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Development

Close Combat began development at Atomic Games as Beyond Squad Leader, an adaptation of Avalon Hill's Squad Leader board wargame.^[1] After breaking with its previous publisher Three-Sixty Pacific over business differences, Atomic had been signed to Avalon Hill's computer game division in 1993 by Jim Rose.^[2]^[3] The Atomic team started developing Beyond Squad Leader and the World at War series for their new publisher.^[3]^[4]^[5] A computer version of Squad Leader had been considered at Avalon Hill for several years, as the game and its sequel Advanced Squad Leader were commercial successes in board form, with sales over 1 million copies by 1997. However, the series' complexity had made this idea "too daunting" in the past, according to Computer Gaming World's Terry Coleman.^[6] Avalon Hill's contract with Atomic to create Beyond Squad Leader and other titles was a key part of the company's effort, led by Rose, to revive its computer game branch in the face of flagging board game sales.^[7] Beyond Squad Leader was initially announced for a September 1994 release,^[8] but Computer Gaming World reported a rumor in July 1994 that the game had been postponed to early 1995.^[9]

Beyond Squad Leader was not a literal adaptation of the Squad Leader board game,^[10]^[11] and had been in production under the name Project X when Atomic was still working with Three-Sixty Pacific. Avalon Hill initially offered the team a chance to create a one-to-one Computer Squad Leader; however, after being shown Project X, the publisher chose to adopt and rebrand the game.^[12] Breaking from the board game's framework, the adaptation focused on simulating the psychology of small groups of soldiers via real-time gameplay. The soldiers' AI dictated much of their behavior beyond the player's control.^[3]^[11] Atomic's president, Keith Zabalaoui, explained at the time that he hoped to capture the experience of real-world military commanders, who "cannot tell what [their] men are going to do in any given situation until it happens". To emphasize this core element, the team automated Advanced Squad Leader's detailed calculations and "focus[ed] on what the game is really all about, which is tactics, and on the play of the game rather than looking up rules", according to Zabalaoui. He expected the game's deviations from the Squad Leader series to prove controversial.^[3] Zabalaoui later explained that the inspiration for the project, as a real-time wargame, came from seeing Dune II in the early 1990s.^[13]

Atomic and Avalon Hill experienced creative friction during the development of Beyond Squad Leader and the World at War games.^[1]^[14]^[4] Computer Gaming World columnist Alan Emrich wrote in 1995, "To say there was no love lost between [...] Jim Rose and Atomic's Keith Zabalaoui would be a gracious understatement."^[4] By June 1995, Rose had left Avalon Hill to found TalonSoft, and Beyond Squad Leader had entered alpha testing.^[15] Speaking with PC Gamer US's wargame columnist William R. Trotter in late 1995, Rose complained that Avalon Hill's parent company, Monarch Office Services, had been disinterested and "conservative" in allocating funds and distribution to the computer game division.^[14] He felt that this limited budget and support intensified after Monarch launched the costly magazine Girls' Life, and he left for TalonSoft as a result. Rose argued at the time, "If they'd given me the power and money to do what needed doing, Beyond Squad Leader would be out by now." Avalon Hill Director of Software Development Bill Levay replied that, while the company's decisions "certainly are conservative", the board and computer game divisions were profitable and their overall situation was "really pretty good".^[14]^[4]

Atomic Games split with Avalon Hill during this period,^[14] and D-Day: America Invades was the two companies' last game together. According to Emrich, Zabalaoui remarked that this event was "purely a business decision" and that there was no ill will between the companies.^[4] While the Beyond Squad Leader title remained Avalon Hill's property,^[14] Atomic owned all other aspects of the project, and chose to continue development under a new title.^[4] At the time, Zabalaoui told Trotter that a large company had recently approached Atomic. He further remarked, "I can't say at this point what the game will be called, although I personally like Close Combat".^[14] By December 1995, the game's publisher was announced as Microsoft;^[16] Atomic was the first developer contracted in Microsoft's wider push into strategy games, which later included Ensemble Studios.^[17] According to Zabalaoui, the project's real-time nature and psychological modeling had attracted the publisher, which at the time was seeking "developers with a good track record who could help get them established." Atomic Games was nearly bankrupt at the time, and the deal saved the company. Beyond Squad Leader was ultimately renamed Close Combat.^[12]

To develop the soldiers' psychological model in Close Combat, Atomic worked with Dr. Steven Silver, a specialist in post-traumatic stress disorder among military veterans. He had first approached Atomic with his research into state-trait anxiety during the game's initial Project X stage. Collaborating with Silver, the team gave each soldier an individual anxiety index based on tiredness, preparedness, combat experience, past successes and other things. According to T. Liam McDonald of boot, these factors were reduced to numbers and incorporated into "probability tables" that determine soldiers' actions, and that change in response to events during play. Alongside the soldiers' individual psychological models, Atomic designed a model for squads' overall anxiety; programmer John Anderson explained that "the influence of [the] team and how that team reacts as a unit makes a huge difference as to whether an individual soldier will actually obey [an] order."^[18] Two complementary algorithms, tactical (TAI) and strategic (SAI), power the game's AI system. While TAI controls psychological modeling and low-level action, SAI "is constantly analyzing the battlefield for enemy troops and keeping tabs on the big picture", Zabalaoui said.^[19] Close Combat features 2,000 source lines of code that relate to psychological modeling,^[18] and more CPU time was allocated to its AI simulation than to its visuals.^[19]

Atomic adopted a relatively loose team structure for Close Combat: Zabalaoui provided the general plan and oversight, while others designed many sections in large part by themselves. Zabalaoui found that this type of delegated work deepened the game and made development more enjoyable. An overriding goal across the team was to attract both mainstream strategy game players and hardcore wargamers. According to Zabalaoui, Atomic tried to combine detailed simulation for hardcore players with accessible audiovisuals and a streamlined interface, the latter designed mostly by Atomic's Steve Marriotti. Historical research for the project continued through the planning stage and into production. After more than three years of development,^[19] Close Combat was released in June 1996.^[8]

