Experiences in Battlefield 2

Experiences in Battlefield 2

Yes, BF2 is an aged game, but combine it with a few mods (AIX 2.0, BF2 Hub, BF2 Revive), I think you'll be quite surprised at the old-school fun (circa 2005) you can have. Battlefield 2 runs on older hardware... PCs and laptops... 32Bit or 64Bit systems running Windows 7, 8, and 10! 

BF2 Introduction:

NOTE: Just so that you know upfront... if you bought the Special DVD, Digital Download, or STEAM Battlefield 2 Compete Collection... those versions already come upgraded and patched up to 1.50.  It's difficult to find a digital download at a reasonable price, but the physical disk versions are pretty cheap, especially on Ebay. BF2 is actually free if you check out the BF2 Revive information in subsequential posts.

Let's start with the unmodded Battlefield 2 Game.  The below information might be outdated, but will probably help you if you are trying to install the physical disk version.


Installation:

First:

Install the game which will want you to register (set up an online account). This can be done via the EA website (new owners). If you previously tried the demo, you most likely have an existing account that you can use. In either case, DO NOT Register the game when installing it!  As I said, I recommend that you register (set up an online account) via the EA website.

Anyway, when you install the installation program will automatically install to a specific location;

- Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 64Bit = 'C:\Program Files (x86)\EA GAMES\Battlefield 2'

- Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 32Bit = 'C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\Battlefield 2'

STEAM installs a bit differently;

- Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 32/64Bit = 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Battlefield 2

Verify the install paths and you are good to go!

Registration Note;

Be careful about choosing a name because you'll be stuck with it unless you create another account, which requires a different email and game. When logging into the game there's a "prefix" box available. This allows you to add a squad tag to the beginning or whatever "nickname" you choose (prefix not available in the demo).

For example, I named mine "BFMARK5". I set the in-game "Prefix" as "=SOG=" and therefore =SOG=BFMARK5. In the future, I can change the prefix (Example,*BIG*...*BIG*BFMARK5).

NOTE: If you bought the Special DVD, Digital Download, or STEAM Battlefield 2 Compete Collection... those versions come completely upgraded and patched up to 1.50. So, any instructions beyond this point are not applicable!

Second:

Install the Full Upgrade 1.41. This contains all previous updates and patches. Everything for this process can be found at the below website.  Place the download on your desktop and start the install process from the desktop.

==> http://battlefield2.filefront.com/info/BF2

Third:

Install the Full Upgrade Patch 1.50. This contains the most current update features, the ability to use the game without the CD and bug fixes. Everything for this process can be found at the below website.  Place the download on your desktop and start the install process from the desktop.

==> http://battlefield2.filefront.com/info/BF2

Fourth:

Punk Buster (PB) is an anti-cheat program utilized by Battlefield 2 and subsequent mods such as AIX 2.0. Anyway, PB officially supports Battlefield 2. Support for it can be found at:

==> http://www.punkbuster.com/index.php?page=support-bf2.php

There is an update tool that you can download.  It automatically updates PB.

Fifth:

Ok, so BF 2 is installed and PB is updated... give it BF2 a try and make sure you can get online and check to see that you have the latest version (1.5x).  Note that there are 2 shortcuts generated by the install process ("BF2" and "play BF2 online".   I recommend the "BF2" shortcut and then clicking the online or multiplayer button on the game menu.  Don't be discouraged if there are not any servers available.  Also, you might not have a certain map being played on a server, but you can try single play or start your own server... the idea is just to make sure it works.

 
Allied Intent Xtended 2 Mod (BF2 AIX2):

Introduction:

The BF2 Vanilla (unmodded BF2) is not that great.  It lacks a real cooperative mode.  That is why you want to install a mod for it as soon as possible.ou might want to check out a few AIX 2.0 Mod movies that show some of the nice features of the mod:




Installation:

First:

Install the Allied Intent Extended Mod 2 (AIX2). This mod adds a cooperative feature with bot support to the BF2 game. AIX2 comes in three parts.  Everything for this process can be found at http://www.moddb.com/mods/allied-intent-xtended/downloads. 


1. Install Core Client (has own installer program)
2. Install Core Maps (has own installer program)

Note that if you want to start your own server then you need the AIX 2.0  Server Files, but that is beyond the scope of this post... even the entire thread for that matter.

3. Install official ITTH map pack (Imtheheadhunter AIX 2.0 Map Pack), which has own installer program.  It is located in the ADDON section, so, ... http://www.moddb.com/mods/allied-intent-xtended/addons/imtheheadhunters-official-aix2-map-pack-30-maps

Start the AIX game using the AIX2 Shortcut and try it out. Note that the game takes about 10-30 seconds to start-up depending on your computer. So, it's normal to see a blank screen for about 10-30 seconds.

Modify the BF2 and AIX2 Intro Movies:

The introductory movies to BF2, although fun to watch the first couple of times, fast become quite annoying, adding to the startup times for the game, as well as the memory usage. So, by removing these (not deleting, though), they would be skipped as BF2 starts to load.

