I won't go into the stagnation of the BF franchise, but needless to say it needs to find its roots and offer a unique gameplay experience to attract new players to the franchise without alienating their base. I purpose a BF game set in the 1991 based on a cold war gone hot. This would allow for a multitude of map environments, as it would be another world war, a multitude of factions that can be added over time, and with a cold war currently brewing again, a way for EA to inject some topical parallels to what is happening today. The X-factor in the game would not be specialists, destructible environments or extreme weather effects but an attrition mechanic. At the beginning of each match players would have access to top of the line weapons, vehicles and gadgets that were deployed or underdevelopment in 1991, but as the game progress players character and team are attrited, being almost sent back in time as the match goes on. For example a player might start with a modern M4 with ACOG optics and then by midgame be forced to use an M16 with a telescopic optic and then by endgame have an M14 with iron sights. Vehicles would follow the same path: M1A1 to M60 to M48, T-80BV to T72B to T55, V-80 to Mi-24P to Mi-24A, AH64D to AH64A to AH1S to AH1A, F15 to F4 to F104, and so forth. Again Gadgets: Javelin/NLAW to AT-4 to M72 and so forth. This would add a changing battlefield dynamic that would be unmatched by any available FPS at the moment and make players use and become familiar with different guns, attachments, gadgets and vehicles. It could also be seamlessly used to balance matches that have become extremely one sided. For instance "A detachment of the 1st Guards Tank Army has joined your fight" where the losing team could be supported by modern systems half way through the game and have available spawn vehicles more advanced than the winning team to even the odds and extend the game. It would not only be relieving for one team to have a slight advantage and hopefully stop the hemorrhaging, but also pose a fun challenge to the winning team to target those more modern weapons systems and take them out with their dated gear. On a gameplay note it could also encourage players to play the game more tactically so they do not cause excessive attrition to themselves or their team. Let me know your thoughts, I would love to get some feedback on this idea. I do understand that this would require extensive modeling of various vehicles and weapons, but having seen EA has spent their precious time on in the past... skins *cough*, I think they could spend their time wisely and really create something special with this framework.
