Which Battlefield game is the best?

The Battlefield 4 thread on the Whirlpool forums has become a battlefield in itself with several debating on which direction the Battlefield series should head with its next game (scheduled for release at the end of this year). So far I've managed to identify a few types, and this (lengthy) forum post helps to identify these generalisations (and also provide additional background):

1. Battlefield veterans – those who started playing the Battlefield series pre-Bad Company (EA's first console-only Battlefield release and a turning point for the series – BF2: Modern Combat doesn't count ;)) and who keep regaling stories of the old days. They often whinge about how the game is becoming more like COD and thinks DICE/EA was crazy to remove Commander Mode
2. Battlefield newcomers – these are the ones who started playing Battlefield after Bad Company 2. They tend to appreciate the squad and class-based gameplay that the series brings along with the vehicles, but they've never experienced the strategy and meta-game evident in earlier releases. Some are disenfranchised COD players who didn't like the direction the most recent COD games took and have found a new home with the Battlefield series. Often think the old codgers that ask for retired features, such as Commander Mode, are lunatics as it looks boring and it's prone to abuse.
3. Fatalists – Those who believe it's just fate that Battlefield is becoming something that none of the fans want, because DICE/EA are in it to make money and that no matter what the fans say, ultimately doesn't matter. They believe that 98% of the Battlefield population are only playing it for the flashy single-player campaign anyway.
4. The rest – those who don't fit into these stereotypes

It was a comment by one of the "fatalists" on the forum that got me thinking – is it true that Battlefield veterans account for less than 1% of the population? Is it true that most people play Battlefield for the single-player rather than the multi-player?

I've created a basic SurveyMonkey survey asking what is everyone's favourite Battlefield game. Since I only have a basic account it'll only capture the first 100 responses so it's definitely not an exhaustive study, just something for a bit of fun.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PFLS3GQ

This survey won't really answer the questions I'm looking for – only DICE or EA perhaps could answer that question. However I thought it'd be an interesting exercise regardless to see what a sample set of fans thought.

So what do you think? Which Battlefield game is your favourite and why?

EDIT: The results of this survey are now available here.