Aerothorn on 23/5/2010 at 23:35
I agree with pretty much everything you just said, but that's part of the problem - there's so much to say about Torment as a narrative deconstruction, and that level of analysis - combined with the length of a playthrough - might prove a real challenge in the timeframe. If there's a way I can do it without having to play through the whole thing again (something I just did this summer) I will.
Edit: Thinking about it, I realize that I have more to say about Torment and am a bit more excited about including it, and the recent replay actually helps me (versus Fallout, which I haven't touced in a few years). So yeah, going for that, goodbye free time.
Aerothorn on 26/5/2010 at 03:48
Bonus fun advice question: Are System Shock and Deus Ex redundant? Obviously, the latter is significantly inspired by the former. I ask only because in an ideal universe I would cut one more game, and I've worked with Deus Ex on my last project. It seems very important, but then maybe that's just because I've yet to play Shock (it's in the mail!). Though obviously Shock has the important "no living NPCs" thing going for it.
P.S. For a first-timer, about how long does Shock take to complete? I'm trying to figure out if I need to allocate extra time for it - older games, particularly RPGs, tend to be longer by default.
Matthew on 26/5/2010 at 08:53
Gawd, I can't remember. Maybe 20, 25 hours? Technically you can do it in seven, but you'd have to be absolutely rocking it to do so, which I doubt you would do on a first run-through.
I'm not sure that I'd say they were redundant, though.
Al_B on 26/5/2010 at 11:58
I agree - System Shock and Deus Ex stand as games in their own rights and have very different approaches to both gameplay, scenario and narrative. Both borrow certain elements from elsewhere in fiction, but apply them in largely different ways.
You could rush SS1 by dropping the difficulty of puzzles, combat or cyberspace, but I wouldn't recommend it as you'll only be spoiling your first experience of the game. (Well, dropping cyberspace difficulty may not be a bad idea). It's definitely won't take as long as some classic RPGs - although I'm struggling to remember how long it took the first time I played it.
Enchantermon on 26/5/2010 at 19:45
D'Arcy would probably know best, but I'd say Matthew's probably in the right ballpark. I don't know if you've heard of it, but if you can't get a handle on the controls, there's a (
http://www.strangebedfellows.de/index.php?topic=1719.0) mouselook mod available. Using mouselook will also more than likely cut down on the time needed to play the game.
Aerothorn on 26/5/2010 at 20:33
Odd - I was under the impression that mouselook was implemented by default. I mean, for years I played first-person games with the keyboard before I finally switched to mouselook with Half-Life, so I can definitely handle it. I feel I should do keyboard just to be "historically accurate" but I doubt it would make a reall difference (certainly not in a narrative sense) so I'll probably go with the mod. Thanks!
Al_B on 26/5/2010 at 21:16
No - you need mouse and keyboard with or without the mouselook mod. Without it you have a mouse cursor that allows you to move or turn depending on where it is on the screen. For example, if it's on the left side and you click then you turn left - towards the top of the screen and you move forward. It's proportional from the centre so you can slowly creep forward or run. Once you get used to it you can move, turn, backpedal etc. as fluid movements but usually people's first experience with it is a bit like their first experience with drinking far too much alcohol.
Enchantermon on 27/5/2010 at 17:37
Quote Posted by Aerothorn
Odd - I was under the impression that mouselook was implemented by default.
Nope. Mouselook didn't even exist back in '94, and it's amazing that someone actually took the time to trawl through the code and hack it in.
Quote Posted by Aerothorn
I feel I should do keyboard just to be "historically accurate" but I doubt it would make a reall difference (certainly not in a narrative sense) so I'll probably go with the mod. Thanks!
I flip-flopped about suggesting it, but I came to the same conclusion you did; since you're investigating the narrative, the mod really wouldn't change anything; like I said, if anything, you'll be able to finish the game a little faster perhaps, and for a paper like this, I imagine you'll need all the time you can get.
Aerothorn on 30/5/2010 at 05:09
Quote Posted by Enchantermon
Nope. Mouselook didn't even exist back in '94, and it's amazing that someone actually took the time to trawl through the code and hack it in.
Technically not true - Marathon came out in December 1994 and featured mouselook, though your point remains valid (it didn't exist when Shock came out).
Enchantermon on 30/5/2010 at 05:13
Touché. I stand corrected.
