It's called Residual Decay.
A term used to describe the collapse of cell structure in an organism that has been overexposed to the harmful effects of excessive teleportation. You become less and less with every jump. There is no cure.

-Residual Decay is currently in development.-

Residual Decay is the third and final chapter in the Jones Saga. 

So he waits. And as the darkness takes him, he swears that he hears a voice. 

But what should have probably happened to him a dozen times over in the past is evaded once again. The darkness is pushed back and a spotlight hovers over him. The last thing he hears before he loses consciousness is the sound of many footfalls rushing towards him. And the last rational thought he has...is that those footfalls sound awfully similar to USM standard issue combat boots.

Rushed back to the USM-Ice Raven, the best division sponsored money can afford brings Jones back from the brink. Calcium therapy replenishes shattered bones, tissue loss, and even restores his pulverized vertebrae. Severed nerves are repaired by cloned cellular injections. An eye is amputated and replaced with state of the art optical mechanics. The military spares no expense to preserve their heroes, especially those that are so vital to the recruiting sector. They even augment his physical abilities farther than necessary. Waiver approved, of course.

So a marine wakes up. And realizes that he left most of himself behind.

Something changes. He is not grateful. No, this is disappointment. Why him, he wonders? Good men like Crowley go to their deaths and he is the one who makes it. Time and time again. If he was a different kind of man, he might be tempted to pull that safety back on his sidearm and paint the walls of his bunk with the color of his thoughts. But no. This marine always preferred the gaunlet over the tender mercies. So he kills himself the slow way, like always. Jones splashes his artificial liver with fresh alcohol and gazes past the scarred reflection on his cabin window…into the vastness of cold space. Living to fight another day.

But something happens. Someone or something intervenes. When Jones wakes from a drunken slumber and finds himself alone and isolated on the Ice Raven, he discovers that there is some omnipotent force controlling the vessel. This force has a voice. A very familiar voice. And this voice wants something from Jones.

This is a damaged soldier’s final chance to redeem himself.

This is Residual Decay.

Semper Fi.

*                               *                                    *                                    *                             *

The Game

Residual Decay is different from Xidia and Seven Bullets in that there is no continuous symmetry throughout the course of the game. There is the central storyline about a man trapped inside a starship and the temporal displacements that bring the player to five different planets. In terms of mechanics this is similar to Unreal 2, where the game fluctuations between a Starship hub and worlds. 

Each world is essentially its own storyline or miniature sized game, complete with its own themes, enemies, gameplay strategies, and climaxes. They alternate in timeline chronology between periods in the Unreal multiverse. Often times a period and situation will reflect events that have taken place outside the game. For instance, the Na Pali visited in Residual Decay has aged since Jones had last seen it in Seven Bullets and aspects of the story experienced there occur as a direct reaction to episodes such as Unreal, Return to Na Pali, Deja Vu, and others. In other ways timelines seen fill the gaps in the twelve year hiatus between Xidia and Seven Bullets. 

The gameplay is radically different than what was seen in previous episodes. Instead of being a basic run-and-gun game in most respects, elements of Residual Decay are very survival horror themed. Elements of "character building" are used as well, such as upgrading physical statistics, gear, and accessories. There is a strong emphasis on conservation, searching, and acquisition in order to keep Jones at the top of his game. Limitations on the amount of weapons and specific gear the player can carry also changes the way the game can be approached. Unlike previous episodes in the series, not every gun does the job for a specific situation. To survive, players must test and research their environments and enemies in order to prevail without wasting too many resources.

A strong emphasis on gadgetry and physical augmentation helps in this regard. Among some of the abilities Jones has in the game are the Scan Eye, the Smart Log, and the Imprinter. The Scan eye is a prosthetic device that grants the player several skills. The most important of which is the scanner, which can be used to locate sensitive materials and structural weakness not visable to the naked eye. Furthermore, the scanner is essential for researching enemy weaknesses and capabilities. The Smart Log is a massive overhaul of the Universal Translator, where all recordable content and statistics are downloaded for viewage on a subscreen menu. Lastly, the Imprinter is an Action Key interactive function that replaces an archaic key collection system. Essentially, Jones can "download" memory from security readers and cards in order to access particular locks. The Imprinter can be expanded to contain alternate memory slots...and some data downloaded can be used in offensive attacks.

