SS2 Community Patch (SCP) Beta 5

[6648106f11405ZylonBane]

Tags: °gamesys °mis °string °texture °sound °object °SS2

System Shock 2 Community Patch (SC⁠P) — Beta 5

"Our Last, Best Hope for Final" Release

About
SC⁠P is intended to serve as an unofficial patch for System Shock 2 that delivers an authentic but also highly polished SS2 gameplay experience—hopefully approximating the form SS2 would have taken if Irrational had had a few more months to work on it before release. All changes have been made with the intent of respecting Irrational’s original vision. The other goal of SC⁠P is to upgrade SS2 to take advantage of the enhanced graphical features of the NewDark engine in those ways that are beyond the means of standalone mods.

The guiding principle for SC⁠P has been that SS2’s gameplay is fine as-is, and that its greatest strength is immersion—its ability to make players feel like they’re really trapped on board the Von Braun with all its horrors. So while we’ve tweaked game systems and made adjustments to the level geometry, the goal hasn’t been balancing gameplay, but rather eliminating those things that don’t make sense to the point that they take you out of the game. Anything illogical, gamey, or otherwise immersion-breaking, we’ve tried to correct.

SC⁠P requires System Shock 2 patched to version 2.48+ (SS2Tool). You must start a new game. You cannot install or update SC⁠P mid-game.

Other Mods

• SHTUP-ND and 400 are highly recommended for use with SC⁠P.
• SC⁠P Minimods are optional mods created for SC⁠P, like RealSG.
• Olfred's Fixed Objects v14 is incorporated in this release, so there's no need to install it separately.

Report any issues (other than installation issues) in this thread.

Download Here (please try these links first)
Google Drive: SCP_beta5.7z
Google Drive: SCP_beta5_readme.pdf

No not these ▼▼▼ links dummy, the ones up there ▲▲▲. These are just mirrors in case the primary links go dead.

[6648106f115f4ZylonBane]

Happy new year!

Note that SHTUP-ND and 400 have also been updated for this release.

If you use the English Subtitles mod, you will need to upgrade to v4 or higher.

[6648106f1175avoodoo47]

here we go again!

[6648106f11a56Marvin]

Congratulations on this momentous update!

[6648106f11be8Chandlermaki]

Always one of my favorite surprises, thanks guys.

[6648106f11e9bsarge945]

Good job

Sorry for not finishing my test playthrough

[6648106f120a4Baal]

Congratulations and happy new year.

I am going to try this out, but I need some advice on the installation. The Readme says this:

If you have already run SS2Tool on your SS2 install, run it again in Update mode to ensure you have the most current versions of all scripts.

SS2Tool does not work correctly on linux. Do I need to do this manually? Where would I find the newest scripts?
I'm using the GOG version of the game; that worked for Beta 4.

[6648106f12215voodoo47]

the latest script is included in the b5 package, so if you don't have a tool patched install, you are ok for now. until the script is updated and someone releases a mod that needs the new version, then you will have to update manually (making sure all instances of the osm file found in your SS2 folder are up to date).

[6648106f125cesarge945]

SS2Tool does not work correctly on linux. Do I need to do this manually? Where would I find the newest scripts?
I'm using the GOG version of the game; that worked for Beta 4.

I really, REALLY, REALLY need to figure out how to fix this.

I got as far as writing a script for it, I could just never figure out how to get rsync working right.

[6648106f12874Baal]

sarge945Do we know what exactly goes wrong?
And how would you fix it? Is the source code for SS2Tool available somewhere?

[6648106f12c02tiphares4]

i've just read the changelog


• ''Grates are now true 3D objects and allow light to cast though the individual slits''
• ''Subtle improvements to level architecture''
• ''Certain nonsensical areas made more sensical via minor cosmetic additions''
• ''Pots, pans, and plates now scattered around the various cooking and dining facilities''
• ''Scattered a few rugs and anti-slip mats around the Von Braun to make the floors less monotonous''
• ''Tipped over trash cans now show trash spilling out onto floor''
• ''New glass shard spawning system''

Can't wait to see all those interieur changes ingame with own eyes - i'm a sucker for those things. Curious for all those other changes as well of course. incredible, awesome..

[6648106f12fd1sarge945]

sarge945Do we know what exactly goes wrong?
And how would you fix it? Is the source code for SS2Tool available somewhere?

I don't want to talk too much about this in the SCP 5 thread.

Please see here for more info.

I basically had to rewrite ss2tool entirely, luckily it's pretty simple, all it does is synchronise an installation between a server and a client.

[6648106f131adsarge945]

Here's my understanding of mod status now that SCP5 is out...

Olfred's Fixed Objects - No longer needed (implemented in SCP5)
Rickenbacker Automaps - No longer needed (Implemented in SCP5)
Portrait Fix - No longer needed (Implemented in SCP5)
SCP Balance Revert Was made for SCP4 and will need updating.

