[STANDALONE RELEASE] Damocles Update! news - Heat of Battle: RUSH mod for Battlefield 2

Click here to download the standalone release!

For anyone who would prefer to update their existing mod install, you can download the updated core files here and replace all your existing files.

Installation

To install, unzip the HeatOfBattle folder in your C: directory, so you have C:\HeatOfBattle\Battlefield 2\.

You can also install the HeatOfBattle folder anywhere you like, but Reshade will not work, unless you modify the file paths in the HeatOfBattle\Battlefield 2\d3d9.ini text file to match the location you installed.

Playing

To play, navigate to C:\HeatOfBattle\Battlefield 2\mods\Heat_Of_Battle and select one of the [LAUNCH] .bat files. There are options for fullscreen, windowed 1680x945 (for 1080p monitors), and windowed 2240x1260 (for 1440p monitors). If you are seeing a "staticmesh.fx not found" error, be sure to launch the game using one of the [LAUNCH] .bat files, NOT BF2.exe.

Setting up bots

Once you're in-game, I recommend playing using a Local Coop server (not Singleplayer). To do this, click Multiplayer, then Create Local. This gives you more options, so you can choose the spawn and revive time, number of bots, and bot difficulty. I recommend a 3 second spawn time, 5 second revive time, 20 or 40 bots, and bot difficulty at 70 or higher. If you want more bots, lower the max players slider.

To play with up to 48 bots, use the local coop server, set max players to 16, and slide the number of bots slider to the number you want.If you want to play with more than 48 bots, go into the mods/Heat_of_Battle/AI folder and open aiDefault.ai. Set overrideMenuSettings to 1. Then you can use AIX2's BF2SPCC or BF2 Bot Changer to set the number of bots you want. If that doesn't work, try deleting the aiDefault.ai file entirely, and use the bot changer again.

The standalone release contains all vanilla maps, all Rush maps, and all Special Forces maps from previous releases, as well as a few custom maps for you to enjoy. The new maps Dimashq Airfield, Al Anbar, and Oruzgan Province are by TrueSpirit. You can download the Custom Map Pack for more custom maps so you can play all the factions!

---

New HUD

• Damocles HUD and Dynamic Indication by Leeberty with elements from Combat Mod and HDUI.
  • The Dynamic Indication python code was fully merged with Rush python code so you can enjoy Dynamic Indication on Rush maps!
• Updated all optic reticles to look more crisp and pixel-precise
• Added new shotgun reticle
• Added grenade indicator

New Effects

Explosion and impact effects by Project Reality (big thanks for giving me permission to use them!)

WARNING! The combination of the Damocles HUD and PR effects have a HUGE FPS impact - even with modern hardware, you might be able to expect only 30fps on some maps, with or without Reshade. If your hardware has trouble running the old version already, it is recommended not to update for now.

Balance overhaul

All weapons received a full balance pass

• All weapons damage model changed, most automatic weapons will take 1-2 extra shots to kill at 30m+
• SMGs, pistols, and shotguns now deal more damage against body armor
• All weapons accuracy/deviation changed: zoomed moving spread rebalanced. Heavier weapons (especially sniper/marksman rifles) will now be less accurate while moving, lighter weapons (especially SMGs) will be more accurate. Hipfire will generally be slightly less accurate, except shotgun hipfire is significantly more accurate.
• When using sniper rifles and marksman rifles, you must be standing perfectly still for your shot to be accurate!
• Machine guns are slightly more accurate in full auto fire (less spread increase per shot)
• All weapons recoil changed: recoil is generally heavier but more predictable; SMGs have comparatively less recoil
• Bolt-action sniper rifle bullet velocities lowered to balance their 1HK ability
• Sniper rifle zoom increased
• Coax MG bullet velocity increased
• Explosive crossbow velocity reduced from 120m/s to 80m/s
• Claymore damage and radius decreased

Vehicle damage and armor rebalanced

• Hitting tanks in the side or rear deals much more damage, hitting tanks in the front deals slightly less damage (vs. vanilla BF2)
• APCs deal more damage against tanks and are generally more resistant, but will start "bleeding" health sooner
• Transport vehicles (FAVs and Humvees) are generally more resistant, but will start "bleeding" health sooner
• Helicopters take more damage from RPGs and ATGMs, one RPG will cause critical damage to attack heli, 2 RPGs will destroy transport heli (vs. vBF2)
• Tank canister shell damage reduced
• Fixed APC ATGM doing too much damage
• Fixed slow LAV-25 ATGM launch velocity
• Increased APC ammo type switch time
• Reduced Tank, APC and AA splash damage vs. infantry
• Increased US M6 AA damage
• Reduced Tunguska and Type95 damage vs. transport (jeeps/humvees)
• Helicopter cannon and rocket damage significantly reduced
• Helicopter cannons can now be reloaded mid-magazine
• Helicopter rockets now come in two magazines of 19 rockets
• Removed splash damage from Blackhawk and Littlebird miniguns
• Grenades, grenade launchers, and explosive crossbows deal less damage against armored vehicles, and more against helicopters
• Fixed vehicle gunner hitboxes, credit to Arab

