Unreal Tournament 2007 Interview

[hal]

Computer & Video Games has a short interview (via print publication PC Zone, issue #162) with Epic Games' Jeff Morris, producer for Unreal Tournament 2007. Map styles, vehicles, mutators, and the new Unreal Warfare gametype are among the subjects covered.

What about the command structure in Warfare?

Jeff Morris: We're working on the idea that maybe there isn't an overall commander, but each bunker has its own. If there's no commander, then everything's fine - we have AI commanders up and running - but if somebody wants to go in there and put up a shield because they know an attack's coming, then that's something they could do. Also, we've discovered that running around the bunkers is great fun for deathmatches, so we're thinking of
having all of these different Assault-style nodes that work like switches for various defences, such as gun turrets or mines. You'll be able to configure how the base defends itself.

 

[JohnDoe641]

Unreal Warfare gametype, wtf?

Did I miss something or did they revert back to the old codename? :/

 

[Wowbagger]

Yea Conquest was taken (BF2) so they went for the old Warfare it seems.
Its in the BU UT2007 primer i think.

 

[DeathBooger]

I wish they would let people know what milestone they're at for this game. They said there was 13 milestones before the game is complete. I'm tired of reading interviews that pretty much say the same thing over and over again.

 

[Selerox]

Nice to know that they'll be less cra mutators though

Dear Epic

Please shut up about vehicle gametypes and tell us what you're doing to fix the core DM/CTF gameplay.

Thanks in advance.

 

[T2A`]

Dear Epic,

I'm in complete agreeance with Selerox, and frankly, I'm getting quite worried that this game is going to suck balls.

Sincerely,
Someone you'll never listen to.

Even though I've been playing games for over 25 years, I don't care much about jump height, ammo, reload time between shots, stuff like that...

We're f*cked.

 

[briach]

Seeing the graphics, the weapons, the vehicles, and knowing there are going to be 16 or something vehicles, I'm not worried about this game.

It's going to be spectacular. Gameplay is what the players and community make it. Everyone has different ideas about what they like and don't like in a game. Even if one community comes to a consensus about what they'd like changed it doesn't mean they are worth catering to or are a valid source of general consensus.

Make it noob friendly and make close combat a plenty(makes a projectiles game more fun generally), I don't care how.

That will make a fun game for the masses.

I don't think anyone buys a scifi game with a load of different complex projectile weapons, just to end up getting hitscanned to death at a distance.

Make it more intuitive for newcomers as it was said in several interviews. Intuitive for newcomers doesn't mean degrading movement, gameplay, etc... It simply means making the game intuitive and more immersive for new players.

 

[Beerzebub]

Terrain transformation.

I'm sceptic about that...:tdown:

 

[fuegerstef]

Dear Epic

Please shut up about vehicle gametypes and tell us what you're doing to fix the core DM/CTF gameplay.

Thanks in advance.

Read the interview with Joe Wilcox. There is at least some info on DM ond CTF.

http://www.ataricommunity.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=7284187#post7284187

 

[Slainchild]

Terrain transformation.

I'm sceptic about that...:tdown:

I think he just means that the terrain on one side of the map will have different textures and decals than the other, depending on the teams. Much like in Warcraft3 with the undead team's side being dead and dried up and stuff.

At least thats what I thought he meant.

 

[Retodon8]

From what I read now and before, indeed it's only textures, maybe some static meshes.
Think DOM-Core or to a lesser degree some ONS maps where certain features turned Red/Blue after captures, or colourless when neutral.
I'm always for more interactivity in maps, and although this doesn't fully count, if done well... let's say I'm looking forward to it.

We're f*cked.

Because one individual doesn't think it's important?
It's not that easy to get made love to.

Please shut up about vehicle gametypes and tell us what you're doing to fix the core DM/CTF gameplay.

