-<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>- ____ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ ____ _ _ _ ____ | __ ) __ _| |_| |_| | ___ / _(_) ___| | __| | |___ \/ | || ||___ \ | _ \ / _` | __| __| |/ _ \ |_| |/ _ \ |/ _` | __) | | || |_ __) | | |_) | (_| | |_| |_| | __/ _| | __/ | (_| | / __/| |__ _/ __/ |____/ \__,_|\__|\__|_|\___|_| |_|\___|_|\__,_| |_____|_| |_||_____| FAQ/Strategy Guide >>==<<==>>==<<==>>==<<==>>==<<==>>==<<==>>==<<==>>==<<==>>==<<==>>== For PC Version 1.10 By Chris Zawada User: antseezee E-mail: antseezee@epix.net Website: www.antseezee.com Created: 11/18/06 Last Update: 12/27/06 Copyright 2006 Chris Zawada -<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>- Author's Note ---------------------------- The ever-so popular Battlefield 2 has brought back the eternal gaming moments of massive online fragfests, with the ideas of some realistic scenarios. Battlefield 2142 continues the tradition in the future, set apart by nearly 150 years, with futuristic ships, vehicles, and a few new weapons. DICE's newest creation takes the classic-old formula of BF2, yet upgrades it with more ranks, more cool stuff, and some propaganda to make the title interesting. This guide will cover basic strategies of BF2142, discuss unlocks/ranks, go over maps on a somewhat intricate detail, and most of all, provide multiplayer tips to becoming a better player. Will you strive for perfection, or continue to roam as the lonely new player? Contributing/Feedback ---------------------------- If you have any contributions, feedback, or strategies you'd like to have added to the guide, contact me via e-mail or on GameFAQs. I'll be more than content to add your segment of information, and will also provide credit. If you have any questions you'd like added to the Common Questions section, ask. I simply don't have the time to sit around thinking of questions. Provide me with what you want to know! Updates ---------------------------- =12/27/06= v1.10 The new 1.10 patch came out several days ago and is suppose to fix certain issues hassling gameplay elements. There have actually been major changes with this patch regarding fixes to the Ganz HMG, the cloak, and some gameplay bugs that remain. Most of the remaining Titan glitches have been removed - so no more glitching, har har har. EA is also planning to host some beneficial events for all BF2142 players. Things such as an all-unlocks weekend, and Knife-the-EA employee are just a few events that are planned or have been completed. Guide Additions: >> Corrected Ganz HMG ratings >> Corrected Gunship section >> Corrected Pistol sections >> Corrected AE Defuser section >> Corrected other patched items/gameplay items =11/26/06= v1.06 Corrected a mistake in the guide (thanks Alex Hanson & Alex Pierson). Patch 1.05 came out about a week ago, and was a mild failure thanks to a Titan crash to desktop glitch that affected everyone. DICE released a hotfix patch about 2-3 days after 1.05, which fixes the problem. I thank them on their speediness, although this looks bad for DICE in terms of testing their patch. You can now get the Titan Survival Pin if you manage to bail off the enemy Titan and touch the ground. More great news. It appears EA has been personally swiping stat padders, and may even have been using a filter that looked for players with extremely high scores in a single round. Stat padding has generally been removed in patch 1.06, and it is now impossible to exploit previous point- accumulating techniques on the Titans. This still does not eliminate it entirely as players on opposite teams can coerce to cheat. Assault rifle deviation has been decreased on some of the larger assault rifles (Baur H-AR, slightly on Voss L-AR). This means being assault is better now and you should be able to get more kills. Guide Additions: >> Corrected factual error >> Added Gameplay section to Game Basics section >> Added Commanding section to Features section =11/20/06= v1.01 Decided to add more detailed strategies based off of my own playing experiences. Check for specified strategies underneath each Class in the Class/Unlocks section. Also added a few vehicle-specific strategies. Patch 1.01 was released upon the release of the game. Make sure you download it. =11/19/06= v1.0 Finished the FAQ. Practically everything I wanted in the guide is in it, and I've played 2142 over the past 3 weeks to verify most of the information. I will still add more information in the future as I get more ideas for new sections and to update the guide along with the new patches. =11/18/06= v1.0 Started the FAQ. I've owned this game since the release date, mainly due to my own anxiousness to play it. I have played out all classes, all unlocks, all maps, and can safely now write this guide out of personal satisfaction. Expecting completion of the guide around Thanksgiving. - I've now added a Quick Search function to the guide. Press CTRL + F, and type in the designated (#.#) to be quickly forwarded to that specific section of the guide. ============================ - Table of Contents - ============================ 1) Introduction 2) Game Basics > Controls > Screen HUD > Gameplay 3) Maps (3.1) > Strategies 4) Classes/Unlocks (4.1) > Strategies 5) Vehicles (5.1) > Strategies 6) Features > Titan Strategies > Teamwork Advantages > Knifing > Mounted Cannon Strategies > Commanding > Awards > Ranks > Stats > Recording Videos > Single-Player > In-Game Advertisements > In-Game Tips List 7) Modifications (7.1) > Descriptions 8) Common Questions > Troubleshooting > How to Report Cheaters 9) Copyright/Distribution/Reproduction Guidelines 10) Proper Credits -<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>- ============================ - 1) Introduction - ============================ The genre of first person shooters is often numerous and overwhelming. You can pick up a game called World War II combat, and expect the greatest experience of your life. Instead, it turns out to be a pile of crap. The Battlefield series has never resembled crap, or anything along that path of quality. Often considered one of the best first person shooting series out there, the Battlefield series almost brings a sense of elegance in terms of gaming quality. While the series has been known to have its bugs and problems, the fun factor is uncomparable to other first person shooters, and combine the face that it's online against human players - it only gets better. Battlefield 2142 is the fourth official base title installment in the series (1942, then Vietnam, then 2, now 2142). The game takes place in the future where the planet Earth has been covered by a invigorating ice age. Only a few areas of land around the planet still have considerable warmth. It is not known what caused the ice age, although the ideas of a possible nuclear war or global warming are most likely to blame. The future now only has 2 coalitions, the PAC (Pan-Asian Coalition), and EU (European Union). Both bands are desperately struggling to fight each other for control of essential resources which will provide them with energy, food, warmth, and most of all - survival. Battlefield 2142's game engine is practically identical to BF2. While the game looks different, and feels slightly graphically better, it is based off of the Battlefield 2 engine. This means most computers that could run BF2, can also run BF2142 slightly more efficiently (thanks to coding improvements). The game downgrades from 7 classes to only 4 classes now (recon, assault, engineer, support), however, customization is now allowed. You can alter your equipment setups and so forth. A new game mode has been created called Titan mode, where you must destroy the opposing team's mothership through the use of capturing missile silos, then holding these silos, or deciding to board the enemy ship after the shield has gone down. This is by far the most innovative and intriguing element of BF2142 aside from the same old capture the flag game mode (that's in there as well). The addition of 40+ ranks, and the fact that each new rank earns you 1 unlock point out of 40 unlocks is quite amazing. Battlefield 2142 is the new fad for online action gaming, although it does not have as many innovations as everyone would have liked. Jets have been removed, as Helojets now replace them (combination of chopper & jet). Many elements from BF2 still exist (bullet- based weapons, speedy transport vheicles), and not that many new items have been introduced. In a sense, BF2142 is an expansion pack, just a really darn good one. ---------------------------- _____________________ ##### GAME INFO ##### //////////|\\\\\\\\\\ Players: 1-64 (w/ online support) Developer: DICE Released: 2006 Rarity: common Special Features: Voice, Online, Account-kept Stats/Awards/Ranking ESRB: Teen Cover Art on box: - Shows mech firing cannons with lots of chaos occurring in background Requirements: > Windows XP > Intel Celeron D / P4 1.7ghz or better (Pentium M's & AMD's work fine, P-M's are faster than P4) > 512MB RAM + (Recommended is 2 GB from my experience. 1 GB works fairly well compared to how it did in BF2) > DVD drive (this game was ONLY released in DVD format) > 2.2 GB free HD space > DirectX 9.0c > nVidia GeForce 5800 or better, ATI Radeon 9500 or better (There is an official list of supported video cards available via google. People have managed to get it to work on some lower-end mobile version cards. Game says video card must be Pixel shader 2.0 compatible or better, and AGP/PCI-E only.) > A good tip is that if you played BF2 before with the same exact computer, it WILL work with BF2142. -<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>- ============================ - 2) Game Basics - ============================ What I have always loved about PC games is the fact that you can use a keyboard and mouse. The amount of keys gives you an overwhelming amount of options to choose from when selecting what goes where. This section will go over the involved controls, the screen setup, and an overview of the game modes. ____________________________ /Controls - General Gameplay/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= E - Enter/exit vehicle J - Say chat all K - Say chat team L - Say chat squad V - Talk to commander (only if squad leader) B - Talk to squadmates (only if in squad) Page Up - Vote yes during poll Page Down - Vote no during poll Caps Lock - Bring up squad management screen Tab - Shows scoreboard Prnt Scrn - Takes screenshot and puts in My Documents/BF2/Screenshots Enter - Bring up spawn management screen - VOIP must be enabled, and you must have a MIC plugged in to talk to teammates. You can only hear people in your squad (you must join one), or as a squad leader, you can talk to the commander on a direct line. There is no way to hear everyone on the same team or in the same game. Voting yes or no during polls is usually done for kicking players or voting on a map. You can restrict polls from popping up via the Options menu. The squad management screen let's you create your own squad, join another, or view who is in what squad. It also shows what vehicles are grayed out and available on the map. The spawn management screen let's you pick a new spawn point after you die to spawn at. ______________________ /Controls - Navigation/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= M - Show or hide big map N - Zoom on big map or your mini-map Q - Brings up spotter menu T - Brings up squad order/spotter menu C - Cycles camera views - The big map basically fills your entire screen with the navigation map. It's useful for seeing what your enemy has, and where to go next. The spotter menu is probably the most useful in terms of recon. Aim your mouse over an enemy target, or fairly close to it. Hold Q and left click the mouse. You will publicly spot an enemy for your teammates, and it should show up as a flashing icon on their radar. This is useful for spotting air vehicles, tanks, or snipers. The squad order/spotter menu is specialized for giving orders to squadmates. Waypoints can be set. The camera cycler is useful for changing views in vehicles, or at certain positions. ____________________ /Controls - Infantry/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= W - Move forward S - Move backward A - Strafe left D - Strafe right Left Click - Fire weapon, use item Right Click - Zoom with weapon, secondary function Space - Jumps, Uses parachute Double-tap W - Sprints G - Picks up kit R - Reloads Mouse Wheel - Cycles weapons, used to change firing modes Left Control - Crouches Z - Prones Shift - Use stabilizer if equipped (hold down to steady aim) - I highly recommend sticking with the W,S,A,D moving configuration. These four keys are used to move your character, while the mouse is used to look around and aim. Use them in conjunction for maximum performance. Sprinting takes away stamina faster, and you cannot use a weapon, however, you move quickly and can evade bullets easier. Proning lays you flat on the ground, and makes it tougher to hit you, but your upper-body is more exposed to hits. Crouching makes you semi-accurate, but you're still a hunched target. When reloading, the entire clip is used to reload, regardless of your current ammo amount. It's better to reload once you are low on ammo, rather than reloading and wasting a good 