14 DAY TRIAL // Craig Mcleod, a producer working on Battlefield 3, says that the new expansion pack called Aftermath for the game will introduce a new game mode, named Scavenger, which is specifically designed in order to allow all newcomers to the series a fighting chance against the veterans.
All players who opt for it will get to start with a specialization, a pistol and one grenade and will play on special maps which include flag points, that players need to capture, and three levels of weapons.
The weaker firearms, including SMGs and their ilk, are in safer areas, while the more powerful ones are in the center, around the flag points, which means that gamers need to balance risks and potential rewards.
The design of the Scavenger mode is made to level the playing field for all those taking part.
MacLeod tells Eurogamer during a recent demo event in London that, “If you've levelled up that weapon for 400 hours that's not going to help you in this mode. It's how good you are. So new players won't feel daunted getting into this pack.”
He adds, “This is great because it doesn't matter if you've played for ten thousand hours or if you're new and you've just bought Battlefield 3 Premium Edition, everyone starts on a level playing field. It comes down to skill.”
Battlefield 3 was a great hit for developer DICE and publisher Electronic Arts, but the game came out one year ago and most of those who are engaged in multiplayer matches have a lot of experience and create an environment that can be hard on newcomers.
The introduction of Scavenger is designed to make it easier for all those interested to just jump in and play a few matches.
Aftermath will be offered to Premium subscribers on November 27 on the PlayStation 3 and on December 4 on the PC and the Xbox 360.
The general public will get the same content on December 11 and 16.