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The 2001 UE1 version of Duke Nukem Forever was 90% completed, and had RPG (deus ex) elements!

pawel86ck

Banned
https://www.dsogaming.com/articles/...-was-90-complete-had-rpg-and-horror-elements/
Guys, I have just learned about this, DNF was almost completed in 2002, and it makes me sad and happy at the same time. I'm sad because if only that version would be released at 2002/2003 it would be probably one of the best FPS ever made, but the good part is, as long as the original files exist, there's always a chance we will get it if only enough people will want it :).

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...lds-of-duke-nukem-forever-ever-leaked.120567/
-This was 90% completed. Id say 14-16 hours of gameplay.
-It was way darker and more serious than the final product. It also played partly as an RPG in terms of your goals.
-You basically had Mission Objectives on your HUD you could activate - Like quests. You also had an inventory with ID badges, keycards, etc. Things you would use in the world. Think Deus Ex Duke.

-You meet and save NPCs. Solve puzzles, and try and solve the mystery of what's going on.
-Then you meet the infected EDF who's attacking you. And the story evolves from there.
-But all very dark, cinematic. Lights going out, flickering in the distance. Moster closets etc. all with cinematic music to fit. Screams in the distance etc.

-VERY serious and dark.
-Nothing campy or slapstick at all. It feels like a horror game
-It's always raining, lighting strikes in the distance, rumbling thunder
-The bike is probably the most impressive. !z2_l1 you get the bike and the game turns half open world
Hub style
-So you can drive out of vegas, and you get a loading screen. Different parts of vegas also has loading screens in between. But you get these missions from NPCs and then solve them (a bit like deus ex)

-Oh.. there's also a subway in vegas you can take to visit different districts in the city.
-It's super fun in multiplayer. 12 maps are pretty much done.
-Specific for Dukematch.

-25 ish levels.
-!z1_l1 to !z5_l7
Interesting details in regards to gameplay :)

Even by looking at this 2001 trailer I could tell that game code was made with passion and attention to details on pair with the best FPS games ever made. That game had and still has so much potential, duke nukem + deus ex elements + horror atmosphere and maybe even half life (area 51 always reminds me half life black messa facility on the desert).

To be honest I like to pretend DNF 2011 version doesnt exist :p. 2011 release was almost like game made for kids, instead of horror atmosphere we get comedy atmosphere. Even grahics design was totally different. Just compare character models from 2001 version with 2011 version, in 2001 version EDF soldiers looked very believable, like real people, not like clown soldiers from Iron Sky comedy :(.

DNF 2001
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duke-nukem-forever-1998-08.jpg



2011 version
1801495-2011_06_03_00007.jpg


dnf4.jpg


1335930263417.jpg


My dream scenario is to get original 2001 unreal engine 1 verison for nostalia reasons, plus fully remastered version in Unreal Engine 3/4 version on top of that. I think ALL PC PLAYERS WOULD STILL WANT TO GET COMBO LIKE THAT. Guys, I have made that thread becayse there's always a hope, and if only enough people will want it, we will get it :). I have waited for that game since forever :p, and I'm still willing to wait a little bit more :).
 
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Ridcully

Member
Has it really been 7 years since DNF came out? Makes a man feel old.

I think the list of features shows the ambition on display back then, a big part of why it took so long for them to get anywhere. At 90% complete they'd as well leak the thing and let modders finish it.
 

MultiCore

Member
I'm from the crowd that prefers Duke 1&2 to 3D, but I can't deny its impact.

I remember those screenshots from PC Gamer. I was very interested at the time to play it, same with the Prey previews from the same era.

I'd definitely give it a shot if they managed to release it, or 'release' it.
 
It's so frustrating to know that old Prey, DNF and Prey 2 builds exist somewhere. Can someone hack these people already?!
 

Inviusx

Member
-VERY serious and dark.
-Nothing campy or slapstick at all. It feels like a horror game



So they were going to give us grimdark/edgy Duke?

I'm glad this thing never came out.
 

Valdega

Member
I seriously doubt the game was 90% done. You don't take a game that far and then scrap it because a renderer update causes some issues.

That said, I would love to get my hands on builds of the various iterations of the game.
 

makaveli60

Member
Holy! I still remember when I read about it and saw the pictures in a gaming magazine, then when a bit later I saw the trailer. Duke 3D is one of my favorite games from my childhood and when I saw DNF I was beyond excited, and the rest is history... It should have released at that time and the impact would have been insane, now it's too late. Yet, I would still play it, but somehow I doubt that it was done 90%, and even if it is, there is still that horrible gearbox with that lying POS guy who won't let this be released.
 
