SSR Demo

[665b19f12bc12XKILLJOY98]

http://www.pcgamer.com/a-system-shock-remastered-demo-is-coming-next-week/

[665b19f12bee1Hikari]

Preexisting engine, not trying to come out for every f'ing platform under the sun, experianced in place dev team and studio vs just a concept artist (no offince mr inafune but you are not an all in one package.)  a working demo is an ultimately good thing that will help allay a lot of fears.

I have faith.  Hoever I remember the GCW Zero. Great handheld (design flaw in that it had a non-replaceable battery without user modding, a few other things that could hae been done better but that's the big one.) Had working prototypes in the kickstarter video, had in place software for base functionality... but it barely got funded because a little while before gamers had already gotten burnt out on the OUYA which only had renders and hope. Granted the zero suffered from communications breakdowns. But... it had a lot more at the start than the ouya did.

[665b19f12c061XKILLJOY98]

I don't know if my pc will run it (which is why I'm getting the xbox version (and probably the pc version later)), but I'm definitely going to download the demo anyway.  The collectors edition and the system shock razor pc sound interesting as well (I will have to check the price on those). I will probably help the kickstarter in some way (not sure how much I'm going to donate). As far as the game goes I am mainly curious as to a couple of things such as the music, new/updated designs for things, character design updates (such as SHODAN, edward diego, etc), etc. (so a demo is exciting).

[665b19f12c368Synaesthesia]

I've taken the liberty of finding the original images instead of the resized ones.

http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/GFENcpdUoXBka9vkc6vBNB.jpg

http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hXCT2JuQBXoDx6igLG6DMB.jpg <-- Not sure what that weapon is supposed to be. Looks like a Sparq in some ways.

http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7ZbxPQk6K4T9xdvDqMA3YC.jpg

http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/x6TDXM7WDGgNVm8nW94vpB.jpg

http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LDLrSuY6Ve6dABeQDHwXHC.jpg

http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/FZSAjX8G339x5PUp78StXC.jpg

http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZPcmzHPXx3h6eWv2kw64uC.jpg

http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/DNgQsnZPv3muRdkyUzTR4D.jpg

[665b19f12c504Kolya]

Let's collect those shots here for a while.
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[665b19f12c88cunn_atropos]

8:50 minutes od the demo by Polygon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_uJ47oKHY0

My first (rather critical) impressions:
- boring generic music (reminding me of Bioshock at the end)
- Inventory needs an overhaul; looks like a placeholder. I also don't like that opening it up blurres out the screen
- health restoring sounds like a racing car or a lightcycle (there is even a Tron 2.0 sound for the locker^^)
- audiolog was solala; no portrait, dsitorting effect sounds rather lame
- "In world" code punching seems a bit fiddly but maybe that's the person who played...
- game takes control away from you: when you pick up the implants and when you climb ladders (weapon is automatically holstered)
- I'm years behind in games. Still hanging around 2005 or so^^. So I can't judge the graphical quality but what I've seen makes a nice impression
- generally I would describe the atmosphere as a bit to blinky and deadspacey but maybe that's how games look today...

I was wondering about the odd choice of level touring. The shafts are not the most exciting place and I hope that the demo will cover more of the whole deck.

[665b19f12cd11RocketMan]

It seemed very apparent to me that the person playing was on a console.  The movement was far too jerky for someone playing with a mouse so I think the puzzles would be a lot more fun to watch if it had been on a  PC. 

I think the cutscene'ish examining of each thing he plugs into his head is a tad drawn out and there's no need to toss a chip from 1 hand to the other.  That's excessive.

I didn't get what happened when he got energy.  Looked like he electrocuted himself.  Would have been better to show his arm hooking up to something maybe.

I very much like the art in general.  It feels authentic.  Bit too flashy but tone that down and it looks very good IMO.

I like how they are doing the puzzles, provided that it remains practical.  Fiddling with tiny wires should be fun to watch.

It looks like they're on the right track with the inventory but it needs a bit more work.  If they're going to do the use/shoot mode thing it should be closer to the way ss2 did it so you can still move around and do stuff while the screen is up.

Med patch seems to work too fast.  It's not just cosmetic.  That affects the difficulty of the game.  When I played the original, waiting for your health to go back up meant not being able to use patches during combat.  In this case however it seems responsive enough that you could and that makes the game easier.

I watched it with the sound off (at work) so no comment on the logs except I didn't even know one was playing.  Where is the portrait?  Some sort of visual queue would be nice.  Something like starcraft even would be fine.

Didn't see any way to adjust the settings of the sparq.  I wonder if the whole adjustability feature was deleted?

