Codec Chatter: Battlefield's Patrick Bach

On the eve of Battlefield: Bad Company 2's highly anticipated launch, we speak with DICE producer Patrick Bach about the studio's long run of success, returning to racing games, and top secret project currently in development.

DICE has been in the game development business for almost 20 years now. What has been the secret to your success?
The secret is that there is no secret. Honestly, I think we have very talented people at the studio and also a very good vision on what we want to create. Getting to the right combination of structure, tech, and creative is the way to success. If you lack any of these you will not survive in the competitive landscape we have in the industry.
 
What other game development studios do you admire?
All studios that keep creating high quality games that people love are an inspiration for us.
 
Do you feel like being based in Sweden has any inherent advantages or disadvantages?
There isn’t anything obvious that is an advantage or disadvantage. We have long winters where we can hide indoors and play games. I guess that can give us some extra focus!
 
DICE may be synonymous with high quality military shooters, but the studio cut its teeth in rally racing. Do you miss working on racing games?
Yes, racing games are very close to our hearts and something that I think DICE would do really well if we put our focus on it. We’ll see if the future gives us an opportunity to return to that genre.
 
Who do you think makes the best racing games at the moment?
We have our heritage building racing games here at the studio so we of course care a lot about the genre still. I will try to not pick a favorite, but the guys at Slightly Mad did a great job with the Need For Speed: Shift game. A fantastic racing experience!
 
DICE has worked on pinball games, card games, platformers, racing games, and obviously shooters. Are there any other genres the team wants to add to its portfolio at some point?
We are always exploring new and cool genres. I will not give away any of our products in development, but DICE is not only working on Battlefield games right now but I cannot go into any details.

One of the big pies in the sky we hear gamers talk about is the idea of a massively multiplayer online shooter. Some games like PlanetSide and MAG have tried valiantly, but no one has capitalized on that concept in a blockbuster fashion. In your estimation, what are the roadblocks?
The challenge is always to build a game that is fun to play. A big number will not give you fun automatically. The challenge lies in figuring out what makes the massive battles more fun than a smaller battle. Why only two players in chess? More is better, right?

As Modern Warfare 2 demonstrates, people taking modded Xbox 360s online has become epidemic in competitive multiplayer. Does DICE have any contingency plans if they target Bad Company 2 as well?
We are trying really hard on making our game fair to anyone that plays it. We are doing everything we can to get rid of any cheating and we would go quite far to get to a cheat-free product. The choice of dedicated servers is one step in this direction.

What do you think will be the next evolutionary leap in first-person shooter multiplayer?
Well, we cannot really tell you, can we? Then everyone would do it! One thing that I can mention is the step we took by adding the dimension of destruction into the Battlefield franchise. It was a risky move since it actually changes the way the game plays and also the fact that a map plays differently in the beginning than in the end. Now we see it as a natural part of the game and would probably not remove it in any future Battlefield products.

Bad Company 2 is the third game DICE has made with its proprietary Frostbite engine. What do you think the advantages are to making your own engine?
I would say that we could not have done this game with any other engine. The Frostbite engine is actually something that is an intricate part of what Battlefield is, due to the huge environments, infantry gameplay, the vehicles, sound, and also the destruction.

Have you ever entertained licensing the engine to other developers?
I cannot go into details about this, but there has naturally been a lot of interest for the engine.

The Battlefield series has always been known for its great map designs. What is your personal favorite and why?
There are actually a lot of maps that I could think of, but if I would have to pick one I would say Wake Island.  A lot of people would argue that this map defines what Battlefield is all about, and it was a part of our first Battlefield game and also in Battlefield 1943.

Who is the best Battlefield player in the office?
There are a lot of players that are really, really good at Battlefield in general and some specific Battlefield games in particular so there is still some debate on who is number one. If you ask me, I am, of course!

If you’re about to begin the multiplayer match to end all matches, which kit and specialization combo would you use to secure victory?
First off all you would need a very versatile squad next to you. Using all of the kits is crucial to success. I would probably play the Assault kit with the AEK and red dot specialization together with explosive grenade launcher rounds and the Zoom specialization for vehicles to start with. I probably would have to change the layout slightly depending on what happens, but that is a good base kit layout for my play style.
 
What is the craziest thing you ever saw happen in a Battlefield multiplayer match?
I have actually seen an RPG being shot at a Blackhawk helicopter missing the hull by flying through the open side doors, killing soldiers inside but continuing out the other door not damaging the helicopter at all. That was amazing. These kind of things happen all the time, but in ways no one could have designed the game for. They just happen.