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Unreal Tournament 2004 Goes Gold
psyco484 writes "Unreal Tournament 2004 has gone gold, the game will be in stores on March 15th. After an impressive demo, I'm certainly looking forward to this one." There are several improvements over UT2003, but my favorite is the ability to carry dual assault rifles.
The vehicles in the Onslaught mode have to be the coolest addition ever!!!
Is it even possible to carry two assault rifles simultaneously in real life? sounds a bit heavy...
This is my
But I had a problem when I tried playing it at a resolution other than 1280x1024. I couldn't read some of the text (especially when trying to join an internet game). Another problem that UT2k3 had was the size of the maps. Even with a broadband connection, transferring a 10 MB map takes a looooooong time.
The dogcow says "Moof!"
I can't wait now for Red Orchestra 2.0 using UT2004. Hopefully this will generate more intrest in this awesome mod.
But when I play it now, there's usually only one server with people playing on it. It's ashame because this is such a great game that tries to be more realistic. Like no floaty crosshairs, get shot with a bullet and you die...not 50 bullets while you jump around like a chicken.
It still needs work, but the guys making it are listening to the people playing it. And with ut2004 and all kinds of tanks sitting around, can't wait to see what they do with the new engine.
"Music is everybody's possession. It's only publishers who think that people own it." - John Lennon.
With a demo already out, it looks like MacSoft will have this out for OS X almost at the same time as the PC version. Sweet.
This guy is way out there
I've been playing the UT2K4 demo on both Windows and Mac (yay PowerBook) and the community chatter is right -- disabling audio results in framerates jumping anywhere from 50% - 200% faster. I hope it's a bug and not just the base requirement for UT2K4 audio!
I must admit, while I love the various flavors of UT, I dislike the naming convention. The same problem sports games have: once a year, they will seem out of date. They're basically making themselves stay on a once a year schedule: let's be real, how many gaming companies can do that (HL2, Doom 3...deadlines go to hell). And, unless there's actual changes, I would rather not buy a new version every year just to keep up with the online play (though I know you can always play the old versions). That said, I want this game. The vehicles are great, as is the gameplay and graphics in the demo.
Will this be including the Linux version of the game, like 2003 did? Maybe they'll be nice to us this time and put a notice on the box stating Linux version included.
I had this problem but discovered it was because the display settings for my Ti4200 were at "performance" rather than "quality" (right click desktop, settings, advanced, directX, blah, blah). It's probably because fonts are treated just like textures and are reduced in resolution along with everything else. It seems to me there's no difference in speed between performance and quality settings, so it's no loss - and it looks way better anyway.
Hope that helps... it certainly had me puzzled for a while. I think they need to at least add this to the FAQ.
Linux binary will be included in the pc/windows package.
I got the collector's edition for 40 bucks, comes on DVD with a nice logitech headset and bonus dvd. It also has some kind of emblem that adds either 50HP to your car or 2ghz to your pc (whichever you apply it to)
You can read the requitements on http://www.unrealtournament.com/ut2004.
Also, while you are there, read the forum thread on n00b Raptor camping and the posters that the fans have made up. You'll laugh up a lung, guaranteed!
Regarding systems, I had been on an Athlon XP 1600+, with PC133 SDRAM and an NVidia Ti4200 64MB card. When I started playing the demo a couple of weeks ago in Linux and Doze, I decided to upgrade. The demo is soo awesome. I never played UT before, as it always ssemed to be a bunch of bunny hopping clowns. But, I digress; I did buy the SE DVD edition.
My new system isn't anything extreme, as I always go for the sweet spot on the price/performance curve. I got an Asus A7V8X-X motherboard with 1.25GB of PC2700 333MHz RAM. AMD XP 2800+, same GF4 4200, added cooling and overclocked it to 4400 speeds. And I got a nice Lian Li case to put it in, and keep it cool. ~$250 for everything but the case. The gorgeous LianLi 6077 from Directron.com was $165 with PS.
