System Shock 2 is better than Deus EX, more elaborate than any of the Thief games, scarier then Resident Evil and quite frankly more engrossing than the whole porn DVD collection of planet Earth. In short, it's a fantastic game. A brilliant one too. I mean, it's even got itself a Gamespot retrospective. Unfortunately though, what with being almost retro, its graphics have started to age and their late nineties 3D engine simply doesn't look that scary anymore. Oh, and WinXP, minor gameplay and sound problems have also managed to creep up.Taking into account that the developers won't be easily threatened into producing a nice System Shock 3 (let alone the publishers...), the only realistic solution for the horror-RPG-FPS fan is to drag System Shock 2 kicking and screaming into 2007. Give it a face lift. And an aspirin. How? By injecting it with the proper mods, add-ons and fixes obviously.
Start (yes, you, dear horror-RPG-FPS fan) with the latest official patch and a rather similar WinXP/2000 fix and only then move on to the much needed sound upgrade, via the SS2 DeepFriedBeer mod. Having a more stable and beefier sounding game, this should be the moment to reflect on life's intricacies, while simultaneously installing the excellent Straylight mod. This one fixes and rebalances a huge number of anomalies, discrepancies and bugs, all while staying true to the developers intentions.
As for hugely improved graphics, these can be achieved through the combined use of SHTUP's (Shock Texture Upgrade Project) high resolution textures and Rebirth's brand new detailed polygons. Oh, and by having one of those spanking new Pentium 3 ninja-PCs...
A Rebirth high-poly model
The SHTUP effectRelated @ Gnome's Lair: The Kipper and the Corpse, Starfox: Shadows of Lylat, Baldur's Gate I in high-res
Related Tags: System Shock 2, SS 2, Shodan, PC gaming, Mods, SS 2 mods, Mod, How-to, PC, Games, Free, Freeware, Game
How timely. I was just looking through game CDs this past weekend and thought about playing SS2. I almost never consider that with a FPS.
ReplyDeleteGreat info.
Thanks, great fictional MMO ;)
ReplyDeleteOh, and you're right, SS 2 is not an FPS, really. It does have some FPSy bits though...
Cheers!
..so close... and yet so far....pentium 3... huh!...
ReplyDelete(uses flashlight, looks into the back of his computer....)
what's a pentium 3 look like then...?
This makes me want to play the game.. I've been itching for a new game to play for a while now. Doom3 just wants to scare me too much :(
ReplyDeleteTime to grab that old copy of System Shock 2 from the bargain bin soon... hehehe. Thanks gnome!
ReplyDeleteseriously an amazing game. I can't wait for bioshock.
ReplyDeletegnome what is your email? I wanna ask you about some stuff on your site.
my email is
joehertler@gmail.com
Great mods, and a +1 Digg for you ;)
ReplyDeleteUhm, it's a big grey monolith usually. Oh, and Elderly, if you here it humming just leave... Dangerous stuff.
ReplyDeleteTash, welcome and cheers for the comment, but know that SS2 is scarier and way way (hugely, absolutely, etc) than DOOM. You will definitely enjoy it.
Welcome dear download munkey. Grab it, grab it.
Joe, mailed you.
Thanks for the dig rc and glad you enjoyed the post :)
Cheers for the comments guys!
Wow!
ReplyDeleteI gots my copy and I am ready to install as soon as I get home!
Awesome post! I can't wait to try this out!
Better than Deus Ex huh? I REALLY liked Deus Ex...
(A quick note: If anyone cannot find a copy of this game got to the home of the underdogs game website [Google home of the underdogs] and look up system shock.)
Well, uhm, yes, better than Deus Ex. Provided you're me of course, that is... Heh. No, really, it is a fantastic game and you will surely enjoy it dear Caleb. It's sublime as dear FK would say.
