• Go to Venice Unleashed [veniceunleashed.net] and create an account.
  
• Download Project Rome [veniceunleashed.net].
  
• Unzip the file in the game's root directory, which is one of these four depending on where you got the game from:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\Battlefield Bad Company 2 < Disc version

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Battlefield Bad Company 2 < Steam version

C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\Battlefield Bad Company 2 < Origin version

C:\Program Files (x86)\EA Games\Battlefield Bad Company 2 < EA App version

• Start up the game and login with the account you created at Venice Unleashed. Enjoy!
  
• If you want to transfer your old soldier stats from PC/Xbox360/PS3, go here: https://veniceunleashed.net/rome-transfer

IMPORTANT:
Reshade and Project Rome do NOT work together, as in the game refuses to even launch with both enabled. Uninstall Reshade after adding the Project Rome files. It's possible there is a fix or workaround, but I have been unable to find one so far.

Additionally, if you are running a non-legit copy there's a chance you may get an error stating that MSVCP100.dll is missing. If you run into this problem, run the included Visual C++ setup. It's located in Battlefield Bad Company 2\install\Redistributable\x86. The setup file is called vcredist.msi. You may need to reboot afterwards.

Alternatively you can download the all-in-one Visual C++ installer if all else fails: https://www.techpowerup.com/download/visual-c-redistributable-runtime-package-all-in-one/

Q: I missed out on the PC version of the game, can I still obtain it somehow?

A: It's possible, as there are bound to be unused Steam/EA App keys floating around that you can buy from a re-seller. However! There is a finite number left, and eventually those will dry up. If you need help finding a copy, send me a friend request or message me at captain_kuijt on Discord and I'll be happy to help.

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Q: I own the Steam version but have no license key. Will I be able to play online?

A: Yes! With the non-disc versions, you only need the serial key to create an account. Project Rome, however, does NOT require a serial key for this.

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Q: Seeing as the game is no longer purchasable, can I play online with a non-legit copy via Project Rome?

A: You can use any version of the game, be it legit or not. All that matters is that it's updated to the latest version. Digital versions come pre-patched, but the disc version and some (but not all) non-legit copies will need to be patched first.

When launching the game, before you get the main menu, you will see the version number in the bottom right corner of your screen. If it says 795745, you're running the latest version. If not, you can download the latest patch manually here [www.gamepressure.com].

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Q: Why is the server list empty?

A: Press Search. Unlike in newer Battlefield titles, the servers won't show up automatically.

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Q: What is Project Rome?

A: Project Rome is a community-made master server. A master server holds login info, server list, and soldier data. What this file does is to tell your game to use the Project Rome master server instead of EA's.

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Q: Will this really allow me to play online post-shutdown?

A: Yes. As Project Rome is its own master server, it's not reliant on EA.

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Q: What about the DLCs?

A: Everything is pre-unlocked for everyone, *including* the Specact Kit and Vietnam DLC, regardless of whether you own the DLCs or not.

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Q: What if I play BC2 on console? And what about BC1 and BF1943?

A: Unfortunately you're out of luck, as this only works for the PC version of BC2.

However, the team over at Battlefield Modding are hard at work to find a solution for the console versions of BC2 in addition to BC1 and BF1943. So far they are making solid progress on the PS3 version of said games, so there's still hope. You can track their progress over at https://discord.me/battlefieldmodding, under Modding & Development > Frostbite 1.

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Q: How do I play on servers running custom maps?

A: For this, you'll first need to download BFBC2 Mod Loader [www.nexusmods.com]. This will serve as your mod manager and game launcher. Open it and select *Map Browser*, then download all the custom maps. You can also download additional mods, such as UI mods, new textures for weapons and more on Nexus [www.nexusmods.com].

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Q: I play on Linux, and the game still tries to connect to EA's servers.

A: Add this to your launch options:

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Q: I've heard the old BF games got shut down back in 2014, is there a workaround to play them online too?

A: Yes, there is!
BF1942 [team-simple.org] video tutorial here
BFVietnam [team-simple.org] video tutorial here
BF2 [www.bf2hub.com] video tutorial here
BF2142 [battlefield2142.co] video tutorial here

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Tags;
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