September 25, 2007. Epic Games joins BeyondUnreal and the Unreal community online for an IRC chat about Unreal Tournament 3.
[bu]hal`: just a few more minutes everyone. We're waiting on a couple of people
[Epic]Checker: silence ...
[Epic]IctusBrucks: Hello!
[Epic]Checker: :p
[Epic]Clawfist: hi!
[Epic]Dave: howdy
[Epic]Checker: So nice and quiet in here, amazing.
[EPIC]WarTourist: heeeeeeeeeeyo
[Epic]Dave: CARNAGE!!!!
[Epic]IctusBrucks: yah, its like they have filtering on or something!
[EPIC]WarTourist: You're just as accurate back flipping off a building as you are cowering in a corner!
[Epic]stuman: CARNAGE CARNAGE CARRRRRNAGE
[EPIC]WarTourist: Zero time to Spectacle!
[bu]hal`: haha
[bu]hal`: Hey everyone, before we get started, I want to thank Epic Games for agreeing to this IRC community Q&A.
[Epic]Clawfist: somebody have a monkey ready at ryans desk to strangle him when he starts crazytalk?
[bu]hal`: I also want to thank ETG for being so helpful in getting everything ready. Thanks to all for coming - this Q&A will consist almost entirely of questions submitted today.
[EPIC]WarTourist: Almost?!
[EPIC]WarTourist: :-)
[bu]hal`: we may sneak in a few ;)
[BU]Dark_Pulse: Yes! No fat, no gristle, just fresh-cooked goodness.
[bu]hal`: We'll continue to take questions throughout the Q&A, but obviously, the earlier you get them in, the better the chance they have of being picked up.
[bu]hal`: Private Message EventServices and submit your question to join the queue.
[BU]DeathBooger: ready?
[bu]hal`: first off... you guys want to introduce yourself?
[Epic]Checker: Hi, i am checker.
[EPIC]WarTourist: My name is Jeff Morris and I'm the Senior Producer on UT3
[Epic]IctusBrucks: I'm Ryan 'Ictus' Brucks, visual-oriented LD.
[Epic]Dave: I'm Dave (Magnus) and I'm lead level designer
[Epic]IctusBrucks: I, like so many others, came from the UT LD community a few years back
[Epic]DrSiN: I'm Joe Wilcox, a senior gameplay programmer on UT3
[Epic]Checker: I am Bastiaan Checker frank, local crazy click monkey (level designer)
[Epic]Clawfist: Hi I'm Sidney, clickmonkey with a german accent
• [bu]hal`: alright, well let's get this out of the way first... no demo date? :)
[EPIC]WarTourist: Nope!
[EPIC]WarTourist: You'll know as soon as we do :-)
[Epic]Dave: 2 wee....
[Epic]Dave: hah
[bu]hal`: oops
[EPIC]WarTourist: Dave....
* [Epic]stuman watches the flood of people leaving
[About 20 people leave the channel]
[BU]_Lynx: omg...
[Epic]Dave: LOL!!
[bu]hal`: alright, let's get into the questions
• GC][Wentz: Are there any advancements to the AI from what was previously mentioned in interviews?
[EPIC]WarTourist: Joe, you want that one?
[Epic]DrSiN: Matt?
[Epic]Checker: ping, pong. :p
[Epic]DrSiN: it's the pass the buck game :)
[Epic]Clawfist: hehe
[EPIC]Mysterial: haha
[EPIC]WarTourist: Didn't see the oelfke...perfect!
[EPIC]Mysterial: Well, the AI is much better at driving vehicles, much better at timing and acquiring powerups
[bu]hal`: are they still Link Gun whores?
[EPIC]Mysterial: we redid the aiming so that they actually look where they're shooting
[EPIC]Mysterial: and aim much more realistically
[EPIC]Mysterial: they do not do the crazy broken link beam lockon thing
[BU]Dark_Pulse: Do they link up to team on you now?
[Epic]DrSiN: They certainly do. I was testing single player the other night and I was pounding on this bot so he ran.. I was following him and he ran me directly in to an ambush by two of his teammates.. was a very cool moment.
[EPIC]Mysterial: the link gun works differently now
• Cleary: What happens when you shoot the Slow Motion Cube with a Shock or mini gun?
[bu]hal`: so how about that slow volume? does it have effect upon hitscan or just projectile?
[EPIC]Mysterial: instant hit weapons can't enter or exit the slow volume
[EPIC]Mysterial: if you're in, you can shoot others in, if you're out, you can shoot others out
• Privateer: As an anxious CTF player I was distracted from 2k4 scene by the translocator that a) left laserbeam after it b) had limited amount of reps. Will there be any modifications for CTF translocator properties?
[Epic]stuman: The trans now has 7 pucks
[Epic]DrSiN: The TL is close to the UT2K4 version though with some additional charges.
[BU]_Lynx: recharge speed?
[Epic]stuman :it has a trail, but its really short, mostly just a small effect behind it
[EPIC]Mysterial: I *think* it's slightly faster
[bu]hal`: ... close, as in trajectory?
[Epic]DrSiN: Yea.. it's slightly faster.
[Epic]stuman: i think its around a second right?
[Epic]Checker: I still run out of charges, but only in small maps with lots of corners, and then it recharges really fast.
[Epic]DrSiN: Pretty much.
[Epic]stuman: I rarely find myself running out of charges
[Epic]stuman: honestly
[Epic]Clawfist: i never run out of charges.. clearly checker is spamming his trans!
[Epic]stuman: usually only if i make a mistake and bring it back before it lands
[Epic]DrSiN: Yea, I'm a TL whore and it's rare I run out.
[Epic]stuman: i think most maps I can traverse most if not all the way
[Epic]DrSiN: We did make it harder to telefrag.
[Epic]Dave: the only time I run out is if I'm trying to telefrag someone and keep missing
[Epic]stuman: without running around
[Epic]stuman: out*, only the larger maps
• [DoW]MeepZero: Are dual enforcers going to be more viable as weapons? Or are they there purely for asthetic reasons?
[Epic]IctusBrucks: I kill with the enforcers alot now
[Epic]stuman: Dual enforcers are pretty hardcore haha
[Epic]IctusBrucks: especially with the burst fire alt fire
[Epic]IctusBrucks: oh ya, not to mention dual enforcers :)
[Epic]IctusBrucks: they're a force to be reckoned with
[Epic]Checker: Enforcer + high level bot = death. Dual enforcer = double death.
[Epic]Checker: :p
[Epic]stuman: dual enforcer 3 burst alt fire is pretty awesome
[BU]Dark_Pulse: Is the burst as effective as UT's "Gangsta" mode?
[EPIC]Mysterial: depends on range
[Epic]Clawfist: the duals are really useful but not as crazy as in the original
[Epic]Dave: and if you hit :)
[Epic]Checker: depends on your aim too.
[Epic]DrSiN: The Enforcer in general is great to nail a Flag carrier escaping on a hoverboard.
