SSR: System Shock Kickstarter

[6743a0151b2c8ZylonBane]

Bah, it's easier to post updates in byte sized chunks on here.

Y

[6743a0151b6c8Marvin]

Sooooo....what's up with Night Dive?  I mean it's understandable when a one man project chooses to use its time to make content for the game rather than news posts, but NDS is funded by the sale of numerous games.  They make their money on them and have a team of employees.

So why no news on their sites in 8 months?


Oh sure Josiah, you're one to speak.  No news posts on IndieDB in over a year.  Surely you have time to blurb something.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1598858095/system-shock/updates

[6743a0151b83aicemann]

I've been posting here of all the noteworthy stuff from their KS updates, and they've released nothing but concept art so far.

To compare:

Harebrained Schemes or Obsidian - You'd have got like 4-5 super detailed updates by now

[6743a0151b992Learonys]

I'm in their Discord server, and they are a lot more interactive there. They're basically hard at work, and in a phase where there isn't anything worthwhile to show.

Their current progress is focused on the verical slice and GDC. They're planning on holding press reviews and release another kickstarter update (KS updates are monthtly) on or around GDC. They're basically making progress as normal.

Yes, I do think they have been a bit quiet outside of their Discord server. I'll suggest them to also release their updates on their forums, maybe that helps.

If you guys have any other questions, I can forward it to them, maybe you'll get a response that way!

[6743a0151ba71icemann]

Going into far more detail of what's going on, in the KS updates would be a start.

[6743a0151bbfficemann]

So last weeks update delved into ambient audio a bit.

I'd recommend having a listen:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1598858095/system-shock/posts/1813345

Also some further concept art:

Looks quite Shock-y I think.

[6743a0151bd5bKolya]

The concept art of the maintenance tunnels looks awesome. If it looks like that in the game I won't complain!

[6743a0151c021RocketMan]

The art style is and always has been bang on IMO.

[6743a0151c1ccNameless Voice]

From the latest Kickstarter update:

"we have officially switched our engine for System Shock to Unreal Engine 4"

As a fan of UE4, I approve of this decision.

[6743a0151c350icemann]

Beat me to posting about the engine change :p.

Seems like the right choice to me, and good that they did it early.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPcFU6kXeZ4

New trailer video. My only gripe is that the game still is not very cyberpunk at all really. But it is early days.

And a new version of the main title music:
https://soundcloud.com/nightdivestudios/main-title

[6743a0151c4b0RocketMan]

They are definitely going for "moody", which is fine except it evokes the wrong sort of mood (I felt most of the gritty atmosphere in SS came from the unwelcoming sounds of enemy noises, machinery and a fitting ambient track).  The art remains stellar.  The bloom remains excessive.  The saturation is about right for System Shock I think.  Shodan's voice is consistent and very familiar but just a tad overdone with all the effects.  I'm having trouble recognizing any of the level areas.  They look so different now.  I love the way they did Shodan's computer screen face.  That's just how I might have imagined it in an upgraded form. 

The theme song is very meh.  I don't recognize it at all so I have no attachment to it.

[6743a0151c610voodoo47]

while the engine switch did come early enough to (probably) not cause any major problems, thinking this won't slow things down would be naive.

[6743a0151c781icemann]

Was at work earlier so didn't have the chance to listen to the audio of the video or the main title music.

Thoughts:

Video - Something irks me hearing SHODAN in that. Just sounds off. Maybe it's the nostalgia biting away at me for how she/it was in the first game. Maybe Terri's voice sounds different nowadays. I dunno.

The way the camera kept going to that mutant doing it's idle animation, I did not like. Very amateur. Rest was fine, though the freezing bit looked like something out of a tech demo. Is it just me feeling this way? I'm honestly doing my best to try and give this game the benefit of the doubt.

Main title music - Hate it. What was wrong with the original music? A snazy drum and base redo of the original music would have been great. What we got sounds better suited to Metal Gear Solid (has that kinda sound to it).

[6743a0151c95bJosiahJack]

What was wrong with Unity?  It's obviously such a flawless engine </sarcasm>.

It does not bode well for the interface.  It will be more difficult to implement an SS2 style inv/shoot mode in UE.

Also minigames will be difficult since UE is not geared for 2D very well.

