BF3 Ballistics

[@ryandpahl]

Your spot on. The easiest way to program bullets in a game is how you described. Simple bullet drop curves mean less calculations, which will make lag less of an issue. Its actually impressive to think that 64 people can use automatic fire, and all the hundreds of different bullets on thier seperate trajectories will be seen by all 64 players, with a high level of precision in a live game.

[@lionking7496]

The best video i have ever seen about this topic and that site is so cool. Tnx dude.

[@ryandpahl]

+LionKing Glad you enjoyed the comparison.

[@AliBekirKlckaya]

YOU ARE THE BEST. I have seen countless debates on this topic, this one gags them all. Sir, you are genetically superior.

[@ryandpahl]

I wanted to test more rifles, but access to them in real life is the problem. I think this gives a good enough image of how the trajectories work, so people can understand the differences. Glad you liked it.

[@RyanGatts]

A very nice explanation. I think that they use a pretty nice approximation of real ballistic trajectory. If they didn't approximate, you'd get just as many people complaining that their shots were high at short-range and that their bullets slowed down too much at long range. Again, nice video. I'd love to see one about the suppressor issues you mentioned.

[@mowehner]

You Sir, are a ballistics genius to figure all that up. Also, the angled shot was pro.

[@Di57UR83D]

According to the real life sniper rifle stats from wikipedia, the M40a5 has 777m/s bullet velocity and other sniper rifles from the bf3 game also have incorrect bullet velocity (slower in game). This is a great video, enjoyed it - long range sniping fan :)

[@AnderJ017]

Very interesting, an amazing amount of work was put into this video. Thanks a lot and keep the vids coming :)

[@ryandpahl]

Ha, I wish I had the connection to test every aspect of the game. That would be a ton of fun. I can only test what I have easy access to. Glad you liked the video.

[@sause123456science]

@ryandpahl Dude! That was the most awesome way I have ever seen to say " Fuck off" OnT- Love the Ballistic! I Have seen your clips ever since the first Bf2 Sniper school! Keep up the good work, Really appreciate it

[@Piotr_fr]

The amout of work and knowledge put in this video is amazing. I have learn alot. Good job and thank you sir!

[@felixlengkong2986]

B4F ballistics video?

[@MrVeniVidiVicioo]

Really great video, the only good bf3 ballistics bid on youtube

[@helpmefindmyalias]

You make great video's man. Looking forward to more.

[@kevinfrazier9834]

lol super nerdy! PS. hitting anything at 1000M in real life is hardcore, props on your scope skills.

[@creforce]

dude your my hero. thx for the help I will test this right away :)

[@ryandpahl]

Yup...that sums it up. Not that you needed to know, but there are plenty of pleebs that just don't get it, so i figured I would show the differences.

[@ryandpahl]

@Adrian5606 I remember looking at the ballistic model in a graph form for ArmA. From what I remember they took pre calculated tables and created a curve for each different caliber to follow. This means that ArmA should have a very true to life bullet flight path at all ranges.

[@spykedenterprises]

Great explanation thank you this was very enjoyable to watch

[@ArchDrake]

Firstly, let me express my awe and respect for the amount of effort put in your videos. I watched your BF2 Sniper School videos back in the good ol' days and never turned my back on the sniper class since. Just a quick question: Are you making a guide on the holdover characteristics of the commonly used sniper weapon systems in the game? Eg. With the M98B as the benchmark, it pretty much hits dead center up to 150m on the 12X scope (in my experience), and the 1st mil line hits at about 550m.

[@KrugDiv]

Very good as always ryan, but i use the 12x scope the most and it seems to me that the first baar beneath your crosshair is good for shots around 500m in game, the second bar around a 1000m and the 3rd around 1500m this is how i compensate the bullet drop works pretty well for me. looking forward to your next manual!

[@saltyninja01]

Good to know that someone in here that knows about real firearms

[@TheRhodes1985]

You are amazing and helped me become a better sniper at BF3....thanks

[@PanSkrzetuski]

Amazing work! This was very informative.

[@ryandpahl]

@ArchDrake Part 2 is going to focus on kit selection, leveling up, and unlocking items. Part 3 will be in game ballistics and ranging your targets. M98 with 12x, your right. first line is about 500, second line 1000, third line 1500. I'm pulling those numbers from memory so they may be off a bit.

[@Sumguy88]

Holy shit your still making sniper vids. I remember watching your bf2 ones when i was still in {Sn][per} Group. Some of those blew my mind.

[@shadowbane0207]

In BC2 the bulletdrop changed with the scopes, i dont know if thats the case in BF3. also in BF3 i would love to see a vid talking about good sniperspot that overlooked severel high traffic areas, that also showed how much bullet drop there would be to said areas. good vid btw

[@samtayyems470]

So, You are a Sniper? not just a gaming sniper but actual sniper / hunter?