ReplyDeleteI think the Underdogs version is a CD-rip, no?
well, i still find Dues Ex better, though im not a fan of horror game, this game isnt as scary as fatal frame or other japan base horror, by rpg base, its fun but de2 is better .. IMO.,
ReplyDeleteEven though I have to disagree, no claims to objectivity will be made :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the kind words dan... Glad to see so many people still in love with this fantastic game...
ReplyDeleteBe sure to look for the upgraded "Rumbler" model - AFAIK, it wasn't in Beta 1 of the Rebirth project. It's freaky scary now :) Just seek it out in google.
ReplyDelete-Ed
Thanks for the tip Ed!
ReplyDeleteHey now, deus-ex was a bloody good game! Granted I enjoyed both titles, but if I had a choice, I'd go with deus-ex by far!
ReplyDeleteCurrent gen my ass. No real time lighting no bump mapping this ain't current gen at all. What a mis leading post.
ReplyDeleteLatest rebirth mod > http://www.strangebedfellows.de/index.php/topic,8.0.html <
ReplyDeleteAh, the anonimity of the internet...
ReplyDeleteAnonymous #1 Can't really disagree with you, as it obviously is a matter of tatse. Then again, Deus Ex is a brilliant game... Just prefer SS meself.
Anonymous #2 your eloquence leaves me speachless. Definitely not as impressive as your sense of humor though.
Anonymous #3 thanks for the link. Appreciate it.
Here's a question then: which is better . . . SS2 or the original? :)
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think the original was the better of the two in its respective context.
I had the same experience as guttertalk. I went with Dungeon Keeper 2 instead. But I agree not only is System Shock 2 one of my top 3 all time favorite games and quite possibly number 1, but it's one of my all time favorite things. Right up there with sex, chocolate and free food. It brought a tear of joy to my eye to know that there are people out there who so deeply respect this truly awesome title.
ReplyDeleteAs for Deus Ex, few people know that it is a sequel of a different title. The original was Robinson's Requiem. That was a great game too but very hard. I think the first time I played my eyes got pecked out by a bird and, blinded, I wandered off a cliff and died. But I wasn't long for the world as I had recently not worn a jacket in the rain and contracted a cold that turned into pneumonia.
Well, dear guttertalk, I would have to say it's SS2, despite lacking the imaginative cyberspace bits. I believe that the cleaning up of the interface did the game justice.
ReplyDeleteLee, I will agree with you on most issues (including the brilliance but cruelty of Robinson's Requiem), but I have to point out thar the sequel to Robinson's Requiem was Deus and not Deus Ex. :)
Hah, I've never been into scary games too much... tried playing the System Shock 2 demo (when it was still new) with a friend but we ended up quitting after just 10 minutes of play. AvP2 was out around the same time as well, definitely two of the all-time most scary games.
ReplyDeleteThen again, after playing that SS2 demo and AvP2 as a marine, well... let's just say I've never considered a game to be scary again. I considered FEAR to be creepy, but not really scary. Doom 3 wasn't even creepy. And I played both those games in the midst of night with my 6.1 surround sound system on... whereas I played SS2 and AvP2 in the midst of day with a stereo speaker set :p
I might be persuaded to give SS2 a try again, but I'm kind of short on time right now. Something to bookmark for the future eh ;)
Definitely so dear Droniac...
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for reminding me the brilliant AvP 2... Quite a game, even though playing as the Predator wasn't that scary really. Now, Doom 3 was just meh. FEAR I've yet to try in full. The demo did look interesting, I'll admit.
Cheers for the comment!
I used to love the old SS2 as a kid. I played Deus Ex for the first time about 4 years ago, and I absolutely loved it, a bit more than SS2.
ReplyDeleteDeus Ex: Invisible War was absolutely awful though, and I have played both the PC and Xbox versions. I can't remember a worse FPS experience for me (and it hardly qualifies as an RPG like DE and SS2).
I might have to re-install SS2 in a few weeks, and give these a go. While the few screenshots provided look like nothing compared to a modded-to-the-hilt Morrowind, they still might add a bit of a new sheen. Tis the patch that interests me most.
I love Patches.
