Frontlines: Fuel of War Catch-All (formerly beta thread)

Yeah, it's a bit on the half-baked side, but I'm really enjoying it again.

I got to play for about an hour and a half last night on a Kaos 32 player server running the Solar Farm map. Lot's of vehicles on that map, especially choppers. I had a good time going with sniper and anti-vehicle kits, things I usually don't play with.

I loved the anti-vehicle kits. Couple that with a repair gun, and you could really go to town. I'd grab a tank and head for the objectives. Then, once inside enemy territory I'd start hitting objectives, When I ran across an enemy tank and started taking fire, I'd exit the tank, and then blast the enemy away with my rocket launcher. Then I could repair my tank, and continue the mission. This would be even more fun with a squad.

If anyone was still thinking about picking up the PC version, it's $33 on gogamer right now.

I played quite a bit on the Kaos 32 player servers last night. I'm digging the game. I had trouble finding US servers, but the EU servers seemed to perform ok.

I really like the Solar Farm map w/ all the vehicles and terrain. I generally went with the anti-vehicle deployment and had pretty good success with that. On the few smaller maps I played, I stuck with assault/drones and did fairly well. I'm looking forward to trying out the various kit setups and how they affect play.

There was usually very little coordination on the public maps though I would often hop into vehicles others were driving past and provide cover, etc. for taking points. When they add the proximity chat I think it will improve things immensely.

The lack of a party system is disappointing since I don't think we'll have enough GWJers to run our own games.

Oh yeah, I'm two missions from finishing the single player game as well. If you enjoyed the demo, but don't want to commit to a purchase I think the single player is worth a rental. It's short, but fun.

sithcundman wrote:

I played quite a bit on the Kaos 32 player servers last night. I'm digging the game. I had trouble finding US servers, but the EU servers seemed to perform ok.

To follow up on this, I have a dumb question about the 360 version's server browser.

When looking for quick matches, the EU servers always have fewer bars in the ping field for me. Servers in the US, even in CA (I'm in Oregon), always have more ping bars.

So, do more bars mean better ping, or is it the other way around? It seems odd that I'd have a better ping to their servers in the EU.

WineGlass wrote:
sithcundman wrote:

I played quite a bit on the Kaos 32 player servers last night. I'm digging the game. I had trouble finding US servers, but the EU servers seemed to perform ok.

To follow up on this, I have a dumb question about the 360 version's server browser.

When looking for quick matches, the EU servers always have fewer bars in the ping field for me. Servers in the US, even in CA (I'm in Oregon), always have more ping bars.

So, do more bars mean better ping, or is it the other way around? It seems odd that I'd have a better ping to their servers in the EU.

More ping bars are better.

I primarily played Invasion last night. This game is growing on me as I find out just how many options you have at your disposal. I went primarily assault/strikes and that was fun. I still haven't even touched the EMP Tech stuff or any of the short range options. I really want to try a sniper kit while on defensive in Invasion. There's a ton of holes and ledges that could be used to keep the WC tied up around the control points if you play the Red Star side.

I really like the static offensive/defensive mode of Invasion as well as the somewhat required helicopter insertion for the Western Coalition forces. I would usually hop a ride on a chopper and then parachute out when in running range of the front line and move in on foot from there.

This map is also a night time map, so visibility is an issue. I had quite a few tense moments when I knew an enemy was just a few meters from me, but I couldn't see him. Also, the night makes for some pretty cool visuals as rocket flares and explosions light up the area when fired.

WineGlass wrote:

So, do more bars mean better ping, or is it the other way around? It seems odd that I'd have a better ping to their servers in the EU.

As Trashi said, yes, more bars are better. They're also color coded from red to yellow to green, though I've only seen a few green servers.

Looks like the server issues on the 360 have gone away, I can get in any server now without getting the "this session is no longer available" message. I finally got a chance to play the Solar Farm and Gnaw maps, those are a real fun. I just wish I was better with the gamepad, I'm always getting killed by spazzing out in a close fight by accidentally crouching or zooming in with the sticks.

sithcundman wrote:

I primarily played Invasion last night. This game is growing on me as I find out just how many options you have at your disposal. I went primarily assault/strikes and that was fun. I still haven't even touched the EMP Tech stuff or any of the short range options. I really want to try a sniper kit while on defensive in Invasion. There's a ton of holes and ledges that could be used to keep the WC tied up around the control points if you play the Red Star side.

