Unreal Tournament

Unreal Tournament
Studio	Digital Extremes , Epic Games , Loki Software (Linux port)
Publisher	GT Interactive , Infogrames
Erstveröffent- lichung	Windows: November 23, 1999 December 1999 February 11, 2000 Mac OS January 17, 2000 PlayStation 2 October 26, 2000 April 20, 2001 Dreamcast March 13, 2001 June 29, 2001
platform	Windows , Mac OS Classic , Linux , PS2 , Dreamcast
Game engine	Unreal Engine 1.5
genre	Ego shooter
Subject	Science fiction , tournament
Game mode	Multiplayer , single player
control	Keyboard , mouse , gamepad
system advantages preconditions	200 MHz CPU , 32 MB RAM , 300 MB hard disk , 8 MB graphics card
medium	2 CD-ROM
language	English
Current version	451b Windows / 451 Linux
Age rating	PEGI
information	Indexed in Germany

Unreal Tournament [ ˌʌnˈriəl ˈtɔːnəmənt ] (short: UT, sometimes also called UT99 or UT1 because of its successors Unreal Tournament 2003 and Unreal Tournament 2004 ) is a futuristic first-person shooter and the second title in the Unreal game series and was published in 1999 by GT Interactive . The game's soundtrack was composed (as with Unreal ) by Alexander Brandon , Michiel van den Bos , Dan Gardopée and Andrew Sega .

In 2000, a special Game of the Year Edition (UT GotY for short) was published by Unreal Tournament, which established itself as the standard version. UT GotY contains many new maps and some new player models as well as the two modifications Rocket Arena and Chaos UT .

action

The mining company Liandri organizes competitions in which it comes to prize money and honor, the "Unreal Tournament". Different fighters compete against each other in arenas to prove themselves in different disciplines.

In the introduction to the game it says:

“In 2291, the New Earth government legalized no rules fighting to control violence among space miners. The Liandri Mining Corporation, in partnership with the New Earth government, hosted a series of leagues with bloody public battles.

The popularity of the fights increased with their brutality. Liandri soon realized that public competitions were becoming their most profitable business. The professional league was born: A group of the most brutal and best warriors from all over space were selected to fight against each other in a major tournament.

The year is now 2341, 50 years have passed since the introduction of Deathmatch. The tournament's profits run into the hundreds of billions. You have been chosen to fight in the professional league according to the Liandri rules.

The time has come:
to show that you are the best,
to destroy your opponents,
to win the tournament. "

Game modes

In the game, common multiplayer modes and for the time exotic game modes are played against each other. You can compete alone ( single player ) against computer-controlled opponents ( bots ) or against human opponents via network or internet - this is clearly the weight of the game.

• Deathmatch
• Team Deathmatch (2 to 4 teams)
• Assault (2 teams)
• Domination (2 to 4 teams)
• Capture the Flag (2 teams)
• Last man standing

Weapons and objects

There are various weapons, tools, equipment and power-ups in Unreal Tournament, these are briefly explained below. In principle, ammunition packages must be kept for all ranged weapons. The items listed can only be found in their stated version in the original version of Unreal Tournament. In the following parts and in most of the mods the weapons will be changed or replaced.

weapons

Unreal Tournament features a range of futuristic weapons. Some of the weapons are available to the player immediately after spawning , others have to be found first. Almost every weapon in Unreal Tournament has two modes of fire, which are explained below.

Enforcer

The Enforcer is one of the standard weapons that the player wields immediately after spawning without having to pick up any other items. In itself, the Enforcer is a normal pistol that has two modes of fire:

Primary fire mode: Medium distances, very precise.

Secondary fire mode: Short distances, slightly higher rate of fire, less accuracy.

The Enforcer uses the same ammunition as the Minigun, the ammunition can be obtained either by picking up an ammunition package or another Enforcer. The player can carry and use two of the Enforcer at the same time, this increases the damage caused.

Impact hammer

The Impact Hammer is the only melee weapon in the normal ( unmodified ) version of Unreal Tournament. Like the Enforcer, it is one of the weapons that the player has immediately after spawning. The impact hammer is a type of nail gun that stores its energy in two (presumably compressed air) tanks. In addition, rockets and grenades can be repelled or thrown back with the Impact Hammer. The fire modes of the Impact Hammer can be described as follows:

Primary fire mode: The player can adjust the strength of the weapon based on how long they hold down the button to fire. The weapon remains charged until the weapon is changed, the fire button is released or another player or bot is touched .

