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

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: apoppin
actually i am not so sure it is a bug ...

remember the 'choppers' in FarCry if you went off the approved path?

i am looking forward to fan made content and an *expansion* 😉

Hmm...*thinking*...I don't remember "the chopper thing" bug. Now, I know that FC had multiple very annoying patches released. They were not cumulative. You had to have 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 installed before you could install 1.4 and so on.

The "wolf thing" bug in Stalker completely crashes the game. At least it crashes to the "report this bug" miniapp instead of to the desktop though. Hooray for progress? 😕

 

[apoppin]

the choppers in FC were "on purpose" if you went off the path

you got blown-away .... or headed back in the right direction

a hell of a lot better than 'invisible walls'

that IS progress

i got ultra endless respawning enemies in STALKER and thought it was also on purpose 😱

maybe not 😛

 

[Nightmare225]

Originally posted by: 43st
Yes, I get better performance. About 1-2 FPS in most places using FRAPS as a gauge. I think it's a bit smoother as well but I have no way of really testing that.

Here's a short write-up with the shader author giving some information on the new method.

Also see this post which shows some images from my mid-range system.

How would I go about uninstalling this mod if the need arose?
Just delete the new files and change the TRUE back into a false?

 

[apoppin]

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=39233

PROJECT FLOAT32 WAS started by an ArsTechnica forum/irc user Nivenhbro (jjwalker), who wanted to check out whether long-delayed graphical wonder can be improved or not, and ended up with quite an interesting modification.

As with every third party modification, installation of this add-on is completely up to you, but seeing the list of improvements and seeing it in action - we give it our stamp of approval. Future patches may break this add-on, but we hope that jjwaker will not quit its development.

In short, the list of improvements features better bump mapping, real time calculared specular effects, full reflection vector calculations, soft shadow quality has been vastly improved and this is not all.

All of these improvements will not kill the frame rate, but rather cost either nothing or improve the frame rate by 20% or even more.

We are testing the game with this one on our testing hardware - single and dual eVGA GeForce 8800GTX ACS3 boards and the ATI Radeon HD2900XT's and so far, improvements are around 20-25 per cent for a far better product.

You can download the patch using our the L'INQ below.

http://www.ngohq.com/home.php?page=File...=cat&dwn_cat_id=8&go=giveme&dwn_id=414

 

[Nightmare225]

Originally posted by: apoppin
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=39233

PROJECT FLOAT32 WAS started by an ArsTechnica forum/irc user Nivenhbro (jjwalker), who wanted to check out whether long-delayed graphical wonder can be improved or not, and ended up with quite an interesting modification.

As with every third party modification, installation of this add-on is completely up to you, but seeing the list of improvements and seeing it in action - we give it our stamp of approval. Future patches may break this add-on, but we hope that jjwaker will not quit its development.

In short, the list of improvements features better bump mapping, real time calculared specular effects, full reflection vector calculations, soft shadow quality has been vastly improved and this is not all.

All of these improvements will not kill the frame rate, but rather cost either nothing or improve the frame rate by 20% or even more.

We are testing the game with this one on our testing hardware - single and dual eVGA GeForce 8800GTX ACS3 boards and the ATI Radeon HD2900XT's and so far, improvements are around 20-25 per cent for a far better product.

You can download the patch using our the L'INQ below.

http://www.ngohq.com/home.php?page=File...=cat&dwn_cat_id=8&go=giveme&dwn_id=414

Funny how they don't mention the actual performance... :disgust:

 

[apoppin]

they did say the GTX was faster ... in another article

 

[CrystalBay]

If the modding community and THQ keep up the the support , (adding the omitted, features, and content) this game could be GOTY material...

 

[43st]

Originally posted by: Nightmare225

Originally posted by: 43st
Yes, I get better performance. About 1-2 FPS in most places using FRAPS as a gauge. I think it's a bit smoother as well but I have no way of really testing that.

Here's a short write-up with the shader author giving some information on the new method.

Also see this post which shows some images from my mid-range system.

How would I go about uninstalling this mod if the need arose?
Just delete the new files and change the TRUE back into a false?

