Epic/nVidia IRC Chat January 29, 2004 #3dgpu on irc.enterthegame.com Chat session hosted by http://www.3dgpu.com Rough log courtesy of BeyondUnreal http://www.beyondunreal.com Jan 29 19:15:53 Okay, we're going to get started. No questions about release dates, they won't be answered, or anything regarding next generation games/hardware. Present your question to one of each, don't flood us with more than 1 question, or you'll be ignored. Send your messages to Matt3DGPU, Phy3DGPU, or Jb_Chaos. If your question don't get answered, don't send it again. We'll try to get them in as soon as we can. Jan 29 19:16:50 First of all I'd like to thank the fine folks at 3DGPU and Nvidia for hosting the chat. Jan 29 19:17:03 We're going to start by taking $1,000,000 NVIDIA MSU Contest questions Jan 29 19:17:13 I'll start by asking *me* the first question.... Jan 29 19:17:27 Mark---> I won a prize in the contest - where the hell is my prize money and/or computer? Jan 29 19:17:30 Good question Mark. Jan 29 19:17:55 Our lawyers have given us a form to be signed by ALL contest winners and we're just finalizing that. Mark Chandler will be sending... Jan 29 19:18:15 out these forms in the next 7-10 days to all winners based on the information we have in the database. The form will require you to provide... Jan 29 19:18:41 your proper address, phone number, social security number (if in the USA), tax id (from other countries), and sign that you have complied... Jan 29 19:18:54 with the rules, have not cheated, and will give the prize back if you did and we catch you. Jan 29 19:19:16 So that's where we are with awarding prizes for Phase 1. We're now deep, deep, deep in the sorting process for Phase 2 Jan 29 19:19:39 As everyone knows we've pushed the dates back for the contest to allow more time for people to get UT2004 and then take advantage of it. Jan 29 19:20:06 We've also added a new Phase 4. This has not been announced yet but we're going to add $10,000 Best Onslaught Level and $10,000 Best Assault Level categories for Phase 4 Jan 29 19:20:07 as well. Jan 29 19:20:10 ... Jan 29 19:20:37 In addition we'll be choosing from some of the better mods and showing them off at E3 this year in NVIDIA's booth. All mods for Phase 3 MUST be.... Jan 29 19:21:02 compatible with UT2004. I can let Joe describe what that means but I understand it is not very hard to make UT2003 mods work with UT2004.... Jan 29 19:21:18 Joe Wilcox (Dr. Sin) Can you describe what's necessary to make a current mod work with UT2004? Jan 29 19:22:17 Most of the compatibility changes occur in the menu system. We have done a lot of updating and overall improvements. Jan 29 19:22:51 Other than the UI, the only major change was to the WeaponFire system and we are working hard to make it as compatible as possible. Jan 29 19:23:13 Regarding vehicles: How difficult would it be to make them invulnerable to damage, and highly effected by physics, such as explosions? (Like, Halo, and the Warthog Jumping pastime) Jan 29 19:23:14 Most of the unerlying network/gameplay changes are pretty transparent Jan 29 19:24:02 A2597- > Easy mutator to make I'd imagine. Still, blowing up a vehicle is one of the highlights of this game. Going back to a game where they won't blow up is quite an adjustment after playing 2k4. Jan 29 19:24:05 UT2K4 also includes much better mod support. Major mods (think RO) bascially install as their own game. Jan 29 19:24:28 <[FO]SquirrelZero> My MSU question: since total conversion mods generally have many more people involved in their creation than other categories, is there any chance the per-phase TC mod prizes might be raised? Jan 29 19:24:36 In total, it took me about an hour to get RO up and running (though not perfect)... thanks to the RO team for giving me a hand. Jan 29 19:24:48 A2597 -> "really" easy mutator Jan 29 19:24:51 Squirrel--> NO chance of that. We're already well over $550,000 in prize money! Jan 29 19:25:11 <|-7eVeN-|> - > Both. Steve's put a lot of work into gibs being visible, loud, and nasty. You don't just get the ragdoll all of the time now - gibbing is back and in full effect. Jan 29 19:25:17 Squirrel--> ANd there's $150,000 split among the top 5 and a $350,000 engine license! Jan 29 19:26:38 Guys.. please don't message us.. message the mods. Jan 29 19:26:39 <[0FirstName]DarkMouse> My burning question: With the sniper rifle back in with ut2k4, what use does the lightning gun now have? Is it also good against vehicles, where the sniper rifle obviously won't be? Jan 29 19:27:19 <[0FirstName]DarkMouse> - > Some levels have the LG, some have the