/vr/ - Retro Games

[Anonymous No.1729171]

Any tips for someone just starting their first playthrough of System Shock 2? Are all the stats balanced, or does this game have it's own SWIMMING stat?

[Anonymous No.1729260]

>>1729171
>not putting all your points in swimming
Electronic mermaids... ruling the world.

Now let's get serious for a sec. I think the least useful would be either endurance or Agility, given that there are readily available ways to boost them without spending points on 'em.

[Anonymous No.1729340]

As much as I love this game, some of the stats are unbalanced. I recommend picking the Navy class first off, because hacking is an essential part of the game. Avoid Psionics unless you're willing to look up a good build, it can be confusing to people who don't know how it works. Preserve ammo and try to thunk as many things as you can on the head with your wrench. One last thing, don't put any points into repair, it's a useless stat and maintenance should be all you need.

[Anonymous No.1729408]

System Shock > Deus Ex > System Shock 2 > Deus Ex: Human Revolution > Bioshock > Deus Ex: Invisible War > Bioshock Infinite > Bioshock 2

If you haven't played SS yet play that before SS2.

[Anonymous No.1729578]

>>1729171
Hacking and Standard weapons should be your priority stats, getting Research and Modify to 1 lets you get some nice damage bonuses quickly but don't bother leveling either any further.

>>1729260
Agility and Endurance aren't completely useless, I'd say get them both to 2 or 3 then forget about them.

>>1729408
Deus Ex>System Shock>>System Shock 2>>>>>Bioshock>Bioshock 2>Deus Ex Human Revolution>>>>>Bioshock Infinite>>>>>>>>>>>>>The Fall>>>>>Invisible War

[Anonymous No.1729594]

>>1729578
Why IW is so low, aside from the horrible programming?

[Anonymous No.1729627]

>>1729594
Not him, but universal ammo, load times every 30 feet, and above all it's just pitifully easy. I played the game sneaking around for a while on the hardest difficulty like I did in the first game before realizing I could walk out in the open and blow apart security robots with a single burst from my assault rifle. The game is designed around console players who don't understand anything besides shooting things.

[Anonymous No.1729631]

>>1729594
It crashes to desktop then reboots itself to load new maps, the horrible programing is a big reason it's so low.
On top of that it's got loading screens every 5 seconds and the level design really drops in quality around about when you get to Germany.
Oh and universal ammo was retarded.

[Anonymous No.1729646]

>>1729627
Didn't IW more or less start the hatred of consoles or am I making that up?

[Anonymous No.1729663]

>>1729627
>load times every 30 feet

Because it was made for consoles.

Deus Ex on ps2 is like that. The maps on that port were exclusive.
IW on PC is a lazy port. Same goes for Thief: Deadly Shadows (only not as bad).

Anyway, for SS2 early on: hacking, hacking, standard weapons (to use less handgun ammo on The Many), research, and hacking. You'll also want to increase your agility a bit by the fourth deck to outrun the cyber ninjas.

[Anonymous No.1729674]

You'll be whacking things with a wrench for the first few hours due to ammo shortage. That's fine though, since the wrench actually moves in the 3d word as you swing it, so it's not like oblivion/skyrim with the swishy combat.

[Anonymous No.1729676]

>>1729340
This, Psionics is completely skippable on the first play through.

Exotic weapons takes far too many points to end up being woefully underpowered too late in the game

Choose your OS upgrades extremely carefully; anyone who picks 'Naturally Able' is shockingly retarded

There's a mini-map available, remember to turn it on (option found on map screen)

There's a basketball you can find before entering the UNN Recruitment facility that you can use to activate an easter egg later in the game (just drop it anywhere, you'll be able to come back for it quickly)

[Anonymous No.1729678]

>>1729260
Not to mention a ton of enemies will eat your health up, no matter how much points you dump into Endurance.

[Anonymous No.1729914]

>>1729578
this bitch gets it. listen to this bitch.

[Anonymous No.1730106]

>>1729578
implying and of the Bioshocks are good

[Anonymous No.1730134]

>>1729674
that feel when parrying a hybrid at fuck low hitpoints.

uuhh yeah.

[Anonymous No.1730149]

You need to learn the rhythm. Not even joking, this game is like dancing sometimes.
Take the mutants: you will learn quickly how the move, and when is the perfect moment to hit them with the wrench.
Also put one or two points in energy weapons, having a laser pistol with pretty much unlimited ammo is really good.

[Anonymous No.1730281]

>>1729578
>System Shock 1 over System Shock 2

I'd be interested to hear your reasons for that

[Anonymous No.1730297]

>>1730281
It doesn't have terrible RPG mechanics. People often say System Shock 2 was revolutionary and cite things System Shock 1 did but better. You should play it.