Delete the 'shader' folder. You don't need to change the other setting. All it does is say 'look here first', more or less.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: CrystalBay
If the modding community and THQ keep up the the support , (adding the omitted, features, and content) this game could be GOTY material...

it already is --in the FPS-category

if they keep polishing it, we may have a true *classic*

 

[IsenMike]

Originally posted by: apoppin
i got ultra endless respawning enemies in STALKER and thought it was also on purpose 😱

maybe not 😛

If it forces the game to eat up all available memory and crash, you can be pretty sure that it probably wasn't on purpose.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: IsenMike

Originally posted by: apoppin
i got ultra endless respawning enemies in STALKER and thought it was also on purpose 😱

maybe not 😛

If it forces the game to eat up all available memory and crash, you can be pretty sure that it probably wasn't on purpose.

tha patch fixes that to an extent. i no longer got the infinitely respawning out of no where enemies but in the freedom base, they kept coming from somewhere

 

[apoppin]

i think it is "endless" NPCs in freedom base until you complete both objectives ....the antenna/tunnel ... then it goes totally quiet ...
-for a bit

i couldn't make any firm conclusions about the respawning dogs because i didn't have the patch - and kept getting killed [before any crashes]
-so i went the other way 😛

 

[MichaelD]

The "broken quests" problem is a major one, IMO. I've got at least two "failed" quests listed that I actually completed.

*spoiler ahead*

I also discovered the "endlessly spawning enemies" at the Freedom Base...that's the quest where you help Duty kill some guy and you get that nice shotgun, right? I killed the two snipers, then killed everyone else. Then I killed the guy; he was hiding in a building near the rear of the compound.

I leave the building and there's like 20 Freedom guys with automatic weapons just standing there! :Q Somehow all the Duty guys had already made it back to the farmhouse and were playing guitar and drinking vodka. :roll:

In other news, I FINALLY found how to get to the antenna! It only took about four hours of gameplay. 😱 Who would've thought it was underground? I kept trying to figure out how to get over the damn brick wall and fences to the left of the big hill/steep road you have to ascend as you get to the antennas. 😱

I've got some new speakers (actually, mini-monitors and a power amp 😀) coming...hopefully they come this week...immensely better sound should creepify the gaming experience quite a bit.

I'm not rushing to finish this game; I like it too much! Judging by how long it took for the game to make it out, I won't be counting on an expansion...ever. 🙁

 

[apoppin]

compared to the original ... an expansion should be a piece of cake

i AM expecting one 😛

 

[you2]

I wasn't overjoyed with this game. It had a lot of potential but in the end it also had a lot that was annoying. The text was hard to read the verbal was hard to follow. This made it dificult to follow the story (i.e, poor resentation). The mechanics were fine (though I was not overjoyed with the weight system - the concept was fine but ...)

Some specifics things that really turned me off was inconsistent behavior with tthe pda (some places gave you arrows some did not - stuff like that). In the end I ended up going to the doc by chance (i never realized it was a critical thing to do) but i was unable to find the secret stash - or realized it was important. Therefore when I found this hidden door that required the decoder i couldn't open it and i had no way to go back and get the decoder. So I have to play the game again if i want to try for that ending (i might after the next patch). Also, the end section almost require good protection from raditiation - but I was unprepared that I would enter the end game when I did (didn't exactly cheat by reading everythign ahead of time). And my armor was shot away by the time I ended there so I had no raditaion protection - really annoying to end up that far into the game.

There were also quite a few bugs (in addition to the pda bugs or inconsitency) in certain parts of the game any attempt to save will result in a crash and some quests seemed broken.

With a bit of clean up of the minor stuff the game could have been a lot more enjoyable (to me). Esp making it easier to follow the story. Btw I got the "wish the zone no longer exist" ending. As I noted above I actually found this hidden door but couldn't open it.

Another area I had a *lot* of probelm (in addition to the radition at the end) was this location where I am attacked by psi creatures (it is near the end). In my inventory I have a psi helmet but I can't wear it (am I suppose to wear it?)

 

[imported_Imp]

Originally posted by: MichaelD
The "broken quests" problem is a major one, IMO. I've got at least two "failed" quests listed that I actually completed.

