Destruction

Destruction 2.0 Kill icon.

Destruction is a feature in the Battlefield series debuting with Battlefield 1942, but appearing to a much greater extent in the games utilizing the Frostbite Engine. It allows the player to break down cover, fell trees, and destroy buildings. From Destruction 2.0 onward, some buildings will entirely collapse after a certain amount of damage is inflicted. Destruction creates dynamic map changes and can be even used offensively to instantly kill enemies by collapsing rubble on them.

Overview

Destruction is a feature which allows many types of objects to be destroyed, beyond vehicles and explosive barrels. Destruction can expose infantry hiding within buildings, permit access through barriers, or prevent travel through an area. Throughout the series, destruction becomes more elaborate, being another hazard for unwary players. The battlefield is increasingly littered with scattered debris and ruins.

Different types of weapons can result in different levels of destruction. Bullets and knife slashes can break simple wood objects, smaller explosions (such as those from hand grenades) can break concrete objects, while large explosions can bring down entire walls and buildings.

Outside of structures and objects, terrain deformation may also appear, with craters appearing in sand and mud from explosions.

Destruction is not limited to gunfire and explosives. Large vehicles like tanks can run over entire walls and crash into weak structures. Crashing into buildings can also result in damage to the vehicle.

Pre-Frostbite Engine

An example of destruction in Battlefield 2.

Before the Frostbite engine was developed for Battlefield: Bad Company, Battlefield games used the Refractor engine, where destruction was far more limited. In Battlefield 1942 and Battlefield 2, certain obstacles and objects such as bridges can be destroyed by explosions.

Destruction 1.0

Battlefield: Bad Company

A demonstration of destruction in Battlefield: Bad Company.

Destruction 1.0 debuted with Battlefield: Bad Company utilizing Frostbite 1.0. With it, segments of buildings could be obliterated, parts of vehicle body-work could be chipped away, trees could be felled, and the ground could be reshaped by explosions. The Destruction 1.0 mechanic introduced selective destruction, where only certain weapons or objects could cause damage - for instance, a Cobra 4WD couldn't run over a tree, whereas a Black Eagle battle tank could. This limited the amount of destruction that could be caused by certain players in certain scenarios.

By creating the Destruction 1.0 mechanic fully with the Frostbite Engine in mind, the DICE developers were able to combine Destruction 1.0, the dynamic lighting and sound mechanics to create a "sandbox world", where the destruction caused by the players would cause the lighting and sound to change with the removal of walls, fences and trees.

Battlefield 1943

Battlefield 1943 featured a slightly improved iteration of Destruction. The game mechanic now allowed for some buildings to be entirely destroyed, including the roof, but without any collapse mechanism. In most ways, it remained identical to that of Battlefield: Bad Company.

Destruction 2.0

Battlefield: Bad Company 2

An example of a house collapsing in Battlefield: Bad Company 2

Destruction 2.0 was introduced with Battlefield: Bad Company 2. When enough segments (walls) are destroyed, the entire building will collapse, crushing everything inside. When the building collapses, all roof segments will cave in; most of the wall segments will disappear, although some on the ground floor may remain standing. This allows Destruction to kill opponents and destroy enemy objectives. Once a building has been destroyed, players are able to navigate within the rubble by crouching or jumping through small paths formed by the debris. The collapsing building has a hitbox which kills any opponents who go inside or are very close; this hitbox goes numerous feet around the building; almost like an invisible perimeter fence.

Image from Den's original post.

"A building is a group of entities linked together. The entities are a bunch of wall and roof segments. Destroy a part, the wall disappears behind a smoke particle and is replaced by a hole. When a percentage of the walls are destroyed, the building plays its collapse animation. There's little else to it. For example, the building behind the first MCOM on Port Valdez. Break about 26 of those parts, and the thing goes down."

— [Den Kirson]

Additionally, Destruction 2.0 allowed pieces of the environment such as concrete barricades, walls, towers, and wooden fences to be partially chipped away and destroyed, rather than the entire object disappearing at once.

Some buildings don't incorporate Destruction 2.0; for example: the aircraft hangars and green-coloured sleeping quarter buildings in No One Gets Left Behind.

