I played UT99 like crazy for about 3 years+. We were one of the best CTF/TDM clans in Germany. I still think UT99 is one of the most fun shooters ever made (also in the beginning there were no timers and shit, voice chat was still coming and new). I very much like the movement possibilities (dodging) which adds a tactical dimension to map traversal and weapon usage. And also the way they build the weapons, there were A LOT of opportunities. I don't know why 'progamers' don't cry for something more complex in case of weaponry and movement these days. Or did I miss something?
Once every year I install UT99 for few weeks and play some Deck16][ ;). But the ping dependent weapons are simply too good. That's also why I quit. There was a rush a few years after the game was out, were everyone would start using Mini-gun ans Pulsegun (This was also an effect of the whole progamer thing becoming 'big') because they got better inet connections; the first users had highspeed inet (remember I talk about Germany). Although I had DSL, fastpath wasn't enabled and I had often pings of 120. This wasn't a problem in the early days, but once people got better machines and connections there were just too many good snipers / minigunners.
In general because there was some discussion: UT99 (I only played 2k3 which I didn't like, never 2k4 though) had a special feeling to it's movement, guns and level design. It was a little slower than quake (the rockets!!) but with nicer movement possibilites. But for a good TDM match with tactical movement through the map, you need smaller and complex maps (think Deck 16][). Now, if you have vehicles that instantly falls off, the maps become too big, there is no way to exert any level control.
The other thing is that if a game is available on consoles they are pertty much based on the same height level (think of the most TF2 maps). I think that adds a simplicity to the maps and takes a little of the fun out of it. That doesn't mean I dislike TF2. Actually It's my favourite shooter since UT99 and I played it a lot in the internet.
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