Obligatory STALKER thread
Redford
Monorailcatfjord Join Date: 2002-04-28 Member: 528Members, NS1 Playtester
Monorailcatfjord Join Date: 2002-04-28 Member: 528Members, NS1 Playtester
<div class="IPBDescription">share your stories</div>Since there was no STALKER thread on off-topic, this is here so you can discuss the most recent release from THQ, which has turned out to be quite fantastic. Why is STALKER fantastic? Think fallout meets system shock 2 meets call of duty - that's the best way I can describe the gameplay. There are no levels, so your character's ability to survive is directly based on your gear (contained in a worringly small inventory) and your FPS skillz. The enviroment will blow you away, and everything is top notch. The game balance is not perfect (the lower difficulty levels tend to give you too much, while playing on the highest one will leave you grasping for medkits) and there are a few bugs (to be described in a moment) but overall, STALKER is the game I imagined, and more. This is the firsst time any game has lived up to my expectations and gotten me totally addicted since... I can't remember.
Get out of your chair and buy this game. RIGHT NOW. DO IT NUB.
CURRENT KNOWN ISSUES
1. Sometimes voice overs will mess up. People will either cut themselves off or repeat what they just said again. This is a very minor thing.
2. STALKER is currently not alt-tab friendly. If you minimise it outside of windowed mode, any number of weird things can happen from colors randomly changing to weird rain effects to resolution changes. If you want to multitask, play in windowed mode.
3. The map viewer is buggy. Wether a mouse button will zoom in, zoom out, or do anything at all seems totally random and makes moving around the map a little difficult. Also, sometimes when scrolling you will randomly lose your "grip" on the side bar, even if you did nothing.
4. Currently it seems there is a bug where you can claim a stash multiple times if you leave items on a corpse, claim the stash, then check the corpse where you got the location again. This bug can be abused to horde items, some of which are quite valuable. Use with caution - this can ruin your gameplay experience, paticularlly at high difficulty modes.
5. Of course, there are the windows vista issues. Windows XP has no bugs, and I have yet to get a single crash while playing STALKER, making this the least crashy first release I have played in a while.
6. All artifacts which reduce bleeding should stay far, far away from your belt. A bug causes them to INCREASE the rate at which you recover from bleeding, not reduce it. In addition, if the rate is reduced below 0%, you will gain bleed instead of lose it when you take an injury, making you run out of bandages quite rapidly. Apparently this might be reverse for artifacts that actually increase bleeding (AKA, thorn) and needs to be tested.
7. When you save a certain STALKER from his injuries and then have to protect him from doggies, sometimes he will bug out. At least, you won't be able to read his text because the doggies will put him in combat mode. At most he will bug the moment he gets up and get "stuck" in combat. You can still retrieve the information by using the knife thrust on his dancing butt while he sticks his face in the corner and then checking his PDA.
If you have any addemdium to this list you have experienced, please post with it.
Get out of your chair and buy this game. RIGHT NOW. DO IT NUB.
CURRENT KNOWN ISSUES
1. Sometimes voice overs will mess up. People will either cut themselves off or repeat what they just said again. This is a very minor thing.
2. STALKER is currently not alt-tab friendly. If you minimise it outside of windowed mode, any number of weird things can happen from colors randomly changing to weird rain effects to resolution changes. If you want to multitask, play in windowed mode.
3. The map viewer is buggy. Wether a mouse button will zoom in, zoom out, or do anything at all seems totally random and makes moving around the map a little difficult. Also, sometimes when scrolling you will randomly lose your "grip" on the side bar, even if you did nothing.
4. Currently it seems there is a bug where you can claim a stash multiple times if you leave items on a corpse, claim the stash, then check the corpse where you got the location again. This bug can be abused to horde items, some of which are quite valuable. Use with caution - this can ruin your gameplay experience, paticularlly at high difficulty modes.
5. Of course, there are the windows vista issues. Windows XP has no bugs, and I have yet to get a single crash while playing STALKER, making this the least crashy first release I have played in a while.
6. All artifacts which reduce bleeding should stay far, far away from your belt. A bug causes them to INCREASE the rate at which you recover from bleeding, not reduce it. In addition, if the rate is reduced below 0%, you will gain bleed instead of lose it when you take an injury, making you run out of bandages quite rapidly. Apparently this might be reverse for artifacts that actually increase bleeding (AKA, thorn) and needs to be tested.