I play in 1280x1024 or 1600x1280 at 32bit color and get ~75FPS. The benchmarks give me between about 45FPS and 350FPS, depending on what's going on.
It plays well on an 1800+ (~1600MHz). I'm sure it plays very well on 3200 systems, but it's not necessary. though maps like Onslaught and the physics models are very CPU intensive, and the performance is not bound to graphics processor. Build a system with a good balance of memory, internal bandwidth, CPU and graphics,and you should be fine.
Plays beautifully on Mandrake 9.2 with NVidia modules.
I can't wait to get my boxed set. My studies are really suffering.
..should rush out and buy this game and then send a mail to one of these people, letting them know that the fact that the game ran on Linux was one of the factors that made you deside to buy the game.
Bacially, thank them for their support of your favorite platform. And let them know you are always looking for quality game titles running linux to buy.
That won't hurt the chances of future ATARI distributed games being ported to Linux.
As already pointed out, it will run on Linux, in fact, there is a 64-bit version for Linux. Download all versions of the demo here.
Voice recognition is the besst feauture for me, I'm surprized it's not being mentioned more. All that you have to do is download MS speech SDK, train it and then the fun begins:
_ 1. php
ALPHA GET OUT! the bot will exit the vehicle, or
EVERYONE DANCE!, lol
http://www.beyondunreal.com/content/articles/74
Enjoy such new features as onslaught, assault...and good old backstabbing.
"sweet now it is gold, i wonder how long it will take for a full copy to be leaked, i give it 2 days."
Can't say that matters a whole lot to me. I tried to download GTA3 after I scratched the disc, ended up getting different games that were just renamed to GTA3. Fortunately for me, I found a used copy for reasonably cheap.
Frankly, I don't see what all the anti-piracy hype is about. If it's easier to just run down the street and buy the game than to wait all day to download and cross your fingers that it's a.) legit b.) works, then I don't see why the "you-cannot-backup-your-game" measures are all that necessary.
"Derp de derp."
Actually the best way to make sure your copy is associated with Linux is to play the retail version online as our masterserver keeps track of the last OS used to connect to it (per CD key).
-- Daniel, Epic Games Inc.
This is an excellent game. I was never a big fan of FPS but the "onslaught" mode in UT2004 has me hooked. Excellent mix of combat and strategy, the controls feel right, and the vehicles are really fun.
I still haven't played the standard "deathmatch" and "capture the flag" modes (and I am not really in a hurry to try them).
There is much more to be had here then in previous Unreal titles.
[...] but my favorite is the ability to carry dual assault rifles.
I'm guessing this is like in every other game, you still aim them together?
I was thinking that it would be interesting to experiment with individual aim for dual-weapons. You could have 'hold RMB and move mouse to aim second gun' (would subsume looking around) and 'hold RMB and press LMB' to fire.
But it guess it would be odd to controll one weapon as "an arm" and the other like usual (that is "where you look you fire"), so then you'd have to do the same but in reverse for the "left" gun, which I'm sure few gamers would like. Maybe for an option...
Just a thought.
Belief is the currency of delusion.
The thing that stands out about good games these days are their replay value it seems.
I keep finding that those "play through the game once and forget" games hardly get any replay value, whereas games like GTA (especially the racing, taxi, and police missions) and Unreal have endless replay value because of the underlying game involved is actually fun, with many variations on the theme...
(which reminds me of the Atari 2600 games, which had more variations on the theme of a particular game than you could shake a stick at - I think there was about 26 variations on Space Invaders alone!)
In that way, Unreal Tournament and the original Quake III have a kind of replay value that the original Pac-man (with all those patterns) and the Street Fighter series (with all those characters) had.
The frustration that other "3D tourism" games have (where you get stuck in one part and have to solve a puzzle to get to the next bit). Just doesn't hold up to replay value. Once you finish it, you throw the CD into the cupboard.
