BT : Female/Male skins

[Reiyel_3.0]

I know this is an old discussion but since Gopostal is around and since his great knowledge about the Unreal engine is undeniable ( viewtopic.php?p=25455#p25455), I´d like to see what he and all of you think about this.

Many, many male players prefer to use female skins in both DM and BT. The reasons they pledge to use them on the first game type are related to the increased agility of female skins and how, since they´re smaller, are harder to hit. The reasons pledged for using those skins in BT are related to the agility of female skins and how sometimes their dodge is just better (cover more distance than a male skin with one side dodge).

I understand that female skins could be harder to hit, I don´t know if they´re actually "smaller", but they do give that impression in game, and if you succeed in making your opponents believe that you´re an smaller target well then, you do become harder to hit.

However, I do not understand how those skins could be "faster" or more agile. I´ve been told that those differences are impossible since UT99 engine does not allow them. However, when I don´t use the warmachine skin I myself feel kinda slower, even if I forget that I´m using that different skin, I remember to switch to warmachine since I do feel slower or heavier.

So the question for you all and for Gopostal is, is there actually any difference in speedness and agility between the UT99 skins?

[BIOMECH]

I've often wondered about this myself.

The shameless cartwheeling or stick-figure appearance of some skins adds a definite edge in combat, while being an unmoving, round target has the opposite effect. Still, I find it hard to believe female skins truly affect your agility. Personally, I believe the plethora of transvestites is caused more by superstition than knowledge. Either that or people believing in the female agility boost get a placebo effect on their reflexes.

"You have to belieeeeve!"

These are just my opinions though, and time has proven, frankly, that I don't know anything

[Hook]

I kinda agree with BIOMECH about this.
I have never seen a difference myself - except for actual differences in skin appearance, voices, etc., but not in speed or agility.

In mapping, players/bots all have the same collision radius regardless of their "skin" appearance.
And - as far as I know - the collision radius is the Actual "Size" of the player/bot that the Game recognizes and Not the Skin size.

In the mod "FatBoy", does the collision radius get altered along with the skin appearance?

Gopo could clear this all up in a few sentences I am sure.

[BIOMECH]

I'm not sure, I kept gibbing Ice no matter thin she got

[*POTS*]

Actually female skins are slower, just think of their boobs and the friction coefficient of the Air Zone. Now multiply that for the Axis aBaseY Speed, divide it by their height in Unreal Units and finally you'll get their true speed.

People use female skins just because they have better "death sounds", to fool other guys and girls and because they look slightly slimmer to your eyes. The HitBox of both male and female skins is the same.

[a nameless entity]

Some of the female voice packs are just too much fun, also.

The skaarj hybrid has an advantage with his softer sounding footsteps, I think. However, there have been times in some custom maps when the hybrid cannot fit through certain small openings in a wall that a human player can just squeeze through. Or he hits his head on a low archway, when a human skinned player does not.

[*POTS*]

Some of the female voice packs are just too much fun, also.

Gotta ditto on that! I'm thinking of the TankGirl one ATM.
Anyway you can always edit their INT files so they'll fit to male characters as well.

The skaarj hybrid has an advantage with his softer sounding footsteps, I think.

Also his odd side-dodge movements may confuse your opponents.
I've also noticed WarCow skins are not allowed on many servers, maybe it's because it's really hard to headshot them.

However, there have been times in some custom maps when the hybrid cannot fit through certain small openings in a wall that a human player can just squeeze through. Or he hits his head on a low archway, when a human skinned player does not.

Wow really? This sounds really weird.

[Hermskii]

I'll jump without looking into this and say that UT skins are built on a model. I think while models can be drastically different, I think UT looks at or forces all models to be treated equal. I say that based on I think that would just be fair and I suspect the "makers" of UT would have looked into that before release. That will be $10 now from each of you for my opinion. Thanks!

[MEAT]

Yeah I read once that all skins, on the inside, are created equal...as in size.
Just the outside apperence seem different.
And reasons to use a smaller/female skin is just psychological and effects both parties.

[Reiyel_3.0]

However, there have been times in some custom maps when the hybrid cannot fit through certain small openings in a wall that a human player can just squeeze through. Or he hits his head on a low archway, when a human skinned player does not.

Perhaps this is just psychological like MEAT stated but, everytime I use the Skaarj Hybrid skin I cannot help feeling more agile, like if the dodges would be better. Besides, that skin is taller, I remember some group screen shots with Hermskii and well, he was always the tallest. Yes, like POTS said it´s side dodge do confuse others, but I also tend to feel faster with it. But again, it could only be psychological.

Help me with this cow; in Unreal 1, an SkaarjTrooper skin is available besides the standard Male and Female. If you use that skin, you actually have more health in game (not 100 maximum but 120) and I can bet $20 that in that game the Skaarj skin does make you faster but also benefits other players by making your HitBox bigger. Do Unreal 1 and Unreal Tournament share the same engine or something similar?

Actually female skins are slower, just think of their boobs and the friction coefficient of the Air Zone. Now multiply that for the Axis aBaseY Speed, divide it by their height in Unreal Units and finally you'll get their true speed.

LOL

[BIOMECH]

It's 130 health, actually, and it does indeed have a bigger hitbox. There are even a few parts of the game a Skaarj player can't fit into, although I don't remember it making people faster.

I think Unreal Tournament started off as an expansion pack to Unreal, which is why it re-uses all the monsters and summoning codes, and lets you open Unreal levels in the editor. Having said that, I don't think the two models are linked. If they weren't built with extra health, I doubt the size will have been included. As far as I can see, the only advantage of the hybrid is it's mind-boggling whirl dodges.

I can't help but feel like this topic is almost like discussing ghostly encounters or UFO sightings; there are plenty of theories and stories and tests carried out, but solid proof is nonexistent.
I maintain it's all pychological stuff:

The female skins make you look thinner then you are.
Skaarj Hybrids perform crazy acrobatics that confuse the enemy.
Nali tuck in their arms, making them hard to hit in the air.
War Cows don't perform acrobatics and are a nice round target, but too many people aim for the "head", fail, and throw a tantrum. There's also an MHM folk tale about cows being heavier, because people keep failing to boost me in MonsterHuntMayhrm or IndianaJones

[Hermskii]

Nali skins and female are harder to see cause they are smaller looking. That is the only advantage I can think of.

[Hook]

Nali skins and female are harder to see cause they are smaller looking. That is the only advantage I can think of.

Yes, I agree.
The collision radius is what the Game "sees" and that radius is the same I believe for all players/bots.