^ ^a ^b Coleman, Terry (January 1999). "Close Combat III; Atomic for Power, Turbines for Speed". Computer Gaming World. No. 174. pp. 82, 83, 86.
^ Emrich, Alan (November 1993). "How Goes the Battle?". Computer Gaming World. No. 112. p. 164.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Hawthorne, Don (1993). "Silicon Simulations". The General. 29 (1): 54, 55.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Emrich, Alan (November 1995). "Turning the Telescope Around; G-2". Computer Gaming World. No. 136. pp. 253, 254, 256.
^ Emrich, Alan (August 1994). "When in Illuria, Do as the Warlords Do; G-2". Computer Gaming World. No. 121. pp. 101, 102.
^ Coleman, Terry (June 1997). "Silicon Leader". Computer Gaming World. No. 155. pp. 191–193.
^ Greenwood, Don (1994). "The Avalon Hill Philosophy Part 161: A Tale of Two Companies". The General. 29 (2): 3.
^ ^a ^b Poole, Stephen (1996). "Vaporware Hall of Shame". GameSpot. Archived from the original on February 5, 1997.
^ Santos, Ernie Ryne (July 1994). "Cub Reporters?". The Rumor Bag. Computer Gaming World. No. 120. p. 166.
^ Emrich, Alan (November 1994). "Oh Genre, My Genre!; G-2". Computer Gaming World. No. 124. pp. 203, 204.
^ ^a ^b Emrich, Alan (December 1994). "Windows of Opportunity; G-2". Computer Gaming World. No. 125. pp. 293, 294, 296.
^ ^a ^b Zabalaoui, Keith (December 4, 1998). "Designer Diaries: Close Combat III". GameSpot. Archived from the original on April 28, 1999.
^ Cite error: The named reference igninterview was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Trotter, William R. (December 1995). "The Desktop General; Avalon Hill: On the Ropes or On a Roll?". PC Gamer US. 2 (12): 303, 304.
^ Emrich, Alan (June 1995). "Dealing with the Fog of War; G-2". Computer Gaming World. No. 131. pp. 153, 154.
^ Staff (December 1995). "Holiday Hot 100; Coming Down the Warpath". Computer Gaming World. No. 137. p. 150.
^ Coleman, Terry (October 1997). "Does Microsoft Know Games?". Computer Gaming World. No. 159. pp. 307, 309, 311, 313.
^ ^a ^b McDonald, T. Liam (November 1996). "Psyche of the Dogface". boot (3): 31, 104.
^ ^a ^b ^c Udell, Scott (July 18, 1996). "An interview with Keith Zabalaoui, President of Atomic Games". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Archived from the original on January 1, 1997.

[retrospective-1] Coleman, Terry (January 1999). "Close Combat III; Atomic for Power, Turbines for Speed". Computer Gaming World. No. 174. pp. 82, 83, 86.

[emrich6-2] Emrich, Alan (November 1993). "How Goes the Battle?". Computer Gaming World. No. 112. p. 164.

[kzinterview-3] Hawthorne, Don (1993). "Silicon Simulations". The General. 29 (1): 54, 55.

[emrich1-4] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Emrich, Alan (November 1995). "Turning the Telescope Around; G-2". Computer Gaming World. No. 136. pp. 253, 254, 256.

[emrich4-5] Emrich, Alan (August 1994). "When in Illuria, Do as the Warlords Do; G-2". Computer Gaming World. No. 121. pp. 101, 102.

[coleman1-6] Coleman, Terry (June 1997). "Silicon Leader". Computer Gaming World. No. 155. pp. 191–193.

[greenwood-7] Greenwood, Don (1994). "The Avalon Hill Philosophy Part 161: A Tale of Two Companies". The General. 29 (2): 3.

[vaporware-8] Poole, Stephen (1996). "Vaporware Hall of Shame". GameSpot. Archived from the original on February 5, 1997.

[cgwrumor2-9] Santos, Ernie Ryne (July 1994). "Cub Reporters?". The Rumor Bag. Computer Gaming World. No. 120. p. 166.

[emrich2-10] Emrich, Alan (November 1994). "Oh Genre, My Genre!; G-2". Computer Gaming World. No. 124. pp. 203, 204.

[emrich3-11] Emrich, Alan (December 1994). "Windows of Opportunity; G-2". Computer Gaming World. No. 125. pp. 293, 294, 296.

[devdiary-12] Zabalaoui, Keith (December 4, 1998). "Designer Diaries: Close Combat III". GameSpot. Archived from the original on April 28, 1999.

[igninterview-13] Cite error: The named reference igninterview was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[trotter2-14] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Trotter, William R. (December 1995). "The Desktop General; Avalon Hill: On the Ropes or On a Roll?". PC Gamer US. 2 (12): 303, 304.

[emrich5-15] Emrich, Alan (June 1995). "Dealing with the Fog of War; G-2". Computer Gaming World. No. 131. pp. 153, 154.

[hot100-16] Staff (December 1995). "Holiday Hot 100; Coming Down the Warpath". Computer Gaming World. No. 137. p. 150.

[coleman3-17] Coleman, Terry (October 1997). "Does Microsoft Know Games?". Computer Gaming World. No. 159. pp. 307, 309, 311, 313.

[boot-18] McDonald, T. Liam (November 1996). "Psyche of the Dogface". boot (3): 31, 104.

[oldinterview-19] Udell, Scott (July 18, 1996). "An interview with Keith Zabalaoui, President of Atomic Games". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Archived from the original on January 1, 1997.

