Freedom of choice defines modern video games.  Having the authority to dictate your own game experience makes it much more powerful.  With the freedom comes a bit of a pitfall, as it is easy, and sometimes downright addicting, to exploit certain options.  Such is my current issue with Battlefield Bad Company.

Find out how I am screwing myself out of a really fun game, after the jump.

The mortar strike is one of the most powerful gadgets in BFBC.  From a ridiculously long distance, you can take out legions of enemies and destroy objectives in mere seconds.  Not only that, but the visual payoff of watching entire villages reduced to their wood frames is pretty irresistible.

I finished BFBC on normal difficulty, and thanks to an extended Internet outage at my house this weekend, I launched right back into the game on hard.  Best I can tell, hard difficulty means you take more damage per shot, and there appears to be an increase in the number of enemies.  Levels I was previously kinda flying through on normal, took twice as long to complete.  At least they were until I picked up the mortar strike, and realized what happens when you give a desperate player way too much power.

On at least 5 straight missions I used the mortar strike to literally demolish a whole city, and its hostile occupants, before I led Haggerty and the boys into town, to complete the objectives.  From my vantage point, safely outside the city, I patiently called in strike after strike, until I was certain that nothing larger than a cockroach could possibly exist.

Subsequently, I used the mortar strike to completely avoid challenges altogether, destroying three radio towers and their garrisons of defenders, from about a mile away.  I started to get really bored, and realized that this limitless weapon, with a relatively short recharge time, was robbing me of crucial gameplay by making the whole thing far too easy.  I should have dropped the stupid mortar, but somehow I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.

It’s like knowing a cheat code in GTA that gives you limitless money, or all weapons.  Once you know it, it’s incredibly hard to resist evoking that power in the face of adversity.  Sure you could go shake down a few ho’s for their cash, or you could hit a few buttons and just have what it is you want.

Such is the situation with the mortar strike in BFBC.  No matter how hard I tried to bring myself to use it responsibly I couldn’t.  It’s like a cheat BUILT INTO the game.  There are very few instances where the mortar strike isn’t helpful (ie tank escort) but outside of that, it’s the golden ticket through an enormous part of the story.

I think DICE could have protected me from myself in several ways.

• Limit the number of uses - You’d think the Russian forces who’s equipment you are using against them would eventually figure out that they were shelling their own guys.
• Double the recharge time - While I am a patient exploiter, there’s no way I’d sit still for a minute or so between strikes.  As it stands now, by the time I order an assault, watch the hell rain down, and find my next target, my wait is only about 3-4 seconds.  It’s a limitless finger of God.
• Decrease the range - If I had to get closer to the action to work my sick magic, I’m pretty sure I’d at the very least be beating back AI with machine gun fire between strikes.

It seems to me that the recharge and distance issues were addressed on the multiplayer front, as the mortar does feel like it takes an eternity to be ready to go.  Plus, unlike single player, the enemies are coming AT YOU and normally have enough brains to problem solve your ass.

Do you consider this, or similar issues, a glitch or mistake?  Do you think it takes away from the game experience?  Is it all MY fault?

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