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DX design doc 13

Cover page of the design document (the self-updating date field, which does not reflect the true date, is blacked out)

Deus Ex design document version 13.12 is a prerelease design document for the game Deus Ex. The document, which is dated December 14, 1999,[1] 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:

J.C. and Paul were, of course, immune to the effects of the virus. In fact, their bodies were ideally suited to the integration of the virus nanites and, with appropriate firmware, could reprogram the nanites to perform a variety of functions.

  • 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:

In New York, in particular, movement is very tightly controlled. The city is sectioned off into sealed blocks. (J.C.'s apartment is on one of these blocks along with the ‘Ton Hotel and the Underworld Tavern.) Free movement within a block is allowed but people can exit their block only to go to work or possibly exit the city entirely. The lower classes move on foot or use the subways since cars no longer can move freely. A few vehicles can be found on the sealed blocks, but these mostly belong to underworld figures who have paid the proper bribes or wealthy folks who have all-access TransCards. (If J.C. finds himself on the run in New York, he might have to get an unauthorized card to move about freely. In other cities, he might have to contend with other transportation limits – for example, appropriate papers are required to ride the Paris Metro, rather than an all-purpose TransCard.)

  • 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.

Nanotechnology

Nano-technology is NOT everyday in our world. It’s used, under very controlled circumstances, by big manufacturers, hospitals and research labs, but isn’t readily available or useful “on the street.” If you’re willing to pay the price, of course, anything can be bought and the street finds uses for everything…

Nano devices are used to correct industrial accidents (to clean up oil spills, for example) as well as to assist in surgical procedures (smart machines are routinely used to hunt and destroy cancer cells, for example). To that extent, the general public – at least those who live in the lap of luxury, are accustomed to the idea of nano-machines.

Nano-augmentation of humans: The most significant use of nanotechnology in Deus Ex is in UNATCO’s experimental nano-augmentation program (of which J.C. Denton is a part). The whole subject of augmentations – nano and otherwise – is dealt with in detail, elsewhere in this document. Here, suffice it to say that nano-augmentations, tiny as they are, are most decidedly NOT simple to produce. They require many components that must be collected, created, or molded under specific, precise conditions and then assembled properly. The process takes time and involves shipping nano-components from one place to another. Further, the process requires a computer AI capable of juggling all those microscopic components as necessary. This sort of AI, kown as a Universal Constructor, was created by Majestic 12 researchers to push nano research and production to new levels. As the game goes on, the effect of nano-tech will become more obvious and more outlandish and will, eventually, lead to big trouble, in Act 3.

What is this technology?
The nanotechnology used on the player-character in Deus Ex is far more advanced than that used by the general populace (to clean up oil spills for instance). It consists of nano-tech machines that carry specific instructions. Vast numbers of these machines are isolated and “programmed” to go into an organism and restructure it to make it more conducive to a specific function. The nano-tech machines then work within the altered host organism to perform that function. (Example: A nanotechnology researcher programs a set of nano-tech machines to locate the specific muscle groups in the legs of a host organism and enhance their power and flexibility. The researcher then injects a rabbit with a carrier serum containing the nano-tech machines. After the procedure, the rabbit can run faster and jump farther.

Why does this technology exist? Medical breakthroughs lead to some of the most profitable projects in the world because people will pay anything for health and longevity. So anyone who owns the rights to numerous nano-technological constructs and procedures will profit considerably for some time to come.

Also, Majestic 12 wants to elevate its top players into positions of power—to set up an elite ruling group that will not be toppled for generations to come. In an effort to do so, they have planned a wide range of tactics in addition to seizing control of communications and financial transactions technologies. One of the tactics involves the creation of an elite, “nano-enhanced” combat force—completely loyal and far more capable than military units 100 times larger. Subsequent to perfecting this program, they plan to use the nanotechnology on themselves, to extend their own lives, health and capabilities.

Why doesn’t everyone use it?
There are three primary reasons why nanotech isn’t ubiquitious.

First, the nanotechnology enhancement program is in its infancy. It is lagging behind Majestic 12’s other plans involving the takeover of the United States. Only a few human test subjects exist. Both have been genetically bred to be the perfect recipients of the nanotechnology. (The player is one of these subjects. His brother is another.) Some earlier test subjects died horrible deaths when their bodies rejected the nanotechnology, turning them into piles of sobbing, quivering goo.

Second, the sheer difficulty of the work itself makes nanotech impractical as an everyday thing. It is extremely expensive and complex. After programs are written for the nano-tech machines, they must be submitted to a facility with a Universal Constructor (run by a powerful AI). After the nano-tech machines are programmed, they are sent back. Then they must tested. Any problems can only be fixed by reprogramming (which entails another use of the constructor).

