tincup wrote:

Will a retail digital version be available for non KS supporters when the game is released? I would think so but KS promotions can be a bit vague on the subject - at least in the board game side of world they are.

So far these KS projects mostly end up on Steam (DRM) and/or GoG (no-DRM). I'm pretty sure this will be available as well.

First time I've ever funded a KS project. Went all out, baby! Get to be in the closed beta! This is about the only game I'd ever do that for, though. Probably my favorite game of all time, and only game I finished twice.

Dominus wrote:

tincup wrote:

Will a retail digital version be available for non KS supporters when the game is released? I would think so but KS promotions can be a bit vague on the subject - at least in the board game side of world they are.

So far these KS projects mostly end up on Steam (DRM) and/or GoG (no-DRM). I'm pretty sure this will be available as well.

If there is a GoG version, which is DRM free, is there anything to prevent the user from copying the installation file to a recordable DVD or Blu-ray disc?

Great Hierophant wrote:

Dominus wrote:

tincup wrote:

Will a retail digital version be available for non KS supporters when the game is released? I would think so but KS promotions can be a bit vague on the subject - at least in the board game side of world they are.

So far these KS projects mostly end up on Steam (DRM) and/or GoG (no-DRM). I'm pretty sure this will be available as well.

If there is a GoG version, which is DRM free, is there anything to prevent the user from copying the installation file to a recordable DVD or Blu-ray disc?

Nope. With my GOG games, I install them on multiple systems (which I all own) all the time. I believe their license states this can be done as long as it's played only on one system at a time.

edit: Here is the official word:

Can I enjoy my purchases both on my laptop and desktop computer at home?
Yes. We do not limit the number of installations or reinstallations, as long as you install your purchased games on computers in your household. So yeah, if you've got a render-farm in the basement, you might actually break the world record for the number of legal Witcher installations in one household. However, if you think about installing your game on a friend's machine or sharing it with others then please don't do it, okay?

From item #9 here:
https://www.gog.com/support/website_help/downloads_and_games

That deserves respect.

So I finally got to play through the demo. The feel, atmosphere, etc. is spot on. It definitely gives you that warm, goosebumpy feel if you're a fan of this game. My niggles are:
-while I like the mood of the new music, I can't imagine this game without its original soundtrack in some way, shape or form. They really need to incorporate it into the game.
-I found myself becoming annoyed at having to get my crosshair *just so* over the door and healing station buttons. In the original game you just had to click anywhere on the door/healing station and it activated.
-I was really put off at having to physically click on the buttons on the number pad. I kept expecting to be able to type the numbers on my keyboard and have my avatar hand type them onscreen. It's akin to having to sign your name with your mouse instead of typing it in with a cursive font.
-I could see the healing animation becoming old fast.
-the first camera you encounter can be destroyed with the lead pipe while standing on the ground in the original. In the remake you have to stand on the bed to reach it. Yeah, that's a real nitpick, I know. But it stood out to me as "different than the original". You could say this is more realistic and true to life, which I'd agree with. I'm sure there will be lots of such tidbits that a serious fan will have to get used to. 😀

clueless1 wrote:

-while I like the mood of the new music, I can't imagine this game without its original soundtrack in some way, shape or form. They really need to incorporate it into the game.

That's one of the kickstarter stretch goals... actually, kind of a far one in since other features they could put the extra money towards have priority.

clueless1 wrote:

-I found myself becoming annoyed at having to get my crosshair *just so* over the door and healing station buttons. In the original game you just had to click anywhere on the door/healing station and it activated.

-I was really put off at having to physically click on the buttons on the number pad. I kept expecting to be able to type the numbers on my keyboard and have my avatar hand type them onscreen. It's akin to having to sign your name with your mouse instead of typing it in with a cursive font.

I seriously doubt you're alone on those, so I imagine they'll make this better going forwards, at least for some things. With keypads and puzzles it would be nice if you could focus the view on them and then click on the different parts of it with a mouse cursor instead of crosshair.

clueless1 wrote:

-I could see the healing animation becoming old fast.

