Random Gaming Thoughts

[marurun]

Both System Shock and System Shock 2 are amazing games and deserve to be played by every gamer.

I agree with the former argument, but not the later. The problem is that the gameplay systems, especially from the first game, have not aged well. Most "modern" gamers, or gamers more drawn to modern game design sensibilities, might be so frustrated by the controls and the mechanics that they would never appreciate the great story, characters, and atmosphere. This is a shame, but it can't really be helped.

[Exhuminator]

This is a shame, but it can't really be helped.

Yeah a more streamlined remake of the first game might sit better with modern coddled gamers, I unfortunately have to concur. For those willing to get over the learning curve however, the first System Shock is a really rewarding experience.

I don't think System Shock 2 suffers much in the interface department though, personally.

[darsparx]

Pokemon RBY on 3ds

I'm done....I'm done...all bets are off the impossible I thought would never happen happened...

[Xeogred]

This is a shame, but it can't really be helped.

Yeah a more streamlined remake of the first game might sit better with modern coddled gamers, I unfortunately have to concur. For those willing to get over the learning curve however, the first System Shock is a really rewarding experience.

I don't think System Shock 2 suffers much in the interface department though, personally.

You guys do know about System Shock Enhanced by the way? Not that I've played it. Hate to admit I am one that could not adapt to SS1's controls and interface, despite enjoying Ultima Underworld instead. I'll have to check out the Enhanced version sometime.

I think you can kind of see Ken's touch in Thief, but yeah it's obvious he had full reigns over in System Shock 2, and the allusions through that and the Bioshock's are point blank. The weird bug people and villains in Thief were amazing though and I wonder if they were inspiration for The Many (along with the final Thief level looking a lot like the hive or whatever you want to call the main The Many part in SS2). I absolutely love Thief 2 and Karas, but the atmosphere and weirdness to The Dark Project probably gives that one the edge to me. I've always found the Hammers to be quite disturbing actually as well with their archaic practices and beliefs, think it was the first game that exploited them a bit more than the sequels.

Anyways, just seems like I love everything Ken Levine touches. I sure hope he gets back in the action soon with his indie studio or whatever is going on.

[fastbilly1]

So the plane in the finale of Dead Air in L4D 1&2 would never fly. That SEALT tanker that you start up to fuel that C130 is full of dye. How do I know this? Check the back of the tanker. The back of the truck has a DOT Hazard sign showing 1000. Which is the code for Nitroaniline. If it was Aviation fuel, it would be 1863.

A dark day for Valve. They got their hazard sign wrong...

[noiseredux]

So the plane in the finale of Dead Air in L4D 1&2 would never fly. That SEALT tanker that you start up to fuel that C130 is full of dye. How do I know this? Check the back of the tanker. The back of the truck has a DOT Hazard sign showing 1000. Which is the code for Nitroaniline. If it was Aviation fuel, it would be 1863.

A dark day for Valve. They got their hazard sign wrong...

I was wondering what was going through your head when you were checking that out. I actually figured you were thinking about if there was a way to blow up the whole truck w/ a molly to hold off a bigger area. Ha.

[Ack]

So the plane in the finale of Dead Air in L4D 1&2 would never fly. That SEALT tanker that you start up to fuel that C130 is full of dye. How do I know this? Check the back of the tanker. The back of the truck has a DOT Hazard sign showing 1000. Which is the code for Nitroaniline. If it was Aviation fuel, it would be 1863.

A dark day for Valve. They got their hazard sign wrong...

I was wondering what was going through your head when you were checking that out. I actually figured you were thinking about if there was a way to blow up the whole truck w/ a molly to hold off a bigger area. Ha.

Well, that was still a goal in his mind. Weaponized gas trucks are kind of a thing we used to do. Remind me to tell you the story next Thursday.

[Ack]

This is a shame, but it can't really be helped.

Yeah a more streamlined remake of the first game might sit better with modern coddled gamers, I unfortunately have to concur. For those willing to get over the learning curve however, the first System Shock is a really rewarding experience.

I don't think System Shock 2 suffers much in the interface department though, personally.

It doesn't. I played through System Shock 2 over the summer for my Summer Challenge without issue. In fact, I had an absolute blast. I don't think folks should have any trouble going back to it.

Now that the first System Shock is available on GOG(as part of the Enhanced Edition), I am considering playing through it for next year's Summer Challenge. Yes, I'm already thinking of what classic games to put down for this. More importantly though, I want to go back to an important title in one of my favorite genres and see what it has to offer, control scheme be damned. Hey, if I can get through Catacomb 3-D, I can do this.

[Exhuminator]

For my own personal plays, I found System Shock to be just as fun and worth playing as System Shock 2. They do provide different experiences. The first game is more action adventure in contrast to the sequel's action horror. You really, really feel like a cyborg in the first game, with all kinds of cool cybernetic enhancements. More so than you do in the more streamlined sequel. And while the interface at first feels daunting, once you understand its schools of thought, it actually becomes intuitive and highly configurable. Get a couple hotkeys under your belt and you'll be zipping around the game with gusto.

I think you can kind of see Ken's touch in Thief / Anyways, just seems like I love everything Ken Levine touches.

There was a time when the gaming media made a darling out of Ken Levine and Warren Spector. Both of those gentlemen deserve accolades for the work they've done. But at the same time both of them were at times given more credit then they were due on certain titles. When it comes to Thief, that's one of those times.

So I want to set the record straight here for posterity. Not that anyone here really cares, but someone Googling around someday might find this, so...

Ken Levine's involvement with Thief was early on. He is credited for "Design & Story Concept". Wikipedia says; "At Looking Glass, Levine worked with pioneering designer Doug Church to establish the initial fiction and design of Thief: The Dark Project." But he was one of something like eight people credited with "Design" in the game. In actuality, Ken Levine left the Thief project before the game was actually released. "In 1997, following his work on Thief, Levine left Looking Glass along with two coworkers, Jonathan Chey and Robert Fermier, to found Irrational Games." (Wikipedia again.) So for the record, Mr. Levine exited Thief a full year before it was finished. (And considering the circumstances at Looking Glass during that time, I can understand why.)

The true heroes behind Thief the dark project are the following:

Project Leader = Greg LoPiccolo
Lead Designer = Tim Stellmach
Lead Programmer = Tom Leonard
Lead Artist = Mark Lizotte
Lead Audio = Eric Brosius
Producer = Josh Randall

As for Warren Spector, he was for a limited time the producer on Thief, but he also ended up leaving it well before it was finished.

[MrPopo]

If you get the Enhanced Edition of System Shock you'll have no problems getting through it. The Enhanced Edition includes the mouselook mod that essentially turns things into how they worked in System Shock 2; mouselook but then hit a key to switch it into interface mode and it becomes a mouse pointer, hit that key again and you're back to FPS style.