System Shock 2 - on GoG for Valentine

[Annubis]

If you had told me a year ago that the rights to SS2 would be secured in 2013, I would have called you a liar and kicked you in the groin... but the impossible has happened.



Rights? Secured
Modern hardware support? Yup

For anyone who doesn't know the story of (what I consider one of the best) game:

Looking Glass retained the rights while EA held the trademark. When Looking Glass ceased to be, the rights passed to Meadowbrook Insurance Group

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/02/13/many-questions-system-shock-2-comes-to-gog/


So... I know I'm tossing money at GoG tomorrow.

[Eusis]

Moved, it's just enough of an RPG.

And I'm definitely grabbing. I have CDs of both, but SS2 was a used copy from EB and does have label side damage, so I want a copy where I don't need to worry every time I try to reinstall (and play for like 15 minutes), and I don't know where SS1 vanished to though that WAS a new copy... for 50 cents, which I don't think GOG'll ever top nor should they.

[Tooker]

If you've never played this game, people, you should.  It is awesome.  Here's a review:

http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/systemshock2/System_Shock_2.html

[PaleRobbie]

Never played SS1 or 2 before, but I'm a huge Bioshock fan and eagerly awaiting Infinite.  I will be buying this from GOG tomorrow for sure.

Also, the listeners have been asking for more retro stuff on the podcast.  Looks like we have a candidate! 

[Taelus]

This game is way more stat and skill focused than Bioshock, Rob. BE AWARE.

[Annubis]

Rob, this is the game where you have a pistol and the pistol kills thing easily most of the time.

There's an enemy right in front of you that can 3 shot you dead (normal difficulty).
What do you do?
You holster your pistol, take your wrench and go toe-to-toe and melee the guy.
Ammo is THAT precious. There is not enough ammo in the game to kill everything with guns. You will be forced to play it dangerous and melee things.
Add to that that ranged weapons deteriorate and break... your wrench becomes your best companion for a long while.

Funny addon: I have a friend that is literally traumatized of this game and does not ever want to play it again.

[Eusis]

This game is way more stat and skill focused than Bioshock, Rob. BE AWARE.

Also scarier and with weapons seemingly made from styrofoam. But that last one can be fixed at least.

[Taelus]

I think Bioshock on its on is a great, great game, but one that is a very different thing than SS2. SS2 is like a survival horror first person monstrosity.

[Kevadu]

SS2 freaked me out more than any game before or since.  It's not just things-popping-out-of-the-dark type horror, it's seriously unnerving...

[PaleRobbie]

I'm interested to give it a try.  Playing Thief and the original Deus Ex years after release was kind of hard for me because there have been so many advancements in terms of player control and user interface.  My buddies always say that SS2 felt far more "modern" than most games of that time period, so I'm really excited to try it.  At the very least, there are a ton of mods for the game, so I can surely make something that I'll at least find fun.

And I love old school survival horror, FTR.  My main problems with Deus Ex were the absolutely insane stealth mechanics and Thief's biggest problem was the horrible map interface.  I'm sure there will be some retro creekiness with SS2 and I have a limit for that shit, but I would at least like to try out what some regard as one of the most influential video games of all time. 

[MeshGearFox]

Didn't like SS2. Thought the RPG stuff felt tacked on and there were too many useless skills, and a few skills that were absolutely ESSENTIAL (Fine if you know what you're doing, likely to fuck you up on the first playthrough). Something about the level design bugged me too. Also the ammo scarcity and weapon breakage rates kind of wore on my pretty fast. I found it more tedious than tense, not, oh no I'm out of ammo, more, oh boy time to kill respawning zombies with a wrench again, since the gameplay mechanics, as they are, don't make killing things with a wrench all that interesting.

Same flavor complaint I have against Fallout 2 sort of. It's the original game with more /stuff/ added.

IDK maybe I'll try it again sometime.

[Eusis]

I'm interested to give it a try.  Playing Thief and the original Deus Ex years after release was kind of hard for me because there have been so many advancements in terms of player control and user interface.  My buddies always say that SS2 felt far more "modern" than most games of that time period, so I'm really excited to try it.  At the very least, there are a ton of mods for the game, so I can surely make something that I'll at least find fun.

And I love old school survival horror, FTR.  My main problems with Deus Ex were the absolutely insane stealth mechanics and Thief's biggest problem was the horrible map interface.  I'm sure there will be some retro creekiness with SS2 and I have a limit for that shit, but I would at least like to try out what some regard as one of the most influential video games of all time. 

I suspect if Deus Ex and Thief were issues for you this could be too. I think when people say that they generally mean it's got a control scheme roughly in line with most modern games (WASD, mouse look, most things explained in-game) but may still have some rough edges that newer games sanded off (arguably for the worse.) When you contrast this to stuff like Ultima Underworld or, well, the original System Shock it quickly becomes obvious just HOW this aged fine relatively: there were far bigger changes in those 3-5 years than the last 5-10 as far as controls went.

[Lard]

If you've never played this game, people, you should.  It is awesome.  Here's a review:

http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/systemshock2/System_Shock_2.html

I have never played this game.

Are the controls better than the original Deus Ex?

I have tried multiple times to get into that game, and I just can't get beyond the controls.

[Annubis]

It's the common WASD with mouse aiming. (or whatever you set in the config)
What did you not like in Deus Ex?

[Lard]

I found them really....twitchy?

For lack of a better word. Loose. Not precise.

Really easy to aim all over the place.

Not trying to troll, I actually want to play both these games, since they're supposed to be classics.