We are happy to announce the release of Coda v0.2 for both PC and Playstation3 versions of UT3. This is a solid release that the Coda team is very proud of and we hope Coda fans everywhere will appreciate the hard work Krussell and Denrei have been doing to get the updated version as well as the new trailer in your hands as quickly as possible.
If you already have a previous version of Coda remember all you need to do is run the auto-updater from your Windows start menu to get this latest version. If you’re new to Coda just check out the installation guides above and while it’s downloading be sure to familiarize yourself with how to play Coda over on our wiki.
The main focus of this release has been balance, polish and responding to comments from the community. You’ll notice that many of these features were actually implemented after the footage for the trailer was taken.
Xing attacks have been overhauled. A new reaction system allows elements to feed one another (water into nature) or destroy one another (water into fire). The effects have been redone to allow a better representation of whats going on in gameplay. Players should see improved network performance as well.
Also featured in version 0.2 is Lou, a brand new character. Like the other Coda characters, Lou’s clothing, hair and eye colors are customizable in the Character Editor menu. Check out more images of Lou as well as the other Coda characters in the gallery.
Sword slashing has been slightly redesigned so that all 5 sword maneuvers can be executed through a single mouse button. Jabs are performed by clicking then immediately releasing either one of the the mouse buttons. Blocking is now executed by clicking and holding with either mouse button. The block move will persist until the mouse button is released, which should help beginners who are not yet comfortable with parrying.
In the interest of helping players of all skill levels improve and analyze mistakes, the Coda team has added round by round statistics. These should help you single out areas of your game which are lacking and can be improved upon in further practice.
Coda has just gone Beta! This release, v0.1, also marks the first time Coda will be available for the PlayStation 3 version of Unreal Tournament 3 in addition to the PC version. The controls have transitioned well to the PS3 without gameplay suffering.
If you don’t yet have Coda you can download your version of choice, PS3 or PC from www.codamod.com/download. If you already have Coda just run the auto-updater before playing and you’ll get the latest version.
If you experience what appears to be a crash on your first time playing Coda, and you have custom characters installed, don’t panic. Coda will lock up for a moment while it creates shader files for these characters and then resume once this is complete. You can avoid this delay by moving your custom characters out of the UTGame\Published directory before playing Coda. We understand this sucks and it will be fixed in the next version.
Feature wise, Coda now includes simple bots which have been added with this release. If you’re new to Coda this should be helpful in learning the gameplay, but don’t forget to also read the online manual.
Additionally, there have been updates to the elemental swords. Among these is the ability to use Nature to create trees that impede your opponents, a lightning fast dash move using Sky, and reflecting magic thrown at you using Water. These new techniques have added substantial depth for both new and old players to explore.
The above screen shows that in v0.1 the Coda Mule is no longer just for running over unsuspecting opponents, you can now attack with your sword while riding. All the mechanics of normal sword combat such as stuns, clashes and whiffs have been fully implemented in the mounted combat.
Bowie here with a midweek update on the Coda team’s march towards the next release.
The major news is that Coda is up and running on the PS3. We’re currently still testing, but PS3 support should be included in the next release! If you’d like to help us test the PS3 version send me an email at Bowie@codamod.com.
Since finishing work on adding combat while on the Coda Mule, Denrei has been working on adding bots. Right now they don’t have too much AI, but they should at least be good for a bit of practice and should help newer players grasp the combat system.
Below is a screen of Coda running in split-screen mode on the PS3. Until next time,
First just want to say thanks to everyone for the positive reaction to our alpha release. We definitely appreciate all the comments and suggestions we’ve received. If you’ve been playing, I hope it’s been a lot of fun. As I mentioned in the last post, Coda is still very early in development so I thought it was time for an update on what to look for next.
We are planning on adding bot support as soon as possible so that Coda can be enjoyed regardless of how many people are online and by those with poor connections. The other major change to Coda, which Denrei is nearly done with, involves being able to do battle from the Coda Mule, there are a few screens of this below. Krussell has also been hard at work, getting the PS3 version ready so that Coda along with its new features can be enjoyed by the many people we’ve heard from that don’t have UT3 for the PC.
Finally, much thanks goes out to Mischa_Silden who provided the Finnish localization which will be available in the next release. If you’d like to help with localization for other languages, send me an email.
Coda is now officially released, just in time for the Make Something Unreal Phase 3 deadline!
Coda features a unique gameplay system which combines sword fighting and magic attacks with thrilling taiji jumps. Detailed instructions on how to play Coda can be found in the Coda Online Manual.
