Vraptor7 on 30/1/2010 at 16:09
There's a (
http://irrationalgames.com/insider/what-might-have-been/) new article over at the new Irrational Games website about the development of System Shock 2, and the kind of game it could have been.
Quote:
Zero-G vs. Technology
“Originally, the level that would become The Many had the player traverse from the Von Braun to The Rickenbacker on the outside of the hull,” says Levine. “We thought it would be a really cool mission because it would change everything the player was used to by introducing a zero gravity environment as well as changing the behavior of all the monsters.” The technology in 1998, when System Shock 2 was in development, really didn’t allow for such grandiose ideas unless it was a major feature in the game. Levine remembers chatting with Lead Programmer Robert Fermier to discuss the level and being told, “Dude that is going to be a huge amount of work for it to work properly.” A feature specific to only a single mission of the game didn’t fit into the schedule. Levine adds, “It was good that it got cut. If you don’t have the resources for it, you can’t make it that good.”
...
The End? Rewrite.
“Due to miscommunications or differing ideas, a different cinematic video was created from the one that I originally scripted,” says Levine. “It had this elaborate sequence where Shodan would attempt to kill you in a double-cross, as this ‘cyber stinger’ that was in view provided tension of your impending doom.” Upon getting his hands on the video for the ending sequence, Levine didn’t see anything that he wrote in the script. “We didn’t have much to work with. It was like when you look in the cupboard and you’re trying to make soup, and you have a bag of salt and couple of pinto beans.” Working with fixed assets can be extremely challenging especially with limited time and resources as well as fighting the technology back then. Levine remembers, “We had to write to the assets we had at that point, and all we could do was edit it. We completely ran out of time and that cut scene wasn’t the right ending for the game.”
Enchantermon on 30/1/2010 at 18:07
Interesting. I can definitely see how they would have worked that in with regards to the e-mails you get from Shodan on the Rick's bridge about the Many wrapping themselves around the ship. Too bad that idea didn't pan out.
Kolya on 31/1/2010 at 12:12
I remember Nameless also wanted to do ship hull walking in a mission once. Not too easy since the Dark Engine always puts the player camera upright so you'd have to turn the world around.
EDIT: It's a shame we don't have any missions that tie in with or expand the original game. Instead they're all standalone, though SS2 doesn't lend itself to that Thief approach at all.
ZylonBane on 31/1/2010 at 16:21
I'd love to see a remake of the Rickenbacker that kept all the same quests, logs, and major areas, but that redesigned the ship into a layout that actually makes sense.
And I've sometimes wondered why SS2 made zero user of teleporters, even though they were all over SS1, and the Dark Engine is perfectly capable of it.
Enchantermon on 31/1/2010 at 16:34
Quote Posted by ZylonBane
I'd love to see a remake of the Rickenbacker that kept all the same quests, logs, and major areas, but that redesigned the ship into a layout that actually makes sense.
Raph was working on one a while back, but he eventually dropped it. I agree that it would be pretty sweet. If If I could bring about changes to SS2, the two things I would do first would be redesign the Rickenbacker and greatly expand Where Am I? to include more of Citadel (and more nasty e-mails from Shodan).
Quote Posted by ZylonBane
And I've sometimes wondered why SS2 made zero user of teleporters, even though they were all over SS1, and the Dark Engine is perfectly capable of it.
Good question.
terrannova on 3/2/2010 at 01:51
Oh my word, new forums!
I miss the old ones. :D
Anyways, nice read there. Zero-G before Shattered Horizon, pretty cool concept in 1999.
Digital Nightfall on 3/2/2010 at 01:59
Quote Posted by terrannova
Zero-G before Shattered Horizon
SS1 Cyberspace, Descent, Descent 2, Descent 3... ;)
I'm wondering if I (or someone) should pester Ken to send us the original ending treatment. It would probably be no big deal for the fans to actually edit together the original ending he wanted and release it as a MOD. It might actually soften my dislike for SS2.
ZergMasterBaiter on 3/2/2010 at 02:01
“Originally, the level that would become The Many had the player traverse from the Von Braun to The Rickenbacker on the outside of the hull,”
Now that would have been cool! :D Still, sounds like Dead Space had somewhat picked up that idea.
Kolya on 3/2/2010 at 12:53
Quote Posted by Digital Nightfall
I'm wondering if I (or someone) should pester Ken to send us the original ending treatment.
Sign up on Irrational-Games.com and ask in their forums. Then you might get it, if he still has it.
Or at least an award for prudence.
