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Windows Dear Battlelog, go away!

Discussion in 'Gaming' started by b5k, 30 Sep 2011.

  1. EvilMerc

    EvilMerc Minimodder

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    Dear b5k,

    [​IMG]

    I hope this settles things.

    Sincerely, EvilMerc

    (Seriously, it's a beta for crying out loud. BEE TAH.)
     
  2. [ZiiP] NaloaC

    [ZiiP] NaloaC Multimodder

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    Actually, I need to add this. I had started to connect to a game with the lads in ZiiP and had a forced restart on me. When I fired battlelog back up, the game had maintained a reserved slot for me in the server where the lads were playing. This impressed me alot.
     
  3. b5k

    b5k What's a Dremel?

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    Yeah. I get what beta means. I'm starting to think that most people don't though...

    pre-Alpha: Work out requirements and create a designed feature set.
    Alpha: Building and testing feature set. (White box+Black box)
    Beta: Testing stable feature complete build and improving usability. (Black box)
    Release Candidate: Code complete build with no major flaws. Final rivisions and RTM.

    "Betas" don't happen 25 days before global release.
     
  4. murraynt

    murraynt Modder

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    I dont like it either..
     
  5. chrismarkham1982

    chrismarkham1982 Multimodder

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    Its your tactics mate.....oh wrong forum :duh:

    Seriously though, I do prefer just loading up the game and clicking on multiplayer but I dont really have THAT much of a problem with and apart from a 20 minute period of not loading a server, I havnt had a problem apart from the usual graphical glitches which will no doubt be sorted for the RC.
     
  6. spectre456

    spectre456 What's a Dremel?

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    I find it's the sort of thing that works fine but If was removed then no on would really care. I personally think that ea would be smart to have an option for it to run in origin's web browser.
     
  7. chrismarkham1982

    chrismarkham1982 Multimodder

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    Certain people would still complain :rolleyes: (not a dig @ you :) )
     
    JBond likes this.
  8. Lance

    Lance Ender of discussions.

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    [​IMG]
     
    Bede likes this.
  9. spectre456

    spectre456 What's a Dremel?

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    Nah B5k is just peeved that not many people care about his remapping issues. I can his see reason in his irritation but it will most likely get fixed by release. Besides, I couldn't really get that mad at a beta since the game is still unfinished. Battlelog is just another avenue to vent his irritation.
     
  10. chrismarkham1982

    chrismarkham1982 Multimodder

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    Sensible post of the day.
     
  11. Zurechial

    Zurechial Elitist

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    'Beta' doesn't mean what it used to in the games industry for marketing reasons and really shouldn't be used as a catch-all response to complaints about the state of a game as close to release as BF3 supposedly is.
    Beta is the new demo, no matter what they call it; and whether Battlelog technically works or not it's still ****ing stupid and clunky.

    I haven't gotten in-game yet myself, but I'm just home from work and launching has been disabled due to a restart of the BF3 backend; which is fine, and I fully expect to get in-game without much hassle once the system is up again - So I'm not raging here.

    But Battlelog is still a stupid, clunky mess and none of its positive traits could not have been done better in Origin itself or, preferably, within the game's own executable.

    It's bad software design. Simple as that.
     
  12. Krazeh

    Krazeh Minimodder

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    Don't suppose you'd care to expand on how it's a stupid, clunky mess?? Or how you know it could have been done better in Origin or ingame?
     
  13. Zurechial

    Zurechial Elitist

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    Sure.

    Clunky:
    - It requires the user to open their web browser (or have it opened for them)
    - It requires a plugin for said browser.
    - That means at least 3 layers of software just to get in-game: Browser, browser plugin and core game executable. Does Origin have to be running in the background too? I haven't checked that yet, but if so make it 4 applications in the pile.
    - It currently forces the player to find a safe spot just to change the basic settings of the game such as video, audio and controls - And kicks the player out of the config menus if they happen to get killed while changing those settings.

    If you don't see why the above issues don't represent clunky software design then I can only hope that I never work with you on a development project.

    Stupid:
    - All of the above could have been avoided by implementing a main menu and an in-game server browser just like plenty of other games and just as they did in BFBC2 to great effect (aside from some bugs) either through hard-coded menus or through an integrated web browser (a la Valve games) if they really insist on using web interfaces for things that historically have worked just fine without.
    - If their design approach insists that the game be menu-less and browser-less then the battlelog could have been implemented in Origin's own web browser at least; since they're so insistent that we use that service instead of the market-leader.

    Sure, it's a beta, and maybe they'll fix some of these issues before release. I'd be shocked if the game didn't at least get a 'main menu' before release, but then again that release is only a few weeks away and it's a bit late to make such significant changes in a supposed 'beta', nevermind to hope for such changes as a customer.

    If DICE/EA have explicitly stated that the above issues are beta-specific (as opposed to optimistic players simply hoping that's the case) then that's fine, but I haven't seen news to that effect yet myself. :) I'd be happy to be wrong on that count.
     