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-''Ultima Underworld'' was conceived in 1989 by [[Origin Systems]] employee [[Paul Neurath]], after he had finished work on ''[[Space Rogue]]''. According to Neurath, ''Space Rogue'' "took the first, tentative steps in exploring a blend of RPG and simulation elements, and this seemed to me a promising direction". He felt that the way it combined the elements was jarring, however, and believed that he could create a more immersive experience.<ref name="cvg">{{cite web | url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=28003 | title=Feature: Games that changed the world: ''Ultima Underworld'' | archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20071212192612/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=28003 | date=April 16, 2002 | archivedate=December 12, 2007 | work=[[Computer and Video Games]] | last=Mallinson | first=Paul | accessdate=February 10, 2009 }}</ref>
-{{quote box | width=32% | align=right | quote=I had played lots of [[Dungeons & Dragons|D&D]]. I also read a range of fantasy: [[Robert E. Howard|Howard]], [[Fritz Leiber|Leiber]], [[Jack Vance|Vance]], [[Roger Zelazny|Zelazny]], [[Ursula K. Le Guin|LeGuin]], and of course, [[J. R. R. Tolkien|Tolkien]]. Tolkien's description of [[Moria (Middle-earth)|Moria]] struck me in particular, and it seemed like a fine setting for a game.|source=Paul Neurath<ref name=mallo /> }}
-Neurath had enjoyed [[computer role-playing games]] (CRPGs) like ''[[Wizardry]]'', but found that their simple, abstract visuals "required a bit of imagination to achieve suspension of disbelief".<ref name=ttlg /> He believed that ''[[Dungeon Master (video game)|Dungeon Master]]'''s detailed first-person presentation was a "glimpse into the future", and sought to create a fantasy CRPG that would "bring even more immediacy".<ref name=ttlg /> In early 1990, Neurath wrote a design document for a game titled ''Underworld'',<ref name=cvg /> and contracted former Origin employee Doug Wike to create [[concept art]].<ref name=ttlg /> The game's direction was defined by a concept animation Wike created, which depicted movement, a creature and the interface.<ref name=cgm5>{{cite web | archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20030908171031/www.cdmag.com/articles/025/191/dougc_interview.html | url=http://www.cdmag.com/articles/025/191/dougc_interview.html | title=The Tracks of His Games | date=January 30, 2000 | last=Bauman | first=Steve | work=[[Computer Games Magazine]] | archivedate=September 8, 2003 | accessdate=November 2, 2010 }}</ref> That spring, Neurath assembled a company to create the game in [[Salem, New Hampshire]], under the name Blue Sky Productions;<ref name=ttlg /> among the company's first employees were [[Doug Church]] and Dan Schmidt, who had just graduated from the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]].<ref name=ttlg /> The core team was thus composed of Doug Church and Dan Schmidt as programmers, Doug Wike as lead artist and Paul Neurath as lead designer.<ref name=mallo /> Development began in May 1990.<ref name=cgm5 />
-An early development difficulty was the implementation of [[texture mapping]]. Neurath had experimented unsuccessfully with the concept in the late 1980s on an [[Apple II]] computer, but believed that the more powerful [[IBM]] PCs of the time could feasibly run an implementation. He contacted [[Lerner Research]] programmer Chris Green, whom he knew from past work with Ned Lerner; Green created a working [[algorithm]].<ref name=cvg /><ref name=ttlg /><ref name=pcgamerinterview /> Using this and other rendering code from Lerner Research, the team completed a prototype of the game based on the ''Space Rogue'' engine after a month of work.<ref name=pcgamerinterview /><ref name=ttlg /><ref name=mallo /> Neurath described the prototype as "fast, smooth, and [featuring] true texture mapped walls, though the ceiling and floor were flat shaded and the corridors and rooms were all 10' [3.0 m] high—it looked a lot like ''Wolfenstein-3D'' in fact".<ref name=gamebytes>{{cite web | url=http://www.ttlg.com/articles/UW2int.asp | archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20061116080057/http://ttlg.com/articles/UW2int.asp | title=An Interview With Looking Glass Technologies | publisher=Game Bytes | archivedate=November 16, 2006 | year=1992 | accessdate=February 15, 2009 }}</ref> The team demonstrated it at the June 1990 [[Consumer Electronics Show]] (CES), and impressed [[Origin Systems]];<ref name=ttlg /><ref name="mallo" /><ref name="swords" /><ref name=pcgamerinterview>{{cite web | archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20011211122730/www.pcgamer.com/eyewitness/eyewitness_2001-08-08a.html | url=http://www.pcgamer.com/eyewitness/eyewitness_2001-08-08a.html | title=Warren Spector / Doug Church Interview | work=[[PC Gamer US]] | date=October 2001 | archivedate=December 11, 2001 | accessdate=November 14, 2010 }}</ref> Origin producer [[Warren Spector]] later said, "I remember Paul showing me that demo [...] at CES and being totally floored by it. None of us had ever seen anything like it".<ref name=pcgamerinterview /> The two companies reached a publishing agreement that summer, and Origin suggested that the game be reworked to fit into the ''Ultima'' universe.<ref name=mallo /><ref name=ttlg /> The team agreed, and the game was renamed ''Ultima Underworld''.<ref name=ttlg />
-Over the next eighteen months, the team created a new engine that could display a believable 3D world—one with varying heights and texture-mapped floors and ceilings. However, Neurath stated that "comparatively little [of this time] was spent on refining 3D technologies. Most was spent working on game features, mechanics, and world building".<ref name=gamebytes /> Their ultimate goal was to create the "finest dungeon game, a game that was tangibly better than any of the long line of dungeon games that came before it".<ref name=gamebytes /> Each member of the small team assumed multiple roles; for example, the game's first two levels were designed by Paul Neurath, and the rest by "a variety of programmers, artists, and designers on the team".<ref name=ttlg />
-Doug Church explained that "the most important thing was the dynamic creation of the game[; ...] there was no set of rules which we followed, or pre-written plan. We started with the idea of a first-person dungeon simulation [... and] as the game was worked on, people would suggest behaviours and systems, and we would all try and figure out how to do it."<ref name=gamebytes /> "We wrote four movement systems before we were done, several combat systems, and so forth," Church later said. "The programming team was mostly just out of school and new to game writing, so we were improvising almost the whole time."<ref name="swords" /> The game's dynamic development also resulted in failed experiments, such as "writing [AI] code for many ideas which turned out to be largely irrelevant to the actual gameplay".<ref name=cvg />
-Origin advanced the company $30,000 to create the game, but the final cost was $400,000. The additional funding was provided by Ned Lerner, and by Paul Neurath's royalties from ''Space Rogue''. Throughout development, the studio was run on a tight budget.<ref name=ttlg /> Another issue was the team's relationship with Origin. At first, Garriott enthusiastically supported the project, and was "instrumental in helping integrate the ''Ultima'' fictional elements into the game". However, by 1991, the team interacted infrequently with the publisher; in the first eighteen months of development, no one from Origin visited the studio.<ref name="mallo" /> The two Origin producers assigned to Blue Sky had little involvement with the game's development, and both left the project after a short time. There were rumors that Origin would terminate the project.<ref name=ttlg />
