Is System Shock 1 Classic the full CD version with the horrible controls, or the floppy version with the same bad controls as well as no audio logs (I think they're text based in that one, further ripping off Marathon) Doom and Descent text screens instead of FMVs "cheats" in the form of bug exploits and some missing switches like Level 8's cyber switch?.

It supposed to be BOTH floppy and CD version of the game. They have separate launchers. I never played this game before so I can't be sure of all the diffeences but when I start floppy version I didn't get voiced logs and I couldn't change resolution. Weird thing is that the intro is still from CD version I think.

I guess they cheated on the intro then... A three minute FMV intro on floppy would be quite an accomplishment :-D

Well, the classic version does include the full CD image.

But... Marathon came out in December, whereas System Shock came out in September of the same year.

I think the same pre-rendered intro movie was present on the original floppy disk release, but it had no voiceover (naturally) and, from what I remember hearing, was lower-quality video.

And it's not as if that version of the game came on ONE SINGLE 3.5" disk. =P

^ This

When you launch the floppy version of the game delivered via System Shock Classic, the intro plays with MIDI music instead of pre-recorded one and uses full voice over. The midi intro music actually sounds way better than the CD version one.

I've just experimented with game files and manage to see floppy intro. I've copied SSHOCK directory elsewhere and deleted all files with SVGA*.res and all files large enough (>10mb) to not fit on floopy disc from DATA directory. Game run just fine but I only test first location.

EDIT: typo

That was the floppy version. the full CD version came out in 1995. although I think the design doc for SS1 was actually made in 1993 according to the other post about Pathways into Darkness being the first FPS RPG.

Even if I see the similarities as rip-offs or not, I don't really care as they're both awesome in their own ways and I personally prefer SS1 with Mouselook enhancements over SS2 in some regards due to the engine giving a feel like a Space Colony Ark zone in the Crystal Maze, not to mention the best lockpicking and hacking minigames I've seen (puzzles and cyberspace).

I don't know when Alex and Jason finished the design for Marathon but it was released in Dec 21 1994 in time for Macworld and half of Bungie's development time was spent reworking the campaign levels which at that point in development, sucked because they had so much fun play testing the multiplayer.

More people have heard of System Shock than Marathon mainly because Marathon used to be Mac only and from a serious gaming standpoint, Macs suck. The only reason to get one back then before DOS and Windows games got ported to them was to play Bungie games which were arguably more awesome than their id counterparts.

EDIT: on a similar note, I think an SS3 should have SS1 visuals and SS2 style gameplay with a modern engine based on SS1 Enhanced, with the return on non useless Deus Ex 1 Augs and SS2 Psi powers, like a sci-fi Ultima Underworld without the shitty controls. ( Augs are useful in System Shock 1, but not Deus Ex 1 unless you count the flashlight which was the most boring of the augs in DE1)

PS, I think the Enhanced version Mouselook and better controls should be added to UU and UU2 as an optional add-on in a free patch so I can play more of the game without getting bored and irritated due to bad controls and monotonous piano keys plunking whenever I walk or run, like a Halloween themed episode of the Raccoons.