(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Authenticity is really important when you’re doing a modern day game like Battlefield 3," Senior Designer Alan Kertz tells the Battlfield Blog. "We know our players look critically at the guns in our games, so we brought in experts like Andy McNab. Our military advisors not only help us get it right, they help us understand why it’s right."

DICE has often talked up the customisation options available for players to tweak weapons, but has yet to confirm the variables on offer. "The majority of weapons in Battlefield 3 can be tailored by the player to fit anything from close quarter to long range combat, or something in between," said the developer.

The more real the weapons, the more balanced they feel, added Kertz. "With authenticity as a base, you get a natural balance because all real life guns are based on trade-offs," he said. "It really pulls out the personality of each weapon system to use the authentic stats and features. Each army selects a different weapon, for a different reason, and we pass those selections on to our players.”

We guess that means fly-by-wire grenades are out then.

All eyes on Gamescom next week for those customisation options and plenty other Battlefield 3 details.