Battlefield 2 1.03 Update Enters Final QA Pass

That's right, troops. Barring any last minute issues, the 1.03 Update is only a few days from release now. We thought this occasion warranted a post covering the major features and fixes coming in 1.03, so settle back and enjoy.

Wake Island 2007

That's right, the 1.03 update bundles the first Official map release from EA and DICE. In this case the map is a modern-era update of one of the most popular maps from Battlefield 1942 -- Wake Island. The People's Liberation Army has invaded Wake to threaten American supply lines. In response the US Marine Corps has been dispatched to reclaim the island.

The new Wake Island map comes to you free of charge thanks to Fileplanet’s new Battlefield 2 Channel. Visit it at http://www.fileplanet.com/battlefield2.shtml.

New Features

Stats compare - view the extended stats details for any other player in your BFHQ simply by double-clicking on their name on the leader board or using the new search feature
Server Favorites and History - find your favorite servers that much easier. No more searching for them through the main server list
Nickname Prefix - Add and change your clan tag to your account name at will. No more creating alternate account names to cover the changes in your competitive lifestyle
Supply Drop Icons - Supply drops now appear on the main map and within the 3D Map. Find that elusive supply drop much, much quicker
Points for Destroying Command Objects - players now receive points for destroying the commander's toys. Special Forces players rejoice
Server Reserved Slots - Server Operators can now set aside slots for their admins to join a full server at any time
Vehicle Passengers - the names of players in a vehicle with you are now displayed when you enter or change seats
Countermeasures - a reload bar has been added for vehicle countermeasures. You'll always know now when you can set off that next flare

Tweaks

Point Farming changes - DICE has implemented functionality that makes it significantly harder to point farm on Ranked Servers
Mod Support - Mods now work properly with the Dedicated Server! Additionally, the game will automatically switch mods when joining a server that is running a mod you have installed but do not have activated
Map tweaks - Spawn menu map and Commander maps now scale based on the size of the level being played (16, 32 or 64 players). Mini-map also scales automatically based on the vehicle type you are using (manual changes to zoom levels are remembered as well)
Commander scoring - No more TKs from Artillery
Vehicle tweaks - No more accidental kills from bumping a friend with your tank (try to avoid hitting him at speed though) and no more struggling uphill in an APC. Also no more improper TK allocation from vehicle explosions
Auto Team Balance tweaks - Commanders and Squad Leaders now immune to team switch
Anti-Air Missiles - These are now much more effective against fast-movers

…and, of course, more. Look for the patch soon.