[Epic]stuman: oh yes, the enforcer is the anti hoverboard
[Epic]stuman: for sure
• iU|H4skeer: Is it true that you can pin someone on a wall with the Stinger Sec-fire? And if yes only the dead body or even a guy who`s still alive?
[Epic]Dave: just for the killing blow
[Epic]Checker: You get pinned or pushed a bit with them if you are alive though
[Epic]IctusBrucks: But there is some velocity imparted by the impact
[Epic]DrSiN: But it's worth it!
[Epic]IctusBrucks: can you get pushed a little bit
[Epic]Checker: Think the ripper secondary fire, but that was splash, now you have to hit the dude
[Epic]stuman: plus the secondary stinger fire is pretty much dead on accuracy
[Epic]stuman: but slower rof
[Epic]Dave: and it's a projectile, not instant hit
[Epic]Checker: Note on dave: secondary fire is projectile, primary fire is instant hit
• truegamer: What kind of media will come with the PC collector`s Edition of the game (i.e. what are the tutorials and the documentary?)
[EPIC]WarTourist: I'll take that one
[EPIC]WarTourist: We're doing 10+ hours of the awesome 3d buzz tutorials on ue3 and ut3
[Epic]IctusBrucks: (great quality stuff btw)
[EPIC]WarTourist: And there are videos, 1 on the history of ut and 1 on behind the scenes of ut3
[EPIC]WarTourist: The first one was great fun to put together, all your Asia Carerra questions will be answered :-)
[bu]hal`: and what about that Lauren model that's been popping up as part of the package on those pre-order sites?
[BU]_Lynx: and will PC Collectors Edition be sold in Europe?
[EPIC]WarTourist: She's had 3 polygon breast reduction surguries...
[bu]hal`: no blowup doll? :(
[Epic]stuman: haha
[EPIC]WarTourist: Up to retailers Lynx. I believe so
[BU]Dark_Pulse: Hal, if they had that, they wouldn't be playing the game :p
• kongy: Will the skins in this game be dark like in 2k4 causing the competitive community to have to make a bright skins mod?
[Epic]stuman: Visibility should be improved alot
[Epic]stuman: we basically have a shader on the characters
[Epic]DrSiN: The skins are very visible.
[Epic]stuman: that after a certain distance kicks in
[Epic]stuman: i think its like, 1000 units or so
[Epic]IctusBrucks: character rimlights and saturation increase with distance
[BU]Dark_Pulse: What about when you shoot a guy? Is that easily visible? Noticeable blood spurts, etc?
[Epic]Clawfist: yes - nice blood spurts
[Epic]DrSiN: But let's face it.. the competitive community will probably make a bright skins mod anyway :)
[Epic]stuman: that basically turns them into something similar to bright skins, they become very saturated in their team colour
[Epic]IctusBrucks: players should have no problem seeing the blood
[Epic]stuman: you should have no trouble seeing somebody and seeing what team they are on
• satan666: Which one of you Epic guys is the champion of UT3 among the testers?
[Epic]stuman: depends on the weapon ;)
[Epic]IctusBrucks: hahah good answer stu
[Epic]Checker: and the gametype
[Epic]DrSiN: Depends.
[Epic]stuman: Phill aka willhaven is the goo master
[EPIC]WarTourist: Mysterial's game has been seriously slipping lately...I heard a Midway testing bagging on him the other day
[Epic]stuman: Mysteral = shock
[Epic]DrSiN: Ouch
[Epic]stuman: me = sniper, bastiaan with those damn rockets
[EPIC]Mysterial: clearly they must be deluded
[Epic]DrSiN: Stu = sniper.
[EPIC]WarTourist: Even I kill him every now and then
[Epic]IctusBrucks: I think mysterial is the favorite player for everybody to team up on
[EPIC]Mysterial: don't lie
[Epic]Checker: I am spammer. rockets and flak :D
[EPIC]WarTourist: But it's my job!
[Epic]stuman: theres nothing better than headshotting matt
[EPIC]WarTourist: Serious
[Epic]stuman: right as he is about to combo me
[EPIC]Mysterial: apparently we need some more FFA playtests so we can remember who's the master
[Epic]Clawfist: !
[Epic]stuman: dude, im so there
[EPIC]WarTourist: uh...it's cool...it's cool...
[EPIC]WarTourist: backs away slowly
[Epic]DrSiN: But I'd have to say the player I most want to beat on in real life after a play test session is Stu and his damn sniper rifle.
[Epic]Checker: But Dave is vehicle master. he actually gets a bit dangerous then :p
[Epic]stuman: ahh, ive been called about every name under the sun after a play test
[Epic]DrSiN: Jeff just serves has a bonus point to who ever is around.
• nuRb: I`m wondering what the developers will do for the highly competitive community. UT99 had many clans playing at a high level while UT2003-2004 didn`t attract at all as many. What will you do to attract the clans?
[EPIC]WarTourist: Well, we're still doing pure DM and CTF for one thing :-)
[Epic]Checker: If they like it ... they play it?
[Epic]IctusBrucks: build it, and they will come
[Epic]stuman: I think we have hit a nice balance
[EPIC]WarTourist: Not a lot of games even focusing on those "classic" gametypes
[Epic]stuman: between UT2k4 and UT99
[bu]hal`: what I hear asked a lot are things like warmup mode, tournament settings, etc
[bu]hal`: hitsounds, et al
[EPIC]WarTourist: That's where the editor comes in! We couldn't make everyone happy, so we do the best to cover all the bases and let the fans shore up their niches [bu]hal`: so nothing like that out of the box?
[bu]hal`: mutator, etc?
[EPIC]Mysterial: hit sounds are going to be just like UT2004 (although the audio balance is better) - real world sounds, but amplified for damage you cause
[BU]Dark_Pulse: So no "TING" sort of hit sounds, e.g; CPMA or Quake 3 style.
[EPIC]Mysterial: nope
[Epic]DrSiN: Hell no.
• kongy: How much time is in between each sniper shot?
[bu]hal`: Joe ought to know that one
[Epic]Checker: Stu, sniper question!
[EPIC]WarTourist: zomg
[Epic]Checker: 1.2576 seconds ? :p
[Epic]stuman: I dont know the exact time
[EPIC]WarTourist: Amazing! [Epic]stuman: It's certaintly not ut99 rof
[Epic]stuman: but its quick enough
[Epic]Clawfist: yeah its slower
[bu]hal`: so, somewhere in between?
[EPIC]Mysterial: 1.2 seconds
[Epic]Checker: i was not far off hahaha.
[EPIC]WarTourist: whoa
[EPIC]WarTourist: Matt rounds down...we knew that
[BU]Raffi_B: so just a hair faster than the 2k4 lightning gun then :)
[Epic]stuman: trust me, its fast enough that if for some reason i miss joe the first time, i know i will get him again
[Epic]DrSiN: Ah ah.. and yet I still cap.. :)
• sMURF: has the manta changed at all from 2k4? faster/slower? more/less powerful?
