S.T.A.L.K.E.R

Stalker had RPG elements?

There's tons of let's play videos
You can pirate.
If you're not gonna put in the effort, then why are you even asking? It's the same as reading the same reviews.

Then fucking pirate it. Sergei is a cunt anyways who fucked his design team over.

>pirate it
but thats illegal

>but thats illegal

So is doing 50 in a 35, yet that doesn't stop me.

Yes. Different gear, items, factions, quests. RPG elements isn't limited to leveling and stat increases.

>wrong

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Newfag pls
Dumb switchlet

Can I get a quick rundown on this? All I know is that the devs were fucking around and THQ sent someone in to give everyone a kick up the ass to get the game into a state they could release it since it was in development hell.

>but online reviews for this
stopped reading right there. play games for yourself and form your own opinion.

artefacts and a grid-based inventory.
my nigga.

>money
game on sale for like 1$ are you poor or something?

the likelihood that the developers or publishers of STALKER paying enough money to keep track of the torrents is basically nil

It's one of the best games I played.
Stalker games are janky, buggy, and lots of flaws but they don't matter. They don't take away from the core experience, they don't hinder the enjoyement at all as far as I'm concerned.
What makes them so good I think is just the idea of being dropped into a (at first) harsh, hostile environement full of surprises in which a crazy AI has all kinds of shit happening regardless of what you do.Of course there is more than just that, such as amazing atmosphere, good balance of exploration and scripted underground dungeons, etc
But learning about every nook and cranny of the zone, where the anomalies are, the mutant nests, scavenging shit like a rat until your get good gear, and little by little, taming the zone is the shit. It has that amazing feeling of start as a prey and become the predator, in a way that feels genuinely meaningfull. You will go from getting buttfucked by a random bandit with a sawed off who caught you from behind, to essentially assaulting an entire military complex on your own in the middle of the night using night vision and a silenced long ranged automatic rifle.
You go from running away at the first sight of anything that could potentially be an anomly, to diving into a labirynth of them detector in hand sprinting through fire pillars and other bullshit for that precious fucking artefact. It's incredibly satisfying.
The other core thing I mentioned is how the zone seems to happen regardless of you being there. You never really feel like the main character like in other games, more like an npc with an edge or something. The A-life system is definitely not perfect or some kind of amazing example of artificial intelligence, but what it does for STALKER is brilliant. Essentially npcs will go do their own stuff, with their motivation and reactions regardless of you being there or intervening at all, only some quests are scripted for the most part.

Shit ain't that expensive user. Also what's the current FOTM mod? Been playing anomaly mainly.

I so want to play the remake in GryEnjin

Yea Forums likes that slav jank
See also Pathologic

It's overrated eurojank trash, honestly. It's gets praise because it's was a robust modding platform before Fallout 3, NV and Fallout 4 came around. In a similar fashion it's a "muh atmosphere" autism simulator with boring gameplay.

>what makes stalker great
-atmosphere, world, story you've never seen before in any vidya
-good shooting, although it could be better and improves massively with mods
-janky gameplay, which is good because game lets you actually do things you want to do instead of walking through predetermined path
-solid story, stalker shoc was a bit infantile when it comes to overall presentation, sidequests, etc, but the main story is really something
-replay value

stalker is like a shortstack redhead with freckles. it's not perfect, but it doesn't have to be perfect, it's great in its own way

>boring gameplay
Okay CoD zoom zoom.

>comparing Bethesda's usage of Gamebryo to an actual shooter engine
HAAH WAAW

ALOOOOOOHA DUTY KEKS

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You're the biggest contrarian faggot in the universe, Stalker is nothing like Fallout, it's combat is infinitely better than even FarCrylout 4 and it has a unique setting that's memorable to this day, eurojank has a uniqueness that shit copy pasted AAA trash lacks and that is why Stalker is still talked about today and Far cry, Destiny and other have faded with time. Same with NV, EYE and other iconic titles that where just to good and unique to not go past their flaws.

Based

>watch videos of it
>decide if it's something you want to play

There you go.

He’s a fucking liar. Sergei owns the company, but isn't very involved in development anymore, not since Cossacks was a success.

From what I heard, he goes in to check on development at an important milestone, and instead of being almost done like they should have been he finds out they restarted development multiple times and had basically nothing done. He learned a lesson hopefully, and its probably for the best if you look at vostok games.

STALKER games are honestly some of the most engaging and atmospheric PC games of all times. They may seem like "yet another X or Y" this day and age, but not only were STALKER games a root of many modern trends, but they still play vastly different from the contemporaries.

