ThistleStudios on 15/1/2012 at 13:48
Greetings fellow TTLG and SShockers! A friend of mine and I have decided to make an unofficial sequel to System Shock 2 as a first project to a new game engine my friend is designing. I have some ideas down on how to segway from the ending to System Shock 2, where Rebecca is possessed by SHODAN 7 million miles from the Von Braun.
As for legal feasibility it is a non-commercial project. I want to combine elements of the first and second games together, and improve on some of the aspects of System Shock 2, such as the upgrading system using Cyber modules. Netplay is a priority for this one, as my friend and I have tried and failed repeatedly to continue off from our 8 hour marathon through the co-op.
So, how does this sound? Recommendations for any software to make 3D models and maps as well?
ZylonBane on 15/1/2012 at 16:37
Oh dear. Guess I'll handle this one.
Quote Posted by ThistleStudios
A friend of mine and I have decided to make an unofficial sequel to System Shock 2 as a first project to a new game engine my friend is designing.
This is, to be blunt, idiotically ambitious. Creating an entire game worthy of the System Shock name from scratch -- plot, engine, graphics, sounds, voicing, modeling, animation, scripting, etc -- with only two people, is pretty much impossible. Most people that show up here with ideas like this have the far more realistic ambition of "only" remaking System Shock 1 in an existing engine, and thus far 100% of them haven't progressed beyond mapping out half of Medical deck before giving up.
Quote:
I have some ideas down on how to segway from the ending to System Shock 2
The word is "segue". (
http://www.segway.com/) This is a Segway.
Quote:
As for legal feasibility it is a non-commercial project.
Hahahahahaha
NO. Do a little reading on the (
https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=foxing+mods) "foxing" of game mods. Non-commercial status is (
http://www.mpelletier.net/temp/dead_letter/) no protection.
Quote:
So, how does this sound?
Profoundly and literally clueless.
Quote:
Recommendations for any software to make 3D models and maps as well?
Your friend is creating the engine and you're asking for mapping software? WTF? Map creation is intrinsically tied to the engine that the maps will be running on. Unless he's planning on making his engine compatible with an existing map format, he's gonna be making his own map editor.
Look, what do you REALLY want? Do you want to play around with making your own FPS game? Or do you want to give back to the System Shock community? Because you can't do both.
Briareos H on 15/1/2012 at 16:45
And the last unofficial, non-profit System Shock sequel was C&Ded down by EA (search for Sapphire Scar).
ThistleStudios on 15/1/2012 at 18:36
*Sigh* I knew EA would have a problem with this. I discussed it with someone and they thought it should have been okay, but since EA owns all the intellectual properties of the System Shock series, they will shoot down anyone who even attempts to resurrect the series either officially or unofficially.
Stupidly ambitious yes, moronic too, considering my inexperience as a programmer but what if an end result did become of this? I guess an end result would result with a C&D for using the title and the continuing story from the last game with many of the elements from the two games joined... Is there any way a result can come about of this without a C&D from EA?
In response to your question ZylonBane, I DO want to give back to the community. The System Shock series deserves a third game, and even if it is made by two dopes with outrageous ambitions then so be it!
ZylonBane on 15/1/2012 at 19:06
Quote Posted by ThistleStudios
The System Shock series deserves a third game, and even if it is made by two dopes with outrageous ambitions then so be it!
This is equivalent to saying that SS deserves a
bad third game, which clearly it does not. If it's not made by Irrational, or some other company with a significant dose of Looking Glass DNA, it's not SS3.
What one or two people
can reasonably do is contribute to the SS2 modding/mapping community. Just look at all the mods (
http://www.systemshock.org/index.php?board=2.0) here.
Have you even played through (
http://www.zinkchristine.de/SystemShock2.html) Ponterbee Station yet?
ThistleStudios on 15/1/2012 at 19:53
Wish I could. I downloaded the mod and gave it a go, but the game crashes due to fault USER32.dll whenever I go in the conference room...
icemann on 23/1/2012 at 16:55
Well nothings stopping you & your friend from going and making some FM's. There's been a severe lack of them these days. Be good to play some new ones.
JediKorenchkin on 24/1/2012 at 22:37
Quote Posted by Briareos H
And the last unofficial, non-profit System Shock sequel was C&Ded down by EA (search for Sapphire Scar).
fetgalningen on 26/1/2012 at 19:07
There was this guy whose project in life was about deciphering the SS2 engine or some such. He were making random posts on a irregular basis concerning his/its progress with the scripting. Must have been criminally insane. What became of him?
Just link to his madman ramblings and it should deter anyone from starting such a project.
RocketMan on 30/1/2012 at 02:24
Thistle there is a solution if you are willing to be more realistic with your expectations. Using the ss2 editor to create a fan mission is perfectly legal. Since it's a fan mission and you're using the game's own technology and assets, you can call it what you want and do with it what you want (unless there's a caveat I'm missing here). You have to resign yourself to working with old tech but at least a big chunk of the work is already done (not that there isn't a huge amount left). There are already people engaged in several fan missions who you could collaborate with and you're far more likely to realize some sort of end product that way. I suggest you go along that path. Check in at SMA too as an additional resource.
