At the start of the week I outlined some of the key Battlefield 3 issues we are tracking here at DICE. This update will give you a clear view on the improvements we have made since then. Keep gaming, and keep sending us your feedback!
1) QUICK MATCH FUNCTIONALITY
Status: Improved! Try it out and leave your feedback on the Battlelog forums
Since we rolled out the server patch yesterday, we have seen a big increase in quick match functionality on consoles. You should now be able to join a quick match the majority of times without any issues.
However, please make sure to check that you are matched against servers in your own region by following this guide for the console server browser. If not, this could potentially have a negative impact on lag and rubber banding. We will keep working on improving the quick match stability and reliability further.
2) JOINING SQUADS AND STAYING THERE
Status: Fix pending in the very near future
Some people have experienced difficulties joining and staying in squads on console. We have identified the cause of this problem and will hopefully have a fix ready to roll out very soon. You should then be able to stay together in your squad throughout the game. Please follow this guide for how to create and join squads prior to starting a match, which is the quickest and most reliable way to make sure you play with the right people in the right game. We will return tomorrow with an update on when this fix is live.
3) HARDCORE SERVER AVAILABILITY
Status: Improved! Try it out and leave your feedback on the Battlelog forums
We know you love your hardcore mode. We have identified and eliminated the problem that made our hardcore servers disappear after being live for a set period of time. You should now find plenty of Hardcore servers to join.
4) LAG AND RUBBER BANDING
Status: Fix just rolled out. We are positive this will improve the situation. Help us verify by playing Caspian Border and Tehran Highway on Conquest!
Some users are experiencing lag and rubber banding, mostly tied to Conquest mode on Tehran Highway and Caspian Border. This was due to a bug in the network code that has been identified and eliminated in today’s console server patch, resulting in a big improvement in these cases. For PC, this issue was improved in an earlier server patch.
However, please make sure to check that you are matched against servers in your own region by following this guide for the console server browser. If not, this could potentially have a negative impact on lag and rubber banding. We will keep working on improving the quick match stability and reliability further.
5) DEFAULT REGION SETTING IN SERVER BROWSER
Status: Fix pending in the very near future
Some players, mostly in the US, may have had their default region setting in the server browser set to Europe, which would lead to unnecessary lag and rubber banding. This would incorrectly also affect your quick match attempts. This will be fixed shortly. You can still manually use the server browser and set the desired server region to any region you want.
You might also want to follow this guide for how to best take advantage of the features in the console server browser. That way, you have total control over what game mode and map to join, and on what server.
6) GAME STABILITY
Status: Greatly improved! Leave your feedback on the Battlelog forums
In today’s server patch, we also made numerous fixes to the overall game stability, including the elimination of two of the most frequent game crashed we have seen reports on. You should see an increase in game stability from now on.
7) ORIGIN INSTALLATION AND AUTHENTICATION ISSUES
Status: Fix pending in the very near future
Since the launch of Battlefield 3, Origin have implemented a host of improvements and will continue to do so as long as gamers are playing Battlefield 3. The next Origin update is scheduled for early November and includes a number of critical updates that will fix most of the problems that people have experienced. For the latest updates, answers, and support from the Origin Team, please visit the Origin Help Center.
The Origin Team will continue to appreciate any and all feedback and will address it as quickly as possible. Please go to the Origin Help Center for support directly relating to Origin.
Once again, thanks for playing, and thanks for sharing your feedback with us at DICE and EA. Let us know how you are enjoying the game now that the fixes mentioned in this blog post have rolled out or will roll out in the near future. We are passionate about supporting all our games for a very long time, including Battlefield 3. This is just the start.
If you have any feedback at all, please visit Battlelog and let us know what you think in the forums available there.For support, head to our Battlefield 3 Help Center, where you can see the answer to the most frequent questions and live chat with our game advisors.
Karl Magnus Troedsson
General Manager, DICE