Deus Ex design document version 13.12

Deus Ex design document version 13.12 is a prerelease design document for the game Deus Ex. The document, which is dated December 1999, is 242 pages long and includes comprehensive information on all aspects of the game-in-development. Parts of its story-related content were later incorporated into the Deus Ex Bible.

Development history
Design document version 13.12 reflects the state of the game's development several months before its release in June 2000. By December 1999, the White House, Mount Weather, space station and moon base missions have already been cut from the game, as they are not included in the missions list.

Backstory concepts
The design document includes a detailed backstory section with the following subsections:


 * Our Hero(es) – J.C. Denton and Paul Denton –A backstory on JC and Paul Denton, similar to what appears in the Deus Ex Bible. Elements that do not appear in the Deus Ex Bible include an explanation on why JC and Paul are immune to the Gray Death virus:


 * The State of the World – Similar to the corresponding section of the Deus Ex Bible, but notably includes an extensive backstory on president Philip Riley Mead that is not found in the Deus Ex Bible.
 * In the Philip Mead backstory, Majestic 12 planned to eventually make Mead the U.S. president when Mead was still a newborn. Majestic 12 also made clones of Mead to serve as backup and murdered Mead's parents to ensure that they would not spill any information. While in college at Yale University, Mead was mentored by Illuminati/Majestic 12 leaders Dr. McTavish, a professor, and his wife, Beth DuClare, described as an expatriate French businesswoman. When Mead finally did become president, he rebelled against Majestic 12 but was unsuccessfully in doing so. Majestic 12 imprisoned him and threatened to replace him with one of the clones. The backstory also states that if this Mead clone isn’t up to the job, or rebels like the original, there are others just waiting to step in and do the job.
 * The character "McTavish" dates back to design document v5.3e for Shooter: Majestic Revelations, in he was one of the leaders of leaders of the Illuminati. All mention of this name was cut from the final game.
 * The Deus Ex Bible mentions that Beth DuClare was involved with Mead while the latter was in college, and also mentions that Beth DuClare was married at one time (but does not mention McTavish). It states: "In addition to being an ex-leader of the Illuminati, Beth DuClare was married, for a time, and was involved in preparing college student Philip Riley Mead for the Presidency."
 * What Role Did the Illuminati and Majestic 12 Play in World Events? – Similar to the corresponding section of the Deus Ex Bible.
 * Economy – A section that does not appear in the Deus Ex Bible, it describes how the destabilization of the world due to runaway inflation, as well as the decline of national currencies. According to the design document, "the dollar was still the standard in the United States until quite recently (game-time). Now, the very idea of national currency is in danger of becoming history."
 * Transportation – A section that does not appear in the Deus Ex Bible. This section describes the situation in New York City, where travel is limited:


 * Future Tech – A section that does not appear in the Deus Ex Bible. It describes many technologies that are in use by the time of Deus Ex, including nanotechnology, mechanical augmentation, robotics, cloning, mind control, and communication. Notable excepts are provided below.


 * Look and Feel – A section that does not appear in the Deus Ex Bible. It describes the aspects of the universe that affect the visual design of the game.

Character backstory concepts
The design document includes backstories on numerous non-player characters. Backstories that include notable elements that were cut from, or differ from, the final game are highlighted below. Some of the backstory concepts were included in the Deus Ex Bible (but only if noted as such, below).

Daedalus
The design document includes an extensive backstory on Daedalus. It states that the Daedelus was created by Mt. Weather researchers under Majestic 12 control. Another part of the document states that Bob Page secretly and accidentally created Daedalus in the labs hidden deep underground at Mt. Weather while "building on Everett's pioneering work." The document also states that "Daedelus was originally conceived by Morgan Everett," which, if combined with the concept of creation due to the actions of Bob Page, would indicate that both Everett and Page had a role in the creation of Daedalus.

Daedalus' backstory in the design document was incorporated in the Deus Ex Bible. However, Mt. Weather was cut from the final game, along with most of the details of Daedalus' backstory.

In the design document, Daedalus is predominantly referred to by his original name, "Daedelus."

Paul Denton
The document states that Paul was Daedalus' first human ally, a plot detail that appears in neither the final game nor the Deus Ex Bible. The design document also clarifies that although Paul typically works in Hong Kong, he has been on temporary assignment in New York.

Jaime Reyes
Reyes is described as being of Mexican descent, with relatives caught up in the war between the Russo-Mexican alliance and the United States. This war, a concept that dates back to Shooter: Majestic Revelations, was cut from the final game.