Finally, most human bodies reject nanomachines, resulting in a relatively quick but painful death. Only a very small percentage of the population can survive with nanomachines swimming around in their bodies. A small percentage of them can make use of the nanomachines.

Where does it come from?
The top researchers at Area 51 created the first successful nano-tech serums. Pleased with these results, Majestic 12 created a medical front for further research. The Carver-Eschells Grant was created to fund a number of small, well-furnished labs. Several key nano-tech facilities include: the labs at Area 51, VersaLife’s NanoMed Division and the Marine Animal Research Conclave in Pasademasicsic. Game note: All such labs are funded and supported by the Majestic 12 through the Carver-Eschells Grant, a front. CEG funded labs feature some of the same equipment and logos (i.e., textures). Additionally, the researchers there share information (via email) and are protected by Majestic 12-provided troops.

Cloning

Cloning technology is well understood but legal measures prevent its widespread use. Rumors of human cloning circulate and it's generally assumed that someone, somewhere has actually cloned humans but the whole subject is distasteful and no one talks about it much. Needless to say, Majestic 12 has perfected cloning technology and has no qualms about using it for their own ends.

Mind Control

Mind control is an accepted fact of conspiratorial life. In our game world, it exists only on a crude level. Everyone expects it to move from laboratory to marketplace and from primitive creatures (i.e., insects) to more advanced ones (i.e., reptiles, birds, mammals) someday but no one know when that day will arrive.

Roaches and other insects have had dime-size devices surgically grafted to their bodies and nervous systems, allowing scientists to maneuver them around like R/C cars.

Similar devices – relatively large and immediately obvious to anyone who sees them – have been tried on small mammals, birds and, some say, on humans (though such experiments are the stuff of rumor and nutball conspiracy theory…).

However, as far as the general public knows, there is no device capable of controlling a human’s thoughts. Ongoing Majestic 12 research has discovered that thought control is not the only way to control behavior. Simply put, nano-augmentations can be controlled remotely, allowing behavior to be controlled in spite of thought. It doesn’t matter that a man doesn’t want to move his leg if a remote operator is causing the muscles to twitch. Control of the mind isn’t that big a deal when actions can be easily controlled…

This is not a capability we will exploit in Deus Ex, but it’s something we can hint at and use in future games set in this universe.

Communication

The world is almost entirely wired and massively interconnected.

Internet 3 links all computers and nearly everything is connected to those computers. Television signals are delivered via the Internet; phone calls are routed across it; pages, faxes games and movies all depend upon it. Almost all financial transactions are conducted over the Internet, whether bank transfers, tax collection, ATM machine use, or everyday shopping.

Only the poorest of the poor depend upon face-to-face interaction; only the most downtrodden of the masses lack access to the Internet. (In the end, this makes them less susceptible to manipulation by the folks who control the media, but the cost of isolation is still rather high…) Public access terminals can be found most everywhere – Majestic 12 encourages their use because such use allows them to keep tabs on users.

Then as now, the Internet is built on the idea of safety and anonymity through decentralization, redundancy and, in many people’s eyes, chaos. However, forces are at work within Majestic 12 that will leave only the illusion of these features rather than the reality. In fact, Majestic 12 is moments away from being able to track and control all data moving across the Internet around the world. Needless to say, this will give them immense power over the affairs of mankind…

  • 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.

They were given assignments on opposite sides of the world – Paul in Hong Kong and J.C. in New York – to minimize the risk that they would be assigned to the same mission. Though attached to the Hong Kong office of UNATCO and living there now, Paul has been in New York, on temporary assignment, for some time when his kid brother shows up at UNATCO HQ.

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.

Reyes is 30’ish, of Mexican descent, and has some real problems with the current Russo-Mexican-American war situation in Texas. He has relatives down there, fighting on both sides of the conflict. He, himself, doesn’t understand what’s going through the head of the folks south of the old border.

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.

He has resisted many efforts made by the Illuminati and Majestic 12 to recruit him in his earlier years, when they saw his one-of-a-kind potential and wanted to bend it to their will. Several years ago, Majestic 12 operatives attempted to abduct his wife, Dao-ming (Shining Path), and use her as a hostage, forcing him to work for them. The attempt was botched, and Dao-ming was mortally wounded. She died in Tracer Tong's arms, and he vowed to do everything in his power to fight Majestic 12.

Maggie Chow[]

The document states that Maggie Chow masquerades as Paul Denton's supposed wife, a plot detail not explicitly retained in the released 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.

He started out a total skeptic about the whole conspiracy business but, over the years, came to believe there was more going on in the world than most people suspect. In fact, he knew more about what was really going on than anyone else. He dreamed of breaking out of the tabloid field but did it in an unexpected way – the conspirators recruited him!

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.

