S.T.A.L.K.E.R has gone gold

[SonicFlux]

Thanks guys for the tips.
Just learning about the F6 quicksave has made the game a lot friendlier. Why I didn't try this before I don't know. That'll teach me for actually reading the instructions.
And now I'm not dying as much thanks to the person that mentioned how terrible the zoom mode was. I assumed zooming in down the sites was equal to Call of Duty style accuracy, so I kept trying, and I kept dying. Now I just hide behind a tree, lean to the side and wait until the crosshair turns red then fire in short bursts, and I'm much more lethal now.
Good news: I don't have to restart and play in novice mode
Bad news: zoom mode is USELESS
And finally, I just discovered that you can find items hidden in boxes and crates.

The fun level just went up a couple of notches for a game that I already considered a must-buy, current bugs included.

Oh, and the game is running smooth with no hiccups or EAX problems, but I just upgraded my 3yr old rig to an Athlon X2 5200+, BFG 8800 GTS 760MB, SB X-Fi and running WinXP. With no OCing the game runs smooth at highest settings 1920x1200 2xAA. So I don't think an 8800 GTX is necessary.

 

[pontifex]

oh yeah, my lockups are not due to EAX. i disabled it and still get lockups. i get the small 3 second lockups randomly but the big 30 second one seems to always happen as i get real close to Cordon (the starting area).

i was testing the accuracy between iron sights and just plain crosshair shooting and maybe i was wrong. the jury's still out on that. if it does have an advantage,its very slight imo.

also, a few times now i;ve been ambushed by the boars because they make no sounds! i've literally jumped in my seat at least 3 times now because i turn around and all of sudden there's a boar there!

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: SonicFlux
Thanks guys for the tips.
Just learning about the F6 quicksave has made the game a lot friendlier. Why I didn't try this before I don't know. That'll teach me for actually reading the instructions.
And now I'm not dying as much thanks to the person that mentioned how terrible the zoom mode was. I assumed zooming in down the sites was equal to Call of Duty style accuracy, so I kept trying, and I kept dying. Now I just hide behind a tree, lean to the side and wait until the crosshair turns red then fire in short bursts, and I'm much more lethal now.
Good news: I don't have to restart and play in novice mode
Bad news: zoom mode is USELESS
And finally, I just discovered that you can find items hidden in boxes and crates.

The fun level just went up a couple of notches for a game that I already considered a must-buy, current bugs included.

Oh, and the game is running smooth with no hiccups or EAX problems, but I just upgraded my 3yr old rig to an Athlon X2 5200+, BFG 8800 GTS 760MB, SB X-Fi and running WinXP. With no OCing the game runs smooth at highest settings 1920x1200 2xAA. So I don't think an 8800 GTX is necessary.

i am just *totally* loving this game ...
:heart:

i SO reminds me of FC --in Russia ...

and i have completed every SQ so far .. even found something 'better' than the leather jacket in a remote tunnel [i love to explore] and crossed the tunnel with the energy patterns - pretty often

i think i have weapons beyond where i am "supposed" to be and it is pretty easy ... maybe reloaded once at the bandit "car park" [i think they mean "junkyard"] and once in repelling the "attack" in level 2 ... i just have to remember to not overload myself and to *sell* stuff .. i am such a hoarder

i also do the extreme crouch and let NPCs walk into my sights ... one shot to the head
:evil:

as to eating ... no biggie ... i'm just glad he doesn't have to stop and Pee ... or ... um :Q
--i can imagine the sound effects


ANYWAY, i am playing at 14x9 at even *higher settings* than previously and everything is *fluid* ... no crashes [period] ... love the changing sky-boxes and lightening effects ... shadows are great!

