Deus Ex Design Document v13.12

This is a sub-page of Development:Deus Ex.

Miscellaneous Changes#

• Characters could be 'recruited' and would live at bases such as Tong's compound or the X51 Vandenberg. Between 2-8 could be recruited, in the final game the flags for recruiting Jaime and Alex exist, but Alex is always recruited. Listed recruitable characters are Smuggler, Ford Schick, Lebedev, Chad, Joe Greene, Nicolette, Jaime, Alex, Carter, Paul, Daedalus, Jock, and Tong.
• Recruited characters could gives rewards. Nicolette giving lockpicks, Jaime giving medkits, Carter giving ammo, Paul giving aug upgrades. Characters could give skillpoints, or skill upgrades (Jaime giving a medicine skill upgrade, Carter giving a weapon skill upgrade).
• If Sam Carter was not to be recruited, he'd be killed offscreen.
• Daedalus' name switches between Daedalus and Daedelus in the document, the computer UI can be seen in promotional videos using the name 'Daedelus'.
• The greasel is referred to as a greazel, which matches some calls internally in maps and flags.
• Harley Filben was to be surrounded by dogs on the south dock. Promotional video appears to show dogs at Liberty Island.
• Police officers would be rescued from being hostage, which would then help the assault raid.
• Special qualities for AI were defined that go unimplemented, such as healing allies (for assassins), and following smells (for dogs).
• NPCs are said to be susceptible to cold and sonic blasts, which both don't exist in the final game.
• Jumping, flying, hovering, and clinging movement patterns were defined, but don't exist in the final game.
• Robots may have been able to see in the dark by using information provided by Daedalus.
• A large advertisement board was to be hacked to display "[REAL NAME] DAEDALUS SAYS YOU MUST FIND THE ILLUMINATI".
• Tracer Tong's first name is said to be James, with Tracer being a nickname.
• Augmentations were meant to get disabled during the killswitch, and restored by Tong.
• The Dragon's Tooth Sword is called the Dragon's Eye sword.
• Stanton Dowd is just a codename.
• Gilbert Renton was a highly religious man.
• Tiffany Savage is Gary's step-daughter.
• Conversations couldn't be started while a weapon was equipped.
• TechGoggles were called GogglesIR.
• Difficulty levels were planned, but unsure if they would have time to be implemented.
• The bioelectric bar on the HUD was originally a bar for the duration of wearable items.
• Only one number was displayed for ammo remaining in clip, this could be changed to show all ammo for the weapon. This would later be split to show both at the same time.
• The GEP gun (or possibly LAW) used to take up 10 inventory slots.
• No IFF augmentation was installed by default.
• Augmentation upgrades were called augmentation "enhancers".
• Medkits were displayed in a list on the health screen, requiring scrolling if many were in the inventory.
• Flare darts were sometimes called 'Light darts'.
• A LAW could be found on every chapter of the game, including Liberty Island.

Changed/Cut NPCs#

• Crawling and flying insects, along with mandrills and sharks are mentioned in the list of animals in the design document, but never made it into the game.
• Female children were meant to be in the game, with the child in the catacombs being one, but were cut.
• Flying robots were planned but cut. The cleaner bot was originally a low hovering bot. An 18" fast flying spy robot was planned, it would shock the player with electricity and also work in water.
• Repair bots were at once point teased to repair enemy robots, making them a threat.
• Mechanically augmented dogs would be found in MJ12 facilities and would be fast, deadly, and see in the dark with glowing eyes.
• Greasels were originally nano-augmented seagulls and were unable to kill characters and would only daze and confuse them, relying on karkians to kill their enemies for them.
• Nano-augmented mandrills would be found in MJ12 facilities and Area 51. These would have healing, strength-enhancing and agility increasing nanites.
• Large nano-augmented rats between cat and dog size would be found in sewers. These rats would spit stomach acid and bite and later be controlled by Daedalus as a weapon. This bite would do poison damage and may be the reason for the cut WeaponRatBite in the final game.
• Virus mutants that look "threatening, scary looking and beyond redemption" would be hidden. These would be humans that were assimilated by the nano-virus. These enemies would have variable strength, with some being strong and some very weak. Some would be timid and others would be fearless and attack. These enemies would attack in close combat only, none using weapons, forcing the player to take on enemies that look like their friends and allies close up.
• Roaches would spawn from trashbags just like rats. Some of these roaches would have small devices on their back to indicate they were being mind controlled.
• Robots would issue warnings before shooting.
• NPCs were to hide behind objects to take cover.

