Uberskooper on 1/12/2003 at 05:44
I’m not sure if this has been done before, but I have a proposition for the truly dedicated (and insane) Deus Ex fan; to catalog all of the possible decisions that can be made in the game (through conversations, actions, etc) and the direct consequences of those decisions. If anybody is up to the challenge or if anyone wants to contribute the outcome to a single choice, feel free. Extra points awarded for obscure optional objectives that don’t pay off in a significant way until a much latter point in the game.
aesir05 on 1/12/2003 at 08:27
Well this isnt really a game choice as much, but if the player chooses to start running as soon as the game starts and avoid converstations with Paul we can run upto statue of liberty and then after talking to Paul we can use him to kill everyone over there and then he'll just 'walk away'.
Besides that the bartender at the Underworld Tavern started shooting at me when I went behind the counter and I had to kill her....now I can't find the cold beer for Jock and can't get any information outta him.
This is perhaps the only game besides Blade Runner which I can pick up years later and still play it without feeling sorry for the graphics or sound and enjoy it.
Alneyan on 1/12/2003 at 11:06
Out of idle curiosity, are we talking about "plot" decisions (such as giving something to someone) or would you want to include gameplay decisions as well (such as figuring out a way to perform a given goal)? Either way, I would be interested in making such a list.
BlackCapedManX on 1/12/2003 at 19:13
If you have the cheats on and you type in "legend" you get sort of a debug menu, in which is a list of all the games flags. These aren't specifically the choices you can make, but rather the outcome of the choices (such as whether or not Carter yells at you for killing everyone in castle clinton, even if you do kill everyone you could go and turn off that flag and he'd give you the ammo that he would otherwise withhold) it boils down to the outcome for every single action you take that can affect the game. A bunch of these are not outcomes for "choices" however, but outcomes for events that you can't really get around (did you talk to the terrorist leader in the mole people hideout for instance). Take a look at the list sometime... it's enormous.
Uberskooper on 1/12/2003 at 21:05
Quote:
Out of idle curiosity, are we talking about "plot" decisions (such as giving something to someone) or would you want to include gameplay decisions as well (such as figuring out a way to perform a given goal)? Either way, I would be interested in making such a list.
Both actually. I want to emprise "intended" decisions that the game designers wanted the player to experiment with, not tricking an unkillable character to eliminate all of your enemies or being a victim of a quirk in the AI. I would like to see the variety of possible outcomes to a given situation. For example: If JC tells Jamie Reyes to meet him in Hong Kong, Reyes will indeed meet him there and present him with a mod canister. If JC tells Reyes to stay at UNATCO, Reyes will in Paris and give him the Gunther's kill-phase. The game contains many interesting decisions such as this, from receiving an almost instant reward (such as giving the kid something to eat on your second mission) to sometimes receiving nothing important at all save the various ways characters respond to you.
Master Villain on 1/12/2003 at 22:26
This will get real big, real fast if you count each NPC (human, dog, robot, turret etc) as a gameplay choice - kill them or don't kill them. This gets huge:
1 NPCs - 2 choices
2 NPCs - 4 choices
3 NPCs - 8 choices
Binary progression of 2^n where n is the number of interactive things.
Woah now lets make it a little bigger: kill, knock out or neither.... that's 3^n. Sticking with just leaving them alone or "interacting" via weapons/talking/turning them off is huge enough.
HUUUGE! MASSIVE! GIGANTIC! THROBBING!
Alneyan on 2/12/2003 at 14:24
Well, I think only choices with incidence, however small it is, would be included. For example, killing soldier 0375 wouldn't be mentioned unless it alters the story at another point.
There are two situations at least were killing these average NPC count:
- At Liberty Island, a UNATCO trooper can be killed (giving you his Assault Rifle, isn't that nice?), and Manderley will complain about that during debriefing.
- It has been mentioned that if you kill a specific UNATCO trooper during the "errand" in New York, the very nice Simons will say something along these lines: "[Insert name here] is not responding, I take it you took care of him and his team" I have yet to check it though...
Crion on 2/12/2003 at 15:33
Manderly told me to stay out of the bathroom after messing with it. That was when the game really floored me.
Alneyan on 2/12/2003 at 17:33
I tried to think over all the choices given, and I found there seem to be much , much more choices in the early game than in Hong Kong and after. Is that just me or is it really the case?
Only at Liberty Island, here are a few situations where your actions alter the outcome:
- Obviously the choice of a weapon right at the beginning, offered by your so nice brother. Either that, or basically dodging him and avoiding any conversation with him. (You hate competitors, don't you?)
- Killing or disabling peacefully NTF members => Sam Carter will react differently, and your fellow soldiers will talk about your feats in a different manner.
- (Not checked) What happens if you say to the informer you will spare the NTF Leader, while you will kill the aforementioned chief? I seem to recall the informer (sorry, I forgot his name. *Grumbles*) will react differently then.
- You can kill the NTF leader straight away, and enjoy Manderley reaction at debriefing.
- You can talk to the NTF leader and *then* kill him. Paul will call you names when you get back at HQ. (I told you he was a competitor, and a jealous one at that!) Manderley will be perhaps even more annoyed by your poor attitude.
- You can kill the UNATCO trooper at the top of the statue, and Manderley will mention this on debriefing.
- You can choose to free Gunther or not, and to give him a weapon or not. This will change the following dialogues with him.
- You can visit the women bathroom at HQ, which will annoy Manderley and this woman will complain about your attitude next time you are at HQ.
- That's not a big deal, but you can get your password either by asking Manderley's secretary or by entering your own two meter square office. Alex will say you already have your password and won't bother to give it again if you already have this login. (There are games where the password would have been give once again, just in case you are a bit slow I guess)
I may have missed quite a few, and I didn't mention anything regarding gameplay options, but there are already a few choices available. Now, I cannot even think of a single choice in Hong Kong or Paris. (Well, except if you include going to a bar for celebrating your victory or something along these lines)
Is that the kind of thing you had in mind Uberskooper?
Uberskooper on 2/12/2003 at 20:40
Quote:
Is that the kind of thing you had in mind Uberskooper?
Exactly yes, however I also wanted to encompass the full range of responses. For example, stopping at the women’s bathroom during your first visit to HQ will not only affect how Sharon and Manderley interact with you but doesn't it also influence whether Sharon does you a favor during your escape (not to sure about this one though, could someone correct me on that?).
