The patch includes improvements to general game performance, fixes for crashes and bugs (such as key binding issues and mouse acceleration), balance tweaks to the range & damage of various guns, and includes a server update to remove nasty things like the EOD bot exploit.

The award for the best feature in today’s patch goes to the fix for the way squads are handled by servers. DICE claim this patch should stop any issues with your squad being split across two teams when joining a server. There’s also some incredibly minor changes to the squad interface which you may or may not notice in the image below because of how minor they are.

The full patch notes will be available on the BF3 Battlelog or you can read on for the full list.

—- Client-Side Changes:

– Visuals, Stability and Performance Fixes:

• General performance and loading time improvements
• “Black Screen” fix for an issue occurring on some PC Configurations
• Stereo and Rendering Support for Nvidia and AMD Graphics Cards
• Adjusted the “stuttering” encountered on some PC configurations.
• Fixed several Crashes when joining MP and Co-Op sessions
• Fixed multiple problems when using multiple monitors (Eyefinity / Surround).
• Fixed visual corruption issues on certain Nvidia Cards
• Improved loading times for certain textures
• Added console command “GameTime.MaxVariableFps” to limit max FPS
• Added console command “UI.DrawEnable” to hide UI for screenshots / videos

– Balance and Gameplay Adjustments (PC)

• Fixed a problem with high speed mouse movement
• Added back some missing Growlers on Kharg Island Conquest Large
• Added back EOR sound for SQDM and TDM
• You should no longer be able to damage a friendly vehicle when sitting in an open position
• Grenades now drop to ground if you get killed while attempting to throw it(note the affect this will have on Hardcore mode!)
• Spawn protection now should work in Conquest. You should no longer spawn on points too close to enemies
• You should no longer spawn too close to enemies in TDM and SQDM
• Combat areas on Kharg Rush tweaked in order to disallow defenders to access the carrier ship after 1st base is taken and being able to enter the AA gun
• Fixed a problem with revived players not suffering suppression
• Fixed a problem with the camera when being revived in COOP
• Added joystick deadzone setting
• Fixed sound for when climbing ladders
• Fixed an issue with some weapon sounds in first person
• Fixed a swim sound loop error
• Increased the damage of Helicopter Miniguns, AA guns, and Jet Cannons against infantry
• Increased the damage of Helicopter Miniguns against jeeps.
• Reduced the physics impact of AA guns and Jet Cannons, players under attack from these weapons should no longer lose control.
• Increased the damage of the 44 Magnum slightly.
• Increased the range and minimum damage of the .357 Round from the MP412 Rex.
• Increased the range of all .45cal and 9mm weapons.
• Slightly increased the range of the P90 and MP7 and PDW-R.
• Slightly increased the range of the 5.56mm PDW-R and decreased the minimum damage at long range.
• Slightly increased the minimum range of the Mk11, SVD, and M39 EMR 7.62mm rifles.
• Decreased the maximum damage and maximum range of the G3 and SCAR-H 7.62mm weapons.
• Reduced the damage from FIM-92 and SA-18 IGLA missiles against aircraft.
• Increased the damage and range of the 40mm BUCK rounds.
• Reduced the damage .50cal weapons do against Helicopters.
• Updated T90 canister shell tweaks to match Abrams canister shells
UI Changes (PC)
• Added round duration and ticket summary at EOR
• Advanced squad polish – should be more intuitive
• Significant changes to the Join Squad functionality (see below)
• Fixed a problem regarding keybindings while playing
• You should now get a better error message when being disconnected via Battlelog

—- Server Update Highlights

• EOD Bot exploit fix
• Several crash fixes
• Anti-stat padding measures taken, disallowing ranked servers to run obscure settings
• Improved team kill kick configuration
• Support for unranked servers. Unranked servers do not report players’ scores to Battlelog, but server administrators can freely control all settings

– Share your profile and stats with new Battlelog functionality

• Ability to share your Profile and Stats pages to Facebook, Google+, and Twitter
• User Profile and Stats pages on Battlelog can now be accessed without being signed in to Battlelog if you know a user’s URL
• Single sign on from Battlelog to Origin. If you’re not logged in to Origin and join a game server, Battlelog will automatically sign you in to Origin in the background and join the game server

