IceNine on 14/7/2006 at 22:44

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Darn good line there, VBmr.
:thumb:

FullCapacity on 10/9/2006 at 02:15

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I would import some of the interesting game features from Deus Ex. Movable metal containers, barrels and some version of TNT. Opens up alot of strategy in terms of gameplay.

IIRC, Deus Ex was made after SS2 was made, so I can tell you if I was making DX, I'd say to myself "Wish I had some way to create a chokepoint in Engineering for those three hacked gun turrets of mine" Movable crates open up alot of interesting options. Chokepoints. Blocking passages completely. Getting to higher elevation points. Good places for conceal and cover, depending on the weapon being fired at you.

I'd make the security panels and control centers harder to get into, but more rewarding. For example, I'd make it really hard to get into a security room, but if you got into one, you could use the cameras to see whats moving and control some of the turrets manually.

I'd make a player get into a space suit and walk along the outer hull to accomplish certain missions.

I'd make a Holodeck level. That way you could take the player out of the SS2 universe but still accomplish the a specific goal. I.E. you go into a spoof Star Trek holodeck universe to accomplish a mission like tricking out the Xerxes system.

I'd create two elevator systems. One for passengers, and one for freight. That way if you needed a forklift on level 6 but its stuck on level 1, you'd have to hack the passenger elevator on level 1, go to 6, hack the freight elevators then go back down and get the forklift and go back up. That's backtracking that makes sense to me. Also it would be cool to run over some people with a forklift and impale a few hybrids with it. Or stack some explosive barrels on it, fix the steering wheel and making it a giant rolling crate of TNT to kill a boss character.

I'd also create a subsystem of tunnels like the Trek Jeffries tubes between the levels. That way elevators aren't so useful but also you put the character into some confined chokepoints for ambush.

I'd create a "Timer Level" where you have enemies cutting through a hull above to get to you, and you've got exactly one hour to prepare a defense. Except they get get in at three different points. So do you overload one spot? Or make three mediocre defensive positions?

I'd make a backpack, you can carry more stuff, but you run slower and get tired faster and are more prone to damage. Which I think creates all kind of interesting issues. Be in better shape but risk not having all the tools you could need? Or have everything you need but be a fat slow moving target.

I'd create a regular character to use. Then a fat guy. He runs slower. He reacts slower He fits into less of the body armor. If he uses food items to regenerate health too much, he gets fatter and the problems get worse. I'd also make a diabetic character. You gotta get insulin vials at every level in X amount of time or you go into shock and die. Of you randomly go into shock for 60 seconds every 15 minutes, but you don't know when its gonna happen. I'd make a short guy character, easier to hide, but harder to get into higher up bonus areas. Taller guys can explore more, but not in the tunnels like a short guy, and have a harder time with stealth.

I'd make the last weapon you get in the game a grenade launcher you attach onto your assault rifle. A mod add on. Changes the entire way you play but its worth the pursuit of it. I wouldn't make weapons fall apart every 12 shots, but I'd make magazines precious. Maybe a guy gets 5 mags total for his rifle. He's got plenty of bullets, but he has to hand load the mags. And no top filling reload by hitting R on the keyboard. You eject a mag with 5 rounds left, and you don't pick up that mag in a fight, that mag is gone until you come back for it. Makes you reconsider going into a huge firefight where you run and shoot but you have to leave mags behind in the frantic battle.

I'd have an option where you can interrogate or torture prisoners for information. Want a door code? Try to seduce a female prisoner. Or execute one guy out of three to get the other two to talk. But what if you cap the only one who had the code?

I'd want the main character to be a scumbag. In the computer emails and audio logs, you find out he's a wife beater and a deadbeat who doesn't pay child support and is an alcoholic. And he's not trying to escape and win for glory or honor. There's a big cash payout and if he escapes without the money, the intergalactic mob will kill him in the end anyway. Real life, even if you get off the Von Braun doesn't mean there are not consequences.

I'd have Xerxes and Shodan fighting it out the whole game. You come up a tunnel and there are bots and hybrids in a massive firefight. They will kill each other and you as well. Then again, strategy says you can lead them to each other to wipe themselves out for you in some areas. Each side tries to recruit you so you have three paths. One with Shodan, one with Xerxes, one for yourself.