20 bullets if you only wasted 8. To pick a different firing mode, re-select your primary weapon, and left-click. Some guns only have one firing mode though. Certain weapons have scopes that zoom a great distance when right-clicked. The parachute button has been changed to tapping just the space bar. You do not have to tap 9 rapidly. Please note that certain vehicles now have you bail out with escape pods, which do not require parachutes and will safely land you like an ejection pod. ________________________ /Controls - Land and Air/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= W - Accelerate S - Decelerate/Reverse A - Steer left D - Steer right Mouse - Move aiming turret Left Click - Fires main weapon Right Click - Fires secondary weapon X - Dispenses energy shield SHIFT - Uses nitrous boost (on transport jeeps), Runs (on battle walker) F1-F6 - Switches from position 1 to 6 Z - Crouches (on battle walker) - Controlling land and sea vehicles is simple. Move the actual vehicle with the W,S,A,D configuration, and rotate the turret using the mouse. If you're flying a helojet, the vehicle performs like a harrier jet (the engines can go into a fast jet position, or a hover position). Most transport helojets operate the same way, except are more sluggish and have less maneuverability. Flares or smoke shields have been removed from the game. They are replaced by a green energy shield. This blocks ALL projectiles with the exception to anti-air fire. If you are in a mech, and you green shield yourself, tank shells or nothing will hurt you. _____________________ /Controls - Commander/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Caps Lock - Brings up Commander screen 1-9 - Picks squads 1 through 9 Left CTRL - Hold down to select multiple squads V - Voice to all squads B - Voice to selected squads - Use the mouse for everything under the commander screen. Use keyboard shortcuts when selecting squads. Right-clicking on a squad tab allows you to issue direct voice commands telling them of their status. The commander screen has some slight additions via the mouse interface. You will see icons representing the skills of customized members in certain squads. >> Commanders can lay down EMP-STRIKE (electrical charge disables vehicles) SAT TRACK (sweeps to show enemies/vehicles) UAV (shows enemies/vehicles to players) SUPPLIES (drops supply crate) * not in Titan mode * ORBITAL STRIKE (drops explosive artillery) ___________ /Screen HUD/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= _______________________________________________________ |[ ] / \ | |[ 1 ] [9] / \ | |[ ] | [2] | | | \ / | | \_____/ | |[ 3 ] | | | | | | | - - | | | [4] | | | | | | | | | | ______________| | |[5] | [7] | | |[6] ||||[8]|| |________________________________________|______________| Meaning KEY: [1] - Status Indicator - Shows who got killed by what or whom [2] - Minimap / Ticket Indicator - Shows amount of tickets left for each team, who has a depletion rate on their tickets, and also displays your mini-map with all icons, flag points, and what not. Useful for navigation. [3] - Text Indicator - Shows typed messages, enemy spotted commands, or green text for squad issued orders. [4] - Aiming Indicator - Your crosshair [5] - Health Meter - Shows your health bar with solid color bar. [6] - Stamina Meter - Shows your stamina bar with solid color bar. Recharges naturally by not sprinting. [7] - Ammo Indicator - Shows your ammo bar with white vertical bars. When you run out, you'll automatically reload. [8] - Overheat Indicator - Shows your weapon heating status. If this reaches full, the weapon will cease to work for a short time interval. You can also see the firing mode the weapon is in. [9] - Titan/Flag Indicator - Shows what silos or flags are in control or the status of you and your opponent's Titans along with consoles/reactor. _________ /Gameplay/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= If you are new to the Battlefield series, consider this section essential to understanding the basics of gameplay. Gameplay in Battlefield 2142 is different contrary to most first-person shooters. The BF series is often considered a tactical series because one must fight but also adjust their actions so it benefits the team. +>/ CAPTURING FLAG OR SILO \<+ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Flag or silo capturing is a necessity that must be learned. Look on your minimap for circular icons or flag points. When you approach one of these points and get close enough to the radius, a small colored bar will appear at the top middle portion of the screen. Red means the enemy has control of it. Blue means you have control of it. If the bar is empty, that means the flag is neutral. Stay in this radius long enough to capture the flag. You can capture a flag/silo in vehicles as well, or with a flying vehicle as long as you are within the radius. +>/ COMMANDERS \<+ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Ever wonder what the guy with the big star on your team does? It's pretty simple, he issues orders and uses the commander assets. The commander assets are pieces of equipment designed to assist the entire team in combat. He can provide a radar satellite that reveals all enemies in a round radius - useful for not getting ambushed or hunting down enemies. An EMP strike can be issued to disable any enemy vehicles for a short period of time in a certain area. Heck, even an orbital strike can be issued on capture the flag to kill enemies or destroy vehicles. The commander has a few other abilities including the button to move the Titan, which can be used in strategic attacks or as part of a defensive plan. +>/ SQUADS \<+ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Squads were put in the BF series so players can coordinate attacks rather than run around aimlessly. Squads can hold up to 6 players maximum, and you can use your microphone to speak to them by holding down V. The squad leader in your squad has a special squad item (if he/she has unlocked one) that will assist each of you in combat or in reaching a certain area. Squads can have orders set as well, and you will get a squad bonus point for following the order and performing an action. Let's say you're told to attack flag #1. Follow the waypoint on your minimap, then kill someone inside the radius of the order to receive your normal points + 1 for following the order radius. Note that if your entire squad accumulates ENOUGH squad radius points, then you will unlock a Field Upgrade (10 squad points between the entire squad = 1 upgrade). A Field Upgrade is a temporary unlock, but it will only let you go up one block on your tech tree. So you simply cannot stack field upgrades to get the Baur H-AR. You would only be able to go up one level above your current tech ability. +>/ TITAN \<+ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The Titan is a new feature to BF 2142, and can often be a haggling experience to new players. The layout is simple. If you choose to spawn on it, you'll spawn in the transport bay of the Titan. If you go towards the declining steps, then go left/right, this stairwell will take you down to the core of the Titan. From here will be four hallways. Two on the left are hallways 2 & 4, two on the right are hallways 1 & 3. The upper hallways are 4 & 3, respectively. The lower hallways are 2 & 1 respectively. The center door that is sealed is the reactor room. This door becomes unbreached when all four of your consoles in the hallways are destroyed. As a defender, your goal is to prevent the enemy from blowing up the consoles in the hallway, and the reactor core itself (it has a giant purple beam sticking out of it). As an attacker, your goal is to breach these areas and destroy them. If you go back to the transport bay, and look where the six computer consoles are against the middle wall - these are your turrets. Four of them fire explosive rays underneath your Titan, and two of them man anti-air turrets. If one is damaged or destroyed, it can be repaired by an engineer with a welder by interacting with the console. Also note that left & right of the computer consoles are 6 cylindrical pods (3 on each side). Press E on the pod and you'll jump inside. You can now aim your body like a cannon in the circus to launch yourself in an ejection pod. You can guide the pod manually to go where you desire. On top of your Titan are two vents. The landing flap to the rear is called the Cargo Bay. The transport bay always stay shielded, even if your shields go down. The vents are the most common point of entry since no warning is alarmed, and there is a tactical sniping advantage from this point. If you are defending inside the Titan, warnings will alarm when enemies are detected in the Cargo Bay, or in each hallway. You will see a green message in the upper left. Damaged consoles or the reactor cannot be repaired, so do your best to prevent damage to them. Remember that missile silos on the ground will do damage to the Titan itself, so you must micromanage enough squads to continue fighting on the ground level while defending your Titan or attacking the other. -<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>- ============================ - 3) Maps (3.1) - ============================ The territories you constantly engage throughout the game are called maps. Battlefield 2142 has 10 maps included with the base game. Not to be biased or anything, but most of the maps are either covered with snow, or based off of a desert atmosphere. The environment is generally darker and more misty compared to Battlefield 2, where you had a wide variety of landscapes. NOTE: All maps will be based off of the assumed 64-player versions. __________ __________________________________/ BELGRADE \____________________________ > Conflict: EU vs. PAC > Modes: Conflict > Rating: **** > Description: "Belgrade is a closely intertwined conflict area with apartment buildings, a few streets, several in-the-field capture points, and a monorail that follows around the conflict zone." :> Key Bases (EU): - Getting the Statue flag will be your utmost goal. The problem is that the EU have a slight disconnection from the battlefield, and only 2 flags are fairly close to your vicinity. The PAC will have the initial rush, so holding the Statue flag in the middle and to the left is crucial. This will also prove to be a great ambush point against opposing Mechs or APCs (plus a mech spawns at this point). :> Key Bases (PAC): - Holding the statue or controlling the middle line of flags will lead you to victory (especially capturing the Monorail flag). This Monorail flag is a key base point to the EU's success, and sneaking a transport vehicle behind there certainly cannot hurt. One item of note though, at the beginning, do a vehicle rush towards the statue flag. You'll get a free mech after capturing the flag at this point, and you'll be closer to the statue flag from your uncappable zone. - This is definitely one of the higher quality maps in BF2142. It resembles to be somewhat like Strike at Karkand, with lots of chaos occuring around flag points, lots of snipers in second-floor railings, and occasional APCs/Mechs trying to rape. One great strategy is to simple grab an armored vehicle, and do it for the whole round. Travel along the main road, and just stop at a point and far away at enemies. Staying in the middle of this road makes it difficult for the opposition to flank and destroy you. If you are trying to capture one of the middle flags, enter the apartment buildings, and look for a side stairwell. Most of them lead to a second floor railing which you will find useful in defending or attacking an area. Snipers are effective on this map, along with medics due to close combat in these apartment corridors. Engineers are also very efficient with their SMG and anti-armor capabilities. The only advice I can offer in defending a flag is to keep your distance from the flag. Many users throw grenades at these flag points, or will snipe you from an opposing apartment building. :> Sniper Spots - There is an elevated monorail path that is much higher and goes along the main road. You can reach it by going to either the Monorail flag point and climbing 2-3 ladders, or going to the area where the monorail ends, and manually jumping up there. Get a squad leader to drop a beacon on the monorail for quick and easy access. Other great sniper spots include placing squad beacons next to extremely tall buildings, then hoping your squadmates spawn on top of one of the tall-buildings. The apartment buildings have great second-story railings that provide you with adequate cover. Block your side stairwells with claymores or RDX. ________________ __________________________________/ CAMP GIBRALTAR \__________________________ > Conflict: EU vs. PAC > Modes: Conflict > Rating: *** > Description: "Camp Gibraltar is the definition of chaotic zone full of narrow pathways, a desert-based environment, a yellow haze, lots of elevated walkways, and only-one-way-in entrances." :> Key Bases (EU): - All you have to worry about is rear-flag defense. This does not mean you have to sit back at your home flags the entire round; it just means making sure you don't LOSE your rear flags. Once you lose rear flags, the PAC will seep in and try to flank you from the rear. If