– Quick notes on Squad changes in the Nov 22 update

• Removed FIND ME A SQUAD option
• Allow players to join empty Squads alone, thus having 1/4 squad members
• Change order of options to LEAVE SQUAD, INV A FRIEND, SWITCH TEAM
• Disable Privacy flag when 1 man squad
• Reset Privacy flag from Private to Public when squad drops to 1 player
• All occupied Squads will now show up colored blue on the Squad Selection screen
• Players who choose not to join squads will also show up as Blue in the “Not in a Squad” line
• Squads that are currently empty will display as white — if you wish to join an empty Squad, you can choose the first one marked with white text

– A detailed look at Squad refinements

A detailed look at Squad refinements

Today’s PC client patch features numerous tweaks to Squad functionality and is part of our ongoing efforts to make it easier to play with friends and Platoon mates. These changes will also be implemented for consoles when we release the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 updates shortly. Stay tuned for the exact date of the console updates.

First, we need to look at how joining with Squads and Platoons affects the balance of teams. Initially, servers are commanded to equal out each side, so joining with friends can impact that balance while joining with Platoons further hinders this. As a result we have made some adjustments to the in-game Squad management screen.

For PC, you are now able to highlight the various Squads and select which one you wish to join by selecting a Squad and then clicking the Join Squad button. Please note that the Squad Privacy option still allows 2 man Squads which, during 64 player sessions, can lead to players with no squad position –- the number of people with no Squads will be shown at the bottom of the Squad selection list.

After the patch is applied to consoles (in the near future) you will be able to join Squads by cycling through the list and selecting which Squad you wish to join.

Watch it on Youtube below or download the full HD version entirely quota-free from 3FL!

*Youtube video content is not part of the 3FL Freezone.

In other news, the BF3 Blog has announced that the first major client-side patch will hit PC next week (consoles at a later date) and include improved polish, stability, weapons balancing, squad control functionality, user interface enhancements and finally fix the mouse acceleration bug.

The DLC pack includes 3 new vehicles, 10 new weapons, 4 retro BF2 maps (Strike at Karkand, Gulf of Oman, Sharqi Peninsula and Wake Island) along with the new Conquest Assault mode.

Check out some hot HD footage of the new maps in the trailer below or download the full trailer quota-free from 3FL’s download vault.

*This video is hosted on Youtube which is not part of the iiNet Freezone.

We’ve got every variety of game mode you could want – from massive 64 player hardcore servers to our “24/7 Grand Bazaar Infantry Only” server.

If you prefer to tear it up with vehicles but you’re sick of waiting around for them to respawn, then jump into one of our Vehicle Fever servers. Running rotations of the three big conquest maps (Caspian Border, Operation Firestorm and Kharg Island) and with 50% faster vehicle respawns, you’ll never have to queue up for a jet again.

Search for 3FL in the Battlelog server browser for the full list and sort by ping to find the servers closest to you!

The R6 update fixes various crashes and performance issues which should make things run a bit smoother for everyone. As this is a server update, you won’t need to update to your BF3 client.

In other Battlefield news, DICE have released a series of images showing off the Strike at Karkand map from the upcoming Back to Karkand DLC. There’s still no mention of when we’ll get to play the DLC, but it can’t be far off if it already has a filter option in the Battlelog server browser.

Read on for the rest of the Karkand images and the full patch notes for today’s update.

Change Log:

• Fix for crashes usually occurring during level switches. Server providers may see a little bit of memory leakage instead in this situation
• Game servers should no longer quit in some situations where the online backend servers are down. Server will reconnect to the backend once it’s up again
• Fix for ghost servers which didn’t accept connections
• Kick reasons should better match situations where they are issued. This will help battlelog provide more accurate information to the player
• Connection fixes to avoid players sometimes being rejected while joining the game server on one of the last slots
• Security updates
• Improved server logging

What are you waiting for? Get a move on, soldier! There’s anonymous people on the Internet that need shooting!

We’re in the process of putting the 3FL servers up right now, so once you get into the game search for 3FL in the server browser so we can all shoot each other in the head for hours and hours. We have a mix of conquest, rush and conquest/rush servers in 32, 48 and 64 player configurations along with a couple of the usual no-kill-cam and hardcore flavours.