Nice to see the waveforms at the top of the screen.  It was a nostalgic thing to see preserved.

[665b19f12cfeeHikari]

Thoughts:
I really hope they redo the waking up sequence because the static eels... Not right. Maybe a little faint static as you're laying on the bed but after that no.

The 'having to aim the mouse at the keypad buttons' please no. Too fiddly. Maybe slow time down while you do this so you're not having to squint and peck? Then again I have poor eyesight so it may just e me.

Do not like how statick-y rebeca's audio is, but it's a radio transmission so somewhat forgiveable, especially if there's a subtitle option or an option to listen later with some handwave about 'cleanup stored transmissions' or something.

SERIOUSLY do not like how echoy shodan's 'welcome to citadel station' message is. I can kinda get that it's supposedto be coming through the station's sound system, but stil... I want to be able to understand the information conveyed.

Inventory right now looks Meh, but I'm hopeful that's just placeholder and what we're seeing is the mechanic rather than the gui.

Wish the polygon guy had tried to put things back in the crates. Would be nice to know.

I like the mutant look.

Unsure if game is taking control away during ladders or not.

Unsure if the charging station malfunctioned or if default functionality is 'ok everyone gather 'round the tesla coil.' ZAP.

I kinda like the gloves even if I think the ring and pinkie being bare is stupid. It gives an excuse for how unplugged implants can convey information on what they are and apparently are how you charge your internal batteries..

Unsure about the music, got the feel the 'saturn observation window' music was localized 'sit and enjoy the view' music.

Is there a way to tone down how gorrem bright the effect lighting is? Having single ULTRA BRIGHT light sources in stupid dark everything else fucks with my eye. I want that to be configurable.

I actually liked how the hacker handled the implants, and that hand to hand toss. Touch of that 'show don't tell nonverbal storytelling' I made a thread about. These are things he knows, and probably expensive. I do wish they were a touch faster though and hope that's only for like 'first time you see new implant type.'

[665b19f12d299Marvin]

Looks and feels horrible, then again, it's a pre-alpha played by a Polygon employee on a console. I think I'll have a better time with the actual demo than with a possible imbecile playing it for me.

[665b19f12d7c0ZylonBane]

Have only watched the first minute, so I only got far enough to hate that now Rebecca Lansing doesn't even know who the hacker is. What a stupid, stupid change. In the original, the fact that everyone back on Earth knew exactly what your role was in the disaster contributed directly to the player feeling that much more totally fucked. Now you're just "random guy she managed to get ahold of".

[665b19f12d9c5Hikari]

Gonna have to agree with Zylon here. I'm hoping that's still in place but they changed it as a thing to reveal partway in. However Yea... they really should have put that at the start since it establishes off the bat you might be fucked no matter what you do' so there's motive to do more than just escape.

[665b19f12dc55Join2]

The good:

Grid Inventory with varying object icon sizes. This pleases me greatly.
Immersive headbobbing effects.
Weapons seem much more enjoyable and visceral than the original (to be expected of course).
Graphics and art direction is generally good. 
Logic puzzles (and keypads as seen before) are in-world interactions, nice.
The way in which level design has been updated while still remaining minimalist is impressive.
We now have fall damage.

The Bad:

Software pickup anims excessive.
Not digging the lack of music, and the music that is there I'm not finding impressive or fitting the theme. Still, music triggering based on events/triggers is a good approach to take, but I'm not too fond of the music execution overall from what I see so far.
GUI seems to remove the ability to throw items and all the other use mode goodness. The aesthetics are surely placeholder, so no comment there.
Distorted graphical glitch effect when taking damage. This could get annoying over time. Perhaps only render if damage > some value, or only to certain damage types.
Ladder robs some degree of control, climbing movement is too robotic (no headbob unlike every other action), and I don't like that it is sticky. I like that old games required precision when climbing ladders, even if it was archaic.
Medpatch sound and increment speed I'm unsure of.

[665b19f12dd9eHikari]

Thought about the 'glitch effect when taking damage' thing.

Have it glitch when you get hit by electrica'/energy attacks. Have traditional red/blood effect/flash when you get shot or bludgeoned.

[665b19f12df12RocketMan]

Agreed with the static only coming on from electro-magnetic or high intensity damage.

Not so much regarding the bloody screen.  I hated that.  Loss of contrast, temporary darkening or fuzz would make more sense after being hit in the head but nobody sees blood in their peripheral vision when you hit them.

EDIT:  I take back my comment about tossing chips between hands.  It is completely unnecessary but you have to allow game developers some stylistic liberties and that one doesn't do any harm.