We need to see more games like this, and not the next Madden 3005 - if Madden is still with us by then.
READY.
PRINT ""+-0
If you write solid portable code from the beginning, there's no additional cost to releasing on multiple platforms,
:)
Wishful thinking
Actually, they have mentioned specifically (like at the bottom of this Mark Rein post), that the demo has NO cheat protection at all, because it would give that crowed a head start on the final version. They also mention that they will update the demo once the full game has been released for a little while, to include cheat protection. Its good to see that they are not only serious this issue, but they have put some thought in thier strategy.
I've seen a few posters comment about rendering speed increasing if sound is disabled, but that's not really an option for a serious player... if you can't hear where the shooting is coming from (or hear the footsteps of the person tailgaiting you) you're not gonna last very long. So turning off the sound isn't a serious option.
Also, just in general I'd say the frame rates on the mac are a lot slower than on the PC. Are they even bothering to use hardware accelleration? It feels like I'm back playing the original Unreal Tournament on my Wallstreet with its sucky graphics speed, and yet this is a fairly new tibook. My fps drops to around 4 or so during heavy action.
I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
The only two games that get much coverage on /. seem to be Quake, Doom3, and Unreal(x).
/. press when it had like 20x the number of online players than Q3 had, at the time, and getting modded as a troll.
Meanwhile, BF1942 and others get little coverage -- even though other titles were the ones to pioneer 64 player servers and larger maps.
The only thing I can figure is the old school FPS game with a gun that fires the EXACT same while running at a scale speed of 38mph, jumping, etc.
I remember posting the same question about Counter-Strike getting no
Personally, being a seasoned player of FPS titles since Wolf3D, I prefer games that have some level of chance when it comes to firing a perfect shot. Getting 18 consecutive headshots in MP with a sniper rifle is just lame after a while.
I also play paintball a lot, which is fairly inconsistent when it comes to accuracy. I've also got a couple of scoped rifles I enjoy doing some target practice with sometimes. Even with the bipod extended and laying prone, I can't hit consistently within a foot at 100 yards. Mind you, I have some eyesight problems.
This just makes the running and shooting perfectly thing in Unreal and Q3 just too cartoony for it to be fun.
Back on the subject, you can fire 2 'assault rifles' or handguns at a time, but there's no need, and plenty of reasons not to. One rifle can lay down plenty of suppressive fire, and more accurately than trying to use up all your ammo in a display of firepower. The target will just keeps it head down til you're trying to clear a jam or reload, and put a single round where it really hurts. Or send out his buddy to flank you. Since you used up all your ammo, and your weapon it too hot to touch, he won't even have to throw his shovel at you.
-cp-
President Bush to Liberate Alaska
There is a $10 rebate in the box!
Just FYI, the Raptor vehicle (no relation to the UT2004 Raptor) in Unreal 2: XMP plays Dixie too if you get airborn with the boosters (and hit the horn). :)
I loved watching that thing come flying over a hilltop with fire streaming out the vents playing that cute little tune. It was hillarious, right up until the point that it smacked into you, chewwed you up in the grinders, and spit your gibs out the same vents.
The Unreal Engine, be it orignal, UT2003, modified, whatever, was made to host maps on a speperate server. The UT server itself will send maps and other files, if it must, but at the same max rate as whatever the max client data rate is. This is done so the server doesn't screw people playing because someone is downloading.
What you are supposed to do is setup a web server that holds all the maps, textures, sounds and such that you need. You then set a redirector in the UT config to the web server. When a client needs a file, they get sent there, which then proceeds to send at the maximum rate possible as ber HTTP.
An additonal advantage is that the HTTP redirect supports compression. You can zip up the files (50% size on average) with the UCC program. They then download compressed and decompress on the client side, saving bandwidth and time.
So if you run a UT server, of any version, host the maps on a web server and setup a redirect. It can be on the same physical hardware if you like, or a completely different host, whatever works. However don't have the UT server itself serve up the data, it isn't efficient.