Teaser Video (Beta 2)

[Gumby]

I've found that I can create particle effects similar to or better than U2 in UT without performance drag. Basically my point is that FMI can definitely make particle effects as good as the U2 ones. Take for instance the vehicle explosion in U2. Impressive, large, doesn't seem too bad. You could easily replicate it in UT without an excessive amount of particles. Also for example look at the Juggernaut explosion. U2 didn't have to use a million particles to make that, UT could easily handle a similar particle effect. It also would look a lot better than the trailer one. U2 DID have a better particle engine in some aspects, like for instance per-particle damage dealing that UT does not have. But U2's particle engine is much buggier than UT, however that's besides the point.

Nothing on my other points?

U2 had particle slamanders wheras UT2x has gay bubbles... U2 is better in all aspects of the particle thing UT uses simplified stuff so lower system requirements are needed What they're doing is trying to get HL out of a mariocart engine... And doing pretty good at it

 

[T-Shinzon]

U2 had particle slamanders wheras UT2x has gay bubbles... U2 is better in all aspects of the particle thing UT uses simplified stuff so lower system requirements are needed What they're doing is trying to get HL out of a mariocart engine... And doing pretty good at it

I am inclined to disagree. I have made emitters that in many cases look as good as if not better than U2 ones. U2 ones just have a bit more options. Bubbles you say?

you had lotsa interesting points-constructively put too. fortunately they were mostly qualified with in-my-opinion, which is fair; i thought the jugger shell explosion was ok, and i liked the dirt, but that's just my opinion too. wonder if dirt appears when you shoot a metal surface..!
the dead vehicle mesh is a good point, i liked that too and it never got in the way cos it had no collisions round it.
i think the raptor thrust seems gentler than u2, but that's up to their scheme of balancing the vehicles.
iddQd, what's the hp thing you were talking about? i didn't get it.
all the fx are fluff though compared to gameplay issues and i'm dying to see that done first, which seems to be the consensus, hey.

Yeah that video didn't show much changes in the form of gameplay. The biggest differences I saw were particle effects, which I think still need work.

The Raptor boost was balanced just fine in U2XMP, I see no reason to change tradition. In the trailer it still has that really weak excuse for an afterburner (both particle-wise and force-wise).

Here's how it looks in U2, and I think the appearance and power should match.


The juggernaut explosion in the trailer is OK, but not exceptional. The explosion kicks up too much dirt, and all in one direction. Look, if a high kinetic-force shell EXPLODES on some dirt, it doesn't shoot it all straight up. Here in U2 you can see that the "dirt" seems more like gunpowder or explosive residue, but it fits well. The "dirt" is kicked up in more directions than just straight up. Also the shockwave fits in nicely to emphasize the power offered by the Juggernaut cannon. Finally, the U2 explosion actually encompasses better the area of effect. I personally don't like seeing an explosion (particle effects) 20 feet away and dying from it, like the UT trailer seems to show.



The thing that made the U2 vehicle disappearing to the destroyed mesh appearing so fluid is the explosion. It was large enough to cover the switch between vehicle and destroyed vehicle. That's probably the best way to approach this problem.

These are mostly particle issues, can't see much gameplay in the trailer :/

 

[...andrelax]

that all seems reasonable to me. i haven't got the hang of particles myself, but i understand the changes you mean and motly agree.. i'd rather they made the changes because they were right for utxmp rather than because it it was more like u2xmp.
by changing vehicle balance, i'm talking things like the harbie no longer being 'like an acid trip gone bad' and the raptor not slipping around everywhere. those are good changes, and <i>maybe</i> the lower boost speed fits- we'll know when we try. fair enough on the particles, though to be pedantic, we don't know if the raptor is spurting flames cos it's using nos or if it has rocket propulsion - those would certainly be different.

there's a long list on the changelog and bots healed each otherwhich was good... that's what i meant about the other issues

nice screenies by the way
these are the utxmp equivalents we're talking about

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i like the juggernaut's muzzle smoke and the blast radius ring thingbut yep the smoke is a bit smaller......

 

[dutch_gecko]

Even in U2 the visible blast radius didn't cover the damage radius. I regularly got caught out by that as a new player. Although the new jug blast isn't quite there yet, the old one actually looked quite naff: yes the dirt hit up in all directions, but there was a definite line where the blast meets the ground.

 

[T-Shinzon]

U2's juggernaut blast still covered the explosion radius better than the trailer shows UT doing. The UT jugg cannon muzzle effect is okay...

I know a fair amount of people that can drive the Raptor like it isn't weird...On occasion I can get real control over it. It's a practice thing.

The vehicles don't need balancing even with the better control, that only means that they'll be used a bit more often. I just hate the fact you can switch seats using the number keys, since that totally kills balance. The Juggernaut becomes a 1-man death machine. Also vehicles shouldn't be reset if left out since that is a strategy used in many competitive clan matches. Or if they are reset, it should only be after an excessively long amount of time.

The Raptor gutblow thing needs waay more blood. It just looks sad right now. I DEMAND BLOOD!!!!

