Battlefield 2 Project Reality mod about to hit v1.0. Only took 8 years

A lot can change in eight years, world leaders and governments can rise and fall, borders expand and crumble, Burger King can come out with a new way of presenting meat-like paste. One thing that’s remained constant is that a small band of modders have been working on Project Reality, a mod for DICE’s Battlefield 2.

That’s all set to change, though. This Friday, 2 August, sees the team push out the last big Battlefield mod.

See it at work in their v1.0 trailer:

The mod’s changelist is pretty vast. It adds new features, vehicles, weapons, factions, maps, audio, vegetation, and classes. It tweaks the game to make weapons more deadly, med packs more rare, and death more likely.

Some of the features are present in more recent Battlefields, such as laser designating targets, and ragdoll physics for bodies, but the mod doesn’t aim to recreate the later games in Battlefield 2, it moves the game more towards a simulation.

Project Reality is something else. Project Reality is something that can’t be done anymore. DICE stopped supporting modders after the release of Battlefield 2, they cut them out of the equation, forcing budding developers to look elsewhere. As a result this project is something we may not see the like of again in a Battlefield game, a project that’s been worked on for eight years and completely changes what the original developer created. It’s a phenomenal effort and hopefully DICE and EA can see that, and something they’re actively discouraging.

You can download a preload of the mod here.

And these are the full patch notes:

Factions

• Added new factions: French Forces (FR) and African Resistance Fighters (ARF).

• Added Vietnam Era Factions into the main build: USMC, US Army and North Vietnamese Army (NVA).

• Added new kit geometries for Canadian Forces, Middle Eastern Coalition, and Vietnam Era Factions.

Maps

• Added Dovre (2km) (GER vs RUS) (AAS, Skirmish).

• Added Hill 488 (1km) (70’s USA vs. NVA) (AAS, Skirmish).

• Added Khamisiyah (4km) (USMC/USA vs. MEC) (AAS, Skirmish).

• Added Saaremaa (4km) (USMC vs. RUS) (AAS, Skirmish).

• Added Wanda Shan (4km) (GER vs. PLA) (AAS, Skirmish).

• Added Xiangshan (4km) (FR vs PLA) (AAS, Skirmish).

• Added revamped version of Black Gold (4km) (PLA vs. RUS/MIL) (AAS, Insurgency, Skirmish).

• Added Vietnam layers to Operation Barracuda and Tad Sae.

• Added 128p layers to most maps, for use on 100p servers.

• Updated Operation Marlin with the addition of French Forces replacing Canadian Forces.

• Updated Ramiel with the addition of African Resistance Fighters replacing Middle East Insurgents.

• Updated Asad Khal, Beirut, Burning Sands, Gaza Beach, Iron Ridge, Kokan, Korengal Valley, Kozelsk and Vadso City with various fixes.

• Updated game modes, layers, asset layouts, and ticket counts on all maps.

• Updated the name of Iron Eagle to Bijar Canyons to avoid confusion with other maps.

• Updated map overviews and load backgrounds on all maps.

• Removed Battle for Qinling, Dien Duong, and Siege at Ochamchira.

• Removed PR: Falklands and PR: Normandy minimods (future re-integration is planned).

Gameplay

General elements: Supplies, FOB’s, Rally Points, Binocs, Medic

• Added light and heavy supply crates (Heavy crates unchanged from 0.98; light supply crates function as half a heavy crate’s value, both when reloading ammo and building assets).

• Added Timed Demolition Charges to destroy deployables, caches and breach doors.

• Added alternate commo-rose option to the shovel, allowing players to demolish friendly foxholes and razor wire segments. Squad Leaders can demolish and completely remove all assets, using the radio.

• Added new Vehicle Disabling System, which doesn’t always disable the vehicle completely anymore, but certain parts.

• Added ability to revive wounded soldiers in shallow water.

• Added rally point support mechanics. If a rally point is not within 2 large grid squares of a captured flag, friendly apc, or friendly firebase, it will expire after a minute. Otherwise, it will never expire.