Is this correct?

[6648106f1335cvoodoo47]

yes, until they get updated. then it's going to be the opposite.

well not the rick automaps, they are a resource, not really a mod. and the portrait fix, that's just a fix, so it's already fixed, and fixed forever.

[6648106f136a5sarge945]

yes, until they get updated. then it's going to be the opposite.

well not the rick automaps, they are a resource, not really a mod. and the portrait fix, that's just a fix, so it's already fixed, and fixed forever.

So we don't need to use any of these mods anymore?

[6648106f13829voodoo47]

if something is made for b4 specifically, then don't use it before it gets updated to be b5 compatible. if a standalone fix or resource is now implemented, then consider it deprecated and don't use it anymore.

Fixed Objects you don't have to use for now as b5 is really fresh and up to date, but when additional objects get fixed in a month or two then you will have to start using it again as those objects will not be in the b5 package.

[6648106f14a3cZylonBane]

""Have"" to.

[6648106f14c01voodoo47]

ok, only if you actually want the new objects or if another mod needs them to work properly, if you want to be precise.

anyway, the point is the guides will always tell you to use the fixed objects just to be sure, and to avoid this exact confusion. leave it enabled, move on.

[6648106f14d03sarge945]

I was under the impression both portrait fix and Rickenbacker automaps were implemented into b5, obsoleting the mods.

[6648106f14e1fvoodoo47]

yes, standalone fixes and resources are now obsoleted. edited to be perfectly clear.

to make it short, always refer to the mod guide, if you want to go beyond that, ask if unsure.

[6648106f1525aZylonBane]

So there's a line in the Beta 5 readme:

• Fixed bug in ecology code that could cause the respawn rate in individual levels to increase every time players save/reload in or revisit that level.

This could probably do with some explanation.

Respawning in SS2 is controlled by entities called ecologies. At fixed intervals, mostly around a minute or two, the ecologies in the current level will check the current monster population, and if it's below a certain threshold, they'll request a monster spawn.

The interval between population checks is implemented as a timer. If you're familiar with JavaScript, it's basically identical to the setTimeOut() function. This is where the bug comes in: When the ecology control script begins (which happens every time you load into a level or load a save game in a level), it always starts its timer... without clearing any previously existing timer. That means if you save in a level, then load that save, then *BAM*, every ecology now has two timers. Save/load again, three timers. Ad infinitum.

Great, now we have ecologies on the affected levels executing their population check multiple times simultaneously per interval instead of just once. It's wasteful, but things should be okay because they're still capped by the population limit, right? Well... no. The thing is, ecologies don't spawn enemies directly. They instead dispatch messages to separate spawner entities that perform the actual spawning. These messages go in a message queue that gets serviced on a regular cycle instead of immediately.

So in a situation where an ecology sees that its population is low, it issues a spawn request. And when there are multiple stacked up timers, it issues that request again, and again, and again, for however many duplicate timers there are. They all get issued in the same message cycle, before the spawner has a chance to receive any of them.

When the spawner finally gets these messages, it does exactly what it's been told. It doesn't care about population limits-- that's the ecology's job. When it's told to spawn, it spawns. And that's how you can end up with a crazy amount of spawns sometimes, well in excess of the defined population limits. Or on some levels, spawning is limited to one live monster per spawn point, so the overpopulation can't happen, but it can result in full repopulation of a level all at once, instead of monsters trickling in one at a time like they're supposed to.

So the next time you see someone online whining about ridiculously high respawning in SS2, don't immediately assume they're a hyperbolic baby. They just might be a save-scumming baby instead!

[6648106f1541eSalk]

Congratulations on this new release!

It's been a long time in the work, but it's already going to leave a positive mark in the new year.

Thanks.

[6648106f1562cPyornkrachzark]

Hello everyone,
Congratulations for this new release!

Maybe the SS2 Newbie Modding Guide shoud be updated to reflex SCP Beta 5 release in the Recommended Mods section
For example, Olfred's fixed objects should be removed because is now integrated into SCP. Sorry for the original author whose name will be no longer in the front row!

Are all other mods listed in the modding guide (Rebirth in particular) known as compatible with SCP beta 5 too?
In any case, I will replay the game by myself and I will post the results

Best Regards,
Pyornkrachzark

[6648106f1579evoodoo47]

the picture showing older version is not really a big deal, but I guess I'll fix it. //done. no version numbers, no problem forever.

Fixed Objects are staying, as the mod is very much mandatory for people who don't want SCP, but want everything else. and as already mentioned, it may be redundant now for b5 users, but that will change as soon as new models are added, so lets leave it alone to not create even more confusion.

other mods are fine.