# Why is Unreal Tournament so bad???
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-unreal-tournament-so-bad/57497
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [March 11, 2001, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-unreal-tournament-so-bad/57497 "2001-03-11T02:35:55Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Evnglion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evnglion)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2001, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-unreal-tournament-so-bad/57497/1 "2001-03-11T02:35:55Z")
Man oh man I hate that fucking game. Quake 3 is superior in so many ways. Take the ctf mode for example. Oh the much better graphics. I am a strong supporter of the 1st amendment and the “Freedom of Press” and I suppose that game kinda falls under that catagory, but I also think that the designer of UT should be shot immediatley. John Carmack will prevail as king of the programming world, and no crappy UT engine will stop him…
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### Author:  [@Starbury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starbury)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2001, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-unreal-tournament-so-bad/57497/2 "2001-03-11T02:48:44Z")
I like Quake’s graphics and one-player mode better, but I really like Unreal’s Assault mode better than anything Quake 1, 2 or 3 has offered.
Now, if you wanted to flame Unreal for monopolizing so much of your (and my) time, I would definitely support you on that.
And isn’t John Carmack the one responsible for Daikatana? If so, he definitely is not the “king programmer”. However, you might want to take a look at Daily Radar, under the PC Section they detail the new Doom engine which should be good.
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### Author:  [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2001, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-unreal-tournament-so-bad/57497/3 "2001-03-11T04:34:42Z")
Quake is the game you play if you want amazing graphics, immersibility, and just sheer BOOM-factor.
UT is the game you play if you want interesting play modes (assault, domination, Last-Man-Standing…), better AI (some of us can’t play online) and the Sniper Rifle.
I drift back and forth between them. I like UT because the levels are much bigger (heck, they’re HUGE! Hall Of The Giants, anyone?). I like it because there’s just _so much more to do_.
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> Quake 3 is superior in so many ways. Take the ctf mode for example.
UT has CTF, as well. They’re both about the same. Now, if you want some REAL CTF, you go with TFC.
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> Oh the much better graphics.
Not THAT much better, really. Curvy surfaces aren’t all that special if the levels are all DINKY because of it.
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> John Carmack will prevail as king of the programming world, and no crappy UT engine will stop him…
Are you Carmack’s cousin or something? Perhaps his brother?
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### Author:  [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2001, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-unreal-tournament-so-bad/57497/4 "2001-03-11T06:10:54Z")
Are you really as ignorant about the Constitution as you indicate?
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### Author:  [@Monster104](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monster104)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2001, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-unreal-tournament-so-bad/57497/5 "2001-03-11T06:32:49Z")
Well, there’s a certain special reason that Quake III has much better graphics, that being that it came out roughly a year later.
I enjoy UT and Quake III. I’m not a first person shooter type of guy, so these aren’t my favorite games (Team Fortress Classic is my favorite FPS).
However, I do agree that Carmack is King of programming these engines. Full scene shadows in Doom 3? You know what kind of math that entails?
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### Author:  [@Blackclaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackclaw)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2001, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-unreal-tournament-so-bad/57497/6 "2001-03-11T13:35:31Z")
Listen to Spoofe, he knows of what he speaks.
The AI in Unreal Tournament outclasses that of Quake 3. Quake 3 is a hyper twitch game whereas UT requires some use of tactics.
I play both games. Interestingly I find that after playing one, I really suck at the other for a while.
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### Author:  [@nikjohns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nikjohns)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2001, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-unreal-tournament-so-bad/57497/7 "2001-03-11T13:43:46Z")
King of FPS making: Whoever created Half-Life
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### Author:  [@Rosebud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rosebud)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2001, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-unreal-tournament-so-bad/57497/8 "2001-03-11T16:47:07Z")
I’ve only played Q3 a couple of times so maybe I’m biased, but I love UT. Currently my bf and I are on a Deathmatch kick using the Game of the Year edition… turrets, swords, the gravity vortex, proxy mines, some bots thrown in to spice things up… I think I’m in love. There is nothing quite like a good sniper shot.
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### Author:  [@AETBOND417](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AETBOND417)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2001, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-unreal-tournament-so-bad/57497/9 "2001-03-11T17:07:02Z")
UT wipes the floor with Q3.
The “better graphics” of Q3 just appear “shinier” and really aren’t that different that those of UT. Now if you want to compare graphics from Q3 to Rogue Spear, be my guest. Don’t get me started on Q3’s control scheme. What a pain that stuff is. UT is just all around a better game.
::anticipating Unreal 2::
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### Author:  [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2001, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-unreal-tournament-so-bad/57497/10 "2001-03-11T20:41:27Z")
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> The “better graphics” of Q3 just appear “shinier” and really aren’t that different that those of UT.
You’re kidding, right? The UT engine is just a couple steps above Quake 2. While the character models are wonderfully detailed, this is just a product of their skins.
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> Don’t get me started on Q3’s control scheme. What a pain that stuff is.
Uh… there’s a difference between Q3’s and UT’s controls? 'Cuz I never noticed any.
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> anticipating Unreal 2
“Unreal” is the single-player game (a GREAT single-player game, and if you haven’t played it, you’re missing out). “Unreal Tournament” is the multi-player game.