Yes, that's exactly what'll sell the game.
I'm sure people visiting game sites would love to read about how player's armour is 3% more effective, or how rockets fly 1.2 times as fast, or whatever detail you think needs fixing.
In other words: Not.
Of course this matters to some people, but like briach said, other people like the current core gameplay (which is shooting people and trying not to get shot yourself, and they won't change that).
I'm sure Epic is thinking about these things as well; they said they did, but it certainly doesn't make for good interview material.
We'll just have to wait a bit and see what they'll leak, and I suspect the forums are a lot better a place to find out about the gameplay details the more profesional/serious UT gamer is curious about.

 

[Selerox]

DrSiN interview helped ease some fears...

I don't care about the specifics of DM/CTF right now, I just want them to talk about it, rather than spending a huge chunk of their PR time telling people about vehicles and features that won't make the gameplay any better.

I don't want to know it all, I just want to know something.

 

[DeathBooger]

I don't care about the specifics of DM/CTF right now, I just want them to talk about it, rather than spending a huge chunk of their PR time telling people about vehicles and features that won't make the gameplay any better.

I don't want to know it all, I just want to know something.

They've already talked about DM multiple times. How they're working on map gameplay first before worrying about how they look, and figuring out what is the best balance in movement, etc. What more do you want? A lot of people get pissy when an interview mentions a different gametype than the one they play all the time, I don't get it. Conquest/ Warfare is the new big thing, it's going to get most of the publicity because it's new, DM isn't new, but it doesn't mean they don't care about it anymore.

 

[Neophoenix]

Why whould they talk about it CTF and DM a lot? They aren't changing it radicly, so there isn't much to say on the topic. On the other hand UW, and the new vehicles are compleatly new, so of course most the talk will be about them. Flak's intervew was prety informative when it came to CTF and DM. I'm glad the adren is out of them.

I'm just worried that UW will be so complicated that it won't be worth playing. It almost sounds like those games where you have to construct a tank facility in order to produce tanks, and you build laser defence platforms, while colecting resources for prduction. If that is the case I will never play it.

 

[EggBoy]

What I am wondering is whether they will have slighly different gameplay mechanics in Warfare than in DM. Warfare sounds like it will be more long range and vehicles etc, with maybe some close quarters in between too. So will they tweak the weapon/player stats seperately (like in Quake4 singleplayer vs mulitplayer) for each gametypes to make them more fun, or will they compromise in between and make it the same? Or maybe they just design Warfare in such a way that it works fine with classic DM style play.

 

[EggBoy]

I'm just worried that UW will be so complicated that it won't be worth playing. It almost sounds like those games where you have to construct a tank facility in order to produce tanks, and you build laser defence platforms, while colecting resources for prduction. If that is the case I will never play it.

Its UT, how complicated could they possibly make it?... Well actually, the fact that there is a need for a 'commander' role probably means it is much more complex, at least in terms of strategic depth and options. Still, I dont think you need to worry, just let the AI commander do his work and you can be the grunt having fun on the frontline

 

[Retodon8]

I really doubt it will ever get actually complicated.
Maybe about the same as XMP, which wasn't too bad, it just needed some time for you to fully comprehend everything and get really good at it.
Still, if it does, and it's not one's kind of thing, there is always the other gametypes to play.

 

[DeathBooger]

All Unreal Warfare is going to be is Assault with out having to take turns for offense and defense, your team will do both at the same time, no more taking turns in rounds. I doubt they over-complicate it.

 

[Majik]

Dear Epic

Please shut up about vehicle gametypes and tell us what you're doing to fix the core DM/CTF gameplay.

Thanks in advance.

Yeah, I wouldn't mind getting some more info on the core gametypes/gameplay as well, but isn't it the interviewer(s) who's at fault for not asking him about it though? It'd be nice if BU could kidnap one of the developers and pry some information out of him - or just a standard procedure interview, either is fine.

There is this thread in the UT2k7 forum, but since that forum's been overrun by kids lately, it's kinda hard to take much of it seriously.

 

[]-UnderTOW-[]

Even though I've been playing games for over 25 years, I don't care much about jump height, ammo, reload time between shots, stuff like that...

We're f*cked.

I read that and thought the same thing. Glad he's not the designer though.