Battlefield 3 PC patch incoming this week

Good news for folks hoping for improvements to Battlefield 3 - a patch is coming this week from DICE, though only for PC users for the time being. EDIT: Patch notes added!

It's not often we get to say this, so excuse me for a moment while I gloat - PC gamers are in the lucky position of beating their console brethren to the punch for a new patch that DICE hopes will fix some issues in the game. We get it first, because while the patch is ready for all versions of the game, it needs to go through Sony's and Microsoft's certification processes.

So, yeah.

Anyhoo, what's really more important than gloating - though only just - is what the patch is aiming to fix. Here's the skinny from the BFblog:

"So what’s in the PC patch? You’ll see improved polish, stability, weapons balancing, squad control functionality, user interface enhancements, and several feature enhancements that address feedback the community has provided to date  – plus we’re removing the so called “negative mouse acceleration” that some of you have experienced.

Regarding cheating and boosting, we continue to analyze data to identify and hold accountable (ban, wipe stats) players that cheat or boost. We’ve received questions about what to do when faced with unsportsmanlike conduct in Battlefield 3 – the best course of action is to click the warning sign next to their profile name in Battlelog, or head to the EA Help Desk and report your issue. These leads will enable us to follow up on the report."

Even better for those sick of being blinded by team mates who can't turn their flashlights off, the patch is going to reduce the amount of glare from the upgrade. Hallejula! 

Well, damn, this moved fast - we've now got the full patch notes from the BF3 Blog. Enjoy:

PATCH NOTES
Selected improvements in the Nov 22 Battlefield 3 client-side update

A full list of changes is available on the Battlelog

• General performance and loading time improvements
• "Black Screen" fix for an issue occurring on some PC configurations
• Stereo and rendering support for Nvidia and AMD graphics cards
• Fixed several crashes that occurred when joining multiplayer and co-op sessions
• Fixed a problem with high speed mouse movement (aka "negative mouse acceleration")
• You should no longer be able to damage a friendly vehicle when sitting in an open position
• Grenades now drop to ground if you get killed while attempting to throw it (dangerous in Hardcore mode!)
• You should no longer spawn too close to enemies in TDM, SQDM, or Conquest
• A large number of damage and range tweaks on a number of weapons to fine-tune overall balance in the game
• Added round duration and ticket summary at End of Round screen
• Fixed a problem regarding key bindings while playing
• Significant changes to the Join Squad interface, detailed at the bottom of this post

Selected improvements in the Nov 22 Battlefield 3 PC server-side update highlights

A full list of changes is available on the Battlelog

• EOD Bot exploit fix
• Several crash fixes
• Anti-stat padding measures taken, disallowing ranked servers to run obscure settings
• Improved team kill kick configuration
• Support for unranked servers. Unranked servers do not report players' scores to Battlelog, but server administrators can freely control all settings

Newly added Battlelog functionality – Share your stats

• Ability to share your Profile and Stats pages to Facebook, Google+, and Twitter
• User Profile and Stats pages on Battlelog can now be accessed without being signed in to Battlelog if you know a user's URL
• Single sign on from Battlelog to Origin. If you're not logged in to Origin and join a game server, Battlelog will automatically sign you in to Origin in the background and join the game server

Quick notes on Squad changes in the Nov 22 update

• Removed FIND ME A SQUAD option
• Allow players to join empty Squads alone, thus having 1/4 squad members
• Change order of options to LEAVE SQUAD, INV A FRIEND, SWITCH TEAM
• Disable Privacy flag when 1 man squad
• Reset Privacy flag from Private to Public when squad drops to 1 player
• All occupied Squads will now show up colored blue on the Squad Selection screen
• Players who choose not to join squads will also show up as Blue in the "Not in a Squad” line
• Squads that are currently empty will display as white -- if you wish to join an empty Squad, you can choose the first one marked with white text