Read on for the full list

Here are 3FL’s BF3 servers so far. We plan to add more as demand requires. If you have a specific type of server you would like to see, let us know!

3FL BF3 #01 CQ (Melb)
203.34.186.94:25200
32 player, Conquest

3FL BF3 #02 CQ (Melb)
203.34.186.93:25200
32 player, Conquest

3FL BF3 #03 CQ (Melb)
203.34.186.94:25300
32 player, Conquest

3FL BF3 #04 CQ (Melb)
203.34.186.95:25200
32 player, Conquest

3FL BF3 #05 Rush (Melb)
203.34.186.95:25300
32 player, Rush

3FL BF3 #06 Rush (Melb)
203.34.186.90:25200
32 player, Rush

3FL BF3 #07 CQ/Rush (Melb)
203.34.186.91:25200
32 player, alternates between Conquest and Rush every two rounds

3FL BF3 #08 CQ/Rush (Melb)
203.34.186.91:25300
32 player, alternates between Conquest and Rush every two rounds

3FL BF3 #09 CQ HC (Melb)
203.34.186.92:25300
32 player, Conquest, Hardcore

3FL BF3 #10 Rush HC (Melb)
203.34.186.92:25200
32 player, Rush, Hardcore

3FL BF3 #11 CQ (Melb)
203.34.186.90:25300
48 player, Conquest

3FL BF3 #12 CQ (Melb)
203.34.186.98:21
48 player, Conquest

3FL BF3 #13 CQ -KC (Melb)
203.34.186.97:25200
48 player, Conquest, No Kill Cam

3FL BF3 #14 CQ HC (Melb)
203.34.186.96:25200
48 player, Conquest, Hardcore

3FL BF3 #15 CQ (Melb)
203.34.186.99:25200
64 players, Conquest

3FL BF3 #16 CQ (Melb)
203.34.186.93:25300
64 players, Conquest

3FL BF3 #17 CQ (Syd)
203.217.25.153:25200
32 players, Conquest

3FL BF3 #18 CQ (Syd)
203.217.25.150:25200
32 players, Conquest

3FL BF3 #19 Rush (Syd)
203.217.25.150:25200
32 players, Rush

3FL BF3 #20 CQ/Rush (Syd)
203.217.25.154:25200
32 players, alternates between Conquest and Rush every two rounds

3FL BF3 #21 CQ/Rush (Syd)
203.217.25.157:25200
32 players, alternates between Conquest and Rush every two rounds

3FL BF3 #22 Rush (Syd)
203.14.173.3:25200
32 players, Rush

3FL BF3 #23 CQ (Syd)
203.217.25.154:25200
48 players, Conquest

3FL BF3 #24 CQ -KC (Syd)
203.217.25.156:25200
48 players, Conquest, No Kill Cam

3FL BF3 #25 CQ (Syd)
203.217.25.151:25200
64 players, Conquest

3FL BF3 #26 CQ (Syd)
203.217.25.155:25200
64 players, Conquest

3FL BF3 #27 CQ (Ade)
202.6.131.6:25600
32 players, Conquest

3FL BF3 #28 CQ (Ade)
202.6.131.6:25500
32 players, Conquest

3FL BF3 #29 Rush (Ade)
202.6.131.6:25400
32 players, Rush

3FL BF3 #30 Rush HC (Ade)
202.6.131.6:25800
32 players, Rush, Hardcore

3FL BF3 #31 CQ/Rush (Ade)
202.6.131.6:26100
32 players, alternates between Conquest and Rush every two rounds

3FL BF3 #32 CQ/Rush (Ade)
202.6.131.6:25200
32 players, alternates between Conquest and Rush every two rounds

3FL BF3 #33 CQ (Ade)
202.6.131.6:25700
48 player, Conquest

3FL BF3 #34 CQ -KC (Ade)
202.6.131.6:25300
48 player, Conquest, No Kill Cam

3FL BF3 #35 CQ (Ade)
202.6.131.6:26000
64 players, Conquest

3FL BF3 #36 CQ -KC (Ade)
202.6.131.6:25900
64 players, Conquest, No Kill Cam

We’ve got the new drivers from Nvidia and AMD to make sure your PC is running at peak performance, the new launch trailers for Battlefield 3 and a video of one of the most impressive Battlefield simulators I’ve ever seen.