James "Tracer" Tong
Tracer Tong' s first name is given as "James" (a name that does not appear in the final game). He is also said to have had a wife who died at the hands of Majestic 12, a part of Tong's backstory that does not appear in the Deus Ex Bible.

Maggie Chow
The document states that Maggie Chow masquerades as Paul Denton's supposed wife, an aspect that is alluded to, but not directly stated in the finished game. The document also states that her character design was inspired by Hong Kong celebrities Vivian Chow, Maggie Cheung, and Anita Mui.

Joe Greene
The document confirms that Joe Greene is a Majestic 12 operative. It also states that Joe Green began as a skeptic of conspiracy theories, but was eventually recruited by the conspirators themselves.

Juan Ivanovich Lebedev
Lebedev is described as being a "deep cover Illuminati operative," an part of his backstory that was not carried into the final game. The design document also refers to the fact that he's a known druglord, a role that he had in the Shooter: Majestic Revelations concept but also not carried into the final game.

Anna Navarre
Navarre's augmentations are described in detail. The description is consistent with an early render of Navarre showing an arm-mounted gatling gun, a design that was cut from the final game.

Harley Filben
Harley Filben is described as an Illuminati "assassin" masquerading as a drunken bum. The document also states that Filben will be found dead if the player rats on him.

Gilbert Renton
GIlbert is given a backstory of being a "saint of the slums" who tries the make Hell's Kitchen a better place.

Tiffany Savage
In the character descriptions, Tiffany is described as being the "step-daughter of Howard Strong and madly in love with Ned Chase." This description appears to be a remnant of an older concept, since she is instead referred to as Gary Savage's daughter in the mission descriptions. Furthermore, the character "Ned Chase" is not in any known Deus Ex document, and also appears to be a remnant of an older concept.

Jordan "Mixer" Shea
Jordan is described as an augmented bartender, and also a good source of information on illegal activities in the area. No mention of her past as a UNATCO agent is mentioned. The nickname "mixer" previously appeared in the Shooter: Majestic Revelations document, but is not mentioned in the final game.

Dr. Howard Strong
The document states that Strong was once an X51 researcher who is now aligned with Majestic 12. Strong's backstory of being a former X51 researcher was not carried into the final game.

Missions list
The design document includes detailed descriptions for 13 missions, numbered 01–06, 08–12 and 14–15. This set of 13 missions was carried through to the finished game. Mission 07 and 13 are specifically described in the document with the label "does not exist." Presumably, these numbers were used for previous missions that were cut or merged into another mission.

The design document also provides names for the 13 missions. These mission names were not used in the final game, which does display any mission names in-game. The mission names in the design document also differ from the mission names used in Deus Ex: Prima's Official Strategy Guide. The missions are divided into three acts, which are given short descriptions as listed below. The three-act division is not referenced in the final game.

Storyline differences compared to the released game
Major differences between the missions as described in the design document and the missions in the final game are described below.

M01: Liberty Island


 * The player was to discovery the identity of the terrorist faction (the NSF) by taking a terrorist hostage and engaging in conversation. (In the final game, the player is informed about the NSF at the start of the mission, and there is no ability to take a terrorist hostage).
 * The NSF attacked Liberty Island to obtain Ambrosia stored in the UNATCO headquarters. The design document mentions: "There should really be some Ambrosia samples in UNATCO HQ and Jaime should be able to tell you something about the stuff." (In the final game, no Ambrosia is stored in the headquarters, and the NSF operation is described simply as a raid to target a shipment of Ambrosia.)

M02: Shut down a power station so UNATCO can raid an NSF base


 * The segment at Hell's Kitchen included an objective of clearing terrorists from an alley. Paul was to give the player gas grenades. If the player used the gas grenades or other non-lethal devices on the terrorists, Paul would offer congratulations on a job well done. (In the final game, this objective does not exist, and the gas grenades are given by a UNATCO trooper instead).
 * JoJo Fine was planned to be guarding the NSF warehouse.

M03: Assassinate Lebedev and recover hijacked Ambrosia


 * The Statue of Liberty was intended to be accessible for a revisit, with notes and information to be found inside.
 * An email in the UNATCO Headquarters would have revealed that Paul has failed every mission since he returned to New York from Hong Kong and was close to being pulled from active duty.
 * Paul was intended to encountered at airport boathouse, where he would reveal his true allegiance. There, the player would have to fight Paul. When the player gains the upper hand, the wounded Paul retreats to his apartment in the 'Ton Hotel, leaving behind a datacube with information on how to get into Lebedev's hangar.
 * As in the released game, Lebedev can be killed by either JC or Anna Navarre. However, there is no mention of the ability to kill Anna at this point in the game.

