Quake 4 vs Doom III vs Unreal 2003

[Corduroy]

I haven't been keeping up with the gaming scene, so set me straight on this guys.

Tech TV was recently talking about Doom III and Unreal 2003. Now Tech TV reports that Doom III will be a single player game, which was the impression I was under. What shook me a little is that they are saying that the next big multiplayer game will be Unreal 2003.

Is ID working on a 4th installment to the Quake series that would take advantage of some of the new features in Doom III? Please don't tell me that I will have to convert to Unreal if I want the latest multi game.

Does anyone think that a more complex multiplayer game could be that useful over the internet? I would think that anything coming close the complexity of Doom III would only be playable over a LAN, as even a broadband connection might be sluggish in sending all the info needed for dynamic lighting etc.

What're your thoughts on the future of multiplayer gaming?

[Beefy]

Were they talking about Unreal 2003 or Unreal Tournament 2003? They are two different games there, and UT2003 is based heavily on being a multiplayer game...

As for Quake 4, personally I hope not. :) I wasn't really much of a fan of Q3, and from what I've seen on UT2003, it's taken a few steps out of the Q3 book in the graphics department, and I'm not sure I like it.. but that's just me..

[Corduroy]

I meant to say Unreal tournament, yes. From what I've seen or URT in the past, Quake III beats it hands down in the graphics department.

What issues have you had with Quake III?

[Rage]

I think PlanetQuake had something about Quake IV a while back. It was supposed to be developed not by ID but by Raven or something. Also, I think it's a singleplayer game with the Stroggos (Quake II) providing the story. Quake IV will use the Doom III engine if I remember correctly.

Personally, i'm looking forward to Doom III with much antisipation, and hope Quake IV dosn't play as bad as it sounds.

[Rage]

Dynamic Lighting isn't a problem when playing multiplayer, all the data that is sent tells of the position of various things and the engine works it out. Doom III co-op would rock, the last co-op game I played was Quake II.

[Corduroy]

Why would id want to have two single player games coming out? Shouldn't they try to establish a single and mulitplayer brand names with Doom and Quake? It makes no sense to me that they wouldn't come out with a new game made especially to be multiplayer.

[Maxpowers]

iv played that UNreal2003 it was a bit buggy at times but grafix are awsome. Guns were cool also. About Quake 4 i have not seen much

[zeradul]

Cord,

DoomIII will be sold as a Single player game. Just as Quake1 was, and Quake2. Both of those games, Q1, and Q2 have by far more current online players than any other non-current FPS. (With one exception being CS-if you consider it non current)

Its making the engine which is difficult. Making the core parts of the game like the map lighting, and mapping software, and textures, etc all work well with each other, to work with the physics of the game. Once you have the hard part done, it is extremely easy to make the 'single player' side of it. All previous Quake (and now D3) FPS single player modes are just designed to get you used to the weapons and the controls. And that is when the real fun begins; Multiplayer. Of course, this is assuming the game is good enough to warrant anyone wanting to play multiplayer.

id has been revolutionary with every new release they have had. They realize that their main goal should be nothing more than making a kickass solid 'environment' and make it easy for it to be modified. That way, thousands of geeks across the world have the time and the interest to go in and make their own 'sport' within the 'environment'. Change the rules slightly, add some goals, make it a team game, and determine the best way for the sport to be scored.

id is just handful of people, (nine?) and there is no way they could make all of these mods, and then continue be there to trouble shoot scoring bugs, and all of the hundreds of little problems that come up when you are coding a 'mod'.

Think of it this way: id is providing the 'world', and letting us design and maintain the 'sports'. Utopia.

Quake 4 will be to Doom3 what MOH:AA was to Q3. A really giant mod stressing the single player game. And so like any single player game, I don't expect Q4 to live up to Quake's reputation for being a revolutionary multiplayer game. BUT Doom3 Will.

UT2003 does have potential to be good, BUT they better code it to be easily modded, and they better pick up the player speed. Both of those aspects have been lacking in all previous versions of Unreal, and it has hurt them.

Keep in mind as you read comments, many of the people who consider themselves 'gamers' have played almost no multiplayer due to their internet connection, and even when they attend Lans most of the time is spent leeching warez and media. Many of these people thought Q3 was garbage because the bots were dumb. Those who judge a game on its single player try to also apply that judgement to its multiplayer whether or not they have ever played a mod, or much less a human.