>What makes 'em so good then?

They're scarier than many "true" horror games released in past few years.
They look prettier than some much later released multiplat titles.
They make games like Far Cry 3-5 feel like horribly dumbed down, handholding kiddie games.
They are fairly realistic, but not simulator-level. There's real bullet physics and stuff like bleeding and hunger, and one shot to the head can kill anyone.

They are VERY long lasting games. One playthrough in vanilla can last well over 25 hours at calm pace, but I've spent a good two WEEKS in all three of them on my first playthroughs. And later a lot more with numerous mods. Each game must have some 10k hours clocked in by now, though I have no way to verify specific amount as I have them all as physical copies.

They're not perfect games and have their few issues, but in the end they are like "rough diamonds": totally worth investing time and effort in. They are just not afraid to kick you in the groin and call you a bitch - which is quite rare in modern games.

>I don't wanna waste money
to be honest, there's zero reason to BUY the games any more, as the OG team's long gone + you kinda benefit from piratin' original 1.0 versions.

Now, if it's your 1st time playing STALKER games, Consult this Starting Guide.

Play in the release order. Start with no mods - only latest patch, OR get the full "Starter Pack" first:
these contain fan-patches & light visual mods.
Leave big overhauls for later. Avoid the "Complete" -mods.
Always play on MASTER difficulty for best realism and atmosphere, and disable crosshair.

Don't give up in the beginning!
The starting gear sucks ass and first area can be a bit boring.

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Is it more people mad that they made them release a product that didn't have some of the shit shown before like cars or NPCs besting the game before you then? Lost alpha adds all that back in right, or as much as it can. which never installs right on my PC for some reason when I try to play it.

>but thats illegal
It's a Commie-block game. Nobody gives a fuck.

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>stalker is good
>well it's ok
>alright, if you want to have fun then follow these specific steps
>the beginning is actually terrible now that I think about it..

STALKER is a very good game for people who enjoy games like STALKER. If you don't enjoy games like STALKER, you will have a very fucking bad time. I know this sounds like nonsense but it makes sense when you play the game. Honestly, the aesthetic and unquantifiable "feel" of the game is at least half of its value, and if you can't appreciate or get into that then you won't enjoy it.

I played it as a depressed teenager and the angst/misery the world presented to me was comforting, and still is. That's the kind of mindset you need to have to really get the most out of it if you're not a CHEEKI BREEKI XD memer.

its a flawed gem, aspects are fantastic and the beginning area is rocky and instantly drives people away because guns do low damage and they are bad at the game. Garbage is decent, Agroprom sucks you in and by Bar you are committed.

>well it's ok
Where did I ever imply such nonsense?
The series' fucking amazing. period.

>alright, if you want to have fun then follow these specific steps
You don't necessarily NEED to do anything at all, but I've been in so many thousands of STALKER threads in the past decade, that I already know that most newbies especially nowadays will rage-quit before finishing the tutorial mission.

>the beginning is actually terrible now that I think about it.
To SOME people.
The start is known to be very divisive. Some LOVE the "hobo phase", as it underlines survival and makes it clear that it ain't no run-n-gun Cowadooteh clone. Meanwhile , especially the younger folks who are no longer familiar with the idea of games starting slow and expanding towards the end, or having to start from the bottom of the barrel and climb up on your own.

tl;dr: STALKER is a thinking man's shooter series. It demands patience, and rewards it in the end.

The start is the best part. STALKER gets less fun when you're super decked out, but it's still really enjoyable.

>STALKER is a very good game for people who enjoy games like STALKER
There's literally no other game like STALKER.
A lot of games have copied its aesthetics later on, but never the gameplay.

Personally I found the game be like a hybrid of the first Far Cry and the System Shock 2, with hint of Fallout (1-2) in the mix. You can also find traces of Half-Life and Counter-Strike influences. So should I say that if you're a fan of late-90s to mid-00s PC shooters, you prolly love STALKER ?

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What online reviews say it's meh? It's my all time favorite game

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How many of you guys here are russians?

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>Depressed
>Poor
>Reliant on alcohol to function
>Ugly
In all ways except geographical, I am Russian.
[dies in human wave tactics]
It's a Ukrainian game.

It's great but only with mods

I guess he's referring to some of those literally 12 year-old, day-1 reviews, which were most likely written on the notoriously broken 1.0 versions. The game's gotten half a dozen major patches ever since, with the very first one arriving a couple weeks after the release and fixing a tons of shit.

It's good all vanilla.
it gets GREAT with mods.