*everything* is 100% maxed ... and that is just with my recently mini-upgraded 1950p-512MB/P43.4EE@3.74/1.5GB PC3500
except:
--AA [1/3 of the way ... i guess 2x or 4x - AF 'maxed']
--Grass density [10% ... way down]
--Lighting Distance [60% ... over 1/2]
--No Shadows on Grass [Sun Shadows are 'ON' - V-synch 'off']

that's all ... no slowdowns

beautiful for a gritty game
:thumbsup:

kind of a 'thinking' game ... but of course it is rather Linear for free-roam ... no true freedom like Oblivion or Gothic3
[try doing stuff way out of sequence]

Markey likes it ! ... so far
:laugh:


and i don't think Quick save is documented in the manual or ReadMe

What are the "bolts" that are supposed to help you detect radiation?i got a transmission when i tried to retrieve a backpack ... i got it anyway ... but wth?

 

[Reckoner]

Thanks to this thread I'm able to play with Full Dynamic Lightning on my x1950xt!!!

 

[Regs]

F6 works for quick save. At least for me.

I played for a couple of hours. The hard part was finding the optimal settings to get rid of the choppiness that made it unplayable. I think I now have max textures and detail with no AA and static lighting at 1200x1024 of that nature. No crashes yet and the level of detail is suitable for the gameplay.

I would say the game is all right. Not great. Mediocre at best.


Some of the good things include the atmosphere, the non-linear trait of the level design, and the inventory mechanics.

But the good stop there.

Like Apop said the level of character detail , which include enemy foes, is simply lacking for a "current" FPS. The mutated dogs and pigs look like green blobs. I think I saw better detail playing Turok on my N64 when I was 15 years old. However this is only a minor complaint which could be over looked with the amount of "atmosphere" and "immersiveness" there is in the game.

Bugs....Sound cuts out for both weapons and dialogue while in-game movies play like slide shows. In most games it's understandable to have a few bugs in newly released copies however it's not like they rushed this puppy to market!

Performance issues are a obvious problem in this game. Hopefully they can be fixed but to tell you the truth in the years I've been playing PC games I've never seen a successful performance patch without sacrificing image quality or without causing some other visual impairment . If they couldn't code it properly in the 7+ years development this game has had, I highly doubt they can fix it in a few months time. Lets be realistic .

The AI is smart. So smart they make your head spin. If you have motion sickness you can just stick to playing strategy games. Half the time playing this game I got flash backs chasing my little cousin around in a room playing "you're it". They duck for cover any chance they get but chasing them around a car reck 2-3 times gets on my nerves. They also seem like they can run backwards, forwards, sideways, and frontward's then spinning around to get the perfect shot all the time. What kind of drugs are these guys on? Must be the "vodka". They can accelerate in all directions and movements like crack addicts chasing imaginary flies.

The game breaker for me and always has been are the guns. Accuracy, realistic AI reaction, sound, variety, overall realism, and fun factor - non of which of these can be seen in this game. The only thing realistic about these weapons is the inventory system they follow. Once again no programmer wants to tackle the issue of realistic physics with weapons. Understandable since it involves high amounts of logic and formulations, so I can understand some slack but this game takes the cake. Again im confronted with rubber dolls and paper cut outs. A shot in this 40x40 box earns two points with this gun, while the box in this 120x120 sector is worth 1.2 points. And if they so happen to get hit in the head with a sawed-off shot gun, they fall just the same way like they would get hit in the knee cap repeatedly with a pistol. To me this is boring and unrealistic. In any shooter, you're not aiming into that beautiful immersive twilight ski, but at that moving target in front of you.

I'm highly critical of FPS's now-a-days. They all seem to cheat at being creative. They throw you a cheap story-line and some fancy level design and people buy..buy..buy. It just makes me sick to my stomach of how people are being cheated by lazy programming. The only ones pulling their weight these days are the artists who increasingly need more resources from your computer. The only thing that seems to make a difference between a good game and a bad one is the amount of press time and hype it gets before its launch.

I'm not going to specifically compare this game to any other shooter. Though I do think the sheer level designing in this game puts it in a new rank amongst other FPS's. I think they made it overly sophisticated in areas where no other shooter was daring to even touch which deserves some merit, however they forgot about the fundamentals. One of which is the fun factor of killing. Sounds barbaric, but it's what FPS's are and what they are inherited to do. Seems like the more powerful our computer get, the more FPS's in general skirt away from their inheritance.