Actually, after reading the post directly above mine, Doom 3 (and Quake 4, for that matter) were very below average in my opinion. FEAR is good though. The 360 port is one of the best-executed ports in ages.
ReplyDeleteYes, Doom 3, Deus Ex 2 and Quake 4 were all kind of ..uh.. boring. Totaly lacking in innovation and flair. Games that will definitely be soon forgotten.
ReplyDeleteUnlike Morrowind, of course. Or Oblivion for that matter. Oh, and glad you cared for the patch :)
I had a not-so-small problem: after installing Rebirth the spanner became invisible... and also stopped working as a weapon. Did anyone else have that problem?
ReplyDeleteNot me, no...
ReplyDeleteI had a problem with installing the patch. Since I couldn't find my copy of System Shock 2 around, I followed Caleb's suggestion and went to Home of the Underdogs. I installed it from that site. Then I downloaded all of the other patches and upgrades.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is when I try to run shkpatch.exe it says that it cannot find the System Shock 2 directory and it just gives up.
Can anyone help give me some suggestions on how to fix this? Thanks!
Not really, but did you check the installation notes over @ Underdogs?
ReplyDeleteNah, I didn't find any real info. I checked their forums, found a link to a thread on another forum that's about 40 pages long and hard to read through, tried some stuff that's listed there without any results.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I gather, the Underdog version is already patched. However I may be wrong about that. I'm not sure if it's patched for XP though. I tried using the XP patch but it wants the CD which I lost.
I can get into the main menu, but when I try to start a new game it crashes to the desktop. It might be that I need Divx 5 codec, which the Underdogs readme.txt suggests. I have the newest codec, and I can't imagine why I would need an older one.
...(returns to scene of chaos.....) bloody typical, how is it i always miss the crowds..... i suppose there's no bloody pizza left now.....
ReplyDeleteAwesome awesome awesome. I've read so much about SS2 but have always been turned off by how old/ugly it was. Now I've got no excuse to try it out. I'm just finishing Invisible War today. (Finally) While not as strong as Deus Ex IMO, it's a totally solid game that I've had a great time with. IW has deep characters and story, and it is much more fun to go apeshit and kill a bunch of people in than Deus Ex (in which I played a stealthy sniper who never had to engage anyone close range:) IW just seems a tad more shallow and the game world much truncated vs. Deus Ex. Either way, both are incredible games and I am ubar stoked to try the new, improved SS2!
ReplyDeleteYes indeedy, System Shock 2 is worthy of praise. Just the whole lack of human contact, aside from Dr. Polito, onboard a massive ship in deep space was enough to send shivers down my spine. Then there were the creepy cyborg midwives...
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone have any tips to make the game a little more demanding in multiplayer, config-wise?
zi11ion, wish I could help mate...
ReplyDelete(brings Elderly pizza, tequila and a nice copy of SS 2) Here! Enjoy!
Artpenguin, I most humbly agree with you, but do place greater emphasis on how deep a game is .... :)
Bob_e couldn't help you there. Not much of an online SS player really... And yes, the atmosphere was just fantastic. Shodan's voice too.
I managed to get that game to run(upplied all those patches youve listed), but now after finishing the 4-year training and watching "arriving on Von Braun ship" video, i always fall through the level :/
ReplyDeleteany clues?
(munch... gulp!...) thanksh Gnome... you know how to throw a party....
ReplyDeleteLooks like the Deepfriedbeer and Straylight mods are down (server down). Anyone know another place to get thse?
ReplyDeleteCould someone please post Deepfriedbeer and Straylight somewhere else ? Site seems to be permanently down. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteDash, you mean gameplay clues or tech ones?
ReplyDeleteHere, dear Elderly, some more beer perhaps? Finger food? Fingers?
Uhm have a look here anonymous:
http://games.moddb.com/66/system-shock-2/
The ModDB doesn't have the Deepfriedbeer or Straylight mods. I did some Googling and it looks like that forum is the only source of the mods (the files are stored on the forum server, according to google's cache). Better start the donations.
