It's been a rough ride with BF3, the launch was fantastic, but still rather bugged in parts and performance in certain graphic settings was less than ideal for some PC users. The issues were eventually fixed, but players had either given up on the game and moved on, or simply started "grinding" points and unlocks of the faster "Metro Only" servers.
Over on the Caspian Border servers or servers running full map rotation it was hard to find anything populated not using the custom server option for "instant vehicle spawn" which essentially forces you to either play Engineer class, or simply join the crowd and hop into a vehicle continuously.
It seems no one was playing the game as (at least how the elitists think) it was meant to be played, and the really fun parts of the game were abandoned for stat-padding and "trololololing" people by destroying team mates vehicles when they hop out, or simply griefing in any way they could think up.
Well, there is hope. For anyone clinging to the vague memory of 1942 (and more importantly Desert Combat), or the slightly less fuzzy Battlefield 2, you will be pleased to hear that DICE has not forgotten their true roots, and while Close Quarters has many players doubting DICE's commitment to the oldschool gamer, are talking about releasing some of the biggest maps ever, and they want your input.
Over on the Battlefield Blog, developers are asking for player input, and discussing ideas for some cool new maps in the third expansion to the Battlefield 3 game. Head on over, check it out, and get your ideas heard. The nostalgic soldier within you can once again traverse the enormous deserts of the Middle East as Bandar Desert comes to life.