S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat

[Imp]

come on now, they had both of the other games...most people could figure out they would get this one too.

I'm glad Canada's release got gimped. They probably would have charged $40 plus 13% tax.

 

[Zenoth]

It's just been released on Steam, sorry if it was common knowledge by now but I myself just came back home, just opened Steam and saw that, to be honest I am totally surprised by this, I actually never expected it to be available on Steam at all, and it's now there, ready to be bought and played, unfortunately I won't have any money ready until next week for any games.

Has anyone bought it? How is it compared to either SoC or CS?

 

[HunterDT]

Its on steam for 19.99 if you already own one of the other Stalker games on steam! Wooo hooo

 

[disappoint]

come on now, they had both of the other games...most people could figure out they would get this one too.

The problem is they didn't tell us, so we could never be sure of when it would be out on steam. They could have at least made an announcement or offered a pre-order.

You assumed it would be out, and you were right, but you couldn't have known when it would be out, and if ordering it somewhere else wouldn't arrive sooner than on steam.

 

[TheUnk]

The problem is they didn't tell us, so we could never be sure of when it would be out on steam. They could have at least made an announcement or offered a pre-order.

You assumed it would be out, and you were right, but you couldn't have known when it would be out, and if ordering it somewhere else wouldn't arrive sooner than on steam.

Yep.. I kinda hate them for this.

I paid $40 cause I didn't think it would ever come out on Steam. Having purchased both previous titles I could have got it for $20, but this is what I get for being a loyal customer and buying their stuff....

 

[pontifex]

got mine off steam last night. only played for about 30 minutes though. seems to be pretty much like the other games graphically and in gameplay. haven't been in any fights yet though.

it does seem to load faster and run a bit better (so far) with most settings turned up fairly high.

I haven't finished Clear Sky yet but I guess this takes places after SoC and I did finish that one, so I guess it doesn't matter.

 

[schneiderguy]

I'm liking it so far. It has more of the creepy atmosphere that SoC had but CS didn't really have.

 

[marmasatt]

How is SOC (3 years old) $19.99 on Steam and Clear sky which came out just over a year ago $9.99? Clear Sky is pretty darned underated IMO. Makes me just want to buy Clear Sky and then get the COP deal for $19.99 and that way I have them both for ever.

Edit: I am one of the guys who thinks SOC (with the right mods) is one of the best games ever created, so I am a bit biased, but still. I can't think of a reason why someone wouldn't just buy Clear Sky so you could have both games for the price of one.

 

[coloumb]

It's just been released on Steam, sorry if it was common knowledge by now but I myself just came back home, just opened Steam and saw that, to be honest I am totally surprised by this, I actually never expected it to be available on Steam at all, and it's now there, ready to be bought and played, unfortunately I won't have any money ready until next week for any games.

Has anyone bought it? How is it compared to either SoC or CS?

Same style of game play - talk to roaming stalkers [only leaders of the groups will talk to you - indicated by a star on your mini-map] - stop by the local stalker compound [abandoned ship] for repairs, personal storage, upgrades, quests, etc... and basically kill or be killed while roaming around.

Seems to be less mobs/npcs roaming around the areas than the other Stalker games. There are more quests, cut scenes, and you are neutral with regards to the stalkers/bandits roaming around [they will fight each other = free supplies, weapons, ammo!]. Hidden stashes aren't as plentiful...

You start out with A LOT of quests which will force you to travel around the map. You'll encounter a few npcs who will take you to various locations for free while others may charge you a fee.

The only annoyances I've encountered so far:

Weight limit - you'll easily surpass this - but there are drugs which will temporarily increase your carrying capacity.
Radiation levels - you only get a graphical icon [green, yellow, red] - so it's difficult to know how bad your radiation is.
Weapons/armor seem to break down faster [indicated by an on screen icon - green/yellow/red]
Mobs seem tougher - harder to kill.

 

[pontifex]

I think everything in the game costs too much (even basic supplies), especially early in the game.

 

[JSt0rm]

I think everything in the game costs too much (even basic supplies), especially early in the game.

in mother Russia noobs hunt YOU!

 

[Zenoth]

Same style of game play - talk to roaming stalkers [only leaders of the groups will talk to you - indicated by a star on your mini-map] - stop by the local stalker compound [abandoned ship] for repairs, personal storage, upgrades, quests, etc... and basically kill or be killed while roaming around.

Seems to be less mobs/npcs roaming around the areas than the other Stalker games. There are more quests, cut scenes, and you are neutral with regards to the stalkers/bandits roaming around [they will fight each other = free supplies, weapons, ammo!]. Hidden stashes aren't as plentiful...

You start out with A LOT of quests which will force you to travel around the map. You'll encounter a few npcs who will take you to various locations for free while others may charge you a fee.

