IntroThis is an independent fan-site for the
System Shock game series which was produced by Looking Glass Studios (System Shock, 1994) and Irrational Games (System Shock 2, 1999).
Today these games are recognised by gaming journalists, game producers and hardcore gamers to be among the scariest, most immersive and most influential computer games ever produced. They defined a genre of plot driven horror survival games with a narrative quality and atmosphere that keeps on inspiring modern games such as Doom III, Dead Space, Bioshock and Interstellar Marines.
We have a very productive atmosphere here, writing programs and modifications to keep the games running on modern computer systems and extend their functions and look.
With
System Shock Portable we provide a way for gamers to dive into the first cyberpunk nightmare.
And we've taken System Shock 2 well beyond the capabilities of the original game. Our fixes and modifications have introduced high quality textures and 3D models, 32bit rendering, arbitrary resolutions, gameplay enhancements and new original content. All of our work is given away for free, by the original authors.
This website exists since January 2005. It is an ad-free environment and allows unregistered guests to download all files and write to our forums. If you have a problem with one of the games please check the
SS2 Technical FAQ or write to the
System Shock Helpdesk forum. We are grateful for any donation that helps us to keep up this free service.
Verification Questions & AnswersWhen posting as a guest you have to answer a verification question to make sure you're a real fan (and not a spambot). Your answers are not case sensitive.
- Who's your favourite artificial intelligence: shodan
- The main villain of both System Shock games is: shodan
- Sentient Hyper Optimized Data Access Network - stands for: shodan
- Name the space station in System Shock 1: citadel
- The spaceship in System Shock 2 is called: von braun
- The hybrids in System Shock 2 call themselves the: many
- Look at you, ______ ,a pathetic creature of meat and bones!: hacker
RegistrationWe're a non-profit fansite and do not seek your registration. As a guest you have the same essential rights here like a registered member. You can see all forums, get all downloads and write posts in all forums. So if you're just looking around, maybe trying to get a problem fixed and want to download some mods or comment on them, you don't have to register.
If you're staying longer, registering might make your time here a bit more comfortable, since you won't have to answer verification questions any more, can PM other members, notice new posts more easily, nice non-essential stuff like that. You can
fill the registration form here, or use your existing
OpenID login.
To delete your account, please see
your account settings. For security reasons account deletions have to be confirmed by a moderator.
Posting PermissionsMost users cannot create new topics in the
File Archives section of SBF. This applies to guests and registered members alike. However everyone can comment on the existing threads there, to give the authors feedback and get their support.
If you want to create a new topic, you can do that in the
Community section.
Long Explanation: Each topic in the File Archives is dedicated to a piece of downloadable content (usually in the first post) which is discussed in the thread. So only members who are allowed to upload new content (Staff &
Uploaders) can create new topics in the File Archives.
PrivacyIf you are very concerned about your privacy, you can just stay as our guest.
If you register your details won't be visible to guests. But other registered members can contact you via email. You can disallow this by ticking the option during registration or later in
your account settings.
We use cookies, email addresses and IP numbers to manage the forum. We will never give any personal data to third parties, unless we would be forced by law.
UnusabilityYou can toggle avatars and forum graphics via the switch buttons at the top right. You can toggle the site header via the triangle button left of the forum's main menu (
image hint).
If you are registered you can also turn off avatars and signatures in
your look and layout preferences.
SBF may be hard to read in broad daylight. Don't try it, go out instead.
A little bit of history repeatingThe first System Shock modifications forum was started by Wuggles in June 2003. Unintentionally I gave it the name that stuck: Wuggles Unlimited. The forum had to close down after a while due to problems with their host. From it's ashes emerged "Shock Unlimited" [RIP] run by JediK/Yorick and Wuggles. I was a moderator there for some time but eventually quit to start Strangebedfellows.
Work on SBF began in December 2004 and it was
opened to the public in February 2005. The name derives from
a remark by UNN nobel laureate Dr. Marie Delacroix (SS2). As she talks about the artificial intelligence and the UNN-operative on board the starship Von Braun (that's you), she considers these allies "strange bedfellows".
Much in the same spirit we consider ourselves allies of intelligent gaming. And we celebrate this during our monthly sleepovers with marshmallows, hot chocolate and pillow fights. That's how we came up with the name.
TTLG ConnectionIn 1994 an avid System Shock fan named Saam Tariverdi created the fan site
TriOptimum Corp Net. In 1996 he and Dan "Digital Nightfall" Todd went on to create TTLG.com ("Through The Looking Glass").
Nowadays TTLG is a network of websites honouring the legacy of
Looking Glass Studios, with the
TTLG forums used as a hub. Their smaller game specific sites, most of which were created in the late 1990s, are still partly maintained.
SBF was started as an independent service for TTLG's System Shock fans, providing central hosting for the game modifications. Everyone is welcome here of course. You will notice however that related discussions still often take place on TTLG which might be worthwhile checking out.
