S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - Clear Sky and Call of Pripyat thread

[Gecko]

Thought I would start a thread for discussion of both games if that is appropriate?

Spoilers follow.

I just downloaded Pripyat from Steam and I'm playing Clear Sky now. I'd forgotten how hard this game is. Playing Clear Sky on Master and I'm finding it pretty tough going...anyone else confirm this or am I lacking in mad Zone skillz? :D Getting past that auto cannon entering Cordon was a mini-game unto itself.

Pripyat - I fired it up and the first thing I noticed was how bad it looks. It uses a render-as-you-go drawing effect, similar to Oblivion. It looks worse to me that Clear Sky by a fair margin, which is disappointing. I find the active texture drawing pretty distracting and distances look horrid. I've got the game maxed out, using DX10 lighting. My 5870 is handling it fine, just not impressed sadly. In confined areas, everything looks proper and detailed, it's the large outdoor spaces that look poorly rendered.

[Paradigm Shifter]

After seeing Clear Sky, I was shocked at how bad Call of Pripyat looked. That said, it looks like crap at the start, but there are better looking areas further on...

[Gecko]

Hopefully...hard to imagine them taking such a big step back? Unless they did it to try and reduce resource loads?

Enjoying CS more now that I've finally got some decent weapons. Nothing like taking on well-armed militia with a crappy pistol and hunting shotgun in earlier battles. :shock:

[Paradigm Shifter]

Clear Sky left me with the impression that GSC Gameworld wanted to see just how much punishment a player would put up with... ;)

[StingingVelvet]

I still have not seriously played any of these, until today that is. I finally started the original STALKER, playing with the "Complete" mod which basically collects all the good tweaks and bug fixes along with some better textures.

I played it for about 2 hours and really enjoyed it. Hopefully I can stick with it.

[JohnnyWakko]

I still have not seriously played any of these, until today that is. I finally started the original STALKER, playing with the "Complete" mod which basically collects all the good tweaks and bug fixes along with some better textures.

I played it for about 2 hours and really enjoyed it. Hopefully I can stick with it.

I really enjoyed the first one, but couldn't get into the second. Too much pissfartin around I lost patience.

[yogibbear]

Clear Sky has better gameplay but SoC has better atmosphere.

[Gecko]

Velvet - I really, really like the first Stalker. Great game and as others have mentioned, they nailed the atmosphere. Just awesome.

I'm enjoying CS but it's tough going. Good training though...you finish a Stalker game and then play another shooter and you walk through it. :D

[Downtown1]

Dunno what you guys are talking about, in my mind CoP > CS. The ending to CS was just too rushed. Who cares about the graphics, as if anyone here can run it maxed out on surround anyway. Game is just terrible at scaling based on the resolution.

[JohnnyWakko]

Dunno what you guys are talking about, in my mind CoP > CS. The ending to CS was just too rushed. Who cares about the graphics, as if anyone here can run it maxed out on surround anyway. Game is just terrible at scaling based on the resolution.

What made CoP different and superior that CS for you?

Also, does the zone have the same layout. DOes it have additional sections to it?

[Downtown1]

[quote]Dunno what you guys are talking about, in my mind CoP > CS. The ending to CS was just too rushed. Who cares about the graphics, as if anyone here can run it maxed out on surround anyway. Game is just terrible at scaling based on the resolution.

What made CoP different and superior that CS for you?

You mean besides....

The ending to CS was just too rushed

The last 5 mins in particular in CS was a complete terrible piece of crap.

Actually I found the first few minutes after leaving the swamp incredibly hard too where you had to run past an MG to get to Cordon, it just kept killing me instantly (of course I was playing on master and all the enemies have aimbots on that).

Another really nice thing about CoP is that you can finally upgrade the exoskeleton to have sprinting so it becomes the undisputably best armor in the game. I think SoC had a special unique exo that had sprinting but since you couldn't repair items without other items of the same type (IIRC) then that unique exoskeleton could never be repaired and basically nobody would use it for that reason.

That being said it wouldn't hurt to buy the STALKER complete pack and play SoC, CS, CoP just like they intended. Maybe wait a few more months for Clear Sky Complete to come out and play with that.. anyhow I'm sure someone fixed the ending to CS by now.

Also, does the zone have the same layout. DOes it have additional sections to it?

It's the same as Shadow of Chernobyl for the most part, there's a few new zones like the Swamp and maybe some other ones. But basically Cordon/Garbage is exactly the same, while the other zones are heavily modified (you spend a lot of time in the abandoned school zone since there's a Duty base and a Stalker base there) mainly because they moved around where the faction bases were (and you have to go back to them to get quests, sell your loot, etc).

CS in general probably > SoC though except the end really left me sour.

[quote]
Not sure if you're new to STALKER series or what, but they have a very active mod community. Plus CoP has been out in Russia since I think March 2009 now, there's plenty of CoP mods already. So do yourself a favor and check out all the mods next time, in the meantime I recommend:

http://stalker.filefront.com/file/AtmosFear_for_STALKER_Call_of_Pripyat;110075 AtmosFear it makes all the weather look a lot more beautiful and increases view distances by like 3x. Good luck running it maxed out, I am guessing you're only using a single screen.