Anna Navarre has one arm that's, basically, a gatling gun and another that's obviously designed to provide a steady, stable firing platform when grasping the gun-arm. Her legs are also augmented but only to provide that all-important stable platform. She has eye Augmentations that provide built-in targeting capabilities, but these only mar her pretty face a little.

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.

A vagabond (son of a former Statue of Liberty tour guide) who lives on Liberty Island. UNATCO’s moderate efforts to catch him have failed...What makes Filben intriguing is the fact that he’s an Illuminati assassin, working for Stanton Dowd, pretending to be a UNATCO stoolie by pretending to be a drunken bum. Filben appears over and over again to provide information, assist the player and generally confound expectations.

Gilbert Renton[]

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

A saint of the slums, Renton makes a meager living running a flop house hotel in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen district. But his true vocation is saving the world, or at least the piece of it in which he lives. He truly believes he can make a difference in the lives of forgotten, downtrodden people in a deserted urban ghetto.

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. The name "Ned Chase" does not appear in any other known Deus Ex document, but seems be related to the cut character known as "Ned Strong," who was, at one point during the game's development, planned to be Howard Strong's son who is in a love affair with Tiffany.[2]

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.

The female bartender and owner of the Underworld Bar, Jordan has lived and worked in New York’s Hells Kitchen area since she was a kid, like her father before her and his father before him. She knows when to slip a trouble-making drunk a mickey and keeps a BIG metal bat behind the bar for emergencies. Oh, and there’s the little matter of some augmentations for when the action gets truly serious.

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.

Mission Mission Name in Design Document v13.12
Act 1
"J.C Denton versus the Terrorists before becoming an outcast."
Training M00: Training
1st M01: Liberty Island
2nd M02: Shut down a power station so UNATCO can raid an NSF base
3rd M03: Assassinate Lebedev and recover hijacked Ambrosia
4th M04: Brother in peril
5th M05: Escape from New York
Act 2
"J.C. Denton, the outcast, versus Majestic 12 before solving the Gray Death problem and, in doing so, creating an even bigger threat."
6th M06: Find Tracer Tong, restore the Dragon’s Tooth sword, infiltrate a secret Majestic 12 lab and shut down Gray Death/Ambrosia production
M07: Mission 07 does not exist
7th M08: Find Stanton Dowd
8th M09: The FEMA facility and the Freighter
9th M10: Aid Silhouette to gain access to Nicolette DuClare
10th M11: Find Morgan Everett and block Icarus’ attacks
Act 3
"J.C. Denton constructs the cure and confronts Bob Page."
11th M12: Help the Vandenberg X51 researchers and link Daedelussicsic to the Majestic 12 net
M13: Mission 13 does not exist
12th M14: Recover a UC component from a sunken lab for Gary Savage
13th M15: The secret of Area 51 and the end of Bob Page

Plot differences from the released game[]

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 with the hostage. (In the final game, the player is informed about the NSF at the start of the mission, and there is no ability to personally 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 congratulate the player on a job well done. (In the released 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 would retreat to his apartment in the 'Ton Hotel, leaving behind a datacube with information on how to get into Lebedev's hangar. (In the released game, JC does not fight Paul at the airport. Instead, Paul is a friendly encounter inside the 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 released game, Paul is in a bad condition because of the activation of his kill switch.)
  • 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 originally 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:

Everett doesn’t care as much that the nano-virus that bears his unmistakable signature is destroying mankind. What he does care about is that Bob Page is taking credit for the creation of the virus when, as he points out, it was his pioneering work in nano-genetic engineering, aided by Steven Chase, that made the virus possible. (He’s a little nuts…) Worse, in Everett’s eyes, is the fact that his protégé is attacking the Daedelus AI, which he considers one of his crowning achievements! This is enough to spur him to action.

  • 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:

He [Walton Simons] urged Page (who had moved, secretly, into the Area 51 complex as his world began to unravel) to fall back on more direct and coercive methods of controlling the world leaders necessary to their success. Page agreed and ordered the release of the nano-virus in Washington. This allowed Simons, to “convince” President Mead to declare a national state of emergency and call into play executive orders nullifying the Constitution.

Immediately, preparations were begun to move the president, congress and the rest of the critical elements of government into underground shelters across the country. There, far from public scrutiny, they would all be executed by troops loyal not to the United States but to Majestic 12. Terrorists would be blamed. The last impediments to control of the United States would be gone. From there, world domination would follow, one nation at a time.

  • 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).

