Playing Deus Ex for the 1st time (NO SPOILERS)

[Nikpalj]

I'm about to play Deus Ex for the first time ever, the game I've heard so much about... had a crap P-133Mhz back in '99 - it's payback time now!

I've noticed there's a decent amount of admirers here, so I thought I might ask for some advice from you guys...

Like what skills do choose at character creation, are there any mods that I should have installed etc - anything you can think off before I immerse myself in the experience!

[Rodion Romanovich]

My tip is just: don't get thrown off by the outdated graphics. After a few levels you'll realize just how great the game is even if you get shocked at first! Once you've passed this point, there isn't really much to say in terms of tips for upgrades etc. Just pick what suits your playing style, and learn how to either deal with the robots or how to avoid them, and you should be fine gameplay-wise. There are some interesting plot twists too, and an ability to get dramatically different storyline by doing some things differently.

WARNING SPOILER:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Aerith dies.

[Geoffrey S]

When I first played the game (and my memory is sketchy) I created a character focused on stealth and (sniper) rifles, with good hacking skills. Could put down almost any enemy whilst hiding with a headshot.

[Whacker]

Do yourself a favor, and use this unofficial opengl updated driver. Here's a link to the page with all the settings you can use for it. It may take some fiddling with, but the graphics will look a hojillion times better than the old game does. Also make sure you are patched all the way up to 1.112fm (I think that's the highest). Finally, try everything, talk to everyone. And do yourself a big favor, do NOT read any walkthroughs or spoilers the first time through.

Enjoy!

[Geoffrey S]

I didn't really bother with melee skills. And particularly, later on in the game there's a very useful one-hit kill weapon no matter what skill level you've got, goes perfectly with stealth.

[Kekvit Irae]

I didn't really bother with melee skills. And particularly, later on in the game there's a very useful one-hit kill weapon no matter what skill level you've got, goes perfectly with stealth.

Maxed skill level + Dragon's Tooth + Combat Strength aug = bust down virtually any door with one swipe, along with alarms, cameras, and everything else. No need for lockpicks.

[Whacker]

Combat Str. Aug is useless, get the normal Str. Aug, it's so much more useful it's not even funny, and all you need is 2 points in it.

And maxed melee combat skill is great for people who want to play a no-kills game, one smack with the baton on the legs or torso will knock out anyone. And you do swing faster.

[Kekvit Irae]

I can tell you the skills to stay away from: Enviromental Training, Demolitions, and Swimming. At least, for a beginner. Swimming is a vital one for later on, and early on for vets.

If you have played the Thief series, you'll be at home with Low-Tech Weapons, and many augmentations compliment your swords and batons. Use your electric shock and the police baton to stun enemies to prevent their deaths from alerting others around them.
Pistols is also a favorite. No matter what stage you are playing, handgun ammo is plentiful and powerful. You have three main weapons to use with the skill: your standard handgun, a stealth pistol, or a hand crossbow. All of which are deadly, but I prefer the standard handgun since it is more powerful. I'll take the stealth pistol if I need to get in close for a headshot. The hand crossbow, while rare on ammo, is EXTREMELY deadly. The more skill in Pistols you have, the more damaging the darts are. Poison darts will be your primary non-lethal takedown method for Pistols.
Rifles are pretty worthless early on, until you can get a reliable source of ammo, then they turn into your absolute favorite toy. Run-and-gun with the assault rifle, snipe a mile away with the sniper rifle, and blow the crap out of someone with a shotgun. It should be noted that a fully-upgraded Rifle skill can allow you to destroy alarm switches with one shot with the sniper rifle, preventing the enemy from raising an area-wide alarm.
Heavy Weapons are fun, but not available enough to be a primary weapon skill. Never the less, I NEVER go without a GEP gun in my inventory. I need one, no matter how low my skill is, for the wide variety of bots in the game.
Demolitions only really helps to slow down the detonation timer of enemy traps before they blow, giving you more time to disarm them for your own use. The damage increase is nice, but LAMs are too infrequent to be a primary weapon.

Electronics and Lockpicking are ABSOLUTELY essential. Picking them early on can save you a LOT of headaches.
Medicine is iffy. It can save on medkits, but it also is less points to distribute toward weapons. Newbies should take this.
Computers skill is vital... until you learn the passwords for everything. Even then, it's essential to turning cameras and turrets against their masters.
Swimming is one skill that gives good returns later on in the game, but not so much in the early part. However, there is a hidden (and optional) part on the very first stage that is much easier to get to using Swimming.
Enviromental Training sucks. Increase the ability of your suits. Right. Just don't step in radioactive stuff and don't get hit with fire, and you won't need this skill.

[Rodion Romanovich]

I can tell you the skills to stay away from: Enviromental Training, Demolitions, and Swimming. At least, for a beginner. Swimming is a vital one for later on, and early on for vets.