[@Rapidpanda1st]

Well presented! A bit of estimation involved but that's to be expected - it's a game what else could you do? Also learned a thing or two about bullet velocity and drag also; so a very enjoyable video, cheers.

[@RealationGames]

The key "problem" is that most of the games have the scope and bullet spawn in the same position. Bullet leaves from the scope, and the scope is zeroed to 0m. Only way to truly fix this, is to have different trajectories for the scope and the bullet. This way, when you shoot to a wall directly in front of you, the bullet will hit below the aimpoint by the distance of the scope and barrel. I guess this would probably cause too much headache for the oblivious players though.

[@Shortay1325]

Wow this was a very great video, I really like how much stats and facts you show and tell. But, I have one question from you since you seem like a very experienced sniper. I just unlocked the M40A3 in BF3. I want to ask from you, is the M40A3 better than the SV98? Or.. is it just a good rifle itself? Thank you man!

[@ryandpahl]

@randomted It humerous to consider all the differences they manufacture into the game in the intrest of diversity. But its a game, and I am sure they are trying to create a balance so that each rifle has strengths and weaknesses. Which one you pick will depend on how you like to play. Even more odd is the idea of a hot swappable straight pull bolt. There are several stright pull bolt action rifles on the market. But its part of the whole rifle and not something you can change out on a whim.

[@ryandpahl]

They are slowly making the BF series of games more and more realistic. I dream of a day when things like this are proper simulations. I prefer realistic over arcade fun. But I also realize that to make it fun and easy for everyone you have to dumb it down a bit. This is why CoD has a huge following, BF has a moderate following, and ArmA has a small following. The more realistic it gets, the fewer people play it.

[@TheDKQ]

Really nice video, didn´t know that the M40 had the slowest bullets ;P It is accually the one I like the most :) PS. Have you made a platoon we can favourite? :)

[@ryandpahl]

@MrAcidicpulse RHIB boat out at the edge of the map. May have been one shot from the carrier in there as well.

[@Lauri-B]

Really great video! I learned a lot! Do more of theese.

[@ryandpahl]

@Rapidpanda1st Without direct access to the game code, there is no way to get hard numbers, so I had to be creative. Glad people are accepting my estimations on the subject matter.

[@maracachucho8701]

Next week on Draxis32's Internet Adventures, videos on how to tie knots: somebody give these guys the Nobel prize, amirite?

[@ryandpahl]

@TinnedWaffles I was making some basic assumptions, I wish I had a better was to measure. But you get the idea, approximation still gets the point across.

[@ryandpahl]

I am comparing my hand loaded ammunition to in-game ammo. Which is why I give my actual muzzle velocities as compared to the in game muzzle velocity. So for the purpose of my video your point does not matter. However you are correct, which is why you can use NATO rounds in a .308 but not the other way around.

[@ryandpahl]

yup, but so far the ballistics looks identical to BF3 modeling. As in, zeroed rifle starts at zero and drops off at a steady rate with no bullet deceleration. So the same principle applies, but now you can adjust the zero for select ranges which will extend the useful range of all rifles in BF4. However its only really useful to change zero for the really long range targets. Learning to hold over is still more efficient.

[@ryandpahl]

@KrugDiv I used the 8X scope in the video because I was thinking of doing a Mildot comparson as well. But I quickly found out that the reticles in game are just a layover, thus they are not an accurate representation to real life. It would take another whole video to explain the differences. The drop characteristics seem to be even across many peoples computers. So I am confident that the zoom of the scope is fixed, Not FOV related, and thus I can make a video with a proper drop table.

[@ryandpahl]

@thetripstar5000 I assume that the BF3 ballistic model is the same across all platforms.

[@ryandpahl]

It would be nice to have ture to life ballistics. I'm not sure how the physics engine works with the networking, but there is the possibility that its not actually possible to have proper bullet speeds when lag and latency is introduced into the system.

[@ryandpahl]

I can't remember, But yes I have fingerless gloves that I use on cold days. If you want to see trigger pulling/squeezing, then I suggest you watch the last episode of my road to precision series of videos...XVII near the end of the video.

[@ryandpahl]

@shadowbane0207 No, bullet drop in BFBC2 was static. However, you had the ability to change the FOV, which could magnify your view through the scope. This made it appear like bullet drop was changing. Because the reticle is a lay-over, you would have to use less mildots for hold over depening on your FOV setting. The bullet itself would follow the same trajectory. I have a video which shows how this works. BFBC2 sniper tips 1.0

[@ryandpahl]

Night Force NXS 5.5-22X56mm My shooting series "Road to Precision" shows the full breakdown.

