"It's not supposed to be the game that's gonna replace your big games, like Battlefield 2 or 2142," producer Gordon Van Dyke tells me of the upcoming Battlefield 1943. "It's more action-based and it's not as heavily [focused] on the strategy, per se."

Powered by the Frostbite engine--the same technology that was behind last year's destruction-happy Battlefield: Bad Company on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360--the downloadable multiplayer shooter packs remakes of three Battlefield 1942 (PC) maps.

But make no mistake console Battlefield fans, this isn't just Bad Company with three different maps. Even though it uses the same overall technology, the gameplay has been tweaked, focusing more on fast pick up and play action than strategy.

Those that have played Battlefield 1942, you're in for some surprises too. Sure, you may know the maps by heart, but the addition of destructible environments changes things a bit. A fence blocking your progress? Go ahead and knock it down with a blast or two.

And while the diehard Battlefield community has been extremely vocal regarding its opposition to the game's regenerating health, unlimited ammunition and the 24-player limit, there may be good news for those willing to wait for the later PC version.

Though nothing's set in stone, Van Dyke explained that "those are all things that we're taking into consideration" for the PC release. "We know that the PC crowd, they look for some different things in games than maybe somebody on the console."

The later PC release of 1943--the $15 download hits consoles in June and computers in September--is because of the extra development time needed to bring the previously console-only Frostbite technology to the PC and "create a proper PC version of Battlefield 1943 and not a console port," Van Dyke previously stated.

One thing that definitely won't change, however, is the three class limit. And it's doubtful that any changes made to the PC version would come to the console editions.

But what about mod support? Once the Frostbite engine is on PC, does that mean that future games, like Bad Company 2, will hit PC and consoles at the same time? And what's up with the oft-rumored Battlefield 3? Read on to see what Van Dyke had to say.

Shack: There have been some rumblings that the PC edition of Battlefield 1943 could remove the 24-player limit of the console versions along with unlimited ammo and regenerating health. Any truth to that?

Van Dyke: Those are all things that we're taking into consideration. We know that the PC crowd, they look for some different things in games than maybe somebody on the console. So it's definitely something we're thinking about, but we're not gonna restrict one or the other.

Whatever we do come up with, we're gonna try and make sure we maintain the core values of this game that we've worked so hard on and the core gameplay features, but then look at what the PC can support and if it can offer some alternatives and things in that nature.

Shack: How far have you been able to push the player count? Can the Frostbite engine do 64 players on PC?

Van Dyke: Those are questions I can't answer. I mean, right now, we're not in a position where we want to start answering really heavy details about the PC version. That time is gonna come, I mean, we've got plenty of time to go.

Right now, we don't want to say "yes" or "no" to something because we do have that extra development time, and that's where we're going to be able to explore. One we get this [console build] and we put it to bed and we let it to rest then a lot more attention is going to go into exploring those additional things, above and beyond what this one has.

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Shack: You've indicated that more maps could arrive based on player feedback. Any chance that more classes could be added post-release?

Van Dyke: I think we're gonna stick with the three that we've got with this game, because that's the specific formula for this game. It's not supposed to be the game that's gonna replace your big games, like Battlefield 2 or 2142.

We're not looking to really, just, steal those types of games or capture that much attention, but this should be the game that you really want to play, that's kinda quicker to get into, it's more action-based and it's not as heavily [focused] on the strategy, per se.

It's more about the fundamental cores of Battlefield, which is capturing flags, killing the enemy, driving lots of vehicles, or being a soldier and taking out lots of vehicles and feeling like, you know, you're David versus Goliath and I just bested this guy in a tank and you suck, because I'm just on foot, I'm just flesh and blood ...virtually.

Shack: A few of our readers speculate that Battlefield Heroes and 1943 are essenitally the same game, and that the existence of 1943 means that Heroes has failed.

Van Dyke: No. Battlefield Heroes... I wouldn't even call it a casual game. It's a different kind of game that took the elements of Battlefield and made a new flavor out of it. And it hasn't failed, at all.

I mean, it's doing what it's supposed to do, which is [to] be accessible on all levels of computers. Frostbite is not for the weak of heart. I mean, Frostbite is a serious engine. I'm sure people saw at GDC, one of our top programmers, Johan Anderson, did a presentation about DirectX 11 graphics and implementing things like that.

Our guys are thinking really far ahead, and also looking at what's going on currently. Frostbite is a really robust engine, and, for the guys that are really into it, they're gonna get some use out of, you know, their hardcore computers that they spend speccing and posting up those little signatures showing off how their PC rates.

Keep reading for more on the costs of delays, a denial of "evil doctor genius-type guys up at the top of the ivory tower of EA," the "magic five" and some Battlefield 3 talk.