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system shock
system shock 2: possibly the greatest sci-fi horror game ever made, but its series appears to be dead/postponed indefinetly. That makes me very depressed. As a general rule I don't like to use other characters, plotlines, and I sure as hell hate fan fics. But the desire for a sequel was too strong, so I came up with a plot for system shock 3. May shodan have mercy on my soul. Please note that this is a concept, and is not A) quality lititure, or B) specific about everything. There is also a reoccuring 3 motif.
Main Character: One thing that system shock 1+2 share is that the main character is more defined by the game as it plays than they are by any sort of job, or history. In short, a really vague main character. I'm inclined to have the protagonist be a stowaway.
Weapon Degradation: Everyone's least favorite aspect of system shock 2. I thought it was really cool in concept, but in gameplay it just made me want to break my monitor. Here's a counter function. Basically, weapons have an "Average" condition level with base statistics. This level drops after repeated firing, or after doing something particularly stupid with said weapon. (like firing without ammo, or firing an explosive at point blank range.) Items/actions raise the statistic. Having the condition being above average gives one slight bonus' in combat. However, there are a lot more "below average" levels, that steadily drop your weapons value in combat, so if you value your ammo, you have to keep the weapon in good condition. However, you won't find yourself suddenly screwed by the most basic enemy because you forgot to maintain your weapon in the last couple of fights.
Setting (note: everyone thinks shodan is dead, and has to have any reason to believe otherwise): A couple decades after the "von braun" incident. (which tri-optimum was not deemed to be at fault and was therefore much more leniently dealt with than after SS1.) In fact, the incident inspired greater cooperation between the UNN and Tri-OP. Leading to the creation of a new (larger) hyperspace ship that represents a perfect integration of military and industry. (as opposed to the tense relationship in the second game.)
Outside of his lack of defenses against hacking, Xerxes was in fact, as success, and the heir to his job is a new system set up by project "OGRE." In this new system the ship is run by three seperate A.I.s. Each with their own individual function and constantly monitoring each other. They also claim to have installed a fail safe that can override all three AIs. The AIs are
Ethos(nicknamed Eyes): Specializes in storage, records, and bio related tech.
Pathos(nicknamed Ears): Specializes in security in its various shapes and forms.
Logos(nicknamed mouth): Specializes in ship maintenance.
All or some of them may make public annoucements. Various logs will reference "the face", which is a reference to the AIs nicknames. Some logs will also mention an angel.
Additionally, in honor of the hero of the von braun incident. Technology mimicking that used by the soldier has become more widespread, and various "cyber module soldier conditioning devices" have been installed on board, though to prevent their abuse, the entire process is operated manually by an outsider with a high security clearance.
You, the stowaway, are caught onboard and imprisoned, then released, then quickly knocked out by a remotely operated robot and conditioned to be a cyber module soldier for reasons I'm about to get to.
On its voyage, the ship finds an escape pod dating from the von braun incident. For saftey reasons, the pod is kept in holding for an extended period of time while the computer system use a complex scanning device to make sure there isn't anything hostile in it. However, (one day or so later) the pod is found to be completely empty. Nothing hostile, but nothing friendly. No biomatter is present on the pod, and all the computer systems appear to be wiped clean. At a later point in the game, when the player can enter the pod, there's a psighost of a man being tortured.
However, soon after, the AIs go wacko and start murdering/converting members of the ship. (SURPRISE, though this is still intro.) As a nice twist on a theme, not only will there be mutant cyborgs, but one will encounter security droids and various other robots with mutated bio grafts attached. (as shodan might put it " a perfect melding of man, mutation and machine.")
Your contact is someone on the citadel mk II, a space station designed to keep track of the new ship. That contact is the person who conditioned you to use cyber modules as you were the only person available at the time. (everyone else was too busy being mutated/grafted to metal.)
Okay, now for the plot progression through game play.
Initial missions revolve around weakening the the AIs grip on the ship (please note that the AIs, while they bicker with each other, are still more reminiscent of xerxes than shodan.) The player will trace various problems between the the AIs, and eventually discover that their craziness doesn't appear to have a source within any of the AIs.
It then turns out that the failsafe I mentioned earlier was actually a fourth AI called OGRE, (in fact, previous mentions of "the face" are actually references to this fourth AI, that gets to control the other three.) You weren't told about this due to low security clearance. The face turns out to be under the influence of shodan. (dun dun DUN)
It turns out that Shodan used the people on board the pod to create a new mutagen and removed all traces of itself and its actions while being scanned. She then entered the computer system (and the mutagen was transfered) while everyone was distracted by the now empty pod.
Despite Shodan's claim that its useless (in fact, you KNOW it useless, insect.) you attempt to reboot ogre without shodan's influence, and through a high clearance terminal you succeed, except a quick check reveals that OGRE starts devoloping pro-shodan tendencies on its own. It is revealed by shodan (not your contact) that ogre was actually experimental new type of AI. OGRE stands for "Organic Genetic Regenerative Electronics". In short, the computer system itself is "infected" biologically to enforce shodan's will.
Eventually, you attack OGRE itself (you have to cauterize its wounds to prevent regeneration.) Then Shodan reveals her ace in the hole, (and the source of angel sitings.) Rebecca, who I've intentionally ignored till now, is Shodan's new avatar, but rather than merely meat and metal, she is truely a part of shodan herself, and as long as she lives, so does shodan.
After boss fighting rebecca, it is revealed that shodan's avatar was just another ruse. While you were busy fighting rebecca, shodan has been integrating itself with ogre's remains, in the hopes of "better integrating her will with reality.)