Bring me a Turok without those dumb simplistic levels, hazards, and puzzles. I would love to shoot an explosive tipped arrow into my foes and watch them scurry around before it explodes in their torso or head. Give me land mines that launch into the air and brutally ripple the enemy with shards of flack and shrapnel. Give me crouching human AI when being hit with a pistol bullet in the stomach. Give me some serious blood gushing and neck bracing from the human AI when getting shot in the neck. I can guarantee you we'll be playing that type of game more than once.

 

[Shagga]

Well. Got it. Didn't know I needed a new Mobo, CPU and Graphics card.....

 

[apoppin]

i just don't get the bugs your guy are mentioning
[i feel like Mem defending Gothic 3 ... or NWN2]


not a *single crash* or instability - or sound woes - in about 4-5 hours of continuous play
[i started over when i got the 'hang' of it ... i missed a lot]

i didn't need *any workarounds* to get Full Dynamic lighting on my x1950p
[and people are complaining about the XT needing to edit files]
i MAX every setting *except*--AA [1/3 of the way-AF 'maxed'], Grass density [10% ... way down], Lighting Distance [60% ... over 1/2] and No Shadows on Grass [Sun Shadows 'ON' and V-synch 'off' @75hz]

all i can say is ... Regs keep playing ... it gets a better as you go ....

and the mutated dogs and pigs *do not* look like green blobs --what level of detail are you using?
--STALKER just is no where the level of detail in HL2 ... a simple "texture" pack would cure this for a superfast machine

anyway, i didn't need a new MB ... just upgraded my new GFX card, CPU and got extra RAM
:shocked:

just in the nick of time
:laugh:


edit: again

What are the "bolts" that are supposed to help you detect radiation?i got a transmission when i tried to retrieve a backpack ... i got it anyway ... but wth?


i could have used a "beefier" manual
:roll:

 

[Todd33]

I was getting 15-20 fps at 1280x720, WTF? Then I noticed the memory on my 7900GT was running at 300Mhz for some reason, after I set it to 750Mhz I was getting 40+ fps with higher settings.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: apoppin
i just don't get the bugs your guy are mentioning
[i feel like Mem defending Gothic 3 ... or NWN2]


not a *single crash* or instability - or sound woes - in about 4-5 hours of continuous play
[i started over when i got the 'hang' of it ... i missed a lot]

i didn't need *any workarounds* to get Full Dynamic lighting on my x1950p
[and people are complaining about the XT needing to edit files]
i MAX every setting *except*--AA [1/3 of the way-AF 'maxed'], Grass density [10% ... way down], Lighting Distance [60% ... over 1/2] and No Shadows on Grass [Sun Shadows 'ON' and V-synch 'off' @75hz]

all i can say is ... Regs keep playing ... it gets a better as you go ....

and the mutated dogs and pigs *do not* look like green blobs --what level of detail are you using?
--STALKER just is no where the level of detail in HL2 ... a simple "texture" pack would cure this for a superfast machine

anyway, i didn't need a new MB ... just upgraded my new GFX card, CPU and got extra RAM
:shocked:

just in the nick of time
:laugh:


edit: again

What are the "bolts" that are supposed to help you detect radiation?i got a transmission when i tried to retrieve a backpack ... i got it anyway ... but wth?


i could have used a "beefier" manual
:roll:

i don't get what the bolts are for either. as far as i can tell its so you don't have to have a weapon out...but you can "holster" the weapons anyway...

 

[userman]

You throw them in the anomalies to see what happens.
The labs are the freakiest places ive been so far!

 

[Reckoner]

One of the damn monsters brain screwed me over and over again, I didn't know wtf was going on, or how to repel it, lol

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: PaulNEPats
One of the damn monsters brain screwed me over and over again, I didn't know wtf was going on, or how to repel it, lol

in the sewer? i think i just ran into the same thing. it like pulls you forward then back repeatedly and fvcks up your vision? didn't seem like i could kill it either. i ran away and climbed up a ladder to the outside buyt then got killed by 2 military guys because my vision was still messed up.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: userman
You throw them in the anomalies to see what happens.
The labs are the freakiest places ive been so far!

oh, does somethign different happen? the onyl blow up like they do to the animals and you when you get too close. i;ve also been killed by eletrical anomalies too i think.

