Epic Announces "Major" UT3 Expansion

[Wunderbar_007]

Depends on what the expansion actually is, If its like the bonus pack i.e a couple of shoddy maps then there is no point (imo it woauld also be the final nail in the coffin). If its a 2k3>2k4 style update then yes it would be a good idea. Mainly to show people its no longer a poor quality beta.

Agreed
Man, do I hope it’s the latter!
Also, what's with all the fighting? I'm honestly amazed this game is still getting patched, let alone a MAJOR expansion, whatever that means. This is supposed to be good news, and we know frankly nothing about it to indicate otherwise. The way I see it, with all that Gears 2 income, they have a chance to really fix this game up and as I remember in their UT3 Post Mortem, they mentioned what needs fixing, so I assume they are working on just that first of all. Besides, more UT is never a bad thing.

As for the platforms it will be released on, it’s just like Severin said, depends on what this expansion is. I very much doubt it will be a free download as we would have had it by now, I mean when was the last official bonus pack? What were they doing all this time? lol. So I'm leaning towards something like 2k3-2k4 but without the name change. If so, it’s almost a guarantee that it will come to all three platforms and the ONLY reasons I see that it will first come to PC and PS3 (simultaneously) is because the 360 is getting Gears 2 and because PC and PS3 versions are similar to make (no going through Microsoft delay). Either way, all three platforms get a copy.

Unfortunately, if all three copies are the same, I doubt things like the UI will be changed, and it will be total chaos. I they aren't all the same, it will be seen as unfair, thus once again total chaos. I honestly think EPIC is kind of screwed either way, being multi platform and all now haha, so I'm very curious to see what they will do. The only bright side I see is that with all our complaining since the release of UT3, EPIC knows EXACTLY what the fans want, and an expansion, not to mention a MAJOR one is definitely something many including myself have hoped for since UT3. So far so good

 

[Mabz]

I want

Advanced Bot voice commands
Seriously good and tactical destructible sceneray in Warefare
More Content

Glad I waited to buy UT3 but I'm confident to say I will after the include this major upgrade on the coming installation disks

 

[Grobut]

Agreed This is supposed to be good news, and we know frankly nothing about it to indicate otherwise.

Its only good news if it is done right, clearly, what people want is an UT2004 to UT3's UT2003, thats what we all hope this will be, that is what this game desperately needs.. but what if it's not that at all? or falls way short of what people feel needs to be done to save the game (what they feel would make them buy this and play it)? what happens then? probably nothing good.. infact it could be a disaster for the franchise.

 

[Wunderbar_007]

Well, I'm sure it will fall short as everyone has different do's and don'ts for this expansion, not to mention most people will never be satisfied and should perhaps have more realistic expectations. I just suggest we look at it positively, I mean, what can they possibly do with this expansion to make UT3worse off than it already is? Most problems that users have with this game are esthetic and features. Given how bad the UI is, any change to it is better than no change, and they won't remove any features, they can only add, be it a map or a gametype. I'm just worried that because it's a multiplatform release, they won't fix a facken thing given how complicated and unique it must be for each console but simply add more maps and characters which we don't really need!

 

[Grobut]

Well, I'm sure it will fall short as everyone has different do's and don'ts for this expansion, not to mention most people will never be satisfied and should perhaps have more realistic expectations. I just suggest we look at it positively, I mean, what can they possibly do with this expansion to make UT3worse off than it already is? Most problems that users have with this game are esthetic and features. Given how bad the UI is, any change to it is better than no change, and they won't remove any features, they can only add, be it a map or a gametype. I'm just worried that because it's a multiplatform release, they won't fix a facken thing given how complicated and unique it must be for each console but simply add more maps and characters which we don't really need!

The expansion could make us worse off if it doesen't draw the people in who don't play it, but instead just fractures the allready tiny playing community even further, it would just speed up the games demise.

Its true that many people have very lofty hopes and dreams for this expansion, and that there's no way they can all come to pass, but that said, i don't think it would be impossible to make something we could all enjoy, because quite frankly, what people really seem to want is just for UT3 to have the polish and usefulness of UT2004, we want the options back, an IA that works, Menu's that work acceptably, bugfixes and optimizations, toss in a classic game-mode like AS or DOM or a new one, there you go, you have the game as it should have been at release, and people will play that.. the real question is, how much will they pay to get the game they should have gotten from the start?

