For the record...to squash any rumors:

When UT3 is released (and the devs actualy manage to buy it), they will evaluate it and then see how much work is needed to port BW to UT3. They may choose to port it, they may choose not to, at this stage it is just not possible to say!

Given the fan base of Ballistic Weapons, this decision will be done very carefully, when the time is right.

Also keep in mind, that given the work involved, do not expect something from RS the day after UT3 is released!! It has taken 7 months between version 2.0 and 2.1.

As for RuneStorm, they do have a goal in mind, and BW is just one of the projects on their way to developing their goal. You will find enough references around these forums about their goals and where/what they would like to achieve.

Currently the devs are wrapping up some work on BW (yes that's correct, and no I'm not telling you what!).
After that, work will begin on the next phase of their projects, which they are very excited about, and will be kept under wraps (as normal for RS), until the right time for announcements.

Rumors, flames etc. will not be tolerated on these forums. We will keep you informed when the time is right, and we can assure you that RuneStorm will continue to deliver exciting projects to the gaming and modding worlds...

We thank you for your continued support and ask that you be patient until the next release (whatever that may be) is announced, as you have been over the last couple of years of RuneStorm projects.

Thanks.

Ah, yes. Progress. I love the smell of change.

It's good you guys are thinking rationally about UT3 and not planning to jump right in as soon as it's released. Good to hear about planning for the future!

I vote for sending UT3 to hell since the one big thing about BW 2,1 is that its graphics quality / system requirements ratio is simply amazing! You can run it even on a GF 440 MX, but if you have a GF 8800 Ultra you can afford a gorgeous graphics quality with lots of astonishing special FX. UT2004 doesn't have any bump mapping or advanced shaders, but that's overly compensated with the fanstastic quality of RS's work. I just don't see any reasons why UT2004 graphics should be considered ugly just because they don't have all of the latest features. I'm 100% happy with the current state of BW graphics, it's actually the style and elaboration and the love put into one's work that matter, and not the technology. Besides keeping to the UT2004 means that the game stays both comforting for Hi-enders and Low-enders, while UT3 will be somewhat restricted only to guys who are keen on buying the latest hardware regardless of prices... but honestly... there's a lot of people who enjoy gaming but don't see updating their hardware twice a year as a priority.

As for the huge plans for the future, I'd guess that RS are thinkng of implementing the unique BW universe in practice... My only hope is that the future TC will stay compatible with regular UT04 maps since they perfectly fit any generic futuristic environment, just replace the races, vehicles, guns and such like stuff.

Of course UT3 will be restricted at first, just like UT2003 was, and UT99.

To me UT3 is UT2004 with a few tweaks and an engine overhaul, I see no reason at all to buy it until it hits the bargain bins. So I will be enjoying BW with UT2004 for a long time.

Sticking to UT2004 seems like a rather poor plan to me.

Its methods for doing things are a bit archaic, and sadly enough, people now days seem more crazy about the graphics and bump-mapping and all that crap than actual gameplay.

Thankfully I'm not one of the graphics whores. Graphics is always a welcome bonus, but I want developers to focus on gameplay first and foremost.

Anyway, porting BW to UT3 might be a good idea to just to ensure that the mod lives, because UT2004's playerbase will die fast once UT3 has been out for some time. But they shouldn't port BW right away, instead give people time to buy & get used to the game first.

Well said, expanded gameplay is more important than the graphics quality(in this case BW on the U2 engine, sometimes it depends i guess....).

I'm not switching to UT3 until its declared legally dead. Graphics are important but you could have the prettiest graphics and still have shit gameplay and a games just no fun with "bleed your eyes" out graphics and no "carpal tunnel" inducing gameplay. Just my opinion.

Wait, your saying UT3 is all graphics and no gameplay?

I was positive Epic learned from the mistakes of UT2003 by now as that exact same claim was also made for UT2003 by the UT99'ers. They even said they were not trying to make a prettier UT2004 with UT3

Was the demo secretly developed by EA or are you guys just repeating the RBA syndrome*?

