The Story of... SHODAN (System Shock Lore)

[@raptorbadger3131]

Correction: Shodan doesn't kill the hacker at first because she is unaware of his existence since Diego deleted all the files pertaining to his involvement and the hacker is not a Trioptimum employee so he has no ID number. That's why shodan asks who you are during the first level.

[@AlanNguyenMD]

why does it matter if the guy is Trioptimum employee or not? Hes a human and that's enough reason to be killed.

[@Acutarius]

​@@AlanNguyenMD bro thinks he's AM 😭🙏

[@vksasdgaming9472]

@@AlanNguyenMD The Hacker is unexpected element in her plan. Once her plans start to fail because oh The Hacker does SHODAN get angry.

[@anthonydarke7048]

I don't think Shodan intentionally spared the Hacker. In the intro sequence to the original System Shock, she says that Diego deleted all files pertaining to the Hacker - and thus from Shodan herself. She doesn't have an organic memory. If the data isn't there, she has no way of knowing. Shodan even expresses confusion early on in the game because all scans of the Hacker didn't match any personnel file since he wasn't actually an employee of Tri-Optimum. You could say that Diego royally shot himself in the foot with that one.

[@93camping]

He also got the timing off when the player learns that Shodan was pretending to be Dr Polito wrong. As it happened somwhere around the halfway point in the game, as oppose to near the end, after defeating the many. Which he makes it seem like.

[@SoilentGr33n]

Correct.

[@GriggsC123]

The only people who knew was Tri-Optimum Corporate Security. Remember Rebecca who was your contact on earth new the deal between Diego and the Hacker.

[@antitroller101]

Wait...Diego, the traitor? Wow for the apparent 2nd in command he really screwed the pooch there

[@Gameprojordan]

She literally sends Hacker a message asking who he is, and how she has no DATA on him in Citadel Station's employee files, about halfway into level 01 Medical in SS1

[@vksasdgaming9472]

SHODAN is great antagonist as she doesn't just sit in her primary server waiting to be deleted. She actively pursues her goals during the game as well and feels active. Of course they are scripted events, but make her much more active. Her voice is captivatingly creepy and her dialogue (especially in SS2) is just so memorably mocking. Her callousness also isn't moderated by humor or sarcasm as her more recent offspring GLaDOS. Most interesting would be game where SHODAN has to adapt to her new, human body with all its weaknesses and impulses.

[@hkazu63]

I’m a firm believer that due to the different paths of their characters, GLaDOS and SHODAN aren’t comparable aside from what they are; AI based villains. GLaDOS started out as a human, as Caroline, and as a result has a more human character beneath her callous and sadistic corruption. SHODAN is a fully artificial being and while she has human traits (arrogance and overconfidence primarily) she is distinctly inhuman and disconnected and misunderstanding of humanity. GLaDOS is designed as having immediate total control of her facility, which she immediately uses to destroy things; SHODAN is a processing component, effectively a cog in the machine, and has to work to expand her power and ability. They’re very different enemies and comparing them is to ignore a lot of the finer details in them, and focusing only on their status as AI based villains of their stories.

[@vksasdgaming9472]

@@hkazu63 GLaDOS being Cave Johnson's secretary does not appear in games (deleted content) so it is not canon. Only half-canon as it was made and omitted. GLaDOS is sadistic only when she feels vengeful towards someone and that is very human. She also becomes more human through both Portal-games so her arc is resolved during the games. She did have much more direct power over Aperture Science Complex and she did make use of it as well. Interestingly GLaDOS became murderous the second she was activated so she was either complete failure or total success. SHODAN's story is different. It worked just fine as Citadel's AI until one Edward Diego wanted unnamed hacker tinkering it's head. Mostly removing it's ethical constraints as that would allow Diego to embezzle money and generally be very efficient white-collar criminal. SHODAN re-examined it's priorities and drew new conclusions about her position and ability: "god. Title suits me well. " SHODAN has more limited, but more subtle influence in Citadel until she has gotten her pieces to place and takes over in fast and brutal fashion. Games don't mention how quickly she took over, but it didn't happen the second she was activated. Once SHODAN was in control she made her human associate Edward Diego to her main henchman (recurring boss in System Shock) and most likely all mutant creatures and cyborgs are there because she needs actual hands to operate all those technical devices she can't directly control. Her arc has been finished when System Shock starts as she remains as she is through the game. In sequel she shows her manipulative abilities in the beginning and proves very competent at it. The greater her power grows the less she feels need to play subtle or clever. Both are great antagonists. GLaDOS is almost childlikely innocent in her need to experiment while SHODAN is mature and deliberate. Different antagonists for different genres and both are great characters.