7. When you save a certain STALKER from his injuries and then have to protect him from doggies, sometimes he will bug out. At least, you won't be able to read his text because the doggies will put him in combat mode. At most he will bug the moment he gets up and get "stuck" in combat. You can still retrieve the information by using the knife thrust on his dancing butt while he sticks his face in the corner and then checking his PDA.
If you have any addemdium to this list you have experienced, please post with it.
Comments
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bc/S.t.a.l.k.e.r._zone_map.jpg" target="_blank">http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b...r._zone_map.jpg</a>
Papa don't like, also the game didn't run on my system.
Sadly I, and probably everyone, was under the impression that the land was a vast map to explore... but it's limited to "zones:"
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bc/S.t.a.l.k.e.r._zone_map.jpg" target="_blank">http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b...r._zone_map.jpg</a>
Papa don't like, also the game didn't run on my system.
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It's much like Zelda: Huge area to explore as you wish but every now and then you go into a new area.
Overall, the game is ###### awesome and extremely challenging most of the time, the AI are amazing most of the time but I've seen bugs where they try and shoot me through walls (but this is rare).
I dislike it for how scripted it feels, the loading between area's, how the area's feel small and how I wasn't able to continue at the Arena because 'I wasn't experienced enough', I WTHpwned those noofs.
I read somewhere the game shouldn't have been released yet, and a patch is coming.
All in all, I think the game is nice.
Since my computer isn't full of flashy bling bling hardware, I want to sample the game first. However, searches for a singleplayer demo return a pretty consistent "nyet." Anybody got any links?
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There will be no singleplayer demo.
The game was a bit slow at first (ie: I wasn't too sure if I liked it), but now I am starting to get into it and it's quite fun.
The worst bug I've found is that the info items in my diary keep re-highlighting themselves as unread every time I close the PDA. Somewhat annoying.
Plus the shadows on the grass tend to flicker horribly sometimes. At times it'll just be casting the shadow of the tree trunk, others it'll cast the shadows from the foliage too.
I'm having fun playing it overall. Can't wait to get some better weapons though. -.-
--Scythe--
Game is fun, scary, flashy, firefight...y.
I was going north and there was a military blockade blocking off a bombed-out bridge. They all start shooting at me so I book it for this old factory. I hide myself up in the tower and the military forces come after me; sweeping the building like you'd expect a cop to do.
(Of course, this was bad for them since I could pick them all off one by one with my silenced pistol in the confines of the warehouse.)
Only thing that bugs me is the insane headbob, better be a possibility to uncheck it in the next patch.
And yea, a lil story. Took out the first camp of bandits quest on master difficulty, alone with a pistol. =)
Took some tries, and I got a really nice display of the AI all together. Head and neckshots ftw, and sneaking up with the knife and right click does the trick as well.
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/tykjen/Stalker/ss_jaklin_03-19-07_18-31-49_l01_esc.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
Never felt so immersed in an fps before. love love love it. Cant wait to visit Chernobyl.
Only thing that bugs me is the insane headbob, better be a possibility to uncheck it in the next patch.
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I don't know why everyone complains about that. I've yet to even be effected by it.
They need to lower the weight on food items; I've yet to eat a sausage that weighs a half kilo.
They need to lower the weight on food items; I've yet to eat a sausage that weighs a half kilo.
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Then you have yet to truely live my friend!
Yah, I am seriously thinkign about getting this, however I am sorta curious.
I know there is no longer any amount of stat developemnt or anytihng, it is all jsut down to equipment, so thus I have to ask this: How varied is the equipment?
Then you have yet to truely live my friend!
Yah, I am seriously thinkign about getting this, however I am sorta curious.
I know there is no longer any amount of stat developemnt or anytihng, it is all jsut down to equipment, so thus I have to ask this: How varied is the equipment?
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A good deal. I've counted...
about 9 pistols with modified and unmodified variants for both
About 10 or 12 different rifles, same as above
3 types of shotguns
2 types of grenades
LOTS of different armors that do different things (Scientist suits have the best night vision but offer no protection save from radiation.)
ok, so there are a large nubmer of guns, but does it really matter all that much? Are the guns segnificantly different that it is worth the time and energy to go and find/aquire/whatever a better gun?
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I'd say so - There are lots of different characteristics of each gun like accuracy, handling, condition (which causes jamming), etc.