[Anonymous No.1730360]

>>1730281
>isn't horrifically balanced
>better level designs
>better writing
>SHODAN is much, much more interesting
>less hand-holding
>more varied enemies and weapons
>final quarter isn't horribly rushed
>doesn't have that dreadful tacked on final boss-fight and utterly cringeworthy ending
>better sound and music

I was so disappointed by SS2. It doesn't help that Thief came in between them, leading me to expect the latter's standard of level design and detail. SS2 is still great, provided one just stops playing once they get to the 3/4 mark, but its progenitor blows it out of the water.

[Anonymous No.1730373]

>>1730360
>music better

exactly

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qBe3qo2uuA

[Anonymous No.1730401]

>>1729646
I think this is right, actually. It's the first game I remember being consolified and pissing off the fans of the first one.

[Anonymous No.1730515]

>>1730373
I don't know, though, SS2's Hydroponics and Engineering is pretty powerful.
I actually liked those more between the two games.

[Anonymous No.1730530]

>>1730360
>utterly cringeworthy ending
>not hilarious

[Anonymous No.1730603]

Does anyone have a working link to the "SS2 Enhanced Monitor Package" (SHEMP) mod ? All the official links seem to be down, and I'd like to use it with SHTUP

[Anonymous No.1730609]

>>1730530
Personally I don't even like SS2 and I thought that was the best part of the game.

[Anonymous No.1731864]

>>1730360
SHODAN stopped being threatening and became almost funny after you blew up the antennae.
All its plans had been completely fucked up by one man (canonically it only took him a few hours) and it still claimed to have the upper hand.

[Anonymous No.1731868]

>>1731864
Doesn't she try, and almost successfully tries to eject you from the ship right after blowing up the reactor which happened right after that? I'm pretty sure she quiets down after she realized you survived that.

[Anonymous No.1731879]

>>1731868
Nope it's the opposite she stops you from ejecting your escape pod after you set the reactor to self destruct.
She also remains boastful throughout the final level. The point where I actually laughed was when she calls you to say that the support team on earth can't help you now and then three seconds one of them called and explained how to get access to her core.

[Anonymous No.1731882]

>>1731879
Oh. I haven't played it in a long time. At least SHODAN manages to cut off the last part of their instructions.

[Anonymous No.1731906]

>>1729578

Swap DXHR with Bio2 and that is a mighty agreeable list.

[Anonymous No.1731912]

>>1729663

Yeah, Warren Spector was hoping to introduce more gamers to the RPG choices of Deus Ex, so there was a plan to streamline some aspects, but it sounds like most of the problems came from Eidos pushing changes and making Xbox the lead platform, and Ion Storm building the game on an unfinished version of Unreal Engine 2 that they had to build half of themselves, not to mention most of the work that Epic had made for the engine was designed for arena shooters.

[Anonymous No.1731917]

>>1729676
>basketball
I like to put in the elevator once I get it running

[Anonymous No.1731921]

>>1730515

SS2 has better overall music, but the Drum and Bass doesn't set the tone of the game as well as SS1 or a couple of the more ambient tunes.

[Anonymous No.1733064]

Hey it would be good to know if anybody has a favorite PSI build.

I just started playing as a PSI character and I'm a bit lost, the first two PSI tiers are absolute shite.

[Anonymous No.1735450]

>>1731921
Speaking of music, i played system shock 2 listening to this once, it was rad.

http://www.discogs.com/Haxan-Cloak-Excavation/master/544392

[Anonymous No.1735594]

I can't believe people actually claim SS1 had fitting music. You can like it all you want, but it sounds hilarious.

[Anonymous No.1736921]

>>1733064
The start is really hard on PSI users, but towards the end you can be a psychotic Jedi Knight if you like. I like the Crystal Shard myself.

Adrenaline Overproduction: Multiplies hand-to-hand damage by a factor based on current PSI.

6 is not max PSI. You can push PSI to 8 with researchable drugs and the right implant.

Pyrokinesis is great for killing spiders but armored targets shrug it off like it's nothing. The pistol's AP bullets quickly become precious as diamonds. Instead of putting a point into energy weapons just to get an itty bitty laser pistol to hurt armor, it is probably better to just get a shotgun. The standard weapons training helps the pistol and the normal shotgun slugs can put a big dent in armor.

[Anonymous No.1736928]

>>1731921
agreed. the sound design in the game is so good that it's more atmospheric without music, just because the sounds of the ship are so good

[Anonymous No.1737348]

>>1729578
Agillity is a great stat.
I always start with the psionic guy, just to get the +2 agillity bonus and then level it up to 4 and use it. Makes backtracking a lot easier and faster.