sniper rifle. Some people are better with one or the other. I prefer the sniper for infantry and the LG for vehicles. Jan 29 19:28:00 Ok, folks, we're going to switch to UT2004 discussion but feel free to ask THE MODERATORS (not us directly!) contest questions throughout the evening Jan 29 19:28:17 BTW, we will go unmoderated at some point later on Jan 29 19:28:40 <[FO]SquirrelZero> My MSU question: since total conversion mods generally have many more people involved in their creation than other categories, is there any chance the per-phase TC mod prizes might be raised? Jan 29 19:28:57 Cliff--> That was asked, answer was no. Jan 29 19:29:05 Mark - > roger :) Jan 29 19:29:48 <[CBP]Luggage> Question: Will the MSUC contestants, or at least the winners, receive some sort of feedback or 'review' from the jury? Jan 29 19:29:55 Cliff--> please answer that one Jan 29 19:30:01 Could you elaborate more one Voice Over IP useage in UT2k4. Is it going to be a like counter-strike? Jan 29 19:30:09 How easy is it to make a Zero-Point Gravity Gun(a HL2 weapon)work in UT2004? I thought it might be interesting to have a mod where your only weapons are physics-enabled objects. left #3dgpu Jan 29 19:30:41 <[CBP]Luggage> re: Feedback/review - we're considering doing this at some point. There's a lot of stuff to go over in each mod! Jan 29 19:30:44 Matt3DGPU is a moderator --> ask him questions Jan 29 19:30:54 Please send questions to moderators, Matt3DGPU, Phy3DGPU, and Jb_Chaos Jan 29 19:31:03 -> super easy, everything is very very moddable, we've even done that particular thing in testing Jan 29 19:31:30 Question: Why did you guys at Epic decide to do a chat like this with Nvidia, as opposed to ATI. Does this reflect the future of Epic's games support for ATI hardware? Also, would they concider doing a chat along side ATI? Jan 29 19:31:39 Hey, could you please ask: What are the chances that UT2k3 will get A. a compatibility patch and B. security and bugfix updates? thanks :) Jan 29 19:31:46 Because Nvidia asked. Jan 29 19:32:17 Also if you'll notice ATI has put all their support behind someone else's game. That's not a knock against ATI but just the current landscape. Jan 29 19:33:20 Cliff--> can we expect ut2k4 to be more leaned toward the competetive gaming community? Jan 29 19:34:02 Joe--> Can you answer the questions about UT2K3 please Jan 29 19:34:55 Som - UT2K3's cheat protection actually lasted for about a year Jan 29 19:35:10 BUT.. it was limited. Jan 29 19:35:20 -> We try to make a game for a broad range of users, from our ultra hardcore guys to people who have never played a FPS before. Finding this balance between weapon damage (online and off), the tradeoffs between graphic detail versus level "clutter", and complexity of game modes are all factors here. Jan 29 19:35:34 Given many of the competetive features that UT2k3 was missing at the beginning and the difficulties that have ensued with getting the competetive seen underway as a result, what forethought has gone into 2k4 with regards to building a competetive scene around it? Jan 29 19:35:36 I always expected the MD5 protection to be cracked and had several fallbacks, BUT a bug is stopping them from working. Jan 29 19:35:49 -> Out of the box, I personally want to see people firing up Onslaught and Assault and then later going back to DM/CTF modes. Jan 29 19:35:59 <[FuT]Teddie> I've noticed something about "Cliffy B's Ownage" in the game UI for UT2004. Can you explain how this works? Jan 29 19:36:01 For UT2K4, I've added a lot more, especially in terms of what the master server can track. Jan 29 19:36:02 Laurent--> Can you describe what makes the new assault better than the original? Jan 29 19:36:20 So yes, UT2K4's cheat protection is stronger. Jan 29 19:36:37 <[FuT]Teddie> -> Hey, Teddie. There might be an 0wnage section in game but putting my name on it in there would be, for lack of a better word, Dumb. Jan 29 19:36:51 UT2k4 Assault can be seen as the next evolution of Assault more than a sequel or a port... Jan 29 19:36:53 <[0FirstName]DarkMouse> Can we expect any new voice packs to go along with the new player models? And are there any new team voice messages to go with old and new voice packs, matching the two new game types? Jan 29 19:37:09 <[RO]Steven> Will 3DBuzz VTMs be included with UT2004? Jan 29 19:37:11 <[FuT]Teddie> -> That kind of stuff is fine on, say, a website that I personally run but in the game it'd be like "CliffyB's UT2004!" which would be, for lack of a better word, Stupid. Jan 29 19:37:28 As for UT2K3, as I said there is a bug that is keeping the next