Secondary fire mode: The Impact Hammer delivers moderate impacts in quick succession.

Bio rifle

The Bio Rifle has no projectiles that it fires, but creates a green mass that inflicts damage to the enemy on contact and that is shot in a spherical shape and in an arc-shaped trajectory. Here, too, two fire modes are available again:

Primary fire mode: The Bio Rifle shoots small balls of biomass at moderate speed, which briefly stick to the walls, floor and ceiling if the enemy is missed and inflict the same damage there when touched as with a direct hit.

Secondary fire mode: a large ball of slime is charged, which, when it hits the enemy, wreaks havoc. If the mass misses the enemy, it bursts into several small slime balls and remains on the ground for a short time, where it inflicts the same damage on contact as if it were a direct hit from a primary fire mode hit.

ASMD Shock Rifle

This weapon is similar to a beam or laser rifle, as seen in science fiction films. The ASMD Shock Rifle ('ASMD' for short) uses so-called shock cores as ammunition. The following two fire modes are available:

Primary fire mode: An elongated, very fast beam is fired that pushes the enemy away and does moderate damage.

Secondary fire mode: The ASMD Shock Rifle unleashes a spherical charge of energy that moves more slowly than the rays generated in the primary mode, but causes many times more damage. The impact that a player receives when hit is also the stronger. If the energy charge is shot off with the primary beam, it explodes and causes great damage.

Pulse gun

The second radiation / energy weapon in Unreal Tournament, here Link Ammo ammunition is used. The two fire modes of the weapon work as follows:

Primary fire mode: The Pulse Gun fires small energy balls one after the other from its six circular barrels, which then fly in a spiral. The weapon is not very precise in this fire mode because, on the one hand, the projectile speed is quite low and, on the other hand, the projectiles do not fly straight, but in a slightly angled trajectory.

Secondary Fire Mode: The Pulse Gun creates a straight, permanent beam that deals significant damage to enemies over a medium range. However, this beam cannot penetrate opponents, walls, ceilings or floors. This beam also restores life energy when applied to a team member.

Ripper

The ripper is another exotic weapon. He uses circular saw-like projectiles that are fired horizontally, like a frisbee. In general, the Ripper has a high rate of fire, but the fire modes differ in basic things, which are explained below:

Primary fire mode: The fired saw blades bounce off the walls, floor or ceiling up to three times (whereby they behave physically correct) if they do not hit an opponent. These projectiles cause moderate damage, but can be instantly fatal if hit in the head . The ability to bounce off blocks is useful here, so you can fire into rooms or around corners.

Secondary fire mode: The projectiles do not ricochet off the wall, floor or ceiling, but explode on impact (both on a block and on the enemy). This increases the damage.

Minigun

One of the few weapons in Unreal Tournament that actually has role models; in this case the mini Vulcan cannon. The Minigun's hallmark is its extremely high rate of fire - which is very similar to the actual portable Vulcan - made up of six barrels, which makes it a further development of the Enforcer, as the fire modes of the two weapons are very similar.

Primary fire mode: A hail of bullets that is precise even over longer distances is generated, which in most cases brings the enemy down.

Secondary fire mode: The rate of fire increases enormously, but the weapon becomes less precise, which makes this fire mode more suitable for close combat.

Flak cannon

It is a weapon reminiscent of a shotgun. Similar to a classic anti-aircraft gun ( anti- aircraft gun ), fragmentation ammunition is fired with a wide range. Here so-called flak shells are used as ammunition, whereby the ammunition capacity is quite low. The following functions are available:

Primary fire mode: The Flak Cannon emits a hail of splinters. This shrapnel bounces off walls and the like. Ä. but lose almost all of their energy in the process, causing them to quickly fall to the ground after bouncing. If this fire mode is used directly in front of an opponent, in most cases this leads to his death immediately. This fire mode is unsuitable for ranged attacks, as the shrapnel quickly lose energy in free flight and fall to the ground.

