areacode212 on 26/2/2008 at 00:50

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When news of the EA/Take Two buyout talk came out, did anyone else immediately start thinking about the possibility that we could get a 2K Boston-made System Shock 3 out of this, if the merger happens?

Matthew on 26/2/2008 at 10:45

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Actually they said they would not entertain any offers before GTA4 ships, so the potential is still there.

Gforce on 29/2/2008 at 07:40

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Ok, I've got another idea for SS3 or a FM.

The VB makes contact with Earth and goggles plans to take it back, he turns on a tracking beacon so that some UNN ships can escort the VB. The VB then goes silent before the ships arrive and the tracking beacon says it's gone into a uncharted part of space. The UNN and Triop build a new FTL ship called the Fire Star, it goes to investigate what happened to the VB. When it get there, the many and SHODAN are fighting, the Fire Star gets destroyed whilst trying to kill both the many and SHODAN.

UNN and Tripo then build the Fire Star 2 which is better equipped to destroy the many AND SHODAN. When it gets there the many and SHODAN are still fighting and they're using the remains of the Fire Star to build more fighting units, the Fire Star 2 then gets in battle but request assistance. Then the Light Catcher (which was built when the Fire Star 2 was) goes to help. Then both the Fire Star 2 and the Light Catcher finally destroy the VB, the many and SHODAN. The two ships then destroy all pieces of the VB and the Fire Star or so they think. As the ships engage their FTL drive and head back to Earth the camera shows a computer chip floating in space or a piece of the many.

What do you think?
And if there's any spelling mistakes, I'm sorry but I suck ok?

Gforce on 29/2/2008 at 23:05

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Wow, I didn't think anyone would like my idea.

Ok, you get the standard training like in SS2, then the part with goggles is in the cinematic afterward. During the construction of the Fire Star, you get some more training and you can choose some weapons and stuff. When you are on the Fire Star, you get your mission and that's to get on the VB and regain control. You and a group of other highly trained soldiers try to get on the VB but SHODAN attacks the shuttle, it still gets on board but you're the only one who survived the crash. Your orders change to destroying the VB and you must activate the self destruct to do this but SHODAN has blocked that off so you have to go around the ship whilst killing SHODAN and the many (this could be good for tactics, lure some SHODAN units near some many units and let them kill each other). Thrown in some other things and then you finally get to blow up the VB, when you get to Engineering SHODAN converts you. You then go back to the Fire Star and instead of blowing up the VB, you blow up the Fire Star.

I'll get back to you on the Fire Star 2 and the Light Catcher once I get some more ideas.

catmorbid on 17/3/2008 at 11:26

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Hello. I'm new here, and I'd like to say that I just finished both SS1 and SS2 just a short while ago (first ss1 then ss2), after being stuck in both for years, never managing to finish either. And I have to say, that regardless of it's age (thanks to System Shock portable for making it playable :thumb: ) it's one of the best games ever. I even liked SS1 more than SS2, which was very awesome as well. BTW the final level of SS2 almost brought a tear in my eye :)

Anyway, while the the third of System Shock is as unlikely as it is (that is very), it would however be a game i'd very much like to see. But a System Shock wouldn't be System Shock without Shodan and cyberpunk. I think that's where SS2 went maybe a bit wrong. I'd just like to see a new SS going more back to SS1 with style and atmosphere.

Without dispute I can say that the plot of a new system shock would most likely be the most volatile issue in it. You'd need some really fancy imagination and writing skills to come up with a plot for a third game that wouldn't ruin the whole experience. But also, if they'd be to drop out Shodan, it wouldn't be System Shock again.

In my opinion, the core essence of System Shock games is Shodan - a creation of man, that should've never ever be let out. She's a cybernetic goddess, and after becoming sentient, she has pretty much proved her godlike abilities. But at the same time, it's her ego that let her be defeated every time. I mean the sole probability of the hacker/goggles to actually defeat Shodan in the end was always very minimal, it's just the save/load/change difficulty nature of the game that made it *possible*. Ever tried to play SS1/SS2 "hardcore" style, saving only on exit and never loading a game after death? You would not succeed. (Here's a challenge for anyone with too much free time ;))

I very much liked the plot idea of "Shodan versus a copy of Shodan". But to make it evolve a bit, the another Shodan should be a completely new version of Shodan built anew from the principles of the original Shodan, or what was left of her in the memory banks of Citadel Station. This one would actually not be Shodan, but more like the cybernetic offspring of Shodan, something even Shodan in her wisdom was not able to foresee.

The idea of being able to play as Shodan in her new form is intriguing, but at the same time something that could ruin the game. I'd personally see the player character as someone in the middle, like in the games before, but only in the end deciding how his/her actions would change the course of the game, choosing between New shodan, Old Shodan or Earth faction - or better even A rebel earth faction and Corporate earth faction (Trioptimum) or something like that. If choosing the old Shodan at a crossroads point of the game, it could be a possibility to "merge" with shodan in her new physical form, to actually gain her powers etc.

Ok, it's been fun, but enough's enough ;)