[@EasyFingerboarder]

This video deserves a like.

[@ryandpahl]

@adobo777 Yeah that about sums it up. It sucks that they forced the sub-sonic ammo on the suppressors. But I can see how they wanted to create every unlock with some sort of negative attrtibute. If it was true to life, everyone would be using the suppressor all the time.

[@Thoraxe555]

the suppressors are hilarious lol. they make you have to put the target completely at the bottom of the scope, if not completely off the scope, for like an 850m shot lol

[@ryandpahl]

@MrAcidicpulse Its possible, but you have to set yourself up. My longest true in game shot is 1500ish. But I had to sit in a RHIB boat at the edge of the map and wait for it. Big waste of time and resources for my team. The max normal shot will be around 1200. Most maps only have about 800-1000 meters from each side of the area of intrest. Flag to flag. Op Firestorm is your best choice, 2nd Kharg Island, 3rd Caspian border. Wake Island and Oman have too much water, thus you need a boat.

[@ryandpahl]

Recon field manual is the title of my BF3 series. I make movies about whatever I am doing at the moment. Winter is cold, so I make gaming videos. Summer is more fun, so I make shooting videos.

[@ryandpahl]

@arthuro13 Exactly, I loved the balllistics model in ArmA. I can only assume that ArmA2 and ArmA3 will have better and better simulations.

[@twistedmezelf]

how did you come up to do this dude xD was nice! verry nice!

[@ryandpahl]

I always felt it was a little fast anyways on the ground. Imagine carrying full battle dress/pack around from end to end of the map, not easy. I prefer when games have a stamina bar that runs out and has to recharge. Makes you more aware of how tired you should be considering the conditions.

[@kamahamahacat23]

wouldn't the size of the map have something to do with how the developers thought the bullet would drop or in other words how far is a meter in bf 3 in compared to real life

[@ryandpahl]

@ii69HD I have been linked that site by several people. I think the first was actually my coworker.

[@stefensk8]

You do a comparison video on terminal ballistics next

[@shaunmcwilliam]

hahahahahahaha I'd like this video so much more if it wasn't MY head that got shot in that last clip. I didn't realise you were at that much of an angle!

[@ryandpahl]

@Jake93r17 175SMK @ 2670fps, I don't think that light, but it not hot either.

[@ryandpahl]

Real suppressors are illegal to own in Canada. In real life they do not affect ballistics negatively at all. Actually they will improve muzzle velocity slightly and reduce recoil. To help balance the game they had to create a negative for every positive gun accessory. Big scopes give better precision, but take longer to stabilize. Laser gives better hip accuracy, but gives away your position. Bipod gives better precision, but takes longer to deploy.

[@ThatGuyFromNantucket06]

@randomted I never thought about that. I totally agree with the silencer statement. Don't forget about flash suppressor. Check that description out haha

[@golevka]

Very informative, thanks for the upload? Where do you live so I can move there?

[@ryandpahl]

I'd love to do the same sort of video with a suppressor analysis, but that will never happen because they are illegal for civilians in Canada. Reality : suppressors give you a muzzle velocity increase of 20-50 FPS, they reduce recoil and reduce sound. They have almost no effect on precision and can actually increase accuracy. They are nothing but good for a precision rifle. Dice change the ballistics on suppressed weapons to follow a subsonic round curve. And to help balance the item.

[@ryandpahl]

Costs a lot to shoot a canon like that. I am looking for something more affordable...like a 6mmBR

[@ryandpahl]

@sause123456 Some people don't know thier place. Trolls should stay under the bridge. Glad you liked it. Next installment of the RFM is about 25% done.

[@OfficialDJZonic]

And its awesome how are you doing thing ( I mean figuring out stuff :D )...

[@vekonglengkong]

dear ryandpahl... very nice video dude, it shows us how unrealistic Battlefield is (lotta gamers think it's very realistic), maybe u wanna test Arma 2 (with ACE mod) coz it's a very realisitc military simulation, it'll be awesome if you can compare Arma's sniper rifles to your real rifle, i really wanna know whether Arma 2 ballistic is really that realistic or just as fake as Battlefield :)

[@MrHappyfacee]

Nice job!

[@ryandpahl]

@Draxis32 Its a pretty simple comparisson. If you would like I can use smaller words and try to simplify the diagrams so that its easier for you to understand. The presentation was very straight foreward, if your having trouble following along, perhaps you'd like to try turning on the youtube subtitles. Then you can read along with the video. If reading is not your strong area then perhaps you can get an adult to watch with you.

[@ryandpahl]

Oh I wanted to in a big way. And if you know someone that will donate a M98B + ammo for the cause, I would make a video for sure.