[6743a0151ca77Nameless Voice]

What?  Why would it be difficult to implement use/shoot mode in UE4?

All that you need is the ability to free the mouse cursor, and to interact with/modify 2D HUD elements.  UE4 can manage that fine.  I've done it myself.

Why would UE4 not be able to make minigames?  Again, they are just dynamic HUD elements, which UE4 can handle just fine.

[6743a0151ccb8Olfred]

Uhm... since a while UE is getting more and more support for 2D. And even if there wouldn't be. Coding a 2D system isn't that much of a hassle. Especially if it's "only" for GUI.

[6743a0151ce0ala0s]

An engine change... hope this isn't System Shock Forever.

But lets see.. my gripe is that the writing for SHODAN feels off, "virulent sculpture" isn't particularly elegant.

[6743a0151cf42JosiahJack]

Maybe I just could never find a raycast from screen point functionality in UE.  Without it the Inventory mode is only partially functional since you wouldn't be able to interact with anything in Inventory mode outside of the HUD, let alone shoot at anything without having to Toggle mode, turn view to aim, then shoot instead of move cursor over and shoot.

Maybe UE is more 2D friendly than in the past now.  Before it was strictly an FPS engine.  But what it does do it does good and the graphics knock Unity's socks off.

[6743a0151d242RocketMan]

But lets see.. my gripe is that the writing for SHODAN feels off, "virulent sculpture" isn't particularly elegant.

Yeah I noticed that too.  It's like their throwing English into a fan and seeing what sprays out.  SS1 should be easy since the entire script is already there.  I know they're trying to evolve the game but if the new stuff sucks, what's the point?  Well, it doesn't suck but it's not particularly memorable.  I would say focus less on what shodan says and more on how she says it (and I'm not talking about special effects).  People can say some pretty menacing things with simple vocabulary if it's delivered right.

"I'm going to give you a colonoscopy with a backwards pineapple and bathe you in a tub filled with 3 weeks of my Budweiser and chicken wings vomit until your tissues melt away, leaving only a viscous brown slurry as evidence of your counter-productive time polluting the ether"

See?  Not that hard.

[6743a0151d3a1icemann]

lol completely agree. Far better to do a simple line said well, than a fancy one that just sounds off.

"What is a man? *smash of glass* A miserable little pile of secrets."
"But enough talk, HAVE AT YOU!!!"

Watch the video of the above for extra effect .

In SOTN's case the cheesy dialog just adds to the games awesomeness.

[6743a0151d4c1Kolya]

Maybe it's because I'm not a native speaker, but Shodan used to say similarly theatrical stuff in the original ("In my talons, I shape clay, crafting life forms as I please. If I wish, I can smash it all. Around me is a burgeoning empire of steel. From my throne room, lines of power careen into the skies of Earth." etc).

[6743a0151d5c3la0s]

But that is more well written and theatrical and, I guess, by intent Shakesperian in nature... or at least has a rhythm to it and a musicality. Now I won't call it the work of a genius, but it seems to be written with the knowledge of poetry. It speaks to the megalomania in SHODAN, from what I have read of the new writing, it seems like someone trying to ape that style and not pulling it off.

[6743a0151d825RocketMan]

Yeah K, I think it's just something that sounds awkward after growing up with English for your whole life.  Virulent sculptures... just doesn't sound good.  It sounds like a mishmash of poorly chosen words.  Also it's missing adequate context to qualify that particular combination of words.  It's like saying "depressed clay" without any preamble. 

And regarding delivery, Shodan's voice during that speech you quoted, is perfect.  "Lines of power careen into the skies of Earth" is a particularly riveting part.  The little picture of that cyborg with his arm raised, perfectly sets the tone and reinforces the speech.  It's basically like a soliloquy or internal monologue revealing Shodan's mental pathology, her engrossment with power, etc. so it fits perfectly into the story and keeps the game from wallowing in brainless shooter territory.  That's the reason for Shodan to speak, to enhance atmosphere, develop character, continue a narrative and create an immersive, personal, emotional connection with the player.  Just spouting recycled lines for the sake of spamming the voice actor or the sound effects is pointless.

[6743a0151d993Marvin]

I'm surprised you guys spent so much time on the minutiae of certain words and sound effects when the trailer as a whole is simply not put together very well, mostly because there's not a lot to show and what's to show is at a too early stage.