STALKER
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Do you need multiplayer to enjoy STALKER? I have never played it and I'm looking at how to start.
pic unrelated
>>320317495
No, you do not. The games are pretty much purely SP experiences. The MP components are literally tacked-on TDM and CTF, in slavic environments; no co-op or sandbox shit.
Consult this Starting Guide,
then see the /vg/'s huge Stalker General for more tips and links: >>>/vg/stalker
Play in the release order. Start with no mods - only latest patch, OR get the full "Starter Pack" first; these contain bug-fixers and light visual mods that can help performance as well.
Leave big overhauls for later playthrougs. 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 is quite boring.
No.
Multiplayer would only ruin it.
CoP had a MP Match mode and it was shit.
>>320317749
Ok I have literally no clue what to expect. I played through fallout 4 3 times already and I'm looking for a better survival open world experience so to speak.
Is this in the same vein?
>>320318082
>is this the same vein?
Like already said back when FO3 was fresh:
STALKER games are what the 3D Fallout games TRIED to be, but ultimately horribly failed. Back in the days, I used to describe STALKER as "Far Cry (1), mixed with System Shock 2, with hint of Fallout (1&2)".
Or, lets put it like this: FO games have kinda tried to be RPGs with some FPS elements (latter way more so in FO4).
Meanwhile, STALKER games are very much FPS games first, RPG-like second. The series' design approach is MUCH more PC-centric and "realistic", as in you don't "level up" or "gain experience", and a single shot can drop both you and the NPCs down at best.
I recommend reading up that Starting Guide image above, and then taking things slow. The very first mission is known to be like this evil "baptism of fire" for greenhorn players these days. If your only touch with FPS genre has been with the console-cancer-Cod/BF/HALO...etc, then STALKER will definitely kick your ass a few times.
But man, the moment when you DO succeed, and start getting better gear, slowly kicking more & more ass... that's satisfying.
>>320318634
Damn it looks dated as fuck. It sounds great though by your description.
>>320317495
first watch Andrei Tarkovsky's Stalker, then play Shadow of Chernobyl
>>320318829
There are mods that vastly improve the visuals.
>>320318829
Stalker with mods is the best looking game on the market.
>>320318954
Yeah I think I'll probably get that too when I start.
I didn't even know the last two games were expansions.
I guess you just start with SoC and then the expansions in order of release?
>>320318829
>Damn it looks dated as fuck.
I guess by modern standards, it kinda is.
There's like a dozen ways you can kick the can as well, such as bleeding out, starving, rad-poisoning, getting shot / clawed / eaten, etc.
Guns and suits also wear with use and if hit, and in the first game you don't have ways to fix things, so scavenging and trading are even more important.
Different ammo-types also really do matter, since the games do have actual bullet-physics and varying ballistic stats.
It's not quite simulator-level, but still a nice middle-point between complete arcadey games and HC realism titles.
>>320319245
>>320318954
that shot and this here are 100% vanilla tho'. I at least thought he was talking about the gameplay's detailing?
That being said, the lighting engine and textures are still pretty damn impressive in STALKER games.
>>320319262
>I didn't even know the last two games were expansions.
They are STANDALONE expansions, as in their own games. No SoC needed. The style of them is just like that of big expansion packs of the past.
>I guess you just start with SoC and then the expansions in order of release?
Yes.
The STARTER PACKs will provide all the fixes and additional visual boosts you may want. But like said, the games look very nice already on the Full Dynamic Lighting -modes (DX9 -11 rendering modes) and high settings.
>>320319262
>Expansions
No expansions, just subsequent games. Most people skip Clear Sky because it's linear and has some weird design choices.
STALKER SoC can be broken sometimes, recommend the AMK mod for subsequent playthroughs.
STALKER COP is pretty solid, though there are lots of good mods. The older versions of Misery were ok, though the newer version goes into unfair hard and stupid territory.
It's a straight up shooterv with no real roleplaying stats, so to speak, but the series is extremely immersive none the less. The greatest achievement of the game is how insignificant it makes the player feel. In polar opposite to the 3d Fallouts, the game world seems very much to not revolve around you, and your death can be very insignificant and incidental. The AI NPC interactions are often quite a fun watch due to this.
