System Shock Demo Shareware (EE wrapper/Shockolate source port)

[673ef92f9b32dvoodoo47]

ok, time to have some fun - attaching both the x86 and x64 zip of the SS1 shareware, which has been merged with both the latest version of the EE SHLink wrapper (as we have received permission to use it from NDS), and the latest release of the Shockolate source port. systemshock.exe will launch the Shockolate source port (check the Audio/Video menu for some additional options), sshock.exe will launch the EE wrapper (you can edit sshock.ini and controls.cfg if you want to tweak the settings). if you can't decide, remap the controls so they won't conflict and run both at the same time.

notes on the source port:
- set your audio to Native Midi in the Audio Options upon first run (and Messages to both), the other two options produce sound of a less than optimal quality.
- current max resolution is 1024*768 (windowed. you can use alt+enter to switch to fullscreen), this is the actual maximum the original engine supported.
- needs win7 or newer (opengl 2.1 capable gpu to run in opengl mode, older gpus can use the software mode, which is the default).
- should be closer to the DOS cd version than the KEX port (as it's using pure DOS assets).
- should run better on low specs machines than the KEX port.
- there are a few additional options under Video/Audio, feel free to explore.
- using opengl with texture filtering enabled will result in some (very minor) visual anomalies.
- that annoying vanilla bug which would reset the crosshair color to default upon save/load is fixed.
- hold shift and click on an item in the world to pick it up instantly without having to drag and drop it.
- you can delete DATA and SOUND from the res folder and replace them with their SS1 Classic equivalents to play the full game.

post all bug reports, suggestions, praise etc in this topic.

[673ef92f9b56avoodoo47]

updated with the latest (18sept2022) Shockolate build. pretty much just general bugfixes and cleanup, the limitations of the previous build still apply.


//moved to the SS1 subforum and stickied, Shockolate doesn't get nearly enough exposure, so lets not let the topic disappear in the murky waters of Engineering again.

[673ef92f9b723Jules]

Nice one. If there's any interest in a Linux version based on the latest Git-version of Shockolate, I might be interested in giving a hand.

[673ef92f9b8advoodoo47]

shift+click instant item pickup.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJd9TaLkyWw
recording has distorted the audio for some reason.

[673ef92f9ba5akappa971]

Hi, I'm looking for some information on the Shockolate source port, especially the original game bugs.
I've read several forums but haven't found many answers.
The questions I would like to ask are:
1. Is the reactor code bug fixed?
2. Can Shockolate be played at over 60fps?
3. Is the final boss bug fixed? (this was also related to fps)
4. Reading in the forums, the latest version of System Shock Enhanced Edition is "broken" due to massive stuttering. From what I understand the movements of the characters are now locked at 30hz to avoid a bug, this is what they write in the changelog:
"Fixed AI getting stuck on some corners.". Has this bug been fixed in Shockolate?

Also I noticed that development has been stopped for a while, is the project still alive or has it been shelved?
Thanks for anyone who replies.

[673ef92f9bb88voodoo47]

1. I believe it is.
2. I don't think so (not seeing any fps lock/unlock option in the cfg)
3. I would think yes
4. hard to tell, feel free to verify yourself?

yeah, development has slowed down, but the project definitely is alive. a SS2tool-style patcher will be made available soon, hopefully making the public more aware of the project (right now, you pretty much have to go to discord and ask someone to compile a build for you) as a viable alternative to SS1EE.

[673ef92f9c372kappa971]

Thanks voodoo47 for the reply.

1. I believe it is.

Good

2. I don't think so (not seeing any fps lock/unlock option in the cfg)

I'm sorry, maybe I didn't formulate the question correctly. I have a 144hz screen, Shockolate easily reaches 100fps+ and I wanted to know if this could cause problems, or if the game logic was separated from the frame rate. I guess this can only be answered by the developer, I've also opened a new issue on GitHub.

3. I would think yes

Good

4. hard to tell, feel free to verify yourself?

This "fix" by Night Dive Studios leaves me perplexed... because if the game running at over 30 fps has this bug, does it mean that this has been present since the release of Pentium 2\3?

[673ef92f9c512CyrusVonNox2001]

Hey so is there a way you can play the full version of system shock with this? I'm not really a fan of the Kex version of the game.

[673ef92f9c663ZylonBane]

You're asking if you can play the FULL version of System Shock with the DEMO of System Shock? WTF?!?

If you don't like the Kex version then don't play it, play the patched original.