[Epic]Checker: Manta is definately changed
[EPIC]Mysterial: the manta now has less strafing ability, slightly less top speed, and on level ground cannot crush crouched players
[EPIC]Mysterial: also our vehicle collision is much better so less of the engine instagibbing you because it couldn't figure it out
[bu]hal:` can you ride on top of it (not on the blades)
[EPIC]Mysterial: no
[Epic]Checker: I think that is disabled
[Epic]stuman: no more mantavans as far as i know
[EPIC]Mysterial: not anywhere
[Epic]stuman: you can grapple onto it though using the hoverboard
[Epic]stuman: which is great for pulling people along, you can use the jumps in some of the levels and the player grappling on
[Epic]stuman: will go with you
[Epic]Checker: 4 dudes on a manta with link guns was uber Still can do it if you all walk, but not with manta speed :)
[Epic]DrSiN: The hoverboard really removes the need for tricks like that.
[Epic]Dave: grappling on the hoverboard is uber useful.. just dangerous
[BU]_Lynx: one can grapple only to vehicles or to another hoverboards too?
[Epic]stuman: you cant grapple to other hoverboards
• {uX}l`VampyrCeil: Is the Unreal Editor really going to be available for Mac and Linux users this time around? Also, will it be able to import/export from/to third-party applications (specifically Blender 3D)?
[Epic]DrSiN: I don't believe there are plans for a Mac/Linux editor.
[Epic]DrSiN: Jeff?
[Epic]IctusBrucks: the editor imports .ase files for static mesh geometry
[Epic]IctusBrucks: the editor can export static meshes as .obj or .stl, so any program that can read those formats and export .ase can work well with UE3
[EPIC]WarTourist: Dunno...linux game exe in the box and mac version soon after. Not sure how the editor works
[a few people join]
MarkRein[Epic]: Hi guys!!!
[bu]hal`: uh oh, it's the boss
[Epic]IctusBrucks: hey TonnBberry :)
• KriLL3: Does the impact hammer`s EMP attack have any use outside vehicular combat? I suggest it dealing damage to player shields if not.
[Epic]DrSiN: The EMP can also dislog powerups.
[EPIC]WarTourist: Impact alt got changed
[EPIC]WarTourist: Yeah
[BU]Raffi_B: does that refer to the shield or the amp or both?
[Epic]stuman: so if someone has a bezerk powerup or the amp etc
[Epic]stuman: it can be booted off them
[Epic]Checker: I think any powerup
[Epic]Dave Berzerk: and Udam drop on death now too, though
MarkRein[Epic]: Being able to steal power-up is insanely cool folks!
[Epic]stuman: it cant dislodge a shieldbelt
[Epic]stuman: as far as i know
[EPIC]Mysterial: it can
MarkRein[Epic]: oops -- meant "power ups"
[Epic]Dave: it can actually
[Epic]stuman: oh
[Epic]stuman: haha
[Epic]stuman: then watch out next play test
MarkRein[Epic]: I'm happy enough to see them dropped when people get fragged.
• sho`: What`s the armor system set to be like and what other Powerups are there this time around?
[Epic]DrSin: The best part is it really encourages people to try and take on the powerup holder..
[Epic]DrSiN: Armor is very close to UT99
[BU]Dark_Pulse: Are the values any different, due to the inclusion of the Helmet?
[BU]Dark_Pulse: Or can you get Pads + Chest + Helmet for 170?
[Epic]Checker: Berzerk (double fire rate) amp, redeemer.
[BU]_Lynx: shieldbelt block all damage or it's like UT2004 100a?
[EPIC]Mysterial: Shield: 100, Chest: 50, Thighpads: 30, Helmet: 20
[Epic]Checker: Shield blocks all.
[EPIC]Mysterial: I don't know what the percentages of the thighpads and helmet are
[Epic]Checker: I think. Plus, if you are in a vehicle when it blows up, and you have the shield, you life!
[BU]Dark_Pulse: How about the helmet? Does it absorb a headshot, or simply make it normal damage while "eating" it?
[Epic]Checker: prevents a headshot for sure.
[Epic]stuman: yeh, if you have a shieldbelt in a vehicle and it gets destroyed, the vehicle will launch you out
[Epic]Clawfist: the helmet is good for saving you from one headshot
[BU]Dark_Pulse: So it takes the hit for you and you suffer no damage?
[Epic]Checker: I think you still get hurt, Matt?
[EPIC]Mysterial: headshot becomes zero if you have at least 1 helmet armor (and the helmet armor goes away)
• [000]TuVoK: ut2004 had poor utv support, is utv planned for ut3, at launch time or later?
[EPIC]WarTourist: No "broadcasting" out of the box...down the line perhaps...
• Underscore: What kind of mutators will come with the game? Are there any particularly interesting ones you can tell us about?
[Epic]stuman: Instagib is definitely in, of course ;)
[Epic]Checker: i was too late with the Hugh Jazz mutator, so you will have to do with Big head :p
[EPIC]WarTourist: Low grav
[EPIC]WarTourist: Did Big Groin ever make it? :-)
[Epic]DrSiN: I was playing IG/LG CTF today in fact.
[Epic]stuman: haha
[EPIC]Mysterial: there's a full weapon swapping mutator
[bu]hal`: the big groin...
[Epic]Checker: Hang on, Stu is writing
[BU]Dark_Pulse: Shades of Crotchshot...
[Epic]stuman: Super Bezerk
[Epic]stuman: which makes all players fire at bezerk speed
[Epic]Checker: (everyone fires double speed)
[EPIC]WarTourist: Slow Kills
[Epic]stuman: its kinda like excessive
[Epic]stuman: haha
[Epic]Checker: Slomo deaths
[EPIC]Mysterial: slomo deaths is single player only
• AssasinxX: Will there be any other UT99 Music Remakes for UT3 other than the ones we have seen already?
[Epic]Checker: Music is done differently now, they aren't straight up tracks in most gametypes
[Epic]Checker: It adjusts to what is going on around you.
[Epic]stuman: Deathmatch is still a straight music track as far as i know, the other gametypes
[Epic]Dave: you guys know the menu music is UT99, right?
[Epic]stuman: use a dynamic music system that plays certain parts of a track depending on whats going on
[Epic]stuman: so when your more exploring in a warfare map, itll be subtle music, then when you grab a redeemer
[Epic]stuman: itll kick up a notch
• Prophet: Can we have a maplist of CTF and DM, or at least, what remakes we have? (like deck16)
[Epic]DrSiN: No, no map lists.. takes the surprise out of it :)
[bu]hal`: ... speaking of remakes
[bu]hal`: any remakes you'd like to mention?
[Epic]stuman: Theres deck for sure
[Epic]DrSiN: Coret
[Epic]stuman: hydro
[Epic]stuman: a sidney special
[Epic]stuman: ;)
[BU]Dark_Pulse: Torlan still part of it, of course?
[Epic]Checker: Yes.
[Epic]Clawfist: hyrdo is reminiscent of the orignal layout but some slight adjustments
• CROM: How are you going to address cheating in UT3?
[EPIC]WarTourist: I'll take that one
[Epic]DrSiN: Good...
[Epic]Checker: We called the FBI when we find out you are cheating.