M12: Help the Vandenberg X51 researchers and link Daedelussicsic to the Majestic 12 net

  • Gary Savage, leader of X51, is described as seemingly immune to the Gray Death. Unknown to his coworkers, Savage is secretly constructing a Universal Constructor in order to synthesize his own Ambrosia. (These plot points do not appear in the released game. In the released game, the Universal Constructor at Vandenberg is known to all members of X51, and is not a personal project of Savage).
  • The purpose of uplinking Daedalus to the Majestic 12 net is so that "Daedelus can access the Majestic 12 network and find the data necessary to create the cure for the nano-virus." After Daedalus is uplinked to the Majestic 12 network, Daedalus relays the information about the nature of the nano-virus cure back to Everett and Tong. (In the released game, the purpose is to enable Daedalus to attack Icarus. Furthermore, the cure is developed by Everett prior to JC's arrival at Vandenberg.)
  • Similar to the plot of the released game, Daedalus shortly merges with Icarus after the uplink. The design document also includes the following details on the merger and the capabilities of the merged AI that do not appear in the released game:

when you linked Daedelus to the Majestic 12 network, Page was able to hack into the connection and prevent Daedelus from flitting to a new computer system. (Unknown to you, he locked it into the Majestic 12 network and downloaded it into a supercomputer at Area 51.) Daedelus, now merged with Icarus, is isolated and under Page’s control. It will take Page a while to figure it out (Everett estimates a few days, at most), but if he can link the combined AI’s with a Universal Constructor he will be able to reprogram every nanodevice in the world to do his bidding – including, ultimately, your nanoaugmentations.

  • The information received from Daedalus, just before he was captured by Page, reveals the "secret of curing the nano-virus." The cure requires synthesis by a Universal Constructor. At this point, Savage reveals that he has been secretly constructing a Universal Constructor. Savage then sends JC to retrieve a component from the sunken lab in Pasadena.

M14: Recover a UC component from a sunken lab for Gary Savage

  • The underwater facility is known as the "sunken lab," and is described as a lab that has been sunken underwater, rather than a lab that appears to be purposely built underwater, as portrayed in the released game. The lab is described as " long-abandoned lab, lost beneath the waves during the great California quake that destroyed Los Angeles." The name "Ocean Lab" does not appear in the design document.
  • The item that JC must retrieve from the Universal Constructor in the sunken lab is a physical component (rather than schematics as in the released game).
  • The missile silo is described as being "about ten miles" from Vandenberg's command center. Additionally, the missile that is launched at the silo is described as an old Titan II missile.
  • The description for this mission also states: "once Savage’s Universal Constructor is operational, the information Daedelus provided in Mt. Weather means the virus is as good as cured." This reference Mt. Weather, a location that has been cut from the game at the time of the design document, is inconsistent with the previous description that Daedalus provided the information at Vandenberg, and appears to be a remnant from an earlier version of the design document.
  • Similar to the plot in the released game, JC redirects the missile at Area 51. However, Area 51 is described as a location that has been sealed off completely as a result of a nanotechnological disaster that occurred there. The redirected missile creates a hole large enough to access Area 51. (In the released game, the missile merely destroys part of the exterior surface of Area 51, and is not used to create an opening needed to enter the facility).

M15: The secret of Area 51 and the end of Bob Page

  • The design document states that Page would gain the following abilities after merging with the Daedalus/Icarus AI: "This would allow him to reprogram any nanomachine, in real time, anywhere in the world. He could manipulate the flesh of any human with implanted nanites as he chooses; alter the functioning of nanites embedded in mechanical or robotic systems; even direct nanites to begin replicating themselves using whatever raw materials are at hand, unleashing a gray goo scenario." It is stated that Page intends to "unleash the full fury of nanotechnology against mankind." (These powers to control nanotechnological devices are not part of the plot of the released game.)
  • Area 51 was intended to include discoverable information pertaining to conspiracy theory topics.
  • According to the design document, the cloning facility was intended to show that the player was one of several clone versions of Paul Denton:

Also located on this level is a small cloning facility where the player can find evidence of J.C.'s birth (in the form of several clone versions of “Paul Denton,” each with a different name imprinted on a datacube, as well as an empty clone tank marked with the player-created “real name”).

  • The generators that power Area 51 are described as being alien in origin: "it is implied that the generator was built many years ago, based on the technology from a crashed alien vessel – the one and only reference to non-human technology in the game and NOT something we will make a big deal about." (No such implication appears in the released game, which does not include any explicit references to aliens).
  • The design document mentions the possibility that Stanton Dowd is no longer alive by the end of the 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 enoughsicsic 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 called "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.

Gameplay concepts[]

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[]

In-document images[]

The following images appear in the design document.

Other images[]

See also[]

References[]

  1. The date 12/14/1999 is displayed in the version of the file shown in Spector's presentation at GDC 2017 (see image). Note that the version of the file made public lists 1999 as the year, but does not display a specific date (note that the date shown on the cover and footer of the available .doc version is not the true date, because it is an auto-updating "today's date" field.). The December date is also consistent with the fact that design document 13.10 is dated December 2, 1999.
  2. "Behind the Scenes Look in the Making of Deus Ex" (via Internet Archive)
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