they are successful, your chances of victory decrease. All you really have to do is make sure you don't lose a rear flag, and just guard your first flag. The narrow boundaries on this map practically ensure that flanking is not an option. You also have a mech can you use that spawns at the rear flag - great for just holding a position. :> Key Bases (PAC): - Let's put it this way, you have a disadvantage. Your primary goal is to get a flag, ANY flag. As long as its the rear flag, or close to it, you're good. You want something that will let your teammates have enough time to spawn at, so they can spread out and take other nearby flags. This can best be accomplished by taking a transport vehicle, and boosting through pass the nearby defenders. - It's definitely a combat-infantry intensive map. Camp Gibraltar is a desert- based map that has yellow haze on it, so being a long-range sniper is not a necessarily great goal. It's awesome to be a sniper at certain spots (on the walkway railings or near the side flanks), but you'll see that engineers and assault are dominant on this one. Place sentry guns near the ladders, and have your engineers mine up the main roads if on defense. On offense, simply cap a flag, defend it for a bit, and move onward. Use the nearby rail guns to take out an enemy mech if it spawns. Due to the narrow extremities of this map, it helps to get elevation. You'll find ladders at guard towers a bit further in on the map. Use these ladders to get up high so you have an advantage. Watch for orbital strikes as well; they will rape your team. :> Sniper Spots - Any of the guard towers, the roofs of buildings, or wide-open fields on the flanks will work best. There is no specifically dominant sniper point as the elevations are limited on this map, and the haze reduces visibility. _________________ __________________________________/ CERBERE LANDING \__________________________ > Conflict: EU vs. PAC > Modes: Conflict > Rating: ***** > Description: "Cerbere Landing is the only hill-based battle in a small town with lots of infantry combat and scenes that remind you of World War II." :> Key Bases (EU): - Since you start off as the defenders, holding the Church or initial neutral flag are your best options. One flag you do not want to lose is your Command Center, not because it's your "rear" flag, but because it has all of your commander assets. Commander assets are crucial on this map, especially orbital strikes. Plus, the big bunker at the CC flag is a great spot for snipers, and defending any flags below this point. :> Key Bases (PAC): - Church will be your primary goal. Most EU players camp the left side of the map. You may have access to the Harbor flag, but it will take some skilled flanking to reach. Instead, flank right along the hill with the small road, and take the church from the rear. Then, from here, stage your battle immediately left towards the Harbor flag (then south to take care of the initial neutral flag). With these 3 flags, you'll be set. Sometimes it helps to nitrous oxide a jeep up to the Command Center, but there are usually opponents waiting here. - What makes Camp Gibraltar a beautiful map is its design, close-quarters battles, and generally normal appearance. It's one of the few maps with little snow, and one of the few maps without haze. The hill-based design is great for tossing grenades, especially to flush out defenders. As support, it rocks as a defender because you have the elevation factor, and you simply have to aim down at your enemies with natural cover of the mountainside. Make sure to mine the roads to prevent jeeps from simply scouring to your rear flags. An enemy mech may pop up from time to time for the PAC since they have the initial disadvantage. Make use of the mounted rail guns to deal with it. Shotgun support players are effectively useful on this map due to the close-corner alleys, and constant moving approach. :> Sniper Spots - The top of the Command Center bunker can be reached via a stairwell. Climb the ladder to reach the very top, then snipe opponents that flank either from the right (where the commander assets are) or up the left where the road is. You will find great sniper spots near the outer-zone boundaries. Use the scenery as cover. Other sniper spots include crouching behind the stone walls, then aiming and firing down. Don't forget to spam grenades at heavily infested points. ________________ __________________________________/ FALL OF BERLIN \__________________________ > Conflict: EU vs. PAC > Modes: Conflict > Rating: ***** > Description: "This snow-covered city with skyscrapers, roads, and congested debris makes the ultimate warzone look like a joke." :> Key Bases (EU): - Since you start off as the defenders, holding the front flag, and making sure it stays that way is crucial. You will have a mech that spawns at your rear flag, along with an APC. Make sure you do not lose the rear flag. There is a northern flank at your frontline flag that is often exposed. Make sure you don't get tricked or outflanked from this northern wall (it looks like a sharp snowblocked road). Put a sentry below to make sure no one pops down from it. :> Key Bases (PAC): - Any flag will help ensure victory. Working from the rear flag is an outreached dream. Most players are smart enough to defend their rear flag, and some will be waiting there (especially for an APC or mech). Your best option is to take one of the 2 middle flags, then spread out from that position. Your best method of attacking is via an APC. Get in one, even if you're just operating a side turret, and then bail out when near a flag. Cap it, get back inside, and you'll cruise off to the next flag. - Fall of Berlin and Cerbere Landing are the 2 premiere maps of BF2142. Fall of Berlin has hardly any fog, is completely snow covered, and has the tallest buildings in the game. Vehicles will rack you up the most kill, although being a foot soldier and defending a flag is also beneficial. The best recommendations I can give is to be a sniper, and to camp a great spot if you find one. If you don't like camping, play with a assault rifle and do a roaming operation. If the enemy takes one of your rear flags, retreat and take it back. If on offense, constantly roam on foot through the apartment buildings or take a side flank to reach a flag. Your primary goal on this map is getting at least 2 flags, because if you don't have 2 flags, your chances of victory are slim. :> Sniper Spots - There is a ladder in the northern-middle section of the map that leads to a very elevated position. This elevated position is next to a monorail track. If you prone left of the monorail track where the railing is, you get a perfect scoped view of every enemy spawning on this first middle flag. It's one of the best sniper spots in the game if you can reach it, and since the ladder is the only access to this area, block your rear with a claymore/explosive charge. You will find side hallways in apartment buildings with second-floor railings that can be used for cover. There are second-floor & third-floor railings in the central buildings in the middle parts of the map that also act as great spots. _______ __________________________________/ MINSK \__________________________ > Conflict: EU vs. PAC > Modes: Conflict, Titan > Rating: **** > Description: "This snow-covered business sector has wide open arrays, a few blocked off roadways, and somewhat circular design which makes for chaotic titan battles." :> Key Bases (EU): - If in Conquest mode, you will start off with all the flags on defense. This is a gift from the Gods my friend. All you have to do is practically isolate every land-based entry point through the first flag. Do so with roller mines, EMP mines, rail gun cannons, and your gaming skills. Watch for someone trying to sneak a jet nearby. Man the AA cannons as well. If in titan mode, the battle will be a bit more evenly matched. Keep the northern silos where your titan rests. Most commanders will move your Titan near the middle of the map, which makes it a great access point to reach the remaining silos through ejection pods. :> Key Bases (PAC): - In Conquest, HURRY. Grab a jeep and sprint through before they practically lockdown the only land access through the first flag. If it is locked, grab the helojet, and boost past their defenses in the air. Go north to their airport, and cap it, or cap a nearby flag that looks undefended. This will give your team an infiltration point to move and capture more flags. Without this infiltration point, you will get RAPED attempting offense. In Titan mode, follow the same strategies as EU since everything is a practical mirror image. - The success of Minsk lies in the fact that it is the best Titan map, and decently fun (sometimes frustrating) CTF map. The wide-open design leaves less CQB, but more medium-to-long range encounters. Snipers are a plus as there is hardly any haze. You can reach the tall skyscrapers via transport helojets, or with squad beacons. These make great sniping points. Most of all, defending 1 or 2 critical silo points throughout the game can prove to be a challenging but efficient effort on your part. :> Sniper Spots - The skyscrapers at the southeast flag/silo are your best choice. The roofs of the fortress buildings at certain flags next to AA guns are also efficient sniper locations. Other than that, most of your sniping should be done mobile, or from a spot inside your Titan on defense/offense. ______________ __________________________________/ SHUHIA TIBIA \__________________________ > Conflict: EU vs. PAC > Modes: Conflict, Titan > Rating: ** > Description: "This plateauish map full of canyons, cliffs, and drooping roads can provide an unexpected challenge, both from enemy vehicles and enemy infantry." :> Key Bases (EU): - Holding the center stadium point is where most of the action will occur. Holding this point, along with the flags/silos on your side of your Titan are pretty much your ideal goals at this point. Try nailing a squad beacon at the roof of the stadium at the center flag to be a dominant player. :> Key Bases (PAC): - Follow the same strategies as the EU. The only difference is that your land-based route to reaching the stadium flag is a bit longer than the EU. You must take a slightly northern road to reach the center flag, while the EU have a direct route to the stadium. - Minsk has lots of tanks, jeeps, and transport helojets. If you plan on going to the center flag, do it with an air vehicle. Going on foot or with a jeep takes a bit of time, and your chance of running into enemy armor is high. Getting on top of the stadium is a great spawn point, but not a great sniper point (the edges of the stadium are slanted so you cannot peak down to snipe). Make use of the AA turrets at the roof of the garages at each flag to prevent enemy transport hoppers. Watch for occasional players to flank your rear flags without your knowledge. Other than that, a somewhat boring map in the sense of a lack of variety. :> Sniper Spots - There are occasional towers and oil refineries, but their locations are out of place and away from the action. These are tempting, but worthless sniper spots. You'll want to look for any elevated tower or walkway NEAR a flag or silo. The stadium is a great spot, but you cannot snipe from it. It's great though in terms of infiltration to the center flag. Most players will be in vehicles on this one, so unless you find an elevated position near the center flag, most action will occur on the Titan. __________________ ________________________________/ SIDI POWER PLANT \________________________ > Conflict: EU vs. PAC > Modes: Conflict, Titan > Rating: ** > Description: "This concentrated map near the center has lots of action that intersects at the very center, almost like a 4-way stop sign, minus the deaths, explosions, and plasmic destruction." :> Key Bases (EU): - Hold one flag/silo close to your Titan, and at least 2 flags/silos around the center point. Holding the center point means a lot, but in terms of launching missiles, possession will change rapidly. The key trait of holding the center is access to 2 railguns, a helojet, and 2 AA guns. Make use of them. :> Key Bases (PAC): - Follow the same goal as the EU. If they do get concentrated at the center, then play a more simple role - take the outer flags. If the enemy gets too congested at a certain spot, simply go elsewhere, cap more flags/silos, and make them come to you. Keep your options spread out if they are isolated, and keep them isolated if they are spread out. - Sidi Power Plant is the map from the "demo", which was often considered a not-so-great map. This is true, however, what keeps Sidi from being the worst map in the game is the multitude of mechs you can get. Up to 4 mechs can be handled at once, and since most of the action occurs in and around the center point, this makes the map somewhat fun and invigorating. Air vehicles will also be skimming around, so make sure to pop yourself into an AA turret to get some easy kills. Just avoid getting stranded in the middle of nowhere. There is a decent amount of wasted space on this map from the uncappable points to where the actual action takes place. :> Sniper Spots - You will find one oil tower right of the middle that has decent sniping opportunities. The lack of