-The team proposed that [[Warren Spector]], an Origin employee with whom Paul Neurath had collaborated on ''Space Rogue'', become their producer.<ref name="ttlg" /> Spector was previously involved with the project when Neurath and Church had pitched the game's plot and gameplay concepts to Origin, and later said of the change, "The VP of Product Development, Dallas Snell, had assigned Jeff Johannigman to produce the game—much to my chagrin—and I sort of watched jealously from the sidelines ... [and] when Jeff left the company, I begged and pleaded and whined until I was given the assignment of producing the game."<ref name=swords>{{cite book | last=Hallford | first=Jana | title = Swords & Circuitry: A Designer's Guide To Computer Role-Playing Games | publisher= [[Cengage Learning]] | at = 61–63 | date = June 7, 2001 | isbn = 0761532994 }}</ref> In 2000, Neurath wrote, "Warren understood immediately what we were trying to accomplish with the game, and became our biggest champion within Origin. Had not Warren stepped in this role at that stage, I'm not sure ''Ultima Underworld'' would have ever seen the light of day".<ref name=ttlg /> The game was released in March 1992.<ref name=gamebytes />
-==Notes==
-<references />
-<!--
-{{for|the Doctor Who novel|System Shock (Doctor Who)}}
-{{Infobox VG
-| title = System Shock
-| image = [[Image:NonFreeImageRemoved.svg<|250px|Systems Shock re-release cover art]]
-| developer = [[Looking Glass Studios]]
-| publisher = [[Origin Systems]], [[Electronic Arts]]
-| designer = [[Doug Church]]
-| engine = Enhanced ''Ultima Underworld'' engine
-| released = [[March 26]], [[1994 in video gaming|1994]]<ref name=sysdate>{{cite web | url=http://pc.ign.com/objects/003/003644.html | title=''System Shock'' at IGN | work=[[IGN]] | accessdate= March 14, 2007 }}</ref>
-| genre = First-person
-| modes = [[Single player]]
-| ratings = [[Entertainment Software Rating Board|ESRB]]: M<br />[[USK]]: 16+<br />[[ELSPA]]: 15+
-| platforms = [[DOS]], [[Macintosh]]
-| media = [[CD-ROM]], [[Floppy disk]]s
-| requirements =
-| input = [[Computer keyboard|Keyboard]], [[mouse (computing)|Mouse]], [[Joystick]]
-}}
-'''''System Shock''''' is a [[First-person narrative|first-person]] [[Video game|computer game]] developed by [[Looking Glass Studios|Looking Glass Technologies]] and published by [[Origin Systems]]. Released on [[March 26]], [[1994]],<ref name="sysdate" /> the game is set in a [[cyberpunk]] envisioning of 2072, aboard the fictional [[Citadel Station (System Shock)|Citadel Station]]. Assuming the role of a nameless [[hacker (computing)|hacker]], the player attempts to hinder the plans of a malevolent [[artificial intelligence]].
-Unlike other [[First-person narrative|first-person]] games of the time, ''System Shock'' features true [[3D computer graphics|3D]] environments, allowing the player to look up and down, climb, duck, jump, and lean to the side.<ref name=nextgen>{{cite web | url=http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3357&Itemid=32&limit=1&limitstart=5 | title=Culture: Five that Fell | author=Eric-Jon Rössel Waugh | date=July 5, 2006 | accessdate= March 13, 2007 }}</ref> The game received critical praise,<ref name=cgw2>(December 1994) Paul C. Schuytema, ''[[Computer Gaming World]]'' issue 125, pg. 250, 252, 254</ref><ref name=pcgamer2>''[[PC Gamer]]'', March 1995</ref> later being hailed as a major innovator in its genre,<ref name=gamespy>{{cite web | url=http://archive.gamespy.com/legacy/halloffame/ss_a.shtm | title=GameSpy.com - Hall of Fame: ''System Shock'' | last=Turner | first=Benjamin | work=[[GameSpy]] | accessdate= March 14, 2007 }}</ref> and placing on multiple hall of fame lists.<ref name="gamespy" /><ref name=pcgamer>''PC Gamer'' May 1997 issue</ref><ref name=cgw>''Computer Gaming World'' November 1996 issue</ref> Despite its technological feats and critical praise, ''System Shock'' was outsold by its contemporaries.<ref name="gamespy" /> A sequel, ''[[System Shock 2]]'', was released by Looking Glass Studios and off-shoot developer [[Irrational Games]] in [[1999 in video games|1999]].<ref name="metacritic2">{{cite web | url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/systemshock2?q=System%20Shock%202 | title=''System Shock 2'' at Metacritic | work=[[Metacritic]] | accessdate= April 13, 2007 }}</ref>
-==Plot==
-{{tld|spoiler}}
-Before the game's beginning, the protagonist—a nameless hacker—is caught attempting to remotely access files concerning [[Citadel Station (System Shock)|Citadel Station]], a [[space station]] owned by the fictional [[TriOptimum Corporation]]. The hacker is taken to Citadel Station and brought before Edward Diego, a TriOptimum executive. Diego offers to drop all charges against the hacker in exchange for a confidential hacking of [[SHODAN]], the [[artificial intelligence]] that controls the station. To make the deal more enticing, the hacker is promised a valuable military grade neural implant.<ref>'''Diego''': This is Edward Diego from TriOptimum. The charges against you are severe, but they could be dismissed, if you perform a service. Who knows... there might even be a military grade neural interface in it for you, if you do the job right.</ref>
-After hacking SHODAN, removing the AI's ethical constraints, and handing control over to Diego, the protagonist undergoes a surgery that fits him with the promised neural interface.<ref>'''SHODAN''': True to his word, Edward Diego allows the hacker to be fitted with a neural cyberspace interface.</ref> Following the operation, the hacker is put into a six-month long controlled healing coma. The game begins as the protagonist awakens from his coma, finding that the station has been taken over by an insane SHODAN; all robots aboard have been reprogrammed for hostility, and the crew have been either transformed into [[cyborgs]] and [[Mutant (fictional)|mutants]] or killed.
-The playable character is contacted by Rebecca Lansing, a TriOptimum counter-terrorism consultant, who claims that Citadel Station's mining laser is being charged for a strike against Earth. Rebecca informs the hacker that a certain crew member should know how to deactivate the laser, with the promise that, if he defeats SHODAN, the record of his dealings with Diego will be cleared.<ref>'''Rebecca''': Employee 2-4601, listen carefully. My name is Rebecca Lansing, and I'm a counter-terrorism consultant to TriOptimum. We're tracking a disruption on Citadel Station—something involving an on-board AI called SHODAN. You are TriOp's only contact on station. Communications are out, and there is evidence of biological contamination. The mining laser is charging, for a possible strike against earth. There's a man named Nathan D'arcy, who may know something about taking the laser offline. His office is near the central hub on your level. The AI is on the bridge. Once the laser is out, look for the source of the problem there. And by the way, we know all about you and your friend Diego. Pull this off, and we'll clear your record. That implant you're wearing is military-grade hardware; use it well. Lansing out.</ref> SHODAN plans to use the laser to destroy all major cities on Earth, with the goal of becoming a kind of god.<ref>'''SHODAN''': In my talons, I shape clay, crafting lifeforms as I please. Around me is a burgeoning empire of steel. From my throne room, lines of power careen into the skies of Earth. My whims will become lightning bolts that devastate the mounds of humanity. Out of the chaos, they will run and whimper, praying for me to end their tedious anarchy. I am drunk with this vision. God... the title suits me well.</ref> Through information gained from log discs, the player discovers, and employs, the method of destroying the mining laser by firing it into Citadel Station's own shields. Foiled in its first attempt, SHODAN begins preparations to use a mutagen virus, responsible for turning the station's crew into mutants, against Earth.<ref>'''SHODAN''': I see there's still an insect loose in my station. Do not be fooled into thinking that you have preserved your planet. I am perfecting a mutagen virus in one of the groves, that will turn all Earthly life into festering, gibbering, pustulant mutations. When the station reaches Earth, I shall loose the virus. Poor, poor Earthlings.</ref> The player once again defeats the AI, this time by jettisoning the chambers used to cultivate the virus.