  14. b5k

    b5k What's a Dremel?

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    How could it be done better? I dunno, not loading up your default web browser?

    Steam store would be so annoying if you went to buy a product and then it throws up your default browser to look at the details on that product. Origin should load Battlelog in its internal browser, not my default. Either that or they should build a browser/overlay system into the game. (I.e. load the renderer fullscreen, overlay a web browser, go from there).

    I believe they want to have a Facebook style integration but cannot afford the risk of doing it through the application. That would mean every time your Social Network needs a tweak you have to patch the entire game. The solution to this is to: don't make your game a social network, let users hook it into one.
     
  15. Krazeh

    Krazeh Minimodder

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    How is that really any different from say using steam? If you're playing a steam game you're forced to run steam before you can play and that takes just as long to load as opening origin and then a web browser. You're then required to run steam, a background steam service, the gameoverlay ui and the core executable just to get in game.

     
  16. soviet_

    soviet_ Bantros

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    Sorry but this Battlelog browser is progress, the future even. It needs a bit of polish but when it works without issue its utterly seamless, it just makes so much sense to do it this way

    Creating parties, with voice chat too so no need to run a voice client, is great. Server browser has been fine for me so far. All it needs is the ability to change your in game settings in the browser and I imagine there are already plans for that.

    Social integration, whether you like it or not is there and that's only going to happen with more and more games. I reckon there will be more multiplayer games trying this approach out soon, especially if it's successful. On the down side I can see adverts becoming a part of the Battlelog but nothing Adblock probably couldn't handle. If they stick with it, listen to the constructive feedback and polish the experience I'd say it's here to stay.

    Not trying to aim at anyone in here but a lot of the negative comments I've seen are from people who don't like it because it's different to what they are used to, not because it is particularly bad
     
  17. b5k

    b5k What's a Dremel?

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    How is it different? Well Steam is more than just a platform for Valve to flag their software. For a start you've got community groups, a friends list with game integration, an entire digital games library with a store that covers MANY DIFFERENT PUBLISHERS.

    Steam is liable to be open when I boot my PC because it has more than 1 publisher of games on it. My 3 main games: Quake 3, BFBC2 and SSF4AE. Any time I want to play them I can right click the Steam icon in my tray and they are at the top of the context menu, ready to launch. (Can't say I'm entirely familiar with Origin, if it has a quick launch context menu then disregard this) I click on one, the game launches and I'm in the game. Ready to then server browser, change configs or look at stats as much as I please.

    Steam may have a few hidden processes, but the system works much more smoothly than Origin + Battlelog combined.

    The sequence goes like this, iirc. Load browser, log in to Battlelog, find game, launch game, game realises Origin isn't present, loads Origin, loads BF3 + Map content, puts you ingame.

    The only advantage Origin is giving you over Steam is locating a server before you've loaded the game. Same as you would get if you used an external server browser + Steam.

    Because they want to show you very specific data in a very specific way. Browsers are customizable and not all of them are the same. When I first loaded EA Battlelog my browser threw the alignment of the elements WAY OFF. Why? I set my browser up for WEB BROWSING not using someones very specific Server Browser.

    How does running it through your default web browser make it better? Does your default browser bestow this standard (non conforming to standards!) web page with magical qualities? If not, then why wouldn't you be happy if it ran through Origins browser? Because you'd like to have other tabs open?

    Pro tip: If you want to browse the web while you browse for a server, open up your default browser and browse.
     
  18. sotu1

    sotu1 Ex-Modder

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    Admittedly I've not tried Origin to launch BF3 but the concept of being able to launch straight into a match actually makes perfect sense to me. Why bother loading up all those random load screens, going thru menus, picking out a match when i can pull Firefox, play around a browser and dive straight in. Makes sense to me.
     
  19. The Toy

    The Toy The Ticking Time-Bomb

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    F*** battlelog.

    I'm going to pick up this game in a sale next year when it sorts itself out.
     
  20. Krazeh

    Krazeh Minimodder

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    Well that's great if you have Steam open and loaded when you boot your pc. Not so useful if you don't tho is it? And how long does it take you to get into BFBC2 and able to look at your stats or join a server? Just tried it on the non-steam version and it took as long to get to the server browser and a list of servers back as it does for me to get into a BF3 game from not having a browser or origin running.

    As for smoothness Origin and Battlelog has been very smooth for me, equally as smooth as any experience Steam has offered.

    That's a nice enough advantage for me. I'm quite happy to not need to have Origin load when my PC starts up but still be able to be in-game and playing within one minute.

    Yes, they want to show you specific data in the manner of a webpage. Frankly I don't have a clue what you did to your browser but i've tried Battlelog in several and it's displayed without a problem in each of them. Perhaps that's because it's a webpage and browsers are good at displaying webpages.

    No, it doesn't bestow it with any magical properties but why should I have to load Origin up to view a webpage when I have a perfectly good web browser? One which is more than likely to already be running anyway.
     

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