
  • All occupied Squads will now show up colored blue on the Squad Selection screen
  • Players who choose not to join squads will also show up as Blue in the "Not in a Squad" line
  • Squads that are currently empty will display as white - if you wish to join an empty Squad, you can choose the first one marked with white text
Picture of Tom.

About Tom Phillips

Tom joined Eurogamer in 2010 and has quickly made his mark writing news and columns and coming up with puntastic straplines. Questionable beard.

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Comments (41) Latest comment 2h ago

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  • Ryze #1 3d ago

    Camaros?

  • Sharzam #2 3d ago

    Horns?

  • Whizzo #3 3d ago

    The squad changes make it much closer to the BF2 system, thank God. No idea why they goofed there in the first place.

  • 00.00.01 #4 3d ago

    Nice, but it does make me wonder more and more who was their selected outsource testhouse. A good few issues can only be detected once you've gone live, but there are also many many bugs in this title that should never have passed any submission progress. Especially the console versions of the game have got some serious problems. Too bad EG hardly reports on that... Guess it's not so cool to bite the hand that feeds you.

  • TigerX81 #5 3d ago

    Flashlight nerf? IRNV nerf? AA against tank nerf? TV Missile fix? Etc... Have DICE actually been listening to the community?

  • Crovax20 #6 3d ago

    Huge? Seems rather meek to me for a game that has been released for over a month now?

  • arcam #7 3d ago

    Huh? No weapon or vehicle balancing?

  • FireMonkey #8 3d ago

    @Eurogamer - "The full change log lies below."

    EDIT2: PLEASE IGNORE THIS POST, THE ARTICLE HAS NOW BEEN FIXED
    EDIT: CHANGED TO JUST SHOW WHAT WAS MISSING

    No it doesn't. You missed the entire Balance and Gameplay Adjustments (PC) section.

    Here it is copied from: http://battlelog.battlefield.com/bf3/forum/threadview/2832654624754374621/

    -- Balance and Gameplay Adjustments (PC)

    • Fixed a problem with high speed mouse movement
    • Added back some missing Growlers on Kharg Island Conquest Large
    • Added back EOR sound for SQDM and TDM
    • You should no longer be able to damage a friendly vehicle when sitting in an open position
    • Grenades now drop to ground if you get killed while attempting to throw it(note the affect this will have on Hardcore mode!)
    • Spawn protection now should work in Conquest. You should no longer spawn on points too close to enemies
    • You should no longer spawn too close to enemies in TDM and SQDM
    • Combat areas on Kharg Rush tweaked in order to disallow defenders to access the carrier ship after 1st base is taken and being able to enter the AA gun
    • Fixed a problem with revived players not suffering suppression
    • Fixed a problem with the camera when being revived in COOP
    • Added joystick deadzone setting
    • Fixed sound for when climbing ladders
    • Fixed an issue with some weapon sounds in first person
    • Fixed a swim sound loop error
    • Increased the damage of Helicopter Miniguns, AA guns, and Jet Cannons against infantry
    • Increased the damage of Helicopter Miniguns against jeeps.
    • Reduced the physics impact of AA guns and Jet Cannons, players under attack from these weapons should no longer lose control.
    • Increased the damage of the 44 Magnum slightly.
    • Increased the range and minimum damage of the .357 Round from the MP412 Rex.
    • Increased the range of all .45cal and 9mm weapons.
    • Slightly increased the range of the P90 and MP7 and PDW-R.
    • Slightly increased the range of the 5.56mm PDW-R and decreased the minimum damage at long range.
    • Slightly increased the minimum range of the Mk11, SVD, and M39 EMR 7.62mm rifles.
    • Decreased the maximum damage and maximum range of the G3 and SCAR-H 7.62mm weapons.
    • Reduced the damage from FIM-92 and SA-18 IGLA missiles against aircraft.
    • Increased the damage and range of the 40mm BUCK rounds.
    • Reduced the damage .50cal weapons do against Helicopters.
    • Updated T90 canister shell tweaks to match Abrams canister shells
    UI Changes (PC)
    • Added round duration and ticket summary at EOR
    • Advanced squad polish – should be more intuitive
    • Significant changes to the Join Squad functionality (see below)
    • Fixed a problem regarding keybindings while playing
    • You should now get a better error message when being disconnected via Battlelog

    Edited by 5 at 22/11/11 @ 10:59

  • tiny_Eggy #9 3d ago

    boot up origin, check it one minute later. Patch installed. Got to hand it to EA, Origin downloading and patching is pretty damn fast.