To get Coda go to codamod.com/release. The file you need is CodaSetup_Alpha_0.0.700.exe. If your copy of UT3 is retail (not Steam) patch it first with the version 2.1 patch which is also downloadable from the release page. For more instructions see our Wiki.
If you already have Coda make sure you run the auto-updater to get the newest version. Coda’s still early in its development so it’s important to always run the auto-updater before playing as we’ll be working hard to add features and fix any bugs.
As always you can chat with us in our irc channel #codamod on irc.gamesurge.net or if you don’t have an irc client use this web app to chat right away. Also, we have forums setup at codamod.com/forums. If you find any bugs you can report them at codamod.com/bugs.
Below are some screenshots of Coda’s character customization screen. This screen as with all menus in Coda is also available in French and Spanish. Much thanks to Kouru for help with the Spanish localization. If you’d like to help with localization for other languages let us know.
In preparation for the imminent release of Coda, tonight will hopefully be our largest playtest yet. It’s all going down at 6 PM US Central Time (11 PM GMT). Server details are below.
Make sure to meet with us first in our irc channel #codamod on irc.gamesurge.net or use this web app to chat with us in irc. If you’ve already installed Coda make sure before playing you run the auto updater. If you don’t have Coda yet learn how to get it at http://wiki.codamod.com/Installing_Coda. Hope to see a bunch of people there tonight!
Coda wants YOU! To help us be all that we can be in UT3. So enter the Coda sword design contest. The person who submits the best concept art for a sword will win a phenomenal prize package starting with Denrei modeling their winning entry and putting it in Coda. But that’s not all… the top entries will also receive the opportunity to be official play testers for the alpha release of Coda. You would think the prizes would end there, but no! With all the Coda the winner will be playing no doubt they will be in desperate need of physical exercise which they’ll receive on their brand new* Nordic Track Sequoia!
To enter just go to the Coda forums and post your original work under the “Sword Contest” post. Entries must be submitted by 5 AM GMT on 5/8/09 . You may also enter by emailing your entry to swordcontest@codamod.com.
Estimated retail value of prize package: you can’t put a price on your health. Some restrictions apply, mainly that if the winner wants the NordicTrack they have to pick it up at a prearranged location in Wisconsin most likely a dark one late at night. If winner is unable to pickup the NordicTrack, a sign bearing the winner’s name will be hung from the NordicTrack for all to see. You can also have a copy of Half Life 2 off of Steam, but whatever.
If you need help getting started keep in mind the sword you design will be wielded by its owner with one hand. Swords can be of any size in the Coda universe though so anything from a dagger sized blade up to a buster sword would be fine. Swords in Coda should not be energy weapons, for example lightsabers. However, eventually the swords in Coda will glow as they are charged with the various elements, fire, water, earth etc. So if your sword has parts that can glow that would be good otherwise eventually the whole sword will glow. If still in doubt thinking along the lines of Final Fantasy may help.
Codamod.com just finished a smooth transition in hosting from Dreamhost to nfoservers.com. While making the switch Tony and Denrei took the opportunity to make a few changes to the site.
You can now see the Codamod Twitter feed directly on Codamod.com. Our revision control software posts check-ins to Twitter so following Codamod on Twitter is a great way to keep up to date on our development status. For more news and information on Coda just follow the new links to our ModDB and Facebook pages. And if reading about Coda just isn’t enough for you, use our irc information located above our Twitter feed to chat directly with the dev team. If you don’t know how to use irc there is even a link that will get you chatting straight away.
Hope everyone likes the new site. Stay tuned for some big Coda announcements in the upcoming days and weeks. In the time being here’s a few screens of a new map called “CODA-May” that Denrei put together.
If you have any questions or comments about Coda, feel free to drop by our IRC channel #codamod on irc.gamesurge.net. Usually Tony and I are both in there and we’re getting pretty lonely just talking with ourselves.
Good evening. Bowie here. Just wanted to introduce myself as the new community manager for Coda.
Denrei and Tony have been working around the clock, putting in so many hours that there hasn’t been enough time left for them to post news updates, a shame because there has been a ton of progress made. So, from here on out I’ll be regularly posting updates here at codamod.com. If you’ve got any questions or feedback you can also find me on the forums or just shoot me a line at Bowie@codamod.com
In closing, if you’re like most people you find being introduced to me a huge let down, so to offset that disappointment I’ve included some screens of Vivian, a new character Denrei’s been working on. The first pic is a pre-render and the second is in game. Cheers,
