The beauty of playing Battlefield online is players can feel as if they're contributing to their team without killing.

My first taste of this in the Battlefield 3 multiplayer beta -- open to all PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 owners Thursday -- was inside a decimated subway station in Paris on the map Operation Metro.

Sitting near the top of the escalators are some squadmates in the middle of an intense firefight with enemies just below. After dropping some medical kits, I fire a few rounds to suppress while squadmates spawn on my position.

All these actions notched points, and I have yet to score my first kill.

So far, the Battlefield 3 beta has been incredibly entertaining, and a great tease for what's to come when the game lands Oct. 25.

There's only one mode available: Rush. For those new to Battlefield, here's how it works: one team defends a series of key positions on a giant map, while the other team attempts to destroy those locations.

Visually, Battlefield 3 looks gorgeous, from the lush trees in the park during the opening moments to the finite details inside the train station.

It's textbook Battlefield for the most part, with a few key wrinkles. For starters, players can now go prone. It's very easy to lay low, especially since the Paris map is particularly dense. There are plenty of areas to duck down and stay hidden.

Another interesting element: Players can choose whether to allow a squadmate to revive them. It's a cool touch for those players who would prefer to take up position elsewhere instead of return to a frantic firefight.

There's also the Suppression mechanic, where players earn points for pinning enemies with suppressing fire. The screen blurs, making it more difficult to shoot accurately. Players also rack up points when a teammate kills a suppressed opponent.

And that's part of what makes Battlefield 3 so intriguing. There are more ways to earn points, from the standard dropping of ammo and health packs to simply staying alive long enough to let teammates drop on your position. Between this and the pace at which players can enter combat, it seems the multiplayer could be much more inviting to the novice player.

Please note I did not write this. A co-worked sent it to me. Not sure where is got it from, but it descripes the game to a T.