 

[Brain]

Glad to hear it. Now the waiting begins.

 

[Peregrine]

Let's see. Mark said 1,000,000 copies sold worldwide on all platforms.
The game was $50 (new on PC) and $55-$60 (new on console).
Let's average that DOWN to $30 for price reductions and other such figures.

$30,000,000. My friends, THAT is not a failure and something that OBVIOUSLY both EPIC and MIDWAY are not ready to give up on.

So, yes it may be an online failure with no one playing online and a dead competitive scene but $$$$$$ is what decides success or failure.

Yes I was one that said UT was going to die.... I retract that statement.

 

[Wunderbar_007]

The expansion could make us worse off if it doesen't draw the people in who don't play it, but instead just fractures the allready tiny playing community even further, it would just speed up the games demise.

Doesn't the multiplayer portion remain the same? I mean it's not a new game, with or without expansion ,we're still playing together no? So it shouldn't separate the community any further, even if no new people come. Anyway, I'll buy it if it IMPROVES the game.

 

[Grobut]

Doesn't the multiplayer portion remain the same? I mean it's not a new game, with or without expansion ,we're still playing together no? So it shouldn't separate the community any further, even if no new people come. Anyway, I'll buy it if it IMPROVES the game.

Not really, no, regardless of how ambitious the expansion is, it would obviously include some new maps and the like, so how could you play that unless you have the expansion?

So if it turns out that the players who currently dont play UT3 wont buy it (no new influx of players worth mention), and perhabs many who do wont buy it either because they dont feel its big enough the pay for, you would end up with even fewer people who could play togeather Online (version mismatches, or they just dont have the maps).


But this is the worst case scenario, this could happen if its just a payware map-pack that doesen't really upgrade/fix the game, or if it takes the game in the wrong direction of where the fanbase wants it to go, basically, this is what what would happen if they cock it up again.

 

[Wunderbar_007]

Ah, I see what you mean. Well, let's hope that doesn't happen! So do you guys think they've been working on this expansion all along since release?

 

[brdempsey69]

So do you guys think they've been working on this expansion all along since release?

Seems like that is exactly what they did for UT2003 -- UT2004, so yes, it's a very real possibility.

 

[LG1X]

If they pulled a ut2k4 on us then I would probably buy the game. But as Epic already stated, it's an expansion not a stand alone. The only way I can see the expansion being retail is by releasing the UT3 version with the expansion within it, like additional bonus maps and fixes. UT2K4 editors/ bonus pack edition for instance. It's still a coincidence they waited almost a year to announce it though, ut2k4 came out a year after ut2k3.

Actually I don't know what the big deal is yet. The expansion could just be a bunch of maps with no additional fixes or gui changes. Then again the expansion could include fixes as well as mods that have been created like Domination, Maybe they took in Dom and melted it an official UT3 game mode.

 

[LG1X]

pan cakes, noodles, water, eggs, lies, nope.

 

[fuegerstef]

...ut2k4 came out a year after ut2k3...

Ut2k3 came out september 2002. Ut2k4 came out 18th (plus/minus 2 days) of march 2004. 1.5 years that is.

 

[jasposfagot]

2 birds with one stone

'2 birds with one stone'

It's simple really, it's much easier, less costly, less time, etc, etc, to make an expansion/addon than it is to make an entire new game. So we make an expansion, which intern releases us from the fabled 'one more Unreal/UT title for Midway contract' and at the same time puts to bed the tired, worn out UT franchise.

UT3, deservedly or not, was a failure, there is much disquiet in the community, it's obvious this type of game's time has come . . . , consoles are taking over . . . , PC piracy . . . , etc, etc, etc. Let's just kill it the fastest, cheapest way we can, and move on.

It also has the added benefit of, if it is successful, smoothing out things a little with the PC people, which intern will be helpful for any future PC releases by Epic(PCF)

It will be a commercial offering (the fabled 'one more Unreal/UT title for Midway contract'), you will be paying for it, again, it will be the last you see of UT on PC (if not any platform), at least for a long time, if not for ever.