fog is beneficial on this map for sniping. You will find a few structures that have stairwells with access to the roof. There is one very tall elevator tower left of the center point, but it can only be reached by ejected from an aircraft. It is superior sniping spot, though. This map is somewhat shaped like a cereal bowl, with higher elevations around the boundary zones. Try sniping along these points if you manage to find a concentrated amount of enemies at one flag. ____________ ________________________________/ SUEZ CANAL \________________________ > Conflict: EU vs. PAC > Modes: Conflict, Titan > Rating: *** > Description: "This canal seems a little dry especially in a desert-based setting, but it will soon be flowing the blood of your enemy." :> Key Bases (EU): - If in Conquest mode, you'll have every possible flag. This is good, but not THAT much of an advantage. Your enemy has 2 uncappable zones, along with hover tanks, which can be a tad more difficult to hit. Plus, the wide boundaries on Suez allows for flankers to zoom by in transport vehicles, and attempt to take your rear flag. Case in point - hold your rear flag! Losing this loses access to a helojet, loses access to critical armor, loses access to commander assets, and loses access to take it back (it's easy to defend the rear flag with the long bridge, and stairway that must lead up to the flag). :> Key Bases (PAC): - Get their rear flag, then hop scotch diagonally at each flag going towards your front line. - Suez Canal is definitely one of the more interesting maps. It has a large canal system near the rear where one lone flag/silo is. This lone flag/silo is easy to defend, but a critical resource in terms of victory. The other flags are practically swish-swash points, they will interchange hands during the entire round. However, whoever holds the rear flag does get an advantage, and the advantage helps greatly in Conquest mode. As for Titan mode, all silos are near the center. Do your job in hop-capping until their shield is down, then use the flat terrain to easily access their Titan. :> Sniper Spots - There are occasional triangle-beam towers near certain flags. Access them by ejecting from a helojet. Their extreme elevation makes them great sniper spots. There are also refinery towers near certain flags, and the roof of Suez flag can be accessed by a beacon near the wall. This huge rectangular building makes a great sniper spot for your squadmates spawning on the squad beacon. ______________ ________________________________/ TUNIS HARBOR \________________________ > Conflict: EU vs. PAC > Modes: Conflict > Rating: ** > Description: "This foggy desert harbor feels more like a creepy ambush than a delightfully courageous battle." :> Key Bases (EU): - Hold the two closest flags to your uncappable. It's as simple as that. You cannot do this and you do not win. You can do this, and you win. You will have the initial advantage of being just a tad quicker to the central flag, but not by much. Defending your junkyard should be easy because there is little cover for the flag carriers. Attacking the far right flag is somewhat difficult as there are generally lots of PAC enemies here, and the congested cover of that flag can make things somewhat chaotic. :> Key Bases (PAC): - Hold the two closest flags to your uncappable. There is very little strategy on this map. Try to get the walker in your uncappable spawn, and use it to assist in taking the central southern flag. If you fail at doing this, flank via the far right around the building, then going upward through the open desert. Note that you CAN flank on the outside exterior of the see- through fence, but watch for leaving the boundaries. - The design and fogginess of Tunis Harbor makes it a somewhat engaging map, but little strategy is involved. Most of your tactics will involve camping the roofs surrounding a flag, or simply sniping from afar, or firing away with a machine gun. Each team will have a mech in their uncappable spawn, and a few transport jeeps, but no armor/APCs. You will find a ship and metal walkways that interconnect along the north flank, but, the lack of cover makes it difficult to cross here. Because of this, you'll generally follow the roads that run adjacent to the flags. This becomes a problem as few roads have adequate cover. So you'll end up flanking along the sides, and generally have squads around corners waiting for easy targets. Other squads may establish their setup points on the roof of buildings, and spam grenades, or snipe from afar. From a combat standpoint, the map has positive aspects, but the foggy design takes away a certain potentiability of this map. :> Sniper Spots - Anywhere along the metal walkway to the north is a great spot. Sniping from the ladder-accessible roofs in the garages are also decent spots. There is a burning crane at the center flag that can be reached by a stairwell. This is actually a great spot. ________ ________________________________/ VERDUN \________________________ > Conflict: EU vs. PAC > Modes: Conflict, Titan > Rating: *** > Description: "The established perimeter wall in the center gives the feeling that you're fighting amongst a Great Wall, except there is plenty of nonestablishment yet to prevail." :> Key Bases (EU): - Try to hold the far north and far south points, then use your remaining troops to combat near the middle, or flank other positions. Holding the perimeter areas of this map makes it easier to force your opponents into going somewhere else. :> Key Bases (PAC): - If your opponent has both the north and southern points, then concentrate your attacks on one point, take it, and quickly flee to another flag/silo. Most of the combat/strategy will be balanced on Verdun with little advantage going to either side. Capturing the Church silo/flag will be somewhat difficult due to the small town buildings that intertwine in that area. - Verdun has a natural cool feel to it which brings something new to the table. The constant fall of snowflakes reduces visibility, but also increases the chances of air encounters. Helojets will be prevalent on this one, especially during Titan mode. The center point is more of a ploy, than a necessity. Work your way on the church and southern wall flag so you can have some secured perimeters. Hold whatever flag/silo is closest to your Titan/uncap. There is some elevation on both far ends of the map, so you may have to go up hills to reach your desired designation. Watch for the winding stone walls near both sides, plus the small creek that runs through the area. Make sure to take your armor or jeeps over the two bridges, otherwise, you will ruin the vehicle by crashing it into the small creek. :> Sniper Spots - The Great Wall in the center makes the perfect sniping spot. Reach it via the ladders in the guard towers, through a helojet, or by bailing out of the Titan. Other than that, there are hardly any other elements of elevation on this map. -<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>- ============================ - 4) Classes/Unlocks (4.1) - ============================ The new features of 2142 include the fact that there are no longer 7 classes, but only 4. However, some of these classes are a "combination" of 2 classes, resulting in a better universal feel for your soldier. The ability to customize characters allows for multiple potential character setups desired to your liking. Also, now, each rank upgrade yields 1 unlock point. New technologies must be unlocked in a progressive leveling system. You simply cannot use an unlock point to get the big best gun out there. You have to unlock the 2-3 prerequisites in order to reach the gun. This section will discuss each of the 4 character classes and the unlocks available along with a rating system. Weapons will be rated a tad more complex. - Miscellaneous unlocks will be discussed after the four classes have been listed. +++++++++ } RECON \___________________________________________________________________ --------------\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ | (EU) | (PAC) | ====================================================================== Name: Morretti SR4 | Park 52 | Power: *** | *** | Range: **** | **** | Accuracy: **** | **** | Overall: **** | **** | | (UnlockA - 4) | (UnlockB - 4) ====================================================================== Name: Zeller-H Advanced Sniper Rifle | Lambert Carbine Power: **** | ** Range: **** | *** Accuracy: **** | *** Overall: *** | ** | (APM - 1) | (DysTek Hi-Scope x4 - 2) | (Gruber 5 Stabilizer - 3) ====================================================================== Overall: **** | *** | *** | (RDX - 1) | (NetBat Fade Delay - 2) | (IT33 Cloak - 3) ====================================================================== Overall: ***** | ** | **** + The Recon class is by far one of the most fun classes you'll be able to use in the game. This class is an essential combination of the special ops & sniper class from Battlefield 2. Combining long-range capabilities, and explosive countermeasures, the recon class is ideal for infiltration, long-range annihilation, or just pure stealth. What makes the class a real lure for most players is the invisible cloaking device, the RDX (equivalency of C4), and sniper rifles. Plus, their useful RDX is invaluable in destroying reactors, or console panels inside an enemy titan. Put these elements together, and you have one lethal class full of firepower. - The Morretti SR4 and Park 52 Sniper Rifle are both practically identical. They are both clip-based sniper rifles with scopes that are clean and efficient. Their damage is somewhat minimal, but they get the job done. The APM is a claymore. It blasts an explosion in one direction away from the user and is motion detected. Useful in defending the titan or protecting a sniper's back. The Hi-Scope x4 allows you to zoom in with the mouse wheel. The Gruber 5 Stabilizer allows you to steady your aim from swaying. Hold down SHIFT to use it. The small status bar will fill up before you can use it again. The RDX Demopak is very much like remote-detonation C4. Lay a charge down and then detonate it with the control. The NetBat Fade Delay shows a white box around nearby enemies that have been spotted. The box will stay on the enemy a bit longer than normal to give you a sense of where they are. The IT33 cloak makes you about 90% invisible with a slight blur. Hold down the fire trigger with the item out to stay cloaked. It will overheat when the charge bar reaches full. The blur can be seen by your enemies, but the partial cloak is better than nothing. You will not be invisible to sentry guns, nor be off the radar. With the 1.10 patch, the cloak is now ENTIRELY visible from distances of medium to long range. This is how it was in the public beta before BF2142 actually came out. You will still be seen as a blur in close range to most players though. > The Zeller-H sniper rifle unlock is a partial downgrade. The scope is red- tinted, which sometimes makes it difficult in seeing an enemy from a distance (think of the yellow haze you see on desert maps). While it does increase the damage slightly (it kills light armor players in one shot), it still takes 2 shots to kill an enemy just like the default sniper rifles. The biggest downfall of the Zeller-H is that it has 3 bullets in one clip. Both default sniper rifles have 5 bullets in a clip. Since it takes 2 bullets to kill a person by default, you will generally only get one kill per clip. You will be exposed to fire more often as well with more reloads. One key advantage of the Zeller-H is that it can shoot and detonate laid RDX, claymores, or anything remote-based. The Lambert Carbine is the alternate option in terms of a weapons unlock. This carbine rifle is not as powerful as the assault rifles, but still offers the same options in terms of semi-auto & automatic fire. It has a scope that sways a bit, but is capable of sniping people with several rounds from afar. Not a great option, but decent for anyone looking to emulate a Spec Ops role. ~ General Strategies ~ ====================== - Recon is ideal for destroying consoles and the reactor core of enemy titans. It takes 3 RDX paks to destroy a console, and about 12-20 to destroy a titan core. One great strategy is to sprint into a defended room and hop to avoid gun fire or explosives. Immediately spiral around the console/core dropping charges and hit the detonator to blow it. You'll get a few kills, get points for destroying the objective, and kill yourself, but the outcome will be positive. - Only snipe on maps where visibility is good, or height is an advantage. Otherwise, use the Lambert Carbine. - APMs are practically god-like in defending titan corridors or the titan reactor room itself. Place 2 in a key entryway, then replenish your supply from an ammo crate. They are VERY hard to disable to explode. - The stabilizer is an unnecessary equipment accessory if you are a good sniper. It becomes useful though if you can hold shift in conjunction with aiming at targets. - Sometimes it is better to go with the default sniper rifles than waste your time unlocking the bullet-crippled Zeller-H. I prefer the Zeller-H, but most people I have seen prefer the default rifles due to the non-red scope & more bullets in a clip. - Remember the cloak