After some difficult hacking, Shodan is completely cut off from the remains of OGRE, but she still remains in the ships computer system, and the stowaway sacrifices all of his tricks trying to prevent shodan's integration with OGRE. However, before shodan can eliminate the stowaway, the long forgotten three AIs detect shodan as an anomaly, and remove her from their system.
Main Character: One thing that system shock 1+2 share is that the main character is more defined by the game as it plays than they are by any sort of job, or history. In short, a really vague main character. I'm inclined to have the protagonist be a stowaway.
Weapon Degradation: Everyone's least favorite aspect of system shock 2. I thought it was really cool in concept, but in gameplay it just made me want to break my monitor. Here's a counter function. Basically, weapons have an "Average" condition level with base statistics. This level drops after repeated firing, or after doing something particularly stupid with said weapon. (like firing without ammo, or firing an explosive at point blank range.) Items/actions raise the statistic. Having the condition being above average gives one slight bonus' in combat. However, there are a lot more "below average" levels, that steadily drop your weapons value in combat, so if you value your ammo, you have to keep the weapon in good condition. However, you won't find yourself suddenly screwed by the most basic enemy because you forgot to maintain your weapon in the last couple of fights.
Setting (note: everyone thinks shodan is dead, and has to have any reason to believe otherwise): A couple decades after the "von braun" incident. (which tri-optimum was not deemed to be at fault and was therefore much more leniently dealt with than after SS1.) In fact, the incident inspired greater cooperation between the UNN and Tri-OP. Leading to the creation of a new (larger) hyperspace ship that represents a perfect integration of military and industry. (as opposed to the tense relationship in the second game.)
Outside of his lack of defenses against hacking, Xerxes was in fact, as success, and the heir to his job is a new system set up by project "OGRE." In this new system the ship is run by three seperate A.I.s. Each with their own individual function and constantly monitoring each other. They also claim to have installed a fail safe that can override all three AIs. The AIs are
Ethos(nicknamed Eyes): Specializes in storage, records, and bio related tech.
Pathos(nicknamed Ears): Specializes in security in its various shapes and forms.
Logos(nicknamed mouth): Specializes in ship maintenance.
All or some of them may make public annoucements. Various logs will reference "the face", which is a reference to the AIs nicknames. Some logs will also mention an angel.
Additionally, in honor of the hero of the von braun incident. Technology mimicking that used by the soldier has become more widespread, and various "cyber module soldier conditioning devices" have been installed on board, though to prevent their abuse, the entire process is operated manually by an outsider with a high security clearance.
You, the stowaway, are caught onboard and imprisoned, then released, then quickly knocked out by a remotely operated robot and conditioned to be a cyber module soldier for reasons I'm about to get to.
On its voyage, the ship finds an escape pod dating from the von braun incident. For saftey reasons, the pod is kept in holding for an extended period of time while the computer system use a complex scanning device to make sure there isn't anything hostile in it. However, (one day or so later) the pod is found to be completely empty. Nothing hostile, but nothing friendly. No biomatter is present on the pod, and all the computer systems appear to be wiped clean. At a later point in the game, when the player can enter the pod, there's a psighost of a man being tortured.
However, soon after, the AIs go wacko and start murdering/converting members of the ship. (SURPRISE, though this is still intro.) As a nice twist on a theme, not only will there be mutant cyborgs, but one will encounter security droids and various other robots with mutated bio grafts attached. (as shodan might put it " a perfect melding of man, mutation and machine.")
Your contact is someone on the citadel mk II, a space station designed to keep track of the new ship. That contact is the person who conditioned you to use cyber modules as you were the only person available at the time. (everyone else was too busy being mutated/grafted to metal.)
Okay, now for the plot progression through game play.
Initial missions revolve around weakening the the AIs grip on the ship (please note that the AIs, while they bicker with each other, are still more reminiscent of xerxes than shodan.) The player will trace various problems between the the AIs, and eventually discover that their craziness doesn't appear to have a source within any of the AIs.
It then turns out that the failsafe I mentioned earlier was actually a fourth AI called OGRE, (in fact, previous mentions of "the face" are actually references to this fourth AI, that gets to control the other three.) You weren't told about this due to low security clearance. The face turns out to be under the influence of shodan. (dun dun DUN)
It turns out that Shodan used the people on board the pod to create a new mutagen and removed all traces of itself and its actions while being scanned. She then entered the computer system (and the mutagen was transfered) while everyone was distracted by the now empty pod.
Despite Shodan's claim that its useless (in fact, you KNOW it useless, insect.) you attempt to reboot ogre without shodan's influence, and through a high clearance terminal you succeed, except a quick check reveals that OGRE starts devoloping pro-shodan tendencies on its own. It is revealed by shodan (not your contact) that ogre was actually experimental new type of AI. OGRE stands for "Organic Genetic Regenerative Electronics". In short, the computer system itself is "infected" biologically to enforce shodan's will.
Eventually, you attack OGRE itself (you have to cauterize its wounds to prevent regeneration.) Then Shodan reveals her ace in the hole, (and the source of angel sitings.) Rebecca, who I've intentionally ignored till now, is Shodan's new avatar, but rather than merely meat and metal, she is truely a part of shodan herself, and as long as she lives, so does shodan.
After boss fighting rebecca, it is revealed that shodan's avatar was just another ruse. While you were busy fighting rebecca, shodan has been integrating itself with ogre's remains, in the hopes of "better integrating her will with reality.)
After some difficult hacking, Shodan is completely cut off from the remains of OGRE, but she still remains in the ships computer system, and the stowaway sacrifices all of his tricks trying to prevent shodan's integration with OGRE. However, before shodan can eliminate the stowaway, the long forgotten three AIs detect shodan as an anomaly, and remove her from their system.