• Updated rally point overrun distances to be 1 small grid square.

• Updated FOBs and hideouts to be overrun when two enemies are nearby instead of three.

• Updated FOBs and hideouts so they can no longer be destroyed by knifing the radio.

• Updated supply crates so they can only be effectively destroyed by heavy weapons (.50 cal and such), explosives (including grenades) and shotguns.

• Updated foxholes so they provide better cover from mortar fire.

• Updated CSB requirements so you can deploy one CSB from one “CSB crate”, enabling logistics trucks to build two CSBs from one full load.

• Updated Shovel to allow the defusal of grenade traps.

• Updated Commander markers; can now be placed rapidly.

• Updated UAV system; it now takes only five seconds to redeploy while on station.

• Updated Flares, distracting AAs better now.

• Updated wrench model to be a tool bag instead.

• Increased rearm time of rally point from one to five minutes, when overrun.

• Decreased amount of field dressings for medics to 6 (from 12).

Advance And Secure (AAS)

• Updated flag capture speed to use the exact ratio of attackers to defenders.

Insurgency (INS)

• Updated cache spawning system: unknown caches do not physically spawn in the game until BLUFOR collects enough intel points. The cache will then spawn, and the insurgents will have five minutes to establish defenses before player spawns are blocked and the cache location is revealed to BLUFOR. Intel points collected while both cache locations are known will count towards revealing the following cache; therefore, sometimes after a cache is destroyed, the new unknown cache may immediately trigger and physically spawn into the game, becoming revealed five minutes later.

• Updated weapon caches so they’re harder to destroy (Only C4, IED’s, bomb vehicles, and direct hits with aircraft bombs and missiles will destroy them). The Breacher and Combat Engineer kits are the only infantry kits equipped to demolish caches.

• Updated the max number of Civilians you can’t kill before being arrested within a 10 minute timeframe to 4. After this timelapse, your kill history is cleaned up.

• Increased needed Intel to reveal a cache to 150%.

• Decreased the total number of caches from 7 to 5.

Co-Operative (COOP)

• Added SP/COOP support for (almost) all maps.

Binaries (and PR Menu)

• Added PR Launcher, an entirely new way to launch the game, developed from the ground up specifically for PR:BF2. The launcher handles a lot of functionality, such as accounts and profile settings, as well as several ingame features including the compass marker system, BUIS system, and PR Mumble “who’s talking” list.

• Added PR Updater, as well as PR Server Updater, to provide streamlined automatic updating for clients and servers. If an update is available, a prompt will be displayed the next time you launch the game. Server admins will receive specific instructions on how to use the server updater.

• Added new PR Mumble, now completely integrated into the game

• no separate install required! It will automatically launch in the background when you finish loading into a supported server.

• Added support for decentralized PR Mumble, so PR:BF2 server providers can run their own PR Murmur server, and supports both Windows and Linux servers.

• Added 100 player support for both Windows and Linux servers, as well as 8 player squads.

• Added new intro movie.

• Added new background movie (in the menu).

• Updated the commander marker system to be every 5 seconds, instead of every 60 seconds.

• Updated main menu and loading menu with minor new features and tweaks.

HUD

• Added vehicle name to bottom left corner of the interface for all vehicles.

• Added overheat meter on the bottom right corner of the interface for all stationary/mounted weapons.

• Added icons to all stationary AA and AT deployables, so they show on the minimap.

• Added fire mode indicator to handheld weapons when zoomed in. This applies to weapons that have multiple firing modes.

• Added new vehicle icons.

• Added level layer name on map screen.

• Added the ability to select standard and alternative kits on the spawn screen.

• Added minimap icons for (almost) every class and subclass of vehicles.

• Updated all vehicle HUDs.

Python

• Added ability for insurgents to request officer kit from caches.

• Added a round start timer configurable by server admins.

• Increased number of L-AT kits to five per team.