layer from working. To fix it would require us to break network compatibility which won't happen before UT2K4 ships. How much of the cheat protection is ported backwards will probably depend on the strength of the UT2K3 community afterwards. Jan 29 19:37:35 we've paid a lot of attention to online games (where UT1 Assault failed) including competitive gaming and making sure the game is exploit free... Jan 29 19:37:38 Q:What's the status on the GUI/Uwindows? Jan 29 19:37:44 The 3DBuzz VTMS will be included on the DVD Special Edition. In fact there are a bunch of new VTMs done especially for this as well as a very cool HTML user interface for navigating through the special content! Jan 29 19:37:45 The UI is looking nice. Jan 29 19:37:52 Yo Drsin, Will the vehicles in UT2004 somehow be flipped over when upside down (like in halo) or will they just respawn as normal? Jan 29 19:38:04 <[xeno]Bor> since the shield gun was designed for spawn protection, why not limit it such that it can only be used for the first 30 seconds after a player spawns? Jan 29 19:38:18 1 Yo Drsin, Will the vehicles in UT2004 somehow be flipped over when upside down (like in halo) or will they just respawn as normal? Jan 29 19:38:28 Yes, when you use an upside down vehicle it will flip. Jan 29 19:38:34 Dave Hagewood please answer Onslaught questions Jan 29 19:38:36 ... Assault has a strong "Single Player" feel to it, with various scenarios involving different locations and missions... Jan 29 19:38:46 what will the Skaarj character's role be in the game? Jan 29 19:38:49 how exactly do you intend to implement the classic sniper rifle, will the ut2003 side of ut2004 continue to the use the lightning gun and the new mode onslaught use the classic sniper rifle, or will there be a mutator to decide between the two? Jan 29 19:39:09 you can use either sniper rifle in either gametype... it is up to the mapper Jan 29 19:39:10 Folks Dave Hagewood runs a company call Psyonix (is that spelling correct Dave) that has been employed to help with UT2004.... Jan 29 19:39:11 Are the bots in UT2004 going to be much better than the UT2003 bots (aside from vehicle support)? The UT2003 bots didn't jump very much. Jan 29 19:39:15 .. Assault has been made easier to understand (thanks to many on HUD indicators, voice overs, intro cinematics)... Jan 29 19:39:24 yes spelled correct Jan 29 19:39:35 <[HCC]Darkus> I have a Question for DrSin about UT2k4: What kind of optimasations have you done to the engine to allow a wider range of slower machines to run ut2004 successfully? Jan 29 19:39:41 -> The 2k4 bots will make the superbots look blind. ;) Jan 29 19:39:42 has the eye level heigt increased in UT2004? Jan 29 19:39:47 Dave actually brought us a very early Onslaught to GDC last year to show us as a mod. We loved it and decided to give him some funding so he could go back... Jan 29 19:40:05 ... to sum up Assault, it's been designed with competitive and online gaming in mind, and should please the fans of the original and hardcore clans. Jan 29 19:40:07 and make some improvements to it. He came and visited us a month or two later with a much-improved version and we hired his company on the spot... Jan 29 19:40:14 In 2003, we were presented with unstable support for several particular cards, resulting in certain textures, cubemaps, and effects (such as the LG shot) to look distorted in multiple ways. What improvements on OpenGL will we see in UT2004? Jan 29 19:40:27 he's been kicking ass ever since!! Psyonix ---> a name you're going to hear a LOT from in the future. Jan 29 19:40:36 Is the Onslaught mode in UT2004 anything like capturing control points in Battlefield 1942/Desert Combat? Hows the action? Jan 29 19:40:52 What is the current status of the UT2004 Linux and Mac ports, and the status of the OpenGL renderer? (The current one in UT2003 is sluggish and doesn't support projector shadows) Jan 29 19:41:02 Will there be any Vehicle CTF map in the final release? Can you make Vehicle CTF maps with the UnrealED editor? Jan 29 19:41:07 Will Linux Have Voice Over IP Support? Jan 29 19:41:17 OpenGL? Jan 29 19:41:24 No, in Onslaught you have to capture control point in a "connect the dots" fashion so you can't just go around attacking random points... Jan 29 19:41:27 Linux and Mac are being developed at the same time. I beleive all 3 will have voice over ip, but only Win32 has text to speech Jan 29 19:41:35 Is it too late to start making a mod for msuc? Jan 29 19:41:36 believe rather :) Jan 29 19:41:39 Unfortunately Daniel Vogel isn't here as he's the one to answer OpenGL questions. Jan 