 

[Reckoner]

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: PaulNEPats
One of the damn monsters brain screwed me over and over again, I didn't know wtf was going on, or how to repel it, lol

in the sewer? i think i just ran into the same thing. it like pulls you forward then back repeatedly and fvcks up your vision? didn't seem like i could kill it either. i ran away and climbed up a ladder to the outside buyt then got killed by 2 military guys because my vision was still messed up.

yep, in the sewer, hehe

 

[userman]

Originally posted by: PaulNEPats

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: PaulNEPats
One of the damn monsters brain screwed me over and over again, I didn't know wtf was going on, or how to repel it, lol

in the sewer? i think i just ran into the same thing. it like pulls you forward then back repeatedly and fvcks up your vision? didn't seem like i could kill it either. i ran away and climbed up a ladder to the outside buyt then got killed by 2 military guys because my vision was still messed up.

yep, in the sewer, hehe

I ran up the ladder and waited till my vision cleared then went back down. It took a few minutes but I killed it.

SPOILERS
















































Thanks

 

[microAmp]

Originally posted by: userman

Originally posted by: PaulNEPats

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: PaulNEPats
One of the damn monsters brain screwed me over and over again, I didn't know wtf was going on, or how to repel it, lol

in the sewer? i think i just ran into the same thing. it like pulls you forward then back repeatedly and fvcks up your vision? didn't seem like i could kill it either. i ran away and climbed up a ladder to the outside buyt then got killed by 2 military guys because my vision was still messed up.

yep, in the sewer, hehe

I ran up the ladder and waited till my vision cleared then went back down. It took a few minutes but I killed it.

SPOILERS

YGPM when I send it.

 

[Patt]

I'm enjoying the game so far ... it definitely has its quirks, and the storyline so far (I've made it to the sewers) is pretty much clear as mud. The environment is pretty cool though, and because of my new build (E6600, 8800GTX, 2GB RAM), everything flies on max settings. I'm eager to get deeper into the game, just have to find the time.

 

[Alienwho]

Originally posted by: PaulNEPats

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: PaulNEPats
One of the damn monsters brain screwed me over and over again, I didn't know wtf was going on, or how to repel it, lol

in the sewer? i think i just ran into the same thing. it like pulls you forward then back repeatedly and fvcks up your vision? didn't seem like i could kill it either. i ran away and climbed up a ladder to the outside buyt then got killed by 2 military guys because my vision was still messed up.

yep, in the sewer, hehe

Yeah i started to run away from this guy too, then I thought, WTF who does this monster think he is. So I ran back and hucked a 'nade at him. He pulled me forward and I thought the nade was going to kill us both. Then right as he pushed me back it exploded and killed him. This was the most satisfying moment i've had in the game.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: Alienwho

Originally posted by: PaulNEPats

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: PaulNEPats
One of the damn monsters brain screwed me over and over again, I didn't know wtf was going on, or how to repel it, lol

in the sewer? i think i just ran into the same thing. it like pulls you forward then back repeatedly and fvcks up your vision? didn't seem like i could kill it either. i ran away and climbed up a ladder to the outside buyt then got killed by 2 military guys because my vision was still messed up.

yep, in the sewer, hehe

Yeah i started to run away from this guy too, then I thought, WTF who does this monster think he is. So I ran back and hucked a 'nade at him. He pulled me forward and I thought the nade was going to kill us both. Then right as he pushed me back it exploded and killed him. This was the most satisfying moment i've had in the game.

i just ran at him and got real close and unloaded full auto into him and killed him.

i had a huge firefight at the factory. after i left the sewers i killed the guys above ground, which was a task in itself. i then went back to the building a little to the north of it, i think its a factory. anyway, there was 18 or 19 miliatry guys there. i got up on the roof (they can't seem to follow you up there. I they might be afraid of ladders or heights) and lobbed a few nades because they were sorta bunched up and then i just sniped the ones that were left. lots of supplies from that, lol.

