24. September 2019, 03:15:05

#625

sguptaQuote

Fun stream with a lot of original game devs.  The big thing is that the physical edition of the Big Box Collector's Edition of System Shock: Enhanced Edition (with new cover art by Robb) is coming for preorder October 1st.  Along with that will be coming a an LP release of the soundtrack (on translucent green vinyl). 

24. September 2019, 11:52:38

#626

icemannQuote

Note - I'm watching / listening to the stream as we speak. Expect some detailed notes later.

24. September 2019, 13:20:58

#627

icemannQuote

My notes for the stream:

* It was Warren Spector himself who made the decision to release the floppy disk version of SS1. As documented it was due to pressure from upper management to get the game out.
* Whose idea was it for the difficulty of SS1 being modular, with being able to select the difficulty of the individual elements - Not 100%, sure but likely was Doug Church.
* Development on SS1 began in 1992
* SS1 began life as a two separate games. Alien Commander and Iron Citadel. The two projects got merged.
* Hellraiser and Tron was a large inspiration for the design of many of the enemies in SS1.     - So there was a demonic influence for the design of the game. I stand corrected.
* Was SS1 the same engine as that used in Ultima Underworld - New one. More support for 3D environments, looking up and down etc.
* What are the origins of the "Don't forget to salt the fries" line - The team used to go to MacDonalds often, whilst working on the game as it was the only fast food place open nearby. And back then the fries packets had on the back of them "Don't forget to salt the fries".
* Would Warrren Spector have liked to have been part of the team that worked on SS2 - No, because SS2 turned out great with the team that made it, and if he had been involved then the RPG elements very likely would not have been introduced. He goes on to say, that SS2 being quite different to SS1 (with it's RPG elements etc) is one of it's greatest strengths.
* Warren feels like the exact same way about the Deux Ex sequels.
* What were the inspiration for the Elite Cyborg and Cortex Reaver - Old school 80s heavy metal bands and Star Trek's Borg for the Assassin. Cortex Reaver - Just the general idea of a brain in a jar with legs, and went on from there.
* The Cortex Reaver will be in SS3
* Did Terri know before hand how SS2 was going to end - No
* Tim Stellmach was behind many of the ambushes in SS1    - Very nice work on that Tim
* The stars moving outside the station, was only added in at the last minute of development (for SS1). James Flemming did the work on that.
* If Warren went back in time, would he do anything different in making SS1 - He would change the UI and that's it.
* How would Shodan's lines be recorded - Terri would voice the lines in a a slow clear manner, then Greg LoPiccolo would then alter them up.
* Shodan was thought of as male, until the voice acting started. A male voice actor did do some testing, as a male version.
* Terri recorded all of her lines for SS1 at home, as Looking Glass and Origin had no quiet locations for recording.
* Will any characters from SS1 be in SS3 - Responded with "Some questions will be answered"
* Were there any minigames that did not make it in due to time constraints - No. Many nearly did not make it in, but were finished towards the end of development.
* Looking Glass had no audio department until SS1
* The cyborg assassins were key in the setup of many of the ambushes due to their silence when idle.
* Were vending machines going to be in the game at any stage - In concept art only. It was considered as just wall textures and unusable, but then did not go in since the thinking is that players would want to use them and be frustrated that they could not.
* Similar debates have been going on with SS3, on how much to have interactable.
* What were the design challenges, designing levels in SS1 - The restrictions of the engine, with tiles etc. Required some trickery to get the architecture they wanted in there. Using all of the available space was another.
* Was multiplayer ever considered for SS1 - No. Never. It never factored in. Warren briefly discusses the multplayer in SS2, which he says was tacked on at the last minute, when the main development was completed.
* Warren feels that multiplayer has a place in immersive sims, but that it needs to factor into the design from the beginning.

No set date on the next stream sadly.

Acknowledged by: fox

24. September 2019, 13:45:28

#628

ZylonBaneQuote

* Terri Brosius doesn't know who GLaDOS is.

24. September 2019, 13:59:55

#629

icemannQuote

But does make a funny remark when advised who she is.

That Shodan would woop her ass. Or something similar.