catbarf on 20/9/2007 at 11:02
Quote Posted by cosmicnut
This one could be fun.
The VB, with its FTL drive disabled, finally arrives home, crew in cryostatis.
They ALL wake up to see what happened to earth.
In the years the VB was missing, parts of citadel station have made it to earth, including part of SHODANs processors.
Found by a young scientist, he experiments with the "ancient" technology and gets it working.
SHODAN escapes from the scientist and on to the net.
The scientist realises his mistake and helps a large group of people escape to a small lunar base. Those left on earth are either dead, mutated or cyborgised, similar to citadel.
The survivors, mostly scientist create a massive missile system that protects them.
When the VB arraived, SHODAN is just about to launch an assult that will destroy the last of the "original" humans.....
You can then have SHODAN fighting SHODAN, each saying they are the original SHODAN and the other is the copy.
It could be fun to develop the VB SHODAN into something new. She could be "Stuck" in Rebekka. Able to control machines but unable to leave. The human mind is still the most powerfull "computer" and she has expanded to fill it. Now she's too big to go back into her "box". It also makes her vunerable and allows the character to empathise with humanity.
Will she choose to be a disembodied god... or an emperor, physically guiding her people!
Either way we are scr**ed!
Best!
Plot!
Idea!
Ever!
Seriously, that is good, I like it!
JohnnyTheWolf on 20/9/2007 at 12:18
So, your idea is to make Rebecca Siddons... er... SHODAN the main playable character?
Interesting, very interesting...
Angel Dust on 20/9/2007 at 13:36
Thats a very cool idea cosmicnut! :thumb:
elkston on 20/9/2007 at 16:14
Quote Posted by Angel Dust
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Really I just want more games with SS2 like gameplay. I love Shodan as character but I don't want her to turn into some Freddie Kreugur/Jason type perpetual villian which is most likely what will happen if continued sequels are made.
This is how I feel. I don't really
need SHODAN to be in the adventure. I just desire the same kind of RPG/Shooter/Free Exploration gameplay.
"System Shock" is about the breakdown of infrastructure and/or humanity in some way. The culprit could be technology gone awry or something else entirely. We just need some kind of event that has us teetering on catastrophe and an adventure to prevent it.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. was soo close. If they had only made it more "RPG"....
Angel Dust on 20/9/2007 at 16:20
For me the main problem with STALKER was the generic vibe to the characters and quests. The locations were great but there was no life there infact in kind of felt like an Elder Scrolls game at times.
I actually thought the developers did a good job at giving you an RPG like feeling of character progression by a combination of better gear and the skills you get from playing.
elkston on 20/9/2007 at 20:45
Quote Posted by Angel Dust
For me the main problem with STALKER was the generic vibe to the characters and quests. The locations were great but there was no life there infact in kind of felt like an Elder Scrolls game at times.
Yeah dude, I agree with this. My "more RPG" statement is just a lazy way of saying I wanted more detailed characters, unique quests, and a more stat-based development system.
Otherwise, they got everything else right -- the level design, AI, items, combat, and even an intriguing mythology behind the zone and the "wish granter".
Sorry to go off topic ....
William Dojinn on 21/9/2007 at 18:26
Quote Posted by JohnnyTheWolf
So, your idea is to make Rebecca Siddons... er... SHODAN the main playable character?
Interesting, very interesting...
Its been suggested before. As before though I have to say I love the idea of seeing SHODAN forced, due to being stuck in rebecca, to come to terms with humanity's strengths. Add in the fact another SHODAN is trying to kill the 'degnerate worm' that's pretending to BE her.
Also I don't know about the idea of more bits of citadel shoing up. However I could easily see somebody installing the data wafer on a networked machine. You know, the wafer that got shodan going on the VB.
Problem is, by the third showing of a villain the scare factor tends to get lost due to the fact its a case of 'oh well *BLAM* its over and done with...for now'. we need NEW villains. Why not explor the fact that Trioptimum is now headless(as korenchken was the head of triopt). Waht would they have done in the interum?
Yellow on 21/9/2007 at 23:55
Quote Posted by cosmicnut
You can then have SHODAN fighting SHODAN, each saying they are the original SHODAN and the other is the copy.
One of my abandoned FMs used this premise except with three versions of SHODAN running around. Problem was that the denouncement played out like a screwball version of 'Spartacus' - 'I'm SHODAN!' 'No, *I'm* SHODAN!' etc. Hence abandoned.
cosmicnut on 24/9/2007 at 08:53
It all depends on how you write the plot.
Yes, SHODAN will not be as "scary" as before. No matter what you write you can't recapture that. Everyone whos seen all 3 terminator movies knows that. In fact the TX in the last film wasn't really scary at all.
One thing that Bioshock does well is the moral choice to harvest / free the little sisters. My first runthrough was as a "Good Guy". Now I'm harvesting all the way baby! It wasn't until my 3rd harvest that the "What the hell am I doing!" moment happened.
The best scare is not, "How scary is the enemy?", it's "How scary am I?".
You can have your choices effect the SHODAN Persona. Be too human and Rebekka will force through. Great for Tommy but you'll loose some of you control over machines. Use your abilities too much and SHODAN will emerge. You'll be super powerful but you'll have to hurt everyone else to do it.
As for sparticus. The other SHODAN will see Reb/SHO as a corrupt pattern and try to erase it. Reb/SHO will be doing a hacker/goggles and just try to survive. You can make that part of the story, but just a part. If you don't have every conversation ending "I'm SHODAN", "No I'm SHODAN" it'll get silly. SHODAN is very manipulative. You could have some really cool psychological debates with it. Each trying to convince the other that no matter who is the real SHODAN their point of view is right
Yes, the wafer landing would be a tough explain. Of couse, thats if you believe it was an accident........
It may have landed years ago. It may have lain dorment, hiding in TriOps servers. It may have helped with the design of the VB. It could even have influenced the crew selections and destination. SHODAN knew the direction the grove took. Why not let the humans, bring her soldiers to her.
Of course when it failed to return, plan B
William Dojinn on 24/9/2007 at 13:42
Makes sense. Its actually something I'd enjoy seeing in a game as you'd have conflict on how the player acts(Do I ascend to the throne of a God, or do I merely fight for my continued existance?). The thing is the end scenerio HAS to have more tha na black/white theme to it since I hate the idea of either being a little goody two-shoes, or the reincarnation of Hitler. I want shades of grey here as no matter what Reb/dan will NOT be content to just hide in the background.
It would be nice if after the credits the screen goes black then you hear. "I AM SHODAN!" then nothing. You know, to reenforce that reguardless of your path, the monster of citadel still lives.