*Ruination by alteration syndrome = where fans overeact to differences in new games compared to old and take an immediate disliking without considering the benifits of such changes and blaming the lack of resemblace to their previous titles on either over-emphasis on graphical quality or console ports

Meh *shrugs*

I'm just happy RS isn't jumping the shark by porting BW immediately to UT3... So I can enjoy my UT2004 for quite some time before I have to upgrade to higher specs...

I agree that it's good not jumping to UT3 straight away but it is a great game. If Ut3 still looked like 2k4 it would still be an great game. When I purchase UT3 i don't want to wait for ever but as long as RS do port it over eventually Ill be Happy.

eh.... i doubt it, UT2004 is pretty ugly/bland.

what i mean is that Ut3's gameplay is really good

Time to move on...I'm with ya RS

UT3's gameplay is the very same as UT2004's minus the adrenaline system. And yes, I played the beta demo quite a bit before I decided the game is not worth it at full price.

I'll go back and play Quake 1 and Sauerbraten and Halo 1 PC and shit before I say UT3 is an overall better game than those; I personally liked 2004's gameplay over UT3's. UT3's netcode is even worse than 2004's at this point; the guns are MUCH harder to use with the new netcode. Not to mention UT3's graphics require way too much for the gameplay IMO, since there don't seem like any major changes gameplay-wise from UT2004 other than the hoverboard, and random feign death orgies, which are kind of fun. But if I'm having more fun ragdolling in a pile than I am playing the game, what does that tell you? ;o

And oh my GOD I hate how people on-foot stand no chance against vehicles. I hate using vehicles; I'd prefer to pop heads off and whore shock combos.

Hopefully the full game will be better than the demo is.



Agreed.

Sounds Awesome.

I'm a total graphics whore, but even I'm not all that impressed with UT3's graphics (though being stuck with an X1400 may do that to a man)

I just hate the art direction. Everything there is covered in grit and bump-mapping and shit. It's like they just threw a pound of dirt over every square inch of every surface in the game. There doesn't appear to be a single smooth surface anywhere, which is just wrong.

And all of the character models are too chunky-looking, and their armor has too many little bumps and facets and stuff.

Of course, I may change my mind if/when I get a more powerful gaming rig. But this game is a definite buy for me, especially when the mods start coming out. It's more a matter of when than if.

BETA DEMO..If you think your getting the full deal your WAY off.

im not all that excited for ut3....and thats why im taking a vested interest in modding for ut2004, starting with finishing up my voicepack and taking another crack at map making and character modeling

Yes, I know this. I was basing my observations off the screenshots on their main site. They're probably a good representative of how final the game will look on a top-of-the-line machine.

Ummm...people, this is NOT a thread about whether UT3 is good or not....

There are other threads to discuss that....

Do you really think that stuff will change in the final game? The final game will have higher res textures and overall better graphics, but I don't think the level design and player models will magically improve. It's an art direction and is unlikely to change unless they delay the game for a while.

UT3 will be good if it gets a BW port.

You can close the thread now

To get back on topic, can the RS guys actually run UT3? They could port it, but without some basic dev testing, it can be hell to make the mod stable; the beta testers might get a 100 MB version of BW 3.0 that doesn't even work at all because of a typo somewhere.

Is it me or dose this sound like the end of BW?

I’m all for a next phase but not if BW is scraped for the grater good, and lets not forget JW, as of late it has been on a back seat but that dose not mean it can simply be forgotten.

How does that tell us that BW is coming to an end? Cyberax said in the very first paragraph that they may or may not port it, I personally think the chances are in the fans' favor, because UE3 is UE2's younger brother.

what about me and the others who cant afford a 500 dollor upgrade to play ut3 not even my dads comp can handle it and its pretty fast it can handle half life 2

Just save up the money, that's all you can do for now...

I don't mind BW coming to UT3 or not, maybe you could work on TC mod...