1. Rename the all the .bik files in the C:\Program Files\EA Games\Battlefield 2\mods\bf2\Movies\ directory to .backup. Do not rename menu.bik and menu_loggedin.bik unless you do not mind a dull gray background on the logon screen.

Example: Intro.bik to Intro.backup

2. If you did indeed rename menu.bik and menu_loggedin.bik, then this step is optional. Copy the BF2_Menu_Logo.zip file contents (menu.bik and menu_loggedin.bik) into the C:\Program Files\EA Games\Battlefield 2\mods\bf2\Movies\ directory. These small files show the BF2 logo in the background and look nice.

Removing all the original movies from the game can save over 250MB of data being loaded up during the start of the game and being placed into memory - this will help smooth your gameplay particularly for those with less RAM. If for any reason you experience any problems with the game after renaming the movies, simply rename them back to their original names.

Modify the AIX2 Intro Movies:

This follows the same concept as the above, but the files are in a different location.

3. Rename the all the .bik files in C:\Program Files\EA Games\Battlefield 2\mods\AIX\movies except AIXLogo.bik that briefly displays the AIX logo before the long on screen.

4. Optionally, copy the BF2_Menu_Logo.zip file contents (menu.bik and menu_loggedin.bik) into the C:\Program Files\EA Games\Battlefield 2\mods\AIX\movies directory.

Note: I have all these files archived. They are small enough for email, so, contact me and I'll send them.

Yes, BF2 is a aged game, but it runs on older hardware and laptops (32Bit or 64Bit systems) with no problems... and it's cheap.  Well, the disk version is, but the CD disk reqires manual patches and updates in order for it to work correctly with any mods.  The STEAM digital version or the "complete" package was much more expensive in comparison, but does include the expansion-booster packs and is all upgraded and patched. 

The Harrier Jets, Regular Jets, and a few different types of Helicopters provide a complex control set. These air vehicles are close to an actual flying experience in terms of feel and maneuverability.... compared with Joint Operations AW2. They offer a plethora of weapons from mini guns to hellfire missiles to blanket bombs. In the right hands, these air vehicles are truly death from above.

Although fun to try, I soon realized that without a joystick I was just a dead man flying around (or rather crashing around). It was fun to try it out though.

I think those who take to the Joint Ops AW2 or DFX  skies would enjoy and excel at flying. As for mouse n' keyboard players; the ground and water assaults offer nice options.

I'm not too fond of the limitations of the "class system" or "ranking" or "leveling" systems in order to obtain better weapons. I usually prefer having everything available to me like in the DFX Series. However, I didn't mind these systems here. Overall, there are features that you won't see in the any Joint Ops or DFX games.

- Satistics; DFX/Joint Ops series have them, but BF2 AIX2 stats have more details and look better also

- Medical combat soldier; DFX/Joint Ops series also offer classes that have med packs available, but this particular BF2 AIX2 "medic class" seems better)

- Ammo Packs; (can be distributed like the med packs)

- Sniper Tools (there's two that stand out); The Grappling hook allows you to climb tall buildings or heights; The Zip-line (this goes along with the grappling hook, but is a separate tool) is a handy tool for those times when you grapple to a high building and need to slide
or zip down to a lower building or level.

- Sounds | Graphics; They are just better... crisp, clear detailed. For example, the tank's main gun sounds more realistic and sounds as if it powers down after discharge and the aircraft is acctually detailed authenticly as much as possible.

- Vehicles have independent weapon systems; For example, the tank driver is allowed to fire an on-board machine gun and the turret gun while a third separate 50cal gunner is seated up top.

- Aircraft Carrier; Take off and land your helcopter or jet on these floating airport ships

The above are just some of the many great features of BF2. I still like and enjoy DFX/Joint Ops series for sure. Its just that BF2;AIX2 is a nice distraction.

This short clip shows the difference SweetFX makes when applied to the BF2 AIX2 Mod.  When the recording colors seem a bit deeper and richer (right-hand side) is where SweetFX is switched ON... when the colors look faded and washed out (left-hand side) is where SweetFX is switched OFF.

Battlefield is an old game by now but still viable. Gamespy ran the BF2 servers, but have long since closed. If you want to experience the online fun of joining BF2 servers as you did years ago, then check out the below sites. Just install your BF2 updates, patches, and mods beforehand.

BF2 HUB is a slick little FREE app program[https://www.bf2hub.com/home/index.php].  It seamlessly integrates with Battlefield 2 and your search and join online servers.  If you are concerned with your rank and game stats from the good old BF2 days or protect them starting out fresh, then BF2HUB is definitely worth installing.

Battlog's BF2 Revive is another little app program that does the same thing as BF2 HUB, only, BF2 Revive actually gives you the game files if needed! Two full games... Battlefield 2 and Battlefield 2142 are FREE.  It hosts different online servers and is also free.

The two app programs run beautifully together and provide different benefits... why not install both.