[bu]hal`: hah
[EPIC]WarTourist: We don't publically discuss our cheating plans because it only helps the scumbags. We've done quite a bit on it, but we're not going to talk about it. Sorry :-)
[Epic]Checker: They have a organization set up perfectly to deal with them ;) If that doesn't work, the army! ahum.
• dignitas\tewic: Will you support the competetive community in terms of hosting big events with tournaments? (like ID Software hosts QuakeCon and Blizzard has BlizzCon)
MarkRein[Epic]: Guys...
MarkRein[Epic]: We will encourage our publisher to support competitions in the best way possible.
MarkRein[Epic]: However you should understand that things don't work like they did in the old days.
MarkRein[Epic]: These days competitions are big money and require big sponsorships. If you want to play UT in competition YOU need to make your voice heard.
MarkRein[Epic]: As best we can.
MarkRein[Epic]: Folks--> When I said "make your voice heard" I meant to the competition organizers and companies who sponsor them - not to me personally through /msg :)
• The_Marauder: What about underwater maps like we saw in `99. Will there be any underwater fighting?
[Epic]IctusBrucks: there are underwater sections to a few maps
[Epic]stuman: You can swim and fight underwater
[Epic]IctusBrucks: but none of them are entirely 100% underwater
[Epic]stuman: there arent any maps completely designed around it
[Epic]IctusBrucks: we leave that up to the mod community :)
[EPIC]Mysterial: in general we find being stuck underwater for any stretch of time to not be very much fun
[Epic]Clawfist: its more for audio cues and the like
[Epic]Dave: no McSwartzly remakes ;)
[Epic]Checker: (UT99 had special powerup to deal with it)
[Epic]IctusBrucks: i remember a community built underwater map... it was all underwater with occasional superhealth to keep you alive :)
[Epic]Clawfist: and chili powerups so you could fart-boost?
[Epic]Checker: Fireball! underwater ...
• MozI: Has Gears of War influenced any aspect of UT3, such as level themes, art style, etc, or have the two projects been isolated from each other?
[Epic]stuman: I think we try to keep the visual styles somewhat different, generally gears has a more desaturated look, where as UT is all about colour
[Epic]stuman: UT is all about crazy environments
[EPIC]WarTourist: UT and Gears are such different games, other than development techniques, they're pretty independent
[Epic]DrSiN: Mozi - of course it has to some point. Especially in the cinematics which have an awesome feel.
MarkRein[Epic]: BTW, the cinematics in this game are an amazing showcase of Unreal Engine 3!
• Apathy: Demorecording. Will we be able to view the weapon being held in the playback of Demos in UT3, like it was in UT1?
[EPIC]WarTourist: We've got demo recording to be sure, not sure about the weapon though
[bu]hal`: anything new in that regards?
[BU]Raffi_B: are rewind or jumping to a specific time possible?
[EPIC]Mysterial: the limitations are mostly the same as previous UTs
[EPIC]Mysterial: it doesn't have as many bugs
• Ultron: What can you tell us about Duel?
[bu]hal`: so how about that Duel gametype... what can you tell us about that
[EPIC]Mysterial: it's 1v1 with built in queue support
[EPIC]Mysterial: it defaults to our standard 1v1 rules
[BU]DeathBooger: is there a tournament structure?
[EPIC]Mysterial: no
[EPIC]Mysterial: it's just a linear queue, winner stays, loser goes back to the end
• [DoW]MeepZero: What can we expect out of the singleplayer storyline?
[Epic]Checker: its not gears, and its not older UT's :)
[Epic]IctusBrucks: expect more story than you're expecting
Zerb_Riss: Will it be like UC2 or more story than that?
[Epic]IctusBrucks: I'd say the amount of story is comparable to UC2, but they are very different stories
[Epic]Checker: Our SP designer worked on UC2 a lot as SP designer, so I think they are similar.
• T2A`: Will UT3`s netcode be as optimized and trimmed as UT2004`s was (for 56k and for 32 players + vehicles) or will it be more balanced for broadband? Could it possibly be dynamic so that, for instance, 12 players or less gets additional bandwidth supplied for accuracy concerns?
[EPIC]Mysterial: the netcode is even more optimized than before and many bugs have been fixed.
• WheresTehDemo: How does gamespy work with UT3?
[Epic]DrSiN: Gamespy is our backend. Like the master server from UT2004 but hopefully more stable.
Zerb_Riss: does it require any external programs to be running to gather stats?
[Epic]DrSiN: no.
[Epic]DrSiN: it's mostly for the connection and database system. But everything is inside UT3
[Epic]Checker: I make levels! :p
[bu]hal`: hah fair enough
[bu]hal`: here's one for you
[Epic]Checker: is it about monkeys?
• Polycron: What kind of tools would a typical mod-maker need, to create custom content? What would you recommend?
[Epic]IctusBrucks: photoshop and 3dsmax
[Epic]Checker: Hmm. UnrealEd for starters :p
[Epic]stuman: I think your gonna be able to go a really long way with just unreal ed
[Epic]IctusBrucks: and maybe zbrush if you want to mess with detailed normal mapping
[Epic]IctusBrucks: but like stu said, you can do alot with just the editor
[Epic]Checker: Just with the shader system you can do tons of stuff without photoshop. Changing colours on the fly, etc etc. But yeah ..
[Epic]stuman: obviously 3dmax and photoshop will serve you well going into completely custom stuff
[Epic]stuman: but with the material editor, kismet etc
[Epic]Clawfist: yeah ryan can make a waterfall out of a flower texture
[Epic]IctusBrucks: :)
[Epic]stuman: you can really change and adapt stuff to look unique and different much better than previous UT's
[Epic]IctusBrucks: it is true that with the material system you can often find uses for a texture you might never have been able to predict
[Epic]stuman: I think we still amaze each other to day with the stuff we make out of assets used before, its almost an art form in itself
[Epic]stuman: see ryan's waterfall :)
• [bu]hal`: Will Unreal Tournament 3 ship with any additional modding tools, like MayaPLE in the past, other than the UnrealED?
[EPIC]Mysterial: I don't think we're shipping anything like MayaPLE this time
• Zerb_Riss: Is the concept of "Standard servers" still in the game?
[EPIC]Mysterial: yes
• Rick: will we be able to fly by grappling to the raptor?
[Epic]DrSiN: Yes.
[Epic]IctusBrucks: yes you can grapple
[EPIC]Mysterial: yes and yes
[Epic]IctusBrucks: but you're going to be an easy target :)
[Epic]stuman: oh yeh
[Epic]Checke: Hoverboard! :
[Epic]IctusBrucks: and its a long ways down
[Epic]stuman: one of the maps we have
[Epic]stuman: in VCTF
[Epic]stuman: works great with that strategy
[Epic]IctusBrucks: (sandstorm w/fury?)
[BU]DeathBooger: Can you roadkill with the hoverboard?