While you’re getting stuck into all that, don’t forget to enter 3FL’s Gear Up For Battlefield contest to win yourself some sweet BF3 gear. Or don’t, that way I can keep it all to myself. I’m fine with that.

Right, first things first. You’ll need to make sure your PC is in prime condition for handling the raw power of Battlefield 3′s Frostbyte 2.0 engine, so grab the new drivers from Nvidia or AMD which have been released especially for Battlefield 3. You can head over to our Downloads section to grab whichever driver fits your system from 3FL entirely quota-free for iiNet, Westnet and Netspace customers.

While you’re in 3FL’s Downloads section you can also grab the two launch trailers for Battlefield 3 in 1080p HD quality. The first launch trailer focusses on the single player campaign for Battlefield 3 and shows off some of the epic locations you’ll visit while saving the world from terrorism or aliens or whatever the campaign’s about. The second launch trailer mixes live action footage with Battlefield 3 gameplay to show how amazingly crisp the game looks compared to the real thing.

On the topic of mirrored downloads, we’ve had a lot of requests to mirror the BF3 client so you don’t have to download the whole thing from Origin. At this stage we still aren’t able to mirror the client files, but I’m hoping that will change once the client unlocks on Thursday. As soon as we’re able to offer the BF3 client on 3FL’s Downloads, we’ll let you know.

Finally we have a segment from the Gadget Show in the UK with their Ultimate Battlefield 3 Simulator. I could explain how they did it, but it’s way more fun to watch it.

Thanks to our super cool friends at EA Australia, we have 5 Battlefield Gear packs to give away which include shirts, hats, canteens, USB drive dog tags and a sweet messenger bag for one lucky winner.

Interested? Of course you are, who doesn’t love Battlefield 3 and free stuff? Read on for details on how to enter the draw.

To enter all you need to do is send an email from your iiNet, Westnet or Netspace email address to contests@3fl.net.au and explain (in 25 words or less) which weapon or vehicle you’re going to use to kill the most people in Battlefield 3 and how you’re going to do it.

The five most creative answers will win a selection of the items above, with the best items going to the best answer and so on down the line. Make sure your entry is a good one if you want to pick up the top prize.

The contest is limited to iiNet, Westnet and Netspace customers only. One entry per person. Entries close at 7pm AWST Wednesday 26th of October (26/10/2011).

The new trailer shows off the impressive base jump start to Damavand Peak, all manner of tanks and choppers, full building destruction (not that poxy Diet Coke destruction from the beta) and a quick peak at the Back to Karkand DLC maps. Check out the Youtube version below or download the full 1080p trailer quota-free from 3FL!

Anyone who has purchased the game through Origin can begin pre-loading the game client on 21/10 ready for the 27/10 launch. I’d advise doing so, because it’s going to be the biggest game launch this year and you don’t want to miss out.

The footage above is not quota-free as it is hosted on Youtube and not part of the 3FL Freezone.

• Caspian Border
• Damavand Peak
• Grand Bazaar
• Kharg Island
• Noshahar Canals
• Operation Firestorm
• Operation Métro
• Seine Crossing
• Tehran Highway

Read on for a detailed description and the design philosphy behind each map.

CASPIAN BORDER

WORKING TITLE> FOREST
DICE INTERNAL DESIGNATION> MP007
SUPPORTED GAME MODES> ALL
BRIEF> VEHICLE WARFARE IN LARGE VALLEY

FICTION> A RECON RUSSIAN FORCE HAS SET UP CAMP ON THE TURKMENISTAN SIDE OF THE IRANIAN BORDER AND PROCEEDED TO TAKE OVER THE HEAVILY BUILT UP BORDER CHECKPOINT.

DESIGN THOUGHTS> Caspian Border was meant to encapsulate the classic Battlefield all-out vehicle warfare gameplay, and also to be a lush and green contrast to the more urban and desert maps in Battlefield 3. The border control splitting the map in two was introduced to add an interesting break both visually and gameplay wise in the otherwise beautiful and open landscape. Caspian Border is one of the obvious map choices if you are after the full vehicle experience, as base distances are generally too long to cover by foot. Pretty much every type of vehicle is available in this map.