Secondary fire mode: A grenade with impact detonation is fired, which spreads shrapnel at a 360 ° angle on enemy or block contact. This is very effective for hitting a crowd of enemies or an enemy who has fled close combat without continuing to attack without switching weapons.

Rocket Launcher

A basically realistic weapon, but with very futuristic functions. Rocket packs serve as ammunition for this grenade / rocket launcher . This weapon works like this:

Primary fire mode: If the player only briefly presses the fire button, a single missile is fired, which kills an unarmored enemy with a direct hit. The longer the fire button is pressed, the more missiles are loaded, but a maximum of six. These can be shot down at the same time, either by releasing the fire button or automatically after loading the sixth missile. If the player follows an opponent with the crosshair for a short period of time before or during the loading of the weapon , the projectiles follow this opponent until they hit him, another player or a block (wall / floor / ceiling). This works with both single and multiple projectiles.

Secondary fire mode: One to six projectiles can also be loaded here, but the rocket drive is effectively switched off so that the explosive devices function as grenades .

Sniper rifle

A typical sniper rifle without futuristic functionality, but with devastating effects. Two hits on an unarmored enemy cause enough damage to bring them down, a head hit usually leads to immediate death. This weapon has practically no second fire mode, the key assigned to it activates the telescopic sight, which allows the shooter to zoom in up to 8.3 times. The longer the secondary fire button is held down, the higher the zoom factor. If the enlargement is to be stopped at a certain factor, the button is released. To switch off the weapon zoom again, the secondary fire button must be briefly pressed again.

Redeemer

This weapon, which is not found on all maps and is usually extremely well hidden or difficult to reach, causes considerable destruction. It is a heavy rocket launcher that fires a nuclear warhead . Picking up the weapon gives you a projectile, and picking up another Redeemer gives you a second. The Redeemer is the only weapon that is not immediately available again after being picked up by a player, but only after a certain spawn time has elapsed.

Primary fire mode: the Redeemer missile follows the shooter's crosshair until it hits a block or another player. The detonation creates a large pressure wave that kills all players in a large area.

Secondary fire mode: The shooter can control the projectile himself from the first person perspective . In the meantime, his pawn stops. This control is only possible for a limited period of time, after which the projectile explodes. The detonation effect is the same as in the primary fire mode.

Tools

Translocator

With its help, the player can go directly to any location on a map. This weapon-like tool serves as a teleporter with the following functionality: The button for the primary fire mode throws a kind of receiver station, a small round disc with an antenna. If the player presses the translocator's secondary fire button, he will be teleported to the receiving station immediately. With the ability to throw the receiver, you can climb over walls, jump over chasms or just move very quickly. The translocator can be used as a weapon by both the user and his opponents. The following options are available:

1. The user teleports at the exact moment when an enemy player walks over the translocator's receiver. This is known as a telefrag. Up to three players can be killed at the same time in this way. To do this, the three players must be immediately around the translocator.
2. In order to kill the user of the translocator, the receiver is sabotaged by fire . If the user teleports to the recipient, he will be killed.

If the flag bearer uses the translocator in a capture the flag game, he loses the flag at the starting point.

Equipment

Chest Armor

A type of bulletproof vest that increases the armor value of the player who collects it. With a higher armor value, the wearer takes less damage. This item is fairly easy to find on most maps.

Thigh pads

Another piece of armor that protects the wearer's legs. Here, too, the wearer's armor value is increased. Lies somewhere along the way on most maps.

Shield belt

The third piece of armor available. A belt that projects a kind of protective force field around the wearer and extremely increases the armor value. Usually hidden in realistic maps, easy to find in arena maps.

Jump boots

An item of equipment that does not bring any armor bonus, but gives the wearer enormous jumping power for three jumps, so that great heights and distances can be overcome. In addition, the player does not suffer any damage if he falls from a great height. These jump boots are usually difficult to reach.

Power ups

These items are extremely powerful and give the wearer a tremendous advantage. That is why they are on the one hand well hidden or difficult to reach on most maps and on the other hand their effect is limited in time. The power-ups are activated immediately after they have been collected, their effect ends after the duration of action has expired or when the wearer dies.

