UT2K3 demo out-

#1 Too bad they've been having master server problems. :-\ Oh well, it is pretty neat. It runs very fast on my Linux box. :-D

#2 Graphically, it's gorgeous. Torque whips it in water rendering, though (too much environmental mapping in UT, IMO).


Gameplay, however, is _so_ 1999. I played it for a couple hours today, and that's pretty much all there is. Run around, shoot people, repeat. The only real "innovations" are Bombing Run (which is pretty fun) and the Adrenaline system (insert keycombos with a full adrenaline gauge to do different things).

#3

Quote: Torque whips it in water rendering, though (too much environmental mapping in UT, IMO).

HUH? Thats just a setting. Pick up a copy of the editor and check out all the stuff that can be done with water then come and say that. Water also can reflect light(with lights) has real time enviromental mapping. Along with a whole host of effects.
The Models and geometry rule! And the particles are the best looking I have seen. The landscapes support "Overhangs" and "Caves" and doesn't have to stretch the textures to do it. Thats all on top of the same technoligy that allows for the most poly's per veiw to date!
And from what I understand UT2003 doesn't even touch the Unreal Game that Epic is making. If we only had a 1/5 of what Unreal has we would be made.
I am just glad torque engine only cost $100 to get started.

#4 Seeing as how the editor isn't even out yet (shipping with the game, AFAIK), it'd be kind of hard to look at it. And I stand by my opinion that the water in the outdoor DM map is like a mirror; _way_ too shiny.

And the rest of that, yes. That's why I said it looks gorgeous. But gameplay is only slightly different from UT and Q3, and was played out years ago IMO.

And I'm going to buy Unreal II. No question. :)

#5 Well, after a pretty rough first night of trying to get into the game (lag issues, server drops, clipping through terrain), I finally got enough time in it to completely dominate a match, which surprised the heck out of me. But I have to agree with Corvi, UT2K3 just seems too "shiny", and the water in particular. Yes, this is all determined by the map and aesthetic the game is going for, but I don't think he was meaning to imply that the engine was poor, just that this implementation wasn't to his liking.

I have to agree about the gameplay complaints too. There -isn't- much new other than a great engine, making me want to play the game. Bombing Run is neat, but it's a bit too "sports" for my tastes. Unreal 2 might be a great game though, but we'll all see when it comes out. :)

#6 Actually...they released the editor allready... :).
I looked at it but then again i never liked the Unreal way of level designing :(

Cheers,

Miller

#7 I dunno. I mean its basically UT but with a new engine and a few new modes that get boring quick enough. I agree that the gameplay it too old. And they should have released better models.. Im already sick of those ones!!

The graphics do look cool, I love the ragdoll physics as well :)

Dylan

#8 Hm, actually I loved the water in UT2003-demo. Yes, it sure is shiney, but the surface movement looks so right. I'm not sure if torque can do those little waves and swirls.
Also, the grass looks awesome. I'll definitely be taking a closer look at that.

#9 Falcon:
"UT 2003: So exciting, you'll want to watch grass grow!" =-)

#10 The Editor is out. If you geto the UT2003 weebsite (link provided with game) and the to the forums there is a post up under editing and programming that give you a download to a French site. They have a competition running. You can download the editor from them and hook it into the demo.

Its not the MAYA Ple version that will ship with the retail game but they are the same and you can get a good look at what the editor does. Subtractive Mapping Rules Bsp sucks!
I am not rtying to start a fight either its just FACT!

LOL
Matt

#11 Matthew: Other than the long compile times typical of BSP, what other advantages are there to subtractive geometry? I'm not trying to provoke an argument, but am genuinely curious. I'm pretty sure it'd be possible (and not terribly difficult) to recreate the UT2K3 maps in the demo in a BSP-based system, discounting the speed decrease due to the engine differences (i.e. speed changes due to the engine and not the format).

Anyone have any knowledge of their relative performance?

#12 The water in the UT2k3 demo, looks ok, althought it acts like jello.

The graphics are very nice, but the gameplay hasnt evolved enough to satisfy me, With the exception of bombing run, thats kinda fun.

The game that I am currently in awe of : Battlefield 1942.

Plenty of flash and substance there.

~myk

#13 I never liked UT or Quake. The "kill-die-comeback" gameplay is monotonous at best. Games like Counterstrike, and Global Operations made FPS games what they are today IMO. Graphics are all well and good, but a game with this much hype should have content as well. No Multiplayer FPS satisfies me more than when it is mission-oriented. There's not much of a reason to having it be multiplayer when all ur doing is killing everything that moves. It gets interesting when your team has a goal to move toward. Global Ops does this..and is, in a lot of aspects, better than CStrike (lacking only as far as not allowing you to dload custom maps, and having bad feedback when you shoot an enemy) I hope mundane FPSs die, and NOT come back. (C:

#14 I have to agree with just about all the statements regarding UT2003....

