Battlefield 2 Tweak Guide

[Page 4] Patches, Maps & Mods



Official Patch


EA Games has released a range of patches for Battlefield 2, with the very latest one bringing the game up to Version 1.41. There is currently only a full version of this patch weighing in at 536MB, and it also contains all the fixes from the previous patches. The latest patch contains only a single specified change to fix intermittent server crashes. As usual the patch is still a must-install for all versions of Battlefield 2, as it is required to play on most recent servers.


A free official Highway Tampa map (63MB) has also been released for BF2.


If you are having problems with the latest patch, please try the tips on page 3 of this guide.



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No-CD Patch


Battlefield 2, much like most other modern games, has a copy protection system based on a CD check. While the game also requires that you enter a unique CD key when installing the game, and even though it is actually this CD key which is the key to preventing pirated versions from being able to play online, EA Games still insist on requiring that legitimate BF2 players keep their BF2 CD/DVD in their drives to play the game. I can only say that this is a lame method of protection.


While there are indeed places where you can download a file which allows you to play BF2 without the CD in the drive, I can't provide you with the details of where (due to legal reasons - so don't write and ask me for one). More importantly, even if I were to tell you where to download such a 'No-CD' patch, it would be pointless to use one, since the Punkbuster cheat detection system in BF2 is likely to see this altered No-CD executable file as a cheat, booting you and eventually banning you permanently from playing BF2 multiplayer. Therefore I strongly recommend that you do not use any forms of No-CDs or other cracks, as this will lead to your unique CD key being banned without any recourse.


Note, I am well aware of other methods of playing BF2 without the CD in the drive, but once again I cannot provide details of these due to legal reasons. It is up to you if you really want to research and find such methods. EA is unlikely to release an official patch for BF2 which removes the CD check so you should put up with the inconvenience of having to keep the CD in your drive, and steer clear of any No-CD patches/cracks/hacks.


Mods


One of the factors which made BF1942 such an incredible success was quite simply the fact that it had dozens of mods released for it. Mods are modifications to the game which can change it slightly, all the way to completely and totally changing the game to virtually be another game altogether. The most popular of these mods was Desert Combat which ironically took the WWII theme of BF1942 and converted it into modern day warfare - pretty much what Battlefield 2 does. Battlefield 2 is having a similar sort of run with mods, since the engine is future-orientated and highly modifiable. EA Games have now released the Battlefield 2 Mod Editor as an Open Beta. This tool allows existing and aspiring modders to create new maps and modifications based on the BF2 engine. There is a User Manual & Tutorial you can download to go with the editor.


For those of us who aren't interested in creating the actual mods ourselves, try the following popular maps and mods:


To start with, I suggest you look at the BF2 Advanced Tactical Center, which provides an interface for you and friends/clanmates to plot out your tactics for all the BF2 maps. This is an official product, and I highly recommend you give it a go.


The mods Point of Existence 2 and Project Reality also come highly recommended and transform BF2 into almost a completely new game from the ground up.


To download new user-made maps, try this TotalBF2 Map Pack 1 which is a hefty 125MB but has 6 excellent maps to use in multiplayer BF2. There is also a TotalBF2 Map Pack 2, and a TotalBF2 Map Pack 3 as well.


A range of community-developed mods can be seen at places like TotalBF2, BF2 Mod Database and PlanetBattlefield Mods. In general, to examine/activate any mods you've installed in BF2, start up the game, go to the Community section of the in-game settings, and you will see the names of the 'Custom Games' on your system. Simply double-click on one to activate it instead of the regular BF2.


Finally, remember once again that the Punkbuster anti-cheat system in the game does not look kindly on modified game files and major alterations to the game's directory structures. Therefore I recommend that you be careful as to what you install for BF2, and if in doubt check with other players on a BF2 community forum. If you find yourself constantly being kicked from multiplayer games mysteriously, I recommend you uninstall any recently installed mods and try again.


Expansion Packs


EA Games have released three official Expansion/Booster packs which add new weapons, new vehicles and new maps for the game: Special Forces, Euro Force and most recently Armored Fury. None of these expansion packs is free, and none is necessary to play the core BF2 game. You can purchase and download each of these packs through EA Downloader. The tweaking advice in this guide applies equally to systems which have installed these packs or not.



The next section goes into the details of all of Battlefield 2's In-Game Settings.