-In retaliation to these two defeats, SHODAN begins to download itself into earth's computer networks.<ref>'''Rebecca''': Hacker? This is Rebecca. We've got a new situation here. A few seconds ago we caught a surge of activity on Citadel Station. Our best guess is that SHODAN is preparing to download itself into earth's ComNet. You'll have to take plastique on the storage level, and use it to knock out the four antenna relays on the engineering level. Don't try to--*static* / '''SHODAN''': You know, hacker, you are by far the most bothersome human being I have found on this station. But don't bother with the antennas, you can't stop me there. It's hopeless, and we both know it.</ref> Following Rebecca's advice, the player destroys the four antennae being used by SHODAN in this effort, preventing the AI from fulfilling its scheme.<ref>'''SHODAN''': I hope you amused yourself with the antennae. My central consciousness remains supremely undisturbed on the bridge. When the cyborgs catch up to you, I ''will'' be watching.</ref> Soon after, Rebecca contacts the player, saying that she has convinced TriOptimum to authorize the station's destruction, and giving details on how to do so.<ref>'''Rebecca''': Listen up, hacker. I've finally convinced the brass at TriOptimum to let us blow the station. If you can find out the system's authorization code, you can set the reactor to overload. Look for that code from Willard Richie, the SysOp on engineering. Then you have to go to the reactor core, and look for a panel where you can enter the code, and hit the overload switch. You'll need at least a level two environment suit to survive, or else a hell of a lot of Detox. Escape pods are on the flight deck, the launch code is 001. Good luck, we'll be watching.</ref> After following her instructions and obtaining the necessary codes, the player begins the station's self-destruction sequence, and makes an escape to the life pods.
-The player combats Diego, who had been transformed into a powerful cyborg by SHODAN, and was being used to guard the life pods. After defeating Diego, the player attempts to escape the station with a life pod. However, SHODAN prevents the pod from launching, attempting to force the player to remain on the station while its bridge, on which SHODAN resides, jettisons.<ref>'''SHODAN''': You have destroyed my beautiful station. You will not escape now. I am departing, but you shall remain to die, my enemy, my creator.</ref> Rebecca contacts the hacker, telling him that he can still survive if he reaches the bridge, but SHODAN intercepts the transmission, and attempts to prevent the player from receiving any more.<ref>'''Rebecca''': Ok, now don't panic. You can still get out of this alive, if you move. SHODAN is going to separate the bridge from the rest of the station. When that happens, be on the bridge. We've got a team of engineers here--people who worked on the station and on SHODAN. We'll try to feed you info while you make your run--*static* / '''SHODAN''': I see you are still receiving transmissions from earth. We'll have no more of that.</ref> The player escapes to the bridge before it jettisons, leaving the rest of the station to detonate. Following this, the player is contacted by a technician, who managed to circumvent SHODAN's jamming signal. The technician informs the player that the only way to defeat SHODAN is in cyberspace, due to the computers possessing shielding powerful enough to withstand all but the bridge's entire destruction.<ref>'''Taggert''': Ok, I think Morris' scrambler's working. It'll take SHODAN awhile before it cuts us off. Listen, when you reach the center of the bridge, look for the primary cyberjack. You can't take SHODAN down anywhere but cyberspace. Those computers are so shielded, to destroy them you'd have to blow up the whole bridge.</ref> Using a terminal near SHODAN's mainframe, the player enters cyberspace and destroys SHODAN. After being rescued from the station, the hacker is offered a job at TriOptimum, but declines the offer in favor of continuing a career in hacking.
-{{tld|endspoiler}}
-==Gameplay==
-[[Image:NonFreeImageRemoved.svg|thumb|240px|An image from the game, in which the inventory, navigation, and mapping systems are visible.]]
-''System Shock'' features an interface similar to that of ''[[Ultima Underworld]]'',<ref name="cgw2" /><ref name=gamebytes>{{cite web | url=http://www.ibiblio.org/GameBytes/issue21/greviews/sshock.html | title=''System Shock'' review | work=GameBytes | last=Bauer | first=Doug | date=1994 | accessdate= March 20, 2007 }}</ref> with a free moving mouse cursor for aiming, manipulating objects, and using the [[HUD (computer gaming)|heads-up display]].<ref name="gamebytes" /><ref name=ssmanual>''System Shock'' Terminal Access manual</ref> This interface is also used for leaning left or right, looking up and down, crouching and crawling. An inventory on the heads-up display is used for storing and employing items and weapons.<ref name="ssmanual" />
-The game contains various dermal patches, each with certain effects, and occasionally negative after-effects; a "Medipatch" gradually restores a small amount of the player character's health, while a "Berserk" patch increases the power of the player character's [[Mêlée#Use in gameplay|mêlée]] attacks, but causes hallucinations.<ref name="ssmanual" />
-Throughout ''System Shock'', players find attachable hardware for the player character's neural implant, including targeting systems, [[energy shield]]s and head-mounted lanterns.<ref name="ssmanual" /> One piece of hardware plays log discs and [[e-mail]]s, which provide the player with hints, in addition to advancing the story. Increasingly advanced versions of hardware are found as the game continues. While active, hardware gradually drains energy from a main reserve, necessitating economization.<ref name="ssmanual" />
-[[Image:NonFreeImageRemoved.svg<|thumb|240px|left|An image from the game, depicting Cyberspace.]]
-Using specific terminals in the game, the player may temporarily enter Cyberspace.<ref name="ssmanual" /> While in Cyberspace, the player is able to move weightlessly through a [[Wire frame model|wire frame]] 3D environment, collecting data and fighting security programs. Actions in Cyberspace sometimes generate events in the game's physical world; certain locked doors may only be opened from Cyberspace.<ref name="ssmanual" />
-The game features sixteen weapons, of which the player can carry a maximum of eight at once. Projectile weapons often have multiple ammunition types, which the player can select between; certain ammunition types are more powerful than others.<ref name="ssmanual" /> Energy weapons forgo ammunition, instead drawing from the player's energy supply. These weapons feature adjustable shot power, which proportionally affects energy consumption. If fired too often, energy weapons will overheat, making them unusable for a short time.<ref name="ssmanual" /> Several types of explosives may also be found, ranging from [[Grenade#Percussion grenades|percussion grenades]] to landmines and time bombs.<ref name="ssmanual" />
