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Huge Unreal Tournament 3 patch in the works
- Thread starter dguy6789
- Start date
Zenoth
Diamond Member
I am very impressed, and surprised by that. I fully support the idea of "let's make our current game better instead of leaving it behind like most other developers would do after one or two minor patches and instead of working five years on a new engine to make yet another failure that'd need to be supported the same way anyway in the end".
Seriously, some developers need to take the example from them, if some developers out there like them had that same type of dedication for their own creation beyond just working on it as long as it makes money then we'd be having a much higher quality PC gaming market, heck some custom mods authors are more dedicated than Valve for their own stuff and they aren't paid for what they're doing, they do it because it's a passion.
I already enjoy Unreal Tournament 3 thanks to the countless custom maps and mutators, but with that patch I'm pretty sure that it will simply increase its quality and perhaps popularity, because right now looking at the on-line servers and if I'd put myself in the developers' shoes I'd be quite humiliated and in the same time I'd feel very concerned about my own job, there's almost no one playing UT3 on-line right now. With the improved connection stuff they're doing, the UI, the servers performance, etc, it will make it just on par with UT2004, and then maybe the actual on-line population will increase.
In the end it's better increasing the quality of a game you already have rather than trying to make another one which might just fail as miserably as the previous one. And that way you avoid spending millions of dollars on the development on a new engine (just an example, because UEngine 4.0 is being developed right now), and you CERTAINLY help re-establishing your name as a good and supportive development team out there for the players.
Seriously, some developers need to take the example from them, if some developers out there like them had that same type of dedication for their own creation beyond just working on it as long as it makes money then we'd be having a much higher quality PC gaming market, heck some custom mods authors are more dedicated than Valve for their own stuff and they aren't paid for what they're doing, they do it because it's a passion.
I already enjoy Unreal Tournament 3 thanks to the countless custom maps and mutators, but with that patch I'm pretty sure that it will simply increase its quality and perhaps popularity, because right now looking at the on-line servers and if I'd put myself in the developers' shoes I'd be quite humiliated and in the same time I'd feel very concerned about my own job, there's almost no one playing UT3 on-line right now. With the improved connection stuff they're doing, the UI, the servers performance, etc, it will make it just on par with UT2004, and then maybe the actual on-line population will increase.
In the end it's better increasing the quality of a game you already have rather than trying to make another one which might just fail as miserably as the previous one. And that way you avoid spending millions of dollars on the development on a new engine (just an example, because UEngine 4.0 is being developed right now), and you CERTAINLY help re-establishing your name as a good and supportive development team out there for the players.
I admire what they are doing, but it's honestly a bit late for this now. These UI improvements should have come a year ago. I don't think this patch will have much effect on the multiplayer activity at this point, since most of the potential online players have moved on by now. It's still a great game in singleplayer or co-op with certain mods though.
Brainonska511
Lifer
It's nice to see the developer keeping their product alive, but some of these issues should have never been. Spend a little more time upfront to fix the bugs and smooth things out interface-wise, and you wouldn't need to release these larger patches and the people that buy your game won't have to hope that you might be magnanimous and release a patch.
With each new UT release, I think I play the new game less than the previous installment. I spent countless hours on UT99. The games just seem to have gotten more and more about pretty graphics, bigger/more open maps, and half-baked alternative game modes. Less about tight and intense Q3A/UT99 style deathmatch. Meh...
shortylickens
No Lifer
Thats what I was thinking.
"Is there a patch to make it not suck?"
On the other hand, they claim to make significant AI improvements and better mod support. Both of those appeal to me, since the basic game is kinda light and I dont like playing online.
Did they ever release a huge Community Expansion Pack like they did for 2004?
WhipperSnapper
Lifer
The only think they could really do to save UT3 now would be to give it the UT 2003 ----> UT 2004 treatment. If they could completely replace the user interface and server browser and also fix other bugs and various game play issues, perhaps a UT4 could help revitalize the franchise. The basic feel of the UT3 movement and its game play was actually pretty good--it's just that everything else that surrounded it was god awful and unbecoming of the UT name.
It looks like a pretty substantial makeover. It's a real shame that it wasn't released that way.
