Commenting on the latest gargantuan upcoming UT3 patch, Steve Polge reveals that the next step for UT3 is to release the Titan Pack, "which is substantially bigger than any bonus pack we've released in the past." That's saying a lot, considering the contents of some of their previous bonus packs. Epic Games has been quietly working behind the scenes on a M-M-MASSIVE update for Unreal Tournament 3. However, the most exciting news may just be that this is only the beginning - a very small part - of what they have in store... * SUMMARY OF MAJOR FEATURES: * Major enhancements to Server Browser * Visual and menu flow overhaul for improved useability of user interface. * Significant AI improvements, especially in vehicle gametypes. * Client-side demo recording support * Improved networking performance. * Midgame map, game type, and mutator voting support * Award system using Steam Achievements * Improved mod support * Improved Steam integration * Steam Achievement support for Steam installations of UT3. * Integrated Steam Authentication support. * 57 achievements mark your progress and mastery of UT. * Progress screen shows which awards you have earned, and completion progress on all awards. * Server Browser: * Server Browser updates, expanded query filtering, clientside filters and a new UI option list. * Added mutator filtering to the server browser (filter by installed mutators, mutator classes and mutator names) * Now displays each servers IP in the server details box * Added 'Join IP' and 'Spectate IP' buttons to the join game menu * Added an 'Add IP' button to the favourites menu * Modified the main menu to return to the server browser after disconnecting * Added a new button to the midgame menu 'Add Favorite', and a new console command: AddServerToFavorites * Updated server browser code, so that custom gametypes are properly filtered. * Added a 'List All Game Modes' selection to the server filter menu. * Added more information to the server browser player list. * Fixed servers not being added to history, when following a friend to a server * You can now attempt to directly connect to offline servers in History and Favorites (even during master server downtimes). * Show "+" for player counts that are populated by bots. * UI: * Major visual and menu flow overhaul for improved useability. * Made the instant-action and host-game menus keep their settings. * Scoreboard double click functionality for kicking, messages to specific players. * Enabled gamepad stick sensitivity setting in UI. * Improved gamepad support on PC. * Added support for a whole mess of options on Advanced video settings page. * Easier to click buttons by fixing cases where mouse went just past them. * Max player counts always fit on all scoreboards. * Modifier cards should take display priority in toasts over character unlocks. * Improved voice command menu positioning and offsets. * Fixed showing as teleport destinations on map nodes which could not be teleported to. * Added tooltip while deployed in stealth vehicles to show drop deployable button. * Bot count UI changed from "Number of opponents" to "Number of combatants" to be less confusing. * Added support for showing top weapon user in end of match scoreboard. This shows which player got the most kills with a particular weapon. If a player was the leader with more than one weapon, it picks the weapon he or she got the most kills with. * Show beacon with name of enemies in DM if they are close enough. * Fixed ammo number on HUD pulsing on armor pick up instead of ammo pick up. * Third position for powernode beacon, when just looking at base. * Added speaking icon to player beacons. * Portraits shown for player speaking with VOIP. * Fixed onslaught teleporter tooltip not always displayed correctly. * fixed toasts that don't shut down properly popping up later unexpectedly * More delay before going back to ambient music from action. * Fixed text being obscured after removing a friend from the friends list * Fixed showing proper weapon icon on weapon bar for selected weapon when two weapons are in same slot. * Fixed issue where playercard and friend message screens were disappearing. * Reduced chat log spam. * Fixed rules for showing "change team" button. * Vehicles: * Increased radius/volume of Manta, Raptor, and Viper engines. * Fixed scavenger legs disappearing in kill volumes. * Force occupied manta to rise if underwater. * Added sound effect and recharge bar to SPMA to indicate when the weapon is ready to fire * Increased water damage taken by vehicles. * Increased Goliath health. * Fixed nightshade beam weapon accuracy. * Fixed spidermines confused about nightshade that switches teams. * Tank shell is always relevant, so you'll see it if it kills you from a hidden tank. * Leviathan shield doesn't stay around after death. * Fixed leviathan passenger beacon positioning. * Fixed hoverboard rooster tail positioning when traveling over shallow water. * Fixed flag positioning on tracked turrets. * Fixed flying Manta exploit. * Fixed boost exploit with Fury vehicle * Weapons: * Added burn trail for link gun beam. * Weapon pickups now disappear for the player who picked it up, until it can be picked up again (now works like weapon lockers). * Weapon throwing always enabled. * Improved force feedback for various weapon and pickup actions. * Simpler crosshair for instagib rifle. * Third person translocate sound. * Stinger now higher priority than flak cannon by default. * Back splatter decals for hits with sniper rifle, stinger, and enforcer. * Improved spidermine aiming help on console with hitscan weapons (enforcer, stinger, sniper). * Fixed enforcer anim problems when become dual during initial loading. * No ammo display for instagib rifle. * Improved spidermine herding with Avrils. * Improved redeemer blast screen shake. * Spidermines work properly in deathmatch. * Fixed translocator discs being able to get embedded in geometry with zero extent collision on but box collision off. * Fixed deployable exploit (run over deployable while firing weapon, get in vehicle while still firing, and never switch to deployable). * Fixed trans discs getting stuck on instigator's head More... Sounds like a huge patch, might make the game worth playing again to see whats now
wow, yes perhaps. Wonder if the graphics will be nicer, I much prefer the UT2004 graphics. Seems to me they make 1 good game, then a rubbish one, then a good one, so maybe UT4 will be good again.
I wonder if they'll cut the price on steam once the patch has been launched, in that case, i'm getting my copy! Is there any info on the release date of this patch?
I'm a member of a forum called Titan who mainly play Freon (Team Arena Master where you freeze when you get killed and can be thawed by teammates and be brought back into play) and ONS. We found it quite amusing when we heard what this update was called. It seems that they've listened to what the community hated about UT3 and are fixing things they probably should have done and/or added before they released the game in the first place. Hopefully this will get me playing a few more games of UT3 as so far it's not been worth the £30 I paid for when it was released.