[Anonymous No.1737415]

>>1730373
My favorite song in the whole game.
Level 6 was the creepiest.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaL3oEaO6X4

[Anonymous No.1737549]

>Garden from system shock 2
The best music in the whole game.

[Anonymous No.1737663]

>>1736921
>not zapping all day erryday with the laser
Best times of my life
PSI helps immensely in the endgame, especially with cloaking and shit

[Anonymous No.1737686]

>>1729676
>Psionics is completely skippable on the first play through.
True, but even unlocking Tier 2 Psi will get you healing and cryokinesis, not to mention anti-entropic field which PREVENTS WEAPON DEGRADATION. The above 3 psi alone will CUT OUT A FUCKLOAD OF YOUR RESOURCE EXPENDITURE FOR THE FIRST HALF OF THE GAME, REMOVING THE PROBLEMS ALMOST ANY PLAYER WOULD HAVE.

Combine that with the damage shield in tier 1 and the fire shield that protects you from the suicide bots in tier 2 and that's enough fucking reason for anyone to spec up to tier 2 in psi, ESPECIALLY those who haven't played the game before.

Jesus, how many times do I have to explain to you idiots that Psi builds are the strongest builds

[Anonymous No.1738504]

>>1735594
Med Sci 1 was incredibly unfitting too, anon.

[Anonymous No.1738542]

>>1737686

Peaches, calm down.

[Anonymous No.1738574]

>>1737686
I think people tend to assume that they have to go full Psi wizard. Then they find out Pyrokinesis doesn't put a scratch on armored targets, which tend to be the deadliest enemies in the game, and they panic.

Suicide bot immunity is something few people are aware of because it is not something you would normally discover on your own, unless you are goofing around and running into them.

[Anonymous No.1739064]

>>1738574
>Pyrokinesis doesn't put a scratch on armored targets

I would just use it on surveillance cameras and monkeys.
Armored targets should always get the AP rounds. Hence upgrading standard weapons early on.

[Anonymous No.1739798]

>>1729578
>Deus Ex first
but it don't have anti-grav blades!
;_;

[Anonymous No.1739808]

>>1730281
>implying there is a need for more than just one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iZMD_eCpEo

[Anonymous No.1740105]

I wish multiplayer didn't suck so much ass. The game crashes every chance it gets.

[Anonymous No.1740572]

>>1729646
Nah halo was a high profile PC tribeslike before Microsoft bought console exclusivity

[Anonymous No.1740582]

also no one seems to have mentioned that all the broken shotguns you find on the many have bullets in them

[Anonymous No.1740586]

>>1740582
They have 1 but it's better than nothing, so yeah get to unloading them shotties.

[Anonymous No.1740612]

Deus Ex and System Shock both suck dick.

[Anonymous No.1741732]

>>1740612
your parents both suck dick

[Anonymous No.1741769]

>>1741732
viva la gay marriage asshole.

[Anonymous No.1743473]

>>1729171

Whatever you do, OP, don't download the supposed enhanced models -- I think they look a little retarded and sort of piss on the overall look and feel of the enemies.

The elongated, disproportionate, muddy textured look of the Hybrids truly had me wide-eye. First figuring them to be like some "zombie-esque" enemy -- come to my surprise -- the fuckers booked it towards me like an olympic runner, screaming "RAAAAARRRRGGHHH! KILL MEEEE!" they react quite fast, imagine being overwhelmed by that shit.

[Anonymous No.1743489]

>>1743473
project SHTUP is neat though.

I think it's okay to download the texture pack, but don't touch the models as the poster above says, the originals have certain charm.

[Anonymous No.1743493]

>>1729408

>mfw people like system shock 2 better than the original

I feel like the world is going mad sometimes.

[Anonymous No.1743605]

>>1729408
>Infinite better than anything
>Bioshit 1 better than
SS2 > DX > SS1 > DXIV = DXHR = BS2 > BS1 > BSI

[Anonymous No.1743610]

>>1737686
Psionics is great if you enjoy fiddling your keyboard like a fucking piano while playing and know exactly what to do. Otherwise it will only fuck you in the ass until you do know what to do.

[Anonymous No.1743615]

>>1743493
>play both almost a decade after release
>like 2 more
I guess 1 had a bit thicker atmosphere but that's about it. SS2 flows better without sacrificing complexity. You are just being nostalgic.

[Anonymous No.1743635]

>>1743493
this this this
people are crazy

[Anonymous No.1743805]

>>1743605
Incorrect! The original System Shock *is* better. Better music, better puzzles, no weird psi shit, better weapons, better level design, better story that's better told.

Not that SS2 isn't awesome, but you are mistaken if you think SS1 isn't better.

[Anonymous No.1744741]

>>1743605

>bioshit
>being this cruel to the hardworking vendor dogs