The biggest gameplay factor is the ability to alter the paths selected, which affects both the long term storyline as well as short term level progression. Whole levels can be played under completely different circumstances depending on what the player does. Some cases are more significant than others, leading to game-changing constants...while others may only alter more present conditions, such as the appearances of certain enemies or items. Also, there will be limited examples of backward mobility throughout certain levels, and emphasis on puzzle cracking may span multiple maps. For instance, a key to a door containing a powerful weapon may not be available until the player finds it in a later map. Although not groundbreaking, this is a first for Unreal. 

In Residual Decay the object is to survive. Knowing your environment, knowing your enemy, and securing appropriate weapons are the only ways to stay alive. Jones is stronger offensively than in previous episodes. But enemy numbers rise to the occassion; more often than not they will outnumber the player. Simply having ammo is not always enough. Locations can be as volatile as their bestiary. Items don't magically appear out in the open and default statistics don't always get the job done. To complete the game a smart player will need to search for consumables, acquire physical upgrades and weapons, outfit themselves with clearance codes and gear, and...if necessary...turn their immediate environments into strongholds.   

The User FAQ

A: Each world visited has one major antagonist. However, boss encounters can occur frequently on each planet regardless of this fact. In fact, each world has at least several. And not all of them will appear. The way you choose to play the game will decide whether or not you encounter a minimum or a maximum of bosses. Some of these boss characters are tied to plot sensitive and ending altering sequences, as well as the apperance of certain items and abilities. The current boss list clocks in at over twenty, assuming they all are faced. 

A: None of RD's bosses will use Unreal Models...with the exception of maybe one or two. The aim is to prepare new pawns (fully modeled and animated) for all the game's bosses. Obviously, this means all their abilites and skills will be new as well. 

Q: What is the optimal renderer that should be used when playing RD (with the new fx)?

A: As stated throughout development, the optimal render is Open Gl. RD will feature a heavily modified version as well as an alternate D3D option. D3D will be supported! Although it is suggested that players make considerations for the switch to get the best out of Residual Decay. For the best experience, have a Open GL favored UT setup with a graphics card that can support it. Geforce 6XXX cards or other Open GL friendly variants are advised. RD will come with its own Open GL/D3D Renders. You only need to be able to handle them. 

 A: Yes. In the mod an emphasis will be on the basic computer/switch formula, albeit presented in a new way. The presence of the Imprinter changes the way a key hunting system works. Jones doesn't find keys, he finds data. And sometimes he needs to acquire more data than usual. This puts the player in a position where upgrading their imprinter (as well as all other game functions) will greatly reduce the amount of difficulty in problem solving. The player can choose to ignore these assets, or they can make an effort to obtain them. So in that regard, basic obstacles like code finding and key hunting are only as hard and tedious as the player allows them to be. Primarily, the game puzzles are based on weapons. Each world visited has one primary weapon that needs to be found in order to solve damage based puzzles. Like shocking water or melting ice. Likewise, these weapons are crucial to overcoming gameplay difficulties and fighting bosses. 

A: While being heavily combat oriented, Residual Decay is 'smarter' than Xidia and Seven Bullets. What I mean is, you won't JUST be shooting things that pop out at you or come along your path. I'll give you some examples. First off, there is a lot of environmental interactivity to be considered. Many of the levels have security systems, which makes straight shooting difficult (but not impossible. You can always resort to brute force if you've got the tools). Here's the run down; there are 3 major combat scenarios. One, the normal encounters. Stuff jumping out at you or roaming a level. Two, Infiltration type settings where you are entering a base with security forces and numbers that make mad gunning a liability. And three, strongholds. Strongholds are the most interesting. In the Xidia levels, for example, Jones walks out on a gigantic landing platform with depots, landing pads, streets, a sewer system, and a three-story building with a fully fleshed out interior/exterior (think Sunspire). The way these stronghold situations work are very much like the defense levels of Unreal 2 where you have to hold an area as an onslaught of enemies attack. In RD this idea is much more advanced. You have precious minutes to fully prepare your battlezone. You place traps and weapons and prepare your fallback positions. Eventually enemies will come and they can come in waves of dozens, sometimes hundreds. And they can deform your environment to get to you (break down doors, walls, and other things). To maximize your chances in these and any type of combat situation is to utilize all your abilities. This means selecting the right gear. Getting biology information on your enemies so you know where to hit them and how. Upgrading your carrying ability, like expanding space for more grenades, rations, offensive imprinter attacks, weapon modifications, and statisical augmentations like enhancing your health and speed. To be blunt, it's real hard to survive to the end of the game as the same Jones you started out as.