29 19:41:44 Dear Epic team. Instagib CTF being the most played mode in UT99 and UT2003, by far - will UT2004 feature maps especially designed for iCTF? (like Citadel, Maul..) Jan 29 19:41:48 -> No VCTF maps shipping but setting one up with the shipped game should be relatively easy. Jan 29 19:41:57 Mark: What the minimum computer specifications for UT2k4 will be? Jan 29 19:42:02 <|Unholy|Powerslave^TRK> Will the crosshair and hud be blurred when low details are on? Jan 29 19:42:04 this keep the gameplay centered around the current point in contention and makes the game ultra high paced Jan 29 19:42:05 Any map is good for Insta ;) Jan 29 19:42:09 Floam--> Linux will ship in the box. Mac will ship around the same time as PC. Jan 29 19:42:15

We know you guys support the modding community, but do you guys have any plans of supporting the competetive community with an LAN-event (much like id is supporting quakecon) if not, why? Jan 29 19:42:22 Will there be good protection against all sort of cheating? And what about tweaking? Jan 29 19:42:31 I have no idea what min specs are - I'd guess same as UT2003 except now we have a software renderer as well. Jan 29 19:42:39 you also don't need to worry about having to walk for minutes at a time to get to the next point... if you don't have a vehicle you can teleport to any controlled node Jan 29 19:42:56 DaSnaksta read above about cheating.. I don't really know what you are asking about tweaking. Jan 29 19:43:07 The minimum Specs are available here: http://www.unrealtournament.com/ut2004/specs.php Jan 29 19:43:10 can u describe the shield gun changes? Jan 29 19:43:12 Blackfish--> NO IT IS ABSOLUTELY **NOT** TOO LATE TO START MODS FOR THE CONTEST!! GET GOING!! Phase 4 ends August 20th - that's a TON of time! Jan 29 19:43:19 <[CBP]-Loosecontroll6> What Unreal Championship maps will be in UT2004 Jan 29 19:43:27 Hi, As a member the bombing run community i was wondering what changes there have been? I've heard about Trans being changed ? What truth is there in this? Also will teamplay be improved in any way? Jan 29 19:43:32 As far as the action goes... there is nothing that compares to it... it is nonstop freakin insane... nothing like any other game out there Jan 29 19:43:50 Viruz--> I am pretty sure we are going to be in two CPL event next year, so the answer is yes. Jan 29 19:44:06 What changes have been made to the UT2003 maps that are being ported to UT2004? Jan 29 19:44:14 <[CBP]-Loosecontroll6> -> There are a few... off of the top of my head I know CTF-Smote will make it. (we don't count those in the "new map" count since they were previously in UC but there are some gems in there!) Jan 29 19:44:15 omega yes, the rumored changes to the TL are true.. When you throw it, it drains. Jan 29 19:44:18 but it's configurable. Jan 29 19:44:23 <[CBP]Luggage> Question: Will the MSUC contestants, or at least the winners, receive some sort of feedback or 'review' from the jury? Jan 29 19:44:42 How do you actually "get" vehicles, will there be vehicle stations? And what have vehicles to do with power nodes? Jan 29 19:44:48 Matt--> That was asked and the answer was "hopefully" Jan 29 19:44:56 Could you please ask : Will UT2k4 have a warmup mode, a HUD clock, a map/mut/kick voting system, hit sounds and bright skins? What about other features for the "competitive player"? thanks :) Jan 29 19:44:58 woops Jan 29 19:45:05 One thing I should mention is that we will have a Modding session at our booth at GDC again this year. Jan 29 19:45:07 How difficult will it be for small time mutators to be moved to UT2004, such as TTM and AntiTCC? Jan 29 19:45:22 <]Co[-`BLaNK_-> how exactly do you intend to implement the classic sniper rifle, will the ut2003 side of ut2004 continue to the use the lightning gun and the new mode onslaught use the classic sniper rifle, or will there be a mutator to decide between the two? Jan 29 19:45:23 We're also expecting to do another Unreal University sometime soon after UT2004 ships. Jan 29 19:45:42 Coming to UU would be a great way to ask direct questions :) Jan 29 19:45:56 <[PUKE]el|basta> 3- Jan 29 19:45:56 How many new CTF maps will be shipped with UT2004? Jan 29 19:46:05 <[PUKE]el|basta> Since UT2004 is no longer backwards compatible, are you guys working on the various UT2003 map bugs that have been reported in the last year? Are you planning on upgrading those UT2003 maps, maybe remove some static meshes, make the corridors a bit larger, etc? Jan 29 19:46:06 NVIDIA is also a big on the competitive gaming scene, so you can expect Epic to be involved in our efforts as