• Decreased number of H-AT kits to one per team.

• Removed kit request at rally points.

• Removed the need of a mortar fire mission.

• Removed ticket cost for boats.

• Removed mortars for small maps (

• Removed the ability of the UAV to capture flags.

• Removed the possibility to “give up” until standard respawn time has expired (doesn’t change anything for the player, just can’t give up so soon and so there’s more time for medics to get them back up).

RealityAdmin

• Added RealityAdmin (Replaces the external AD Framework).

• Added the current layer to the chatlog.

• Updated the fixed messages, added more shortcuts (language, locked, solo and spam).

Visual Effects

• Updated visual effects for all weapons and ordnance.

• Updated visual effects for fire, explosions and vehicle destruction.

• Updated visual effects for all material impacts.

• Updated visual effects for (air vehicle) flares.

• Updated visual ambient effects for better performance.

Kits

• Added Machine Gunner kit class.

• Added Spotter kit class.

• Added knives to pilot kits of all factions (except IDF).

• Added “wave” animation to civilian and unarmed kits.

• Updated Engineers and Breachers (former Specialists) of conventional forces to use (small) C4.

• Replaced radio and GTLD with binoculars on all sniper kits.

• Replaced grenade traps with binoculars on all unconventional faction Scout kits.

• Removed binoculars from most conventional army kits.

Soldiers

• Added new Ragdoll system (by Furrealz_22).

• Updated Canadian, US Army and USMC soldier textures.

Statics

• Added occlusion meshes to a large number of static objects to help improve performance on object heavy maps.

Vehicles

• Added Coyote APC (CF).

• Added CF-18/F/A-18 Strike Fighter / Light Attack Jet (CF, USMC).

• Added Canadian UH-1N as placeholder for CH-146 Griffon Light Transport Helicopter (CF).

• Added PLA Boat (CH).

• Added PLA version of the Mi-17 Medium Transport Helicopter (CH).

• Added Q-5 Fantan Light Attack Jet (CH).

• Added Type 86G IFV (CH).

• Added WZ550 ATGM Carrier (CH).

• Added WZ551B with 30mm turret (CH).

• Added Zastava Van (Civilian Vehicle).

• Added Zhi-9B Light Transport Helicopter (CH).

• Added Zhi-9WA Light Attack Helicopters (CH).

• Added AMX-10RC Armoured Recon (FR).

• Added AS565 MB Panther Light Transport Helicopter (FR).

• Added GBC 180 Transport and Logistics Trucks (FR).

• Added Leclerc Main Battle Tank (FR).

• Added NH-90 Transport Helicopter (FR, GER) (Model by PoE 2).

• Added Tiger HAP Heavy Attack Helicopter (FR).

• Added VAB APC (FR).

• Added VBCI IFV (FR).

• Added Rocket Technical variant (INS, Militia).

• Added BMP-2 and BMP-2M IFVs (MEC, RU).

• Added FV101 Scorpion Light Tank / Armoured Recon (MEC).

• Added Mi-24P Hind-F Medium Attack Helicopter (MEC, RU) (Model by Clivewil).

• Added Mi-24V Hind-E Assault Transport Helicopter (MEC, RU) (Model by Clivewil).

• Added Su-22 Fitter Light Attack Jet (MEC) (Model by Clivewil).

• Added BMP-1 IFV (MIL).

• Added NVA version of the Mi-8 Medium Transport Helicopter (NVA).

• Added PT-76 Amphibious Light Tank (NVA).

• Added Su-27 Flanker Strike Fighter (RU) (Model by PoE 2).

• Added Su-34 Fullback Fighter-Bomber (RU).

• Added Su-39 Frogfoot Heavy Attack Jet (RU).

• Added M67 “Zippo” Flame Thrower Tank (Vietnam US).

• Added Swiftboat (Vietnam US).

• Added M1114 “Up-Armoured” HMMWV series (US Army, USMC).

