Battlefield 2: Special Forces First Details

IGNPC: Are maps still going to allow up to 64 players with this new style of play?

AJ: Absolutely.

IGNPC: Is it just going to be Conquest again, or are there any more modes involved?

Yee: It is still Conquest as a game mode. However, the maps are focused much more around infantry combat. So they're much more intense, and the firefights will focus on the soldiers.

IGNPC: What types of maps are we looking at for the expansion? Are we looking at more of the urban maps, or wide open areas?

AJ: Yeah, it's a mix. We looked at where a special force would be inserted and where a Special Forces operation would take place and build the maps around that. So we have a couple of maps in urban environments, a map built around an airport, and another that's built around a missile launch facility. You know, specific locations.

Rather than going with what we have now, which is a play on grand battles, we're focusing on a specific location and making that location the battleground.

IGNPC: What I gather from what you're saying, as far as the maps being more infantry-based, is that they're going to be a tad bit smaller, even with 64 players?

AJ: They're not the same epic scale. Definitely they're geared down to foot level mobility.

SG: I think the action will be a bit more concentrated. That might be a better way of saying it rather than smaller.

Yee: Smaller is a deceptive word. We paid a lot more attention on this one to cover objects, and that's what's you'll see in the level design.

IGNPC: Have you decided on how many maps will be included with the package?

AJ: We're looking at 7-8 right now.

IGNPC: OK, how many new vehicles and such will be included, then?

Yee: So the new bread and butter features for the expansion pack are six new armies, ten new vehicles, and twelve new base weapons.

IGNPC: Are the new vehicles going to be a little less armored, given the nature of the battles?

AJ: One of the things that we found early on in research is that Special Forces don't have a lot of vehicles support with them. So there won't be things like aircraft carriers and so on. What we looked at more was not so much equipping them with vehicles that made them feel like a grand army but more the vehicles that would be appropriate for the location and the operation they'll be going through.

IGNPC: What are the new armies included in the expansion?

Yee: Well, there's the Navy Seals, British SAS, Russian Spetznaz, MEC Special Forces and two insurgent groups, one of which is based on the MEC and one which will have Russian roots.

IGNPC: What's with the equipment for each? New stuff or repurposed stuff?

AJ: The insurgents will be based mostly around the Russian weapons since that's more accurate. The Americans we're adding a new FNScar which is the new special forces assault rifle. And the SAS have a full complement of weapons too.

IGNPC: Are there going to be any new features server- or browser-side for people to look forward to, like a better server admin interface or search functions?

Yee: The focus on this expansion is really on the Special Forces. We also have the live team which is still handling Battlefield 2 support, which is looking at fixing a lot of those other problems.

IGNPC: So hopefully a lot of that stuff will be taken care of before this expansion comes out.

Yee: Hopefully.

IGNPC: This is due in November?

SG: Fall of 2005.

IGNPC: Anything else you guys wanted to add?

AJ: Just that it's looking really great at night, I think that the feel of combat and these intense firefights in the night areas and dark areas is looking really good. It really does give you a Special Forces experience in the Battlefield world.

IGNPC: Right on, thanks guys, I'll look forward to seeing it soon!

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