Getting Started

Getting Started with Battlefield 4

First Hour Walkthrough: From Menu to Battlefield

1. Launch the game – After installation, you’ll see the Battlefield 4 main menu. The first screen asks you to sign in to your EA/Origin account (PC) or PSN/Xbox Live (console). Do so.

2. No character creation – Battlefield 4 does not have a character creator. You play as a generic soldier for one of two factions: U.S. Marines (blue) or Russian Army (orange). Your appearance is fixed per faction. Your identity is your soldier name (tied to your platform account) and your class loadout.

3. Training: “A Galaxy Untamed” – The first pop-up is an offer to play the single-player campaign. Do not skip it if you’re brand new to Battlefield. The campaign acts as a tutorial for basic movement, shooting, vehicles, and gadgets. The first mission teaches you to sprint, vault, aim, shoot, revive, and use cover. Completing the prologue (about 15–20 minutes) unlocks the “Assault Class Basic” assignment, giving you early weapon attachments.

4. After the prologue – Return to the main menu. You can now access Multiplayer. Select “Multiplayer” → “Server Browser” rather than Quick Match. Filter by game mode “Conquest Large” and map “Paracel Storm” or “Siege of Shanghai” (these are beginner-friendly). Join a server with 32–64 players.

5. First match – be a medic – When you spawn, select the Assault class (default). Stick with your squad, stay behind a wall, and revive teammates with defibrillators. Do not charge into enemy fire. Your goals: stay alive, revive, heal, and capture flags (objectives marked with A, B, C, etc.). Don’t worry about kills.

6. Unlock your first gadget – After a few minutes, you’ll earn enough experience to reach level 2. This unlocks your first weapon attachment (e.g., a sight). Equip it in the Customization menu (Soldier → Loadout).

Controls on All Platforms

Key mapping tip: On PC, rebind crouch to a thumb button if possible (e.g., C or Mouse side button). On console, use the “Veteran” control scheme in Settings → Controls (reverses crouch/prone to more intuitive).

UI Overview

• HUD Elements (center screen): Crosshair (reticle), health bar (bottom left), ammo counter (bottom right), minimap (bottom left corner).


• Minimap: Shows nearby teammates, spotted enemies (red triangles), objectives (letters A,B,C,D,E), and vehicle icons. Zoom with N (PC) or D-pad down (console).


• Objective markers: Floating letters above capture points. Colored blue (friendly), orange (enemy), flashing (contested).


• Squad list: Top left – shows your squadmates’ health and class icons. When they die, you can revive if you’re Assault.


• Vehicle HUD: When driving a tank, heli, or jet, extra gauges appear (ammo, speed, altitude).


• Kill feed: Top right – shows kills, revives, and vehicle destructions.


• Notifications: Center-top – “Objective Lost/Gained”, “Enemy Spotted”, “Friendly Fire” (if you hit a teammate).


• Deploy screen: After death, you see a full-screen map. Use left stick/ arrow keys to select squad member or a vehicle to spawn on (press X/A/Enter).




Essential Early Objectives



1. Learn to spot – Press Q (PC) or R1/RB double-tap (console) to mark enemies. This helps your team and gives you small XP. Always spot before shooting.
2. Capture flags – Stand near an objective (indicated by a flag) until it turns blue (your team). Capturing gives hundreds of XP and helps win the match.
3. Revive teammates – If you play Assault, use defibrillators (gadget 2) on downed teammates. Reviving is worth 100 XP per revive and keeps your team alive.
4. Use cover – Battlefield 4 has destruction; walls can collapse. Never run across open fields. Move from cover to cover.
5. Call in vehicle drops – When you have enough squad score, your squad leader can request a vehicle drop (PC: press B on objective, console: D-pad up on objective). Request it for your squad.



What to Do First and What to Avoid



Do first:

• Complete the single-player prologue and first two missions (unlocks the “Assault Class Basic” assignment).


• Play a few rounds of Conquest Large on Paracel Storm or Siege of Shanghai as Assault.


• Customize your first weapon: unlock the Coyote or Red Dot sight (requires 10 kills with the default M16A4 or AK-12). Use it in the loadout menu.


• Join a squad (auto-join is fine) and stick with them.


• Spot every enemy you see.


Avoid:

• Sniper class – rookie players often camp far away and contribute little. Sniper rifles have awkward bullet drop and slow fire rate. Stick to Assault or Engineer.


• Going solo – Battlefield rewards teamplay. Running alone gets you killed fast.


• Taking vehicles without repairs – If you hop in a tank or helicopter, you become a priority target. Learn vehicle controls in the Test Range first (accessible from main menu → Multiplayer → Test Range).


• Spamming the deploy button – Wait a few seconds to see which squad member is safest to spawn on. Spawning on a teammate under fire = instant death.




Early Resource Priorities




• Experience (XP) – Levels 1–10: Focus on objective captures, revives, and assists. Kills give only 100 XP, but a capture gives 250–500 XP. Revives give 100 XP each. You unlock new weapons and gadgets every 2–3 levels.


• Assignments – From the menu, check Assignments. Early ones like “Basic Training” reward weapon attachments. Complete them.


• Battlepacks – Earned randomly after matches. Open them to get weapon battlepacks, XP boosts, camos, and knife skins. Use XP boosts (available in Battlepack items) to accelerate early leveling.


• Unlock order – For Assault, first unlock the defibrillator (already owned) then the M320 HE launcher (level 3). For Engineer, unlock the RPG-7 (level 2) or SRAW (level 4) for anti-vehicle.




Common Beginner Mistakes



1. Not spotting – Enemies become invisible if you don’t spot them. Always press spot.
2. Standing still – In Battlefield, campers die. Keep moving, even while shooting.
3. Using the wrong class – New players often pick Recon (sniper). You contribute almost nothing. Assault and Support are better.
4. Ignoring the minimap – Enemy fire appears as a red blip. Watch the minimap to know where danger is.
5. Spawning on a killed teammate – If the icon is flashing red, the squadmate is under fire. Spawn on a safe blue icon.
6. Not using cover – Vault over walls, lie prone in grass, hide behind rocks. Always use something between you and the enemy.
7. Forgetting gadgets – Use medpacks (Assault), ammo packs (Support), repair tools (Engineer). Dropping a medpack heals you and teammates over time.



Day-One Checklist




• [ ] Complete single-player prologue (“Baku” mission).


• [ ] Play one multiplayer match on Conquest Large (Paracel Storm).


• [ ] Complete the “Basic Training” assignment (earned after prologue).


• [ ] Unlock a red dot sight (10 kills with default AR).


• [ ] Equip defibrillators on Assault class.


• [ ] Spot at least 10 enemies in one match.


• [ ] Capture at least 3 objectives in one match.


• [ ] Revive 5 teammates in one match.


• [ ] Learn to use the minimap: zoom out/in using N (PC) or D-pad down (console).


• [ ] Visit the Test Range (main menu → Multiplayer → Test Range) to try vehicles and weapons for 10 minutes.


• [ ] Adjust sensitivity in Settings: Default is fine, but reduce stick deadzone on console.


• [ ] Turn on “Uniform Soldier Aiming” (Settings → Gameplay) for consistent aim across weapons.

With this checklist completed, you’ll have a solid foundation to enjoy Battlefield 4’s chaotic, rewarding gameplay. Good luck, soldier!