Bots AI and deviation rebalanced

• Bots are overall more deadly. Solo flag caps are more difficult now. It will take more teamwork (and suppressive fire) to win.
• Bots with assault rifles have a slightly quicker reaction time
• Bots with SMGs, shotguns, and pistols fire more often, with a slightly quicker reaction time, and less accuracy
• Bots with sniper rifles and marksman rifles fire more often, with a much quicker reaction time
• Bots with grenade launchers have lower accuracy
• Bots with rocket launchers have greater accuracy, with a quicker reaction time
• Bots in tanks use HEAT much more frequently, with a much quicker reaction time, and less accuracy
• Bots in tanks use APFSDS more frequently
• Bots in APCs and AAVs now use missiles again
• Bots in APCs fire more often, with a much quicker reaction time, and less accuracy
• Bots in helicopters fire much more often, with less accuracy
• Bots are more likely to use boats, attack helicopters, and transport helicopters
• Fixed passenger bots so they will shoot now
• Fixed US Humvee so that bots will use the MG now

For a detailed spreadsheet with all the new weapon, vehicle, and bot statistics, click here.

New PLA soldiers and kits

Credit to WeiVan and TheObscure, with heavy edits by me

Weapons

NEW Galil ACE Suppressed for MEC SpecOps: model by Alec Markarian, textures by Karti, animations by Juantu, edits by phale

Swapped MP7 and P90 kits (SEAL AT now uses MP7, EU AT now uses P90) for realism

New QBU-88 scope model from Dragon Rising, new textures by TheObscure, new zoom animations by Develop013 and phale

New PKM and PKP models, fixed misaligned sights

New Vz 58 model

New M45A1 model

New Glock 19 model and animations, added to SEAL classes

New HK416 reload animations

New P226 model and animations

Adjusted AS VAL zoom animations

Improved M9A1 and MP7 models

Added P90 3p lods by RyanProduction

New knife animations by 7game

Various minor weapon texture improvements (especially AN-94, F2000, QSZ-92, MP5, Hawk)

Tweaked lens effects on HK416 Supp, P90, AS VAL, AN-94, AEK-971, PP-19 Bizon

Tweaked MP5A5 and MP5SD3 model, tweaked animations

Fixed M4 and KH2002 3p animations

Fixed muzzle flash textures, no more blocky corners

Fixed self-suppression when shooting at ground

Miscellaneous

Various sound tweaks:

• Added new bolt click and fire selector sounds
• New fire sounds for Type 98, WZ551, Coax MG, M45/M1911, PB-6B9, PP-19 Bizon, P90, MP5
• Updated fire sounds for AN-94, M249, Minimi Para, Remington 870, AKS-74U, MP5SD3, QBZ-95, Grenade Launcher
• New AS VAL reload sound
• Improved P90 reload sound
• Adjusted 3p revolver and shotgun sounds
• Adjusted 3p reload sounds
• Adjusted vehicle 3p fire sounds
• Improved bullet flyby, impact, and ricochet sounds - louder, more punchy
• Improved death sounds
• Adjusted distant sounds to reduce sound glitches
• Lowered volume of medium explosion distant sound

Friendly usernames are now visible within 10m, friendly icon is visible to 80m (from 50m), enemy spotted icon timer reduced

Added BF4 style end screen by EUWINPRO

Updated MEC light textures (lighter sleeves)

New textures for Insurgent heavy by DIAV333L

Updated Z-10, Apache, and Hind attack helicopters to match Ah1z and Havoc tweaks (thanks to madaztrem)

Realigned tank and APC HUDs (thanks to madaztrem)

Fixed driver camera rolling issue with Euro humvee, FAV, and technical

Tweaked Strike at Karkand lighting

Added Wake Island ambient sounds by Ryan_Production

Reduced soldier collision damage, thanks to Arab (BFSP, AngleMod)

Dimashq Airfield, Al Anbar, and Oruzgan Province maps by TrueSpirit