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Ask any inner-child and they’ll tell you; life just isn’t as sweet without stickers. From sports stars to screeching cars, those little adhesive emblems come in every shape and size, except it seems for tanks. Keen to correct this outrageous oversight, DICE, the developer behind Battlefield 4, is introducing a plethora of decal designs to pimp out and pamper up your favorite 5-ton killing machines.
Revealed during the game’s alpha testing phase, these armor-borne insignias appear to follow squad-specific patterns, i.e. those designed via the game’s Battlelog service for use by specific clans or 'platoons.' Given the availability of such cut & paste tech, it ought to be possible, if not entirely practical, to deck out individual jeeps, jets and tanks as the user sees fit. Not entirely happy with that weapon’s paint job? - Give it a racing stripe. Sick of going incognito? How about a flaming wheel arch or two?
The applications for this kind of user-generated content are endless, though common sense suggests EA will opt for a decorative engine more paired down than Smackdown! in its potential scope. After all, if players were able to fully customize their existing kit, then the opportunity to charge for developer-made re-skins would seemingly be lost.
In other Battlefield 4-related news, producers of the new and improved BF4 Battlelog 2.0 have confirmed that the system’s dual-screen function will indeed support both laptop and secondary monitor usage. Whilst smart phone and tablet compatibility had already been confirmed alongside the social applications’ Friday announcement, this latest update should serve to broaden the tech’s appeal to an even greater extent.
Continuing the theme of allaying fan fears, DICE’s twitter account has been quick to comfort gamers concerned over the ‘underwhelming’ graphics awaiting them on current-gen consoles. Responding to one such tweet, a spokesperson replied - "Built on Frostbite 3, Battlefield 4 will look and play beautifully on all platforms." It’s no secret that the developer has put its best foot forward in deciding to show off the game’s next-gen cousin, it should be remembered that DICE chose to upgrade the game’s current-gen engine also, in what may well be the series penultimate or perhaps even final showing on the aging 7th gen.
So are you looking forward to Battlefield 4? Can you hold off for a next-gen release or is a double-dip purchase on the cards? Can user-generated content co-exist with micro-transactions in the same game? Have your say in the comments below.
Battlefield 4 will enter the fray on October 29th (USA) and November 1st (UK) on Xbox 360, PC & PS3 platforms. Next-gen editions are also slated for release at an unconfirmed later date (Xbox One & PS4). Gamers pre-ordering the title will receive the China Rising DLC pack at no additional cost. Later DLC, including the Second Strike pack, will enjoy Xbox timed-exclusivity.
You can follow Sam on Twitter @GamingGoo.
Sources: MP1st, BF4Central, Examiner