I really like the static offensive/defensive mode of Invasion as well as the somewhat required helicopter insertion for the Western Coalition forces. I would usually hop a ride on a chopper and

This is a good example of how the tactical conditions change from map to map. I also like how some of the control points have fortifications you can augment with your own defenses like Gatling guns or rocket turrets..

Okay, Frontlines on the 360 had potential, but for me, I'm looking at a game that has some logic issues.

I hate the drones. Especially in a game where you're pushed back to your last capture points, and then toss drones right outside it. It's instant death, to the frustrating point that you just don't hit respawn and wait until the game's over. Who didn't notice that the game would get you to a point to discourage actively playing it?

If you're going to make your autocannon drones a Female Doggo to kill, then you have to put some restriction on where they can be placed, or else the game devolves in leap-frogging drones and who gets behind your lines to drop one first. Any game that doesn't just allow spawn camping, but almost requires it, is not a game I want to spend time with.

And also - killcams. Between TF2 and CoD4, no game should lack a killcam, plain and simple, and anything less is a serious oversight. Playing Halo 3 earlier in the weekend, I stopped playing all gametypes that weren't named Rocket Races because it wasn't fun anymore. It's never fun when you're having to guess why you died, and killcams - as elaborate as Call of Duty to the simplicity of Team Fortress 2's - remedy that instantly.

So, yeah. I'll probably give this thing another shot, but after that, I'm just tossing it right back in the Gamefly mail and waiting for Vegas 2.

Logan wrote:

I hate the drones. Especially in a game where you're pushed back to your last capture points, and then toss drones right outside it. It's instant death, to the frustrating point that you just don't hit respawn and wait until the game's over. Who didn't notice that the game would get you to a point to discourage actively playing it?

If you don't have people playing defense, this will happen a lot. I've played on maps where I have used the EMP tech role to prevent the drones from coming in.

If anyone is brave enough to buy the PC version of the game in the state it is in, Circuit City has it on sale for $30 this week.

Logan wrote:

And also - killcams. Between TF2 and CoD4, no game should lack a killcam, plain and simple, and anything less is a serious oversight. Playing Halo 3 earlier in the weekend, I stopped playing all gametypes that weren't named Rocket Races because it wasn't fun anymore. It's never fun when you're having to guess why you died, and killcams - as elaborate as Call of Duty to the simplicity of Team Fortress 2's - remedy that instantly.

I hate killcams. They ruin a good position. Isn't there a text roll that tells you who killed you, and how?

Logan wrote:

I hate the drones. Especially in a game where you're pushed back to your last capture points, and then toss drones right outside it....

If you're going to make your autocannon drones a Female Doggo to kill, then you have to put some restriction on where they can be placed, or else the game devolves in leap-frogging drones and who gets behind your lines to drop one first. Any game that doesn't just allow spawn camping, but almost requires it, is not a game I want to spend time with.

I'm guilty of this myself, but I see very few people playing EMP techs. Most folks go for the offensiveness of drones and neglect any type of control/defense role such as EMP. I think this would take care of most of those problems. I need to try it myself.

Logan wrote:

And also - killcams. Between TF2 and CoD4, no game should lack a killcam, plain and simple, and anything less is a serious oversight...It's never fun when you're having to guess why you died, and killcams...

I personally hate killcams. Why should someone who took the time/effort to get in a good position for a kill be penalized? It's rare that I've ever been killed and not had some inkling on who/what/where it came from. If I don't then I make it a priority to hunt that unknown down which adds another facet to the tactics for me.

sithcundman wrote:
Logan wrote:

And also - killcams. Between TF2 and CoD4, no game should lack a killcam, plain and simple, and anything less is a serious oversight...It's never fun when you're having to guess why you died, and killcams...

I personally hate killcams. Why should someone who took the time/effort to get in a good position for a kill be penalized? It's rare that I've ever been killed and not had some inkling on who/what/where it came from. If I don't then I make it a priority to hunt that unknown down which adds another facet to the tactics for me.