• Added Stryker with MK-19 variant (US Army).

• Added SOAR Blackhawk (Special Operations Aviation Regiment) with M134 miniguns, standard Blackhawks now use M240’s as their door guns. (US Army).

• Added AV-8B Harrier II Light Attack Jet (USMC).

• Added MV-22 Osprey Heavy Transport Tiltrotor (USMC) (Model by Clivewil).

• Added more Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Boat (RHIB) variations with faction specific weapons.

• Added door guns to Lynx, UH-1N, UH-1N Gunship, Chinook, MV-22 Osprey and NH-90 helicopters.

• Added ramp guns to the MV-22 and the CF, GB, and US Chinooks.

• Added more passenger seats to the normal civilian dump truck, ATV, Forklift, GAZ Jeeps, PLA Paratrooper vehicle, Support Humvee and Support Land Rover variants.

• Added turret shields to some civilian Technicals and NVA Sampans.

• Added M2HB Browning to some Technicals.

• Added common wreck texture to all vehicles.

• Added Down Point of View to all helicopters.

• Added “Working Wheels” and Taxi Engines to Wheeled Helicopters.

• Added FLIR function to Transport UH-1N.

• Added a more realistic Armor System to most APCs, Jeeps and Tanks.

• Replaced RPK-74 with PKM on all Technicals.

• Removed Air to Air Missiles from Heavy Attack Helicopters.

• Removed Flashing Lights from all aircrafts as they are not used under combat conditions.

• Removed ducking from the gunner position on the Canadian G-Wagon.

• Updated turn radius on all door guns for helicopters.

• Updated gunships handling.

• Updated plane physics.

• Updated land vehicle physics.

• Updated weapon loadouts of most of existing aircrafts.

• Updated flare counts.

• Updated cupola gunner animations for most vehicles so they are not as exposed.

• Updated driving animations and camera view for the Dirtbike.

• Updated MEC, Militia, PLA, Russian and US vehicle textures.

• Updated stationary weapons to allow firing from slow movement speeds (

• Updated all transport helicopters damage model.

• Updated spectator camera (prbot, prbot2, prbot3, prbot4) with new features for film creation.

Weapons

• Added prone specific animations and transitions for all weapons.

• Added Backup Sight (BUIS) system for applicable weapons.

• Added functional adjustable sights and reticles for all rocket launcher and rocket propelled grenade systems.

• Added French Forces specific weapons (FAMAS F1 series, HK417, FR-F2, AN-F1, Rifle Grenades, French Hand Grenades).

• Added AKS-74.

• Added FN MAG GPMG/MMG Series.

• Added Glock 17 (Model by Tigg).

• Added M14 EBR-RI.

• Added M16A1 DMR.

• Added M3M (model placeholder) mounted heavy machine gun.

• Added M4 DMR.

• Added M72A6 LAW.

• Added Machete.

• Added MG3 w/ EOTech.

• Added Mk 12 SPR.

• Added Mk 19 Grenade Launcher.

• Added Mosin Nagant M38 Carbine, M1891/30 Sniper Variant and DP-28 (Models by BF:Korea)

• Added PKP “Pecheneg”.

• Added RPK-74 and RPK-74M.

• Added SMAW.

• Added TT-33 Tokarev (Model by Mr Rifleman).

• Added Type 36 recoilless rifle.

• Added buckshot round for the M79 Grenade Launcher.

• Added small C4 charges.

• Added new IED models.

• Added new “Water Container” pressure pad IED.

• Added new large & small C4, TNT and Dynamite charges.

• Added Insurgent IED markers.

• Added Rotation to all grenades and hand projectiles.

• Updated Handheld AA’s not being able to hit a target while hip firing.

• Updated AA Missile speeds and damage system, balancing the AA’s vs. Air units gameplay and being non effective against all other units.

• Updated AKS-74U with a new model and textures (Model by Millenia).

• Updated Al-Quds LMG with RPK.

• Updated Artillery and Mortar Damage, being more realistic now.