Alongside all of the new aspects, Destruction 2.0 retains the same features from the original Destruction; one can chip away cover and parts of vehicles, fell trees, and reshape the terrain.

Destruction 3.0

Battlefield 3

An example of Destruction 3.0 in Battlefield 3.

Destruction 3.0 is a feature in Battlefield 3. Destruction 3.0 allows players to destroy objects with explosives like in previous games, but in addition, regular firearms such as the M4A1 can demolish on a much smaller scale. This new form of destruction is known as micro-destruction. Like in Battlefield: Bad Company 2, certain buildings can also collapse if they receive enough damage. Falling pieces of rubble and collapsing buildings can potentially kill a player. Pieces of rubble can also persist on the map, rather than disappearing. Compared to the Bad Company series, less structures in Battlefield 3 can be damaged. Stairwells in certain concrete buildings and the cores of many buildings will resist total destruction for the sake of maintaining gameplay.

Certain vehicles now reveal progressive damage, such as doors being unable to close on the HMMWV. Hazards such as open fires can inflict damage on infantry.

In the Back to Karkand DLC, many more structures can be demolished. The patch coinciding with the DLC also allowed for more destruction in the original multiplayer maps.

The Close Quarters DLC enhanced the 'micro destruction' capabilities of Destruction 3.0 by enhancing the destructive effect of bullets. This meant that regular firearms such as the M4A1 could destroy furniture, chip poles and demolish walls.

Though map-changing Destruction features were formally introduced in Battlefield 4, some major dynamic events occur in certain maps:

Caspian Border

Towards the end of a Conquest match, an artillery strike targets the anchors for the radio tower, causing it to fall across open field towards the main checkpoint. (This was originally meant to be a player-initiated event.)

Three other towers on the map can be brought down by player means including: the water tower at the gas station, the radio tower at Hilltop, and the radio tower in front of the Russian Deployment

Operation Métro

Upon clearing the first stage of a Rush match, an airstrike will expose the subway tunnels underneath the park, allowing U.S. forces to infiltrate the Métro. If any player is standing where the airstrike occurs, they will instantly be killed.

Strike at Karkand

An F/A-18E Super Hornet will come from the American deployment into the city, launching a missile at the hotel. This will cause some debris to fall from the top of the tower and permanently scar the building. The falling debris does not damage players if they are under it in time.

Levolution

Features of Levolution.

Levolution is a feature in Battlefield 4 and Battlefield Hardline. It was originally known as "Timeline" with the concept that game changing events would occur based on a timer. This soon changed to allow players to dramatically change the environment and gameplay on maps through player actions, with the name being changed to reflect that.

Levolution ranges from raising bollards, setting off car alarms, and cutting power to bringing down entire buildings, destroying ceilings of underground areas, and destroying a dam to consequently flood the map.

Battlefield 4

Along with major-scale destruction, Battlefield 4 adds interactive objects which the player can trigger, such as metal detectors, security gates, and elevators. Some secret "easter eggs" are made possible by activating switches in a specific order, or meeting certain conditions within or outside of the game.

Certain destructible buildings now collapse in ways that allow limited travel through them, as floors retain strength and create crawlspaces and hiding areas for infantry. Terrain deformation is also possible in areas of certain maps, providing cover for those caught in the open.

Main Levolution Events of Battlefield 4

Main article: Levolution/Battlefield 4

Battlefield Hardline

Levolution returns in Battlefield Hardline, with operable doors introduced. With a greatly expanded range of melee weapons, tools such as breaching hammers can be used to destroy walls or knock down doors.

Main Levolution Events of Battlefield Hardline

Main article: Levolution/Battlefield Hardline

Battlefield 1

Destruction is further expanded in Battlefield 1, with older architecture such as brick masonry buildings and thinly-built cottages offering more potential.

Terrain deformation is much more pronounced than previous games. Craters are deep enough for players to use bipods at their edge, and can reach underneath wooden shacks without resulting in structures mysteriously floating in air. On snow maps such as Łupków Pass, the snow can be melted with explosives or flames, changing the appearance of the map in significant ways.

Destruction for smaller buildings returns to the scale seen in Battlefield: Bad Company 2, with few structures immune to harm. Floors, ceilings, and staircases can be partially destroyed.