Get the bots to hack things, defend, and attack, then we're talkin'.

 

[Skatcher]

just hate the fact you can switch seats using the number keys

fixed

 

[aeqos38/5]

Yeah... what perspective do you FMI guys have on the vehicle reset feature? It seems there is a lot of rejection in the community concerning that.

 

[Maestro PaN]

U2 had particle slamanders wheras UT2x has gay bubbles... U2 is better in all aspects of the particle thing UT uses simplified stuff so lower system requirements are needed What they're doing is trying to get HL out of a mariocart engine... And doing pretty good at it

i just think it would be cool if i could play with the fixs i play xmp for the game not the cool emmiters... people who want baddass emitters should see hf2 if fmi has the time to perfect everything thats great but i would like to see and update from the current build...

 

[Skatcher]

i just think it would be cool if i could play with the fixs i play xmp for the game not the cool emmiters... people who want baddass emitters should see hf2 if fmi has the time to perfect everything thats great but i would like to see and update from the current build...

in the raptor boosters the problem is not so much the looks of it but the boost it gives the raptor, it accelerates too slow and not enough imo.

as for the jugger blast and the vehicles wrecks ...well they do look pretty crappy atm , not sure if it is possible to do better, but as mostly everyone has pointed out, gameplay first, eye candy later.

 

[Jackal]

Just wait you guys. The video hardly shows anything, and unless you actually play it, you really can't tell. Of course ive been playing with the new patch, so I didn't expect much from it either. That's my problem. I can't remember what you guys are playing with, becuase I have the updated patch. Anyways, no one will be disapointed when the new beta releases.

 

[...andrelax]

........ I DEMAND BLOOD!!!!

Get the bots to hack things, defend, and attack, then we're talkin'.

i agree jackal - we're just indulging in a bit of speculation in the meantime...
Shinzon- the raptor was a slippery joke in u2xmp, practice or not. re vehicles, the changelog says:
04/01 Vehicles reset if left abandoned
17/04 Switching seats in a vehicle using the numeral keys is now disabled
09/01 1337 h4x0r b075

and there's blood in the gutblow fx; it's just under the flames
i reckon the vehicles would need rebalancing once you'd made them actually grip the floor like you'd expect.... we'll see.

i want the patch so i can finish bot pathing my maps!

 

[Skatcher]

imo the old vehicles worked really nicely with the gameplay, makes it harder to run wt arti and to run over ppl. If the raptor handles like it does in UT and with a smaller turning radius it will turn into a gutblowing machine, it will also make it alot easier to run wt arti without blowing the raptor up in the process...

 

[T-Shinzon]

Well from the trailer it's easiest to dissect the particle effects since I can't really "play" with the trailer's gameplay.

Yeah the UTXMP Raptor boost is too weak in both emitter and force, like I mentioned already.

The Raptor wasn't a "slippery joke" in U2XMP, maybe you just couldn't drive it. Seriously though, I could drive it fine after maybe 5 or so minutes of practice. Undoubtedly the vehicular physics in U2XMP really had flaws, but I don't think you need to rethink all the vehicles just because they're a little easier to drive, i.e. you don't need to handicap the raptor boost power.

04/01 Vehicles reset if left abandoned
17/04 Switching seats in a vehicle using the numeral keys is now disabled
09/01 1337 h4x0r b075


Ok cool. 1337 h4x0r b075 to match the 1337 h4x0r pl4y3rs, I presume?

I see the blood in the gutblow effect, I don't think it approaches the quality (or quantity) of the U2 gutblow effect. It was so satisfying!

 

[...andrelax]

lol! just played u2xmp tonight.. yep, gutblow is Molto Juicy
and no OF COURSE i couldn't drive the raptor!
bots are a new thing to xmp, maybe we should have a community vs 1337 h4x0r b075 day to put them in their place

 

[dutch_gecko]

I think some of you are missing the point with the vehicles.... they were immensely FUN! There's a whole mod dedicated to the raptor, and if that doesn't indicate that it was fun I don't know what does. From the original public beta of UTXMP I remember that I found the new raptor a tad disappointing, simply because it didn't laugh at my level of concentration and do a 720 for fun.

 

[...andrelax]

fun?!?!? well, i suppose if you like that sort of thing...
j/k

 

[XMP.Arc]

Gecko's correct... LArG3 P4rT 0f r4p+Or dr1V1NG 1$ F1NE553.
The raptor will laugh at u sometimes. Try out raptor on empty server or open a map to perfect your $kiLLs.

*x-tra heap of raptor gore

 

[dutch_gecko]

And every now and then the raptor will really take the piss and gutblow you as you get out...

 

[Chad Muska]

Vehicle explosion have to be most spectacular. ATM, it looks ridiculous

 

[GotBeer?]

The Raptor does hug the ground too well right now, and is damn near invincible. Takes all the skill away from driving one (not that I have any). Also, it doesn't climb as well as in U2XMP, someone a while back suggested it could be the vehicle's weight or something like that.