ReplyDeleteOh, dear. Well, it definitely is a charitable cause though.... :)
ReplyDeleteyes, traffic overload
ReplyDeletecan somebody upload it to rapidshare,megaupload or somewhere? please
Anyone manage to find a mirror for the mods? I just managed to get SS2 working on the desktop; I am anxious to try it with the spiffied up graphics.
ReplyDelete..(continues to enjoy Gnomes generous hospitality..... until he comes to a knuckle....)
ReplyDelete...that's put me right off. i can never understand why they dont do knuckleless finger food.......
Sorry, parachutes, haven't found anything yet, but as soon as I do I'll update the post.
ReplyDeleteLazy sods they are dear Elderly, lazy sods... Here, have a pure knuckleless finger.
try this: http://rapidshare.com/files/21192986/SS2yamalar.rar.html
ReplyDeleteDrat. Got the program installed, was rubbing my hands together with maniacal glee at the thought of another tour on the Von Braun, the program started up clean after all the mods... and it bombs to desktop when I start the game. Something about "Direct3d Device driver does not accurately report texture memory usage..." and goes on about updating drivers.
ReplyDeleteAnyone got any clues?
Thanks anonymous! Fine upload it seems.
ReplyDeleteDragonflight, didn't hav any problem like that. Sure you're not using the Underdogs version? Tried running the game after each patch/mod installation to see what's causing the trouble?
@Dragonflight:
ReplyDeleteCreate a user.cfg file in your primary game directory and add the line "safe_texture_manager" (no quotes). This will fix that problem.
I've got both the original, and the CD Classics release with the updated patch pre-added. What can I say? I must have played it five or six times... :)
ReplyDeleteOff to try that suggestion. Thanks!
{sigh} I think I'm just hosed. The mods all went in clean, but the game crashes at irregular intervals, for no apparent reason.
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering, what issue does the Windows XP modded version of the main executable do? I've noticed that when using the "CD classics" version of the game, the executable runs longer between crashes than the modded version, which is lucky to last two or three minutes between crashes.
Hi guys, I've been having most of the issues everyone here has and now I think I have her running stable.
ReplyDelete1) Grab version from underdogs
2) Add the safe_texture_manager command
3) This is the kicker, start system shock 2, while you are on the menu do ctrl-alt-del and bring up task manager and go under processes, find system shock and right click and choose set affinity. Then make it so that its only running on one procesor. Im guessing everyone here is running dual core machines and this seems to be a major factor in it crashing. Then alt-tab back in and the Von Braun is yours!
Cheers!
Thanks for the enlightment. Guess that's why I had no problems... I'm all single procesor here...
ReplyDeleteVerrry likely... Can't wait until I get home to try this out (Anyone looking at the time code, you really don't want to know what my shift is these days. :P )
ReplyDeleteMy system's a dual-core machine, so yes, that might fix it. More on that later.
Good luck mate, we're all behind you...
ReplyDelete(gets behind dragonflight)
Oh, and stop the long hours... :)
If you're running Vista, you can set Processor Affinity from the command line (or a batch file, etc...)
ReplyDelete"start /affinity ## shock2.exe"
Where ## is 01 or 02. I just played for about 1/2 with no lock ups, which was a feat. I suspect this will work for several older programs.
Excellent thanks for the tip. Hope them Vista early adopters put it to good use... :)
ReplyDeleteHow I made System Shock 2 version Home of the Underdogs to run in Windows XP:
ReplyDelete- Machine: PIII 800 Mhz, 512 MB RAM, video onboard SIS 630/730, sound SIS 7018.
- Problem: SS2 install and run fine and the main menu is shown, but goes to the black screen when you start a new game.
- Solution steps:
1 - put the line safe_texture_manager in the files cam.cfg and shock.cfg.
2 - install the SS2 in C:\games\sshock2, that is the standard directory for installation.
I wish to write this in the TTLG forums, but the moderators dont like references to warez versions of SS2! Good luck!
