[Erkki]

On the TTLG forums people seem to think that this demo is a BIG disappointment. And from what has been said, I would agree. For example the X-Box optimised default .ini settings on a PC demo? WTF?
All this seems so below Ion Storm.

The performance issues are also surprising to hear about, although Deus Ex 1 ran like crap as well. But I thought they would do better this time.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

But it looks much more promising now. I've tweaked several of the .ini settings, and the demo is now looking much less console-y and runs slightly better (but I still need more memory as stated). I now believe the demo was rudely rushed, that they weren't given the time to optimize it for the PC. BTW, I've played it about 5 times already, and it's really seeping under my skin! Yep, the ol', deep immersive DX world is stil there, however abridged.

[Erkki]

Good, there's hope then. I'll have to start saving money for a new graphics card. Radeon 9200 is probably too crappy? That's all I could afford ATM.

[Garyos]

Well, after having read loads of message board posts and finding this, (it's a complete rundown of how you should configure your .ini files.)I decided to play it again . The advice I got in that thread really improved a lot of the graphical misgivings I had about the demo. I also figured that an important game like this deserves closer scrutiny before I pass it on, so I completed the demo.

Okay, I'm buying this game.

It's still Deus Ex! I got the mojo! I got in the Zone!

The game mechanics still sucks, the graphics are still choppy, it's still too dark, and I can't quicksave. But... I was playing Deus Ex again. NPCs spouting conspiracy theories, multiple-choice sidequests, sneaky sneaking... They've still got it!

The gameplay still sucks though. Saving is infuriating, even without quicksave. You can't label your saves (console-style), and I had a lot of saves. Sometimes I had to go through three or four just to find the correct one. People don't take realistic damage at all, and there's no headshot. I couldn't even stun anyone with my baton! It's impossible to jump-crouch. And so on and so on... Hopefully there'll be a patch or mod before this gets to Europe, so all this'll be fixed. I can't wait to play this.

EDIT: Correct URL.

[ragnar]

Originally Posted by Intrepid Homoludens

S.T.A.L.K.E.R., I believe, is implementing that 'invisible' experience building system, ragsie. The more you use a particular weapon the better you get with it, etc. You see the results gradually.

Never played that game. Is it any good?

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Originally Posted by ragnar

Never played that game.

What a coincidence, it hasn't come out yet. (launch date is spring 2004)

[ragnar]

Ok, I have no idea about what it is at all, so pardon my error in assuming it was a released game.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

rags, there's also another upcoming game implementing the same invisible experience building system: Call of Cthulhu, based of course, on the Lovecraftian universe, so it's Adventure/Survivor Horror in genre. This one you might find more intriguing than S.T.A.L.K.E.R., because of how the feature is used.

[ragnar]

I'll look out for them, then.

[ysbreker]

Originally Posted by Garyos

Well, after having read loads of message board posts and finding this,

Ehm why are you linking to an gamespot advertisement page?

Could you please give the correct link?

[ysbreker]

Originally Posted by Erkki

I CAN'T! I did a search for a similar problem and everyone replied like you but they just didn't understand that the one having the problem could not install a standard VGA adapter. And neither can I. There are no standard drivers in the list even if I interrupt the automatic install process by deleting ATI .inf files.

However, I managed to do a manual install (after reinstalling Windows which I should have done anyway actually) and now it seems to work but the computer is shutting down 10-20 minutes after starting for some reason ("Remote Procedure Call service failed" or something). And the fucking DX demo is somehow magically become corrupted so I'm downloading again.

That remote procedure call service failed message is a sign that you got infected by the blaster virus.

1. run windows update and downlaod all the security patches. MS brought several patches out for this problem quite a while ago. and since you got a fresh install of windows XP, your version isn't patched...
2. get a firewall and a virus scanner

[AGA]

http://gamefiles.blueyonder.co.uk/bl...w_demo_gsi.exe - this is a better link to the Deus Ex 2 demo, since it doesn't require registration. It's 224MB.

