So what is it about BF2142 that makes it come across as lame? Why isn't more popular. It seems like it would have been a slamdunk - I mean, after all, it has mechs! So, where did DICE go wrong? I can't help but wonder - would it be possible to create a mod that makes the game more fun? I'll admit that I never cared for the game much. I mostly use it to mess around with the AI and for First Strike. I have been thinking about what needs to happen to make BF2142 more fun.

The first thing that I think needs to be fixed are the mechs. They are too weak with very little variations. I understand that DICE did that on purpose to balance the game, so it would not become a 'mech' centered game. After the novelty has worn off, they come across as being lame. They need to be beefed up with better weapons.

The second thing is to remove or limit EMP weapons. It's just too powerful and overused.

The Third thing is jets - Why are there no jets in the future? That's is just crazy? The mod needs jets.

CF2142 seemed to be going in the right direction, but that mod died and it has many AI issues with the few maps that have AI support.

Any other thoughts? Why do you think BF2142 was not a blockbuster hit like BF2?

Mod support?
I played the demo and it looked kind of fun. I personally like the bf2 7 classes better than the 4.
I agree about the mechs being mostly clunky cool looking not useful toys, I've always wanted to make a battletech mod for it, but 1 animating would be a pain and 2 I don't own a copy.
The mech thing in the game kind of proves some of the reality about large bipedal walkers though: which is, they are just taller easier to shoot tanks that can fall over and have a lot more vulnerable places. Yeah mech games and movies are cool, but a low to the ground mega armored box is a better weapon system.

I only ever played the demo....but it felt too much like a BF2 mod, and why would I PAY for a modded bf2? That, and I don't care much for futuristic games. The mechs were the only thing I cared much for, but ya they were a disappointment. I hated how the weapons handled and did damage. The ranking/unlock system, after experiencing it in BF2 I will not buy a game that has a similar system. No way. There was no real editor or actual mod support for 2142, which for a BF game would kill me caring about it all on its own. Interestingly enough, the last BF game to be released with an editor is also the last BF game I've ever gotten.

So ya, a futuristic game with poor gameplay, no real mod support, and a ranking system means that I don't care.

I disagree, gameplay was far from poor and the ranking system was far better than BF2's

It's in the future, thats why I think people hate most about it. Futuristic games never become much of a hit similiar to WW2 games.

For me it was just the way the game played. I was just expecting BF2 in the future, but the game was slow and clunky. The mulitple unlocks was overly complicated which required you to spend an extended amount of time working on each class in order for it to be effective. BF2's was simple. Gain rank, unlock a weapon. Maybe that's where the appeal was.

Titan mode in MP For Mech's and other vehicles, was almost pointless. It was great battle fighting over control of the missile silos on the ground where you could use the various vehicles, but once the shield was breached there was no point being on the ground as you needed to defend the Titan itself.

For me 2142 is still a great game, yep an extravagant BF2 mod with less vehicles and teams, so maybe it was gonna fail from the start? mmm

Modding could've rectified this and the modding scene could've been as massive as with BF2 but that never happened. Sci Fi kinda stuff is a bit more niche market maybe yeah.

Even so 2142 is a far superior game to BF3

Well, what do you all think would have made the game better? The game wasn't a flop, but it wasn't a cash cow for EA like BF2 was. You can't blame it on lack of mod tools or the lack of mods, because BF42 did not have mod tools when it was released and BF3 has sold very well, without any mod support at all. The core game play has to be good for people to want to buy it. People usually don't buy a game to just to play the mods. The mod community for BF2142 dried up because of the lack of players and interest.

But I agree, that BF2142 seemed like a mod of BF2 instead of it's own game - with smaller variation in vehicles. Frankly, I was dissapointed in the demo and only bought the game to be able to do some AI work for the First Strike team.

It's the core game play that makes or breaks a game. It's that first round of gameplay where you either love it or hate it. You can't improve game sales with mods. I think it is possible for DICE to make a better version of BF2142 with the frostbite engine, even without mod support, but it has to have a better variety of vehicles (primarily in the air and mech category).

Well a lot of people don't seem to like scfi unless it is something from a recognizable franchise like star wars, or other popular TV/ book series. But some games do well in creating their own franchise like the halo series for FPS and the mechwarrior series for mech simulators. Maybe more mech-warrior themed customizing vehicles and more game play modes. A lot of the game play that I've seen seemed very 'titan' oriented and I feel that is just too narrow of a game type. In bf2 you can capture flags or just sandbox, or team death match (win by kills). The lack of different teams might also be annoying since it doesn't allow for as easy as a mix up. The maps also seemed smaller than bf2 for some reason, and I think the lack of jets and strange mechs might have something to do with it. Maybe a "living legends" approach would work better (with vehicles for different support roles).