Cut Features#

• NPCs were to change their face texture to reflect their mood.
• Pressing escape to immediately exit a conversation.
• Allowing replay of audio from the datavault.
• Rearranging note order.
• Quicksaving with ctrl + S and quickloading with ctrl + L.
• Additional customizable crosshairs.
• Searching conversation text.
• Images with multiple levels (multiple images in final).
• Inventory items taking up 10 slots (maximum used in final is 8).
• Equipping/unequipping/using items by double clicking on them in the inventory.
• Equipped items having a blue background.
• Selecting multiple items in the inventory by holding Ctrl.
• Displaying the two augmentations in a canister by selecting it in the inventory.
• Displaying skillpoints in red if insufficient for upgrade.
• Wavering vision for large head damage.
• Possible paralysis for poison damage.
• Characters healing certain body parts at a cost, and referring you to other characters specialized in certain parts.
• Metal detectors that detect weapons, except concealable ones, e.g. shurikens, PS20s (hide-a-guns).
• AI eyes taking time to adjust from a bright room to a dark one or visa versa.
• Variable hearing ability for NPCs.
• A Leading state for NPCs for leading the player to a location.
• NPCs throwing nearby objects at the player as they run away.
• NPCs crouching while hiding to be less of a target.
• NPCs zig-zagging while running to be harder to hit.
• Throwing money in the air to get NPCs to collect it and get in the way of the player and their enemies.
• Alarms activated by missing NPCs or objects or too many incorrect passwords or keycodes.
• Light and sound alarms triggering traps.
• Traps causing: flooding/gas traps/security doors closing/damage/searchlights/turning off lights/opening the floor.
• Reloading turrets by giving them the ammo they require (also turrets running out of ammo). Also turrets using multiple ammo types?
• Loud ambient sounds muffling player's sounds, like gunshots.
• Water currents being used to provide more value to swimming skill players.
• 3D ladder objects instead of 2D textures.
• Climbable objects such as rocks instead of only two ladder textures.
• Leaving food out to attract animals as a distraction.
• SCUBA divers using GEP guns underwater.
• Possibly making objects invisible with thermoptic camo (for whatever reason).
• A crafting system to make molotovs¹.
• Viewing the current position and nearby ones on public data terminal. Having a videophone conversation over data terminal.
• Unique textures for TVs based on the country location.
• Downloading information from computers to keycards.
• Downloading maps from computers.
• Motion activated cameras that watch you.
• Lights burning out above you at bad times.

Changed/Cut Augmentations#

• AugAudioAnalysis and AugHearing were cut, unknown use, though Anna Navarre mentions having ear augmentations to hear LAMs.
• The running and jumping parts of AugSpeed were once separate augmentations, but quickly combined.
• The Aggressive Defensive System augmentation would display a compass on the top right, upgrading would turn it into a radar, then an IFF.
• Aggressive Defensive System would also give a verbal warning when detonating an explosive.
• Level 4 aqualung would allow water breathing, like the description suggests.
• Upgrading Cloak/Radar Transparency would increase the distance it works from 40/30/20/10ft instead of it always being 100% effective and reducing power consumption.
• Environmental resistance gave 100% immunity at level 4, instead of 90%.
• The light aug could be used with no energy, with a lower luminosity compared to when with energy to use.
• The microfibral muscle augmentation increased 'climbing' speed, possibly for ladders?
• Regeneration healed slowly, requiring use of medkits to immediately heal damage instead. It would heal damage as it was done and at a maximum amount of times per time frame.
• Spydrone had no EMP detonation at level 1. Damaging the player would also destroy the drone and a low maximum flight altitude.
• Targeting level 3 would allow all weapons to be used as if they had a scope.
• Vision Enhancement would show traps when active.

Changed Skills#

• The electronics skill (then "Tech") would also increase the effectiveness of weapon mods at a rate of 0/25/50/100% bonus.