well. Jan 29 19:46:16 <]Co[-`BLaNK_-> -> Sniper rifle/LG is map specific. Some maps have one, some have both. Jan 29 19:46:19 Dr. Sin--> Can you answer this one: How difficult will it be for small time mutators to be moved to UT2004, such as TTM and AntiTCC? Jan 29 19:46:20 Cursive pretty easy.. TTM might need minor UI tweaks but I don't think it really needs anything else (haven't seen the code). AntiTCC should work out of the box Jan 29 19:46:30 Could you ask Mark Reign the current status of the UT2004 Linux and Mac ports, and the status of the OpenGL renderer? (The current one in UT2003 is sluggish and doesn't support projector shadows) Jan 29 19:46:38 what will be changed in Ued between 2003 and 2004? Jan 29 19:46:49 Could you elaborate more one Voice Over IP useage in UT2k4. Is it going to be a like counter-strike? Jan 29 19:47:13 Floam|LinuxGuy--> I already said Linux will be in the box (there will be a Linux demo before release as well) and Mac will be around the same time as PC (and there will be a Mac demo before release as well) Jan 29 19:47:27 I haven't used voice over ip in CS, but it's very much like teamspeak. if you can be more clear about the feature you are looking for I can tell you if it's in. Jan 29 19:47:28 Dave--> can you please answer the VOIP question Jan 29 19:47:32 5.5 GB for UT2004?!?!? Is that for real? Why so much space? Jan 29 19:47:37 deus]X[machina: very little is changed in UED, some bug fixes mainly. Jan 29 19:47:40 is there any chance instagib will be fun/supported with onslaught/assault? Jan 29 19:47:46 MrFixIt--> Because we love you guys! Jan 29 19:47:50 My question is: What ways will there be to counter the dreadful spider mines? Will you be able do shoot theme before the hit you? Jan 29 19:48:00 JoY--> That would be a pretty easy mod if you wanted to make it. Jan 29 19:48:03 UT2003 charachters are too slow when they are running, also when they dodge or do other stuff, UT1 players want to strafe, are the charachters going be made faster? Jan 29 19:48:06 InstaGib has been disabled in Assault and OnSlaught. Jan 29 19:48:14 Cliff--> Please answer the spider mines question Jan 29 19:48:26 You can shoot spider mines when they're coming at you. Jan 29 19:48:27 Why isn't there a skin category in the MSUC ? Jan 29 19:48:30 <[V3]Optimal> Question about vehicles. Will the gun turrets on a vehicle be affected by the vehicle's movement? Jan 29 19:48:40 Some weapons are better than others but as far as which ones are it's a mystery to me lately :) Jan 29 19:48:45 <[RO]Steven> Will 3DBuzz VTMs be included with UT2004? Jan 29 19:48:46 <-- Impyermmnothing Jan 29 19:49:06 Loric--> We couldn't do everything. In fact we're going to eliminate one or two of the underutilized categories. The one I recall for sure we're killing is 3DSound. Jan 29 19:49:11 Dear Epic team. Instagib CTF being the most played mode in UT99 and UT2003, by far - will UT2004 feature maps especially designed for iCTF? (like Citadel, Maul..) Jan 29 19:49:12 Will UT2004 be sold on CD or DVD? Jan 29 19:49:18 - > IG is allowed in Assault and... we're still talking about ONS. There are many key game mode features that the various weapons require in ons. (i.e. healing with link altfire is crucial...) Jan 29 19:49:27 The lightening gun is the best invention since sliced bread! But the inclusion of the sniper rifle in UT2k4 makes me afraid they might be "phasing out" the LG? Is the LG here to stay??? Jan 29 19:49:28 can u describe what weapon tweakes has been made? Jan 29 19:49:31 Phy3DGPU--> please watch the questions being asked. That one was already answered. Jan 29 19:49:38 - > Those maps weren't designed for IG to begin with. You can play all of the DM/CTF that ship with the game in IG. Jan 29 19:49:40 LG is here to stay.. (and a better weapon) Jan 29 19:49:51 ;) Jan 29 19:49:56 InstaGib doesn't make sense in Assault and OnSlaught, where the game has been balanced for Objectives and Vehicles. Jan 29 19:50:06 Cliff: IG is disabled in Assault and also is in ONS. Jan 29 19:50:10 What are the differances in modding UT2004 in comparison to UT2003? Is C++ accessible this time around. Is Karma back? Is KAT still alive? Any new tools? Is UED much differant? Give us the LOW DOWN! Jan 29 19:50:10 LG is here to stay - at least for this year anyway :) Jan 29 19:50:16 - > I'm not a fan of the LG, but we'll evaluate the inclusion of each weapon on a case by case basis in all future iterations of UT. Jan 29 19:50:22 What posibility for floating vehicles is there, such as boats? Jan 29 19:50:30 Dr. Sin--> please answer that one about modding Jan 29 