The only annoyances I've encountered so far:

Weight limit - you'll easily surpass this - but there are drugs which will temporarily increase your carrying capacity.
Radiation levels - you only get a graphical icon [green, yellow, red] - so it's difficult to know how bad your radiation is.
Weapons/armor seem to break down faster [indicated by an on screen icon - green/yellow/red]
Mobs seem tougher - harder to kill.

Thanks.

I've been watching some recent videos (most of them HD), some of them with mods installed such as the S.M.R.T.E.R. mod which I myself am using in Clear Sky (which results in a much better game, in my opinion), and I must say that it looks like the maps are noticeably bigger than anything seen in SoC or CS so far, but I did read that there's "only" three of them, but if they are so big as the one I've seen with the sunken ship then it will surely compensate in the end.

Also I've read on various forums from first impressions that CoP's graphics even maxed out are not as good as even SoC's... and judging from what I've watched I must say that those people either have tremendously difficult-to-achieve standards of "good graphics" or are smoking something really good, because other than the sometimes exaggerated blurring effect when zooming I really see nothing "bad looking" or "worse" than Clear Sky, it's just as good as CS or better, especially the mutant models.

And, at this price anyway it wouldn't be a big "loss" if it ends up being not as good as I would have expected. I'll keep my first idea and I'll buy it next week as soon as my funds arrive in my PayPal account, honestly I can't wait, I haven't played STALKER in months and I'm up for some scavenging and surviving in desolated environments.

 

[marmasatt]

So I just bit (as I loved the first two) and Bioshock 2 is getting mixed reviews on here. Are Steam versions able to be modded? Same way, like editing the ltx/ini file and then adding the files to a folder?

 

[Mem]

So I just bit (as I loved the first two) and Bioshock 2 is getting mixed reviews on here. Are Steam versions able to be modded? Same way, like editing the ltx/ini file and then adding the files to a folder?

Yes.

 

[pontifex]

Wow, and apparently the trader won't buy a weapon if it's not in good condition. So this makes earning money even more difficult.

 

[Arglebargle]

Wow, and apparently the trader won't buy a weapon if it's not in good condition. So this makes earning money even more difficult.

There's a simple mod out for that, one of the first I added, makes things lots more reasonable. Hopefully there will be a mod soon that will slow down the rate of weapon degredation. Vanilla rate would have you believe that the weapons and armor are made of stiffened cardboard.

 

[jlee]

There's a simple mod out for that, one of the first I added, makes things lots more reasonable. Hopefully there will be a mod soon that will slow down the rate of weapon degredation. Vanilla rate would have you believe that the weapons and armor are made of stiffened cardboard.

Armor I could understand, but firearms should last practically forever. My 1940's Mosin Nagant is still rockin'..

 

[Arglebargle]

Armor I could understand, but firearms should last practically forever. My 1940's Mosin Nagant is still rockin'..

I have one of those! Mine's a '50's Chinese copy though.

Overall, I think they upped the decay on everything in CoP, definitely too much for my taste. Even considering problems with protection, the armor is ablating too fast.

 

[pontifex]

the world seems dead too, like there's not much happening, not many creatures roaming around.

Missions are kind of boring too. Although the bloodsucker lair mission was pretty interesting.

So far I'm using the semi-auto shotgun (looks like the SPAS12) way more than I did in the other games. The shotgun is just amazing. 2 or 3 blasts kills almost anything whereas it takes 2 mags to kill the same monster with an assault rifle.

 

[pontifex]

Armor I could understand, but firearms should last practically forever. My 1940's Mosin Nagant is still rockin'..

I've got a 1918 Enfield No. 1 Mk. 3 and a 1928 91/30 Mosin Nagant that are still both in decent shape.

 

[Imp]

Fired it up today, went with 1680x1050 instead of 1920x1200 so I could max the detail; didn't bother trying 1920 at max, but I just assumed my 5770 can't do it. Oh well, looks great. I'm running DX11 too, no idea how to turn on/off tessellation (?) HDAO?). The focusing, blurring of vision is cool though.

I've been playong Farcry 2 for the past week, so holy shit, the graphics just pale in comparison, but to be fair, the engine's old and I bought it for the gameplay. So, I'm lovng it so far.

Weapons and armor definately degrade fast as hell. I'm feeling guilty missing my mark cause I have to pay to repair for the ineffective shots. It sucks that you can't sell degraded weapons and armour, but it makes it so much easier to walk away from racks and racks of guns. I use to spend an hour ferryong guns to the trader after a big fight.

 

[Cabages]

Been having a blast with this game lately. Like pontifex, I have really been using the shotguns a lot more, usually the 2-shot with the greater accuracy.