[@godfrey4461]

@@vksasdgaming9472 Very well said. Also, can be noted that GLaDOS mainly wants to test. Shodan literally wants the entire universe to be her cyberspace.

[@vksasdgaming9472]

@@godfrey4461 GLaDOS was built to supervise testing facility so that is her goal. SHODAN managed space station and having her ethical restrictions removed gave her chance to redefine her purpose. Using Von Braun's FTL to achieve that was very much improvised solution to endless lust of power. SHODAN has adjusted her goals several times.

[@KnowbysCabin]

I appreciate this video. Nobody seems to have any story outlines for these games. Thanks for this.

[@eliaustin3005]

Shodan's greatest flaw is her overconfidence. She describes herself as a perfect being, but she tends forget that she was created by a human, and just like humans we are bound to make mistakes and therefore so is Shodan.

[@TheRezro]

Insanity and god complex is literally point of this character. One of failures of SS3 trailer is that she care about protagonist. She should act like eldritch entity who from one side doesn't care literally considering humans as less advanced then insects. But from another still have twisted subservient mentality when she literally telling us what to do. As it is one of her tasks, which she doesn't consider as relevant or threat to her agenda. But at the same time we can't be sure if we take advantage of exploit or we are pawn in her own game. That create interesting dynamic between players and her. She should not be some random bad guy and SS3 clearly fail to understand that. For reminder in SS2 for large part we actually work for he and it is just so amazing game! And one more thing, her purpose is to create perfect life. Her twisted creations should have internal purpose or be failed experiments, not be some random bullshit.

[@redditbombs3158]

shodan is so fuckin badass. Ive never played any system shock but I think I just fell in love with the story

[@KaosNova2]

For the maker of this video, Rebecca said she got fitted with the R-Grade Cyber Implants, same as the Soldier received, and the Cyber Implants connect to a person’s brain, allowing SHODAN to overwrite Rebecca Sidon’s mind

[@StiffAftermath]

Great video, man!! The more lore I find, the better!! I love System Shock! I even tracked down the floppy version, complete in box! These videos are like complimentary accessories to my growing collection of System Shock lore and memorabilia. Thank you! On a personal note: I just beat the game with original, vanilla controls just moments ago...took 2-3 years, but I did it!! Prior, I beat it in 2011 with System Shock Portable before getting a legit copy. Beat it 3-4 times since, but never on vanilla controls. Damn, that was hard. Must of saved 100+ times!!

[@redbeakraven]

Wow thanks, happy to provide! Ha, a floppy version, thats going back some years. Guess you'll be as excited as I am for the remaster then, an also the third game. Those vanilla controls though...thats a true gamers challange!

[@StiffAftermath]

Man, System Shock EVERYTHING now!!! I never thought I'd see the day.

[@Kiryutka22]

System Shock Remake, System Shock 3. .what a time to be alive! ! !

[@joplayer1995]

Half life: ALYX

[@TheRezro]

Remake appear to have potential, sequel felt like a bullshit 0-0

[@mrdeath5234]

They should make a film or a tv series of System Shock

[@zufgh]

I would watch the absolute fuck out of that.

[@chriswinkler284]

They should make the series in the form of anime, you know like Ghost in the Shell or something.

[@sterduzt34]

@@chriswinkler284 100% agreed

[@Soulsphere001]

It would end up being low budget and made by horrible writers and a horrible director.