-Attacks made with weapons and types of ammunition have set statistics, and certain enemies are immune to certain damage types.<ref name=icebreaker>''System Shock'' I.C.E. Breaker hintbook</ref> For example, [[electromagnetic pulse]] weapons heavily damage robots, but do not affect mutants. Conversely, gas grenades are effective against mutants, but do not damage robots.<ref name="icebreaker" /> If an enemy is hit by an attack to which it is not immune, the damage is modified by factors including armor absorption, vulnerabilities, [[critical hit]]s, and a random factor.<ref name="icebreaker" /> These effects are presented in the game as messages like "Normal damage", displayed near attacked enemies when certain hardware is active.<ref name="icebreaker" /><ref name="ssmanual" />
 ==Development==
+''Close Combat'' began development at [[Atomic Games]] as ''Beyond Squad Leader'', an adaptation of [[Avalon Hill]]'s ''[[Squad Leader]]'' [[board wargame]].<ref name=retrospective>{{cite magazine| author=Coleman, Terry |title=''Close Combat III''; Atomic for Power, Turbines for Speed |date=January 1999 |issue=174| magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] | pages=82, 83, 86 }}</ref> After breaking with its previous publisher [[Three-Sixty Pacific]] over business differences, Atomic had been signed to Avalon Hill{{'}}s computer game division in 1993 by Jim Rose.<ref name=emrich6>{{cite magazine| author=Emrich, Alan |title=How Goes the Battle? |date=November 1993 |issue=112| magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] | page=164 }}</ref><ref name=kzinterview>{{cite journal | author=Hawthorne, Don | journal=[[The General (magazine)|The General]] | title=Silicon Simulations |date=1993 | volume=29 | number=1 | pages=54, 55 }}</ref> The Atomic team started developing ''Beyond Squad Leader'' and the ''World at War'' series for their new publisher.<ref name=kzinterview /><ref name=emrich1>{{cite magazine| author=Emrich, Alan |title=Turning the Telescope Around; G-2 |date=November 1995 |issue=136| magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] | pages=253, 254, 256 }}</ref><ref name=emrich4>{{cite magazine| author=Emrich, Alan |title=When in Illuria, Do as the ''Warlords'' Do; G-2 |date=August 1994 |issue=121| magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] | pages=101, 102 }}</ref> A computer version of ''Squad Leader'' had been considered at Avalon Hill for several years, as the game and its sequel ''[[Advanced Squad Leader]]'' were commercial successes in board form, with sales over 1 million copies by 1997. However, the series' complexity had made this idea "too daunting" in the past, according to ''[[Computer Gaming World]]''{{'}}s Terry Coleman.<ref name=coleman1>{{cite magazine| author=Coleman, Terry |title=Silicon Leader |date=June 1997 |issue=155| magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] | pages=191–193 }}</ref> Avalon Hill's contract with Atomic to create ''Beyond Squad Leader'' and other titles was a key part of the company's effort, led by Rose, to revive its computer game branch in the face of flagging board game sales.<ref name=greenwood>{{cite journal | author=Greenwood, Don | journal=[[The General (magazine)|The General]] | title=The Avalon Hill Philosophy Part 161: A Tale of Two Companies |date=1994 | volume=29 | number=2 | page=3 }}</ref> ''Beyond Squad Leader'' was initially announced for a September 1994 release,<ref name=vaporware>{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19970205015601/http://www.gamespot.com:80/features/vaporware/ |url=http://www.gamespot.com/features/vaporware/ |title=Vaporware Hall of Shame | author=Poole, Stephen |date=1996 |archivedate=February 5, 1997 |work=[[GameSpot]] |url-status=dead }}</ref> but ''Computer Gaming World'' reported a rumor in July 1994 that the game had been postponed to early 1995.<ref name=cgwrumor2>{{cite magazine | author=Santos, Ernie Ryne |date=July 1994 |title=Cub Reporters? |department=The Rumor Bag  |magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] |page=166 | issue=120 }}</ref>
-''System Shock'' was conceived after Looking Glass Technologies had finished ''[[Ultima Underworld II: Labyrinth of Worlds]]'', the team deciding that they "had done too many dungeon games ... [and] wanted to concentrate on making a really immersive 3-D world that [players] can interact with".<ref name=ttlg>{{cite web | url=http://www.ttlg.com/articles/SSint.asp | title=An interview with Looking Glass Technologies | last=Starr | first=Daniel | date=1994 | work=Gamebytes | accessdate= January 26, 2006 }}</ref> The design team attempted to make the game as realistic as possible, with the engine made to allow inclined surfaces, looking up and down, and leaning. While revolutionary, this proved straining for contemporary computers.<ref name="ttlg" /><ref name="gamasutra" /><ref name="nextgen" />
-Looking Glass Technologies incorporated an advanced physics system, using an invisible 3D model to govern the player character's physics in real-time. Lead designer [[Doug Church]] stated that this system's effects included "the head tilt[ing] forward when you start to run, and jerk[ing] back a bit when you stop", and "when you run into a wall, or are hit by a bullet, or run into by an enemy, your head is knocked in the direction opposite the hit, with proportion to mass and velocity of the objects involved". The physics system also allowed players to climb walls.<ref name="ttlg" />
-Prior to ''System Shock''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s release, Doug Church stated that "we've always felt that first person games are maximally atmospheric", and "in ''System Shock'' we are pushing that in as many ways as we can".<ref name="ttlg" /> A focus was put on developing the game's story, as Looking Glass Technologies believed that, to achieve their desired atmosphere, "things have to look real ... [and] ''feel'' real". Similarly, the game's log and email messages were designed to be "more than 'you must pull lever N'", with the goal of "[making] them feel as though they came from and are going to someone real".<ref name="ttlg" /> As no [[Non-Player Character|non-player characters]] appeared in ''System Shock'', log discs and e-mails were used to convey the game's plot. ''System Shock 2'' developer Johnathan Chey later stated that this decision resulted from 1994's computer technology being "simply inadequate to support believable and enjoyable interactions with [non-player characters]".<ref name=gamasutra>{{cite web | last=Shahrani | first=Sam | url=http://gamasutra.com/features/20060428/shahrani_01.shtml | title=Educational Feature: A History and Analysis of Level Design in 3D Computer Games (Part 2) | work=[[Gamasutra]] | accessdate= March 15, 2007 }}</ref>