only makes you transparent, but with a large blur. Avoid moving with the cloak, and never approach someone directly with the cloak. Always flank, then move in for the kill. Approaching someone directly with a cloak makes a very large blur on their screen, thus making your disguise even worse. - Bullet drop has been greatly reduced compared to BF2. Aim at the center of your scope at a target to get the hit. >> I'd like to give credit to : 0wnz : for providing this. - You can perform JIHAD tactics on opponents with the Recon class. Simply unlock the RDX Demopak, and now it can be stuck on any vehicle. Place it on transport jeeps, transport helojets, or anything mobile. Approach a large mech that seems indestructible, then bail out, and hit the detonator for a massive explosion. You can also helojet ram mechs for easy kills. Please note that some servers have rules against ramming or jihading, however, these are useful tactics and assist your team for a victory. ~ Sniping Techniques ~ ====================== - Sniping in BF2142 is made easier thanks to the almost "complete" removal of bullet drop. There's nothing wrong with bullet drop in BF2, it just became a pain for most average skilled players to get the feel of the actual dropping of the bullet. In 2142, bullet drop is almost practically removed except for extremely far distance shots, and those are quite rare due to haze and blur being a popular factor on the smaller maps. Only the larger Titan-based maps will have many long shots, and even then, you'll need the DysTek 4x scope zoom in order to see your opponent. There are 2 types of snipers: (a) Camping Sniper = The main goal of the camping sniper is to pick a great spot, and camp it out. Camping a great spot yields an advantage over your opponents, a surprise factor, and most of all, a few kills before you're finally exposed. (b) Mobile Sniper = The main goal of the mobile sniper is to snipe on the move, particularly as a defender or as part of an assault team (especially for engaging Titan consoles). Mobile sniping should be reserved for those who have some experience with the gameplay mechanics and are capable of handling themselves in tight corridors. The advantage of a mobile sniper is that they benefit the team's objective (capturing silos, destroying consoles), and they are useful in tight combat situations (a mobile sniper can pick off guards down a hallway better than Assault, Support, or the Engineer). --> Pick either (a) or (b). That will be your sniping style. RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT SETUP: (1) DEFAULT SNIPER RIFLE (2) LIGHT ARMOR (3) CLAYMORES -or- RDX (4) SCOPE STABILIZER ...(1) Default sniper rifles provide a clearer scope, 5 bullets in a clip, and their firing sound is not as loud as the Zeller-H. You easily get more kills with a default sniper rifle, despite the smaller magnitude of damage. Regardless, default sniper rifles kill heavy armor men in 2 shots, the same as the Zeller-H. >> NOTE: The only use for a Zeller-H comes into play if you actually have better sniping stats with it, OR, you need to use it in an offensive role to disable RDX/claymores on an enemy Titan. ...(2) Light Armor provides you with mobility. Face the facts. As a sniper, your goal is not to engage in close combat unless you are a mobile sniper. And if you're a mobile sniper, you'll most likely die in a close-combat situation even with heavy armor. Light Armor helps you sprint longer, faster, and makes you a more evasive target when facing opponents. ...(3) Claymores or RDX will be used in one equipment slot. I highly recommend claymores as they will be used to protect your rear as a camping or mobile sniper. If you find a great hiding spot, plant one claymore to your rear. You will know if it's still there based off of a "RED-X" symbol located in the middle right portion of the screen. When the "RED-X" disappears, you know your claymore has killed someone, or it has sat there long enough for the game to erase it from the environment. Plant your second claymore and those are generally 2 easy kills. Claymores are useful for mobile snipers because they can be used for Titan defense. Plant them at the entranceways to the Titan hallways or Reactor rooms. Your location will be impenetrable. RDX is better reserved for Titan offensive roles, such as destroying consoles or attacking the reactor core. You'll engage targets first with your sniper rifle, then sprint in (with Light Armor), bunnyhopping as you go, and then drop as many charges as you can and hit the detonator. You will kill yourself but severely cripple the Titan consoles/core. ...(4) The Scope Stabilizer is a often-debated subject. Many people claim that anyone who can't aim without a SS sucks, and anyone who doesn't use one is missing out on easy headshots. It depends on your playing skill. If you want to be a hardscore sniper, use the stabilizer. The real benefits of the scope stabilizer happens as a mobile sniper. On the move, you need as little time as possible for your opponent to live when they are within close proximity. Charge an opponent or strafe, then zoom with the scope, and hold down SHIFT with your Left PINKY finger. The scope will stop swaying up and down. Quickly aim for the head while the scope is NOT swaying. If you miss, retry it, but make sure to unscope, move around a bit, re-scope, and stabilizer. FIRE!!! I have known some great snipers who do not use the scope stabilizer mainly because of habit. They are so use to the UP/DOWN jiggling pattern of the sway that it becomes natural instinct. ~ Sniping Myths ~ ================= + How the hell do you snipe on the Titan? - Simple, the vents, or as defenders in a hallway. If on offense, board their Titan via the vents. Make your way, but don't drop to ground level. Continue around the corner to the far end where the little exposed vent opening is. Hopefully you have a stabilizer as I recommended. Put a claymore to your rear so whoever tries to knife-flank you dies instantly. Snipe out of this vent opening using the stabilizer. I found it works best AFTER your team has destroyed consoles 1 & 2. This way, you'll have clear shots at defenders in hallways 3 & 4, and the reactor core (if exposed). - If defending, the role of being a defensive sniper is EASIER. Repeat the above tactic on your own Titan by twist-ejecting (you can find out what it is in the Titan Strategies section). Get in the same vent opening area, and pick off attackers attempting to get into hallways 1,2,3,4,or the reactor core. It's so easy because attackers do not expect to get flanked. It becomes even EASIER with a stabilizer because you can get instant headshots on these proners, and they will not know what hit them. - If defending a hallway, jot claymores at the ends to get instant kills. Replenish your supply from a nearby Support man, and continue spamming APMs. Stand nearby one of the side columns in a hallway but don't crouch or prone. Stay standing, and stabilize when an enemy pops the corner. You should be able to hit him once. Duck for cover, then repeat and re- stabilize. You should kill him/her in 2 shots. + Snipers are worthless to the team. - Not unless you're a mobile sniper. Mobile snipers can capture flags, and do everything a normal soldier can. Plus, their flanking abilities are useful in so many situations that lead to victory. Be a mobile sniper, unless you're looking to compile a montage of elite ultra-long range shots. + Snipers have no close-range capabilities. - True for the most part. However, once you get Global Ability #4 (Increased Pistol Clip Amount), you will be a decent close-range fighter. The initial pistol clips you start off with, minus the upgrade are pathetic. Add the upgrade, and now your pistols will hold 3-5 extra bullets, which will make the difference in a frantic close-quarters fight. Also, it is possible to no-scope. In BF2, it was somewhat difficult due to a random deviation factor and an odd deviation factor that caused unscoped sniper rifles to be completely off their intended targets. To NO SCOPE, attempt to aim the barrel in front of your opponent, but do it crouched. When doing it crouched, you will sometimes land the lucky hit, and a 1-2 pistols shots may finish the job. + Every sniper needs a cloak. - Biggest load of crap there is. You should have your sniper rifle out at all times since your goal is to snipe people. We're not here to go cloaking to run to some place or knife people. A sniper is a sniper. If you want to equip the cloak, do it along side with the Lambert Carbine and RDX demopaks. The cloak works best on maps involving Titan infiltration, especially when destroying consoles. That extra % of invisibility can make the difference between a player not recognizing you. Still, claymores are much more valuable than the cloak, especially for rear defense. ++++++++++ } ASSAULT \__________________________________________________________________ --------------\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ | (EU) | (PAC) | ====================================================================== Name: Scar 11 | Krylov FA-37 | Power: *** | **** | Range: **** | *** | Accuracy: *** | *** | Overall: *** | **** | |(UnlockA - 4) | (UnlockB - 4) ====================================================================== Name: Baur H-AR | Voss L-AR Power: **** | *** Range: **** | **** Accuracy: *** | **** Overall: *** | ***** |(Herzog - 1)| (NetBat Infantry ID - 2) |(PK74 Rocket - 3) ====================================================================== Overall: ** | ** | **** | (AED6 Defribilator - 1) | (Advanced Med Hub - 2)| (SG34 Smoke - 3) ====================================================================== Overall: ***** | ***** | * + The Assault class is a mix of the Assault & Medic classes from BF2. This is essentially a powerful combination because you get the firepower of an armed soldier, with healing and resurrecting abilities plus sidebar weapons. The assault class is premiere in both offense & defense, with an efficient and accurate rifle. Patch 1.06 decreased recoil/deviation on assault rifles, primarily on the Baur H-AR, making them even better weapons to yield in combat. If you do decide to get the Baur, it's a decently good weapon now, but the Voss & default assault rifles still pack the most punch for the best buck. - The Scar 11 rifle is slightly less powerful than the Krylov FA-37. Both rifles tend to fire with similar recoil, although the Krylov is a tad less accurate in full-auto mode. Both default rifles pack quite a punch and a near 30-round clip is equipped in each weapon making them ideal rifles to get the job done. The Herzog Shotgun attachment is a rifle attachment that has 3 shotgun shells in each round. Unfortunately, the shotgun shells are not as powerful as the support shotgun round, and generally one clip will take out one enemy. The NetBad Infantry ID helmet displays a small status bar showing a spotted enemy's class & icons equipped. The PK74 Rocket is definitely a useful rocket weapon, but it takes practice. The item can be adjusted to detonate at a set distance, or wherever the scope is zoomed in to. This is great for setting a distance to explode around a corner say where 2-3 guys are proned and waiting. The explosion has a tendency to do more damage to infantry. The Defribilator is a necessary equipment assignment, as it allows you to revive fellow players with full health. The advanced med hub upgrades the healing rate on your medipak, and the SG34 smoke grenade displays a small cloud of gray smoke. Unfortunately, the smoke radius and duration are both small. > The Baur H-AR is the heavy version unlock of an assault rifle. It only has 20 rounds in a clip, and has more recoil than the other rifles, but each round has the highest damage per hit. This proves useful in semi-auto mode, and somewhat useful in automatic mode. The Voss L-AR is a light version unloack of an assault rifle. This is definitely better as it has 40 rounds in a clip, does decent to good damage, and the recoil is quite minimal. If you had to equip one rifle, I would go with the Krylov or Voss. Please note that there is an alternate Scar 11 skin that came with people who preordered BF2142 from Best Buy. The stats are identical to that of the default Scar 11 rifle, except the rifle's model is larger. ~ General Strategies ~ ====================== - Reviving people equates to increased teamwork points and a better score, plus it's the only way to save dead people. - Avoiding the assault tree is your best option for the most balanced medic out there. The only perks of the assault tree is the PK74 rocket which is superb in hallway defenses aboard your own Titan. It takes some time to practice getting use to setting the distance with the mousewheel and firing, but is the ultimate anti-infantry rocket out there. - Assault makes wonderful defenders on a Titan. Have them defend a hallway by standing behind one of the side columns that protects the lower half of their body. Just stand there and single-shot anyone who peeks their head around the corner. Assault rifles have little recoil in semi-auto mode, and you will rack up easy kills. Most support guys can apply the same strategy, but an Assault man will be more accurate, and can also heal. ~ Assault Techniques ~ ====================== - Assault