Q: Will there exist none-mission-critical enviroment to explore to avoid the ''corridor effect''? (To be blown away by level design grandness as example)

A: Yes. Most of the maps in the game are like this actually, where you have to explore in indirect routes. It's rare to have a level where you basically walk down a series of corridors to an exit. Most of the maps in RD follow in the vein of Infiltration of the Kran, Outpost Phoenix, and Bluff Eversmoking type layouts. You rarely know which direction is the right one and backtracking occurs in almost ever single level. Because of backwards mobility between some maps you might even have to go back to already beaten levels to find an exit. 

A: Yes. Mostly in regards to Bullet-based weapons, though. There are three damage types that bullet guns tend to inflict; Light Firing, Heavy Firing, and Penetration. Heavy Firing and Penetration can go through enemies and hit the ones behind them, and weapons with Penetration damage (like some of the rifles and certain pistols) can go through things like doors and thin walls. 

Q: Is any kind of simple recoil / muzzle climb / accuracy-penalty for specific weapons planned to put some tactics and variable combat effectiveness into the fights which UT lacks of?

A: Ehhh, kinda. RD takes place in the Unreal universe, after all. And since Jones is a super soldier he is supposed to be tougher than the average man. The main thing about guns that can be affected is accuracy. And this is pretty much exclusive to the bullet guns. Some guns are built with fast primaries and "more accurate" alternate functions. The Automag is a good example of this. In primary fire the player can shoot as fast as they can tap the mouse button. But the faster your trigger finger the wider your shot margin. In its alternate, Jones repositions his grip on the Automag and aims it better for slower, spot on shots. But in a universal way it depends on how you move and what your posure is. You can stand, crouch, and go prone. Your aim gets better the lower you get to the ground. And of course, moving and shooting is less accurate then standing still and shooting. In some cases, moving and shooting is a bad idea (some rifles, minigun ect).

A: The Nali have a big part in the Na Pali section of the game. They appear in every map during that segment. You can choose to help them, ignore them, trade with them, speak to them, and pretty much the entire longevity and sequence of events on that planet section depend on how you interact with the Nali. There's also a Nali character that makes an important appearance. But let's get one thing straight. These are Unreal Nali, not ONP Nali. 

A: The Armor system is completely new. The way this works is very RPG like. Nothing you wear gets degraded, and at any one time Jones can wear either an Armor or a Suit. But only one or the other at the same time. Suits give Jones environmental defenses (There's a tempurature suit, a water suit, a radiation suit, ect). Armors give Jones combat defenses. You can swap Armor for Armor or Suit for Suit or Suit for Armor, ect. But whatever you have on stays on and changes your 3rd person appearance. Likewise, you can also carry a ShieldBelt as well with whatever Suit or Armor you have on. In regards to all three classes there are many types. Then, there are Accessories. Of which there are four varieties. Thigh Pads, Arms Pads, Footwear, and Artifacts. There is an extensive library of each and they all have different effects (both beneficial and detrimental). For instance, your Steel Thigh Pads will grant you some added defense but slow your speed. The way Accessories work is that you are encouraged to wear sets, since having a complete set will give you bonus statistics. Artifacts act as wildcards, and can do a great variety of things.  

Q: Are any new gibs planned? If yes are they going to use S3TC high-res textures?

A: Yeah. They will have good skins but dunno if they will be S3TC'd. There is a lot of mayhem and that could be a performance hog. But we will see. 

Q: Are melee attacks going to be strictly last resort, or are they going to be a viable option (like the melee attacks in F.E.A.R)?

A: The Melee weapons are very effective for what they are. Maybe in between? Some can be lethal, but then again your enemies always get bigger. Depending on how well you mind your upgrades you can be very formidable with a close quarter melee weapon on one on one situations. If anything is really a last resort, it is the fists. But even then their potency depends on how you manage yourself. 

Q: You wrote about limited weaponary. Is there going to be an inventory system like in System Shock 2?