Lets hope it is good.

 

[Hedge-o-Matic]

Well, Epic had to be hugely disappointed with the reception UT3's release got from the community. After the buildup that must have taken place within Epic itself, months spent imagining how awed and pleased people would be to play the game, it must have stung pretty bad to see the demo's impact. The screwy multi-staged release wasn't too smooth either, and the community was obviously not fully on board, no matter how much many of us liked the game.

There were very few things I didn't like about UT3, and the problems I had with the demo (like vehicle balance) turned out to be pretty map-specific issues. Still, Epic's draconian clamping down on their boards turned me off UT3 pretty hard, especially since I was hardly a harsh critic, yet somehow got banned. I'm certain I'm not alone in this. I would find it hard to pay for another Epic product, and Unreal is almost all I've played for the past 10 years.

So what can Epic do to bring back people who love the game, and yet were soured by the overall experience?

New maps might be nice, but casual browsing of the servers show that few host anything even vaguely custom (except FragBU).

Classic gametypes aren't the answer, either. Dom has been very well redone, and isn't exactly drawing in the online crowds. Assault is basically going to be a modified Warfare system, since they gave the tools to make a perfectly passable AS map, but nobody bothered to do it. So that leaves what, LMS? Mutant, perhaps?

So now we get to non-gameplay stuff. Extra characters and a new UI. While a new front end might bury the simply unbelievably bad UI of UT3, I can't see this bringing back the lost flock.

I have to agree that nothing short of a 2k4 experience will make the disaffected take a second look. It has to go to a whole other level of gameplay over UT3. Maybe a new gametype, a radically unique experience might do it, like Onslaught did for 2k4. Could they have gotten Conquest into some sort of working order? Whatever it is, it will have to be ambitious, since Warfare won't be casually topped.

And that's one other area that Epic can really make this expansion shine. Demonstrate how great Warfare can be. Give us huge levels suitable for 64-player fights, and complex and unique maps using the basically untapped potential of Kismet. Don't wait for the community to take the reins and hope they propel the game to success, lead by example.

I have high hopes for the expansion, but we'll have to see what form it takes before we can know what we might expect.

 

[hal]

Depends on what the expansion actually is, If its like the bonus pack i.e a couple of shoddy maps then there is no point

I thought CTF-Searchlight was pretty exceptional, myself.

 

[TheIronKnuckle]

In conept yes, but in implementation no.

It was bug ridden and STILL has no preview screens.

But aside from that the map is nice.

 

[Sir_Brizz]

Well, I'm sure it will fall short as everyone has different do's and don'ts for this expansion, not to mention most people will never be satisfied and should perhaps have more realistic expectations. I just suggest we look at it positively, I mean, what can they possibly do with this expansion to make UT3worse off than it already is? Most problems that users have with this game are esthetic and features. Given how bad the UI is, any change to it is better than no change, and they won't remove any features, they can only add, be it a map or a gametype. I'm just worried that because it's a multiplatform release, they won't fix a facken thing given how complicated and unique it must be for each console but simply add more maps and characters which we don't really need!

I agree with this paragraph wholeheartedly. We currently have no reason to believe that this expansion will be less than we want it to be, but it is highly unlikely that they are going to fix everyone's complaints in one fell swoop. I'm sure the game will have something for everyone to complain about even if they fix 95% of the issues.

For example, if the expansion comes with a brand new shiny UI, I am sure that everyone will just move their complaints to something else that doesn't work the way they want it to. PC gamers like to whine more than they like to play games, I guess.

 

[WHIPperSNAPper]

For example, if the expansion comes with a brand new shiny UI, I am sure that everyone will just move their complaints to something else that doesn't work the way they want it to. PC gamers like to whine more than they like to play games, I guess.

Well, as you can tell from that less-than-comprehensive list of problems UT3 has, there's a whole lot more to complain about than just the User Interface, including game play issues. Remember, UT3's problems was not merely it's user interface and server browser but rather the entire package as a whole.