UT3 Reclamation Project

[DW_ToxicWaste]

Hey all,

Sanch3z of T5K fame, is exploring the idea of taking on the large task of "fixing" UT3. I'm wondering if there's anyone out there left who might be interested in getting some value out of that $60 you dropped. You can see the thread here and get an idea for some of the things that he and others feel need fixing:


http://pubheroes.com/forum/showthread.php?t=583

I personally was sorely dissappointed with UT3, and it was like a shot in the stomach. The UT series is really the only game I have ever loved, and without it, I don't know what I would do. If some of these things could be changed in UT3, I might actually have some spark to play.

The idea here is not to delude ourselves into thinking we'll suddenly ressurect the game, get 20,000 people online, and turn it into the game of the year. The idea is to open a constructive dialog, identify areas where we feel changing might make the game more enjoyable, and implementing those changes for OURSELVES, with the hope that others might be drawn back as well. But the bottom line is to get some ggs out of a game that mostly collects dust on a lot of people's shelves.

I'd like to get an idea of who might be interested in such a thing. I'm not interested in another UT3 bashing post. I'm not interested in any posts that say TF2,COD4,etc>UT3 and it will always suck. I'm not interested in any posts that say UT3 is the greatest thing since sliced bread, and it can't be improved. So if you're clicking reply, and that's all you have to say, save it.

But if you're interested in making some changes to UT3, and getting it to be more fun (with the slim hope that Epic might actually think about making UT3.5 and look to some of the things we're doing to improve UT3), then let your voice be heard.

Thanks,

Rich (TW)

[DW_WailofSuicide]

IMO, things that would improve the gameplay -


-Fix to huge number of dud projectiles
-Fix to ragdoll and other collision anomalies
-Increase vehicle damage from collisions (Current full-speed head-on collision only does like 1-2pts of damage to a vehicle)


-Speed up weapon switch times marginally (25%? faster)
-Speed up knocked-off-hoverboard recovery time
-Significant increase to knockback against all vehicles from all/most weapons
-Reduce vehicle "Aim Error" problem (targetting reticle becomes "inaccurate" far too easily)
-Link guns link by firing secondary at a player, not proximity

-Impact Hammer secondary does 200dmg+ against vehicles, %chance to EMP the vehicle (depending on Damage / CurrentVehicleHealth + random factor)
-Reduce Scorpion gun cheese factor*
-Improve Hellbender rear turret (bring back knockback/200dmg full charge)
-Reduce knockback vs. Hellbender (exception to general rule above)
-Manta receives knockback when running over players
-Manta projectile speed reduced ~25%
-Tank shell becomes yellow streak again instead of nondescript rocket
-Reduce Raptor missle firing speed
-Reduce Raptor plasma projectile speed by ~25%
-Increase Raptor maneuverability
-Increase Paladin firing speed 50%
-Increase Paladin shield strength 50% (remove "collide with world turns off shield" issue)
-Leviathan turrets become closed to sniper fire but can take damage from Tank/Paladin/other explosive weapons
-Scavenger HP to 300, replace weapon entirely


*The Scorpion weapon is a huge issue. But at the same time, I really don't want people turning it into the web crap from 2k4 that was pretty much entirely useless.

I think probably the best solution is to keep the same auto-homing ball, but reduce the cheese factor somewhat by [conceptually] changing the balls from explosives into EMPs. Lets say the EMP balls do about 100 damage to vehicles, but only 50-75 damage max to a player.
Furthermore - lets say that each ball has a chance to EMP a vehicle and eject the player from it. To preserve the current balance, lets say 2 Scorpion balls will EMP a Manta. The Scorpion remains effective but the cheese factor is lessened because it doesn't auto-kill the Manta driver, but instead ejects them and allows them to bring the fight on the ground.
The real trick here is figuring out how to deal with this EMP effect against heavier targets like Goliaths and Leviathans. I guess you could figure something out like %ChanceEMP = DamageDone / CurrentVehicleHealth... But that may be too powerful since you get a pretty high chance to EMPing a vehicle even at 50% health. Maybe it should only EMP if the vehicle health is 100.

[DW_Hornet]

So wail, get started on that and get back to us.

I know this isn't something your looking for, but honestly It's going to require a lot of incentive to get some people to even bother at this point. 1 name to comes to mind.... Snaggle.

[d2frob]

Get it so everyone can play it at the framerates they had 2k4 on and you have a winner. Oh, then add a bunch of extra features to help online stuff. The core game was never the issue.

[superchav]

Good topic, ut3 ahh where to start

isnt too bad in my book, im just inlove with 2k4 soo much that the expectations were uber high and after about a month of diehard play gave up, if you get it to feel more like 2k4 or atleast smiliar id be there.
i could contribute with map making, got started on trying to use the editor for ut3, not got too far but basicly the same

[JDub]

As an alternative why not try fixing 2k4? Would probably require less work, though a bit of access to the source code. Epic and partners should be more willing to share that than ut3.

[DW_WailofSuicide]

Well, there's more wrong with 2k4 than with UT3, IMO. Although what's wrong in either is typically very different. Fixing things like a vehicle weapon, tweaking damage or other things are pretty easy.

Fixing more fundamental issues like collision, movement, scale, physics, and so on - Not so much.

[WHIPperSNAPper]

I support the project and hope that he can breathe life into the game. As many of you know, my primary beef is with the user interface and server browser. The patches have improved the server browser some, but the user interface is still kinda clunky and slow and you still have to leave a server to check up on activity on other servers (not that it matters much right now since there are few populated servers anyway).

One other fix that I'd like to see:

Import taunts and team communication comments from UT99 and UT2004 and make it possible for people to keybind them.

[DW_e_aLpHa]

- i'd help in my free time, why not.. however Im afraid could be a very long process and , in the meantime the ut3 comunity will continue to drop even more to dangerously lonely levels..

One of the bigger isues outside the gameplay, that I think will need to be addressed as well , if not firstly .. is the System requeriments, maybe getting a more friendly environment for the standar Gaming system to this date.. I.e. UT3 Sys-req VS COD4 Sys-req as of today.. IMO I believe this drove away even more people than anything else..or at least was took as 'the laststraw' for many ..

In order to modify many aspects of the game , that Im sure would be very attractive for server owners and players.. we not only need the editor.. but the source code and the knowledge and software wich was used to compile the game itself, and where and how to get these.. is a little problem.. :(

[unhappy_meal]

A considerably more useful site --and one where plenty of custom work has already been produced --is zerofrag.com

While it's currently very difficult for custom content to realize its upmost potential with UT3's inefficient redirect (rumoured to be improved with patch 3), there's the Make Something Unreal contest.... some great discussion for an ONS 2.0 mod has happened here & is leaking onto Titan, INA and other sites.

The meaty stuff pretty much starts on page 2... here's a link to the thread: http://zerofrag.com/index.php?topic=427.0

It's as promising as anything I've seen for UT3 vehicular gametypes.... the more interest and contribution the better