As it is, its nice tech demo for the engine, but beyond that, its the original game with a shiny new coat. In any case, I'm pretty sure this won't harm its sales. No doubt it will be among the top 10 pc games...

I own Global Ops myself, and find it much more interesting an FPS than UT2003 and the like...but these fragmatches are more "approachable", not to mention the hype. It had over 60,000 downloads in 2 days...

One thing I will say about it, it runs great on my measly P3 550, Geforce 2. That alone is good. I wonder what happened to America's Army...really chugs on my machine :o


I'll just have to wait for Unreal 2 :P

#15 Personally, I prefer the "kill-die-comeback" gameplay. I don't have all that much spare time to play games (spend most of my time writing them) and dislike sitting around waiting for the time limit to run out or for one of the last two campers to die. Same deal for the "reinforcement" system used by Wolfenstein, Battlefield 1942, and so on. At the speed most first person shooters operate, fifteen seconds is an eternity -- especially in a competitive team match.

I agree with you on mission-oriented gameplay though, but I think the current batch of first person shooters isn't implementing it entirely how I want it. I'd rather a cooperative multiplayer "adventure" (even if it's just variations on a theme) against AI than two teams facing off on a map with a mission that just ends up seeming forced.

#16 Battelfeild 1942 has some great things going for it, but frankly comes across like a beta to me. The load times are like a horribly unoptimized game (if anyone tried it, the leaked UT betas had similat load times, look at what they are now, all but nonexistant), and the thing just is *buggy* I know some people have had good luck with battlefeild, but some systems just plain do not like running that game. Technical issues asside, Battlefeild really does do some things well. It's really the first real good use of vehicles I've seen. (I know other games like Tribes 2 have done it, but I didn't think it worked too well). That's part of Battlefeild's problem though: the vehicles are so good and so fun that it realyl shows that the infantry side of the game is a bit lacking. Not much for weapons, inherent inacuracy, and just in general being outclassed by vehicles. I know it's realistic to not compare to a guy in a tank or a plane, but it also reduces the game to waiting in line for a vehicle, because without it you're a target. UT feels very polished, very slick and it's got a hell of an engine. Maybe it's not a lot for new gameplay, but personally I'm still very very fond of that gameplay. Nothing in an FPS pisses me off more than dying and having to wait to respawn. I've got better things to do with my time than sit and stare at a countdown in a game I should be *playing*.

That said, Battlefeild has a lot of potential. It probably won't be realized until a sequel, but it's certainly going to have its day. I just think it's not there yet.

Minako

#17 UT 2003 looks awesome, but has some of the worst online techno game play I have ever encountered. Battlefield plays good, but looks crappy. Try "Earth and Beyond" for more engaging play, looks superb as well.

#18 Yeah I love earth and beyond and BF 1942. But I gota admint the UT2k3 is Graphicly incredible and I really enjoyed the "RUN and GUN" gameplay it was anice change to thegames of late. the whole ultra realism thing has gotten WAY over done. I used to a big fan of CS and played it for a LONG time but now it seems like most every gam is the same thing over and over. and I'm sorry but Global OPs sucked!!! was like a half ass CS with better graphics. Should be interesting to see how man people try to make swat mods for this ne game engine. At least there was something original in BF 1942. the vehicles are fun. But I dissagree I often take off on foot in that game. "Me and my trusty sniper rifle" ass some one on foot can take out a tank easy you just can go trying a direct assult you gotta sneek up on them and toss a grenade under them.

Oh yeah and I thought the water in UT was a bit shiny at first to but it is not that bad after going to the lake the other day I would say that it is pretty damn close. at least at angles maybe should be a little less shiny when looking straight down on it though. But the waster seemed very "Jello Like"

anyway that is just my 2 cents

#19 If either BF 1942 or UT 2003 could simply fix the d@mn netcode it would make them good games.

However, neither handles all that well in a multiplayer eviroment. Nothing like taking careful aim at some bodies head and they don't even move the whole time.

Then firing 8 rds at the bugger only to have the putz figure it out and pop you with his pistol.

Nope, these aren't ready for MP primetime. (Except of course in a LAN enviroment.)

#20 Even on our LAN BF1942 has flaws. Like you'll never headshot a moving target.

Minako