I’ve been hearing a lot about smaller initiatives to help grow the eSports community in this country. While sometimes it’s all about new LAN tournaments or leagues, we’ve also seen game specific communities growing. Hearthstone already has one, and now Battlefield is getting a unique community.
Battlefield South Africa is a new initiative that will be hosting small cups in the build up to the Do Gaming Championships. However, that’s not all they’re organizing – they are also introducing the concept of pickup matches to the country, and it’s something all Battlefield 4 players can get excited about. For those who don’t know, a pickup is a mock clan match, but any player can fill the slots by joining the current game through the pickup system.
The factor that will draw most players to play pickups will be that pickups offer a drastically more competitive experience than normal public servers. Another way of putting it is that because we can’t play proper clan matches during the off-peak times, we settle for playing mock clan matches made up of a random mix of players. If you’ve ever been frustrated about the complete lack of teamwork and co – ordination on an public server (Think about no one revives you or getting kick of a public server saying your hacking because you killed an admin.) Then pickups are the answer. Pickups will help you improve individually (learn tips and tricks from the best) and to play as a team (learn how to work together).
Want to get involved? You will need a legitimate version of BF4, a headset with a mic, and Teamspeak 3. Then you will need to get logged into the Pickup system with your Nickname registered on the Pickup channel and bot. For a full guide on how to register, head on over here.
I think this is great for the BF4 players. We already clearly have fantastic BF4 players considering the success they’ve seen at the ESL from the Southern Barbarians. Pickup matches will allow players to have more competitive level practice, and learn new tips and tricks by playing with unfamiliar team mates and opponents.
Like esports?
Check out esports central
Last Updated: April 23, 2014
Neji
April 23, 2014 at 12:13
Is it just me or are they doing more to build up good teams, for competitions, than the MSSA?
Gavin Mannion
April 23, 2014 at 12:19
I would be more excited about this if Battlefield wasn’t so broken.. may see you online with BF4
iAmWeasel
April 23, 2014 at 12:25
Have you actually tried BF4 in recent times or are you just perpetuating the popular internet opinion that BF4 is fundamentally broken?
Hammersteyn
April 23, 2014 at 12:28
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Is+Battlefield+4+broken?
iAmWeasel
April 23, 2014 at 12:31
I don’t need to Google it.. I play the game for 10-15 hours each weekend and recently bought Premium cause I’m having such a good time with it.
Uberutang
April 23, 2014 at 12:33
Yup same. I have had no issues at all since day1!
Hammersteyn
April 23, 2014 at 12:38
I love it, so you buy the game on PC I guess, that’s what R450? But they ask you to pay extra for DLC which is a clear cut money making scheme. Plus the game still has problems for a select few months after it was released. This is a major issue I have with the gaming industry and especially with EA.
iAmWeasel
April 23, 2014 at 12:43
I’m not trying to suggest that it was OK for BF4 to have problems at launch.. it sucks and lets hope it does not happen again. But that doesn’t mean that people should deprive themselves of a great game. DICE have a really good reputation with me leading into BF4, I am willing to overlook a few teething issues and continue to support them, and enjoy a brilliant game. I just annoyed when I read all the hive-mind stuff that gets perpetuated on the net. BF4 is not “broken”.
Gavin Mannion
April 23, 2014 at 12:33
Tried playing.. didn’t work. Battlefield is over hyped and underfunded
Uberutang
April 23, 2014 at 12:36
Pretty weird, I play everyday…. no issues at all.
Duffman! Formerly_known as_the
April 23, 2014 at 12:42
No issues? The local servers are a mess. Games are always extremely one sided. I hate it. There is no balancing. Foreign servers at least do the balancing right, but then you suffer with Lag.
The game works fine and I love it, but the servers are kak and a massive cause of frustration
Uberutang
April 23, 2014 at 12:50
I play on a small set of HC servers. So far it has only been good times for me. The only issue we have is that they often ban non SA ip’s and one of my good BF mates is in Germany.
iAmWeasel
April 23, 2014 at 12:37
I bought the game back in December and not had a single crash or any
other significant problem. A lot of the negativity that you see on the
internet is people just running with an old popular idea, in my opinion.
Gavin Mannion
April 23, 2014 at 12:38
no crashing.. just really laggy and far too much warping around.. I don’t get that problem in any other game
Admiral Chief in Space
April 23, 2014 at 12:40
Console?
ferg
April 24, 2014 at 08:45
I ve been playing since dec, ps3 norway, good connection 25 down 8 up reliably.
Suffering from freezing requiring ps3 reboot sonce the start. Was up to 3 times per 2 hour session. Its less now, maybe 1 time per 3 to 4 hours. But it is still a frustrating problem. Been a cod player for years never had an issue. Rcent cod ghosts so poor game i changed over to bf4. Even with the freeze issues bf4 is more fun!
Sean McCalgan
April 23, 2014 at 12:44
Battlefield is certainly not underfunded. The projects have just taken on an increasingly unrealistic set of objectives given the time allotted to them by EA. They make promises and fail to deliver, and then scramble to try and save face. They definitely have the resources to do better.
Hammersteyn
April 23, 2014 at 12:25
Maybe hold out for BF5?
Jedi JJ
April 23, 2014 at 12:38
I’m just over EA.
oVg Errorist
April 23, 2014 at 12:21
How to afford games in South Africa.
Hammersteyn
April 23, 2014 at 12:25
The Green Point Stadium in the background is a perfect analogy for the state of the country. We blow billions of tax payers money on stadiums but hardly anything on the poor. I did notice they are equipping solar panels on RDP houses which is a very,very good thing.
FoxOneZA
April 23, 2014 at 13:09
RDP houses won’t last that long though.
Hammersteyn
April 23, 2014 at 13:22
If people don’t look after them no. In my experience you always appreciate getting something you work your fingers to the bone for than getting it for mahala
Kensei Seraph
April 23, 2014 at 13:23
Very true.
Admiral Chief in Space
April 23, 2014 at 12:31
Now I see how you spend you weekends….
oVg Errorist
April 23, 2014 at 12:54
Sharing my social button for hits? 😛
Rags
April 23, 2014 at 13:54
Oh Lizzy, she is good!
oVg Errorist
April 23, 2014 at 14:40
lol
MakeItLegal
April 23, 2014 at 12:24
Boom ! Joining ASAP !
Kromas
April 23, 2014 at 14:52
Pickup my ass that thing in the header is a Bakkie!
Uberutang
April 23, 2014 at 15:08
Official maps? Are there unofficial maps?