Revisiting System Shock (CD-version)

[mute]

Since the new version of Dosbox released a couple of weeks ago (0.7) i have had a big trip down the memory lane. Started of with Crusader: No remorse i know installed my old CDversion of System Shock and o'boy.

I found a walkthrough (my memory aint that good, and i got stuck on level one (ashamed!) and there at the end there was a part of the CD-version it read:

"CD-ROM VERSION:
Can't use free energy/health tricks (oh well)

Your choice of 320x200, 320x400, 640x400, 640x480 graphics (though you may have to wait for the '686 and 64-bit local bus to arrive to use the higher resolutions in full-screen mode). Very pretty.

Full speech for E-mail and Logs. Well done. Adds a whole new dimension.

slightly improved Intro, Endgame, and cut-scenes

Overall, very cool. After I get my 686DX2/200 system it should be even cooler. Great re-playability. "

(Comlete link for reference and credit: http://www.ttlg.com/ss1/walkthrough/index.htm#cv)

And i am now playing this game on 640x480 in dosbox 0.7 with absolutly exellent performance. Its still a fantastic. The graphic aint good as we used too, but o boy. The feeling of playing a exellent designed game. I sat yesterday in four straight hour wandering around trying to solve the game and the time went past. Really don't remember when a game captivated me like this. The audiologs really do this game justice. (It really can't be played without them!).

Well, i am one of those who snorts at the people saying, the games was better in the past. I am usually saying, its the trick of your mind. But this game, is such a master piece. (I haven't touched it since my last play through, -95 or -96).

The thing i loved with crusader and system shock is how close they are in design. I have always thought that crusader borrowed heavily from SS concerarning the meachnics (cameras, computers, logs, story etc). But were SS is more of and Adventure / RPG than action, crusader is the opposite, with its isometric view.

Well, my plan now is to finish this gem of a game continue on with "No Regret" (You really can take so much of isometric 8 way irratic targeting battle that you need a brake), and after that i will punctuate my retro gameing by atlast finish System Shock 2. (Which i haven't ... and that BOTHERS me... big time!).

Well, see this post mostly as an incentive for you to try out Dosbox 0.7 and do some exellent retro gameing. I am still psyched to try out arena and daggerfall again, but i do only have this much amount of time ...

:)

[Corwin]

I replayed SS at the end of 05, and am currently playing DF in Dosbox 7. SS was just SO innovative, but unfortunately, people today don't realise just how far ahead of its time the game was. The ability to crouch down and peer around corners, while wearing goggles which allowed you to see behind you as well had not been done before and nothing else ever came close IMHO, untill DX was released!!

[mute]

I realized this too when i started to play. One thing that hit me was how the controls as etched them self into my mind. Its not the usual WASD setup, but its very complex control scheme in this game and its just works.

People is compairing System Shock and DX. But i must say that DX is nothing compaired to SS. the setup with the confined spaces. the revisiting of places make the game feel so non linear.

Well, i was making an inventory of game i wanted to play that i for some reason haven't finished or want to play again (thanks dosbox 0.7, can't stress enough how good this release IS!). And i never thought that this old game would absorb me like it did. I think i will add DX to my playlist, altough not that old, it will be worth playing through too. :)

Well, its good to know my computer is powerful enough soo i can play this old games! :)

(Nice racing Australia put up with the F1 in melbourne tonight /today)

[JDR13]

Heh heh, I used a key-mapper program to switch the controls around when I played SS1.

I also used a patch I got from ttlg.com that allowed me to play it without having to use Dosbox.

[mute]

Ah, yes. I know. I fiddled around with these tool last time i wanted to finish system shock 2 and wanted to run system shock 1 first. (if you mean the vdmsound thingie, or is there another way nowadays?).

The great thing just now is that the dosbox 0.7 is working out of the box. Only thing i have added is automounting of drives in the conf file. No install, no nothing, no nowhow, no struggle. Dosbox 0.7 is ... ah. didn't i mention how good it is? :)

EDIT:
Ah, i didn't know there was a windows patch this smoothly. I don't know if it will run, systemshock_portable, out of the box without installing vdmsound.
Thanks for enlighten me!