I have to agree here. Killcams ruin the hunt.

After the rental I have to pass on this one. No serious flaws jumped out at me, it's a fine Battlefield type game, I'm just finding the semi-realistic setting and visuals displeasing. I'd rather the silliness of what's going on be backed up by more fantastical art direction, like Halo and TF2; anything but brown versus grey.

Don't know how many other people picked up the retail PC version, but it's a disaster for me. Buggy, buggy game and that's not even counting the multiplayer not working.

Yesterday it wouldn't let me connect to servers, and today it tells me that my CD key is not verified. A look at the official forums shows a small mob with the same problem. This is the last time I let a trumped-up mod team trick me into buying crap.

Did fool around with the singleplayer though, and bugs ignored it's not all bad, just mostly average. It feels like Battlefield (with awful 3rd person vehicle controls) with some cool gadgets. However, I already put up with the all grey/brown setting for 2142 and I don't think I could do it again.

I've played almost everything on the xbox recently, I really wanted to try some PC gaming again, but yuck, I can't recommend this to anyone.

A sad story. Yet another BF like game which will not replace BF2 for me. I didn't like the BF2142 demo, and didn't care much for the Fuel of War Beta. Quake wars also did not come up to my expectations. Damn, this is getting ridiculous.

Any other BF like game I could watch for now?

I've just finished the single-player part of Fuel of War. I have to say, I really enjoyed it. It's short, but still a capable shooter. The drones are fun to play with, and the vehicles were handled reasonably well. I haven't played the online version much yet (logged on last night for half an hour or so before I went to bed) but it worked ok. I was still getting my bearings, but I didn't have any problems from a technical point of view. So far it's been all gravy. Of course, I might still run into problems, but I'll keep my fingers crossed...

I finished the single player as well a couple of days ago. Nothing spectacular, but very fun to me.

I'm still playing multiplayer several nights a week (360) and am still discovering new strategies and load out combinations that are effective, fun, or both.

Playing only public matches gets a bit old since no one squads up or, if they do, it's often some kid(s) chatting your ear off. I've gone up against some teams that were obviously coordinated and they pretty much owned the playground. Still fun stuff.

I'm still enjoying this game for the multiplayer, even in public matches. I'm working my way through the singleplayer, too.

Is there enough interest in Frontlines to set up a GWJ Frontlines gamertag to keep track of those of us who have the game?

I'll retract some of my earlier comments and offer a tentative thumbs-up for this game now (PC).

Finally got multiplayer working. Turns out the entire server browser is completely broken for me; the only way to join a match is by typing in the ip address. Not a big deal now that I know, but for a multiplayer game, this kind of thing is ridiculous.

That aside, the maps are more varied than I thought. They all feature remote locations (so no cool BF Vietnam city battles) but they are well done, look good (not just 2142 grey/brown) and have plenty of interesting features. Plus, cover blows up, which is cool. Don't know how many maps there are yet.

Otherwise, the gameplay is just more Battlefield which, for me, is awesome. In particular, I've always played as infantry, and in this one, infantry has a huge punch with all the special roles. One problem is that all those roles don't seem all that well balanced. Haven't played as the Western side yet, but the Russkies get some crazy sh*t like massive airstrikes and an RC gunship.

Two more negatives; Vehicles control poorly and there is ALOT of spawncamping, and not many ways to avoid it. But, if you want to run around Battlefield style with an assault rifle, a noobtube and a f*cking nuclear airstrike, then this is a decent choice. I got retail PC, but I think I'd recommend 360 to avoid my connectivity issues.

Out of curiosity, it seems most of you have 360, does anyone else have PC?

EDIT Koning, 2142 was really good. Variety-wise, it lacked, but the game was very well balanced class/vehicle/side-wise for a Battlefield game and once the bugs were patched, I had a blast with it. And really, lacking in variety to a mammoth like 1942 isn't such a big deal.

I've been very impressed with Kaos' stance on keeping the public informed on their progress. Usually it's just crickets.

Here is their status page which they are updating very frequently. You can choose the 360 or PC version.

They are looking at the spawn camping issue and a glance at the PC section there says they're working on the server browser issues. If they keep this level of communication up and actually deliver (and they already have to a degree with the 360 server stability), Kaos will make a fan/supporter out of me.