Its really fun. I modded it so I can choose whatever maximum weight I want. I really prefer to have a plethora of weapons to choose from, so I keep one good condition of just about every weapon I find.

Other than that, this is the first STALKER game where I have actually used the artifact finders. Never used artifacts before, and still don't because I cant find any that neutralize radiation.

 

[pontifex]

Been having a blast with this game lately. Like pontifex, I have really been using the shotguns a lot more, usually the 2-shot with the greater accuracy.

Its really fun. I modded it so I can choose whatever maximum weight I want. I really prefer to have a plethora of weapons to choose from, so I keep one good condition of just about every weapon I find.

Other than that, this is the first STALKER game where I have actually used the artifact finders. Never used artifacts before, and still don't because I cant find any that neutralize radiation.

LOL, you know, thats like what being a STALKER is all about, but yet I didn't really do it much in the other games either and I've done a little in this one, but it almost seems pointless. the artifacts generally SUCK ASS so there's not much incentive to hunt for them.

there also seems to be a lot less anomalies out in the "wild". They're all generally in specific sections.

 

[TridenT]

LOL, you know, thats like what being a STALKER is all about, but yet I didn't really do it much in the other games either and I've done a little in this one, but it almost seems pointless. the artifacts generally SUCK ASS so there's not much incentive to hunt for them.

there also seems to be a lot less anomalies out in the "wild". They're all generally in specific sections.

I like that more. I hated running around in stalker then getting caught in some random wind fuckaroo and then WHOOWHOOWHOWHOOOSHSSHHHH BAAAAAM *dead* WTF?!?!?!!?

Anyway... This game is bugged. One of the missions you go and lay down these stupid antenna thingies or whatever in these anomaly sections and guess what? If you put one in a location they didn't ask you to do... It stays there. You can't pick it up. I was just out on a little side quest and then it's like, "Press F to place blahblahblah" and I am like, "Uh, but this isn't the place? Whatever... F." Then I place the other two... then I am like, "Wait, shit... I am out... I need more." I go to the scientists... they say nothing new... They won't give me any, they won't do SHIT ACTUALLY. UGH. So I go BACK to the place I put the wrong one... guess what? You can't fucking pick it up! You can't pick up any of the other ones either! AND GUESS WHAT? YOU CAN'T PLACE ONE ON THE GOD DAMN PLACE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BECAUSE YOU PRESSED F WHEN YOU THOUGHT IT WOULDN'T MATTER... So what do you have to do to reverse this? Go hours back in your game. Fuck that shit. I'll find some hacks online or some cheats and just bypass that bullshit. I'm already probably 5 hours ahead of that shit at least... I spent A SHIT LOAD of time just going BACK AND FORTH, BACK AND FORTH, TRYING to fix this shit... UGGGHHHHHHHHHH DAMMNNN YOOOOUUUU

Anyway, it's really annoying. :/ But I am megapimpin' now with my exoskeleton suit that I bought from the guy in the first ship. Started just selling all those artifacts I found... Oh yeahhhh... big money... BIG MONEY... LOTS OF BIG MONEY... Of course now I find out my super sweet sniper rifle I got? Yeah, no one sells the ammo for it... :'(

Oh, and uhm... what else... I forgot. Damn... it.. Oh, and this game is pretty easy on the normal difficulty. OH, I remember now.. So I cleared out this one place of guys asking for food... Pretty sure I gave them the food then looked around the base and saw they had nothing to share. So I was like, "wtf this is bullshit and the leader guy has the most PIMPIN' GUN EVER! Maybe I can get his suit too! Holy shit he is godly... " So I decided to do a quicksave outside their base and then "IT'S RAMBO TIME..." They died so fast... Oh and my god.. That guys gun, BEST GUN IN THE GAME PROBABLY. You can't mod it though. If you mod it, everything gets fucked. It's like that with a lot of the guns I found that are really good. If you try to enhance them using the shit then the scope and some other shit just flys off and the gun becomes a worthless POS. Argh. Found that out the hard way. But I have his godly gun in his god ways... But I don't use it as much anymore. I found/killed-like-twenty-bandits-and-their-boss-who-had this 12 round tommy-gun style (and now) auto-shotgun called the executioner/Excalibur or something... Badass gun. It rages on everything when you mod it. Chimera? Dead, hella fast...

 

[MarcVenice]

Trident, the ammo for the special Sniper Rifle (you ordered it, right?) can be bought in that same ship, from the trader. He usually has 20/30 rounds.

And the food place you described, lol, I did exactly the same thing. I blew his head of with a single shot of my sniper rifle and all the others just walked into my crosshair.

But, try this other mission, where you have to trade an artifact for a hostage. When you try to leave, some guy wants ALL your loot. So you have to shoot him of course, but the whole base comes after you. But you have to keep yourself and the guy you saved alive.