Did Epic ever explain why they dropped our beloved Shield Belt?

[legacy-KittyFantastico]

Originally posted by Tobbe
You still see it if you shoot someone.

Yeah, but it looks the same if they have a 50 or a 100 shield. The shield belt was cool because you KNEW a person had it. If someone had the shield he/she may only have 1% left. But the player could just as easily have had 100% left. That was part of the fun. Personally, I always went for the guy that glows. I'm sure others ran away. But either way, it created a dynamic that doesn't exist with the current shield system.

I think Epic didn't really understand what made UT great. That's why they omitted so many things in UT2K3 and upset so many fans. Hopefully, they added enough new cool stuff to UT2K4 to make up for it.

Of course, the above is just my opinion.

[legacy-MachDelta]

I think Epics vision of their universe was just different from other peoples'. UT was always a "sport", but you never really got that feeling in 99. It was more of a grungy, fight-for-suvival kinda thing. The second time around, Epic got to make their UT2003 into a galactically-renowned, supposed "sport" like they originally wanted. Turns out, thats not why most people loved the game in the first place.
Hopefully they've found a happy medium in 04.


(PS: I also blame Unreal Championship for having an undesirable effect on UT2003. We'd probably still have our true UWindows, among other things, if it weren't for that stupid little gamepad. :bulb: )

[legacy-Apocalypse>ION<]

Originally posted by Imperial17
of course they do, we live in a democracy. we demand to know all!!

Actually, you live in a republic. You (the populas) of your nation don't make the decisions, you elect the people that do.

But back OT, no-one every complained that you could tell is someone was wearing Body Arnour or Thigh Pads in UT, and the shield packs in 2K3 were a direct replacement for them.

[legacy-Master-Yodaa]

Body Armour and Thigh Pads worked differently to a shieldbelt though.
Some1 with 1 hp and body armour is dead if they trip over a shoelace. Thats not the case with 2k3 shields and the shieldbelt is it.

The armour system is just another of the things they went and dumbed down, probably for the console users, and then they couldnt be bothered changing it back for the PC, as they were aiming for the Quake fans, who probably cant see the pickups unless they're big, shiney and spin around with all the graphic settings turned onto ultra low. :bulb:

[legacy-Jack_Bauer]

Originally posted by Buffy DP
For console users? I don't follow that at all -- are you being sarcastic? I'd think the average console player would balk at the thought of having to adapt to a mouse/keyboard system and, if they didn't choose this option, would quickly become bored of a game which is virtually unplayable by any other means.

And no, this is not an attack on console players. I own one and enjoy it tremendously. Just curious, that's all :up:

Let me give you a little history

Unreal Tournament 2003 was originally a CONSOLE game.. it was developed by Digital Extremes for the xbox under the name Unreal Championship.. However when it was about 75% done Epic decided to make Unreal Championship into a PC game. So they took the unfinished game Digital Extremes were working on, (Unreal Championship) and finished the development on it and made it into Unreal Tournamnet 2003..


IN Unreal Tournament 1, they were 3 types of armour.. Leg Armour, Body armour and the SHIELD BELT. Digital Extremes (not knowing Unreal Championship would eventually become UT2003) will have thought, "well we may as well Simplify the system and have 1 type of armour and remove the shield belt altogether."

Thus the armour system will have already been in place by the time Epic got their hands on it. Games ARE simplified for the console user... Don't ask me why, i think its insulting too but its a fact.

Epic probably thought the armour system was fine as it was so didnt bother to go back to the old UT system of Leg, Body and Shieldbelt.

[legacy-Shuri]

I remember the first time I ever played UT, through the SP ladder. When it came to DM-Conveyer, I saw someone with the shieldbelt glow, and thought that glow meant he was invincible, as I'd never seen it before

[legacy-Jack_Bauer]

LOL:up:

Yeah, it'd be amazing to have it back. A Whole new generation of noobies would have that wow effect.

i don't know one person who thinks it shouldn't be put back in..

[fuegerstef]

Originally posted by Jack_Bauer
i don't know one person who thinks it shouldn't be put back in..

Let me introduce myself: fuegerstef...

[legacy-Jack_Bauer]

hi
I now know 1 person who thinks it shouldn't be put back in..

[fuegerstef]

Hi,

I have a reason, of course. And it is not a personal one. I myself do not care so much if it is a shield-icon, or a belt.
I believe that the visual effect should be left out as a factor of surprise. Shoot the opponent in a fight and you'll see if he has the shield... ...maybe it'S too late then.
If a lot of competitive players complain about that, I believ it will be adjusted in TTM2k4.
I think it is good to have the simpler shield system of 2k3 because recently, in all the IG vs. NW battles a lot of people stated that they want the game simple. So if a lot of people like it simple and the shield system is simple... ...more people like the game => more people play the game => more publics with players in it.

And stacking is adjusted, anyways.

[legacy-Re.S.T.A.]

Originally posted by Skarjj Master
how bout the shield glow stays, but intensifies and dims according to how much your have. Like 5 shields would be barely visible, whilst 150 shields would be impossible not to see.

if they did this i would be happy.

[legacy-Master-Yodaa]

Originally posted by fuegerstef

I think it is good to have the simpler shield system of 2k3 because recently, in all the IG vs. NW battles a lot of people stated that they want the game simple. So if a lot of people like it simple and the shield system is simple... ...more people like the game => more people play the game => more publics with players in it.

Eh?
Nearly every decision made with this game seems to have been made to make things more simple, and look at how quickly it was rejected.
I never see any1 posting about the game being too complex and difficult to understand, only the opposite.

[legacy-Jack_Bauer]

Originally posted by Re.S.T.A.
if they did this i would be happy.

yeah me too