[@adobo777]

Pretend that you're shooting sub-sonic ammo that's how I got over it.

[@1234macro]

3:47 look at dat sexy bullet travel

[@ryandpahl]

This is why I only play on hardcore servers. For the exact reasons you just listed. I hate the arcade things, and HC mode brings it much closer to reality. Doritos over your head when spotted...I hate that.

[@ryandpahl]

@Shortay1325 Thats a matter of opinion. I like the M40 better. And I like the L96 more than that, and I like the M98B the most.

[@ryandpahl]

Its hard to pinpoint what part of the simulation is off. What makes you suggest that the measurments in general are off?

[@ryandpahl]

My BF3 sniper school series. Recon Field Manual. Look it up.

[@Arri.]

goodjob mate :)

[@Staeufer]

Thank you.

[@Shortay1325]

@ryandpahl Yea I am also leaning towards the M40 also. It was kind of a stupid question to ask but you seem know and use snipers a lot. Thanks though.

[@iloveshutdo]

Great video! how come it get so little views??!!

[@ryandpahl]

We are on the same page, and I too hate the instant vehicle spawn. I think the bolt sniper rifles should stay as 1 hit kills to head and torso, but, they need to change how easy it is to make a hit. Shooting off hand should be nearly impossible, as it is in real life. No way you can make an 800 meter headshot with a heavy M98B standing up. They need to force snipers into a stable platform postion of kneeling or prone. Only then should your sights stabalize.

[@ryandpahl]

Possibly. I think they were just looking for a really easy physics calculation that can happen in real time. Think about latency and how that affects bullet trajectories in a multi-player games with 64 players across the world. Simple will always be better. I just wish they would use something a little closer to reality.

[@ThatGuyFromNantucket06]

Go show Ryan. Now if we could figure out why each rifle has a slightly different pull bolt time....

[@LittleWalrus0321]

Were you wearing gloves? I think is saw you wearing those glove that have no fingers!?!? How do you pull the trigger?

[@ps123123]

@ss33988 He's Canadian. And i suppose it's to give the Americans an easier time of understanding it, because i assume that's his largest subscriber base.

[@ryandpahl]

@MrAcidicpulse I have most of the footage and I know what I want to say. Just need to edit it all together. Actual completion right now is mabey 10%. My problem is always time...just never enough of it.

[@Jake93r17]

Do you load you 308s light. They sound it but it could be the cam

[@iLoveCreepersss]

Walking around and standing near objectives just feels like kind of short distance. Walking speed in BF3 is something about 4 meters per second. In real life that is a running speed. :P Not sure if i'm only person who thinks this way.

[@RealationGames]

Cool video. I really hate when games have scope zeroed to 0m, and not possible to recalibrate. It's just stupid that the bullet leaves from the scope. Although indeed it's as irrelevant to argue over this as it would to argue over flying physics, which surely lack compared to FSX.

[@OfficialDJZonic]

Yes I know I am familiar with this kinf of scoping (BFBC2) and I wanted to replace 'isnt realistic' with shitty... :) btw I am using your tips and... its going well... sometimes :D Just need good team... to which I can give at last average support.

[@ryandpahl]

Night Force NSX 5.5-22X56

[@arthuro13]

@ryandpahl currently I play Arma2 + the ACE and ACRE modifications in a realism unit. Ace adds tools like spotting scopes, proper range finders and even a Kestrel windage meter.Acre is for a realistic radio interface, VHF 148's and the PRC 117F for example. due to the specific players the dev's are aiming towards finding a public PvP match is hard, coop is played the most although the AI is wonky as hell.. unless you want a 120gig modfolder like me I suggest you stick to BF3 lol.

[@Maverick-Gameplays-Old]

you said that the suppressor does not make sense, it was put in the game to balance the game, to "punish" those who use, please, make a video showing the differences between games and real life o/

[@kjaesp]

reading this 2 months later, THANK GOD FOR ARMORED KILL 1km + height no problem. I also heard they increased the height on noshar CQ.. that was needed badly.

[@MrSqueevoot]

Good vid

[@ryandpahl]

ArmA had much more realistic ballistic models. I haven't played the latest versions, but I assume that they have made them even more realistic because the goal of ArmA was to be a battle simulation...not a game.

[@Xer0b1ts]

Check out heroes and generals weapon wiki for the m1903 :) 30-06 bullets but it has 850 muzzle velocity for the real one and 900 for ingame . Which is better than any game I seen . Also it has that zero thing where the bullet goes upwards for a bit :) here is a video of me sniping /watch?v=p90ugUe3spY

[@DuckBanter]

can u put the link in description it wont let me search it

[@vekonglengkong]

what about BF4 ballistics?