in BF2142 is the most balanced class when it comes to infantry combat. Imagine a class that has firepower of assault, healing abilities of a medic, and can kick ass - yeah, that's Assault. There are 2 major flaws with assault though: (a) No anti-vehicle weapons = That's right. They have no defense against any armored vehicle of any form. Not even the PK74 rockets can do anything against vehicles (they are designed as anti-infantry weapons). (b) Too many people obsessed with the weapon unlocks = Believe it or not, the two default assault rifles are actually better than the 2 unlock assault rifles. My only exception would be the Voss L-AR which is a tremendous unlock due to a high bullet count per clip, and decent damage/accuracy to go along with it. Granted, the Baur H-AR is a tempting offer, but the increased recoil, and very low clip makes it an instant turn-down offer. The only upside of the Baur is in semi-auto mode, where it dishes out the most damage per shot, and is accurate, but why snipe with a friggin' Baur! It was designed for assaulting. You want to be a precise shooter, be a sniper. Both the SCAR-11 & especially the Krylov are useful assault guns in most maps. If you have the Voss unlocked, use it over the defaults. If you have neither, use the defaults. If you have the Baur, you'll probably lose a few potential kills you could have had with the other rifles. + Medic first, assault last. - One major aspect of 2142 is that defibrilators are no longer a default option. BF2 vets remember how every medic out there always had defib pads, and they would always revive everyone. Not the case anymore. While most smart players always have the defib pads unlocked & equipped, you do have a % of players who do not have defib pads. This means in general there are less revivals in 2142, and less revival teamwork points. Don't let these points go to waste. You help your team by reviving people, and since it is more uncommon to get revived, take advantage of it! - Drop medkits in hallways where a majority of defenders are. It will prevent them from retreating if they take damage, and will raise their morale in an intense "alamo-style" hallway defense. + PK74 Rockets work wonders in Titan Hallways - If you have this nifty rocket attachment unlocked, use it. There are a few key rules as to how it works though. First off, the missiles will refuse to detonate on any distance shorter than 20 meters. Even if you hit them directly on a target, you won't get the full explosive effect unless they pass a distance of 20 meters or greater. Secondly, the distance of detonation can be altered. If fired unscoped, they will detonate at 20 meters. If fired scoped, they will detonate where the red dot on the scope is aiming. You can manually adjust the detonation distance by sliding a mousewheel up or down on your mouse. In the Titan hallway as a defender or attacker, simply scope to figure out the distance to the end of the hallway, then tap it back 1-2 meters for detonation. This will cause the PK74 rocket to detonate right at the corner, yielding tremendous damage to infantry around that hall. Remember, PK74 rockets are anti-infantry, not anti-armor. ++++++++++++ } ENGINEER \__________________________________________________________________ ---------------\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ | (EU) | (PAC) | ====================================================================== Name: Turcotte Rapid SMG / Mitchell AV-18 | Malkov RK-11 / Sudnik VP | Power: *** | *** | Range: *** | *** | Accuracy: *** | *** | Overall: **** | **** | |(UnlockA - 4) | (UnlockB - 4) ====================================================================== Name: Pilum H-AVR | Mitchell SAAW-86 Power: **** | ** Range: **** | *** Accuracy: ** | ** Overall: **** | * |(AE Defuser - 1)| (NetBat Vehicle ID - 2) | (PDS-1 - 3) ====================================================================== Overall: * | *** | *** | (II14 EMP - 1) | (DysTek Repair v2.0 - 2)| (II29 Motion Mine - 3) ====================================================================== Overall: *** | ** | ***** + The Engineer class is a mix of the Engineer & Anti-Tank class from BF2. Their main goal is to operate anything vehicle related, and that is practically their only role. The only time you should assault anything with an engineer on foot is generally for flags/silos. Their ability to naturally repair vehicles makes them extremely efficient in kicking booty in mechs, tanks, APCs, or even well- fueled jeeps. Plus, their ability to defend points by placing down mines, and ambush aircraft with guides missiles only makes them a larger threat during any capture-based game mode. - Both SMGs for each team are pretty much the same, with just a slight variation in clip size. Please note that the SMGs in 2142 are a tad better than in BF2, and are actually great close-quarters weapons. They just hardly do any damage and essentially take 10+ hits to kill someone. They also cannot be switched to single-fire. The two guideable rocket launchers vary slightly. The Sudnik VP fires one large round, while the Mitchell AV-18 fires four tiny rockets. Either way, these are the only manually guideable weapons by holding down the mouse button and moving the scope. The AE Defuser is a hand-operated device. It defuses laid-down claymores, RDX, or other objects. Unfortunately, you must be within 10 meters of the object, and you have to look at it. It's pointless to waste a slot on this item. The NetBat Vehicle ID puts a red box around vehicles in your vicinity. This is fairly useful as they do not have to be spotted. The PDS-1 is a microprocessor that can be put anywhere. It deploys a sonar that picks up ONLY vehicles on your minimap and to anyone else in your squad. The EMP mine disables vehicles that run over it for about 3-5 seconds. The DysTek Repair unlock simply allows you to repair vehicles around you. The Motion Mine is the best equipment upgrade for an engineer. This device is a small circular mine that literally homes after any enemy vehicle or aircraft that goes near it. While the damage is somewhat reduced, it destroys most vehicles with just 2 tiny roller mines. > The Pilum H-AVR is an anti-vehicle rifle. Rather than firing a guideable rocket, it fires a straight-projectile plasma round that pierces armor. Damage is increased a bit, with increased emphasis on one-shot kills on exposed areas. It fires slightly faster than the rockets, but since it is not guideable, you must aim slightly ahead of the intended path of the target. To balance the weapon out, the rifle has a random deviation factor. Even if proned, the rifle may misfire and go slightly off-center of where you aimed. This can result in a complete miss of a perfectly aimed target. Works better if closer to the target. The Mitchell SAAW-86 is one of the most useless weapon unlocks in the game. This anti-air rocket launcher locks on to any aircraft, and has two missiles in each reload clip. Unfortunately, damage is minimal against anything else, although it does do enhanced damage to aircraft. The range is very much like an AA cannon. ~ General Strategies ~ ====================== - Place EMP mines, then a set of roller mines so that you can disable a vehicle then watch it get imploded in a furious explosion. - The Pilum H-AVR works best in distances of 50 yards or less. - Aim to the rear of tanks for easy one-shot kills, the vents on a mech (the rear side), or the underneath section of a mech. Most helojets can be destroyed in two shots or one shot if injured. - Roller mines, roller mines, roller mines. Use them everywhere. They even track air vehicles that rise low enough and their chasing speed is pretty fast once they have a locked target. The warning sign when a roller mine is locked onto a person is different from the traditional "rocket incoming" sound. - Place the PDS microprocessor on your own vehicle so that it gives you enhanced vehicle detection. This is great to put on a mech or tank so you have advanced radar detection. Put it underneath or in an unexposed area so enemy fire does not destroy it. It's also possible to put the microprocessor on an enemy vehicle, but it's difficult to do. +++++++++++ } SUPPORT \__________________________________________________________________ --------------\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ | (EU) | (PAC) | ====================================================================== Name: Bianchi FA-6 | Shuko K-80 | Power: **** | **** | Range: *** | *** | Accuracy: **** | **** | Overall: ***** | ***** | |(UnlockA - 4) | (UnlockB - 4) ====================================================================== Name: Ganz HMG | Clark 15B Shotgun Power: ***** | *** Range: **** | **** Accuracy: **** | **** Overall: **** | ***** |(V5 EMP Grenade - 1)| (NetBat Active Camo ID - 2) |(Sentry Gun - 3) ====================================================================== Overall: ** | ** | **** | (IPS Shield - 1) | (Advanced Ammo Hub - 2)| (DysTek Pulse Meter - 3) ====================================================================== Overall: *** | **** | ** + The Support Class is essentially the support class and not really a hybrid combination of anything. However, this lone and seemingly innocent class is currently one of the most powerful classes in BF2142 thanks mainly to an enhanced light machine gun, and excellent defending capabilities. Their superb ability to defend anything Titan-related, and replenish ammo is especially essential when it comes to tossing grenades, or mounting sentry guns. Either way, these are the ultimate defenders, and even an above-average offensive threat when equipped with a shotgun. - The Bianchi and Shuko are light machine guns (LMGs). This means they are designed for a support man on the move from location to location, but still wants adequare firepower. They generally have a faster fire rate than heavy machine guns, despite lower damage. One odd feature of the future is that machine guns get more accurate the longer they are fired. Thus, this makes it great for defending and just firing away for multiple kills. Both LMGs do great damage, and since they get more accurate, it becomes easier to continue firing or continually spray fire. Overheating is an issue, but can be managed by a smart player. The EMP grenade acts much like an EMP mine by disabling vehicles or interrupting the display of an opponent, but the effects are a few seconds less. The NetBat Active Camo ID places a red box around anyone with a cloaking device. The Sentry Gun is a deployed robot machine gun that automatically fires at ANY spotted enemy on your radar. They must be spotted though for it to fire at them. The IPS Shield is a red energy shield that blocks small arms fire, but explodes from any rocket or explosive device. Great for using as a proned shield while peeking around it. The Advanced Ammo Hub has a faster resupply rate than the normal box, and the DysTek Pulse Meter is a hand-held device that places red boxes on your screen of where enemies are currently located. It does not track, it just gives you an instantaneous picture of where enemies are currently located through walls or on your screen. > The Ganz HMG was originally one of the worst unlocks you could acquire in the unpatched version of Battlefield 2142. Thanks to the 1.10 patch, it is definitely better. The initial recoil that resulted from the gun has been minimized, and the HMG still keeps its unique (fire longer to get more accurate approach). The damage per bullet has been increased to be significantly better than the LMGs, meaning that this is a worthy unlock. As usual, it does have a reduced rate of fire, so your kills may not be immediate. However, this is a better camping machine gun than both of the LMGs thanks to the update. The Clark 15B Shotgun is a worthy upgrade if you plan to play on smaller maps or go on the offense. The shotgun doesn't do much damage to opponents farther away, but does linearly increased damage to opponents the closer they get to you. This gun does not have a recoil-based crosshair, but fires one shell with natural bullet spread. You can take opponents down with one shell up close, and it holds 7 clips in the breach. ~ General Strategies ~ ====================== - The best equipment combination for defense is a sentry gun and IPS shield. Defend a hallway by proning behind your energy shield, and then drop an ammo box nearby. Spam grenades down the hallway killing any opponents waiting around the doorway. It also helps to put down a sentry gun to lay down some distractive fire. - Sentry guns best operate when placed down exposed firing positions. For example, placing them at the top of or bottom of ladders, at the bottom of a vent, or at a narrow hallways with little cover works best. - While EMP grenades disable vehicles momentarily, they also work like mini- flashbangs. The EMP flash will cause the opponent's display to static giving them slight visual trouble. - You can crouch and fire fairly accurately with the LMGs. This is why they're great mobile weapons as well. - I have found that using the Ganz in immobile situations, and the LMGs in mobile situations tends to work best for you support dudes out there. The Ganz still has a slow rate of fire, making it to be somewhat better used in situations where you will stand