I however would NOT start with big mods right off the bad.
Got lots of warning examples from the past, with kids starting with things like the AMK, or worse: STALKER SOUP.

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after the lastest patch what mods should I download as a first time player?

Zone Reclamation Project.

see If you got the latest patch, or anything starting with 1.0004 forwards (Steam and GOG version are auto patched to latest), you don't necessarily require any mods.
That being said, I'd recommend grabbing the Starter Pack -mods (ZRP, Shaders Max, DOF Switcher, Abs.Nature...), just to iron out some leftover issues and offer some extra options (ie. chance to lower head bobbing).

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what does it fix?

A lot of common bugs/errors. It's almost essential.

It's funny you made this comparison because i went to play far cry 3 right after stalker.
I thought i would greatly enjoy the more dynamic gunplay but man FC3 is so empty compared to that. Sure it's an action packed game and , mechanically, a better shooter but it doesn't hold a candle to stalker's game feel. I can say this with certainty. Now i just wish stalker didn't handle like a wet fish, mods can't fix that.

i am not but i want to learn russian
got any tips?

How does STALKER handle badly?
>Hold shift and CTRL
>Click heads
Movement is also pretty damn fast and fluid.

it's sort of a fan-patch, with a specialized Modifier.exe that lets you tweak and toggle various effects and values of the game, such as wide-screen optimized HUD, adjust head-bob, side-quest time limits, etc. It also does some under-hood fixes to some leftover bugs.

Personally I'd leave the settings to defaults, maybe halve the head bob.

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no I am not russian but I am brown and a third worlder

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>mechanically, a better shooter
Nah mate. That console shit with regenerating health, seeing through walls and guns being peashooters all around is just gringe.

>regenerating health
i can understand why you would dislike that because its just dumb but in general i think that far cry 3 can still be fun and statisfying

>click heads
Not realistic. This is why I only play mods

its fun if youre a mouth breathing dullard who wants to shut their brain off, i want challenge and risk

Well hurr durr i modded far cry 3 i'm not playing with the ubishit filter on obviously. Real pain in the ass to mod too, fuck that studio.
I seriously mean it with the wet fish. Stalker mods make the weapons sounds incredible, my god my ears but the actual act of shooting? It's target practice. It's old AI from the counterstrike era of aimbots. It's the radiation tumor on stalker's forhead. I immensly favor stalker over far cry don't go inventing my point of view.
First time playing stalker as well, its qualities are aparent.

okay sorry i didnt know you are a retard

>i think that far cry 3 can still be fun and statisfying
it was entertaining ... as long as you didn't bother with main story line. Wouldn't call it "satisfying" though; just another checklist skinnerbox in a shooter form.

I'm a paddy though I fit 3 of 4 of these listed in so I may as well be one in spirit.

I like CoP. But once you've done all quests its literally empty and nothing to do in.

>Once you have beaten the game it's beaten
Amazing observation.

>grid-based inventory
The inventory uses grids but it's not like you have to fit things in a limited space like RE4. It's just how it's presented. The weight limit is what you have to work around.

It's a lot harder to survive a firefight when the ennemies are actual moving out of your aim. Stalker shines in all areas that are not gunfights.

It's comfy Slav simulator. If you don't like being a Slav then maybe the game is not for you.
I would compare it to My Summer Car.

In SoC and CS atleast there unlimited random quests.

That's why you use mods.
Previous games had randomly generated quests.

>try out Dead Air
>look at Sidorovich's store inventory
>1 gorillion crafting materials
Well shit.

Just watch the film and it will strike your curiosity to play the game

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>not reading the book AND watching the film
Step it up senpai.

>this game is AMAZING
>well its actually really bad
>but here's a list of essential dozen mods and artificial restrictions you need for it
>muh atmosphere, muh comfy
Another Reddit circlejerk of a thread

i've read the book and played the game i should really watch the movie someday

why don't my shots land where I'm aiming? why does it take half a magazine from a rifle to take a guy down from 5 yards? why are scopes ass?

I already did, admittedly because of the film. I even made a point to not touch the game before I finished the book.

But the game is nothing like the original novel or the movie, it's brainlet-tier in comparison to either.

>why don't my shots land where I'm aiming?
Your gun is broken or you aren't double crouching.
>why does it take half a magazine from a rifle to take a guy down from 5 yards?
Go for the head. Hitting the chest is only to cause hit-stun and stumbles.
>why are scopes ass?
They just are.

Pls do, it’s really good. Also, the authors of the original book helped to write the script.