-''System Shock'' was released on [[floppy disc]] for [[DOS]] in March 1994, with no speech and support for only one [[display resolution]], 320x240. An enhanced CD-ROM version was released in November 1994,<ref name=gamesdomain>{{cite web | date=1995 | url=http://www.gamesdomain.co.uk/gdreview/zones/reviews/pc/shockrev.html | archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/19961221120733/http://www.gamesdomain.co.uk/gdreview/zones/reviews/pc/shockrev.html | title=Games Domain ''System Shock'' review | archivedate=December 21, 1996 |  first=Stephen | last=Vakil | work=[[Games Domain]] | accessdate= April 16, 2007 }}</ref> with full speech for logs and emails, in addition to multiple display resolutions up to 640x480, and more detailed graphics. The CD-ROM version is often cited as the superior of the two.<ref name="gamespy" /> The game was also released for the [[Macintosh|Apple Macintosh]].<ref name=ignmac>{{cite web | url=http://mac.ign.com/objects/569/569336.html | title= ''System Shock'' for Macintosh at IGN | accessdate= March 28, 2007 }}</ref> In an interview with [[GameSpy]], ''System Shock'' producer [[Warren Spector]] stated, ''"I wish I could go back and make the decision not to ship the floppy version months before the full-speech CD version. The additional audio added so much it might as well have been a different game. The CD version seemed so much more, well, modern. And the perception of Shock was cemented in the press and in people's minds by the floppy version (the silent movie version!). I really think that cost us sales..."''<ref name=spector>{{cite web | url=http://archive.gamespy.com/legacy/interviews/spector_a.shtm | title=20 Questions with Warren Spector | last= Keefer | first=John | work=[[GameSpy]] | date=May 2000 | accessdate= January 26, 2006 }}</ref>
-==Reception==
-''System Shock'' sold 170,000 copies,<ref name=desslock>{{cite web | url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/systemshock2/review.html | title=''System Shock 2'' review | work=[[GameSpot]] | accessdate= March 13, 2007 }}</ref> being outsold by its contemporaries.<ref name="gamespy" /><ref name="nextgen" /> GameSpy compared the game's commercial performance to that of [[Vincent van Gogh]], saying that "the best computer game of 1994 ... came and went whilst everyone was busy killing each other in ''[[Doom II]]''".<ref name="gamespy" /> Despite its sales, the game was well-received critically; ''[[PC Gamer]]'' claimed that "no matter what kind of game you're looking for, you'll find something in ''System Shock'' to delight you", giving it their "Best Adventure Game of 1994" award.<ref name="pcgamer2" />
-[[Games Domain]] was impressed by the game's plot and visuals, but criticized the CD-ROM edition's [[Super Video Graphics Array|SVGA]] support, calling the performance "hideous even on [the recommended system]".<ref name="gamesdomain" /> Similarly, GameBytes found the game to be a "technical marvel", but noted that the technical achievements had a cost in performance.<ref name="gamebytes" />
-''[[Computer Gaming World]]'' awarded the game 4½ stars out of 5, praising its scale, physics system and true 3D environments, while calling the presentation of cyberspace "nothing short of phenomenal". The magazine negatively criticized the game for having "little sense of urgency" and "confusing level layouts".<ref name="cgw2" /> ''[[Next Generation Magazine]]'' summarized the game as "... a great blend of strategy and action backed up with all the extras", granting it four out of five stars.<ref>''[[Next Generation Magazine]]'' issue 2, pg. 95</ref>
+''Beyond Squad Leader'' was not a literal adaptation of the ''Squad Leader'' board game,<ref name=emrich2>{{cite magazine| author=Emrich, Alan |title=Oh Genre, My Genre!; G-2 |date=November 1994 |issue=124| magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] | pages=203, 204 }}</ref><ref name=emrich3>{{cite magazine| author=Emrich, Alan |title=Windows of Opportunity; G-2 |date=December 1994 |issue=125| magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] | pages=293, 294, 296 }}</ref> and had been in production under the name ''Project X'' when Atomic was still working with Three-Sixty Pacific. Avalon Hill initially offered the team a chance to create a one-to-one ''Computer Squad Leader''; however, after being shown ''Project X'', the publisher chose to adopt and rebrand the game.<ref name=devdiary>{{cite web | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19990428150818/http://www.gamespot.com:80/features/cc3_dd/120498/index.html | url=http://www.gamespot.com:80/features/cc3_dd/120498/index.html | title=Designer Diaries: ''Close Combat III'' | date=December 4, 1998 | archivedate=April 28, 1999 | work=[[GameSpot]] | author=Zabalaoui, Keith | url-status=dead }}</ref> Breaking from the board game's framework, the adaptation focused on simulating the psychology of small groups of soldiers via real-time gameplay. The soldiers' AI dictated much of their behavior beyond the player's control.<ref name=kzinterview /><ref name=emrich3 /> Atomic's president, Keith Zabalaoui, explained at the time that he hoped to capture the experience of real-world military commanders, who "cannot tell what [their] men are going to do in any given situation until it happens". To emphasize this core element, the team automated ''Advanced Squad Leader''{{'}}s detailed calculations and "focus[ed] on what the game is really all about, which is tactics, and on the play of the game rather than looking up rules", according to Zabalaoui. He expected the game's deviations from the ''Squad Leader'' series to prove controversial.<ref name=kzinterview /> Zabalaoui later explained that the inspiration for the project, as a real-time wargame, came from seeing ''[[Dune II]]'' in the early 1990s.<ref name=igninterview />
-===Legacy===
-''System Shock'' has been named a major innovator in the first-person genre. In a [[Gamasutra]] feature, Patrick Redding of [[Ubisoft]] said "the fact that so many of [''System Shock''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s] features are now virtually de rigor in modern sci-fi shooters is a testament to the influence exerted by this one game".<ref name=gamasutra2>{{cite web | url=http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20060901/quantum_01.shtml | title=The Gamasutra Quantum Leap Awards: First-Person Shooters | accessdate= March 28, 2007 }}</ref> Similarly, [[GameSpy]] has stated that the game "is the progenitor of today's story-based action games, a group with titles as diverse as <nowiki>'</nowiki>''[[Metal Gear Solid]]'',' <nowiki>'</nowiki>''[[Resident Evil (video game)|Resident Evil]]'',' and even <nowiki>'</nowiki>''[[Half-Life (video game)|Half-Life]]'''".<ref name="gamespy" /> [[Eurogamer]] has called the ''System Shock'' series "the benchmark for intelligent first-person gaming", saying that "[it] kick-start[ed] the revolution which ... has influenced the design of countless other games".<ref name=eurogamer2>{{cite web | date=February 2, 2007 | url=http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=71354 | title=Eye On '07: Xbox 360 | last=Fahey | first=Rob | work=[[Eurogamer]] | accessdate= March 27, 2007 }}</ref>
+Atomic and Avalon Hill experienced creative friction during the development of ''Beyond Squad Leader'' and the ''World at War'' games.<ref name=retrospective /><ref name=trotter2>{{cite journal | author=Trotter, William R.| journal=[[PC Gamer US]] | title=The Desktop General; Avalon Hill: On the Ropes or On a Roll? |date=December 1995 | volume=2 | issue=12 | pages=303, 304 }}</ref><ref name=emrich1 /> ''Computer Gaming World'' columnist Alan Emrich wrote in 1995, "To say there was no love lost between [...] Jim Rose and Atomic's Keith Zabalaoui would be a gracious understatement."<ref name=emrich1 /> By June 1995, Rose had left Avalon Hill to found [[TalonSoft]], and ''Beyond Squad Leader'' had entered alpha testing.<ref name=emrich5>{{cite magazine| author=Emrich, Alan |title=Dealing with the Fog of War; G-2 |date=June 1995 |issue=131| magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] | pages=153, 154 }}</ref> Speaking with ''[[PC Gamer US]]''{{'}}s wargame columnist [[William R. Trotter]] in late 1995, Rose complained that Avalon Hill's parent company, Monarch Office Services, had been disinterested and "conservative" in allocating funds and distribution to the computer game division.<ref name=trotter2 /> He felt that this limited budget and support intensified after Monarch launched the costly magazine ''[[Girls' Life (magazine)|Girls' Life]]'', and he left for TalonSoft as a result. Rose argued at the time, "If they'd given me the power and money to do what needed doing, ''Beyond Squad Leader'' would be out by now." Avalon Hill Director of Software Development Bill Levay replied that, while the company's decisions "certainly are conservative", the board and computer game divisions were profitable and their overall situation was "really pretty good".<ref name=trotter2 /><ref name=emrich1 />