Also anomalies you pick up affect you in different ways - they might irradiate you at the expense of being a little bit more "bulletproof" or give you health etc.
I must admit i've had a hard time managing my items well, I'm often near overencumbered and can't run for very long. Stupid ammo is so heavy and I have like every type haha
Hm might be the more I carry, the more "severe" the headbob becomes. Not sure tho. But In my opinion the head sways way too much from side to side, like no other fps ive experienced. Well maybe DarK Messiah
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not to change the subject, but was Dark Messiah any good? I have to catch up on a lot of games I missed recently and I need to know whether that one's worth bothering with =p IIRC, the media made it sound like it didn't live up to the hype...
My Kalashnikov weapons rarely jam up, where as that weird British rifle (the green bullpup styled one. Forget the name.) jams almost every other clip for me. But, the British rifle is more accurate and has some more stopping power, etc.
Currently, I'm using a TRS-301 rifle and a Czech version of the 1911 (Looks like a Sig Sauer variant, personally.) with a Sawed Off for those damn Bloodsuckers.
guess I will have to download a "demo" to make sure it runs on my comp.... (god I hate my computer, it is compleatly borderline on being able to play new games....)
heh, the more people talk about it the more sure I want to paly it.
guess I will have to download a "demo" to make sure it runs on my comp.... (god I hate my computer, it is compleatly borderline on being able to play new games....)
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If your comp can run HL2 or Oblivion, it should run Stalker fine.
Edit: Woot, just found a Hostile Environment Suit :3. Bulletproof AND radiation free.
Microsoft® Windows® XP (Service Pack 2)/Microsoft® Windows® 2000 SP4 ; Intel Pentium 4 2 Ghz/AMD XP 2200+ ; 512 MB RAM ; 10 GB available hard drive space ; 128 MB DirectX® 9c compatible card/ nVIDIA® GeForce 5700/ATI Radeon® 9600 ; DirectX® 9 compatible sound card ; LAN/ Internet connection with Cable/DSL speeds for multiplayer ; Keyboard, Mouse. ; RECOMMENDED SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:
Intel Core 2 Duo E6400/AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ ; 1 GB RAM or better ; 256 MB DirectX® 9c compatible card/ nVIDIA® GeForce 7900/ ATI Radeon® X1850.
This information is based on specifications supplied by manufacturers and should be used for guidance only.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
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Minimum Requirements: Min Specs: 1.2 GHz Processor, 256MB RAM, DirectX 7 capable graphics card, Windows 2000/XP/ME/98, Mouse, Keyboard, Internet Connection.
Optimal Spec: 2.4 GHz Processor, 512MB RAM, DirectX 9 capable graphics card, Windows 2000/XP/ME/98<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-oblivion+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(oblivion)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Recommended:
* 3 Ghz Intel Pentium 4 or equivalent processor
* 1 GB System RAM
* ATI X800 series, NVIDIA GeForce 6800 series, or higher video card
Minimum System Requirements:
* Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows XP 64-bit
* 512MB System RAM
* 2 Ghz Intel Pentium 4 or equivalent processor
* 128MB Direct3D compatible video card
* and DirectX 9.0 compatible driver;
* 8x DVD-ROM drive
* 4.6 GB free hard disk space
* DirectX 9.0c (included)
* DirectX 8.1 compatible sound card
* Keyboard, Mouse
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I think not there is a huge gap between specs your going to need duo support for stalker mine won't be able to run it..might as well buy a 360.. for the price of an upgrade.
128mb Radeon 9600
2.0ghz P4
1024mb RAM
Soundblaster LIVE! Audio card (hahahaha...)
The game only takes up 5,608 MB's on my hard drive, and I run everything on medium practically flawless. (Some spots lag, but that's to be expected.)
How is the Human enemies to mutant enemies ratio?
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Good. Humans are more in the first few areas...
How do you kill this ***hole???
e/ actually it's also funny to note that somehow when i was fighing in the area he appeared beside me and died and I completed the mission (minus getting the reward) I didn't save at that point and then got owned by guys in bulletproof siuts 2 on 1. Ugh
I just got it, and may wait for a patch to go any farther... one of the biggest annoyances is that quicksaving doesn't work. also annoyed at how hard it is to tell good guys from bad guys =d I guess it will be easier later in the game when most enemies are grotesque monsters.
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just look on the map - it's all color coded. The only people you should shoot at are red on the map and make your crosshair go red when you aim at them.