The Strength of Our Future Lies in Our Past.
Babar said:
During the main video, a man from Epic said that ut2k7 would be "easier for noobs to compete against the pros". Does that scare anyone else except for me?
I can understand what you mean when it comes to being worried, the last thing Epic needs to do is over-compensate on the learning curve balance.
But, I do think Epic have a point. One of the things that UT99 was very good at, was that the learning curve wasn't particularly steep. It took a short time to learn, but at the same time, it took a lot of work to master. It effectively meant that newer players stood a better chance. UT2003/4 had a very harsh learning curve, and a lot of the features of the game (such as slow run speed, and low power weapons) made the game very tough for new players. It's been cited - rightly, in my opinion - as a reason for the fact that UT2003/4 couldn't attract new players, despite the
huge popularity of the demos. There were more than 30,000 people playing the UT2004 demo, but very soon those figures dropped like a stone because new players weren't sticking around.
Epic need to get the learning curve much neaer to UT99's. They need to make a game that's easier to learn and play, but they also need a game that has the depth to be attractive to the established community. There has to be a balance, and UT2004 got it badly,
badly wrong by leaving new players out in the cold. The game needs to be easier on new players, or it's doomed to failiure.
Having said it, it's notable that the UT99 competitive community (in Europe at least) is
significantly larger than UT2004's. Simplicity sometimes is the best option.