I thought SHODAN was a much better villain in SS1 (reminds me I need to check out the remake..) I thought The Many was in many ways a much scarier enemy than Shodan in SS2, maybe because Shodan was kind of familiar by that point. Regardless, SS2 is one of my GOATs. LOVE!

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2023-11-28, 15:44:

bobsmith wrote on 2023-11-28, 15:07:

Beat Deus Ex for the first time. Extremely impressive, cannot believe I've never played it before.

Deus Ex is indeed a masterpiece, and has stood the test of time quite well. The graphics may be outdated, and they weren't so great even back then, but pretty much everything else in that game is still awesome.

I should (and will!) definitely try it, having heard so much positivity about it.

For now - I'm playing Jazz Jackrabbit 2: The Secret Files on a Thinkpad A31p with a 22-year old 15" IPS screen that ghosts like hell. It is quite the experience.

dr_st wrote on 2023-11-29, 17:15:

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2023-11-28, 15:44:

Deus Ex is indeed a masterpiece, and has stood the test of time quite well. The graphics may be outdated, and they weren't so great even back then, but pretty much everything else in that game is still awesome.

I should (and will!) definitely try it, having heard so much positivity about it.

Deus Ex is one of my favorite games and I highly recommend it.

If you want to play it on a retro system, makes sure that your CPU is at least 1 GHz or faster. Some of the larger maps need a lot of processing power to run smoothly. The first level of the game (Liberty Island) is a good example of this.

Man, I have so many games I want to get to, but now you guys are making me want to play Deus Ex again. I remember at the time it was a whole vibe, that I think lasted until the sequel kind of killed it. The early 2000's internet went all in on Deus Ex in a way that's hard to imagine these days. It was everywhere.

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2023-11-29, 11:09:

appiah4 wrote on 2023-11-29, 10:59:

Flamesuit ON: System Shock 2 is everything Deus Ex is and more.

I don't think you'll get much argument on that. Most people who like Deus Ex also enjoy System Shock 2 and vice versa.

Personally, I'm slightly more fond of Deus Ex because its setting better suits my tastes, and also because it doesn't have respawning enemies. But I have to say, the Deus Ex bad guys pale in comparison to the nightmare that is SHODAN.

really i thought shodan was sexy

I recently played through the three bonus missions of the original Splinter Cell that were added by official patch 1.3. Props to Ubisoft of old for giving away content for free. The Ubisoft of today would likely charge $5 per mission and require a permanent internet connection to play through them, despite this stuff being purely single-player.

Anyway, the missions are pretty decent for a freebie. They can be quite challenging, which makes them a good fit for Splinter Cell veterans. Plot wise, you end up going after the last remnants of the bad guys from the main game. This includes locating the hacker who was responsible for the IT attacks and infiltrating a stolen submarine.

There's about 2-3 hours of extra content here and it's pretty solid. It even features some new voice overs by the main cast, which is always appreciated. Good stuff.

I don't know why, but I've always had a bias against Deus Ex, even though I loved SS2. I own it and have played the first 15 minutes of the game several times. I think it probably has something to do with the Neo-esc protagonist's trenchcoat and shades even though he's running around at night. It screams "I'm so cool I favor form over function" which is a turn-off to me in real life. People who try to make a statement by wearing 'cool' clothing in completely inappropriate situations. Like wearing trenchcoats in 90 degree weather, dark shades at night, or a t-shirt with some attention-grabbing statement in full-on winter weather. Dude is freezing his ass off so he can make his statement.

I'm sure if I could get over that bias, I'd completely enjoy Deus Ex... 🤣

I've started 'SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated.' So far, I've collected a bunch of dirty socks and some clean underwear... but I'm still out of bubblegum.

clueless1 wrote on 2023-11-29, 23:09:

I don't know why, but I've always had a bias against Deus Ex, even though I loved SS2. I own it and have played the first 15 minutes of the game several times. I think it probably has something to do with the Neo-esc protagonist's trenchcoat and shades even though he's running around at night.

If it's the trenchcoat and shades that bother you there's probably not much you can do (though didn't the game let you choose between a few faces and not all of them have shades, been a while?), but as a side note I've never been a huge fan of the first level. I actually shrugged the game off the first time I tried it, wondering why some people like this boring crap. Few years later after constantly seeing praise for the game I went back to it to see what on earth people were fussing about, powered through the first level and now the game is one of my all time favorites.

So unless you are sure it's the Matrix look that rubs you the wrong way I'd strongly recommend pushing through the beginning, the game gets so much better after that and it really does deserve all the praise.

I don't personally see much point comparing Deus Ex and System Shock 2, they definitely have their similarities but in the end are very different experiences and I love them both to bits.

clueless1 wrote on 2023-11-29, 23:09:

I don't know why, but I've always had a bias against Deus Ex, even though I loved SS2. I own it and have played the first 15 minutes of the game several times. I think it probably has something to do with the Neo-esc protagonist's trenchcoat and shades even though he's running around at night. It screams "I'm so cool I favor form over function" which is a turn-off to me in real life. People who try to make a statement by wearing 'cool' clothing in completely inappropriate situations. Like wearing trenchcoats in 90 degree weather, dark shades at night, or a t-shirt with some attention-grabbing statement in full-on winter weather. Dude is freezing his ass off so he can make his statement.