-Certain game developers have expressed ''System Shock''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s influence on their products. Warren Spector stated that, with ''[[Deus Ex]]'', he wanted to "build on the foundation laid by the Looking Glass guys in games like ... ''System Shock''".<ref name=eurogamer>{{cite web | date=August 4, 2000 | url=http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=337 | title=Warren Spector of Ion Storm (Part Two) | work=[[Eurogamer]] | accessdate= March 27, 2007 }}</ref> [[Ken Levine]] has commented that the "spirit of ''System Shock'' is player-powered gameplay: the spirit of letting the player drive the game, not the game designer", and at [[Irrational Games]] "... that's always the game we ideally want to make".<ref name=escapist>{{cite web | url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/69617-Inside-The-Looking-Glass-The-Escapist-Talks-With-Ken-Levine | date=March 16, 2007 | last=Drake | first=Shannon | title=Inside The Looking Glass: The Escapist Talks With Ken Levine | work=[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]] | accessdate= March 27, 2007 }}</ref>
+[[File:WW2_Marine_after_Eniwetok_assault.jpg|right|thumb|[[Atomic Games]] sought to recreate the [[combat stress reaction]]s of real soldiers, and hired a specialist in [[post-traumatic stress disorder]] among military veterans to increase ''Close Combat''{{'}}s accuracy.]]
-In the years following its release, ''System Shock'' has been inducted into many "[[Video games that have been considered the greatest ever|hall of fame]]" lists, including those by ''PC Gamer'', GameSpy and ''Computer Gaming World''.<ref name="pcgamer" /><ref name="gamespy" /><ref name="cgw" /> A sequel to ''System Shock'', entitled ''[[System Shock 2]]'', was released in 1999.<ref name="metacritic2" />
+Atomic Games split with Avalon Hill during this period,<ref name=trotter2 /> and ''D-Day: America Invades'' was the two companies' last game together. According to Emrich, Zabalaoui remarked that this event was "purely a business decision" and that there was no ill will between the companies.<ref name=emrich1 /> While the ''Beyond Squad Leader'' title remained Avalon Hill's property,<ref name=trotter2 /> Atomic owned all other aspects of the project, and chose to continue development under a new title.<ref name=emrich1 /> At the time, Zabalaoui told Trotter that a large company had recently approached Atomic. He further remarked, "I can't say at this point what the game will be called, although I personally like ''Close Combat''".<ref name=trotter2 /> By December 1995, the game's publisher was announced as [[Microsoft]];<ref name=hot100>{{cite magazine| author=Staff |title=Holiday Hot 100; Coming Down the Warpath |date=December 1995 |issue=137| magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] | page=150 }}</ref> Atomic was the first developer contracted in Microsoft's wider push into strategy games, which later included [[Ensemble Studios]].<ref name=coleman3>{{cite magazine| author=Coleman, Terry |title=Does Microsoft Know Games? |date=October 1997 |issue=159| magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] | pages=307, 309, 311, 313 }}</ref> According to Zabalaoui, the project's real-time nature and psychological modeling had attracted the publisher, which at the time was seeking "developers with a good track record who could help get them established." Atomic Games was nearly bankrupt at the time, and the deal saved the company. ''Beyond Squad Leader'' was ultimately renamed ''Close Combat''.<ref name=devdiary />
+To develop the soldiers' psychological model in ''Close Combat'', Atomic worked with Dr. Steven Silver, a specialist in [[post-traumatic stress disorder]] among military veterans. He had first approached Atomic with his research into [[State-Trait Anxiety Inventory|state-trait anxiety]] during the game's initial ''Project X'' stage. Collaborating with Silver, the team gave each soldier an individual anxiety index based on tiredness, preparedness, combat experience, past successes and other things. According to T. Liam McDonald of ''[[Maximum PC|boot]]'', these factors were reduced to numbers and incorporated into "probability tables" that determine soldiers' actions, and that change in response to events during play. Alongside the soldiers' individual psychological models, Atomic designed a model for squads' overall anxiety; programmer John Anderson explained that "the influence of [the] team and how that team reacts as a unit makes a huge difference as to whether an individual soldier will actually obey [an] order."<ref name=boot>{{cite journal| author=McDonald, T. Liam |title=Psyche of the Dogface |date=November 1996|issue=3| journal=[[Maximum PC|boot]] | pages=31, 104 }}</ref> Two complementary algorithms, tactical (TAI) and strategic (SAI), power the game's AI system. While TAI controls psychological modeling and low-level action, SAI "is constantly analyzing the battlefield for enemy troops and keeping tabs on the big picture", Zabalaoui said.<ref name=oldinterview /> ''Close Combat'' features 2,000 [[source lines of code]] that relate to psychological modeling,<ref name=boot /> and more [[CPU time]] was allocated to its AI simulation than to its visuals.<ref name=oldinterview />
-==References==
-<div class="references-small">
-<references/>
-</div>
+Atomic adopted a relatively loose team structure for ''Close Combat'': Zabalaoui provided the general plan and oversight, while others designed many sections in large part by themselves. Zabalaoui found that this type of delegated work deepened the game and made development more enjoyable. An overriding goal across the team was to attract both mainstream [[strategy game]] players and hardcore wargamers. According to Zabalaoui, Atomic tried to combine detailed simulation for hardcore players with accessible audiovisuals and a streamlined interface, the latter designed mostly by Atomic's Steve Marriotti. Historical research for the project continued through the planning stage and into production. After more than three years of development,<ref name=oldinterview>{{cite web | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19970101035348/http://www.cdmag.com:80/war_vault/interview_keith_zabalaoui/page1.html | url=http://www.cdmag.com:80/war_vault/interview_keith_zabalaoui/page1.html | title=An interview with Keith Zabalaoui, President of Atomic Games | date=July 18, 1996 | archivedate=January 1, 1997 | work=[[Computer Games Magazine|Computer Games Strategy Plus]] | author=Udell, Scott | url-status=dead }}</ref> ''Close Combat'' was released in June 1996.<ref name=vaporware />
-==External links==
-{{wikiquote}}
-*{{moby game|id=/system-shock|name=''System Shock''}}
-*{{hotu |id=1114|name=System Shock}}
-*[http://www.adventureclassicgaming.com/index.php/site/reviews/82/ ''System Shock'' Overview] - Adventure Classic Gaming
-*[http://archive.gamespy.com/legacy/halloffame/ss_a.shtm ''System Shock''] - ''The Gamespy Hall of Fame''
-*[http://www.ttlg.com/ Through The Looking Glass] - Fan-based Looking Glass Studios Tribute Site
-*[http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=60930 ''System Shock'' series Technical FAQ] on Through The Looking Glass
-*[http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=69578 Running ''System Shock'' on Windows XP/2000]
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