A: I've covered Armors and Accessories. Inventory will work the same way it did in Unreal, more or less. Then there are Supplies. Things like Rations, Grenades, and Imprinter Slots are not part of the Inventory heap. They can be upgraded to increase your carry numbers. As for guns, you can carry one melee weapon, two secondary weapons (or a pair of dual guns), and one primary weapon. At most, four weapons at a time. Then you have your Fists, which are always with you. And any upgrades you make to those (Brass Knuckles) are permanent). 

Q: Will there be any allies (or at least living non-hostiles)?

A: Yes. And no. Jones never has a backup partner or a follower (like ONP). But you do meet NPCs that are friendly and you can interact with them for items.

Q: Will this game include levels/parts that can be beaten without shooting (by sneaking)?

A: In some situations you can "knock out" an enemy by sneaking up behind them and using fists. But in every level with combat there is no universal emphasis on "nonviolence". There ARE some situations where you might have to rely on different offenses though. Stealth is necessary in some parts, but you still have to make kills. 

Q: Will the use of scanner-eye be obvious/frustrating (aka will it be frequent part of a gameplay)?

A: It is frequent, since you do have to use it for Logs. But generally you aren't forced to. It's possible to play the game only using it for log books...but it will be harder. It's there as an aid. A tool to help you complete a challenge. Somtimes you have to bypass an area with a structural defficiency invisible to the naked eye, where it will be very helpful (as opposed to just hitting the Action Key on every surface until something moves). Some items are also "invisible", or hidden, and scanning reveals their location. In combat you can try shooting an enemy to get a reaction you like if you don't know what their weakness is, but that can waste resources.

Q: How realistic is this meant to be (damage-wise)?

A: Your guns cause much more damage than they did before. Bosses have much more health than in Unreal. Every enemy has a Weakness, a Resistance, and an Immunity. Limb hits do less damage than body hits. Headshots are usually lethal. Enemies can sometimes come in organized groups. 

Q: No more hitscan hell?

A: Jones has a lot of hitscan weapons in his arsenal. Enemies vary between attack types. Nothing will be as polarized as it was in Seven Bullets (with fast, agile enemies holding instant-hit weapons). So while you will fight enemies with hitscan weapons, they aren't bots. There are no bots. 

Q: What's the expected playtime?

A: Hard to say. There are 30 plus maps, and since running through it is hard...I'd say the average playtime will be one hundred and forty two years. Or five minutes. No really, I dunno. That depends on how smart a player is or not. 

A: Over twenty "weapons". There were six melee weapons up until recently. But I scrapped one because it sucked. So right now we have five. We may or may not make a new one before release. 

Q: What would be an example of a new, unique and revolutionary melee weapon that is included in RD? As in, something that goes beyond a "laser sword" or a "fire axe", "crow bar", "shovel", or "pipe wrench"?

A: We have one that fires energy-based "Nets" that can temporarily trap enemies (or if they are small enough, trap them permanently). It doubles as a long, bayonet weapon as well. Net and stab.  And the new Impact Hammer (new model) doubles as a nail gun.

 New Features 

• Completely new blood generation system
• Completely new blood decals
• Injury Effects on enemy skins when shot
• Working Lens flares
• New HUD
• New Characters, Enemies, and Bosses
• Over 25 weapons 
• High Res particle effects
• New weapon models, sounds, & Skins
• Vehicles with mounted weapons
• Weather effects
• Alternate Headshot effects
• Refined SP gameplay (Not your father's Unreal game)
  
• Footstep sounds
• New bullet impact effects and sounds for specific textures
• High quality Voice acting
• Completely new professional Soundtrack
• Multiplayer modes
  
• 100% COOP combatible
• New COOP modes
• New Character abilities like the Vision scanner, Imprinter, and hand-to-hand combat system
• Revamped and Realistic Underwater effects
• Costume altering gear on player models when equipped (i.e. armor, suits, accessories)
• Upradeable Character Statistics
  
• Advanced zone effects
• Multiple Endings depending on Difficulty and how you play the game
• Award system, as well as Unlockables
• Interactive storyline 
• Advanced SP resources that come with map maker friendly manuals for any SP level designers out there

Residual Decay is a singleplayer mod for Unreal Tournament.

Release Date: pending

System Requirements: (speculated minimum)
    Unreal Tournament v436
    UT Bonus Packs 1, 4
    Old Skool Amp'd 1.6 (included)
    1.2GHz Pentium class processor
    512MB RAM
    Direct X 5 compatable GPU 32MB