---

i keep on editing my own post.

Thanks JDR. Didn't know about the patch. Running the game in 1024x768 and it has never ever looked this good! :) To bad i can't get higher refresh rate then 70. Do anybody knows how you fix the sound? Its a bit out of sync... (And i mean out of sync, it seems like the game forgot all about tempo, beats, drums and harmony. Instead the game plays all the notes and instrument as it suppose to but it sounds like they left out the little thingie about playing together!! :) )

[Thaurin]

These last newsbits have convinced me to give it another try, too. :) Can it be that the game is pretty hard, though? I'm playing on normal, but I die pretty quickly. I stumble on a security camera that I didn't see, or I run out of ammo when I get ambushed, or one of those automatic firing robots gets me, and DEAD. :( Maybe I just suck. :)

[mute]

(I tried the patch but will stick with dosbox cause this is the way it was ment to be played, and its functions perfectly under dosbox 0.7. No problem with sound or FMV and the speed is perfectly synced with the game at 640x480. Dosbox 0.7 isn't comparable with 0.65... (this is for you who is not yet convinced!)).

Thaurin, i am cursing myself as it is now, cause ... i am dying to... to easy. The only thing i cranked down (to zero) was the cyberspace cause, i have always dissliked that part in this game. The game is really difficult i think. I am enjoying it, but its imperative you use right weapon for the right foe. I don't now how far you got into the game? I am doing a very slow approach to new places, leaning, round corners and i am pretty much playing it more like safe then sorry.

There is really no place for run and gun in this game.

(My list of replayable old games is getting long ... :) )

[Thaurin]

I never got into the game very far, which is why most of the time I want to rush through it just to see why everybody liked this game so much. :) Somehow I kinda neglected it when it came out, guess I was too drawn to other games at the time. But I can definitely see how going at it slow and carefully will not just make it easier, but also a lot more fun. There's a lot to miss that can build the atmosphere if you don't look for it.

So I'm not very far into the game. I mean, I think there is a pretty long tutorial phase that is pretty fun, but there is not a lot of action or story progression yet. I guess I should really think about how this game works instead of trying to rush into the parts where shit starts going down. :D

[mute]

I go very happy everytime i see a log book, a piece of paper or get an email. I just love how the story is beeing told in this game. Right now i have progressed a bit and was pretty worn down with little health and every fight counted. It was exiting... Now i am back to a more comfortable level. I takeit your still at the medical level (level 1?).

The Sparq gun is your best friend there.

Well, if you don't take it slow and let the atmosphere get you i think you miss the game. Its more of an adventure then a crpg ... and defintily more of that then action. :)

[Thaurin]

It does remind me a bit of Doom 3, really, with the reports and logs from employees telling you that it's going downhill and things are going wrong everywhere etc.

[Corwin]

Get the Rapier on level 3 I think; it's an excellent close in weapon. Upgrade your stuff whenever possible, SAVE, SAVE, SAVE, and go slowly. Also, find and switch over the healing machines on each level; this will cut out the need to reload!!

[Thaurin]

Also, find and switch over the healing machines on each level; this will cut out the need to reload!!

Yeah, I found this out last night, those are the regeneration machines or something, right? I didn't try to die and use that yet, so I don't know how exactly it works. :) But obviously I haven't upgraded a lot yet. What is good to spend points in though? I thought Psi would be good.

[GhanBuriGhan]

Yeah, I can't count the times I was dissapointed with every new shooter or "sneaker" that didn't allow me to lean around corners or crawl through airducts. This game had it all, and you just wonder why designers got away with falling behind these standards again and again. And I remember combat being very tactical - I think I killed more enemies with well placed mines and distractions than in any other game I can remember. And of course: Shodan! What a villain!

