To Epic: Latest beta overlooks several key issues

[shombowhore]

Epic, I first want to express my appreciation for the huge effort to keep UT3 alive. I just wanted to show my concern for several issues that really should be addressed in patch 2.0, but are not:

-Crosshair scaling bug (see below)
-Viewing server browser mid-game
-Allowing FOV > 100
-Contrast/Gamma sliders
-Taunt binds

I know how time consuming debugging can be, but the last 4 should be fairly simple additions to code, and are certainly aspects of the game that most fans have come to expect.

I would appreciate any feedback from Epic regarding these issues. And for anyone unaware of the crosshair scaling bug, it affects all weapons but the link gun (since v1.2, I think.) It is likely related to using a wide-screen resolution. For emphasis, I am using a large circle as my crosshair in the screenshots.

This is how a crosshair should look (and does with link):

[shot]http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/525/xhair1.jpg[/shot]

And this is how it looks for all other weapons:

[shot]http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/2553/xhair2.jpg[/shot]

[Pop!]

Are you supposed to have the beta patch yet? I suspect not, so it's unlikely that Epic will reply or pay much attention to your post. It's only issued to certain folks for limited testing and I expect those testers will be reporting feedback directly.

Pop!

[BlueCloud]

My main (unfixed?) gripes are:

1. Server cpu lag -- All Warfare servers start lagging as player count goes up. Example: 60ms with 10 players, 120ms with 24 players. ONS servers running on the SAME box with 32 players playing don't have this problem, so it's not network lag.

2. Random damage avrils - Avrils causing 0, 200 or 400 damage randomly. You pickup a deemer on Downtown and get into a scorpion while your prime's taken and your core is being hit. As you try to head towards a safe place, an Avril comes and takes off ALL your 300 points, and you probably couldn't bail out in time because of issue #1 above.

3. No ingame server browser - Makes it harder to shop around for better servers but not wanting to quit the current game if none are found.

4 No showing of enemy names like in 2k4 - Knowing who the enemy player is, helps aiming, dodging, weapon selection etc. The demo guy bug exacerbates this by not even allowing one to identify people by their skin.

The demo guy bug is fixed. I don't know if the server cpu lag is fixed. There are a lot more issues, of course. But those are my main gripes keeping me from enjoying the game.

[Frazzled]

Eh I'm agreeing with bluecloud again... wtf. Maybe I should play some warfare again... nah! What bluecloud said.

1) Not having the ability to browse servers in-game is just mind numbingly dumb.
2) Not being able to switch from in-game to spec and back... again... HELLO? Have you played your prior games? This is BASIC stuff guys, its been over a year!
3) WTF is even the game concept/design decision behind random damage avrils? If there is one, which I kind of doubt, why not make all weapons have a random damage range? Oh wait, there's a reason you didn't do that... now apply that logic to avrils.

As well intentioned as the author is, his complaints (except browser) are really minor things. But blue brings up, and I'm seconding, some REALLY basic stuff. I know for a fact that you can solve #2 and #3 of mine by assigning an intern to spend 30 minutes with the code. He's not even paid and he'll do it! He's an intern! Go use him ffs!

Frazzle

[Infra`]

Agreed, I third this

[phalanx]

fix the stupid spec and join issue, sick of waiting for 10 minutes in the spec slot to join, ony for the server to be full by the time i have left and reconnected

[bclagge]

I agree with all points above, and I'd like to add one:

The opposite of what bluecloud is asking for about seeing enemy names. I want an option to turn OFF all names and all node indicators on the HUD, because more often than not they obscure something important in front of me. A useful function would be a button I can hold down to bring up the indicator HUD, and have it disappear on release or toggle.

[jomi294]

What? You don't have to reconnect to join a game if you're already in Spectator mode. You might want to try clicking the big JOIN to see how that works out.

Hopefully netcode improvement fixed duds now =)

...sick of waiting for 10 minutes in the spec slot to join, ony for the server to be full by the time i have left and reconnected

[Frazzled]

Maybe he meant the opposite? But the point still stands, I should be able to jump back and forth from spec to in-game and back. Not just have it a one-way street.