19:50:40 What if any CPU usage changes will UT2004 have, will it be more or the same as UT2003? Jan 29 19:50:44 Karma is back. Jan 29 19:50:46 To everyone who has concerns that UT would not be enough like UT when vehicles were added: We focused on that very issue from the start. But I can tell you know that once you get a chance to play the game you won't hear concerns like that anymore. Everything is over the top...you drive fast, you fire fast, you die spectacularly, and you spawn and do it all again... it's awesome. Jan 29 19:50:47 idolminds--> That would make a cool mod but we don't have any ourselves Jan 29 19:50:48 -> Boats would probably be pretty easy to add in as a mod. Not a lot of wheels/treads on it. :) Jan 29 19:50:59 What can we expect to find behind the 'Community' menu item in UT2004? Jan 29 19:51:14 Dave[Psyonix]--> NO question about that. The vehicles in UT are the perfect fit for the style of game it is. Jan 29 19:51:27 Question: Why did you guys at Epic decide to do a chat like this with Nvidia, as opposed to ATI. Does this reflect the future of Epic's games support for ATI hardware? Also, would they concider doing a chat along side ATI? Jan 29 19:51:41 -> Already answered by mark. Jan 29 19:51:43 Good question QAPete.... Cliff/Joe: please elaborate on the Community Menu Jan 29 19:51:49 Joe---> <{Vz}LazAFK> You say the weapon switching speed has slowed down (or rather some people say it has). Is it similar switching speed to that of Unreal Tournament? Jan 29 19:51:57 Does driving vehicles in UT2004 cause a significant performance hit? Are there options for a behindview or in-vehicle view? Jan 29 19:52:04 Because we asked them :-) Jan 29 19:52:06 C++ header will be available on a case by case basis to experianced teams. UnrealED is the same with some minor bug fixes and UDE has been replaced with a custom version of WotGreal. Jan 29 19:52:10 <[CBP]-Loosecontroll6> What Unreal Championship maps will be in UT2004 Jan 29 19:52:19 For Cliffy: What are the new challenged involved in making an assault map? For example, is there a lot of scripting involved, etc? How much more effort will they require than mapping, say, a regular 10 player deathmatch map? Jan 29 19:52:21 <{Vz}LazAFK> -> Weapon switching is still faster than UT but slower than 2003. You have to wait for the time it would have taken for your existion weapon to reload before switching. Jan 29 19:52:22 will there be additional phases for msu after phase 4? Jan 29 19:52:26 Are the physics for player movement any different in 2004 then from 2003? Jan 29 19:52:37 WotGreal took 1st in the tools catagory.. so entering MSU can make a difference. Jan 29 19:52:44 -> An Assault map takes approximately 10 times the work that a regular medium sized DM map takes. Jan 29 19:52:53 I'd like to know if the Cliffycam will ever come up again? /thanks in advance Jan 29 19:52:58 <[CBP]-Loosecontroll6> - > Answered already. Jan 29 19:52:59 <[GeRm]JackBauer> i've seen screenshots of a Curse4 in UT2004, can you tell me what changes you have made to the map to make it different from Curse3 Jan 29 19:53:09 physics for player movement are the same. Some bugs related to boost jumping (with binds) have been fixed though. Jan 29 19:53:15 - > CliffyCam will come back if someone is willing to host it. That thing got quite expensive! Jan 29 19:53:20 heh Jan 29 19:53:37 <[K]EtoS> UT2k3 players claim mutators is what ruined the game due to every server having a different and unpleasing mutator as well as a skin that is horrible looking to download. How will you address this in UT2k4 as respects to avoid loss of interest in the game? Jan 29 19:53:37 how easy will it be to convert 2003 maps to 2004? Jan 29 19:53:53 <[GeRm]JackBauer> - > I started with the UC version (simpler), then deleted a pile of static meshes from it, smoothed out the steep terrain, added in classic sniper rifle, etc... Jan 29 19:53:53 i have a question, how about the distibucion of the game in other countrys like Mexico, because, when UT2003 comes out, i see in stores, (here in Mexico), 3 monts after the release in EUA Jan 29 19:53:58 Ono (from DE) --> <[CBP]-Loosecontroll6> What Unreal Championship maps will be in UT2004 Jan 29 19:54:01 QAPete - The community menu has a community new page that can be updated with links to cool mods, etc. It has a menu for switching between major game mods (like Red Orchestra, Frag Ops, etc). It has it's own version of Cliff's Ownage page that get's auto-updated, plus the demo recording and UTV menus Jan 29 19:54:14 1) In the wake of the closing of Legend Entertainment how do