DAMAVAND PEAK

WORKING TITLE> BASEJUMP
DICE INTERNAL DESIGNATION> MP013
SUPPORTED GAME MODES> ALL
BRIEF> FIGHTING IN WINTER MOUNTAINS

FICTION> A RUGGED MOUNTAIN AREA PLAYS A MAJOR ROLE IN DECIDING WHETHER RUSSIAN OR U.S. TROOPS ARE SUCCESSFUL IN COMBAT OPERATIONS IN THE SECTOR, AS THE AREA IS HOME TO KEY RADAR INSTALLATIONS.

DESIGN THOUGHTS: Damavand Peak, internally known as Base Jump, is built on the idea that we want players to be able to base jump, and features our most extreme height differences ever in a Battlefield map. Attackers in Rush and Squad Rush will start high up on a mountain ridge above a mining facility. The only way down into the valley is to somehow make the 500 meter descent. The further the attackers progress in the map, the more vehicle warfare will be present. There is also a large tunnel section dug into the mountain side at the bottom of the map, and the view when you look up at the starting location is spectacular.

GRAND BAZAAR

WORKING TITLE> BAZAAR
DICE INTERNAL DESIGNATION> MP001
SUPPORTED GAME MODES> ALL
BRIEF> TIGHT URBAN COMBAT

FICTION> THE BATTLE FOR CENTRAL TEHRAN HAS REACHED ITS SECOND WEEK, AND WHAT WAS EXPECTED TO BE OVER WITHIN DAYS NOW CONTINUES AS RUSSIAN AND U.S. FORCES CLASH FOR CONTROL OVER THIS ANCIENT CITY.

DESIGN THOUGHTS> We knew we wanted to do something very urban in the city center of Tehran. The fiction has you coming in two weeks after fighting started, so the tight and narrowly built city has a great deal of destruction already when you spawn into the game. Grand Bazaar is a classically mirrored map where both sides have very similar pathways, sideways, and possibilities to traverse heights to get a better view of the action. It’s a very short range close quarter combat map where shotguns tend to be favored.

KHARG ISLAND

WORKING TITLE> KHARG
DICE INTERNAL DESIGNATION> MP018
SUPPORTED GAME MODES> ALL
BRIEF> AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT

FICTION> KHARG ISLAND IS IRAN’S BIGGEST OIL EXPORT TERMINAL. IF THE U.S. CAN STAKE CONTROL OVER THIS ISLAND, IT WILL DENY THE RUSSIANS CRITICAL ACCESS TO IRANIAN OIL RESERVES.

DESIGN THOUGHTS> Kharg Island is our second map with boat gameplay. Thematically it’s representing an assault against Kharg island in the Persian sea, an industrialized island not far from the Iranian coast. The map is slightly more focused on vehicles with longer distance between flags than for example Noshahar Canals. In the Rush game mode, the beach assault begins on the coastline with a well-defended beach you need to break through to create a beachhead for further attacks on the island, before it opens up wider in the later part of the map.

NOSHAHR CANALS

WORKING TITLE> CANALS
DICE INTERNAL DESIGNATION> MP017
SUPPORTED GAME MODES> ALL
BRIEF> MIXED COMBAT IN INDUSTRIAL SETTING

FICTION>  U.S. MARINES LAUNCH A STRIKE ON A MAJOR HARBOR BY THE NOSHAHR CANALS ON THE IRANIAN COAST. THE STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT PORT ALLOWS FOR DEEP WATER VESSELS TO OFFLOAD ESSENTIAL MATERIALS.

DESIGN THOUGHTS> When we set out to do Noshahr Canals, we wanted to contrast the urban and rural with something more industrial. So we set Noshahr Canals up as an industrial harbor, featuring a mix of infantry, land vehicle, and boat gameplay. The attackers in Rush start out on an carrier ship and can reach the beachhead by amphibious vehicles, boats, and helicopters. All of the bases on the map have an industrial theme but still have different styles, like a train yard, dry dock, or airfield. Compared with the larger vehicle maps in the game, this allows for tighter infantry combat.

