Since BF 2142 is based in the future, we have the luxury of getting even more creative as we've been able to fully develop and include things that were always in the back of our mind. When we started developing BF2, we were scouring the web to find reference materials for everything from the T-90 to desert environments. In BF 2142 the creative pressure is on, as we are now creating a brand new world. A world that is cold, brutal and under attack from an ice age. What does the world look like in the year of 2142? Anyone's guess is as good as mine, and trust me when I say that we have had plenty of arguments in the office about weapons, vehicles or level layouts. The benefit of these arguments is that they propel us forward. They make us better at what we do, and we live to deliver superior games. The future setting also makes it possible for us to introduce plenty of things we could never introduce in a modern day BF. For example, the Titan mode, gun drones and active camouflage. Being a sequel also makes it possible for us to improve the things that didn't turn out as great as expected in Battlefield 2. Menus and accessibility have been completely re-thought and overhauled to the extent that any BF2 player will not know what hit him when they boot up the game. They'll just know that things are much better, as they'll easily be able to find their favorite servers as well as access all the info they find interesting. This was not done in a satisfactory way for BF2, so now that we have the opportunity to improve these aspects, we really went to work!
The sci-fi setting in 2142 is something I believe will appeal to a lot of people who have not played our games. Sci-fi is a terrific genre, and it should be done justice. Trust me when I say we have been very careful developing our interpretation of the future. We have conventional warfare with a tech twist. Any Battlefield player will instantly recognize the game but at the same time have a brand new experience. Ultimately, I think 2142 will also appeal to a new audience that hasn't yet experienced the franchise.
When we started the development of 2142 it was of utmost importance that we build something that is true to our community and yet still feels fresh. As always the vehicle and weapon experience is something that we care dearly about and won't stop until the result is absolutely world class. At the same time we also want to bring something new to the table. In 2142 we will introduce a new game mode, much deeper persistence and kit customization for the first time in the franchise.
The creative aspect of this project, being set in the future, is something that really thrills me. We need to think about every element that goes in, such as a background story to support the weapons and armies. Nothing goes into the game unless it fits into the background and the vision. At this point, it's pretty much a given that we can create a game from vision to final product based on nothing but our own creativity. In moments like this, it's up to the team to prove itself and I am both happy and impressed with what they have achieved. You will soon see for yourself in the open beta coming out in August.
We have learned many lessons, but the most important is simply: take care of the community!! This is something I think we can always get better with. The quality of our product is proportionate to the involvement we have with the community. If we don't listen, quality will suffer, so we need to make sure we are always keyed in. For example, we are introducing a 'DICE Live' team which is run by a producer and a community manager. Both are largely responsible for the quality of patches and fixes. We are also conducting several beta tests, both public and closed. As part of this focus, we are talking to members of the community to learn how we can all better communicate and how to take advantage of the wealth of information they are sharing. The community is gold, and we are going to do everything we can to make sure they are treated that way.