M04: Brother in peril


 * Hell's Kitchen is filled with UNATCO troops at the beginning. Paul explains that UNATCO is ready to move in to capture him, but he cannot put up much of a fight because he was wounded by JC due to their fight at the airport boathouse. (In the final game, JC does not fight Paul at the airport, and Paul is in a bad condition because of the activation of his killswitch).
 * After JC returns from the NSF headquarters, Paul reveals that he joined UNATCO several months ago at the urging of a "voice in his head" (referring to Daedalus).
 * During UNATCO's raids the 'Ton Hotel, if JC stays with Paul, Paul will accompany JC all the way to Battery Park, where both of them gets captured. If JC leaves Paul behind, Paul's datavault will later reveal that he was personally executed by Walton Simons.

M05: Escape from New York


 * The NSF "commander from mission 1" (Leo Gold in the released game) was intended to make an appearance at the holding cells if he was not previously killed. (In the released game, Miguel makes an appearance instead).
 * The UNATCO headquarters will be more heavily guarded than usual if JC triggered an alarm in the previous area.

M06: Find Tracer Tong, restore the Dragon’s Tooth sword, infiltrate a secret Majestic 12 lab and shut down Gray Death/Ambrosia production


 * The kill switch mechanism is mentioned for the first time. The design document states: "they powerdown your augmentations. This immediately drops all augmentation effectiveness by one tech level and if power isn’t restored, the augmentations will eventually shutdown completely, killing you, as your brother warned." (In the released game, the kill switch is solely a plot element, and has no effect on the player's augmentations for purposes of gameplay).
 * The Red Arrow and Luminous Path triad factions are explicitly described as being aligned with MJ12 and the Illuminati, respectively: "The Red Arrow have, unbeknownst to them, fallen under the influence of Majestic 12 while the Luminous Path, as their name implies, are under the influence of the Illuminati."
 * Upon arriving at the market JC was to be greeted by Max Chen, who tells JC to meet Maggie Chow. JC may visit Maggie Chow first (as suggested by Max Chen), or the Luminous Path compound first (as suggested by Jock). As in the released game, the eventual objective is to unite the triads by presenting evidence of Maggie Chow's deception. However, in the released game, the player must head to the Luminous Path before being given the objective of visiting Maggie Chow.
 * During the initial meeting with Max Chen, Chen refers to Maggie as "your brother's wife." (The plot element of Maggie Chow pretending to be Paul's wife was not explicitly retained in the final game).
 * Maggie wants JC to lead Majestic 12 to Tracer Tong, so that Majestic 12 can eliminate him. (In the design document, UNATCO is said to on the hunt for Tracer Tong. However, this plot detail was not retained in the final game.)
 * The Dragon's Tooth sword is stated as having been developed by a Majestic 12 scientist loyal to the Triads. Maggie Chow murdered the scientist and blamed his death on the Luminous Path. (In the released game, the person that Maggie Chow murders is instead Yuen Kong, leader of the Red Arrow).
 * The evidence for exposing Maggie Chow's deception also included emails describing her manipulation of Max Chen. Furthermore, only the hilt of the Dragon's Tooth Sword is found in Maggie's apartment; thus, the weapon is initially found in an unpowered state.
 * After presenting the evidence, JC is allowed inside the Luminous Path compound. However, unlike the released game, he does not immediately have access to Tong's laboratory. JC must visit VersaLife to get the nanotech firmware necessary to power up the Dragon's Tooth sword. The powered-up sword is then used to unite the triads. (In the released game, the Dragon's Tooth sword found in Maggie's apartment is fully functional, and there is no need to find said firmware. Instead, Tong sends JC to VersaLife to obtain a ROM-encoding that would make the sword available to both Traid groups.)
 * After uniting the triads and finally meeting Tong, Tong tells JC that he is now able to reproduce the Dragon's Tooth sword, and gives a copy to JC. Tong does not immediately restore JC's augmentations. Instead, JC must re-infiltrate VersaLife to obtain a "codex" needed to break the command codes used on JC. (This objective does not exist in the released game, which skips to the originally planned third visit to VersaLife, described below.)
 * The design document mentions that if the player kills Tracer Tong, the game immediately ends, in the manner of a premature a bad ending.
 * After JC returns to Tong and has his augmentations restored, Tong and JC then learn, from Paul's infolink data, the secrets of the Gray Death’s creation and of Ambrosia, the existence of a secret Ambrosia manufacturing facility in beneath Versalife, the secret to getting into the facility, and the need to destroy the Ambrosia stored there. Daedalus urges JC to focus on finding a cure for the nano-virus. (In the released game, Tong already knows the nature of the virus.)
 * The remainder of the mission plays out similarly to the released game. JC heads to VersaLife to destroy its Universal Constructor used to synthesize the virus, and learns that the bulk of the virus was shipped out of Hong Kong on a tanker once operated by Stanton Dowd.
 * The design document describes two areas in the final visit to VersaLife: a "Virus Synthesis" area and a "torage area, where the virus would be stored. In the released game, the  "tire map segment for VersaLife's level 2 labs is named "storage" in the game files