*spoiler ahead*

I also discovered the "endlessly spawning enemies" at the Freedom Base...that's the quest where you help Duty kill some guy and you get that nice shotgun, right? I killed the two snipers, then killed everyone else. Then I killed the guy; he was hiding in a building near the rear of the compound.

I leave the building and there's like 20 Freedom guys with automatic weapons just standing there! :Q Somehow all the Duty guys had already made it back to the farmhouse and were playing guitar and drinking vodka. :roll:

If you want to feel better about the Freedom base respawns (like I did😉), just rationalize the extra 20 guys by some 'call to arms'. Afterall, their BASE is getting raped by you and Duty. Also, they always 'respawn' by walking through the main gate (but first through their own minefield). Think I cleared that dump thrice.

And you lucky bastard🙂 : Mini-monitors? Good choice. I was only willing to get the Atoms. Oh, and we're talking about Paradigms right😛?

 

[MichaelD]

@ You2: Good post and good question about the PSI Helmet. I also tried to put it on but couldn't. I've been thru the underground quest where you have to shut down the three switches, then unplug the device and I got the 3-minute warning (or was it 4-minute?) so I'm assuming that the helmet actually worked by it just being in my pack. Which completely defies logic. 😛 If it's a HELMET and it's supposed to DO SOMETHING then shouldn't it be ON YOUR HEAD? 😛 More broken things for patch 1.999 to fix. LOL!

@ Imp: I wish I could afford the Paradigms. Maybe I used a bad choice of words, there. By "mini-monitors" I meant "small passive bookshelf speakers run off an amp."
I am space-constrained (really small desk and no easy way to wall-mount) so I bought some cheap and smallish MTX speakers. Cheap, but much better than my 12-year old 2.1 set. They will be powered by this, so power won't be lacking. If I don't like the MTX's, I'm going to build the PartsExpress BR-1 kit speakers.

 

[Nightmare225]

Originally posted by: MichaelD
@ You2: Good post and good question about the PSI Helmet. I also tried to put it on but couldn't. I've been thru the underground quest where you have to shut down the three switches, then unplug the device and I got the 3-minute warning (or was it 4-minute?) so I'm assuming that the helmet actually worked by it just being in my pack. Which completely defies logic. 😛 If it's a HELMET and it's supposed to DO SOMETHING then shouldn't it be ON YOUR HEAD? 😛 More broken things for patch 1.999 to fix. LOL!

I think it's cause it would interfere with the image of you wearing your suit of armor or something... Think of it this way, you don't have to equip the helmet, and you'll always be protected against the brain anomalies. 🙂

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: you2


With a bit of clean up of the minor stuff the game could have been a lot more enjoyable (to me). Esp making it easier to follow the story. Btw I got the "wish the zone no longer exist" ending. As I noted above I actually found this hidden door but couldn't open it.

you aren't even close to finished 😛

you got the "false" ending ...


the REAL ending *still* awaits ... actually there are 2 ... you will have two more *hard* fights
:Q

you can still keep going ... *ReLoad* just before you make your wish
... think 'lower'
/hint

🙂

 

[you2]

Uh? I can do more without the decoder ? What do I do go below the wish granter ? Now i'm relaly confused (In my original post note that I said I failed to find the decoder and didn't realize it was important till it was too late).

 

[BFG10K]

I can do more without the decoder ?

No, all you can do is make a wish and the outcome depends on what you did during the game.

To get the endings with the explanation you must have the decoder

 

[apoppin]

oh ... he'd have to *reload* before the Wish Granter THEN go back and get the decoder ... and RETURN ... for the real ending

so, i left out a little 'detail' 😛

piece o' cake

😀

 

[Mem]

Still no new patch then?


I have a quick question I notice when I headed north and got to a checkpoint the game asked me if I wanted to go to the next level,can I go back to the starting area after if I say yes or am I stuck on next level period ?

 

[apoppin]

you can go back and forth freely

save and try it 😛

 

[Mem]

Originally posted by: apoppin
you can go back and forth freely

save and try it 😛

Good,at the moment I'm building my cash up,loot monkey and selling most things ,but stashing things I need or want in those blue boxes.

I have done a few quests too,the game is not a pushover like some games I have played,noobs to gaming would have a hard time with this game.