you feel this will effect UT2K4 sales? Jan 29 19:54:23 yes there are options for behind view and 1st person mode in Onslaught. Adding vehicles to the game requires only slightly more performance and nothing significant Jan 29 19:54:32 <[FO]SquirrelZero> question: What kind of rendering optimizations (if any) will UT2004 support? The ut2003.com mainsite mentions them, but no detail is given. Jan 29 19:54:37 <[V3]Optimal> Will your team be able to have 2 of the same vehicle on the field. Or are the vehicles limited to 1 per team? Jan 29 19:54:43 converting a UT2k3 map to UT2k4 will be as easy as load and save in UED. (it's not required, but better, or the game will have to convert it when loading it). Jan 29 19:54:46 <[K]EtoS> -> We are looking at a variety of solutions, none of which I'm at liberty to talk about. Needless to say we want people to be able to find a non-modified server easily while allowing modded servers to co-exist. Jan 29 19:54:49 The closing of Legend should have no relation to UT2004 sales whatsoever. However it did make us sad to hear it. Jan 29 19:55:11 <|-c2c-|TagYourIt> A lot of players are concerned about hacks and exploits present in ut2003, could you comment on the security changes, if any for ut2004. Jan 29 19:55:19 I understand 13 of the 18 people who were at Legend when it was shut down were offered jobs in other Atari studios. Jan 29 19:55:27 will ut2k4 be more geared on compatability with nvidia or ati, and will one company's card get any extra eye candy or boosts? Jan 29 19:55:29 c2c this has been answered, scroll up Jan 29 19:55:32 So it wasn't so grim for everyone there. Jan 29 19:55:40 <{51}og`> Can we destroy things people are standing on or have things in the map that you can move around and/or interact with ?? Jan 29 19:55:48 <[V3]Optimal> Your team can have 12 of the same vehicle if they like... or more Jan 29 19:55:53 in theory the demo release is for community feedback, with the release (perhaps) 6 or so weeks away will the demo get released (WHEN? =) in time for feedback or a rushed 2week demo/final release like 2k3? Jan 29 19:55:54 Will players be able to use behind view without the server admin allowinng them? Jan 29 19:56:06 we have a vehicle arena mutator so you can do this easily even Jan 29 19:56:09 There are several toolsWill there be any improublent to the recordmovie command, perhaps integrated with demorec? Jan 29 19:56:15 Hey moderators please don't give us "who do you like better ATI or NVIDIA" questions like that. They're dumb. We like our customers. We make sure our games run as well as possible on our customers systems. Jan 29 19:56:16 fm1nus no.. behindview is still a server option. Jan 29 19:56:20 Will many of the new levels in UT2004 have more of a sci-fi/futuristic type theme to them? Jan 29 19:56:47 Our customers have all kinds of different videos cards and we want to make sure our games run well on ALL of them. Jan 29 19:56:55 I think it has to be asked eventually: Do you have any plans for an UT2005? Jan 29 19:56:58 In onslaught behindview in vehicles is default and is by far the best way to play, but you can go 1st person at any time regardless of server settings Jan 29 19:57:12 Dr Sin--> Can you explain how the DivX stuff works? Jan 29 19:57:19 - > 2k4 is shipping with the usual delicious salad of level themes that you've come to expect from the franchise. Did mention... HYPERBLAST is back? Jan 29 19:57:22 Is there going to be a second Community Bonus Pack ? Jan 29 19:57:22 (for XMP?) Jan 29 19:57:22 no UT2003/UT2004 Jan 29 19:57:36

who's better at 1vs1, cliffy or mark Jan 29 19:57:45 yes, although some levels are completely different. Take CTF-MoonDragon for instance (Asian). Jan 29 19:57:45 Sorry.. didn't realize the behindview question was about vehicles. 1st/3rd person on vehicles are always open Jan 29 19:57:50 <[r-]Jagobah> Question: Currently UT2k3 does not support showing player weapons during demo playback. What is the real reason behind not allowing weapons to show during demo playback in UT2k3, and will UT2k4 have the same dilemna or will the problem be fixed?? Jan 29 19:57:59 Hyperblast--> oh yeah! Jan 29 19:57:59