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pawel86ck

Banned
I seriously doubt the game was 90% done. You don't take a game that far and then scrap it because a renderer update causes some issues.

That said, I would love to get my hands on builds of the various iterations of the game.
Because of the expectations they wanted to deliver the best game possible, and graphics had to be on the same level. In 2002 UE1 was a little bit old at that time, and some decisions had to be made. I think they should release that UE1 version back then, even if UE1 wasnt on top anymore. Graphics wouldnt shock people, but game will still look good, and they would make a profit on it.
 
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Denton

Member
I really hope Frederick Schreiber somehow manages to release the old builds...playing 2002 build even unfinished would be quite something.
 

ar0s

Member
I was SO excited for this game. I absolutely loved D3D as a kid. I'm not sure which was worse, DF not releasing or the terrible Carma3:TDR actually releasing.
 

Valdega

Member
Because of the expectations they wanted to deliver the best game possible, and graphics had to be on the same level. In 2002 UE1 was a little bit old at that time, and some decisions had to be made. I think they should release that UE1 version back then, even if UE1 wasnt on top anymore. Graphics wouldnt shock people, but game will still look good, and they would make a profit on it.

Duke Nukem Forever was basically ruined because 3D Realms didn't have a clear vision for the game. Every time a big new game came out, they decided that DNF was out-of-date and needed to be overhauled. You can clearly see this in the final product which couldn't decide if it wanted to be Call of Duty, Duke 3D or Half-Life 2. If they had simply committed to a single version of the game and released it in a timely manner, it would have been a big hit and Duke might still be relevant today.
 
Even the physics from the 2001 build destroy those from the final game, where enemies just go ragdoll or either explode in a couple of gibs. (Octobrains and impregnators ALWAYS explode, funny because there's a quote from Broussard himself mentioning how cool ragdoll octabrains looked)

In the 2001 build you could dismember and both ragdoll npcs, and Octabrains always went ragdoll if they werent killed with enough force.
 

silvestri

Neo Member
That 90% story could be true as george broussard is known being not rational about project management.

What about the Quake 2 iteration of duke Nukem Forever:


That one had a lot of progress too and could be playable if the source ever gets released.
Seems also like the final DNF went back to the roots shown in this trailer.
That whole DNF story would be a nice documentation :)
 

boinx

Member
Motherfuck, the gods just keep taunting me with bringing this game back. The trailer blew my mind back in the day and it still looks so dope. Would gladly pay moneys to play this, with bugs and all.
 
Please tell me this build has leaked and is downloadable somewhere. Needless to say that is has been one of my most anticipated for the longest time...
 

JohnnyFootball

GerAlt-Right. Ciriously.
It’s hilarious to me how many people in this thread actually believe that if DNF 2001 got released it would actually be good.

I also refuse to believe that the game was 90% done and never got finished.

If you read this article from wired.com written after DNF was officially cancelled nothing seems to jive that the game was anywhere close to completion in 2009.

https://www.wired.com/2009/12/fail_duke_nukem/

For historical reasons I’d love to see all iterations get released but I’d keep my expectations in check.
 
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pawel86ck

Banned
It’s hilarious to me how many people in this thread actually believe that if DNF 2001 got released it would actually be good.

I also refuse to believe that the game was 90% done and never got finished.

If you read this article from wired.com written after DNF was officially cancelled nothing seems to jive that the game was anywhere close to completion in 2009.

https://www.wired.com/2009/12/fail_duke_nukem/

For historical reasons I’d love to see all iterations get released but I’d keep my expectations in check.
At this point two sources (DNF level designer, and now Schreiber) proves otherwise. Schreiber even provided screenshot from that Unreal Engine 1 build and I belive him.

More leaks
https://forums.duke4.net/topic/9930-dnf-2001-build-was-apparently-almost-complete/page__st__120

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DKhnrUsVwAAcPEJ.png.6de928ff45ee75412405e351f2ff5c09.png

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MC Safety

Member
It's best to be skeptical (or wary) of estimates as to a game's completion. First, it's just a guess, and it may be a guess from someone who hasn't seen the entire picture.

Games are a collaborative effort. There's a lot of moving pieces and people working on different elements. It's really hard to tell how far along each piece of the puzzle is. Or how those pieces fit into a larger whole.

