4. System Shock 2
Released: July 1999
What you need: 200Mhz, 32MB RAM, 4MB 3D Accelerator
Current street price: 14.99
As a sequel to Looking Glass Studios' 1994 revolutionary shooter/rpg hybrid, System Shock 2 once again offered a new and intriguing system of gameplay, in which action is mixed with player-controlled character development, an inventory system, and a highly evolved storyline. These same characteristics, in fact, formed the basis of SS2's successor Deus Ex, regarded by many as one the most ingenious games ever conceived. In System Shock 2, players are suddenly awakened aboard a crisis-ridden space ship and must discover the cause of the conflict. With a dynamically evolving skill tree, characters are modified throughout the course of the game with various abilities ranging from repairing and hacking to advanced psyonics. Relying not so much on weaponry, but on wits, stealth, and skills, players slowly unravel the events plaguing the ship.

I started work at Looking Glass after graduating from college, and was primarily responsible for the physics and sound propagation systems for the Dark Engine, used in Thief, Thief 2, and System Shock 2. I then did a particle system for Jane's Attack Squadron and worked on the multiplayer patch for Shock 2. During the last year of LG, I was on the team working on the engine for our next-gen games, mostly doing editor and physics work.

After LG closed, I moved to Austin and began work as Lead Programmer for Deus Ex 2. I'm mostly responsible for architechtural issues and knowing a little about everything and how it fits together.

Questions in virtually all areas are welcome, including technical questions and questions on design (particularly immersive sim design), as well as questions on how to build software for good game development.