M08: Find Stanton Dowd


 * The design document mentions the possibility of giving Dowd Ambrosia retrieved from the Hong Kong labs. Even if this is done, Dowd will still request JC to retrieve additional ambrosia from the freighter.

M09: The FEMA facility and the Freighter


 * Walton Simons is present at the shipyard base, but cannot be interacted with. The design document states: "you’ll see and hear him giving orders but you can’t directly affect him yet. We just want to establish him as a real bad guy."
 * Information that could be uncovered at the shipyard included what is described in the design document as: "first hints about a U.S. government plan to incarcerate 'incorrigibles' like the NSF and about preparations for the Mt. Weather scenario, in which the government moves to secure locations and the Constitution is officially suspended."
 * The player was intended to learn that the virus was to be delivered to someone with the initials "B.P." Later, at the cemetery, Stanton Dowd confirms that this person is Bob Page.
 * The retrieval of Ambrosia from the freighter was planned to be a primary goal of the mission.

M10: Aid Silhouette to gain access to Nicolette DuClare


 * The mission begins at Tracer Tong's base. Tong informs JC that the encrypted virus data recovered by JC (at VersaLife or the freighter) contains the signature of not only Bob Page, but also Morgan Everett. Tong then directs JC to go meet Everett in Paris. However, in order to find Everett, JC must first track down Chad, in order to find Nicolette DuClare, who can then direct JC to Everett. (In the released game, the briefing at Tong's base is skipped entirely, and the story proceeds directly to Paris from the cemetery).
 * The design document describes the details of Nicolette's involvement with Silhouette: "All of Silhouette’s funding and weaponry since Beth’s death have come from her daughter, Nicolette, with whom Chad has come to share a strong trust. There are hints that the pair might be on the edge of getting closer, but their relationship is unsure."
 * At the DuClare chateau, Daedalus was to inform JC via Infolink that he has been compromised by Icarus. (In the released game, there is no conversation with Daedalus at the chateau.) The design document also states that Icarus can see through JC's eyes ("Icarus can bypass Daedelus and see through your eyes – not always, but often enough to track you at times"), a detail that is not mentioned in the released game.

M11: Find Morgan Everett and block Icarus’ attacks


 * The design document describes Everett's motivations as follows:


 * The Knights Templar Cathedral is described as housing computers that manipulate the flow of the world's currencies. During the mission, the computers could be shut down by the player to seriously hamper Majestic 12. (This plot detail does not appear in the released game).
 * At Morgan Everett's residence, Everett modifies JC's Infolink to block Icarus. (This does not occur in the released game).
 * The idea of merging Daedalus and Icarus is described as Everett's idea. Everett's intention is to link Daedalus to Icarus in order to gain access to the Majestic 12 net. In doing so, the merged AI would have total access to the files that would reveal Majestic 12's plans and the means to combat them. Everett sends JC to Vandenberg AFB, the location of the an MJ12 facility led by Gary Savage, a facility that still has access to the Majestic 12 net. (In the released game, the merging of the two AI entities is an unexpected result of Everett's plan to uplink Daedalus. Additionally, the network to which Daedalus is uplinked is the U.S. military network (MILNET) rather than Majestic 12's network.).
 * The design document states that while JC is in Paris, Washington has been hit by the nano-virus, and martial law has been declared nationwide (this event is not explicitly stated in the released game). The design document describes the "Mt. Weather scenario" previously hinted at the shipyard:


 * The design document states that MJ12 is attacking Vandenberg AFB in order to shut down Gary Savage's link to the Majestic 12 net. (Since the plot element of the Majestic 12 net was replaced by MILNET, this detail does not appear in the released game).