>>320317958
all STALKER games had the mp mode
>>320319262
>expansions
they're standalone games anon
>>320318829
like the others said, mods make it one of the best looking games out there
>>320318901
This. Great movie. Not much action in it though, it's very slow and thinky.
>>320317495
>STALKER
>multiplayer
what the fuck nigger?
>>320319960
That actually probably looks better than fallout 4
Get Autumn Aurora 2.1 on the second playthrough.
Guaranteed best atmosphere and grim weather effects, which is what the zone should feel like, not a bit of sun
Also the Russian voice acting is top notch
>>320319789
>Most people skip Clear Sky because it's linear and has some weird design choices.
it's not really any more "linear" than SoC. The numerous bugs and couple bullshit spots are the biggest reasons people still want to avoid it, but overall it is nowadays very playable, especially with the Starter Pack's fixes.
SoC's been smooth for ages now. Dunno why people claim otherwise anymore.
I also personally preferred later MISERY's versions, because they added more stuff and changed things more extremely. But hey, that's just me and my HC enthusiasm; the vanilla CoP was underwhelmingly easy in my opinion.
>>320320108
You don't need much for that.
Hell, even the Stalker's DirectX8 mode looks better than FO4 at times.
>>320320103
They all have it.
>>320320279
oh fuck I want this now
so should I install those visual mods on first playthrough? whats in this pic? Just misery? is it just visual?
>>320320272
not first playthrough?
>>320320450
Misery is bullshit
Enemies take a shit ton of damage, you die in one shot, weapons are alwasy almost broken condition, everything is expensive as shit
The misery dev even said that it wasn't supposed to be fun.
I'm pretty sure that you can find the visual part somewhere though
>>320320279
I like hardcore, but when I was shooting 54r into people, hitting them in the face, and not dropping them, I went "ehhhhhhhh". I'm also not a fan of multiple redundant items (multiple brands of cigarettes, multiple food items with the same stats, multiple nearly identical gun cleaning items). I know it's immersive for some people to have all different brands, but for me it break immersion by making me irradiated at my inventory screen, which reminds me I'm looking at an inventory screen, which reminds me I'm playing a game.
Vanilla COP is too easy, but Misery makes some missteps.
>>320320450
>oh fuck I want this now
you pretty much get "that" by default, to some degree.
>so should I install those visual mods on first playthrough?
if you wish. STarter Pack has bunch.
>whats in this pic? Just misery?
yes.
>is it just visual?
NO. Faaar from it. Also it is for CoP, the 3rd game.
Before jumping to any conclusions, try the vanilla game. Pic related.
>not first playthrough?
avoid all and any big overhaul mod on the first run!
You can simply bite way bigger chunk than you can swallow at first otherwise. The vanilla game's already proven to be challenging enough for rookies, many many times.
>>320320734
Never had such issues myself. I dropped tons of armored bandits with 9mm.
>>320320108
>looks better than fallout 4
that's not really an achievement
>>320320734
*irradiated at my inventory screen
kek.
Irritated.
>>320320793
Okay I'll try the vanilla game maybe with a starter pack after the debates probably
I just want to feel like I'm playing a modern game since I've never even played this game. And that one pic here:>>320320279 looks amazing
I don't understand the MISERY hate in regards to the economy and weapons and such. You can get kitted out quickly, earn enough cash to upgrade your stuff decently enough; no grinding. What are you guys doing to have problems with it?
>>320321008
>Okay I'll try the vanilla game maybe with a starter pack after the debates probably
That's OK and pretty much considered "fixed vanilla" these days.
The ZRP mod is the key component, and purely a bug-fixing one that also allows you to adjust the game's elements bit more, such as enable inventory grids that fit widescreen better, adjust headbob, etc.
Rest are literally just graphical mods.
>I just want to feel like I'm playing a modern game since I've never even played this game.
I don't know if that's a good goal, since compared to STALKER, most other "modern" games have felt horribly dumbed down in comparison.
The lighting engine of the X-Ray is damn fancy; you got all dynamic lighting and shadows, drawn out of all light sources, from all objects. The sunsets/rises and especially midnight thunderstorms can be damn impressive. Same with indoor places, where the lighting is more high-contrast in general; vid quite related and pure vanilla too.
>>320321008
the mods can add a bit more eye-candy, but the vanilla game's already quite impressive for a 07 title.
posting some Starter Pack-ed shots...