  • Bagpuss #10 3d ago

    Once again, my policy of NEVER buying a DICE multiplayer title until the first few patches have landed to sort out the inevitable hair pulling bugs have been squashed, is paying off.

    Much rather wait a few months and join a polished, relatively bug free experience, than rush in and put up with all the launch crap.

  • arcam #11 3d ago

    Still no mention of the IRNV...

  • Fatbobbybob #12 3d ago

    That looks like a pretty hefty patch to me. Shame Skyrim has totally devoured my life. Will try and get on this one evening this week.

  • zegerman1942 #13 3d ago

    Nothing wrong with the IRNV :)

    Everyone has it - so it's equal playfield surely?

    Good patch overall!

  • ocmerius #14 3d ago

    No colorblind option? How hard can it be? Multiplayer is unplayable for me atm. Why the hell isn't it in there in the first place?

  • DiamondIce #15 3d ago

    The 360 version has a pretty big update downloading onto my console now.

  • DwarfyP #16 3d ago

    @DiamondIce There isn't an update for the consoles so either you are downloading the day one patch or you are trolling.

  • DiamondIce #17 3d ago

    @DwarfyP

    Bloody hell. I was only making the comment because I switched on this morning and a 167MB title update came down. You are a sensitive soul.

    Edit: The console cache hasn't been cleared recently so it wasn't an old update from what I could make out. It was dated 22/11/2011.

    Edited by 1 at 22/11/11 @ 10:27

  • Ranger101 #18 3d ago

    @Bagpuss You know it actually isn't/wasn't a crap release pre-patch at all. Haters gonna hate.

  • skowhegan Staff, Eurogamer Network #19 3d ago

    @FireMonkey Thanks, have popped that in the article list now.
    @DiamondIce 167MB you say? That is indeed the day one patch.

    Verified

  • TheEarlOfZinger #20 3d ago

    To those moaning about the IRNV...you do know that different camo types appear differently through the IRNV scope...?

    Spec ops camo is virtually invisible btw.

  • arcam #21 3d ago

    @TheEarlOfZinger To those moaning about the IRNV

    Well, that appears to only be me, but that's good to know, thanks.

  • TheEarlOfZinger #22 3d ago

    Arcam:

    http://imgur.com/a/VbH10

    You're welcome mate. :cool:

  • FireMonkey #23 3d ago

    @TheEarlOfZinger - I didn't know that! Time to roll out the SpecOps camo I think. 8)

  • TheEarlOfZinger #24 3d ago

    Engineer/spec ops camo = best under IRNV

  • asphaltcowboy #25 3d ago

    Well having read the actual full list of changes that FireMonkey kindly posted... I have to say, I'm pretty happy with all those changes - looking forward to it!

  • agparrot #26 3d ago

    I would happily marry the person who fixed this:

    • Combat areas on Kharg Rush tweaked in order to disallow defenders to access the carrier ship after 1st base is taken and being able to enter the AA gun.

  • Bagpuss #27 3d ago

    @Ranger101

    Lol..I'm a hater am i, thats why i bought EVERY single Battlefield game since 1942, and have thousands of hours of playtime logged over the last decade is it..

    My point was simply that Battlefield games ALWAYS need post launch patches to sort out online play..and they do you Ignorant douchebag...

  • ThrowingTuba #28 3d ago

    Increased the range of the SVD??!?

    What about the tactical ligthts?

    Good news about reducing the power on the SCAR mind....

  • f0nZ #29 3d ago

    So... when it will be for PS3?

  • Ed6445 #30 3d ago

    I hope they've fixed the appalling lag/'rubber banding' - there's nothing worse than joining a server, running into cover then suddenly finding yourself bouncing back a few feet out into the open and shot in the face. It's a bit of a game-breaker for me at the moment.

  • xuiton #31 2d ago

    so can I turn hyper threading back on now?

  • barkertron #32 2d ago

    For anyone having problems downloading the update, I needed to quit Origin then start it up again before it appeared. No idea why - I'd told Origin to check for updates several times, always being told that it was up to date when it clearly wasn't.

    Got to say, my experience of Origin so far has been that it's a terribly broken piece of shit. Had all sorts of issues with it.

  • killuminati2911 #33 2d ago

    May I suggest to this so called journalist i.e "control+c"er.. to have a look at the bf3 forum just to see what pile of crap is this so called patch? And maybe do even a service to the readers instead of just copy text??

  • zegerman1942 #34 2d ago

    I got a patch on Xbox last night - 167mb again. same as day one patch.

  • trampstar #35 2h ago

    I too just turned on my Xbox and found a 167mb update for BF3. What's the deal?!?