Joined: Dec 2006 Gender: Male Posts: 1,042 Karma: 86
Re: Stalker - Call of Pripyat « Reply #2 on Feb 23, 2010, 3:51pm »
Aye, I've been playing this one a bit over the last week. Unfortunately, my computer is getting a bit old, and there seems to be a slight bug with Windows 7 64-bit in that it keeps pausing every few seconds, which renders the game unplayable. I've had to turn the detail level down quite low in order to be able to play it, which means it doesn't look anywhere near as good as it should do. In fact, Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl looks better!
Still, it's a good game. Those emissions are quite scary - especially when you get the message that one is approaching and you're stuck in the middle of the swamp with no cover around, and are slightly over-laden with equipment so that you can't sprint for more than a couple of seconds!
And even on low detail, the atmosphere is still utterly fantastic!
Re: Stalker - Call of Pripyat « Reply #3 on Feb 24, 2010, 7:42am »
I reached the ending last night, but chose to stay in the zone (theres a couple of options), because I had not even scratched all of the missions etc.
I am playing on the hardest difficulty level but it has been very easy compared to the first Stalker game.
If you havent reached Pripyat yet (very eerie moving through a ghost town, especially the kindergarten), make the most of the tunnel level, as its superb, very short, but you cant go back through it once completed , I am told.
I have everything maxed out and I get a little stuttering now and again , but its Stalker so i put up with it
(I suppose this is a bit old too, these days: Intel Q6600 @ 2.4ghz, ATI 4850, 4GB ram, 1920*1080)
The Stalker games (well 1 & 3 (2 doesnt count lol)), have been excellent to play. As you said, very atmospheric. I always looked at them as rpg's rather than a fps/action game. There are still a lot of jump in your seat moments, especially in the underground labs (bloody poltergeists...), and anywhere at night lol , and it wouldn't be the first time i screamed like a little girl at something in the game.
Have you seen the Stalker movie ? I loved it , though it wont be everyone's cup of tea. You can see where they got a lot of the game ideas from. The film itself is based on a short story.
I would love to see a coop mode though.
Hve you tried any mods yet? For the original Stalker there are a few good ones which change the game for the better (realism, gfx improvements etc) "Oblivion Lost", "Priboy Story", "Stalker complete" and "L.U.R.K." are all worth a look.
Joined: Dec 2006 Gender: Male Posts: 1,042 Karma: 86
Re: Stalker - Call of Pripyat « Reply #4 on Feb 24, 2010, 10:17am »
I haven't reached Pripyat yet. I'm still quite near the beginning at the moment, and it is on hold at the moment while I play through Aliens vs Predator (which is also quite scary, especially as the marine!)
My computer is a mere E6600, 2Gb RAM and a GeForce 8800GTS 320Mb card. Could probably do with upgrading the chip & ram at some point, although the graphics card still does a pretty good job - and I can't afford to upgrade everything! I usually upgrade my computer around once every two years, but to be fair, other than this latest Stalker game, all the new games run fine at high detail, so I haven't had the need to upgrade - and I've had this one for about three years now. It's done well so far!
On similar lines to Stalker, I'm quite looking forward to this Metro 2033 game. (Well, it's set in Russia, which is quite close to the Ukraine, anyway... ). Looks quite spooky too!
Re: Stalker - Call of Pripyat « Reply #5 on Feb 24, 2010, 9:18pm »
steam are doing metro 2033 for £30 quid with a free copy of Red Faction Guerilla thrown in. Play.com has it for £25.
Yes Metro 2033 looks very nice too - some of the Stalker devs worked on Metro, but from what I have seen, it is a more linear game, not a free roaming one like Stalker . Since it is closely based on the Novel, I suppose they are more restricted in what they could do. We shall have to see.
There was some confusion about whether the pc version of Metro was burdened with Games for Windows LIVE crap, but that doesn't seem to be the case now. I pre ordered the book recently from play.com, its only recently been translated from the russian.
