Staying Healthy on the Bad Company 2 Battlefield

[[RC]Hunter]

A quick introduction is in order, since this is my first Battlefield Blog post. I’m Alan Kertz, though many of you already know me as Demize99. As Gameplay Designer on Bad Company 2 it’s my goal to give you insight into the design process on Bad Company 2 and give you the direct inside scoop on all the gameplay details.

So what are my Battlefield Credentials? I’ve competed in Battlefield 1942 and Vietnam clan matches alongside being a mapper and a modder. I joined DICE over 3 years ago and since the I’ve worked as a designer on Battlefield 2142 and the original Bad Company. And now it’s my privilege to be developing Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Let’s start off this series of gameplay blog post with some in depth detail on Bad Company 2’s teamplay based health systems.

When a soldier really needs to be restored to health fast he turns to his Medic teammates. The Medic is a special breed of soldier, able to fight just as hard as their brothers in arms, but also dedicated healers. They keep their teammates in the fight as long as possible and to bring them back into the fight when they're down. In Bad Company 2 the medic has two tools to use to keep his teammates healthy.

The first tool is the Medkit, a portable first aid station that the Medic can deploy to heal the soldiers around him in the middle of combat. The Medkit begins working immediately and keeps working until the medical supplies are depleted. It also works in combat, so a soldier near a Medkit can duck behind cover to quickly heal up and be ready to get back in the fight. Just be careful where you deploy the Medkit, as even enemy soldiers will receive its healing benefits.

The second tool is the Defibrillator, also known as the Shock Paddles or the Defib for short. The Medic can use the Defib on his recently incapacitated teammates to bring them immediately back to full fighting strength. The Defib allows the medic to keep his squad and team together and fighting. In a pinch the Defib's electric shock can even be administered to healthy enemy soldiers, instantly incapacitating them.

Bad Company 2 introduces a system we call Out of Combat Healing. Like many features in Battlefield it's a reflection of a real soldier's world. Every soldier learns some basic first aid so he can patch himself up and get back into the fight. In Bad Company 2 we represent a soldier's first aid ability via the Out of Combat Heal. A soldier who's been wounded in a fight but survived will slowly heal himself. Out of Combat Healing is a not a fast process. Unlike your Medic teammate it's not going to save you in the middle of a firefight, but it will keep you from bleeding out somewhere alone on the Battlefield.

Alan "Demize99" Kertz
Gameplay Designer, Battlefield: Bad Company 2


Source:
BC2 Blog