Looking glass, looking glass, on the wall...

Kefren on 12/2/2010 at 13:14

Who is the nerdiest of them all?

I was just walking home from work, listening to some SS2 MP3s instead of 'normal' music, and pondered how much of a nerd that makes me. And how much more nerdy some of the other forum members probably are. So lay your cards on the table: how nerdy are you when it comes to the System Shock games?

Do you have a poster of SHODAN above your bed? Did you learn to rollerskate so you could pretend you had a Turbo Motion Booster System? Did you seek out someone called Marie Delacroix to marry? Did you take up aikido and aim at getting a black belt, just so that when asked what grade you are, you could answer with 100% honesty 'I am shodan'?

I know some people play the games at regular intervals even now; others spend days hacking and editing game files and modding; some have SS ringtones and desktop themes; others create fiction and art based on their passions. What do you think makes you a System Shock nerd? [Note: nerd not being used in the pejorative sense.]

Some things that I've done that qualify me:

* Getting various System Shock stories and the manual properly bound with a cover at Lulu.
* Making an audio CD of all the SS1 logs and emails (also on my MP3 player).
* My MP3 player only has five playlists. One is for 'new music'; two are used by my girlfriend; the other two are the SS1 and SS2 soundtracks and fanmixes.
* Having a recurring fantasy that I will become a millionaire, buy the rights to System Shock, develop a third game and rebuild SS1 and SS2 in the new engine too so they can all be released together.

[Cyber modules may be awarded to insects showing the appropriate attitude.]

D'Arcy on 12/2/2010 at 15:53

* Playlists on my mp3 player with Shock music/remixes. One for SS1, and another one for SS2.

* Four copies of SS2 (one still sealed) and three of SS1, including the floppy disk version. Also, two I.C.E. Breaker books (with the maps).

* When I buy a new computer, after installing the OS, the very next thing I do is setting up SHODAN as my desktop wallpaper, changing the custom sounds to a System Shock theme (which always includes the 'Look at you, Hacker...' speech at startup) then installing and getting SS1 to run. Then SS2.

* SHODAN is also the wallpaper on my cellphone. The ringing tune is the Shock elevator music, and the incoming message sound is the TriOptimum chimes.

Kefren on 12/2/2010 at 16:06

D'Arcy: Also being such a dedicated and fair moderator for so long.
I've just uploaded you six cybernetic modules. Use the modules carefully... they're hard to come by.

Mercurius on 12/2/2010 at 17:14

Quote Posted by Kefren

Use the modules carefully... they're hard to come by.

It always amused me that right after she says that (or while, if you're fast), you find a bunch of cyber modules in some dead guy's pocket.

I have that VB screensaver on my main computer, always use the SS2 winamp theme and the SS2 album has a permanent place on my MP3 player (along with lovingly cropped custom album art). I subconsciously compare every game I play to SS2 in some manner. I end up playing the game at least twice a year.

My obsession is rather tame compared to your average Shocker though. Here's hoping we get some real lurid confessions in this thread.

Nameless Voice on 12/2/2010 at 18:51

Mmph, I'm fairly tame:

* Use the TriOptimium jingle set as my "new mail" sound.
* Have seven installations of SS2 / ShockEd on my hard disk.
* Maintain ADaOB.
* Have written custom scripts for a number of FMs and mods.
* Textured an entire deck of Citadel in ShockEd for CCP.
* Know an unhealthy slice of the game's dialogue by heart.
* Have often used the SS2 WinAmp theme.

Rainalkar on 12/2/2010 at 20:08

-Multiple playlists on System Shock on my computer and MP3
-4 installs of SS2 on my disk
-finished SS2 at least 15 times
-finished all FMs
-work on Alyamod

Enchantermon on 12/2/2010 at 21:28

* I had a custom SS2 theme on XP, with icons and sounds, but I haven't set it up in 7 yet.
* I would have the same sounds on my phone as D'Arcy has if I could.
* I was sad when I couldn't get the SS2 demo to work even when I have the full game installed.
* Project Lead (of a sort) and performer of other tasks for CCP.
* Voice-acted for Christine's UNN Nightwalker and Blaydes99's Return to the UNN.
* Global Mod on SBF.
* Beat SS2 on Impossible.
* Beat SS2 mêlée-only on Hard.
* Took screenshots for/wrote sections of a mêlée-only walkthrough.
* Started an SS2 fanfic.
* Pitched my concept for SS3 in a college Fundamentals of Game Design class including plot overview, gameplay mechanics, and a poster.

That's about it, I think. I don't know how many times I've played SS2 total, but it's probably around 10 or so.

Nameless Voice on 12/2/2010 at 21:36

Quote Posted by Enchantermon

* Beat SS2 on Impossible.
* Beat SS2 meleé-only on Hard.

Only on Hard?
I've done mêlée-only, psi-only, psi-sword only and pure Ghandi, all on Impossible. I guess I should add that to my list.

Enchantermon on 12/2/2010 at 21:43

Quote Posted by Nameless Voice

Only on Hard?

Yeah, I haven't had the guts to try it on Impossible yet. Every time I decide to, I keep thinking about the brain room on Hard and I end up chickening out. :erg:

Quote Posted by Nameless Voice

I've done mêlée-only, psi-only, psi-sword only and pure Ghandi, all on Impossible. I guess I should add that to my list.

Yeah, that's hardcore stuff.

rachel on 12/2/2010 at 23:05

Oh hey new forum style. Woah. :)

Anyway.

* Writing a fanfic telling Grassi and Delacroix's story before/while the player plays
* Writing (http://www.sshock2.com/fanworks/stories/genesis.zip) a fanfic linking Deus Ex and System Shock
* Taking part in (http://www.purkaiasoftware.net/) The Shock Project
* Starting several mods
* The jury will ignore that last item due to raph not actually finishing any single one of them
* Voice acted in Christine's FMs
* Created several wallpapers. (Well in those good ole days 1024x768 was wallpaper size)
* Made several SS2 XP theme icons for my PC, a SS2-inspired Blackbox theme and WinAmp skin
* Maintaining (http://www.lgclassics.net/) LG Classics
* Buying the SS1 ICE Breaker like ten years after Shock was released.
* Copying a playlist of SS1 and SS2 remixes on the iPod (who doesn't)
* Having a recurring fantasy that I will become a millionaire, buy the rights to System Shock, develop a third game and rebuild SS1 and SS2 in the new engine too so they can all be released together. (again, who doesn't)
* And just for laugh: (http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81162) this

Do I get a cookie? ;)

I also finished on Impossible once or twice but I'm not sure it qualifies tbh, after all we're all badass hardcore Shockers, no? That said I think whoever finished Shock 1 with all difficulty settings maxed out qualifies as Super Badass. Didn't they even add a time limit of just a few hours to complete the game?