[Epic]IctusBrucks: i dont think you can roadkill with a hoverboard
[Epic]stuman: you cant roadkill with the hoverboard, you simply bump into them
[Epic]Checker: You cannot hold the flag in a vehicle, so you can hoverboard tow behind one, but if you get shot, you ragdoll and lose the flag. You can get up and grab it if you didn't fall to your death tho :)
• Zerb_Riss: can you still do stunts on the hoverboard?
[Epic]Checker: Yes, we have some stunts. And 'snowboard' style straffing.
[Epic]stuman: if you hit something hard enough it will ragdoll, just as falling too far off an edge
[Epic]stuman: you have to be careful when someone is grappling onto you
[Epic]stuman: especially in a viper or a flying vehicle, if you fly to fast and wild for your passenger
[Epic]stuman: they will probably hit something and ragdoll/die
• [BU]_Lynx: what about the bot chatter?
[Epic]Dave: The bot chatter in the single player actually helps to tell the story, Lynx
[Epic]DrSiN: Bots certainly chatter more.
[BU]_Lynx: is the concept of bots getting the situation and reporting it you like with said situation with sniper on the tower?
[EPIC]Mysterial: yes, the bots have a lot of situational phrases (goliath in midfield, I'm taking the orb to the center node, etc etc)
[Epic]Checker: They will report certain things yes
[Epic]Dave: the bots will update on what they are heading for and incoming threats
[Epic]stuman: Bots will occasionaly report to you, I'd heard bots telling me they are going to the redeemer or some other super pickup
[Epic]Dave: flag carrier going high, etc.
[BU]_Lynx: and talking to bots?
[Epic]Checker: not sure about talking to them, but we have a V talk menu like UT99
[Epic]Checker: Oh something cool: There is a coop option on servers. So humans on one side, and bots on the other, and it will add bots to fill it up. Then you can adjust the ratio too. 1 human vs 2 bots etc
[Epic]DrSiN: In single player, the bots have a lot more personality than in previous UTs. There is a lot of back and forth and some of the story is fleshed out there. In Multiplayer, they are a lot more vocal as to what they are thinking. A bot might tell you he’s heading for a powerup that just spawned, etc. It’s very cool.
• [BU]DeathBooger:> did the grapple decapitation make it in?
[EPIC]Mysterial: nope
• Maxwell: Will UT3 have 4 team support? Or atleast a code in place for modders?
[EPIC]Mysterial: UT3 will not ship with 4 team support. Where possible we've made some efforts to allow the code to handle more than 2 teams but it's incomplete at best.
• SweetTooth: So with gamespy being the backend of the system like the Master Server does this mean the same server whitelist system will be used?
[Epic]Checker: Joe?
[Epic]DrSiN: We don't currently plan on whitelisting user content for pure servers. That might change in the future but we have to see how it pans out.
• Zerb_Riss: Will level streaming be included for modders?
[Epic]DrSiN: yes.
• martinblank: Please let us know the situation on DRM, it is concerning a lot of potential users.
MarkRein[Epic]: Sorry but we can't talk about that right now.
MarkRein[Epic]: All I can say is that we'll do what we think is right for the fans and for our business.
• [bu]hal`: here's one I haven't seen asked... is it possible to have a map with all 18 vehicles?
[EPIC]Mysterial: sure, why not?
[Epic]Checker: Yeah you could :D
MarkRein[Epic]: That would be one insane map :)
[Epic]Checker: We have some pretty crazy maps already. its awesome :)
[Epic]Dave: There is a special version of Torlan that has all but 1 of the vehicles in it
[BU]Dark_Pulse: Are you allowed to choose which vehicle sets you use, or is that a mapper-adjusted setting?
[BU]_Lynx: and is that possible to change vehicles on standard maps?
[EPIC]Mysterial: no, you have to make a new map to change vehicle layouts
[EPIC]Mysterial: well, that's not entirely true... you can make new link setups in WAR that activate different vehicle factories in the map
• [BU]Raffi_B: on another note, how does the game feel in terms of things like eye height and run speed?
[Epic]IctusBrucks: in terms of height and speed I think it feels more like UT99
[Epic]DrSiN: Raffi the game feels a lot like UT99
[Epic]Checker: Eye height and run speeds feel great, very UT99ish
[Epic]Checker: But with wall dodging, :D
[Epic]Checker: When I first played UT3 it felt like the character was heavy, but in a good way. It all feels very well matched to vehicles / hoverboard etc and size of maps
[Epic]IctusBrucks: we started out develoipment with some comparison scale screenshots of UT99 and UT2004
[Epic]Clawfist: yes second that, the game feels great :)
[Epic]IctusBrucks: we knew that we wanted to keep a closer eye on scale this time around
[Epic]IctusBrucks: the removal of dodge jumping allowed us to keep the map sizes a little bit more reasonable this time
[Epic]IctusBrucks: and we try to build visual cues to a realistic scale
• Felin: will a hoverboard save you from a fall or reduce fall dmg?
[EPIC]Mysterial: hoverboard does not reduce fall damage at all
• EpicFan: Can you confirm that there will be online multi-player cross platform play between the PS3 and PC?
[Epic]IctusBrucks: Matt, Mark?
MarkRein[Epic]: There will not be cross platform play at launch
MarkRein[Epic]: Allow me to elaborate on this one...
* MarkRein[Epic] is getting a can of soda
MarkRein[Epic]: The biggest challenge in doing cross platform play is syncronizing the builds such that the build on the PC is 100% compatible with the build on the PS3. Unfortunately (or fortunately) when you games on console you have a lengthy certification process to go through each time you release anything new... We looked at how this would impact our ability to respond quickly to things happening at internet speed on the PC side of the equation and realized that would not be in the best interests of our very loyal PC user base because we would constantly be holding on to updates to wait until they passed cert on the console platform
MarkRein[Epic] Our PC fanbase is of ultimate importance to us.They are our bread and butter.We can't let them down or compromise their experience in any way to accomodate cross platform play.
MarkRein[Epic]: This doesn't completely rule out adding this feature at some point in the future after the game has settled down and we've been through a few updates, but even then the likelihood is small.
MarkRein[Epic]: So there you have it.
[bu]hal`: fair enough
MarkRein[Epic] Someone asked about cheaters previously and, while we tend not to discuss anti-cheating policies, keeping flexibility on the PC side of the equation is one of the ways we combat cheaters :)
• Max_: While on PS3, am I gonna be able to remap keyboard, adjust mouse sensitivity, etc.?
[bu]hal`: how about mapping the PS3 keyboard? possible?
[Epic]Checker: we definately support keyboard on PS3, so I am guessing you can rebind keys.
[Epic]DrSiN: Hal I think the PS3 keyboard is mappable.
• SweetTooth: What do you guys envision as the optimal team sizes for Warfare. With CTF there is 5v5, TDM has 4v4, and ONS has 6v6. Will warfare be larger?
updates, but even then the likelihood is small.
[Epic]Checker: All maps have 16 player starts [ed: PC has 32]
[Epic]Checker: So what that means. Big maps are totally fine 8on 8
[Epic]stuman: we have play tested with 8v8 on warfare for sure
[Epic]Checker: But it really depends on the map.