still. The LMGs still have the initial burst of recoil, but a fast rate of fire, and are better used when assaulting or flanking opponents. ________________________ /Other Weapons & Unlocks/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= +++++++++++ } PISTOLS \__________________________________________________________________ --------------\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ | (EU) | (PAC) | ====================================================================== Name: P33 Revolver | Takao T20 | Power: *** | ** | Range: *** | *** | Accuracy: *** | **** | Overall: **** | *** | - The EU's pistol is a revolver with less bullets in a clip, but more whack to the whallop. This pistol will actually kill someone with one clip. The Takao clip pistol is weaker, slightly more accurate, and has more bullets, but has a redundancy and fails somewhat in the face of grave danger. Both are efficient sidearms, but I would prefer the revolver (Dirty Harry style). > Pistols should only be a primarily used weapon if you are a sniper with a sniper rifle. > When in a frantic battle with an opponent, and your primary weapon runs out of ammo, switch to the pistol and strafe-fire. Strafe back and forth while firing pistol rounds. Never scope with the pistol in a frantic battle as it slows down your character to a slow walk, exposing you to enemy fire. It works best to scope down the sights of the pisol for long shots if you want to deal a bit of damage, but don't expect miraculous headshots. > The Pistol rate of fires have been increased in the 1.10 patch, making these better sidearms to wield for easy kills. +++++++++++++ } ABILITIES \________________________________________________________________ ------------\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ Name: Frag Grenades (1) | Enhanced Endurance (2) | More Recovery (3) | Overall: ***** | ***** | **** | ====================================================================== Max Clip (4) | Extra Grenade (5) Overall: *** | *** - Player abilities are global skills that can be applicable to any class. Thus, these are probably some of the best unlocks you will get in the game since they apply universally, but some of them are more valued than others. The (1) unlock gives you 2 frag grenades. Without this unlock, you have no grenades. The (2) unlock gives you a higher energy endurance bar. You can run, jump, or sprint longer. The (3) unlock gives you faster stamina bar recovery. This means less jogging, and less recovering time. The (4) unlock gives you a few more bullets to both the Takao & P33 Revolver, which means it is easier to kill someone with just one clip. It also adds (1) SMG clip for the Engineer class. The (5) unlock adds one more grenade for 3 total. > Player abilities in my mind are the second most important set of abilities to get. They add extra movement abilities which means you'll avoid enemy fire longer on the battlefield and live longer. Not to mention they give you frag grenades, more ammo, and can be applied to every class. I normally recommend that most people unlock one side of a four-tier tree for a certain class they like to play, then unlock 3 of the 5 player abilities to compose a decent player. The movement abilities combined with light armor really adds the element of speed and agility on the battlefield. > Remember that it is not necessary to get all 5 player abilities. I generally get the 4 out of 5 on each of my characters, and generally do a temporary unlock on the last player ability from a Field Upgrade earned in-game. That way, you can waste that unlock point on a more valuable unlock leading to a better weapon/device, and still receive the positive effects from temp- unlocking the fifth player ability. +++++++++++++++++ } SQUAD UNLOCKS \___________________________________________________________ ----------------\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ Name: Beacon (1) | UAV (2) | Automated Drone (3) | Overall: ***** | *** | *** | - Squad leader abilities are special unlock items that can only be equipped & used to squad leaders who have enough squad members in a squad. The squad leader beacon is by far the best unlock as it allows members to spawn at the dropped beacon, irregardless of the life/death status of the squad leader. This is great as it allows a leader to drop a beacon than charge in himself like Rambo without having to worry about his squadmates who need a spawn point. Unfortunately, certain people have managed to exploit the beacon so enemies cannot destroy it, but that's a different story. The Squad Leader UAV is a hand-held device that operates a rotating UAV device. The device delivers everything on the minimap to the squadmates when activated. The problem is that it must be hand-held operated, meaning the squad leader is exposed while operating the UAV. The Automated turret automatically follows the squad leader flying around and shoots any spotted enemies. The firepower is limited on the drone, not making it an overwhelming advantage on the battlefield. > To use the UAV, you need 2 squad members, and to use the Automated Drone, you need 3 squad members. You need 1 squad member to use the beacon. These items will just sit in your inventory and cannot be used until you (the squad leader) has the minimum amount of squad members in order for it to be deployed. Do not bother getting squad leader unlocks UNLESS you plan on being a squad leader. It's a waste of an unlock point if you're mainly a lone wolf, or you always join squads, but never create them. -<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>- ============================ - 5) Vehicles (5.1) - ============================ Vehicles in Battlefield 2142 have been somewhat restricted as compared to BF2. As we all know, jets were a prevalent problem in BF2. In 2142, jets have been removed. Now, they are replaced by Helojets. There are only transport helo jets, helojet attackers, APCs, tanks, mechs, and transport jeeps. This section will briefly discuss each of them and their pros/cons. ++++++++++++++ } TANK \_________________________________________________ --------------\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ | (EU) | (PAC) | ======================================================== Name: A8 Tiger | Type 32 Nekomata | Power: ***** | ***** | Range: ***** | ***** | Speed: ** | *** | Overall: **** | ***** | + Tanks are the anti-mech creations. Their ultimate goal is to take out opposing armor, preferably mechs or APCs. These nifty armored behemoths are equipped with large cannons that fire explosive shells at a high velocity over a long distance. They also have an AA counted mounted in the second seat that dishes out damage to anything that flies. The accuracy of this AA gun is efficienct in taking out enemy infantry as well. - The main difference between the A8 & Type 32 is quite major. The A8 Tiger is a traditional track-based tank. You can swivel the turrent with the mouse while changing direction of movement with the arrow keys. This results in turning, aiming, and firing all at once. Effective in evasion and moving. The Type 32 on the other hand is a hover tank. It cannot hover over water, but hovers over everything else. The controls are slightly awkward, as the vehicles moves via the movement keys, but also moves left to right by sliding the mouse left to right. The delay in movement is due to the hover, but this vehicle is more agile than the traditional track tank since it slides at a high speed side-to- side. The cannon however is mounted, meaning you can only fire straight ahead, or at an elevation straight-ahead. This becomes a problem especially for novice players who cannot control the Type 32 Nekomata efficiently. This becomes a dream for veterans who can control it right, because a Type 32 in the right hands can avoid Battle Walker missiles, opposing A8 Tiger shells, and just about anything. ~ General Strategies ~ ====================== - Think of the tank as effective against battle walkers at long ranges. You want to stay away from the mechs because they have the advantage up close. The tank is also a monster against infantry. All you have to do is approach an infantry-infested area, then switch to seat 2, and use the AA cannon to get easy infantry kills. - The tank's weak spot is the rear where it can be one shot killed by a Pilum round or rocket launcher round. ~ Tank Techniques ~ =================== - Using the A8 Tiger is generally a piece of cake for most novice/veteran players. It's simple, drive the tracks with the keyboard, aim & swivel with the mouse. Piloting the Nekomata can be a tad more challenging due to the unique strafing function added to the mouse. Here's a few Nekomata engagement techniques: (a) Always move = If your tank has built-in strafing on both the mouse and keyboard, then always strafe-move. When strafing with the Nekomata, strafe so that your front is always facing the opponent as such: [ENEMY] --<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>- ============================ - 6) Features - ============================ DICE was nice enough to actually add a few elements of content to Battlefield 2142 such as 40+ ranks, 40 unlocks, a slightly tweaked game engine, and the new Titan game mode. This section will go on to describe the more intricate elements of the BF2142 engine along with a few tips. _________________ /Titan Strategies/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= " WHAT IS TITAN MODE? " ======================= - Titan mode is different from Conquest mode, but similar. Each team starts off with a ship called the Titan. The Titan is like a mothership. It holds some of your air vehicles, has cannons that can be operated by you to fire explosive rounds, has anti-air turrets that can be operated by you, has ejection pods, and also acts as a mobile spawn point. The goal of Titan mode is to destroy the enemy titan. Start off by capturing the silos on the map. A blue one is friendly, a red one is an enemy silo, and a black one is neutral. If you hold down T, you will notice a timer appears under the silos at the top of your screen. This is the amount of time before a missile launches from the silo. These missiles that launch are anti-shield missiles. They fire at the enemy's titan to lower the enemy's shield surrounding their titan. - When enough of the missiles hit their Titan, and the shield is destroyed, you can now access their titan. You have 2 options: (1) - Board their Titan, infiltrate and destroy a console in 4 different hallways, then destroy an energy core in the reactor room. (2) - Continue capturing silos so the anti-Titan missiles eventually destroy their Titan. - The first manner is the quickest way to destroy a Titan, but also the most challenging. You must get aboard their Titan. This can be accomplished by getting in an APC then using an ejection pod. You can also bail out of a transport helojet or land one on it. You can also eject out of an ejection pod on your Titan (these are the 6 circular cylinders to the left & right of you when you spawn on your own Titan), or you can spawn on a squad beacon. When aboard their Titan, go inside. There are 4 hallways lined up like this: [Door 3] [Reactor Door] [Door 4] [Door 1] [Door 2] - Proceed into the door and you'll see a long hallway. Watch for enemies at the ends of the hallways. Proceed down it and you'll see a console against the wall. Shoot the console with a gun, blow it up with explosives until it is destroyed. When it is destroyed, head back out the way you came, and proceed to the next console panel. You can see the status of the consoles underneath their Titan logo at the top of your display. Once all 4 reactors have been destroyed, the Reactor Door will open up. Inside will be a purplish energy core that must be blown up or shot at. Do this until their reactor reaches 0% (you will see the shadowing in their Titan begin to fill up at the logo at the top of your screen). When the Titan is destroyed, sprint out towards the back and jump off the Titan. If you do and manage to land to the ground, you will survive. If you don't, you will die bravely. - The second manner of winning would just be to keep capturing silos. By doing this, your missiles will continue to hit their Titan resulting in a slight loss of its hull. Once enough missiles hit, the Titan will be destroyed, and you will win. This method takes longer, but may be the ONLY way to victory if your opponent has a tight defense. " DEFENDING MY TITAN " ====================== - One common trait of any good Titan defender is surprise and stability. You are capable of holding a hallway through the use of good skills or great item placement, OR, you are able to flank attackers from the rear. To do this, you must locate the ejection pods on your Titan. When you first spawn on your Titan. Turn around and look at the computer panels that operate your turrets. Now look left & right of them. You will see 3 cylinders on each side. Press E to enter one. Now you can rotate around. Click the mouse to launch yourself in ejection pod. - To TWIST EJECT, look straight up in the air, then eject. Now twist your mouse so you guide yourself to the roof of your own Titan. Try to land on the upper area above the back hangar. You will see 2 ventilation shafts. Drop into either one, and now kill the