DICE has let slip another APC-load of gameplay details via the Battleblog. Today's instalment covers vehicles, of which there are 20 in 12 different classes, including "armored transports, infantry fighting vehicles, main battle tanks, scout helicopters, attack helicopters, fighter jets, and attack jets".
There are over 80 unlockable specialization upgrades, with slots for one secondary weapon, gadget and upgrade per ride. As with guns, the more kills you get with a particular vehicle class, the more unlocks you'll get, meaning you won't have to up-turn the entire progression system to access one particular gizmo.
In a twist likely to unsettle many, vehicles now replenish their armor providing the damage isn't too severe. Players who don't have an Engineer in the passenger seat won't suffer quite as much, then. Take heavy damage, however, and you'll not only be unable to auto-repair but also have malfunctioning components to contend with. Tanks may slow to a crawl, though their weapons will still work.
"The new vehicle customization and gameplay refinements in Battlefield 3 are subtle game-changers," DICE's blog notes. "Add them to our already proven rock/paper/scissors formula and you have the recipe for our most dynamic and exciting online warfare experience ever."
Battlefield 3's infantry gameplay is said to offer 10 times the unlocks of Battlefields past, plus thousands of custom gun set-ups. EA sent out/accidentally let slip a massive fact-sheet the other week.
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[Source: Battleblog]