Damage Amplifier

This powerful power-up increases the damage caused by the wearer immensely, so that most hits with large weapons are deadly and a frag can be achieved much faster with smaller weapons.

Invisible

Makes the wearer invisible so that only a slight outline can be seen.

technology

A slightly improved version of the Unreal Engine was used for Unreal Tournament , which had already proven its efficiency at Unreal . The graphic framework can represent relatively detailed environments and differs from other simultaneous graphic frameworks, such as the Quake engine , primarily through the size of the levels and the high texture resolutions . Current standards have also been implemented in terms of sound technology, namely support for sound generated on the hardware side according to the EAX standard and surround sound.

A lot of attention was paid to computer-controlled enemies ( bots ), which were controlled by a scalable AI . By being able to adjust their abilities on several levels and also to influence the behavior of individual opponents in detail, the players could design the single player mode individually. The bots in Unreal Tournament were among the "most intelligent" NPCs at the time and were clearly superior to their relatively roughly adjustable counterparts in Quake III Arena . The porting to Linux by Loki Games was done with the help of the cross-platform library SDL .

It is also possible to start and play individual cards from the predecessor Unreal . When changing the card, however, the "Tournament" mode is switched back to.

Community

The following parts of this section seem since 2010-2012 out of date to be : full details of leagues numbers and relative sizes Community
Please help with to the missing information research and insert .

Unreal Tournament today

Unreal Tournament got the nickname "UT99", according to the year 1999, after the release of the successors Unreal Tournament 2003 and Unreal Tournament 2004 . This makes it easier to differentiate between the Unreal Tournament titles. The UT99 scene is shaped by the community that has existed to this day (2018), which has survived in small parts and has been consolidated through events such as LAN parties, at which only UT99 is played. The UT99 scene was one of the first large game communities in the past and competes with the game titles Quake III Arena and Counter-Strike .

The manufacturer has already tried to take the main servers that are responsible for the server lists offline. Massive criticism from the UT99 players ensured that they were up and running again within 48 hours. 18 years after the game was released, there are still a number of clans that specialize in UT99 and new clans are still emerging. Currently (Q4 / 2010) there are over 100 clans as well as some national teams that play UT99 in the two UT99 leagues that still exist.

There are currently two leagues in which UT99 clans can play “official” matches: The newly opened Unreal Tournament esports League (UTeL), which focuses on Team Deathmatch and 1on1 in the 1st season, and Clanbase. Due to the inactivity of Clanbase, some players have decided to found their own league (UTeL), which has been online since February 15th, 2012. UTeL tries to work closely with the community and to respond to requests and concerns. In the future, prize money will be advertised as victory prizes in the UTeL. From season 2, CTF matches will be held on UTeL in addition to TDM. In addition to the platform for the games, UTeL offers an HD live stream of all important cup games. The players in both leagues are offered independent management of their games. You can determine in a fixed time frame if you want to compete against your opponents.

The further development of new game variants has not yet come to an end either. An example of this is the Monsterhunt modification , which can be found on a large number of servers. Another example is UT Soccer , which became popular during the 2006 World Cup.

The success is due, among other things, to the rather low system requirements - compared to the newer versions - which allow a smooth game even with weaker or older computers. The migration to the newer UT versions is also made more difficult by the fact that certain aspects of the newer games sometimes differ greatly. This applies in particular to the behavior of some weapon types and the movement sequences of the game characters.

After Epic's official support ended, the UTPG project was granted access to the code base .

Unreal Tournament was indexed in Germany because of its depiction of violence , but this only happened two years after its publication in Germany.

Ports

The game was released in 2000 for the PlayStation 2 and 2001 for the Dreamcast . There is also a version for Linux and Mac OS Classic .

Web links

• Unreal Tournament at MobyGames (English)
• Unreal Tournament configs (English)
• Unreal Tournament esports League: utel-europe.eu ( Memento from March 4, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Loki Games UT ( English ) lokigames.com. 2000. Retrieved May 18, 2012.
2. ↑ ^{a b c d} Release Information for Unreal Tournament on mobygames.com . Accessed July 28, 2008
3. ↑ http://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/unreal-tournament-game-of-the-year-edition
4. ↑ heise online: Federal testing agency indexes two well-known PC ego shooters. Retrieved November 27, 2019 .