>>320320450
I personally went vanilla all the way till I hit the underground labs. Up to there, I chose to restart with Autumn Aurora 2.1
Up to that point you should be able to recognize most features
Some stuff like ammo count and clip won't be shown, adding a little bit of challenge.
Some weapons and armors have different stats compared to vanilla, so wiki won't help you *as much* as it normally would.
There are stealth mechanics now, albeit a bit buggy especially towards the end.
There are also repair mods for both armors and weapons.
I would definitely recommend this mod over ALL others.
>>320321751
...#2
>>320321831
I wouldn't recommend AA2 even as the first mod. The thing's just unstable as fuck, plus very BROWN.
AMK1.4 does just about everything it does, and much more, and can be made to look like anything.
>>320319979
just like the book, which was still an interesting read
Oblivion Lost Remake 3.1 in english when?
>>320321862
...#3
>>320321831
The regular game doesn't have stealth?
>>320321751
well it looks way better than new vegas and FO4 so thats probably good enough
>>320322070
STALKER interiors, especially the labs are so fucking creepy looking.
the emissions in these games are goat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QH4zNmu2yI
damn bandits
>>320317495
It's very easy to start STALKER:
Get the first game, Shadow Of Chernobyl, and patch it up! Play on the highest difficulty, since it balances the damage values equally high for you and the enemies.
I started just like that couple years ago, following /v/'s advice, and boy what a ride it was! The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games are quite unique mixtures of various ideas, and still feel oddly fresh and their own, no matter that the open-world FPS survival "genre" is now a quite big thing even for the AAA industry.
I would say that these are some true "thinking man's shooters". You need to approach new things carefully, think realistically and fast in combat, and always check your six. Having multiple saves and saving often is very recommended for first timers!
I was also pleased to see how toaster-friendly these games can be. My 6 years old Asus laptop can run them all on med-high settings, DX9 lights, at the native 768p, and still rack average of ~45fps. Which I find to be more than plenty in this kind, slower paced shooting game.
>>320322594
What patches do you recommend?
>>320322594
>Play on the highest difficulty, since it balances the damage values equally high for you and the enemies.
I was gonna lurk, but Fuck fallout 4. I'm gonna download this shit right now. That's all I wanted in FO4
>>320322594
Oh yeah, long time STALKER player. Many people complaining about bullet sponge enemies are playing on easier modes. Always crack it up to Master.
Also, in SOC, if you're a total dick. You can bait the military checkpoint into attacking the starting town and waiting out the gunfight. Plenty of free gear on the ground after that bloodbath.
>>320322724
I have always used the latest patch + the /vg/'s rookie pack mods (ZRP, Abs.Nature, SWO, Shaders Max) mentioned by >>320317749.
If you get the game off Steam or GOG, it's already patched to very latest version (1.0006). The mod pack mentioned above does come with the official patch v1.0004 as well, which is already very stable, and also has better compatibility with some big mods, such as the legendary AMK1.4.
>>320323045
true. I never found the game to be THAT hard to play, to be honest. Headshots are instakill almost every time against humans, and you just need to use solid cover and stay low. Getting the first scope for yer rifle helps a ton.
I'm personally too goodie goodie to hurt my fellow Loners. I did take the mil-outpost on my own later on though.
>>320323275
Ok and these mods in that pack are good for a beginner to? For first playthrough?
Should I buy the game or just pirate it??
>>320321974
Tell me more
When I used the mod I had no problems with the exception of some stutters here and there.
Can I make AK 1.4 look gray and brown like AA2.1?
>>320323567
Just pirate it. The company that made these games was bought out I think and the people that actually made the games are in different comapnies and trying to make clones or spiritual successors of Stalker.
Here's what you do OP
>Buy stalker CALL OF PRIPYAT
>Avoid the other two because of shitty chance based bullet hitting mechanics
>Play vanilla without being an autistic faglord who needs good visuals to play a game
>If you can't do step 3, at least download a mod that doesn't change the gameplay. COMPLETE DOES change the gameplay and makes it shittier.
seriously. Buy COP, play, that's it. Simple, easy, and a great game.
>>320324156
What's wrong with visual enhancements?
>>320324156
SOC has better interiors. Mods change the bullet mechanics.