I'd have audiologs about a woman finding out her husband is cheating and all the drama that ensues before the meltdown for the comedy of it. I'd make a section where you need another guy to help you finish a task, but your options are limited to 5 guys who developed deep space sickness and are mental health cases who each have a plus and a minus. I.E. one guy has no tactical common sense but is a great hacker. But another is a horrible hacker but has higher hit points/health/AI in general.

And finally, I'd let the character build booby traps and face them. Proximity explosives. Molotovs. Pressure sensitive mines. Razor wire across a door way with the lights intentionally busted out. Just tying a shotgun to a desktop and rigging the trigger to some rope. Imagine if you could take the 100 low quality nearly jammed shotguns and made traps with them. Might work, might not. What do you have to lose?

Basically I'd rework the entire gameplaying format to reward stealth and guerilla style warfare.

Cronos on 10/9/2006 at 08:43

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Since this back up top I think I'll add my two cents.

I'd like to see the Psi abilities improved. I want to see Cryokinesis quite literally freeze enemies in their tracks. I want to see Pyrokinesis light enemies on fire and watch with bloodthirsty glee as they run around screaming on fire.

I'd also like to see a few "Darker" aspects added to Psi, such as abilities which confuse enemies, make them loyal to you (IE, Cannon fodder) or drive them insane. I'd even like to see an ability where you could take control of an enemies mind and essentially control their actions. Of course if it breaks then the enemy knows exactly where you are and is rightfully pissed off.

I'd also like to see a wider branching campaign. As it stands currently SS2 could be viewed as but a single branch of what I'd like to see. There would be a "Tri-Op" branch where Goggles went Civvie and wound up as a chosen Avatar of the Many, complete with biological interface and a system dependent on worms instead of the humble CM. Branches would include Maintenance, Science, or Service Staff, equivalent (but not quite alike) to Navy, OSA and Marine.

Another branch would have Goggles fall in with the UNN Goodwill team on the rec dec, working with the rebellion. Admittedly it's a bit more social then what SS2 is normally but there would be a fairly natural progression towards the rebellion getting it's butt handed to it and you as the sole survivor fighting for humanity against Shodan and the many.

I'd also like to see more bioweaponry. As it stands I've never once touched any of the worm launchers in the game. They come too late in the game to be worth investing in (imho) especially since you've probably got your standard up to 6 by then.

I'd also like to see smokes increase your Psi at the cost of health and have several varied brands with varying levels of effectiveness. The best would be found in corporate execs rooms, whilst the least effective would be found in medsci and engineering. After all, why should the grunts get the good stuff?

I'd also like to see a more varied hybrid system. As it is the evolution of the many appears to be quite linear (Hybrid -> Rumbler -> Psi-Reaver). More and varied kinds of hybrids would be pance wettingly great to see. The Hybrids on Engineering, for instance, might be stronger and faster then the average hybrid, and would probably take more of a beating before they went down. The Hybrids on Hydro, however, have superior regenerative abilities and require you to pump a massive amount of damage into them as quickly as possible lest they regenerate the damage you just did in combat. And even then, they might just have a nasty habit of getting up after that beating and coming back for a second helping.

Ops/Command hybrids would set tricks and traps for your extreme displeasure, ambushes and the like and hang around locations you just cant keep away from.

Beyond that I'd like to actually see those Hunter Killer Hybrids mentioned by Shodan. They'd have to be truly terrifying to behold, tough as nails, and something that even with infinite ammo would be a tough call to bring down.

Yow! That went on for a lot longer then I anticipated =\ Better end it here before it becomes boring... crap.

Shevers on 10/9/2006 at 21:16

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I have to back that up - the logs system in SS1&2 was a massive part for me. I still remember looking all over the floors whenever I entered a new room in SS1, searching for one of those little blue logs. And SS2 carried it over perfectly.

iirc, Bioshock will have a similar system, so I'm looking forward to that in particular.

Kolya on 14/9/2006 at 03:30

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Xvid iirc.