Lastly maybe the game would have been more popular if EA marketed it better at the time. I don't remember when it came out, but I think it might have been over shadowed by some other releases, so maybe the sales weren't just that great. I know for a fact that there are games that are many times worse gameplay wise that are many times more popular just because of the trendy culture or hype.

*COugheD*

Any every major game now wants to be like it too....Which really sucks. Less variety, and if your going to imitate something, don't imitate a stinky COD fish.

Have to disagree there, take Desert Combat for BF1942. At the peak of BF42's popularity more people were playing the beta of DC than BF1942 itself, and many exclaimed they bought BF42 for just that mod (and the player numbers gave weight to that).


While I agree imitation can make a market stale, have to say I'm consuming far more COD than BeeF, and that because of gameplay fun and not hype. Matter of fact, since CoD1 I've tried to make my BF experience borrow more from CoD's gameplay, even with BF1942. Granted that type of gameplay certainly isn't going to be to everyone's liking, but it certainly is popular.

Is BF2142 lame? I wouldn't say that, I actually enjoy the game and think it's very well balanced. Haven't played it for probably close to year and a half, but that's not because it's no good, just occupied with other titles atm.

When Dtneter's "Northern Excursion" mod hits, I'll definitely be reinstalling. Might even play that bad boy online for the first time.

Rumor mill is churning out that BF2143 is in the works for the BF3 engine, much like how BF1943 and BadCompany:Vietnam got updated mini-mod versions on the latest engines.

bf 1943 came out?! oh... I though it was just a concept in the works (last I heard)... that shows how much I pay attention.
man and I always thought that the 1942 sequel would be this ubber modable 1942 that has all the graphics updates and more features. instead of a mod-less featureless updated graphics competitive MP game.

Well, what I meant to say was that you can't save a lame game with mods. DC isn't a good example because bf1942 was a blockbuster hit before DC was released. Can anyone think of a lame game that was saved by mods? It doesn't happen that way. You have to have a good player base to begin with.

BF2142, however, had a bad start anyway: Poor marketing, the backlash from the ingame billboard advertising fiasco, frustratingly frequent disconnects ingame and just bad timing. It was at the same time that DICE/EA was changing direction with community involvement and pulled the planned editor support for BF2142. BF2142 wasn't a flop, but it wasn't flying off the shelves either. I think EA had decided that they were not getting enough profit anymore from add on content in BF2 and BF2142, so they pulled the plug. This was when community manager, Lawrence Brown, was suddenly reasigned.

BTW, BF1943 was released for consoles only. I am not interested in 2143 based on the frostbite engine, with no mod support, but an updated BF1942 with frostbite, would get my attention.

men of war seemed to got crappy reviews but since tons of mods came from it, I think the popularity grew. I think there were a few other games that were so so and made pretty popular with mods. but none that were saved by mods alone.

no wonder i never heard anything about it.

I will probably eventually get 2142, but only to mod. and play on lan in coop.

I liked bf2142.
It was really more stable, balanced, new titan gamemode, but no variety - toy's or maps.
In my opinion, bf2142 is to be dying because the final patch disaster and the lack of content.
To much ppl have problems to install the correct patch or getting errors like patch already installed and more.
I'm sad about all things that happend to this game. I liked it really.
Currently i'm not playing bf2142 but i have it already close to me and i still waiting for a good mod to install it again.

FirstStrike is a really good conversion and i like it but the mod haven't enough players for it. Idk why, maybe the failed patch or some ppl missing the jedi stuff like throwing the lightsabre at enemies and it comes back like a boomerang or whirling the sabre to parry lasershots.

About topic BAttleTechMod:

In my opinion, the bf2142 engine, is to be born for a real BattleTech/Mechwarrior mod.
The idea of playing a bf2142 mod with all the original backgroundstuff like mechs, tracked/wheeled/hovertanks, infantry +equipment, aeorspace fighters (Transgressor or Stingray), helicopters (Yellowjacket), dropships of the Gepard or Union/Overlord class or the omnimechs and clanelemental powerarmors.
That would be an epic mod. I'm able to write more but .... it's a bubble ..... ploff ... no BT/MW mod.

I read many romans like "Battle for Twycross", "GrayDeathLegion" saga and the invading clans.
I can remember the most important persons like NataschaKerensky, Grayson"Death"Carlyle, ArdanSortek and the whole 4th successors war.

The BT/MW universum have more backgroundstory / historical battlegrounds scenarios than World of Warcraft and FH2 have together.

I played the boardgame and rpg (pen&dices) a longtime, my god, that is 24 years ago!

Amazing. After reading this topic, i checked my personal BermudaTriangle.
All my technicalreadouts, gamemaster rulebooks and tin models in good condition.

I think it's time to call some old friends and make an reallife PvP. with all the tin models and papermaps and dices.