[Epic]stuman: some warfare maps are smaller
[Epic]stuman: and dont require such a large player count, it depends on the map
[bu]hal`: a couple more and we'll wrap things up
• de`pain: Will UT3 have an online FPS cap? If so, will we be able to breach this cap by editing the .ini files?
[Epic]Checker: programmer question.
[Epic]IctusBrucks: i dont believe we cap the frame rate
* [Epic]DrSiN whistles and looks at his feet.
[BU]_Lynx: I guess you do, Ictus
[BU]_Lynx: or you don't know, DrSin?
[Epic]IctusBrucks: well I've seen UT3 running at 300+ fps just last night on a new system
[Epic]DrSiN: I honestly don't know.
MarkRein[Epic]: Yikes 300+ fps? That's insane!!
[Epic]IctusBrucks: that was on one of the new dell 720s :) it wasn't a full benchmark, just looking around
[Epic]IctusBrucks: but still, it was fast ;)
• [bu]hal`: Here's one for Mark Rein... any plans to open up the UE3 UDN on release?
MarkRein[Epic]: Yes we will be opening up the UE3 areas of UDN once the game ships!
MarkRein[Epic]: We're also working on two major books on UE3 right now
[BU]DeathBooger: 3Dbuzz right?
MarkRein[Epic]: Yes the 3DBuzz folks. They rock! They're also doing over 10 hours of video training modules to go with the PC collectors edition of the game!
[BU]DeathBooger: 3DBuzz is doing books for both the Editor and UnrealScript as well, correct?
MarkRein[Epic]: I'm not 100% sure what the exact split between the two books is. The publisher and Jason are going back and forth on that right now trying to figure out the best combination.
• [bu]hal`: what about minimum specs for servers and clients?
[Epic]DrSiN: I don't think we have released mins specs yet.. but I think people will be relieved when we do.
• [bu]hal`: any idea how much HDD space we'll need?
[EPIC]Mysterial: HDD space is part of min specs, so no
• Zerb_Riss: can you confirm what the Lauren character listed on pre-order sites is for the PC CE?
MarkRein[Epic]: I can neither confirm nor deny such things
[bu]hal`: I want to thank Epic Games for taking their time to come answer many of the questions from the Unreal community. Hopefully, we can do it again soon!
* [Epic]Checker waves
[BU]DeathBooger: thanks for submitting questions guys, you broke my hands
[Epic]stuman: Ok guys, unfortunatly I have to head home! thanks for the chat!
MarkRein[Epic]: I just want to add...
MarkRein[Epic]: Thanks everyone for coming out tonight. We really appreciate this show of support!
[Epic]IctusBrucks: Bye, thanks guys it was a pleasure
MarkRein[Epic]: We've been talking about the PS3 version a lot because it the game is really something new for the PS3 customers and being able to do mods on consoles...
MarkRein[Epic]: is pretty exciting to us. But we never forget that those mods COME from the PC community and the PC is still our lead platform for UT.
MarkRein[Epic]: So thanks for your continued supposed - you're going to see lots of cool things from us in return!!
• [Epic]stuman: o and a question that wasnt asked that I keep seeing asked in the forums, yes, if your a krall player, you will see krall hand models with the weapons
[Epic]stuman: same for the other races
Zerb_Riss: we are going to let MarkRein[Epic] answer some fan questions directly, so if you are still here and didn't get your question asked, now is the time!
MarkRein[Epic]: I've been answering too many questions by PM tonight :)
• Etcha: If the reason the game was delayed for so long was to include a good single player campaign, why didn't you just release the multiplayer version, and then work on and release a single player version?
MarkRein[Epic]: That would economic suicide
• wheresthebog: is ut3 going to have in game tutorials, interacting, not just a video
MarkRein[Epic]: There are in game tutorials in the single player game
[Epic]DrSiN: yes.
• Polycron: How much time will you give the modding community to adapt to the new UnrealEngine3 before you announce the new Make Something Unreal Contest
MarkRein[Epic]: Unsure. We're still lining up the sponsors, figuring out the rules, etc. But at present we woudln't expect the first phase to be judged until late in the first quarter of 2008 with the finals late in 2009 or early 2010.
• eX`LiMPAN: Will UT3 use all four cores on a quadcore CPU?
MarkRein[Epic]: From what I understand the yes it will scale to four cores. That's why you'll see the Intel logo on the box :)
• The_Marauder: Mark any idea on what hardware I'll need to run max setts?
MarkRein[Epic]: Probably the best kit money can buy! That's assuming we don't improve graphics features after ship (which we might very well do)
• Ultron: Will bots be disabled in multiplayer by default
MarkRein[Epic]: I'm not the guy to answer specific questions like that.
[Epic]DrSiN: Bots are players too!
[EPIC]Mysterial: Bots won't be included in the player count in the server browser, if that's what you're asking
MarkRein[Epic]: Thanks for staying around! (Mysterial IS the guy to answer questions like that)
• XPX|CharGer: When will the Unreal Engine 3.0 Runtime be released? It will be with the game? On what support will it come? ( DVD/Bluray/HDDVDvd/CD )
MarkRein[Epic]: Uncertain on the UE3 runtime at this point in time.
MarkRein[Epic]: By Runtime I assume you mean the generic PC version of our engine/tools for non-commercial/education use of course.
• Cleary: When Can we expect to hear about MINIMUM system specs for the game?
MarkRein[Epic]: When the game ships and people are hollering about how amazed they are that an incredible game like UT3 can run on their not-so-knew systems!
• BagelsForDemo: How does the model collision works for body/headshot area comparing to older uneal games?
[EPIC]Mysterial: player collision works the same as UT2004 - cylinder with a sphere on the head for the headshot
[EPIC]Mysterial: vehicle collision is more precise but I don't know the exact details
• gtb: will modding be relatively similar between the supported platforms? I'm kinda curious how that would work with the consoles.
MarkRein[Epic]: The only significant restriction on cross-platform modding (that I'm aware of) is to make sure your mod fits into the memory space on the PS3. Certainly all of our stuff fits so that shouldn't be the biggest challenge you face. You also have to remember that the PS3 has a fixed performance footprint - i.e. everyone is the same. So if you make something that runs well on one PS3 it will run well on all of them.
MarkRein[Epic]: Suggest modders who want to make mods on PS3 buy themselves a PS3 for testing.
MarkRein[Epic]: Yeah and you'll need the game too :)
• VXMirage: The scorp, cicada, and spma were "less than useful" in 2k4 ons. Will Epic proactively make balance changes one the game is released (like RTSs)?
[EPIC]Mysterial: we haven't really decided what's game for patches yet, let us ship the game first! :)
VXMirage: thanks, we were a little disappointed in 2k4 ECE ;)
[BU]DeathBooger: How are the vehicles balanced Mysterial?
[EPIC]Mysterial: do you really expect me to respond to that with anything but "perfectly" ? :)
• UnrealGrrl: as far as online play - will custom player content, models, voices, skins be 'drop in' packages similar to 2k4 or has the content system changed alot or a lil or not at all?