[665b19f12e00dHikari]

Well it does give a sense of 'things look bad but this? This i know' from the Hacker.

[665b19f12e3bfThiefsieFool]

I like it overall. I love the pickup animations and optimistically assume they won't abuse them.

- 451 moved from log to wall, gotta have that "environmental storytelling" I suppose
- found it worrying that there's only 2 weapon slots, I'm sure you can carry as many guns as you want in the inventory grid but I don't see why you'd only have 2 weapons handy like in some fps
- i think you should at least be able to use one-handed sidearms on a ladder, like a sparq, otherwise it's less immersive than just blasting away two-handed while scrolling up and down ladders, wouldn't say this if SS1 didn't have a huge amount of pistols and sidearms to choose from to begin with
- no enemy lifebars by default, hoping this means a full-featured Targeting hardware is available
- security camera deaths work just like in Bioshock, they fall on the floor as lootable objects
- object highlights look just like SS2, so that's nice
- dead ragdolls for robots or heavy mutants moving and wobbling like they're made out of foam rubber is still in, please mess with the physics settings so things have proper weight
- the music at the end does not fit at all, I'm going to kindly assume it's trailer/studio music for the outro of the video

[665b19f12e53cRocketMan]

Also, changing the story (ie. Rebecca not knowing who you are) is a no go.  That was one of the biggest reasons why DOOM the movie sucked (I said 1 of...).  Don't change the story.

Also, why does everything become engulfed in blue electricity when you shoot it with an energy weapon?  Why the rail-gun style hot spot that then disappears as if it were just a cosmetic detail?  If you blast a hole through someone, they should be severely crippled or die, not keep walking.  Blue electricity effects are just too much IMO.  Save them for when it really makes sense.

Also, was that energy station 1-time use?  I don't remember energy being a finite commodity from a charging station...  just that it took some time to recharge.

[665b19f12e8f0ZylonBane]

- security camera deaths work just like in Bioshock, they fall on the floor as lootable objects

Their blobby shape, and the way they just clunk to the floor, reminded me very strongly of Portal. This is not a good thing. I want to see those damn cameras blow up when I destroy them.

[665b19f12ea3aXKILLJOY98]

From Night Dive Studios:

"There are two usable weapons in the demo, the boxes/limit are just temporary "

"Correct! The inventory visuals are placeholder."

Also (on the subject of the topic), I don't like the music as well.

[665b19f12f209XKILLJOY98]

Also, changing the story (ie. Rebecca not knowing who you are) is a no go.  That was one of the biggest reasons why DOOM the movie sucked (I said 1 of...).  Don't change the story.

Also, why does everything become engulfed in blue electricity when you shoot it with an energy weapon?  Why the rail-gun style hot spot that then disappears as if it were just a cosmetic detail?  If you blast a hole through someone, they should be severely crippled or die, not keep walking.  Blue electricity effects are just too much IMO.  Save them for when it really makes sense.

Also, was that energy station 1-time use?  I don't remember energy being a finite commodity from a charging station...  just that it took some time to recharge.

How do you know it's a one time use?

[665b19f12f4c1XKILLJOY98]

Have only watched the first minute, so I only got far enough to hate that now Rebecca Lansing doesn't even know who the hacker is. What a stupid, stupid change. In the original, the fact that everyone back on Earth knew exactly what your role was in the disaster contributed directly to the player feeling that much more totally fucked. Now you're just "random guy she managed to get ahold of".

How is that any different than how it was in the original?, She contacted and didn't know you at first in that one either.

[665b19f12f5c8XKILLJOY98]

Anyway, if I'm not mistaken, wasn't Citadel Station on its way to earth when the hacker woke up?

[665b19f12fa99ZylonBane]

How is that any different than how it was in the original?, She contacted and didn't know you at first in that one either.

Ahem.

Employee 2-4601, listen carefully. My name is Rebecca Lansing, and I'm a counter-terrorism consultant to TriOptimum. We're tracking a disruption on Citadel Station — something involving an on-board AI called SHODAN. You are TriOp's only contact on station. Communications are out, and there is evidence of biological contamination. The mining laser is charging, for a possible strike against Earth. There's a man named Nathan D'Arcy, who may know something about taking the laser offline. His office is near the central hub on your level. The AI is on the bridge. Once the laser is out, look for the source of the problem there. And by the way, we know all about you and your friend Diego. Pull this off, and we'll clear your record. That implant you're wearing is military-grade hardware; use it well. Lansing out.

[665b19f12fd4fRocketMan]

How do you know it's a one time use?

Some blue battery thing on the top of the charger disappears when you frob it and then apparently doesn't come back.  Dunno if it magically re-materializes later.