System Shock 1 is the best game ever made period.
I got it working in XP with a few mods, so I stopped playing it in low-res in DOSBox. It ran full framerate in 640x480. To give you an idea, it didn't even run that fast in 320x200 on the fastest hardware at the time of its release. It ran around 5-7 fps on most normal computers in 640x480. It didn't even run very fast on a P2-P3 in the 9x era. Amazing to look at. The engine is about as complex and groundbreaking for then, as Doom 3 is now, which is to say it still looks good today when played the way I just played it. Best story, best level design, just amazing. I've been trying to get back into it for a while, but I just couldn't stand the slowness of emulation.
Anyway, I zipped up the whole folder, with the necessary files from the CD, the patch, the utilities to get it to run in XP. All one has to do is extract it, and edit the batch file to point to the proper drive/folder. It's about 190 MB. Does anyone have an FTP that could host it for those interested in a perfect working XP compatible copy of the best game ever?
The quality of your gaming life is SEVERELY deficient if you don't play or haven't played through this game.
Admiral: it's even more fun than our MP game of SS2. I've been playing it solid for the last few days. Finally beat it tonight.
Note: Make sure you play with the plot level on the highest setting, or you won't be able to visit some areas. I recommend making cyberspace easy, the monsters medium, and the puzzles high.
Now where can I put this thing?
[System Shock 1 thread] I have just reconcluded that...
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mistasparkle*
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Hey J3rk, feel free to use my blogtorrent tracker if you'd like. I'd definitely be into checking it out. The URL is: http://tehodk.net/bt
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McNevin
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OK... Got it all installed and semi happy.
OMFG! The moment I have waited for is finally here, smooth 640x480 SS1.
I tried so hard with dosbox, just to get it playable in 320, never happened. Now I have it perfectly playable, in 640 no less! How cool...
It wont start every few times, but once it runs it seems to be okay. Haven't experimented too much with dos4gw.
I'm using 1.97_2, which one you using?
Anyway, I hate the funky keyboard controls, didn't we use a joystick to play this back in the day?
How you controlling it now?
OMFG! The moment I have waited for is finally here, smooth 640x480 SS1.
I tried so hard with dosbox, just to get it playable in 320, never happened. Now I have it perfectly playable, in 640 no less! How cool...
It wont start every few times, but once it runs it seems to be okay. Haven't experimented too much with dos4gw.
I'm using 1.97_2, which one you using?
Anyway, I hate the funky keyboard controls, didn't we use a joystick to play this back in the day?
How you controlling it now?
I'm using D4GW 1.97. So not too much different.
About the controls. I thought the same thing at first. The only real complaint I have now, is the up and down head motion, but R, F, and V are fairly logical for Up, Center, and Down, and if I need finer control I use the little slider thing. The controls are actually very close to standard WASD controls. Actually arguably more comfortable. I use S forward, A left, D right, and X back. The thing is, since the game's pace isn't anything like Doom or Quake or HL, etc. turning with the keys isn't bad at all. Especially since you have the ability to aim with the mouse. You don't need that rapid turning ability. You can run one way, and shoot another (kind of like Robotron.)
It does take a tiny bit of getting used to, but it's well worth it, and it becomes transparent after a little while. I'd say half way through level one, you won't even notice anymore. If you find combat with those controls a little wacky, do what I do, and turn the monsters all the way down. They'll only attack you if you attack them. I'm actually playing with them on normal now, (playing through again even though I just beat it.) It's a LOT more difficult with nasty monsters. Anyway, it doesn't start for me every few times. Gets one of the old DOS exceptions or something. When it doesn't do that, I've played for hours with no problems. Make sure to always have your automap on on one of the lower displays. Without that, the game takes off rather slowly, and I've seen that turn people off a bit. It will display security cameras, everywhere you've been, etc. (You have to disable the security cameras, and security CPU nodes on every level to get to certain areas, so the automap really helps.) Level 2 is probably the one where most people can't take it anymore. It's a HUGE level, and kind of long to complete. If you play past 2, then you will be in pure gaming bliss, the likes of which you have never known. 
(didn't want a winky face, but it's the happiest looking one there.) Anyway, I know Citadel inside and out, so let me know if you get stuck somewhere. This is one of the few games that I've never used a walkthrough when I've been stuck. I've wandered around for extended periods in some cases, and usually can trace it back to something from a log file or email that I didn't listen to thoroughly. Anyway, glad you got it set up. I've been wanting you to experience this game for what 10-11 years now? Enjoy!