[673ef92f9c7deCyrusVonNox2001]

What I meant was could I put the System Shock Classic files into the directory, replacing the demo files with the files from the full game, and play all the way through System Shock using Night Dive's wrapper. And it turns out you can! Thanks to "The One And Only Nate" from the Night Dive Discord, I found out you can drop the "data" and "sound" files from the "res" folder in either the System Shock Classic or the old version of SSEE and replace the ones in the demo and I think you can play the whole game as if you were playing the pre Kex version of SSEE. Honestly I think, with Night Dive's permission, you could distribute the SSEE wrapper without the game files like a base source port, and players could just drop their files in and play. I think this could make a great alternative to the Kex version, System Shock Portable, or Shockolate.

[673ef92f9c996voodoo47]

yes, you can do this (replace the demo resources with the classic full resources), and you will get the full game, ready to go with either the SHLink wrapper or the Shockolate source port, nothing unusual, the files don't care which resources you use (could have sworn the first post actually said this but guess it was lost somewhere in the dev topic, will edit it in).

I would really, really like to build a proper patcher for SS1 (using SSPtool as base) that would make everything seamless, but I absolutely need Shockolate (windows build) to not place config files all around the hard drive first. proper modern resolution support is also needed, else I won't be able to recommend this as an actual alternative to the KEX build with a straight face - submitted the requests ages ago but the development is rather chaotic, seemingly more focused on building Shockolate to run on obscure handheld devices rather than putting together a solid windows port everyone could use.

I call this the linux dev curse - a situation where the devs end up just having fun with the code, forgetting the project is supposed to be usable by people in the end. which is a shame - I really like Shockolate, and would love to see it have more exposure but that isn't really happening unless certain criteria are met.

[673ef92f9cb04CyrusVonNox2001]

I suppose you could release the EE wrapper without any of the copyrighted game files, basically telling people to drop their game files into the directory, or drop the wrapper into the game directory, and they're ready to go. I suppose you might have to ask ND about it seeing as they made the EE wrapper, but if they're OK with it, they've pretty much done all the work for you. I don't know how moddable the EE wrapper is, you might want to ask ND for the source code. IMO the Pre-Kex EE wrapper was pretty much perfect, I played that version to the end at least twice. Their "Source Port" update was rushed, buggy, tended to crash, and basically ruined the SS1 experiance for me. Being able to play the old EE again, without having to downgrade the GOG copy in the configuration menu, would be awesome. Plus, we wouldn't have to mess with System Shock Portable or Shockolate anymore.

[673ef92f9cc40voodoo47]

that is exactly what is included in the zips attached to the first post - the last build of the NDS SHLink wrapper, to which we have received a permission to distribute.

so as mentioned (now in the first post as well), you can delete the included demo DATA and SOUND from the res folder once you extract the zip and replace them with SS1 Classic resources, and play the full game using either SHLink or Shockolate.

[673ef92f9cd2fCyrusVonNox2001]

I have another question: I'm migrating from Windows 10 to Linux when Win10 loses support. Do you think I could play this using Wine or Proton?

[673ef92f9ce29voodoo47]

why not play natively? you probably will have to join the discord channel though to have someone build it for you, unless you can do it yourself.

[673ef92f9d387sarge945]

I suppose you could release the EE wrapper without any of the copyrighted game files, basically telling people to drop their game files into the directory, or drop the wrapper into the game directory, and they're ready to go. I suppose you might have to ask ND about it seeing as they made the EE wrapper, but if they're OK with it, they've pretty much done all the work for you. I don't know how moddable the EE wrapper is, you might want to ask ND for the source code. IMO the Pre-Kex EE wrapper was pretty much perfect, I played that version to the end at least twice. Their "Source Port" update was rushed, buggy, tended to crash, and basically ruined the SS1 experiance for me. Being able to play the old EE again, without having to downgrade the GOG copy in the configuration menu, would be awesome. Plus, we wouldn't have to mess with System Shock Portable or Shockolate anymore.

Holy shit this would be amazing.

Having source available might also mean someone can fix the enemies getting stuck.

[673ef92f9e22cCyrusVonNox2001]

sarge945
What do you mean, I know enemies tend to get stuck in the Kex version but I think the monsters can navigate pretty well in the wrapper version.

[673ef92f9e33asarge945]

Yeah, it's a general high-framerates issue. It affects Kex because they offer the higher framerate in their version, but will affect any version of the game that tries to run above 30FPS

[673ef92f9e45fCyrusVonNox2001]

Do they include a 30fps option? I always thought the enemies got stuck because it was a shit port. If I had known, I would have been less offended. I also remembered moving was kinda wierd and choppy, could that also be a framerate related issue?