[Garyos]

Originally Posted by ysbreker

Ehm why are you linking to an gamespot advertisement page?

Could you please give the correct link?

Oops, sorry.!

Correct link: http://forums.gamespot.com/gamespot/...sage.id=240674

And also, how to fix the fonts! Search for [FontMappings] in the .ini, and paste in this in the appropriate place.

[FontMappings]
SmallFont10__d=DX2_Font,0.86,0.80
MediumFont16__d=DX2_Font,1.1,0.80
HudFont12__d=DX2_Font,0.86,0.80
HudFont14__d=DX2_Font,1.0,0.80
HudFont16__d=DX2_Font,1.1,0.80
HUD_HelpText__d=DX2_Font,0.86,0.80
HUD_SmallText__d=DX2_Font,0.69,0.80
HUD_CornerHelpText__d=DX2_Font,0.65,0.8
HUD_DataLink__d=DX2_Font,0.86,0.80
HUD_Inventory__d=DX2_Font,0.86,0.80
HUD_Convo__d=DX2_Font,1.1,0.80


It's incredibly stupid, this .ini stuff. The game looks, performs and plays better, just by editing a text file! What were the people releasing this demo THINKING????

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Garyos, if I tweak the fonts exactly as you posted, how small will they get in relation to the original DX? Will they be comparable in size to:

this, or

this, or

this, or

this, or....?

Just looking for an estimate. Thanks.

[Garyos]

Originally Posted by Intrepid Homoludens

Garyos, if I tweak the fonts exactly as you posted, how small will they get in relation to the original DX? Will they be comparable in size to:

this, or

this, or

this, or

this, or....?

Just looking for an estimate. Thanks.

I actually haven't tested it myself yet. I'm looking for as many tweaks as possible now, its kinda fun. Just backup your .ini and try it out yourself!

[Intrepid Homoludens]

I'll do it later. I'm having far too much fun with Silent Hill 2 right now!

[Garyos]

Well, I tried it. The font is just right, allthough you the black bar doesn't scale down with it. The font is now more or less like your basic, size 12 font.

And here's a great thread for bits and pieces of tweak tips.

[Ninja Dodo]

All in all, I'm a bit disappointed I must say. I agree that it still has the Deus Ex feel to it but there was a lot of stuff that just felt really clunky. I really hope the final game will be more solid and streamlined than this.

The AI for example... just for a laugh, I decided to experiment with what would happen if you kept throwing random objects at people. Guess what... apart from a few annoyed comments, NOTHING! You can throw anything from tires to large metal storage vats at a security guard and the most he will do is yell at you!

This also brings me to the next problem... The physics are cool, but they are just not believable. Everything appears to have the same weight. The fact that you can pick up and throw anything with two simple clicks doesn't help, but worse is that you can throw a tire huge distances just as easily as a metal vat and characters aren't affected by it either. Throw a vat at a guard and you'd expect him to get knocked down... NOooo, instead he just starts and yells at you. Seems the ragdoll physics thing only works when they die-- Oh, like a heavy vat to the head won't break your neck.

I also feel hacking has become completely boring. In the original, there was the thrill of knowing you only had a limited amount of time before the alarm would go off. So you were frantically searching through the files and systems for useful information and controls, all the while keeping an eye on the time and then logging off just before it runs out. That was cool. Now it just seems kinda pointless. The only thing you have to worry about is anyone seeing you, but crouch and no one seems to notice you...

Having said that, it was still interesting good fun so I just hope they can fix the little details before they release it.

[SamandMax]

Shhhh, if we keep saying how much Deus Ex 2 is disappointing, it'll be delayed too, like HL2. Then we'll have nothing to play in the next two months.

[Erkki]

Originally Posted by ysbreker

That remote procedure call service failed message is a sign that you got infected by the blaster virus.

Yup. Probably got infected just a few minutes after connecting to the internet the first time after the WinXP install. I also had disabled the firewall for some reason, maybe that helped too.