OPERATION FIRESTORM

WORKING TITLE> OILFIELDS
DICE INTERNAL DESIGNATION> MP012
SUPPORTED GAME MODES> ALL
BRIEF> ALL-OUT DESERT WARFARE

FICTION> U.S. AND RUSSIA LAUNCH LARGE-SCALE ASSAULTS TO CONTROL IRAN’S BIGGEST SOURCE OF OIL. SECURING THIS AREA WILL OFFER FULL CONTROL OF THE SECTOR AND ITS KEY FACILITIES.

DESIGN THOUGHTS> One of our largest and most vehicle-friendly map, Operation Firestorm is the classic Battlefield gameplay taken to the extremes. Size-wise, and with some puzzle skills, you could actually place three Atacama Deserts — one of the largest maps from Battlefield: Bad Company 2 — within the playable area of Operation Firestorm. This is a wide-open desert map where the burning oil fields in one direction are contrasted by clear blue sky in the other direction. Construction sites dotting the area bring interesting possibilities for infantry to hide in elevated positions, spot vehicles, and take them down by mortar or RPG.

OPERATION MÉTRO

WORKING TITLE> METRO
DICE INTERNAL DESIGNATION> MP015
SUPPORTED GAME MODES> ALL
BRIEF> INFANTRY FOCUSED COMBAT IN SUBWAY

FICTION> HEAVY FIGHTING IS EXPECTED AS U.S. FORCES PUSH TO SECURE THE FINANCIAL DISTRICT IN CENTRAL PARIS. RUSSIAN ANTI-AIR EMPLACEMENTS IN CHARDONNAY PARK ARE LIKELY TO BE THE FIRST TARGET.

DESIGN THOUGHTS> Operation Métro is the map from E3 and the Open Beta, so some of you are familiar with it already. It is a map that perfectly illustrates that we want to take our players on a journey. Especially in Rush, you can see how Operation Métro is almost three maps within one: You start out in a lush park, then move into a bombed-out section of the subway tunnels, to finally emerge in a dense urban environment outside the Paris stock exchange. It’s a map that asks you to constantly adapt your class and load out for the diverse situations you will find yourself in.

SEINE CROSSING

WORKING TITLE> HIGHWAY
DICE INTERNAL DESIGNATION> MP003
SUPPORTED GAME MODES> ALL
BRIEF> INFANTRY FIGHTING IN TIGHT CITY STREETS

FICTION> A FIGHT FOR CONTROL OF ACCESS ROUTES NEAR TEHRAN. U.S. FORCES MAKE A PUSH FROM THE HILLS UNDER COVER OF DARKNESS WHILE RUSSIANS HAVE SET UP DEFENSIVE POSITIONS ALONG THE MAIN ENTRANCE POINTS.

DESIGN THOUGHTS> Seine Crossing has two sections of Paris split in the middle by the river Seine. Seine Crossing has a number of larger roads for vehicles to patrol, while infantry can sneak through tight alleyways and climb staircases to reach second or third levels inside buildings to reach a better tactical position – unless the enemy takes down the building facades. The final M-COM stations in Rush are placed inside a bank building, which is the largest indoor environments of this map and forces the attackers to slightly change tactics.

TEHRAN HIGHWAY

WORKING TITLE> HIGHWAY
DICE INTERNAL DESIGNATION> MP003
SUPPORTED GAME MODES> ALL
BRIEF> INFANTRY FIGHTING IN TIGHT CITY STREETS

FICTION> A FIGHT FOR CONTROL OF ACCESS ROUTES NEAR TEHRAN. U.S. FORCES MAKE A PUSH FROM THE HILLS UNDER COVER OF DARKNESS WHILE RUSSIANS HAVE SET UP DEFENSIVE POSITIONS ALONG THE MAIN ENTRANCE POINTS.

DESIGN THOUGHTS> One of the inspirations for this map was a photo of a night time skyline of Tehran which now is basically the same vista that is available in the game. You start up on the hills above the city outskirts and eventually work your way into town. This atmospheric night-time map, where you can see rockets lighting up the sky, has a balanced mix between vehicle and infantry focus. It plays length-wise and starts semi-open with plenty of room for vehicles, but ends on a much more urban and tight note with less focus on vehicles and more on infantry.