Vehicles can reveal even more progressive damage, such as breaches in tank armor and portions of wings torn off aircraft. This connects with the vehicle damage system, reflecting an aircraft's lowered maneuverability, or dents and paint chips on stricken cars.

The gigantic Behemoth vehicles, which are available for the losing side, can inflict grievous damage to structures, and can be turned into gigantic wrecks when they are destroyed.

Some maps feature map-specific destruction requiring more explosives to destroy. While nowhere near the scale as Levolution events in previous games, some of them still alter the flow of the map rather significantly. Examples include destroying an archway on Sinai Desert and destroying the central bridge in Rupture.

Some maps also feature metal doors that can be opened, closed, and locked from the inside, preventing them from being opened from the outside. However, a big enough explosion will be able to destroy the door completely.

Battlefield V

With the introduction of Fortifications in Battlefield V, the destruction of cover can now be mitigated using the toolbox to build fortified fighting positions. This includes broken walls, destroyed sandbags, broken bridges, barbed wire, and even ammo and health crates.

The Bullet penetration mechanic has been deepened, with enough high power rounds now able to penetrate stone and masonry surfaces in addition to wood, posing a threat to players hiding in vulnerable spots.

Trivia

General

• If a player has deployed C4 in a building while it is collapsing, it may explode when the walls cave-in, creating a shower of debris that can be an effective smokescreen.
• Several lightweight objects, such as corrugated iron and boxes, will not be destroyed by explosives, and will merely be pushed away by the detonation.
• In all Frostbite-powered games, furniture can be destroyed by pushing it into other objects.

Battlefield: Bad Company

• If the player knifes a tree, or a wooden electric pole three times, it will collapse. However, coconut trees in Ghost Town can take up to six knife hits - if that particular tree is not damaged beforehand - before they collapse. Furnitures such as wooden doors/crates/boxes can also be destroyed by the knife as well.
• Oddly, the player can damage all destructible vehicles - even main battle tanks - by the knife.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2

• If a player is crushed in a collapsing building, the kill feed will state their death was caused by "Destruction 2.0".
• The player responsible for causing the building to collapse will have points deducted for killing teammates and destroying their own team's objective. Destruction 2.0 is the only way to teamkill in a non-hardcore match (-100 points per team kill and -250 points for destroying own team's objective.
• The destruction of watchtowers works differently than with buildings. If a player is underneath, their death will be attributed to "Destruction 2.0," but if they are on top of the watchtower they will fall, and their death will be attributed to "suicide" (and award no points/kills to the person who caused the demolition).
• Players will be killed even if they are on the roof of a collapsing building. In addition, players can be crushed even if no visible debris has fallen on them, such as if they stand too close to a collapsing building. Even jumping a split-second before the building plays the proper collapse sequence will generally still kill the player.
• Laguna Presa is the only map in which a player cannot kill with Destruction 2.0. The map lacks any structures that can be collapsed. Valparaiso has nearly the same attribute, however, there is a large building near the end of the Relay Station which can be destroyed.
• Battlefield: Bad Company 2: Vietnam is mostly devoid of the enhanced Destruction 2.0 as seen in Battlefield: Bad Company 2, due to its lack of complex structures. Its scale of destruction is mostly comparable to that of Battlefield 1943.

Battlefield 3

• If a player gets killed by a building collapsing on them in Battlefield 3, "Destruction 3.0" is not listed on the killfeed, but instead says "KILLED".
• If a player kills an enemy with falling debris in Battlefield 3 the weapon used to cause the debris will be shown in the killfeed.
• During the open beta, the park areas of Operation Métro had terrain deformation enabled. Unfortunately, some players in craters would experience glitches such as being stuck in the crater or falling through the map. By the game's release, terrain deformation had been reduced or eliminated.

Battlefield 4

• Players killed by Destruction may simply be shown as "Killed in Action".
• In a nod to BF:BC2, one of the Rush objectives in Zavod 311 is held inside a partially collapsed building.
• All players who are inside or very close to a Levolution-affected building will be instantly killed about a moment before the structure collapses. (Example: the guard tower on Operation Locker)

Battlefield Hardline

• On the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Hardline, much of the smaller scale destruction cannot happen, due to the reduced processing power of the game system. However, Levolution events can still occur.