Topic: System Shock 2 upgrade/mods

[gpw11]

http://gnomeslair.blogspot.com/2007/03/system-shock-2-2k7.html

I don't know if this has been covered here or not, but you guys like this game so....

[scottws]

I've tried so many times to get into this game but I just can't.  I keep getting to this part with some robot and I don't know how to beat it.  The never ending spawning of the enemies turns me off as well.  Though I think there is a mod for that...

[MysterD]

This game, I *do* need to give more time, myself.

It does start off pretty awesome, to say the least...

Glad to see a thread about keeping this game alive. Got to love the mod community.

[Quemaqua]

I can't conceive of how anyone could not like this game.  That's beyond me, so I'm just going to avoid thinking about it lest my brain implode.

Anyway, I think most of us already knew about Rebirth, but I don't think I ever actually checked out the texture pack, and I didn't even know there was a sound mod.  Pretty sweet!  Good link, thanks for sharing it.

[MysterD]

Looks like IGN put System Shock on their new Top 25 PC Games of All Time List.

SS2 clocks in at number 13.

[Xessive]

Sweet! Now I'll actually get to enjoy SS2! It keeps crashing on my system, so hopefully some these fixes will help

[iPPi]

Looks like IGN put System Shock on their new Top 25 PC Games of All Time List.

SS2 clocks in at number 13.

What the hell... Grim Fandango is only ranked 15th. 

[Xessive]

Crap.. System Shock 2 crashes regardless.. It won't even run now. Even after the XP/2000 patch. I'll have to figure out what's causing the problem.

[iPPi]

This almost makes me want to play this game again.  If only I can find it...

[MysterD]

Sweet! Now I'll actually get to enjoy SS2! It keeps crashing on my system, so hopefully some these fixes will help

I dunno, I never had crashing issues w/ SS2 on Win XP, for some odd reason...

Consider me lucky, I guess...

EDIT:
I'm around 3 hours into this SS2 game, so far. So far, it's been pretty good, to say the least. I mean, you know -- how can a game about killing zombies on a spaceship suck, right?

I like the whole "respawning" thing, if you have enough nanites and do enable the quantum body reconfiguration thing. That way, you don't have to load a game 500 times or whatever.

[Xessive]

The game had a lot of great ideas. That's why I really want to play it properly. I still have to try running it under different configurations and see what works best. As it stands it doesn't run at all.

Worst case scenario I'll just install Deus Ex and try some of the Hi-res enhancements for it.

[MysterD]

The game had a lot of great ideas. That's why I really want to play it properly. I still have to try running it under different configurations and see what works best. As it stands it doesn't run at all.

Advice on SS2 on XP.

It ran BETTER for me by putting in the Win 2K/XP Patch...
...AND Most importantly, by running SS2 in "Win 2000 Compatibility" Mode.

Worst case scenario I'll just install Deus Ex and try some of the Hi-res enhancements for it.

Oooooh!!!!

Are they graphics enhancements for Deus Ex???
Sound enhancements???!!?
Or what?!??

You should mention and link us up to Deus Ex Enhancements in my Deus Ex Remembered Thread.

[MysterD]

Here's an article focused on some of Irrational talking about the making of System Shock 2 from Next-Gen.biz,

[Cobra951]

You happened to bump this thread at thre perfect time, D.  Thanks.

If you need the official SS2 patch, go here and screw Fileplanet & 3DGamers like the whores that they are.

Edit:  The link for the DeepFriedBeer sound mod is dead.  It can be found here.

Edit 2:  Hmm, not dead, Forbidden.  Maybe I need to register, but I'm not doing that just for these if I can help it.  I found Straylight in the same place as DeepFriedBeer.  It seems like a good resource in general for SS2.

Edit 3:  Here is a Filefront link for the rebirth01 complemented mod.  Definitely not to be confused with Fileplanet.  Click "Download" and it actually downloads!  What a concept.

[Quemaqua]

Cobra, does this mean you're trying out SS2?  Or have you already?  I can't remember.

Either way... hooray for SS2!

[Cobra951]

Yeah, I'm in the process of tracking down everything I may need/want to get into it on XP, in a system I've upgraded twice since I first played it.  I don't know if I'll get into it tonight, but I'll be ready.  (I do have game itself.  I think you know that.)

[Cobra951]

It works!  Turns out I already had the 2.3 version CD, so I didn't need the official patch.  Installing under XP required that setup be launched with "-lgntforce" added to the command line.  Then replacing sshock2.exe with the one from the WinXP/2K fix was all I needed to do to get going with the unmodded game.  Mods later, maybe.

I just went through the basic training.  I'd forgotten so much.  It's been about 6 years since I played it.

[scottws]

I swear I've run SS2 on XP and I don't remember doing any of that stuff.

[Cobra951]

I followed the directions.  I didn't try to skip them beforehand.  So I really don't know if they were necessary.  I read that the copy protection is incompatible with XP & 2K.  I didn't try no-CD cracks yet.  Maybe they would make the fix unnecessary.

[Quemaqua]

There are a wide variety of different problems with SS2 on XP, and not everyone experiences the same set.  Plenty of people haven't had any trouble, while for others the game seems crippled until they've spent half their lives tweaking things.

[MysterD]

Replacing the EXE is the first thing that really helps.

Then, I found the BEST solution for me to avoid the numerous crashes and stuff for SS2 on XP was to run (the new EXE file) in "Win 2000 Compatability Mode." After that, some of the weird crashes went "bye-bye."

Something else really helped me cut, too -- Turning the Sound Acceleration slider all the way to the left (The OFF setting) in DirectX Setting should help, as well.

Game hardly ever crashes anymore, for me; after doing all of that mess.

I hope all of this works for you, Cobra -- and anyone else trying to kill the SS2 XP issues.

[MysterD]

Here's a lookback w/ Levine on his Looking Glass days, back on some of the making from System Shock 2.

[PyroMenace]

I really couldn't get into it either. But I only tried it once, Im a Deus Ex guy.

[Quemaqua]

I'm exactly the opposite.  I tried Deus Ex a few times and had zero luck getting interested.  SS2 still remains a favorite, though.  I just wish we could get a nice source port happening and get some real graphical upgrades happening with it.

[MysterD]

Irrational speaks about some things on System Shock 2 - original plans, cut content, rewrites, etc.

--> Original plans for a "Apocalypse Now" character like Walter Kurtz
--> Zero-G was going to be in there, but was cut - due to the fact they did not have the resources.
--> Why the game had a different ending than originally planned.
--> Messing w/ the player and their mind
--> Working in a 900 sq. foot room w/ a bunch of "amateurs"

[MysterD]

GameSetWatch has a retrospective on System Shock 2.
WARNING: SPOILERS are included in this retrospective, BTW.

[MysterD]

PCGamer -> Retrospective and Reinstalling System Shock 2.

EDIT --> 9-26-2012 -- PC Gamer -> Unofficial Patch released for Thief 2 and System Shock 2 to add high-resolution support.
EDIT --> 2-11-2013 -- GameSpy -> RUMOR - We might be seeing System Shock 2 on GOG and Steam soon.