System Shock 2: getting to know you

I'm getting into it, but the interface remains cumbersome.

Now its crashing on me every couple of minutes, something it didn't do at all until now. Research reveals this seems to be a common problem. I try setting CPU affinity from 0 to 1, seems to be working, for now. It seems like a big part of solving this game is resolving Windows difficulties.

You have to be careful where you drop stuff - some stuff can clip right through the walls. And it seems some of the stuff I drop just disappears forever when I come back that way. Speaking of coming back to disappointment - why are there new enemies in cleared areas? Resources are very limited, I would imagine on both sides. {Deus Ex spoiler ahead...} Also, it seems Xerxes and Shodan are not in league - perhaps they will join up, like the AIs in Deus Ex (will) do.

Anyway, for now I'll stick to the wrench as much as possible, conserve ammo. Melee combat is really awkward, but I'm getting the hang of taking them out with minimal damage.

The kitchen sink just keeps on growing. Its bad enough there is an upgrade kiosk, where I can upgrade my stats and skills, now there's another upgrade kiosk for "O/S Upgrades". Considering the importance and expense of this deep space mission, why isn't every crew member fully upgraded, or if its so expensive, at least reasonably upgraded in their specialties. I'm supposed to be a veteran soldier, and I can't even operate a can opener. I know the answer is its a game, and this is how we let you build up your character, but it throws dirt on the story, which is of course why we're here in the first place. In the year that follows, Deus Ex will integrate this much more smoothly in to the game (with magic nano canisters, no less).

Anyway, for my first upgrade I'll take pack rat. Since this is my first time through, and I don't know what to carry, I might as well grab more stuff until I can figure out what's important per my character build. I have 8 cyber modules, I could take another point in strength, or endurance. I'll hold on to it for now. I already upgraded strength so I could wear armor, no telling what I'll need next.

Important safety tip: don't walk near 'pile of disgusting worms', or it will cost you an anti-toxin hypo.

Finally found a working shotgun, but I need a Standard skill of 3, so I buy it. As an experiment, I try buying a maintenance tool, to see if I can upgrade the shotgun. I need a repair skill of 2.