And maybe the game was 90 percent finished. What does the other 10 percent entail?
 

pawel86ck

Banned
It's best to be skeptical (or wary) of estimates as to a game's completion. First, it's just a guess, and it may be a guess from someone who hasn't seen the entire picture.

Games are a collaborative effort. There's a lot of moving pieces and people working on different elements. It's really hard to tell how far along each piece of the puzzle is. Or how those pieces fit into a larger whole.

And maybe the game was 90 percent finished. What does the other 10 percent entail?
The last level "area 51" wasnt completed. Schreiber is willing to complete this game on his own.

What do these screenshots prove?
Those saying that the old versions were very incomplete were not telling the truth. People belived that entire 2001 trailer was fake, while it featured actual game and DNF level desinger even did a detailed breakdown on each scene. Below a prove provided by Schreiber, he indeed have that UE 1 build.

O3ZD3Gf.png
 

Cato

Banned
That sounds absolutely horrible.
I think we dodged a bullet here. Thank god this abomination never saw the light of day.
 

JohnnyFootball

GerAlt-Right. Ciriously.
The last level "area 51" wasnt completed. Schreiber is willing to complete this game on his own.


Those saying that the old versions were very incomplete were not telling the truth. People belived that entire 2001 trailer was fake, while it featured actual game and DNF level desinger even did a detailed breakdown on each scene. Below a prove provided by Schreiber, he indeed have that UE 1 build.

O3ZD3Gf.png
This shows they built enough to make a trailer, but doesnt in the slightest indicate that they had a playable game that was close to completion. Im not saying its not possible, but i just have my doubts that they had something as awesome as people in this thread believe that was only 10% away from being completed only to essentially abandon it.

But then again with George Broussard being the worst game director in history, maybe its completely believeable.
 
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pawel86ck

Banned
This shows they built enough to make a trailer, but doesnt in the slightest indicate that they had a playable game that was close to completion. Im not saying its not possible, but i just have my doubts that they had something as awesome as people in this thread believe that was only 10% away from being completed only to essentially abandon it.

But then again with George Broussard being the worst game director in history, maybe its completely believeable.
They have spend so many years devloping that game (at least unreal engine 1 version), and they supposed to make just 10% (just enough for a short traler)? Something like that also doesnt make any sense. Personally I trust DNF level designer info, and Schreiber, because right now these two people are telling similar thing.
 

JohnnyFootball

GerAlt-Right. Ciriously.
They have spend so many years devloping that game (at least unreal engine 1 version), and they supposed to make just 10% (just enough for a short traler)? Something like that also doesnt make any sense. Personally I trust DNF level designer info, and Schreiber, because right now these two people are telling similar thing.
Huh? I said it’s not very believable that something that was 90% complete (hence 10% away from being completed) was abandoned. Of course I gave myself the out by acknowledging how incompetent George Broussard was.

I think you misread my quote.
 
It doesn't matter how bad it is, I want to have it.
The 2006 Prey was ahead of its time, and that was only produced by them. I believe 3D Realms was making something great. The last 10% takes 90% of the time, though. Even the 2011 DNF had a lot of interesting things going on, and that was Frankensteined together from a game rebooted around the time Prey came out and bombed.
 

Nikodemos

Member
FWIW, the final 10% of the work usually includes stuff like "stop the game from corrupting the crap out of your saves when crashing".
 

Shifty

Member
Sounds like anecdotal speculation on Randy's part. The wording "what you'll have" implies that he hasn't actually seen what content there is, and is essentially just spitballing the business side of it.
 

J Bro

Banned
Randy is a fucking liar, and Frederik has posted plenty of info on the game. He actually has it and played it, and wants to finish it and release it. I'm not going to believe the rhetoric of some Neogaf neckbeard or Randy Pitchford over the man who actually has the files.
 

Solomeena

Banned
Man, George Broussard was such a fuck up. He literally is the reason that 3DRealms and Duke Nukem died. I remember watching the train wreck over the years at the 3DRealms forums as it became more and more clear that DNF was never coming out. And yes, sure it eventually released as a frankenstein of mashed up segments of the original game, that does not count.
 

JohnnyFootball

GerAlt-Right. Ciriously.
It doesn't matter how bad it is, I want to have it.
The 2006 Prey was ahead of its time, and that was only produced by them. I believe 3D Realms was making something great. The last 10% takes 90% of the time, though. Even the 2011 DNF had a lot of interesting things going on, and that was Frankensteined together from a game rebooted around the time Prey came out and bombed.


No way this is true.
 
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