Epic sent a clear message when they released an unfinished game ...
Unfinished is not the same as fully untested (un-bugged).
Then there's the fact that oldskool-style shooters like UT3 are simply a dying breed because their learning curve to play online is way too high.
UT3 is easier to pick up and play for a newbie than BF2142 or Crysis...
I just don't play it because other games are better.
Personal taste.
UT3 would be in my top three played along with Burnout (Xbox) and FEAR (sp and mp). Q3A still comes in after those, and before UT2004.
I would play BF2142 more but it has just
too many issues (much worse than UT3's whined about UI, etc!). It was released Oct 2006, basically a year earlier than UT3, and it
still has so many problems that I usually don't bother playing it, even though I really like the game, the maps, etc.
I couldn't get more than half way through GoW before quitting, it is worse than Unreal 2 for recycled map look and game linearity (spawn in map, find direction to exit point, kill everything in between -- and the enemy spawn points are really badly telegraphed so they are easy to get a camp-'n'-kill every time).
I didn't care for Crysis at all.
etc...
It seems alot of the newer games are in this same situation. The originals of a series and the first sequel seems to have done well while further versions of these games seem to disappoint.
The industry has had a major swing over to consoles at around the time of all of those sequel games.
The UT franchise is probably finished ...
... UT3 needs its own Counter-Strike or Team Fortress ...
We will see a UT4, for numerous reasons.
It takes considerably more work on UE3/UT3 to create a CS or TF though.
Perhaps the mod finalists and runner-ups in MSUC will be able to maintain sufficient momentum to release some good UT3 mods. Whether they will become a CS is difficult to say...
This is one of those threads that CliffyB probably points to when peope ask him why he is exclusively working on Gears of War titles these days.
Well I hope he reads how I much prefer playing UT3 over GoW.
The only reason GoW is still on my game system is because I have plenty of HD space and I'm waiting for Epic to give a nod to pulling content across to UT3 (although I don't think they will).
The problem is this, what do they fix? What elements are needed to create a more palatable game for the average PC gamer to be interested enough to spend money on it?
The DM and CTF are fine. Those are staples of the fps gaming genre.
As far as the rest, it needs a bit of "expanding" (not necessarily "innovation") on the rest of the game types into the best points of UT3+BF2142+Tribes...
When the original UT2007 warfare enhanced mode was announced, it generated a lot of positive buzz, however it was not delivered unfortunately.
UT3 needed WAR to support a 64 player larger "warfare", with troop transports (ground, air and water) and water-based vehicles (transport and individual), a few additional weapons, actual deployables and not just the statically placed ammo/heath, the player models needed at least three classes based on the model design that affected their speed/armor/etc. so that a skinny chic in leather can't take the same damage as a massive dude laden with armor but she can run rings around him for speed and endurance. etc...
Many of the current popular online team games support these types of gameplay additional depth and interaction.
UT3 WAR was basically ONS with added Orb and boards.
And anyone thinking this couldn't be integrated into WAR without killing the existing ONS/WAR and VCTF is wrong. Just like all of the existing game modes can have maps designed with widely varying play area sizes, the chosen actor/pickup/vehicle use and placement in a map would determine what style of play would be supported. Newbie community mappers would have to be taught what actors to use, but that is not too difficult. To make things easier, ONS could have been left in as it was in UT2004 and had the added Orb and board, and WAR could have been a new game type that supported 64 players, transport vehicles, deployables, etc., which would have kept those actors associated with that game type.
When IG/Vivendi released T:V I stopped playing UT2004 and went over to it, simply because it offered this extra depth to it. Unfortunately Vivendi pulled the plug on the game.
Now some of this functionality could be added by community mods etc., but they for the most part won't become mainstream with UT3, simply because only a small percentage of the community ever plays mods. Even most of the servers are still only running stock maps.
For something like this to take hold, it would have to be released by Epic as a massive bonus pack for a new game type, or on something like a GOTY re-release.
I really hope that Epic can do something about that in patches, because right now, UT3 is not a very good foundation for any other mods than maps and mutators.
Probably not going to happen. A lot of the issue is that it is just much more technical and time-consuming to create
good and proper content for current engines like UE3. It takes a team of people really versed in UE3's operation to create something good with it. It also requires a lot of knowledge and experience with other external tools (ie. Max/Maya, etc.). I don't mean this to sound egocentric but search the Epic forums for my nic and read some of the technical replies I have given -- I don't expect many casual community mappers to even follow my posts. Anyone who is in the Epic licensee area will see posts from Epic that are even way above that. I see experienced people working at game studios having a time getting all of the technical stuff down with the engine, so what hope does that offer a casual community mapper.
Free UT3 probably wouldn't be played. Those other free games someone listed out on the previous page are either A) easy on the system requirements or B) of a style today's gamers enjoy (war shooters or MMOs).
I bought multiple UT3 copies. Most of my friends bought copies (and still play UT3 every now and then). Not everyone can be painted with that brush you are holding...