attackers in these vents. If there are no attackers in these vents, look in your base room from this vent location, and you should be able to shoot or flank any attackers currently on your Titan. - To defend a hallway, be Support or Assault. If support, use an IPS Shield and Sentry Gun. Mount them a fair distance away from the entrance corner, as this will provide them some cover from corner grenades. Place the IPS shield wherever you plan on proning. If you don't plan to prone, then stand against one of the side columns that provide mid-level cover. Remember that the LMGs get more accurate when fired longer, so simply fire down the corridor and keep firing to kill a target. You can also spam hand grenades by dropping an ammo box and continually tossing them down the hallway to kill potential attackers. - If Recon, use APMs at the entrance to hallways to kill oncoming attackers. It is VERY hard for opponents to take care of APMs without killing themselves. - Operate the anti-air turrets (there are 2 of them) to destroy enemy dropships attempting a landing. You will rack up easy points. If both Titans are near each other, aim your turret at the opposing Titan's hangar and destroy any vehicles that exit their energy shield. - When you are defending your Titan, a green message will appear in the upper left corner of the screen displaying when enemies board YOUR Titan. This is a built-in alert system that informs you which hallway opponents are entering. When you see the hallway number, rush to that hallway to defend it. If it states that enemies are in the CARGO BAY, this means they are landing on the back of your ship with the unguarded platform. If it states that enemies are in the reactor room, then they're in that energy room. The built-in alert system does not state if enemies land in the ventilation system. It also DOES NOT work when you are in the Titan spawn area. You must go below for this system to work. The trigger spot for the hallway alerts are right when someone enters the hallway. Please note the alert system is somewhat glitched. It may signify that your reactor console is destroyed, when in reality it isn't. It also sometimes sends out false warnings. It is not known if this is still a glitch, or the result of dead bodies landing in these areas. " ATTACKING A TITAN " ===================== - Difficult, but doable. Be Recon, Assault, or Support. The main goal of an attacker is efficiency. The idea is not to run in like Rambo. The idea is to run in like Rambo with RDX, or to kill as many defenders as you can to clear the path for your men to charge in. Doing neither of these objectives leads to no victory. So our goal on the enemy titan is to have a high K:D ratio, or to be the guy who blows up ALL the consoles or the reactor core with RDX. You have a choice on which role you want to play: (1) RDX Destroyer - Equip some RDX to a recon player, and give him light armor. Get on the enemy titan, and have a cloak if possible. Use your primary weapon to kill defenders down the hallways in conjunction with frag grenades. If multiple defenders are down a hallway, use the cloak, and charge forward. When you see the console, bunnyhop towards it, uncloak, quickly drop as many RDX charges as possible and hit the detonator. You may kill yourself but will also get credit for destroying the console and anyone near it. This technique works best in the reactor room. Remember to bunnyhop through the doorway to avoid sentry fire and potential APMs. When landing RDX charges on the core, run around the corner while doing it so the enemy fires while you're moving. This makes it harder to die. You will damage the core quite a bit. This is the only true technique to destroying cores/consoles when they are heavily defended. You may not have the best points score, but you will be the key reason your team wins, despite your sacrifice of life. It will take a few tries to master. (2) K:D Ratio Guy - Try to be assault or support. Board their titan, but do so from the 2 ventilation shafts. Use the window accesses to snipe potential defenders inside. Watch your rear for knifers. Drop down if your team needs assistance in the hallways. Spam frag grenades or revived down combatants, but wants yourself as most defenders also toss grenades down their hallways. The K:D role best works when attacking a reactor room. You want to pick off as many defenders from an angle in the vent as possible, which will help alleviate less pressure to your RDX men. ____________________ /Teamwork Advantages/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= If you follow orders in BF2142, and kill someone in the radius of an assigned order, you get 1 additional point for following the order. It is unknown as to how far the radius is, but these points do add up and make it more beneficial to play in squads. Squad leaders also get points for killing people near their squad members, or for having enough people spawning on their squad beacon. Commanders get points based on the average sum of points on your own team. In Titan mode, you can get double the points by being in a squad and killing someone on THEIR titan or on your OWN titan with a squad member nearby. You can also get just the titan attack or titan defense bonus for killing someone on a Titan. ________ /Knifing/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= One of the unique features of Battlefield 2142 is the ability to knife people. However, you get to knife people and BE REWARDED for it - talk about incentives! When you knife someone in a game, you are given a dogtag of their character with their name on it. You can get the dogtag again by knifing them again, but getting unique dogtags comes from knifing different people. - You can view your list of acquired dog tags by going to the leaderboards, clicking on stats, then clicking the small dashed arrow in the upper right corner. - An exact number is not known, but after about 75 knife kills, your default BJ-2 Combat Knife turns into the Dogtagger Knife. This knife has a dog tag attached to the base handle. It is just a skin upgrade, and nothing changes when you kill someone. It just looks pretty darn cool. - The Code of Honor is a gaming policy where if someone pulls out their knife, you do the same. Then, it becomes a knife fight to the death. If they pull out a knife, and you pull out a different weapon, you are considered "not" to have honor. Honestly, do what makes you sleep at night best. __________________________ /Mounted Cannon Strategies/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Mounted cannons are specifically ground-based or Titan-based cannons that can only be operated by interacting with them (press E). There are 4 types of cannons: > (1) Titan Cannons > (2) Titan AA Guns > (3) Ground AA Guns > (4) Ground Rail Guns =(1)= Titan Cannons > These can be operated inside your Titan. Look for four computer consoles near the middle pillar in your Titan. Press E to operate one of them. You'll then be in the viewing camera of a cannon below your Titan. There are 4 cannons as there placement is as follows: ___ / X \ - The cannons have infinite ammo, and fire explosive rays that | | cause mediocre explosions on the ground level. They do heavy |X X| damage towards infantry, and average damage to vehicles. It \ / takes some time to get use to aiming them. If a cannon is \X/ destroyed, you can repair it with the engineer's welder. Weld the console panel to repair it. - To destroy one, get some form of explosive device, a rocket, or AA cannon, and shoot at the Titan cannon above you. You will get a Titan Attack Score point for doing so. - This is the main firepower of the Titan and the main reason why commanders move the Titan, so you can fire the cannons. Make sure to do so! =(2)= Titan AA Guns > These are also near the cannons, but there are only two of them. One swivels to protect the hangar bay of your Titan, while the other swivels to protect the back side of your Titan. Since they are mounted on top, they have a limited range. These cannons fire high-rate anti-air bullets designed to take out dropships or helojets. - A good strategy is to fire at your opponent's Titan so that any aircraft taking off are instantly destroyed. However, both Titans must be close to each other in order for this to happen. =(3)= Ground AA Guns > These are black guns on the ground that have two barrels sticking out of them. They can swivel 360 degrees, and have a high angle of direction. They fire plasma generated heat rounds that have a slow velocity, but do excessive damage to air targets. They have no effect on ground targets. You have to lead your shots with the ground AA a bit in order to hit helojets. You will also hear a lock-on sound. If it beeps and locks on, right click to fire 2 EMP missiles. These will disable the engines for about 5 seconds on the helojet causing it to crash or stall for a bit. This should make it easier to shoot down. =(4)= Ground Rail Guns > These are black guns with one long barrel on them. They can rotate 360 degrees, but have limited height on the angle of firing. Right-click to focus the aim for a more precise shot. Note that you cannot swivel the turret as much when it is focused aimed. Now left click to fire. There will be a slight discharge, then an EXTREMELY FAST railgun round will fire. This weapon kills infantry with one hit, wounds armor much like a powerful projectile would. It instant kills armor in any weak spot. Jump in one of these if you have no nearby explosive weapons, or you need to quickly take out an approaching vehicle. Remember, it does not have to be focused to fire - just as long as your aim the reticle over the intended target. ___________ /Commanding/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Although not a whole lot of players endorse the role of being the Commander, it is still an essential part of BF2142 that must be discussed thoroughly. This section will go over a few brief hints or general strategies when issuing orders or using commander assets. The Commander's HUD is setup with individual buttons that do certain actions, along with squads displayed on the left, what icons compose their squad abilities, and the current orders of the squad (if you click on one). To issue an order, you can right-click on a squad with this menu to the left, or click on the squad # button. Most of the orders are voice commands. You can also highlight a squad then right-click a point on the overview map and issue the order to the squad. It is up to the squad leader to accept your order, or deny it. If you want to speak to your squad leaders over your microphone, hold down B and do so. Remember, this goes to ALL squad leaders. One of the neat and unknown features for Commanders is that they can see everything on the battlefield including enemies without having to waste asset power. Press N two times to zoom in twice. You'll notice the overview map displays a real-time view that shows movement on the ground. From here, you can spot enemies by right-clicking. Few commanders spot enemies manually because it displays an annoying commander voice, and it takes a bit of work, but it is helpful for large enemy movements. )(@ COMMANDER ASSETS @)( ======================== Knowing when to use a commander asset is essential to victory on the battlefield. Each asset will recharge naturally by a light highlighted bar inside the button for the asset itself. The Sat Track always charges the fasted, along with the EMP Strike & Supply Drop coming in a close second. The UAV & Orbital Strike recharge the slowest since they are the most useful commanding assets. >> SAT TRACK = This nifty little device is for commanders only. It can not be seen by players in the game. It will do a quick overall scan of the map showing red dots or vehicles representing all enemies. The red markers will fade after about five seconds. You can quickly mark the enemies from this overview map by right clicking and manually spotting. This is great if there are a few stray enemies left on the map, or you need to tell your squad leaders where the next big attack is coming. DO NOT manually spot all the time though. It becomes annoying, and people may vote kick you out of the commander spot. >> EMP STRIKE = The EMP Strike is designed for disabling vehicles, so your soldiers can attack the vehicle, or retreat from it. This does not destroy vehicles, but only disables them a bit longer than EMP mines or EMP grenades. When you press the button down, pick a point where you want it to fire. This function works best in zoomed mode as you can precisely aim the strike at an enemy vehicle. It will fire within a matter of seconds once it is targetted. Try to use it on mechs or large encampments of tanks to disable groups. It can be used to somewhat disrupt the visuals of enemy soldiers, but leave the use of the device to disabling vehicles. >> ORBITAL STRIKE = This is only available in capture the flag, but when it is available it's damn good. The orbital strike has the equivalency of artillery strikes in BF2. It's a tad less powerful, but disperses mini-bombs that explode on impact with the ground. This must be aimed just like the EMP strike. There is a longer delay from targetting to the actual firing, so try to aim the Orbital Strikes in popular areas where lots of enemy infantry are. Orbital S