SSR: System Shock Kickstarter

[6741da994dd2aThiefsieFool]

Works fine on my crappy PC I guess, noting that power stations do recharge.

[6741da994df87Nameless Voice]

I kind of wonder if they're intentionally trying to make people hope the Kickstarter fails?

$1.7m Goal : Enemy limb dismemberment, More puzzles, Ammo types/weapon settings, Vending machines, Basic crafting/research, RPG leveling with perks/skills, Weapon upgrading, Hardcore mode (No respawning), Ironman mode (Only 1 savegame. If you die, the save is deleted)

This is System Shock 1.  I don't want to see it developed with RPG elements like crafting, research, RPG levelling, skills, perks, or weapon upgrading.  Why is "make the game less like the original" a stretch goal that people are supposed to want to contribute to?


Also, the higher-tier pledges such as having an enemy or crewmember named after you sound very immersion-breaking.

[6741da994e101voodoo47]

well, it's Kickstarter, you need to throw cool (or "cool") stuff at people so they'll throw money back at you.

I'm fine with this, as long as it's available as an alternate game mode.

[6741da994e2a3Synaesthesia]

Yes, how dare they try to make enough money to finish the game.

[6741da994e388voodoo47]

you missed the point entirely.

[6741da994e673fox]

I'm fine with this, as long as it's available as an alternate game mode.

I doubt they would put all this only in an alternate game mode. I'm also beginning to doubt that "reboot" only means "subtle modifications".

[6741da994e939ThiefsieFool]

I'm fine with this, as long as it's available as an alternate game mode.

Me too but I fear they might not want to bother balancing and Q&A-ing both modes once the stretch goal has been hit, especially since it's a reboot now. Not to mention that those features might get some inept influence from Bioshock which was the first to update and streamline them.

We've already got something of that nature and in a place where it doesn't fit at all to boot:

System Shock will have a dramatic and modern take on a musical score. Combining its root sci-fi elements with dynamic acoustic elements à la BioShock, we are striving to set System Shock apart from other more action-based shooters as an atmospheric and dark experience.

[6741da994ec1cvurt]

Wouldn't mind a more fleshed out SS1 at all.

[6741da994ed4evoodoo47]

that's exactly why they are calling it a reboot now, because they are not going for subtle modification anymore. it's "whatever we feel like will make it a better game". which may be good.. or not. no way of telling before playing the final product.

[6741da994eeddKolya]

The demo just crashed on me, shortly after killing the first speaking mutant.
If you read this, Kick: The crashdump is attached.

Until that point it was a nice romp. A bit dark. 

[6741da994f1f0vurt]

that's exactly why they are calling it a reboot now, because they are not going for subtle modification anymore. it's "whatever we feel like will make it a better game". which may be good.. or not. no way of telling before playing the final product.

I think they have the right idea here. The original music for example, obviously it has to be something else entirely that fits the atmosphere better. A lot of things that were done at the time was not done because it was the ultimate choice, but because of budget, because of what was available (tech, people), because of time restraints etc. etc.

[6741da994f31eNameless Voice]

We should probably keep the talk here about the Kickstarter project, and talk about the demo in its own thread.

[6741da994f5e7Synaesthesia]

you missed the point entirely.

I suppose I can jump on the bandwagon and say "It's not Shock! It's some imitation! They want it to fail!" because they plan to add perks to the game that did not, and most likely *could not*, exist in 1994.

I grew up with System Shock. It's the game that got me into PC gaming and the game that inspired me to work in the game industry.  I know the game inside and out. I still play it about once a year, like I do for Deus Ex. This is a fantastic remake that looks almost identical to the original game and has very little significant difference so far. The art style is even being penned by the Robb Waters. How much more respectful can you *actually be* toward the game without literally reinterpreting the designs with no artistic license at all?

[6741da994f717laos]

I really hope they don't reach the RPG stretch goal. My god what a stupid idea. The simplicity of Shock, was one of it's virtues. Leveling is the wrong kind of complexity. Shock was about how you played, not how you spent points.

[6741da994f9d6Marvin]

I hate kids.

[6741da994fe3cNameless Voice]

How much more respectful can you *actually be* toward the game without literally reinterpreting the designs with no artistic license at all?

One of the Kickstarter stretch goals - that is, goals that they plan to implement if they raise enough funding on Kickstarter - is to add RPG elements such as levels, perks, weapon upgrades, and research - a drastic shift in the type of game.

What I'm saying is that people will intentionally not want them to reach that $1.7m stretch goal so that they don't implement these features.

[6741da9950109Olfred]

What really bugs me out is that the physical copy is too expensive for my taste.
When I throw money at someone before I am even able to see the full product I'm tied to a risk. And now this is accomodated by a pricetag which is over the usual price for a finished product.
Not very appealing to me and now I am thinking about backing it at all.

[6741da9950288Synaesthesia]

Knowing how Night Dive handled the original game, *I seriously doubt* that they're going to make the game without a "classic mode" if they get that much funding. I also seriously doubt that people are going to be so butthurt over new features that they'd say "fuck it, I won't fund this."

SS1 is still my favorite game, and I dropped $150 on the Kickstarter. I'd drop $1,000 if I didn't have other things to pay for right now.

[6741da995058cThiefsieFool]

they plan to add perks to the game that did not, and most likely *could not*, exist in 1994.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultima_Underworld:_The_Stygian_Abyss

[6741da99508d0Xerxes2100]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultima_Underworld:_The_Stygian_Abyss

touché

[6741da9950a16Synaesthesia]

Neat. I never got around to playing the Ultima games.

[6741da9950e08ZylonBane]

Also, the higher-tier pledges such as having an enemy or crewmember named after you sound very immersion-breaking.

Ahem.

[6741da9950f30Nameless Voice]

Fair enough.

I think they only used his face, though?

To be honest, I was more worried about seeing some character named XxXSomeMemeXxX.

[6741da9951069ThiefsieFool]

some character named XxXSomeMemeXxX.

Or rather, roughly 200 of them. There's no real limit on how much backer content can go into the game, not that I've seen.