Excellent info, info thanks. Oh, and SS2can't be considered warez, it's abandonware...
ReplyDeleteAh! More one thing - the file install.cfg must have this:
ReplyDeletecd_path C:\games\system shock 2
install_path C:\games\system shock 2
language english
resname_base .+.\RES
load_path C:\games\system shock 2
script_module_path C:\games\system shock 2
movie_path C:\games\system shock 2\cutscenes
This is after to use the Zombie's Mod Manager, it change the directory of resname_base .\RES for resname_base .+.\RES
Brilliant, just brilliant...
ReplyDeleteDragonflight:
ReplyDeleteThe "XP Modded" executable is simply the v2.3 (patched) executable with the safedisc copy protection removed. You can search for unsafedisc 1.5.5 and do it yourself. It seems the copy protection, being old, does not like XP. There is a no cd patcher for that unwrapped exe which you can find on GCW
All: There seems to be a lot of issues with this game on XP. It installs and runs 100% on my home pc, on the Dell work pc it won't install, and on the other one, crashes after the advanced training is completed.
Try placing sfx_no_asynch_all 1 in cam.cfg if the game keeps crashing to the black screen.
ReplyDeleteSorry for anonymous, will get sorted soon.
ReplyDeleteGreat info, I've recently tried playing SS2, restarted it 2 or 3 times after 'fritzing' - go into inventory/open container/ change itmes caused program error. Now it seem to be blocked at deck 5, garden bulkhead. it claims to be saving, starts the %transfer, then errors. this is with 'Thinstall' version, the underdogs wouldn't run for me at all. I'm going to try to get the orginal full game and try all the patches/updates/cfg file amendments listed here to and see how that goes.
One thing, this game is that good it's not bothering me to redo whole chunks - hey, it's RPG, I make a different character each time. I've go to finish it though.
Юрчик хочет обновление на игру.
ReplyDeleteГотов отсосать только скажите где его взять...
I tried using the safe_texture_manager trick, but it still gave me the same error, so i tried setting shock2.exe to run in Windows 98 compatibility, and that made it work.
ReplyDeleteGreat reading through all these mesages, will be moving onto SS2 soon, but at the moment, have just, with the help of TTLG forums, got my original Sysyem Shock 1 working in all it's glory on my 2.4ghz XP Pro SP2 machine!!! :)
ReplyDeleteI know there has been talk here of not playing SS2 because of the graphics, and obviously SS1 graphics are going to be even poorer, relatively speaking, but I really do urge you to try the original game! Trust me, with all great classic games of the past, the 640x480 SVGA graphics disappear in your minds eye and you get drawn into the fantastic gamplay and story that is System Shock! As you play, the graphics come to life, the sounds expertly play on your senses and once you have been scared to death a couple times by cyborgs and heard a few of the plaintive message left my dead crewmembers you will be hooked and gagging to continue the story then coming onto forums like this and telling the world about how great it is! Doubt me? Go to the Gamespy Hall of Fame section and search for System Shock to find out how truly great this game is alongside SS2! :) And by the way, thanks Gnome and everyone for the links and hints for SS2 on XP! :)
Thanks for dropping in uk_john and for a most interesting comment. Apparently I fully agree. The original System Shock with its amazing cyberspace sequences is definitely worth playing.
ReplyDeleteCheers!
Note about the Underdog version.
ReplyDeleteWhen you run the game. Do as told by Guducho, however, check the install directory. For some reason some forms of the underdog version point at "." or "E:\", which is not what we want.
Oh, and obviously Guducho meant to point to the sshock2 folder he told us to create in his earlier comment. Incase there is any confusion from that.
(*Was confused*)
i found a fix that works on win xp to view cutscenes. go to
ReplyDeletehttp://www.free-codecs.com/Indeo_Codec_download.htm
and dl the codec, install it, then run ss2... click the intro to test if it worked. it worked for me, so i hope this is of some help
I agree with you, gnome... i liked Dues Ex a lot, but System Shock 2 is my second favorite game of all time (a ways behind starcraft). I think that it is the horror and Sci-fi aspect of it, as well as the slightly superior gameplay, that make me enjoy it more than Dues Ex.
