I've been looking forward to playing this game. Waiting too long. And now this.

I will stop playing because the developers show me that they do not want me to enjoy the game. Do I get the gameplay mechanics wrong or are you actually supposed to die again and again and again, starting already in the first mission?

I thought it would be like Bioshock, like Deus Ex. But what do I get: Cameras everywhere. But as in Bioshock with a few small robots flying at you? Like Deus Ex with enemies noticing you? No: If you walk along without checking every f*cking corner for a camera, you will have to reload your last savegame or watch your character die - because EVERY FREAKING CAMERA ALARM spawns like 15 or 20 enemies? In this game - at least in the first levels - you simply cannot fight such a mass of enemies without dieing over and over again!

Please tell me this is a bug or I get the mechanics wrong. Or is the great System Shock 2 really not more than a glory show of killing the player? If I want to die over and over again I would play Super Meat Boy, but SS2 is a game I want to PLAY!

I play on easy. On the lowest of all dificulties. I died at the first camera. I died at the second. Both several times because I hacked them and they were active again later. Then I got to the second map - and ran directly into a camera. At this moment my whole town could hear me scream.

If that is really how it should be - then System Shock 2 is the worst game I've ever played on GoG.

Well, my advice is simple: destroy the cameras. Mission control tells you so the first time you come across one of those things. There are two pistols and some ammo you can find on the Med/Sci deck, where you start the game. Some of the cameras are even in range of your trusty wrench.

If you want an alternative and got some hacking skils, you can hack into a security computer and shut the cameras down, even if it's only for a short time.

there is a VERY clear message at the beginning that advices you to disable and destroy all the cameras. it's not that difficult to pop one bullet into any camera, as long as you don't charge into new areas blindly.

and when an alarm has been set off, you can dash to the closest security panel and deactivate it with just one click. or you can hide somewhere safe and wait it out. because, just as you found out, trying to fight it off is the ONLY thing that doesn't work, and should be avoided at all costs.

so yeah, it's you.

That is actually very helpful. I didn't know that I can disable the alarm, thank you. Might give that a try.

the easiest thing is just exploring carefully, listening to the camera noises, and blasting them with small guns before they set off the alarm..

when you successfully hack a security panel, they will be disabled (blind) for a period of time, making it very easy to destroy them without any risk.

Accidentally run into a camera.

Hear repeated beeps.

Shoot it.

"OH MY GOD THIS GAME IS SO DAMN HARD!".

This is what games like Bioshock has done to gaming.

Indeed. I'm not saying that Bioshock is a bad game but compared to the SS2, it's crap.

As difficult as this game is, by current standards, the camera detection system is actually quite forgiving. When a camera sees you, it starts bleeping for at least 2-3 seconds, giving you time to move out of its range. When you do it, the camera remains in "suspicious" state (yellow light) for about ten seconds before returning to idle (green light) - if you walk into its field of vision during that "yellow" time it is instant alert, so don't do it.
To make thing easier for the player, when the camera comes back from alert to idle (yellow->green) it emits and audible "chirp". So if you hear camera bleep, move from its range, wait for the chirping sound indicating it is back to "green" mode and then quickly destroy it. Most cameras can be destroyed with a wrench, if you jump.

It is a real pity that cameras cannot be hacked like in bioshock. Only turrets can be hacked.

The only thing that irritates me about the cameras is that they can miraculously see through boxes (or it is a bug). There is a section in Enginering deck when you enter a room and there is a laser turret (the first one you encounter in the game, I think) and a camera - there are some boxes stacked near the wall which in theory should obscure you from the camera, but they do not.

There are a few interactive screens early on the game that give descriptions of game mechanics.

Maybe a "Gameplay differences between Bioshock and System Shock" sticky is in order *sigh*

The most important differences:

Cameras cannot be brought to your side. There is no advantage at all in keeping them active. Shoot them if you haven't hacked security and aren't confident about sneaking up to it with the wrench. Definitely shoot them if it's spotted you and is about to trigger an alarm. Should you trigger an alarm, race to the nearest security panel and right-click it, and the alert is cancelled for free.

If you're exploring a new level, priorities should be to (a) deactivate security and clear nearby cameras (with the wrench as much as possible) while (b) locating and activating the level's QBR machine so you can respawn (and resurrects cost money this time, so don't run too low on nanites if you haven't saved). There are a couple of levels that don't have QBR machines (like Hydroponics A and D).

If you can survive to the medical area, once you gain access to the crew sector there's an "OS upgrade station". Now there's only four in the game, so this is a big commitment but if you're having trouble navigating, finding vita-chambers and security stations, pick the upgrade called Spatially Aware which fills out the minimap for you automatically (i.e. you don't have to uncover the map by exploration). I don't recommend this unless you're really struggling though, there are far better upgrades available (most of the upgrades are not that amazing, there's a few really good ones).