[Gecko]

Not sure if you're new to STALKER series or what, but they have a very active mod community. Plus CoP has been out in Russia since I think March 2009 now, there's plenty of CoP mods already. So do yourself a favor and check out all the mods next time, in the meantime I recommend:

http://stalker.filefront.com/file/AtmosFear_for_STALKER_Call_of_Pripyat;110075 AtmosFear it makes all the weather look a lot more beautiful and increases view distances by like 3x. Good luck running it maxed out, I am guessing you're only using a single screen.

I'm not new to Stalker, I played SoC when it was first released and I really enjoyed it. I"m just a bit of a purist when it comes to games I guess, I don't like playing modded versions. A minimal mod here and there is fine, but I don't like it when the mod totally redoes the game, like Oscuro's Oblivion mod. Although I loaded this mod and it made Oblivion playable to me, I simply lost all interest in the game and never finished it. I'll check out this weather mod though, thanks. Yes, single screen only right now. :wink:

[StingingVelvet]

I'm not new to Stalker, I played SoC when it was first released and I really enjoyed it. I"m just a bit of a purist when it comes to games I guess, I don't like playing modded versions. A minimal mod here and there is fine, but I don't like it when the mod totally redoes the game, like Oscuro's Oblivion mod. Although I loaded this mod and it made Oblivion playable to me, I simply lost all interest in the game and never finished it. I'll check out this weather mod though, thanks. Yes, single screen only right now. :wink:

I'm the same as you with mods, I like to play the game as the developers designed it, but the STALKER Complete mod really stays true to the tone of the game and changes relatively minor things, but those things make the game a lot more enjoyable.

I would never use something like Obscruo's, but this seemed righteous.

[Twig]

Personally I loved the first, but never finished it due to a screwed up disc and format issues.
I never played CS, but have put a ton of hours into CoP lately. I find it to be great.
I wish there was some kind of texture mods(like you see for Oblivion and whatnot) for it, because the graphics are crap but the game is fantastic.

[Gecko]

Clear Sky left me with the impression that GSC Gameworld wanted to see just how much punishment a player would put up with... ;)

Too freakin right. Sweet bloody hell this fookin' game is hard. Playing at 'Master' and it is mental. M-E-N-T-A-L.

Just ranting.

My rifle jammed about 4 times in one gunfight. WTF. What kind of guns are these? They don't have oil in the Zone? Jiffy Lube?

It also appears that all the bandits at Garbage are ex-Yankees Hall-of-Fame pitchers. They can pitch a grenade 100ft to land on my big toe, apparently.

I mean, I'm a decent gamer and all, and I like to think my grasp of strategy and basic reflexes are good, but this is getting ridiculous. Anything other than constant perfect headshots is useless. Those baggy clothes they are wearing are apparently woven in kevlar and were imported from Rivendell from Elrond's Magic Bullet-Stopping line of fashionable Zone elvenwear.

How many times must I defend the bandit depot? I am guessing it will be recaptured ad nauseum by constantly respawning bandits and hence I am giving up this recurring quest.

Could be the first game I'm going to play at a lower setting...

Again, just ranting. :twisted: :x

[MobsterOO7]

How many times must I defend the bandit depot? I am guessing it will be recaptured ad nauseum by constantly respawning bandits and hence I am giving up this recurring quest.

What are you talking about? The devs are going easy on you. They axed the gameplay mechanic where it was captured by bandits while you weren't playing the game.

[Gecko]

[quote]How many times must I defend the bandit depot? I am guessing it will be recaptured ad nauseum by constantly respawning bandits and hence I am giving up this recurring quest.

What are you talking about? The devs are going easy on you. They axed the gameplay mechanic where it was captured by bandits while you weren't playing the game.

Is this the part when you come back and get mugged or whatever? If so, I haven't got there yet, but have been forewarned to stash my stuff beforehand.

[Gecko]

UPDATE -

I'd forgotten how well the game evens out once you get past the insanely difficult, hazing-like, early stages. With a decent suit, upgrades, some artifacts and cash, I am now really enjoying it. Still playing at Master, but it has evened out. I can now usually survive most encounters with maybe only a reload or two. :D

It's truly a unique game, IMO. Keeps drawing me back.

It really looks fantastic as well.

Back I go...chasing Strelok...

[thales100]

STALKER Clear Sky Complete Mod is out :

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/63031

The SoC version, also compiled by artistpavel, is simply awesome, gonna try this one and post back later.

[Gecko]

STALKER Clear Sky Complete Mod is out :

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/63031

The SoC version, also compiled by artistpavel, is simply awesome, gonna try this one and post back later.

Cool, thanks. If I install this mod mid-game, will I have to restart or is it compatible with existing saves? Can't see any info on that from the link...thx.