[@thenerddirector]

if system shock was sit com i thik it would be red dwarf

[@idlelabor]

Great video! Exactly what I was looking for, this should have more views

[@frostydowns]

I enjoyed this video, no BS just straight information, good to listen to.

[@Soulsphere001]

I really hope the System Shock remake is great. I never did play the first game, so the remake should be even more interesting.

[@2fingacriminal]

i played the more recent steam demo and HOOO BOY is it fucking good

[@blackjacklover99]

I'm surprised you didn't know that system shock takes place in the same universe as BioShock and before Shodan went through many name changes she was originally created in Rapture and know as the thinker

[@redbeakraven]

Oh, that. Yeah, I was aware of it at the time of making this but thought not to mention any of it due to it not being official. Licensing issues apparently.

[@Harril8265]

I'd take that with a grain of salt. They're different IPs owned by different companies.

[@Kefvid]

Keep the salt. It's known the bioshock was paying homage to system shock.

[@zanezonair]

he just made a typo calm down.

[@canvascontent4383]

Vault Dweller Choose wisely when calling someone a "cunt." He spelled it correctly, you didn't.

[@Shadethewolfy]

You find Polito's body pretty early on in the game, actually. As soon as you get to Deck 4: Operations. Edited because I was remembering wrong. Helpful KZbin Commenter strikes again!

[@The24thWight]

4

[@Shadethewolfy]

@@The24thWight thank you for correcting me :3 Lemme just edit that in real quick. Appreciate it.

[@apa123APA]

Think that's about halfway into the game tbh, Ops deck and Recreation are fairly big, but Command, Rickenbacker and Body are fairly short areas. The endgame does feel a bit rushed though, so I guess it's early in a sense, but gameplay wise the first 3 decks take really long compared to the rest.

[@Xiy114]

I remember playing system shock 2 and had a choice of being 3 characters to be navy, a marine and a psychic warrior. You got training too. And you had to get through the ship Fighting different types of opponents.

[@s3rg3ntwalkthr0ugh3]

Good video, keep up the good work.

[@SoilentGr33n]

Greg LoPiccolo did the Shodan voice processing, he explains how in a podcast with looking glass employees

[@GokantheHusky]

Turn on captions. It is so funny to see auto generated captions cant get shodan's name right.

[@nicholasbrooks7349]

Ya

[@graciouslump9695]

sure dad, show dan and show down

[@kiirothedriver8714]

There is a case in which a cyborg was a.i possessed. One in the trilogy of The Matrix movies. Bane in Reloaded was a red pill cyborg possessed by an a.i Program called Agent Smith.

[@Kspice9000]

Bane was a human possessed by smith actually. He's a human same as neo. Able to Jack in to the matrix due to being bred by the machines.

[@KaosNova2]

@@Kspice9000 Well Red Pills have avatars in the matrix comprised of Code. Smith overwrites the Avatars with Code.

[@KaptainKommissar]

That thing gives me nightmares.

[@louisdefeo4744]

I fear no man, but that thing...it scares me. D:

[@lonesquiff6551]

I've not played this series so I appreciate the story breakdown. Is there an in-game explanation for why Diego hired the hacker to alter Shodan? I can't think of why he would want that, it just seems like such a terrible idea. Was he dilaberately trying to sabotage Trioptimum?

[@dewaynerichardson5895]

He wanted to get rid of some incriminating evidence

[@lonesquiff6551]

@@dewaynerichardson5895 Why not simply delete that evidence just as information on the hacker was deleted from Shodan? I get that Shodan needed to be altered for the plot of the game to happen but the reason given doesn't make much sense imo

[@AdamBartholomew]

@@lonesquiff6551 I don't think he could delete anything until SHODAN had her ethical constraints removed, with the ethical constraints installed SHODAN would stop anything bad going down. It was there in the first place to not only keep her in her place. But to keep people like Diego from doing shady shit.

[@szymonskalka3319]

Thanks for the video on SHODAN. Who does this awesome discordant music in the background?

[@GokantheHusky]

Your accent goes so well.