If you have played the Thief series, you'll be at home with Low-Tech Weapons, and many augmentations compliment your swords and batons. Use your electric shock and the police baton to stun enemies to prevent their deaths from alerting others around them.
Pistols is also a favorite. No matter what stage you are playing, handgun ammo is plentiful and powerful. You have three main weapons to use with the skill: your standard handgun, a stealth pistol, or a hand crossbow. All of which are deadly, but I prefer the standard handgun since it is more powerful. I'll take the stealth pistol if I need to get in close for a headshot. The hand crossbow, while rare on ammo, is EXTREMELY deadly. The more skill in Pistols you have, the more damaging the darts are. Poison darts will be your primary non-lethal takedown method for Pistols.
Rifles are pretty worthless early on, until you can get a reliable source of ammo, then they turn into your absolute favorite toy. Run-and-gun with the assault rifle, snipe a mile away with the sniper rifle, and blow the crap out of someone with a shotgun. It should be noted that a fully-upgraded Rifle skill can allow you to destroy alarm switches with one shot with the sniper rifle, preventing the enemy from raising an area-wide alarm.
Heavy Weapons are fun, but not available enough to be a primary weapon skill. Never the less, I NEVER go without a GEP gun in my inventory. I need one, no matter how low my skill is, for the wide variety of bots in the game.
Demolitions only really helps to slow down the detonation timer of enemy traps before they blow, giving you more time to disarm them for your own use. The damage increase is nice, but LAMs are too infrequent to be a primary weapon.

Electronics and Lockpicking are ABSOLUTELY essential. Picking them early on can save you a LOT of headaches.
Medicine is iffy. It can save on medkits, but it also is less points to distribute toward weapons. Newbies should take this.
Computers skill is vital... until you learn the passwords for everything. Even then, it's essential to turning cameras and turrets against their masters.
Swimming is one skill that gives good returns later on in the game, but not so much in the early part. However, there is a hidden (and optional) part on the very first stage that is much easier to get to using Swimming.
Enviromental Training sucks. Increase the ability of your suits. Right. Just don't step in radioactive stuff and don't get hit with fire, and you won't need this skill.

Gah, the GEPGUn took too much space for my inventory, so I never used it

One weapon to be on the lookout for, and keep through the entire game, is a certain blue-shiny nano sword Edit: blah it's already been mentioned...

[Xehh II]

Deus Ex is a great game but I don't like the endings.
Ending One:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Steal underpants.

Ending Two:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

???

Ending Three:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

PROFIT!

[Kekvit Irae]

By the iron-fisted power vested in me, I now declare this thread to be 100% spoiler free. There's nothing that sucks worse for a brand new player than to have the entire game, endings included, spoiled and your fun ruined because you were a little bit curious.

I will be watching.

[Xehh II]

What's wrong with putting spoilers? The person doesn't have to read them.

[Vuk]

By the iron-fisted power vested in me, I now declare this thread to be 100% spoiler free. There's nothing that sucks worse for a brand new player than to have the entire game, endings included, spoiled and your fun ruined because you were a little bit curious.

I will be watching.

lmao! lol!
Thief, Deus Ex...You have good tastes in games.


Nikpalj, the very best choice you could make would be too play DX. :P lol
It is one of the best games ever made. I continued playing it until just recently when my disc finally was junked. (Still looking for a new one :P)
As far as playing style goes, just try stuff out and see what you like. I conquered it the first time using any heavy weapons I could, but mostly the pistol and sniper rifle. I had a blast and killed everyone. :P

As I got better at the game I changed my augs all around and began a no-killing-unless-objective policy. I played the game through several times like that. :P Point being, just try stuff out and have fun. Don't play someone else's style.

Also, I suggest that you try MP out (if you get the MP patch :P) I am the leader of one of the largest and most active DX clans still around if you are interested. (though I have stopped playing since last month as I have no disc :P. I am looking for one currently)

Vuk

[econ21]

Like what skills do choose at character creation, are there any mods that I should have installed etc - anything you can think off before I immerse myself in the experience!

If you play on normal, the game is quite restricted in terms of how many skills you can max out. Even by the end of the game, you will not be able to master all weapons etc (I think I only mastered one), so do think carefully about what you choose. I found some of the tech skills very useful in the game - the ones that let you hack computers, use multitools and pick locks. Getting those skills up to decent levels was more useful to me than mastering multiple weapons.

Beyond than that, I completely agree with Whacker's advice - don't read any spoilers (including that in post #2) and enjoy the ride. It has quite a long and interesting story, with some nice twists and turns. Try to play it in character, not just to exploit the game. And in particular, think hard about your policy on killing. The game is rather good in that usually there are multiple ways to get around things and while a shootout is usually one way, it is not always the most efficient or most ethical. Listen to what your brother says on this subject right at the beginning - you may disagree with him, but don't dismiss it out of hand because you think you are playing a shooter. You could be playing a Thief style game (but one where you are an FBI type agent) if you want.

The one spoilerish thing I did appreciate was a guide to augmentations (probably on gamefaqs). I don't think it spoilt the plot, but you do have to choose between two augmentations every time you get a canister and without something like a guide, it is very hard to know what will be worthwhile and what won't.

Finally, if you get stuck and do want a walkthrough, there's a lovely visual no-kill walkthrough available (don't read it unless you are stuck and even then don't read ahead!).

http://www.visualwalkthroughs.com/deusex/deusex.htm