ReplyDeleteActually, the only thing that Deus Ex does better is conveying the feeling you can suit the plot to your whims... Thanks for dropping by canuck!
ReplyDeleteIf you can help with a bug... I have XP, and it installs fine, but when I am in the inventory menu in the game, I cannot use my left mouse button. It is bound to attack in the inventory menu, even if i change the key bindings. This makes it impossible even to use the fist power cell and go anywhere in the game. If you have any ideas, I'd be grateful. I have tried reinstalling, using patches, using no patches, running in windows 98/2k compatability modes, and upgrading my graphics card drivers.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the nice post!b
ReplyDeleteSo...much...to...do. There's so many things you can do to fix the game. But I've found that it's a 50/50 chance. I've tried the game on 4 identicale systems and it only works on one. So ive found either it works or it doesnt. period. So cheers!
ReplyDelete(Sends and army of Replicators after everyone to kill them)
Here you can find a fix for the broken use/shoot mode problem.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.strangebedfellows.de/index.php/topic,78.0.html
Don't miss the System Shock 2 Mod Manager that will install the latest patch, and easily add in all the mods you so helpfully found for us.
ReplyDeleteNo, SS2 is not better than Deus Ex. Not for me.
ReplyDeleteI love SS2, but I love much more Dx. The incredible plot, the intelligent, thoughtfull dialogue dialogue (DX is one of the very few games that made me think about important things in real life), the moral choices here and there, character interaction... DX really strives to be a reality simulation, and I just love that.
Besides SS2 offers you "only" (completely) different characters builds to do things always in the same path through the ship (as a side note, I have to say that I love the persistent world). In DX you can have different character customizations and different ways to reach your objective in the large game environments. The first mission is a great example, you can reach the NSF commander though a number of ways (talk or not talk with Filben, use the password or hack the security terminals or just ignore it and use the crates to get up there - also there is te secondary objective to rescue (or not!) the german mech). And in the end of the mission you can choose if you kill the commander or not (a moral choice! I love that) and it changes how some characters react to you.
Me again :)
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to complement my thoughts. While in SS2 you actually have more options to create different characters than DX, the path through the starship is always the same, very, very linear, you always have to do things in a predetermined order.
In DX, despite your skill choiches, many missions, as I said, offers different ways to be finished that do not depend only of your skills choices, and it gives the sensation (or illusion :D ) that it is more "realistic".
Oh, and I feel lonely in SS2. I DO miss some NPCs... It is quite convenient for the devs to only use audio logs as a way to present the plot.
Still, both great games :) Cheers.
Straylight link is broken.
ReplyDeleteny how if an RPG type game has guns, lasers, etc, people get confused about whether it's an RPG or an FPS. People talk about the 'shooty bits', etc. Now then, did anyone get confused with oblivion or The Witcher, or the Ultima Undergrounds or the Wizardry games? No, because they came with swords rather than guns. So the fact that games like SS2 and Fallout 3 use lasers and rifles does NOT make them FPSRPG's, They are RPG's plain and simple. Just like those with swords. Sci-Fi RPG's do not have 'shooty bits' anymore than fantasy RPG's have 'swordy bits'!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is all the mods I spent 2 days on Google looking for in one link. Pro work here, and obviously written by a true fan.
ReplyDeleteThough I've heard rumors of SS3...
Thank you for the kind words dear Pariah. Wish I had heard such rumours myself. All I know is that Deus Ex 3 already has a trailer.
ReplyDeleteGreat mods, but I'm wishing I hadn't played it with the rebirth mod on my first playthrough. I finally bought this game recently and played it for the first time with all of these mods. They're all pretty cool, but the rebirth mod takes away from the scare factor alot. The original models may be severely outdated, but they're also creepy as hell.
ReplyDeleteI think I agree.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review I may give this a try.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
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ReplyDelete