I'd like to get hold of some of the Stalker fiction, too, but as far as I know, that hasn't been translated yet:(
In Stalker c.o.p. did you side with Sultan and the bandits, or Beard and the Stalkers? I went with the stalkers - next play through I will be a bad bastard.
When I log out I like to leave my character somewhere safe - I camped up a tree one night. When I next logged in, a large scale gun fight erupted around the tree I was in, between stalkers and bandits, with a few mutants joining in too. I was stuck there watching for 20 minutes while Stalingrad was reenacted below me. When it was over, of course, there were plenty opportunities for corpse looting
I assume you noticed the traders don't buy damaged weapons and it costs a lot to repair them? I generally loot everything but the weapons - though there is a guy later on in the game who will repair for free, so I now gather everything I can carry. I managed to make about 150000 roubles in the first game week, just on selling artifacts to Beard.
I have wasted so much time exploring the Zone - but that is one of the main parts of these games for me. Just in case some people get the wrong idea about a game called Stalker, it isn't one of those dodgy japanese perv games, its set in a reworked radioactive wasteland around Chernobyl...
In Stalker c.o.p. did you side with Sultan and the bandits, or Beard and the Stalkers? I went with the stalkers - next play through I will be a bad bastard.
I have too much of a guilty conscience, so I almost always side with the good guys...
Even when Tuna nicked an artifact, saying he needed it to help save a dying friend (I only really gave it to him because I couldn't be arsed fighting), then ran off to Beard to sell it, I've been tempted to but a bullet through his face to teach him a lesson every time I see him, but something holds me back...
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I assume you noticed the traders don't buy damaged weapons and it costs a lot to repair them?
Yeah, I usually check weapons as I pick them up to see how damaged they are. Sometimes, especially if it's a decent weapon, I'll keep it even if it's damaged, but it's easy to get overloaded with equipment - which causes some problems if you're stuck out in the open with an emission approaching!
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I managed to make about 150000 roubles in the first game week, just on selling artifacts to Beard.
I haven't even started looking for artifacts yet! Been too busy with doing random jobs for people. I should give it a look though, as selling weapons doesn't exactly make lots of money!
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I have wasted so much time exploring the Zone
Me too - but then I'm an explorer by nature. I like big open worlds that I can just explore, preferably without being bothered by mercenaries and mutants!
I spent a lot of time exploring the river basin area - and I built up quite a collection of stuff in my storage box at the base, but last night I took the plunge and started wandering around Yanov station and its immediate vicinity.
Joined: Jul 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 322 Location: Reading, UK Karma: 64
Re: Stalker - Call of Pripyat « Reply #7 on Mar 8, 2010, 2:48pm »
Great game so far. I've been playing it for a few days now on and off and i am up to the point of opening the Jupiter tunnel. I too have been exploring the landscape. I was playing it quite late last night, at night in the game too walking around a few factory complexes and it gives me real chills up my spine. A game than can do that is great.
I'm not sure that it is the enemies that give me chills. It's the landscape itself. The isolation and the lonelyness in a huge, abandoned area.
Been a fan of stalker since day one. Great game.
Edit: On Metro 2033. I tink it will be a more action packed, group survival game. Stalker is about being weary of your surroundings and the lanscape. Metro 2033 will be based more on the enemy that attack you with scripted scenes.
“Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt." - Shakespeare
Clear Air Turbulence, the skeptically talking paranormal podcast that is seared on the reality grill and trust me, we taste good. http://www.mystical-county.org.uk/wcat.htm
Re: Stalker - Call of Pripyat « Reply #8 on Mar 8, 2010, 4:51pm »
make a full save before you go into the pripyat tunnel - because you can't ever go back into it (you can still travel back to the earlier zones though). The tunnel was superb - probably the best encounter in the game for me - there are a couple of stashes and goodies in there too. I actually left a lot of stuff in there, with the intention of collecting it on the way back, but it closes when you leave
I am hoping some industrious modder will reopen the tunnel.
