S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl

Detailed breakdowns of how games react to widescreen, ultra-wide, 4k and multi-mon
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Mach1.9pants
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S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl

Post by Mach1.9pants »



Widescreen Grade: B
Ultra-Widescreen Grade: Incomplete
Multi-monitor Grade: B
4k Grade: Incomplete

Read Full Detailed Report - S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl is a first-person shooter video game by the Ukrainian developer GSC Game World, published in 2007. It features an alternate reality theme, where a second nuclear disaster occurs at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Exclusion Zone in the near future and causes strange changes in the area around it. The game has a non-linear storyline and features gameplay elements such as trading and two-way communication with NPCs. The game includes elements of role-playing and business simulation games.

The background and some terminology of the game ("The Zone", "Stalker") is borrowed from the popular science fiction novella Roadside Picnic by Boris and Arkady Strugatsky and the 1979 Andrei Tarkovsky film Stalker that was loosely based on it, as well as Stalker, the film's subsequent novelization by the original authors. The term "Stalkers" was originally used for the scientists and engineers who explored the interior of Chernobyl's "sarcophagus" after its hasty construction in 1986.

In S.T.A.L.K.E.R, the player assumes the identity of an amnesiac "Stalker", an illegal explorer/artifact scavenger in "The Zone", named "The Marked One". "The Zone" is the location of an alternate reality version of the Zone of alienation surrounding the Chernobyl Power Plant after a second, fictitious meltdown, which further contaminated the surrounding area with radiation and caused strange otherworldly changes in local fauna, flora and the laws of physics. "Stalker" in the context of the film refers to the older meaning of the word as a tracker and hunter of game or guide.




4:3


16:10


16:9


3x1

Last edited by Mach1.9pants on 16 Jan 2018, 13:04, edited 4 times in total.
Reason: Edit
The_cranky_hermit
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Post by The_cranky_hermit »

I'm going to be nice and pretend that this report is a placeholder. Let me know when you think it's rough draft quality. If I agree, I'll go over it then.
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Post by Mach1.9pants »

I'm going to be nice and pretend that this report is a placeholder. Let me know when you think it's rough draft quality. If I agree, I'll go over it then.

Rough Draft posted. Thanks for the positive critique for a newbie :roll: ; help yourself to this new version
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Post by The_cranky_hermit »

Thank you. Here's my comments.


==Supported resolutions==

What about these resolutions?
1280x720, 1280x800, 1440x900, 1920x1080

These either need to be confirmed to work, or listed under "untested."


==Singleplayer anomalies==

Of all of the anomalies, which one do you think hurts the game the most? For this anomaly, please provide comparison screenshots that demonstrate it.


==Aspect ratio support==

Please provide comparison screenshots of a 16:9 resolution and a 16:10 resolution.


==Cut-scenes==

Please provide comparison screenshots of the cut-scenes. One at 4:3, another at 16:10. Also, are there any FMVs?


== Grading ==

Calculated grade: C
Potential grade: B+

Major unresolved issues:
*waiting for your response*

Summary of widescreen-related flaws:
Stretched HUD

Cranky's coverage estimate: 85%
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Post by Mach1.9pants »

2nd Draft ready for inspection... :)
Thanks
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Post by The_cranky_hermit »

==Singleplayer anomalies==

Do either of these bugs affect the game at 16:10 or 16:9 resolutions?


==Cut-scenes==

Are you completely sure these aren't FMVs? The screenshots look pre-rendered to me, though I couldn't say for sure since you've seen them in motion and I haven't. Also, I suspect that these aren't stretched, but anamorphic. But since the shots aren't from the same place, it's hard to tell conclusively.


== Grading ==

Calculated grade: C
Potential grade: B+

Major unresolved issues:
Are 1280x720 or 1920x1080 supported?

Minor unresolved issues:
Are 1280x800 and 1440x900 supported?
Do either of the anomalies affect 16:10 or 16:9 resolutions?
How are the cut-scenes handled (requires matching 4:3 and 16:10 shots to know for sure)?

Summary of widescreen-related flaws:
Stretched HUD

Cranky's coverage estimate: 86%
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Post by Mach1.9pants »

OK, will edit the DR.
Single Player anomalies: As stated Surround Gaming only
Cut-scenes: My error on FMV, the cut-scens are pre-rendered I thought FMV was the crappy stuff they did in the early nineties with real actors :oops: The shots were taken at as close to the same place as I could, I can't seem to pause the FMV to get exact same images. Sorry I don't have the expertise to judge between anamorphic and stretch
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Post by skipclarke »

I would recommend taking out the Surround anomalies (or at least the pics). It just looks cluttered, at least compared to the other DRs. I would certainly take out the Surround pic on the cut-scene.