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### Author:  [@soulmurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulmurk)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2001, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-unreal-tournament-so-bad/57497/11 "2001-03-11T20:55:58Z")
IMO the best game to come out in the last year is Deus Ex, and though it uses a heavily modified version, it uses the UT engine.
To me, that speaks for the versatility and overall goodness of that engine over Quakes.
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### Author:  [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2001, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-unreal-tournament-so-bad/57497/12 "2001-03-11T21:19:18Z")
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> To me, that speaks for the versatility and overall goodness of that engine over Quakes.
Actually, it speaks more along the lines of how Quake’s engine is BETTER… so much better that very few computers would be able to handle it if it were used for the sheer size and scope that Deus Ex required.
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### Author:  [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2001, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-unreal-tournament-so-bad/57497/13 "2001-03-11T21:34:47Z")
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> \*Originally posted by SPOOFE Bo Diddly \*
> \*\*
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> > To me, that speaks for the versatility and overall goodness of that engine over Quakes.
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> Actually, it speaks more along the lines of how Quake’s engine is BETTER… so much better that very few computers would be able to handle it if it were used for the sheer size and scope that Deus Ex required. \*\*
Better? What good is a a mainstream product if it can’t be used by most mainstream machines?
Marc
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### Author:  [@absoul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/absoul)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2001, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-unreal-tournament-so-bad/57497/14 "2001-03-11T23:33:43Z")
I hate jump pads. Q3 weapons are cheesy. I hate jump pads.
UT rules, Q3 licks donkey testicles.
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### Author:  [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2001, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-unreal-tournament-so-bad/57497/15 "2001-03-12T04:17:06Z")
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> Better? What good is a a mainstream product if it can’t be used by most mainstream machines?
Better graphics, my friend, that’s all. T’ain’t the software industry’s fault if they hardware industry can’t keep up.
See, Quake 3 is the first engine to utilize truly-curved surfaces (as opposed to numerous polygons all stacked on top of each other). This serves to make the visuals absotively-posilutely stunning, but it’s also a huge tax on lower-end machines.
Unreal uses an older engine (they slightly beefed up the old Unreal engine, which is only slightly better than the Quake 2 engine), which means that the level design and layout is a lot simpler (read: large, simple shape rendering), so it doesn’t look as good… but the advantage is that you can have truly IMMENSE levels without losing too much performance.
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### Author:  [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2001, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-unreal-tournament-so-bad/57497/16 "2001-03-12T04:19:30Z")
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> I hate jump pads. Q3 weapons are cheesy. I hate jump pads.
1. I love the jump pads. You just have to know how to use them.
2. Railgun. BFG 10K. 'Nuf said.
'Sides, what’s cheesier than UT’s sniper rifle?
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### Author:  [@soulmurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulmurk)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2001, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-unreal-tournament-so-bad/57497/17 "2001-03-12T04:44:31Z")
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> 'Sides, what’s cheesier than UT’s sniper rifle?
Halflife’s tau cannon.
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### Author:  [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2001, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-unreal-tournament-so-bad/57497/18 "2001-03-12T04:58:44Z")
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of Deus Ex, but not for it’s graphics. There have been some beautiful games made with the Quake III engine. FAKK 2 was breathtaking, and I’ve heard good things about Alice.
One reason UT has so many devoted fans is that it’s engine caters to Voodoo users - it’s DirectX support is very spotty, and for that reason it runs like shit on people with GeForce and other 3D cards that don’t support Glide, but from what I hear it’s very smooth if you have even a halfway decent Voodoo card. I imagine that many of it’s detractors are owners of 3D cards with the nVidia chipset. The UT demo almost ran faster in software mode on my GeForce256, and I had to turn down a lot of detail to get any degree of smoothness. Deus Ex turned into a slideshow in places - now, I don’t have the newest 3D card on the market, but it’s in an 800 Mhz PIII with 256MB of RAM, and I could get better framerates playing FAKK 2 at 1280x1024 or Crimson Skies in 1024X768 than I could get playing Unreal Tournement at 640x480.
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### Author:  [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2001, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-unreal-tournament-so-bad/57497/19 "2001-03-12T05:16:40Z")
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> One reason UT has so many devoted fans is that it’s engine caters to Voodoo users - it’s DirectX support is very spotty, and for that reason it runs like shit on people with GeForce
Are you sure? My computer is a Athlon 700, 256 megs RAM, with a GeForce II 32-MB card, and UT _and_ Quake 3 both run like wet dreams (though not at the same time).
Of course, our family computer is a 1.1 Ghrtz Athlon with 256 megs RAM, and only a 16-MB TNT2 card, and the 3D support for UT is shitty. And Quake 3 ain’t too hot either. So maybe both games need a dynamite graphics card.
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### Author:  [@absoul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/absoul)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2001, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-unreal-tournament-so-bad/57497/20 "2001-03-12T05:38:45Z")
> [@](#):
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> 'Sides, what’s cheesier than UT’s sniper rifle?
Now really, I dont think any “one shot, one kill” gun can be cheesy. 😃
Now what I dont understand is how a guy can take 3 rockets in the chest in Q3 and still be running around???
I admit Ive only played Q3 for less than a week. I ran though a few levels in single player and then jumped into multiplayer games.
I believe that UT was based on Glide although it runs just as good on 32mg and higher D3D cards.
Ohhh, and jump pads still suck. 🙂
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