SSR: System Shock Kickstarter

[6744b5a99242cfascinate4]

I was surfing Stephen's Twitter yesterday and found dis. In 20 february Stephen answered about source code of System Shock 1994.

[6744b5a992657voodoo47]

that's pretty much a second confirmation. nice.

[6744b5a992802JosiahJack]

SS1 original enemy design is stylized.  OTT sometimes, but definitely charming.  SSR lacks strong sillouettes, lacks charm, and drifts too far from the stylized aspects of the original game.

Die Hard is similar in terms of System Shock's story, working you're way up, backtracking to destroy things, one vs a hoard, etc. Since you brought up movies.

Source code release would be nice.  Untouched code is preffered.  Modified is...well we all want to do just that now don't we.

[6744b5a992c31dertseha]

Source code release would be nice.  Untouched code is preffered.  Modified is...well we all want to do just that now don't we.

Thinking about this: Do we actually have a plan on how to proceed with the source release?
Will it be an eldorado of releases from x different people (like, one release with online keybind changes, one with Oculus support, one with OpenGL graphics, one with native Linux support ...) or has already someone declared themselves as curator of "the one fan-build" on GitHub, into which all feature requests and bug fixes should land?
(Depending on the answers and thoughts, this could merit a dedicated thread in Engineering (?) )

[6744b5a992d9bvoodoo47]

well, the unmodified code is probably whatever they've found when receiving all the SS1 assets, and the cleaned up version a beta/wip build of a basic windows port, most likely - I'm guessing proper resolution support, mouselook and controls, probably 3d acceleration (not much sense doing a sw renderer nowadays). possibly good enough to just drop into EE and play.

we will definitely split or maybe even create a new subforum once the code is out. then we can make plans - but I'm thinking fix whatever needs fixing in the NDS build, use whatever can be used to enhance the currently existing SS1 tools.. assuming we have the manpower.

[6744b5a992eddKolya]

Are you volunteering dertseha? 

[6744b5a993034JosiahJack]

+1 dertseha as an engine curator.  Needs a catchy name though.  Other older games with source releases have multiple engines that forked out for different needs but it would be nice to have a dedicated engine project instead of splintered factions. e.g. Quake has Darkplaces engine for HD features, Quakespasm for a pixelly oldschool faithful look with enhanced limits, MarkV for software rendering loveliness with light banding, FTE for a combination of all of the above   .  Doom is another game with numerous engines, most as ports to different OS's.

I have my own plans for the source code of course, mostly as a reference.

[6744b5a993178icemann]

I want the guy who made the level editor for SS1 to be on the first source port. He knew his stuff.

[6744b5a99328dvoodoo47]

you probably mean ToxicFrog. his TTLG account seems to be active, but last post was five years ago. definitely will try to contact him though, as soon as the source is out.

[6744b5a9933c6icemann]

And rechecked, and it was was dertseha who made the level editor I was thinking of (inkyblackness). So +1 to him.

After watching all of his tutorial videos for the editor he made, he clearly knows his stuff on it.

[6744b5a99358dSynaesthesia]

TF on Discord in response to @voodoo47:

"I did a bunch of reverse engineering work on SS1, and wrote the high res patch and HTML map viewer, but never wrote a level editor (although I considered doing so).
Closest I ever came was a lua library that you could use from the REPL to make very simple map edits, but it was not nearly sophisticated enough to deserve the name "map editor"."

[6744b5a9936bedertseha]

heh, ok, thank you for nominating me, all of you I'll be happy to do that.

I guess I'll park the engine then under InkyBlackness on GitHub as well. Another organization could have been an option, though there are already users named "TriOptimum" and "TetraCorp" (doing completely different things). And thinking about yet another (catchy) organization name would be tough.
If the level editor & tools are already there, having the engine just completes the set.

[6744b5a99392dvoodoo47]

TF on Discord

so.. does that mean he isn't interested (in the SS1 source)?

[6744b5a993a9fSynaesthesia]

Via TF on Discord: "I am *extremely* interested in the SS1 source and have been hoping for (and, in some cases, actively agitating for) its release for a decade. When NDS releases it I will definitely read parts of it and may contribute patches. But I also don't have the bandwidth to commit to any sort of maintenance or curation role or to the development of stuff based on it.
Between a full-time job and a small child I have way less time for these side projects now than I did when I was in school, and more projects to divide my time between."

[6744b5a993bd8Nameless Voice]

Calling ToxicFrog "TF" is just confusing.

[6744b5a993d1cZylonBane]

ThiefsieFool is ToxicFrog? 

[6744b5a993df5voodoo47]

anyway, I think we want him on this, no matter the role.

[6744b5a993f96Hikari]

While it's clear NightDive is biting off more than they could chew and were getting in over their heads these are also the same guys that came out swinging by pulling system shock's rights out of the tangled heap nobody thought would be untangled.

Then again these are ALSO the same guys that took credit for fan patches (which they have made amends for I only bring up because they have made mis-steps in the past.)

Unless they're delaying for the sake of adding lootboxes and an always-on requirement I'm willing to give them far more leeway than any other studio.

Mostly looking forward to the source code release and comparing it against the unity engine port attempt in progress here.

[6744b5a9940e3dertseha]

Welp, my InkyBlackness release note on the Discord chat brought up a small discussion between me and ToxicFrog (who has ideas about some further tools, such as a "New Game +" generator), as well as Stephen Kick himself taking note. And his most precise comment about the source release:

The plan is to release at the end of March, the original code for sure, the source port code may come a little later

[6744b5a9941c0voodoo47]

well, that's good news no doubt.

[6744b5a99449fThiefsieFool]

That the next update would have anything to look at that's related to the game is optimistic.

[6744b5a994605Myagi]

sign? http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=148660&p=2386084&viewfull=1#post2386084

[6744b5a994701Synaesthesia]

>We're actually talking about releasing some of the physical rewards early as a "thank you" for everyones patience and understanding.

I'll be happy if I get my collectibles.

[6744b5a9948c4dertseha]

As I've been one that wasn't on Discord for a long time I guess there are others here as well, so I now provide a short summary of the last hours:
* They (NDS) are pretty much hyping/hinting on a "big" update end of March/beginning of April. Putting together various fragments from different channels and forums, this will most likely be about the releases of the two source packages (classic SS1 first and a later "source release", that they have been working on). Don't know what else will be in that.
* One user on Discord pressed the hard questions (about lack of updates and so forth). For one, they replied that they have currently two teams working, one on SS1, and another on their other titles they are handling. And second, that some bad rumors (don't know which) were put out by a former employee that left the company months ago, spreading wrong information.

My further, personal, impression is that they have been silent to collect up material for the update to go out close to the upcoming GDC (where studios like to make big announcements).