People just need to read the original UT text.
My UT site still has a reference to it beneath the name
http://yourunreal.wordpress.com
That site is my view from the top of that pile
It is not about "Space-marines" and military stuff.
Read the biographies of the teams and players.
Think back to the gladiators in the Roman arenas, and extrapolate forwards into the future to UT.
The mechanics and style of Chaos for UT2004 exemplifies what "The Tournament" was all about, and may of the maps feel more UT than UT, as they are actual arenas.
The maps will be bigger, but the Tournament style does not always scale.
I've said it before, look at the stuff the community makes if you want to know what UT should be.
It seems we like monsters by the truck-load, and things to ride around on.
The RPG mod for UT2004 is a great way to add level-ups in a fluid manner that never makes it feel like you are playing an RPG.
Strangelove has created a wealth of variations and insanity, with rocket CTF being the fastest CTF you will find.
The Battle-Bikes mod for 2K4 felt like a perfect match for UT.
Low-grav jump-matches are also a staple diet for fun arena fragging.
I'd like the scenery and decos to be more interactive and breakable, so you can use more objects as weapons or traps.
We live in a more on-line world than ever, so the tournament should be matched to that.
Servers and games can up and download, or fetch from redirects etc.
I think it is about time you get to "keep what you kill".
rather than classes and choosing your load-out for battle, you should be able to take a limited selection of weapons, vehicles and kit from other matches into any battle.
I have noticed this in the DayZ game, where people will harvest from one server and go to another.
This can be, and is abused, so building it in as a known factor, and making it part of play, means you get to balance it.
Warning! Being Unreal Tournament and not class-based, all your tech-advantages can be taken from you with a carefully aimed bullet.
A player could swap between player models and build team abilities, creating a class system without needing a class system.
Adding a touch of SP feel to a MP game.
It would make people move around servers much more.
I would like to be able to take a couple of my own bots into team games. This may help if you die near your bots, as they can collect your kit and hopefully you find each-other before someone kills them and gets all your stuff.
Actual league Tournaments should move from server to server, just like real sports events.
UT200x spawned the surprisingly popular sport of bombing-run, as it really encourages team play, where people know their role.
The UT99 Olympics mod makes me think there is also a possibility for more of a sporting direction.
Think Roller-ball. Think Deathrace 2000 (the originals obviously), and the theatrics of American wrestling.
Ultra-violent but fantasy and tongue-in-cheek.
I always thought "Why is the UT ladder a local thing?"
Why make an SP ladder, when the Tournament is the ladder ?
Servers should have a waiting map like Unreal has, where you get to see each-other and chat before the bell rings.
Jailbreak players regularly get a private room in-game where they can meet the team.
Imagine waiting in a bar-map, where you can meet and greet, and pick a fight with someone.
Finally the UT taunts and gestures would make sense, as nobody ever sees them. It is all well and good shouting WOO-HA! at someone you just sniped, but they have already spawned somewhere and are more interested in looking for a gun.
You could issue private challenges before a fight so your interactions score more, or give bonuses.