WineGlass wrote:

Is there enough interest in Frontlines to set up a GWJ Frontlines gamertag to keep track of those of us who have the game?

It would be great if we did, but I'm not sure we have enough folks who own it. Maybe your post will shake the trees a bit.

sithcundman wrote:
WineGlass wrote:

Is there enough interest in Frontlines to set up a GWJ Frontlines gamertag to keep track of those of us who have the game?

It would be great if we did, but I'm not sure we have enough folks who own it. Maybe your post will shake the trees a bit.

Count me in as long as the game night isn't on Tuesday or Thursday.

Koning_Floris wrote:

Yet another BF like game which will not replace BF2 for me. I didn't like the BF2142 demo...

The 2142 demo was terrible because the unlocks weren't enabled. I preferred the modern setting of BF2 but thought 2142 worked better as a game. Much better balance between air power, vehicles, and infantry in 2142 than in BF2, and the Titan mode added a whole new element to the gameplay.

http://community.kaosstudios.com/sho...

THQ and Kaos Studios have contracted with Even Balance, Inc. to integrate their PunkBuster anti-cheat software into Frontlines: Fuel of War. This will be added in an upcoming patch and more details will be released soon.

http://community.kaosstudios.com/sho...

We've added additional servers for Xbox 360 players (including more 50 player servers) and are using them to try out some fun game configurations! By modifying which Loadouts, Roles, and Vehicles are available, the gameplay of any map can be turned into all sorts of fun, modified versions of the map's original design. Here are some configurations we'll start releasing shortly. If there are others you'd like to see, please post your requests:

Click the link for more info.

Also, the multiplayer demo is no longer available, and will be ending on the 24th.

Updates to Frontlines: Fuel of War have been released. The updates will be applied automatically when your Steam client is restarted. The specific changes include:

Frontlines: Fuel of War
  • Crashes when locking the screen during loads has been fixed (i.e. Using Alt+Tab)
  • Server browser will no longer show servers that are not running
  • Alt+Tab will work properly in Windows Media Center
  • Lockups/crashes while "Please Wait" popup is on screen has been fixed
  • Player no longer becomes stuck in an unresponsive menu after quitting a match at the end of a round
  • NAT (Network Address Translation) – Listen Server now shows public IP and can be joined
  • Fix for infinite loops that occasionally appear in single player
  • Fix for hang issue/crash for Chinese and Korean native operating systems
  • Game will no longer crash when the user suspends the game using Ctrl+Alt+Del or Win+L on the splash screen after the game launch
  • New .dll's to address sound card issues added
  • Fixed Japanese character issue on scoreboards
  • Player count sort fixed on server browser

I have to say that, in a PC LAN environment, this game has been a ton-o-fun. Granted, it's no BF2 but it has been fun. I've been slogging through the SP content at home when I get a chance (I tend to play in 20 minute spurts) and I've found that it's really not that engaging (hence the 20 minute spurts). At this rate I figure I'll be done single player in about two weeks.

Kaos has posted the details on the 360 patch that's coming at the end of April. They are addressing almost every issue I have with the game.

A sample:

VoIP:

• New Feature! VoIP works with 50 players (previously capped at 32 players).
• New Feature! Push-to-talk squad leader chat channel. Want to chat with same team Squad leaders on your side? Now you can!
• New Feature! Proximity chat that allows you to talk to your teammates within a specific proximity.
• New Feature! Inter-vehicle chat that allows you to talk to your teammates within the same vehicle.

The full notes.

Arise!

According to the Kaos page, the patch has been released.

Bug fixes and proximity chat are very welcome.

I was just looking for this game today in Gamestop. They used to have several copies, so I always check to see if there has been a price drop on it yet. For some reason, there were zero copies anywhere, new or used. Maybe patch news caused a run? Who knows?

But those fixes would really improve the online portion of the game. It already had great gameplay online, but the communication stunk. Proximity chat is a great feature for this title. Squad leader chat has the possibility of improving this game from very good to great.

I may have to bite the bullet and grab this anyway. I was waiting for the drop, as I figured it was going to be single player primarily. But if I can count on some multi-player legs, this is worth full price. It really is a fun game to play in multiplayer.