WhipperSnapper, UT99 has many more people playing on servers than 2k4 because it has no online CDKey checker (you can guess what that means for the mass of UT99 players) and it has way lower system requirements. The number of people playing it doesn't make it a good game. Would you argue CS is a better game because more people play it?
But I agree with you, I liked UT99 better. And Quake 3. Greatest rush in gaming history, only thing better than playing Contra 3 and Mortal Kombat 3 Ultimate back to back was playing UT and Quake 3 hours on end. I remember they came out roughly at the same time. I still remember the MaximumPC article that stated having both games released in the same month was like having an 8.0 earthquake strike at the same time as a hurricane.
Your long winded explanation of why UT3 blows is too inspired. Too long. UT3 sucks for 3 simple reasons, the GUI is exactly that of the console (this includes all the browser grievances), the game looks exactly like Gears of War (not good, UT character models should be small/slender, hard to hit) and the weapons were unsatisfying.
UT3 is a good example of how even if you throw as much awesome shit into a game as you can, it doesn't mean it will come out fun to play. FPS Gameplay mechanics should boil down to simpler elements than they do now. Average gamers that like MW2 and the new Rainbow 6s don't seem to realize that they are playing basically the same thing, same concept, but disguised to be "tactical" or complicated. It's not complicated, its needless. The last real tactical game I played was the total conversion for, ironically, UT, called Infiltration.
Those who say UT was repetitive and "insane", I suppose you don't like sports either? Basketball, soccer, hockey, baseball, is it not just doing very simple things over and over hoping for a different outcome? And those who are skillful can take the very simple thing and dazzle you at it. Wanna play something complicated? Wanna play the computer equivalent of...chess? Go play StarCraft.
Anyway, this rant has drawn out too long. I wonder if anyone will even bother to read it.
id has turned Quake3 into a server based flash type game for free if anyone's interested and doesn't know, it's called Quake Live I think. Check it out. Something to do with all those puny netbooks.