System Shock: The Third

[Apelsin]

So, this little thing just appeared on the website of developer Otherside Entertainment:

 

http://www.othersidetease.com/strawberry.php

 

 

Otherside Entertainment describes themselves as "... a brand new game studio focused on rebooting classic game franchises" and are already working on an Ultima game called Underworld Ascendant.

So, it does seem likely that this could be a real thing and that a new entry in the System Shock franchise might be in the making.

 

Underworld Ascendant  was funded through a Kickstarter, which could suggest that this will be the fate of System Shock 3 as well.

 

[mikemariano]

Otherside has been a smart team so far with what they've shown for Underworld, so hopefully that's a good sign.  I think they're a small team, though, so I'm not sure the scope of the game they can make.

 

What is the significance of "strawberry"?  Does the game take place on a farm share?

[Apelsin]

Code name maybe? Or an attempt to make the page harder to find before the count-down runs out.

[Ben X]

Otherside Entertainment describes themselves as "... a brand new game studio focused on rebooting classic game franchises"`

 

Which makes it weird that they're sequelising the System Shock franchise rather than rebooting it...

[eot]

I have no source for this, but didn't they say they don't have the resources to develop SS3?

[Ben X]

There's a post here about how it seems unlikely, but no quote of that nature:

 

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-12-08-about-that-system-shock-3-tease

[sclpls]

More good news, Warren Spector is on board!

 

http://www.pcgamer.com/warren-spector-joining-otherside-to-lead-system-shock-3/

[Dewar]

Interesting, I should play System Shock 2 at some point.

[Bjorn]

Interesting, I should play System Shock 2 at some point.

 

I try about once a year, and usually flame out within the first 30 minutes.  I'm not even really sure why.  I think I've heard enough to know it's possible to really screw up a playthrough even at character creation, but I'm loathe to use a guide because it seems like the kind of game I should truck through as blindly as possible. 

[Dewar]

I was planning to play it on easy, or download one of those mods that reduces spawns or something. I wanted to experience it without having that particular worry.

 

I suppose it's probably easy enough to cheat in more supplies if you really get desperate.

[Gormongous]

I try about once a year, and usually flame out within the first 30 minutes.  I'm not even really sure why.  I think I've heard enough to know it's possible to really screw up a playthrough even at character creation, but I'm loathe to use a guide because it seems like the kind of game I should truck through as blindly as possible. 

 

Sadly, the best way to get through System Shock 2, which I've beaten twice somehow, is to roll a straight soldier and play it like a shooter. Granted, not the most evocative or robust way to play, but it definitely works.

[Jutranjo]

Why not just look up a character creation guide? They probably won't go in depth about how you need Stat X to be 15 to equip the railgun you find after X thing happens.

[sclpls]

I really need to try a soldier run through just for completeness sake. I've had three successful completions of the game, but never as a soldier character.

[mikemariano]

I'm a Navy man for life!  Though I guess I should join the OSA.

 

Do you think System Shock 3 would be better or worse putting in career paths like this?  I don't think they're necessary.

[TychoCelchuuu]

One of the reasons I like System Shock more than SS2 is that System Shock didn't have a whole clunky RPG system bolted on top of it. That whole deal added very little to the game for me. I'll be glad to see it gone if SS3 ditches it.

[sclpls]

I definitely liked all the RPG stuff back when I played the game in 1999, but yeah, looking at it now it does seem like the weakest part of the game.

 

There is some reason to believe they might strip away those RPG elements because they were tacked on to cope with the limitations of the game engine. So I wouldn't think that anyone really believes that the RPG systems are an important "pillar" of a System Shock game.

[jccalhoun]

I try about once a year, and usually flame out within the first 30 minutes.  I'm not even really sure why.  I think I've heard enough to know it's possible to really screw up a playthrough even at character creation, but I'm loathe to use a guide because it seems like the kind of game I should truck through as blindly as possible. 

I tried to play through it like 3 times over the years but over Christmas I just said "I'm going to play this" and after a couple hours it took. I think for me the problem was that it is really hard at first and I got tired of dying over and over. Once you get used to it then you figure out how not to die as much.

 

More good news, Warren Spector is on board!

 

http://www.pcgamer.com/warren-spector-joining-otherside-to-lead-system-shock-3/

Honestly, I'm not so sure how good that is. He last few games have been underwhelming.

[sclpls]

Trailer for the System Shock remake. Definitely looks like the Bioshock in space game that everyone wanted... and this time with mouse look from the getgo!

 

[complexmath]

I try about once a year, and usually flame out within the first 30 minutes.  I'm not even really sure why.  I think I've heard enough to know it's possible to really screw up a playthrough even at character creation, but I'm loathe to use a guide because it seems like the kind of game I should truck through as blindly as possible. 

 

It's really not possible to screw up at character creation. The game may just be easier with some specializations than others. Largely because the Psi "fuel" is in very short supply, and going Psi and then not being able to use your powers isn't terribly fun. I say do what you want and if you find yourself frustratingly short of those cyringes, use a mod or cheat code to give yourself more.

[Dragonfliet]

Trailer for the System Shock remake. Definitely looks like the Bioshock in space game that everyone wanted... and this time with mouse look from the getgo!

 

 

Cool! The textures are...really bad though. Normally I wouldn't get all fussy about that in a remake, especially System Shock (which was an ugly, ugly game), but the lighting looks great, the models look solid (low poly, but decent), and then the textures are freakishly chunky looking. Not in a stylized way, but in an up-rezzed way. Hopefully the pre-alpha part means they're going to be redone? It's not a huge deal, but it did immediately stand out as weird.

[mikemariano]

The main takeaway I got from today's Polygon article is that Warren Spector loves his lore!

 

The original System Shock takes place in the year 2072, while System Shock 2 takes place 42 years later in 2114, also the year in which the new game picks up the story.

 

I still hope you play as Shodan in this game.  If they're going to build on the goofy ending cutscene from the second game, they might as well commit to Shodan's ability to possess people and turn it into a game mechanic!  Like a reverse Headlander!

[eot]

Over the years I've become more and more convinced that Spector never had as much to do with Deus Ex being great as people tend to give him credit for. The way he talks about his work just gives me the feeling that he's out of touch with what was great about it. His involvement in this makes me more worried than reassured. The last two games he worked on weren't exactly stellar. Idolising designers is a bad idea anyway and is probably part of why Ion Storm failed. To be honest though I'd be more excited about John Romero's next game because he had to live down his failures and has something to prove.