As a beginner, should I use Unreal Editor 3 or UDK?

[Braincells]

I recently purchased the Mastering Unreal Technology Volume 1 book and I'm wondering which one I should work with since I am relatively new to game design. It seems that if I want to make a game with UDK, I won't be able to use the textures provided with UE3 due to licensing issues so maybe it's in my best interest to work with UE3 as a beginner?

Thanks in advance.

[Denny]

You have more things to work with in UDK. It doesn't really matter. If you learn one of them you'll understand the other. You still have access to the UT3 content in UDK. So for practice, go with UDK. If you want to release your custom map to play with, go UT3. :)

[Odedge]

I would suggest sticking with UE3/UT 3. While the many UT 3 related tutorials should still apply to the UDK version, you probably won't have any community to help test your maps and then give you feedback.

Given that the amount of content with the UT Demo that comes with UDK is extremely small, you are limiting yourself. With UT 3, you have way more assets to use to make a map (and practice map design) and a community that can actually player your map.

I really don't plan on spending too much time with the UDK as I am not part of a mod team (and don't plan to be), so learning these new features is sort of a waste of time (unless a UDK game that I really like becomes really popular or a new game that comes out with the updated editor).

[desigpa]

What are you saying? Are you saying that the UDK is for modding and not original content creation?

[Odedge]

What are you saying? Are you saying that the UDK is for modding and not original content creation?

Who is "you"?

I am saying that the UDK is really for original content creators/Total Conversion Mods. For a map maker who isn't on a TC mod team, they can make a map, but only for the UT Demo, which is extremely limited version of the original game.

[chrisrothcg]

I would just start using UDK, it's practically the same thing only with more features. It's a time saver too by the way. There's so many great additions that I find myself saving time on accident in UDK.

[Lost Haven]

I agree it is more sensible to use udk since epic is going to support it more , plus it will be updated more often with new features . Odedge is right about testing maps , but that will all change in do time , because for the simple fact that in the future I think the comunity will be much stronger than ut3 modding will ever be . This is going to be much bigger , as I already see udk is being posted everywhere and it seems like the moderaters are paying much more attention to udk than they ever did on ut3 .

[Angel_Mapper]

Depends on what you're doing. If you're just making maps, I'd go with UT3. If you're making a full mod, UDK.

[Shinamori]

I wish the UT3 engine has the NxForceFields....