• Updated AT mines to also kill fast vehicles.

• Updated Colt M1911A1 with new model and textures (Model by Chris IJzerman and Rotzbua).

• Updated Comp M2 Aimpoint with Comp M4 Aimpoint on all US Army and some USMC weapons.

• Updated L85A2 ACOG model to include a backup red-dot sight.

• Updated M249 ACOG scope reticle.

• Updated No. 4 Lee Enfield with SMLE MkIII (Model by FH2).

• Updated PKM with a new model and textures.

• Updated PPSh-41 with a new model and textures (Model by BF:Korea).

• Updated Remington 870 and Norinco 982 shotguns with new models and textures.

• Updated SKS Simonov with new model and textures.

• Updated SSG-69 PI scope reticle.

• Updated QBZ-95, QBB-95 and QBZ-95B weapons with new models and textures.

• Updated QSZ-92 Pistol with a new model and textures.

• Updated vz. 61 Skorpion with new model and textures (Model by Samm Varnish).

• Updated ZiS-3 to be repairable.

• Updated all shell casings with new models and textures.

• Updated the world model for IEDs to appear like they are buried in the ground.

• Updated scopes on all scoped weapons to be hollow in the first person.

• Updated cameras on stationary and mounted ATGM weapons to allow for an “over the sights” view.

• Updated standing animations for all deployed, sniper and heavy handheld weapons so the first person view of the weapon appears lowered.

• Updated run animations for all handheld weapons.

• Updated visual recoil animations for all weapons.

• Updated reload and deploy animations for a lot of weapons.

• Updated stationary and mounted weapon behaviour.

• Updated reticles for the binoculars and laser designator.

• Updated deviation accuracy for all weapons.

• Updated recoil handling for all weapons.

• Updated resuscitate hands to give them a bit more pushing power.

• Decreased turning speed on most stationary machine guns and mounted weapons.

• Removed Al-Quds LMG.

• Removed Artillery IED.

• Removed C4 pack from Vanilla Battlefield 2.

• Removed Incendiary Grenade.

• Removed JDAM.

• Removed No.4 Lee Enfield.

• Removed Pipebomb IED.

Vegetation

• Added jungle overgrowth.

• Added shrubs.

• Added cannabis/hemp field clumps (you can’t smoke it, but you can set it on fire…).

Sounds

• Added new American voices.

• Added new British voices.

• Added new Vietnamese voices.

• Added new music tracks for map loading and menu.

• Updated sounds for all vehicles.

• Updated sounds for all weapons.

• Updated all impact sounds.

• Updated soldier sounds (footsteps, hard impact, etc).

SP/COOP

• Added ESAI support (Enhanced Strategic AI) (by Void).

• Added Vietnam Co-op Factions.

Bug Fixes

General

• Added shader effect to fix black spots on terrain for certain graphics cards.

• Added 100+ player support to auto deploy function.

• Updated destroyable bridges so they’re stronger against light vehicles crashing into them.

• Updated UAV so it properly orbits its assigned area.

• Updated laser markers so they can also “rest” on wrecks.

• Updated crates so they don’t slide as much anymore.

• Increased size of mortar shield.

• Removed the glitch where you could survive high falls by dropping your kit.

HUD

• Added “mine” commo rose to grenade traps.

Deployables

• Updated CSB’s to make them easier for vehicles to cross.

• Increased total amount of heavy assets you can build on a map (TOW, AA, etc.).

Vehicles

• Updated Tiger UHT handling.

• Updated vehicle tracks to be less resistant against AT weapons.

• Updated Tornado landing gear to make it easier to land.

• Updated many vehicles to prevent ghost driving.

• Updated British Stormer HMV from having bugged tracks.

Weapons

• Updated ziptie weapon selection icon to say “restraints” instead of “restrainers”.

• Updated NVA weapons to use green tracers.

• Decreased animated recoil on SMG-type weapons.

Cheers, PC Gamer.