Epic we're glad you're doing this bonus pack but please, you're killing us here. I will WRITE THE EMAIL you need to send to your codemonkey about where these functions are and how they take approximately 30 seconds to change! You could, no joke, put out a help wanted, intern no pay position, and get a dozen qualified people college code monkeys in-house doing this little stuff for you.

Frazzle

[Ga-Reef]

My main (unfixed?) gripes are:

1. Server cpu lag -- All Warfare servers start lagging as player count goes up. Example: 60ms with 10 players, 120ms with 24 players. ONS servers running on the SAME box with 32 players playing don't have this problem, so it's not network lag.

2. Random damage avrils - Avrils causing 0, 200 or 400 damage randomly. You pickup a deemer on Downtown and get into a scorpion while your prime's taken and your core is being hit. As you try to head towards a safe place, an Avril comes and takes off ALL your 300 points, and you probably couldn't bail out in time because of issue #1 above.

Ha, I hear that. With high ping it gets even worse, even if I try to bail out after hearing the first missle lock promt at a fair distance, regaurdless of how extremely early I tap 'E' all those factors combine will always result in me getting killed when I deserved to survive. Also it sucks when walls randomly kill me.

[Infra`]

What? You don't have to reconnect to join a game if you're already in Spectator mode. You might want to try clicking the big JOIN to see how that works out.

Hopefully netcode improvement fixed duds now =)

Lol guys we are talking about being able to join a server before the match starts from spectate, we all know you can join the match from spectate once the map starts

[martinblank]

2. Random damage avrils - Avrils causing 0, 200 or 400 damage randomly. You pickup a deemer on Downtown and get into a scorpion while your prime's taken and your core is being hit. As you try to head towards a safe place, an Avril comes and takes off ALL your 300 points, and you probably couldn't bail out in time because of issue #1 above.

Ya that is a big one. It is so annoying when you have 300hp in the scorpion, and a single avril hits you (and the shooter did not have udamage), and boom, you are dead.

Somebody told me this happens if it hits you while you are using the turbo boost in the scorpion, but I have found time and time again, that just isn't the case. It will happen regardless of whether you are using the turbo boost.

Worse, when you point this out in game, you are usually called a sore loser or just ignored.

[unrealloco]

when you join a server and no one is there and your in spectate you can join but if players are there then you can join from spectate

Lol guys we are talking about being able to join a server before the match starts from spectate, we all know you can join the match from spectate once the map starts

[shombowhore]

Are you supposed to have the beta patch yet? I suspect not, so it's unlikely that Epic will reply or pay much attention to your post. It's only issued to certain folks for limited testing and I expect those testers will be reporting feedback directly.

Numerous Epic employees admittedly read this forum for user feedback, so if one of them sees it, I think it's rather unlikely that they would completely skip over my post.

Epic we're glad you're doing this bonus pack but please, you're killing us here. I will WRITE THE EMAIL you need to send to your codemonkey about where these functions are and how they take approximately 30 seconds to change! You could, no joke, put out a help wanted, intern no pay position, and get a dozen qualified people college code monkeys in-house doing this little stuff for you.

That's for **** sure, I'm a CS student and I'd jump at the opportunity to write code for a major developer, paid position or not.

Lol guys we are talking about being able to join a server before the match starts from spectate, we all know you can join the match from spectate once the map starts

I thought you could do this already? Anyhow, there's a spectate button in the server browser in 2.0.

[Euxeus]

Ya that is a big one. It is so annoying when you have 300hp in the scorpion, and a single avril hits you (and the shooter did not have udamage), and boom, you are dead.

Somebody told me this happens if it hits you while you are using the turbo boost in the scorpion, but I have found time and time again, that just isn't the case. It will happen regardless of whether you are using the turbo boost.

Worse, when you point this out in game, you are usually called a sore loser or just ignored.

It's not a bug.

It doesn't have to a be a turbo boost for this to happen, if you are moving towards the avril then it causes more damage. Even if it doesn't look like you are moving toward it the avril can change direction at the last second so it hits you head-on.

If there really was a random damage avril then you'd see the same bug in slow vehicles like the tank.