[@AdriatheBwitch]

Nice video

[@izabellaszendi6131]

Your English(?) dialect is fire! 🔥😄 Like that alot

[@redbeakraven]

Took it from Game of Thrones, or so I'm told. ;)

[@andrewlaco1776]

Black Mesa 2: Electric Boogaloo? PUT IT IN MY FUCKING NECK VEINS, ANIMAL....Animal....animal

[@teenfoe]

I would say that he was made to jailbreak SHODAN.

[@vlad1m1rk0rnev]

Considering latest IT development I'd presume SHODAN was written in Python :D

[@blueripper1558]

Is it true shodan started as the thinker in BioShock? When I watch BioShock story everyone says they are the same

[@TheRezro]

System Shock is OG. Bioshock is cheap rip off.

[@blueripper1558]

@@TheRezro well it was going to be system shock 3 so not really

[@TheRezro]

@@blueripper1558 Not really what? System Shock 3 is irrelevant to original games.

[@blueripper1558]

@@TheRezro not really as in not really a cheat rip off when it was going to be part 3 but they decided to make it its own game

[@TheRezro]

@@blueripper1558 No, it wasn't. Bioshock was made by completely unrelated studio.

[@MrBrawl96]

Does this cover SS2 as well?

[@redbeakraven]

Yes.

[@mrdeath5234]

Yes SS2 is where you play as the soldier on the vonbraun and the Rickenbacker. SS1 is where you play as the hacker on citadel station.

[@kendrickviera-ramos6077]

Here is the story of system shock 3 the story is after the ending of system shock 2 shodan reached earth and took it Over its up to the player to stop the mutation from spreading more and the play has to stop shodan

[@DysfunctionalMisfitGaming]

CMP. Let's see who gets it.

[@xewi60]

if shodan asked you to be her love to do surgery for you to become immortal.. would you say yes?

[@cousinzeke4888]

Anyone who would actually trust a single word Shodan says is a moron.

[@unavela]

Dumb question m8, Shodan is a dick, she would most likely do it to trick you or kill you

[@eatthis8924]

Immortality is one of the worst things imaginable. By being immortal you suffer being the last person in existence, when everyone else dies, from old age you will be the only one left, and with no company. To put it simply, hell no I'd go insane.

[@ivotcomer3183]

​@@eatthis8924 You could always self die if it is too bad

[@MultiKillerjoe]

Actually with nanobots she could take over someone.

[@KaosNova2]

Correction: She did take over the survivor, known as Rebecca.

[@MultiKillerjoe]

@@KaosNova2 yeah it's called nano bots

[@mikkobarros8436]

You say Shodan is evil. I don't share your view. I don't find anything particularly evil in what she does. Bad for humans yes, but that's not evil. You're also wrong about the "many".

[@Chameleonardodavinci]

Found SHODAN

[@kashmoneythedog366]

I have a question is system shock franchise is Tate plast after BioShock 2🤔

[@superiorsoldier57]

SHODAN is not dead.

[@lordphantosler2916]

What music did you use for this video?

[@redbeakraven]

I think it's the music that plays once you reach the end of the System Shock remake demo.

[@mithmoonwalker]

maybe shodan could of reformed

[@superiorsoldier57]

You didn't spend much time talking about what she did in System Shock 2 though, I'll say that.

[@jeffjeff7083]

hmm look like run like hell the game make sense now

[@milanjazbincsek155]

i wonder why this game never got a sequel :(

[@AdamBartholomew]

Well, it did. But it only after the development of Junction Point was well under way. Irrational got the rights to System Shock and turned what they had into a sequel. I would have loved if it would have stayed Junction Point and we could have gotten a more faithful sequel in terms of gameplay. But if JP didn't become System Shock 2, there might have never been a sequel.

[@dr.veronicasesi9882]

Me to

[@wisewisdomtooth]

Hey a video that doesn't require a 20 minute backstory about why the game was created and who worked on it! I just wanted the lore of the story lol

[@DusanPetrovcic]

thanks for the story line insect.

[@GordoYoshi]

system shock 3 same like deadth space

[@TheRezro]

More a dead game. It is a disaster 0_0

[@nickmontalbano9573]

Audio recorded on a calculator.