did you guys notice that you can loot the bodies of dead guys again? like i went back through some areas and i just checked the bodies for the heck of it and they had loot on them again. i thought that was odd.

is anyone else noticing enemies disappearing or appearing out of no where? a few times i would see an enemy and then go to attack him and he would be gone, nowhere in sight.
or i'd be walking and then a few appear out of nowhere and start attacking me.

another bug i started to notice was that the guys didn't drop dead right away. i;d be shooting and they'd still be standing for a second then fall over.

i also hate getting missions from Cordon but the objective is like 3 sections away. takes awhile to get back.

does anyone have a screen shot of a Pseudodog? i can't find one or if i have, they never drop their tails. i've killed lots of small dogs and a few of this beefier and nastier looking dogs, but all i get is regular tails. i;ve failed that mission so many times.

and here's just something i found amusing. i saw a dog trying to drag a dead body. was pretty funny.

 

[Avalon]

Hmm, I'm liking the game a lot so far. Running currently on an Opty 144 @ 2.4, 1GB of RAM, a DFI SLI-D, and an X1900AIW stock. Was playing the game at 1280x960, which ran like ass until I turned the grass density down to around 40%. That fixed me right up.

Haven't really come across a lot of the things I've heard people complain about. I have no trouble understanding NPCs speaking with their accents, and I'm finding the story pretty easy to follow and I think it's interesting. Also not having a problem with accuracy. I find looking down the gun sights helps, but in general just find a good place to hunker down and pick at your enemy. Don't go running around trying to blast him, it won't work. Plus, most of the earlier guns have a bad accuracy rating anyway...just wait until you get some more accurate ones, you'll be fine.

Enjoying the A.I. Don't find it too difficult, but it's still challenging. Exploring is also a lot of fun for me in this game. The immersiveness and massiveness of the game just make me want to run around and do all the side quests, which I will...so hopefully I get a lot of time out of it. This is all on Windows XP, BTW. I'm sure Vista is different story.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: PaulNEPats
One of the damn monsters brain screwed me over and over again, I didn't know wtf was going on, or how to repel it, lol

in the sewer? i think i just ran into the same thing. it like pulls you forward then back repeatedly and fvcks up your vision? didn't seem like i could kill it either. i ran away and climbed up a ladder to the outside buyt then got killed by 2 military guys because my vision was still messed up.

back from the zone
:beer:

even easier than the last way [which i just saw]

btw *****************Spoiler******************

just run as fast as you can past him and hide around the corner next to the FIRST ladder out of his 'spell' ... shoot at it and get pulled ... you are pushed back to the *same* spot - duck again and shoot - get pulled back and forth thrice - you won't get confused yet - and *wait* ...

It then comes looking for you since you stopped shooting ... and turns around ... Now, when his back is turned unload a clip into the back of his head

piece of cake
i couldn't get the timing on the grenade, though i did try ... my way worked twice. just glance around the corner and his pull won't confuse you



i really like this game ... i am even getting quick with the inventory ... the only thing i don't like is that i'd like to pause it while looking thru my inventory
[like NWN2]

i also realized that 'kill the Stalker' was 'timed' ... it ran out and i will never complete it

 

[40sTheme]

I'm heavily debating between the option of getting this game or getting C&C3... Both look interesting, but C&C is tried and true, and this game seems shaky from what some people have said... is STALKER actually fun? I can't tell from these conflicting reviews of the game. Also, is STALKER potentially scary? I'm pretty easily scared (I take things pretty psychologically when it comes to scary stuff), and it took me forever to get through FEAR's SP because I was too creeped out to go down that next hallway. Will this game creep me out too much to be enjoyable?

 

[userman]

Im having a blast with stalker.
It has some really good make you jump moments is the labs and "other" places.

 

[40sTheme]

Hmm... I may buy STALKER then...
I had my heart set on STALKER but then I read a few very concerning reviews and I decided to go with my #2 option C&C3. I may just rethink my plans...

 

[Reckoner]

Stalker is awesome. I'm enjoying it more than HL2. Don't kill me for saying that!!