Changed/Cut Items#

• A can of pork and beans would restore health when used.
• Shurikens made of carbon fiber to be immune to metal detectors were repurposed into throwing knives.
• The PS20 also has a PS10 variant mentioned at times.
• The plasma rifle was a rifle weapon, not a heavy weapon.
• The mini-crossbow was a low tech weapon, not a pistol weapon.
• Specialized medkits for healing specific parts and ineffective at others. While possibly just examples, bandages, surgical kits, and tape are mentioned earlier for healing.
• Pepper spray would immobilize whatever location it hit, such as arms or legs. Only headshots would blind, and blinded enemies would stumble around.
• Assault rifles were one-handed.
• The crowbar was non-lethal, but detectable by metal detectors, unlike the baton. Also a 1x1 weapon.
• The Dragon's Tooth sword was unable to damage doors, and took up 5 inventory slots.
• The flamethrower was a 3x2 weapon.
• The assault rifle took up 2 inventory slots.
• The assault shotgun took up 5 inventory slots, somehow.
• The LAW was a 3x2 weapon.
• The mini-crossbow's main ammo was plain darts, poison were secondary. (This explains why many enemies are given plain darts in-game, instead of tranquilizer.)
• The plasma rifle took up 4 inventory slots.
• The prod may have been able to stun robots, just for a shorter duration than humans. The prod may have also used biocells as ammo.
• The PS20 was an instant hit pistol, rather than plasma shooter. The old sound for this still exists in-game, along with some animations.
• Random objects could be picked up and thrown for damage, example given is rocks.
• The sawed off shotgun took up 2 inventory slots.
• The sniper rifle was a 5x2 weapon, making it the largest in the game at the time.
• The stealth pistol was immune to metal detectors, unlike the regular pistol.
• The sword took up 4 inventory slots.
• Fist weapons were cut, the AI would fist fight the player if both were unarmed.
• Thermoptic camo wasn't as effective if the player was moving.

Changed/Cut Objects#

• Ambrosia barrels were destructible.
• A tugboat was cut.
• A cut medium sized crate was breakable and usable for cover.
• Flasks could be combined with gas canisters to produce molotovs.
• A lighter that was possibly cut due to its purpose being duplicated by other items in the game.
• A lunar drill bit was cut, at the time of the document it was already repurposed to not be lunar based.
• Shooting fire hydrants would produce water.
• Using a microscope would show an image, this would also be a way to discover Schick's connection to Tong.
• A card reader could be used with a key to open a door.
• Water coolers potentially restoring 1 energy instead of health.
• Cameras that would stare at the player at all times.
• Datacubes wouldn't save their info to the datavault as they'd instead be carried in the inventory.
• Newspapers and books would have to be picked up and held to be read.
• Emails would copy information to the datavault. Emails would also have a ! or different color if they were plot important.

Cut Multiplayer#

While multiplayer wasn't shipped in Deus Ex, it was planned to be included in some form with multiple gamemodes, initially on release and then later via a patch as working on singleplayer was more focused on.

Deathmatch:

Kill everyone else until everyone gets bored and one person emerges with the highest number of kills. The skills, augmentations, object interaction, computer systems and other elements of our world simulation make this a surprisingly compelling game mode. We’ll support as many players as Unreal supports. Competitive.

Running Man:

One or more players are designated Targets. The rest of the players are designated Pursuers. To win, the targets must reach a random exit point before they're killed a predetermined number of times (tunable based on player skill). To win, the Pursuers must prevent the Target from escaping until time (tunable) runs out. One target (or several) versus One pursuer (or several). Playable versus AI?

Assassin:

One player is designated the Assassin. (There may be more than one assassin…) Another group of players is designated the Security Force and charged with protecting the innocent. One (or several) versus many. There are specific targets the assassin has to kill, with points deducted for innocents killed. NPC targets in the game either sit in one place or follow a preset path to specific destinations.

Hostage:

Uh, oh – terrorists have taken hostages on board a yacht or in the White House or on an orbiting space station. You and your buddies have to save as many of them as possible. One or several versus many. Competitive or cooperative. Playable versus AI.

Scavenger Hunt:

There are several objects (random number of random objects) scattered throughout the map. Find them all and get to the exit before the competition. There may or may not be multiples of each item (determined scenario by scenario) and there should be some way to tell how many objects an opponent is carrying. You can kill opponents and take their objects, too. Many players. Competitive.

• NPCs were planned to be in multiplayer. Some would be hostile to everyone, some would be passive and go for alarms, some would ally with whoever touched them and attack anyone else until touched again. These NPCs would be randomized for replayability.
• Randomized items would be on each map for replayability.
• Non-critical doors would be randomly locked or unlocked.

References#