My first trip aboard the Von Braun... - by nicked
nicked on 2/10/2006 at 20:54
As a long term Thief player and FM author, I recently picked up a copy of System Shock 2 which I'd never played before, so I thought I'd amuse you veterans with my newbieness!
I've just done the bit where you have to flush the coolant tubes of radiation. Not sure how far in this is, but I imagine I've got quite a way to go yet! I'm really getting into the story, and the characters seem really well thought out. Although I'm getting a bit suspicious of Dr Polito - she's kinda mean and her voice sounds different to how it does on a MFD log I found of her! Maybe it's just her more urgent tone now that the ship is crawling with aliens... :weird:
I had a few Doh moments - at first I didn't get that you could use different ammo in the weapons, so I thought I was limited to just my wrench when I actually had a whole bunch of armour piercing bullets and anti-personnel shotgun shells. >_<
Got pretty freaked out when I first worked out what the hybrids were saying. As if they're still aware - "I'm sorry!" and "Kill me!"
Nasty.
Also got pretty lost at first until I realised I had access to a map! Hurrah! Took me until I found an O/S upgrade unit that had the option "The automap is always fully filled in for each deck". I suddenly thought "Hold on a mo... I have an automap???"
The cameras seem a bit stupider than Thief's cameras. They seem to take longer to turn red. Maybe I'm imagining it.
Saw a weird "vision", sort of ingame cutscene, showing a big tube of flesh and some weird monsters inside. The voice of the many talking to me. I'm betting I have to go into the nasty flesh tunnel near the end... :erg:
Bit confused - I thought the villain was Shodan, but it says she was destroyed by a hacker on Citadel (presumably the events of the first game). But then why is there a woman computer on the box...? Hmm, I sense a plot twist ahead...
My initial reaction overall is how influential this game was! I keep seeing things and having to remember that they probably weren't cliched at the time - that all the later games copied SS2! I keep seeing shades of Doom 3, hints of Deus Ex, and the odd smidgen of every RPG and FPS since.
Well hoepfully that made a few jaded veterans crack a smile. I am thoroughly enjoying my first ever journey through System Shock 2 and who knows, one day I might even decide to make a fan mission for it! :cheeky:
Bjossi on 2/10/2006 at 20:59
After reading your post, there will be quite a few surprises in both gameplay and storyline as you progress further. :)
And welcome aboard the Von Braun, enjoy your stay. :devil:
Shevers on 2/10/2006 at 22:09
Yeah, it's nice to see a newbie player every once in a while who gets the game the same way all the SS2 regulars do - I mean, the newbie logs (DrakViper's in particular iirc) prove that. We do love fresh blood. :p
Glad to see you're getting the storyline - I know I didn't grasp it so well on my first time through - although I can blame that one my age at the time, and that I hadn't played SS1. I've wondered a few times whether the story is really that confusing for everyone or if it was just those reasons that stumped me at first.
C0rtexReaver on 3/10/2006 at 03:08
I'd recommend you stay out of these forums. I'm not trying to be unfriendly, it's just that people are terrible with the spoilers here.
-CR
june gloom on 3/10/2006 at 03:14
you're absolutely right, nicked, i am grinning. you're having pretty much the same experience i did.
well, to be honest my first foray through SS2 once i had gotten it running did NOT go well... i made it all the way to the first zombie and quit. considering i was suffering from some kind of virus that had me flat on my ass for over a month, i suppose i could be forgiven for that.
came back to it a couple months later when i was better and had a freaking blast.
and yeah, people around here are pretty free with the spoilers, so i'd avoid hanging around here too much until you're done.
i will say this, big word of advice: late in the game you'll reach a gigantic crate after climbing about a mile of ladder. do NOT try to squeeze between the crate and the opening that it's blocking- you won't be able to go back. look around for a switch. i didn't do that and it ruined my first playthrough for me.
Bomb Bloke on 3/10/2006 at 14:41
Didn't someone say you could just drop your body armor, and use that to get high enough to get back up?
Don't forget to grab the shotgun shells the hybrids have in their busted guns. Also, you can place your own way points on that automap, which is handy if you get lost.
Blue Lightning on 9/10/2006 at 11:27
Quote Posted by Bomb Bloke
Don't forget to grab the shotgun shells the hybrids have in their busted guns.
After a while you get really quick at the actions - kill shotgun hybrid, right click, pickup shotgun, right click, unload, discard... :D
Bjossi on 9/10/2006 at 14:44
In certain situations you need use cover while doing that though. :p
nicked on 10/10/2006 at 21:17
lol, didn't realise you could get the ammo from discarded weapons! >_<
And OH MY GOODNESS! Just had that encounter. :wot:
Bjossi on 11/10/2006 at 08:39
You can probably get yourself dozens or even 100+ shells by emptying the broken shotguns that the hybrids carry. :)
