Ryan Gordon On Linux UT3: "still on its way"

[Yfrwlf]

sure, if you like deathmatch every day for the rest of your life. We seriously need some creativity in FOSS games.

UT3 brings some little things to the table. It essentially remains to be a deathmatch game tho.

Totally agree, and that was my point, there's a zillion possibilities out there for really interesting games but violence is "cool" to some which is one reason why 3D shooters unfortunately get more attention. Don't worry though, that market is over-saturated so you'll see more creative stuff like World of Goo, it'll just take time. ^^

[MAXX]

A well made (including graphics!) RTS

It's almost here and called 0A.D.

http://wildfiregames.com/0ad/

http://www.moddb.com/games/0-ad

I'd even say that it's better than any commercial title I've seen up to now. Just check out all the little details they have. The graphics don't have to hide eighter.




And although UT3 itself is nice, the real opportunities lie within the engine and the modding opportunities it offers.

http://www.moddb.com/mods/project-stealth

Project Stealth anyone?

[Licaon]

Places MojoShader can be found in use:
Unreal Tournament 3 uses MojoShader with its OpenGL renderer.

[Svartalf]

In fact I did not make this comment from the PoV of an engine or game developer but from the PoV of somebody who grew up with that stuff. In my school time we played a lot during lunch breaks Duke Nukem 3D, Quake ( extension pack including ActionQuake and TeamFortress ) and UT99. So I have a certain 'relationship' with those games. So I based my comment on my view as a gamer in this situation. Engine wise there is not much to complain. The UE3 is a strong and good engine with potential. It's just not what I needed for my project to come true.

Point taken. I'll try to not put words in your mouth in the future...

[Dragonlord]

Heh... His is a game developer's perspective of the game. Developers tend to hold games to a bit higher standard (Their own even if they're honest with themselves... ) and he's holding it to the same standards I am- with me having similar thoughts to his on the matter. It looks "pretty"- but considering that there were vastly more people playing the earlier versions on the servers than with UT3 currently, one wonders if either they tapped out the idea (unlikely) or it's just not as much fun to play as the previous iterations of the concept...

In fact I did not make this comment from the PoV of an engine or game developer but from the PoV of somebody who grew up with that stuff. In my school time we played a lot during lunch breaks Duke Nukem 3D, Quake ( extension pack including ActionQuake and TeamFortress ) and UT99. So I have a certain 'relationship' with those games. So I based my comment on my view as a gamer in this situation. Engine wise there is not much to complain. The UE3 is a strong and good engine with potential. It's just not what I needed for my project to come true.

[mirv]

I think you hit the nail on the head there Svartalf: UT3 is a good engine demo, but it's more that than a game.

[Svartalf]

You're correct about the Xbox and PS3 factor, I hadn't really considered that aspect. I'm not sure what percentage of players they expected to get from those platforms, but yes, that should be considered disappointing.

Heh... I knew there was something a bit amiss with the game before I'd ever laid hands on a controller for the PS3 version. When your audience isn't overall interested in buying you need to look for answers why. And oftentimes it's not "lack of hardware".

Anyway, I've been a long time fan of the series, and deathmatch games in general, and I find it to be my favorite. Of course that is one man's opinion, and because I am developing a game of that genre, sought out the reasons why some here didn't care for UT3.

My suggestion (fwiw...) would be to find the happy medium between the gameplay fun of UT99 or UT2k3 with what they DID do right in UT3 (I'd have to play it again to point my thoughts on them out to you- but there was quite a few things...they're just not sticking out in my recollection right at the moment...).

It's not so much "didn't care for" and more "meh..." in my case. While there are good things about UT3, they lost it in the pursuit of "balancing" the weapons and the eyecandy they piled onto it. It's become more of an engine demo to me than the game I fell in love with 2 revisions back.

And, you're welcome.

[Irritant]

You're correct about the Xbox and PS3 factor, I hadn't really considered that aspect. I'm not sure what percentage of players they expected to get from those platforms, but yes, that should be considered disappointing.

Anyway, I've been a long time fan of the series, and deathmatch games in general, and I find it to be my favorite. Of course that is one man's opinion, and because I am developing a game of that genre, sought out the reasons why some here didn't care for UT3.

Thanks for the responses

[Svartalf]

Um, yeah, LOL, mine is also from a game developer's perspective as well

Sorry... Forgot about your involvement in things of that nature... The comment was made just as I was getting up and sometimes tidbits like that elude me until I've had my first couple of cups of coffee...

Perhaps I should have made it a bit tighter. "From a engine developer's point of view..." might have been a better statement.

The playerbase issue is more likely another one - which is that a very large percentage of gamers still lack the neccesary hardware to run modern games at good enough framerates for online deathmatch. In my experiences as a developer, and supporting a similar game, I am completely amazed at how many people are still using ancient hardware, or crappy integrated Intel chips.

Oh, I don't know. Consider that it shipped for Windows, X-Box 360 and PS3. It's not done anywhere near as well as it ought to. And, you'd think that with there being no concerns for resources on the 360 and PS3, there'd be more people playing than there is.

Moreover, I don't think your assessment is 100% for gamers lacking the hardware. That game was decently playable with a 7600GS and above. Most of that audience happen to have that class or better of card because all the other games do well to good on it. Yes, you don't get all the eye candy with anything less than a G90/R700 mid-end card or better, but if the game's no fun without the eye candy, then it wasn't much fun to begin with, right?

Don't get me wrong. The engine itself is amazing with wonderful potential for the studios that can afford the thing and can utilize it to it's fullest potential. I just don't think UT3 itself is much of a game at this point because they missed a few bets along the way.

[Irritant]

Heh... His is a game developer's perspective of the game. Developers tend to hold games to a bit higher standard (Their own even if they're honest with themselves... ) and he's holding it to the same standards I am- with me having similar thoughts to his on the matter. It looks "pretty"- but considering that there were vastly more people playing the earlier versions on the servers than with UT3 currently, one wonders if either they tapped out the idea (unlikely) or it's just not as much fun to play as the previous iterations of the concept...

Um, yeah, LOL, mine is also from a game developer's perspective as well

The playerbase issue is more likely another one - which is that a very large percentage of gamers still lack the neccesary hardware to run modern games at good enough framerates for online deathmatch. In my experiences as a developer, and supporting a similar game, I am completely amazed at how many people are still using ancient hardware, or crappy integrated Intel chips.