Creatures and robots
Cut creatures


 * Dog (mechanically augmented) – "Mechanically augmented Dobermans with several hideous augmentations visible. These dogs don’t bark but emit a sound that isn’t quite organic and isn’t quite mechanical (it’s high enogh [sic] pitched to be unnerving)."
 * Mandrill (nano-augmented) – "Heavily muscled, furry biped, larger than ordinary Mandrills but not as tall as a gorilla or an adult human. More specifically, these beasts stand 5’ tall, or so, and weigh in at 250+ pounds."
 * Rat (nano-augmented) – "Derived from rodent DNA. These are larger than ordinary rats, slightly different in color and with subtle visual indications that they’re not what they appear to be. (The tail might be gray and laced with gray circuitry, eyes might have a subtle glow, etc.)"
 * Virus Mutant – "Folks who assimilated the virus and were randomly changed by it."
 * Virus Victim – "Gray, discolored skin. Oozing and bleeding grayish-purple stuff. These should be encountered everywhere the player goes – streets, medical facilities, clinics, hotels – and be pretty horrifying (though no disease risk for him)."

Creature backstories


 * Greasels are referred to as "Greazels" and are said to be a "genetically manipulated, nano-augmented seagull." The concept of nano-augmented animals was proposed for several types of animals, but was generally cut from the final game. The detail of being derived from seagulls is not explicitly mentioned in the final game, but is referenced in Deus Ex: Invisible War cut content.
 * Karkians are said to be a "genetically manipulated, nano-augmented crocodile." The concept of nano-augmented animals was proposed for several types of animals, but was generally cut from the final game. The detail of being derived from crocodiles is not explicitly mentioned in the final game.
 * Grays are described as "Actually genetically manipulated creatures created by Majestic 12 over the years from the genetic material of abducted humans and mutilated cattle...people began interpreting their existence as proof of extraterrestrial life, Majestic 12 exploited human gullibility to distract mankind from what was really going on." The backstory detail that Grays are based on human genetic material was not carried into the final game. The design document also confirms the intention that the Grays are not actual aliens.

Robots


 * Spy Robot – "A fast flier, highly maneuverable, 18” or so in diameter. Flits around like a giant dragonfly, ignores stairs and any non-solid barriers." The context suggests that this robot was to be separate from the Spy Drone that is crated by JC's augmentation.

Cut weapons and augmentations
Weapons


 * Shuriken – "Favored weapon among HK fighters. In the future, shuriken are made of non-metallic carbon-fiber and are virtually undetectable." The Shuriken was replaced by Throwing Knives.
 * PS10 – A weapon called "PS10" is mentioned alongside the PS20. No specific distinction from the PS20 is described, except that it has a lower cost value.
 * The Scramble Grenade is named "Computer Virus Grenade"

Augmentations


 * AugAudioAnalysis and AugHearing are listed in a table of internal identifiers. These augmentations are not mentioned in the augmentation descriptions in this document, indicating at they had already been cut at this point, and that AugAudioAnalysis and AugHearing are remnants from an older design.

Recruitment of allies
The design document describes a system in which the player would recruit allies throughout the game. Allies would provide mission briefings, information (such as passwords), resources (such as a supply of lockpicks), and bonus skill points. Allies typically do not accompany the play on missions, but would stay at a certain base of operations, which is the UNATCO Headquarters, Tong's Base, or the X51 base at Vandenberg, depending on the phase of the game.

Allies listed in the design document, along with their function, are as follows:


 * Sam Carter – "Provides weapons and ammo. Provides skill points."
 * Daedalus – "Information and briefings."
 * Paul Denton – "Provides bonus augmentation upgrade. Increases amount of time required to 'get used' to augmentations?"
 * Nicolette DuClare – "Provides maps, floorplans, blueprints, hand-written memos, etc. Master level Tech skill. All sneaking skills at max. Can provide multitools and lockpicks in small quantities. Provides skill points."
 * Alex Jacobson – "Provides key codes, phone numbers, email addresses, passwords, etc. Master level Computer skill. Provides skill points."
 * Jock – "Transportation. Provides info about black helicopters and black ‘copter base procedures"
 * Jaime Reyes – "Provides dramatic healing, when needed. Provides medkits. Skill points."
 * Tracer Tong – "Information and briefings (early in game). Installs augmentations."

Gallery
The following images appear in the design document.