-> I let Mark win because if I didn't he'd kick me in the junk. Jan 29 19:58:06 <[CoFR]MMaster> Can you talk briefly about client side support for linux? Will the client be in the box, or out at a later time? Jan 29 19:58:06 Have the Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch gametypes been neglected in any way in favour of the newer Onslaught and Assault gametypes? Jan 29 19:58:19 How will Teamplay be improved in Bombing run in UT2k4? Will the pass function be improved? Jan 29 19:58:38 omega passing has been improved and the TL changes really force you to play as a team Jan 29 19:58:42 I know you said no release date questions, but will the DVD version be released at the same time as the CD version? Jan 29 19:58:48 Guys-_> we've already said LINUX CLIENT WILL BE IN THE BOX and THERE WILL BE A LINUX DEMO OUT BEFORE RELEASE Jan 29 19:59:05 1 on 1 DM will have a lot of new (and excellent) levels. But gameplay wise, there's nothing much we can had about these. :) Jan 29 19:59:05 How will instagib work with vehicles? Jan 29 19:59:09 Can we except a free serverside version of UT2K4 like we had in UT2K3 ? Jan 29 19:59:17 Eagle - Yes. Jan 29 19:59:27 Regarding Redeemer rockets in UT2004, will they work same as in UT where you could control the Redeemer rocket with camera view and guide it? Jan 29 19:59:39 Dr. Sin--> Can you explain about outputting to DivX? Jan 29 19:59:43 <[FO]SquirrelZero> question: What kind of rendering optimizations (if any) will UT2004 support? The ut2004.com mainsite mentions them, but no detail is given. Jan 29 19:59:51 - > Uh yeah man, you could do that in 2k3! But in 2k4 it's even more fun to pilot one of those into a tank :) Jan 29 19:59:53 yes. AltFire lets you control the Redemeer rocket. http://www.gamegossip.com <-- Visit Today, well click on it already!) Jan 29 19:59:56 What changes have been made to the UT2003 maps that are being ported to UT2004? Jan 29 19:59:56 Since quite a few maps are being brought over from Ut2003 to UT2004, have you made changes to them, especially since there is no network compatibility? Jan 29 20:00:18 Can we expect more detailed coverage of MSUC winners? And how is Phase 2 judging going? Jan 29 20:00:19 fm1nus--> Yes the DVD version is supposed to come out at the same time as the CD version. Also we're expecting them to ship simutaneously in the USA and Europe. Jan 29 20:00:25 What's there to explain :) we have added support for dumping any rendering frames out to a divx move. Jan 29 20:00:39 bug fixes only. Jan 29 20:00:40 -> Some changes - mostly minor bugfixes (many in code) to those maps. Our plates are full with the new content. Jan 29 20:00:41 - It was a hardware failure.. check INA I just posted about it Jan 29 20:00:48 Regx--> Yes you can expect more detailed coverage of MSUC winners. We're working with Nvidia to do an editor's day exclusively about MSUC winners in fact! Jan 29 20:01:06 he meant "movie" not "move" Jan 29 20:01:13

Will the charactor collision points still be a factor in ut2k4 or will the charactor itself be the factor of weather or not the player gets hit? Jan 29 20:01:16 Yep! Jan 29 20:01:20 from Pro Game Player - <]OUF-br[Fire-Bush> was the translocator changed at all in br to prevent self passing and if so is there a mutator to make it like its original Jan 29 20:01:29 yep.. movie :) Jan 29 20:01:32 from Pro Game Player - <]OUF-br[Fire-Bush> was the translocator changed at all in br to prevent self passing and if so is there a mutator to make it like its original Jan 29 20:01:37 Mark ---> i have a question, how about the distibucion of the game in other country like Mexico, because, when UT2003 comes out, i see in stores, (here in Mexico), 3 monts after the release in EUA Jan 29 20:01:40 Instigib isn't supported against vehicles. We tried instigib on vehicles... it really sucked... I mean really. Why get in a vehicle if it just makes it easier to kill you? We also tried making vehicles not instigib and just take a lot of damage, but again, wasn't worth getting in one. It just wasn't fun. Jan 29 20:01:46 Will there be a noticable benifit of using a 64Bit processor? ie Will a 2Ghz A64 kill a 2GHz Pentium 4? Jan 29 20:01:56 <]OUF-br[Fire-Bush> Yes it was to prevent self passing which is lame.. but there is an option to disable it. Jan 29 20:01:59 <[TTR]CaD> 'Is phase 4 only going to be for 2k4 mods???' Jan 29 20:02:00 UT2k4 Q: With the Raptor type buggy vehicle, will it be possible for the driver to retract the blades that stick out the side as we've seen in videos so as to make it easier to maneuveur in confined spaces? Jan 29 20:02:11 Bort_Simpson[DEMO]--> Sorry but only Atari can answer questions about distribution. That's not our area. Jan 29 20:02:35 snipeo -> the blades are retracted to start, you need to extend them using alt-fire Jan 29 20:02:42 Cliffx0rB---->Having heard a rumour about ut2k3 being mostly DX7, can we look forward to seeing a more dx8/dx9 game w/ut2k4? Or would this limit the game to players with higher end machines? Jan 29 20:02:45