I'm sure if I could get over that bias, I'd completely enjoy Deus Ex... 🤣

I searched for a face texture mod and found this:

https://old.reddit.com/r/Deusex/comments/jfme … mization_guide/

Maybe that would work for you? Deus Ex has to be one of the jankiest games I've played, but it's still one of my all-time favorites. The writing is excellent and, despite it's age, it allows you to be more creative than most modern games.

Beneath a Steel Sky looks interesting, giving it a try

vmr_ wrote on 2023-11-30, 21:50:

Beneath a Steel Sky looks interesting, giving it a try

If you're into old school point and click adventures, it's one of the better ones. Really cool world they built too.

Speaking of point and click adventures, do you guys still have the patience to play them without a walkthrough? I have to admit that I've lost the patience for them. As a kid, I spent hours just trying to figure out how to leave the garbage ship in Space Quest III. Today, I'd probably cheat after 15 minutes of getting nowhere.

Ensign Nemo wrote on 2023-12-01, 02:51:

Speaking of point and click adventures, do you guys still have the patience to play them without a walkthrough? I have to admit that I've lost the patience for them. As a kid, I spent hours just trying to figure out how to leave the garbage ship in Space Quest III. Today, I'd probably cheat after 15 minutes of getting nowhere.

It depends. If it's a game I've never played before, I'll give it a real shot without a walkthrough. But if I get stuck for more than a few hours, I don't shy away from looking up hints or walkthroughs.

If it's a game I have played before and I can't remember how to get through a particular part, I'll usually look up a walkthrough right away.

clueless1 wrote on 2023-11-29, 23:09:

I don't know why, but I've always had a bias against Deus Ex, even though I loved SS2. I own it and have played the first 15 minutes of the game several times. I think it probably has something to do with the Neo-esc protagonist's trenchcoat and shades even though he's running around at night. It screams "I'm so cool I favor form over function" which is a turn-off to me in real life. People who try to make a statement by wearing 'cool' clothing in completely inappropriate situations. Like wearing trenchcoats in 90 degree weather, dark shades at night, or a t-shirt with some attention-grabbing statement in full-on winter weather. Dude is freezing his ass off so he can make his statement.

I'm sure if I could get over that bias, I'd completely enjoy Deus Ex... 🤣

This is probably heresy, but I've always felt that Deus Ex is overrated. And especially these days with the evolution of immersive sim and open world games, it just feels pretty primitive, but not in a good nostalgic sort of way. Its dated Matrix-inspired 90s post-cyberpunk aesthetic doesn't help.

It does have a great soundtrack though...

But between System Shock 2 and Deus Ex, I'll take the former any day.

Ensign Nemo wrote on 2023-12-01, 02:51:

Speaking of point and click adventures, do you guys still have the patience to play them without a walkthrough? I have to admit that I've lost the patience for them. As a kid, I spent hours just trying to figure out how to leave the garbage ship in Space Quest III. Today, I'd probably cheat after 15 minutes of getting nowhere.

I still play a lot of them this way.. I am going to start Erica Reed or Thimbleweed Park next.

appiah4 wrote on 2023-12-01, 05:53:

Ensign Nemo wrote on 2023-12-01, 02:51:

Speaking of point and click adventures, do you guys still have the patience to play them without a walkthrough? I have to admit that I've lost the patience for them. As a kid, I spent hours just trying to figure out how to leave the garbage ship in Space Quest III. Today, I'd probably cheat after 15 minutes of getting nowhere.

I still play a lot of them this way.. I am going to start Erica Reed or Thimbleweed Park next.

What about some of the older Sierra games? The more recent adventures games usually fairly straightforward, but they punished the player in the 80s. Those are the types where I won't even bother trying to figure out on my own. I get frustrated too easily now.

My last Maniac Mansion 100%'ing I only struggled to remember how to put the stamps on.

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2023-11-29, 18:43:

If you want to play it on a retro system, makes sure that your CPU is at least 1 GHz or faster. Some of the larger maps need a lot of processing power to run smoothly. The first level of the game (Liberty Island) is a good example of this.

Thanks for the tip. It will most likely be at least a Pentium 4, or a Core 2 Duo. Seems I can even get widescreen resolution support with something called Deus Exe.

Ensign Nemo wrote on 2023-12-01, 06:22:

appiah4 wrote on 2023-12-01, 05:53:

Ensign Nemo wrote on 2023-12-01, 02:51:

Speaking of point and click adventures, do you guys still have the patience to play them without a walkthrough? I have to admit that I've lost the patience for them. As a kid, I spent hours just trying to figure out how to leave the garbage ship in Space Quest III. Today, I'd probably cheat after 15 minutes of getting nowhere.

I still play a lot of them this way.. I am going to start Erica Reed or Thimbleweed Park next.

What about some of the older Sierra games? The more recent adventures games usually fairly straightforward, but they punished the player in the 80s. Those are the types where I won't even bother trying to figure out on my own. I get frustrated too easily now.

Some of them are outright impossible. Police Quest II is one of my fondest Sierra adventures for example, the writing is excellent and it made me really feel like a cop (I never managed to get into PQ1 because the graphics and driving gameplay was basically balls even by the time I got my Amiga) BUT there is, for example, a diving section in the game where short of being a certified SCUBA diver yourself you will never get through alive.. Sierra games, particularly the early Quest games, really embraced longevity through obscurity in some cases and I can't honestly say I've braved them without hints. To make matters worse, you can often stumble into unwinnable situations without even realizing it (I'm looking at you King's Quest 4.. I love you man, but seriously, FUCK YOU!). The only early Sierra games that I managed to beat by myself are the Leisure Suit Larry series 1-2-3 I believe.