Nobody in this thread has recommended Complete, rightfully, so that's moot. Most people are pimping Misery or stuff like better skies.
>>320323567
>Ok and these mods in that pack are good for a beginner to? For first playthrough?
Yup, I do think so. For what I've seen and gathered, they really do keep the experience and even the looks very "vanilla". Plus the whole mod-pack is totally modular and adjustable during and after the installation.
If you want to have 1:1 vanilla experience looks-wise, with minor facelift and bugfixes, only use the ZRP-mod and Shaders Max mod. You can slap the textures and weather mods on top any time you want, without having to restart a new game.
>Should I buy the game or just pirate it??
Depends. By pirating, you can get the original v1.0 of SoC, which you then can patch to any version you want, which can be handy with some older overhaul mods that require a specific version to work. Plus the old devs are long gone now and won't get a cent out of the purchases.
>>320323592
>Can I make AK 1.4 look gray and brown like AA2.1?
You can make AMK look anything you want, since it does not really have its own visual modifications by default.
I think that Autumn Aurora Lite is a purely cosmetic version of the mod, so that might probably work fine? At least the starter-pack's mods do without any issues.
>>320322070
>4chan thinks post is spam
Wat?
...#4
>>320323567
S.P. were designed for beginners, so that they could get the smoothest and prettiest vanilla run on their first time. They're not exactly NECESSARY, if you have patched the game and all, but they are nice to have.
>>320324376
I just personally think it's stupid to play a game for your first time with mods.Doing so basically means that your experience will not be what the developers intended, and as a result, your opinion on a game in a conversation is worth jack shit. Changing the core gameplay is Shadow of Chernoble will lead to you saying stuff like "oh yeah the gameplay is great!" when in reality, the gameplay is, in my opinion, kinda complete fucking garbage normally.
Visuals aren't that big a deal really, but I don't see the harm in at least trying to play the game normally. I honestly don't see why people HAVE to use graphics mods. It's not like the game is covered in nean pink lights that ruin the atmosphere. The game looks fine. When people like you purposely avoid games just because they look old, and ignore all the great gameplay, I find it incredibly stupid. All the games you're playing now will look dated eventually, and if you can enjoy the graphics now, there's no reason you shouldn't be able to enjoy them later.
Besides, STALKER isn't a bad looking game series, even though it's dated. COP is a great game that can be enjoyed just fine and has good gameplay, unlike the other two games. If you at least played that normally, you could enjoy yourself, and have an honest and proper opinion of the game and have fun with minimal effort.
>>320324669
>>320324414
What about just downloading the soc starter pack in the first post? Is that good enough?
>>320325039
That is the one I was talking about.
Of course, you can also download said mods separately, but the pack already has it all. There's also a video tutorial for installing the things on Youtube. I think its link is on the Starting guide image?
>>320325240
I did not expect this to sound confusing
I guess I will just start with SOC instead of COP like one anon suggested
>>320325732
Dunno what's the confusion here, but yeah: play in the release order (SoC, CS, COP), and use the latest patch and/or Starter Pack mods.
Isn't that pretty much the general consensus here?
Ignore the trolls in between.
>>320325732
COP anon here.
Once again, I will repeat myself.
If this is all confusing, literally the easiest thing you can do to get a good stalker experience without bothering with mods at all...
Is just buying COP, and playing it.
It's that fucking simple.
Good game, no mods required to fix annoying issues.
>>320326140
you don't need any mods to fix anything in case of SoC either. The patches have done their job already almost a decade ago now.
Plus CoP's really not the best entry for a rookie anyway. Ask any Stalker thread... hell, ask the general, and next to no one will recommend playing out of release order.
>>320325732
Yeah, they are both good games. I don't really care for Clear Sky (but you know, play it if you like), but SOC has the best atmosphere and really cool stuff. COP is more traditionally open world and has more features.
All these anima are saying that the series has some GOAT mods, but where can I find any of these mods? Didn't the main mks hosting site get taken down?
>>320326470
Did the patches ever fix the whole "bullets only working by pure fucking chance" bullshit? If they fixed it 100%, sure, but if they didn't, and you need mods, then I see that as a big issue.
As for rookie, I played about an hour of SOC, then played through COP, and had no issues whatsoever. I don't really see why anyone would have a problem with COP to be honest.