[EPIC]Mysterial: custom characters (models/skins) require a lot of special handling, but I'm uncertain of what the exact requirements are
[EPIC]Mysterial: voices definitely should work like normal Unreal content
UnrealGrrl: do we know if the announcer package is handled in such a way that we'll be able to do custom packs this time?
[EPIC]Mysterial: I don't know. I haven't tried it.
• phage_: For the team oriented game modes will their points system better reflect indirect team support?
[EPIC]Mysterial: hopefully, yes. We've put some effort into it, anyway :)
• TrioXide: Will the PS3 mouse support be equal to PC mouse support? I mean in terms of latency between hand movement and onscreen movement?
MarkRein[Epic]: I woudln't expect them to feel 100% identical even if they're programmed that way. The PS3 and the PC are each tweaked specifically to be the best game possible on each platform so some speeds (run, turn, drive, fly) will be a little different between the two. For someone who spends 90 hours a week playing on PC then switches to PS3 that is going to feel awkward at first.
• S5: how many black player models are included? im not talking about malcolm with a tan like in 2k3, i want a brother like Shaft with a fro and pleather jackets
MarkRein[Epic]: You're in luck then :)
• Jackal: How much, if any XMP gameplay type has been implimented into Warfare?
MarkRein[Epic]: None that I'm aware of.
• MeepZero: Can you go into any detail on the character customization?
MarkRein[Epic]: This time around there is enough character customization that you can actually change the silhouette of the model. It's pretty cool and, from what I understand, modders will be able to get in there and make new peice as well.
• [BU]Dark_Pulse: Mark, can you confirm what teams are in the game? There's some ambiguity and some uncertainty still about some teams, namely, Thundercrash, Juggernauts, Nakhti...
MarkRein[Epic]: Sorry no can do :)
• SweetTooth: from reading about and seeing videos about the ORB in Warfare, it would seem like it is an item a winning team can use to severely punish a losing team somewhat like a redeemer. Do you guys seriously think that an orb will help a losing team get back on its feet THAT much?
[EPIC]Mysterial: yes.
[Epic]DrSiN: the ORB allows a team that capture momentum.
Clawfist[Epic]: the orb actually gives the losing team a great chance at a comeback, a single skilled run can gain the prime node back for your team instantly
SweetTooth: could you elaborate on "momentum"
[Epic]DrSiN: Sure..
[Epic]DrSiN: in CTF if your team is losing, a good cap can change the momentum of the game. IT causes the leading team to be out of position, etc.
[Epic]DrSiN: In ONS, you could never really do that. Take Torlan, if by some amazing chance you fought your way back to the first node, you have 0 chance of holding it.
[Epic]DrSiN: The orb gives you that chance. It gives you the momentum to make a come back without really handicaping a better team
SweetTooth: Interesting. Would you say considering the orb a mutant love child of a redeemer and a 6 man link build is a decent analogy?
[Epic]DrSiN: No, because after the 6 man link build, most of them would have to stay behind to hold the node. There is no way to get the momentum to progress.
SweetTooth: i was meaning more in terms of the instant possession shift the orb causes. or has the been changed?
[Epic]DrSiN: yes, it's the same sort of instant shift, but the ability to lock the node or better yet, instantly short circuit a link allows you to quickly keep momentum. Here's an example. In one early test match, my team was pushed all the way to the core. We orb cap'd the primary node, then orb cap'd their primary node before they could react. The momentum of the game swung 180 degrees in a matter of minutes.
• VXMirage: during playtesting, did orb leapfrogging (1-2 peeps w/ orb to one node, rest of team to node beyond) become a viable strat? If effective, this may cause matches to degenerate in to rushes
[EPIC]Mysterial: I doubt it'd possible to degenerate more into rushes than ONS matches were
[Epic]DrSiN: it's usually the other way around but yes that's a viable strat but not an overwheling one.
[EPIC]Mysterial: however, in levels where we found that to be a potential issue, we started teams with control over some nodes to minimize the rush aspect
[EPIC]Mysterial: plus the orb makes it less punishing to lose out on nodes early
• Zerb_Riss: you said something on the forums about announcements not coming across when things happen far away. What did you mean by that?
[EPIC]Mysterial: I mean that announcements that are about things you couldn't possibly affect, like "enemy orb incoming" on a node far away, are not played in audio
[EPIC]Mysterial: otherwise you'd be hearing constant announcer spam which was very confusing
• {pdX}JD[Ci]: What is the speed of the rockets? What is the splash damage and direct hit damage of the rockets?
[EPIC]Mysterial: rocket direct hit does exactly 100 damage. That's all you're gonna get for now :)
• xi0s: So, based on the point that was made a while back 'no more than 6 shots to kill someone', how literal is this, when applied to spam weapons like link/minigun/enforcer?
[EPIC]Mysterial: Stinger actually takes seven. Otherwise that's accurate
• XPX|CharGer: would you consider instagib in UT3 closer to ut99 or ut2004 ? like colors/boost
[Epic]DrSiN: closer to UT99 due to the movement/etc.
• nXs|GenesiS: i had a question can you plz ask what can you say about win 32 and 64 bit version ? THANKS :D
MarkRein[Epic]: I'm not aware that we're doing 64 bit versions this time. 64 bit just hasn't matured enough to the point to make it worthwhile. It's a real but that's just the reality of the business today :(
• hank`: Are knockup's going to be possible in ut3 with RL
[EPIC]Mysterial: I suspect it will be hard, there's a lot more gravity now
• {pdX}JD[Ci]: What is the switch away time for each weapon? Is it based on reloading times or something else?
[EPIC]Mysterial: switch times depend on the weapon, and you can't switch for most of the firing sequence
[BU]Dark_Pulse: So no Shock->Lightning->Shock sort of stuff, huh
[EPIC]Mysterial: absolutely not
• Stolid: In what way do you think the relatively early announcement of UT3 (UT2006?) affected the community in their longer term activity and will Epic continue to use these early announcements of new titles in the future, opposed to being more conservative and to be closer to the releasedate before announcements?
MarkRein[Epic]: Good question...
MarkRein[Epic]: It is always a gamble but I think the bet is safer when you're on the "announced early" side of the equation.
• Da_Wrecka: My question is thus; In previous Unreal games, and nearly every other game, there's a hardcoded "up" direction, meaning that your floor and your ceiling/sky never change relative to one another. Is this the same in UT3?
[EPIC]Mysterial: Unreal physics have pretty much the same limitations as before
[EPIC]Mysterial: although I suppose PhysX can do all the crazy gravity things... I haven't tried
• Polycron: How many hours will it take to complete the SP mode? Will it take longer than Halo3?
MarkRein[Epic]: I don't think any of us have finished Halo3 so we couldn't comment on that. I didn't even get time to pick up my copy today.
MarkRein[Epic]: Doing this chat was more important to me than playing Halo3 tonight! :)
MarkRein[Epic]: But I did reserve the Legendary version and I hope to pick it up tomorrow :)
• [MXS]Ana: Can you give at some point any hard numeric data about weapons damage, fire speed etc.