About the controls. I thought the same thing at first. The only real complaint I have now, is the up and down head motion, but R, F, and V are fairly logical for Up, Center, and Down, and if I need finer control I use the little slider thing. The controls are actually very close to standard WASD controls. Actually arguably more comfortable. I use S forward, A left, D right, and X back. The thing is, since the game's pace isn't anything like Doom or Quake or HL, etc. turning with the keys isn't bad at all. Especially since you have the ability to aim with the mouse. You don't need that rapid turning ability. You can run one way, and shoot another (kind of like Robotron.)
It does take a tiny bit of getting used to, but it's well worth it, and it becomes transparent after a little while. I'd say half way through level one, you won't even notice anymore. If you find combat with those controls a little wacky, do what I do, and turn the monsters all the way down. They'll only attack you if you attack them. I'm actually playing with them on normal now, (playing through again even though I just beat it.) It's a LOT more difficult with nasty monsters. Anyway, it doesn't start for me every few times. Gets one of the old DOS exceptions or something. When it doesn't do that, I've played for hours with no problems. Make sure to always have your automap on on one of the lower displays. Without that, the game takes off rather slowly, and I've seen that turn people off a bit. It will display security cameras, everywhere you've been, etc. (You have to disable the security cameras, and security CPU nodes on every level to get to certain areas, so the automap really helps.) Level 2 is probably the one where most people can't take it anymore. It's a HUGE level, and kind of long to complete. If you play past 2, then you will be in pure gaming bliss, the likes of which you have never known. (didn't want a winky face, but it's the happiest looking one there.) Anyway, I know Citadel inside and out, so let me know if you get stuck somewhere. This is one of the few games that I've never used a walkthrough when I've been stuck. I've wandered around for extended periods in some cases, and usually can trace it back to something from a log file or email that I didn't listen to thoroughly. Anyway, glad you got it set up. I've been wanting you to experience this game for what 10-11 years now? Enjoy!-
enderzero
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I am still playiong with this new mgmt sw so the login may change - but in the meantime we can pretty much put whatever we want here (up to 1.5GB) for the next few months.
ftp://timmysmithboards.com
l:monkey p:[spoil]tomfoolery[/spoil]
ftp://timmysmithboards.com
l:monkey p:[spoil]tomfoolery[/spoil]
Well, I think I'm going to do the same thing with SS2. Get my nicely working install all updated with the new textures, then zip it up, so it's ready to go. I may try that version I just downloaded off of HotU. Supposedly the audio is just recompressed, and the video is DIVXed which reduced its size from the old Indeo AVIs. If that's the case, then I'll use it, with the updates in place, then zip it up. Both games will easily fit on a CD. I may know enough C to make a little command line installer, where you can specify the drive, and then it automatically sets the batch files up based on that. Hmm... May have to do The Perfect System Shock CD since The id Collection is taking longer than expected due to slow update projects.
Attn: Adrmiral McNevin
I have just been made aware of a new DOS extender (new as in modern.) It's called DOS32. It takes the place of DOS4GW. So instead of say calling System Shock with "DOS4GW.EXE CDSHOCK.EXE" You just do "DOS32.EXE CDSHOCK.EXE"
Supposedly it's WAY faster, and works better with the DOSBox Dynamic CPU core. (I guess it helps less with the other CPU modes, but Dynamic is the best one anyway.) I don't know whether it will help our current non-DOSBox System Shock setups or not, but it's supposed to be more stable than the old ones, and faster. I'm going to try it tonight.
The link is: http://dos32a.sourceforge.net/
You can just call it the way I mentioned above, or even just rename DOS32.EXE to DOS4GW.EXE and call it good It has a utility that comes with it, that will search a game for a built in extender (many old DOS games had these,) and replace it with DOS32. Quite the cool thing. Let me know how it is in case you try it first. (Don't remember if you work on Mondays or not.)
I have just been made aware of a new DOS extender (new as in modern.) It's called DOS32. It takes the place of DOS4GW. So instead of say calling System Shock with "DOS4GW.EXE CDSHOCK.EXE" You just do "DOS32.EXE CDSHOCK.EXE"
Supposedly it's WAY faster, and works better with the DOSBox Dynamic CPU core. (I guess it helps less with the other CPU modes, but Dynamic is the best one anyway.) I don't know whether it will help our current non-DOSBox System Shock setups or not, but it's supposed to be more stable than the old ones, and faster. I'm going to try it tonight.
The link is: http://dos32a.sourceforge.net/
You can just call it the way I mentioned above, or even just rename DOS32.EXE to DOS4GW.EXE and call it good
It has a utility that comes with it, that will search a game for a built in extender (many old DOS games had these,) and replace it with DOS32. Quite the cool thing. Let me know how it is in case you try it first. (Don't remember if you work on Mondays or not.)Oh, and here's where I found the info, in case you want more background, or have a question: http://vogons.zetafleet.com/viewtopic.php?t=6260
