What are you guys excited for the most in the Enhanced Edition of SS2?

[665b076eb224cGreb]

[665b076eb23d2voodoo47]

uhh.. the new AI models? because you know, we kinda already have everything else?

[665b076eb2578Join2]

New AI models, and also hopefully better modding potential (open source + mod tools).

Other than that I'm not quite sure what's going on with it, what there even is to be excited for, so go ahead and advertise to me; I'm listening.

[665b076eb2874JDoran]

Being able to play the game on a console. My arthritis means I can't use a mouse for too long, and for some reason, I can never get used to using a joypad with a PC, even on the games that do actually make good use of it.

Maybe offer an option to change the spiders to a different form, for those who have a really bad fear of spiders (not me, fortunately).

Add more detail to the crew quarters and rooms to make them feel more 'lived in', Like living breathing people once spent their lives there.

I can't think of much else, really. Even the things I think are 'bad' or wrong in SS2, such as the janky feel of the movement, the ridiculously high chance of a weapon breaking just by you looking at it, and the not-at-all obvious benefits and usages of the psi powers are stuff I wouldn't change (well, not by much), as to me they do sort of work in this game, and add to the unique feel and atmosphere of the game. And the SCP patch does a great job of fixing the game's sharp edges, and making it an overall better experience, so I really hope the people making this remaster will look good and hard at SCP's changes and improvements.

Oh, one thing would be *amazing*. Please release a virtual reality version of the game, and release it on the PSVR (the only 3D headset I have at the moment). System Shock 2 would be fantastic in VR!

[665b076eb296cvoodoo47]

they don't have to look at SCP, as they will be using it.

[665b076eb2cc0JDoran]

they don't have to look at SCP, as they will be using it.

That is good news. Have they said what game engine they will be using? Though whether it's the Dark Engine, or a version of Kex, or whatever, I hope they don't change the look or feel of the game too much.

[665b076eb2e8cvoodoo47]

uhh.. yes. yes they did.

to make it short, it will be SS2 running on KEX with the recommended mod loadout, but they are going to add a couple of extra hires objects where necessary (as some mods are incomplete), and the AIs will be completely redone.

[665b076eb2fb1JDoran]

Fantastic! SS2 really deserves to be discovered by modern audiences.

[665b076eb30c9voodoo47]

if you mean people who demand checkpoints and quest arrows, then no, not really.

anyway, it's almost unbelievable you were completely unaware of the project until now.

[665b076eb3499JDoran]

if you mean people who demand checkpoints and quest arrows, then no, not really.

I believe some new people will be intrigued enough to try SS2R (or whatever the acronym is), and realise it's quality and depth. But no, my hopes aren't high that many people will do so.

anyway, it's almost unbelievable you were completely unaware of the project until now.

No, I knew the project was in the works, that it was supposed be a sort of bonus companion release to SSR, but I don't remember reading about what engine it used, or specific information about what the game was going to do differently when compared to the base, unmodded original PC version.

I tend not to read preview information about yet to be games, unless I'm bored when I encounter the information. Unfortunately, with my job, I get bored a lot.

[665b076eb35c7voodoo47]

also yeah, modern MP and console ports are one of the main selling points, iirc.

[665b076eb3784icemann]

Stable co-op be the big bonus.

[665b076eb3b15Chandlermaki]

Mostly AI models. Rebirth is OK and, and I've been using it on and off for 15+ years, but it's going to be much nicer to have high poly models that actually resemble the originals. Maybe VR too, but not until I see if it's actually any good or not.

Stable co-op be big a bonus.

I actually hadn't heard that this was a planned feature until now, but yeah that would be great as well. The only other time the game runs acceptably in MP is on a LAN and even that has its limitations.

[665b076eb3cf9JDoran]

I've never played SS2 with other players, so I don't know what it's like, but I would have thought it would have lost the feelings of isolation and loneliness that the single player mode realised so well. To say nothing of the problems this would bring with item management (does SS2 include four times as many valuable and important items when four people are playing as it does when only one person is playing, or is the number of items the same wether one or four people are playing? Either way, it will alter the flow and feel of the game), story telling, game-trigger points, and so on. Does the game devolve into more of a co-op shooter, if multiple people are playing, or does it somehow keep the paranoia-heavy atmosphere of ever present dread and danger as there is when you're playing alone?

I'd imagine that multiplayer was probably not something the game's makers were too keen on adding, but they were encouraged/pushed into adding by the publishing company - I've read in the past of games companies adding a mulitplayer mode to single player only games because the publisher thinks that the addition of a mutiplayer mode will help increase sales of the game.

[665b076eb3e94voodoo47]

same amount of items, difficulty locked to hard. no changes to monsters.