[EPIC]Mysterial: no, you'll have to figure it out the way you always have
• [MXS]Ana: DM-Rankin coming to UT3?
[Epic]DrSiN: Ana I'm sure there weill be a DM-Rankin-CE-UT3 made by someone.
• Zerb_Riss: will the PC version have built in IRC chat and an in-game music player?
[Epic]DrSiN: Zeb no, sorry no build in IRC chat.
[Epic]DrSiN: Most people just used MIRC anyway.
Zerb_Riss: np, in game music player?
[Epic]DrSiN: Not for ship, but it might come later if there is a real demand. Honestly (and remember I wrote the UT2K4 music player) I prefer to use WinAmp :)
• KriLL3: Is there a delay between stepping of the hoverboard and shooting with a weapon? or re-mounting the board?
[EPIC]Mysterial: I believe there is a very small delay (on the order of tenths of seconds)
[EPIC]Mysterial: I might be wrong though.
• matariel: hey guys, so BIG question...... what do you think of the community? ;)
MarkRein[Epic]: That's the big question?
MarkRein[Epic]: I think that should be obvious given the huge amount of post-release support we've given UT over the years. Given things like Unreal University (there will be another one!), the $1,000,000 NVIDIA Make Something Unreal Contest, the bonus packs, the updates, the IRC chats! :)
• Max1mus: asked Mark but he couldnt answer, talking about Player Character customisation, if you can mod/add your own, does this mean your going to be able to have custom skins and not have to be server side installed? or are we still talking that custom skins/parts have to be server side to be seen by others?
[EPIC]Mysterial: I don't think all of the specifics of custom character modding have been nailed down yet
• [M-X]zeno: Will you come to the Summit (Big UT2004 Lan in Germany) ?
MarkRein[Epic]: Sorry but I already have an extremely busy travel schedule for the next year :(
• MysTikal: Hi, I've got two questions. One for Mark and one for Mysterial. My first would be are there any plans to release the collectors edition in the UK/Europe? Since I cannot find it on any sites / shops so far. My second (to Mysterial) would be: how appealing would the new editor be for players starting out mapping? Since I'm thinking of becoming a mapper for UT3. Thank you.
MarkRein[Epic]: Good question on the collector's edition. I don't know the answer but I'll ping the Midway folks on that.
[EPIC]Mysterial: The editor is much easier to use and more stable than previous engine versions
• PandeMoniuM: are things still looking good on track for a November release
MarkRein[Epic]: They were until this chat ran overtime and now we're screwed --- JUST KIDDING!!! :)
• cory: can we be expecting any news videos or in game screenshots in the next few weeks?
MarkRein[Epic]: We have some cool stuff in store, yes.
• raMp: is it possible to shoot projectiles through teleporters like it is in q4?
[EPIC]Mysterial: no
• Maxwell: Are PS3's able to download content directly from the game server(well, via redirect)? Or do the files have to be preinstalled?
MarkRein[Epic]: That is the plan. If you go to a PS3 server that has a mod it will download to your hard drive cache just like in the past. Yes I believe redirect is supported again as well
• Maxwell: Will ut3 look better visually on a ps3 or 360? Im going to pick up a console for this game and thats my deciding factor?
MarkRein[Epic]: Do you have children? If so which one of your children do you like best? That's the kind of question you're asking us to answer. No thanks. We like all of our children!
• The_Marauder: Is rocket jumping still a valid tactic with the new gravity and movement settings? I know you have tried to make UT3 less "floaty" but will that reduce the effectiveness of rocket jumps as well
[EPIC]Mysterial: we have mostly focused on making sure the impact jumps are set up correctly. We haven't really devoted much to rocket jumps - that's why we have an impact hammer
• Jackal: Can you elborate more about this seamless level loading? Is it directly when the map ends, a new one is ready? No break in between?
[EPIC]Mysterial: it's basically a loading screen but you still get the scoreboard, can view player info, can chat, and you don't have to re-establish connection
• Arksa: Are the shock combo's blast radius and damage much different from those in ut2004?
[EPIC]Mysterial: everything in the game is stronger than it was except the shock primary
• `m4tze: Will the HUD in UT3 will be customizable? - Are the jump boots in UT3 available again?
[Epic]DrSiN: m4tze you can't turn off the various hud widgets but that's about it.
• Trailboss: Have Epic decided whether UT3 is going to be the last in the series or are they thinking of another one?
[Epic]DrSiN: UT will live forever.
• [RATS]Prophet: With the new Impact Hammer we can do all those big jumps, specialy with boots, like we did in UT99 on CTF maps? <- no errors now.
[EPIC]Mysterial: I'm not sure how much boost you get from combining impact hammer and jump boots. I just made sure it didn't let you fly out into space or anything ;)
• `Lovey: Why in the Professional gaming scene has an EPIC Admin never visited a Professional LAN Event involving UT2004?
MarkRein[Epic]: Huh? I went to World Cyber Games twice.
MarkRein[Epic]: Does that not count?
• {pdX}JD[Ci]: Will the flak shrapnel be random or a set projectile angle each time? Will the flak secondary still produce flak shards? and: What has been done to elliminate or exxagerate randomness in weapons fire?
[EPIC]Mysterial: flak shards have less randomness than before. Each shard has a zone in which in must fire, but there's still a little random there
[EPIC]Mysterial: In general we don't focus on random or not, but fun or not
• Silent_Assassin: Will the UT3 Collectors Edition be released in Australia?
MarkRein[Epic]: Unsure. Just pinged Midway about Europe so I'll tack on Australia when we get that answer
• Silent_Assassin: How many maps will be shipped with the initial release?
MarkRein[Epic]: LOTS!
• Silent_Assassin: Will UT3 have a easy match modifier for casual gamers, similar to Forge in Halo?
MarkRein[Epic]: You mean an in-game editor that lets you rearrange the furniture as opposed to the professional tool we actually made the game with? No, we give you the real editor we use and all the power you can handle.
[EPIC]Mysterial: we also have mutators for swapping around weapons and such
• Silent_Assassin: Can you grapple opponent vehicles with the hoverboard, and get shaken off?
[EPIC]Mysterial: can't grapple enemies
• Da_Wrecka: One more question for the programmers. Will it be possible, aside from the limited BrushBuilders of the present/past, for the user to make tools or mods for UnrealEd specifically?
[EPIC]Mysterial: UnrealEd still doesn't allow most scripting, sorry
• Trailboss: Will there be UT3 merchandise available? i.e., Tshirts, hats, posters, etc?
MarkRein[Epic]: Good question but I don't know the answer. I'll look into it.
[EPIC]Mysterial: Sorry guys, it's time for me to go
[EPIC]Mysterial: thanks for coming
[bu]hal`: ty Mysterial
[EPIC]Mysterial: I can't wait to ship the game and start owning you all
[Epic]DrSiN: I must as well.. bugs to squash.. it's been fun.
* MarkRein[Epic] has to go now
MarkRein[Epic]: Thanks for taking the time to chat with us!