Battlefield 1 Livestream Details May Update, Includes Tweaks to Bayonets, AA, Netcode, and More

The month of May is nearly finished, but that doesn't mean it's too late to squeak in some substantial changes to EA DICE's Battlefield 1. Today DICE held a livestream where it detailed what's planned for the game's next update, and while pure content adds are a bit on the light side, the amount of tweaks and adjustments are substantial.

First up are Operation playlists, a handy feature for continuous play that allows you to avoid returning to the main menu needlessly between Operations. In its current form the feature will simply loop the same Operation and swap player sides, but down the road the ability for playlists to alternate or randomize the next Operation is planned. At any rate, it takes some of the headache out of matchmaking, and is a reasonable first step.

Next up are Bayonets, and while the changes are probably for the better, they may come as a bit of a disappointment or be seen as "nerfing" for all the stabby types out there. Previously, executing a bayonet charge would result in a 15% reduction in damage taken: this will soon be removed. It's also more difficult to turn on a dime while charging, which means you probably can't sinisterly camp behind corners or other obstructions to quickly wheel-around and impale so easily. There may be more on the table when it comes to bayonet tweakage, but for now this is all that's confirmed.

Also included in the update are the following minor adjustments, some more substantial depending on your style of play, while others are universal.

  • Domination's ticket count increases from 100 to 200
  • In Conquest, flag captures now count for less, but holding most points provides a bonus
  • Self-repair on all tanks is now the same: 200 health every five seconds
  • The Dogfighter and Bomber Killer have swapped gadgets
  • The AA gun's range on the ground has been reduced, but it can now hit targets further away in the air
  • The stationary AA and field guns can now be repaired; after taking a certain amount of damage, they'll become inoperable until they're fixed

There's also something called "Premium Friends" planned, which enables Battlefield Premium buyers to connect with non-Premium pals and share DLC content. This is only a temporary offer of course, but it's a nice idea nonetheless. Premium Friends will run until the start of EA Play just before E3 this year, at which point they'll have to buy their own.

Lastly, DICE is even going so far as to introduce some more netcode tweaks, altering the threshholds that determine with or not hit detection is handled client or server-side. Basically if your ping is terrible (above 130 ms) then servers will take the wheel – otherwise, nothing is changing and you should be fine either way. The planned May update has no release date just yet, but should be available as soon as certification on consoles is complete.

To catch the full livestream replay for yourself, you can find it on the official Battlefield YouTube page.

[Source: GameSpot]