[mute]

Corwin, your memory is impressive! Don't know if its correct yet. I am now adlibing pretty much and go were i want and can. Last time i think i did every level by level, but i am now in a hurry to the flightdeck... (i know it doesn't matter but it feels good acting upon emails and logs! :)

Ghanburican. I have never ever used mines... hm. A new approach. Ánd i agree with you. How can one forget about the mechanics in this game and don't incorporate it in the newer ones. SS/SS2/Crusader1/2/DeusEx1/2/Thief1/2/3. But not anymore ? (I know i missed alot of games... but i just wanted to create a pattern! :) )

Thaurus: Yes DOOM3 has the feeling, even Halflife 1 had it. But they become to much of an action game for me. Alough i must say that DOOM 3 really hold me by my b****s for a long time! I soo look forward to Bioshock. Perhaps the mechanics is intact, and we get another samshing hit which will make company after company to imitate the gameplay!

I can hope. Can't I? :)

[Alrik Fassbauer]

I once found a German--language version of the game System Shock as a Mac version in a second-hand-shop in Berlin. I cannot say much about the quality of the package, but if anyone is really interested in it, I might ask someone to buy it for me so that I might send it.

[zakhal]

Reading this thread I really think you guys should try Chronicles of Riddick:

"An excellent hybrid of shooting, adventure and RPG elements, stealth and combat" - IGN

Its a sleeper hit (Id say a triple-A game) that I almost missed. And you can also get it for cheap now like 20 bucks allthough the game is not dated at all.

[Arhu]

Reading this thread I really think you guys should try Chronicles of Riddick:

I loved the movie for its setting and pure action! I'm skeptical of games that are based on movies though, it goes back to the day when there were games like Terminator 2 for the original Gameboy. Never played that one either, I'm just saying.

I realize that nowadays such games aren't always that bad anymore, but well.. anyway, thanks for the recommendation!

[Jaz]

Oh yes, Escape from Butcher Bay was brilliant.

[curious]

the movie was entertaining, but i thought the demo was pretty mediocre considering how many other games have done anything that game did far better. but i could be wrong. also even though i played enclave, and demo for knights of the temple to me starbreeze studios is the opposite of the kind of developer i want to throw my money at. their games are toughted as awesome and revolutionary but they all suffer from a teenage level of shallowness which would be okay if they were that type of game. i was caught by suprise when i saw the original pitch black in the theatre and thought it was excellent. i enjoyed 'serenity' (not having seen the tv show firefly) more though than 'chronicle of riddick' which was similar in a lot of ways.

[JDR13]

Butcher Bay was a neat game, it had a very unique atmosphere. The only downside is that it was quite short.

[curious]

well since you guys are speaking so highly of it i may have to add it to my list of ebay searches with a 'bid on for under $10' option.

[Corwin]

It will be money well spent!!

[curious]

@Corwin- are you speaking of system shock (which i've played years ago and enjoyed) or of chronicles of riddick?

[zakhal]

well since you guys are speaking so highly of it i may have to add it to my list of ebay searches with a 'bid on for under $10' option.

You can buy a new developers cut version for $22. Used $17. Check the customer reviews. They are all raving about it:

http://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Riddick-Escape-Butcher-Bay/dp/B0002MQG36/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-3431949-3846515?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1175270899&sr=8-1

[JDR13]

That developers cut version isn't new, It's the only version they made for the PC.

[zakhal]

That developers cut version isn't new, It's the only version they made for the PC.

I meant new as in not used, unscratched dvds, still in wrappers, etc. :)

[JDR13]

That's a good deal for a new copy of that game, definitely worth getting if you like a fps with a good story behind it. I recommend at least a 6800 series or higher video card to play it with all the bells and whistles. I remember playing it on my old system with a BFG 6800gt OC and it ran a little slow in spots.


*edit* All this talking about it makes me want to play it again, I think I might have to add it to my "replay" list.

[Corwin]

@Corwin- are you speaking of system shock (which i've played years ago and enjoyed) or of chronicles of riddick?

System Shock