I kind of recommend you watch Tarkovsky’s films in order though

Most of the big overhaul mods are totally free you dumb faggot.

Yeah, but I would have never played the game if I hadn’t watched the film.

>those old vintage BRDMs and shit
I feel like I walked into the showcase of ARMA 2's guerrilla equipment.

>master piece
Go back to developing Stalker 2, Sergei

Yes, watch it.

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>spoiler
I watched Stalker just yesterday but haven't seen any other Tarkovsky films. Why watch them in order?

>The starting gear sucks ass and first area can be a bit boring.

Hobo phase is the best part of the game.

3.6
ROENTGENS

Lads, how much graphite is in this game?

>Developing
Sure

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There is no graphite in this game, you're delusional.

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i doubt 1 single person in the world thinks its a masterpiece, but it can be a really comfy game and fun

STALKER is literally one of the reasons we have /vg/, that's how beloved it was here at a time.

I honestly couldnt get into it. I play a lot of 2000s era games but Stalker games just felt rough and unrefined.

I think it's an incredibly janky accidental masterpiece that won't ever be replicated, on account of the jank adding to the experience

1) a newbie might be put off by his films, his style develops over time so it would help watchers get used to his films/get them ready for what they should expect.
2) repeating imagery. The dog for example is a reference to the dogs in Andrei Rublev and Solaris. I like to think that all his films together is just one massive film because of how they link in terms of themes, but chopped off into several pieces. It’s like a version of In Search of Lost Time, his films go from Childhood to adolescence to early adulthood etc.

Tarkovsky and his doggo

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>RPG elements isn't limited to leveling and stat increases.
It really is though.

No it isn't, brainlet.

This, really. Same with Gothic and other games.

I stopped playing SOC a while back because I got to a part where I had to traverse an era with insanely high radiation. Despite stocking up on the anti rad chems and wearing the highest grade hazmat suit in the game I still die almost immediately. I'm not sure what to do. People online have said to use a certain artifact but I've sold all the ones I've found. I think It's impossible to progress at this point.

What area? There's probably another route.

I am on the part of SoC where I can ally myself with a faction, but I like to explore and talk to everything in a game. Should I join or remain neutral?

Have no idea what youre talking about. Only area that hard to pass without proper loadout is Radar

Stay neutral. Duty are LARPing faggots and Freedom are junkie hippies.

Red Forest? Only some objects are insanely radiated. You might've noticed in previous areas that cars have absorbed radiation and build yours like crazy if you stay near them. Red Forest is that except its almost everywhere so you have the dynamic of using them as cover while you quickly snipe Monolith (and then having to use anti-rads to not die) or being in the open and getting shot at. Red Forest is a pretty miserable area, overall.

The only thing I don't love about sdalger is the fact that I can't enjoy any other game a fraction as much

Never ally with anyone. Otherwise you'll lose benefits of other faction

The factions are all idiots, honestly. Just stay neutral. But if you want to roleplay as a hippie or a meathead then go ahead.

Just booted it up, it's after a military fort, the objective is "reach the antenna" and I get a warning that says "Hazardous raidiation. Protection required to pass" despite the fact I'm wearing the most expensive rad suit in the game. The second I take a step out of line my rad meter instantly fills up even though there's enemies directly ahead of me and it's exactly where the pointer on my map is showing me to go. Frustrating.

Even if you don't want to side with anyone it's worth it to wipe out Freedom and loot the armory.

Stay away from truck wrecks and stuff. It's a pain to get through not being able to use much cover but you'll get there

devs put instant death radiation spots in places they don't want you to be, find a way around.

Is there no way to get the protection it mentions? I'm already using the seva suit. The path is pretty linear but I'll try to get through it again.

Wreckage in that area is so irradiated no protection will save you, just stay away from it

you aren't getting through there without using some fucky exploits or something.

I fucking hate it.
I know I'm going to trigger people by saying this but it feels like shitty fallout and seeing as I fucking adore fallout (outside 3 and 4) it's hard to even imagine liking something that feels worse.

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i mean everyone has an opinion but since you didnt even try the game no one ise going to bother with yours you stupid fag

It is amazing without mods.

>Reddit circlejerk
That'd be one of the muliple EGS vs. Steam threads. Actually, you should go there, you'd fit right in.

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I have tried it, faggot. I played until it supposedly got "better", the bar I think, but nothing significant changed. Same shit different area. I just kept fighting tardo slavs and ugly mutant things when I wasn't even sure why. The guns all felt like shit too and don't get me started on how there's only a fucking knife for melee options.

sure you do,sure you do