SS1 Fan Mission Cortex Reaver Challenge

[663c266791889dertseha]

Do you like System Shock 1?
Do you like Laser Rapiers?
Do you like fighting Cortex Reavers?

Then the Cortex Reaver Challenge is for you!  Armed with just a rapier and a v3 shield, you have to fight an endless stream of Cortex Reavers - how many can you slay?

SSEE Source Port: Extract the attached archive to your %APPDATA%\Nightdive Studios\System Shock EE\missions folder, use the built in FM loader to activate.

Classic: Get the archive.dat file here (as part of an examples collection) and start a new game! Chose any combat rating from 1 to 3. (Though, 1 might be a bit boring)

This is the first modding example created with the InkyBlackness tools. Although far from finished, the editor can already be used to get the hang of creating new levels. Several limitations would still hinder the creation of any "full fledged" mod with story and the like though (If there is such a desire anyway).

For those interested in how to create such a mod, I've even recorded a tutorial video! It's on YouTube and lasts less than 20 minutes, including a test-drive I'm not used to milk game-theory that much, so the resulting gameplay from some decisions might not be so much engaging.
(Although I rehearsed two times, I still winged some of my commentary. Just through the power of editing I avoided sounding... too much like... William... Shatner )

Also: accidentally first SS1 level mod ever?

[663c266791c36RocketMan]

Oh dude u just opened up the floodgates for a whole 'nother 10 years of SS1 editing, debugging and modding!  Finish that editor!

[663c266791da3icemann]

This being the first "mod" (not counting mouse look and the resolution stuff) for SS1, I take my hat off to you dertseha.

To see a mod for this awesome game, FINALLY, is just fantastic. I hope to see MANY more.

[663c266791ec0Learonys]

Oh wow, a mod for SS1! Seems like i've got me something new to sink my teeth in

EDIT: After playing around some, the game seems to suffer from extreme lag when the Cortex Reavers throw their concussion grenades while you're facing them, right until they land and explode. Any idea what could be causing this?

[663c266792208dertseha]

EDIT: After playing around some, the game seems to suffer from extreme lag when the Cortex Reavers throw their concussion grenades while you're facing them, right until they land and explode. Any idea what could be causing this?

Interesting. Difficult to say, especially with this otherwise seldom encountered attack from the Reavers. In short, I don't know where this comes from.

It would require more testing: Does it also happen with grenades thrown by the hacker, does it also happen in smaller rooms (the big hall does stress the engine as well it seems) and so forth. The simplest test would be to put a Reaver in one of the flight bays of the main game.

But apart from that - how far did you get?

[663c266792348Learonys]

Well, in your mod, I can't really find any grenades to throw, so I can't test if the same would happen if I threw it. Instead, I loaded a standard game, picked up a frag grenade and threw that, no lag at all. Just to make sure it's not my installation or anything.

And I managed to kill 4 Cortex reavers before dying on the highest difficulty. I guess that's something! 

[663c26679247cicemann]

My guess is that the engine was never designed to have that many cortex reavers on the screen at once, so with all the explosions etc going on, the engine is crapping itself.

If you think about it, the majority of the time when a reaver does show up in SS1 it was nearly always on it's own in a cramped hallway or room. So the designers presumably never would have an instance to test it out. That's a complete guess obviously.

[663c266792580RocketMan]

I suspect you're right.  They probably thought, what an awesome enemy but then it ran like shit in the open so they compromised and shoved it in a small room where you'd be cowering behind a corner anyway.

[663c266792836Learonys]

I suspect you're right.  They probably thought, what an awesome enemy but then it ran like shit in the open so they compromised and shoved it in a small room where you'd be cowering behind a corner anyway.

I was able to make the Cortex reaver in level 9 throw his concussion grenade, I lured him to the end of the room and then ran off as far as possible while remaining in sight. If you're (un)lucky, he throws his grenade at you. I didn't notice any lag. Maybe it lags with this mod because so many of them are spawned in the same instance.

[663c26679295eRocketMan]

Considering how infrequently you encounter cortex reavers and how cramped the space is when you do, I would vastly increase the probability of it throwing a grenade.  Otherwise it's like it only has the 1 attack.  You would never know otherwise.  I've still yet to see this grenade toss, even in the test level.

[663c266792c57dertseha]

Still all good speculation - thank you also for trying it out on level 9.
It is also viable that the construct tool creates an imperfect archive file, and the engine struggles with that when working with a thrown object.  Or it is a limitation of the engine to throw an object in such a big room (it is, after all, the largest room the engine supports ). I will keep an eye on performance when doing further tests.

And I managed to kill 4 Cortex reavers before dying on the highest difficulty. I guess that's something! 

Just one more and you'd have had a chance on two first aid kits

[663c266792e4cGuyFawkesGaming]

Just for the hell of it I decided to make a mission file to make this compatible with the new source port (which I'm currently playing on my cheap PC laptop, Mac version please come soon!) What you need to do is download the mod and the file I attached and then proceed to create a folder in your mods directory called CRC. Place both the mission.as and archive.dat file in this folder but rename the archive.dat "crc.dat". Note that I haven't translated the description in French or German yet so the description of the challenge in those languages will just be that of the original citadel station mission. You're welcome to add the translation if you like.

[663c266792f8dicemann]

Which as I'd completely forgotten this one (as it's more of a challenge level than a full blown level), makes this the first FM for SS1 technically. 3rd player's FM being the second. Going by release dates purely, as this came out a full year prior.

[663c2667930f3voodoo47]

attached the full archive to the fist post and moved to the SS1 subforum (also changed the title as this is technically a FM).

[663c2667933823RDplayer]

I could see an improved or updated CortexReaver challenge being part of a "challenge" campaign mod. I have this in mind for a while.
A full level set. Each challenge gets unlocked once another is beat. Can have combat challenges, cyberspace challenges, jumping puzzle challenge, stuff like that.
A VR-Missions of sorts in the Sshock universe. I will think of something after tau ceti is done.