Just sent this email to DICE and EA

[rainy]

From: Alexander Hempel [alex@ah-web.org]
Sent: 18 February 2006 08:41
To: 'info@dice.se'
Cc: 'support@ea.com'
Subject: Battlefield 2 Patch 1.2 renders the game unplayable

To whom it may concern

Dear Sir or Madam,

I have been an avid player of Battlefield 2 for the last few months. Although my system is just above the minimum specs and my graphics card is not on the list of supported devices (for the record - it is a Nvidia Geforce 5500FX with 256 MB RAM), the game always ran smoothly and with satisfying performance prior to Patch 1.2. But after the patch, this is no longer the case. I get frame rate drops below 10fps in areas of the map where I used to get well over 20fps, and the general system performance has been hugely impacted by the patch. I don't know exactly what happened there, but I know of a lot of other players with the same problems. It is incomprehensible for me how a patch can change a game from playable to unplayable like this.

If you don't suggest any other resolution, I kindly ask for a refund of US$70 which I paid for Battlefield 2, Special Forces and the respective shipping costs, or alternatively a financial subsidy towards buying a new graphics card. On your reply I will communicate the necessary details to you.

I am looking forward to your reply.

Kindest Regards

Alexander Hempel


I am not very serious about the refund option, but I'd sure take a little financial support towards a new GFX from them :cool: Main purpose if this is that I want to provoke a reply and see what they have to say for themselves. I doubt though that there will be any reaction, but I will keep this thread updated.

[rainy]

While I was posting this, an email came from EA stating the following:

Suggested Answer
Our support processes have changed recently and we no longer accept email sent directly to this email address. Please read the following information carefully to understand our new processes:

If you need assistance from Electronic Arts, please visit the updated online support site at http://support.ea.com. There you can find a knowledgebase with thousands of Answers to commonly asked questions. You can also submit a question to our support representatives from that website.

If you have difficulty logging into the new support site please refer toAnswer 10912 for some tips on using the login feature.

If you were attempting to respond to an incident you submitted to our support system prior to 9/27/05, please refer to the following Answer 10914 for information on reopening that issue.

Good way not to talk to paying customers directly - and piss them off more.

[BambisRevenge]

ya I doubt that the EA bastards will reply to that!

[Punky3025]

I have a brilliant idea to solve all hardware problems. I am personally going to send a screenie on me playing as a rocket launcher dude to the ANC. Because then I'm black and will get a free pc to the value of a rdp house instead of the house. Brilliant heh. Maybe rainynight can try that. Also coupled with a tiny bit of corruption and we could all play in a hotel we buy in Hawai with our disability grant ( I limp real bad after being killed )

[Darnit696]

Somewhere in the misty past on the forum I commented on my lack of sucess in getting help from EA. They have this sucky FAQ which they believe will answer all questions. Poor you if you are the first person with a new error, or happen to have the rare bug that you found cause you just happened to be the unfortunate one with the system configuration that caused it or went somwhere on a map that no player had gone before.

Dice should send back your email with their standard "All game support issues are adressed through EA please refer to them." Thats what I got.

From EA if you hunt long enough you get one of those "Type your stuff in the block, click submit and we'll get back to you" things. I hate them. You get the automated reply that goes something like "Thanks for querying your issue with us, the FAQ will be updated to reflect the solution to your issue. "

[Ruslan74]

all DICE people from Sweden who made the game have been fired last year, only DICE Canada remains who made the SF pack and they are now taking the brunt for EA's rush to make money with BF2.

This is what i heard from other forums on many EA issues with BF2. Sad but money making seems to be higher on their agenda than listening to the people who buy their games.

[w1z4rd]

sounds like Telkom.

On the GFX card side. Hehe, I know what you guys are talking about. At the 240 man lan, there was like 4 people who couldnt play anymore cause of the updated patch

[SosmanSA]

Rainy ... take the plunge and get a new graphics card... you don't have to go the whole hog... you can get decent performance for under R1000.

GeForce 6600 256MB AGP 8X TV-OUT DVI
SPAG43DH256
R886.58

GeForce 6600GT 128MB AGP 8X TV-OUT DVI
SPAG43GDH
R1,193.81

example of retail price from Bethesda.

[Ruslan74]

if so go for the GT version over the vanilla 6600.

[rainy]

The new GFX is already planned. I can get a 6600GT for under R1000. But with the new situation (crashed hdd, need recovery) it's gonna have to wait :(

[sss]

i think the legend 6600 gt 256mb for R1100 seems to be the best BFB

[rainy]

It's a Legend 6600GT, only with 128 megs.

http://www.dotcomputers.co.za/Legend%20NV%20Graphics.htm

[sss]

well i would spend R150 more and the extra 128mb

[sss]

oh.. you are stuck with AGP

[rainy]

Yep.

[Ruslan74]

the extra 128 will be of no use if you run @ 1024x768 @ 10fps, rather go for GT's power that will allow you to run the games @ 30 fps @ 1024x768 with medium settings.

[sss]

they are both gt

[SaintMg]

hey look at the bright side if you unistall everything and reinstall just up to before 1.2 you can still play on server II without any problems

or you could just load your backup copy .... you did do a backup before installing the patch RIGHT....

[sss]

there isn't enough players on that server to actually get game going

[rainy]

Got this email from DICE:

From: Annika Olsson [Annika.Olsson@dice.se] on behalf of Info
[info@dice.se]
Sent: 20 February 2006 15:21
To: Alexander Hempel
Subject: RE: Battlefield 2 Patch 1.2 renders the game unplayable

Hi,

Thank you for your mail.

DICE and EA are aware of the issues and are working around the clock to resolve them as soon as possible.

Kind regards,
Digital Illusions

[stoke]

<scarcasm on>Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy hey ... :mad:

[SaintMg]

on word

Rightttt.....

[FeralBanana]

SCr3w EA!!!

Darn all white blocks that send you emails saying 'thank you we will get back to you have a nice time in hell without our product while we buy expensive cars in multiples with your hard earned cash...'