MP is frowned upon by most hardcore SS2 players, but I don't hate it - definitely not recommended for first time players as it turns SS2 into more of an action oriented FPS, but being able to specialize in certain fields and leave some tasks to the other player is interesting, and gives you an option to enjoy the game in a completely different way. too bad it's not possible to cast psi buffs onto another player (for now), that would take it up another notch.

definitely just 2 player MP though, anything more is ridiculous and breaks any kind of semblance of balance completely - it's just a horde of players beating everything to pulp with wrenches.

[665b076eb44beZylonBane]

Stable co-op be big a bonus.

Stabilizing a feature that could be ripped out of the game entirely, as far as most SS2 fans are concerned, isn't something I'd call a "big" bonus.

I'd imagine that multiplayer was probably not something the game's makers were too keen on adding, but they were encouraged/pushed into adding by the publishing company

You don't have to imagine that, it's the literal truth. They explicitly say so in the postmortem:

Irrational did not want to introduce multiplayer support into System Shock 2 because we considered it a tangential feature that did not contribute to our core strengths. However, marketing concerns dictated it, so ultimately we acquiesced.

https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/postmortem-irrational-games-i-system-shock-2-i-

There's a reason story-driven FPS games almost never include multiplayer co-op. Half-Life, Half-Life 2, Doom 3, Bioshock, Prey, Dishonored, Deus Ex... no co-op in any of them, even though their respective engines already included multiplayer support. Idiot EA execs forced Looking Glass and Irrational to waste dev time shoehorning multiplayer support into an engine that wasn't designed for it, to add multiplayer to a game that didn't need it.

As for me, I'm looking forward to seeing if they added any dynamic shadowing, as they did in Quake Enhanced.

[665b076eb4975icemann]

Stabilizing a feature that could be ripped out of the game entirely, as far as most SS2 fans are concerned, isn't something I'd call a "big" bonus.

More meant that it was the biggest selling point of the Enhanced Edition, as put side by side of enhanced edition vs standard SS2 with mods.

I recall for several years there was groups of people from TTLG doing co-op. It was more the extremely buggy nature of it that was discouraging many away. I totally get your angle of it being core to the experience, but that didn't factor in for some. Some people just like co-op.

You also have the fan mission side of things, where co-op support was put in. My one for example has that in there. Even if I may not prefer playing that way, if others do it's great to have it there as an option. And if we get stable co-op then maybe we'll see some co-op focused FMs in the future. Yes please .

I say to let people play how they want, and give them stable ways to do it.

[665b076eb4aacZylonBane]

I say that when people try to start a multiplayer game, a dialog should pop up asking if they've already played through in single-player mode. If they answer No, their avatar will wear a chicken hat for the entire game.

[665b076eb4d61Xkilljoy98]

I am interested to play it in VR, as well as see how the graphics compare to a modded game.

Also, easier to use multiplayer is a plus too

[665b076eb50a6Xkilljoy98]

Being able to play the game on a console. My arthritis means I can't use a mouse for too long, and for some reason, I can never get used to using a joypad with a PC, even on the games that do actually make good use of it.

I wasn't aware they were planning a console release

[665b076eb540aJDoran]

I asked Stephen Kick, of Night Dive Studios about the possibility of SS2EE appearing on the PS4, and he answered:

After we ported Doom64 to PS4 we became much more familiar with the console. Expect to see more Nightdive releases on the platform soon. I'd love to release Blood on console but unfortunately that is up to Atari.

I haven't officially announced it yet, but we are planning to release SS2EE on all platforms. We just hit internal testing phase of development. I can't wait to share more 

And more recently, another member of NDS confirmed on this forum (but I can't find the link) that the last-gen consoles (PS4 and XBox One), would still be getting the game. I asked because I was worried if NDS might decide to drop these two now-last-gen consoles, and concentrate on the PS5 and the current XBoxes only.

[665b076eb5790Xkilljoy98]

I asked Stephen Kick, of Night Dive Studios about the possibility of SS2EE appearing on the PS4, and he answered:

And more recently, another member of NDS confirmed on this forum (but I can't find the link) that the last-gen consoles (PS4 and XBox One), would still be getting the game. I asked because I was worried if NDS might decide to drop these two now-last-gen consoles, and concentrate on the PS5 and the current XBoxes only.

Interesting, didn't know it was coming to consoles. I wonder if SS1EE might?

When I asked about something I didn't get a solid answer (just a non-answer), but glad you were able to learn that.

[665b076eb5a40Chandlermaki]

Interesting, didn't know it was coming to consoles. I wonder if SS1EE might?

Without MAJOR changes to the controls and UI, I doubt it.

[665b076eb5cafXkilljoy98]

Without MAJOR changes to the controls and UI, I doubt it.

Well IDK how they will port SS2 to consoles and SS1EE and SS2 don't play that differently tbh