Plus, I think most people would agree that skipping Clear Sky is a good move, at least that's what I've heard.
>>320326728
All 3 games are great experiences IMO.
SoC has the best story, introduction for beginners, challenge, and main missions.
CS added many new gameplay elements that you'll find in CoP as well, and has neatly harsh economy. Just really requires patches (and maybe some mods) to be stable and bearable at times.
CoP was pleasantly stable out of the box, and has the most open maps and smoothest gameplay, but sadly there's just 3 different maps now, and the overall challenge level is very low compared to first two games.
>>320326728
Moddb and Stalker Filefront has majority of them.
>>320326904
>Did the patches ever fix the whole "bullets only working by pure fucking chance" bullshit?
There never was such thing.
Meanwhile, in CoP, your guns are literally peashooters that can barely hit the broad side of the barn, if you haven't upgraded them.
CS is kinda skippable if you REALLY want to do so, but I'd give THAT game at least an hour or two before deciding.
Overall, you're once again very alone with your CoP enthusiasm. Just about every first timer that has sticked to SoC agree that the game improves tremendously towards the end, the big turning points being first the Aprogrom Underground, then the 100rad BAR.
>>320326918
shit, meant to first reply to OP, then to >>320326728
>>320325019
I never said I need visual enhancements. In fact I agree with you on the topic that people who absolutely need them have no taste. But as long as it doesn't change core gameplay, I don't see why not go for it on the first playthrough. It's not like graphics are gonna be the point of discussion unless some who installed mods go DUDE VANILLA GRAFX SUX RAFL
>>320327161
>There never was such a thing
What on earth are you talking about? There are several reviews online that state that very thing. If the difficulty isn't set to the highest level, there's a lower chance of bullets hitting their mark. I've heard it be talked about for ages.
I never had any issue with guns being peashooters in COP. Maybe at the very start of the game, but its easy to buy/find better weapons.
Fair enough with the CS comment, but lots of people do despise it with a passion for a reason.
>>320327423
Fair enough, but most of the visual overhauls DO chance the gameplay to some degree. Be careful at least.
>>320327579
>If the difficulty isn't set to the highest level, there's a lower chance of bullets hitting their mark
That only applies to NPCs.
Player only has cone-fire to worry about + bullet physics. Plus the game has pretty traditional shooter / RPG progression style, where later found gear is almost automatically better than the shitty, rusty ruskie shit you start with.
>Maybe at the very start of the game, but its easy to buy/find better weapons.
that's one of my personal "problems" with CoP: It sends you off with some excellent gear, that'd take couple hours to gather in previous two, and it's piss easy to pick up even better stuff for absolutely free in no time. In other words, CoP lacks the "hobo phase", completely.
Plus why the fuck were Bandits neutral?
Two reasons why I actually dig Misery mod.
>>320327579
>If the difficulty isn't set to the highest level, there's a lower chance of bullets hitting their mark
Not to tip my fedora, but this game should not be played on anything below the highest difficulty. Anything lower massively screws with game mechanics (specifically spongy enemies) and I'm sure the difficulty settings were a last minute addition.
>>320327579
like already said a few times, there's no reason to play on anything but the Master difficulty. You can go maybe down to Veteran, if you're being a total chicken, but nothing less.
Plus, low-crouch + aiming through sights = code for victory. Though most people who stop a mere 30 minutes into SoC never get to even try any weapon with a maximum range longer than 50 meters.
>>320317495
no
in fact, the multiplayer was garbage
you can use mods though, like this slavic autism right here
https://youtu.be/5kY7zwfdNbE
>>320329138
>Gunslinger
never ever... ;_;
>>320329138
That's fucking cool. It's like they took one of the only cool things from Far Cry 2 and imported it into STALKER.
![latest[2].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/Jrf9iJy.jpg "latest[2].jpg")
AHNUU
>>320329352
>>320329352
subscribe to that youtube channel and watch his development slowly creep along
it's satisfying
>>320329517
more like nerve wrecking
>>320329425
CHEEKI BREEKI
anybody have any experience with the autumn aurora mod?
>>320317495
Play sZone Online
>>320331370
brown & glitchy
>>320331370
Brown and gray but I personally thought that is how the zone should feel. Very grim
Encountered few bugs