Turrets can be deactivated by hacking security, but you will need to hack each individual turret to gain control of it. (Unfortunately if there's a second nearby they will start duelling even if security has been hacked -_- )

For staying alive in combat with hybrids, if they're pipe hybrids, feint and get them to swing then smack them when they miss. If they're shotgun hybrids, retreat to stay out of range while firing at them (or if you're feeling cheeky, try and flank them and circle strafe with the wrench, although this is risky).

I think you need to look at it from a different perspective. This isn't a game where you just run along and kill stuff. Remember, you are alone in a ship full of zombie-like creatures. On top of that the computer that runs the ship doesn't like you either.

If you haven't already, turn down the music volume so you can hear what is going on around you. (You don't have to turn it off, but it should be low enough so it doesn't prevent you from hearing other things.)

Next, one of the things that is important in this game is hacking. If you haven't taken any skills in hacking, you may want to start over. If it is your first time, there are certain career paths that are harder than others. For example, going the PSI route is not a good choice for first time.

If you want a good starting path, start the game over and go NAVY, then take the +1 strength & +1 hack path, then take the +2 standard weapons path, and lastly take the +2 agility path. While +2 endurance gives you more hit points, on easy mode you start with 55, which is plenty. (on impossible mode you start with *10* - that's what I'm playing through right now) The extra agility makes you run faster, which means you can run away from some of the baddies until you get ready to fight them.

Also, on the walls you will see screens that say "information" and if you click on them they will give you a tip about playing the game. Pick up the things that look like little CDs, they are audio logs and if you play them they help give you more info on the story.

In the beginning you don't use guns, so learn to use a wrench. If you press and hold down your left mouse button, the wrench will be ready to swing and when you release the button it will go. This is good when you know you have to fight so you can be ready to swing. You need to learn to fight the baddies with a wrench.

Also, you can hack the security terminals, which turn off the cameras for two minutes or so. Now, you can run to the camera and whack it with your wrench. Boom, goodbye camera for good. Once you get guns later you can just shoot them. If you see a locked container, always hack it. There are usually good things inside. Search all desks and containers you find to collect nanites. (which are like money)

When you get cyber modules, spend them on the things you need help with. In the beginning if you want to hit harder with the wrench, buy more strength. (it also gives you more inventory slots too) If you need help hacking, buy hack skill and the cyber affinity skill. One you start using guns you can put points in repair if your weapon breaks and you need to fix it. Once you start finding maintenance tools, put points into maintenance and you can fix weapons so they don't break as much. Once you find a 'body part' on an enemy, buy the first level of research and then open your inventory, right click on the body part, and click research. When it is done you will do bonus damage to that enemy now. (if you need chemicals there are chemical storerooms on each deck.)

In the first area there are no healing beds, but once you get the battery and unlock the door to the second area, if you make a left turn right away, the first room on your right has a healing bed, which totally heals you for 5 nanites. Remember these places and go back to them to heal. Another place to find is a tiny room that says "regenerator" on the back wall. Click the switch beside it, and if you die you will respawn and it costs you 10 nanites.

Lastly, save often in the beginning until you get the hang of it. Once you figure it out you'll have fun, I promise you.

Definitely not a FPS. More like a survival adventure really. I know many hate the adventure word. An adventure to stay alive.
Actually a bit like Doom3 where you must interact with the environment not just blow things up.

Good advices above, but just as a general overview: the thing about SS and SS2 is that they put immersion really high on the list of priorities; they make the game hard initially so that you feel more scared, just like you probably would be if you woke up weak and disoriented in a frightening situation. So if you put yourself in that mindset, you wouldn't be charging in guns blazing like in an fps, you'd be creeping around, eyes (and ears!) open. If you think about the game in that way, you'll get more out of it.

The payoff is that you do get very powerful towards the end of the game, and more courageous, since you've overcome many challenges.

This line of games is all about the feeling of being there.

LOL! This whole thread is proof of that! NOt just Bioshock. Just the dumbing down of games in general. You know. The "press the A button and something awesome happens" generation.

Some of the current generation of games may be bad, but that doesn't mean all are...also, just because a game is "dumbed down" that doesn't mean it's not fun to play.

(In summary: I wish people would cut it with the elitism[console vs pc, old games vs new, etc].)

This is especially advantageous once you get the recycler as you can start recycling all the shotgun hybrid's broken weapons(and a bunch of other stuff) for spare nanites as well.