[EDIT]
Now that I've read that long list of changes, it strikes me that they sure are doing a whole lot of work for a game that has, at best, a medium-sized player base. Patching this game isn't enough--it needs to be marketed again and they need to reach out to new players and fans of the previous UTs. I'm wondering if they're planning to do a re-release or relaunch of the game, perhaps a "UT3 Extreme Edition", putting it back on store shelves with a new, fresh marketing campaign while allowing those who already own UT3 to download the new content for free.
It looks like a pretty substantial makeover. It's a real shame that it wasn't released that way.
[EDIT]
Now that I've read that long list of changes, it strikes me that they sure are doing a whole lot of work for a game that has, at best, a medium-sized player base. Patching this game isn't enough--it needs to be marketed again and they need to reach out to new players and fans of the previous UTs. I'm wondering if they're planning to do a re-release or relaunch of the game, perhaps a "UT3 Extreme Edition", putting it back on store shelves with a new, fresh marketing campaign while allowing those who already own UT3 to download the new content for free.
EvilComputer92
Golden Member
Wow, I've been waiting for something like this. I honestly thought Epic abandoned this game in favor of garbage like Gears of War. It's good to see they still have some love for their PC roots.
It's a bit late but it's better than never. They really should re release the game as a UT 2009 or something. If it is marketed well the UT series will be back on track and hopefully we'll see an increase in the player base.
I'd be willing to pay $200 if such a game ever existed. I've been wanting to see an real Unreal sequel since it's release a decade ago.
It's a bit late but it's better than never. They really should re release the game as a UT 2009 or something. If it is marketed well the UT series will be back on track and hopefully we'll see an increase in the player base.
I'd be willing to pay $200 if such a game ever existed. I've been wanting to see an real Unreal sequel since it's release a decade ago.
They are in fact working on some kind of expansion pack for Unreal Tournament 3 as far as I know.
Honestly, the game play itself is absolutely amazing.(Plays pretty similar to the original UT) I have played this game just about every single day since I got it. The user interface is pretty bad, but the game is freaking fun. I love playing this game so much, it just needs more players and it could be like TF2. Epic is great as well. More than likely they were forced to release the game on a certain date before the game was ready. They really do care if they make a patch this big for a game that might not ever grow.
Honestly, the game play itself is absolutely amazing.(Plays pretty similar to the original UT) I have played this game just about every single day since I got it. The user interface is pretty bad, but the game is freaking fun. I love playing this game so much, it just needs more players and it could be like TF2. Epic is great as well. More than likely they were forced to release the game on a certain date before the game was ready. They really do care if they make a patch this big for a game that might not ever grow.
I have to wholeheartedly disagree.
The gameplay has been tweaked, yes, but it's largely the same in UT3 as it was in UT99. The is, however, less about innovating over previous installments and more about improving graphics, sound, etc.
I think the heart of the problem is that arena-style shooters are no longer in fashion. Arena style shooters came about as the first FPS's. They were simple, required no story line, etc.
So we remember games like UT99, Quake, etc., with a fairly significant degree of nostalgia, which taints our perception of their quality quite a bit.
That said, I think if you measure UT3 against the same standards you used to gauge UT99 upon its release, you'll see that UT3 is really quite excellent. The UI sucks, no question, but the gameplay is quality.
Especially considering its lackluster sales and online presence. I actually went to 3 stores yesterday looking for a copy (I gave away my collector's edition last year), and NO ONE had it. Of course, I didn't realize it was on Steam so I'm downloading it as we speak 😉 .
I'm confident they can breathe new life into it. They proved you can raise a game from the dead with UT2k4, and UT3 is FAR better than UT2k3 was when it flopped.
Sureshot324
Diamond Member
Looking at the list of major changes, nearly all of them should have been in the game at release, not 1.5 years later. Better late then never though.
EvilComputer92
Golden Member
It was the only game in the series that did everything right. It had none of the floatyness and weapon nerfing of UT2004 and still has the best UI of any UT game. It's mod community is practically unparalleled to this day. At it's height it was one of the most played online games.
UT3 really did have great gameplay, it's just that everything surrounding the main game made it feel like a rushed console port.
Also I don't think arena shooters are dead just yet. COD4 is pretty much an arena shooter with a modern warfare coating and it has a large player base.
I agree with most of what you said, but you didn't say much substantive regarding why UT99 it was popular. Stating that it "did everything right" and was "one of the most played games" is accurate, but non-definitive. I believe it was popular because it represented innovation on numerous levels; it was earth-shattering progress in terms of gaming. Duplicating that kind of progress today is much more difficult; but of course, the UT series has never aimed to redefine anything since UT99, anyway.