Joined: Jul 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 322 Location: Reading, UK Karma: 64
Re: Stalker - Call of Pripyat « Reply #9 on Mar 8, 2010, 5:41pm »
Where the hell did you get your NV goggles? Are you wearing a Excoskeleton?
I only have my closed system and my body armour right now.
Weapons:
Kite Pistol (found over at the Field of Iron) Storm Assault Rifle (bought from the importer) attached scope and silencer. - Great for mowning humans down. Spaz-12 Shotgun (bought from importer) - Great for mowing mutants down. Sniper Rifle can't remember the name (Importer and stashed for later use)
“Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt." - Shakespeare
Clear Air Turbulence, the skeptically talking paranormal podcast that is seared on the reality grill and trust me, we taste good. http://www.mystical-county.org.uk/wcat.htm
Re: Stalker - Call of Pripyat « Reply #10 on Mar 8, 2010, 6:05pm »
I spent some time (just a few hours) collecting and selling artifacts to Beard (he tells you which he needs and pays more for those), made a wad of roubles, then bought an exoskeleton from Nimble (top deck of the ship). I messed up the upgrades later on and didnt buy the speed boost mod for it, and he wont sell me any more exos
For upgrades you need to find the sets of tools for the repair guy (the alcoholic) - i spent ages looking for all 3 sets in the first zone, and only two sets can be foud there (doh!)
Have you found the vintar in the burning village near the ships? (upper floor of one of the ruined houses).
Look everywhere! even under trees, you'll be surprised what you find.
While playing the first stalker game, I didn't realise the armour i was using had NV goggles lol. I went through the poltergeist labs with just that crappy torch. one of the scariest times of my life .
Have you found the vintar in the burning village near the ships? (upper floor of one of the ruined houses).
What sort of equipment do you need to be able to get into the burning village? I've tried prodding around with my Veles and a few bolts to find a way into the buildings, but it's just too hot!
One thing I like about this game is that it's all based on real life locations, and it's interesting to see what they actually look like:
Re: Stalker - Call of Pripyat « Reply #13 on Mar 9, 2010, 7:37pm »
I use the Svarog scanner - a reward from a quest Beard starts you on (get 3 veles for some scientists) - the Svarog shows anomalies AND artifacts,so you can avoid the anomalies easily. The Burning Farmstead is quite dangerous if you dont have adequate Thermal protection (or lots of medikits). You need to climb up this sloping beam to the remains of the roof of this hut, the silenced sniper rifle is up there.
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One thing I like about this game is that it's all based on real life locations, and it's interesting to see what they actually look like:
They did use a bit of artistic licence but I think they did a great job - the visuals are spot on, and the haunting background music really adds to the atmosphere.
I use the Svarog scanner - a reward from a quest Beard starts you on (get 3 veles for some scientists) - the Svarog shows anomalies AND artifacts,so you can avoid the anomalies easily.
Hmmm... That quest is still in progress for me. I use a Veles at the moment. I was considering just buying two more to take to the scientists.
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The Burning Farmstead is quite dangerous if you dont have adequate Thermal protection (or lots of medikits).
You need to climb up this sloping beam to the remains of the roof of this hut, the silenced sniper rifle is up there.
Meh. Not worth it. I already have a silenced sniper rifle that I *ahem* "procured" from a Stalker who was killed in a raid on a bandit camp. I basically stayed at the back and didn't fire on the bandits so that I retained neutrality, waited for the other guys to get killed, then nicked all their stuff and sold most of it off.
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They did use a bit of artistic licence but I think they did a great job - the visuals are spot on, and the haunting background music really adds to the atmosphere.
Yep, absolutely. People had complained after the first Stalker that the graphics were a bit crap, but I always thought the graphics were good, but the atmosphere - mainly the music and the lighting - was what made the game.
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