Here are links to differences between Hor+ and Anamorphic. Anamorphic is usually letterboxed widescreen on a 4:3 monitor (think of widescreen DVDs).

http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/wiki/index.php/Hor_plus
http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/wiki/index.php/Anamorphism
The_cranky_hermit
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Post by The_cranky_hermit »

Single Player anomalies: As stated Surround Gaming only

Oh. So, would you say that widescreen support in singleplayer is completely bug-free? If so, then I advise beginning this section by saying something like "None in widescreen, but surround has these two:".

My error on FMV, the cut-scens are pre-rendered I thought FMV was the crappy stuff they did in the early nineties with real actors

Those are FMV too. Some FMVs are prerendered 3D animations, and some FMVs are shot with a movie camera. Either way, the cut-scenes are stored and played as video files, which is different from being rendered by the game's 3D engine.

The shots were taken at as close to the same place as I could, I can't seem to pause the FMV to get exact same images. Sorry I don't have the expertise to judge between anamorphic and stretch

What I do when dealing with FMVs that won't sit still is to find a segment where the camera movement is slow, and take a whole bunch of screenshots over the course of a few seconds. Then I switch to a widescreen resolution and do the same. Then I look for the closest matching pair and use those. With your screenshots, the thing that suggests to me that these are anamorphic is that the standard shot has letterboxing, and the widescreen shot does not. But I'm not 100% sure that there isn't any stretching or distortion.
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Post by Gabbo »

1280x720
1280x800
1360x768
1920x1080

All work.
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Post by Mach1.9pants »

1280x720
1280x800
1360x768
1920x1080

All work.

Thanks again, mate. I seem to be following you around this forum while you sort out my detailed reports :lol:
You couldn't sort my Companies Annual Return to the IRD could you.....
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Post by Gabbo »

Nice detailed reports. You remind me of a young Gabbo... All bright eyed and bushy tailed. Doing DR's like there's no tomorrow. Not like the jaded apathetic Gabbo of today.

Keep up the awesome work.
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Post by The_cranky_hermit »

== Grading ==

Calculated grade: B
Potential grade: B+

Major unresolved issues:
None

Minor unresolved issues:
How are the cut-scenes handled (requires matching 4:3 and 16:10 shots to know for sure)?

Summary of widescreen-related flaws:
Stretched HUD

Cranky's coverage estimate: 99%
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Post by Mach1.9pants »

Hey Cranky,
New cutscene images, hopefully that will let you give the DR a 100% finished grading.
Thanks M1.9P
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Post by The_cranky_hermit »

From the looks of things, the 16:10 cut-scenes are anamorphic but also slightly vertically stretched. I'd be curious to see a comparison of 16:10 and 16:9 FMVs. But that won't be required.

== Grading ==

Calculated grade: B+

Major unresolved issues: None
Minor unresolved issues: None

Summary of widescreen-related flaws:
Stretched HUD

Cranky's coverage estimate: 100%
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Post by therealleimi »

IO think my view is cut-off but I'm not sure. In the following screenshots I can only see one half of the binoculars and in the 4:3 comparative screenshot this is not the case.
I have installed Patch 1.004 and therefore widescreen support should implemented correctly in the game...




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Post by Mach1.9pants »

I have had no problem with this game, it is definitely HOR+
Can you supply us with a full size 4:3 and widescreen comparison with the binos'. Maybe it is a glitch with just the binos....
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Post by therealleimi »

It seems that the binoculars/weapon-model moves upwards when I look down.









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Post by Soduka »

I have had no problem with this game, it is definitely HOR+
Can you supply us with a full size 4:3 and widescreen comparison with the binos'. Maybe it is a glitch with just the binos....


They do have a glitch with widescreen, along with sniper scopes. There are mods you can find to fix this.
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Post by horians »

Soduka?
Where can i find these mods to fix the oval sniper scopes?
I found 2 dead links here:
http://www.sunflower.com/~kyleb/Stalker16x9scopes.zip
http://www.sunflower.com/~kyleb/Stalker16x10scopes.zip
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