I agree that the interface around UT3 sucks and is very consolish, but I have a hard time buying into that as a reason for its failure. People buy games to play the games, not to tool around in the menus. UWindows would rock, but if people really just want an OS to play with, download Linux.
As for UT2k4, you hit the nail on the head for me. I actually didn't like UT2k3 or UT2k4 very much, though I did author a number of mods (ProZoomInstagib and UAdminMod). Modding was the only reason I hung around. The floatiness was awful, and they've fixed UT3 in that regard. This is one reason why UT3 is very UT99-like, so we're left wondering if UT3 is so panned because of its interface or, perhaps, a less obvious reason.
COD4 is certainly an arena shooter; no argument there... but it innovated the hell out the genre, whereas UT3 is a candied-up UT99. Granted, most people (thought they) wanted a candied up UT99, but deep down, their expectations are higher these days and nostalgia is, as I said before, clouding their judgment. Let's also not forget that fantasy-style shooters aren't nearly as popular these days as military shooters.
If you take the interface out of the picture, there's really nothing to complain about with regard to UT3. The gameplay is rock solid and the maps are great. Yet it's still unpopular. I contend it's simply a sign of the times.
If they did a re-release like this and included the best community mods and maps, it could sell quite well, although I still don't think the online component will take off. The Galtanor's Invasion mod is alone enough to make the game worthwhile though. They could hire the designer and just make that mod the singleplayer component, and the game would already be better than a lot of other FPSs I have played.
I have always thought that many of the existing maps, both official and fanmade ones, would have made an excellent singleplayer game already. Some of them have superb detail and show a lot of creativity, but people aren't really going to notice that in an online-focused game.
UT99 had an active singleplayer modding community, with several large custom campaigns released. Somehow we never saw that with 2004 or this game though, despite the fact that there have been many good multiplayer maps for both games.
I agree, and have said the same thing in previous threads on this. Even if UT3 had gotten everything right in terms of the interface and so on, it was always going to be a niche game online. The basic style of gameplay, with its fast pacing and a lot of emphasis on movement, is unforgiving to noobs and has fallen out of fashion over time. This is the same reason why 6DOF games like the Descent series died out after the 90s.
WhipperSnapper
Lifer
Can you name a worthwhile arena-style shooter that came out in the past few years? Is it possible that arena style shooters are no longer in fashion simply because there haven't been any good ones for a long time? UT 2004 wasn't too bad but many UT99 fans wouldn't regard it as good, so I'm not sure that that would count. Other than UT99 and Quake 3, what were the good arena-style shooters?
WhipperSnapper
Lifer
UT3 is unpopular because everything that surrounds the game play (which itself is not perfect) was god-awful when it was released back in November of 2007. UT3's lack of popularity is NOT a sign of the times as you contend.
The UT99 pro community actually liked the UT3 game play in the UT3 Demo. It wasn't as good as UT99 but there was excitement and people were looking forward to the retail release. When they discovered that the retail release of UT3 = Beta Demo, they completely lost interest. When this game was released, server admins had all sorts of difficulties (wouldn't work on Linux based servers I thin), the server browser didn't work very well, and you couldn't even add Favorites. Last I checked, the user interface was still clunky and slow. The list of what is wrong with everything that surrounds the UT3 game play is long and extensive. The Mapvote menu is also inferior compared to what UT 2004 currently has and you cannot set taunts and communication comments to keybinds. Also, you have to wait to load the Main Menu and you have to leave servers to pull up the server browser to check activity on other servers (after waiting to load the Main Menu).
Basically, going from UT 2004's or even UT99's user interface and server browser to UT3 was like downgrading from a souped up Lexus to a stripped down Kia.
UT3's game play is also far from perfect. The game lacks first-person view for vehicles which is a big problem for flying vehicles, the vehicle that lays the mine pods that cannot be destroyed is retarded in part because of the mine pods, you cannot throw weapons, and the translocator is still limited. I played UT3's Warfare game pretty heavily for the first three months after UT3's release and finally gravitated back to playing UT 2004's Onslaught which I find to be more fun. I agree that the feel of UT3's movement is pretty good and whenever I load the game up I find myself thinking, "What a shame."
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