Exactly, but at the same time, it makes sense in-universe, so it encourages players to avoid using them if they don't really have to... sort of makes for a risk-reward type of thing.

clueless1 wrote:

-the first camera you encounter can be destroyed with the lead pipe while standing on the ground in the original. In the remake you have to stand on the bed to reach it. Yeah, that's a real nitpick, I know. But it stood out to me as "different than the original". You could say this is more realistic and true to life, which I'd agree with. I'm sure there will be lots of such tidbits that a serious fan will have to get used to. :)

At least when you hit them you actually HIT them. How many times do you recall trying to hit a camera in the original game with the pipe only to "miss" about a dozen times before you finally realize you're either TOO close, looking at the wrong angle, etc., all because they're sprites and not 3D polygon objects? :P

Besides, once you start shooting them instead of smacking them, it's a moot point. ;)

I couldn't leave the medical area because I couldn't find the passcode for the door. Is it around somewhere? I assumed that's where the demo ended. It's been so long since I've played the original. I looked everywhere, though.

MusicallyInspired wrote:

I couldn't leave the medical area because I couldn't find the passcode for the door. Is it around somewhere? I assumed that's where the demo ended. It's been so long since I've played the original. I looked everywhere, though.

It's written in blood on the wall right next to the numpad. 😉

clueless1 wrote:

MusicallyInspired wrote:

I couldn't leave the medical area because I couldn't find the passcode for the door. Is it around somewhere? I assumed that's where the demo ended. It's been so long since I've played the original. I looked everywhere, though.

It's written in blood on the wall right next to the numpad. 😉

I am now imagining a game breaking glitch where the blood on the wall simply fails to render, leaving it impossible to tell what the pass code is. (or at least game breaking pre-internet) Because stuff like that tended to happen to me all the time playing Oblivion and Fallout 3. I once had an NPC disappear under the map in FO3 for 312 in game days, before popping up on the other side of the map he was supposed to be.

If you're a Shock fan, this is a must-watch video interview of Stephen Kick, the CEO of Night Dive Studios, which are developing the Shock remake. Lots of really cool info on the development of the game. BTW, Shock easily met its goal and are now shooting for various stretch goals. 😀
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyBkTm20pys

edit: Stephen Kick is also the guy responsible for a LOT of DOS game re-releases on GOG.com. 😀
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_Dive_Studios

tincup wrote:

just downloaded and installed. 25 years later - normal UI and I can finally play the game! Very cool - looking forward to the final...

You can buy System Shock Enhanced from GOG, which is the original game modified to use modern controls, run under Windows, etc.

https://www.gog.com/game/system_shock_enhanced_edition

Kerr Avon wrote:

tincup wrote:

just downloaded and installed. 25 years later - normal UI and I can finally play the game! Very cool - looking forward to the final...

You can buy System Shock Enhanced from GOG, which is the original game modified to use modern controls, run under Windows, etc.

https://www.gog.com/game/system_shock_enhanced_edition

Yes I know about the mods and the nice GOG repack (have it). They help some but even with a more conventional setup I've still been hamstrung by the UI... I guess I have a low threshold when it comes to Action/Adventure game UI's - if it doesn't feel natural after 20-30 minutes I'm usually done.

On the other hand a nice example of an unconventional UI that became second nature very fast (at least it worked for me..) is Exanima - a cool "RPG in progress" also available on GOG.

the demo was better than I expected, I hope they do well on the days left.

+1

Very good, but as others mentioned before, the "minimum specs" are way overstated. It runs at 28-35, mostly around 30 fps for me, absolutely playable with no major dips on my old i7 875k + GTX 660 with only 6 GB of RAM.

I'm playing the Classic version on GOG right now and I just now remembered how stupid the game balance is.

Here's to me hoping the remake fixes the balance issues with the weapon arsenal.

m1so wrote:

Very good, but as others mentioned before, the "minimum specs" are way overstated. It runs at 28-35, mostly around 30 fps for me, absolutely playable with no major dips on my old i7 875k + GTX 660 with only 6 GB of RAM.

I've actually played with an HD 5850 1GB which is a lot slower than a 660; at 1440x900 the framerate was fine (worst area was bellow 30, but not much, most of the time it was over 30); because of vram it stuttered a bit in a few places, but totally playable, so yes...

So I've never backed a kickstarter game before. Being as the original System Shock is one of my all-time favorite games, I was pretty excited about this one and pledged $75. I'm still wondering how I got myself to pledge that high! So recently I got an email asking me to fill out a questionnaire to let them know my preferences (whether I want my digital download to be Steam or GOG, etc). In the end, I am forced to pay an ADDITIONAL $5 for shipping of the physical bits! What? I already pledged $75, I figured that would cover shipping too. Anyhow, I paid the $5, but found it tacky and distasteful. Is this standard practice for kickstarter games?

That is a bit crap - I'm guessing that applying a blanket 'everyone pays for shipping' was easier than 'people who paid over X amout get shipping free'.